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|Release Date: February 24, 2012
|Running Time: 98 mins.
|MPAA Rating: R
|Box Office: $17,255,675.00
|Genre: Comedy
Paul Rudd
Jennifer Aniston
Justin Theroux
Alan Alda
All Cast & Crew >>
Summary:George and Linda are an overextended, stressed out Manhattan couple. After George is downsized from his financial firm and Linda's depressing documentary is cancelled, they find themselves with only one option: to move in with George's awful brother in Atlanta. On the way there, George and Linda stumble upon Elysium, an idyllic community populated by colorful characters who embrace a different way of looking at things. Money? It can't buy happiness. Careers? Who needs them? Clothes? Only if you want them. Is Elysium the fresh start George and Linda need? Or will the change of perspective cause more problems than it solves?
Event Photos:


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Ohio ranks as the most profane state, with the majority of its phone calls involving the use of some type of profanity, according to a study by digital advertising firm Marchex.
The study, originally released in May, has garnered new attention thanks to making the rounds on social media and sites like Buzzfeed.
Marchex analyzed more than 600,000 phone calls from around the country to compile its list of who cusses and who is most likely to say "please" and "thank you."
Ohioans curse more than twice the rate of Washingtonians, according to the data. Washingtonians curse about every 300 conversations. Ohioans, on the other hand, swore about every 150 conversations, according to Marchex.
Maryland, New Jersey, Louisiana and Illinois round out the top-five most potty-mouthed states, while residents of Washington, Massachusetts and Arizona were found to be among America's least likely to use curse words.
The study also found that North Carolina and South Carolina were among the top two states most likely to use pleasantries such as "please" and "thank you."

subset: commoncrawl


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Ports of LA/Long Beach address air quality
April 24, 2013
With the global shipping industry showing increased interest in the use of LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) as a fuel for vessels, members of the International Association of Ports and Harbors are laying the groundwork for how ports worldwide can accommodate this emerging trend.
LNG will be the focus of technical committee and panel discussions at IAPH's 28th World Ports Conference May 6-10 at LA Live in downtown Los Angeles.
It is generally expected that by 2015 a number of progressive shipping lines will have LNG-powered vessels in their fleet, presenting a challenge for ports and shipping lines worldwide.
Some vessels today are already LNG-powered and more are on order. According to a recent study from the Danish Maritime Authority the current use of natural gas within the SECA-zone is expected to increase by 140% by 2020, due to the use of LNG as a shipping fuel and usage on land by trucks and busses. Using LNG instead of conventional fuels offers substantial environmental benefits in comparison to conventional fuels. Sulfur and particle emissions would be reduced to almost zero, nitrogen oxide emissions by 85-90 per cent and net greenhouse gases by 15-20 per cent.
Overall, LNG is a cleaner, more cost-competitive fuel, and it meets the upcoming 2015 IMO regulations. Recognizing it as the ship's fuel of the future, ports are preparing to offer safe storage and bunkering of LNG for shipping lines in or near their port areas.
Focusing on the use of LNG as a marine fuel, an "LNG Fuelled Vessels Working Group" has been established under the auspices of IAPH's World Ports Climate Initiative (WPCI). The Working Group is tasked for one to develop guidelines on safe procedures for LNG bunkering operations providing ports around the world with an implementation guideline, if they wish to pursue this technology.
Among the active participants in the Working Group, are representatives from the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The Working Group maintains close contacts with industry stakeholders currently using and/or handling LNG, as well as government agencies.
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text: I have a pair of Leica Ultravid 10 x 42 binoculars that I would like to mount/attach to a tripod for extended glassing periods. I have seen a few various methods for attaching binoculars to a tripod but was wondering what folks recommend? I'd like something that is quick and easy to mount and dis-mount depending on my needs. Ultimately, I'd like to carry one tripod with me in the field that will work with my spotting scope and binoculars without much plate or adapter changing when switching between the two. Any feedback would be appreciated.


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Joely Richardson
'Anonymous,' a Bold Denial of the Bard, Captures Spirit of Shakespearean Tragedy
By Rossiter Drake on October 24, 2011 6:00 PM
Who was William Shakespeare? Was he the Bard of Avon, the poet and playwright of humble beginnings whose command of the language gave us Hamlet, Macbeth and A Midsummer Night's Dream? Or was he a drunk, a fraud and a shameless opportunist?
Anonymous, Roland Emmerich's sure-to-be controversial (at least in academic circles) historical epic, espouses the Oxfordian theory of Shakespearean authorship, attributing all those masterworks to Edward de Vere (Rhys Ifans), the 17th Earl of Oxford. Shakespeare (Rafe Spall), functionally illiterate and fulfilled more by gold and mead than the joy of artistic expression, is seem as a contemptible fool.


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This bookstand's six open shelves keep reading material organized and easily accessible. Only available from Hammacher Schlemmer, the bookstand helps reduce clutter and holds enough newspapers, magazines, and books to sate even the most voracious reader. The shelves are open on two sides, allowing you to easily stack or remove reading material. Despite its large storage capacity, the bookstand requires only 1 1/2' sq. of floor space. Made from birch veneer with a mahogany finish. The bookstand is finished on all sides. Requires assembly. 31" H x 15" W x 15" D. (30 lbs.)
Lifetime Guarantee
The Organized Reader's Bookstand comes with The Hammacher Schlemmer Lifetime Guarantee at no additional charge. If this product ever disappoints you, for any reason, you may return your Hammacher Schlemmer purchase for exchange, credit, or refund.Should you have any questions, we are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Please call 1-800-321-1484 to speak with a product specialist or email us at firstname.lastname@example.com to receive a response within one hour.
May we recommend:
(based on 100 reviews)
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(37 of 37 customers found this review helpful)
Much better than a magazine rack
By chief
from northern New Hampshire
I've eyed this item in your catalog for years, and finally I said YES, it's just what I need. It does work in the space where I wanted it, and my only criticism is regarding the directions for assembly. In addition to diagrams, they need some words of explanation. I finally got the thing together, but it was touch and go for a while; in attaching the second side (3), it should be pointed out that it needs to be hammered in with the rubber mallet. Without doing that, it appears that the pegs won't fit the corresponding holes. Also: your phone rep said that the only required tool that doesn't come with the item is the mallet. Not true; a Phillips screwdriver is also required, and that, also, doesn't come with the item
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(15 of 16 customers found this review helpful)
Very Useful and Lovely
By lsfischer
from Monrovia CA
Attractive and very functional, this stand takes up very little area, and will go with any décor from Craftsman to French Provincial. I really wish it came in oak finish, though. Also, assembly of wood furniture items should always include gluing the dowels. I always appreciate it when each type of hardware has a spare, which this does not. If you are a small person, you might need someone to turn it while putting it together. All in all I am happy with my purchase.
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
(14 of 14 customers found this review helpful)
By ED
from South Carolina
Had trouble assembling first shipment. Instructions not clear and parts missing.Called Hammacher. They IMMEDIATELY sent a complete replacement product. Did not bill my account and just asked me to return the defective product at their cost. Second shipment easy to assembleGreat customer service. Problems happen but the way they handle says a lot about the CompanyProduct looks great and functions very efficiently in my home office
(8 of 8 customers found this review helpful)
Looks good . . . .
By Office Boy
from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
I put it on top of my desk - looks good - but cheap wood product. Meets my needs for an attractive organizational piece in the office.
(7 of 7 customers found this review helpful)
I found the Bookstand to be as expected
By Jim
from Boise, Idaho
From comments by others I was concerned I might have difficulty assembling the rack. Not so, but I have assembled many pieces of furniture before. What would help, I think, would be a perhaps two page basic explanation of the hardware that comes with the package. Some other vendors supply such basic info for those that this is the very first piece of self assemble furniture for them.
At Last! A Bookstand that Works!
By Nan
from San Jose, CA
I have several books and magazines that I read a bit at a time, so this stand is perfect for keeping them all on hand, but organized. It is very space efficient, and its clean lines are attractive and functional. A good buy - actually, I am ordering one for my husband. After all, he assembled the first one for me!
(6 of 6 customers found this review helpful)
Difficult to put together.
By Great Grannie
from O'Fallon, MO
I was really excited to get this product. It was, however, very difficult to assemble. For example when putting the second side on, it didn't go together well. One end of the side piece would come off when trying to get the other end to line up correctly. This was very frustrating. I felt like I needed to have four hands and arms. Finally got it together, it looks very nice and holds a lot.
Makes For Better Storage in House
By Papa
from Camden, Arkansas
This storage unit will give you better utilization of corner space in the rooms in your house. Great design and easy to assemble.
(5 of 5 customers found this review helpful)
Useful and attractive Bookstand
By Rosham
from Ontario, Canada
I really liked the idea of this bookshelf being useful for organizing paper and having this paper readily accessible. I do like it, but found it a pain to assemble. The top of the bookcase is still not on properly and i will have to try it again.
(4 of 4 customers found this review helpful)
the Reader's Book stand
By Sunhine in the night
from AL
I needed somewhere to put the books, papers and computer that I use before I go to bed. This was perfect, it fit in with the design of my furniture and the color was true to the picture. The parts are sturdy but the way it's put together does not really gel until its all together so be careful. You may want to change the dowels out for some a little bigger. Overall: excellent for purpose and look.
COPYRIGHT © 2016 HAMMACHER SCHLEMMER & COMPANY, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. W106HAMMACHER SCHLEMMER • 147 E. 57th ST • NEW YORK, NY • 10022 • 1-800-_321-1484


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Mr. Chairman, Commission members, ladies, and gentlemen, thank you for inviting the MJAFT Civic Movement to address you today and for convening a hearing on the important and timely topic of advancing democracy in Albania when our country is preparing for a very crucial election season. It has been seven years since the last hearing was held by this Commission on the topic of democracy in Albania, and given the increasingly worrying allegations of government misconduct in its dealings with the media and civil society, as well as accusations of wide-spread official corruption, this hearing could not have come in a better time.
Since the early 1990's, two parties have dominated the political scene in Albania, the former communist Labor Party renamed the Socialist Party (SP), and the Democratic Party (DP), the first party to emerge after pluralism was introduced. In reality, the scene is rather dominated by the two leaders of the respective parties Fatos Nano, currently the premier, and Sali Berisha of the DP. The first is known for his alleged corruption scandals and the second for his obstructionism.
Unfortunately, Albania belongs to the minority club of countries whose political scene is still dominated by the same two people who did so in the early 90's. At this point of Albania's development, all democratic principles are reduced to hollow rhetoric towards militants and propaganda ribbon-cutting. The population is exhausted from the barren and often petty political fighting. If there was one message all of our support base at home would unify behind, it would be to usher the peaceful exit of the old guard out of Albanian politics.
As you may well know, Albania is indeed a solid ally in the campaign against terrorism. I can testify that there is an overwhelming support from the Albanian population, mostly Muslim, for the United States throughout this effort, including the sending of our own soldiers to Afghanistan and Iraq. You should bear in mind that Albanians at home and abroad would unconditionally support the US effort in a just cause under any government at home.
However, one point needs some clarification. Albania's unconditional support for the international effort should in no way be translated into support for a political caste that other than being quick into touting the anti-terrorist horn is ruinous for its own country. These are the very same officials, whose failing policies are breeding ignorance and illiteracy in the country, factors which as we know too well can easily become a greenhouse for fundamentalism.
Often, US officials point out to Albania's stability as a justification for accepting the political status quo. If this is an actual policy of the US Government, then time is certainly ripe to recommend a policy revision. Having studied in and having been shaped from the political tradition of the United States, I would be disappointed to learn that the temporary stability in Albania has a higher price than that of true democracy, and that support for the just cause against terrorism is reciprocated with support to a group actively 'promoting' state capture and intimidation of free media and civil society. Albania cannot be an effective partner in the war on terrorism if it loses its democratic values in the process. Just like the people of Israel, who heading out of bondage in Egypt rushed to slave themselves to an idol for lack of knowing no better than to be under bondage, the old Albanian caste knows no better than to slave to the old communist ways. I strongly recommend that the United States seek to adopt a policy that encourages the participation of young people into politics, as the only solid hope for democratic transformation and development.
All of us in the MJAFT Movement believe in accountability in politics. But how can you make an elected official be accountable to his constituents when he does not need them to be reelected? How do you do that when the electoral process, the corner stone of representative democracy, is twisted?
Two thousand years ago Cesar, Emperor of Rome, got Mary and Joseph to leave Nazareth and go to Bethlehem for the registration of the population. Two thousand years later, in the age of computers, the Albanian Government cannot manage to complete such a simple task as is the registration of less than 3 million people. One can easily conclude that the issue is not a matter of ability but rather of lack of interest. At present, no parties in parliament have shown a real resolve in demanding that such thing happen.
For as long as people are not counted, all parties would try squeezing votes everywhere they have a strong election commissioner. Such behavior has become repetitive and expected in Albanian elections. Therefore, Albanian politics has shifted far from representing the interests of citizens to merely representing strictly personal or shallow party interests. Recent important votes in parliament have had outcomes contrary to the wish of most Albanians. These include the striking down of proposals to ban the import of unclassified waste in the country, legislation to compensate the former political prisoners, bills to recognize the case of the Chams (Albanian Muslims expelled from Greece during WWII) whose property was confiscated by the Greek government, and initiatives to ultimately settle the private property return legislation and numerous others. The rejection of these bills has certainly alienated the majority of the Albanian public.
The new electoral code has been hailed by most international organizations, and yet the last elections did not show any major improvement in the quality of elections. Local election commissions in the polling stations have created most of the problems that can be divided in two different categories: political and technical.
The commissioners are highly politicized and every chance they get, they cheat. They are in close watch and they constantly receive orders from their political party headquarters. Most of the time, instructions to twist, ruin, or boycott the process have come from the party headquarters. Much of this has to be expected when the people who are running for office command the people judging the race. Most commissioners have little or no capacities and are poorly trained as their major selection criteria is not their expertise or professionalism but their militantism, and ability to cheat or at least secure they are not cheated on. As result, a vast number of technical problems arise. Commissioners don't always know where the ballot boxes go and how they are to be sent there, how the protocols should be signed and how should the boxes be sealed. Such technical problems were one of the major reasons that the last local elections in Tirana where heavily contested.
In the voting registration process during the last election, political parties were awarded the right to register or un-register people without necessarily having the consent of the citizens to be (re)moved. This action has also lead to massive chaos during voting day and the aftermath has become a subject of public outcry, as noticed in the OSCE/OHDIR report.
It is rather obvious, that the fair political competition is sharply curtailed given this modus operandi. The current trend for competition has degenerated into an obscene race of people who can impose financial and/or criminal influence on the communities. One should not be surprised at the unethical inter-party race, as much of it has its roots in the lack of democracy within parties. Unlike others, the Socialist Party boasted a certain degree of competition amongst party ranks. As of last December much of that has now become obsolete, given the stage-management of that congress as observed by the Economist Intelligence Unit report.
The MJAFT Movement appeals to the US Congress to approve a resolution on Albania's elections as soon as possible, calling for a politically ethical and technically sound process. It is important that the following benchmarks are met by December 2004:
If these conditions are not met, Albanians will continue to alienate themselves from the electoral process, as proven in last year's election, in which participated less than 50 % of voters, an all-time low.
As we speak, widespread corruption and organized crime continue to be serious threats to the stability and progress of the country. According to the 2003 Transparency International Corruptions Perceptions Index, Albania has a score of 2.5 out of 10 (where a country free of perceived corruption receives 10 points on the scale), ranking poorly 92nd out of 133 countries.
MJAFT was keen to applaud the passing of the "Law on Declaration and Control of Assets" for public and elected officials. With US Government backing this law, it had the potential to bring significant change in Albania's corruption score. Instead, it experienced the fate of many such sound laws: it was poorly implemented.
Premier Nano was the first to declare receipts of gifts amounting to several hundred thousand dollars for a car and an illegally built apartment building. In response to allegations on the illegal financial sources of such 'free lunches', the Premier insisted the gifts came from companies such as Mercedes-Benz. While that company denied such involvement, the Albanian public witnessed another shameful chapter in mal-governance routine.
Many cabinet members have direct conflicts of interest with the private businesses they run on the side. This is the case for high officials that regulate telecommunication, agriculture, and food imports. The prime minister's wife is often at the center of allegations for using public office to advance semi-legitimate business interests.
At this stage, the Albanian government desperately needs to correct its corruption record and the evident mode of 'state capture'. Members of government should not accept gifts exceeding hundreds of thousands of dollars. There should be clear separations between an official's public duties and his/her private enterprises. Those in violation of such measures, should be brought to justice with highest expediency, and should not exclude high-ranking officials.
Support to Albania due to its alliance with the anti-terrorist Coalition should not make up for the misdeeds at home. We are daily witnesses to how the image of the United States in Albania has suffered from US officials' support - even though half-hearted - to a corrupt administration in Tirana. I was taught in this country's schools and by this country's representatives that good ethics are fundamental to a healthy political system, and thus, I urge you to not compromise these values when judging on the relationship with the Albanian government. In return, you shall have the support and gratitude of the Albanian people.
After a crisis in 1997 - triggered by the collapse of the so-called pyramid banking schemes - toppled Albania's right-wing government, many hoped the new Socialist administration, unlike their predecessors, would not put pressure on the media and civic groups. In fact, in the last seven years of left-wing rule, pressure on the media has mounted only in the recent years. Today, Nano's coalition government is almost routinely filing legal charges against publishers, journalists and civic groups. The recent multiple charges towards MP and Publisher of Koha Jone, Nikolle Lesi, for publishing official government decisions in which Premier Nano awarded himself 5 bonus salaries; the charges against Tema publisher Mero Baze for questioning the business activities of the Prime Minister's wife; and the ongoing intimidation of Shekulli newspaper for having uncovered an illegal lucrative agreement to import unclassified waste into Albania are all sufficient evidence of the crack down on media. Additionally, charges against the MJAFT Movement for having peacefully and lawfully protested against the government's decision to award the title and office of the 'First Lady' to the Premier's wife, has shown the government's lack of tolerance to freedom of expression.
However, direct pressure from the courts is only one of the pressures the media in Albania faces today. Given the poor economic state, the survival of 20 daily newspapers, together selling a total of only 60,000 copies, in a population of 3 million, is always a challenge. Given the absence of infrastructure, the Albanian press does not reach more than half of the country's territory. And, there are no attempts by the government to stimulate public information to these parts of the population.
Many media outlets survive only from the advertising of government institutions or state-owned companies, such as Albtelecom and the Albanian Electrical Corporation. As these are monopolies, which hardly need advertisements, in reality the offer of advertising is a useful carrot, which the government uses in its dealings with the media to ensure favorable coverage.
When the press and civil society get too critical of the government's wrongdoings, they are at minimum guaranteed 'visits' and intimidation from Financial Police and more recently the government even engages in all out campaigns to sabotage the financing of such media and civic groups.
While we applaud government's efforts towards combating fiscal evasion, this undertaking should not turn into a means of intimidation for those who dare question public (and the more often private) state policies. They should be no excuse to ignore the fundamental rights to freedom of speech and expression. It is thus urgent, if not too late, that the government cease all efforts to intimidate the media and immediately halt its slander campaigns towards groups like MJAFT (ENOUGH) and others.
A degree of success has been achieved in reducing the problem. One needs more time to evaluate real success. As the January 9, 2004 tragedy demonstrated (21 would-be illegal immigrants died off the Adriatic coast), the problem is still there and police forces are highly involved in such trafficking in levels of organizing and facilitating the process.
The matter became an issue of public outcry and a series of protests, which MJAFT lead in January. Since then, no serious prosecution work has been made on this issue demonstrating the high level of politically backed individuals involved in trafficking.
Fighting organized crime is a buzz word used for political leverage and international façade but no signs of a serious commitment to fight it and to break the ties of crime with politics, or the law enforcement institutions, have been visible so far. Hardly anyone has been prosecuted for such crimes and a number of police operations have failed due to information leakage by the authorities themselves. Much of the 'catch' the government parades as 'organized crime' would most likely qualify as 'small fish'.
According to Stabilization and Association Report for 2004 the Rule of Law in Albania remains deficient. Albanian law enforcement bodies do not yet guarantee consistent enforcement of the law, in accordance with international standards. The rule of law remains adversely affected by the weaknesses of the judicial system and public administration, as well as by organized crime and corruption.
Despite some limited improvements, the Albanian judicial system remains weak. The professional capacities of judges, prosecutors, judicial police and administrative staff remain limited, and infrastructures and equipment are inadequate. As a consequence, the overall performance of the judicial system is poor, as is its perception amongst the general public.
The overall lack of transparency and impartiality affects other important aspects of judicial operations including case management within prosecution offices and courts, and the assignment of cases to judges and prosecutors. Moreover, the courts do not regularly publish court decisions and the availability of those published is not sufficiently wide. The systematic publication of court sentences would increase transparency and contribute to decisions of higher quality.
However, the daunting challenge of the Albanian legal system is dealing with the issue of blood feuds, concerning the North of Albania and affecting more and more the rest of the country. Hundreds of families remain locked at home for fear of revenge killings, being deprived of basic human rights to movement, education, employment and over all the right to life itself. We can not be more firm when we seek of this Congress to exercise any and all pressure on the Albanian government on a solution for the lives of thousands under blood feuds. This middle-age scenario must cease NOW!
To conclude on a positive note, the Albanian society has been constantly developing. One cannot help but notice the positive change in people's mentality, the will to work hard and become a dignified part of the Western civilization, where Albania naturally belongs. Unfortunately, the Albanian political elites have failed to take the leadership role in promoting this change. Instead, they have become a stumbling block for progress. Hardly any young Albanian looks up at any of our senior political figures as a role model. Youth have a hard time building visions and setting goals of pursuing a future and starting families in Albania. Failed politics have killed many hopes, visions and dreams of young people abroad, who aspire to return back to their country and contribute with the education they have received in the West.
Despite all these setbacks, please rest assured of our commitment to remain a strong advocate for the people of Albania. The mere fact of us being the voice of Albanian youth here today, brings great encouragement and rekindles hope for all of us.
As you consider acting upon these comments and recommendations, please bear in mind that cutting foreign assistance or disenchanting NATO and the EU from Albania, at this stage, harms the Albanian people more than it does irresponsible politicians. However, political support to any group should be based on their democratic performance rather than acts of political convenience.
For all your interest and commitment to advance democracy in Albania, on behalf of all Albanians here and abroad, I owe you much gratitude.


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Pastry chefs, bakers put new twist on hand pies
Remember Pop-Tarts? If you recall those ubiquitous, jam-filled, cardboard-textured relics of childhood, they've likely left a bad taste in your mouth.
But while the execution of the preservative-filled treats was lacking, the idea remains a good one. And that has not escaped the attention of some chefs, who are reinventing the classic little hand pies as haute-tarts, encasing organic artisanal jams and savory pumpkin-sage mixtures between squares of flaky, tender pastry and serving them up in swanky hotels, luxe patisseries and casual cafes alike.
At Trace in San Francisco's W Hotel, the breakfast menu includes a Kadota fig-filled tart with lemon glaze. Ham and cheese is the filling of choice at Tout Sweet, "Top Chef: Just Desserts" winner Yigit Pura's trendsetting patisserie in San Francisco. And at Tender Greens, the fresh, seasonal cafe that opened in downtown Walnut Creek, Calif., last year, the haute-tarts range from savory to sweet, including a s'mores tart and one filled with fresh blueberries and finished with an eye-popping violet glaze.
The trend is easy to understand, pastry chefs and bakers say. These riffs on Pop-Tarts tap into our deepest, most nostalgic longings for childhood — while satisfying our grown-up palates. Besides, they're adorable.
"There's something intensely magical about homemade pop tarts," says Alana Chernila, the Massachusetts author of "The Homemade Pantry Cookbook" (Clarkson Potter, $24.99, 288 pages). "They appeal to the kid in everyone."
Chernila's cookbook boasts more than 100 enticing recipes, but the one that generates the most mail is the pop tart. Everyone loves them, she says. They love making them and they love talking about them afterward — and the nostalgia factor is a potent one.
The only problem is, the commercial Pop-Tarts of our youth were made to withstand travel by lunchbox and backpack, not to mention trips through the toaster. They are Sturdy, with a capital S — and sturdy is not a word you ever want to associate with pastry.
So when Kim Laidlaw, the San Francisco author of "Williams-Sonoma Home Baked Comfort" (Weldon Owen, $34.95, 224 pages) took a trip down memory lane and bit into the cherry Pop-Tart that had been her childhood fave, her taste-memory collided with reality. Badly. There was just one thing to do: Make her own toaster-style tart using really good buttery homemade pastry and high-quality sour cherry jam.
Good ingredients and stellar pastry are key. Some bakers, such as Sarah Billingsley and Rachel Wharton, authors of "Handheld Pies" (Chronicle Books, $19.95, 144 pages), go the classic pate brisee — the classic, butter-rich pie dough — route, and fill them with orange marmalade and mascarpone, or tomatoes, mozzarella and prosciutto.
Others opt for the puff pastry direction. Executive chef Sean Canavan, who left San Francisco's Bluestem Brasserie last spring to take over the top slot at Tender Greens, calls his dough "an in-between, a blitz puff pastry where you intentionally leave streaks of butter in your dough, which later on form your layers." And just because the childhood classic calls for rectangles covered in nonpareil sprinkles, doesn't make the parallelogram a requirement. The little tarts are every bit as delicious when they're cut into circles, hearts or triangles, drizzled with glaze or dusted with powdered sugar.
The Pop-Tarts of our youth may have come in a Kellogg's box, but the genre is "an ancient one," Canavan says. "People have always made hand pies." And the small size has an added advantage: One pastry, many different flavors. A single batch can result in half a dozen flavors.
Annette Picha, the pastry chef at Los Angeles' Tender Greens outpost, does variations on seasonal fruit, as well as a s'mores riff, mixing graham cracker crumbs into the pastry dough before filling it with chocolate ganache and homemade marshmallow. Canavan enjoys filling the little hand pies with organic, heirloom apples — his favorite is a Cox's Orange Pippin, a baking apple that is particularly popular in his native Germany — or chopped pumpkin or squash, sauteed in browned butter and lightened with mascarpone. The beauty of it, he says, is "you don't commit to a big pie."
Also key: exerting a little self-control as you fill them. "It's a balance. You want a good crust-to-filling ratio, but don't get overzealous," Chernila says. "You want it to goo out in the right way. Put too much filling in there and you can't get them sealed."
Seal them patiently, using a fork to crimp the edges securely, and don't worry too much about appearance.
"Don't try to make them look perfect. They're already awesome," Chernila says. "It's not worth the fuss to get every one the same size. It's part of their charm to be very clearly homemade."
But beware the toaster — a really lovely pastry crust lacks the structural integrity of a tough, sturdy one. And have fun with the filling.
"You're making pie, and everything is good in pie," Chernila says. "That's a rule."
A classic pop tart is filled with jam or chocolate, but there's no limit to the sweet or savory fillings you can use to fill this variation on a turnover. Here are just a few ideas:
Rhubarb compote
Cinnamon and sugar
Orange marmalade and mascarpone
Peanut butter and jelly
Nutella and bananas
Pumpkin and fresh sage
Pesto with fresh ricotta
Spinach and feta cheese
Ham and Gruyere
Sauteed mushrooms
Cheese, tomatoes and basil
Mashed potatoes with sauteed onions
Makes 12
2 cups flour
¼ cup confectioners' sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in chunks
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk
¾ cup sour cherry jam
2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 1 teaspoon cold water
1 large egg beaten with
1 teaspoon warm water
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons whole milk
2 teaspoons corn syrup
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Sprinkles (optional)
1. For dough: In a food processor, combine flour, sugar and salt. Add butter and process until it looks like coarse crumbs. Add yolk and milk; process until dough just comes together. Dump dough onto 2 large sheets of overlapping plastic wrap. Press into a disk, wrap and chill 30 minutes or overnight.
2. In a saucepan, cook jam and cornstarch mixture over medium heat, stirring, until slightly thickened and bubbly.
3. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. On a lightly floured surface, divide dough in half; form into rectangles. Roll one out to 16 by 9 inches. Using a ruler and pizza cutter, cut dough into 12 3-by-4-inch rectangles. Set on a baking sheet and chill while you repeat with remaining dough.
4. Lightly brush half the rectangles with beaten egg. Dollop a tablespoon of cooled filling into the center of each. Spread it, leaving a ½-inch border. Top with a plain dough rectangle, pressing edges together with your fingertips. Don't let the filling ooze out. Crimp edges with a fork. Put 6 tarts on each baking sheet, and prick the centers all over with the fork. Refrigerate.
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake tarts, rotating halfway through, until golden brown, 15-18 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.
6. Whisk glaze ingredients until smooth. Spread on the tarts and decorate with sprinkles, if you'd like.
—Kim Laidlaw, "Williams- Sonoma Home Baked Comfort" (Weldon Owen, $34.95, 224 pages)
Makes 6-8
Pastry dough:
8 ½ ounces flour
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
8 ounces cold butter, cut in cubes
2 egg yolks
1 ½ ounces whole milk
1 pint fresh blueberries
3 tablespoons granulated sugar, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon salt
Zest, juice of ½ a lemon
10 ounces powdered sugar
3-5 tablespoons blueberries
1. In a mixer fitted with a paddle, combine flour, sugar, salt and butter, mixing until butter is the size of marbles. Combine yolks and milk; add to flour mixture all at once. Mix until dough barely comes together. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour.
2. Dust work surface with flour and roll dough out about 1/8-inch thick. Cut into 4- to 5-inch circles. Cover and chill.
3. For the filling: Combine the blueberries, sugar, salt and lemon zest in a saucepan over medium heat. Stirring frequently, cook until thick and bubbly, 10-15 minutes. Add lemon juice. Let cool.
4. For the glaze, puree 3 to 5 tablespoons blueberries until smooth. Strain through a sieve. Mix puree, a tablespoon at a time, into the powdered sugar until the glaze is thick but spreadable.
5. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place half the pastry rounds on parchment-lined baking sheets. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling onto each round; wet edges with a little water. Top with remaining rounds, pressing edges to seal. Bake until golden brown, 15-20 minutes. Let cool.
6. Spread glaze over each tart. Let set, then serve.
—Annette Picha, pastry chef, Tender Greens
Pastry dough:
8 ½ ounces flour, sifted
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
8 ounces cold butter, cut in cubes
2 egg yolks
¼ cup milk
Pumpkin filling:
½ pound Fairytale or Cinderella pumpkin
2 ounces butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Pinch nutmeg
Salt, pepper to taste
2 ounces pecans, coarsely chopped
½ tablespoon chopped sage
1 tablespoon mascarpone cheese, optional
Egg wash: 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
1. Combine flour, sugar and salt in an electric mixer. Add butter to the dry ingredients. Using the paddle attachment, carefully knead dough until butter is the size of marbles. Mix yolks and milk; add to flour mixture and mix until dough barely comes together. It should look shaggy.
2. Transfer dough to work surface and with your hands, press dough until it just comes together. There should be visible streaks of butter throughout. Form into a disk and chill for 4 hours.
3. Dice pumpkin into ½-inch pieces. In a heavy saute pan, heat the butter until it starts to brown slightly. Add pumpkin, brown sugar, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Saute until nicely browned and tender.
4. Add chopped pecans and sage. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely. Mix in mascarpone.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Divide dough in half and roll out 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 3-by-4-inch rectangles. Repeat with other half.
6. Lay half the pastry rectangles on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place a dollop of filling in the center of each, leaving enough space to crimp the sides. Brush the edges with egg wash; top with another pastry rectangle. Crimp edges with a fork and cut a small incision in the top to vent the steam. Bake for about 12 minutes or until golden brown.
—Sean Canavan, executive chef, Tender Greens


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Just in time for summer and all the annual fairground attractions, Maisy and her pals will give little ones a preview of the fun they may expect to have or the fun of replaying some of the rides they may have enjoyed. The action packed pull tabs make the bumper cars move, and there's a bouncy castle, a swing that goes high and low, a giant slide, a roller coaster, ferris wheel, treats to eat and a merry-go-round, of course. You'll want to use this together, since little hands may accidentally break the paper engineering pieces. That said, this is a fun interactive book. 3 & up.
Age: Preschool. Review Published: 2013-06-19 13:16:17. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.
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Instructions for submitting product to the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio for review.
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Vietnam era leather .38 Cal holster for the .38 MOD.10 with a 4" barrel. Holster has a 3/4" flap and a lift-the-dot closure. These were mfg. in the U.S. by Bolen leather products. One of the largest manufactures of Government issue holsters. Still in the package with government issue tag.
Right hand draw.
Condition: New / Unissued
Holster room


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Hi everyone,
I'm completely new to Zimbra. Downloaded the v8 beta 5 of the appliance. When I logon to the configuration and start a Single Node installation, it hangs up about 10 seconds in on this step:
Haven't found anything similar in the forums and no clue where to go from here. Any hints/suggestions are greatly appreciated!


text: Changing the game: how Notch made Minecraft a cult hit Magazine features 15 September 14 by Tom Cheshire This article was taken from the July 2012 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online. On 15 September, 2014 Mojang was bought out by Microsoft for $2.5 billion (£1.54 billion), with the founders announcing they would be leaving the company. Markus "Notch" Persson is bopping his bald head to "Sexy and I Know It", one hand holding a glass of Dom Perignon, the other in the air. The Café Opera, a nightclub in Stockholm, is heaving; dry ice blasts the audience while Redfoo, one half of electropop outfit LMFAO, mixes bass-heavy songs on stage. Persson's booth is in the middle of the crowd; Jakob Porser, a cofounder with Persson of games studio Mojang, ignores the rest of the 1997 magnum and mixes Grey Goose vodka with Red Bull. He hands one to Persson, who points to the 1.5-litre bottle and says, "We're going to finish this." Carl Manneh, the third cofounder, huddles with Persson and Porser in the booth. The three board members of Mojang chink glasses. It's the small hours of a Monday in February. Mojang is celebrating two milestones. The first is raising £280,000 for three charities, by making a new game from scratch in 60 hours. The second is selling five million copies of Minecraft, a blocky-looking game created by Persson three years ago. Originally a download-only game for PC, Minecraft has earned 33-year-old Persson £45 million and turned him into a celebrity in web and gaming culture. He's known to millions as "Notch" (the top definition of Notch on Urban Dictionary: "Another word for Jesus"). As Persson was shown into the Café Opera, several clubbers recognised him. They asked to shake his hand. Being worshipped, Persson says, "is a bit weird. I guess people feel like they kind of know me. The game developer me, or the Twitter persona, that's Notch. It's a censored version. The real me is Markus."One weekend in summer 2009, before he became Notch and started wearing a fedora, Persson made Minecraft. It isn't like other games. There are no instructions, no levels, no mission structure, no story, no lives, no points, no clear goal. You start Minecraft in the middle of a randomly generated, blocky-looking world about eight times the size of Earth and are completely free to do what you want. You can go exploring or you can get creative. Every block in the world, whether it represents a tree, gravel or rock, can be harvested and subsequently "crafted" into a product -- swords, pickaxes, torches. The two mouse buttons give the game its mechanic: one breaks blocks, the other places them. Your only aim is to survive. As night falls, this gets harder: zombies, spiders and other ne'er-do-wells emerge, meaning you have to find and build shelter.Minecraft doesn't get more complicated than that, which is its appeal: a virtual version of Lego, it offers infinite creativity and control. Where other world-building games such as Sim City allow players to place pre-built structures, Minecraft lets you make anything you want, from huts to cathedrals. The randomly generated worlds stretch forever and can be beautiful: archipelagos or rainforests stretching kilometres high; cave systems with flowing water and lava, and rare metals which offer the possibility of entirely new creations. Minecraft has no beginning and no end.Players build gigantic digital monuments -- the Taj Mahal, the USS Enterprise and a functioning calculator -- all hucked out of the randomly generated dirt, stone and wood. There are 4.5 million YouTube search results about Minecraft, in which fans guide newbies or show off their virtual creations. Three million players log in every week; there are 240 million logins each month. Last November, 4,500 people from 23 countries paid between $99 and $139 (£63 and £89) (more than Persson has spent marketing the game) to attend Minecon, a conference dedicated to Minecraft at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas; the oldest delegate was 77 years old, the youngest four. Peter Molyneux, an influential game designer, calls Minecraft "the best game of the last ten years. [Persson] didn't stick to the old rules of game design that most developers slavishly obey. The gift was giving people a world to play with. Minecraft trusts in people's ability to find their own entertainment in a digital experience, to choose whether they're going to build or destroy. It is a glimpse into a new world of digital entertainment." Persson has, according to Ian Livingstone, founder of Games Workshop and an adviser to the UK government on video games, "singlehandedly changed the world of videogames". Working by himself, a stocky, bearded developer from the middle of Sweden created a hit to compete with titles from multibillion-dollar companies such as Electronic Arts and Zynga. Persson did it by assuming gamers wanted more than another shooter or farming title. As youareminecraft.com says, "the game has revealed how much creativity lies undiscovered within us". Persson unleashed it and changed the rules of a £40bn industry. Just over 60 hours before the visit to Café Opera, the 18 employees of Mojang were preparing for a game jam -- a well-practised format in which developers create a new game in a short period of time. Inside the Mojang offices in Stockholm, developers sits at desks strewn with hardware, Minecraft merchandise and Nerf guns. Two minutes into Mojam and 100 people have bought the yet-to-be-finished -- or even planned -- game. "That means we have to make it now," says Persson. After an hour, 993 donors have given $6,000 (£3,700). Pizzas are ordered and eaten, and then Mojang gets to work. Persson, dressed in a green Lacoste shirt and wearing his fedora, holds a design meeting in a small room with a whiteboard. Thanks to a public vote, Mojang's latest game will be a real-time strategy shoot-em-up set in a steampunk ancient Egypt. "The combination of themes we got was a bit weird," says Persson, "but I think we'll pull something off." The team talk for half an hour, throwing out concepts ("we've got to have mechanised scarab beetles!"). Persson stands at the back of the room, guiding the discussion. "Let's just get started," he eventually says. Mojang will have to write the game code, network and rendering from scratch. Every developer returns to his desk. Persson sits at his in the corner, pulls on his green headphones and starts coding. When he started Minecraft, in summer 2009, he was on his own. Over the course of a weekend in May, he wrote a basic game, which mashed up others such as Dwarf Fortress and Infiniminer into something entirely its own, and mentioned it on the TIGSource forum -- a site for independent games players and creators. A month later, he charged people €10 (£8) to download the game. Minecraft sold 40 copies that first weekend. People started talking about it: they had to, because there were no instructions. You could figure out how to make a bed, say, by trial and error -- three slabs of wood, three bundles of wool -- but it was easier to ask others. Persson also released Minecraft as an alpha -- the core gameplay was established, but the game was, deliberately, left incomplete. Every Friday, Persson would update it, adding features. Every time, sales rose. "The main reason, I think, is because people talk about the game," says Persson. He had always been an active member of the TIGSource discussions and now he engaged with Minecraft's early players, on the forums, on Twitter (Notch has 660,000 followers) and on his Tumblr page. As players created their own worlds, Persson was expanding the universe in dialogue with those players. Minecraft became the talk of 4chan and Reddit. When sales hit 15,000, Persson knew he was on to something bigger than an indie release. In summer 2010, Persson set up Mojang, along with Porser, with whom he had worked at Flash-games developer King.com, and Manneh, his former CEO at jAlbum, a photosharing site. By now, sales had reached 200,000 and PayPal, suspecting fraud, froze Persson's account. Mojang would license Minecraft's IP from Notch Development, meaning most money would go to Persson. A beta version of the game came out in November 2010. On January 12, 2011, Minecraft passed a million units sold. By April, it was at two million units. August, three million. Notch announced Minecon. A few days before the November event, Minecraft sold its four millionth copy. The game, constantly updated, still had not been released. It came out of beta, priced at €19.95 (£16), on 18 November; the official release has sold 1.5 million copies. The independent developer had gatecrashed the big video-games publishers' party. And he was having more fun than they were. Read page 2 123 Read on one page Latest on wired.co.uk


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ATLANTA -- He's going on twenty years in Congress, most of it in the US Senate. And after all that, Saxby Chambliss faced a possible challenge from within his own Republican party for next year's nomination. To that, Chambliss said 'enough.'
"I have no doubt that had I decided to be a candidate, I would have won re-election," Chambliss said in a statement. "Instead, this (retirement announcement) is about frustration, both at a lack of leadership from the White House and at the dearth of meaningful action from Congress."
RELATED | Sen. Sexby Chambliss to retire at end of term
Chambliss sometimes tangled with the Tea Party movement. The race to replace Chambliss will present an opportunity for the tea party to flex its conservative muscle.
"I think it's an opportunity to strengthen not only the tea party movement but to strengthen to the Republican Party," said Julianne Thompson of the Atlanta Tea Party. Despite their disagreements, Thompson says she liked and respected Chambliss.
Republicans considering the 2014 race to replace Chambliss will come from a who's who of elected leaders past and present -- from former Governor Sonny Perdue and former Secretary of State Karen Handel -- to members of Congress like Tom Price, Tom Graves, Paul Broun, Lynn Westmoreland and Jack Kingston.
"You could have a domino effect if you have two, three, maybe four House Republicans running for the Senate," said Dr. Kerwin Swint of Kennesaw State University. "That opens up their House seats for other Republicans to get involved in. So there could be a real scramble, a real shaking out here in the next 18 months." Swint said it is unlikely a Democrat could compete for the seat. Democrats haven't won a statewide race in Georgia since 2006.
Most of Chambliss's potential replacements issued statements praising him for his twenty years in Congress. It won't take long for the followup statements announcing candidacies -- even though the Republican Senate primary is still two summers away.


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Based on the Monthly Treasury Statement for December and the Daily Treasury Statements for January
The federal government accumulated a budget deficit of $349 billion in the first four months of fiscal year 2012, CBO estimates, $70 billion less than the shortfall recorded for the same period last year. Without shifts in the timing of certain payments, however, the deficit would
have been only $39 billion smaller than the shortfall for the same period last year. If lawmakers enact no further legislation affecting spending or revenues, the federal government will end fiscal year 2012 with a deficit of nearly $1.1 trillion, CBO estimates, compared with
$1.3 trillion in 2011. However, enactment of proposals such as pending legislation to extend the payroll tax cut could have a significant impact on the deficit for 2012. (For more details about CBO's most recent budget projections, see The Budget and Economic Outlook: Fiscal Years 2012 to 2022.)


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Yeast boosts nutrition in cheesy cauliflower dish
Nutritional yeast is an ingredient used in many vegetarian recipes because it's a source of protein and B vitamins. It adds a nutty, cheesy flavor to many dishes such as casseroles and gratins. Another common use is to sprinkle the yeast on popcorn and cooked vegetables.
It's yellowish in color and sold in flake or powder forms.
Nutritional yeast is similar to brewer's yeast: Both come from the same strain of yeast and are used as nutritional supplements. But brewer's yeast is a byproduct of beer-making, according to the Cook's Thesaurus, and that's what makes it bitter. So don't substitute one for the other.
And don't confuse nutritional yeast with yeast used in baking. Nutritional yeast is not active, so it is nonleavening. It's pasteurized, which deactivates it.
Once nutritional yeast is deactivated, it becomes a good source of nutrients, the thesaurus says.
Most health-food stores carry nutritional yeast. There are several brands and container sizes of nutritional yeast. Prices range from $6.50 for a 4 1/2-ounce container to $18 for 16 ounces.
If you're new to nutritional yeast, try using it in this Mac and Cheese-Style Cauliflower recipe adapted from Vegetarian Times magazine's January/February 2012 issue.
Mac and Cheese-Style Cauliflower
Makes 8 1-cup servings. Prep time: 15 minutes. Total time: 1 hour.
8 heaping cups cauliflower florets
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 shallot, peeled, minced
2 cloves garlic, peeled, minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups 1 percent low-fat milk
2 cups grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup nutritional yeast (optional)
1 pinch cayenne pepper
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs or panko bread crumbs
Fresh chopped parsley or snipped chives for garnish (optional)
HEAT oven to 350°. Coat the bottom of a 13- by 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
BRING a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add cauliflower florets and boil until just tender. Drain and reserve 1 cup cooking liquid; set aside. In the same pot, melt the butter over medium heat.
ADD shallot and garlic and sauté about 2 minutes. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Whisk in milk and 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking liquid; cook 7 to 10 minutes or until sauce is thickened, whisking constantly. If the sauce is too thick at this point, add more of the reserved cooking liquid.
REMOVE from heat and stir in cheese, nutritional yeast, cayenne pepper and egg yolks until cheese is melted. Fold in cauliflower.
SPREAD cauliflower mixture in the baking dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Spray bread crumbs with cooking spray. Bake 30 minutes or until casserole is hot and bubbly and bread crumbs are crisp and brown. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley or chives, if desired.
Nutritional information: Per serving: 273 calories (53 percent from fat), 16 grams fat (9 grams saturated fat), 18 grams carbohydrates, 16 grams protein, 314 milligrams sodium, 94 milligrams cholesterol, 4 grams fiber.


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Brownies manufacturers hookah dive systems that allow multiple divers to hit the water without the aid of traditional scuba tanks. They have easy-to-use models, powered by electricity or gas. They have versions for recreational and commercial diving, both of which are simple to set up and use. See more
Brownie´s Marine Group, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary, Trebor Industries, Inc., d/b/a Brownie´s Third Lung, based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida designs, tests, manufactures and distributes recreational hookah diving, yacht based scuba air compressor and Nitrox Generation Systems, and scuba and water safety products. The Company sells its products both on a wholesale and retail basis and is comprised of three highly specialized dive product groups. The Company is an industry leading manufacturing and distribution company that serves middle income boat owners, higher income yacht owners, recreational divers, military operators and public safety personnel. The Company holds more than ten patents and enjoys a robust product development and intellectual property program that has yielded several proprietary products. Many of these products and innovations have become the ´´standard´´ for the marine industry. The Company is known for its meticulous devotion to detail, high quality production and design ingenuity. In the boating and diving community, Brownie´s is known as the market leader when it comes to surface supplied ´´Third Lung´´ dive systems and Scuba Tankfill Systems for yacht-based diving. Brownie´s products and support service divers at all levels of the underwater world, from shallow-water dive systems to deep-water mixed gas support systems for exploration divers and submariners.
In 2011, Brownie´s introduced the first in a series of patent-pending Variable Speed Battery Powered Third Lung (hookah diving) devices engineered to conserve energy while delivering performance to the diver. Brownie´s Marine Group is a vertically integrated manufacturer with complete in-house resources and design capabilities to suit every recreational hookah diving need. Brownie's designs, assembles, tests and sells most of its equipment at our factory in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
This involves everything from stitching gear bags to assembling air hoses for hookah systems. Involvement in every step of design and construction of our products allows us to control the quality of the production process from top to bottom. Please come by to visit us if you are in the Ft. Lauderdale area. We can help you with any of your hookah or scuba diving requirements or special requests.
See all Scuba Diving Gear Manufacturers


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Butler, DeJesus, Gordon greet kids at holiday party
The Royals reached out to 60 area youth on Tuesday at the first Royals Charities Kids Holiday Party. The event hosted kids from Della Lamb, Spofford Home, Guadalupe Centers, Inc. and Operation Breakthrough. First baseman Billy Butler, outfielder David DeJesus and third baseman Alex Gordon all took part in the afternoon's events.
Participants ate dinner, made ornaments, decorated cookies and visited with Sluggerrr. Santa handed out gifts that were donated by front office associates. The kids also took home a holiday stocking full of goodies. DeJesus closed the party by reading "The Night Before Christmas."


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Settlers of Catan!
I've been fiddling with the idea of generic-game-sheets. That is, game layouts that are blank and ready for either creative endeavors (new games you want to invent) or for playing games you have without having to lug the board along. Instead, just a baggie full of the pieces and/or some felt-pens are all you need to play (camping, school, etc) rather than the big board etc.
I've considered, once I get some set up, of having them made into a pad of paper at the local office shop. I'd then look at creating a set of game pieces, dice, blank cards, that could be brought along on a trip to play any of them.
Here's the first one I've mocked up. I thought I'd share in case anyone could a)use it or b)had suggestions and feedback.
Other layouts I'm planning to add:
1) Monopoly style
2) World Map style (Risk?)
3) Chess/checkers/reversi layout
4) Go layout
5) Chinese Checkers
Are there others you can suggest? Ones that are either shared through different types of boardgames and/or would lend themselves well to modification?
Settlers of Catan!
I'm glad it's easy to recognize!
I actually think it would be fun to give your kids the task, before a game, of colouring the board layout (while you prepare dinner while camping)...after dinner, you pull out the business-card-size cards you made up, some cheap dice, and a marker for the thief out of the bag and hand out a coloured felt for each player...and no worries about destroying/losing important pieces or getting dirt/mud/camping on the cards etc.
Granted, I've not done this yet....but it seems like it would work.
What prompted this initially was the total unplayability of the Settlers of Catan Travel Edition I was given (so small, not great for aging eyes or to play on a beach).
True that. I think it's a really neat concept - DIY boardgaming.
That makes me consider the possibility for changing the rules/stats of your current games. Want to play Catan with only wood...easy. Monoply with price of properties reversed? Easy...just write in different numbers or words...
Exactly! It seems really fun for that precise reason. I know it should be possible to create a free-form "Civ" style board game where you map as you go along. I just KNOW it should be possible.
I just haven't managed to yet. Dangit.
Hmm....as you move, you can see two hexes around your position. When you enter an area with hexes that haven't been exposed, you roll a die (x) for each position, and it becomes the corresponding biome/city/whatever that matches the roll?
Something like that would work, yeah. Catan has how many terrains? Five right? So that's one left over for "other stuff"
You just use a 10-sided dice, with two numbers for each type of resource
Or make up a new resource!
Lukc, I appreciate your helping develop this idea a bit
It's my pleasure - I've always been a big fan of board games. Anything that let's me put my DM hat up for a rest is good fun ... I keep trying to get other folks to DM, but they keep coming back and saying, "damnit, this is harder than it looks and you're better at it than me. You keep doing it."
d10s, yes, that would work for Catan. Or more resources. I should really get back to my plot for a roleplay / civ board game. I made a trial game once, which I DM-ed, where every player basically ran a nobleman and his family. It was ridiculous fun, but we never finished it off. Projects, projects, everywhere you look.
Can't wait to see the rest of your generic maps!


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Contact details
Sea Breeze B&B enjoys a peaceful location with magnificent views in Connemara, County Galway. The property is ideally placed for touring the region, with beaches, golf, fishing, country walks, scuba diving and horse riding in the area.Private seaside garden right on the edge of the Atlantic. Ideal for picnics or just relaximg and try and spot some dolphins
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Hope somebody can explain this to me. I had an email through my old employer, a school - www.pks.biblio.net and although I finished there sometime back I kept using the email mainly for my ebay and amazon activities. For a week now the access to www.pks.biblio.net has been replaced by zimbra login and it does not accept my usual username and password. I had no email warning me of this.
Have I lost all my messages and my email account, or can I get it back?
nixmith (email@example.com)


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The Gathering: A Women's Christian Life Group at Word of Prayer Cultural Center (WOPCC)
Friday, 08 March, 2013|
The Gathering meets every second Friday of the month at 7:30PM. The purpose of The Gathering is to support the Christian life journey of women. We meet in a supportive environment of love, honesty, and integrity.
Word of Prayer Cultural Center (WOPCC)
1450 Mercantile Lane
Suite 227
Largo, MD 20774
Suite 227
Largo, MD 20774
Event ContactRuth Pollard
Phone: 301-892-2592
Website: Click to Visit


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Worked With:
Carson Kressley
Birth Name: Carson Kressley
Born: 11/11/1969
Birth Place: Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, USA
Born: 11/11/1969
Birth Place: Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, USA
Born Carson Lee Kressley on Nov. 11, 1969 in Clausville, PA, Kressley graduated from high school in 1986 and studied at Gettysburg College. Graduating Phi Beta Kappa and with Magna Cum Laude honors in 1991, Kressley received degrees in both finance and fine arts. Moving to the Big Apple after college, Kressley promptly found a job in the fashion industry where he quickly gained a reputation as a top stylist. In 1994, Kressley was hired by fashion designer Ralph Lauren to oversee the high-profile men's swimwear division. It was here, that Kressley made his name as one of the industry's leading haute couturiers and where he would devote the next eight years of his life.
In 2003, Kressley's l... Continue Bio >>
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text:
Nathan Hager, wtop.com
ARLINGTON, Va. – Common foods with geographically significant names such as Parmesan cheese, Chorizo sausage and Salami may be in danger of losing their namesake, but a new organization wants to make sure that doesn't happen.
The Consortium for Common Food Names launched Monday. The collection of consumers, food producers and retailers from around the world want to keep foods with internationally derived names from falling out of the public domain.
For years, the European Commission (EC) has regulated the use of food names with geographical indicators (GIs). But, according to Jaime Castaneda, the consortium's executive director, the EC is now moving toward regulating the translations of food names with GIs, so that terms like "Parmesan" would be restricted.
The list of endangered names includes cheeses like Brie, Cheddar and Camembert, and meats like Prosciutto, Chorizo and Salami. Renaming the 14 top cheeses alone could cost $4.2 billion a year, says Castaneda.
"This could be a huge deal," Castaneda says.
Castaneda stresses that his group is not opposed to restrictions for specific regions, such as Parmigiano-Reggiano to designate cheese made in Parma, Italy.
"At least as much Feta and Parmesan cheese are made outside Europe as within it. These generic names are in the public domain," consortium chairman Errico Auricchio said in a statement. He's the president of an Italian-style cheese making company based in Green Bay, Wis.
The consortium advocates for the use of compound terms which would allow food producers to pair generic internationally-derived names with their regions of origin.
"it is very simple to basically say 'Camembert de Normandy,' 'Parmigiano-Reggiano,' 'Mozzarella di Bufalo de Campana," says Castaneda.
He says the regional designations could also apply to foods made in the United States, such as Idaho potatoes or Washington State apples.
More Names At Risk
Follow Nathan and WTOP on Twitter.
(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)
Sure, you could grill another hot dog. Or, you could try one of these 30 recipes for foods you never knew you could cook on the grill.


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Wednesday, November 25, 2009
PHOTO OP: Talk to the hand 'cause...
Robin Soderling entered the Barclays World Tour Final as a replacement to an injured Andy Roddick in the B Group and has made GREAT on his opportunity.
He disposed of Rafael Nadal on Monday and today he ended Novak Djokovic's 11-match win streak with a 7-6 (5), 6-1 decision. He becomes the first baller to reach the semifinal stage at the prestigious tourney and the only one not to lose a set. Gah!
The Roland Garros finalist played a tactically brilliant match pummeling Nole's usually lethal backhand side and then going after his weaker forehand. The Serb's slice strategy seemed suspect, giving Sod the time to set up his attacking shots. Seriously, why would you send over slice after slice when your DHBH is one of the best, if not the best, in the world? Plus, it forced the defending champ out of his rhythm which infected the rest of his game like a virus. The final set saw an uber-confident Sod take it full force to his ever-increasingly fatigued and frustrated opponent.
We all know the Swede isn't the most liked baller in the locker room or with fans and he seems to relish that role, playing this week as if he has something to prove on an indoor surface he should excel on. Sod also seems to be walking around with a carefree, nothing-to-lose attitude since he wasn't supposed to play anyway.
And you know what? That makes him the most dangerous of 'em all.
(Photos: Getty)
4 comments:
- AnonymousNovember 25, 2009 at 3:27 PM
Oh no Djoko!ReplyDelete
Novak threw away the match in the second set, it was hard to watch, it was almost as if he didn't care anymore, hardly moving or going for the ball at all. Disappointing after such a good first set. Deserved win for Sod, as little as I like him. :(
- AnonymousNovember 25, 2009 at 4:41 PM
way to go SOD!!!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousNovember 25, 2009 at 9:39 PM
Strategic tank from Djok to save energy. Forget trying for a second and third set. He will try to beat Rafa and Sod has an excellent record against Davy.ReplyDelete
Why isn't Soderling liked in the lockerroom? Or by fans for that matter? I don't see anything wrong with him.ReplyDelete
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|Steve Starkebaum honored as 'Friend of 4-H'
|Written by Holyoke Enterprise
Recognized for his continued support of Phillips County 4-H, long past the years of his own children being involved, Steve Starkebaum was honored as this year's Friend of 4-H.
Recognition was given at the Oct. 7 4-H Achievement Program at the Haxtun Community Center.
Starkebaum served as a livestock superintendent for a number of years and continues to serve on the livestock committee.
Steve Starkebaum is recognized as this
—Enterprise photo
4-H members, leaders, family members and Fair award sponsors attended Sunday's program to recognize the achievement of 4-H members throughout the year and to celebrate National 4-H Week.
County 4-H coordinator Kindra Plumb cited the National 4-H Week activities including decorated hay bales throughout the county, interviews with 4-H members on Star 92.3 radio, visits to Holyoke and Haxtun Elementary Schools and county commissioner proclamation designating National 4-H Week.
Janna Smith opened Sunday's program with an impressive presentation from her Citizen Washington Focus experience in Washington, D.C. last summer.
All five 4-H clubs in Phillips County were recognized as Gold Club award winners this year. They include Better Beef Makers, Challengers, Holyoke Centennial, Paoli Hustlers and Raising Ranchers. Clubs were also recognized for their Community Pride project activities.
Graduating 4-H members in 2012 are Alyssa Roll, a member of Raising Ranchers; and Mariah Struckmeyer, Holyoke Centennial.
Ten-year member pins were earned by Kaylee Ham, Mariah Struckmeyer, Erin Vieselmeyer and Megan Vieselmeyer.
Five-year pins were presented to Elise Atkins, Emily Atkins, Lauren Bergner, Kaylee Camblin, Katie Gibson, Anna Jelden, Emily Jelden, Naydeen Knapp, Rebecca Owens and Keegan Shaw.
First-year member pins went to Tanley Andersen, Molly Brown, Levi Dille, Brandon Durbin, Hailey Durbin, Tristen Ferguson, Kaitlyn Kent, Owen Knode, Kassidy Porter, Colby Purkeypile, Kylie Purkeypile, Ashley Rahe, Taylor Trumper and Promise Wright.
Karin Kramer was recognized as a 20-year leader, and Jack Wieland as a 15-year leader. Five-year leader pins were presented to Joan Bogan, Denise Smith and Brent and Tina Vieselmeyer.
First-year leader pins went to Tim Becker, Brandy Miller, Tracy Roll, Kevin Salvador, Pam Struckmeyer and Julie Thayer.
Cloverbuds were introduced and include third-year members Theron Roll and Kristin Vieselmeyer; second-year Chase Johnson, Karlie Martin and Brooklyn Plumb; and first-year Mason Bogan, Abigail Dille, Ty Guthrie, Diego Jimenez, Katelin Kinnie, Braden Plumb, Kayden Porter and Joshua Wright.
Grand Champion Club awards were presented to Taylor Hendrix, secretary, Better Beef Makers; Elise Atkins, treasurer, Paoli Hustlers; and to Challengers for the scrapbook and fair booth.
Janna Smith tells of her experience at the
—Enterprise photo
Awards presented
Awards were acknowledged for all Grand Champion (GC) and Reserve Grand Champion (RGC) winners at the 2012 Phillips County Fair. Those who hadn't previously received awards were presented with them at Sunday's program.
Additionally, the numerous award sponsors were recognized.
Awards which were not previously announced at Fair time include:
Livestock recordbook awards—Allie Thompson, GC young junior; Owen Knode, RGC young junior; Lauren Bergner, GC junior; Kaylee Camblin, RGC junior; Emily Atkins, GC intermediate; Taylor Hendrix, RGC intermediate; Nicholas Ortner, GC senior; and Kody Timm, RGC senior.
GC herdsmen awards went to Better Beef Makers, beef and swine; Paoli Hustlers, goat and poultry; and Raising Ranchers, lamb and horse.
GC overall carcass awards were presented to Austin Vieselmeyer, beef; Allie Thompson, goat; Morganne Kumm, lamb; and Nicholas Ortner, swine.
GC production animal awards went to Taylor Hendrix, beef; Austen Struckmeyer, goat; Morganne Kumm, lamb; Nicholas Ortner, swine; and Baylor Struckmeyer, overall fed beef value.
In shooting sports awards, Austin Vieselmeyer was recognized as most improved shooter.
Livestock judging team members were introduced—Austin Vieselmeyer, Nick Ortner, Sidney Struckmeyer, Trent Huffman, Taylor Hendrix, Josilyn Lutze, Rebecca Owens and Lane Guthrie.
4-H program staff assistant Tracy Trumper acknowledged those who helped with the after-school enrichment program this past year. They included Nancy Dee, Christina Martinez, Dennis Herman, Rhonda Smith, Kellie Race, Barb Holtzman, Diana Green, Pat Wiebers and Sheila Johnson.
State Fair honors in both general and livestock projects were part of the printed program and were acknowledged Sunday.
Phillips County 4-H Council officers are installed at the conclusion of the annual Achievement Program in Haxtun Sunday, Oct. 7. Phillips County 4-H coordinator Kindra Plumb is pictured in front at left, with officers pictured from left, Nick Ortner, Sidney Struckmeyer, Elise Atkins, Austin Vieselmeyer, Josilyn Lutze, Luke Stewart and Drew Stewart.
—Enterprise photo
County Council officers installed
To conclude the Oct. 7 achievemet awards program, a candlelight cermeony was used to install the 2012-13 Phillips County 4-H Council.
Newly-installed council members include Nick Ortner, president; Sidney Struckmeyer, vice president; Josilyn Lutze, secretary; Elise Atkins, treasurer; Drew Stewart, reporter; Luke Stewart and Austin Vieselmeyer, senators; Luke Stewart, parliamentarian; Mardi Stewart, leader advisor.
Also Taylor Hendrix and Austin Vieselmeyer, Better Beef Makers reps; Austin Herman and Josie Herman, Challengers reps; Sidney Struckmeyer and Alexandria McCallum, Holyoke Centennial reps; Elise Atkins and Emily Atkins, Paoli Hustlers reps; and Kenton Bogan and Tristen Roll, Raising Ranchers reps.
Holyoke Enterprise October 11, 2012


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I opted out of typing music listings and attending sociology class Friday in favor of checking out the conference taking place on the University of Cincinnati's campus: Pop Praxis: Social Justice & the Media. With discussion topics like, "Disco Stick: Lady Gaga and the Phallus" and a keynote speech from Bitch Magazine's own Andi Zeisler, I was stoked for an enlightening day of stimulating pop culture discussion.
The conference was the result of a collection of papers, presentations and workshops submitted by speakers ranging from undergrads to professors to alumni from a number of universities. Submissions were required to regard "pop culture as it relates to feminism, race, disability or queer theory, class, consumption, and all forms of political activism or cultural production."
It was an honor for the university to welcome Andi Zeisler, co-founder and editorial/creative director of Bitch: Feminist Response to Pop Culture. She wasted no time launching into a pointed discussion about the importance of feminism today, despite the general public's tendency to assume that the movement is past and irrelevant.
"Any media needs to make money," Zeisler pointed out, "and the quickest and surest way to do that is to sell out women."
In short, while addressing the frustrating roadblocks today's feminist advocates face, Zeisler commended technology and blogging as new ways to comment on the media and bring important issues to public attention, keeping intelligent discussion going that might not have been able to take place before.
Zeisler said Bitch's goal is to help people think about pop culture in a more critical way, so it makes sense that the speakers in the sessions that followed did exactly that.
While the main event was arguably Zeisler's speech, the presentations and workshops were fun and eye opening.
During the first session, Sarah Mitchell called out Winnie of The Wonder Years for her textbooks that attempt to make math "sexy" for middle school girls in "Postfeminist Math Barbie: Danica McKellar's Provocative Education Advocacy." Lee Serbin also pointed out the shaky, back-and-forth stance Tina Fey's character holds between feminism and postfeminism in 30 Rock during her discussion, "30 Rock and Feminism in Flux."
Some women in the media, however, aren't so bad to look up to. One presenter discussed how Lady Gaga rocked the phallus on the cover of Q Magazine as a response to the public's accusation that she's packing a package. While still technically enforcing the belief that a penis equates power, her gender-bending humor puts sexists in their place.
A strong argument was also made for Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Admittedly, she was skinny and blonde, but more importantly, she overcame that image to kick vampire ass. The slayer was decidedly deemed a pretty solid female role model for something popularized by mainstream television.
Feminism wasn't the only topic of the day, however. One student discussed Batman as an extreme representation of hypermasculinity who tends to equate violence with being a man. That, and maybe steroid use after all the bulk the superhero's acquired over the years.
During the same session, another speaker addressed the somewhat androgynous image of the emo kid. This speaker deserves props for researching something so fickle in the world of teenage cliques. She concluded that, while the emo subculture allows for somewhat of a break from that Batman-inspired masculinity, only the white boys of suburbia seem to make up this social group.
While it was impossible for me to make it to each presentation, at the end of the day, the message was clear: People need to be careful about what they consume.
There are no clear answers. Watching a Lady Gaga video over 30 Rock isn't necessarily going to be more empowering, and children who prefer Batman to Chris Carrabba aren't doomed to a life of violence. The important thing Pop Praxis stressed is that the discussion remains open and that we, as responsible consumers of popular culture, keep a critical eye on it.
Adam Lytle is the co-founder of Ragged Productions, a new collaborative video production company staffed by former and current Electronic Media students from UC's CCM. The company, made up of directors, designers, animators and editors, creates professional grade videos on the cheap. Just another example of emerging creativity in the Queen City, Lytle answers some basic questions about who Ragged Productions is, what they do and why they're important.
Me: What is Ragged Productions?
Ragged Productions: Ragged Productions is an independent video production company. It is an outlet for a collective of creatives and was established to make video a reality for anyone who wants one, but could not normally afford it. It all started with the 48 Hour film festival. I had just finished school and wanted to kind of take everything I had learned in school and apply it to one project. We talked the idea up with friends and coworkers from all different backgrounds and pulled together a full crew. We had so much fun that everyone stayed together and started working on a variety of other projects.
Me: Who is Ragged Productions?
RP: I founded Ragged with my friend Joey Deady. I am the Producer, he acts as Creative Director. We work with a bunch of talented people like Doug Horton, Andy Young, Brett Banks, Stephen Young, Chelsea Pathoff, Danny Rust and Dan Diazcun. Everyone brings their own strengths to the table and fills a role. We are all either alumni or students from the University of Cincinnati's Electronic Media Division. Most of us interned at Lightborne for a period of time. A few of us are freelance video professionals in town.
Me: What projects have you made/what projects are you working on?
RP: We are trying to stay busy. We just finished a video for the Buffalo Killers about a month ago. We are getting ready to shoot one for the Lions Rampant. This week, we are doing some work for A Small Group, a community activist group in town. On top of that, we are prepping to film our first short at the end of October. Having so many talented people involved allows us to have our fingers in a lot of pies at once.
Me: Is Ragged Productions only interested in music videos?
RP: Music videos are fun, there are really no rules that need to be followed. I like making them because I am a big music fan and I feel like a lot of local bands deserve to have a music video that they can shop to bloggers. The reality is, commercial work is what pays. So we have started doing that work as well. It helps when it comes time to buy new gear.
Me: What is the future for Ragged Productions?
RP: The future is unknown. Right now we are focused on doing the work. If the work is there, and its of high quality, the audience will follow. We might even get to do something like a Bootsy Collins video. That would be a treat.
Me: Do you guys have a favorite movie?
RP: If I took a poll it would probably be Blue Velvet. I don't know. David Lynch really knows how to create a mood.
Me: What are your influences?
RP: Everyone we meet and work with. This whole thing is a learning process. When I am out doing freelance work, I am always asking the older guys questions. They probably think I am annoying, but I respect them and the knowledge they posses.
Me: Who are your idols?
RP: Stan Brakhage. Michel Gondry, Project Mill. Pitchfork.tv, whoever invented youtube.
Me: What do you think about the phrase, "Kill your television?"
RP: Isn't that a song title? It should be. I say, go ahead. There's nothing on. I no longer have cable. Everything is moving towards the Web. I know people love their sitcoms, but I feel like they affect my thinking capacity.
Me: Why are you located in Cincinnati and why haven't you moved anywhere else?
RP: Cincinnati is flying under the radar right now and I think things are changing. There are a lot of young people making great music, great art, and genuinely making a difference in their communities. The way I look at it, everyone wants to move to Brooklyn because "thats where it's at," but they move there and they just get absorbed. Brooklyn defines them, they don't define it. Cincinnati is trying to figure itself out. It will become what we make it. When it all goes down, I want to be able to say I told you so.
Ragged's video for the Buffalo Killers and "Let It Ride:"
A disclaimer: Adam may or may not be my ex-boyfriend, but the fact that we don't like each other that much anymore makes my support of his project all the more sincere.
I've said it once, and I'll say it again: Cincinnati is a cool city. Despite popular belief, there's a whole crop of young adults out there getting involved in their community and doing creative things. One of these groups is PROJECTMILL. What is PROJECTMILL? The answer, my friend, is many things, including the host of Dance_MF, the monthly dance party at the Northside Tavern. And, it just so happens, Dance_MF is coming up this Saturday (Oct. 4). So start doing your squat thrusts, deep lunges or whatever you do to limber up for a danctastic night, and read this little Q&A with Projector Mandy Levy...
MZ: What is PROJECTMILL and who is involved? What roles do they play?
MANDY LEVY: That's a lot of questions for the price of one! PROJECTMILL is people helping people do cool things. It is—ideally—a network of artists and creatives who are constantly "on call" and willing to lend their talent, ideas, advice, equipment, know-how, critiques, time and enthusiasm to any PROJECTMILL creation. It started at the beginning of the year with just me, Pete Ohs, and Josh Mattie, and has already branched out to a strong sampling of 15 or more "projectors" (that's what we call ourselves) from Cincinnati, LA, New York, and Chicago, all masters of different creative domains. We have writers, video people, graphic designers, fashion designers, classic artists, animators, musicians, comedians, DJs, actors, even chefs… I think that's the bulk of it. A nice variety to boot!
MZ: What is the goal or mission of PROJECTMILL?
MANDY LEVY: A kick in the pants, really. It's about being productive and staying productive by surrounding yourself with productivity.
MZ: This sort of goes along with the above question, but why did you start PROJECTMILL?
MANDY LEVY: We like the idea of team creativity, and were inspired by the impressive artistic community in Cincinnati. If a rising tide lifts all boats, then an institution like PROJECTMILL could help all the awesome people involved to stay motivated and find success.
MZ: What else does PROJECTMILL do besides Dance_MF?
MANDY LEVY: Our inaugural project was going down to South by Southwest with WOXY and creating video content for all their twenty-something lounge acts for the week. We also became an Emmy Award-winning production company this summer, when American Rhapsody, a video Pete and I made, won a Midwestern Regional Emmy for the Advanced Media category. And later this month, we're putting on a live radio play for the opening night of a spoken word exhibit at the Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center in Covington.
MZ: What inspired you guys to start Dance_MF? What do you feel the response has been?
MANDY LEVY: Last New Year's Eve, Bad Veins played to a packed house at Northside Tavern, and afterwards they (and a bunch of other friends and future-projectors) proceeded to take over the DJ booth and curate a crazy night of dancing with abandon. It made everyone realize how much we missed Girls and Boys, and how much the cool young people of Cincinnati needed a dance night again. "Bring Dancey Back" was the title on our proposal to the Tavern. But DMF is so much more than just music and dancing. It's an art installation. Each month boasts a different theme, expanded upon exponentially with various elements of décor, video content, dancer-interaction, and extra-added bonuses (like Razzlebear). The response has been awesome. We've gotten a great crowd in both nights so far, and people seem eager to dance and participate in everything that's offered to them, whether it be following along with the giant '80s workout video projected on the wall, writing obscenities on an overhead projector, or asking Razzlebear to pose for pictures. It's been really fun.
MZ: Why do you think it's important for young adults in Cincinnati to be more involved with what goes on in their city- creatively, entertainment-wise, etc.? How does PROJECTMILL strive to inspire others to become more involved?
MANDY LEVY: Cincinnati, first of all, is an awesome city. I'm a relative newbie here—I'm from Chicago and I lived in LA before this, and I'm telling you, this place is the best of the three. It's so undiscovered and unappreciated outside of our little Mason-Dixon bubble, and the only way to put it on the map in the way it deserves is to build it up with our own devotion. We have to make it an outlet for awesomeness. Already this year (or maybe it was last year), Cincinnati was mentioned in Spin magazine as the next big music city—and it's true! We have incredible music coming out of this place! So it's the little things like that. Cincinnati needs its young adult community—which, let's be honest, is the most important gauge for coolness and modern relevance—to produce, participate and promote like there's no tomorrow. And like I said, PROJECTMILL is meant to be a kick in the pants. People who want to be involved are encouraged to be, and we want to encourage people to be involved. Collaboration swings both ways.
MZ: What are your plans for the future?
MANDY LEVY: We want to make a feature film. Between all of us, we can tackle every part that goes into it. We can write it, direct it, shoot it, star in it, edit it, market it… It's a big job with a lot of moving parts, but it seems like it should be the ultimate destiny of PROJECTMILL. It makes sense. Want to help?
MZ: Who is DJing Dance_MF this time?
MANDY LEVY: This month's lineup of DJ-projectors includes: Derek Ruch aka Indian Giver, Matt Luken, Kevin Bayer, Yusef Quotah, Josh Mattie and Bill Rich.
MZ: Your thoughts and feelings on living in Cincinnati? What's good? What's bad?
MANDY LEVY: Cincinnati, again, is awesome. Pete and I recently moved to Over-the-Rhine, and we're obsessed with the area. It's got so much to offer, so much potential. The history, the architecture… oh, it makes me weak in the knees! We've become so passionate about the Downtown Renaissance; maybe someday we can use PROJECTMILL as a political platform and speak at city council meetings! So that's good… And the other good thing, again, is just the breed of people. There is an overwhelming wealth of talent here, and it's so inspiring, but the best part is that these uber-cool and talented people are also Midwestern. So they're normal. (Sorry LA). The thing that saddens me about Cincinnati, though, is the fact that not everyone has "city spirit." People prefer to ignore OTR, rather than help it get back on its feet again. They prefer to assume ours is a lame city, rather than explore and discover all the great things it has to offer in all the neighborhoods they've never heard of. It's the wrong attitude. We can't expect anyone else to swoon for Cincinnati if we don't love it first.
MZ: Do you guys have a slogan or like words to live by?
MANDY LEVY: "Collective Creativity." And also, "Knee Socks or No Socks!"


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St. Louis, MO (KSDK) -- Recently the City of St. Louis has not been on the positive end of national media lists. The city has been mentioned on such national lists as saddest cities in the country, worst cities for men, and most polluted cities in America.
St. Louis has yet again been placed at the top of another list. However, this ranking is a bit more positive, so cheer up St. Louisans.
The city of St. Louis ranks number one on Kiplinger's 10 Best Cities for Cheapskates List. Kiplinger reports that St. Louis residents earnings fall in line with the rest of the country but their living costs are nine-percent below the national average.
Kiplinger also notes that some of the cities' most popular attractions have little or no charge for admission, such as Forest Park, the St. Louis Zoo and Citygarden.
And when it comes to museums and libraries, St. Louis holds its own against some of the biggest cities in the country. The city has more museums and libraries per capita than larger cities like New York and Washington, D.C.
With the summer months quickly approaching, embrace your new title St. Louis and enjoy all of the cities cheapskate-friendly activities.
To see what other cities ranked, check out Kiplinger's 10 Best Cities for Cheapskates.
The following is a list of free things to do in St. Louis, found on the CVC's website.
- St. Louis Zoo
- St. Louis Science Center
- Gatway Arch Westward Museum, Leeve Market
- Missouri History Museum
- St. Louis Art Museum
- Union Station Memories Museum and self guided tour
- Laumeier Sculpture Park
- Grants Farm
- Purina Farms
- Anheuser Busch tour
- Bellefontaine Cemetery
- Black Madonna Shrine
- National Shrine of our Lady of the Snow
- Cahokia Mounds
- Cathedral Basilica
- City Garden
- Delmar Loop Planet Walk and Walk of Fame
- Fort Belle Fontaine
- Gateway Classic Walk of Fame
- Ulysses S. Grant Natl Historic Site (White Haven)
- Holocaust Museum
- Jefferson Barracks Historic Park
- Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum
- Turtle Playground across from Forest Park
- World Bird Sanctuary


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It wasn't an auspicious start to the season for Novak Djokovic, to say the least.
The top seed was upset in his Brisbane International opening round by super-talented Ernests Gulbis 4-6, 4-6, his first career loss to the Latvian lad (with the lovely locks.)
Nole, who switched from Wilson to a HEAD racquet recently, mentioned the change and its effect on his preparation in his post-match presser:
The racquet is a pretty big change. I like everything (in my preparation) to be 100 per cent perfect, sometimes it is not possible. There are still some things (with the racquet) I am not used to and unfortunately I get this result.When asked if he would stick with the new racquet, the World No.3 responded, "I am under contract so I have to play with the racquet."
However, Nole confirmed a wildcard into Sydney next week to gain more preparation for the defense of his Aussie Open title and seemed unfazed by the early loss:
I am not panicking. I am not seriously in big doubt. The Australian Open is my highest goal for this part of the year and I really want to play well there. It's not the end of the world. It's the first match, so I'm not going to be pessimistic. I have a lot of time now to prepare for the Aussie Open.No doubt about that one, Nole. I still find it strange that he, or any other baller, would make such a significant change in equipment at such a crucial time. He's about to defend his first, and only, Grand Slam title in a few weeks and decides to switch racquets? Not a very smart move.
Let's hope it wasn't just for the money because if it was, Team Nole may have some regrets.
UPDATE: HEAD finally released an official announcement about Nole today. Could they BE any later???
(images via AP)