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Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Welcome Gavin Michael!
My dearest Gavin,
Today was one of the most wonderful days of my life. Your birth brought back the flood of memories and tears of when I gave birth to your own father. Such emotion is difficult to explain but rest assured that you've changed many lives forever. And you're just so stinking adorable I can't wait until your Mom and Dad get you home from the hospital and I can properly squeeze the living daylights out of you. I'll stop shy of hurting you of course, but you can expect to be kissed from head to toe on Saturday.
Right now however, I feel it is my duty to warn you about what's ahead of you so you're able to deal with it when it happens. You're not even a day old yet, but I'm a planner and you might as well learn that asap.
You will ultimately fall in love with one of your stuffed animals. You will most likely choose the one your parents wouldn't have thought you'd choose, but you'll know it's the one when you're only able to fall asleep while rubbing the silky little tag underneath its tail. And here's a heads-up for you. When you become attached at the hip with this beloved stuffed animal, please remember that it is your responsibility to remember to bring it back home with you when you visit my house so that I don't have to meet your daddy two hours away at 10:00 at night because you absolutely cannot fall asleep without stroking that little silky tag.
Perhaps whilst suffering through the angst awaiting the return of your beloved stuffed animal, you'll be tempted to use the "F" word. When Mom asks you where you heard THAT WORD, you will not say "Grandma."
Somewhere around the age of four, you're going to have an accident regarding going poo. Please remember that in trying to clean it up yourself, it is not appropriate to wipe your hands up and down the wallpaper in your attempt to get them clean. Just call out for help. Trust me, Mom or Dad will come running.
When you start kindergarten, please keep in mind that just because you missed your bus, you're not allowed to walk three miles home and then not answer the phone when the babysitter,your parents, the neighbors and/or the police are trying to find out where the heck you are. You'll save years of your parents lives just by not making them suffer through this one incident.
When you enter 6th grade, call me. I think it might be best if you just come and live with me for that year. I won't be nearly as hard on you when you accumulate 1800 demerits as your parents will.
You'll most likely have allergies. I'm sorry, but it's a family thing. You'll get used to the allergy shots and you'll end up all the better for it, but just because you don't like your current bicycle, you're not allowed to leave it behind the allergy doctor's office and tell your Mom and Dad that someone stole it.
And when you're all grown up and a Senior in high school, please remember to toss the Jack Daniels bottle and condom wrapper into the neighbor's trash instead of leaving it under your bed for your mother to find. Become a planner like me and you'll be able to get away with almost anything.
That's about it except that you need to always remember that no matter what you do or don't do, your parents will love you forever and unconditionally. It's one of the perks of being someone's child. Enjoy it sweetheart.
26 comments:
- msmeanie said...
Mags, you are hilarious! Gavin Michael is very lucky to have you as a grandma. He is adorable too!
- March 10, 2010 at 7:39 PM
- Julie said...
Congratulations, Maggie!!! He's a beautiful baby and lucky to have such a great gma!
- March 10, 2010 at 7:40 PM
- Moogie said...
Oh my God.... Mags. He is adorable. He has your sense of humor.... I can see it in the wee curl of his lips
- March 10, 2010 at 8:32 PM
- April in CT said...
He's gorgeous! Great post! LOL I'm sure you had no first hand experience dealing with any of those stories, right?
- March 10, 2010 at 8:45 PM
- HoneyB said...
What a perfect little face and OMG this was an awesome post. I LOVED it! Congrats on your new grandbaby!
- March 10, 2010 at 8:47 PM
- Laurie said...
Congratulations Grandma! Little Gavin is delicious!! Love the cheeks. Enjoy your new role as Grandma. Grandparents have such an important role in kids lives. :)
- March 10, 2010 at 8:52 PM
- Bob said...
Awwwwwwwwwe, from Both!
Congratulations Maggie to all of the family! I'm betting the word Grandma is going to the best part of being The Other Side of Fifty.
- March 10, 2010 at 11:45 PM
- Jenn said...
Awww! Congrats Grandma! What a lucky little boy Gavin is to have a witty Grandma who will keep him stuffed with goodies throughout his life. Wishing you all the happiness and joy that a baby brings!
- March 11, 2010 at 6:29 AM
- June said...
Congratulations "Gamma". You know he's gonna' have trouble with his R's for a while. He is absolutely the sweetest little guy. What a face! Great post Mags. I laughed till I cried!
- March 11, 2010 at 7:45 AM
I laughed, I cried! That was like the Cliff notes version of a good book. Except I remember living part of that book. "Listen to this one........ chair" Hahahahahaha
Congrats Grandma B jr.
Auntie Lolly
- March 11, 2010 at 7:56 AM
- Kat said...
What a sweet letter to your Grand! It sure made me smile. Oh, the joys of being a grandparent! (I especially loved the 6th grade post.)
- March 11, 2010 at 8:12 AM
- Natalie said...
I couldn't get through the second pargraph as I'm pregnant and thoroughly emotional. I will read it one a day when I do not have to leave the house and let everyone see my puffy, cried-out eyes. Thanks for sharing the sweet picture and sweet words.
- March 11, 2010 at 8:24 AM
- Linda said...
Congratulations Grandma!
It's such a joy to be a Grandma!
I'm sure you weren't talking about anything any of your own children may or may not have done!
- March 11, 2010 at 8:45 AM
- Karen said...
Gavin is adorable! Being a Grandma is the best! Congrats to all :)
- March 11, 2010 at 11:01 AM
- Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction said...
So adorable... Little Gavin is very lucky to have you as his grandma! Congratulations!
- March 11, 2010 at 2:16 PM
- Sherylyn said...
Congratulations!! He's beautiful. And coincidentally, my new nephew also came into the world yesterday!! We are both blessed with a gorgeous brand-spanky new baby boy to spoil rotten!
- March 11, 2010 at 4:12 PM
- sweetjeanette said...
What a precious letter to the grand-grandbaby!!! Was he born on the 10th? When? So precious.
Thanks for the sweet comment on my blog - yes, hubbies will surprise us everytime! I just eat the romantic stuff up though! LOL
- March 11, 2010 at 10:43 PM
- Cooking with K said...
Your letter to Gavin...is priceless! He has a treasure in you as his granma!! Blessings, K
- March 11, 2010 at 11:06 PM
- MrsMe said...
Congratulations Mags! Gavin is a lucky little fellow to have such a warm and loving family. I look forward to stories and photos of him in the future.
God Bless
- March 12, 2010 at 5:39 AM
- Co Irker said...
Congratulations to all of you!
He is beautiful and your hubs sent us pictures without his little hat on - my goodness, all that hair!
And any grandchild of yours will be a very fortunate boy. Not only are you wise and witty, you can bake with the best of em.
We are all so happy for you! And we better see more photos soon.
Take care.
- March 12, 2010 at 7:09 AM
- Debbie said...
Congrats!!! This is the first time I've been to your blog, and what a nice thing to see posted.
It is my youngest son's birthday today! (he turned 25)
I'll be back to visit your blog...cuz I'm on the other side of 50 too!!
- March 12, 2010 at 1:21 PM
- All Our Fingers in the Pie said...
wow! Congratulations. What a beautiful baby and lovely tribute.
- March 12, 2010 at 6:02 PM
- Pam said...
Congratulations! He is adorable!
- March 12, 2010 at 9:24 PM
- Barbara Bakes said...
Awwww! He's so sweet! He'd never do those things like his dad!
- March 14, 2010 at 8:51 PM
- Cottage Cozy said...
Wonderful,wonderful...congratulations Grandma Mags! He is precious!
- March 15, 2010 at 8:07 PM
- Nanan said...
Awwwww Mags - he is gorgeous - what a love!!! And a beautiful name! I know you are beside yourself - the next stage of life - being a grandmother!!!! It just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it!
- March 24, 2010 at 8:36 PM


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I'd like a robot that'd make me a sandwich. Maybe read my email aloud in the voice of Data and degrease/lube a chain in one fast operation. A robot that parks bikes is good as well …
Noted elsewhere
But I think I'd rather have a hardass bike valet carefully keep all the bikes inline and monitor them, then a darn robot. Robots are prone to growing into giants and taking over the world.
Will the bike industry ever stop re-launching Bridgestones? Bike Radar spotted the Mellow Johnny commuter and an astute commenter noted
I'm intrigued by this chainless design …
No chain! It's a dandy horse!! Now that's way old school.
(Photo Credit: Trek)
Getting maybe more attention than it deserved at the Tour de Georgia was Dave Zabriskie's Snidely Whiplash mustache:
Here's Dave's blog post on the mustache, which I think debuted at the Tour of California.
Byron and I started chatting about the œpelostache. The prototypical pelostache belongs to noted bicycle innovator Tom Ritchey, of course.
My favorite recent example is Alex Candelario, who a few years ago looked like he came straight to the race from a porn shoot.
Looking through Flickr, I discovered dozens of mustache groups. There's King size flavour savours, Hot Girl Mustache, even cats with mustaches. But nothing for cyclists with 'staches.
So, since Bike Hugger is all about documenting bike culture, we've created a new group on Flickr called Pelostaches. I've added pictures I have of Zabriskie and Alex Candelario, invited a couple of others, and am still searching for images of Deadly Nedly Overend before he got the Remington sponsorship (pointers welcome). We welcome contributions from anybody with pictures to share. Bonus points for handlebar mustaches.
Update: Posted this and then found the cycling mustache had been exhaustively cataloged at œHow to Avoid the Bummer Life.
Following folding bikes in pop culture, we just got tipped that Dahons are on the CSI:NY set, at Pomono College for their Green Bike program, and were on the Coachella Amtrak Train with DJ Mark Farina.
At Coachella, the DJ booth ran on full solar plus bikes being used as a charging station for iPods and phones.
(Photo Credit: MXF of the Sycons)

subset: commoncrawl


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Sources: Yahoo News, Huffington Post, Miami New Times
quote: She was mixing some household chemicals (toilet cleaner and aluminum foil)
quote: Wilmot told him a friend had told her to mix the two substances, but that she "thought it would just cause some smoke." She told the school official she wasn't trying to hurt anyone or disrupt school, but was simply "conducting a science fair experiment." The assistant principal called police after talking to Wilmot's science teacher and determining he didn't know about the experiment.
quote: According to an officer, an assistant principal heard an explosion near a gazebo on the school grounds and found Wilmot near a plastic bottle.
quote: Is everyone here an adolescent with an extreme dislike of teachers and schools? Because the posts here nearly all have that tone, and it's embarrassing. A modicum of common sense and maturity here would go a long way. The fact that Motoman is nearly alone on this is just depressing.
quote: A teenage girl from Florida has been expelled from her high school for an accidental explosion caused by mixing chemicals together [outside] on school grounds .
quote: If you put it in an unvented container the pressure builds up till the lid pops off.
quote: There's a lot of comment going on here w/no knowledge of her intent.
quote: She did this on her own for her own enjoyment.


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Seib & Wessel: What We're Reading Friday
By Gerald F. Seib and David Wessel
What the Farm Bill Says About House GOP
The House passed a farm bill. The Senate passed an immigration bill. One might think this is a sign of a summertime thaw in the frozen gears of Congress.
Think again.
For the past three decades, Congress has passed farm bills by marrying interests of rural state legislators (whose constituents are big users of federal agricultural subsidies) with urban legislators (whose constituents are bigger users of food stamps) to overwhelm the opposition of the truly fiscally conservative who'd spend less on both.
The Senate did just that this year, trimming $4 billion over 10 years from projected food stamp spending to win enough conservative votes.
The assertive rank-and-file Republicans in the House, though, sank a bipartisan farm bill by amending it to cut $20 billion from food stamps over 10 years. This week, House leaders stripped food stamps from the bill altogether, stunning the farm lobby. With a lot of arm twisting and derisive commentary from Democrats, leaders squeezed a bill through the House 216-208 (with six Republicans and five Democrats not voting.) All the Democratic votes were no.
No one's quite sure what happens next. House Ag Chairman Frank Lucas (R., Okla.) promised a separate food stamp bill as soon as he can achieve consensus. Mr. Lucas and House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio), who wants to enact a farm bill, probably will try to get some food stamp bill through the House so they can get to a Senate-House conference and return with a compromise that will draw enough Democratic votes to offset Republican rank-and-file opposition.
But the House vote underscored a fundamental political reality in the House: A substantial bloc of Republicans, many of them relative newcomers, are determined to force confrontations as they press for sweeping changes to the food stamp program and other federal benefit programs long cherished by Democrats as opposed to pressing hard and then settling for compromises that pull policy slightly to the right. (One aside: As both conservative and liberal think tanks observed this week, details of the farm bill suggest that House Republican vows to cut government spending exempt farm subsidies.)
In immigration, the Senate has voted on a somewhat bipartisan comprehensive bill which, like the farm bill, has run into stiff resistance from House Republicans.
But the dynamics on this one are different. While the House leaders are trying to find a way to get some farm bill through Congress soon, many House members have no desire to compromise with the Senate if that's what is needed to send an immigration bill to President Barack Obama. The Senate bill had a little something for everyone — more high-tech visas, more guest workers, more border security and a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants. The House leadership now plans votes only on the pieces that are popular with its rank-and-file members (which notably exclude that pathway to citizenship) so they can say they've done something — but avoid triggering a House-Senate conference that could yield a compromise.
As a headline on the Washington Post's Wonkblog site put it, the immigration bill is "stuck at the House-Senate border."
–David Wessel
What We're Reading
Recommended reading from around the Web:
Political scientist Norm Ornstein says there actually are five different Republican parties today–a House party, a Senate party, a presidential party, a Southern party and a non-Southern one. The House and Southern versions are driving the GOP, and aren't likely to change their course even if Republicans lose another presidential race in 2016. [The Atlantic]
Using votes on six Boehner-backed bills (including fiscal-cliff compromise, Sandy relief and first farm bill, which failed), Chris Cillizza (@thefix) divides House Republicans into five factions: The "no" caucus (15); the "maybe, not likely" caucus (30) who isn't in open rebellion but isn't likely to vote for immigration reform or a debt-ceiling boost; the "vote no, hope yes" caucus (29) that usually supports the leadership; the "maybe yes" (114 or 49% of House GOP) who voted no on two of the six bills, but tend to support Speaker Boehner; and, the "yes!" (46) faction, Mr. Boehner's loyalists. [Washington Post]
The biggest threat to Obamacare isn't a train wreck where the whole thing blows up at once. It's death by a thousand anecdotes, says Amy Walter (@amyewalter). Delaying the employer mandate removes one set of anecdotes, such as tales of employers laying off workers or cutting hours, until after the 2014 elections. But there are stories to come about young Americans shocked by the price of newly mandated coverage. [Cook Political]
Former Democratic Rep. Bob Filner, now mayor of San Diego, issued an apology for his treatment of women after sexual harassment claims became public, and admitted, "I need help." [Los Angeles Times]
After half a century of uncertainty, Boston police plan to exhume the body of the primary suspect in the case of the Boston Strangler killings in hopes of getting an exact DNA match that definitively closes the case. [WSJ]
Anthony Faiola writes that the pending birth of a British royal heir has Queen Elizabeth's subjects talking about a topic once unthinkable: whether the queen should abdicate, turn the throne over to her long-waiting son and get the line of succession moving. [Washington Post]
After a 10-day visit to Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon, Elizabeth Ferris (@Beth_Ferris) concludes that things will only get worse for refugees and for countries that host them. Refugees are running out of money. Crime in the refugee camps is increasing. Conditions are even worse for the displaced unable to get out of Syria. [Brookings]
Voters want to know precisely what they're getting in a candidate, which may explain the early signs of success for Anthony Weiner and Eliot Spitzer, writes Joanna Weiss (@JoannaWeiss). "Maybe the public isn't rewarding these guys' repentance so much as their honesty," she says. [Boston Globe]
Sign of the Times
Minor milestones we've spotted:
Poll: 55% of Americans describe Edward Snowden as a whistleblower, while 34% see him as a traitor. [WSJ]
Seventeen S&P 500 CEOs have been in their jobs for at least 20 years, four for least 30 — "Warren of Berkshire Hathaway (43), Fred Smith of Fed Ex (40), "Larry of Oracle (36) and Howard Solomon of Forest Labs (35). [Bloomberg]
Sixty percent of CEOs expect economic conditions to improve over the next six months; three months ago, only 32% did. [Conference Board]
Among registered democrats, 44% of men and 40% of women say they would vote for former New York State Gov. Eliot Spitzer over Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer (30% of men and 34% of women) in the race for New York City comptroller, according to an NBC 4 New York/Wall Street Journal/Marist Poll. Marist Poll]
Singapore's campaign to encourage marriage and procreation is showing results: After a long decline, the marriage rate for those 15-44 years rose to 44.1 per 1,000 unmarried males in 2012 (from 39.4 two years earlier) and to 41.6 per 1,000 unmarried females (from 37.2.) [Statistics Singapore]
PC shipments declined 6.9% between the first and second quarters of 2013. [Quartz]
U.S. surpasses 10 gigawatts of installed solar photovoltaic capacity, the fourth country in the world (after Germany, Italy and China) to reach the milestone. [Solar Industry]
The U.S. bought 57.6 million pounds of quinoa in 2012, up from 7.3 million pounds in 2007, and prices have tripled since 2006. [Washington Post]
For critical perspectives on politics and the economy from Jerry Seib & David Wessel, visit Seib & Wessel and follow them on Twitter @GeraldFSeib and @davidmwessel.
CORRECTION: Elizabeth Ferris spoke to Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon. A previous version of this column incorrectly named her Jordan Ferris.


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STOCKTON - A 17-year-old Lincoln High School student told police he was assaulted and tased in the school's parking lot Friday after a man and a woman followed him there in an apparent case of road rage.
The attack occurred about 5:30 p.m., authorities said. The teen said a man and a woman in their 30s followed him to the school and accused him of nearly colliding with their vehicle. The man got out of his car, punched the boy while he was still sitting in his car and twice used a stun gun on him, but they boy was not hurt, he said.
The boy said the couple stole his cellphone and then fled south on Alexandria Place. A witness followed them and reported their license plate number to police, the boy said.
Location, ST | website.com


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A funny thing happened the other day. For some unknown reason and quite out of the blue, I asked my smartphone to tell me a joke. And it did! Or she did, rather, in her sultry electronic female voice.
Here it is: "Past, present and future walk into a bar. It was tense."
Hah! Tense? Tenses? Get it? Pretty cute for a mobile device, but somewhat unsatisfying for me because it -- she -- couldn't see me feign disgust with an exaggerated roll of the eyes. Or could she?
Anyway, it hit me like a rimshot that -- except for the occasional 4-year-old who produces a steady stream of knock-knock jokes involving an orange and a forgotten punch line ("Orange you glad I ... wait, wait, um ... can I have some juice?) -- nobody tells jokes anymore.
I don't mean professional comedians. I mean regular everyday people. And I don't mean cute spontaneous quips. I refer to the long, rambling, 10-minute, setup, Milton Berle-style, did-you-hear-the-one-about-the-chicken-crossing-the-street-to-get-to-the-rabbi- the-priest-and-the-lawyer-changing-a-lightbulb-on-the-other-side kinds of jokes.
The Internet is of course to blame for this. It was clearly designed solely as a repository for all jokes ever created in the history of mankind, and people in the early 2000s mined that mother lode with a vengeance on a daily, sometimes minute-by-minute basis, slapping pagelong gags into emails and oversaturating inboxes with a colossal convergence of comedic clutter until even the classic cohesive collection of k-sounds just wasn't funny anymore.
Indeed, it's been said that 40 percent of us would rather share a joke online than in person, according to a report in the UK's Metro news website citing a 2007 study. Of course this study was performed by a pork-pie maker called Pork Farms. There has to be a joke in there somewhere.
Anyway, people gradually toned it down on the joke emails, and now mostly just post pithy puns on social media. Plus, everyone online is a comedian anyway -- on blogs, in snarky comments at the bottom of blogs, in tweets. Heck, tweets are all about the one-liner, quite literally. Take this tweet, please, that a friend sent the other day: "Never trust an atom -- they make up everything." Pretty funny, yet short, concise. Henny Youngman would be in heaven and, well, probably is. What, too soon?
Usually I feel bad when the Internet kills something of the past, say, oh I dunno, the newspaper industry. But then, ba-dum-bum -- rimshot to the head again -- it hit me that I'm really OK with that. The part about the long rambling jokes, that is, not the newspaper industry.
In fact, I celebrate the death of the joke because I never really did dig that kind of humor. I have been the stoic recipient of way too many elaborate blonde jokes over the years to which I often made a point of responding with, "Ha-ha, I don't get it."
But seriously, folks, don't you remember cringing when some co-worker -- usually a man (sorry, guys, but it's true) -- would launch into one of those extensive shaggy-dog stories? You had to physically turn away from your game of Tetris (I mean work), feign attention to the setup and be patient for what you hoped would be a pow-right-to-the-kissah punch line. Yet most of them weren't funny, merely inducing a mild courtesy ha-ha, but rarely a gut-busting guffaw.
They definitely were not The Funniest Joke in the World, or I wouldn't be writing this right now. Also known as The Killer Joke, this Monty Python skit involved a British joke writer (Michael Palin) during World War II who came up with a joke so incredibly hilarious that, even reading it himself, he literally died laughing as did all subsequent readers or tellers until a joke ban was instituted at the Geneva Convention. In the whole skit, you never actually find out what the original joke is because, well, you wouldn't be reading this right now.
Yeah, the co-worker jokes were not even good enough to produce a mild headache. Funnier was when the co-worker went back to his desk and fell off his chair. Even better if you could have caught it on your phone and uploaded it for all to see.
That's what's all over the Internet now -- funny videos rather than verbiage. Humor changes. It used to be the slapstick of The Three Stooges. Slowly it turned to observational and sketch comedy. There used to be joke shops with whoopee cushions, but we don't need a return to that style either -- Seth MacFarlane does enough of it for us.
My smartphone clearly has a limited repertoire. I asked her to tell me another joke, and she said, "How many iPhones does it take to ... OK, never mind." I didn't get that one, so I asked for another. "Let me think ... nope, can't think of one." I asked yet again and she said the same thing.
Somebody take my iPhone, please.
Follow Angela Hill at Twitter.com/GiveEmHill.


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I have many times had problems with the mesure-tools since they show the result directly in the drawing area where it can get covered by other objects making it sometimes impossible to see what it says. It would also be many times nice if the result of a mesurement could be copied to the clipboard instead of having to write it down on a piece of paper so you can then input the correct number when doing a rotation operation or what not.
Maybe you could use the info-area at the bottom to show the mesurement so you could always see the result clearly and then you can copy it to the clipboard should you so wish? And when you select an object, its properties could be shown in the info area (for example the length of a chosen line, its angle compared to the horizontal, ...).
regards: Seppo Silaste


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The Academy has spoken, as far as nominations go.
With Kathryn Bigelow and Ben Affleck out of the directing category, will "Zero Dark Thirty" and "Argo" still stand a chance? Vote for what you think will win this year's diverse best picture statue -- be it "Django Unchained," "Beasts of the Southern Wild," "Life of Pi," "Silver Linings Playbook" or something else


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ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults
About the Book
For fans of Libba Bray and Anna Godbersen, this thrilling historical suspense novel is the story of a budding magician who has spent her life playing sidekick to her faux-medium mother—and trying to hide the fact that she possesses magnificent powers.
As the illegitimate daughter of Harry Houdini—or so her mother claims—gifted illusionist Anna Van Housen easily navigates the underground world of magicians and mediums in 1920s New York, though the real trick is keeping her true gifts secret from her opportunistic mother. But as Anna's powers intensify, she experiences frightening visions that lead her to explore the powers she's tried so long to hide.
Lovers of historical fiction and stories filled with romance and intrigue will fall for Born of Illusion and its whip-smart, savvy protagonist.
Anna Van Housen has a secret.
A gifted illusionist, Anna assists her mother, the renowned medium Marguerite Van Housen, in her stage show and séances, easily navigating the underground world of magicians and mentalists in 1920s New York. For Anna, the illegitimate daughter of Harry Houdini—or so Marguerite claims—handcuffs and sleight-of-hand illusions have never been much of a challenge. The real trick is keeping her own gifts secret from her mother: because while Marguerite's powers may be a sham, Anna possesses a true ability to sense people's feelings and foretell the future.
But as Anna's powers intensify, she experiences frightening visions of her mother in peril, which lead her to explore the abilities she's tried so long to hide. And when a mysterious young man named Cole moves into the flat downstairs, introducing Anna to a society that studies people with gifts like hers, she begins to wonder if there's more to life than keeping secrets.
As her visions become darker and her powers spin out of her control, Anna is forced to rethink all she's ever known. Is her mother truly in danger, or are Anna's visions merely illusions? And could the great Houdini really be her father, or is it just another of Marguerite's tricks?
From Teri Brown comes a world bursting with magic, with romance, with the temptations of Jazz Age New York—and the story of a girl about to become the mistress of her own destiny.
Educator and Librarian Resources
Critical Praise
"Characterization is a strength in this first-person narrative, in which the setting, New York City in the 1920s, is so richly drawn as to become a character in itself …. Will appeal to fans of Libba Bray." — Kirkus Reviews
"Anna's strong personality and her complex relationship with her mother (who mixes love with professional jealousy), as well as a slightly supernatural romance, provide lots of teen appeal. " — The Horn Book
"Teri Brown creates a world of magic and deception, romance and intrigue. This book sparkles with dark arts." — Melissa Walker, author of UNBREAK MY HEART and SMALL TOWN SINNERS
"I suppose I could wax on about this book's strengths—its magic, romance and exquisite historical detail—but the bottom line is: Teri Brown's BORN OF ILLUSION is the most thoroughly enjoyable novel I've read all year." — Lauren Baratz-Logsted, author of THE TWIN'S DAUGHTER
Product Details
- Imprint: Balzer + Bray
- On Sale: 06/11/2013
- Pages: 400
- List Price: 7.99 USD
- BISAC1: YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Fantasy / General
- BISAC2: YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Romance / General
- BISAC3: YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Visionary & Metaphysical


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Ivory Unscented 3 x 4 Smooth Pillar Candle
Color: Ivory
Candle Scent: UNSCENTED
Product Form: 3X4 PILLARS
Dimensions: 3x4
Product InformationRelated ItemsRecently Viewed Items
Enjoy the simplicity of an unscented, fragrance free candle. The sophisticated, smooth finish of Colonial Candle pillars will add stylish color and fragrance to your home. Each 3"x4" pillar burns for up to 65 hours.Reviews


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Associate Professor at the Department of Economics, Università Bocconi, Research Fellow at CEPR, at IGIER and at the Baffi Center.
Associate Editor at the Journal of Monetary Economics since 2009.
I obtained a Ph.D in Economics from the New York University in 2003. My current research interests include Macroeconomics, Macro-Labor and Monetary Economics.
IGIER - Università Bocconi


text:
Leon Hiebert was pastor of Andover Assembly of God (Generations Church A/G) from 1989 to 2009. He is a Viet Nam veteran who spent 10 years in the US Navy most of the time as a corpsman serving with the Marine Corps. A native of Belleville, Kan., Hiebert is semi retired and lives in Andover with his wife, Sharon. He is a school bus driver for USD 385, Andover, Kansas.
Scripture: Luke 14:1 NIV One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched.
Observation: Jesus was always being carefully watched. Some watched him because they needed something, some because they were just curious and some because they loved him. In this passage Jesus was being watched by people who were critical of Him and were looking for a way to accuse Him of doing something wrong.
Application: People watching me have various motives too. But the most important one watching me is Jesus and He is carefully watching me because He loves me! He is watching to protect me, to reward me, and to enjoy me. He is the Watcher of Leon!
Prayer: Lord, how comforting to know you watch me. I am never out of your eyesight. Amen
Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!


text:
LODI - First time homebuyer assistance will not be offered by the city of Lodi in 2013, Neighborhood Services Division Manager Joseph Wood said.
Lodi had been offering financial assistance to low-income, first-time homebuyers through an $800,000 grant from the State Department of Housing and Community Services in 2009.
Wood said the city had hoped to provide assistance to 26 people through the program, and received many applications. However, only three ultimately received aid. Wood said that was because of complications in the Lodi market, where foreclosed homes have dominated in recent years. Banks require that homes are sold as is. Lodi's first-time home buyer program requires fixes be made before a purchase.
Still, Lodi did reapply for HCD funding to continue. The state issued $15.4 million to other cities, many of which had not received previous grants.
Cities that have been denied funding in the past receive a higher priority for new grants.
"I expect that most of those who received funding this year may have received the 100 point bonus for being denied funding last year. That's something that we'll be able to benefit from next round," Wood said via email.
Location, ST | website.com


text:
The band is in a good, good place right now, and if they chase fewer ideas per minute than they did 20 years ago (and many more than ten years ago), they go from zero to fathoms-deep with remarkable fluidity and ease. This show is a notch below the first three shows of tour, I (currently) think, but is still wholly successful on its own terms - and that second set's a great listen, however pedestrian it looks on paper. Have a go.
Tuesday, 06/15/2010
nTelos Pavilion, Portsmouth, VA
Soundcheck: Gone, Sleep Again, The Connection [list and order unconfirmed]
Set 1: Tube, KDFKill Devil Falls, SlaveSlave to the Traffic Light, Lawn Boy, Poor Heart, BagAC/DC Bag, MomaThe Moma Dance > My FriendMy Friend, My Friend, Cold Water[1], GinBathtub Gin, STFTFPStealing Time From the Faulty Plan
Set 2: Wilson > Seven Below > 46 Days > Idea[2] > 2001Also Sprach Zarathustra > Simple -> Joy, Taste, ThemeTheme From the Bottom > ADITLA Day in the Life
Encore: Heavy Things, First Tube
[1] Phish debut.
[2] Debut.
Average Song Gap: 6.52
Performers: Trey Anastasio, Page McConnell, Jon Fishman, Mike Gordon
Notes: This show marked the Phish debut of Cold Water (Tom Waits) and the debut of Idea. Tube was played in response to the crowd requesting it.
LivePhish Download
Song Distribution:
3 Joy
2 Round Room
2 Farmhouse
2 Billy Breathes
2 Lawn Boy
2 The Man Who Stepped into Yesterday
2 The White Tape
1 The Story of the Ghost
1 Rift
1 A Picture of Nectar
Songs by Debut Year:
This show was part of the "2010 Early Summer Tour."
The band is in a good, good place right now, and if they chase fewer ideas per minute than they did 20 years ago (and many more than ten years ago), they go from zero to fathoms-deep with remarkable fluidity and ease. This show is a notch below the first three shows of tour, I (currently) think, but is still wholly successful on its own terms - and that second set's a great listen, however pedestrian it looks on paper. Have a go.
I give this show a 4.2/5
Venue: Oh wow. We took a ferry over from Norfolk, which in itself added some real value to the whole experience. I mean, how often do you get to Phish shows on a boat? nTelos is small (6,500 max), so my group of 15 charged right to Page side/Rage side got to about 5 deep from the rail, and made camp. Everyone around us was incredible! Chad if you read this, thank you for the great time! Overall the security was VERY laid back, everyone in the crowd was amazingly cool, no pushing, no dickheads anywhere, and the dance party got nuts at times! Some of our group sat on the lawn as well, and they said the sound, vibe, lights, and people were just as amazing up top. Kuroda did a great job with the lights also. He played against the canopy top of nTelos very nicely. If you were on the dance floor, looking back to see some bouncing light every now and then was just what the doctor ordered. However, the shear small size of the venue made the night. If they ever play here again, I would fly from anywhere in the world to see it!
Music: Now I have read a lot of talk about this being a "two first set" show. Which in some ways it was, but you need to understand the energy of the show, and given that, it was perfect! Yes only Gin and Slave bust the 10 min. mark, but when things are happening fast with the energy they were you don't need super, drawn out Type II jams. You want the rage! Before the show got underway, my buddy and I ran into a guy in the bathroom carrying a massive, hand painted Tube sign. We look at each other and just think, yeah that would be sweet if they played that. Hello Opener! Our list of love to hear songs included: Moma Dance, Bathtub, Slave, Wilson, 2001, & STFTFP. Guess what we got? Everything! Only low point of the show was Cold Water, because I think the crowd was trying to figure out what the song was and what to do. Idea has some real room to grow BTW and could definitely use another couple go arounds. A Day In The Life brought my girl and I right back to Hampton for an amazing moment together. And then it happened, the one thing I never thought I would see. After a Heavy Things tease for the encore, the bass notes I crave started pounding out from the right. It was First Tube! I instantly began to jump like an African warrior heading out to a hunt. I raged harder then I ever had, in fact, my calves will be sore for days because I jumped so high. Being as close as we were, and jumping as high as I was, I like to think I shared a moment with Trey, causing him to jump higher and play harder as well. Sadly, we all know that is more then likely not the case....but it makes me happy to think it is.
Big Thanks: Big thanks to the city of Portsmouth! I am a 757 guy and I can tell you right now your city did a better job then anyone! From the boat operators, to the police, to the parking officials everyone was SUPER friendly. I mean scary, out of their way helpful! They even set up a public parking lot and made it a camping area! WTF! Take note SPAC because this is how you keep fans coming back for life! I did not see a single person get hassled either. Big thanks to the guys in the lot, thanks for doing your thing and giving us a place to hang. Huge thanks to all the new people I ran into, sorry if I forgot your names, but Chad is a standout and I look forward to seeing you again if you read this.
Next stop Merriweather!
'Idea" A tasty new song from Mike... Wouldn't mind hearing it again on this tour.
Phish conjure up the dark gods and deliver the Devil to VA. Lets just say if we were still in Hershey this show would easily be placed on the Dark Chocolate Rack at your local Kwik -E- Mart.
In case anyone missed the theme, Phish stamp it down in the way of a Heavy Things > First Tube encore...
Be on the lookout for a missing Tweezer Reprise... Lost for two shows... If anyone has any info on its location, please return it to the nearest encore ASAP...
My fifth show, second this tour following Hershey. Living in Northern Virginia, I was able to spend the night between Hershey and Portsmouth in my own bed before driving south around noon the next day in the company of one of my closest friends, Paul (his first Phish show, even though he was the one who introduced me to their studio work back in high school. Funny the monsters we create. Around the same time, I introduced him to the Rolling Stones, and then he spent one memorable summer trying to get his lips to look more like Mick Jagger's). A lovely drive, complete with noms at Arby's and a stunning playlist of virtually everything good I drew up for the occasion. Passed the Mothership, of course, and wondered when I'd get a chance to set foot in there. Beautiful blue skies over the big Hampton Roads bridge.
Managed to snag free parking on the street right next to the venue on the advice of a friendly traffic cop. After slipping a flask of Seagram's gin into my back pocket for the second show running (REALLY hoping for my first Bathtub), we found ourselves in the line for this GA show about half an hour before the gates opened. Stormed the venue and settled into the third row between Mike and Fisheffectively my spot at Hershey. Lots of other young kids around us, lots of excitement and good vibes. One guy (Warwick602, I guess!it was nice meeting you at the show) kept crying out for "Sgt. Pepper."
The venue itself was beautifulit felt TINY after Hershey Stadium, and the white awning picked up the breeze off the water and kept everything cool.
TUBE. Well, this doesn't happen at every show. The band comes out and are IMMEDIATELY bombarded with a sign and cries of "Tuuuuube"! Trey smiles in recognition and they all pause and I start to FREAK OUT, because Tube, the opener for the Island Tour and a number of other really killer shows, just might be my favorite opener of all time. I'd been calling a Tube opener since Hampton '09, but to actually catch the show where it happened (for the first in over ten years) ! Anyhow, Trey tells us they're the "all-request band," and the asteroid crashes. I actually have difficulty hearing the first two verses over the roar of the crowd (and this guy near me who's belting along). The jam is good as always, though nothing legendarymore rockin' and Trey-driven than the subsequent Merriweather Tube, which was funkier and a Page showcase. Short but interesting Tube to OPEN THE SHOWfine by me !
KDF. Just like at Hershey, what would have been a more predictable, rockin' opener follows an unpredictable, groovier one. Fun to hear, especially for being the first I've caught (after it's had a year to really grow on me, too). Like Chalk Dust at the previous show, nothing extraordinary. I take this opportunity to gently request that the guy still belting tonelessly along to every word desist, and he sportingly obliges. Nice not to have any bad feelings over that.
SLAVE. And like at Hershey, something crazy in the number three slot that usually appears way later in the show! Like Tube, it might have been more remarkable for placement than execution, or maybe I just wasn't fully in the groove of the show yet, but to hear Slave in total daylight... wow.
LAWN BOY. My first, so witnessing Page's lounge-crooner shtick firsthand was fun and brought a few titters. His performance was perfectly outrageous as always. Cheeky bastard....
POOR HEART. I'll never say no to a little Phishgrass, though I never attached to this one the way I did to Ginseng or Old Home Place. Good for a quick country stomp, though....
AC/DC BAG. Really nice to hear. Seemed slower than most of the '09 versions, and for that, the jam started off funkier. They spent the first few minutes dissecting the groove, till it was down to Fish playing a straight rhythm. Fine change of pace, in my book, so till we get 20-minute Bags again, I'll take the odd little variation like this.
MOMA. You know the drill for Moma in 3.0. Still a good song, still a nice dose of dirty funk, but nothing you haven't heard before. Played very well, of course, and nothing I'll ever complain about.
MY FRIEND. This song illustrated, yet again, the vast experience gulf between listening to Phish tapes and being at a Phish show. This never was a song I especially cared for, but in that moment, right up front, with Kuroda going apeshit along with the band at the end, I was a die-hard My Friend partisan (and the experience has probably permanently altered my perception of the song in the future). A great moment in the ongoing saga of this concertgoer.
COLD WATER. In what was to become a defining experience of summer 2010, next to no one knew what the hell Phish was even playing. I didn't. I suspected it might be a new original in the vein of Phish's more Americana 3.0 output. I was wrong. It didn't do all that much for me, but Paul, a big roots rocks fan, really enjoyed this one. But Cold Water was just the first trickle out of the faucet before filling up the...
BATHTUB. The one song everyone was calling by this point, and one of my absolute favorites, finally hit. My flask was out and getting love, raised aloft like a holy relic for the "he carries a martini" line. And the jam... easily one of the best Phish has crafted out of the song since 2003 and one of the biggest mind-fuck moments I've personally experienced at a Phish show. By the time the jam hit its final, glorious peak, I was just absolutely destroyed (and not by the Seagram's). Gone. I had crossed over into some other realm of consciousness. I actually felt numb in the face, as if it were melting. I'm pretty sure my jaw was closer to the floor than to the rest of my face. Truly, this was one of those "price of admission" moments: I didn't need anything else from this show. Everything to come was just the proverbial icing on the cake.
STEALING TIME. Pretty sweet icing, too. This one washed over effectively post-orgasm neurons. Balls-out rocking as always, and I couldn't have been more receptive to it. Excellent in the closer spot.
SET ONE RECAP. Hard to rate this set fairly. The set started out with some wonderfully adventurous placement and then fell into more standard fare before ending with just about the biggest bang possible. No song was poorly played or unwelcome, but only one was really transcendent. At the time, I thought it was at least as good as Hershey's first set, though at some remove I'm not sure that's still the case. I'll call it a very respectable 7.2 (though after that Bathtub, you're not going to care about ratings anyway). Highlights were My Friend, BATHTUB, Stealing Time, and SONG PLACEMENT.
WILSON. Okay, they went out rocking, they want to come back on rocking. Fine with me. A Wilson opener always feels like a prologue to the Set Proper, but I don't dislike the song. No real complaints.
SEVEN BELOW. My mind immediately leapt to Albany's version from the falla dangerous instinct, because there was almost no chance they were going to rival that. This one stayed strictly type I, and found its way back into the central riff far sooner than I would have liked. Oh, well. At least the flowing C-major jam brought back memories of Bathtub.
46 DAYS. This was pretty cool. Paul and I had listened to the Merriweather '09 version on the drive down, and while this one doesn't take the dive into type-II hose, it was a bold, thrilling performance in its own right. It rocks harder than the band was prepared for, it seems: when Trey tries to bring the lyrics back, he ends up just dropping them again with a powerful scream and resumes shredding. This one bleeds out into a couple minutes of dark, ambient sludge, which is always something these ears are keen on hearing. Now, were they to build a SECOND jam over the sludge, then you've really got a 46 Days for the books... but I was more than content with this version.
IDEA. I've always been a big fan of Mike compositions, especially since he's now most likely the quirkiest/most adventurous songwriter in the band. This was a nice prog-pop/funk hybrid, and even if it wasn't flawlessly delivered... well, Mike writes difficult compositions, and it was certainly smoother than just about every live Sugar Shack. They let the ending space out for a few extra seconds to ease the drop into
2001. Still awkward placement. I'm not a fan of the reduced role this song has been given in 3.0 (Camden being a MAJOR, MOST WELCOME exception), and it was around this point that I put together, with some disappointment, that we probably wouldn't be getting any big jams this set.
SIMPLE. We did get a really pretty Simple, though! Nothing really extraordinary, but probably my favorite version since the breakup. The typically delicate jam really brings out some of the most attentive band interplay. Landed in about a minute of welcome aimlessness before
JOY. I really enjoy this song, but it works better on the heels of deeper jams. Execution-wise, might have been the weak link of the show, too.
TASTE / THEME. Again, I really enjoy both of these songs, but I couldn't fully get into them at the show because I was pretty bummed about the placement. To me, straightforward readings of these songs late in the second set only work if they're preceded by some SERIOUS type-II business. Probably quite well-played, but not at all what I wanted to hear. (Just a purely subjective reflection, of course.)
ADITL. Funny how with Warwick602 shouting for "Sgt. Pepper" I never thought of this song, the one track from the album that's actually in the Phish repertoire! It's an excellent song, as everyone knows. Paul was pleasantly surprised to realize that they played it, and I enjoyed it far more than anything since Simple. Nice to hear.
SET TWO RECAP. Like I said earlier, everything after Bathtub was icing on the cake, so I'm fine with the fact that the icing was a little thinner than it might have been. I'm generally pretty upbeat about Phish performances, but while there was plenty to enjoy about this set, it was definitely below average, especially for a second set, marred by the absence of any really deep jams and some suspect placement. Highlights were 46 Days and Simple. I'm calling it a 3.2.
Heavy Things to kick off the encore actually got me fairly optimistic, as the previous two (MSG and Miami) were pretty zippy versions of the song. This one wasn't as good, but made for a nice Farmhouse-era combo with First Tube, which was complete with Jedi shenanigans. Encores for me typically don't rock the show average, which ends up being 5.2basically an average Phish show, which, as we all know, is a wonderful thing.
Paul and I both agreed the first set was better, though we talked with other people on the way out of the venue who felt the reverse. All in all, it was a fun showbeautiful venue, relaxed crowdwith one SERIOUS, BIG-TIME highlight (Bathtub, in case your short-term memory is a little patchy) which was probably my favorite moment of either Hershey or Portsmouth. Then it was a week and a half off the tour for me, before everything that happened at Merriweather....


text:
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Kim Jung Gi
The stream-of-consciousness marker drawing covers two walls. Judging from his change of shirts, it took about three days. It includes flying elephants, motorcycles, and an assortment of farm animals, all drawn from interesting angles.
I got hooked and watched the whole thing, listening to Radiolab and Sidebar podcasts, since the video has no soundtrack. It might be better to watch it on the YouTube page to see the video full size.
Review of Kim Jung Gi's sketchbooks for sale
Muddy Colors post on Kim Jung Gi's books
12 comments:
- vlad74 said...
Impressive! Not many artist can do that.
- August 4, 2012 at 12:18 PM
- Vicki said...
I would infer from watching a portion of this video (I'll have to save the rest for later) that Kim Jung Gi sees and thinks about his material in an entirely different way from the way I do--maybe different from the way most of us do. To him no part seems to be more important than any other. The way he draws a human, for instance, starting at the top, and continuing down through the parts, including whatever the person is grasping in his/her hand, including clothing folds, before he gets to the shape and position of the legs--it's as though each detail is part of a huge machine. I don't mean this in a critical way at all; it's really stunning. Just an unusual way of seeing.
I think Moebius had something of the same way of seeing. There is a video on You Tube somewhere of him doing the same sort of thing on a much smaller scale--a three panel comic--starting cold, and going on just as this artist does, beginning with some peripheral piece of equipment such as sunglasses, and going on down through hair, nose, ears, and body, with no preliminary sketch or blocking in of the structure.
I suspect that this way of drawing is not something that can be taught; it is a way of perceiving the world, where a face or experssion has the same importance as the parts of an engine.
- August 4, 2012 at 12:32 PM
- Guy Parkhomenko said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- August 4, 2012 at 1:40 PM
- jeffkunze said...
Interesting style to his work. I like the character he adds to the people. I can't tell if those are study sketches or photos at the top that you can see from time to time. Very cool stuff.
- August 4, 2012 at 2:56 PM
That's some real serious fun to watch!
A marvel: absolute precision, daring angles, and everything on this incredibly crowded street, including foregrounds and backgrounds drawn with that same marker. Sometimes, before adding a new subject, he uses his fingers, thumb and index, for some space-defining reason it seems.
- August 4, 2012 at 3:24 PM
This is what some artists would call direct drawing , hes not working from general to specific nor is he using any construction lines.
He has a tremendous amount of skill!
- August 4, 2012 at 6:24 PM
- frankgrauillustrator said...
What can I say. I'm jealous.
- August 4, 2012 at 7:31 PM
- elgin said...
With no detraction from obvious talent, he is clearly referring to off screen images. Absolutely no one can maintain all that imagery completely internally. But drawing most of his waking life gives him the ability to fill in details from beginning points that he is referring to, either photos, which the fish eye car he starts with seems likely, or preliminary sketches. Whatever the case I want the book and he is missing a bet not having it on amazon.
- August 4, 2012 at 7:53 PM
- Brett W. McCoy said...
Wow, I wonder if this guy has ever done animation? He has a real knack for drawing forms from lots of interesting angles.
Was that a self-portrait in red there at the end?
- August 4, 2012 at 9:41 PM
"With no detraction from obvious talent, he is clearly referring to off screen images. Absolutely no one can maintain all that imagery completely internally"
It's perfectly possible, it just requires years of daily practice to get good enough at it.
- August 5, 2012 at 6:15 AM
- veich said...
Really great! Thank you for the link. Never heard of this artist before.
- August 5, 2012 at 8:26 AM
- Erik Bongers said...
His way of working is reminicent of Matania.
- August 6, 2012 at 1:49 PM


text:
"Start-Ups: Silicon Valley" is in its fourth week and, quite frankly, we're concerned. Where is the team effort? The only people pumping any drama juice into this fledgling reality wreck have been attractive frenemies Hermione and Sarah. It's time for someone else to step up and contribute. And, no, having David offer more of his sex-related TMI comments does not count.
Tonight's episode is actually light on Sarah, much to our dismay. It begins at The Villa, where Hermione and brother Ben are working out with a meaty personal trainer named Adria. Hermione wants to do some boxing, so Adria invites her to throw jabs at his padded hands.
"Can I pretend that you're someone I really, really hate?" she asks, displaying her tiny fists of fury.
"Like who?" he wonders.
"Hmmm. Sarah Austin."
Uh, oh. Did someone say: "Live-stream cage match?" (If so, I'm putting my money on Ms. Way).
Turns out that Hermione hasn't been sleeping well for days. Too much pressure. Too much stress. If she and Ben can't sell their life-expectancy app, Ignite, very soon, the world just may come to an end. Or so it seems.
Ben worries, however, that she's spending too much of her time on other projects.
"I've given up everything for Ignite and I expect the same things from her," he grumbles in that fancy British dialect of his.
Cut to: The Firewood Cafe in San Francisco, where Kim has met up with Dwight for a "sanity check" (Oh, is that on the menu? We'll have the same.). For the 500th time, Kim is talking about how she feels her career is stalling and that she's not going anywhere and blah, blah, blah .... (Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz). She is starting to get on our nerves. Just leave Ampush, already!
Dwight talks about how scary it is to run your own company. How he's living on the edge all the time.
"It's so much fun, though," he says. "I don't think I can get a kick out of anything else anymore."
Meanwhile, at the Four Seasons Hotel, Sarah, looking yummy in a skin-tight blue dress, is doing work on her video blog and bragging about how good and original she is.
"If Oprah was white and she was in tech, she would be me," she says. And that's just about all we see of Sarah tonight (Can you feel the ratings plummet?).
Later, we hook back up with Hermione, who is now wearing her Next Web hat and going to interview Dwight in his tiny Sunnyvale apartment, which apparently doubles as a land fill. It's very Silicon Valley, Hermione explains, pointing out that mammoth businesses in the area started in simple garages and we love the way she prounces the word as "garriges." Dwight, of course, isn't fazed by the ridiculous mess all around him. He just wants to get the word out about his automotive website, Carsabi.com, all of which makes for absolutely scintillating TV. ... Not.
From there, we shoot over to Kim's much nicer apartment, where she's trying to get her makeup just right because this is the day she plans to quit. She figures that she may be walking away from about a million bucks and walking into the great unknown, with no paycheck. Just thinking about it makes us pee our pants.
When Kim arrives at Ampush, she tells her pal, Lauren, that she's sweating and feels like throwing up. Ick. Just not on your nice shoes, girl.
"Be yourself and you'll be fine," advises Lauren. Of course, that's easy for her to say. She's not about to walk away from a million bucks and throw up all over herself.
Kim goes to see her boss, Jesse, and tells him that she's in a "soul-searching phase" and that it's time to do something else.
Jesse asks her if she has any plans. Kim says she's not going to start up an Ampush rival and Jesse cockily replies, "We'd beat you if you did." Oh, insulting.
Jesse tells her not to overlook the fact that Ampush will be rapidly growing in the near future and that she'll miss out. He also warns that starting a new company will require that she wear many hats (or turbans) and that's something to think about. Still, he wouldn't dream of holding her back -- even if it will be a big loss for Ampush.
Afterward, Jesse gives Kim what looks to be a token hug. Kim lets out a big breath and doesn't vomit.
Meanwhile, Hermione and Ben, who have struck out twice with potential investors, now place their hopes with Javelin Ventures. They find themselves at a pitch meeting, in front of four white guys, and trying to explain the life-expectancy virtues of Ignite. (We've heard this pitch before). The four white guys have lots of questions, most of which come off sounding like the adults in Charlie Brown cartoons. In other words: Gibberish.
Then, one of the white guys says that, if they can make this thing work, there's obviously a "big pot of gold" at the end. Suddenly, he has our attention.
After the meeting, Hermione tells Ben that he nailed the presentation. They leave feeling hopeful. But later, at The Villa, they get the word that Javelin has passed, deeming the Way project "too early stage and too high of a risk." So much for that pot of gold.
Now, a frazzled Hermione is wondering why Ben can't take some money out of one of his other companies to fund Ignite, but Ben says it doesn't work that way and we fear that he's about to give us a lesson in accounting. Meanwhile, they're going to owe $140,000 to Lunar, the company that is designing their product and they haven't got the cash. The sibling tension is mounting.
Back to Kim: When our brave girl gets home, she pours herself a glass of wine and calls her mom with the news. Mom is surprised, but she's the type of parent who has always told her daughter that she can do anything she sets her mind to. So she wishes Kim good luck and that's that. (Why can't we all have parents like that?)
Later, we catch up with her at a night club celebrating her big milestone with her gal pals. Lots of booze is consumed. Then Dwight shows up and even more booze is consumed. Dancing and flirting ensues.
"At the end of the day, he's a dude," Kim tells us. "And if the opportunity presented itself he would totally try to hook up with me."
OK, so why is that not happening? Because hardly anything happens on this show.
Still, we consider the episode to be a rousing success because we're 47 minutes into it we have yet to hear David speak. But wait: Our luck runs out when the show finally catches up with David, who is attending a networking event to get the word out about his app. He grabs a light beer and makes the rounds.
Later, Hermione and Ben show up at the event and David finds it a "little off-putting" because they're kind of competitors. Whatever. Hermione cries on David's shoulders about their financial woes and David can relate.
"If it makes you feel any better, I have about $700 to my name," he says.
Ben tells David that, if he needs money, he might be able to make him a loan -- which shocks Hermione, who has heard Ben tell her that there's no money for their start-up.
"I'm seriously about to break," she growls and we start to wonder if that cage match we envisioned might be better suited to these siblings.
They start to argue in front of David, who can only look on awkwardly. Bleeped-out curse words are exchanged. Fingers are pointed. Then Hermione tosses her glass, letting it shatter all over the floor.
"That's how I feel right now," she says.
Outside, Ms. Way turns into a blubbering wreck. "I'm pushing myself SO hard!" she wails. Ben wipes her tears and he and David envelope her in a great big hug.
Ben assures Hermione that he cares more about her than their dumb ol' start-up. "I love you and I'll always be there for you," he says, gingerly leading her back into the event.
It's a lovely way to end the epsiode, but will their truce last? Not likely. The previews for next week hint at more tense times between the Ways and possibly even a rocky breakup. Have those boxing gloves ready.


text:
Window Management at its Finest
Divvy is an entirely new way of managing your workspace. It allows you to quickly and efficiently "divvy up" your screen into exact portions. This lets you take maximum advantage of your screen real estate without any hassle at all. Window management has never been this easy.
Required OS: not specified
Tags: tile , screen , split , full , fullscreen , splitscreen , management , window , divvy , divy
14 Opinions
It would be nice if global shortcuts could be disabled for some apps.
Eg: I use alt-cmd-1 as a divvy shortcut, but this is also the shortcut used in Word and Google docs to change style to "Heading 1".
(Google docs is run by Google Chrome: it might be hard to disable the global shortcut for a specific site.)
NB: on windows, you can use autohotkey to set a different behaviour to the shortcut, depending on the app or title of the front window.
If you have the time and knowledge, you can save 20 MB and 14$ by using Quicksilver to set global shortcuts that will trigger applescripts that will resize a window.
This blog post explain who it works (using Apptivate for the shorcuts):
New knowledge, interest, and thanks for the advice.
New knowledge, interest, and thanks for the advice.
Divvy: A huge part of the reason why I prefer using Mac OS X for day-to-day tasks.
Divvy: It's what's missing from other OS window managers.
Divvy: Window management ninja.
The hotkey bindings for pre-set windows positions are a godsend. In less than a second I can set up a split-screen view with any 2 applications.
Nice app, wish I'd discovered it a long time ago. Simple to use when you need it and stays out of the way when you don't.
Quoting the homepage: "Divvy is designed to be quick, simple and elegant. We want it to stay out of your way as much as possible [...]"
That's pretty much what I really like about it. Divvy is there when you need it and you forget about it when not. It's sometimes not responsive enough, but that's a minor concern. Otherwise, it's excellent and highly recommended.
Works very well, love the shortcuts feature. will most likely buy this.
I'm happy to report the incompatibility between Divvy and BetterTouchTool appears to have been fixed!
Divvy 1.2.2
BetterTouchTool 0.626
Snow Leopard 10.6.4
I quickly registered my copy of this excellent app. Currently, though, there is a conflict between Divvy and another great app, BetterTouchTool for multitouch MacBooks, which causes BTT's app switcher to malfunction.
This conflict is between Divvy 1.2.1 and BTT 6.1.9.
To resolve it, I've downgraded to Divvy 1.1.1.
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Model: RL4319M Item: ALERL4319M
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IVCi offers contract vehicles to service different branches of government. More at ivci.com/solutions/federal_and…. #IVCi pic.twitter.com/qOZPiHsX1M
The advantages of a video collaboration solution for your organization are well known. But to fully realize the benefits of your system, you need to have a well-executed implementation. There are varying levels of complexity in a video implementation and each must be managed appropriately by an experienced project manager(PM) Project management is the coordination of all people, resources, and activities to complete a project. In a video installation, for example, the PM needs to track equipment arrival, coordinate technicians to handle the install, and keep all key stakeholders from both the customer and the vendor updated as the project progresses. …Read more
When it comes to video communications equipment, leaving the servicing of complex UC technology to chance can be a particularly risky choice. Here are four potential pitfalls you might face if you decide to go without a service contract on your video equipment. Financial Risk When you purchase a service contract, you fix the cost of repairs for all your equipment giving you a totally predictable annual cost. Choosing not to go with a contract can result in unpredictable costs that may hit at any time. With the complexity of today's video equipment, chances are that cost could be extremely high – …Read more
Shifting over the past few years, videoconferencing is no longer a nice-to-have option but a necessity. This is all due to the benefits it offers to businesses. The cloud boosts its popularity further, making it affordable for companies of all sizes and budgets. However, before making the switch to cloud-based videoconferencing, there are a few factors you need to consider. Quality and Performance A good videoconferencing service should run seamlessly on any device, be the company endpoints or personal devices of the employees. Also, look for one that supports 3G/4G mobile networks. This makes it easier for everyone to stay connected …Read more
Due to the dynamic nature of the business landscape and the changing needs of organizations, videoconferencing has emerged as the most popular form of communication in the business world. While video conferencing has existed for more than a decade now, we are now feeling its true business benefits. We're moving from hardware-based videoconferencing to software and service based solutions. Cloud-based videoconferencing has allowed businesses to experience seamless collaboration without having to worry about hardware and infrastructure costs. With an increasing number of businesses opting for cost-effective services managed outside their premises, cloud-based videoconferencing is fast becoming the norm. Several recent studies …Read more
The benefits of an advanced collaboration solution that combines voice, video, and content are apparent to most business leaders. Polycom's recent unveiling of their innovative RealPresence Centro and the RealPresence Medialign is a giant step forward in meeting the communication needs of the workplace of the future. The Centro is designed for small groups and classrooms and allows users to gather around in a collaborative circle permitting everyone to be seen and heard regardless of where they are located. The Medialign is an all-in-one collaboration solution for medium to large spaces that can be easily deployed without costly room alterations. …Read more
It's human nature for people to get into a routine and resist change – even when switching to something new can be beneficial. This can often be the case when it comes to installing a video collaboration system in your organization. To fully leverage the benefits, you need to overcome obstacles and encourage the use of this game-changing technology. Here are three tips to help drive adoption of your video collaboration installation. Ensure optimal performance It may sound simplistic, but the most important factor when introducing new technology is to make sure it works. Reluctant users sometimes look for reasons not to get …Read more
At one time or another we've all been witness to one of those conference room clashes – two competing meeting groups gathered outside the company conference room debating over a scheduling conflict. This can happen all too often when there's only one main meeting room. Most companies need a large, well appointed conference room to accommodate major gatherings like board meetings, customer presentations, and company meetings. But as more meetings now involve multiple smaller parties at remote sites and only the main conference room is set up for unified collaboration, scheduling conflicts are becoming more numerous. The solution is establishing a …Read more
While it's clear that the proliferation of smartphones and tablets have made businesses increasingly mobile, there's still a need for physical meeting rooms in most companies. Customers are still going to be on site, teams will periodically meet face to face, and teleconferences still need a home base for those working in the office. Of course the meeting rooms of the future will need to consist of more than white boards, conference phones, and video projectors. To build a truly collaborative experience means leveraging the latest hardware and software technology. But building a superior physical meeting room involves much more than …Read more
It's been estimated that by the end of this year there will be 1.3 billion mobile workers. Gartner says that by 2020, 75% of businesses will be considered digital. Forrester forecasts that 43% of US workers will telecommute for some part of the day by 2016, nearly double from 2009. The trend is clear: the workplace of the future will be remote, mobile, and flexible. Despite resistance from some quarters – notably Yahoo and Reddit – this movement is unlikely to change. That means businesses need to figure out how to embrace the inevitable shift to ensure their long-term success. Here are …Read more
Bring up the topic of customer support service at any gathering and you're likely to hear a flood of horror stories. Tales abound of misdirected calls, representatives who don't understand your problem or can't offer an effective solution, and getting tangled up in a maze of transfers. According to American Express, 78% of consumers have quit on a transaction or not made an intended purchase because of a poor support service experience. Thankfully, advances in technology can help the perception – and reality – of service delivery of any kind. IVCi Managed Care Live Video Assist is an example of how …Read more


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NH football realignment should be one and done
Not that anybody asked, but here's my take on the NHIAA's pilot realignment plan for high school football in 2013: I don't like it. But I am looking forward to it.
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MARIETTA - The holidays are in full force. Decorative candy canes adorn the street lights, the radio stations are churning out Christmas music and packaged presents await in mailboxes and on doorsteps.
But those doorsteps and mailboxes are exactly where packages might tempt thieves. Package theft and a gamut of other crimes increase during the holidays, meaning citizens need to practice preventative measures, said local law enforcement agencies.
"Don't leave anything lying outside. Those are crimes of opportunity," said Washington County Sheriff Larry Mincks.
Article Photos
Photo by Jasmine ?Rogers
Devola and Triple H Storage owner Pat Huck checks on the premises periodically throughout the day. Huck also had cameras installed to deter would-be thieves from breaking into his customers' units.
More than ever, people are turning to the Internet to tick off their holiday shopping lists, meaning more opportunity than ever for thieves to target mailed packages.
Some larger cities have even reported thieves following the route of mail carriers and stealing what they leave behind.
That is just what happened to Fifth Street resident Marcella Swaney recently. Swaney had ordered some gifts online and did not get home until after dark.
"My neighbor found the empty box and packing slip in her yard," she said.
After tracking it online, she realized that not one, but two packages had been stolen. Luckily, both companies offered to replace the items that Swaney had purchased. However, she plans on taking extra precautions in the future.
"I'm telling all the people in Marietta to be more aware. I think it's important the people in our town be more vigilant about their products," she said.
She also said she signed up on the UPS website for all of her future mailings to be "sign only" and that she will begin having packages mailed to her work location.
Capt. Jeff Waite of the Marietta Police Department said mailing the package elsewhere is a good idea. For customers that do not have that option, there are several other ways to ensure the safety of your packages.
"Either arrange for you to go pick it up or just have a neighbor grab it," he said.
Additionally, said FedEx spokesman Scott Fiedler, FedEx customers can arrange to have the package held at FedEx headquarters. Drivers are also given authority to bring packages back to the main office if they feel they would be leaving it in a vulnerable place, said Fiedler.
"Customers have a lot of power to keep their packages safe and these decisions need to be made before they click ship. Knowing the services available will help keep packages safe," he said.
Being vigilant about packages is just one half of the equation when it comes to shopping online. Using a credit or debit card online also makes you vulnerable to identity theft.
To safely purchase online, the FBI recommends never opting to save your password or other data. Online shoppers should only share their data with reputable, trustworthy sites. And lastly, Internet users should never click links inside emails from an unknown sender.
The same rules apply to unsolicited phone calls, said Waite.
"We have had a lot of phone scams going on. They might call an elderly person and say 'Your grandson is in jail in Canada and you need to send $3,500,'" he said.
Never give out financial or personal information over the phone, said Waite.
Traditional shoppers also need to be on guard throughout the holidays.
The biggest problem comes from shoppers who leave their cart or purse unattended.
"I see it every day and it's just too easy to go by and snatch it," said Waite.
Never leave packages visible, whether in your car or in your home, added Mincks.
"Don't put your high dollar items out where people can see them. Keep them in another room...when you are shopping, bring your gifts out and put them in the trunk," he said.
Waite pointed out a car's GPS unit poses another potential threat. If owners have programmed a "home" address into the unit, thieves can easily guide themselves to your home, he said.
Additionally, copper theft does not stop in the winter, and thieves have been known to break into homes and cut out the pipes. Thieves especially seek homes where the residents are on vacation, said Mincks.
The easiest preventative measure is to lock your doors and windows, he said.
"Try to have your lights on timers, have a neighbor get mail and get a hold of your local police department and we'll make sure it's secure," added Waite.
Additionally, it is important not to broadcast across social media that you are going to be traveling.
Storage units are another popular target. Mincks said it is best to choose a location that is well illuminated and where the facility owners use extra security precautions.
Pat Huck, the owner of Devola and Triple H storage units, recently did just that. Huck had cameras installed on his property to deter would-be thieves.
Though Huck also thinks harsher penalties for thieves would be the best deterrent, he said he thinks the cameras will have their intended effect.
"We want our customers' stuff to be safe," he said.


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Young farmers break the bank before they get to the field
As the average age of the American farmer has crept up to 60, fewer young people are filling in the ranks behind them. That's prompted some to ask if young people even want to farm anymore.
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Folsom High football coach Kris Richardson and assistants Jeff Badger and Rob Lobese are very familiar with the De La Salle football program.
All three coaches grew up in Contra Costa County when the Spartans were in the early stages of their rise to national prominence. Now the three will be on the opposing sideline when the Bulldogs face De La Salle in the Northern California Open Division regional championship game Saturday at Sacramento State. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.
"I'm excited to play De La Salle. It's a great measuring stick to see where your program is at," said Richardson, a 1987 College Park High graduate who has been Folsom's head coach for eight seasons. "That's what you prepare for. If you get in that Open game, you know you will end up playing De La Salle."
Richardson was an offensive lineman, and he also played for Diablo Valley College and the University of New Mexico before he finished his education at Chico State.
"De La Salle was not in our league but I knew plenty of guys who played there," said Richardson, who grew up in Pacheco. "They were always a great program. They were just getting it rolling back then. They were the top dog and everybody knew it."
Badger, Folsom's linebackers coach, is a 1987 Clayton Valley graduate. He also played at DVC before he received a football scholarship to University of Pacific.
"We played De La Salle in high school," said Badger, recalling his last high school game as a senior in the North Coast Section semifinals. "We lost. It was a good game, we had a couple turnovers. We had a really good team that year.
"I have friends whose kids go to De La Salle and Carondelet," he said. "It is going to be so exciting (Saturday). We hope to play well and make it a great game. ... We almost look at it as a bigger game than going down south for the big game."
Lobese, a 1989 graduate of Ygnacio Valley, grew up close to the De La Salle campus.
"It was 15 to 20 houses away," said Lobese, the defensive line coach at Folsom. "I had an opportunity to play against them my junior and senior year. I also coached at Ygnacio Valley with (current Clayton Valley Charter coach) Tim Murphy."
It will be Lobese's 42nd birthday on Saturday when his team faces De La Salle.
"You see them win so much, you've been on the other side of those losses," Lobese said. "You want to go after them and try to knock off the giant."
Richardson mentioned the spread offense that coach Troy Taylor installed in the early 2000s and establishing a year-round training program as some keys to Folsom's rise. Taylor, a former Cal quarterback who also played for the New York Jets, is back on the sidelines with the Bulldogs this season.
"His first year we were an I-back, counter power team. We were a 6-4 team perennially," Richardson said. "We wanted to spread people out ... Troy is one of the smartest offensive guys I've been around.
The Bulldogs have averaged 46.8 points per game this season and have not scored less than 30 points in their past 11 games.
There was also work done on the other side of the ball.
"In my early years we were always in shootouts. We have improved defensively steadily the last four years," Richardson said. Folsom has allowed 19.5 points per game this season.
The Bulldogs also aren't fond of punting.
"It started a few years back. We started studying high school punts," Richardson said. "It's a big-play opportunity for the punt team.
"Our kids have bought into it. They are confident on fourth down ... We can punt, we just don't like to."
Don't expect a major change in philosophy from the Bulldogs on Saturday.
"We are not going to change what we do the last two weeks of the season. We are 14-0," Richardson said.


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Japan Journals episode 4 2013 – What Lies North of Niseko?
The final episode of the 2013 Japan Journals. From Japan Journals, "we have left the best until last! Episode 4 is the final for the 2013 season and the crew made sure we ended with a bang. After being piled into the Rhythm Van for far too many hours the crew are able to escape for long enough to experiment with some One Foot shenanigans and double corks all while scoring some incredible snow in the northern most parts of Japan. The crew, consisting of Nick Hyne, Nick Brown, Connor Harding and Alex Stewart make their way from Niseko as far north as the Japanese roads will let them go, Wakkanai. In fact just another 5 hour ferry ride and they would have made it to Russia. An epic road trip to see off the 2013 season!"Read More


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Pneumonia is inflammation or swelling in the lungs in which the air sacs fill with pus and other fluids, making it difficult for oxygen to reach the blood. Pneumonia can be typical or atypical, or may be classified as hospital-acquired, community-acquired, or aspiration. Typical pneumonia is most commonly caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, also known as pneumococcal pneumonia. Atypical pneumonia can be caused by viruses, fungi, bacteria, or chemicals (such as when stomach contents are inhaled into the lungs).
People who are otherwise healthy tend to recover quickly when given prompt and appropriate care. However, the elderly or those with chronic illnesses (such as Parkinson's disease) often develop a severe infection that needs prompt and often intensive treatment in hospital.
What is bacterial pneumonia?
Bacterial pneumonia is pneumonia caused by bacteria. Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common cause of bacterial pneumonia.
There is a vaccine (pneumococcal) available to protect people from this infection, which is offered by GPs to at-risk groups.
What are the symptoms of bacterial pneumonia?
Symptoms of bacterial pneumonia can develop gradually or suddenly. Symptoms may include:
- High fever - sometimes as high as 41C (or 105F)
- Drowsiness
- Rapid breathing
- Chills
- Cough with or without sputum (may be green, brown or have blood)
- Chest pain - often on breathing deeply in and out, but can also be constant
- Blue tint on the lips or under the nails (severe cases)
Who should have the pneumococcal vaccine?
Those who should have the pneumococcal vaccine are:
- Aged 65 years of age or older
- Are aged 2 – 64 and have:
- A chronic illness, such as diabetes, heart disease, kidney, liver or lung disease
- A suppressed immune system due to a medical condition such as HIV, or are on immune suppressant treatment such as corticosteroids
- Had their spleen removed or have a condition that weakens the spleen such as sickle cell disease
- A cochlear implant
- A child under the age of 2 years old
What is viral pneumonia?
Viral pneumonia is pneumonia caused by a virus. About half of all people with pneumonia have viral pneumonia. It is more common in children. Viral pneumonia is usually less serious than bacterial pneumonia and can take from two to four weeks to recover.
What are the symptoms of viral pneumonia?
Early symptoms are similar to flu, and include:
- Fever
- Dry cough
- Headache
- Sore throat
- Loss of appetite
- Muscle pain
Additional symptoms that may occur about a day later include:
- High fever
- Cough with mucus
- Shortness of breath
Additional symptoms in severe cases can include:
- Extreme breathlessness
- Blue tint on the lips or under the nails
How can I protect myself from pneumonia?
- Have a flu jab each year if recommended to do so. Flu vaccines are prepared annually in anticipation of that year's virus strain. Influenza can make pneumonia infection more likely. The vaccine is given to at-risk people. Contact your GP if you think you are eligible. Some employers undertake to offer the vaccine.
- Have the pneumococcal vaccine to protect yourself against Streptococcus pneumoniae. Again your GP will advise whether someone is eligible.
- Get advice and take appropriate action in respect of any other infections in the respiratory system, especially those in the lungs.
- Wash your hands before eating, before preparing food, and after being outside.
- Try to avoid people who have colds or flu.
- Eat a healthy diet, exercise, and get plenty of rest.
- Seek medical advice if you think you have symptoms. Don't wait for symptoms to get worse as you may develop a condition needing emergency treatment.
- Stop smoking and certainly never start.
- Don't drink heavily.
WebMD Medical Reference


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Contact Flowserve about your equipment performance and upgrade requirements.


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Romney: I Was Right About Russia
Former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney appeared to take a measure of pleasure on Sunday in criticizing his 2012 opponent, President Barack Obama, for failing to prevent the unfolding conflict in Crimea and Ukraine.
In his presidential campaign, Mr. Romney called Russia the U.S.'s greatest geopolitical foe, a comment Mr. Obama ridiculed during one of their debates.
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- Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and the Polls
"A few months ago, when you were asked what's the biggest geopolitical threat facing America, you said Russia. Not al Qaeda; you said Russia," the president said. "The 1980s are now calling to ask for their foreign policy back because, you know, the Cold War's been over for 20 years."
On Sunday, Mr. Romney said that Russia, while not an "enemy," was an "adversary" and that Mr. Obama had not done enough to respond to it.
"Unfortunately, not having anticipated Russia's intentions, the president wasn't able to shape the kinds of events that may have been able to prevent the kinds of circumstances that you're seeing in the Ukraine," he said on CBS's "Face the Nation."
Mr. Romney said the U.S. should have anticipated the events that unfolded when protests began in Ukraine and made clear to Russia that it would suffer consequences if it acted aggressively, while also reassuring President Vladimir Putin about American intentions. "There may have been some people surprised, but there were many, many others who predicted that Russia would try and grab additional territory," he said.
Mr. Romney also offered a couple of unsolicited shots at former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a possible 2016 presidential candidate, saying that like Mr. Obama, she too, had failed to shape events. "They thought resetting relations with Russia, handing out gifts to Russia would somehow make Russia change its objectives. Well, that certainly wasn't the case," he said.
He also said he could not think of a single country that has greater respect for the U.S. than it did before Mr. Obama took office.
Appearing later on "Face the Nation," Sen. Dick Durbin (D., Ill.) replied that Mr. Romney is "suffering from political amnesia."
"Does he remember the reaction of the rest of the world to our invasion of Iraq? The fact is that many of our stalwart allies of the past thought it was a terrible decision. What President Obama has done is restore a working relationship," he said. "Osama bin Laden is gone. The war in Iraq is over. Afghanistan is coming to a close. And this president has worked with many of these nations successfully to put pressure on Iran with sanctions, bringing them to the negotiating table. I'm afraid Governor Romney's forgotten those facts."
Mr. Romney downplayed the idea of running again in 2016, saying he is focused on other potential GOP leaders, whom he did not name. "I fully anticipate that I'll be supporting one of them very vigorously," he said.
Follow @wsjwashington on Twitter.


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What to Look for in Twitter's IPO Filing
Money managers awaiting Twitter Inc.'s initial public offering are sharpening their pencils and donning their green eye-shades. With the deal's paperwork expected as soon as this week, here are some of the key metrics they will be on the watch for:
Financial performance: Twitter made its initial IPO filing confidentially, a procedure only to companies with less than $1 billion in annual revenue, under U.S. securities rules. Research firm eMarketer Inc. has forecast the company's 2013 ad revenue more than doubled to $582.8 million, but most investors don't have official numbers to go on.
"The biggest questions are, what kind of revenue generation there's been to date and what kind of growth trajectory they're on going forward," said Michael Scanlon, who helps oversee about $3 billion in assets as a managing director at Manulife Asset Management, including the John Hancock Balanced Fund, which holds Google and LinkedIn
How it makes money: Twitter helps brands and advertisers reach consumers with offerings such as "promoted tweets" and "promoted trends." It's unclear what parts of the company's ad strategy are central to its business model and which offer the most growth.
The filing will lay out the company's business model in detail to investors, who thus far have been limited to "bread crumbs"—such as executives' comments in interviews or third-party data providers' estimates on user numbers—said Kevin Landis, chief investment officer at Firsthand Capital Management, which owns some Twitter stock but also has the ability to invest in the IPO.
"It gives you kind of a framework," Mr. Landis said. "Here's there revenue last year, this year, here's a reasonable trajectory for the company. You can begin to set up your range of expectations."
"You'll start with the number of users and then you'll try to figure out the revenue per user," Mr. Landis. "You'll try to get a feel for the different types of offerings they make for advertisers."
Implications for other Internet companies: Internet companies' stocks have been some of the hottest investments around lately. Google Inc. is up 25% this year, Facebook has gained 89% and LinkedIn Corp. has rallied 119%. All three of those companies depend on advertising, particularly on mobile devices, for at least some of their business. Twitter represents another big player in that sector.
"If [Twitter] is really dominant in monetizing mobile traffic, I probably want to be there," said Paul Meeks, technology analyst at Saturna Capital Corp., which oversees $4 billion.
"More and more of our Web browsing and Web interaction is on the smartphone," he added. "If you came to the dance on the desktop but you're not as good on the smartphone, boy, I don't know if customers have a need for you."
How Twitter will manage the offering: Will Twitter be able to sidestep the complications Facebook suffered in its highly hyped, closely watched IPO? Factors such as the size of the offering — relative to Twitter's total size — and what types of investors banks place stock with have implications for how the stock trades. The initial filing will show the underwriter lineup managing the offering. Later IPO paperwork will give details about how many shares the company plans to offer, and the total share count after the deal.
Reports that Twitter plans to engage boutique investment banks such as Allen & Co. suggest "Twitter is quite savvy in the management of this offering," Mr. Meeks said. "There will be some interesting incremental investors brought by these niche investment banks, and also, with Allen & Co.'s investment bankers, introduction to some media relationships."


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A neurologic deficit is a functional abnormality of a body area due to a decrease in the function of the brain, spinal cord, muscles, or nerves.
Examples include:
Griggs RC, Jozefowicz RF, Aminoff MJ. Approach to the patient with neurologic disease. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Cecil Medicine. 24th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2011:chap 403.


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