text:
PhoneArena Awards 2011: Most overpriced product
0. phoneArena 01 Dec 2011, 10:29 posted on
Ladies and gentlemen, it is time to announce the next category in the PhoneArena Awards of 2011. Today, a "prestigious" award will be presented to the most overpriced product of the year...
This is a discussion for a news. To read the whole news, click here
1. networkdood (Posts: 6330; Member since: 31 Mar 2010)
I honestly thought it would be the IPHONE 4S 64GB model, but I can agree that tablets have been overpriced. Market corrections will fix that.
2. iamcc (Posts: 1319; Member since: 07 Oct 2011)
Yeah, with Apple's profit margins being as public as they are I definitely expected it to be an iPhone...
18. iamcc (Posts: 1319; Member since: 07 Oct 2011)
I love how people thumbs me down because they hate the fact that Apple charges way more than they have to for their products. I didn't say the iPhone isn't WORTH what they're asking for but when you want to talk about "overpriced" and the company has a disgusting profit margin like they do I mean come the f**k on.
22. Commentator (Posts: 3690; Member since: 16 Aug 2011)
The margins are what they are, and if people want to pay that much for a phone, all power to them. Also, "come the f**k on" is a really lame way to end an argument.
23. iamcc (Posts: 1319; Member since: 07 Oct 2011)
There is no argument. Any company that has a profit margin that high clearly has overpriced products.
There are no two ways about it.
29. Commentator (Posts: 3690; Member since: 16 Aug 2011)
Prices are based on the value the customers see in the product/service, not necessarily what goes into it. Restaurants charge people ~2 dollars for ~2 cents of soda-syrup and carbonated water all the time. Sure, the beverage isn't worth nearly as much as the base materials, shipping-costs, and overhead, but people still pay for it. I wouldn't call it overpriced as long as I agree to pay the amount and am satisfied with the result.
32. iamcc (Posts: 1319; Member since: 07 Oct 2011)
I agree. The difference is we are talking about a $2 soda and a $600 cellphone.
The dictionary defines overpriced as:
"charging or charged at too high a price"
The word origin is:
"to price something excessively high"
Whether or not people see the value of paying that much, the reality is that Apple does not have to charge what they charge. That can be seen easily by two things:
1. Their profit margin.
2: The amount of money they have in the bank.
As I mentioned above, I am not saying the iPhone is not WORTH $600 or whatever it is. But when it comes down to it, it IS overpriced.
35. HTDGP (Posts: 6; Member since: 01 Dec 2011)
Its in a high growth industry. When you have a growth industry you will have high margins. By your logic everything is over priced and we all should be shopping at Wal-Mart.
36. Commentator (Posts: 3690; Member since: 16 Aug 2011)
You seem to be fine with the idea of making a profit, but not "excessive" profit. Where do you draw the line at how much profit is too much?
37. iamcc (Posts: 1319; Member since: 07 Oct 2011)
There is no such thing as too much profit, only over priced products.
40. ayephoner (Posts: 850; Member since: 09 Jun 2009)
high profit margin =/= overpriced.
i would argue the exact oposite. your goal as a business should be to maximize profit, so apple seems to be dead on with their pricing.
the after market value of iphones also points to appropriate pricing. iphones hold their value MUCH better than android phones.
you guys being butt hurt over apple's practices does not make what they are doing wrong.
43. iamcc (Posts: 1319; Member since: 07 Oct 2011)
I'm not butt hurt over anything...
As a business, sure, maximizing profits is the goal. The reason iPhones hold their value better (in my opinion) is largely due to the fact that a better one only comes out every 12-16 months.
On top of that, they don't make huge changes in each model. For instance, if I were to try to sell my Thunderbolt, I would be lucky to get $100.
Not because the Thunderbolt is a bad phone but because there are already dual core phones out, so the Thunderbolt is not the latest anymore.
A Ferrari is expensive because it is expensive to make. If Ferrari had a 70% profit margin it would be considered an over priced car. The same applies here.
You can argue all you want, but as a consumer any company that has a profit margin that high is an over priced product.
46. iamcc (Posts: 1319; Member since: 07 Oct 2011)
I also never said it was wrong. If I owned Apple I would do the same thing, but that doesn't change the fact that it's over priced.
80. ledbetterp3 (Posts: 467; Member since: 31 Aug 2011)
@Commentator your a lame way to end an argument.
58. DatabaseMX (Posts: 19; Member since: 27 May 2009)
But wait, there's more. Apple has something like $75 BILLION in cash reserves. Yet all their junk is made in China!
So, what ... with that sort of profit margins and cash reserves, Apple can't build their junk in the USA? WTF? Creating at least a few jobs?
Hey ... don't blame Obama for no jobs ... blame Steve Jobs!
74. HTDGP (Posts: 6; Member since: 01 Dec 2011)
This has nothing to do with Obama or Steve Jobs. This has to do with a post industrialized United States.
When was the last electronic product that was built on large scale in the United States? It's not that it's just cheaper. Chinese factories are building electronic products at a better quality, at a faster pace, and cheaper than any American factory could. In this globalized economy companies must find the better faster cheaper supplier. It isn't all about the cheaper. It's small minded people who think companies only do it because it's cheaper.
If you want to start your own company and use local manufacturing that is inefficient, produces higher defects, in a country that has high regulations, and that will make your sustainable competitive advantage non-existent compared to companies who went with China, be my guest. I guarantee you won't see any margins you will be proud of.
71. medicci37 (Posts: 1276; Member since: 19 Nov 2011)
@iamcc I couldnt agree more! And @ Commentator its not that people want to overpay for a phone.unless they are idiots.As for the last part of your argument, Are you really that f**ckin Immatuire? Cant understand how some loser could spend so much time reading about technology,yet still be so supid. 1 big reason apple has done so well is because they appeal 2 the idiot factor!
72. medicci37 (Posts: 1276; Member since: 19 Nov 2011)
Sorry that should be "immature"
77. ardent1 (Posts: 2000; Member since: 16 Apr 2011)
Another example of ignorance. iamcc's argument is specious. Something that is overpriced usually means (a) the customers feel ripped off or (b) the price is too high relative to annidentical or similar product. In none of these cases does the cost structure and its counterpart (i.e. the profit margin) come into play. Here are the facts -- according to one report, the 4S enjoys a 96% satisfaction rate meaning customers got a good deal. As for the second point, just go in any Verizon store and try to buy a RAZR without a contract and you might pay the SAME PRICE as the iPhone. The month to month price for the RAZR or 16 gb 4S is $650 from Verizon wireless store. Same price for comparable products. These are facts!
79. geedup (banned) (Posts: 74; Member since: 01 Dec 2011)
I have a feeling iamcc isn't interested in facts
8. remixfa (Posts: 14255; Member since: 19 Dec 2008)
im highly surprised the i4s with its insane 70% margin didnt make the list. I can definately agree with the overpiced tablet market though. The Kindle Fire should be correcting that shortly.
21. ayephoner (Posts: 850; Member since: 09 Jun 2009)
"the kind that consumers spend a heap of cash on only to realize later that it is not worth nowhere near as much."
---by this definition the iphone is actually underpriced compared to nearly every android phone (based on depreciation)
"what matters the most is how much (or how little) it offers for the price that a manufacturer or a carrier is asking for it."
---up for debate here, but certainly does not consider profit margin.
if the iphone were truly 'overpriced' it would not sell. all you fandroids need to take a step outside of your ihate paradigm.
25. networkdood (Posts: 6330; Member since: 31 Mar 2010)
Reality is that I can spend 249.99 for a ANDROID, high-end - with 48GB total storage....so, yeah, spending 150.00 extra to get the 64GB is overpriced - that is just a fact jack.
38. ayephoner (Posts: 850; Member since: 09 Jun 2009)
that is NOT 48GB built in storage. there IS a difference. i agree that they mark it up more than the actual cost, but that is not the guideline that is explained in the article.
again, if it were SO absurd, they wouldnt sell. but, they do. and they hold their value better.
39. remixfa (Posts: 14255; Member since: 19 Dec 2008)
actually, there isnt much difference, as built in memory is normally just a microSD card buried into the phone where you cant reach it.
41. ayephoner (Posts: 850; Member since: 09 Jun 2009)
actually there is, i know you read Michael's article on google's motivation to do away with SD cards.
while cost might not be different, the experience is. this could easily be conceived as value, as evidenced by iphone sales.
42. ayephoner (Posts: 850; Member since: 09 Jun 2009)
44. iamcc (Posts: 1319; Member since: 07 Oct 2011)
Nobody is arguing that the iPhone doesn't have value that validates the price. But considering that 50-70% of that price is profit, you would be an IDIOT to argue it's not over priced.
53. ayephoner (Posts: 850; Member since: 09 Jun 2009)
so the price is valid, but the product is overpriced?
this is its self a contradiction, but even more so when considered in the context of PA's description of "overpriced". this award is theirs to define. under their parameters, profit margin does not matter.
why would post this much, with this much emotion unless you had some emotional tie to claiming the iphone is overpriced?
57. iamcc (Posts: 1319; Member since: 07 Oct 2011)
No emotional tie. Just bored.
I also like proving people wrong...
60. geedup (banned) (Posts: 74; Member since: 01 Dec 2011)
Well that's weird because you've been proven wrong here
61. iamcc (Posts: 1319; Member since: 07 Oct 2011)
Just because people disagree with my opinion doesn't make me wrong, if you look at the definition of "overpriced" i'm correct...
63. geedup (banned) (Posts: 74; Member since: 01 Dec 2011)
You said the price is valid and you'd do the same and then said its over priced. That makes no sense.
67. iamcc (Posts: 1319; Member since: 07 Oct 2011)
Okay. If I speak slowly for you, maybe that will help.
The iPhone has (non mechanical) value that validates the price. Check.
If I owned a company, I would do the same (I like money). Check.
Regardless of both of those things, any product that is produced at such a low cost and re sold for such a higher cost (by definition) is OVER PRICED.
Yes? Yes? Okay. Let's move on.
70. geedup (banned) (Posts: 74; Member since: 01 Dec 2011)
iPhone costs roughly the same to make as other phones and sells for about the same.
You can't even see how you're contradicting yourself. You've completely lost yourself in your own argument. You're showing you're arguing just to argue because you have no point.
78. remixfa (Posts: 14255; Member since: 19 Dec 2008)
the iphone4s costs much less to produce than an SGS2 yet sells for as much if not more depending on which "memory configuration" u get.
wow guys, way to troll this into an iphone/android match up over nothing. oh no, someone doesnt share the same opinion as the iphone's value that you do!! attaaaaack!! lol
73. ayephoner (Posts: 850; Member since: 09 Jun 2009)
to say its overpriced (priced too high) is to say that apple is charging in excess, that they've gone too far.
customers are satisfied, are getting exactly what they've paid for, the product is retaining its value and they are selling like crazy.
none of this has to do with profit margins JUST AS THE AUTHORS STATED IN THE ARTICLE.
45. iamcc (Posts: 1319; Member since: 07 Oct 2011)
Using your logic, cigarettes are not over priced? When I was in Honduras it was around 75 cents for a pack of Marlboro lights. In America? $8.00-10.00.
Just because they sell doesn't mean jack s**t about whether or not it's over priced, it just means people like it enough to pay the (yes absurd) price.
54. ayephoner (Posts: 850; Member since: 09 Jun 2009)
personally, i do think they are overpriced, but i dont smoke and i think smoking is stupid.
as for the product and the market, they must not be overpriced if people keep buying them (yes, the exact same sentiment from before. it applies to anything that sells)
but, it is a bit of a stretch to draw this analogy. much of that $8-10 is taxes (they are only $5 here) and it is an actual addictive drug, one of the most addictive we know of.
75. wakingup (Posts: 51; Member since: 13 Aug 2011)
i just wanted to interject that in Canada, the playbook is now always 199.99 dollars, so I guess it should not be 3rd overpriced. Now, I understand that this is for the US but dont you thing the states will follow suite? (im not sure of it price in the states or elsewhere)
And before I read this, I totally agreed to networkdood, that apple products were over-priced. I have even always though they were over-rated too.
3. SlimSoulja86 (Posts: 660; Member since: 03 Nov 2011)
I totally disagree, I think iPhone should have won that, but hay...... Whatever iPhonearena says, ahm I meant PhoneArena.....
4. tacohunter (Posts: 408; Member since: 06 Nov 2011)
Where's the iPhone in this contest? They didn't won it? I guess another argument of overpriced product is gone.
5. jackhammeR (Posts: 1548; Member since: 17 Oct 2011)
Iphone was a clear winner...but wait! PA loves Iphone!
(180 $ total costs of production and it costed much much much more off contract)
9. tacohunter (Posts: 408; Member since: 06 Nov 2011)
Ah so every negatif thread based on apple You like and every thread based on positif things of apple you say PA loves iPhone to much.
This is exactly what you never ever may do. Follow your brand blindly. Only believe the good things ignore the rest. gj
6. balbal00 (Posts: 5; Member since: 27 Nov 2011)
Well, my opinion: 1st: Htc Jetstream
2nd iPhone 4s 64 gigs
3rd Motorola Atrix Webdock
7. AngusNG12345 (Posts: 37; Member since: 19 Jul 2011)
for those who think the iphone should have 'won', clearly a $700 on contract honeycomb tablet is way more overpriced...?
12. networkdood (Posts: 6330; Member since: 31 Mar 2010)
You got me there - especially, if they are purchased with the intent to use data on a cell network. At least my wife was smart enough to buy the ipad 1 at a reduced rate a while back - the WiFi only version.
Kids love it for movies, book, videos and games.
16. remixfa (Posts: 14255; Member since: 19 Dec 2008)
no, that tablet definately deserves to be on the list.. a long with a few others like the Gslate. But if we are just going with "overpriced", then the iphone needs to be up in the top 3. 70% profit margin is nuts. These are all "overpriced failures", so if that was the intent, then that should be in the award name.
26. mukrenol (Posts: 90; Member since: 03 Sep 2011)
the price of the jetstream will come down
but iphone will not
and most likely stay at high price range for a long long long long time
jetstream... eh... will come down within half a year
and playbook is now only $200
10. Hallucinator (Posts: 365; Member since: 24 May 2010)
While I agree that $400 for an on contract phone(64 gig iphone 4s) is ridiculous, there is no arguing that the Jetstream is the clear winner.
11. networkdood (Posts: 6330; Member since: 31 Mar 2010)
So, 399.99 for 64GB on an iphone 4S is not overpriced?? I agree tablets are overpriced - even the Ipads and tabs....
15. tacohunter (Posts: 408; Member since: 06 Nov 2011)
Is there a 64GB version of the new Galaxy Nexus?
19. iamcc (Posts: 1319; Member since: 07 Oct 2011)
What does that have to do with anything...
48. tacohunter (Posts: 408; Member since: 06 Nov 2011)
Everything. Keep paying attention.
49. iamcc (Posts: 1319; Member since: 07 Oct 2011)
Well considering your post was like the first time the Nexus was mentioned on this article, I don't see how it has anything to do with the topic of discussion.
But you must know way more than me, i'll trust you.
50. tacohunter (Posts: 408; Member since: 06 Nov 2011)
I assume the nexus only got a 32GB or a 16GB option. Never read anywhere there was a 64GB. So Networkdood says the i4s 64 GB is overpriced? Now something like that makes you think are there other phones who got 64GB????
51. iamcc (Posts: 1319; Member since: 07 Oct 2011)
Him saying the 64GB is overpriced is based on the cost of memory, nothing to do with comparing phones.
Keep paying attention.
52. tacohunter (Posts: 408; Member since: 06 Nov 2011)
It's about 64GB general. :( it's my question. Now since you don't wanna answer. I did some research don't know if it's accurate enouph. Apparantly if you google 64GB phone you get only the iPhone. So based on this behind in tech the rest is compared with memory. And yes higher memory is more expensive. But the galaxy nexus is google's new phone. So I hoped since they got bigger screen and other things they pushed everything to the specs. But no 64GB option wich basically is dissapointed.
81. biophone (Posts: 1956; Member since: 15 Jun 2011)
Just get a SD card and you can get way more then 64 gb on a android
83. ayephoner (Posts: 850; Member since: 09 Jun 2009)
SD card storage and internal storage are not the same. internal storage has advantages, thus is worth more.
plus, the iphone not offering expandable memory allows the sanctity of their closed system to stay in tact. i know most fandroids hate it, but that closed system goes hand in hand with many of the things that make the iphone a great product.


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A Big Test for California's Open Primary System
Among the eight states holding primary elections Tuesday is California, where the open "top two" primary election is worth watching.
California is an incubator of ideas and trends. In 2012, it used the top-two system in congressional races, and now it has expanded to all statewide races. Rhodes Cook has described its top-two system as an effort to get more centrist candidates on the ballot. But this system has several other important goals.
The most significant is allowing all voters–Democrats, Republicans and independents–to participate in primaries. As in most other states, the number of voters identifying as independents in California, the nation's most populous state, is growing compared with those registering with the two major parties. Independents represent about 28% of California's electorate; that's lower than the national average of 42% that Gallup reported in January.
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The California system awards the top two vote-getters in each race a place on the November ballot even if they are from the same party. In theory, this gives minor candidates and challengers a chance to compete. But the success of this idea is far from certain. In the past, independent and third-party candidates could qualify for California's general-election ballot by collecting signatures, as is allowed in most other states.
In Louisiana and Washington state, which have used their own top-two systems for years, there is strong evidence that the system disadvantages challengers and discourages diversity. An assessment by Ballot Access News determined that in more than 80 elections using the top-two system in those states, no independent or third-party candidate has advanced to the general-election ballot.
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Among the significant, well-funded independent candidates in California's primary are Dan Schnur, who is running for secretary of state, and Marianne Williamson, one of 16 candidates in the 33rd Congressional District.
How they fare under top two might reveal a lot about the viability of this system.
Linda Killian is a journalist and a senior scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center. Her most recent book is "The Swing Vote: The Untapped Power of Independents." She is on Twitter: @lindajkillian.
Get more from Capitol Hill, first thing in the morning, by signing up for the Capital Journal Daybreak newsletter: on.wsj.com/CapitalJournalSignup


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New Waterford council votes to seek higher levy
January 23, 2013
NEW WATERFORD — All five voting council members said the one-mill additional replacement levy is needed after voting to place it on the May 7 primary election ballot during a special meeting Tuesday......
Classic text book move. Threaten the population with police cuts. This is the first threat till the vote goes their way.
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I, for one, am glad to see council members trying everything possible before needing to raise taxes. It is sad to see that our police department, the ones who protect and serve us, make less per hour than I do, answering phones and taking orders! I don't carry a gun or put my life on the line to protect my community, but I earn more than they do. I say GOOD JOB to the Police Dept. and Council Members!!
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Helium: open source, supercapacitor-powered portable speakers
The first supercapacitor-powered portable speakers are open source
Sam Beck is the guy behind Blueshift, an open source sustainable eletronics business that is all about building cool stuff. Helium speakers are the company's first product to market and will be the world's the first supercapacitor-powered portable speakers. Not to mention the design files are open source.
In this interview, Sam shares with me his unique business mindset and why he's not afraid anyone will steal his thunder, even while they might have access to his design.
If we build stuff that's cool enough, we'll find a way to make money.
Sam grew up in Anchorage, Alaska and went to college at Columbia University in New York City where he studied physics and art. He got his start with open source eletronics when he moved to Portland in 2008 and began building a bike stereo system that ran off of a dynamo hub (a bicycle part that generates electricity) and used capacitors as backup power. It was a few years later that Sam realized he could use supercapacitors as a primary power source.
Read more about the first supercapacitor-powered portable speakers in this interview.
You made the files for your supercapacitor power supply board open source. Why?
I posted the power supply files because I'm serious about this being open source. Although there is still design work to be done, I wanted to show that this isn't just a theoretical idea—and that as it develops, we will continue to make the design available publicly. It's a way to develop trust with our customers and potential customers.
We have working prototypes. I'm listening to Brad Mehldau via Bluetooth / capacitors right now.
Also, the power supply is the heart of this system, and it's the piece that I want to see others use. Blueshift isn't open source because we want to have other companies copy our speakers—we're open source because we want to encourage the development of other durable, sustainable electronics. Broadly, we want people to be able to build cool stuff that's different from what they can buy today. The power supply is a key building block toward other supercapacitor-powered products. Blueshift can't develop every possible application of the technology on our own.
What makes Blueshift different?
Consumer electronics today are built around a business model that doesn't care very much about consumers. Products are sold through distributors and retailers, who each need to get a cut. So in the end, most consumer electronics products are marked up four to five times from the build cost to the retail price. Because of this reality, consumer products are designed with cost as the most important factor.
On top of that, if you're a huge electronics company, it's in your interest to build products that don't last as long, because you would effectively be eating into your own market down the road. This is a misalignment between the interests of consumers and the interests of electronics manufacturers.
The idea behind Blueshift is that resolving this misalignment presents an opportunity to build better products and sell them at fair prices. The Internet is the key ingredient. It allows us to design great products without huge engineering and IP protection costs (open source). It allows us to reach customers without an expensive retail distribution network. And it allows us to access a global supply chain efficiently.
Plus, the patent system is lame. I can't imagine spending tens of thousands of dollars to get a patent, and then expecting to spend hundreds of thousands more to enforce it. Blueshift is about building cool stuff. If we build cool enough stuff, we'll find a way to make money without patent litigation.
Tell us about your experience during your crowdfunding campaign. Why Crowd Supply? What are your greatest challenges?
You can see ours here.
When you see other people raising tons of money through crowdfunding, it always looks like magic. My experience has been that there is a little bit of that—there are contributions coming in from all over the world from people I've never spoken to—but it's also a ton of work. Convincing people that it's worth spending a lot of money on a product that they can't touch yet is hard. It's also a numbers game—it takes a lot of traffic to make a sale. Finding a ton of traffic (especially the right traffic) is hard.
Crowd Supply has been great. I've met with the team there several times, and we've been emailing daily. They had a very good idea from the beginning of how the campaign would go, and what it would take to make it work. They helped out a ton with media outreach, plus more basic things like actually naming the product. I'm really glad that I went with a platform that wants to be actually involved with the campaign—as the only full-time person at Blueshift, I could not have made this work on my own.
How do you find the appetite for open source?
People are excited about that aspect, but I don't think that has made a huge difference on sales at this point. People want to see a great product and see how it can make their lives better—the business model is secondary. That said, open source has made a big difference in that I've gotten a lot of interest from designers and engineers since this campaign started. I think that the open source community has helped to drive a lot of traffic my way, and I keep getting useful ideas from people who wouldn't bother to think about what they could do to help a traditional company.
Do you feel everyone should open source their design files?
I don't feel there is any moral obligation to make everything open source. There are kinds of innovation and invention that are capital intensive, and patent protection can be an incentive to do that type of development.
That said, every open source project makes the open source idea more powerful. I do think that projects that rely heavily on existing open source technology should stay open.
Open source hardware is already changing the world for the better, and it's really just getting started. There's no going backward. It's a question of what the designer is trying to accomplish. I think that my generation is going to keep pushing in this direction—collaborate, build awesome stuff, and figure out how to get paid for it later.
Who is the team behind Blueshift portable speakers? Is it your first product to market?
I've been working on this project full time for the last year or so and am the only full-time person working on this project. But I've had and have lots of help. Several engineers (two electrical and one mechanical) have already contributed to the project. I made our crowdfunding campaign promo video with my friend and director Chris Flanagan; another friend, Brandon Jiaconia, did the sound. And there has been a lot of outside assistance for our branding, marketing, messaging, and media strategy. This is our first real product launch, although some friends have ended up with Blueshift bicycle speakers!
One of the biggest advantages of creating the product as open source hardware is that all of the people who have contributed know that while they are helping me out personally, they are also contributing to something larger.
7 Comments
I'm sorry but although I like the OS idea and the interesting tech, this "portable speakers" thing is nothing but a ghetto blaster on steroids.
People whose lives will be made miserable by arseholes toting this contraption (a virtual certainty) won't care a whit if this new source of noise pollution is powered by capacitors or coal.
Fun tech this may be, but I see it as a net disbenefit to society because its only purpose is noise pollution of public spaces.
They've not hit their limit yet. As for golodh's remarks...pay them no heed. (Hint for you golodh: It's ENTIRELY too late to be naysaying something like this based on your expressed thoughts- they already DO this with the junk that they're making right now... So, you'd rather they did it in ways that're throwaway and bad for the environment (Li-Ion isn't exactly NOT a pollutant...)? I see people like you as a net detriment to society because you're willing to see things a s net disbenefit when they're not- because they don't work as you FEEL that they should be...)
Go on over there and bankroll this.
Really, the comment on abuses of nice portable speaker systems is neither here nor there. Portable stereo equipment exists and will continue to exist with or without Blueshift. The specific type of product isn't really what the article is about.
Also, there is nothing inherently bad or abusive about portable stereo equipment. Why should people who use portable stereo equipment responsibly not be able to get it just because some people abuse the privilege?
I have both a good sized portable stereo (radio, CD, tape, microphone, and mp3/aux input) and a pretty good Bluetooth speaker (though I generally use the eighth inch stereo input, just like on the portable stereo), but I don't use them obnoxiously.
I think Golodh has a point when he focuses on what the invention will be used for and it is simply rude to try to dismiss him as Nobody does. When someone points out a flaw in a design, the proper response is to try to solve that problem by improving some aspect of the design, not to build your ego by poking holes in someone else's work. That is what Golodh should have done too so he sort of "asked for it".
I am wondering if the Open Source trait is the proper trait to be emphasizing. Is that the most important thing that the project brings to the world or does the open source aspect imply other benefits that are the ones actually appealing to readers and workers but which, being implicitly felt, are valued but being covered up by the emphasis on open source? I do mean this to be a question.
I'm not sure what is actually being made or designed or put forward here. There are too many side issues brought up, but it seems like a consumer use for supercapacitors is the key. Are those currently only used industrially?
In my own work, I design many products (twenty or thirty on my website) which have the particular trait that they severely conserve material resources by being designed to last "forever" (I'm currently using a hundred years to stand for forever but I hope to stretch that out a lot eventually). The avoidance of waste and the elimination of what I consider to be the barbaric garbage industry and their practices is the point of these designs. (Note: not management of garbage, not reduction of garbage, not recapturing anything from garbage, not efficient destruction of garbage but total elimination) Somewhere in the Blueshift discussion there was also a reference to the conservation aspect of the designs. Is this really the most important thing being felt (as in my own designs) with open source just being a way to get there? My designs, being on my website, also happen to be open source, though they are not on the level of detailed blueprints.
So I am wondering if the design and construction of eg. this portable boombox, is made by socially new and radical designs for a better life on any level or is it to be made according to the wasteful, oppressive corporate designs we all know, to be thrown away into a dump, like all the other crap that is being made? How does the open source nature of the design help in that?
Let me partially answer that question. Design itself, as a part of the manufacturing process is a wasteful enterprise. If it is done in corporate secrecy, having to be copied and reinvented over and over by people who are living consuming and wasteful lives, then the design operation itself, quite aside from the product being designed, is a waste. By using open source, the design process itself is streamlined, and made less wasteful. That is a valuable goal. But in the larger context, it is rather paltry, wouldn't you agree? Compared to manufacturing, the design phase uses relatively little inputs. Some food, transportation, housing, energy - not much of those compared to all the people wasting inputs in manufacturing. But it's something!
You can find my designs at
I am quite a bit skeptical about this project. Is it a real thing or a scam?
The project gets great attention in media (I can only wish that other new open source projects would get similar attention), but yet the project's site supplies almost zero real information, but it is full of buzz words: Locally made, Open Source, Sustainable, Anti-corporate, High tech (Bluetooth, Supercapacitors).
Some concerns:
What makes this project Open Source? I was unable to find a mention of an open source license on the project's site. It does have the "Open Source" page which fails to describe the open source hardware idea (it just saying that open source means community-owned and patent free). The only real information present there is a PCB design for super capacitor charger based on TI bq24640 reference design. So where is the schematic, bill of material, or some other documentation? I also was unable to find any community involvement here. No mailing list - there is a possibility to enter an e-mail to join a mailing list. Is there a mailing list archive or something I can read without being added to a distribution list?
What makes this project Sustainable? Not using plastic for the case? How about MDF which is excellent for speakers and made locally in Pacific Northwest instead of imported bamboo? Using super capacitors instead of batteries? Maybe…
Bashing the industry: So who is making the components the project is using? Who spent millions on developing these components? OK, not everything is right with the industry, and there is a lot of cheaply made "disposable" products. But as far as I am concerned it is consumer driven… Obviously we love consumerism… we love to buy new gadgets, we love to replace our cellular phones every year, we love spending money, we hate being stuck with old technology. The message is clear to the industry, and that's what they do. Now even with that being said, modern electronics fails rarely... we replace it before it fails.
Supercapacitors are now more affordable and can store more energy than before. They can also be charged faster than rechargeable batteries. Still their energy density is 50 times less than that of rechargeable batteries. This means that they will need to be recharged more frequently, which will be annoying to users. The rechargeable batteries development process also doesn't stand on one place. Sanyo Eneloop batteries for example can be recharged 2000 (and possibly more) times and have very low self-discharge rate. That would give about 10 years of use, and after that you can replace these batteries with even better new ones.
The claim that the speaker can be charged in 4-6 minutes is suspicious. It will need relatively high current (10A or so), at least the shown PCB prototype doesn't have wide enough traces to handle such current.
6 hours on full volume… maybe, depending what the full volume is. If my calculations are correct 4 capacitors will store 10kJ of energy (or about 2.8 watt/hour), so if everything is perfect and no loses anywhere we are getting about 0.45 watt output. In practice it will be less, it will be some loses in voltage convertors, in amplifier, also circuit will not work when capacitors are discharged below certain voltage. So the output will be about 200 mW if we are lucky. Now that could be enough for a speaker working in relatively quiet environment (transistor radios used to have 0.25W speakers)… not for parties or outdoors.
Serge makes excellent points. Where can people view this "open source" design? Is already open or to be open? I searched but found no place to view the design.
How are the components put together. There is no hint given but it looks like they are soldered in in the usual way of throwaway electronics. How can the capacitors be replaced? Or tested? If one of them shorts out what is the plan? To throw away the whole unit and buy a new one? Or to struggle to remove soldered tabs without destroying the unit? Are there any test points on the circuit board to troubleshoot it with test voltages or frequencies specified? Where do the components come from (aside from the bamboo box)? On the schematic, are any components specified by proprietary names or are they all revealed to be off the shelf components which can be found in any electronics supply place? Is the finished stereo box going to sell for the astronomical price of $500 or is that just the recommended crowd source support level? Do any of the components make use of slavery metals like columbium or tantalum and if so, are they so identified and can those be removed for reuse of the metal?
I could go on but the idea is simple. Is this designed in a special way to make it repairable, long lived, testable, efficient, conserving and renewable or is it just ordinary design but published on the web. Making it open source is a small step but not the whole story by any means. Does the unit actually live up to the grandiose claims?
Hey everyone - this is Sam Beck, founder / designer at Blueshift.
Thanks for reading, and thanks for your comments. I would like to clarify some issues that have been raised - if you have more questions or would like to get in touch directly, feel free to email me personally - sam [@] blueshiftPDX [point] com.
1. Is this project actually open-source?
Yes. The power supply based on BQ24640 reference design that some of you have referred to is the key piece of this system - at this point, our working prototypes use the TI reference design plus a separate class D amplifier. The design will be integrated onto a single board, along with the Bluetooth module.
So, there is still work to be done - as it gets done it will be published under an appropriate license. It would be nice to have all that work completed in advance, but at some point a business has to find customers and confirm that there is demand for a product. My idea of how this business will work (expensive parts, direct-to-consumer sales) is not particularly conducive to finding investors, so we needed to raise money to finish development this way.
2. Is this product actually sustainable?
It is a step in the right direction. I don't mean to be tongue-in-cheek saying that - but it's a consumer product, if sustainability is the ONLY goal we should all just sing together.
What makes it sustainable:
Durability / longevity. I expect 20 years of life out of every part, including the supercapacitors - and all the parts can be replaced. At this point, my image of how that replacement will work in the real world is that the entire PCB can be replaced (in the event that it fails, that Bluetooth is replaced with a new standard, that a superior power source becomes available, etc). In terms of repairing individual components on the board, no specific plans have been made to make that easier, but it is a good point, and any input into how that should be achieved would be taken gladly. It is likely the capacitors will all deteriorate over time at a similar rate, and if they ever need to be replaced it will make sense to replace all of them at once.
Beyond that, I have chosen materials that I think make ethical sense. MDF is full of formaldehyde and I don't like having it in the shop. Bamboo is great acoustically, and I don't think there's an argument that it is a 'bad' choice - although if there is, someone should please make it!
If this product is going to make a real difference with respect to how sustainable our culture is, I think the biggest impact it could have is in encouraging others to think about alternative power sources, and more broadly to think about DIFFERENT WAYS TO DO STUFF. If everyone does the same thing just because it makes sense (e.g. lithium batteries), where will innovation come from?
3. Does it live up to 5 minute charge / 6 hours playback claim?
Yes. I can show you the math, but Serge is about right. Actually each 2.7V / 350 F capacitor stores about .35 W*h. So, the actual average power per channel at full blast is less than 200mW. It's the system efficiency that makes it loud - and Serge is also right, it's not insanely loud. But it is loud enough for most purposes, I've seen as many as 20-25 people dancing to it - people who were in no way compensated for their dancing I might add.
4. Does it live up to other grandiose claims generally?
Look, I designed and built this system, so maybe I'm biased - but I believe in it, and I am about as cynical as anyone.
The sound is good - natural, no DSP, and flat enough for my ear to about 100Hz. It charges in 4 minutes as currently configured, from the point at which it stops working (* not 0V) to a full charge.
DigitalTrends has a prototype right now, they'll be writing it up hopefully Wednesday next week and then we'll have an unbiased review of the actual system.
I hope that helps convince you all that this is a legitimate project in progress. The issues that you have all pointed out are the issues that any new hardware business - run by a first time entrepreneur, with a tiny budget - might have.
Again, please get in touch if you have questions, or if you feel any of what I've said is not in the spirit of open-source hardware. Thanks!


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on April 19, 2013 - 12:15 AM
, updated April 19, 2013 at 1:36 AM
If the return of warm weather triggers parent flashbacks of 70-page summer work sheet packets being sent home with Buffalo schoolchildren, rest assured. Work sheets will no longer replace elementary summer school offerings for the city's 17,000 students in kindergarten through sixth grade.
Elementary summer school is not only returning to the district after a widely criticized decision to cancel those programs last year, but also the Buffalo district will actually expand summer programs at all levels to appeal to more students overall – not just the ones who are falling behind and failing.
"We have retooled it to a good degree, we think," said Frances Wilson, the district's chief academic officer. "We're really excited about the programs that we're offering."
Wilson said the decision to expand summer school is based on Superintendent Pamela Brown's academic vision for the district. Brown held a community round table at Dr. Lydia T. Wright School 89 on Thursday night outlining the district's new offerings.
Last summer, the district implemented a controversial decision to save millions of dollars by scrapping elementary summer school and sending children home with work sheets instead.
At the time, the district justified its decision by offering a 12-page PowerPoint presentation analyzing the 2011 summer school program. That analysis found that Buffalo students who attended summer school often ended up at the same point academically as students who did not.
The suggestion that summer school did not have a strong, positive influence on the academic performance of struggling students ran counter to numerous well-funded and well-researched academic studies on the subject, including two by the University at Buffalo.
Thursday night's round-table presentation on summer school offerings set a markedly different tone, with the first four slides quoting numerous studies and educators on the paramount academic importance of summer school.
Administrators said Thursday that the district's analysis last year of the value of summer school was not the main reason elementary summer school was canceled – money was. Elementary summer school was also a casualty of the district's transition to a new superintendent, they said.
This year, the district will use antipoverty Title I funds and school improvement grants to help pay for the program. In addition, summer school classes will be clustered in fewer buildings to help cut expenses.
Summer school will primarily consist of a four-week half-day program stretching from July to August, with meals and transportation provided.
Unlike previous years, the district will provide enhanced summer programs, not just remedial ones.
That means elementary students will have summer school options like art, music and physical education, Wilson said. Eighth-graders and eligible seventh-graders also will have the opportunity take advanced classes in pre-algebra for the first time.
And students who will be freshmen will be invited to participate in a two-week "Freshman Academy" instead of the abbreviated two- or three-day orientation program they used to receive.
Besides touring their high school buildings and meeting teachers and counselors, they will also be taught academic skills like note-taking and effective study habits, and even tour college campuses, Wilson said.
"We're really going to stress that our freshmen understand what they need in order to graduate," she said.
Remedial course work will still be offered across all grade levels for struggling learners and students who failed classes during the school year, Wilson said. Summer programs also will be available for students with disabilities and those who are newly arrived from foreign countries and speak little English.
More specific information regarding the programs will be sent home to parents in the next few weeks.
email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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James Alvin Nielsen, 57, of Woodhull, died Sunday morning March 3, 2013, in his home. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 9 at Osco Community Church, 311 Main Street, Osco, followed by an interment at Andover Township Cemetery. A visitation will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, March 8 at Vandemore Funeral Home, Geneseo. Memorials may be made in care of Watermark Assembly of God, SAT-7 and Open Doors.
Location, ST | website.com


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BLOOMVILLE - There was frustration evident from some Bloomville council members at their regular meeting Wednesday evening. The village's plan to have Beeghly Park pool operational by early summer has been put on hold pending renovations by RenoSys, including patching and coating of surface concrete and installation of a liner.
Clerk-treasurer Janis Weasner told council the firm had planned on beginning in March, but a late snow delayed the work. RenoSys teams have been working in Kentucky and Tennessee, and hope to be in Bloomville this month. The estimated time to complete the project is two weeks, and Mayor Bob George hopes for a June 29 opening date. RenoSys may be onsite Monday. Council also discussed the pool manager position.
Council also heard an update on the wastewater treatment lagoon that has been plagued with violations of phosphorus and nitrogen ammonia removal. After years of wrangling with the builder and engineering firm and litigation, the EPA has directed the village to come up with a plan by July 1 to bring the system into compliance with its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit.
Authority for approving Peterman Associates to engineer a "control/limited discharge" system, which Weasner said is the least expensive, utilizing the least manpower and least mechanical equipment, is to shift from the Board of Public Affairs to village council because of the amount of money involved. Weasner said rates will undoubtedly increase since the village "doesn't have that kind of money laying around."
Police Chief Howard Minzer reported the Bicycle Rodeo June 1 was a success, with 17 children and eight adults participating. Bicycle helmets were donated to participants. Minzer said the rodeo would not have been successful without the help of the Boy Scouts.
Council heard the second reading of an ordinance adopting personnel policies for village employees as well as a pay ordinance.
Council expressed appreciation to the American Legion, Lions Club, TJ's Drive Thru and Republic Bank for donating funds to purchase hanging flower baskets for the downtown area, and to Bonnie Lease and Carol Adams who worked to hang and maintain the baskets.
Other items of note:
Members of CROSSWAEH painted the pool pump house, and cleaned New Haven Street for the Memorial Day parade.
George is soliciting ideas for next year's Memorial Day parade through letters to village hall.
Money left in the recycling grant is to be used for lifeguard chairs and possibly recycled tire mulch for park.
Bloomville was awarded $40,000 in Community Development Bloc Grant funds for downtown curbs and sidewalk improvements.
Upcoming events:
Bloomville garage sale days 9 a.m.-5 p.m. June 7-8.
Senior Center potluck at Community Center June 11.
Council is to meet at 7 p.m. June 19.


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The History Graduate Student Association at Ohio University invites graduate students at all levels of study to submit proposals for its 8th Annual Graduate Student Conference, to be held Saturday, February 16, 2013, in Athens, Ohio. The organizing committee is seeking graduate students from all disciplines to submit individual or panel proposals on any historical topic. This event is an excellent opportunity for young scholars to present their research and gain insightful comments from a diverse audience. Past panels have covered topics in 19th and 20th century U.S. military, foreign relations, political, and gender history, as well as internationally focused presentations on Latin American and European history.
This conference will feature a keynote address by Ohio University alumnus Dr. Carrie Pitzulo, Assistant Professor of History at the University of West Georgia. Dr. Pitzulo's lecture will focus on her first book, Bachelors and Bunnies: The Sexual Politics of Playboy.
Student panel presentations will take place during the day on Saturday, and Dr. Pitzulo's keynote address will follow late in the afternoon. The proceedings will conclude with an evening reception for conference participants and Ohio University faculty. Interested individuals should submit a 200-300 word abstract and current vitae to Lance Poston, HGSA president, at firstname.lastname@example.com. The deadline for abstract submissions is Friday, November 2, 2012. If selected, participants should submit their final papers along with a $20 registration fee by Friday, November 30, 2012. Complimentary continental breakfast and heavy evening hors d'oeuvres will be served. Limited housing opportunities with graduate students may be available.


text: To determine the financial need of a student, calculate College Costs (Student Budget) and apply Family Contribution against them. If the Family Contribution is less than the College Costs, financial need is established. The Family Contribution is determined by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), including information about income, assets, and non-taxable income.


text:
MOC men's soccer preview
By Andrew Stevens
Published in Sports on August 25, 2009 1:46 PM
Please log in to see full story.
Other Local Sports
- Local digest
- Cougars, Warriors look to revamp rushing attacks
- Eastern Wayne dashes past Hunt
- OPINION - Local gridiron plots thicken
- C.B. Aycock tops Greene Central soccer
- Dogs capitalize on Aycock mistakes
- Local Preps Digest
- Trojans face test in season opener
- Eastern Wayne spikers snap three-match skid
- W. Country Day shuts out Wayne Christian


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5 Celebrities Who Get Way More Hate Than They Deserve
Athletes and entertainers don't always have the easiest time of it in the press. That's probably because of sites like this one and jerks like me. See, it's my job to make fun of the things that people want made fun of. But guess what, that doesn't mean I necessarily agree. I'll make a joke about anything if the situation calls for it. But sometimes, believe it or not, I'm only joking. That's as true for "awful" celebrities as it is for anyone or anything else.
Here are five celebrities who get way more hate than they deserve.
#5. Fall Out Boy
Why All the Hate?
Fall Out Boy is routinely held up as an example of the very worst that music in the 2000s had to offer. We've made such a habit of mocking them here at Cracked that the band's lead singer, Patrick Stump, even mentioned us in a blog post about how everyone thinks he sucks. Hey, way to make us feel bad, asshole.
Why They Don't Deserve It
The seething rage that seems to accompany any discussion about Fall Out Boy is in no way related to their music; anyone who claims otherwise is lying to you or themselves. Understand, I'm not saying FOB is the greatest band of their generation, but musically, they aren't that bad. Patrick Stump can write a decent song, he's got a great voice, that Pete Wentz dipshit jumps around the stage all acrobatic-like, which is kind of fun to watch ... it all adds up to something in between "good" and "at least not as terrible as you claim." What they definitely are not is the worst band of their or any other decade.
Your title is safe, Nickelback.
So what made people so passionate in their hatred of this particular band above so many others? I think it was a few things. For starters, once you've reached a certain level of popularity, some segment of the population is going to turn on you. Whatever rock band happens to be dominating the radio at that moment is going to be singled out as the reason why current music sucks. For a few years there, Fall Out Boy was that band for one massively easy to mock demographic -- teens. More specifically, "emo" teens.
Remember emo? It was the subgenre of human we all hated before hipsters claimed that mayorship sometime around 2009. The movement was dominated by sullen teens with dramatic bangs who spouted poetry about wounds that won't heal on their Myspace pages. They were the most ridiculed group of people on the Internet for a good number of years, and because their bass player also had dramatic bangs, Fall Out Boy were appointed their official spokesmen.
Look, deep down, nobody truly hates this song ...
I don't think the human psyche is constructed in a way that allows us to. That shit is catchy as all get out. But what we're more than capable of hating is that which we don't understand, and damn if any of us will ever understand this sad little fella ...
Basically, Fall Out Boy was collateral damage in the Internet's war against emo (Pete Wentz's tabloid-friendly marriage to Ashlee Simpson didn't help, either). You don't have to forgive them for providing the soundtrack to your kid sister's cutting phase, but it's at least time to admit that they were an OK band.
#4. LeBron James
Why All the Hate?
For the first part of his career, LeBron James was beloved basketball royalty. All hard work and results with none of the arrogant, cocky, rape-the-help style swagger that Kobe Bryant so often displayed. But everything changed when LeBron James became a free agent. For months there was speculation surrounding where the highly valued free agent would end up. And then, with one televised (not to mention ill-advised) press conference, nearly all of the good will LeBron James had built up within the basketball community vanished. Not only did he ditch the team he had helped build into a contender (the Cleveland Cavaliers), but he did it in the most embarrassing and audacious way imaginable.
With an angry billboard?
In no time at all, fans were literally burning LeBron James jerseys in the streets. Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert posted an open letter (written in comic sans font) to fans on the NBA website. Overnight, LeBron James had become the most hated man in basketball.
Why He Doesn't Deserve It
Yes, "The Decision" was a terrible way to let the city of Cleveland know that they were about to go back to being completely unimportant in the big scheme of anything, but what did you want LeBron James to do? If he'd just held a regular press conference, rest assured, every network in the land would have interrupted your regularly scheduled programming to bring it to you live. Would you have loved that?
Should he have announced it on Twitter like some kind of Silicon Valley nerdlinger? Would that have been viewed as hip, or would he have been chastised for treating the moment too lightly?
Even if he had just signed his deal with no fanfare and without talking to the press, he would have been vilified for shutting the media out of the story. But still, handling the business in silence is probably what he should have done.
But he didn't do that. He held a press conference on ESPN and charged them $1 million for the privilege of airing it (money he donated to charity, for the record). So what does that mean?
Well, it means that any accusations that LeBron James is not very good at breaking bad news are completely warranted. What it does not mean, though, is that LeBron James is some kind of disloyal traitor. That's what the dialogue surrounding the free agency saga eventually progressed to, though. Somehow, by doing what so many athletes before and since have done, which is to leave their team and sign with a new one, King James was now Benedict Arnold.
But was he really? What did LeBron James owe the Cleveland Cavaliers? He was drafted to play for that team, signed a contract to that effect and then fulfilled that contract. At that point, he was free to sign wherever he so desired. You wouldn't believe that if you were reading the aforementioned Dan Gilbert letter, though.
Comic sans: For those times when whatever default font your computer uses will suffice.
If that master class in rich white guy entitlement is to be believed, LeBron James owed Cleveland something. Or, more likely, he owed Dan Gilbert something. Never mind the fact that LeBron made that franchise relevant again just by being there. None of that was enough -- LeBron James belonged to Dan Gilbert and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Of course, everyone knows that's not the case; LeBron isn't owned by anyone. So why do people act like he is? Teams cut and trade veteran players all the time, and for the most part, fans view it as nothing more than business. Why does that only go one way? Why is LeBron James expected to be loyal to Cleveland but, for example, the Edmonton Oilers never became the most hated franchise in sports for trading Wayne Gretzky? Where is the outrage when a beloved player gets cut for being a few years too old and a step too slow?
None of that happens, because we expect team owners to make sometimes ruthless decisions based on the needs of their business. It's unusual to see the shoe on the other foot, but that's really all that's going on here. LeBron James is a business, too, and he made a decision that he felt was in line with the needs of that business. Who fucking cares?
#3. Lady Gaga
Why All the Hate?
"Hey, remember when people played instruments and wrote their own songs?" Those are the words of practically every music fan you know who happens to be over the age of 30. It was the same thing people said about Britney Spears (who kind of deserved it) and Madonna (who just stole everything, so the argument doesn't matter) back in their respective days. It just so happens that the current target of that age-old music complaint is Lady Gaga.
It's not a lot different from what Fall Out Boy went through. People need a villain to blame for "all that pop music bullshit on the radio." Lady Gaga is the lucky winner.
Why She Doesn't Deserve It
Sure, Lady Gaga does some wacky stuff (like wearing a dress made of a bunch of Kermit the Frogs, for example), and her music isn't exactly what anyone would call deep, but to write her off as the talentless byproduct of a record industry ploy to churn out pop hits is beyond unfair. For one thing, she does in fact play an instrument sometimes. Here she is playing a song called "Edge of Glory" on The Howard Stern Show. Normally, it's the kind of thing you can dance to, but here, it's just Lady Gaga and a piano that I absolutely cannot believe has not a single piece of meat draped over it:
When was the last time you saw Britney Spears pull a stunt like that? You'd be hard-pressed to get her to sing anything live at all. And remember a few years back when Madonna was learning to play guitar? If not, you can see her stumble her way through an acoustic performance beginning at approximately the 2:20 mark of this video:
You've never seen Lady Gaga have that kind of struggle, though. Her music doesn't call for too much guitar shreddery, but she clearly knows her way around a piano. And a quick scan of the credits on any of her albums will reveal that she at least participates in the songwriting process.
She's by no means as groundbreaking or innovative as she and her rabid fanbase would have you believe, but lumping her in with the usual group of pop music talent vacuums is unfair.


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Wednesday's Tucker County Commission meeting ended with tears of sadness, recollection and longing for past and future as James "Tom" Carr attended his final meeting as a county commissioner.
This past November, Diane Hinkle was elected to fill the position of commissioner - in January she will take over the position as Carr leaves his seat to pursue other endeavors. Only one commission meeting will take place this month, so Carr gave a final speech following the morning proceedings.
"We have great people here," Carr said. "A lot of sleepless nights, but we make it happen."
Article Photos
The Inter-Mountain photo by Casey Houser
From left, Tucker County Commissioners Mike Rosenau, Tom Carr and Lowell Moore listen to Carr give his final speech as commissioner. Diane Hinkle will be taking over his position in January.
Carr was quick to praise others for the accomplishments the commission has realized over the past six years. He spoke about an increased hotel/motel tax that has helped to improve local fire departments and the Tucker County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
He addressed Darla Stemple, director of the county Office of Emergency Management, and Dustin Luzier, director of the county regional jail, thanking them for their support in 911 mapping and addressing and the positive strides in community corrections, respectively.
He talked about improvements to the county animal shelter, spearheaded by Cathy Parsons, and the ongoing courthouse restoration and courthouse annex development.
Carr also mentioned the county budget, which he listed as being a model for any county in the state.
"We have had a budget surplus the past six years," he said, noting that county employees have been given a raise every year during his term.
Lastly, with a slight crack in his voice, he welcomed and gave his blessing to Hinkle.
Commissioners Mike Rosenau and Lowell Moore said how proud they were of Carr's accomplishments.
"(Working with Carr) has been a pleasure," said Rosenau. "I am proud of our progress."
"Tom, we wish you well," said Moore.
Also during Wednesday's meeting:
Juliana Dzaack, spokesperson for the Heart of the Highlands Trail System, also addressed the council on Wednesday.
She said there are several things the Highlands group is excited to have seen in 2012.
The Splash Dam South Trail was completed, a 3.2 mile trail connecting Davis to the Camp 70 bridge and to other trails in the area.
A trail cleanup project was completed with Tucker County High School students.
In addition, a student conservation crew was used for two months to complete maintenance on the Allegheny Trail, south of Canaan Loop Road.
She also said Highlands was featured on Traveling West Virginia, a segment of WCHS television in Charleston.
A future endeavor for the Highlands is to create better maps that document area trails.
"One of the things we have as an organization, as a goal, is to make (maps) more available," Dzaack said. "The trails are an incredible resource for this area."
Stemple asked about the addition of GPS coordinates on their maps. Dzaack said it is also a priority to make sure that coordinates are included.
Contact Casey Houser by email at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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The term used for a Duke fan.
Only considered offensive when spelled Dookie.
Only considered offensive when spelled Dookie.
Yeah, I'm a Dukie, what?
מאת Dana S. 8 בנובמבר, 2005
Trending Now
Can you define these popular missing words?
Top Definition
To modify a forum database into FUBAR.
Jake dukied the forum and now the forum is dead.
מאת midgetchucker 8 באוקטובר, 2010
A big poop!
Dont go in the bano I just took a smelly dukie!
מאת Ben Affleck 11 באוגוסט, 2003
An original-oldschool old-timer construction worker's term for lunchbox. During this era, dukies were made from tin, and the thermoses had glass liners in them.
As horseplay and pranks were overlooked on the job in the old days, a man's dukie was definitely off limits, as much as his vehicle, home and family, by (honor). Now, a guy wouldn't hesitate to steal your lunch or your meds, let alone your wallet or your phone if he had half a chance.....so much for (union brotherhood).....
מאת worldhead 12 בנובמבר, 2009
An extra disgusting-brand of crap. Possibly causing one to lose a pound or two.
"Dude, I dropped a pound and a half with the trout I just dropped."
"Flush the dukie man, and light a match!"
"Flush the dukie man, and light a match!"
מאת Hadraniel 10 בינואר, 2005
A word synonymous with, hella, too, a lot,
What is that a bug? It's dukie big
מאת MacDose314 30 בספטמבר, 2009
An endearing nickname for a loved one.
Dukie, be careful when you go skydiving - I'd hate for you to get hurt.
מאת kaen! 28 באפריל, 2004


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Frank Micelotta/getty
Going from average high school student to America's singing sweetheart requires a certain wardrobe adjustment. So you may have noticed when Jordin Sparks, who wore an affordable dress on last week's American Idol, stepped it up last night in a custom-made designer frock by Badgley Mischka. Longtime fans of the show, Mark Badgley and James Mischka honed in on Jordin early on. Badgley tells PEOPLE, "We kept thinking, 'That's a beautiful young girl; she would look amazing in our clothes.' " So when Jordin made it to the top two with Blake Lewis, they jumped on creating her finale wardrobe. Mischka says of Jordin: "She's absolutely amazing and such a talent. She's only 17 years old, but we wanted her to look glamorous and feminine." Judging by the dazzling black dress she wore when she brought the house down singing "This Is My Now," they're already on target. Don't miss tonight's show to see Jordin's next Badgley Mischka creation — and to find out if she is going to be the next American Idol!
Read about Everything Idol by clicking here.


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For the first time this season and for the fifth time in her career, Stetson women's basketball senior guard Victoria McGowan (Inkster, Mich.) has been named the Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Week, the league announced on Tuesday.
McGowan averaged 21.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 5.5 assists while leading the Hatters to a pair of victories last week. Against Bethune-Cookman on Tuesday, she scored a season-high 27 points, including 13 in a row during a key second half-run, while adding eight rebounds and five steals.
Against Ball State on Sunday, McGowan tied with teammate Shanasa Sanders with a game-high 16 points. She hit four of the Hatters' school-record 14 three-pointers while dishing out seven assists.
For the week McGowan shot 54 percent (13-for-24) from the field and 75 percent (9-for-12) from behind the arc. The Sports Management major currently ranks third in the league in scoring (17.0 ppg), seventh in rebounding (6.8 rpg), and second in assists (5.0 apg).
McGowan is the only player in school history and one of 12 in Atlantic Sun history to earn the league's Player of the Week award five times.
Winners of seven straight and 19 of 20 at home, the Hatters (3-3) are off until Tuesday, Dec. 4 when they host Lynn University for the annual Volusia County Schoolchildren Day. Tip-off is set for 11 a.m.


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We have lots of friends that do photography for a living or simply just for fun, and all of them asked us to come up with a really minimalistic HTML theme, that could showcase their work in a way that doesn't detract from the actual imagery.
With PhotoArtist HTML version, we have tried to combine the "full-screen" only look with features that give the viewer more control over the presentation of the photos. For those who want to see only the images, with a couple of clicks you can get rid of all the UI elements that get in the way.
Also, a super cool thumbnails bar at the bottom of the screen helps visitors jump to photos in a category more easily, making the whole experience very modern and filled with smooth animations.
IMPORTANT: Support is offered exclusively in our Help Desk not here in the comments section. You'll need an account on our website in order to be able to submit a ticket. Please include the ThemeForest Item Purchase Code – Learn how to find it
Key features:
- Huge amount of page templates can be made using the shortcodes HTML pages.
- Working contact form
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The package contains:
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On February 22nd, President Obama unveiled a health reform proposal that draws from both the Senate and House-passed health reform bills and also incorporates ideas that have been proposed by Republicans in Congress. The public health and prevention provisions that were part of the Senate bill are included in the President's proposal. Included in the President's health reform proposal was language that would benefit myeloma patients such as ending discrimination against Americans with pre-existing conditions and closing the Medicare prescription drug "donut hole" coverage gap.
White House Hosts Health Reform Summit
On February 25th, President Obama hosted key Democratic and Republican Congressional leaders for a bipartisan meeting to discuss health reform legislation, including the president's new proposal, and to hear ideas from both Republicans and Democrats in Congress. After seven hours of discussion, the President summarized areas of consensus for health reform.
Those areas include:
However, many disagreements remain and the President made it clear that unless compromises were made over the next 6 weeks, the Democrats would press ahead with his proposal. Should this happen, the most viable path would be to attach revisions to the health care bill to a budget reconciliation measure, which the Senate could adopt by a simple majority. Passing health reform using the budget reconciliation process would require mustering the support of centrist Democrats in the House and the Senate who have expressed apprehensions about both the health care bill and the reconciliation process. The Republicans have also portrayed the reconciliation process as an unfair parliamentary tactic to skirt the normal rules.


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Alvin L. Storrs Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic
The MSU College of Law Alvin L. Storrs Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic ("Tax Clinic") provides no cost legal services to low-income taxpayers who are in controversy with the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") and educational services relating to tax matters to those for whom English is a second language. The Tax Clinic is located at 610 Abbot Road, East Lansing, Michigan, and is open Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM. We will arrange to meet with clients at other times on an as-needed basis.
The Tax Clinic is a legal-aid clinic. It provides important tax-related legal services to indigent Michigan taxpayers. At the same time, it offers an excellent clinical education program for MSU College of Law students, extending learning beyond the classroom for the benefit of the community. Under Michigan Court Rule 8.120, second- and third-year law students are permitted to represent Tax Clinic clients under the supervision of clinical faculty, all of whom are members of the State Bar of Michigan with experience in tax law.
The Tax Clinic handles all aspects of controversy with the IRS, including assisting clients with tax collection problems, liens and levies, offers in compromise, innocent spouse claims, claims relating to deductions, exemptions, and credits, collection due process hearings, and appeals conferences. In addition, the Clinic represents taxpayers in cases before the United States Tax Court, the United States District Court, and federal appeals courts.
The Tax Clinic is supported by funding it receives from a variety of sources, including the IRS, the Law College, the State Bar of Michigan Taxation Section, corporations, law firms, and individuals. This program is approved by the State Bar of Michigan as an entity eligible to receive pro bono contributions from attorneys. The Clinic is grateful for the support it has received in the past, and looks forward to receiving additional funding from new donors to expand its critical services.
The Tax Clinic's mission statement capsulizes its work:
Student clinicians enrolled in Michigan State University College of Law's Alvin L. Storrs Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic serve low-income taxpayers who are in controversy with the Internal Revenue Service or who have cases before the United States Tax Court, and counsel persons for whom English is a second language about their rights and responsibilities under the Internal Revenue Code. Student clinicians receive instruction on the intricacies of substantive tax law and tax practice and procedure, and apply this knowledge to resolve clients' tax matters with diligence, excellence, and efficiency. Tax Clinic clinicians receive special permission to practice before the Internal Revenue Service, and also have opportunities to litigate cases in the United States Tax Court. They also educate ESL taxpayers about tax matters by participating in numerous community outreach programs featuring a wide array of tax issues. The Tax Clinic cultivates young lawyers who have a refined sense of responsibility to serve the needs of others. Please note that the Tax Clinic does not generally provide tax return preparation services.