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I'm a huge fan of the Instapaper app. For those not in the know, it's a tool designed to help you collect long-form reading material found online for later, offline-style consumption. There are many benefits to this, not the least of which being that you'll probably read it faster and absorb more information (not to mention, sometimes it's just nice to read things not on a computer screen). But it's also nice to just have a place where you quickly and easy find everything you've come across that you want to read. With Instapaper, rather than having a bunch of bookmarks stored in your toolbar, you just visit Instapaper, anywhere, and there it all is.
The thing is, as much as I like to read, I'm also a radio guy. For CBC, I like to review interview spots that I researched so I can listen to which questions worked and which didn't, in order to improve my script-writing. At CFUR, I review shows for quality control, as well as reviewing music for possible addition to the library. And, as with reading, I'll often come across podcasts or embedded audio posts from other stations, shows, or thinkers whose theme or ideas I think I'd be interested in hearing. But I don't tend to do my listening while sitting at a computer, because that's when I'm reading or writing. Rather, I listen on my daily commute, or at home while I'm doing other tasks like dishes or gardening.
Until now, my solution has been to either tag the item in Delicious under "to listen" or download it to a playlist on my iPod. The problem with the latter solution is that I don't necessarily want to fill my iPod with a bunch of one-time listening material and that I use a Mac at home and PCs at work (iPods are either PC or Mac compatible, but not both at once). The Delicious solution is fine, but the audio isn't necessarily always somewhere I can tag it easily (sometimes it's only on my computer so I have to upload it to a site, then tag it), and it's also not really what I want to use my Delicious for (it's more things I've read and will come back to, not things I'm going to read). Also, it means I have to open a bunch of different windows and keep going back to them whereas what I really want is a continuous playlist so I don't have to wash or dry my hands every five minutes (remember, I'm gardening or washing dishes here). So today I decided to build a quick Tumblr blog and bookmark shortcut that would replicate the "read later" functionality of Instapaper for audio posts. An example is at listenlater.tumblr.com, and the instructions on how I made it are below.
(By the way, a shout-out to Marco who is behind both Tumblr and Instapaper. I've never met him, but I figured I might as well publicly thank him here for giving me two of the web's most useful tools.)
How to Make Your Own "Listen Later" Tumblr Blog
What you'll need:
What you may want:
Part One: Make the Blog
1. First, make the Tumblr blog for your personalized playlist. Choose whichever theme you like, I don't think it matters, though there is variance in the themes whether or not there is a "download" option. This may matter to you if you plan on using this as an iPod filling hub.
NOTE: Don't be intimidated if you've never made a website before! Tumblr is super-easy and intuitive to set-up, and this doesn't have to be pretty– it's just a listening station. There's even an option during the set-up process to password protect your blog if you're worried about other people seeing it.
2. Add the Streampad app to your blog. Again, this is really easy, the instructions for doing it on Tumblr are right here. The reason we're doing this is so you have a handy-dandy "click to play all audio posts" option at the bottom of your blog– this is where the playlist style comes in. You can click this button once, and it will play everything on your blog.
Part 2: Make the bookmarklet
So now your blog is ready to go, but how do we recreate the simplicity of Instapaper's one-touch "read later" bookmarklet? By modifying Tumblr's handy "Share on Tumblr" bookmarklet, of course!
1. Go to tumblr.com/goodies and, as the instructions tell you, drag the "Share on Tumblr" bookmarklet into your toolbar and put it wherever you want.
2. Here's where the instructions are Firefox only, though I'm sure you can do this in other browsers. Hover your mouse over the "Share on Tumblr" bookmarklet and right-click. At the very bottom of the toolbar options you will see "Properties." Click on that.
(Note: you can get to the same point by going to "Bookmarks" in the top menu bar and choosing "customize bookmarks" or simply by hitting ctrl+shift+b) and then clicking on the "Share on Tumblr" bookmark).
3. In the "Location" field you will have an address that says:
The key part of this http://www.tumblr.com/share. Replace that with http://www.tumblr.com/tumblelog/yourtumblrshortname/new/audio.
Your Tumblr short name is whatever comes after http:// and before tumblr.com in your blog's web address. So if you find your blog by visiting http://mylistenlaterpage.tumblr.com, replace yourtumblrshortname with mylistenlaterpage.
4. You may want to change the name from "Share on Tumblr" to something like "Listen Later" in order to distinguish the bookmarklet from any other Tumblr bookmarklets you might have.
5. Hit save and your ready to go!
Part 3: Finding the mp3 location
Tumblr gives you two options with audio posts: you can upload an mp3 from your computer, or you can enter the url of any mp3 file on the web. Here's how to find the latter.
Option 1: Go directly to the mp3.
Fairly simple, most of the time. If there's a direct mp3/download mp3 link, you should be able to click on it to go to a mp3 page. You can try it out with this 43 folders podcast where it says "Direct mp3 download." Once you click on that, you'll come to this page.
Option 2: Copy Link Location
Rather than going to the mp3 page, simply find the link to it, right click, and hit "copy link location."
Option 3: Find hidden mp3 links
Sometimes the link to an mp3 file isn't readily apparent. That's where DownloadHelper (and the need for Firefox) comes in. It's a handy little add-on that, among other things, can automatically determine the location of any embedded mp3 files. One you have it installed, whenever you start to play an mp3 file, its little widget should start to spin. Click on that and choose the "copy url" option, which will again record the address of the mp3.
Part 4: It All Comes Together
Once you have copied the url of the mp3 you want to save for later listening, simply click on your "listen later" bookmarklet, and a new window will open asking you to create an audio post in your listen later Tumblr blog.
Choose "use an externally hosted audio post," paste the mp3 location, add a description and tags (if you want) and hit publish. Now, when you visit your Listen Later blog from any location later in the day, you have a playlist of all the audio you've been wanting to hear.
photo via Flickr/suchitra prints
* Views expressed in this blog are my personal opinion, and do not reflect the views of any of my
or pets.
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Anakena: The kingly beach
Easter Island Travel Blog› entry 2 of 4 › view all entries
Rapas are very proud of Anakena. And if you're lucky on your first encounter with it, you'll understand why.
It's a 13 km drive from HangaRoa towards the Northeast to get to it, through a winding road that at times cuts across a beautiful forest to then go up and down slopes of a green that's just plain beuatiful!
This is the first time, too, in which you'll catch a glance of the Ranu Raraku, but from behind it, so ehat usually happens is that islanders will point at it, almost revering it, and travellers will pretend to be surprised (which they'll be, later on!).
And thus, slowing down at times not to scare colts lazily walking down the road, and more often than not overtaken by speeding Rapa bikers with their beautiful long hair blowing in the wind, you'll suddenly come to a place where the road seems to bend a bit, and there it is: Anakena!
Oral tradition says this is the place Hotu Matúa, the founding king come from Hiva, chose to disembark.
In an otherwise beach-lacking island full of rocky inlets that make little bays, Anakena's golden-white sands and imported palm trees are the perfect frame for turquoise waters in a tranquil bay that really makes one want to laugh and sing and jump down the small dune.
At least it did me. Both times I-saw-it-the-first-time!
Wish I could convey the beauty of it. But I'm such a terrible photographer! :-(
And then, and although you've known all along they are there, it's only when you're coming out of the water that first time, still exhuding happiness and awe...that you have a good look at your first Ahu, the Ceremonial or burial platform atop which the grandest clans had a statue erected in memory of their beloved.
Ahu Nau Nau, its once-seven moai looking inland, somehow remind you, warn you... this is a great culture lost in the midst of the Pacific ocean and you'd better approach everything and everyone, with a lot of respect!
So that's that! I slowly walked up the dune again, and sat there, cross-legged, in the sun, just admiring the statues...and then went down again, and swam a little, and read a little, and swam again, and then slept a bit. And when I woke up, I shared my cookies with Dani, who was sitting nearby and who swears when I took out the pack from my rucksack, had a bite and then offered it to her, she could actually SEE me in my kindergarten years, trying to make a new friend! Maybe it's true. Food is a peace offer, specially from a plumpy like me!!!!
And that was my second day, which ended up with Dani, Claudio the paddy and I sipping lazily on a few beers in Te-Moana, a pub right around the corner from Tekena Inn. :-)

subset: commoncrawl


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In Search of … Mossiness
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Vanishing Addendum of DVR Highlights
Continuing in the vein of my previous post, I haven't completely neglected my DVR this January, although it is my last resort for entertainment (see my reference to inferior HD quality provided by satellite subscription). This week brought back the … Continue reading
Posted in Movies and Television Shows, Musings, Winter Tagged epic fantasy, fantasy, science fiction television, space opera Leave a comment
Is the Force A Religion? | Tor.com
http://www.tor.com/blogs/2014/11/is-the-force-a-religion Believe it or not I've discussed Star Wars, the Jedi and the Force during Bible studies. I kid you not. Posted from WordPress for Android via my Samsung smartphone. Please excuse any misspellings. Ciao, Jon


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Guide how to do pump on Bitcoin or Altcoins price
The biggest fun in cryptos is riding the trading wave. There are people who make living just from thing called 'day trading'. This is about watching signals, reading candles almost forex style. There are also other people – who pump coins for profits. Buy low, sell high. Here is how to technically pump a coin….


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City Lights Books firstname.lastname@example.com 20171118 eng COM.ONIXSUITE.9780872864917 03 01 City Lights Books 02 087286491X 03 9780872864917 15 9780872864917 BC 01 Shoot An Iraqi Art, Life and Resistance Under the Gun 01 GCOI 87286100925420 1 A01 Wafaa Bilal Bilal, Wafaa Wafaa Bilal
Iraqi born artist Wafaa Bilal has exhibited his art world wide, and traveled and lectured extensively to inform audiences of the situation of the Iraqi people, and the importance of peaceful conflict resolution. Bilal's 2007 dynamic installation Domestic Tension placed him on the receiving end of a paintball gun that was accessible online to a worldwide audience, 24 hours a day. Newsweek called the project "breathtaking" and the Chicago Tribune called the month-long piece "one of the sharpest works of political art to be seen in a long time," and named Bilal its 2007 Artist of the Year. Bilal has exhibited worldwide including in Baghdad, the Netherlands, Thailand and Croatia; as well as at the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago, the Milwaukee Art Museum and various other US galleries. His residencies have included Montalvo Arts Center in Saratoga, California; Catwalk in New York; and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

In fall 2008 City Lights published Shoot an Iraqi: Life, Art and Resistance Under the Gun, about Bilal's life and the Domestic Tension project. Bilal is currently a professor of Photography and Imaging at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.
 06 www.wafaabilal.com/ http://www.wafaabilal.com/ 2 A01 Kari Lydersen Lydersen, Kari Kari Lydersen Kari Lydersen is a staff writer at The Washington Post's Midwest bureau and freelances for publications including In These Times and The Progressive. She is author of Out of the Sea and Into the Fire: Latin American-US Immigration in the Global Age (Common Courage Press, 2005) and teaches youth and college journalism classes in Chicago.
 06 www.karilydersen.com http://www.karilydersen.com 01 eng 240 00 240 03 20 "bilal video";"domestic tension video";"iraqi artist";"shoot an iraqi";"virtual jihadi";"wafaa video";bilal;iraq;video;wafaa;"terrorist art" 03
Wafaa Bilal's childhood in Iraq was defined by the horrific rule of Saddam Hussein, two wars, a bloody uprising, and time spent interned in chaotic refugee camps in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Bilal eventually made it to the United States to become a professor and a successful artist, but when his brother was killed by an unmanned U.S. Predator drone, he decided to use his art to confront those in the comfort zone with the realities of life in a conflict zone.

His response was "Domestic Tension," an unsettling interactive performance piece: for one month, Bilal lived alone in a prison cell-sized room in the line of fire of a remote-controlled paintball gun and a camera that connected him to Internet viewers around the world. Visitors to the gallery and a virtual audience that grew by the thousands could shoot at him twenty-four hours a day. The project received overwhelming worldwide attention and spawned provocative online debates; ultimately, Bilal was named Chicago Tribune's Artist of the Year.

Structured in two parallel narratives, the story of Bilal's life journey and his "Domestic Tension" experience, Shoot an Iraqi  is for anyone who seeks insight into the current conflict in Iraq and for those fascinated by interactive art technologies and the ever-expanding world of online gaming.

"Once I picked up this book, i could not put it down. There is something so urgent and compelling about Bilal's story, as though he is speaking to our time. His story is not just for those interested in the arts; it is a human story of the horror, frustration, and tragedies of war." —Mary Flanagan, artist and author of re:skin

"This is an unsettling and gripping book. It poignantly recounts a dark and imaginative experiment inspired by an excruciating and ghastly reality. Its unsettling effects couldn't be more welcome: we desperately need to be shocked out of our collective zombification, and this book does that by leading us through a wild labyrinth at once aesthetic, political, and existential. Potent stuff." —Danny Postel, author of Reading "Legitimation Crisis" in Tehran

"Who in their right mind would allow the internet to shoot at them? Shoot an Iraqi: Art, Life, and the Resistance Under the Gun tells the story of Wafaa Bilal. When his brother was killed by an unmanned Military device during the Iraq war, Bilal took it locked himself in a room, a camera showing him to the world with a remote controlled paintball gun connected to the internet, in the name of art and political statement. Bilal explains himself quite well, making Shoot an Iraqi fascinating reading." —Midwest Book Review

"Weaving together accounts of Iraq and America, art and violence, performance and reality, past and present, this gripping account all but shakes the reader by the lapels." —Publishers Weekly

Iraqi-born artist Wafaa Bilal has exhibited his art worldwide, and traveled and lectured extensively to inform audiences of the situation of the Iraqi people, and the importance of peaceful conflict resolution. Bilal's 2007 dynamic installation "Domestic Tension" gained global recognition, being named Artist of the Year by the Chicago Tribune. Bilal has held exhibitions in Baghdad, the Netherlands, Thailand and Croatia; as well as at the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago, the Milwaukee Art Museum and various other US galleries. His residencies have included Montalvo Arts Center in Saratoga, California; Catwalk in New New York; and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
 02 An award-winning Iraqi artist's life story and the impact of his highly provocative interactive art piece 07 01 http://artthreat.net/2011/03/wafaa-bilal-shoot-iraqi-book/ Art Threat 08
"Shoot an Iraqi: Art, Life and Resistance Under the Gun . . . illustrates inspiring possibilities for contemporary art to address key issues facing the world today, a call to action for the art world."

 Art Threat 07 01 http://www.booklistonline.com/default.aspx?page=show_product&pid=3826983 Booklist Online 08
Voted one of the Top 10 Arts Books of the Year 2009: "A staggering memoir by immigrant Iraqi artist Bilal, who staged a performance piece, during which online participants used a computer-controlled paintball gun to 'shoot an Iraqi.'"
 Booklist Online 07 01 http://www.longhousepoetry.com/woodburnersnow.html Longhousepoetry.com 08
Shoot An Iraqi . . . [is an account of] an interactive performance piece, illustrated, from a Iraqi brother for another brother killed by a U.S. Predator drone. 'For one month Bilal lived alone in a prison cell sized room in the line of fire of a remote-controlled paintball gun and a camera that connected him to internet viewers around the world.' He was shot at 24 hours a day."
 Longhousepoetry.com 07 01 www.banipal.co.uk Banipal, Magazine of Modern Arab Literature 08 "Shoot an Iraqi: Art, Life and Resistance Under the Gun by Wafaa Bilal and Kari Lydersen recounts Bilal's journey, his life in Iraq under Saddam Hussein's regime, his survival of two wars, his life in refugee camps, plus 'Domestic Tension', a month-long live performance in a Chicago gallery with Internet users watching his every movement and taking shots at his with remote-controlled paint guns." Banipal, Magazine of Modern Arab Literature 07 01 http://www.aapmag.com/ ArtAsiaPacific 08 "Most remarkable about this book is the thoroughly candid, unsentimental and non-martyr-making way that Bilal and Lydersen describe his life in the Middle East and the dramatic month in Chicago when he relived through art his own and his two nations' traumas. Lowering his defenses, Bilal offered himself up as the quintessential enemy, and then shared his catharsis with his friends and foes everywhere. That the art of war can cause so much suffering explains why there are so few recruits." —Don J. Cohn ArtAsiaPacific 07 01 http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1233304764418&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull Nadia Beidas, Jerusalem Post 20090212 08
"Iraqi artist Wafaa Bilal presents 'The Ashes Series,' featuring photographs and miniature models that portray the ruins of Baghdad. 'From far away, I watch Iraq being slowly destroyed. I have always longed to return there, but since I can't, this is a way to meditate on the situation and find peace by rebuilding these destroyed places,' Bilal says."
 Nadia Beidas, Jerusalem Post 20090212 07 01 http://www.midwestbookreview.com/ibw/feb_09.htm#rc Midwest Book Review 08
"Who in their right mind would allow the internet to shoot at them? Shoot an Iraqi: Art, Life, and the Resistance Under the Gun tells the story of Wafaa Bilal. When his brother was killed by an unmanned Military device during the Iraq war, Bilal took it locked himself in a room, a camera showing him to the world with a remote controlled paintball gun connected to the internet, in the name of art and political statement. Bilal explains himself quite well, making Shoot an Iraqi fascinating reading."
 Midwest Book Review 08
"Iraq artist Wafaa immigrated to the U.S. and channelled his haunting experiences into performance pieces, culminating in Domestic Tension: [sic] for an entire month Wafaa, on camera, invited online participants to 'shoot an Iraqi' with a computer-controlled paintball gun. His memoir about his life and the profound impact of his bold installation is powerful and demanding."
 Skillings Mining Review 07 01 http://www.socialistreview.org.uk/article.php?articlenumber=10643 The Socialist Review 08
"[A] highly readable, moving book."

—Bea Leal
 The Socialist Review 07 01 http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1228728152492&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull Jerusalem Post 08
"[Shoot an Iraqi] brilliantly demonstrate[s] the lengths to which one man went to live history, and the disturbing—and occasionally hopeful—things he learned when he invited the entire world to do it with him."

—John Freeman
 Jerusalem Post 08
"Iraqi-born artist Wafaa Bilal details a compelling interactive art project he undertook in 2007 . . . for 31 days in spring 2007, the artist, then a professor at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago, lived in Chicago's FlatFile Galleries in front of a webcam and a remote-controlled paintball gun as part of a video game he created that allowed online players . . . to shoot paintballs at him—65,000 in total—sometimes relentlessly. . . . The self-imposed ordeal was also intended to comment on the remote-controlled warfare that allows soldiers to dehumanize their very human targets, including Bilal's brother Haji, a suspected insurgent who was killed with the support of a U.S. drone. For Bilal, who now teaches at NYU, art and life are inseparable."
 Art in America 07 01 http://www.brooklynrail.org/2008/11/express/games-without-frontiers Brooklyn Rail 08 "What is most remarkable about Shoot an Iraqi isn't, however, the chronicle of the project that brought him worldwide attention, but the back story. Weaved amid a narrative of the 31-day experiment is a memoir of his life in Iraq and eventual flight to Kuwait and then Saudi Arabia, followed by his attempt to make a new life in the United States."
 —Gabriel Thompson Brooklyn Rail 07 01 http://www.nj.com/starledger/stories/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-0/122802331468140.xml&coll=1 New Jersey Star-Ledger 08
"Neither Bilal's exhibit nor this absorbing book about it can expiate Iraq's condition. Rather, they brilliantly demonstrate the lengths to which one man went to live history, and the disturbing—and occasionally hopeful —lesson he learned when he invited the entire world to do it with him."

—John Freeman

 New Jersey Star-Ledger 08
"Shoot an Iraqi is an invaluable work of political art and a clear-eyed view of the profoundly disturbing fate of present-day Iraq."

 Shelf Awareness 08 "Iraqi artist Bilal emigrated to the U.S. after Desert Storm, and channeled his haunting experiences into his performance pieces, culminating in Domestic Tension. For 31 days and nights, Bilal was the target of a paintball gun controlled by online participants who were invited to "shoot an Iraqi." Video cameras recorded Bilal's struggle to retain his composure if not his sanity as he interacted with shooters and viewers via a chat room and YouTube. Now he writes about his art and his life in Iraq, revealing overlooked daily struggles of existence under a dictator, in war, and during a long-term occupation. Ultimately the death of his brother back home via an unmanned American drone compelled Bilal to make his greatest artistic statement yet against all that makes the war in Iraq unreal to most outsiders. Recounting his own traumatic journey and the long-ranging effects of his bold installation makes for a powerful and demanding read, that is, frankly, a literary punch to the gut. Bilal discloses all the risks he has taken with his art, and asks why Americans are not willing to take their own chances and uncover the dirty truths about the Iraq War."
 —Colleen Mondor Booklist, Starred Review 07 01 http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6606054.html?industryid=47159 Publishers Weekly (starred review) 08 "Weaving together accounts of Iraq and America, art and violence, performance and reality, past and present, this gripping account all but shakes the reader by the lapels. Iraqi-born artist Bilal records the month he spent confined in his 2007 interactive performance piece entitled Domestic Tension, living under constant fire from a chat room–controlled paintball gun 24 hours a day, his every move dogged and determined by the hostility—or benevolence—of his thousands of online viewers. The nerve-rattling conditions were intended to reflect both decades of suffering endured by millions of Iraqis and Bilal's own life and the costs of surviving Saddam's regime, Gulf War bombardment, Sunni-Shia violence, a brutal Saudi refugee camp and, finally, the difficulties and joys of the American immigrant experience. The author emerges as an Iraqi everyman, and his provocative book brilliantly juxtaposes images and time frames to convey the toll of war on Americans and Iraqis: 'We may think we are surviving,' Bilal writes, 'but as I... twist and turn through sleepless nights, flailing between worlds of comfort and conflict, hope and despair, I wonder.'" Publishers Weekly (starred review) 07 01 http://www.villagevoice.com/content/printVersion/600268 Village Voice 08 "History simply refuses to leave some people alone. The Iraqi artist Wafaa Bilal grew up under Saddam Hussein, survived two wars, was forced to live for periods at refugee camps in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and finally escaped to the U.S. in 1992 to study art. When his father and brother were killed during the latest U.S. invasion of his country, Bilal responded by creating the now infamous art piece Domestic Tension, in which the artist spent a month living in a Chicago gallery where Internet users could watch his day-to-day movements and, if they felt like it, take shots at him with a remote-controlled paint gun. By the end, more than 60,000 people had opened fire. Shoot an Iraqi—a name he initially considered for the installation—combines autobiographical narrative with a discussion of his work and its political implications." Village Voice 23 01 http://www.citylights.com/resources/titles/87286100925420/extras/WafaaBilalInterview.pdf 02 http://www.citylights.com/book/?GCOI=87286100925420 City Lights Publishers 01 City Lights Publishers 04 20081001 2008 08 16 oz 08 454 gr 07 631-760X Consortium Book Sales & Distribution 612/746-2600 612/746-2606 firstname.lastname@example.com 33 www.cbsd.com http://www.cbsd.com 03 WORLD 20 01 19.95 USD


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Ever since Sigma announced their new direction with reorganizing new lenses into three different "Contemporary", "Art" and "Sports" product lines, the company has been successfully rolling out a number of truly groundbreaking lenses. We were blown away by the optical quality of the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art lens, which topped our lens charts as one of the sharpest lenses we have seen to date. Then we welcomed the updated Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art and were quite inspired by world's first f/1.8 constant aperture zoom lens, the 18-35mm f/1.8 Art. Earlier this year, Sigma announced yet another addition to the "Art" line of lenses, again in the "world's first" category, the Sigma 24-35mm f/2 DG HSM Art. Built on the concept of the 18-35mm f/1.8 Art, the 24-35mm f/2 was redesigned to cover the full-frame image circle, while maintaining the superb optical performance. The result was a larger and heavier lens, but one that was to challenge primes from 24mm to 35mm focal lengths. Set on to go head to head with such primes specifically, the biggest question I had was – could this lens actually optically challenge prime lenses? If it performed well optically, that's a single lens which could potentially replace such lenses as the Nikkor 24mm f/1.8G, 28mm f/1.8G and 35mm f/1.8G in a single package – a rather tough challenge, as those lenses are quite strong performers on their own.
Debunking The Mirrorless Hype
It is hard to visit any photography website without noticing extensive fanfare being paid to the mirrorless camera niche. Some tout it as the savior of the mid-to-high end camera market. Others have dubbed it the "DSLR killer." A number of prominent photographers have created videos and articles articulating how mirrorless innovations caused them to shed pounds from their bag and reintroduce them to the joy of photography. And why shouldn't they? The market for traditional point-and-shoot cameras is in a free fall as smartphones increase in usage, quality, and capabilities. Traditional DSLR sales continue to fall as well. The industry certainly needs something to cheer about. And of course, photography websites need something to write about.
3D Robotics X8+ Drone Review
Drone photography is an exploding market, and with good reason — an aerial perspective opens opportunities in nearly every field of photography. Despite the amazing potential of drone photography, though, it is surprisingly hard to find a kit that works well for high-quality stills. Drones built for larger mirrorless cameras or DSLRs are often unreasonably expensive and frustratingly large, forcing many photographers to compromise on image quality. With this problem in mind, 3D Robotics designed the X8+ drone, a customizable and affordable platform that is capable of carrying a large-sensor camera with ease.
Tokina 16-28mm f/2.8 Review
When I first got access to the Tamron 15-30mm f/2.8 VC lens (which we recently reviewed), I got curious about other potential lens options already available with the similar focal length range, build and fast aperture of f/2.8. After a quick search through our lens database, I found the Tokina AT-X 16-28mm f/2.8 Pro FX. This little gem has been available for a while now and although I have heard a lot of good things about it, I never had a chance to actually try it out. After receiving the lens along with a few other lenses like the Tokina AT-X 11-16mm f/2.8 Pro DX-II (which I will be also reviewing very soon), I headed off to Death Valley National Park. Although I primarily used the lens with my infrared-converted Nikon D800E, which as I painfully found out later turned out to be a bad choice for IR as explained further down in the review, I was really curious to see how it would do, given its extremely attractive price of $629. At this price, I was expecting the Tokina 16-28mm f/2.8 to be a poor performer, because the price just did not seem to be right for such a fast zoom lens with a "pro" label on it. After using the lens and testing it out in my lab, I realized that I was wrong – it turned out to be a hidden gem.
Tamron SP 15-30mm f/2.8 Review
This is an in-depth review of the Tamron SP 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD, world's first f/2.8 image stabilized ultra-wide angle zoom lens for full frame cameras, the development of which was announced in September of 2014, with the lens officially released in January of 2015. It is a very unique lens not just because of its very useful focal length range with a constant aperture of f/2.8 throughout the zoom range, but because it features image stabilization – something you practically never find on ultra-wide angle lenses. For many years now, I have been shooting with the Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G lens, which is a monster of a lens when it comes to size, weight and performance – it truly is a legendary lens optically. But with its $2K price it is far from being an affordable choice, so Tamron decided to challenge the 14-24mm with the 15-30mm f/2.8 VC in a number of ways: longer focal length coverage extending to 30mm, built-in image stabilization and a more affordable price point of $1,200.
Polsen ULW-16 Wireless Microphone System Review
If you're an enthusiastic still photographer who's started to dabble with video a bit, you've likely run into issues with fine visual footage, but substandard audio. Crappy audio can ruin the viewer's experience every bit as quick as lousy visuals. It soon becomes apparent that your camera's built-in microphone records not just your subject, but also the camera's noises (focus motors, VR, heavy-breathing operator) as well as the nearby highway, airport, dragstrip, playground or pig farm. The first step taken usually involves buying a hot shoe-mounted directional mike, AKA shotgun mike. This is great for emphasizing the sound coming from the direction the camera is pointed, but it gets not just the subject speaking or softly purring, but also the jackhammers in the construction site across the street behind your subject. It is a poor choice if you want to record dialogue. For recording talking subjects, the next step is to add a lavalier microphone system. A lavalier microphone, AKA lav, AKA lapel mic, is a tiny microphone that clips to the user's lapel, collar, or ZZ Top beard. It is very sensitive to sound coming from very close to the microphone and not to sounds further away. Therefore it is ideal for recording the wearer's words without too much interference from background noise.
Nikon 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR Review
During the past few years, Nikon has been slowly replacing its high-end super telephoto lenses with newer technology using lightweight fluorite lens elements, shredding off a lot of weight and making additional improvements to lens designs, making the already strong lenses even better. After the 800mm f/5.6E VR monster, it was time for Nikon to update its legendary 400mm f/2.8G VR with the newer version, so that's how the Nikkor 400mm f/2.8E FL VR came to life. Although Nikon is planning to update every super telephoto lens in its line-up with lighter lenses featuring fluorite elements (which includes the 200mm f/2, 300mm f/2.8, 500mm f/4 and 600mm f/4 lenses), Nikon decided to start with the 400mm f/2.8, because it is one of the lenses that would get the most benefit from the fluorite lens design. Weighing in at a whopping 4.6 kg, the previous generation 400mm f/2.8G VR was a monster of a lens to handle and impractical to hand-hold (it was quite a bit front-heavy). Although it is quite a versatile lens and works remarkably well with all three Nikon teleconverters, its weight and size were its main disadvantages, making a lot of photographers opt for other super telephoto Nikkor lenses like the 500mm f/4 instead. The newly designed 400mm f/2.8E FL VR is a whole different lens in comparison – weighing 3.8 kg, the lens is now similar in weight as the 500mm f/4G VR, which is a great engineering achievement! Let's take a closer look at this lens.
Really Right Stuff TQC-14 Tripod Review
I used to have a wooden tripod. It was not as bad as it sounds — other photographers were always fascinated by the design, and it was sturdier than you might expect. Unfortunately, despite weighing 4.2 pounds, it had a maximum height of just three feet. Plus, it was bulky. I brought this tripod along on a hiking trip, thinking that these problems wouldn't be too bad. I was wrong. It was too big to sit well on my backpack, and its weight started to bother me on long hikes. I researched my other options, and carbon fiber tripods began to come up in my searches. I wanted the best possible weight-to-stability ratio, so I knew that I needed to save some money.
Through the course of my research, the tripod brand Really Right Stuff (RRS) began to emerge as the one of the "best" tripod manufacturers. I already had the BH-40 ballhead, which I was quite happy with, so I began to save up. I ultimately ordered the Really Right Stuff TQC-14, a top-of-the line travel tripod.
Think Tank Retrospective 7 Review
My experience with shoulder bags has not exactly been great up to this point. As much as I liked the idea of carrying equipment in a shoulder bag, that convenience of quick access, I've not found one that would serve the part flawlessly before. There was always something not quite right – it's either too square or too wide, the strap – too narrow or likes to play heart-stopping jokes on you.
You probably saw the next bit coming. You may even think it to be a cliché of sorts. But, yes, I found the shoulder bag I was looking for. I absolutely adore the Seven. Whenever I use it, I am constantly fascinated by all the things it does just right. Almost as if people who actually do photography came up with the design! So I will go on and say the following: if you need a medium-sized shoulder bag for daily use, just go and buy this. Need a smaller one? Get the Retrospective 5. Need a larger one? Get the Ten or Twenty. It's great, and I can't see someone not liking it for all the things it does well.
Impact Muslin Background and Background Support System Review
This review is for three Impact Muslin Backgrounds and an Impact Background Support System. I have always loved backdrops and how they can convert any space into a studio. By setting up a studio backdrop, you can create a whole new feel for a shoot and they are versatile and easy to use. I chose to set these up in my living room and home office space, but if you are tight for space in your home, a garage makes a perfect studio as well.


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"London's first open access sculpture workshop offering a superbly equipped metal and wood workshop."
London Sculpture Workshop is the first, London based, not-for-profit, community interest based company with exceptional facilities for artists and those interested in making work in 3D. London Sculpture Workshop offers a superbly equipped metal and wood workshop with additional mould making and ceramic areas. In addition to major equipment London Sculpture Workshop also provides a range of both electric and hand tools and access to Personal Protective Equipment for workshop users. London Sculpture Workshop is based on an open-access membership scheme and it was also set up as a Partner to CRISIS, offering their members access to a specially tailored educational programme.
London Sculpture Workshop was established in 2012 by two founding members Giles Corby, MA (RCA), and Jessica Mello, MFA (Slade), who work closely with our Studio Manager Melis van den Berg, MFA (Slade). We are all practicing artists' who have a combined arts education of 19 years and teaching experience of over 21 years. In 2013 and 2014 our work was recognised and we were awarded a Chelsea Arts Club Trust "Artist's Run Space Award".
Courses in a wide variety of technical and skill based processes will also be available to book throughout the year. Our courses cover a wide range of skills including welding, casting, mould making and more.
London Sculpture Workshop,
Unit Zero, First Floor,
Harrington Way,
London, SE18 5NR


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IBM has long been known for grand challenges and technological feats.
The IBM Watson™ Jeopardy! challenge presented an opportunity to showcase innovation and capture business in an emerging space: natural language processing.
To make Watson successful, we had to capture positive attention, and then turn that attention into business.
To build positive attention, Watson had to be positioned as part of a movement to help people succeed rather than machines taking over the world.
Ogilvy worked with IBM to create a Watson identity that used wit to humanize the technology, and content to both explain it and suggest potential business applications.
An integrated marketing campaign began with content on social sites and media prior to and during the Jeopardy! event to capture interest.
Following the event, content and paid media helped audiences understand more about what Watson is and what it means for the future of business. A series of webcasts and exclusive events connected industry leaders to IBMers.
Demand generation captured leads among those interested in buying IBM Power® servers – the technology foundation that Watson was built on.
The campaign inspired over 10,000 media stories, valued at $50 million in earned media.
Total revenue attributed to the campaign was $170 million, and it generated over 1.3 billion impressions in paid and social media, with 70 percent awareness of Watson and Jeopardy!.
The campaign received Cannes Lions, Clio, ECHO and Effie awards, and the Webby "Person of the Year" award for Watson itself.


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Barcelona will face Gary Neville's Valencia in the Spanish Cup semi-final following the Copa del Rey draw held at the headquarters of the Spanish Federation (RFEF).
The first leg will be played next week at the Camp Nou and the return game will take place at the Mestalla the following week.
Barcelona will play their third consecutive Spanish Cup final should they eliminate Valencia from the competition.
Arda Turan missed the second-leg quarter-final tie against Athletic Bilbao after coming down with the flu but played in first leg as well as both Last 16 games against Espanyol.
Turan is set to face Valencia for the first time this season when the two sides meet next week. The bearded winger has won the Copa del Rey with Atletico Madrid back in the 2012-13 season.
Barcelona and Valencia have face each other at the semi-final stage six times with the reigning La Liga champions progressing to the final on four occasions.


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This book clearly explains the principles of New Testament discipleship. The Saviour's terms of discipleship are not only highly practical but will reward in kowing the peace that passes understanding.
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A disciple can be forgiven if he does not have great mental ability or physical prowess. But he cannot be excused if he does not have zeal. If his heart is not aflame with a red-hot passion for the Saviour, he stands condemned. After all, Christians are followers of the One who said, "Zeal for Your house has eaten Me" (John 2: 17). Their Saviour was consumed with a passion for God and for his interests. Those who are constrained b the love of Christ will count no sacrifice to great to make for him.
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May 24, 2017
Moms' trusted brand Belo Baby has launched a new product that's perfect for babies and the whole family! The Belo Baby talc-free powder is made from certified natural and finely milled rice and maize and is specially crafted with care for the most delicate skin, for the most meticulous moms.
This breakthrough product is very safe as it contains NO talc, a controversial ingredient that has been the subject of debate because of its supposed link to cancer. The Belo Baby talc-free powder is also free of gluten, phthalates, parabens, dyes and most common allergens.
Our Belo Baby Talc-Free Powder Experience
Zuri's Take:
My little Zuri can't get enough of Belo Baby talc-free powder!
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- It's so soft and smooth and feels as light as a cloud.
- It smells so good, it makes you not want to stop sniffing it.
- When you put it on, it feels like you're a princess getting ready for the ball!
My Take:
I love Belo Baby talc-free powder, too! Because:
- I totally agree with Zuri. It does feel so soft and smooth and light and it smells so baby-fresh heavenly.
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- I can use it, too! Even mommies are not exempt from the heat of summer.
- It thoughtfully comes with a free puff – makes application so much easier.
- It's TALC-FREE! I no longer need to worry about the possible effects of talc on my little one's health because this product totally, completely, absolutely has ZERO talc!
When it comes to my little Zuri's sensitive skin, less is always more. I'm very, very choosy with products that my little one uses and only a few make it to my short list. I'm very happy that Belo Baby has launched this talc-free powder and it will surely be our go-to powder from now on! Besides, Zuri thoroughly enjoyed trying this product and her excitement about Belo Baby talc-free powder is so contagious, I'm just completely won over!
A 65g pack of Belo Baby talc-free powder can be bought for only PhP 219.75 from leading supermarkets and department stores nationwide. You can also buy now here: https://tackthis.co/
Our precious babies and the rest of the family can now enjoy the benefits of powder, worry-free! Beat the summer heat and your mommy worries with Belo Baby Talc-Free Powder! Hypoallergenic. Dermatologist-tested.
For more information, visit www.belobaby.ph or check out their social media accounts: FB: belobabylove, Twitter: @belobabylove, IG: @belobabylove. You may also watch Scarlet Snow Belo's super adorable video about how to stay fresh and cool HERE.
Win This Product!
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Thanks for reading! 🙂
Mommy Kay 🙂
Full Disclosure: I was handpicked by Belo Baby to review this product. Rest assured that all opinions are my own.


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|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|12 Mar 2013
|Filing date
|21 Feb 2012
|Priority date
|19 Oct 1998
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Robert S. Alvin
|Original Assignee
|Robert S. Alvin
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (5), Non-Patent Citations (1), Referenced by (1), Classifications (24), Legal Events (3)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This application is divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/589,645, filed Oct. 26, 2009 now U.S. Pat. No. 8,374,956, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/603,282, filed Nov. 20, 2006, now abandoned, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/343,550, filed Jun. 30, 1999, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,139,731.
The present invention relates to business transactions conducted over the Internet and in particular to a transaction processor to conducting the same.
Traditionally, commodities such as computer related products, for example, have been sold primarily through retail stores and catalogs and, more recently, through telephone sales supported by infomercials and other print and media advertising. However these traditional models for selling computer related products suffer significant disadvantages.
Store-based retailers have limited shelf space due to costly inventory and real estate investment considerations. This limits the number of products store-based retailers can offer to their customers. Also, the personnel required to operate stores are expensive and can be difficult to hire and train. The physical store's need for personnel also limits the flexibility and efficiency of the sales process. The number of customers that can be served and the quality of service is dependent on the number of personnel dedicated to the sales process.
Store-based retailers also face the financial risk of carrying inventory that may quickly become obsolete. Physical possession of inventory also limits the speed at which these retailers can change their merchandise mix and offer new products. This is because a store must physically obtain, set up and display the products. Physical stores also can only serve customers in a limited geographic area because the customers must travel to the store to shop. To extend this limited reach, new stores must be opened in different geographic locations. However, the time required and the significant investments in inventory, real estate and personnel required at each new location, make it difficult to expand quickly into new geographic regions.
Catalog-based (e.g., mail-order) retailing provides only a partial solution to the disadvantages of store-based retailing. Catalogs do provide customers with the convenience of shopping from home or the office at flexible times. However, catalog merchandising is costly and wasteful because paper, printing, and postage are increasingly expensive and a large percentage of people to whom catalogs are sent will not use them. Also, the number of products catalogs can feature and the product information they can provide are limited due to catalog mailing, printing and other related expenses.
Catalogs are also very inflexible and provide only limited accessibility. In order to change products or prices, the catalog must be reprinted and redistributed which is both costly and time consuming. Furthermore, catalogs' accessibility is limited in that they are available only to those people to whom they are sent. Also, the catalog shopping experience is, in general, neither interactive nor personalized, yet requires extensive personnel support and manual intervention on behalf of the retailer to take and process orders.
The more recent advent of the combination of infomercials and other advertising supporting telephone sales also provides only a partial solution. The ability to order by phone provides the same inconvenience that the catalog does. However, infomercial and other advertising is extremely expensive. They are also limited in their geographic scope. Typical media outlets serve only a relatively small geographic area. To expand the geographic scope of advertising, additional media outlets in different locations must be used. This greatly increases expenses. Advertising is also limited in duration. Expense increases drastically upon extending the term of the advertising.
The advertisements and infomercials that describe the products are also limited in the scope of products they can cover. The expense limits the size of print advertising and the duration of radio and television advertising. These limitations restrict the number of products that can be covered. They also restrict the amount of information that can be provided for the products.
Recently, the Internet has emerged as a powerful new global communications and commerce medium that represents a radical new way for people to share information and conduct business electronically. Though the Internet has been well known for several years, it has been mainly used for research and as an educational medium. Hence people were initially slow to adopt it as a common means of conducting retail commerce. However, with technology advancing such that personal computers are now an affordable commodity for the average household, more and more personal computers are being acquired for home usage. In conjunction with increased computer awareness and usage, affordability and ease of accessibility to the Internet from an average household has given birth to a new type of commercial medium referred to as Electronic Commerce (i.e., E-Commerce).
The increasing functionality, accessibility and overall usage of the Internet have made it an attractive commercial medium that can offer solutions to many of the shortcomings of the traditional retail models. For instance, the Internet has radically changed the relationship between customers. Online retailers can, from a single remote computer, interact directly and simultaneously with customers across the globe.
The Internet also eliminates the traditional retail models' limited availability and barriers to expansion. On the Internet, a store is accessible throughout the world around the clock. The limitations associated with printed catalogs are eliminated as well. There is no incremental cost associated with making Internet content available to people who will not use it. Internet also provides easy adaptability to changing market conditions and allowing an interactive, customizable retail experience.
Online retailers can respond more rapidly to customer demand by frequently modifying their product offerings, shopping interfaces and pricing, simply by modifying their Web site. Additionally, the Internet improves on the limited amount of information that can be conveyed in the catalog and advertising/telephone sales models of retail sales. Web sites are inexpensive relative to the number of potential customers they reach, allowing much more information can be provided on a Web site than in any advertisement.
However, even with the advantages that are associated with the usage of the Internet as a commercial medium, there are still drawbacks in the currently existing E-Commerce retail businesses. In particular, most E-Commerce retail businesses mainly use the Internet and Web pages as an advertising medium to replace the previous catalog/infomercial type advertisements. Although some of the businesses have begun accepting product orders online via email or Web pages, the current E-Commerce businesses for the most part have adopted a hybrid business model in which the traditional business models are coupled with E-Commerce business practices.
For instance, the usage of the Internet has replaced a few of the traditional business practices such as advertising and order processing, but most of the so-called E-Commerce retail businesses of the prior art still operate by maintaining an inventory. That is to say, the current online businesses still maintain inventories in warehouses that store the merchandise to be sold. As described above, the costs associated with such business practices are high, especially in the computer related products market where their relatively short life cycle and the rapid adoption of new technologies and products make the traditional inventory store and catalog sales models particularly problematic. If the computer products are not sold in a relatively short period of time, the unsold merchandise will become obsolete due to the fast pace in which technology is evolving.
Furthermore, some of the prior art E-Commerce systems are prone to unnecessary down-time due to dependence of out-sourced services resulting in loss of sales during the down-time period. In particular, the primary use of credit cards as the preferred method of payment over the Internet has made checking for credit card fraud a necessity. To that end, almost all E-Commerce businesses are connected to a financial service center for processing fraud checks. However, if the connection to the service center is down for any reason, process of sales is halted until a fraud check can be performed. Additionally, most E-Commerce businesses rely exclusively on the results of the commercially available fraud check institutions. If the criteria set by the fraud check institution are too high, then sales that would otherwise have been profitable are lost.
The above-mentioned needs are met with a method, a computer program product, and a system for targeted product offerings.
Targeted products are offered over a communications network. Product data for a plurality of products from a plurality of distributors for the products is received. Customer data from a plurality of customers comprising personal information about customers is received. Using the data, at least one user-specific product offering from the plurality of products is generated. Automated messages comprising the at least one user-specific product offering to the one or more customers are then sent.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows or may be learned by those skilled in the art through reading these materials or practicing the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be achieved through the means recited in the attached claims.
The accompanying drawings illustrate the present invention and are a part of the specification. Together with the following description, the drawings demonstrate and explain the principles of the present invention.
Using the drawings, the preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be explained. As shown in
According to the present invention, a customer accesses the Online Shopping System 20 via a public Web server 110 to obtain product information available for purchases, set up a customer account, check order status, etc. The Order Processing System 30 receives the product order requests and processes the orders to check for availability with multiple distributors, orders the products based on pricing information, performs credit card validations, etc. The Payment Processing System 40 processes the method of payment once the orders have been properly processed. The Catalog Builder/Price Modeler 50 builds information of the products offered by the distributors to be made available by the Online Shopping System 20 to the customer as well as the prices at which these products will be offered based on a pricing model to be described in detail below. Customer service representatives and managers have access to all of the information in the database via the Administration System 60 through a dedicated secure Web server 120 available only to authorized personnel. The Administration System 60 is used to produce reports of sales, reconcile order discrepancies, manually adjust prices, approve credit, etc. Functionality of each of the sub-systems will now be explained in detail.
Online Shopping System
The Online Shopping System 20 is the main interface between the customer and the E-Commerce business and is primarily responsible for providing the overall online shopping experience to the customer. The Online Shopping System 20 of the present invention provides an electronic catalog of available products stored in the Products Database 720 along with the price of the product. This information is generated by the Catalog Builder/Price Modeler 50 to be descried in detail below.
The electronic catalog is a Web page, for example, that dynamically displays product information from the Products Database 720. Consequently, the electronic catalog is always up to date with the most recent product information and does not suffer from the same shortcomings as that of the prior art cataloging systems. Furthermore, because each product is displayed as a dynamic variable, a new catalog does not have to be generated every time the Product Database 70 is updated. Only the updated product information will be changed in the catalog.
In conjunction with the electronic catalog, the Online Shopping System 20 provides an electronic shopping cart that keeps record of each item marked to be purchased by the customer and provides a finalized shopping list and the total amount purchased at the end of a shopping session which may include appropriate taxes and shipping/handling charges.
The Online Shopping System 20 is also used to create customer accounts with such information as customer name, billing address, telephone number, email address, etc. and this information is stored in the Customer Database 710. Such information is used by the transaction processor 10 for billing, order notification, promotional/incentive distribution, etc. A customer may also access the Online Shopping System 20 to track the status of previous orders and returned merchandise, send inquiries to Customer Service, etc. Furthermore, customer accounts can be used to generate customized portfolios based on purchase patterns of individuals to provide targeted advertising, purchase incentives such as electronic coupons and rebates, specialized promotions and competitive pricing of high demand products.
Catalog Builder/Price Modeler
As described generally above, the Catalog Builder/Price Modeler 50 builds the Products Database 720 with available products from the distributors as well as the sales price for each product. With regard to the catalog generation, the Catalog Builder/Price Modeler 50 receives product information from multiple distributors. The product information includes but are not limited to product description, quantity available, and price for the product.
Access to the product information from the distributors may be accomplished by Telnet, FTP (File Transfer Protocol), industry standard EDI (Electronic Data Interchange), or any other appropriate communication protocol including specialized client/server software provided used by the distributors.
Downloading of the product information from the distributors is scheduled to run automatically by the Catalog Builder/Price Modeler 50 so that no human interaction is necessary unless it is desired to do so. The product information is preferably updated continually throughout the day as updated product information becomes available from the distributors or based on other preselected triggers. For example, all the distributor data may be updated during certain times of the day. Data for some selected distributors may be updated hourly while product data of others may be updated every time the web page is viewed for that product or after the product is ordered. As the communications technology becomes more advanced, it may be possible to maintain a continuous connection to the distributors' network thereby obtaining real-time status of each product offered by the distributor.
For other suppliers of products that may not have such communication capabilities or does not make economic sense to provide such continuous update of product information, an alternative system may be provided for updating/accessing product information. For instance, small distributors or individual vendors may operate through a secure web site to update their product information, receive order information from the transaction processor of the present invention, and provide shipping/tracking information of their products from their companies.
Once the product information from each of the distributors is collected, the Catalog Builder/Price Modeler 50 sorts the product information to generate the electronic catalog. The Catalog Builder/Price Modeler 50 of the present invention generates multiple catalogs from the same system and allows the Online Shopping System 20 to dynamically display user specific interfaces. The Catalog Builder/Price Modeler 50 generates catalogs with different visual presentations (e.g., color, fonts, graphics, advertising, etc.) and product offerings depending on the user accessing the Online Shopping System 20 based on the user-specific information via criteria-specific templates.
For example, when a student accesses the Online Shopping System 20 of the present invention as a potential customer, the Online Shopping System 20 displays a catalog of mixed products appropriate for students with academic pricing. Alternatively, a business person who accesses the Online Shopping System 20 of the present invention may see a catalog of products appropriate for his or her business with available corporate discounts for that product. This way, a single system is maintained that looks and functions like many different catalog shopping systems.
The pricing model used by the Catalog Builder/Price Modeler 50 of the present invention is an intelligent rule-based algorithm such as an AI (i.e., Artificial Intelligence) program generates a competitive price for a product based on price of the product offered from the distributors, any specials that are being promoted for the product, and cost/profit margins from the sale of the product to the customer. Simply stated, the price of the product is a function of the profit margin. Default margins are set in the rule-based programming of the pricing model, but due to its adaptability the Catalog Builder/Price Modeler 50 may automatically adjust the margins based on the rules of the pricing model and the pricing information obtained from the distributors. Further, the rules of the pricing model and setting of margins may be manually modified using the Administration System 60 to be explained in detail below.
The Catalog Builder/Price Modeler 50 of the present invention uses a plurality of margins to determine the sales price of a product depending on which category the product is in. For instance, the margin for the products in the first category may be set to 10%+cost since this is a category of products that the customer would most likely buy even though the price may be a little bit high. On the other hand, the margin for the products in the second category may be set to 2.5%+cost in order to provide a competitive price for high demand products. Further, the margin for the products in the third category may be set to 0%+cost due to promotionals of discontinued products, for example.
The Catalog Builder/Price Modeler 50 may be used to obtain initial sale prices of the products to be listed in the electronic catalog. Furthermore, the Catalog Builder/Price Modeler 50 may also adjust the pricing dynamically based on other system data that may change throughout the day. For example, the price may be adjusted based on the amount of web site traffic, sales for a particular vendor, category, or SKU, and even the time of day. Subsequently, the Catalog Builder/Price Modeler 50 may be used in conjunction with the Order Processing System 30 to be described in detail hereinafter to select a distributor to fill the order for a selected product using real-time data at the time of purchase. In this way, prices of the products in the electronic catalog can be dynamically changed based on the current market for these products.
Order Processing System
The Order Processing System 30 of the present invention processes the orders passed from the Online Shopping System 20. The Order Processing System 30 of the present invention is comprised of four basic sub-systems: Fraud Detection 310, Credit Card Services 320, Distributor Selection 330, and Customer Service 340. The overall functionality of the Order Processing System 30 is described hereinafter.
When an order for a selected product is received, the Order Processing System 30 first determines whether the order is a valid order by the Fraud Detection sub-system 310. If the order is valid, then the order is sent to the Distributor Selection sub-system 330 to determine firstly if the product ordered is available and secondly from which distributor the product will be supplied. Once a distributor is chosen the order is fulfilled with the distributor. After confirmation of product shipment, the order is sent to the Payment Processing System 40 via the Credit Card Services sub-system 320 to charge the customer's credit card for the purchase. The Customer Service sub-system 340 monitors each of the ordering processes and can intervene anywhere in the process if warranted.
Moreover, the Order Processing System 30 of the present invention is driven as a state machine 300. As such, a purchase order during processing enters predetermined states as shown in
Each block represents a state in which a purchase order being processed by the Order Processing System 30 can occupy. According to the present invention, a purchase order being processed by the Order Processing System 30 must move from one state to the other except in the states indicated in bold, e.g., states (H), (M), (N), (O), (X), and (W). These are the only states according to the present invention in which a purchase order can be at rest at a final destination. All other states are transient and the order will eventually move to the next state, or eventually flagged with an error condition which triggers an alarm to customer service indicating an abnormality in the order processing. For example, an order that has been placed for a product in stock but never shows up as being shipped (i.e., stuck in the "in-stock" state) times out after a predetermined time period and is flagged as an error. With the Order Processing System 30 of the present invention functioning as a state machine as described above, a purchase order can only be in predetermined states at any given time thereby facilitating ease of tracking of the status of an order.
A detailed description of each of the sub-systems is provided hereinafter.
Multi-Level Fraud Detection
The Fraud Detection sub-system 310 of the present invention is a multi-level fraud checking system used to determine if an order is a valid order. As shown in
As shown in
Once the order data is input into the Fraud Detection sub-system 310, the data integrity checker 312 initially performs a data integrity check on the order information for completeness such as billing address information, shipping address information, and method of payment. For example, credit card information is checked to verify that the credit card is not yet expired for credit card purchases. If the data integrity check fails on the order, the customer is notified of the incomplete portions of the order for correction. Once the order passes the data integrity check, the order then proceeds to the gross fraud comparator 314.
Gross fraud check involves searching the Fraud Database 730 internal to the transaction processor 10 of the present invention for history of bad credit by the customer submitting the order. The gross fraud check of the present invention acts as an initial filter for rejecting obvious fraudulent orders such as orders from "black-listed" customers in the Fraud Database 730 with previous histories of bad credit, orders from counties other than the United States under economic crisis, etc. If an order fails the gross fraud check, the order is passed to Customer Service 340 and the customer is immediately notified of the reasons why the order cannot be processed. If, on the other hand, the order passes the gross fraud check, the order is then checked for credit card authorization from a financial institution, such as a commercially available fraud check service and AVS (Address Verification Service).
Based on the information received from the financial institution, a fraud level score, for example, is generated by the credit authorization/fraud score generator 316. The fraud level score is a grading system that indicates the level of risk the order will pose to the business by processing the order. The score is then compared with several predetermined thresholds by the rule-based fraud score comparator 318 and takes different actions based on the comparison to these multiple thresholds. If the score is below the minimal threshold, the order is sent for further processing. If the score is above the maximum threshold, the order is sent into sorting bin 319. The intermediate thresholds allow the order to pass through various intermediate steps while triggering flags for each failed threshold comparison. This allows the failed order to be characterized by several types of failures given a total overall score. The sorting bin 319 of the present invention acts as a buffer to minimize discarded orders. According to the present invention, a dynamic sorting procedure is performed on the rejected orders stored in the sorting bin 319.
The failed orders in the sorting bin 319 are analyzed for reasons why the fraud level score was so high. Failed orders are analyzed for previous purchases by the customer, whether the customer is an account holder, etc. and sorted between high risk and low risk orders. For instance, orders from repeat customers who otherwise have a good history of previous purchases, for example, are low risk orders even though the fraud score is high and orders from customers who have no previous purchase history pose a high risk on defaulting on payments. Subsequently, the sorted orders are either sent to Customer Service 340 to be altered and resubmitted for validation or stored in a list of bad names in the Fraud Database 730 to be used in the gross fraud check of subsequent orders.
Alternatively, if there are generally a high number of failed orders in the sorting bin preventing sales of products, the fraud scores are analyzed and either the rules for generating the fraud score is altered or the thresholds are dynamically modified to reduce the number of orders being rejected. Furthermore, the comparator parameters in the data integrity checker 312 and gross fraud comparator may also be modified based on the results of the rejected orders to optimize order validations. By incorporating multi-level fraud checking system in the manner of the present invention, orders that would otherwise be lost can be recovered thereby increasing business transactions.
Distributor Selection
Once an order has been checked for fraud and passes as a valid order, the products in the order are checked by the Distributor Selection sub-system 330 to determine which distributor will be used to fill the order. The selection of a distributor may be determined by several different methods.
Preferably, as shown in
For example, the rules for selecting a distributor may be set to select the distributor providing the product with the maximum profit margin or within a range of margins. Alternatively, the rules may also take into consideration the type of shipping available from the distributor. For instance, if one distributor provides the product with the maximum profit margin but only has ground shipping available that may take weeks for delivery but another distributor provides next-day delivery with a lesser profit margin and the customer indicated speedy delivery, then the second distributor is selected since the first distributor, although providing the maximum profit margin, cannot fulfill the speedy delivery indicated by the customer. In other situations, the Distributor Selection sub-system 330 may be forced to select a particular distributor for a certain product regardless of other factors because of special relations with that particular distributor.
Alternatively, if the connection between some or all of the distributors cannot be established during an ordering processes, the product information stored in the Product Database 720 may be used instead of delaying the processing of the orders. As explained above, the products information is updated preferably three times during a business day. Therefore, although the data in the Product Database 720 is not as accurate as real-time data, the information is generally recent enough to fill the order.
Once a distributor selection is made, the Distribution Selection sub-system 330 forwards the order electronically to the selected distributor to fill the order. The Distributor Selection sub-system 330 then receives verification from the distributor such as customer number, warehouse information, shipment date, invoice amount, shipping cost, tracking number, etc. and stores the order information in the Order Database 740 to make it immediately available to the customer service and the customer's online account.
Credit Card Services
Credit Card Services sub-system 320 receives the orders forwarded to the distributor by the Distributor Selection sub-system 330 and forwards the total cost of the order to the Payment Processing System 40 to be charged to the customer's credit card. Alternatively, if a product has been returned, the Credit Card Services sub-system 320 processes the RMA (i.e., Returned Merchandise Authorization) and sends the request to the Payment Processing System 40 to refund the amount to the customer.
Customer Service sub-system 340 provides a feedback interface between the E-Commerce business using the transaction processor 10 of the present invention with the customers. Customer Service sub-system 340 allows the customer service representatives to access any part of the order processing being performed by the Order Processing System. Customer Service 340 provides the interface into the Order Processing System 30 by handling failed orders, sorted orders from failed orders, customer inquires to order/RMA status, and other customer service issues.
In particular, Customer Service sub-system 340 provides automated feedback to the customer. For instance, once an order has been properly processed, the Customer Service sub-system 340 will send an automated message to the customer with the order information such as customer number, shipment number, tracking number, etc. In cases where orders have failed during the processing period, Customer Service sub-system 340 automatically generates notices to the customer and/or customer service relaying that the order has failed and provides further instructions on how to correct the problem. Additionally, Customer Service sub-system 340 may be programmed to send customers in the Customer Database 710 periodic newsletters, promotional offers, exclusive sales, coupons and incentive, etc. Moreover, this periodic feedback to the customer can be highly personalized based on the information stored in the Customer Database 710 such as the customer's buying patterns.
Payment Processing System
The Payment Processing System 40 receives order/RMA information from the Order Processing System 30 in conjunction with the payment method information. For credit card orders, the Payment Processing System 40 contacts the financial institution issuing the credit card and charge the account holder for purchases or credit the account for processed RMAs. For non-credit card orders, the Payment Processing System 40 may issue bills, receive CODs (i.e., cash-on-delivery) and checks, issue refunds, process wire-transfers, etc. Moreover, the present invention may also take advantage of online leases and loans, a relatively new service in the area of e-commerce.
With respect to the online loans, once a customer is finished shopping with the Online Shopping System 20 of the present invention, the customer applies electronically to a financial institution for a loan. When the loan has been approved, the financial institution sends a loan number and the loan balance limit to the Order Processing System 30. The Payment Processor 40 then proceeds to use the loan number as a credit card number and finishes the transaction be drawing on the approved loan from the financial institution.
With regard to the online lease, once a customer is finished shopping, the customer applies for a lease from a financial institution. When the application is approved, the financial institution sends a lease number to the Order Processing System 30. The Payment Processor 40 then proceeds to use the lease number as a credit card number and finishes the transaction drawing on the approved balance from the leasing institution. The purchase is then shipped directly to the customer, but as with all leases, the leasing institution owns the products.
The transaction processor 10 of the present invention will be described with specific embodiments to more clearly describe the functionality of the present invention. However, equivalent components and obvious modifications within the ability of one with ordinary skill in the art may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention.
The transaction processor 10 of the present invention is built on industry standard equipment including Sun UltraSparc servers, Solaris operating system, Apache Web servers, and Oracle databases. Preferably, each of the systems and sub-systems are installed on a dedicated server running in parallel in a distributed processing architecture.
A customer accesses the Online Shopping System 20 via the company's Web page through a public Web server 110, such as the customer's ISP (i.e., Internet Service Provider). Once on the company's Web page, the customer is issued a unique identification number using various techniques such as using the customer's IP (i.e., Internet Protocol) address, IP host name, personal information, etc. so that others accessing the Online Shopping System 20 do not share each others' shopping information. The customer then browses/searches the Web site (i.e., electronic catalog) for a particular product. The customer selects the product or products and the Online Shopping System 20 places the selected products in an electronic shopping cart.
At the time of checkout, the customer is asked to create a customer account asking for personal information such as name, billing address, telephone number, email address, as well as some profile information (all of which may be optional) to generate a customer account. If the customer already has an account, then the account ID is used to identify the customer and the customer is prompted for their password.
Once a customer account has been established, the order is filled out for the products to be purchased including quantity, method of payment (the credit card number may be established in the customer account so that it does not have to be inputted every time), shipping address, and method of shipment. When the order is completed, the order is passed onto the Order Processing system 30.
The Fraud Detection sub-system 310 performs a data integrity check such as whether each of the required fields of the order form are filled out, checksum test of the credit card number, etc. If the order fails the integrity check, the customer is prompted with an error message requiring to resubmit the order with the corrections. If the order passes the integrity check, then the order undergoes the gross fraud check.
The gross fraud check determines whether the customer has a history of defaulting on payments, whether the credit card number is a valid number, or is ordering from a "black-listed" location such as Romania or Russia. If the order fails the gross fraud check, the order is sent into a sorting bin. If the order passes the gross fraud check, the order is sent to a commercially available fraud checking service such as CyberSource�. CyberSource� processes the order information and returns a fraud score. The fraud score is then compared to a plurality of predetermined threshold 340 and used in conjunction with other fraud rule based checks. If the order fails, it is placed into the sorting bin. If the order passes, it is sent to the Distributor Selection sub-system 330 for further processing.
As for the orders in the sort bin, the failed orders are sorted between high risk and low risk orders such as whether the order was from an account holder who has good credit history from past purchases, whether the fraud score was too high because the billing address did not match the address of the credit card, etc. The plausible orders are then forwarded to the Customer Service sub-system 340 from which the Customer service representatives either contact the customer to clarify the discrepancies or override the fraud checks and place them into the processing bin to be sent to the Distributor Selection sub-system 330 for further processing. The rest of the failed orders are placed in the Fraud Database 730.
The Distributor Selection sub-system 330 sends the product information (i.e., SKU and quantity) to each of the distributors such as independent pick, pack, and ship distributors and receives information on the products such as availability and cost. The Distributor Selection sub-system 330 forwards this information to the Catalog Builder/Price Modeler 50 and profit margins are calculated. The Distributor Selection sub-system 330 then selects the distributor with, for example, the highest margin or other selected criteria for particular products and forwards the order electronically. Once the distributor fills the order, the Customer Service sub-system 340 receives or retrieves the order information such as the customer number, warehouse number, shipment date, shipment tracking information, invoice amounts, etc.
Customer Service sub-system 340 emails the customer within minutes after a valid order is received with a confirmation number. The Customer Service sub-system 340 emails the customer again when the order is shipped by the distributor or notifies the customer that the product is not available and has been placed on back order.
The preceding description has been presented only to illustrate and describe the invention. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to any precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching.
The preferred embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application. The preceding description is intended to enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims.
|Cited Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|27 Dec 1994
|21 Apr 1998
|Ss&D Corporation
|System and method for allocating resources of a retailer among multiple wholesalers
|16 Nov 1998
|31 Oct 2000
|Tradeaccess Inc
|System for interative, multivariate negotiations over a network
|29 Dec 1997
|1 Oct 2002
|De Technologies, Inc.
|Universal shopping center for international operation
|22 Jun 1999
|22 Jun 2004
|Walker Digital, Llc
|Purchasing systems and methods wherein a buyer takes possession at a retailer of a product purchased using a communication network
|13 Jun 2001
|25 Aug 2009
|Robert K. Pliha
|Systems and methods for distributing targeted incentives to financial institution customers
|PurchaseSoft Procurement Intelligence, "Cashing in on e-commerce"; Year 2000, PurchaseSoft, Inc., Inc.
|Citing Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|26 May 2013
|8 Jul 2014
|Divan Industries, Llc
|Internet business transaction processor
|U.S. Classification
|705/14.1, 705/26.1, 705/27.1, 705/7.25, 705/38, 705/1.1
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|18 Dec 2012
Owner name: DIVAN INDUSTRIES, LLC, DELAWARE
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:MOUNT HAMILTON PARTNERS, LLC;REEL/FRAME:029495/0131
Effective date: 20120224
|13 Jun 2016
Owner name: CONSOLIDATED TRANSACTION PROCESSING LLC, NEVADA
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:DIVAN INDUSTRIES, LLC;REEL/FRAME:038901/0104
Effective date: 20160114
|6 Sep 2016
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 4


text:
it's not as important as make it to be, all the ahaadeth that speak of it either give reasons such as 'not looking like the Jwes/Christians/Magans' etc, or speak of cutting the mustache and keeping the beard in the same tone, with no indication that either is more important than the other, thus the people who tell others to keep a beard and stop shaving it since it's a 'sin' should always tell others to also cut their mustaches since it's a sin not to cut it.
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Trim closely the moustache, and grow the beard, and thus act against the fire-worshippers.
Muslim:Book 002, Hadith Number 0502
Ibn Umar said: The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) ordered us to trim the moustache closely and spare the beard.
Muslim:Book 002, Hadith Number 0500.
where is there any indication whatsoever that cutting the mustache is not as important as keeping the beard? why is it then that all of them allow for the mustache to grow yet disallow cutting/shaving the beard? this is what is called a logical contradiction.
the ruling is simple, it is sunnah, hence one is free to do it or not to.


text:
Minster FM News
Humberside Fire And Rescue Urge Vigilance Around Open Water
6:00am 21st July 2013
People in Market Weighton and Pocklington are being urged by Humberside Fire and Rescue to be extra vigilant around open water.
Humberside Fire and Rescue Service say that now the hot weather has finally arrived, there is nothing more tempting than cooling off in the sea, canals, ponds and lakes, however open water can be very dangerous.
Technical Rescue Officer Simon Anfield said: "Water may look calm on the surface, but there may still be strong undercurrents that could pull even a strong swimmer under. In the warm weather, water can feel relatively warm on the surface, but just a few feet below can be icy cold and can very quickly cause severe cramp and hypothermia."
As the warm weather continues, so does the risk of water related incidents. Simon continued: "People often misjudge their swimming ability and fail to appreciate the harmful effects that the cold water can have on their stamina and strength. We are urging people, particularly children and teenagers, not to swim anywhere other than in purpose-built and supervised swimming pools, unless they are members of an organised swimming group, who have appropriate safety precautions in place."
Humberside Fire and Rescue Service's key safety tips for staying safe near water
- Alcohol and swimming do not mix - stay out of the water if you have been drinking
- Always watch your child while at the beach, lake or other natural bodies of water
- Never let children swim in unsupervised areas like lakes, canals or ponds
- Do not swim near motor boats, jet skis or other power vehicles
- Never interfere with lifesaving equipment - you might need it yourself
- Learn to spot and keep away from dangerous water
- Take safety advice - heed notices which warn you of the danger
- Children should only visit open water sites with an adult
- Swimming anywhere other than at purpose built and supervised swimming pools is highly dangerous and is not recommended, unless as part of an organised club
"We want everyone to enjoy the great weather we have experienced recently, but are asking people to cautious around open water." Simon added.


text:
Little Girl Confronts Mom and Dad about Them having Sex !
Description:Now how would you feel if your child heard you and your significant other getting some? Well watch this clip and you will know the feel again and again and again.
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SONIA BRAND-FISHER: A much anticipated episode of "Mad Men" begins and ends with balconies, one of our characters looking at them from inside a potential apartment, and one out on one looking over New York. The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. is tackled in this episode with that same disorientation and strength as was the JFK assassination in Season Three. The reactions from Pete, Don, Dawn, Megan, Peggy, Betty, and Henry show a range of emotions teetering on the edge of a very real understanding of the world they live in, but not quite able to process the very real implications of a society that would destroy such an influential and inspirational leader.
The repetition throughout this episode of people saying they don't know why they are so surprised, or that they are not surprised, or they make some physical indication that they hoped that it wouldn't come to this hit very close to home in the wake of recent national tragedies. You really don't know how to feel, and you should be surprised, but for some reason you aren't, and that's terrifying. We have seen Don process loss and chaos with his usual stoic perseverance punctuated by a moment of depressing realization. Watching Don basically admit that he has never loved his kids in the way that he feels he is supposed to felt incredibly cathartic to me, because it always seemed so obvious to me that there was that ambivalent disconnect with his children. Sally and Betty have their own fraught relationship, but I never doubt that Betty loves her children because her entire adult life has been a labor of love. Don and Bobby, however, have rarely had the opportunities to engage and converse. Bobby's line about people going to the movies when they are sad was very sweet, and very empathetic on his part, but it surprises me that it's that moment that makes Don feel as if his heart will "explode." Sally has shown her fair share of insight, empathy, and strength during this series, but Don does not feel that same swell? It is interesting, and I wonder if Bobby was just in the right place at the right time.
Ginsberg and his father, Morris, are two characters that I hoped we would see more of in this season, and I am very happy we did. "You gonna get on the ark with your father?" made me laugh hysterically. Morris pushing Ginsberg into his absolutely hilarious date with Beverly was a very necessary piece of comic relief during this episode, which was actually deepened and strengthened when they hear news of the tragedy together. Morris has followed the thread of wanting to see his son successful and happy in love since we were first introduced to Ginsberg, and it is a thread that sounds a particular note in this episode, when everyone is trying to take comfort in those they love.
Peggy, similarly, had no one to comfort and hold her when Abe took off uptown to report on the response to the assassination for The New York Times ("Don't do anything stupid." "It's too late, I'm going to Harlem in a tuxedo"). However, Peggy is in such an interesting place as she tries to negotiate her newfound professional success and the implications of her position of power as it relates to her political/personal life with Abe and their flourishing relationship. Sure, she wishes he could be there to hold her in a time of tragedy, but from the small surprised smile on her face when Abe mentions the idea of having kids one day, I think that she knows that parts of her life are falling into place in ways she never had anticipated before.
NAVA BRAHE: After watching "The Flood," I am convinced there will never be another television show that will accurately depict human emotional responses better than Mad Men. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination, as experienced by a bunch of self-absorbed white people, could not have been more timely, as Sonia pointed out, so soon after this latest period of national turmoil.
For me, the two most telling scenes in the episode were the ones where Bobby noticed the uneven seam in his bedroom wallpaper, and Harry's meltdown over lost ad revenue because of all the televised news coverage in the aftermath of Dr. King's murder. I can personally relate to both because, as a child, I had textured "grasspaper" covering the walls of my bedroom, which didn't stand a chance against my curious fingers. Bobby was indulging his childhood curiosity by trying to tear away what was covering his walls, revealing that underneath the badly hung wallpaper, there were more layers of mystery. Watching him do that sent chills up and down my spine. Harry's ranting about all the "make goods" he would have to issue reminded me of a short-lived job I had at a New York-area radio station, where I had the misfortune of being present on the day when a legendary disc jockey had a fatal heart attack in the middle of his show. The entire sales department began squawking in unison about the very same concern, with no regard for the human life that ended so abruptly. My reaction was exactly the same as Pete's, although I was in no position to voice it, much as I wished I could have.
I agree that Ginsburg's father's attempt at procuring a shidduch for his son provided much-needed levity in the midst of all the turmoil. Like Sonia, I wish we would see more of this father-son dynamic, the way we were given insight into Peggy's relationships with her mother and sister in earlier seasons. Peeking into the lives of secondary characters is a welcome departure from the increasingly tedious angst constantly displayed by Don and the rest of the gang.
Speaking of Don, I was not surprised by his confession of not loving his kids; rather, I was saddened by it. Early on in the series he at least made an attempt: he built Sally a playhouse in the backyard, albeit with much needed fortification from beer. The older he's gotten, the more self-absorbed he's become. The older Sally and Bobby have gotten, the more they seem to notice that both parental units have checked out on them. It was heartbreaking to watch the phone interaction between Don and Betty, when she called to chastise him for forgetting to pick up his children, and it was even more depressing to witness Don's reticence to attend the park vigil with Sally and Megan. It also didn't seem like Bobby's conspiratorial stomach ache had the desired effect; Don didn't seem too pleased to have to sit through "Planet of the Apes" twice. I don't even want to touch Bobby's comment to the usher in the theatre. I might just short-circuit my laptop with my tears.