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What Makes Houston the Next Great American City?
As Houston undergoes an ethnic and cultural transformation, its reputation grows as a place where people can dream big and succeed
- By Tony Perrottet
- Smithsonian magazine, July-August 2013, Subscribe
There's nothing like being mugged to put a damper on a festive evening, which had begun at the lakeside palace of Farouk Shami, the billionaire businessman and former candidate for governor of Texas. As fine wine flowed and stuffed vine leaves and other Middle Eastern delicacies were served, some 150 guests spilled onto the veranda or wandered the gleaming white corridors, admiring the giant aquariums and Shami's own brilliantly colored paintings and glass sculptures. Dapper as ever in a suit and cowboy boots, the 70-year-old Shami, founder of a successful line of hair care products, wove through the cosmopolitan crowd, introducing me to his Houston friends, including Miss Texas and Miss Texas USA.
I left that wealthy enclave at around 9 p.m. and drove to the Heights, a gritty but recently gentrified neighborhood, to visit an alternative art center. Lined with tidy 1920s bungalows, the streets seemed quiet and charming. After parking my rental car in the (admittedly dimly lit and empty) block, I walked about ten yards and paused to look at street numbers when I noticed two figures coming toward me. One calmly took the iPhone out of my hand. "It's only the 4S," I joked, trying to defuse the situation. "The iPhone 5 is much better."cha
That was when the taller guy pulled out a gun.
Even through the dreamlike fog of being robbed, I was aware of the irony. I was here to research a story about "the new Houston" and document how the city is reinventing itself for the 21st century. In the last 24 hours, I'd attended a show at Fashion Week, where the catwalk was lined with artists, writers and designers. I'd visited plush new art galleries. I'd met Houstonians of every origin, from Thai to Nigerian, Ecuadorean, Pakistani and Indonesian. And I'd spent much of the same evening chatting with Shami, a one-man PR firm for Houston who insists the Bayou City is the perfect place for immigrants to realize the American dream.
Then, here I was, transported back to the harsh, violent Houston of the 1970s and '80s. As I held my arms away from my sides, the shorter guy cleaned my pockets of car keys, loose coins, business cards. Tension rose when he couldn't pull the wallet out of my jeans pocket. The wedding ring was even harder to remove, but it's amazing what you can do at gunpoint. The moment was so cinematic I found myself wondering whether the sleek firearm was real. Later, when I mentioned this to locals, they were amused. "Of course it was real! This is Houston. Everyone's got a gun!"
My interest in exploring America's fourth-largest city was piqued last year by a study from the Kinder Institute for Urban Research and the Hobby Center for the Study of Texas at Rice University. Out of the ten largest U.S. metropolitan areas, the researchers' analysis of census data found that the most equitable distribution of the nation's four major racial and ethnic groups (Asians, Hispanic people, and white and black people who are not Hispanic) was not in New York City or Los Angeles, but, surprisingly, Houston (see opposite).
The people behind the study have long been focused on Houston's ethnic and cultural transformation, which is more dramatic than that of any other U.S. city in the past century. Stephen L. Klineberg, a sociologist and co-director of the Kinder Institute, has closely charted the demographic changes in Harris County, which covers nearly all of the Houston area and then some, since 1982. "Houston was then an overwhelmingly Anglo city," he told me. But then the eight-decade-long Texas oil boom fizzled and the city lost 100,000 jobs, mostly among Anglo oil workers, and was plunged into an economic depression that would completely change its population patterns. "In 1980, Anglos made up 63 percent of the population," Klineberg says. "Now they're less than 33 percent." Hispanics in Harris County today constitute 41 percent, he adds, African-Americans 18.4 percent, and Asians and other races 7.8 percent. "The change is even more extreme if you look at the population under 30," Klineberg says, "where 78 percent are now non-Anglos."
In the 1960s, New York and L.A. were already vast metropolises, but Houston was a humble outpost of around one million. Since then, aided by the ubiquity of automobiles and air-conditioning, its population has leapt by an average of 20 percent every decade, surging to over four million inhabitants in Harris County and six million within the Greater Houston Metropolitan Area. Much of this growth would alter the area's ethnic makeup as well, because it took place after 1965, when the nation ended its long-running immigration policy favoring white Western Europeans, and new arrivals were as likely to come from Korea or Congo as Italy and Ireland. In that sense, Houston is the vanguard, Klineberg says: "Houston is 25 years ahead of the rest of the country. Soon all of America will look like this city. There is no force in the world that can stop the United States becoming more Latino, more African-American, more Middle Eastern and Asian. It's inevitable!"
There are, however, some arguably ominous trends. Perhaps the most disturbing is that, according to the Pew Research Center, Houston is the most income-segregated of the ten largest U.S. metropolitan areas, with the greatest percentage of rich people living among the rich and the third-greatest percentage of poor people among the poor. And the new waves of immigrants are split between highly skilled college graduates (especially Asians), who effortlessly join the upper echelons of Houston, and poorly educated manual laborers (especially Latinos), who trim the lawns and wash restaurant dishes. "The great danger for the future of America is not an ethnic divide but class divide," Klineberg warns. "And Houston is on the front line, where the gulf between rich and poor is widest. We have the Texas Medical Center, the finest medical facility in the world, but we also have the highest percentage of kids without health care. The inequality is so clear here." All these forces add urgency to how Houston tackles its problems. "This is where America's future is going to be worked out."
If nothing else, the Kinder Institute's reports underscore how little the country really knows about Houston. Is it, as most New Yorkers and Californians assume, a cultural wasteland? "The only time this city hits the news is when we get a hurricane!" complains James Harithas, director of the Station Museum of Contemporary Art. "People have no idea." Its image in the outside world is stuck in the 1970s, of a Darwinian frontier city where business interests rule, taxation and regulation are minimal, public services are thin and the automobile is worshiped. "This was boomtown America," says Klineberg of the giddy oil years. "While the rest of the country was in recession, we were seen as wealthy, arrogant rednecks, with bumper stickers that read, 'Drive 70 and freeze a Yankee.'" Today, he adds, "Houston has become integrated into the U.S. and global economies, but we still like to think we're an independent country. We contribute to the image!"
In movies, Houston has served as a metaphor for all that is wrong with urban American life. In the 1983 comedy Local Hero, Burt Lancaster plays an oil CEO who sits in a glass tower plotting environmental devastation, and Houston has been the scene for a disconcerting number of dystopian science fiction movies.
A first-time visitor can still be bewildered by Houston's sprawl: The population density is less than half that of Los Angeles. It's the only major U.S. city with no formal zoning code—hence the chaotic and often disheveled urban landscape. Skyscrapers sprout between high schools, strip joints, restaurants and parking lots, all tied into the knots of endless concrete highways. And yet Houston has a thriving art scene, with a startling choice of museums and galleries, and its 17-block theater district claims to have the largest concentration of seats outside of Broadway. Last summer, Forbes declared Houston "the coolest city in America," based on indices such as the number of cultural venues, the amount of designated green space, and, of course, ethnic diversity. It didn't hurt that the Houston area has largely brushed off the recent recession, reporting 3.8 percent (non-farm) job growth in 2012, or that the city's median age is only 32.1, compared with 37.2 for the United States as a whole in 2010.
"We need to reinvent ourselves and improve our image," says Cressandra Thibodeaux, executive director of 14 Pews, a cinema and gallery in a renovated church, which was set to host the H-Town Multicultural Film Festival, celebrating Houston's diversity, in June. "You hear about how Pittsburgh and Detroit are going through a renaissance, with new immigrant cultures and artists changing the city. But people don't know about how Houston is being transformed. It's still got the old cowboy hat image, a hot, ugly city, where you just go to work."
To thwart this stereotype, the first place to visit is the Rothko Chapel. A Modernist masterpiece of religious art, it lies in a verdant oasis of museums, gardens and outdoor sculptures created in the 1960s by two philanthropists flush with oil money, John and Dominique de Menil. (The superb Menil Collection Museum, designed by Renzo Piano, has been a pilgrimage site for international art lovers since it opened in 1987.) The nondenominational chapel is the most serene corner of this leafy precinct: Mark Rothko created 14 rich black, maroon and plum-colored paintings for the octagonal space (designed in part by Philip Johnson), which has meditation cushions for visitors to contemplate the art in silence. On a bench are more than two dozen texts from world religions, including the King James Bible, the Koran, the Torah, the Book of Mormon, and Hindu and Buddhist works. The chapel is a clue that Houston is perhaps a more tolerant and open-minded place than it is given credit for.
Another clue is that Houston is the largest U.S. city to have an openly lesbian mayor, Annise Parker, a Democrat, who has pressed President Obama to act on gay marriage, which is banned in Texas.
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Related topics: Travel Culture Texas
Comments (17) |
Isn't the whole point of this article that people from all over the world come to Houston, find a pragmatic culture of low taxes and regulation and are able to thrive? And yet this Klineberg fellow concludes that in order to attract "talented people who can live anywhere" and "turn diversity to our advantage" Houston needs to RAISE TAXES? To suggest that the people profiled in this article aren't "talented people who can live anywhere" is a freaking INSULT. Diversity is already Houston's advantage. Raising taxes for Klineberg's favorite pet projects will only serve to drive talented and pragmatic immigrants away and possibly attract the "talent" that cities like Austin are attracting: gentrifying white ex-Californians who can no longer afford California but can't wait to subject their adopted cities to paternalistic Democratic policies that eventually drive up taxes expand regulation and lower prosperity for all.
Posted by FromHouston on September 7,2013 | 12:01 PM
I concede that if I lived in the Southwest I would think otherwise, but the use of the term "Anglo" in this piece struck me as newspeak. Someone once said that we call English the mother tongue because our ancestors spoke Italian, Polish and Yiddish. I'm of Irish background and when I see "Anglo" I figure the term doesn't cover me. How about "non-Hispanic?" Smithsonian defends the usage by saying it uses The New York Times style book. Just following orders? What's next - Gentiles for all non-Jews or non-Mormons?
Posted by James O. Clifford on August 15,2013 | 02:30 PM
Well, if you can slog through all of that, you get to the real deal. "Anglos", the people who built this country, including horrible "old" Houston don't vote democrat as much as the tectonic shift of basically importing all of South America, as represented by Houston's complete transformation into a city that will be basically 78% hispanic(i.e., people under 30). Translation: we change the demographics to change the votes. Say....who mugged the author? Somehow, it's one thing where the subjects' backgrounds aren't glowingly discussed. So, somehow America got tricked into changing its demographics and that's being celebrated now as a thing all of itself. Observe the passive nature of the tone, hm, somehow, the US adds 100K a month and sticks them in places like Houston and other unsuspecting cities and towns. It's a force of nature, not a complete back-stab of the native population by those that desired cheap votes and cheap labor. Meanwhile, most Americans, including newly arrived emigres, feel like "ok, that's enough, 320 million? yeah we're full." I don't think anyone really feels the need to add millions of new people to America. I can imagine the tones of the obviously viciously racist author writing of France's great German influx of diversity in the late 1930's, how "Gauls" in Paris had a history of being racists towards the "hun" but now with the influx of German emigres, sumptuous signs of diversity like restaurants serving delicious wursts and exultant umm-pah-pah music resonate from music halls, not to mention the dignified wealth and enterprising working nature of the new citizens, make Paris the Next Great European City. yeah, I see the semiotics, the new replacement population is talked in terms of sumptuous foods and opulence of their wealth (well, of the wealth of some of the most successful new citizens) versus old, poor, racist, negative terms applied to the native population. And thus, the proposition of the article has no substance.
Posted by greeeatttt on August 4,2013 | 03:21 PM
As Julie already stated, the author of this piece expresses a thinly veiled contempt of whites in this piece. I keep finding the word "diverse" with a completely positive connotation in describing Houston population. Diverse as in an exceptional amount of illegal Mexican gangs and human traffickers ? I find nothing in this article or any other trumpeting the rise of Houston to be anything of substance. Oh cheaper standard of living in exchange for an ugly setting in a hellish climate surrounded by violent, materialistic people who can't drive ? Yeahhh , I think it's worth more to avoid such spot then save some money.
Posted by MoneyIsntEverything on August 4,2013 | 04:55 AM
The beginning of the end.
Posted by historydogg on July 29,2013 | 01:36 PM
I am a Texan and believe this is a very misleading article about Houston and how it has evolved over the years. To read it, one would think that the white populace had nothing to do with it. Why are liberal journalist so biased and narrow minded. Houston's changes have been the direct result of everyone working together to make it happen. The thing I can not understand if Texans are such racist, how did we ever open our arms to the victims of Katrina and welcome them into our State especially the way Houston did? The only negative I can think about Houston is it is not Dallas and never will be. Ha.
Posted by Ron Justice on July 23,2013 | 10:57 AM
I love Houston for what it is and what it can be. It isthe most hopeful city in a nation based hope.
Posted by Tony on July 22,2013 | 11:08 PM
"The radical professor they interviewed says that for most of Houston's history it was "a racist city, part of the Confederacy." It was actually only part of the Confederacy for four years." Well, obviously. I think the "radical" professor and the Smithsonian's readership -- yourself aside -- would be aware of that. It looks like the good professor was just qualifying his statement. That said, Houston does have a rich history of racism that it has fortunately largely shed. To suggest otherwise would only display an ignorance of the city's turbulent history, from the expulsion of abolitionists to the Houston race riot of 1917 to opposition to integration.
Posted by John on July 11,2013 | 02:41 AM
As a white person, after reading and thinking about this article, I have to say I felt insulted and dissappointed by the author's continuous comparison between "white" Houston ( of old) and the now much cooler, hipper, cosmopolitan, diverse Houston. He painted a picture of white stereotypes that was infantile and frankly, not true. In order to be a functioning, succesful nation where all can continue to prosper, stereotyping of any group is not acceptable especially not in a publication such as Smithsonian.
Posted by Julie on July 11,2013 | 09:32 PM
I lived in the Heights for almost a decade - went for walks at 2 a.m. and had no fears and no troubles. It's a very quiet part of town, a neighborhood where people on the block know each other by sight and you don't see many strangers on the street (and I'm talking about 15 years ago, even before the most recent stage of 'gentrification'.) It's like a small town in the middle of the city... with an unreasonable police presence to keep it that way. I'd like to know exactly where in the Heights this mugging took place. Now, mugged in Montrose, just a quarter-mile south... that is easier to imagine, even though I have never heard of anybody getting mugged at gunpoint there either. A lot of strange things do happen in Montrose.
Posted by Daria on July 11,2013 | 04:16 AM
I can't understand how the only thing people took from the article is "white is bad, non-white is good." The point of the article is that DIVERSITY is good. And Houston is diverse. Think of all the major cities in the United States (and abroad) that are considered to be trendy, cultural hubs: New York, L.A., London, and Paris--All of them are extremely diverse and full of a myriad of cultural institutes that cater to the arts. How can someone be offended that Houston has all of that? That Houston isn't some backwards, gun-slinging, stereotypically Southern city stuck in the '70s? I'm so sick of going places and people assuming that's what Texas is...but I'm also sick of people from Texas getting offended when someone says their state embarrasses others. What's wrong with that? Not only that but diversity is what this country was built on. Immigrants from everywhere...But I guess it bothers some when said immigrants are white and are praised for their contributions to transforming America.
Posted by C on July 10,2013 | 03:39 PM
This whole article seemed like a back handed compliment. ... and then completely derailed with Klineberg.
Posted by Sarah Fowler on July 9,2013 | 12:38 PM
I started reading this article thinking, oh, wonderful! An article on successful immigrants who have prospered in the low regulation environment that is typical of Texas, and is why it's one of our most prosperous states. I was disappointed to find that the political and social subtext the author brought to the article was whites = bad, ethnic and sexual minorities = good. It was also ironic that he wondered why the minorities in Texas didn't vote Democratic! Why would ambitious minorities who thrive in an environment of fewer regulations and limitations on their endeavors vote for the party of limitation and regulation? I'm not a Republican or a Democrat so I don't have a dog in that fight, but more regulations work against ambition and striving. The good points of the article were its descriptions of the interesting projects, artistic and/or business, that are going on in Houston. The bad points were allowing the author's personal bias to dominate the article.
Posted by Daphne on July 9,2013 | 12:16 PM
I moved to Houston 13 years ago from Central Europe and I love it.
Posted by on July 8,2013 | 12:46 PM


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SOURCE The Advisory Board Company
The Advisory Board Company recognizes Houston Methodist, Kalispell Regional Medical Center, and Methodist Health System
WASHINGTON, Sept. 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- One hospital and two health systems that documented $10.3 million in aggregate financial performance improvements were selected from hundreds of hospitals nationwide to receive the 2013 Revenue Cycle Solutions Awards presented today by The Advisory Board Company (NASDAQ: ABCO).
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About Kalispell Regional Medical Center Kalispell Regional Medical Center (KRMC) is a 163-bed hospital located in Kalispell, Montana. KRMC serves more than 170,000 within a geographical region of 20,000 square miles and employs more than 2,600 team members. KRMC is associated with the Kalispell Regional Healthcare System that has two acute-care hospitals (Kalispell Regional Medical Center and The HealthCenter), a skilled nursing facility (Brendan House), a fitness facility (The Summit Medical Fitness Center), a mental health and substance abuse facility (Pathways Treatment Center), a durable medical equipment company (Kalispell Medical Equipment) and more than 20 primary and specialty physician clinics. Core services include cancer, cardiovascular, neuroscience and spine, emergency services, neonatal intensive care, and orthopedics. With the philanthropic support of the KRH Foundation, the system has maintained the nation's first rural air ambulance service (A.L.E.R.T.) for more than 35 years and continues to add services and equipment to meet the growing health care needs of the region. For more information, visit www.kalispellregional.org.
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Alger, Horatio Jr.
Horatio Alger, Jr. 1832–1899
(Also wrote under the pseudonyms of Arthur Lee Putnam, Arthur Hamilton, and Julian Starr). American novelist, biographer, short story writer, poet, and essayist.
For additional information on the life and career of Alger, see NCLC, Volume 8.
Alger was one of the most widely-read authors of juvenile fiction in the United States during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He wrote more than a hundred books, all based on the principle that honesty, perseverance, and industry are certain to be rewarded. Almost invariably, his novels described a virtuous boy's rise from poverty to prosperity. In an era of rapid industrial growth when many Americans were accumulating vast personal fortunes, Alger captured the imaginations of millions of young readers and underscored the ideals and aspirations of a changing American society. Alger's works lost their relevance and popularity during the twentieth century, but they have been regarded by historians and popular culturalists since the 1970s as definitive American mythology. Alger did not invent the "rags-to-riches" formula for fiction, but he is often credited with popularizing it. Although Alger's stories are generally considered devoid of literary merit, he is of historical interest to the student of American culture since, as the critic Rychard Fink expressed it: "It is dangerous to ignore a man whose ideas hang on so stubbornly."
Biographical Information
Born in Revere, Massachusetts, Alger was the oldest child of a Unitarian preacher and his wife. When he was twelve, the family moved to Marlborough, Massachusetts, where he attended Gates Academy in preparation for admission to Harvard College. In 1853, after his graduation from Harvard, Alger entered Cambridge Divinity School but withdrew shortly afterwards in order to become an assistant editor for the Boston Daily Advertiser. He held this post until the spring of 1854, when he was hired to teach at a boarding school in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. After briefly serving as the principal of a boys' academy in Deerfield, Massachusetts, Alger reentered Cambridge Divinity School and was ordained a minister in 1861.
Little is known of Alger's personal life. Prior to 1961, his only biographer was Herbert R. Mayes, who issued Alger: A Biography without a Hero in 1928. A fictitious account of Alger's life based on a diary and letters that never existed, Mayes's biography was accepted as authoritative by the majority of Alger's critics for nearly forty years and is quoted as a reliable source in most reference texts. Almost all of the criticism of Alger's works written since 1928 relies to some degree on this fabrication, which was made partly plausible by a thread of biographical fact and a detailed listing of Alger's works, some of which Mayes invented. Mayes portrayed Alger as the repressed child of a stern Unitarian preacher who insisted on training his son for the ministry almost from birth. After graduating from divinity school, Mayes wrote, Alger rebelled against his father by fleeing to Paris, where he engaged in a series of ill-fated romances. According to Mayes, Alger returned to the United States to write a "great novel" for an adult audience but succeeded only in producing an endless stream of stories for juveniles. The irony of Alger's life, Mayes concluded, was that the creator of the "rags-to-riches" myth died a frustrated and impoverished man. The first major attempt to discredit Mayes's biography, Frank Gruber's Horatio Alger, Jr.: A Biography and Bibliography, was published in 1961. In 1964, Ralph D. Gardner published his Horatio Alger, or the American Hero Era, another study devoted to dispelling the misconceptions about Alger's life generated by Mayes. Yet it was not until 1972 that Mayes first admitted that his biography "literally swarms … with countless absurdities." Since Mayes's admission, several critics, most notably Jack Bales and Gary Scharnhorst, have documented the hoax.
Major Works
During several years of irregular employment, Alger contributed essays, poems, and short stories to a variety of magazines and newspapers. His earliest literary efforts were directed toward adults; it was not until 1864 that he published his first novel for juveniles, Frank's Campaign; or, What Boys Can Do on the Farm for the Camp. In 1866, encouraged by the favorable reception of Frank's Campaign and its sequel, Paul Prescott's Charge, Alger resigned from his ministerial position at the Unitarian Church in Brewster, Massachusetts, and moved to New York City, where he devoted himself to writing. The following year, his most successful novel, Ragged Dick; or, Street Life in New York with the Boot-Blacks, was serialized in the children's magazine Student and Schoolmate. The hero of the story, Dick Hunter, is a New York City bootblack who, by a combination of luck, pluck, hard work, thrift, and piety, gains the opportunity to become a respected and influential member of society. Alger followed the pattern set in Ragged Dick with little variation in a steady succession of enormously popular novels, including the Tattered Tom and Luck and Pluck series, sales of which almost equaled those of the Ragged Dick books. In addition, Alger composed several biographies of self-made statesmen, among them From Canal Boy to President; or, The Boyhood and Manhood of James A. Garfield, and Abraham Lincoln, the Backwoods Boy; or, How a Young Rail-Splitter Became President. Most of his novels are set in New York City during the latter half of the nineteenth century, and critics praise his accurate descriptions of the city's streets, boarding houses, hotels, and restaurants. Alger gathered much of the information for his stories from conversations with young boys who lived in the Newsboys' Lodging House, a philanthropic institution in New York City with which he was closely connected until his death.
Critical Reception
Alger's novels reached the height of their popularity during the decade following his death. As economic opportunities in American cities narrowed during the 1920s and 1930s, the books began to lose their credibility and appeal. There was little scholarly interest in Alger's works until the publication in 1945 of Struggling Upward, and Other Works, a reprinting of Ragged Dick, and Struggling Upward. Most commentators share Richard Wright's opinion that Alger "was, is and will forever be the most terribly bad of writers," and his stories are consistently denounced for their stock characterization, repetitious plots, and stilted dialogue. Alger's historical and cultural significance is still debated. In the 1940s and 1950s, he was generally viewed as an apologist for business success, a man who applied the Protestant ethic to the urban world of the Gilded Age. Van Wyck Brooks faulted him for vulgarizing Ralph Waldo Emerson's doctrine of self-reliance by writing about boys whose motive was self-advancement instead of self-improvement. Russel Crouse, Kenneth S. Lynn, and Wright emphasized the monetary value which Alger placed on the virtues of hard work, thrift, and obedience and interpreted his heroes as would-be captains of industry who exploit every opportunity to succeed financially. Since the 1960s, Alger's role as a propagandist of capitalism has been repeatedly challenged and it is frequently argued that his stories do not sustain the "rags-to-riches" myth with which his name has become synonymous. John G. Cawelti, Michael Zuckerman, and Frank Shuffleton maintain that Alger was not an exponent of entrepreneurial individualism, because his typical hero's success is largely due to a chance encounter with a benevolent patron. They also point out that Alger's heroes aspire to middle-class respectability rather than wealth. Scharnhorst contends that Alger was primarily a moralist who hoped to imitate on a juvenile level the novels of Charles Dickens, which helped to expose social injustices in England. Critics often note, however, that Phil, the Fiddler, which called attention to the padrone system, by which young street musicians were brought to New York from Italy and kept as virtual slaves, was the only Alger novel that contributed to social reform.
Speculation often centers on Alger's move from the ministry in Brewster to writing in New York, which Mayes explained as Alger's rebellion against his father and the church. Scharnhorst, Alan Trachtenberg, and Michael Moon have suggested that, in fact, the move was prompted by a scandal in which Alger was accused of making "unnatural" advances towards boys in his congregation. This evidence has brought a new twist to Alger criticism in the 1980s and 1990s, which sometimes focuses on the homoeroticism of his works. At the same time, scholars like Carol Nackenoff draw attention away from exploring Alger's personal motives by encouraging a more historical understanding of the social contexts he represented.
Critics have offered varying explanations for Alger's apparent transformation in the middle of the twentieth century from a minor writer of popular children's stories into a prophet of business enterprise. Some commentators argue that after the Depression, Alger made a convenient scapegoat for the evils of unrestrained capitalism. Others contend that Mayes, who stated in his biography of Alger that all his heroes "started poor and ended up well-to-do," was instrumental in creating the Alger legend. While today it is generally agreed that the fictional hero created by Horatio Alger does not embody the myth that has been ascribed to him, Alger remains significant as a cultural and historical phenomenon.
*Principal Works
Bertha's Christmas Vision (short stories and poetry) 1856
Frank's Campaign; or, What Boys Can Do on the Farm for the Camp (novel) 1864
Paul Prescott's Charge (novel) 1865
Fame and Fortune; or, The Progress of Richard Hunter (novel) 1868
Ragged Dick; or, Street Life in New York with the Boot-Blacks (novel) 1868
Luck and Pluck; or, John Oakley's Inheritance (novel) 1869
Mark, the Match Boy; or, Richard Hunter's Ward (novel) 1869
Rough and Ready; or, Life among the New York Newsboys (novel) 1869
Ben, the Luggage Boy; or, Among the Wharves (novel) 1870
Rufus and Rose; or; The Fortunes of Rough and Ready (novel) 1870
Sink or Swim; or, Harry Raymond's Resolve (novel) 1870
Paul the Peddler; or, The Adventures of a Young Street Merchant (novel) 1871
Strong and Steady; or, Paddle Your Own Canoe (novel) 1871
Tattered Tom; or, The Story of a Street Arab (novel) 1871
Phil, the Fiddler; or, The Story of a Young Street Musician (novel) 1872
Slow and Sure; or, From the Street to the Shop (novel) 1872
Strive and Succeed; or, The Progress of Walter Conrad (novel) 1872...
(The entire section is 480 words.)
SOURCE: "The Alger Hero," in Heroes of Popular Culture, edited by Ray B. Browne, Marshall Fishwick, and Michael T. Marsden, Bowling Green University Press, 1972, pp. 42–51.
[In the following essay, Coad argues that though Horatio Alger's work has been relatively neglected by scholars, Alger's ideals are still reflected in America's materialistic culture.]
Hidden on one of the inside pages of a recent edition of The New York Times was a small article announcing the recipients of the Annual Horatio Alger Awards, an event that has been going on for some years now.1 Certainly few people would dispute that the day has passed when simple country boys can become sole owners of large enterprises merely by climbing through the ranks from errand-boy to president. And contemporary sociologists, supported by much impressive statistical data, have been quick to point out that the majority of successful businessmen do not, and never did, struggle to the top solely by way of their own "pluck" and industry. Yet, even though it is no longer front-page news, a remnant of that era when the Carnegies, Rockefellers, and Vanderbilts were held up as national heroes who pulled themselves up by their bootstraps continued to cling to its place in the minds of many Americans.
The fact is that social engineering has largely replaced pioneering and profiteering as fertile ground for prospective...
(The entire section is 3725 words.)
SOURCE: "The Boudoir Tales of Horatio Alger, Jr.," in Journal of Popular Culture, Vol. X, No. 1, 1976, pp. 215–26.
[In the following essay, Scharnhorst looks at the humanitarian moralism of Alger's adult fiction.]
Horatio Alger, Jr., whose fame rests upon his prodigious output of over a hundred juvenile novels written between 1864 and his death in 1899, also had a career as a writer of adult fiction, although it is generally ignored. Alger published a total of eleven adult novelle between 1857 and 1869, by which time the demand for his juvenile work had substantially increased following the publication in 1867 of his first best seller for boys, Ragged Dick, or Street Life in New York. In addition, during his career Alger published nearly two hundred different short tales in such family and women's magazines as Home Circle, Yankee Blade, and Gleason's Literary Companion. Most of these were also originally written prior to his success in the juvenile genre, however, and later reprinted in various publications.1 Finally, late in life, after his reputation as a juvenile fictionist was secure, Alger wrote three more adult novels, one of which remains unpublished and in manuscript. This complete body of work, particularly the short apprenticeship pieces, still await a more thorough anlysis than is possible here; however, a few representative adult works, by providing a context...
(The entire section is 6304 words.)
SOURCE: "Horatio Alger and American Modernism: The One-Dimensional Social Formula," in American Studies, Vol. 17, No. 2, June 20-July 11, 1976, pp. 11–27.
[In the following essay, Lhamon places Alger as a central influence in defining American mores and developmental ideals, especially in regard to the relationship of the individual to society.]
Imamu Amiri Baraka's story, "The Death of Horatio Alger," is an important overlooked benchmark in the history of American literature because it so consciously marks the end of America's one-dimensional culture.1 Baraka says even "Poets climb, briefly, off their motorcycles, to find out who owns their words. We are named by all the things we will never understand [and] all the pimps of reason who've ever conquered us." He speaks of the white, majority culture as a "complete and conscious phenomenon." And when Horatio Alger died for him, Baraka experienced his "first leap over the barrier." That is, he began to be free when he saw that serious literature was part of the complete and conscious phenomenon that owned his earlier words. By holding him in Horatio Alger's sort of life, literature, too, pimped his reason. It, too, conquered him. Serious literature was the cultural arm of social oppression. It was war carried on by other means.
And there is a measure of truth in that claim, because Alger's influence...
(The entire section is 8396 words.)
SOURCE: "Cast Upon the Breakers (1887–1899)," in The Lost Life of Horatio Alger, Jr., Indiana University Press, 1985, pp. 127–48.
[In the following chapter, Scharnhorst and Bales provide biographical and historical information on the last decade of Alger's life, with special attention to his politics and economic ideology.]
Rupert did not envy his father's old partner. "I would rather be poor and honest, " he reflected, "than live in a fine house, surrounded by luxury, gained by grinding the faces of the poor. "
Rupert's Ambition
Alger was a mugwump, a liberal Republican committed to principles of fair prices and decent wages, a critic of sharp business practices and cutthroat competition. He was neither an apologist for the wealthy class nor a stalking horse for industrial capitalism. Rather, his appeal was fundamentally nostalgic. He often set his tales in idealized villages modeled upon preindustrial Marlborough. His heroes never worked in mechanized factories, and in his later stories they were more often sons of poor farmers than indigent street Arabs. Whereas Alger wrote his early juvenile fiction to publicize the work of the Children's Aid Society and kindred institutions, many of the stories he wrote in the 1880s and 1890s were thinly-disguised...
(The entire section is 9446 words.)
SOURCE: "'The Gentle Boy from the Dangerous Classes': Pederasty, Domesticity, and Capitalism in Horatio Alger," in Representations. No. 19, 1987, pp. 87-110.
[In the following essay, Moon discusses Alger's blend of homoeroticism and capitalist nostalgia.]
Throngs of Ragged Children bent on earning or cadging small sums of money filled the streets of mid-nineteenth-century New York, if we are to credit the testimony of a large number of chroniclers of city life of the period. These genteel observers—journalists, novelists, social reformers, early criminologists—professed to be alternately appalled and enchanted by the spectacle of street children noisily and energetically playing, begging, and hawking a multitude of services and goods—shoeshines, matches, newspapers, fruit. In considering the accounts of this scene made by those who first concerned themselves with it, one soon becomes aware that a significant number of writers respond to it with strong ambivalence. For many of them, there is an undeniable charm or beauty, strongly tinged with pathos, in the spectacle of the pauper children: the high style with which they collectively wage their struggle for subsistence exerts a powerful appeal. For some of the same observers, though, the charm of the street urchins is a siren song: beneath their affecting exteriors many of them are prematurely criminal, expert manipulators of the responses of naive...
(The entire section is 11620 words.)
SOURCE: "Reading Alger: Searching for Alger's Audience in the Literary Marketplace," in The Fictional Republic: Horatio Alger and American Political Discourse. Oxford University Press, 1994, pp.181-203.
[In the following chapter, Nackenoff identifies Alger's readership within the changing historical context of increased literacy and cheaper availability of books.]
Your kind and flattering letter reached me just as I was starting for the Geysers … It gives me great pleasure to find that I have friends and appreciative readers among the girls, as well as among the boys, and on the shores of the Pacific, as well as the Atlantic. I hope at an early date to write a story located in California, and I shall be glad if it proves acceptable to my friends here.
Alger to Miss Harriet Jackson, March 3, 18771
The marked surge in the production, dissemination, and reading of literature in the Gilded Age created new readers and new reading tastes. Rising literacy, increased leisure for some, a spreading national network of reading matter available for purchase and loan, and declining price of fiction helped make readers out of new classes. Especially after 1880, these factors worked in conjunction with growing family incomes to produce changes in reading propensities, buying habits, and tastes. Much of the reading was fiction....
(The entire section is 11507 words.)
Further Reading
Beauchamp, Gorman. "Ragged Dick and the Fate of Respectability." Michigan Quarterly Review, Vol. 31, No. 3 (Summer 1992): 324-45.
In this discussion of Ragged Dick, Beauchamp argues that critics in the past overlooked the preeminent theme of respectability, an ideal he finds relatively scarce in contemporary American popular culture.
Hendler, Glenn. "Pandering in the Public Sphere: Masculinity and the Market in Horatio Alger." American Quarterly, Vol. 48, no. 3 (September 1996): 415-38.
Hendler argues that Alger's novels were intended to indoctrinate boys in preparation for the male, financial, public sphere.
Nackenoff, Carol. "Of Factories and Failures: Exploring the Invisible Factory Gates of Horatio Alger, Jr." Journal of Popular Culture, Vol. 25, no. 4 (Spring 1992): 63-80.
Nackenoff argues that Alger's moralism has been underestimated by past critics. She clarifies the urgency of his moral message by contextualizing his writings historically.
Pauly, Thomas H. "Ragged Dick and Little Women: Idealized Homes and Unwanted Marriages." Journal of Popular Culture 9 (1975): 583-92.
Pauly places Ragged Dick in the context of early children's...
(The entire section is 266 words.)
Source: Nineteenth-Century Literary Criticism, ©2013 Gale Cengage. All Rights Reserved. Full copyright.


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Speakers come in all shapes and sizes. It's nice to be able to squeeze a little sound into a smaller space. However, sometimes you want that speaker to be in your face—as well as in your room.
The Boston Acoustics A 360 is a big boy. Measuring almost 42 inches high, this floorstanding speaker packs in two 6.5-inch woofers, a 3.5-inch midrange unit, and the company's 1-inch Kortec soft dome tweeter. Other features include a frequency range of 38Hz to 25kHz, a senstivity rating of 89dB, and more.
According to a recent review on Audioholics, that sensitivity is actually lower than rated. There were a few other minor quirks, but writer Joel Foust seemed pretty pleased with the unit overall.
"The Boston Acoustics A360 floorstanding loudspeakers are well built and look good at $800/pair. High quality parts are used in the cabinet construction and the drivers are decent quality. Although the measured sensitivity is on the low side and the midrange a bit recessed, the A360's exhibit nice bass extension. I envision that Boston Acoustics designed this speaker to please the masses and I think it is excellent in that regard."
To read the entire review on Audioholics.com, go here. You can also share your thoughts on the product and the review in the Audioholics forum.
Follow Electronic House on Facebook and Twitter.
Another communication platform is launched on LG smart TVs. What does it do?
Elan g! control system enables effortless energy savings for Florida homeowner.
Speakers, soundbars, wireless systems, digital audio components and more.


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If you haven't heard, Kanye West's video leaked for his new single "Black Skinhead".
Kanye was pretty pissed and went to twitter to express his frustration:
I respect Kanye as an artist, so I won't post the video until he releases the official version soon.
But here's the video of Kanye performing the song on SNL a few weeks back to keep you busy until then:
Kanye West - Black Skinhead (LIVE on SNL)
Check out more videos from Kanye on his YouTube channel: CLICK HERE


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Hi!, I want to know the Incubation centers in Pune for the start up IT companies with the following facilites... 1) Network Access. 2) Power with Back up. 3) 24*7 Access... Thanks Pawar. asked 22 Jul '10, 09:17 Ratikant Pawar nik ♦ Hmm, this should be a big list sprawled all over Pune.
(23 Jul '10, 02:06)
nik ♦
Pune IT Park, Bopodi (near Aundh/Spicer College) has a very good incubation center. With modules from 2 seats to 20 seats (or even higher). They offer 'plug-and-play' - Furniture, Internet, Phone, AC, Power Backup, etc... as well as shared infrastructure such as conference rooms, cafeteria, etc. Check it out: http://www.puneitpark.com/ answered 15 Dec '10, 06:42 Amit Paranjape ♦♦ |
i believe there are lot of setups where you can 'plug&play' ur biz , on per seat basis. one is in VEGA center, Swargate good luck answered 21 Aug '10, 21:22 Ranjit Sharma |
NCL Pune has a innovation incubation center. ~Sri answered 24 Aug '10, 09:24 Srikanth Adiga We had occupied the NCL venture cnter for a month or so. Satisfied with the facilities. But it can be really expensive. Suitable for only1-2 resources maybe
(08 Sep '10, 08:10)
Arati Halbe
Yup, I agree. I too found it expensive. Cheaper to setup own office and claim depreciation.
(19 Sep '10, 04:37)
Srikanth Adiga
Kumar Cerebrum IT Park, Kalyaninagar. (Note - I think it opened recently.. don't have datapoints from people who are actually using it). answered 15 Dec '10, 06:47 Amit Paranjape ♦♦ |
Regus has impressive offices at Magarpatta City and Connaught Place. Looks expensive but they have number of plans to be customized to suit your requirements. answered 29 Dec '10, 10:57 Mandar Shinde |
Please mail your no. at firstname.lastname@example.com answered 07 Jun '11, 10:40 Amit Tiwari |


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Winfield ScottNational Portrait Gallery 1855 Robert Walter Weir (1803–1889)Winfield ScottScott during War of 1812Add a photo or record for Winfield ScottAdd
EditBasic Birth: 13 Jun 1786 2 Laurel Branch, the family plantation in Dinwiddie County, near Petersburg, Virginia 2 Male 2 Death: 29 May 1866 2
EditMilitary Service War of 1812 2 Mexican-American War 2 Civil War 2 Other Service 2 Branch: Army 2 Rank: revet Lieutenant General 2
Looking for more information about Winfield Scott? Search through millions of records to find out more. Find more records
Anyone can contribute to this page. Please sign in or sign up—it's free. Contributors: davidawilliams1952 Created: 20 May 2013 Modified: 07 Oct 2013 Page Views: 130 total (11 this week)


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Division of Local Public Health
UPDATED: Local Health Officer Online Training is now available.
The updated LHO training contains new information, detailed explanation of legal concepts and additional resources related to issues that local health officers are likely to encounter.
News 2012
- District Public Health Improvement Plan
- Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnership (MAPP)
The Division of Local Public Health (DLPH) was created in 2008 in order to strengthen and improve public health services and infrastructure at the local and district levels. Organizationally, the office is located within Maine CDC Administration.
DLPH staff collaborate and partner with other Maine CDC and DHHS Programs and divisions, local service providers, municipal governments, and community partners to effectively and efficiently coordinate and integrate local and district-wide public health activities.
DLPH employs a number of District Public Health Liaisons who are placed throughout the state at District DHHS Offices. Liaisons provide public health leadership at the district level and work in close collaboration with other Maine CDC field staff, including District Field Epidemiologists, Public Health Nurses and Health Inspectors.
Contact Information:
DLPH Administration
Sharon Leahy-Lind, Director
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Judy H. Gopaul, J.D., MPPM
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Dessert 2 ways
The goal of this shoot was to showcase how the cupcake could be used in a variety of ways. Since it's sold without any frosting you can choose if you want to eat it alone or add frosting or even make a berry creme dessert. The client wanted everything else to be simple, and warm. So, we kept it all about the food.
Food styling by Beth Hawkins
Posted by admin on November 15th, 2012 :: Filed under All
Tags :: Advertising photography, berries, bread, Colorado, Colorado food photographer, Colorado food photography, cupcake, denver, Denver Photographer, dessert photography, food photographer, Jessica Grenier Photography, muffin


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Via Sports-Kings:
Former NFL star Terrell Owens, who has been accused in court documents of owing $20,000 in child-support payments, will be facing the public in an attempt to defend himself.
Owens -- who has four children (sons Terique and Atlin, daughters Kylee and Dasha) with three different women -- will appear on the "Dr. Phil" show Tuesday, according to USA Today.
The show's host, Phil McGraw, told the "CBS Morning Show" that "he (Owens) says he wants to set the record straight. He wants to tell people he's not the person the media has depicted him of being."
Owens has always loved the spotlight, so it will be interesting to see what he has to say in his defense.
Also from Sports-Kings
55-year-old grandma tries out for Dallas cheerleading squad
Charles Barkley has strong message for Mitt Romney
NBA superstar planning R&B career?
Terrell Owens Was on Dr. Phil Today
Terrell Owens to appear on 'Dr. Phil'
The mercurial former NFL wideout will be sitting down with the talk show host to confront three women, all claiming that he's behind on child support payments.
Terrell Owens and his baby mamas solve nothing on Dr. Phil, but that wasn't the point
Terrell Owens Appears on 'Dr. Phil' to Talk About Having Four Kids With Four Women, $50,000 He Owes in Child Support
Terrell Owens Battles Three Baby Mamas Today on Dr. Phil
Video: Terrell Owens on Dr. Phil
Terrell Owens will appear on Dr. Phil to encounter mothers of his children
Former Philadelphia Eagles WR T.O. to Face Baby Mama Drama on Dr. Phil
WR Terrell Owens proves to be a media hound once again
Terrell Owens and his 3 baby's mamas appear on Dr. Phil
TO's appearance on Dr Phil with his baby mamas was tragic
Dave Kolonich on the NFL
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Technological advances in the home happen at a fast and furious pace. It seems like only yesterday we were popping CDs into players and pecking away at banks of buttons on remote controls.
Those "old-fashioned" CDs and remotes may have a little life left in them, but what's more common—and much cooler these days is to stream songs from the cloud to your stereo system and swipe a touchpanel to channel-surf.
This radical evolution in high-tech took only a few years, so what can we expect to see in home technologies in the near future? We asked several industry experts to forecast what's in store for us in home audio, video, control and networking. Here's the scoop:
Follow Electronic House on Facebook and Twitter.Easy installation and an easy price may make this a smart lock hit.
Elan g! control system enables effortless energy savings for Florida homeowner.
Speakers, soundbars, wireless systems, digital audio components and more.


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There is plenty of healthy competition going on in our community in this season. Saints of all ages are engaging in sports and games, displaying their skill and fitness, and enjoying the rewards that sports and group activities bring to us all.
Our Ahkvah ("Brotherhood") School track and field team has had a prosperous year, with twenty young athletes qualifying in the recent regional finals. Ten boys and ten girls will go to the country's (national) track and field finals on April 25, 2013, to compete in five different events; the 800 meter race, the long jump, the high jump, the shot put and the "sweaty" relay. (First leg 100 meters, second leg 200, third leg 300 and fourth leg 400) The excitement is really high and they aim to bring home the victory.
Our internationally-renowned men's softball team, "The Mean Judeans", have begun this year's season with four straight wins! Last year, they made it to the finals, but did not come out on top, as they did often in prior years. This year's great start is a promising sign for a strong season, wherein they hope to bring home the national championship once again.
This past week brought much excitement, as the preliminary races for the Rockameem Games was held, beginning with the kindergarten students! It is such a treat to watch the babies giving it their all and the parents and siblings cheering, jumping and running down the sidelines with them! Along with the kindergarten preliminary, the preliminaries for all school classes, first through twelfth grade, were also enjoyed.
On the basketball front, the young boys' league, that plays every Saturday night, has certainly not disappointed its fans. The games have been exciting and the young players have shown forth real skill handling the ball and shooting. The season culminates this week with the championship playoff match.
We are also two weeks into the adult bid whist tournament of the Rockameem Games. Saints have paired up to bring their best game. Our Spiritual Leader, Ben Ammi was spotted at the first round, checking out the competition. He and his partner, his daughter Bahtiyah, began their play in the second round with a victory. Teams play to the double elimination rule, and several games are played simultaneously. You can hear a pin drop in the room, until someone makes a mistake or a team expresses the joy and relief of victory.
All this healthy competition is keeping joy in the air and the team spirit in the midst of the saints. All the youth are experiencing great character building and lessons of team work in their sports' quests. Excitement is abound as we look forward to the culmination of all the contests… knowing that in the end, there are winners, but no losers.


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Social media becomes a bigger factor in booking on almost a daily basis. Repeatedly in the past few months, I have heard producers, directors, and photographers say things like, "I wanted to know more about [insert your name here], so I checked out his/her facebook page and saw . . . " That lead in has ended with some really positive statements and translated into a booking for the named talent. It has also sometimes began a displeasurable rant about politics, sexuality, religion, and other topics.
Social medias are a new front for marketing, entertainment, and communication. Like most new things, we are going to have to learn some lessons the hard way before the younger generations are coached on how to use them effectively. Since most of us are already adults and making an effort to join the technological era, these words from BackStage blogger Mercedes Rose are well-timed.
Social media does make a difference. A producer in the room for final callbacks recalled a recent very negative Facebook posting one of the actor had recently done. The producer immediately said he wasn't "overly excited" about the prospect of that negative energy coming to set. Now, I totally understand that one negative FB status does not a negative actor make. The point is: this producer didn't want to take that chance. And that is his right as the one doing the hiring.
In his new book, Talking Back to Facebook: A Common Sense Guide To Raising Kids in the Digital Age, Steyer explores some of the effects of digital media and outlines strategies for avoiding what he calls RAP — relationship issues, attention/addiction problems and privacy pitfalls — while navigating the digital world. "Young people in particular often self-reveal before they self-reflect," Steyer tells Fresh Air's Dave Davies. "There is no eraser button today for indiscretion."
There is a place for personal discussions in life - it is between those involved and in private. There is also a time for venting and bouncing ideas off of trusted sources - it is again, between those involved and in private. Social medias are too easily accessible, too quickly completed, and too likely to not be filtered based on statistical analysis noted in the book, Talking Back to Facebook.
There are ways to make certain posts visible to a specific group of friends; say, your family of origin, for example. Keep in mind, though, that the information you posted may only be immediately visible to those you choose, but it is still accessible out there on the worldwide web. No need to have haunting things pop up later when you make it big, right?
How are you using your social media positively? What results have you seen?


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Our CPU and GPU database haven't been updated for some time, which is mainly due to the lack of someone with a clear responsibility for it. What we need are two individuals to take care of one of those databases each. Data entry is performed via web based interface. At first more work is required to bring the DBs up-to-date, but from then on only when new products are released. New ideas for usability improvements etc. are also welcome. A candidate should bring a sufficient technical understanding for CPUs/GPUs, ability to do online research, basic image processing skills (resize, crop, save properly compressed JPGs), reliability and (self)-motivation are essential. What we need is someone who considers his section his responsibility and is motivated to make it as perfect as possible. Please contact me via forum PM why you are our candidate and what payment you are looking for (fixed monthly fee, via Paypal). This is a continous, long-term engagement, even in times with little new product releases. Feel free to ask for additional clarification in this thread.
How much time, per week/month, is required from the candidate? Obviously the time it takes to complete work depends on the skill of the person, so just a rough figure please.
take a look at the current info in the database, ask yourself how many new products get released, what amount of time is needed for maintenance
The CPU database does lack some processors. What would be the urgency in the update? I mean, would there be a deadline to completely put the database up to date?
I post on a daily basis like most, have a fair bit of spare time every evening and wouldn't mind contributing to TPU as it has given me a wealth of knowledge over the years
I would be more than willing to help, as reading up on hardware is one of my hobbies. However, due to my schedule, I could not commit to the level of responsibility this role requires. I could do it on a semi-casual basis if the need arose.
I think this could be accomplished with member support. Example: If there was a list of cpu's (blank spots) and the member chose one and then completed the details in the given format and submitted them. That way small time donations are spread out. The question would be how far back is the database going to go. I think most members would be willing. This takes money out of the equation, but money is never a bad thing. Also oversight could be assigned to someone for a fee... puting money back into the equation. I would be willing to donate time. Intel and AMD web sites are not that hard to navigate. Also, from the request it appears that you want to add new fields of information...???
Since I'm not familiar with either database, I guess I'm not a candidate, but you (wiz) are leaving this way too open ended. Most people have no idea what their time and skills are worth and even if they do may be loathe to negotiate. I know I hate doing it. Also, I think you need to give some idea of how much time might be involved - both initially for a person of average skill and also once they have done a few dozen entries so people have an idea of the learning curve. Of course you have no obligation to do any of these things, but I think the way you have it now, you're not going to get the kind of person you want.
YOU SAID WHAT I WAS THINKING. I did some looking at the CPU database, example Opteron X2 185... no picture (I own it) and TWO fields blank.(((see underlined Below))) I could update that missing info. On a side note: I am not a fan of the double columns for the info under the pictures...for me it makes messy reading. AMD: OSA185DAA6CD OSA185CDBOX N/A 2600 MHz 2MB 1000 90nm SOI Socket 939 1.30V 1.35V 80.0A 110.0W 49'C 65'C 20F32 90nm SOI E6 Wiki: Opteron 185 2.6 GHz 2x 1 MB 1 GHz 13x 1.35/1.3 110W Socket 939 March 6, 2006 OSA185DAA6CD http://img.techpowerup.org/110701/Capture.jpg
If this is the database entries you're referring to: they could do with some maintenance and tweaking. Perhaps adding relative performance markers per generation i.e. AMD 6990 > GTX 590 > GTX 580 > HD 6970 GTX 570 etc. Not sure what format but it would give Joe Public an at a glance notion of heirarchy? The same could be done for CPU's (though maybe broken down into enterprise and consumer). I'd love to help but I'm not IT literate
I'm getting the impression "if you can't answer any questions that you have then you're not a suitable candidate". I think W1zz wants someone who already knows what payment they want/how much the job is worth, how much time it will take, etc.
So you are talking about flat fee for inital database brought up to date them monthly maintainance fee?
Aim high...if W1z gets flooded with offers then we can determine what the job is worth... OR as twilyth suggested perhaps more info is needed. US: 10K flat, 250 montly. PRECISION: "A candidate should bring a sufficient technical understanding for CPUs/GPUs, ability to do online research, basic image processing skills (resize, crop, save properly compressed JPGs), reliability and (self)-motivation are essential. What we need is someone who considers his section his responsibility and is motivated to make it as perfect as possible."
im interested in the GPU database. im on TPU for 4-10 hours per day lol... so motivation wont be an issue, constantly reading up on hardware... currently reading up a lot on audio.


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Spring Accessories 2012
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Don't Worry, Be Happy
Pizza Chicago Style
Marley's Chicago Style Pizzeria
6104 E. 71st St., 918-551-7744
Food: 4 out of 5 stars
Atmosphere: 4 out of 5 stars
Service: 5 out of 5 stars
No two pizzas are alike. For every pizzeria in town, diners will find just as many variations on the same theme. They all begin with the same stuff: crust, sauce, toppings. From there, the difference begins. Take Marley's Chicago Style Pizzeria. Comparing and contrasting Marley's Chicago Style pizza with other Chicago style pizzas in town, pizza lovers will find a number of differences, from size, depth, toppings, sauces to taste and presentation and price.
Samantha Green, general manager for Marley's, said owner Jeff Hague created his own version of the famous Chicago-style pizza. "After working at a few places, he got a hankering to open a pizza place," she said. "He took a few trips to Chicago to sample how they make their pizza and to gather ideas." After that, a good friend of his, put together the concept.
Contrary to what the name suggests, Marley's is not named after well-known Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician Bob Marley. Green said it is just a name Hague kept coming back to when naming his restaurant.
Still, the décor of Marley's reflects an affinity to rock music. Rock memorabilia embellish the walls, such as paintings of John Lennon, Johnny Cash, Bob Marley, as well as mini-posters of rock artists and concerts: Elvis Presley, Eric Clapton and James Brown to name a few. Even classic rock plays throughout the place to further plant the rock atmosphere.
Green said Hague, who is originally from Jenks, wanted "to make sure his pizza was different than others, but still authentic to the Chicago style of pizza." My dining companion and I found that to be quite true when we dined there one Sunday afternoon. Chicago-style pizza is widely known as a deep dish pie. The edge crust can be up to three inches high, yet in some cases, just a bit higher than the ingredients it is supporting: generous portions of cheese and tomato sauce is thick and chunky. Also, typical of Chicago style pizza, the toppings are reversed: cheese is at the bottom, then the toppings and sauce.
Entering Marley's, the right half of the restaurant is a bar area with 10 TVs, pool table and pub-style tables. Green explained another room is the family room with tables and chairs, "separated enough from the bar area, ideal for families with children." In addition, there is also a room for private parties or meetings.
We were seated in the family room, and promptly greeted by our server. We began with a selection from the appetizers, the Skillet Pizza Dip ($7.95). This sounded great. A creation of cream cheese, homemade marinara sauce, topped with green peppers and red onions, covered with pepperoni and then baked and served with Frito Scoops for dipping. This came to us piping hot, still sizzling in the pan. It was like eating a supreme pizza without the crust. This dip was the ultimate in cheesy and cream cheesy. The marinara sauce, Green said, is made each day in house. She described it as "a sweet, basil sauce" which is less acidic than some marinara sauce. We found it very sweet, but not overdone.
Green mentioned another appetizer that goes over well, the Homemade Cheese Bread ($5.75). She said it begins with pizza dough which is brushed with their garlic olive oil glaze then topped with a mozzarella and provolone blend and mixture of spices, with oregano as the headliner.
Heath Sharp |
For our main meal, we ordered two pizzas, a 14" Italian Rooster Chicago style ($24.95) and a small hand tossed Ring of Fire ($11.95).
The Italian Rooster was a beautiful specimen of a pizza. The first impression was one of awe. This large pizza had a layer of marinara sauce covering the pie; now and then slices of jalapeno peeked through the sauce. When I sliced the pizza, the remaining ingredients were exposed: grilled chicken, pepperoni and mozzarella cheese. Adding to the depth of flavor was a garlic olive oil glaze that was spread on top. The marinara sauce was thick, with pieces of tomato; it even had a little roasted flavor to it which was nice.
I would call this an "in between" style of the traditional Chicago style. The outer buttery crust hugs and curls over the body of the pizza. As Green said, "the dough for their pizzas do not puff up over the pie" as do some other Chicago style pizzas. The dough is Hague's own recipe, but they outsource its production. It was a good balance of thick crust, sauce and fillings. Lots of melted mozzarella cheese oozed from each slice. This was a great choice for not only a tasty pizza, but one that was very filling. Two slices was enough for me.
With each pizza, a wine and beer pairing is listed which Green says "helps people to order their drink" if they wish. The Rooster was paired with Chateau Julien Pinot Grigio or a Peroni beer. The only pizza not paired with a wine or beer is the Ring of Fire -- instead the menu says, "Goes great with milk." Green said those who try the Ring of Fire pizza are "very daring."
I agree.
On the menu, this pizza comes with ample warning to the brave soul; it has two stars on the corner of the selection labeled "HOT." In addition, it says "Eat with caution??" This pizza has pepperoni, jalapenos, habaneros and ghost peppers on top of a chili pepper infused marinara with mozzarella cheese. A few bites at a time were all I could handle with this pizza. Once I built up a tolerance for it, it was actually very good -- and, a cold beer does go well with it! But it is hot, hot and hot. It's not for the tender mouthed.
The menu has 16 specialty pizzas, or customers can create their own with the hand tossed crust or the Chicago style. A good variety of sauces include homemade marinara, garlic olive oil glaze, Alfredo sauce, and tangy BBQ sauce. Meat, cheese and vegetable toppings are fairly standard. For those desiring something other than pizza, Marley's has salads, sandwiches and wraps, even a gluten free pizza menu. For the adventuresome, two people can take the "Gnarly Marley Challenge." It's two pizza eaters versus a 24" pizza. Finish the pizza in an hour and the team gets their picture on the Challenge wall in a Marley's t-shirt. Not able to finish the pizza, it'll cost the team $39.
It's a fun atmosphere at Marley's. The bar has happy hour Monday-Friday, 4-6pm with specials each day.
Send all comments and feedback regarding Restaurant to
URL for this story: http://www.urbantulsa.comhttp://www.urbantulsa.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A52681


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Update: Under Construction | Accepting | Always Accepting
In the midst of a mythical world called Azrielle, truces are broken and crimes are committed,
causing a once peaceful kingdom to be shattered,
and throwing the remaining two into the deep depths of war.
GM: Duckie
Co-GM: Dubwarlock
Co-GM: Hallowed Mind
Main Plot:
Within Azrielle are three kingdoms: The Kingdom of Braethien, home to the darker souls and hearts (whether they have them or not, the Kingdom of Keralus, home of the ______, and the Kingdom of Estoerian, home of the human's. For merely a century, the three kingdoms were held together by a truce. A truce that would prevent another war from escaping the confinements of history. However, after years of the Kingdom of Braethien simply bearing equality, they finally go after their true desire: Power. The first step to their plan brought the Kingdom of Estoerian, being the weaker of the trio, to its destruction. The Kingdom of Keralus, having purer hearts than the latter, took to the Kingdom of Estoerian's defense, but being unprepared, not much could be done. Now, with the human's close to extinction, the Kingdom of Braethien will aim to take down its next obstacle: The Kingdom of Keralus.
So if you haven't read the interest check, this story contains limitless possibilities and doesn't contain a strict plot. As you can see, there is a plot, but that is just to set a boundary- the subplots is what will keep this roleplay going. This roleplay will be based around a group of characters that willl all be connected somehow. Primarily, it will be revolve around a younger set of characters ranging from thirty and younger. You are, however, allowed to create other multiple characters and NPC's that maybe be of any age, species, etc. You will have the ability to kill your character off, whether you are looking to place the highlight on a new character, or you are just simply resigning from the roleplay. The setting takes place within the medieval
Creature Encyclopedia:
- You may only post every two posts.
- I expect at least three-hundred words per post. Anything less must be put into a collaboration.
- After one week of no posts, I will message you. Three days after that, your character will be removed from the "active" list.
- Be mindful that if your character needs improvement or change, you will be politely asked to edit it and then required to do so. Also, if your character is too much like another, you will be asked to revise it. I am looking for a very diverse cast.
- Try to be active in the OOC at least once every three-four days.
- Ideas, opinions, and collaborations are encouraged.
- Bored? Inform me through the OOC or PM and I will be happy to give you a few ideas, since as stated earlier, I have brainstormed ways to ensure its success. If you know you will not be able to enjoy this any longer, please inform me and create one final post for your characters leave (Perhaps you could kill them off, run away, or whatever you come up with).


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The ADPRO V3100 Hybrid is a single- or multi-site system that delivers live or recorded images so operators within a central monitoring station can quickly assess an unfolding security situation and take appropriate action, ensuring that guard services are deployed efficiently. Fully scalable to support up to 16 analog or IP cameras, the ADPRO V3100 Hybrid features H.264 compression to deliver high-quality video with the lowest bandwidth, server-grade hard disks to locally store up to 8TB with SMART diagnostics, and out-of-the-box analytics.
ADPRO V3100 Hybrid Video and Audio Transmitter/Recorder
From Xtralis
ADPRO V3100 Hybrid Video and Audio Transmitter/Recorder
Product From Xtralis
Expand for more details on this Product
DIGIOP NVR & FlexVR Hybrid Recording Solutions
Product From Observint Technologies -
Austin, TX (October 21, 2013) – DIGIOP, a leading provider of video and data management solutions, today announced a completely new line of hybrid and network video recording solutions. The new systems are engineered to deliver enhanced performance, convenience and scalability, and feature
DIGIOP's NVR and Flex VR Hybrid Video Recorders
Product From DIGIOP Technologies -
Austin, TX (October 21, 2013) – DIGIOP, a leading provider of video and data management solutions, today announced a completely new line of hybrid and network video recording solutions. The new systems are engineered to deliver enhanced performance, convenience and scalability, and feature DIGIOP's new, innovative and simplified licensing model, Open IP License.
Aventura Technologies H.265 HEVC
Product From Aventura Technologies Inc. -
Hauppauge, New York, September 11, 2013—Aventura Technologies, Inc., an industry leader in advanced security and video management technology announced it will be showcasing the first H.265 HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding) solutions at the ASIS International Annual Seminar and Exhibits at McCormick Place in Chicago. Aventura's all new H.265 high-definition and high efficiency network security cameras and recorders represent the next generation of security technology.
TruVision Digital Security Monitoring
Product From Interlogix Global Security Products -
The TruVision line brings the benefits of digital security monitoring to commercial applications. Easy to install and operate, TruVision cameras, recorders, monitors and interfaces deliver practical and reliable video surveillance, even in the most challenging environments.
- Product From 3VR, Inc.
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--3VR, the video intelligence company, announced today the launch of the 5000-series of network and hybrid video recorders (NVRs/HVRs), the company's most powerful and scalable recording solution to date. The new line of 3VR's NVRs and HVRs easily scales from medium-sized installations with the 5000 model, to large-scale installs with 128 cameras using the horsepower of the 5500 model.
Advanced Technology Video's FA-HVR32 Hybrid Video Recorder
Product From Advanced Technology Video -
Coppell, TX – May 5, 2013 – Advanced Technology Video (ATV) a leading provider of innovative video security surveillance solutions announces the release of new 32-channel Falcon Series Hybrid Video Recorder as the newest addition to its ATV IP Solutions product line.
American Dynamics' VideoEdge and victor Express Client
Product From American Dynamics -
WESTFORD, MA – April 4, 2013 – American Dynamics, part of the Security Products business unit of Tyco, is introducing new ways to manage and interact with VideoEdge video management systems: VideoEdge Hybrid and Desktop/Mini-Tower NVR with VideoEdge Client and victor Express Client.
- Product From Salient Systems
AUSTIN, TX (March 19, 2013) - Salient Systems Corporation, a leader in video surveillance solutions, is pleased to announce a new, comprehensive hardware platform for their CompleteView video management software.
American Dynamics' VideoEdge Hybrid and Desktop NVR
Product From American Dynamics -
WESTFORD, MA. December 21, 2012 –– American Dynamics, part of the Security Products business unit of Tyco, has introduced its VideoEdge Hybrid recorder and Desktop NVR, using the victor unified client. VideoEdge Hybrid is a powerful, high-performance NVMS that records and manages video from both analog and IP cameras, protecting your video investments. The new Hybrid expands on the VideoEdge portfolio, which has tripled since its introduction in 2008, offering a full suite of NVR solutions for all size businesses. The Desktop NVR offers 200Mbps throughput (100Mbps to storage and 100Mbps playback to clients), the highest in the industry.
- Product From BCDVideo
NORTHBROOK, IL – Sept. 7, 2012. BCDVideo™ announces the Fusion Series, a unique hybrid solution for small to medium size businesses, offering best-in-class components for affordable and reliable video surveillance management that combines analog and digital device input.


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To Understand the New Feedback System and DSRs
eBay has started a new feedback system and detailed seller ratings (DSRs) to evaluate customers' buying experiences. To understand the new feedback system, please read the following message from Internet Merchants Association before leaving feedback.
Did You Know?
If a seller receives more than a few Detailed Seller Ratings of less than 5 star's, then they will be significantly penalized.
When eBay calculates a seller's 12 months feedback percentage,
A Neutral feedback is treated exactly the same as a Negative feedback.
The Internet Merchants Association wants you to know this before you leave feedback for a seller.
You may think that you are leaving a reasonable rating by giving a seller DSR's of 4 star's, but eBay's feedback system treats anything less than a 5 star's as sub-standard and penalizes sellers for DSR ratings that average under 4.60.
Learn how eBay buyers can help create a better buying experience for themselves and others!
It would be normal for a buyer to assume that a rating of 4 stars is a good rating for the seller as 4 stars implies the following meaning in different DSRs.
- Item as desribed - accurate
- Communicate - satisfied
- Shipping time - quicly
- Shipping & Handling Charges - reasonable
Unfortunately, the reality is that any rating lower than 5 stars can have a significant negative impact on sellers and the eBay community as a whole because eBay has structured the system to reward sellers with over a 4.5 average, and to penalize sellers with under a 4.5 average.
Yet from the wording of the allowed ratings a buyer would never know this and most would naturally assume that a 4 star rating is a very good rating. After all, staying in a 4 star resort is considered to be very good in the real world and 5 star resorts are rare (and extremely expensive).
If a seller has a 4.6 or lower rating, eBay will penalize that seller by charging them higher fees, and disadvantaging that seller's items in search.
What this means to you, as a buyer?
Unfortunately, what this can mean is higher prices. The more fees eBay sellers pay, the more they must charge for their items. When a seller's items are disadvantaged in search, sales slow and prices increase.
In addition to the DSRs, eBay asks you, the buyer, to give the transaction an overall rating of either : Positive, Neutral and Negative
This seems pretty self-explanatory, but things are not always as they appear. The term that is misleading is "Neutral". Normally, if something is rated as neutral, it would have no effect on a score. However, eBay calls the score a Positive Feedback percentage. They calculate the score by dividing the total number of positives by the combined number of positives, neutrals, and negatives.
Therefore, a neutral impacts a seller's feedback percentage in exactly the same manner as a negative.
Feedback displayed examples could be :
A seller has 100 Postive and ONE Neutral, their feedback % is 99% and not 100%
A seller has 100 Positive and ONE Negative, their feedback % is 99% and not 100%
So it must be emphasized that if you leave a seller a Neutral, it will impact their feedback percentage in exactly the same manner as a negative, which can cause eBay to penalize the seller as described above.
Sellers understand they must earn your positive feedback and want to hear from you if you feel that the transaction was less than a positive experience. We strongly encourage you to email the seller with any problem and allow them the opportunity to resolve your issue. The IMA believes that people are basically good and that most problems can be worked out amicably between the two parties.
A Note about the Two Shipping Stars
Shipping and handling charges should be the only star rating you know at the time of purchase, as the charges are specified upfront. It should be noted that sellers have little or no control over what the shipping carriers charge for transporting items. Some very large companies receive large discounts on shipping, but very few eBay sellers receive discounts. Please keep in mind that there is really no such thing as free shipping. It is paid to the shipping company by the seller, who must then incorporate this cost into their prices. Since the buyer is aware of the shipping and handling charges before purchasing the item, the most important points to consider when leaving a star rating for Shipping and Handling Charges are not the actual charges, but the following:
Did the seller:
- Quote the shipping price in the original auction listing?
- Ship using the method stated in the auction?
- Pack the shipment safely, using appropriate packing materials?
- Charge a reasonable shipping price, compared to other online sellers?
The answers to these questions should guide you toward the correct star rating.
Important Points to Consider when leaving a Star Rating for Shipping Time
The most important consideration for the Shipping Time star is when was the item actually shipped, not when was the item delivered. This is particularly true for International orders, which are often delayed by Customs or Postal Inspectors upon entry into your country. You can easily assess when the package was shipped by the postmark or other similar date marking, and rate the seller based on this date, not the overall delivery date. If you require your item be expedited, we recommend contacting your seller before issuing payment. In many cases they can offer overnight or expedited shipping at an additional cost.
Final Comments
Leaving a neutral or negative feedback, or leaving DSR scores of less than 5, is not the best way to get a seller to fix a problem since these ratings can't be removed or changed. As these ratings can't be removed or changed, once they are left, they are left, and eBay recalculates the feedback percentage that represent this seller's reputation. Again, if you are having difficulties with the item you received, please give the seller the chance to make things right before leaving neutral or negative feedback, or a lower than 5 DSR rating.
We highly value your feedback and are always keen to hear your comments on the purchase.
Please do contact us by email for any issue related to your order before leaving us feedback on eBay.
Guide created: 18/06/08 (updated 19/08/13)


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Plan Specification: HHF-1052
Total Square Footage: 1,978Main Level: 1,236Lower Level: 742Bedrooms: 4Baths: 3Garages: 2Width: 48 ft Depth: 29 ftFoundation: WALK OUT BASEMENT
© copyright by designer |
Plan: HHF-1052This attractive split-level home offers traditional styling to welcome your guests.
Inside, a fireplace warms the bayed living area. The efficient kitchen flows into the versatile dining area, which in turn opens to a breezy deck. Up a few steps, three bedrooms and two full baths make up the sleeping wing. The secluded master suite showcases a garden tub and a separate shower. Downstairs, a possible fourth bedroom lies near a third bath and laundry facilities. A fun playroom is spacious and could have other uses. Similar plans: none
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© copyright by designer First Floor: © copyright by designer Lower Level: Top Plan Details