text:
Sun Jan 6, 2013, 10:55 PM
Hissyspit (45,782 posts)
Paul Krugman: "The Triumph of Bad Ideas"
The Big Fail
By PAUL KRUGMAN
Published: January 6, 2013
- snip -
This isnt how things were supposed to be. If you had polled the economists attending this meeting three years ago, most of them would surely have predicted that by now wed be talking about how the great slump ended, not why it still continues.
So what went wrong? The answer, mainly, is the triumph of bad ideas.
- snip -
The story, at this point, is fairly straightforward. The financial crisis led, through several channels, to a sharp fall in private spending: residential investment plunged as the housing bubble burst; consumers began saving more as the illusory wealth created by the bubble vanished, while the mortgage debt remained. And this fall in private spending led, inevitably, to a global recession.
For an economy is not like a household. A family can decide to spend less and try to earn more. But in the economy as a whole, spending and earning go together: my spending is your income; your spending is my income. If everyone tries to slash spending at the same time, incomes will fall and unemployment will soar.
- snip -
At that point governments needed to step in, spending to support their economies while the private sector regained its balance. And to some extent that did happen: revenue dropped sharply in the slump, but spending actually rose as programs like unemployment insurance expanded and temporary economic stimulus went into effect. Budget deficits rose, but this was actually a good thing, probably the most important reason we didnt have a full replay of the Great Depression.
But it all went wrong in 2010. The crisis in Greece was taken, wrongly, as a sign that all governments had better slash spending and deficits right away. Austerity became the order of the day, and supposed experts who should have known better cheered the process on, while the warnings of some (but not enough) economists that austerity would derail recovery were ignored. For example, the president of the European Central Bank confidently asserted that the idea that austerity measures could trigger stagnation is incorrect.
7 replies, 1329 views
Always highlight: 10 newest replies | Replies posted after I mark a forum
Replies to this discussion thread
|7 replies
Paul Krugman: "The Triumph of Bad Ideas" (Original post)
|Jan 2013
|Jan 2013
|Jan 2013
|Jan 2013
|Jan 2013
|Jan 2013
|Jan 2013
|Jan 2013
Response to Hissyspit (Original post)
Sun Jan 6, 2013, 10:59 PM
Skittles (114,494 posts)
1. yup - VERY bad ideas
Response to Hissyspit (Original post)
Sun Jan 6, 2013, 11:00 PM
chatcat11 (22 posts)
2. Sad but very true.
Response to Hissyspit (Original post)
Sun Jan 6, 2013, 11:14 PM
abelenkpe (9,933 posts)
3. K&R nt
Response to Hissyspit (Original post)
Mon Jan 7, 2013, 12:33 AM
JDPriestly (57,936 posts)
Response to Hissyspit (Original post)
Mon Jan 7, 2013, 12:37 AM
ProSense (116,464 posts)
5. "And here in America...
And here in America, Republicans insist that theyll use a confrontation over the debt ceiling a deeply illegitimate action in itself to demand spending cuts that would drive us back into recession.
Response to Hissyspit (Original post)
Mon Jan 7, 2013, 12:54 AM
MannyGoldstein (34,589 posts)
6. Bullshit! No Wonder Krugman's Not On Any White House Guest Lists!
Just look at what big government spending did in FDR's first term: Unemployment only dropped by 40%, and GDP only grew at 9% per year.
That nothing compared to Obama's first term where... uh, bad example... but you know what I mean. Sure, Keynesian pump priming *works*, but is that what we really want to be? A nation of people that has great success?
I think not.
Better to go with our gut. Austerity!
Third-Way Manny
Response to MannyGoldstein (Reply #6)
Mon Jan 7, 2013, 03:13 AM
ReRe (10,593 posts)
7. Manny, Manny, Manny...would you please use the sarcasim thingy?
....people are going to start taking you seriously.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
|Home / Estate Agents / Commercial Real Estate Property Types
Manjeet pride universo, a 24 Acre Mega layout project in the history of Aurangabad city promising a vibrant lifestyle and stability forever for the ones who believe in embracing life and grow with it.
An ambitious project exclusively designed and conceptualized by pioneering real estate developers Manjeet Pride & Pride Ventures (I) Pvt ltd, it is an Aurangabad-Jalna road touch project located at a distance of just 4 km from AURIC smart city. Universo is strategically located at shendra square; making it well connected to Aurangabad International Airport, Cambridge school, Shendra Five star MIDC and Chikalthana MIDC.
Manjeet pride universo is a collection of skillfully designed NA 44 sanctioned plots with 1.25 FSI, comes in sizes from 1000 to 10000sq.ft. We present to you 180 land parcels of fortune to provide your loved ones with prosperity and blissful living. Email id: email@example.com » Website: www.prideventures.in Call us: 8055533690 Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AbdPride »
It is ok to contact this poster with commercial firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
Rate This!
Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
Rate This!
- Line a 9x9x2-inch baking pan with foil, extending the foil over edges of pan. Lightly grease the foil; set aside. For crust, in a large bowl combine crushed cookies, butter, and the 1 ounce melted semisweet chocolate, stirring until well mixed. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan. Chill while making filling.
- For filling, in a small microwave-safe bowl combine the 8 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate and the whipping cream. Microwave on 100-percent power (high) about 2 minutes or until almost melted, stirring once. Stir until smooth.
- In a medium bowl beat cream cheese and, if desired, chocolate liqueur with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until smooth. Gradually add chocolate-whipping cream mixture, beating until smooth. Spread evenly over crust. Let stand for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the chocolate pieces. Chill for 4 to 24 hours or until set. Cut into bars. Serve with Sweetened Whipped Cream.
From the Test Kitchen
To Store:
Place bars in a single layer in an airtight container; cover. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Sweetened Whipped Cream
- In a chilled bowl combine whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form (tips curl).
Nutrition Facts (Chocolate Cheesecake Bars)
- Per serving:
- 215 kcal cal.,
- 16 g fat
- (9 g sat. fat,
- 0 g polyunsaturated fat,
- 4 g monounsatured fat),
- 33 mg chol.,
- 80 mg sodium,
- 18 g carb.,
- 1 g fiber,
- 13 g sugar,
- 2 g pro.
- Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet


text:
'Your Song': An Essay on Songwriting
What comes to mind when you think of a songwriter?
What comes to mind when you think of a songwriter? Is it Leonard Cohen, guitar in hand, sitting on his unmade bed at the Chelsea Hotel? Or is it Aphex Twin, programming away in the converted bank vault he calls home? Now more than ever, the traditional notion of songwriting is being challenged by sampling, ready-made beats, and the gradual decline of the record industry. Is it simply evolution, or is it the beginning of the end of an art form?
The 1984 film Amadeus tells the (highly fictionalised) story of the 18th century composer Antonio Salieri, who becomes obsessed with the notion that God is acting through his rival, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The devout (and celibate) Salieri cannot come to terms with the fact that God has chosen the puerile, vulgar Mozart over himself, and dedicates his entire life to bringing down his nemesis. Salieri eventually attempts suicide and is placed in a mental asylum, where he confesses that his jealousy drove him to murder Mozart.
In 2003, 50 Cent released the Dr. Dre–produced 'In Da Club'. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained there for nine weeks, ultimately spending a total of 22 weeks in the charts. Good news for Dre and Fiddy, although the song's success was not so well-received by Dre's friend DJ Quik. An MC and producer who grew up in Compton with Dre, Quik claimed that he gave his friend the drums for the track, telling anyone who would listen: "You guys don't understand! I gave Dr. Dre those drum sounds!" Dre's fans spent a lot of their time on internet forums ridiculing DJ Quik.
Depending on your level of romanticism, Mozart either transferred his fully formed compositions from his mind onto paper, or sat at a piano like a regular person and worked through his ideas. Either way, his skills in composition were so great that on more than one occasion he met a deadline by improvising the piece at its premiere.
Dr. Dre, on the other hand, works with a drum machine, sampler and team of musicians. (A 2001 Time article said of his musicians: "They carry beepers. When he wants to work, they work.") He programs the beat and the musicians improvise until he hears something he likes, at which point he singles out the person responsible and tells them how to adjust their sound. "My greatest talent," Dre told Time, "is knowing exactly what I want to hear."
Dre isn't a songwriter in the traditional sense of the word, but this doesn't make his approach any less valid than Mozart's. Advancements in recording technology have blurred the line: today all you need is an idea, as most computers (and even some phones) come bundled with industry-standard music software. The distinction between production and songwriting has become ambiguous, and today the strength of a song lies more in its actual sound rather than in its lyrics or melody. Now producers like Timbaland and The Neptunes are household names, and their mere presence on a liner note can guarantee a hit. Dre can sample Joe Cocker's 'Woman to Woman' to create 'California Love' — which happens to be one of the greatest rap songs of all time.
Although they lived centuries apart, the music industries of Mozart and Dre are not so different. Mozart was employed as a court musician and chamber composer for rulers of the time. Two hundred years later, songwriters acquire publishing deals (whereby a publisher pays a writer an advance and takes 100 percent of royalties until the writer has paid back the amount, after which takings are split according to the agreement) and orchestras have composers-in-residence (Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood was the BBC's in 2004).
Adelaide-born Donnie Sloan received a US publishing deal off the back of Empire of the Sun's hugely successful debut album, which he co-wrote and produced. His contract is quite flexible in what it allows him to do. "There are all different types of publishing deals," he says, "but this one, in the most basic terms, means that you sell your songs to the record labels and get them on to other people's albums — if that's the kind of songwriter you want to be. Or they'll assist me in writing more songs, so if I'm kind of stuck and need people to collaborate with, they're great for organising that. Or, if I have some completed songs and need some artists to sing on them, then they'll actively pursue that as well — as well as getting syncs for movies and ads and that kind of stuff." Which is where the money is, I suppose. "Yeah," he agrees with a laugh.
According to Beatles mythology, Paul McCartney composed the melody of 'Yesterday' in a dream, and spent the next few weeks worriedly checking that he hadn't subconsciously plagiarised someone else's music. I wonder if Sloan finds writing so easy that he can do it in his sleep. "Well, I could give you ten ideas in an hour, but I don't know if they're going to be any good," he says. "And I think some people miss the point: if you get two or three amazing ideas in a year, and you're able to exploit them, then that's a great year — and they're the kind of ideas that would (hopefully) last forever. I always want those ideas, which is why I find [songwriting] really painful — I'll just shut an idea down pretty early on if I know it's not going to be that super-strong. Someone said to me once that it takes just as long to write a really good song as it does a bad song. So, it's kind of like, what's the point of spending that time on a bad idea? Just wait for the good one.
If you see yourself as a potential Dre but just don't have the time to "wait for the good one" — or if you find yourself lacking in the talent bestowed upon Mozart by the hand of God — then 2012 is your year. Just google 'hip hop beats for sale', sift through the 11 million results, and buy a studio-quality WAV file with full usage rights for a sweet $79.95 (Paypal accepted). If you're feeling slightly more creative, $4.99 will buy you the Jamie Lidell–endorsed iMaschine for iPhone, and you can carry around a production studio in your pocket.
That's just the first step, though. Songwriters need to market themselves and research their pitches to artists and labels, just as in any other business. In 1960 an 18-year-old Carole King wrote 'Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow' with her songwriting partner (and husband) Gerry Goffin. They were reluctant to give their song — a sure-fire hit — to then-unknowns The Shirelles, but their publishers insisted, and the deceptively sweet-sounding record became the first US number one by a girl group. In 1999, influential publishing company executive Mark Bright got some of his writers' songs on Faith Hill's eight times platinum Breathe album, just by listening to what Hill was saying in interviews and on fan sites. "She was saying, 'I'm going to be more contemporary this time out,'" Bright told Electronic Musician. "We publishers and songwriters have to be better at the marketing side of being creative." One of the casualties of the weakening record industry has been the publishing deal — people aren't buying music, so it's difficult for a label to recoup a large advance. As a result, labels are getting involved in other facets of their artists' business, such as touring, merchandise, management, and even publishing itself. Touring, once a way for a label to promote sales, is now one of the only ways an artist can make money — and the success of a tour depends as much (or even more) upon image as it does songs.
One avenue that does allow publishers and songwriters to make money is radio airplay — in the US, radio is seen as a promotional tool for performing artists, so stations only pay songwriters. Unfortunately, with record sales falling, performers increasingly want a piece of the royalty pie. Publishers are finding it hard to help writers get 'cuts' — that is, place writers' songs with recording artists — and the advances go to those who can get in on projects by other means, such as producing or recording. This means that a songwriter in the traditional sense, like Burt Bacharach or Diane Warren, would have difficulty getting a deal today.
The Nervo twins have had no such trouble. Mim and Liv are a publicist's dream: former models turned recording artists, DJs, and producer/songwriters for people like Kylie Minogue, Kesha and the Pussycat Dolls. (They're also responsible for the David Guetta and Kelly Rowland mega-hit 'When Love Takes Over', soundtrack to a thousand coming-out parties.) When I suggest to Mim that a songwriter can write one big hit and retire, she disagrees. "Absolutely not. Songwriting is not as lucrative as it used to be. It's still glamourous, because you rub shoulders with pop stars, but no, it's definitely not lucrative. Even if you're a 'big hit' songwriter, you still need to write hits all the time — and they're called hits for a reason, because they don't happen all the time," she laughs. "It's not the golden ticket people think it still is."
Earlier in this issue Dan Whitford of Cut Copy said, "I think we're going through a bit of a period — or have been for a while now — where good music and popular music are divorced from one another." It's a sentiment that's easy enough to agree with (especially when Maroon 5 can sell seven million copies of 'Moves Like Jagger'), but is it accurate?
There has definitely been a shift in mainstream music. The Billboard Top 100 — previously dominated by stadium rock, Britney Spears, and hip hop — is now filled with the commercial electro-R&B of Pitbull, LMFAO and Guetta, with the occasional appearance from singer-songwriters like Adele and Gotye. Particularly in the US, dance music has progressed from the underground to the overground.
What's more, taste is subjective — so a more objective way of explaining Whitford's theory might be that the purpose of songwriting has changed due to a significant shift in the way that music is obtained, consumed and shared. In a world where music is perceived as being 'free', it is also more disposable. Once upon a time, record labels would invest time and money in artists to write and release songs according to a well-planned schedule. Now, Kreayshawn can put a few songs on YouTube and end up with a (rumoured) million-dollar major-label deal.
Mozart died at the age of 35 from unknown causes — although many have been postulated, including rheumatic fever, vitamin D deficiency and poisoning by the malevolent Salieri. Ironically, he was partway through completing his 'Requiem'. Meanwhile, Dr. Dre is still writing and producing records for himself and others. He has his own line of high-end headphones (Beats by Dr. Dre) and is rumoured to be one of the founders of Burning Man. Now 47, Dre is ranked third on Forbes' list of the wealthiest artists in hip-hop.
So, what does all this mean for songwriting? Well, it's a lot easier to capture an emotion and turn it into a piece of art than it was 200 years ago. While you still need a certain degree of knowledge to be a successful songwriter (be that music theory or marketing skills), not everyone in Mozart's day could make music unless they had access to the technology. Today anyone can make music — and anyone with the internet can download music.
Eventually, all anyone will have to do to write music is imagine a song and it will magically appear on a piece of electronic paper. But if the music industry can't adapt to the new model, songwriters won't be able to support themselves, and the value of songwriting — and music in general — will be reduced to nothing. And that will be a very sad day indeed.


text:
You won't be able to dismiss this by usual means (escape or click button), but you can close it programatically based on user choices or actions.
"I love the monogram - it makes me think of the joining of two souls. Overall, this invitation is subtly elegant, but it doesn't "wow' me, personally."
"This invitation was perfect for us. The simple, no fuss style combined with the elegant font is exactly what we wanted for our wedding as This is a second marriage.The staff at wedding paper divas was so helpful in the customization of the back of our invitation. My daughter made us a painting for Christmas that is to be hung in our new home, and it is so special we wanted to incorporate it onto the invitation somehow. I sent a photo of the painting, and they were able to remove the background color and transfer the image onto the back of the invitation. I almost cried when I saw the finished product! Thank you wedding paper divas for helping to make this day even more memorable for us!"
Get $20 off your next order and emails about new products and exclusive offers from us and our partners.
| Wedding Paper Divas | Terms of Use
Designated trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners.


text:
Freeboard and Windage
|By James Wharram (2003)
|The modern catamaran is a remarkable craft. It is the direct descendant of two of the most ancient water craft used by Man, the Canoe and the Raft (see fig. 1,(a) and (b).)
|The Canoe and the Raft are the first 'People Movers' and antedate the use of the wheel and the horse by thousands and perhaps 100s of thousands of years. Many people think that they are Pacific Craft, but evidence exists that Palaeolithic Man all over the world used the fast Canoe and the stable Raft. By simple logic two fast canoeforms joined into a raft shape for stability gives a third type of craft that combines the characteristics of both canoe and raft, namely the speed of the canoe and the broad beam and stability of the raft. This 'concept' modern yachtsmen call the 'Catamaran'.
Sometime in the last 10,000 years, with the end of the ice age and the flooding of the Indonesian and the Philippine land mass, canoeform craft (which include single and double outriggers) were fanning out from these areas across the Pacific and Indian Ocean in exploring voyages.
The double canoe in fig. 1c is not a fancy drawing. It is based on a lifetime of study and sailing. It is in fact one of my new Ethnic Study design. There are several enquiries from people who wish to build this one and similar designs.
By the mid 1950s, for reasons outside this article, the Double Canoe concept had become designated by Westerners as a primitive craft, unseaworthy, with a violent motion, unable to sail to windward and liable to break up on the high seas!!!?? But there were some individuals who thought differently and were prepared to test out their ideas.
I am one of 3 pioneers: Eric de Bisschop of France, Rudy Choy of Hawaii and James Wharram of England, who, by 1955-6 took the at that time described as 'unseaworthy, primitive craft with no windward ability' onto the oceans and proved the critics wrong. This gives me an overall perspective of the present cruising catamaran scene wider than most.
45 years ago, as a young dreamer wishing to be an ocean sailor, I saw the ancient, traditional sailing boat, the double canoe (the word catamaran hadn't been coined yet), using the minimum of material and labour, as 'the' boat to get me ocean sailing. That is how I became a catamaran pioneer. (My pioneering voyages are described in my book 'Two Girls Two Catamarans' )
I know now, that at the time I had only realized a fraction of the possibilities of the catamaran concept, for nowadays, if you wish to race around the world at maximum speed to please some big business sponsor, you design a 120ft. catamaran that is remarkably close in basic hull design aspects and proportions to the ancient double canoe (Fig.1 (c) ).
If you wish to impress people with your ability to provide sophisticated luxury accommodation on a boat with a reasonable sailing performance you can quite confidently commission a catamaran design. Indeed, it is the possibility of large accommodation, spread out over the wide deck area between the hulls of the catamaran, which has attracted the ever increasing number of modern sailors to invest their savings in owning a catamaran.
Many people will be very surprised to know that this aspect of the wide, usable deck of a modern catamaran comes from the 'Raft' part of its ancestral development. (See Fig. 1 (b) )
I must advise readers not be frightened of the word 'Raft'. Modern replica raft voyages, from Tor Heyerdahl's 45ft. balsa raft 'KON TIKI' of 1947, which sailed from Peru to the Tuamotus, to Tim Severin's bamboo raft, 'Hsu Fu', voyage in 1993 from Vietnam into the North Pacific, give ample testimony of the raft's sea kindly motion and deck space for accommodation. So seaworthy is the raft form that all modern yachtsmen are advised to carry miniature (inflatable) rafts if for some reason their parent craft sinks. Raft features enable shore style accommodation on catamarans that can still sail reasonably well.
For 11 years, I have been sailing the world on a 19m catamaran, the SPIRIT OF GAIA (see article by Mark Smaalders 'Cruising Helmsman' - Aug. 2002 , which in much of its hull design is similar to fig.1c and could have existed several thousand years ago. I love this boat. She fought her way North from New Zealand to Fiji in one of those long lived tropical convergence gales in winds 70 degrees off the bow and wind speeds on the 'clock' of 45-50 knots. She sailed 600 miles North up the Red Sea against the dreaded Red Sea North winds of 30-35 knots, smashing through vicious short steep seas. In mainly light winds - hardly a ripple on the water - she dream drifted across the Indian Ocean making an average of 100 nautical miles a day.
Last Christmas, 2002, deciding I had enough of the Fake "Yo Ho Ho, it is Christmas time" I went with my family out to Corfu, Greece, to spend 2 weeks aboard GAIA tied up in the Marina, for a rest. When the sun shone it was wonderful and warm, but in the cold rain I reflected on the comfort defects of a traditional proportioned Double Canoe.
Behind me, on the Marina pontoon was a modern 12 metre, large accommodation, cruising catamaran, designed 10 years ago by an Antipodian designer, modified slightly by its Dutch builder and owner Wim (as Wim is a former catamaran racing enthusiast, his modifications added to the design, not detract from it). (See Fig 2).
This catamaran can be described as one of the 'Leader' designs, in the developing modern cruising, charter catamaran market of France, South Africa, America etc. of the last 10 years.
On rainy days Wim and his wife Marion invited the crew of GAIA to enjoy the closed, modern house-style comfort of their boat. Not only the crew of GAIA, we had several parties on board when Wim and his wife were hosting 9-10 yachtsmen.
Stepping on board Wim's catamaran by the stern steps - the freeboard is too high to step up on to the hull off the pontoon - we, the guests, were welcomed in the stern cockpit of a spacious 8 square metres. This cockpit has an all-enclosing weather proof awning, removable, or reduced to a bimimi, in the summer.
The deck cabin, through the wide patio doors, covered an area of 12 square metres. In all there was a covered weatherproof deck space of 2O square metres, with standing headroom throughout. This covered deck space looked even bigger because on either side of this permanent deck cabin was the space of the open hulls of another 1.5 metres on each side (one stepped down to the hull floor level), giving a total visible, well lit space of 7 metres wide! With the large windows giving a wide view (moored in Gouvia Marina this view is superb), the interior with its cabin furniture and fittings in high quality Dutch taste, this modern catamaran is a superb living boat.
Wim built it, and is happy with it, for this reason, but as an experienced multihull racer and having seen my GAIA streaking across the horizon, he was most apologetic about his sailing home's sailing abilities. I think he was too critical, but it is a fact that, once you have experienced the sparkle, the quick surge of acceleration of boats with the design parameters of the ancient Pacific Double Canoe/Racing style modern catamaran, you are spoilt for sailing other boats.
There are two important design parameters which slow down or speed up a sailing boat: Wave drag and Windage (windage on all courses but running dead before the wind).
Most people are aware that a monohull yacht (apart from recent skimming racing designs) has a limiting speed of between vWLL x 1.3 - 1.5, due to the built up of wave drag resistance.
What is not generally realised is that Multihulls also suffer from wave drag resistance. In the 1960s I first observed that catamaran designs with different cross sections (flat bottoms, V-eed and semi circular hulls), all pulled visible drag waves at speed if they had an individual waterline length/beam ratio of 8:1, i.e. a limiting speed factor. (For interest, my 63ft. SPIRIT OF GAIA (see article by Mark Smaalders, Cruising Helsman - August 2002) has a WL length/beam ratio of 17:1.)
Ancient Pacific catamarans, as in Fig.1c, had waterline length/beam ratios ranging from 12:1 to 20:1. Modern racing catamarans also have length/beam ratios of 12:1 to 20:1!! Wim's 12 metre catamaran hulls, for accommodation and load carrying purposes, have a waterline length/beam ratio of 9.5:1, only slightly better than the wave dragging 8:1 hulls I observed in the 60s! My studies have shown that the average modern accommodation cruising catamaran hulls has a WLL/Beam ratio of between 8:1 and 10:1 (most designers never give this vital figure).
Windage: The freeboard/windage height of Wim's boat - of the hull with the deck cabin included - is like most modern cruising catamarans about 20% of its overall length.
Historically, the last time Western non-engined sailing ships used such a high freeboard/windage height were the Spanish Armada ships of the 16th century. (See Fig 3). The English ships of that time with a lower windage height sailed circles around the Armada Ships.
Over the centuries, the windage height of non-engined Western sailing craft became lower and lower, by the end of the commercial sailing era it was around 8%. Traditional monohull sailing yachts (both shallow and deep drafted) have a windage height of 11-12% their overall length, so do modern monohull racing yachts. On the ancient Pacific sailing boats' (and Viking era ships!) windage height ranges from 8% to as little as 6% of the overall length.
The windage height of 20% of the modern luxury cruising sailing catamaran does seem to be excessive for good sailing performance. Maybe that is the reason why powerful engines always play a prominent part in their advertised specifications.
It is amazing that one of the oldest ship types in the history of Man has been able to be adapted to fit the needs of modern, stiff bodied, Urban Man in its provision of bedroom privacy, number of toilets/showers, kitchen facilities and spacious lounge/dining area (an accommodation equal to, to use a modern term, a 3 or 4 star hotel) and can still sail.
Some designers have tried to make the modern high freeboard, beamy-hulled, catamaran sail fast. They empty the hulls of all weight, put a large sail area, with high centre of effort, on a tall mast, fit deep dagger boards in the hulls and in smooth water, these craft can 'skim' along.
Unfortunately, it is not a custom for designers or salesmen to give the stability values of these craft. Briefly, most of such craft have a stability close to a racing dinghy or day racing catamaran. Sailed by untrained, unsuspecting sailors, these craft also capsize like a dinghy, for the 'raft stability' has been compromised.
This is not the way to go. To get speed we have to look back at established elements of general yacht design, using the freeboard/windage height of around 11-12% of fast monohull yachts and the fast catamaran waterline length/beam ratio of a minimum of 12:1. This does mean that you do not have full standing headroom in the hulls until you reach a boat size of 36ft. (10 metres). That is nothing new in yacht design, it was always considered the norm in traditional shallow draft sailing yachts, which after all a multihull is. Standing headroom in a centre deck cabin with adequate centre deck clearance from the sea will always compromise speed potential.
Anyone can quote theories, the acid test is, can they be made to work. All my designs over the years have been designed with traditional windage heights and slim hulls. To illustrate my latest design thoughts I want to focus on our ISLANDER 55 design (see Fig. 4, following), the first of which is being built in Surabaya in our professional yard, PT PAL. This design has an hull waterline length/beam ratio of 12:1. The visual feeling of space is achieved by flaring out the gently curved V-eed hulls, getting greatest width at shoulder height. Flare with overhangs give easy, gradual lift going through rough seas, prevent pitch poling and with the lower traditional freeboard keep the decks dry.
|High freeboard of modern cats.
|Standing on a box to see over the cabin.


text:
Related Items
Trending Stories
Adams, O'Hara Score as U.S. U-20 WNT Wins First Two Matches in Portland
The U.S. Under-20 Women's National Team won its first two matches during a training camp in Portland, Ore., defeating Washington State, 3-0, on April 1, and the University of Washington, 4-3, on April 2, as preparations for the 2006 FIFA Under-20 Women's World Championships continue.
The USA will be back in action on Tuesday, April 4, against the University of Portland (5 p.m. at the University of Portland), before facing Oregon State (5 p.m. on April 6 at the University of Portland) and Ohio State (4 p.m. on April 8 at Nike Headquarters).
Against the Cougars, the USA got the first goal from midfielder Tina DiMartino in the 28th minute, her fifth of the year, and a second from midfielder Danesha Adams in the 55th minute, her ninth of the year. The final goal was scored in the 87th minute by midfielder Kelley O'Hara, the youngest player in the pool who is coming off knee surgery. O'Hara finished a Jessica Rostedt cross from close range for the final margin.
Against the Huskies, Rostedt opened the scoring in the eighth minute, but Washington scored twice to take the lead before Rostedt scored again in the 19th to tie the game. The two scores upped Rostedt's yearly total to a team-leading 14 goals. Adams put the USA ahead in the 76th minute with her 10th goal of the year, only to see Washington tie the game in the 82nd minute. O'Hara, who played only the end of the two matches as she comes back from her surgery, played hero in stoppage time, scoring on an assist from Adams in the 91st minute.
U.S. U-20 WNT Schedule & Results
Date Opponent Result Opponent / U.S. Goal Scorers
April 1 Washington State 3-0 W DiMartino, Adams, O'Hara
April 2 Washington 4-3 W Rostedt (2), Adams O'Hara
April 4 Portland 5 p.m. Univ. of Portland
April 6 Oregon State 5 p.m. Univ. of Portland
April 8 Ohio State 4 p.m. Nike Campus
ussoccer.com is the official website of U.S. Soccer, the governing body of soccer in the United States.


text:
'Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!: The Story of Pop Music From Bill Haley to Beyonce' a hard-charging history of rock 'n&apos...
In 1954, Bill Haley shook, rattled and rolled. In 2003, Beyonce went crazy in love. That's two pop stars, among the biggest of their time, using similar language (and similar grooves) to describe more or less the same thing.
But think of all that happened over the half-century that separates them: Elvis Presley, rockabilly, "Why Do Fools Fall in Love," girl groups, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, "Like a Rolling Stone," Motown, the Beach Boys, the singer-songwriter, punk, disco, heavy metal, "Hotel California," new wave, New Order and new jack swing. And Madonna! And country music! And "We Are the World"!
This absurdly, deliriously vast landscape is what Bob Stanley sets out to map in his sweeping but finely detailed new book, "Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! The Story of Pop Music From Bill Haley to Beyonce." And although one of his central points is that credentials rarely matter in pop — which, by the way, he defines usefully as music made for "an audience that the artist doesn't know personally" — Stanley's background ensures that he comes to the job adequately equipped.
Familiar to record nerds from his role in the curatorial British trio Saint Etienne (which broke out in the early '90s with a moody electro-house rendition of Neil Young's "Only Love Can Break Your Heart"), he also worked as a writer for NME and Melody Maker during those U.K. music papers' late-'80s glory days. So he's a studio rat capable of explaining the mechanics of dub reggae as well as a critic unafraid to declare that the Stones "were indirectly responsible for some of the worst aspects of modern pop." Passion, skepticism and technical know-how — these are the engines of Stanley's work.
And does he ever put some miles on them. Structured chronologically, "Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!" moves crisply but methodically through history as the author takes up each successive scene or sound or movement and tries to understand its place in the larger story — just how, for instance, it was that the "scrunched-up tinfoil" sound of mid-'50s English skiffle gave way to the melodic and textural invention of John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
Think of the book as an encyclopedia in narrative form, one shaped by the author's subjective, sometimes contrarian taste. (His favorite Bob Dylan record: "New Morning.")
Crucially for a volume stuffed with as many proper nouns as this one, Stanley is strong with description: Presley's "Hound Dog" is "two minutes of sustained viciousness and sheer malicious glee"; Van Morrison has a "ruddy, sponge-pudding face." He's got loads of trivia too: I, for one, never knew that Elton John made money early on by singing covers of current hits for cheapo supermarket compilations. "His recording of Bob and Marcia's 'Young, Gifted and Black,' " Stanley notes, "was quite something."
But in an age when virtually all of this information is readily available to any reader with a smartphone — the facts and figures on Wikipedia, the thousands of songs themselves on Spotify — Stanley is best when he steps outside the march of progress and considers the whys and wherefores silently embedded in the music.
Writing about the British Invasion, he wonders if the sudden influx of U.K. acts can be attributed to America's having "lost faith in itself" after the Kennedy assassination. And he decides that, despite its commercial success, Motown was dismissed by many critics at the time because the label wasn't "firming up the values of its own local community." That, he adds, "is how a lot of (usually white) purists, from Alan Lomax to Peter Guralnick, like their black music."
A creative who's also worked on the other side of the business as a label owner, Stanley digs, too, into the rise of music's ancillary industries, such as the pop press ("consumers wanted ... to feel closer to their idols," he writes) and music-based television programming like the BBC's hugely influential "Top of the Pops," which aired from 1964 to 2006.
Indeed, "Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!" concludes — it had to end somewhere — with the advent in 2003 of another industrial shift, from physical product to downloads and streaming. Like many lifelong record collectors (and nearly all professional musicians), Stanley seems troubled by the digital era's decontextualizing free-for-all.
"Without the detail, pop music doesn't have the desirability it once had; it's not as wantable," he writes.
Yet you never get the impression that he's stopped listening. As clear-eyed about music as he is crazy in love with it, he's easy to picture scrolling through the iTunes Store, clicking on the No. 1's along with the obscurities, taking notes, perhaps, for a second volume: "The Story of Pop Music From Beyonce to ...." Well, who knows?
Mikael Wood is a staff writer for the Los Angeles Times.


text:
Epson BrightLink 595Wi Projector Review
BRIGHTLINK 595WI INTERACTIVE PROJECTOR – Summary
The recently reviewed Brightlink 585Wi (HERE) earned one of our top awards in this year's education report. That award was for best ultra short throw projector.
Overall, the Brightlink 595Wi proved to perform similar to the $200 less expensive 585Wi while upping the interactive capabilities by adding finger touch sensing. The 595Wi excelled in virtually every area we consider important when reviewing a classroom projector. As mentioned elsewhere in this review, we did not test wired or wireless networking with the 595Wi, but the wireless networking was already tested and reviewed with the very similar 585Wi. That said, as this Epson and its siblings are certified as compatible with Crestron control systems, that pretty much guarantees that these Epson projectors will work well in sophisticated networking environments with advanced features. That is ideal for a school district or university, where dozens, or even hundreds of these projectors might be installed.
Key areas we consider important, and summaries below: Picture Quality, Performance – including brightness and sharpness, Feature set, Ease of operation (remote control, menus and navigation), Warranty and support, and the Value Proposition.
Brightlink 595Wi - Picture Quality
The images above were all taken using Epson's Theater mode – one of the projector's best modes and with a still bright 2200+ lumens. The colors are excellent (actually better than they appear in the photos) in theater mode.
This Epson doesn't have a single color mode that doesn't look at least good. This means that you can have very good color even when fighting a healthy amount of ambient light, when competitors either compromise on color or on brightness. Even skin tones, though they vary from mode to mode, still look at least acceptable in every mode and excellent in the best modes
Contrast, on the other hand, is typical for a 3LCD projector, which means not as good as DLP or LCoS designs. Still, Epson managed to include a dynamic iris to help out a bit. More to the point, in a classroom, this projector will likely never be used in full darkness, which is the only time a big difference in contrast ratios makes a real difference. Call contrast a weakness, but not much of one. Certainly not a deal breaker.
Brightlink 595Wi - Feature Set
Well endowed would be a good description to start, but there are a few things missing. Let's get those out of the way first. This Epson does not offer 3D capabilities. While there may be an interest in the classroom for 3D, use is still very limited. Still, if 3D is in your future, Epson does not have an ultra short throw projector for you. Epson, I should mention, does offer their passive 3D W16SK projector, which would be worth a close look if 3D is something you need/want.
There's also no zoom lens, but, ultra short throw projectors don't have zoom lenses. However, the supplied Epson wall mount allows the projector to be easily moved in and out from the wall over a few inches of range and that few inches change in throw distance lets you change the image size from 60 inches up to 100 inches (diagonal, 16 x 10). So that gives you a viable alternative to a zoom for getting the image size where you need it during the initial setup of the projector. Epson gives this projector a digital zoom that can be used to enlarge a portion of the image to fill the full screen and this may be useful in some situations.
What else doesn't it have? Well, it runs on conventional lamps, not a 20,000 hour plus solid state light source such as led projectors or laser projectors. For most, though, that's just fine. With the Epson lamps costing education users less than $100, and lasting a claimed 4000 to 6000 hours depending on full or Eco mode, the cost to keep in lamps is only a few hundred dollars to get to that 20,000 hour mark. Considering that the least expensive solid state light engines add roughly $500 to $2000 to a projector's cost, those provide the convenience of not having to change a lamp every few years, but lack the strong value proposition of a well priced lamp based projector. Further, technology may make all these projectors obsolete if not used 40+ hours a week, before anyone gets near 10,000 hours, let alone 20,000. Business users, you'll be paying about $200 each per lamp, but if you are using this projector even 20 hours a week, it will be 4 years before its time to change the lamp for the first time (if only using full power).
This projector is really big on interactive features. In addition to the two included pens (2nd photo in the gallery above), there is a laser touch unit (3rd photo in gallery above) that allows finger touch sensing (up to 6 finger at one time) that makes the classroom whiteboard into a something along the lines of a giant interactive tablet computer. The projector also comes with a remote control that includes the basic functions to allow it to be used as simple "mouse". Related features and strengths include a healthy range of supporting software to enhance interactive functions.
A few months ago Epson announced another software partnership, this time with Mimio who has been making interactive hardware and software for at least a decade. Smart makes software compatible with the 595Wi, as do TeamBoard and RM.
This projector is built to interface – with the world. there are iOS and Android iPresentation apps from Epson to allow you to use your iPad or favorite other mobile device to present or to interact. (Mimio also offers up an App.) And the projector can present off of USB or Wifi, as well as HDMI, component video, composite, S-video and analog computer. Of note is that one of the two HDMI ports supports MHL (discussed in special features section). With MHL you can interface with a variety of mobile devices which include Roku sticks, a few Android tablets, some cameras and a lot more coming. The first photo in the gallery above shows the projector with the cover removed exposing the projector's connector panel.
The projector can project info from up to four computers at once (four quadrants). It definitely has been designed to support today's BYOD. Of course as a projector geared for the education market among others, it has Closed Captioning. There are even some built in templates so you can project grids, to keep things neat.
Brightlink 595Wi is Bright
Although measuring brightness of ultra short throw projectors can be a challenge, we're satisfied that this Brightlink produces just about the 3300 claimed white, and color lumens. Best still, as mentioned, even the brightest modes have impressive color, so no need to sacrifice 1/3 or 1/2 of brightness just to have a good looking picture. Choose your mode, modify it if you feel you need to, but mostly they should all be useable. Drop into Eco mode to increase the claimed lamp life from 4000 to 6000 hours. It will reduce the projector noise at the same time, but the Epson at full power is still reasonably quiet for a business/education projector.
Brightlink 595Wi - The Bottom Line
We have here a well endowed projector that performs extremely well, bright, great picture, lots of networking and comprehensive interactivity, BYOD and more.
What about the value proposition? That too, is most impressive. You always pay a hefty premium for ultra short throw, but that comes with benefits, especially for an interactive projector.
Official pricing for the Epson Brightlink 595Wi is $2399, however, for Education buyers, the "Brighter Futures" price in the US is much less (currently $1799). That's a rather hefty educational discount. Business buyers, you'll probably get a break on price from your favorite dealer, but it won't be that good. Educators: The discounted replacement lamp cost (under $100) keeps cost of operation way down.
Now mind you. we gave this Epson's similar (lacking the finger touch interactive capability) model 585Wi an award for being the best Ultra Short throw projector in this year's education projector report and the $200 premium for the 595Wi may be worth to some potential buyers. Not everyone needing an ultra short throw projector needs this level of interactivity or that of the 585Wi for that matter. In that case, there's a Brightlink 585W (no "i") without the bulk of the interactivity (still will work with the iOS and Android apps, basic remote mousing, etc.) That projector by comparison is $1499, and less for schools. Love the 595Wi, but tight on budget, you can save $200 by going with the 585Wi instead and lose the touch capability or step down to the 575Wi with features virtually identical to the 585Wi but it isn't quite as bright at 2700 lumens. That will save you another $200. For a school you can equip 8 classrooms with 575Wi's for a price of equipping 7 with the 585Wi or about 6 with the 595Wi (approximately).
Bottom line: I don't think there's an feature rich interactive ultra short throw projector that can hold its own with the 595Wi. There may be equally impressive interactivity elsewhere, but not part of an ultra short throw projector, and one that comes even close in color, sharpness or some other key areas that these Epson excels at.
Current dealer prices for Epson Epson BrightLink 595Wi
|state tax
Projector SuperStore
|The ultra-short-throw Epson BrightLink 595Wi is the world's first 3LCD, touch-enabled interactive projector. Offering 3x Brighter Colors than competitive models, Epson 3LCD projectors ensure bright, vivid lessons.
Projector People
|Free Shipping! In Stock Now! 30 day no-hassle guarantee and FREE lifetime tech support from projector experts. We are an authorized dealer.
|Free Shipping on thousands of items / Same Day shipping if ordered by 8pm! Adorama has been the electronics enthusiast's choice for over 35 years!
Visual Apex
|Free Shipping! 1800+ Outstanding reviews! Save Today and experience exceptional customer service, expert advice, timely delivery, free tech support and your best price from an Authorized Dealer!
You May Also Like
AAXA M6 Pocket LED Projector Review
Epson Home Cinema 4000 Home Theater Projector Review
Epson BrightLink 696Ui Projector Review
Optoma UHD65 4K Home Theater Projector Review
Ricoh PJ WXL4540 Short Throw Projector Review
Sony VPL-VZ1000ES Laser, True 4K, Home Theater Projector Review
Optoma ZW300UST Projector Review
Epson PowerLite 680 Projector Review


text:
Dear Wendy: "Am I Sacrificing Too Much For My Boyfriend?"
My boyfriend and I have been together for seven months. He lives in Germany and I live in America. We started out as pen pals over a year ago, then instantly found chemistry and fell in love. He recently came to visit me in July and our connection only grew stronger. We talk comfortably about marriage and kids and even that we'd like to build our own house. I'm making many sacrifices for our relationship, including quitting school and working two jobs to make enough money to move and then giving up my family and relocating myself to Germany to be with him. I've given up my friends and spending time with anyone so I can work hard toward what we both decided on. He goes to school full time and the only time we get to spend together is over Skype for maybe an hour per week. However, he goes out with his friends once or twice every week and stays out all night. He didn't tell his parents about me being his girlfriend until August and his ex-girlfriend comes over to spend time with his mom frequently. I really feel like I'm the only one sacrificing everything for our relationship. I know he's the one, but I don't know how to tell him how I feel about this situation. Please help! — Long-Distance Lovesick
I'm so happy you wrote to me because it means you aren't too lovesick yet that you don't notice a few red flags, and I only hope you read my words to you carefully and take the message to heart. What you're experiencing right now isn't love — at least, it isn't a mutual love. If it were, you wouldn't feel like you were the only one making sacrifices. If it were mutual love, your boyfriend would be working just as hard as you are to finance trips to see you or to help fly you out to see him. He'd not only tell his mother all about you, he'd want to introduce you to her as soon as possible, and have you meet his friends, too. If your boyfriend loved you — if he really, truly cared about you — he's be sick that you quit school and gave up your whole social life for him. He would never want to be responsible for you giving up things that bring you joy. And if he were, if circumstances meant you had to make some big sacrifices to be together, you better believe he'd be making as many as you. Instead of staying out with his friends all night, he'd spend time with you on Skype and save his money for plane fare.
But, he isn't doing those things, is he? And you don't know how to tell him how you feel because you're afraid of angering him or losing him. That's not love! But, even if it were love — even if you felt absolutely confident in your boyfriend's commitment to you — what are your plans once you move to Germany? Where do you plan to live? How will you earn money? What if you decide you aren't happy there? Will you be able to afford a plane ticket back? If you're working two jobs now and giving up your social life to save enough money to move, will you have that same luxury when you get to Germany and decide you want to come home? What if you just want to come back for a visit? You know the economy is in the crapper in Germany, right? Do you really think you're going to find enough work to support yourself and afford airfare home?
I'm worried about you, LDL. I'm sure your family and friends are worried about you. Please, please think long and hard about the decisions you're making right now. If something about your situation seems "off," there's probably good reason. Read the letter below to see one way things could turn out for you if you continue with your plan to move.
A few months ago I reconnected with my best friend after we had a falling out two years ago. While out for coffee she informed me that she was moving across the planet to be with her boyfriend who she met about nine months prior. He constantly traveled to the US for business. He sounded very charismatic and successful and I was happy for her. However, I got a small inkling of worry when he called for about a half an hour straight while we were having coffee until she picked up the phone, at which point she got up from the table to talk to him. On another instance, when my boyfriend and I were helping her pack up her things, she picked up the phone and he freaked out when he heard my boyfriend's voice in the background even after she explained he was my boyfriend.
Now she's halfway across the world and her boyfriend's deleted her Facebook account. She knew he had some trust issues so she gave him her password when he asked for it. He then deleted her account saying he doesn't trust her on there. She says the fight got very ugly and she considered coming home but would like to stay and continue to work on things. She thinks it may have to do with his past relationships but he absolutely refuses to talk about them. He says he won't talk about any past relationships "out of respect for her." However, I worry about her ability to come home financially. She just graduated from a five-year design program and has no job there. He supported her business idea to design from home and fronted her the money to start-up. She wouldn't have her own funds to come home if she wanted to. I worry that his idea to start her own business was just a ploy to gain control.
I'm pretty sure these are indicators for even more extreme behavior in the future. I have bad vibes about the whole situation and am not sure how to respond to her emails seeking advice. She doesn't have her own phone over there yet. I want to be completely honest with her but I worry that he might read the emails. I even considered talking to her parents. I'm not sure what to do. — Faraway Friend
Your fear that your friend's controlling boyfriend would read her emails is probably right, so anything you write to her should be innocuous and free of any accusatory or threatening language. However, you shouldn't not email her just because you're afraid the boyfriend is reading your messages. You might be one of the few lifelines your friend has to her old life, so it's important that you keep that lifeline intact. Even short messages about your own life with simple questions about hers ("What's new?" "What did you do this weekend?") will be enough to keep the lines of communication open without being too threatening to her boyfriend. And she can decide for herself how to answer your open-ended questions and how much info to share with you. It's important to read between the lines in her emails and respect wherever she is in acknowledging and accepting how screwed up her situation is. The last thing you want to do is offend her or put her in a defensive position where she's actually sticking up for her loser boyfriend. That will only serve to alienate you and potentially cut you off as a lifeline to her, so tread carefully!
And, absolutely, you should reach out to her parents. For all you know, they may think all is fine and well with their daughter. Or, they may be frantic to get any information about her whereabouts and well-being. Your insight may very well be the missing link they've been searching for. If they have financial resources to help get their daughter home, they could team up with you, someone whom their daughter trusts, and together you all probably have a much better chance of helping your friend than if you worked – and worried — individually.
Follow me on Twitter and get relationship tips and updates on new Dear Wendy columns!
*If you have a relationship/dating question I can help answer, send me your letters at {encode="[email protected]" title="[email protected]"}.


text:
About the Book
A book about a travel to Cuba
"Cuba is a country of contradictions that fights for its own identity! Glancing at the people of Cuba we get the feeling that actually not all is bad. Lets visit Cuba, we want to be impartial, see with our own eyes and come to our own conclusion, analyze in the best way that we can and for a moment forget everything that we have heard over and over again… "
See More
Log in or create an account to post a comment.
0 Comments
Delete this comment?
See More


text:
View unanswered posts | View active topics
Board index » Customer Reviews
All times are UTC - 6 hours
estayton wrote:It is indeed a Boardsmith board. I love that thing.R.e. Los Altos: I got the stones out again today and worked a bit longer on it. The second time things went better, and it is more where I want it to be. So I'd say we had a simliar experience.R.e. rayong: it does not yet seem to take as fine an edge as carbon steel (white #1, blue #2, or 2N), but it is still plenty sharp. I'd have to do more tests to compare it to other stainless steels. Though the edge now will push-cut paper I think there is still some room for improvement. But even though it is still measurably less sharp than several other knives, I have so far found it to cut most things just as well because it is so thin.
Los Altos wrote:The only other complaint I have (other than the ferrule cracking on me) is that the Damascus cladding seems to grip certain foods and cause a bit of drag when slicing.
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


text:
Drip....Drip.....Drip....2 5
After shooting my last roll of Ilford Pan 100 for the second time (it was initially loaded in my ill fated ASF) I processed in my "usual" method. I consult the Massive Dev Chart, then go measure the temp of my chemicals. Not even close! So I guess at the time adjustment based on my limited experience and a bit of intuition. Twist and Turn. Agitation without anger. Peacefully turbulent. De-Bubbling tap on the counter. Wipe off the drops off the outside of the tank. Repeat a time later. Repeat with fixer. Rinse and then the big unveil….Oh, it's not dry yet? I'll sleep on it.
written by fartstorm on 2013-01-31


text:
Isaiah Mays Photographer
RitarModel Female Chicago, Illinois, US
My Website: My facebookMy MM URL: http://www.modelmayhem.com/Ritar
Mayhem # 1901256
About MeI have always liked photography and I have always had a dream to become a successful model .
It makes me happy to see beautiful images.
I have experience in my home country as DJ and Runway model show.
I am looking for an experienced photographer that can take exciting images of me so I can build my portfolio with excllent pictures.
Have you worked with Ritar? Add Credits for Ritar! >>
Isaiah Mays Photographer
JSmith Art Photographer
Jennie Nguyen Model
Pablo Peezy Model
Turbo2408 Model
Mark Kumar Photographer
Loading Content


text:
- Home
- News
- Sports
- Business
- Entertainment
- Lifestyles
- Opinion
- Driveway
- Impress
The West Coast Men's Support Society presents Father's Day Library Tour 2014
The West Coast Men's Support Society presents Father's Day Library Tour 2014! The City of Duncan declares June 9 to 15th Men's Health Week in Duncan!
This is an invitation to our community to come to visit with us on our Library Tour! We will be meeting in the following libraries to talk about the importance of Dads and to discuss the programs we offer for men in our community.
Tuesday June 10 at noon = Lake Cowichan Thursday, June 12 at 1:30pm = Cowichan Thursday, June 12 at 4:00pm = Mill Bay Thursday, June 12 at 7:00pm = Oak Bay Friday, June 13 at 1:00pm = Chemainus
This is also an invitation for you to turn to the men in your life and ask them how they are doing. When was the last time that they had an annual physical? How have they been feeling lately? What are they doing to take care of themselves?
Ithinkthatthisisthebiggestchallengefacingmen:askingforhelp. Ithinkthatmen were raised to do it on their own – that they are supposed to "tough it out", "suck it up", etc. I think that the majority of messages that the media, movies, and society in general deliver to men are all around being super strong and that you can climb mountains, build mega corporations, fight the "enemy", and come home and have yourdinner,watchtheNHLplayoffs,andhitthehay. Howmanyofyoucanrelate?
We really hope that Men's Health Week and Father's Day will be a "wake-up" call to some men in our community to take the necessary action towards a healthier lifestyle vs. reacting to a health scare.
West Coast Men's Support society has been supporting men in the Cowichan Valley and beyond for nearly 5 years with programs such as One on One Counselling, and ourweeklyMen'sCirclesandDadsMakeaDifferencegroup. Wehaveabook& video resource library at our office, along with numerous online resources on our website. Please feel free to drop in to our office to say hello. We are located in the Merchant Building: 80 Station St., Ste 213
— submitted by Grant M. Waldman, Executive Director/Wellness Coach


text:
DRAGONS utility Beau Scott says he has a personal point to prove in tonight's clash against former club Cronulla, following an uncharacteristically slow start to the season.
Scott has featured in four of the Dragons' five opening games, but admits his form so far has not lived up to the lofty expectations he set at the start of the season.
He missed the Dragons round three match against Wests Tigers with a thigh injury, but the lingering effects have hampered his presence on the field until now.
''I think I've had a slow start to the year and I'm hoping to get better from here,'' Scott said. ''I've struggled with a few injuries earlier in the year and just getting back on to the field has been my main priority. I guess playing a bit more quality football from now on is probably my next goal.''
Scott, who played 28 games for the Sharks between 2005 and 2006, is expected to shift back to the second row for tonight's clash.
The 27-year-old trained on the edge of the ruck during the Dragons' final training session in Wollongong this week, with utility Matt Prior filling in at left centre because of Matt Cooper's ankle injury. Scott was typically coy when asked of coach Steve Price's positional reshuffle.
''Not sure, it's probably something you'll have to take up with Steve,'' he said.
''I'm happy to fill whatever role I have to do for the team.
''We're just trying to find the right combination at the moment, Kyle's a pretty handy right centre and I like playing alongside him this year.
''It's been good to get back on to the field in the past couple of weeks, I just want to prove a couple of things personally.''
He dismissed talk of his recent signing with Newcastle next season being a distraction. ''It's over and done with now,'' he said of the signing. ''The Dragons are my priority for this year and it would be nice to go out on a high note.''


text:
BP Comment Quick Links
July 19, 2006
Prospectus Notebook
Orioles, Mets
Let's play a game called "Guess the Orioles Pitcher." Here are three pitching lines from the 2006 season:
The first of these lines is particularly awful; the strikeout rate is not impressive and the walk rate is pretty lofty, especially considering that the pitcher is giving up more than a home run per nine innings. The second line is really a brilliant display of pitching; the home run rate is low, the K/BB rate is especially noteworthy, and the strikeout rate surpasses one per inning. The unsightly line of pitching is Erik Bedard from April 5 to June 1, while the second line is also Bedard, this time from June 6 to July 15. The third line is his overall season statistics, which are also somewhat notable, at least in comparison to what they looked like earlier on in 2006.
Bedard's early season problems were obvious: he wasn't fooling people, which explains the low K rate, the high walk rate, and the unpleasant number of balls leaving the park. It now looks as if Orioles' pitching coach Leo Mazzone has finally reached Bedard, considering his strikeout rate skyrocketed at the same time he cut down on both homeruns and walks. Opposing batters have put up a paltry .196/.259/.254 line against Bedard since that June 6 start; he's given up 37 hits over that time span of 53 innings, but only five of them have been for extra bases.
One shouldn't expect Bedard to keep up this Pedro-esque pace for the remainder of the season, but he certainly should be closer to this than to his first 63 innings. He's increased his groundballs on balls-in-play from 38.3% to 40.0% to 48.7% since 2004, and outside of the increase in dingers during his rough stretch, has not seen any negative changes to his batted-balls allowed. Bedard is certainly the jewel of this pitching staff, especially after seemingly figuring out how to fix his early season struggles.
Round two of Guess the Pitcher doesn't have the same happy ending as the Bedard portion:
IP ERA K/9 BB/9 HR/9 K/BB -------------------------------------------------- 161.1 4.52 8.8 4.9 0.8 1.80 85.2 5.25 9.5 7.9 0.7 1.20The first line is Daniel Cabrera's 2005 campaign, while the second is his 2006 season. His tendency to allow home runs remained steady, and due to an increase in strikeouts, the K/BB change was not as significant as one would expect when your walk rate jumps up three entire walks per nine innings pitched. Amazingly, Cabrera's ERA only jumped up around three-quarters of a run, but he has looked completely lost on the mound.
The utter lack of control is not the young flamethrower's only issue; after a significant 10 percent increase in his GB% in 2005, Cabrera has fallen below 2004 levels this year, down to 38.3% from 52.7%. He is actually inducing more infield flies than previously, up to 11.8%, but his line drives have also increased; that is not a positive when you're walking almost eight men per nine. Cabrera has been particularly lucky with inducing double plays so far this season, which has most likely contributed to the slighter-than-expected increase in ERA. Cabrera has 13 double plays behind him, as opposed to 10 all of last year in roughly 80 additional innings. Credit that to the glut of men on base, especially considering the severe and highly significant drop in induced groundballs.
Cabrera is currently pitching for the Triple-A Ottawa Lynx, where the Orioles hope he can recover some of the control he seems to have left at baggage claim during the World Baseball Classic. He certainly retains a great deal of potential, and his pitch speed and strikeout rates beg for another chance. It will be a happy day in Baltimore if and when Cabrera straightens out, especially if Bedard can continue his recent string of dominance.
0 comments have been left for this article.
BP Comment Quick Links
Not a subscriber? Sign up today!


text:
on 6/15/00 6:00 AM, Alan Wood at email@example.com wrote:
> I have tried without success to find information on how to view multilingual
> Web pages with a Macintosh and which multilingual fonts are available, so I
> have documented the things I have discovered by a process of trial and
> error, and produced a new page in my collection of Unicode information at:
> http://www.hclrss.demon.co.uk/unicode/macbrowsers.html
> I will appreciate being advised of any errors or of further sources of
> information.
Well done. There is one clarification I would suggest, however.
Apple has provided support for direct Unicode rendering since Mac OS 8.5.
This includes the ability to use large, data-fork TrueType fonts such as
Arial Unicode. The OS is perfectly capable of handling these fonts and
applications have the ability extended to them to do all of Unicode. None,
however, are taking advantage of that ability as of yet.
John H. Jenkins
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.2 : Tue Jul 10 2001 - 17:21:04 EDT


text:
Sorry, the DVD that you are looking for is not available right now.
We did a search for other DVDs with a similar title, however there were no matches. You can try selecting from a similar category, or use the search box above to find your DVD.
Classic suspense from the Master of Mystery Roy Marsden stars in this award winning collection as PD James literary creation Adam Dalgliesh.
The methodical detective solves a series of the most heinous crimes from the gruesome to the macabre.
Includes 2 intriguing episodes.
Shroud For A Nightingale : Whilst working on a case with sinister political implications, Dalgliesh discovers a hotbed of hidden secrets, blackmail and murder at a teaching hospital.
A Taste For Death : An informal investigation into threatening letters sent to a government minister becomes an urgent case when a series of bizarre deaths occur.
About the Directors
John Gorrie lives in Hastings, East Sussex, England and is a director. He started out as an actor. In early 1963, he attended BBCs director's course. His first jobs as a director were for the soap opera, Compact and the anthology series Suspense. He also directed the Doctor Who serial, The Keys of Marinus. Gorrie also directed episodes of Out of the Unknown, Edward the Seventh (which he also co-wrote), Play of the Month, Play for Today, and Tales of the Unexpected. Gorrie also directed John Osborne's adaptation of Wilde's novel The Picture of Dorian Gray in 1976.
John Davies (9 March 1939 – 22 August 2011) was an English television director and producer and former child actor.
Approximate Running Time : 586 Minutes. 4 DVD Set
Audio: ENG
Barcode: 9328511014769
Classification: M (Recommended For Mature Audiences - Violence and themes)
Encoding: PAL
Format: DVD
Language: English
Number of Discs: 4
Region: 4 (Australia & New Zealand)
Released: 10th January 2009
Running Time: 572 mins
Subtitles: ENG


text:
Engrained by Ana Clerc
Welcome! You are browsing as a guestWould you like to see 8 projects made from this pattern and much more? create a free account What am I missing?
© Kennedy Berry
© Kennedy Berry
This pattern is available for $5.00 USD buy it now
Notions: stitch markers, waste yarn, tapestry needle
This pattern was part of the gift given to the Hill Country Yarn Crawl 2012 participants.
Simple knit and purl stitches are used to create a rich faux-bois woodgrain effect. The ribbing of the back of the hand swirls and swerves as it moves around a detailed knot-hole in the grain, finding it's way back to regular ribbing. The palms are done in a quick and smooth stockinette. A wide range of sizes also make these wearable by both men and women.
A huge debt of gratitude goes to the unequaled Kennedy Berry for her expert layout and photography and editing and extraordinary patience.


text: Has anybody else noticed it has been a while since we have seen HAIL2VICTORS9? He hasn't commented since the middle of November, so I thought I would put out an APB on him. Here is the last picture taken of him in the 11W Premium Lounge bathroom. If anybody else could provide a more recent picture, it would be greatly appreciated. Lets find this guy!


text:
Sign In
Shop Ink
Search Millions of Items...
Sign In
Shop Ink
Pickup today,
Out of stock online
Available online only
Out of stock online
Available in-store only
Free Shipping
Staples® Antistatic tubing in pink color measures 16" x 750" offer high-level performance in low relative humidity and is suitable for packaging products that can be heat sealed, tied or stapled.
Staples® Antistatic tubing with 4 mil thick is free from amine and will not destroy polycarbonate surfaces. Antistatic tubing can be recycled that measures 16" x 750" and is heavy weight that controls uniform electricity.
Specialty Bag UseAntistatic
Material of ItemPolyethylene
Poly Bag Mil Thickness0.4 Mil
Poly Bag & Supply Length750
Poly Bag & Supply Width16
Poly Bag & Supply TypePoly Tubing
Poly Bag & Supply ColorPink
The product was not found. Please verify the sku and try again.


text: I had a question regarding the wiring for an HSH guitar with two Seymour Duncan single-coil size humbuckers (Hot Rail and Lil '59, I believe) and a Fender Vintage Noiseless (1 vol, 2 tones 5-way). My plan is to use this schematic, however I noticed that in this other schematic it says that I will have to reverse the Green and Black wires of the Duncans to match the Fender pickup. Will this also be the case with the first schematic even though it doesn't mention it? Thanks!


text:
About Alpha H Liquid Gold Smoothing and Perfecting MaskRenowned skincare brand Alpha H continue to push the boundaries of skincare with their acclaimed Liquid Gold range. A cult favourite which continues to impress time and time again, the potent formula found in Alpha H products promises an effective and visible result in a short space of time.The Liquid Gold Mask with lavender extract is a powerful yet gentle exfoliator, removing dull, dead skin cells revealing brighter, plumper and firmer skin below. With 15% glycolic acid from pure sugar cane extract, the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and acne scarring is dramatically improved.Glycolic acid is primarily used in professional skin resurfacing treatments. A natural component found in sugarcane and pineapple, once applied to the skin it reacts with the upper layer of the epidermis, breaking down the structures which hold dead skin cells together and exposing new skin cells underneath.Alongside this powerful ingredient are healing rose and lavender oil, nourishing honey and hydrating wheatgerm oil to help soften the skin, increase suppleness and soothe any redness and irritation.Smoothing and Perfecting FormulaYour skin is your body's largest organ, and is composed of several layers. The uppermost visible layer of your skin's surface is the epidermis, made up of millions of individual cells called keratinocytes - the same substance which also forms keratin, which makes up your hair and nails.Where the epidermis meets the dermis, new keratinocytes are formed. Over time, these new cells find their way up to the skin's surface, where they are weathered by your daily activities and eventually die. This layer of dead skin cells is called the stratum corneum.The clever formulation found in Alpha H Liquid Gold products removes this dead layer of skin in a gentle but effective way, exposing the new layer of skin cells underneath the stratum corneum. The result is smooth, bright and perfect-looking skin.Because Alpha H Smoothing and Perfecting Mask contains 15% glycolic acid, it's ideal as a once-a-week treatment or before special events when skin needs brightening.Soothing and healing extractsThe powerful exfoliating properties of this magic mask are balanced with soothing botanical extracts to help heal and nourish skin.Rose oil is antiseptic and astringent, helping to tone and lift the skin, and protect against the formation of wrinkles. It is also a potent cicatrisant, promoting cell regeneration and helping to heal both new and old scars.Lavender oil enhances blood circulation and is most helpful in treating acne, inhibiting the spot-causing bacteria in the skin's sebum glands. Honey is also a natural antioxidant and has antimicrobial properties, encouraging skin to replenish old cells leaving it soft and supple. It also absorbs and retains moisture, supporting the skin's natural hydration and leaving it fresh.The final effective natural ingredient is wheatgerm oil, extracted from wheat kernels. This contains a high concentration of vitamin E which helps to block free radicals from the body, preventing premature aging. It's also an anti-inflammatory, calming and hydrating sensitive skin.The Alpha H BrandThe home of cult beauty favourite Liquid Gold, the Australian Alpha H brand has been growing in recognition as the go-to for beauty professionals for the last two decades. After suffering with her own skin throughout her teenage years and into her 20s, Director Michelle Doherty wanted to develop a range of products which deliver on the promise of changing the quality of skin, no matter what your age, skin type or lifestyle.Using high quality potent ingredients and thorough research, the Alpha H brand offers a level of quality seldom seen previously, and has gone from strength to strength as skincare enthusiasts around the globe discover the potential that their products can offer. Liquid Gold has been bridging the gap between invasive treatments and over-the-counter for 15 years, offering salon quality in the comfort of your own home.
Products are shipped by the individual Fruugo retailers, who are located across Europe and the rest of the world. The delivery times and shipping prices vary depending on the retailer's location, the destination country and the selected delivery method.
Fruugo offers two delivery options: Standard or Express. All retailers offer a standard delivery service, and some retailers also offer an express delivery service.
Although Fruugo retailers endeavour to deliver within these timescales, please note that the above timescales are estimated and not guaranteed.
The delivery timescales do not include any customs clearing times beyond Fruugo's control.
Please allow additional shipping time for deliveries to South Africa.
All carriers deliver during normal business working hours and may require a signature on receipt, so please ensure your order is delivered to an address where someone will be available to accept it.
We do our best to ensure that the products that you order are delivered to you in full and according to your specifications. However, should you receive an incomplete order, or items different from the ones you ordered, or there is some other reason why you are not satisfied with the order, you may return the order, or any products included in the order, and receive a full refund for the items.
Certain products purchased at Fruugo cannot be returned. They fall in the following categories:
Please take reasonable care of the goods whilst in your care. Any goods returned must be in a resaleable condition. They must be unworn/unused with original tags attached and in original packaging. It is your responsibility to ensure that the goods are appropriately packaged to ensure they are not damaged in return transit.
Notifying us of a return
If you wish to return an order, or some of the products included in an order, please notify Fruugo customer care within 14 days of receiving the goods, including the following information:
Our customer care will send you specific instructions on how to ship the return package(s) to the retailer(s). Please do not ship the return package before you receive the instructions.
Shipping products back to retailers
Goods must be returned without undue delay and in any event not later than 14 days after notifying us of your cancellation.
If you are returning products to several retailers, you should distribute the products accordingly and send the products to those retailers who shipped them to you initially.
We strongly recommend that you use registered mail (and insure any high-value packages), since neither Fruugo nor the retailer take responsibility for shipments that are lost or damaged during return transportation.
Please ensure you retain a proof of postage receipt so in the unlikely event your parcel goes missing, you will have proof you sent it.
You will be refunded within 14 days of the retailer receiving back the goods. We will notify you by e-mail once the products reach the retailer and are accepted for return. Where a retailer has offered to collect the goods, you will be refunded within 14 days of cancelling your contract.
Unless a product or products you wish to return arrived to you damaged or faulty, you are responsible for the return transportation costs.
Providing you are returning all the products from a specific retailer, we will refund the standard shipping costs you paid for the original delivery. If you chose to pay for a non-standard delivery, we will only refund the cost of our least expensive, standard delivery.
Damaged or faulty goods
If you receive a damaged, broken, or defective product, please notify Fruugo customer care as soon as possible. Include at least the following information:
We will generally instruct you to ship the damaged product back to the retailer. As soon as it reaches the retailer, they will send you a replacement product. If the replacement can't be made, or if you wish to cancel the order, you will be refunded in full. You will also be reimbursed for reasonable returns postage costs for damaged or faulty goods once we have received your postage receipt.
If the outer packaging of your order is clearly damaged on arrival, and you are suspecting that the products are damaged as well, you can either reject the delivery or accept the goods and sign for them as damaged. In both instances, please notify Fruugo customer care as soon as possible.
Refusing delivery
If you refuse to accept delivery of all or part of your order (where the products or packaging do not appear to be damaged or defective) you will be responsible for the postage charges. Any fees and charges incurred by the retailer due to a package being refused will be deducted from your merchandise refund.


text:
- Home
- Obituaries
- Sports
- Auctions
- Living 50+
- Community
- Religion
- E-Edition
- Show Me Ray County Getaway Guide
- Legal Notices
- Editorials
With his tour card secured for next year, Richmond High School graduate and PGA Tour rookie Michael Letzig nearly captured his first victory this weekend at the Ginn sur Mer Classic at Palm Coast, Fla.
Letzig ended with a four-round total of 6-under par 282, just one shot behind the winner Ryan Palmer.
Palmer sank a 10-foot birdie putt on the final hole to break up a seven-way logjam at the top of the leaderboard. Letzig battled the high winds throughout the tournament and turned in rounds of 64, 74, and 70 through the first three days and held a one-shot lead heading into Sunday. After recording a bogie on the third hole, Letzig fell back into a group of seven battling for the lead in the final round that was delayed twice by the weather.
Letzig was playing in the final group behind Palmer and needed a birdie on the par-5, 570-yard 18th. His approach shot from 80-yards out ended up 35-feet down the slope for his birdie attempt that would have forced a playoff.
"Every day when I hit balls, I practice the 80-yard shot," Letzig told the Associated Press. "I just caught it a little heavy."
His birdie putt missed to the left and long, but Letzig hit the par putt to end the day at 1-over and in a 5-way tie for second.
Letzig earned $276,000 for his efforts and after beginning the next-to-last stop for the season at 109th on the money list, he moves up 20 spots to 89th. The top 125 on the money list keep their Tour Cards for next season.
The final event of the season will be held at Lake Buena Vista, Fla. this week.
Click here for our E-edition and read the rest of the story.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login


text: I continued my yearly New Years tradition with my buddy Scott this year in Hong Kong – along with the always adventurous Samuel Lippke the wonderful Audrey. I'll have a travel journal video some time soon, but here are a few snaps. Check out 2011 in Egypt and 2012 in Nicaragua if you're bored 🙂


text:
My Truth About WordPress plugins
There has been a lot of noise made recently about the state of security in WordPress plugins and how they will destroy your site in an instant. I want to set the record straight about this right now.
It's all true! and the sky is falling!
Ok. Perhaps not Chicken Little.
First of all, let's get some facts out there.
Myth: 7/10 plugins have security holes
Fact: It's entirely possible. I can't survey all 25,000 plugins in the WordPress repository but I've looked at several of them over the years and I can say that many do not follow basic sanitization/validation of input and output (some of my work is included in this). This leads to scary vulnerabilities like XSS attacks, SQL injection and other frightening terms. You should be wary.
Myth: Too many plugins will slow my site down
Fact: True – ish. The more code your server has to slog through the longer it takes to display a single page and that's bad. But this "too many" could be a single plugin that does something crazy and takes a long time, or it could be the 50 plugins you're tinkering with. It depends on the plugin(s) and your server. Host A might be able to handle your 50 plugins, but your buddy running on Host Q can't run the same setup. The core issue here is two-fold, in my opinion. What work is the plugin doing when it runs?, and secondly how well is the plugin written? Both issues will seriously impact your site in terms of time to load, stability and security.
Myth: I need plugin X to get feature Y
Fact: Maybe, maybe not. One of my pet peeves with this is things like Google Analytics or other plugins that do basically 1 thing. I love me some Google Analytics, let's start with that. But do you need a plugin to include it? Probably not. Your GA code (or similar trackers) would be installed on every single page of your site, so it could be included directly into your theme files or use the feature built into your (good) theme or SEO plugin to accomplish it rather than added another plugin. Putting it into the theme makes the most sense to me, but there may be extenuating circumstances.
Myth: WordPress is insecure!
Fact: Yep, it's possible. Since it's designed and coded by people (Great people who really know their work btw) it probably has some security issues. Worse, it let's ANYONE with an iota of coding skill add to it – Looking at you plugin and theme "developers". Does this make WordPress insecure? Is it the fault of WordPress.org that your site got hacked? Not entirely no. WordPress includes many tools and methods that developers (from novice to pro) can take advantage of to help mediate the risk. Usually when security holes are found the coder hadn't followed good programming practices – either from WordPress or the coding community at large.
So – now what?
I'm going to tell you the same thing everyone else does. There's no magic bullet or secret voodoo involved here. It's simple common sense.
- Back it up! Keep a current copy of your site and database. How often you do this depends on your site. If it changes often, back it up more often to minimize loss. How do you back it up? I don't know what's right for you. Your host probably has a backup service. There's plugins that do it and there are 3rd party paid services that do it. Or you could learn how to do it yourself. After you learn, it'll probably take about 10 minutes per backup.
- Update WordPress! There's tons of debate on this but I fall on the "do the update" side. WordPress updates for 2 reasons. Major releases (3.4, 3.5, 3.6) are usually about features – with security rolled in. Minor releases (3.5.1, 3.5.2) are usually bug fixes and/or security related. Just about every release includes some security fixes or tweaks. Thus – update WordPress.
- Update plugins! Good plugin developers work like the WordPress core devs. They fix security issues and bugs as they become aware of them. Reviewing code, listening to customers and watching the internet for reports. Good plugin developers issue releases when they fix those bugs and include them along with other features. Now, plugin developers don't have the testing and quality control all the time and sometimes their updates introduce MORE issues. So I advocate a short delay on plugin updates but it depends on the plugin (could you live without it for a couple of days) and what the details of the update are.
- Clean it up! All those inactive plugins and themes you played with and then deactivated? They don't affect your site much. WordPress looks at them when you display the list of installed plugins, but even that is cached. They might provide a vector for a security attack. If you're not using them, delete them. You can always re-install.
- Lock it up (down?)! Do some research on permissions. Leaving all files set to 777 means that any user who gets access to your machine could manipulate or run or compromise a file. Find out the difference between 777 and 644 and when to use each – and the others. Learn how to secure your wp-admin with .htaccess or at least get someone to do it for you. If it's necessary. Not sure… Good, go look it up!
- Scan it! There's a number of security plugins (some not so great) and services that will scan or monitor your site for changes and intrusions. Have a look at a couple and decide if it's necessary. Sucuri is a great company leading the charge to protect the internet. Even their free scan is worth having a look at and running once in a while. This is an added plugin I do recommend you install: Sucuri Security.
You don't have to be an expert – I'm not, and you don't have to go all bunker-in-the-desert-crazy on securing your website, but since you put all this time and effort into it, don't you think you should do the basics?Read More
GT-Vouchers 1.8.9 update
Since version 1.6, a year ago, GT-Vouchers has gone through some big changes and currently sits at version 1.8.9 with 1.9 in testing. As always, many security and stability updates have been made over all, and in response to requests and suggestions from users, a number of new features have been implemented as well.
From oldest to newest, the new features include:
- Hide the CSV download link from listing owners
- Custom widget to list the most recent vouchers in 1 or more categories or 1 city
- Custom widget to show the most popular vouchers
- Default text color for all vouchers
- Custom text color per voucher
- Require a Facebook Like before downloading a voucher
- Voucher lists now link directly to the voucher on the page, instead of just the top
- Customizable call to action for the Facebook Like
- Limit the number of vouchers per price package
- Disconnected vouchers from Special Offers – they now work 100% independently
- Hide "Require Email" and "Require Facebook" option when users are creating vouchers
- Set a custom from name and email for all GT-Vouchers emails
- Voucher availability indicator on search results and archive (category) pages
- Replaced GeoTheme widgets for Latest Places Grid & List views to show "Voucher available" indicator
- Significant speed increase
- Customizable "Download this voucher" text
- Use a custom image instead of a template
- Show a preview image of the real voucher on the listing
- Cache preview images to keep server load low
- Download or print an image instead of a PDF
- Alert admin when new vouchers are created
- Addition of a some custom hooks & actions for "add-on" development
- WordPress 3.5 compatibility for uploader and color picker
- Send users to a custom Thank You page after registering for a voucher
- Introduce a "Voucher available" banner on some widgets – like the "Featured" banner in GeoTheme
- New widget to show total number of voucher downloads
- Pre-fill the name and email of registered site users when they register for a voucher
- Update dynamic widgets to be compatibile with WP Super Cache but not interfere when it's not used.
- New system of updating the plugin and our own store (public site coming soon)
All that GT-Vouchers is and will be is entirely due to the people who have supported it and prodded me to keep at it.
What's next for GT-Vouchers?
Work has already begun on GT-Vouchers 2.0 which is a complete 100% re-write of the plugin. No, I don't have an ETA yet.
Some of the features will include:
- Focus on mobile compatibility & usability
- Better WordPress integration
- More types of vouchers (Daily deals, timed countdowns)
- Tracking for end merchants and site owners
- Flexible integration with more sites
- Better, more accessible documentation
Those are some of the broad topics and certainly not the only priorities. If you're a current or prospective buyer, please get in touch and let me know what you are looking for in a voucher/coupon system.Read More
GT-Vouchers 1.6 is out
I've just released version 1.6 of GT-Vouchers over on Theme Tailors. There are several changes in this version but it primarily fixes a bug reported by users where the plugin would cause a site to hang – and eventually crash. That's pretty bad.
As far as I can tell, this was caused by the original code performing unnecessary installation checks when actions where taken, and one of my features put this into a loop.
The new feature added is the option to show a countdown of the number of vouchers available just above the download button.
Nothing major, but it's now sold a few copies and I expect more feedback to keep coming in.
Thanks to everyone who has supported this project.Read More
More GeoTheme Plugins
InstalledForYou.com now has 3 plugins available on ThemeTailors for GeoTheme and a fourth about to hit as I write this.
Previously I introduced you to GT-Dashboard which was upgraded recently to include a couple of more stats and an auto-updating feature.
Next up, IFY GeoTheme Exporter does what it says, it allows users to export from GeoTheme – specifically the emails and addresses of events & listings. Simple enough.
Third one out is the big one. GT-Vouchers is a fork of the existing VoucherPress plugin, but completely customized for GeoTheme users. It includes tight integration with price packages, places and events – giving the site owner good control over the use of vouchers and allowing them to set their pricing accordingly.
- Full GeoTheme integration
- Business owner can create/edit vouchers from the front end (or back if they have access)
- Site owner can create/edit vouchers
- Tied to your GeoTheme price package / Special Offers
- Create a voucher list page for ALL and/or By Category
- Customizable text for messages & email
- Customizable css for border around vouchers on listings
- Allow only logged in users to download vouchers – optional custom message when not logged in
- Optionally hide vouchers after maximum downloads are reached
- Business owners can download the email list for their vouchers
- Dozens of bug fixes and optimizations
The GeoTheme community has become very active lately as the theme gains popularity. Some of the examples in the showcase are quite well designed and show some real inspiration.Read More
GeoTheme Specific Plugins
In some ways it's considered "bad" to go too far into a niche market, but lately I've begun to explore a pretty small market with custom plugins (while working on my major plugin projects).
GeoTheme is a new theme based on the GeoPlaces theme. GeoTheme was spawned when the purchases of the original theme became seriously disillusioned with the theme they bought. Lack of support, no updates etc drove them to basically make their own by branching the original.
My first plugin for this theme is the GT-Dashboard. It's pretty simple and offers stats specific to your installation of GeoTheme. You can tell at a glance how many places & events you have, and how many reviews have been posted or are pending. I am planning to add some more reporting including financial information. It's currently for sale over at ThemeTailors.com for just $5, including all future updates.
Next up, I'm working on a "deals" plugin – mostly re-purposing the Special Offers in GeoTheme, but likely expanding outside of this as well. There seems to be a high demand, so I need to get that done quickly.Read More
RosterPress Beta launched
My most ambitious plugin to date was supposed to be a few hours, but turned into over a month of part time coding!
RosterPress is a WordPress plugin to help manage talent/model/sport agent websites and more.
Featuring custom talent profiles, an appointment calendar and notifications, RosterPress lets anyone who manages people quickly and easily build a website presence.
Fully customizable profiles let you display physical characteristics for models, actors & similar talent, or simply use the personal contact section for internal use.
The appointment calendar is a simple and slick drag-and-drop system letting you move appointments around with easy, see who's attached and any other details with a simple click.
Hook all that up to email and optional SMS notifications, and RosterPress really is a business-in-a-box.
The plugin is currently in beta trials with a limited number of copies available for testing. Check it out over at RosterPress.comRead More
Something Very Different
As I mentioned in my last post, Ralph helped me out with the Drafts Scheduler plugin. He helped find a bug and get it fixed, which was just awesome. In return, Ralph asked if I'd take a look at building another plugin for him.
His website at DrHouseMusic.com is all about House music and the people on the site link and embed from music sites all over the web. Apparently LetsMix.com is a popular one, but there was no plugin available to make it easy to embed their codes. Sure, LetsMix give out a nice embed code, but you have to do a bit of work. Ralph wanted something simpler for his users.
So, out of that was born the Let's Mix Shortcode plugin. It was a fun project, that took about 8 hours over the course about a week. Due to Ralph being in Holland and me in Vancouver, we were on opposite time zones, which slowed things down.
In the end, the plugin turned out really really well, and I learned a few things along the way. Please check it out if you're a music fan needing to embed into WordPress.Read More