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After the leap: His celebrated winery sold, Warren Winiarski ponders his legacy - and his next move
His celebrated winery sold, Warren Winiarski ponders his legacy - and his next move
"So this," says Warren Winiarski, "is the moral center of the universe."
Winiarski is standing by the floor-to-ceiling Foucault pendulum he installed at the heart of the vaulted caves at Stag's Leap Wine Cellars. It swings methodically, dominating the room. The irregular stones under his feet depict the Earth; feldspar flecks in the ceiling represent stars. Each hallway branching off denotes a Napa Valley appellation - Oak Knoll, Yountville and so on.
Certainly it was the center of Winiarski's universe until July, when the celebrated vintner sold his winery to Italian winemaker Piero Antinori and Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, Washington state's largest winery, for $185 million. For the next three years, Winiarski will remain as adviser, passing along nearly 40 years of collected wisdom about the vineyards that helped establish Napa Valley as a place for some of the world's best wine.
What comes next remains a puzzle, though Winiarski, 79, hints that there's more to come, possibly even a new wine. "Who knows?" he says. "It's entirely possible."
Few wineries so embody their creator as Stag's Leap Wine Cellars. It often seemed like the extension of Winiarski's will: built along the Silverado Trail in the location of his "epiphany" while tasting the 1968 Cabernet made by maverick winegrower Nathan Fay. Through the winery, Winiarski defined a winemaking style of balance, depth and subtle endurance rather than the overt power favored by many of his neighbors. Always he was synonymous with Stag's Leap wines, his signature right on the labels.
But as he walks around the property on a clear March day, weaving in and out of buildings, he no longer appears to be entirely of the place. Workers greet him politely but quickly stride along, seeming more focused on the day's tasks.
Soul of Stag's Leap
Clearly, it is an uneasy time for Winiarski, perhaps because he has always been the very soul of Stag's Leap, driving his staff toward perfection. Now his well-oiled machine is chugging on its own. Winiarski himself strove to orchestrate his legacy, spending years on a strategy to preserve the winery, and the wines, as he wished. Now he has handed it off, hoping his decisions were wise.
"People can dangle lots of money in front of somebody for their life's work," says Stag's Leap's winemaker Nicki Pruss, who first started in Winiarski's lab nine years ago. "He chose who he was going to hand the keys to, and that's critical."
For the moment, Winiarski and his wife, Barbara, still live in their renovated 1910 Craftsman atop a knoll above the winery. Robert Mondavi's house sits on the next rise over. Winiarski gazes out through a long set of windows onto the Fay vineyard, which first inspired him to uproot a nearby prune orchard. That orchard became Stag's Leap Vineyard, whose vines in 1973 provided Cabernet fruit for the wine that would win the 1976 Judgment of Paris tasting in which California bested France.
Winiarski's small, bright eyes sweep across a vista that, he is slowly acknowledging, is no longer his.
"You know what is different?" he tells me later. "The sense of ownership is there, but the long-term horizon? It's only gradually beginning to sink in. However ill-advised it may have been, the horizon of eternity is not part of the equation."
Winiarski is in a contemplative mood these days. During the course of several interviews, he outlines his "concerns and wishes" for the winery he has just passed along, and for all of Napa Valley.
He arrived from Chicago in 1964, with Barbara and their children in a rickety station wagon to work at Lee Stewart's Souverain. From there he moved on to the Robert Mondavi Winery and several consulting jobs, eventually developing a plot on Howell Mountain he bought in 1965.
At the time, there were only suspicions - nothing more - that Napa had the makings of greatness. The Winiarskis' journey west was driven in large part by a desire to escape the city for an agrarian existence. "We did not come here for a lifestyle," Winiarski says, sitting in his drawing room overlooking the Fay vineyard. "We came here for a way of life, and that's why I had to do everything myself."
"There was no articulated sense of destiny," he continues, sounding much like the University of Chicago political science lecturer he once was.
Valley changes
What Winiarski sees now is a Napa Valley in the midst of a transfer to a handful of big companies, with corporate boards more concerned about leveraging brands and appeasing shareholders than preserving the area's winemaking legacy. Winiarski's own history reveals the scope of change: Souverain, now based in Sonoma County, is currently owned by Foster's Group; Mondavi was bought in 2004 by Constellation Brands. Even neighboring Stags' Leap Winery, which tangled with Winiarski in a lengthy lawsuit, is now owned by Foster's.
Then there are the wealthy arrivistes who seek ownership without sweat equity. Though Winiarski himself needed investors to build Stag's Leap, he sees few opportunities for young vintners to follow his path because land prices have been driven so high.
There will also be fewer people willing to adopt the fights he often waged to preserve Napa's rural roots: the 1968 agricultural preserve he and contemporaries like Schramsberg's Jack Davies worked hard to enact, and the successful 1990 passage of Measure J, meant to preserve agricultural lands by requiring a popular vote on zoning changes. Winiarski is now working to extend Measure J for another 50 years. But other battles loom, including one over plans by Pacific Union College to build nearly 400 housing units in the town of Angwin, in the eastern hills above the valley. "There's a singular lack of attentiveness to this sort of thing from the corporate world," he says.
Winiarski's other big worry has troubled him for years: big, alcoholic wines that have largely defined Napa Valley's recent successes but, in his view, betray its terroir. For years Stag's Leap wines had mixed success with critics, their polished style often speaking faintly in a world of brawny competitors. But sales have remained brisk, especially after the introduction of the lower-priced $55 Artemis bottling.
This isn't a new battle. As early as 1974, Winiarski was put off by the brute force of many California wines. But now, he believes, that high-extract, high-impact style has become an unsettling standard, guided by a "new parochialism" that encourages California winemakers to train their palates almost entirely on their own concentrated wines. "This is a moment whose time has to come to an end," he says. "The beauty of Napa fruit is not in that direction."
Model of restraint
In Winiarski's ideal scenario, Stag's Leap would be preserved as a beacon of restraint, proving the virtues of nuanced winemaking, a testament to his toil. "That would be, as Hamlet said, a consummation devoutly to be wished," he says.
Winiarski now spends much of his time working to pass along his collected wisdom, explaining vineyard nuances with Pruss, general manager Jeff McBride and Glenn Salva, who runs Antinori's Napa Valley operations. Winiarski has a three-year consulting contract, though he expects most work will occur this year.
The decision to sell wasn't one Winiarski wanted to make. But by late 2002, he and his family began meeting on Saturdays to discuss the winery's future. Winiarski brought in Tom Hakel, a longtime financial consultant who would take over as the winery's acting general manager in 2003.
One of Hakel's tasks was to help loosen the reins on Winiarski's famously exacting management style. Hakel convinced Winiarski that he needed to step back and manage staff in broad strokes, "rather than ... standing over their shoulder every minute," Winiarski says.
But the family had also begun to debate the winery's fate. Each of Winiarski's three children had worked at Stag's Leap: Stephen helped construct the caves but then turned to a business in Mexico; Julia worked in the cellar until 1999 but returned only occasionally afterward; Kasia worked in communications and wrote the newsletter, but didn't gravitate to winemaking. None were obviously on track to step into their father's shoes, so what ensued was "a lot of soul-searching," Hakel says. "At the end of it, Warren wasn't forcing someone to say, 'I want you to take it over,' and no one was saying, 'I want to take it over."
Over time, Winiarski says, "it became clear to everyone" that an outside investor was needed, either for a partnership or a sale.
But who? The realization came in the shadow of Constellation's purchase of Robert Mondavi Winery, and Winiarski's skepticism about corporate winemaking ran deep. He reached out to just one person: longtime friend Piero Antinori, who had been involved in Napa Valley since the 1980s. In mid-2007, the men met at Antinori's house above Foss Valley, near Atlas Peak, and Winiarski proposed the idea. Antinori suggested bringing in Ste. Michelle, his partner in the Col Solare winery in Washington.
Winiarski was intrigued - in particular by how Antinori's long-term vision paired with Ste. Michelle's pragmatism. But he was skittish about the corporate overtones. As Antinori said in an interview last fall, "He wanted a sort of reassurance of continuity of his philosophy and vision."
Winery's style preserved
Winiarski went to see Col Solare, "to see how serious they were," and came away impressed. The new owners have provided Winiarski plenty of reassurance. Changes thus far have been minor: new French oak barrels, a grape sorter, a new planned visitor's center. Ted Baseler, Ste. Michelle's president and CEO, says there's no interest in overhauling the Stag's Leap style. "Getting 96 points is not going to be the definition of whether we're successful in our quest," Baseler says.
Ste. Michelle also has a track record of letting its wineries run with local autonomy, which Winiarski felt distinguished it. Baseler seems to share Winiarski's concerns over development. "Particularly in Napa, with the explosive growth, it's more important than ever to be fanatical about the land and the use of land," he says.
Most crucially, winemaker Pruss (who finally won that title in November 2005) will keep making the wines in the manner she learned from Winiarski. "I think Warren will be very happy," she says. "We talk about the trust factor. I think he'll be comfortable that Stag's Leap Wine Cellars is in good hands."
Of course, there is the matter of the $185 million. Winiarski had already bought out his remaining partners and the winery has long been profitable, thanks in part to its Hawk Crest second label, launched in 1974. So there's plenty to go around. Though Winiarski wouldn't discuss specifics, he will give some to his alma mater St. John's College of Annapolis, Md., at whose summer seminar Winiarski continues to lecture. (This year he's teaching "Macbeth.") Otherwise, he says, "We haven't changed our way of life."
Each of Winiarski's three children will get a portion of the money. "But they haven't changed their way of living either," he notes.
The winery may not be his, but when Winiarski walks the Stag's Leap vineyards, it's hard to imagine that they belong to anyone else. He always distinguished himself by spending endless hours among the rows, sampling grapes, tending to the soil, trying to improve the fruit.
As we stand in Block 4 of Stag's Leap Vineyard, where gnarled specimens date back to 1972, Winiarski picks at a wizened knob on a vine, the victim of an old pruning cut. "This is all hollow," he says. These haggard vines form the core of Cask 23, Stag's Leap's top wine, at $175 a bottle.
Nearby sits Block 2, Winiarski's first planting in 1970, looking orderly and healthy after a replanting completed in 2000. Winiarski scoffs at the notion that only old vines make superior wine. History is on his side. At just three years of age, Block 2's vines bore the Cabernet grapes for the wine that swept Paris.
All winemakers rhapsodize about their soils. Winiarski turns it into an elemental clash. Standing in the Fay vineyard, he describes the volcanism that formed the ragged Stags Leap palisades above. Over time, the coarse, ruddy soils collided with finer alluvial soils dumped below by repeated flooding. What Winiarski has often described as "an iron fist in a velvet glove" is essentially a harmonious blending of the two. "They render Cabernet with a wonderful delicacy," he says, "and a song, really, that is moderate, elegant, yet forceful."
Winiarski's love of vineyards is most evident in the one asset he retained: the 128-acre Arcadia vineyard, located near Mount George, east of the town of Napa. It had already provided Chardonnay grapes for Mike Grgich when Winiarski bought it in 1996.
Named for Roman poet Virgil's idyllic land, Arcadia is the source for a minimally oaked Chardonnay that Winiarski portrays as Chablis-like. It's also the new target for Winiarski's often painstaking demand for detail. "I'm running it," he says, "making sure people are putting square knots on the ties and not granny knots. That level of attention."
The Stag's Leap sale precludes him from making wine commercially for three years. But what if an irresistible parcel comes along? "I'm trying to assimilate what we've got here," he replies, "but sure. I haven't precluded the possibility."
He's quick to note, though, that the years required to develop a new vineyard make for a daunting timeline. "That's almost a decade of a man's life," he says. "Of the typical 70 years, that takes an investment of some significance."
Moving on
We're at Bistro Don Giovanni off Highway 29, a regular Winiarski spot. The lunchtime crowd does its best to glance over for just a split second, when they think he's not looking.
Winiarski has brought a bottle of the 1976 Stag's Leap Vineyard Cabernet, from a drought year yielding half as much fruit as normal. The resulting wine was hard and tannic, and after 30 years is only beginning to soften. It's almost as dark as the new 2004, still fresh, packed with rich fruit and barely hinting at its maturity.
If Winiarski wants to manifest his beliefs about expressing a specific site, about Napa Valley's potential, I ask, wouldn't he do best to try his hand again? Wouldn't a new Warren Winiarski wine, even without the Stag's Leap name, be newsworthy?
He puzzles for a moment. "I guess I could make this point in a more public way and, as you suggest, through a specific vineyard."
This is why, he finally acknowledges, he's experimenting with Cabernet at Arcadia. The tannins are chunky, the wine in need of "generosity and openness" - requiring a blend with more supple fruit to achieve the balance he so craves. But the result "might be something that would be more interesting."
It's at this moment, considering the notion of a post-Stag's Leap chance to best everyone once again , that an inscrutable half-grin crosses Winiarski's face.
Any such project is "a work in surmise. A twinkle in the eye," he concludes.
"Stay tuned."
Warren Winiarski and Stag's Leap: History and highlights
Mid-1950s: Warren Winiarski, while studying Machiavelli manuscripts in Italy, becomes enamored of wine as part of a meal.
1964: After a brief stint at Martin Ray's winery in the Santa Cruz mountains, Winiarski and his family drive east from Chicago so he can become assistant winemaker at Souverain winery.
1965: Winiarski buys a parcel on Howell Mountain.
1966: He moves to the Robert Mondavi Winery.
1968: He helps pass legislation for Napa County's agricultural preserve.
1969: Winiarski tastes grower Nathan Fay's Cabernet, grown in the shadow of Stags Leap palisade. He abandons his Howell Mountain plans.
1970: With help from investors, Winiarski purchases an orchard next door to Fay's vineyard and begins planting what will become Stag's Leap Vineyard.
1973: Winiarski harvests the grapes that will become the 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon that wins the Judgment of Paris. To help with the winemaking decisions, he persuades Andre Tchelistcheff to come on board and advise him.
1974: Winiarski launches his Hawk Crest second label, using purchased fruit to compete in what will become the "fighting varietals" market.
May 1976: Organized by Paris wine merchant Steven Spurrier, the Judgment of Paris tasting pits California wines against French. Among the reds, Stag's Leap beats out Bordeaux luminaries such as Mouton-Rothschild and Haut-Brion. The tasting proves to the world the potential of California wines, and Winiarski is a sudden star. He turns away potential customers who drive to the winery seeking the '73, deciding to tuck away as much as he can.
1986: Winiarski is finally able to buy the Fay vineyard, next door to his original parcel. A state Supreme Court judge rules that both Winiarski and neighbor Carl Doumani, owner of Stags' Leap Winery, are entitled to the name. An apostrophe differentiates the two.
1989: The Stags Leap District appellation is created, despite opposition from both Winiarski and Doumani.
1990: The Winiarskis help support the passage of Measure J to limit development in Napa County.
1996: He buys the Arcadia vineyard to harvest Chardonnay.
2000: Replanting of several blocks of the original vineyard is completed.
2002: The Winiarski family begins meeting regularly to discuss the winery's future.
2007: Warren Winiarski approaches Piero Antinori about buying Stag's Leap. Antinori joins with Ste. Michelle Wine Estates to buy it.


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The New 2017 Ford F-150 in Hamburg, NY
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subset: commoncrawl


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illest™ Announces collaboration with Hasbro/Transformers
LOS ANGELES, CA (July 12, 2012) – illest™ Clothing, one of the most sought after lifestyle brands, continues its commitment to innovative collaborations through the partnership with world renowned toy company Hasbro and their ever popular Transformers brand.
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illest™ and Transformers will collaborate to release a custom co-branded apparel and accessories line. The partnership brings together a leading lifestyle & fashion brand and an iconic empire that Transformers has become over the decades. The iconic illest logo will be featured on Transformers products from shirts to keychains and everything in between.
The illest™ / Transformers line will make its debut in Fall of 2012; the launch of Phase 1, Fall of Cybertron will be August 21, 2012. The apparel and accessories will be available exclusively in our illest retail locations, worldwide through the illest distribution. For more information visit: www.illest.com
illest™ x Transformers debuting at Comicon 2012.


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Thanksgiving Day ReadsPosted: November 22, 2012 Filed under: morning reads | Tags: COE, harvest day, Thanksgiving, women bishops 24 Comments
Good Morning!
I was really surprised when I moved to Louisiana and found out that Memorial Day was a Yankee Holiday. The state of Mississippi tends to ignore it completely. The first national Thanksgiving day came via proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War in 1863. Also, the Pilgrims were New Englanders so it seems to me if ever there were a "Yankee" holiday, it would be Thanksgiving.
I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union.
This would have appalled his predecessor Thomas Jefferson who spoke these words in his 1805 inaugural address.
In matters of religion, I have considered that its free exercise is placed by the Constitution independent of the power of the General Government. I have, therefore, undertaken on no occasion to prescribe the religious exercises suited to it; but have left them as the Constitution found them, under the direction and discipline of State or Church authorities acknowledged by the several religious societies.
One of my favorite memories surrounding Thanksgiving was the report card that came home with Doctor Daughter in Kindergarten. It seems I had neglected my duties of describing the mythical pilgrim/native american feastday that now pervades our celebration. The teacher was confused about Jean's thoughts on Thanksgiving. The kids were asked to describe what Thanksgiving means and my darling little 5 year old talked about our end of November trip to the cabin up in Estes Park and that we always play card games and hope for snow so we can go skiing!!! We never had TV there so there was even a day of peace and quiet from football games. We usually got snowed in too so there was just a lot of game playing and cooking while looking down the mountain to the valley below.
In the 19th century, the modern Thanksgiving holiday started to take shape. In 1846, Sarah Josepha Hale, editor of a magazine called Godley's Lady's Book, campaigned for an annual national thanksgiving holiday after a passage about the harvest gathering of 1621 was discovered and incorrectly labeled as the first Thanksgiving.
It wasn't until 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln declared two national Thanksgivings; one in August to commemorate the Battle of Gettysburg and the other in November to give thanks for "general blessings."
So, like many other things that we do in modern America, the truth about the holiday is quite different. It seems that the Victorians and post World War 2 Americans defined the traditions that we think about as being with us much longer. Here's a take on thanksgiving by Robert Jensen who reminds us how we've treated Native Americans since that first shared harvest.
One indication of moral progress in the United States would be the replacement of Thanksgiving Day and its self-indulgent family feasting with a National Day of Atonement accompanied by a self-reflective collective fasting.
In fact, indigenous people have offered such a model; since 1970 they have marked the fourth Thursday of November as a Day of Mourning in a spiritual/political ceremony on Coles Hill overlooking Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts, one of the early sites of the European invasion of the Americas.
Not only is the thought of such a change in this white-supremacist holiday impossible to imagine, but the very mention of the idea sends most Americans into apoplectic fits — which speaks volumes about our historical hypocrisy and its relation to the contemporary politics of empire in the United States.
That the world's great powers achieved "greatness" through criminal brutality on a grand scale is not news, of course. That those same societies are reluctant to highlight this history of barbarism also is predictable.
I find it odd that Jensen did not take the time to read the Lincoln proclamation with its call for prayer "with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience". SO much, for American exceptionalism. Isn't it interesting to look at things beyond the propaganda of those who benefit from pushing the consumerist aspects of national holidays and warping them into something unintended?
Let's take a look at a few more things today.
The head of the Church of England is the Queen Elizabeth II. This makes this crisis in the COE created by the laity of the church all the odder. Bishops and clerics approved the change.
In a sign of deepening crisis in the Church of England after it rejected the appointment of women as bishops, its spiritual leader said Wednesday that the church had "undoubtedly lost a measure of credibility" and had a "lot of explaining to do" to people who found its deliberations opaque.
The archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. Rowan Williams, was speaking after an emergency meeting of bishops called to debate Tuesday's narrow balloting by its General Synod rejecting the ordination of women as bishops, even though female priests account for one-third of the Church of England's clergy members.
Female priests hold senior positions like canon and archdeacon, and some had been hoping to secure appointments as bishops by 2014 if the change had been approved.
The vote represented a direct rebuff to Archbishop Williams's reformist efforts during his 10 years as head of the church and a huge setback to a campaign for change that has been debated intensely and often bitterly for the past decade.
More than 70 percent of the 446 synod votes on Tuesday were in favor of opening the church's episcopacy to women. But the synod's voting procedures require a two-thirds majority in each of its three "houses": bishops, clergy and laity. The bishops approved the change by 44 to 3, and the clergy by 148 to 45. The vote among the laity, though, was 132 to 74, six votes fewer than the two-thirds needed.
The Church of England is the so-called established church, meaning that it is recognized by law as representing the official religion, enjoys special privileges and is supported by the civil authorities.
Whacky old Pat Robertson is trying to explain how he got his conversation with gawd so terribly wrong a few weeks ago. How many gullible people can dance on the head of a pin?
Today, responding to a question from a viewer who wondered why her business is struggling since she thought God told her it would be successful, Robertson admitted that he sometimes misses God's message. "So many of us miss God, I won't get into great detail about elections but I sure did miss it, I thought I heard from God, I thought I had heard clearly from God, what happened?" Robertson replied, "You ask God, how did I miss it? Well, we all do and I have a lot of practice."
SOS Hillary Clinton and the Egyptian foreign minister brokered a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel in Gaza.
Hillary Clinton, US secretary of state
"The US welcomes the agreement today for a ceasefire in Gaza – for it to hold the rocket attacks must end and a broader calm must return. The people of this region deserve the chance to live free of fear and violence."
The cease-fire took effect yesterday.
Under intense Egyptian and American pressure, Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas halted eight days of bloody conflict on Wednesday, averting a full-scale Israeli ground invasion of the Gaza Strip without resolving the underlying disputes.
With Israeli forces still massed on the Gaza border, a tentative calm descended after the announcement of the agreement. The success of the truce will be an early test of how Egypt's new Islamist government might influence the most intractable conflict in the Middle East.
The United States, Israel and Hamas all praised Egypt's role in brokering the cease-fire as the antagonists pulled back from violence that had killed more than 150 Palestinians and five Israelis over the past week. The deal called for a 24-hour cooling-off period to be followed by talks aimed at resolving at least some of the longstanding grievances between the two sides.
Let's all enjoy the things and people we have in our lives today but not forget that perversity still exists in the world.
What's on your reading and blogging list today?


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I don't know much about this topic so I'm going to ask it out loud. WHY do we have to wear bras? No, really. Is it just for show or is there some compelling reason why we must? Sometimes I find that I'm much more comfortable without one. I always tend to take mine off after I get home from work and I've tried all the brands to find the "best fit" and I always end up going to some high end seamstress that makes them custom because the store bought options are NOT comfortable IMO.
For any of you ladies who may live in a country where it's NOT necessary to wear a bra I would LOVE to hear your thoughts and insights.
Am I alone in feeling like it's yet another cultural ball and chain we have to lug around with us?
Anyone really really LIKE wearing bras?
MEN: You are welcome to participate in this discussion, all I ask is that you have some class. Thanks!
Views: 1422
I'm really more interested in the people who don't wear underpants.
I'm a feminist, being supportive of gender equality, but I don't have an opinion about bras...wear them if you want or don't if you prefer. Not a hot-button issue for me.
Sometimes I wonder if wearing a bra leads to a disappointing moment when undressing with your partner...false advertising and all. :)
Never has for me, and I would be the defrauded one if defrauding takes place.
No more so than when he drops his drawers and the Alka-Seltzer bottle falls out --
Sometimes I wonder if wearing a bra leads to a disappointing moment when undressing with your partner.
I can honestly say this has never been an issue, nor can I imagine it being an issue in the future.
I don't really consider myself to be a feminist nor do I care about rallying such efforts
We sort of got that from the other thread where you made clear you don't want equal rights.
Because it gives my Man-Boobs the lift and separation they require --
Methinks it is time to see some evidence that can be peered at...Oh..er..I mean peer reviewed.!!
I LOVE the juxtaposition.
Me too - "This inspirational message brought to you by Big Jim's Boobie Bungalow!"
Yes, any time the forces of "satan" can use boobs to over- (or in this case under-) shadow a bit of theist drivel, it's a win for the true forces of good.


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Moderator: Clan Directors
Fewnix wrote:For those interested in clans or user groups try the forum under , well, Clans
or , harder to find
for user groups
One of the main advantages of such a group or clan is you get to set up Topic Threads that are only visible to members and only members can post to So this whole discussion on Team Methodology could be one thread, someone can set up a thread, Anybody Up for Some Feudal War game? and ope for takers, there is account sitting if people are going to be away for a few days, . different discussions about strategy and tactics. We have a Bragging thread, where we , well, brag, and a Wall of Shame where we also brag, but about how we" really screwed that one up". There is also a lot of banter, some of which comes close to crossing the line in the eyes of some and ther can be the need for moderators and some times, expulsion.
Requirements can be pretty loose to join a clan, tighter if it is a Competitive clan looking for good team members for clan wars. Typical is to be of sarge or higher rank, rating of 4.7 or better, turns taken 98% or better. some experience in team games and a variety of maps, make better entries on the Map Rank review than 400 games on Classic. There is often a try-out period for both sides with the applicant taking part in a few games with those responsible for recruiting/screening . Some clans run an apprenticeship program, training school where the applicant might be expected to show they can follows rules like our FNA training games ground rules.If you don't do apig in the snake forts, you are out.
Clans Wars are welcome for many in a clan but can consume a lot of energy for the group, negotiating the rules of engagement and then linig up teams and maps to met the rules. . Rules of engagement for one war::
Rules of Engagement
1.43 total games: 14 doubles, 14 triples, 14 quads
2. Each clan member can only participate in 20 games per clan war
3. Wars are to be played in 2 sets:
1st set only home games from higher seeded clan
2nd set only home games from lower seeded clan
4.The 43rd game will be chosen by lower seeded clan
5.Each map can only be used twice per clan per clan war but can only be used once per game type (i.e. once for triples and once for quads)
6.There will be no freestyle, speed, manual deployments, beta maps, or nuclear spoils games allowed
Members of a group like this can participate in games in a number of ways without being members of clan
A premium member can set up Private games with the password posted to the group, so only members of the group can join..
Public games can be set up with members of the group invited to play, say to make up the 3 members of a trips team, leaving it up to whoever in the public wants to take them on. These are the sort of games I would prefer to play in rather than zero sum game amongst ourselves. e..g. if I play team games with Ti on the other team, any points I gain Ti loses, any points I lose Ti gains. at some ponjt what is the point?
there are public tournaments members of the group can join as individuals or, in some cases, as a team.
drunkmonkey wrote:I'm filing a C&A report right now. Its nice because they have a drop-down for "jefjef".
jefjef wrote:What is this? Are you looking to create a clan or a usergroup?
Welcome to Create/Join a Social Group
This area is for the creation and recruitment for Social Groups. Social Groups include groups that:
Discuss certain topics and common interests or
Are functional in nature that are meant to help the site or
Only compete internally against their own members or
National Based Teams that may compete in Tournaments and against other National Teams.
Any help,advice or guidance you can provide would be appreciated, Can we be classified as a user group, have a membership, get to set up discussion threads etc. if we compete against other groups/clans and not just do internal competition?
drunkmonkey wrote:I'm filing a C&A report right now. Its nice because they have a drop-down for "jefjef".
chemefreak wrote:Fewnix:
If this is a clan, no one can be in any other competitive clan. If it is not a competitive clan this thread needs to be moved to callouts. So let me know. Also, please stop using this thread as if you already had a clan set up and this is the place to post [multiple posts, multiple times]! Recruit your players and submit the e-ticket. Good luck.
Tiberius Maximus wrote:Few (and Everyone),
Thanks for taking the technical lead on getting the forum going. We do need to solicit from all a clan name, even if right now we are unoffically the no name clan. Therefore, I am asking all erstwhile clannies to propose a name of their liking. Once we have those proposed names, then I will post them here in a collective fashion with each person able to vote only the one wanted; the clan name that receives the a majority of all mates voting and the most votes will be the name; however, if no name has a majority despite receiving the most yes votes, then we will have a run off of the top 2 names.
Everyone - please submit your clan name choice by tomorrow 8 p.m. PST - thx
Return to Create/Join a Social Usergroup
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FREE Behavior Chart (Color the Apples)
How to use the coloring the apples behavior chart
This coloring the apples behavior chart is best used for encouraging a single behavior at home or school. Depending on the type of behavior you want to reinforce, this incentive chart can be used each time a specific behavior takes place or on a time interval (such as on the half hour) when a level of the behavior has been reached.
Our Getting Started with Behavior Charts article has some simple tips on how to use the chart.
How to download this behavior chartWe offer two different versions of this chart:
Basic version: Enter your name and email address below (if prompted) to access the basic version of this chart.
Premium version (Recommended): To access a special version that can be personalized (you can type directly into the chart to customize it), start your FREE 30-day premium membership. Signup is quick and easy and gives you full access to all of our premium charts plus many other benefits! Existing premium members can login here.
Want to be sure your behavior chart efforts are successful?
See Behavior Charts to the Rescue! This proven, popular guide does 3 things: (1) helps you select the best charts to use; (2) gives lots of ideas for low-cost rewards, and (3) troubleshoots common situations. Learn the secrets to success with our behavior charts guide for parents and teachers. Satisfaction guaranteed.
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Follow ACN Latitudes's board Behavior Charts & Reward Charts on Pinterest.


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Kinect me up
As mentioned before, you have two weapons - purple laser and blue lock-on missiles - and with Kinect you can manage these in one of two ways. The default setup mounts missiles to the right hand and your laser to the left - though there's only one crosshair and so only one weapon useable at a time - while an alternative arrangement changes your weapon as you clap your hand.
Each has its own merits. Neither is perfect, but both will pull you into the game in a way quite unlike if you opt for the control pad, and in a manner which begins to justify that outlay on your Kinect sensor itself.
Blue up
Playing through Kinect isn't far off becoming a conductor of sorts with gestures so frantic as to draw parallels to Fantasia's Mickey Mouse, as arms are thrust left and right and even up in the air in unison as the smart bomb-like 'euphoria' attack is unleashed.
While the sensor has on occasion tracked my left hand when it should have tracked my right, the overarching feeling is one of joy rather than irritation, in a similar way to that other Kinect great Dance Central.
Butterfly spread
Child of Eden gets the nod for taking a risk in what is increasingly becoming an industry which deals purely in sure things - witness the recent E3's emphasis on rehashes of existing franchises. By playing to Kinect's strengths, Q Entertainment has developed a truly unique title which marries the best that motion control can offer, within the ultra-immersive confines of a Rez or Flower. Sure, it won't take you forever to complete, but thanks to leaderboards and unlockables, it will take longer to master and, most importantly, you'll be having fun while you do it. ®
More Games Reviews
|Alice: The
Madness Returns
|Infamous 2
|Duke Nukem
|Red Faction:
The Demons Forge
Sponsored: How to simplify data protection on Amazon Web Services


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In Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Robert Downey Jr. reprises his role as the world most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes. Accustomed to being the smartest man in the room, criminal mastermind Professor James Moriarty (Jared Harris) throws Holmes off of his game, with his capacity for evil and lack of a moral compass keeping him steps ahead. As Holmes' investigation into Moriarty's plot becomes more dangerous, it also puts his friend and colleague, Dr. Watson (Jude Law), at risk and threatens to alter the course of history.
At a press conference to promote the film's December 16th theatrical release, Robert Downey Jr. talked about the challenge of taking the character and story to another level for the sequel, always keeping Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in mind when playing the role, transforming into a woman this time around, and working with Jared Harris and developing the adversarial relationship between Holmes and Moriarty. Check out what he had to say after the jump.
What was the challenge, in taking Sherlock Holmes to another level for the sequel?
ROBERT DOWNEY JR.: After the first one worked out pretty good, we were doing the press tour and talking about things that we would like to improve and other directions we could go. And then, there was the reality of doing it. Anybody who's ever been involved in making the second part to a first thing that worked, there should be a whole online support team. We happened through it. There's so much to learn and the greatest disguise was us disguising ourselves as consummate, by the numbers professionals, when in fact, we're all incredibly eccentric. And, Warner Bros. has given us the opportunity to try to do something that's complicated and needs to tick a bunch of boxes. The great thing was that, this time, we also had Noomi [Rapace] and Jared [Harris].
What are the things you keep in mind, as you try to stick to the basics of Sherlock, but also make it different?
DOWNEY: Well, you just keep Doyle in mind. I just respect the guy, more and more. Oftentimes what's required, particularly if you're in any central position, is that you just have to let go of the things that are darling to you. You have to take the focus off yourself and put it on the shape of the scene and the intention of what everyone else needs. You have to give people something to actually write music to, so that you're not just running your mouth, all the time. It was a democracy, in the truest, most frustrating and most rewarding sense of the word. Anybody could come in and say, "You know, I'm just not cool with that." We'd be like, "Who's that?," and they'd say, "Oh, I was just cleaning the trailers." It was nuts.
How was it to transform into a woman this time?
DOWNEY: I just put on some make-up. I thought I looked like Arnold Schwarzenegger's dwarf brother, or the lead singer of The Cure, Robert Smith.
Did you and Jude Law improvise a lot, during filming?
DOWNEY: The goal is to make a well-written scene seem like it's improvised, and come up with things that you find in the room, that you couldn't have known until you get into the real situation. You just try to improve things, as you go along.
Have you ever had a guy friendship or bromance, like Holmes and Watson?
DOWNEY: Well, Jude and I are pretty close, and Guy and I are practically brothers, which makes things really interesting. There have been times when I've wanted to lop off his head with a machete, but it's just because I love him so much.
What was it like doing the first scene as Moriarty and Holmes? Did the relationship between you and Jared Harris grow, as you had more scenes together?
DOWNEY: Jared would come in and we'd have a scene that we would be shooting in two days, and he'd be like, "Is this going to pretty much stay like this?" I was like, "Not a word of it." He's day, "Can I have something that I can study the night before?" I'd say, "I'm going to venture a no on the possibility of yes." It would be like that. The stakes were so high, in every scene, and there were complicated camera shots. It's pretty terrifying. What Jared kept pushing toward wasn't personal. It wasn't like, "I don't want to be embarrassed. I want to do a good job. I want to come off great. I want great dialogue." It kept going back to this archetype that he was trying to represent.
Everything Jared Harris did, in the course of making this movie, was essentially thrown at him with very little time to prepare. It was shock and awe. I think what he brought with him was something that was just so particularly him, while still being this character. It honestly is the main reason that the movie works, but it was also an exercise in trial by fire for him. He was really quite nice. Once in a while, he would say, "I really just beg of you, if I could even have a semblance of knowing what I might say, I guarantee you that I could do a better job with it because I wouldn't be like you, for this long scene that you just wrote, wearing an earwig where someone's telling you what to say, in the other room. I would actually know what I was going to say." I'd be like, "Interesting. Yeah, everyone has their own process." Guy told him that he wanted him to go home and come back singing a German aria, the next day. Nobody learns a German aria overnight, except Jared Harris.
Having done two of these films, do you feel a sense of ownership towards Sherlock? Do you have any interest in the other portrayals?
DOWNEY: Yeah, I like everybody. Whenever I watch someone doing something, even if it doesn't turn out so great, I admire their intentions. I know that there's some quintessential performances that have happened. I've heard more about the series than I've seen, but I'm intrigued by it. I think it's important that we're all part of the same collective, honoring this great writer and his stories.
There was a rumor that you and Jude Law were going to do Some Like It Hot, with Guy Ritchie directing. Is there any truth to that?
DOWNEY: That's Act 2 of Sherlock : A Game of Shadows. No, the Mrs. (producer Susan Downey) referenced that awhile ago because it's what we reminded her of.
Click here for all our Sherlock Holmes coverage which includes our set visit, on set interviews, trailers, posters, and a lot more.


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Letter to Joe Girardi
May 21, 2010
Dear Joe Girardi,
Greetings! On behalf of every Yankee fan, I am asking you at this time to please tell the whole team to wake up. These past three days have been a nightmare in terms of…well…every facet of our game. The fan base is a little fed up with everything that has been going on.
First, let's start with the injury situation. I wrote last time that too many Yankees are getting hurt and it's becoming ridiculous. Let's face it, it's the truth. It was great to see Nick Swisher back in the lineup yesterday, but unfortunately not even he could save us from an 8-6 beating at the hands of the almighty Tampa Bay Rays.
I couldn't really believe your Yanks actually lost three of four at home. Well technically, and in all fairness, you did take two of three from the Minnesota Twins. But you lost three of four to division rivals and dropped four of seven at home. It rarely ever happens.
As far as the injuries go, the bottom line is, it's too much. We need healthy guys out on the field and we need to field the best team we can. We are obviously not doing that. I understand that you cannot control it, but something needs to be done about it.
Trades, call-ups, roster moves. Whatever you have to do skip, do it.
Next, I'd like to mention the bullpen. Why are you continuously using Chan Ho Park in tight-game situations? I think when Brian Cashman got him he wanted him for long relief. So why, I ask, is he coming in when the Yankees are in a close game?
Piece of advice: don't bring Park in unless we have a 10-run lead or if we are down by 10 runs. A mop-up role is exactly what suites him right now, because he is certainly making a mess of everything.
Then there's Randy Winn and Marcus Thames.
I'll pick on Winn first. Why, in the name of God, is he even on this team? In all of the games he has played this season, I think I can point out two things he has done right: his home run to help beat the Baltimore Orioles on May 3 and his triple on Sunday against the Twins.
Other than those two hits, Winn has been useless; a defensive liability (playing shallow in left field with two outs???) and an automatic out in most games. Another piece of advice for you, Mr. Girardi: dump him. Dump him like the clingy girlfriend who just won't leave you alone.
I feel at this point, a guy like free agent Jermaine Dye could do a lot better than Winn. I realize Dye is old (well, only a year older than Winn) but at this point, anyone could be doing better than Winn. Call back up Greg Golson or…just anyone. Winn is not getting the job done.
Now onto Thames.
Don't get me wrong, I totally appreciate the walk-off blast off Jonathan Papelbon Monday night. For that, I could not be more grateful. Thames certainly has some pop and can generate a decent amount of offense in the lineup.
But he is not an everyday player, nor is he a good defender. The guy cannot play the outfield. I have said this before and I'll say it again, he looks like giraffe out there! He dropped a pop fly ball on Tuesday night that a Little Leaguer could have easily caught, not to mention he has a seriously hard time getting to any fly ball.
Please, if you are going to use him at all, put him at the designated hitter spot.
And one more thing…who trips over their own bat running to first base? I didn't even know that was possible. Yet Thames somehow managed to trip over his own bat running to first, so I guess the joke is on me.
As you know skip, your Yankees have a big series coming up against the cross-town rival New York Mets in their house. Heading into tonight's action, the Mets are 20-22, good for last place in the National League East standings.
Your boys, on the other hand, are reeling from three consecutive losses yet are still 25-16, second place in the American League East Standings. This evening, Javier Vazquez (2-4, 8.01 ERA) is pitching against Hisonori Takahashi (3-1, 3.12 ERA).
Vazquez has had experience in the NL, so I expect big things from him in this game. If he fails and gets rocked, I will then fully admit that getting Vazquez back was a bad move. If he is a pitcher supposedly built for the National League and he can't beat a last place NL team…I can then easily say it was a bad move to get him.
Saturday night (pretty much your best guy at press time) Phil Hughes (5-0, 2.25 ERA) will square off against Mike Pelfrey (5-1, 3.02 ERA). A few years back, I heard a lot of chatter about who was the better prospect.
Many people I knew said Pelfrey would go on to have a better career than Hughes. A lot of other people said Hughes was the next Roger Clemens and he would put up the better numbers. While it's still early in their careers and we don't know who will end up with the better stats, Saturday might give us an idea.
Maybe we'll find out who is the top, young dog in New York.
Finally on Sunday a pair of aces will be on the hill. CC Sabathia (4-2, 3.43 ERA) vs. Johan Santana (3-2, 3.72 ERA). The series finale could have the makings of a classic, or both teams could just touch the aces up for a bunch of runs.
I'd prefer to see a pitcher's duel, but honestly, I think it could go either way.
Mr. Girardi, it's early. Up until these last few games, the Yankees had been playing very good ball despite the absence of some key players. But now, the injuries and lack of consistency are catching up to the team.
All I ask is that the problems be fixed and the Yankees beat the Mets. I don't think any Yankee fan could ever live down being beaten by (in most Yankee fans' minds) a last place, inferior, second-rate New York team.
Do your best. We'll all be watching.
Yours truly,
A.J. "Yankee Yapping."
P.S. If your boys can somehow manage to sweep the Mets this weekend, you could be responsible for running the Mets' manager out of town. If his team gets swept, this could happen!


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By JAMIE STENGLE | Associated Press – Sat, Sep 15, 2012
DALLAS (AP) — In preparing an exhibit on 17th century artist Diego Velazquez's early work for Spain's King Philip IV, art historians believe they discovered that a portrait by the Spanish master at Dallas' Meadows Museum is likely his first of his lifelong patron.
"Diego Velazquez: The Early Court Portraits" opens Sunday at the museum on the campus of Southern Methodist University, the result of a partnership between the Meadows and Madrid's famed Museo del Prado, Spain's national art museum. The exhibit, which the Meadows calls the most important devoted to Velazquez in the U.S. in more than two decades, will run through Jan. 13.
"What you'll see in this exhibition is the beginning of one of the most extraordinary relationships in the history of art — that's the relationship between young Velazquez and Philip IV," said Gabriele Finaldi, the Prado's deputy director for collections.
"What you need there is an extraordinarily talented artist, which you have in Velazquez. But you also need a very far-seeing patron, and that's Philip IV, who had real personal passion for painting," Finaldi added.
Velazquez became the king's court painter in 1623, when he was only 24. It was a job he would hold until his death in 1660 at the age of 61. The exhibit focuses on his first decade working for the king.
For the first time in four centuries, the Dallas exhibit brings together two of Velazquez's early portraits of the king: the Prado's full-length portrait of him dressed all in black that was painted in the 1620s and the Meadow's bust-length portrait.
In anticipation of the show, both portraits underwent analysis at the Prado. X-rays of the Meadows portrait showed brush strokes indicating Velazquez was working out how to paint the king, helping back up the belief that it could have been his initial attempt.
"Now we think more than ever that it was the first portrait," said Mark Roglan, director of the Meadows.
The exhibit features five paintings by Velazquez, including his portrait of the poet Luis de Gongora y Argote from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, which was done a year before Velazquez became Philip IV's court painter. A Velazquez portrait of a court jester painted in the early 1630s comes from the Cleveland Museum of Art.
A portrait of Philip IV from Velazquez's workshop that has never before been seen in public comes from a private Spanish collection. The exhibition also features 16 prints, some with engraved portraits modeled after Velazquez's work.
The Prado and the Meadows began a three-year partnership in 2009 that has included an exchange of scholars, research, works of art and exhibitions. This summer the two institutions announced they will extend the collaboration for another two years.
The Meadows Museum, which opened in 1965, is the vision of a Texan who started collecting Spanish art after being inspired by visits to the Prado. Hoping to create a "Prado on the Prairie," oil financier Algur H. Meadows donated his private Spanish art collection and funds to start the museum to SMU. The Meadows' portrait of Philip IV was one of his acquisitions.
"It was a very easy and natural fit that the Prado should work closely with the Meadows," Finaldi said.


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The Maine House of Representatives has worked through most of the bond package scheduled for Legislative action during today's special session. The four bonds so far approved are worth $49.5 million.
While lawmakers in the House have passed most of the bond bills, it has yet to act on the largest — a $100 million transportation infrastructure bond championed by Gov. Paul LePage. The House is expected to take on the proposal later this afternoon.
Each piece of legislation must be approved by the House before it is sent to the Senate for a vote. Each bill on the table Thursday requires the approval of two-thirds in each chamber. The Senate has not yet voted on any of the bond questions.
The bills passed so far by the House include:
- LD 782, a $15.5 million bond for the renovation and upgrade of labs and other STEM facilities at all seven campuses of the University of Maine system, which was approved 102-26;
- LD 245, a $14 million bond for maintenance, capital projects, modernization and energy efficiency measures at Maine Army National Guard armories throughout the state, approved 122-7;
- LD 221, a $4.5 million bond to contribute to a public-private partnership for a new science facility at Maine Maritime Academy, approved 121-8; and
- LD 636, a $15.5 million bond for the construction, renovation and upgrade of labors, classrooms and offices at the seven campuses of the Maine Community College System, approved 120-8.
Each bond measure, including those not yet taken up by the House, is expected to sail through the Legislature and be signed into law by the governor.
The five bonds are part of a package deal carefully hammered out by legislative leaders and the governor during a period of tense negotiation. The governor called the special session in order to get the bonds to voters in November. That timeline will allow construction projects associated with the spending to begin in 2014.
LePage and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have heralded the bond package as a critical job-creating measure for the construction industry, which has lagged in Maine ever since the housing crisis and ensuing recession in 2007-2008.


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President Barack Obama sought Wednesday to mitigate any damage from the leak of an immigration bill being drafted by the White House, telling a Spanish-language TV network he didn't jeopardize negotiations with the Senate.
Leaks in Washington happen all the time, Obama said, and shouldn't prevent immigration reform from moving forward. He said negotiations are continuing at full speed.
Members of a bipartisan Senate group taking the lead on immigration reform were caught off-guard over the weekend when details of Obama's own bill were published on USA Today's website. Obama has in the past said he's prepping his own bill, but only as a back-up in case congressional talks fail.
Some Republicans have questioned whether the leak of a competing bill tied makes it more difficult to strike a deal in the Senate. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, one of the Republicans in the group, said Obama's plan injects partisanship into a tough process. And David Axelrod, a senior adviser to Obama's re-election campaign, acknowledged that it likely was a mistake for news of Obama's plan to be made public.
Obama said Wednesday he still prefers that Congress - not the White House - craft a viable law to overhaul the nation's immigration system, and that his standby bill doesn't intrude on the bill that senators are hashing out. He said the ideas included in his bill are consistent with the immigration proposals he has advocated for the past several years, meaning they shouldn't come as a surprise to members of either party.
Obama's comments came in an interview with KWEX, San Antonio's Univision affiliate and one of eight local TV stations to sit down with Obama on Wednesday at the White House. KWEX aired the interview in Spanish with a translation of Obama's remarks.
While Obama and the Senate group differ on some key details, both sides are contemplating legislation that would provide a pathway to citizenship for most of the 11 million illegal immigrants already in the U.S., tighten border security, crack down on businesses that employ illegal workers and strengthen the legal immigration system.
Llorca reported from El Paso, Texas.


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New! AMERICAN SWEETHEARTS by @ladrianaherrera
Narrator: @seancrisden
Reviewer: @Kaetrin67
Narration: B
Story: B-/B
Review: https://t.co/dA3FysaDWa
Steam: 5
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Amazon: https://t.co/cyoQx5klJ6
Sean is an incredibly prompt, versatile, and professional voice actor. In the time-sensitive world of production, Sean is always reliable in delivering his work. Also, Sean has incredible range. When I came across an older published project, I had to double-check to make sure it was actually Sean that was assigned to the project. A great talent and a fun guy to work with.Joe Encarnacion, Creative DirectorHatchback Studios
Clenova contacted Mr. Crisden to voice a demo of our web search technology, DoubleDip. This demo was to be used in presentations given to VC's, so it was important that the voice over sounded professional and polished, but at the same time we didn't want to put our audience to sleep. Mr. Crisden instinctively knew what we were going for, and struck a perfect balance in tone and enthusiasm. We were very pleased with the result, and the excellent turnaround time. We will undoubtedly seek his servi…Carlos FernandezDirector of OperationsClenova LLC.
I would recommend Sean Crisden to anyone requiring voice talent. He is a highly talented individual who is not only creative and passionate about his work but a true professional. He was able to manage my entire project including other voice talents whilst always keeping me abreast of his progress. Sean was very easy to work with making the entire process fun and exciting. He was also able to work to tight deadlines without compromising on quality. I would not hesitate in using Sean for any o…Vadim UgovVice PresidentSlime Sandwich
Sean is an amazing guy to work with. Quick work, prompt responses, really professional and most of all – highly versatile. He's unselfish and not afraid to help your project succeed. Sean plays wacky and straight characters with equal ease. An absolute pleasure working with him!Joey RojakProducerPhartoonsPhartoons: Make Me A Star
"This book is an absolute aural treat. It's the transcription of an oral history told by Nate Shaw, an elderly African-American sharecropper living in the South. While the written words might be interesting, in audio they are absolutely transfixing. Sean Crisden narrates the work with just the right regional accent, cadence, and pacing. Even the ramblings seem natural. It takes several minutes to get used to the strong rural accent—such as dropped "g's," "de" instead of "the," and othe…
I was looking for a great voice for my promo to present during my participation at the NASDAQ closing bell ceremony last June. I felt in love with Sean's voice, so I immediately chose him for that project. Since then, I always hire Sean to be the voice of my television promos. I particularly like that he is always professional, fast, and punctual. And I love that he makes my work sound great!Ornella FadoCreator/TV Hostess and ProducerBrindiamo!
Sean Crisden recently did voice-over work with our company on a health- care training video. Not only did he bring great talent to his VO parts, he was very timely with all responses and paperwork and thoroughly professional. Sean also brought a great sense of humor to the process which kept our whole team smiling throughout the project delivery. I give him my highest recommendation.Justine SmithSr. Agency ProducerBranch Avenue
I had a large character acting job which needed a voice and needed it fairly quickly. From the moment I heard Sean's audition for the roles, I knew I found the right guy. Sean proved to be one of those guys who could take the initiative to 'run' with some character biography information and breathe life into a believable set of individuals with voice alone. He required no actual 'direction' and had a great grasp on what it means to 'act' the roles. Not to mention he turned around a lot of dialog…Elye SackmaryProducerNexusCore Ltd.
I LOVED working with Sean. He was professional, approachable and did such an amazing job with my books that it felt as if he climbed into my brain and found out what my characters sounded like. It was amazing to hear the Tate Pack cowboys come to life with Sean's talented voice. The Rooster & The Pig Publishing will DEFINITELY be using him again.Vicktor AlexanderThe Rooster & The Pig Publishing
As the owner of an audiobook company, I easily listen to dozens of demos a week. Yet, the first time I heard Sean's voice, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Beyond being clear and radiant, there is depth in every, single utterance he makes. It seems to matter little what is on the page, Sean knows how to tell a story. And he does so perfectly. In the years we've worked together, he has consistently met deadlines and exceeded expectations. Everyone at Red Planet Audiobooks loves him, and I…Jenna Opperman, Founder and StrongboxRed Planet Audiobooks
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Things seemed to be looking up for Mario Balotelli. First, he won a transfer to AC Milan, putting the Italian striker back in his home country. Then he scored twice in his debut for i Rossoneri.
The bliss could not last. But for once, it's not Balotelli's fault; in this case of Mario Balotelli Does Thing, the "thing" is "be racially abused by his boss."
That's Paolo Berlusconi you see up there. He's Silvio's brother, publisher of a right-wing newspaper, and AC Milan's vice president. You last saw him a week ago, defending his brother when at an International Holocaust Day remembrance Silvio spoke of his admiration for Benito Mussolini. In the video you see above, here's what Paolo's saying (as translated by International Business Times):
Let's go and watch our household's little nigger [...] The girls here are all invited as well. They can have the chance to meet with Silvio Berlusconi.
Given that Balotelli's threatened to kill anyone who racially abuses him in the past, this might make for some pretty awkward future contract discussions; alternatively, Paolo's newspaper might have a sensational new murder case to splash across its front page.


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[Intro: 2Pac] This ain't livin' Nigga [Verse 1: 2Pac] I hear even the smaller G's be dippin' Chevy Impalas While flossin' their gold D's, O.G.'s, is who they follow We swallow tomorrow's seed, what we leave is hollow We feed violence and greed, let 'em lead tomorrow In time, they grip a nine, sippin' wine, they rap Still I be starin', watch the parents sacrifice their child The love's gone, a thug's home, with no love Feelin' so strong, make young boys into drug dealers Now one for adolescents, now dos for those Keep your friends by your side, even close your foes Now three for Johnny Law tryin' to take my chips I never pulled the trigger, didn't touch that bitch Throw your hands in the air, it's a robbery It's Snoop Dogg, nigga 'Pac, would you ride with me? Let's go see what our enemies talkin' 'bout When G's enter the house nobody's walkin' out This ain't livin', it's similar to prison, we're trapped My homies jealous plus they tell us that the phones is tapped I watch my back twenty-fo' seven And never let a busta send a G to ghetto heaven, you know This is how it goes when we floss with flows Before I toss your hoes, it'll cost you mo' I do shows, make a lot of dough, murder my foes But I'd give it all up, if it would help you grow This ain't livin' [Hook: 2Pac] (Crazy, you don't wanna be like me) Shit, this ain't livin' [Verse 2: 2Pac] Peep it --gunfire is produced at alarmin' rates Today's youth, quick to shoot, get in the car and break "It Takes a Nation of Millions" if we intend to stop the killin' Just search your feelings, participatin' should be appealin' They're our seeds and when they bleed, we bleed That's what becomes of lonely children, they turn to G's Heavenly father can you rescue My young nation, rest the Lord will protect you, respect due Not a threat as I step in blue, and check those That oppose when I froze them fools And who are you, to watch me fall farther? I disappeared, reappeared as the doggfather Follow me now Skippin' class, and livin' fast, will get your ass Stuck in the Pen', doin' life plus ten Young brother pump your brakes for me Before you choke, won't you soak up some game from your big homie This ain't livin', we givin' you jewels, use 'em as tools Explode on they industry and fade them fools You know the rules, gotta be a rider You can run the red lights but read the street signs, hey This for all of y'all that keep on raisin' hell Put a pistol in your hand and let you fade yourself It ain't right, what you put your momma through, young G Gotta change your life, take the game from me This ain't livin' [Hook: 2Pac] This ain't livin'
Слова и текст песни 2Pac - This Ain't Livin' original version принадлежит его авторам.


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Let's review some of the answers you might hear to this question. I'll give an opinion regarding the utility of the answer as well.
For the purpose of this exercise let's assume it is possible to answer "yes" to this question. In other words, we just don't answer "no." We could all make arguments as to why it's impossible to be secure, but does that really mean there is no acceptable level of perceived risk in which you could operate? I doubt it.
So, are you secure? Prove it.
- Yes. Then, crickets (i.e., silence for you non-imaginative folks.) This is completely unacceptable. The failure to provide any kind of proof is security by belief. We want security by fact.
- Yes, we have product X, Y, Z, etc. deployed. This is better, but it's another expression of belief and not fact. The only fact here is that technologies can be abused, subverted, and broken. Technologies can be simultaneously effective against one attack model and completely worthless against another.
- Yes, we are compliant with regulation X. Regulatory compliance is usually a check-box paperwork exercise whose controls lag attack models of the day by one to five years, if not more. A compliant enterprise is like feeling an ocean liner is secure because it left dry dock with life boats and jackets. If regulatory compliance is more than a paperwork self-survey, we approach the realm of real of evidence. However, I have not seen any compliance assessments which measure anything of operational relevance.
- Yes, we have logs indicating we prevented attacks X, Y, and Z. This is getting close to the right answer, but it's still inadequate. For the first time we have some real evidence (logs) but these will probably not provide the whole picture. Sure, logs indicate what was stopped, but what about activities that were allowed? Were they all normal, or were some malicious but unrecognized by the preventative mechanism?
- Yes, we do not have any indications that our systems are acting outside their expected usage patterns. Some would call this rationale the definition of security. Whether or not this answer is acceptable depends on the nature of the indications. If you have no indications because you are not monitoring anything, then this excuse is hollow. If you have no indications and you comprehensively track the state of an asset, then we are making real progress. That leads to the penultimate answer, which is very close to ideal.
- Yes, we do not have any indications that our systems are acting outside their expected usage patterns, and we thoroughly collect, analyze, and escalate a variety of network-, host-, and memory-based evidence for signs of violations. This is really close to the correct answer. The absence of indications of intrusion is only significant if you have some assurance that you've properly instrumented and understood the asset. You must have trustworthy monitoring systems in order to trust that an asset is "secure." If this is really close, why isn't it correct?
- Yes, we do not have any indications that our systems are acting outside their expected usage patterns, and we thoroughly collect, analyze, and escalate a variety of network-, host-, and memory-based evidence for signs of violations. We regularly test our detection and response people, processes, and tools against external adversary simulations that match or exceed the capabilities and intentions of the parties attacking our enterprise (i.e., the threat). Here you see the reason why number 6 was insufficient. If you assumed that number 6 was ok, you forgot to ensure that your operations were up to the task of detecting and responding to intrusions. Periodically you must benchmark your perceived effectiveness against a neutral third party in an operational exercise (a "red team" event). A final assumption inherent in all seven answers is that you know the assets you are trying to secure, which is no mean feat.
Incidentally, this post explains why deploying a so-called IPS does nothing for ensuring "security." Of course, you can demonstrate that it blocked attacks X, Y, and Z. But, how can you be sure it didn't miss something?
If you want to spend the least amount of money to take the biggest step towards Magnificent Number 7, you should implement Network Security Monitoring.


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Journal of Transportation and Statistics
Guidelines for Manuscript Submission
Send all submission materials to
Marsha Fenn, Managing Editor
Journal of Transportation and Statistics
Bureau of Transportation Statistics
U.S. Department of Transportation
400 7th Street SW, Room 7412, K15
Washington, DC 20590
Email: email@example.com
Please note: Submission of a paper indicates the author's intention to publish in the Journal of Transportation and Statistics (JTS). Submission of a manuscript to other journals is unacceptable. Previously published manuscripts, whether in an exact or approximate form, cannot be accepted. Check with the Managing Editor if in doubt.
Scope of JTS: JTS has two primary areas of focus. We publish articles that look at transportation from a statistical perspective. We also publish articles that do not use or discuss statistical techniques but present information on areas of transportation research that are of interest to JTS readers. Papers that do not use or discuss statistical techniques may be considered for the Research Notes section.
Manuscripts must be double spaced, including quotations, abstract, reference section, and any notes. All figures and tables should appear at the end of the manuscript with each one on a
separate page. Do not embed them in your manuscript.
Because the JTS audience works in diverse fields, please define terms that are specific to your area of expertise.
Electronic submissions via email to the Managing Editor are strongly encouraged. We can accept PDF, Word, Excel, and Adobe Illustrator files. If you cannot send your submission via email, you may send a disk or CD by overnight delivery service or send a hardcopy by the U.S. Postal Service (regular mail; see below). Do not send disks or CDs through regular mail.
Hardcopy submissions delivered to BTS by the U.S. Postal service are irradiated. Do not include a disk in your envelope; the high heat will damage it.
The cover page of your manuscript must include the title, author name(s) and affiliations, and the telephone number and surface and email addresses of all authors.
Put the Abstract on the second page. It should be about 100 words and briefly describe the contents of the paper including the mode or modes of transportation, the research method, and the key results and/or conclusions. Please include a list of keywords to describe your article.
Graphic elements (figures and tables) must be called out in the text. Graphic elements must be in black ink. We will accept graphics in color only in rare circumstances.
References follow the style outlined in the Chicago Manual of Style. All non-original material must be sourced.
International papers are encouraged, but please be sure to have your paper edited by someone whose first language is English and who knows your research area.
Accepted papers must be submitted electronically in addition to a hard copy (see above for information on electronic submissions). Make sure the hard copy corresponds to the electronic version.
Page proofs: As the publication date nears, authors will be required to return article page proofs to the Managing Editor within 48 hours of receipt.
Acceptable software for text and equations is limited to Word and LaTeX. Data behind all figures, maps, and charts must be provided in Excel, Word, or DeltaGraph. Data in American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) text will be accepted but is less desirable. Acceptable software for graphic elements is limited to Excel, DeltaGraph, or Adobe Illustrator. If other software is used, the file supplied must have an .eps or .pdf extension. We do not accept PowerPoint.
Maps are accepted in a variety of Geographic Information System (GIS) programs. Please save your GIS files using .eps or .pdf extensions. If this is not possible, maps may be provided in ArcView3.x project files (.apr), ArcGIS8.x map files (.mxd), or Arc/Info metafiles (.map). Send your files using the .apr or .mxd extensions on a CD-ROM via overnight delivery service.


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Jan 19 2008
Weather Trivia
1. Q. Stars twinkle at night because of minor variations in:
a. Air density
b. Air pollution
c. Sun spots
d. Reflected moonlight
A. If you guessed 'a'. Congratulations, you're right!
Air density changes in the atmosphere refract (bend) the light of the star, changing its appearance.
2. Q. What location would have the thickest fog with the same amount of water?
a. Over the ocean
b. A green Iowa cornfield
c. The Minnesota Northwoods
d. In or near a large city
A. If you guessed 'd'. Congratulations, you're right!
Abundant pollutants allow many small fog droplets to form, increasing the opaqueness of the fog.
3. Q .At which location would the same pot of water boil the quickest using the same amount of heat?
a. Miami, Florida
b. Barrow, Alaska
c. Minneapolis, Minnesota
d. Boise, Idaho
A. If you guessed 'd'. Congratulations, you're right!
Water boils at a lower temperature at high elevations. Boise's elevation (2870 ft.) is the highest.
4. Q. The largest portion of energy from the sun comes as what?
a. Gamma Rays
b. Visible Light
c. Ultra-Violet Radiation
d. X-Rays
A. If you guessed 'b'. Congratulations, you're right!
The Sun emits most of its energy in the visible light spectrum. This is a result of the Sun's temperature.
5. Q. Also known as "soft hail" this type of precipitation occurs when snow falls and attracts ice crystals which surround it.
a. Sleet
b. Virga
c. Graupel
d. Freezing Rain
A. If you guessed 'c'. Congratulations, you're right!
Graupel is kind of a slushy ice chunk which can often grow to the size of a quarter.
6. Q. Using a liquid thermometer, air temperature can be most accurately measured at which of the following locations?
a. The bank parking lot
b. The roof of your house
c. In the shade on your porch
d. Attached to a window
A. If you guessed 'c'. Congratulations, you're right!
Sunlight affects liquid thermometers. A location in the shade will measure air temperature accurately.
7. Q. In which month can there not possibly be a 'Blue' Moon?
a. February
b. May
c. July
d. October
A. If you guessed 'a', Congratulations, you're right!
A Blue Moon is the second full moon of the month. A month needs at least 30 days for this to be possible.


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City Solar System Activation Planned
By Tom Munds
The schedule calls for flipping the switch by Nov. 1 so the electricity generated by solar panels provides about 10 percent of the electricity used in four city buildings.
The solar equipment installation is one part of the city's collaborative effort with Ameresco, a commercial company specializing in energy conservation, to reduce Englewood's traditional energy consumption.
Over the last couple months, photovoltaic panels were installed on the civic center, the police/fire complex, the Malley Senior Recreation Center and a portion of the Englewood ServiCenter.
Ken Thames, president of Thames solar, explained how the panels were installed and how much energy they will produce to the city council at the Oct. 18 study session.
"The project involved installation of photovoltaic panels on the four buildings," said Thames, hired as the on-site manager for installation and commissioning of the solar systems. "The layout of the modules and the number of modules installed depended on the individual building's available roof area."
The principal of photovoltaic is described as the use of materials made up of cells that convert the energy of sunlight into electricity at the atomic level.
Thames said each module or panel is about 38 inches by 65 inches and contains 72 crystalline cells that produce electricity. The panels are tied together in a string and the string is tied together to make an array. Again, the number of arrays depend on available roof area.
"We estimate a system operates at 80 percent efficiency because there are losses due to dust on the modules and the resistance of the wire connecting the system together," Thames told the council. "The electricity from the system flows to a junction box and then into an inverter that coverts the direct current into the alternating current needed in the buildings."
He said the system upkeep is easy because maintenance traditionally consists of washing the dust off the modules with a water hose.
The system on the four buildings are expected to generate about 29,103 kilowatt hours of power per month. That amount of electrical power has an estimated value of about $2,900. However, Thames said the amount of energy the system produces could be reduced where there is heavy snow and it piles up on the module preventing sunlight from reaching the modules.
Councilmember Randy Penn asked if there was a way the system could provide more than 10 percent of the electricity the city uses.
"Unfortunately, this is the best design we would devise and there is no way to expand the system because there isn't room to add additional arrays on the roofs of these buildings," Thames said.
Englewood developed this system as part of an overall effort to conserve energy. Under the agreement, Ameresco installed the solar system at no cost to the city and will own and maintain the system for 20 years. During that time, the company received funds from the city for the power the system produces.
From the Englewood Herald (opens in new window)
Ameresco: CarolAnn Hibbard, 508-661-2264, firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
If the system is disconnected from AC power and unused for 14 days or more, the system enters a protection mode to preserve battery power. Plug your system into AC power to reactivate it
Applies to:
My system will not work on battery power. What could be wrong?
make sure the battery is fully charged. charge time is up to 10 hours in play mode or in standby. to determine the remaining battery charge level, press and hold the off button on the remote and observe the led on the front of the system
Red: 20% or less
Yellow: 20% – 70%
Green: 70% or more
Try charging the battery on a different AC plug. There may be a problem with the power outlet you're using
Should I fully discharge my battery before I recharge it?
The Bose® SoundDock™ Portable system uses a rechargeable Lithium-ion battery. This battery technology prefers to be "topped off" rather than a full discharge every time, so you can charge it whenever it's convenient. Make sure you charge the battery before leaving it in storage for any extended period of time


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I don't think humanity is going to continue to agree to what is government approved torturing of people who have already undergone trauma. I don't think humanity wants to be inhumane. So eventually those people who have altered states of consciousness and unusual sensory experiences won't be subjected to a forced psychiatric regime, by the fearful public, who if they were better would never approve of such things as ECT and forced drugging.
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
CRPD and the obligation to prohibit and prevent torture and ill-treatment
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