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Saturday, December 22, 2007
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
The Picture of Dorian Gray is the only published novel written by Oscar Wilde, and first came out as the lead story in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine on June 20, 1890.[1] Wilde later revised this edition, making several alterations, and adding new chapters; the amended version was published by Ward, Lock, and Company in April 1891.[2]
The novel tells of a young man named Dorian Gray, the subject of a painting by artist Basil Hallward, who is greatly impressed by Dorian's physical beauty and becomes strongly infatuated with him, believing that his beauty is responsible for a new mode in his art. Talking in Basil's garden, Dorian meets Lord Henry Wotton, a friend of Basil's, and becomes enthralled by Lord Henry's world view. Espousing a new kind of hedonism, Lord Henry suggests that the only thing worth pursuing in life is beauty, and the fulfilment of the senses. Realising that one day his beauty will fade, Dorian cries out, wishing that the portrait Basil has painted of him would age rather than himself. Dorian's wish is fulfilled, subsequently plunging him into a series of debauched acts. The portrait serves as a reminder of the effect each act has upon his soul, with each sin being displayed as a disfigurement of his form, or through a sign of aging.
The Picture of Dorian Gray is considered one of the last works of classic gothic horror fiction with a strong Faustian theme.[3] It deals with the artistic movement of the decadents, and homosexuality, both of which caused some controversy when the book was first published. However, in modern times, the book has been referred to as "one of the modern classics of Western literature."[4]
Plot summary
The novel begins with Lord Henry Wotton observing the artist Basil Hallward painting the portrait of a handsome young man named Dorian Gray. Dorian arrives later, meeting Lord Henry Wotton. After hearing Lord Henry's world view, Dorian begins to think that beauty is the only worthwhile aspect of life, and the only thing left to pursue. He wishes that the portrait of him which Basil is painting would grow old instead of him. Under the influence of Lord Henry, Dorian begins an exploration of his senses. He discovers an actress, Sibyl Vane, who performs Shakespeare in a dingy theatre. Dorian approaches her, and very soon, proposes marriage. Sibyl, who refers to him as "Prince Charming", rushes home to tell her skeptical mother and brother. Her protective brother, James, tells her that if "Prince Charming" ever harms her, he will kill him.
Dorian then invites Basil and Lord Henry to see Sibyl perform in Romeo and Juliet. Sibyl, whose only previous knowledge of love was through the love of theatre, suddenly loses her acting abilities through the experience of true love with Dorian, and performs very badly. Dorian rejects her, saying that her beauty was in her art, and if she could no longer act, he was no longer interested in her. Once he returns home, Dorian notices that Basil's portrait of him has changed. After examining the painting, Dorian realizes that his wish has come true - the portrait's expression now bears a subtle sneer, and later ages with each grave sin committed, whilst his own outward appearance remains unchanged. He decides to reconcile with Sibyl, but Lord Henry arrives in the morning to say that Sibyl has killed herself by swallowing prussic acid. Over the next eighteen years he experiments with every vice, mostly under the influence of a "poisonous" French novel, a present from Lord Henry. Wilde never reveals the title but his inspiration was likely drawn from Joris-Karl Huysmans's À rebours (Against Nature) due to the likenesses that exist between The Picture of Dorian Gray and À rebours.[5]
One night before he leaves for Paris, Basil arrives to question Dorian about the rumours of his indulgences. Dorian does not deny the debauchery. He takes Basil to the portrait which is revealed to have become ugly under Dorian's sins. In a fit of anger, Dorian blames the artist for his fate, and stabs him to death. He then blackmails an old friend named Alan Cambell, who happened to be a chemist, into destroying the body. Wishing to escape his crime, Dorian travels to an opium den. James Vane happens to be nearby, and hears someone refer to Dorian as "Prince Charming". He follows Dorian out and attempts to shoot him, but he is deceived when Dorian asks James to look at him in the lane, saying that he is too young to have been involved with his sister eighteen years ago. James releases Dorian, but is approached by a woman from the opium den, who chastises him for not killing Dorian and tells him that Dorian has not aged for the past eighteen years.
Whilst at dinner one night, Dorian sees Sibyl Vane's brother stalking the grounds and fears for his life. However, during a game-shooting party the next day James is accidentally shot and killed by one of the hunters. After returning to London, Dorian informs Lord Henry that he will be good from now on, and has started by not breaking the heart of his latest innocent conquest, a vicar's daughter in a country town, named Hetty Merton. At his apartment, he wonders if the portrait would have begun to change back, losing its senile, sinful appearance, now that he has changed his immoral ways. He unveils the portrait to find that it has become worse. Seeing this he begins to question the motives behind his act, whether it was merely vanity, curiosity, or seeking new emotional excess. Deciding that only a full confession would truly absolve him, but lacking any guilt and fearing the consequences, he decides to destroy the last vestige of his conscience. In a fit of rage, he picks up the knife that killed Basil Hallward, and plunges it into the painting. Hearing his cry from inside the locked room, his servants send for the police, who find Dorian's body, suddenly aged and withered, beside the portrait, which has reverted to its original form; it is only through his rings that the corpse can be identified.
In a letter, Wilde stated that the main characters of The Picture of Dorian Gray are in different ways reflections of himself: "Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord Henry what the world thinks me: Dorian what I would like to be—in other ages, perhaps."[6]
* Dorian Gray - an extremely handsome young man who becomes enthralled with Lord Henry's idea of a new hedonism. He begins to indulge in every kind of pleasure, moral and immoral.
* Basil Hallward - an artist who becomes infatuated with Dorian's beauty. Dorian helps Basil to realise his artistic potential, as Basil's portrait of Dorian proves to be his finest work.
* Lord Henry Wotton - a nobleman who is a friend to Basil initially, but later becomes more intrigued with Dorian's beauty and naivety. Extremely witty, Lord Henry is seen as a critique of late Victorian culture espousing a view of indulgent hedonism. He corrupts Dorian with his world view, as Dorian attempts to emulate him. Basil calls him "Harry".
* Sibyl Vane - An extremely poor but beautiful actress with whom Dorian falls in love. Her love for Dorian destroys her acting career, as she no longer finds pleasure in portraying fictional love when she has a true love in reality.
* James Vane - Sibyl's brother who is to become a sailor and leave for Australia. He is extremely protective of his sister, especially as his mother is useless and concerned only with Dorian's money. He is hesitant to leave his sister, believing Dorian will harm her.
* Mrs. Vane - Sibyl and James's mother, an old and faded actress. She has consigned herself and Sibyl to a poor theatre house to pay her debts. She is extremely pleased when Sibyl meets Dorian, being impressed by his status and wealth.
* Alan Campbell - once a good friend of Dorian, he ended their friendship when Dorian's reputation began to come into question.
* Lady Agatha - Lord Henry's aunt. Lady Agatha is active in charity work in the London slums.
* Lord Fermor - Lord Henry's uncle. He informs Lord Henry about Dorian's lineage.
* Victoria, Lady Henry Wotton - Lord Henry's wife, who only appears once in the novel whilst Dorian waits for Lord Henry. She later divorces Lord Henry in exchange for a pianist.
* Victor - a loyal servant to Dorian. Dorian's increasing paranoia, however, leads him to use Victor to complete pointless errands in an attempt to dissuade him from entering the room that houses Dorian's portrait.
Aestheticism and duplicity
Aestheticism is a strong theme in The Picture of Dorian Gray, and is tied in with the concept of the double life. Although Dorian is hedonistic, when Basil accuses him of making Lord Henry's sister's name a "by-word", Dorian replies "Take care, Basil. You go too far"[7] suggesting that Dorian still cares about his outward image and standing within Victorian society. Wilde highlights Dorian's pleasure of living a double life, describing how Dorian returns home sometimes to look at his portrait, and, when looking at the disfigurement of the portrait, "[grows] more and more enamoured of his own beauty, more and more interested in the corruption of his own soul."[8] Not only does Dorian enjoy this sensation in private, but he also feels "keenly the terrible pleasure of a double life" when attending a society gathering just 24 hours after committing a murder.
This duplicity and indulgence is most evident in Dorian's visits to the opium dens of London. Wilde conflates the images of the upper class and lower class by having the supposedly upright Dorian visit the impoverished districts of London. Lord Henry asserts that "crime belongs exclusively to the lower orders...I should fancy that crime was to them what art is to us, simply a method of procuring extraordinary sensations", which suggests that Dorian is both the criminal and the aesthete combined in one man. This is perhaps linked to Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, which Wilde admired.[9] The division that was witnessed in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, although extreme, is evident in Dorian Gray, who attempts to contain the two divergent parts of his personality, this is a recurring theme in many of the gothic novels of which "The Picture Of Dorian Gray" is one of the last.
The name "Dorian" has connotations of the Dorians, an ancient Hellenic tribe. Robert Mighall suggests that this could be Wilde hinting at a connection to "Greek love", a euphemism for the homoeroticism that was accepted as everyday in ancient Greece. Indeed, Dorian is described using the semantic field of the Greek Gods, being likened to Adonis, a person who looks as if "he were made of ivory and rose-leaves." However, Wilde does not mention any homosexual acts explicitly, and descriptions of Dorian's "sins" are often vague, although there does appear to be an element of homoeroticism in the competition between Lord Henry and Basil, both of whom compete for Dorian's attention. Both of them make comments about Dorian in praise of his good looks and youthful demeanour, Basil going as far to say that "as long as I live, the personality of Dorian Gray will dominate me."[10] However, whilst Basil is shunned, Dorian wishes to emulate Lord Henry, which in turn rouses Lord Henry from his "characteristic languor to a desire to influence Dorian, a process that is itself a sublimated expression of homosexuality."[11]
The later corruption of Dorian seems to make what was once a boyish charm become a destructive influence. Basil asks why Dorian's "friendship is so fatal to young men", commenting upon the "shame and sorrow" that the father of one of the disgraced boys displays. Dorian only destroys these men when he becomes "intimate" with them, suggesting that the friendships between Dorian and the men in question become more than simply Platonic. The shame associated with these relationships is bipartite: the families of the boys are upset that their sons may have indulged in a homosexual relationship with Dorian Gray, and also feel shame that they have now lost their place in society, their names having been sullied; their loss of status is encapsulated in Basil's questioning of Dorian: speaking of the Duke of Perth, a disgraced friend of Dorian's, he asks "what gentleman would associate with him?"[7] The novel is considered groundbreaking in the context that, in literature, "Dorian Gray was one of the first in a long list of hedonistic fellows whose homosexual tendencies secured a terrible fate."[12]
At one point, Dorian Gray attends a performance of Richard Wagner's opera, Tannhäuser, and is explicitly said to personally identify with the work. Indeed, the opera bears some striking resemblances with the novel, and, in short, tells the story of a medieval (and historically real) singer, whose art is so beautiful that he causes Venus, the goddess of love herself, to fall in love with him, and to offer him eternal life with her in the Venusburg. Tannhäuser becomes dissatisfied with his life there, however, and elects to return to the harsh world of reality, where, after taking part in a song-contest, he is sternly censured for his sensuality, and eventually dies in his search for repentance and the love of a good woman. It might even be argued that the end of the opera, in which a miracle announces the salvation of Tannhäuser's soul, suggests, perhaps, a more optimistic interpretation of Dorian's end than might otherwise be thought of.
Wilde himself stated that "in every first novel the hero is the author as Christ or Faust." As in Faust, a temptation is placed before the lead character Dorian, the potential for ageless beauty; Dorian indulges in this temptation. In both stories, the lead character entices a beautiful woman to love them and kills not only her, but also that woman's brother, who seeks revenge.[13] Wilde went on to say that the notion behind The Picture of Dorian Gray is "old in the history of literature" but was something to which he had "given a new form".[14]
Unlike Faust, there is no point at which Dorian makes a deal with the devil. However, Lord Henry's cynical outlook on life, and hedonistic nature seems to be in keeping with the idea of the devil's role, that of the temptation of the pure and innocent, qualities which Dorian exemplifies at the beginning of the book. Although Lord Henry takes an interest in Dorian, it does not seem that he is aware of the effect of his actions. However, Lord Henry advises Dorian that "the only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. Resist it, and your soul grows sick with longing";[15] in this sense, Lord Henry acts as the devil's advocate, "leading Dorian into an unholy pact by manipulating his innocence and insecurity."[16]
Tír na nÓg
Another Irish tale which was of influence is of Oisín and Tír na nÓg (Land of Eternal Youth), a salutory tale of temptation and consequences.[citation needed] See also the Japanese folktale, Urashima Tarō, which shares some similarities, and Rip van Winkle.
When Dorian is telling lord Henry Wotton about his new 'love', Sibyl Vane he refers to all of the Shakespearean plays she has been in, referring to her as the heroine of each play. At a later time, he speaks of his life by quoting Hamlet.
Joris-Karl Huysmans
Dorian Gray's "poisonous French novel" is most likely Huysmans' À rebours.
Literary significance
The Picture of Dorian Gray began as a short novel submitted to Lippincott's Monthly Magazine. In 1889, J. M. Stoddart, a proprietor for Lippincott, was in London to solicit short novels for the magazine. Wilde submitted the first version of The Picture of Dorian Gray, which was published on 20 June 1890 in the July edition of Lippincott's. There was a delay in getting Wilde's work to press whilst numerous changes were made to the manuscripts of the novel (some of which survive to this day). Some of these changes were made at Wilde's instigation, and some at Stoddart's. Wilde removed all references to the fictitious book "Le Secret de Raoul", and to its fictitious author, Catulle Sarrazin. The book and its author are still referred to in the published versions of the novel, but are unnamed.
Wilde also attempted to moderate some of the more homoerotic instances in the book, or instances whereby the intentions of the characters may be misconstrued. In the 1890 edition, Basil tells Henry how he "worships" Dorian, and begs him not to "take away the one person that makes my life absolutely lovely to me." The focus for Basil in the 1890 edition seems to be more towards love, whereas the Basil of the 1891 edition cares more for his art, saying "the one person who gives my art whatever charm it may possess: my life as an artist depends on him." The book was also extended greatly: the original thirteen chapters became twenty, and the final chapter was divided into two new chapters. The additions involved the "fleshing out of Dorian as a character" and also provided details about his ancestry, which helped to make his "psychological collapse more prolonged and more convincing."[17]The character of James Vane was also introduced, which helped to elaborate upon Sibyl Vane's character and background; the addition of the character helped to emphasise and foreshadow Dorian's selfish ways, as James foresees Dorian's character, and guesses upon his future dishonourable actions (the inclusion of James Vane's sub-plot also gives the novel a more typically Victorian tinge, part of Wilde's attempts to decrease the controversy surrounding the book). Another notable change is that, in the latter half of the novel, events were specified as taking place around Dorian Gray's 32nd birthday, on 7 November. After the changes, they were specified as taking place around Dorian Gray's 38th birthday, on 9 November, thereby extending the period of time over which the story occurs. The former date is also significant in that it coincides with the year in Wilde's life during which he was introduced to homosexual practices.
The preface to The Picture of Dorian Gray was added, along with other amendments, after the edition published in Lippincott's received criticism. Wilde used it to address these criticisms and defend the novel's reputation.[18] It consists of a collection of statements about the role of the artist, art itself, the value of beauty, and serves as an indicator of the way in which Wilde intends the novel to be read, as well as traces of Wilde's exposure to Daoism and the writings of Zhuangzi. Shortly before penning the preface, Wilde reviewed Herbert A. Giles's translation of the writings of the Chinese Daoist philosopher.[19] In his review, he writes:
The honest ratepayer and his healthy family have no doubt often mocked at the dome-like forehead of the philosopher, and laughed over the strange perspective of the landscape that lies beneath him. If they really knew who he was, they would tremble. For Chuang Tsǔ spent his life in preaching the great creed of Inaction, and in pointing out the uselessness of all things.[20]
Overall, initial critical reception of the book was poor, with the book gaining "certain notoriety for being 'mawkish and nauseous,' 'unclean,' 'effeminate,' and 'contaminating.'"[21] This had much to do with the novel's homoerotic overtones, which caused something of a sensation amongst Victorian critics when first published. A large portion of the criticism was levelled at Wilde's perceived hedonism, and its distorted views of conventional morality. The Daily Chronicle of 30 June 1890 suggests that Wilde's novel contains "one element...which will taint every young mind that comes in contact with it." Although the element is not named explicitly, the homoeroticism of the novel, especially of the first edition, seems the likely subject. The Scots Observer of 5 July 1890 asks why Wilde must "go grubbing in muck-heaps?" Wilde responded to such criticisms by curtailing some of the homoerotic tendencies, and by adding six chapters to the book in an effort to add background.[22]
Allusions from other works
* Numerous songs and band names reference The Picture of Dorian Gray or its title character.
o Morrissey has made many references to Wilde's works; in the song "Glamorous Glue", Morrissey quotes Dorian's affirmation that he is "too much in love" to marry.[23]
o The Libertines also mention Dorian in their song "Narcissist", questioning the worth of being narcissistic.
o U2 also reference Dorian Gray in the song "The Ocean"
o Television Personalities has a song named "A Picture of Dorian Gray"
o Critical Mass has a song called "Dorian Gray", dealing with pornography
o James Blunt used the line "hides my true shape, like Dorian Gray" in his song "Tears and Rain"
o an industrial metal electronica group have also named themselves after the lead character Dorian Gray
o in "Scream," a song about lost love, the band Kill Hannah mention Sibyl Vane as an allusion to committing suicide
o in "You Ruined Everything," the American singer-songwriter Kristeen Young also alludes to Sibyl and her loss of artistic power after falling in love
o in Liz Phair's H.W.C., a song about the youth-giving effects of a male's semen, she sings: "Without you, I'm just another Dorian Gray"
o the song "Dorian" by the band Demons and Wizards, which specifically recalls the story of Dorian Gray
o INXS alludes to the novel in their song 'Who Pays The Price' which includes the lines 'As the years go by/Will it show on your face/Or stay hidden behind some door'
o The Futureheads have a song named 'A Picture of Dorian Gray'
o Farewell Flight also have a song named after Dorian Gray- 'The Murder of Dorian Gray' with the lyrics "Stare back, Dorian Grey, Your picture tells the story well...Stare back, Dorian Grey, Your mirror tells the story well"
o The American rock band Styx alludes to the book on their 1978 album Pieces of Eight. The song "Sing for the Day", written by Tommy Shaw, features the line: 'Ageless and timeless as Dorian Gray'
o A Swedish rock band named Dorian Gray also exists, with the first of their albums being titled The Sounds of Dorian Gray.
o Singer/songwriter Darren Hayes mentions Dorian Gray in his song "The Future Holds a Lion's Heart" from his fourth album. It features the line: 'When my heart was in the attic like The Picture of Dorian Gray'
o American glam metal band Mötley Crüe references Dorian Gray in their song "New Tattoo" in the line: "I could be your Dorian Gray."
o Heavy Metal band Savatage refers to Dorian Gray in the song Tonight He Grins Again from the album Streets: A Rock Opera: Something cold as pain, Burning inside my veins, I walk away, A shadow of Dorian Gray
* Will Self updated the novel by placing events in June 1981, a time according to Self when "Britain was in the process of burning most of its remaining illusions."[24] In Self's novel, the homoeroticism that was merely an undertone of the original work becomes an overt theme: Self's Dorian indulges in homosexual orgies. The portrait of Dorian is replaced with a postmodern piece of art involving video cassette recorders and televisions
* In Amanda Filipacchi's novel Nude Men, one of the main characters is Lady Henrietta, a painter of nude men, who is a female version of Lord Henry from The Picture of Dorian Gray. Like Lord Henry, she states her philosophies (which some might find immoral), in ways that make them sound very logical.
* Rick R. Reed also wrote A Face Without a Heart, a variation on The Picture of Dorian Gray; in lieu of a portrait, Reed has a sophisticated hologram which changes with each sin that Dorian commits
* The Picture of Dorian Gray was also parodied by contemporary journalist and novelist Robert S. Hichens in The Green Carnation
* The 2006 Irvine Welsh novel The Bedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs has a number of similarities with The Picture of Dorian Gray
* In Jasper Fforde's book The Fourth Bear, the protagonist Jack Spratt purchases a new car from a car dealership run by Dorian Gray. The car does not get damaged in accidents with a painting of the car in the boot getting damaged instead. The cars odometer also goes backward with it eventually been destroyed when it reaches zero.
* The American comic book series Starman has the unageing anti-hero The Shade discuss his own friendship with Oscar Wilde. The Shade insists that Dorian Gray is based on a real being, an immortal man who uses a demonic poster to steal souls. Interestingly the author made an error in having the character refer to the novel as the "Portrait of Dorian Gray." Although an unintentional mistake by the author this was later incorporated into a major plot elements for the character.
* Dorian Grey is also mentioned in the film The Seven Year Itch.
* In the third book of the Nancy Drew Girl Detective Super Mystery book series, Nancy participates in a TV reality show about solving mysteries. The name Dorian Gray and Oscar Wilde appear several times as clues (with one of the other cast members mentioning that it was a famous 19th century novel), and Nancy visits Wilde's grave in Paris.
* The character Dorian in the British science-fiction series Blake's Seven channels all his negative emotions and acts into a hideous creature living far beneath the surface of the planet Xenon, in much the same way as Dorian Gray. When the creature is killed, Dorian dies an horrific death.
* In the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode Man of the People, Ambassador Alkar channels all his negative emotions into female 'receptacles' with whom he has bonded. The receptacles suffer from accelerated aging. When the bond is severed Alkar dies of sudden old age.
* In the American TV series Get Smart there is an episode from the fifth season called "Age Before Duty". In this episode, there is a scientist named Felix, who develops a paint that he calls "Dorian Gray". When this paint is used on a picture of somebody to retouch the picture, in order to make the person in it look old, the person ages extremely fast in real life (in a matter of hours; for instance, the episode begins with a man dying of old age, even though he is only 28 years old).
* Dr. John Dorian, the main character on the television show Scrubs, is a reference to Dorian Gray as Dr. Dorian frequently wanders off in fantasy daydreams. Dr. Robert Kelso, the chief of medicine at the fictional hospital in Scrubs is named after Lord Kelso.
Film, television and theatrical adaptations
Main article: Adaptations of The Picture of Dorian Gray
The Picture of Dorian Gray has been the subject of several film remakes.
* According to the BBC, the most notable adaptation was Albert Lewin's 1945 film The Picture of Dorian Gray,[25] which won an Oscar for "Best Cinematography, Black-and-White".[26] One of the most noted aspects of this version was Lewin's choice to portray the film in black and white despite the fact that technicolor was available at the time. Instead, he shot the film in black and white, and used a "breathtaking" technicolor effect to show the effects Dorian's actions have on the portrait.[27]
* The BBC created a highly regarded TV version in 1976, with Peter Firth as Dorian Gray.
* Dorian Gray was a character portrayed by Stuart Townsend in Stephen Norrington's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, which was based on the graphic novel of the same name, written by Alan Moore. Dorian Gray was not originally included in Moore's graphic novel, and Dorian's inclusion was a decision made by Norrington. A "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" is assembled in an attempt to stop the villain "The Fantom" from destroying Venice. Dorian Gray is selected for his immortality; however, the film version expands upon the novel by suggesting that not only does the portrait keep Dorian from aging, but also from suffering injuries. In addition, Dorian is unable to look at his own portrait; if he does, then the "spell" will be broken, and his powers will be lost — effectively killing him, as he had already reached an age impossible for any mortal being, as well as suffered numerous injuries. During the film, he is revealed to have had a past relationship with fellow immortal Mina Harker — here a vampire — but it is later revealed that he is actually a double agent, secretly working for the Fantom, who has stolen his portrait to blackmail him into acquiring samples of the other League members so that he can duplicate their powers. At the conclusion of the film, Dorian fights Mina in a duel, which ends when he is pinned to the wall with his own sword and forced to look at his portrait, turning him to dust in a matter of seconds.[28]
* A new film version of The Picture of Dorian Gray is currently in production, directed by Jon Cunningham and filmed in the Czech Republic.[29]
* The Faustian theme of The Picture of Dorian Gray has also made it a popular choice for television, being adapted for use as a storyline for episodes in some television series':
o The theme of being able to remain young forever was used in the British science fiction TV show Blake's 7 in the episode Rescue which debuted season 4. In it a character named Dorian forces others to absorb his physical and mental defects via a monster he holds in a cave.
o Star Trek: The Next Generation also used the novel as inspiration for its 129th episode Man of the People. In the episode, an Ambassador Vel Alkar uses women as an object to which all of his negative aspects can be channelled. This results in the women's dispositions changing, each becoming more and more irritable. They also begin to age much more quickly, until they "burn out" and die. Deanna Troi becomes a near victim, until a plan is created to cause Vel Alkar to receive all of the emotions he has channelled away from himself. When this occurs, he rapidly ages and dies from his own emotions, much in the same way Dorian Gray does after confronting his portrait at the end of The Picture of Dorian Gray
* An operatic version of The Picture of Dorian Gray was staged by Lowell Liebermann. Liebermann wanted to base a play on The Picture of Dorian Gray because "the book made an impression on [him] as no other book has yet done".[30] Premiered at the Monte Carlo Opera in 1996,[31] Liebermann put a lot of emphasis on the musical score of the play, saying:
The entire opera is based on a twelve-note row which is used not serially, but tonally. It is first heard at the beginning of the opera in pizzicato cellos and basses. It is harmonised as Dorian's theme and then as the painting theme. As the painting disintegrates and becomes corrupted, so does its theme. The twelve consecutive scenes of the opera occur in the keys of the consecutive pitches of the note-row. In this manner the entire opera becomes one grand passacaglia, a variation of Dorian's theme, a picture of the picture---the tonal structure generated by a non-tonal device, a further metaphor for the form/content divide that generates the novel's dramatic structure.
—Opera World
* The afternoon ABC daytime drama Dark Shadows (1966-1971) featured a storyline clearly inspired by Wilde's novel, in which a portrait of Quentin Collins aged grotesquely while Collins himself remained youthful. ABC also presented an adaptation of Dorian Gray itself as a 1973 entry in its Movie of the Week series directed by Glenn Jordan, produced by Dan Curtis and starring Shane Briant.
* The Sins of Dorian Gray is a 1983 ABC television movie featuring Belinda Bauer as an actress whose first screen test as a young starlet ages, while she becomes a star known for remaining unusually youthful.
Footnotes and references
1. ^ The Picture of Dorian Gray (Penguin Classics) - Introduction
2. ^ Notes on The Picture of Dorian Gray - An overview of the text, sources, influences, themes and a summary of The Picture of Dorian Gray
3. ^ glbtq >> literature >> Ghost and Horror Fiction - a website which discusses ghost and horror fiction from the 19th century onwards (retrieved 30 July 2006)
4. ^ Books of the poet: Oscar Wilde - a website which gives synopses for several books, including The Picture of Dorian Gray (retrieved 27 August 2006
5. ^ Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray. Highbeam Research. Retrieved on 2007-04-26.
6. ^ The Modern Library - a synopsis of the book coupled with a short biography of Oscar Wilde (retrieved 6 July 2006)
7. ^ a b The Picture of Dorian Gray (Penguin Classics) - Chapter XII
8. ^ The Picture of Dorian Gray (Penguin Classics) - Chapter XI
9. ^ The Picture of Dorian Gray (Penguin Classics) - Introduction
10. ^ The Picture of Dorian Gray (Penguin Classics) - Chapter I
11. ^ glbtq >> literature >> Wilde, Oscar - an analysis of the works of Oscar Wilde (retrieved 29 July 2006)
12. ^ Meloy, Kilian (2007-09-24). "Influential Gay Characters in Literature". AfterElton.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-09.
13. ^ Oscar Wilde Quotes - a quote from Oscar Wilde about The Picture of Dorian Gray and its likeness to Faust (retrieved 7 July 2006)
14. ^ 'The Picture of Dorian Gray (Penguin Classics) - Preface
15. ^ The Picture of Dorian Gray (Penguin Classics) - Chapter II
16. ^ The Picture of Dorian Gray - a summary and commentary of Chapter II of The Picture of Dorian Gray (retrieved 29 July 2006)
17. ^ The Picture of Dorian Gray (Penguin Classics) - A Note on the Text
18. ^ GraderSave: ClassicNote - a summary and analysis of the book and its preface (retrieved 5 July 2006)
19. ^ The Preface first appeared with the publication of the novel in 1891. But by June of 1890, Wilde was defending his book (see The Letters of Oscar Wilde], Merlin Holland and Rupert Hart-Davis eds., Henry Holt (2000), ISBN 0-8050-5915-6 and The Artist as Critic, ed. Richard Ellmann, University of Chicago (1968), ISBN 0-226-89764-8 — where Wilde's review of Giles's translation is incorrectly identified with Confucius.) Wilde's review of Giles's translation was published in The Speaker of 8 February 1890.
20. ^ Ellmann, The Artist as Critic, 222.
21. ^ The Modern Library - a synopsis of the book coupled with a short biography of Oscar Wilde (retrieved 6 July 2006)
22. ^ CliffsNotes::The Picture of Dorian Gray - an introduction and overview the book (retrieved 5 July 2006)
23. ^ IMEAT - Morrissey's Sources - a site that chronicles The Smiths and Morrissey lyrics. This page deals sepecifically with the allusions to other works that can be found in Morrissey and The Smiths' lyrics (retrieved 26 August 2006)
24. ^ Observer review: Dorian by Will Self - a review of Will Self's reworking of The Picture of Dorian Gray (retrieved 26 August 2006)
25. ^ BBC - Films - review - a review of Albert Lewin's film version of The Picture of Dorian Gray (retrieved 27 August 2006
26. ^ Awards for The Picture of Dorian Gray - a list of awards presented to Albert Lewin's film version of The Picture of Dorian Gray (retrieved 27 August 2006)
27. ^ Movie Review - Picture of Dorian Gray, The - a review of Albert Lewin's film version of The Picture of Dorian Gray (retrieved 27 August 2006)
28. ^ Dorian Gray, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen - an overview of Dorian Gray as he is presented in the film The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (film) (retrieved 27 August 2006)
29. ^ IMDB listing for new movie (retrieved 21 June 2007)
30. ^ OperaWorld.com's Opera Insights: The Picture of Dorian Gray - a discussion of The Picture of Dorian Gray, and the play by the same name composed by Lowell Libermann (retrieved 30 August 2006])
31. ^ us Operaweb - The Picture of Dorian Gray - an overview of the operatic version of The Picture of Dorian Gray, with quotes from the composer (retrieved 30 August) 2006
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
at 12:49 PM
Labels: Dorian Gray
1 comment:
- AnonymousFebruary 25, 2008 at 9:47 PM
SO TAKEN FROM WIKIPEDIA!!ReplyDelete
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text:
This page is for use by representatives of the Middle Huron Stormwater Advisory Group (SAG), a watershed-based group of local municipalities and agencies within the middle section of the Huron River watershed. This section lies mostly within Washtenaw County, extending from Portage Lake downstream to the French Landing Dam, which forms Belleville Lake. The SAG works to coordinate and implement best management practices to improve the quality and volume of stormwater.
Current SAG members include:
- Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner
- Washtenaw County Road Commission
- City of Dexter
- City of Ann Arbor
- Pittsfield Township
- City of Ypsilanti
- Ypsilanti Township
- Village of Barton Hills
- Eastern Michigan University
- Ann Arbor Public Schools
This page contains links to the following:
- Upcoming and past meeting agendas
- Regulatory documents and other submissions
- Other group products
Next Meeting
Past Meeting Agendas
June 8, 2017
If you are looking for older agendas, please contact Ric Lawson.
Stormwater Management Documents
Progress Reports
2015 Progress Report Template
2015 Progress Report instructions
SEMCOG Partners for Clean Water Report Sept. 2013
2013 Progress Report Template
If you are looking for appendices for the 2013 Progress Report, or other progress reports, please contact Ric Lawson.
2013 Permit Application
The SAG developed the following documents for submitting NPDES permit applications that were due April 1, 2013:
- Public Participation Plan
- Collaborative Public Education Plan (PEP) and PEP Table
- Illicit Discharge Elimination Program MOU
- TMDL Implementation Statement (revised)
Previous Documents
Under the 2008 Watershed Permit, the SAG submitted the following watershed documents:
- The Public Participation Plan (pdf) July 30, 2010
- Stormwater Pollution Prevention Initiative (SWPPI) documents
- SWPPI Activity Tables for Huron and non-Huron areas (xls) January 28, 2010
- An Alternative TMDL Plan (pdf) March 15, 2010
- TMDL Plan Appendices (pdf, 3.3 MB) January 29, 2010
- PEP Activity Table (xls) June 11, 2010
- The Watershed Management Plan for the Middle Huron can be downloaded (#7 on the linked page) and reviewed. Public comments are accepted anytime (send to Ric Lawson), and a review workshop will be scheduled soon.
TMDL Implementation Plans
Following are the final TMDL Implementation Plans that were submitted to Michigan DEQ on October 31, 2011.
- Malletts Creek – Biota
- Swift Run – Biota
- Ford and Belleville Lakes – Phosphorus
- Huron River (Argo to Geddes) – Bacteria
Water Quality Monitoring
Water quality sampling has been conducted in the Middle Huron River Watershed since 2002. The most recent comprehensive report and data summary presentation is below:
- 2014 Middle Huron Monitoring Presentation
- 2013 Middle Huron Monitoring Report
- 2011 Water Quality Monitoring Report
Public Education Materials
Contact: Pam Labadie, (734) 769-5123 x 602, HRWC Marketing Director, for info on HRWC's I&E Program or any of the materials identified below.
Scoop Poop In March Materials — For use by SAG members.
- Scoop Poop Tip Card (pdf)
- Scoop Poop Poster (pdf)
- Pet Waste Fact Sheet (pdf)
- Ann Arbor Observer Ad, March 1/4 page (pdf)
- Additional Ads and Web Graphics (pdf)
- H2O Heroes Scoop Poop Webpage (link)
Newsletter Inserts — For use by SAG members. One-page (8.5 x 11″) seasonal newsletter articles on NPS prevention or watershed education topics for community newsletters, websites, and email alerts.
- Spring (pdf)
- Summer (pdf)
- Fall (updated August 2012) (pdf) (plain text word document)
- Winter (pdf)
Ads — Placed seasonally in local print and online publications. Topics correspond to the monthly tip or message in the Watershed Community Calendar and are available in custom sizes and formats upon request. H2O Hero theme.
- January/Tap Into Savings/Water Conservation (pdf)
- February/Report Jerks/Illegal Dumping (pdf)
- March/Scoop Poop/Pet Waste (pdf)
- April/Use Only Phosphorus-Free/Fertilizer (pdf)
- May/Plant Michiganders/Native Plants, Rain Barrels (pdf)
- June/Know Toxics/Home Toxics Disposal (pdf)
- July/Do It On The Grass/Pet Waste (pdf)
- August/Sprinkle When the Sun Don't Shine/Water Conservation (pdf)
- September/Watch Runoff/General Stormdrain Awareness (pdf)
- October/Mulch More/Fall Leaf Disposal (pdf)
- November/Don't Flush/Prescription Disposal (pdf)
- December/Salt Less/River Friendly Snow Removal (pdf)
H2O Heroes Page, www.hrwc.org/h2oheroes — Content from this published site now housed in HRWC's Take Action pages with homeowner tips and tools.
2016 Watershed Community Calendar
- Huron River Watershed 2016 Community Calendar (pdf, low res screen version)
- Ideas for Distributing the 2016 Calendar (pdf)
- 2016 Calendar Cover (jpeg)
- About the Calendar (hrwc.org blog)
Adopt-A-Stormdrain Program Web Page — Public website and program materials.
Watershed Community Survey Page — November 2012 Report of survey results and appendices.
Ford Lake Natural Shoreline Demonstration Project
A project by the MH SAG to restore a small section of Ford Lake shoreline to illustrate stormwater-friendly bioengineering techniques for shoreline protection. The project was implemented in partnership with the Michigan Natural Shoreline Partnership. Site installation took place on May 3, 2010. Below are project summary documents:
- Memo _to_SAG (pdf)
- Ford_Lake_brief (pdf)
- summary_present_for_SAG (pdf, 16.6 MB)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Volume 56 - Summer 2009
Sericea Lespedeza in Kansas
by Melissa A. Rossow, Tom Eddy, J. Vogel, and Jeanne Heuser
Figure 3. Fruit from a cleistogamous Lespedeza flower.
a. calyx teeth; b. cleistogamous style; c. fruit.
|The Kansas School Naturalist
|Department of Biology
|College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
|Send questions / comments to
Kansas School Naturalist.
|Emporia State University


text:
QUETTA, (SANA): PML-N leader Mir Jan Muhammad Jamali and PML-Q's Mir Abdul Quddus Bazinjo on Tuesday took oath as Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Balochistan Assembly at a specially convened session of the provincial assembly in Quetta.
Mir Jan Jamali and Mir Abdul Quddus elected unopposed Speaker and Deputy Speaker as other candidates withdrew their nominations.
The outgoing Speaker Syed Matiullah Agha administered the oath to Mir Jan Muhammad Jamali as new Speaker. Later' Mir Jan Muhammad Jamali administered oath to Mir Abdul Quddus.
Earlier, three hopefuls including Sardar Saleh Bhootani, Mir Asim Kurd Gailo and Dur Muhammad Nasar had withdrawn their nomination papers.
Chief Minister-designate Dr. Malik Baloch congratulated the new speaker and requested the chair to form standing committees as early as possible. "This assembly would deliver", he said, adding that all efforts would be made to address the grievances of masses.
PML-N Balochistan President Sardar Sanaullah Zehri congratulated Mir Jan Muhammad Jamali on becoming the speaker of the provincial, adding that he was hopeful that the new speaker would run the house in impartial manner. He also thanked the voters of his constituency for electing him MPA, adding that he is hopeful that the assembly would continue following the Balcoh traditions.
Maulana Wasey, the parliamentary leader of JUI F, said his party would play the role of opposition in assembly.
Most of the members expressed their determination to struggle for restoration of peace in Balochistan, plagued by sectarianism, insurgency and growing religious radicalization.


text:
Posted by Leah Singerman
If you weren't planning on traveling the world before, you sure are now.
The Official Star Wars Fact File has published a travel guide that tells fans where they can go on almost every continent to get their Star Wars fix. Turns out you can find Star Wars locations in places as far apart as America, Tunisia, Italy, Thailand... and this infographic also tells you which scenes from which movies were filmed in each location.
This is just one of a bunch of locations featured on the site, and it looks amazing. There's something about knowing that a bunch of the events of Star Wars actually happened on our planet that just makes life that much better today. So, who's gonna go and tell us how it is?
What do you think? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us @DweebCast.
The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ora Media, LLC, its affiliates, or its employees.


text:
After reading slews of posts by others that received their D800s, I finally received my camera from B&H last week. I have to admit that my initial enthusiasm was a bit tempered by the many reports of the D800 having autofocus issues. I began to wonder, "Just what am I getting – a good D800 or a bad D800?" (think Wizard Of Oz…). Or perhaps more appropriately, did my camera fall into the Caviar, Sardines, or Spam category?
Here's how I defined each, based on reports from those around the internet that have received this much lauded DSLR:
Caviar – Working perfectly, no autofocus issues
Sardines – Sharp center and right focus points, but the left bank of focus points noticeable out of focus and showing high chromatic aberrations
Spam – All autofocus points out of focus, even the center, with no amount of lens adjustments able to resolve the issue
Unfortunately, I happened to get the Sardine version of the D800. Sigh…
Unlike other DSLRs, lenses, and photography items I have purchased, the D800 didn't have me racing out the door at the crack of dawn and spending an entire day putting it to work in real life situations. With the cloud of having a potentially defective autofocus system, I instead started scouring the internet for testing strategies that could confirm whether my camera had the issue, and what was the extent of it. Nasim and I also discussed the best-of-breed techniques, which made their way into his recent post regarding "How To Quickly Test Your DSLR for Autofocus Issues."
1) Lens Calibration
As soon as I knew my D800 was on its way, I got a LensAlign lens calibration unit from B&H. This is a compact device that is well-designed and extremely easy to use. I found that each of my lenses needed some minor adjustments. The truth is that I would never have noticed that such adjustments were warranted without the LensAlign unit. After seeing the sharpness improvement I was able to achieve relatively quickly, I can't recommend the LensAlign unit enough. The other benefit is that it allows you to objectively confirm that your brand new shiny lens is working properly. Without such a test, you may "feel" a given lens is / is not up to snuff, but you can't be certain. Photographers spend quite a bit of money on their hobby/profession. I urge everyone to a few extra dollars to ensure that their equipment is working properly and you are getting your money's worth. We will post a review of the LensAlign product in the near future, but for now, check out the detailed Lens Calibration article by Nasim.
2) Environment
I created a test chart after downloading a Siemen's Star from the internet and making a few modifications to it in Photoshop (you can download a copy here). I pasted the stars to piece of foam board on which I had taped a piece of graph paper. The graph paper helped with the alignment of the stars. The left and right stars were placed 13 inches from the center star, enabling me to completely cover the autofocus point with the star. I had a few post-it notes handy to label each shot so I could clearly identify the specific test scenario when I reviewed the image in Lightroom. I had L, C, R, AF (autofocus), and LV (Live View). This might seem to be overkill, but putting these post-it notes on each image helped me identify exactly what was tested in each photo.
Lightroom doesn't store the focus point associated with each image, so without an aid such as a post-it note (or notebook identifying each shot), thus it is difficult quickly identify your focus point and whether you were using Live View or focusing through the viewfinder. I took 3 shots per combination of focal points and focus mechanism (Live View or autofocus through the viewfinder).
Here's a photo of my test environment. I had two small floodlights aimed a the test target that enabled me to shoot at shutter speeds between 1/640 and 1/3200 at ISO 100.
I then tested the following lenses, making sure that I racked (defocused) the lens after each shot and kept the environment consistent for all tests. I only moved the tripod backward or forward to keep the chart's stars in alignment with the autofocus points.
- Nikon AF-S 28mm f/1.8G
- Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.4G
- Nikon AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8 ED
- Nikon AF-S 85mm f/1.8G
- Sigma 85mm 1.4 EX DG HSM
- Sigma 15mm 2.8 EX DG Fisheye
3) Results – Uh-Oh…
As you can see from the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 results below, the left autofocus point did poorly compared to the center and the right. Some falloff in sharpness and higher chromatic aberrations are to be expected as you move toward the corners of the lens. But the left focus point clearly has more issues than the right. Live View was able to capture a much sharper image relying on the same left focal point. Live View should provide a bit sharper image than relying on the autofocus points through the viewfinder, but the results shouldn't be drastically different. And autofocus should be relatively consistent on both the far right and the far left.
The other lenses showed similar results, with all turning in worse results than those of the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8. The Sigma 85mm 1.4 shows some blurriness and chromatic aberration on the right side, but much more on the left. You can still read some of the numbers and letters on the right side. The left side is unreadable.
4) So Now What?
I had the opportunity to send the D800 back to B&H for no charge, but after reading enough blogs regarding the potential number of cameras with this issue, I realized that it might be some time before I saw another D800, and the new unit could suffer from the same issue. Thus I bit the bullet and sent it back to Nikon. I wish I could say that I got warm fuzzies from my communications with Nikon's Customer Service staff via the phone or email exchanges on "My Nikon," regarding this issue, but I didn't. I sent multiple links explaining the issue and seeking some confirmation that this problem was understood and solvable, but alas, the only response I received was essentially, "Send the camera to our repair center." The Nikon staff was courteous and empathetic, but failed to offer much in the way of any meaningful discussion of this issue. Perhaps the support representatives and managers have been told not to say much to customers in regards to the D800 autofocus concerns. It sure would have made me feel a bit better if I heard something such as:
"Sorry to hear that you have encountered an issue with your camera. Have you followed the Nikon D800 Auto Focus Test Procedure (one might think there is one, huh?) to verify the problem? Yes ? Good. We want to assure you that we understand that some of the early D800 models indeed have an issue with the autofocus system. It would be helpful if you could send some of your test images on an SD card or via the My Nikon website. The good news is that Nikon technicians have developed a technique for quickly analyzing and resolving this issue. The staff in our Service Center has been trained in this technique. Rest assured, we will have your D800 back to you as soon as we possibly can and you will see that your D800 focuses with the pinpoint accuracy it was intended to have. And to show our appreciation for your business and to help ease the trouble of having to ship your brand new D800 back for repair, we are offering you a $75 coupon toward your next Nikon lens."
Alas, I can dream… Am I upset? Absolutely. With all the hype, the awards, and reviews of the D800, I would be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed when putting this gem back in the box and dropping it off at the UPS Store. During the 8 days I spent with my D800, I was pretty impressed. But I would much rather have been busy taking pictures of some stunning landscapes, writing some interesting article regarding, "How My D800 Conquered The Canadian Rockies," or showcasing my latest D800 photo that won Digital Camera Magazine's Photographer of the Year contest. Instead, I discovered the joy of taking test images… over… and over… and over… again.
There are many people on some camera forums that actually relish such "adventures," but for others of us, such issues are a distraction from the reason we got into photography – to take pictures. After seeing a myriad test charts taped all over our walls, my wife looked at me and said, "You're becoming one of 'those people.'" "Those people?", I asked. "Yes – the ones that take pictures of brick walls and test charts all day!", she replied. Ouch… women can be so cruel, and unfortunately in this case, so absolutely right!!! Of course, the $73 shipping fee from UPS didn't do much to make me feel any better…
And yet… having worked in the software and hardware industry and having been responsible for bringing new technologies to market, I am well aware that ordering such a sophisticated device as the D800 this early in its life cycle was a bit of a gamble. I have no doubt Nikon perfected the early D800s by giving each quite a bit of TLC and individual engineering attention. When they ramped up the production lines for the masses, however, they were bound to run into some snags along the way. This is normal with new product introductions – it takes some time to work out the kinks in the manufacturing lines, training programs, the workflow processes, the supporting software, and communications. There would be little innovation if perfection was the goal out of the gate. I probably sound like a Nikon apologist, but I am simply being realistic. Only those that haven't launched a high tech product and lived to tell the tale can be so smug and play Monday morning quarterback regarding such issues.
If you aren't up for being a bit of a guinea pig for the manufacturers and don't accept the reality that you may have to deal with such issues with the first wave of product shipments, you may want to rethink the timing of your DSLR purchases in the future. If you have little/no tolerance for the typical issues that can accompany new product introductions, I would strongly urge you to consider waiting 6-9 months before placing your order for any sophisticated product. That is a reasonable amount of time to expect Nikon, or any other manufacturer, to work through the early production issues. I certainly don't mean to imply that I or others should let Nikon off the hook for this one. I can identify with the frustrations of those that have experienced this autofocus issue. It just doesn't feel right to have to send a DSLR – one that has won virtually every possible DSLR technology award handed out this year – back to the manufacturer after a week or two of use and pay the shipping costs. The good news is that on the few occasions I have needed service for my lenses, Nikon's Service Center came through. It took them a few tries, but they eventually solved the issue or replaced the product with a new one. I am hopeful that I will soon be able to sing Nikon's praises for how they recognized and dealt with the situation promptly and professionally, and get to use my D800 to take photos of something (anything!) other than test charts!
5) Some Takeaways
- Risk vs. Reward – Consider whether you really fit the mold of someone that is willing to deal with some of the issues of new high tech product launches. Such issues are part of the normal innovation cycle, but they are not for everyone. This is by no means an excuse for poor quality or bad customer support, but it does take companies some time to get things right.The first few shipments of any high tech product are likely to be the ones in which issues are uncovered. The "Innovator" tag is one used to describe those that buy new technology as soon as it is announced. These people have a much higher tolerance than most consumers for dealing with new product issues, and in some cases, relish, the challenges of testing out new gear and making suggestions to the manufacturers. But if you do not understand and/or are unwilling to deal with some of the early production cycle snafus, consider waiting for some time until such issues have been ironed out.
- Test Your Gear – You invest quite a bit of money and time in your gear and hobby/profession. Shouldn't you know for certain that it is working properly? Up until my D800 purchase, I had not put my gear through any extensive, formal testing. Shame on me. With DSLRs becoming more sophisticated, you have to question how you can be assured that your equipment is working correctly. As those of us in the software industry know, it is dangerous to make assumptions or take it for granted that things are working as described. You can be assured that the first few photos I take with any new camera or lens will be of the LensAlign unit. There really is no good excuse not to test your lenses and ensure that your DSLR is working properly. The LensAlign unit sports a very reasonable price tag, will last for years, and can provide the peace of mind that comes from knowing that you have a good copy of a given lens and it is achieving the maximum level of sharpness possible on your camera.
- Nikon & Autofocus – The D800 is a great DSLR, despite the problems associated with my specific unit and those of others experiencing similar issues. Nikon has done a phenomenal job in bringing a ground-breaking DSLR to the market and, in the process, delivering a lot of value for the money. But Nikon has a serious problem of having shipped quite a few D800s with autofocus issues to customers. Time alone will tell how well it responds to this challenge. No one enjoys encountering product quality issues, or the disappointment and headaches associated with resolving them. Depending on its response, however, Nikon has the potential to come out stronger and actually enhance its relationship with its customers. Customers are willing to deal with occasional problems and issues, but only if the company is forthright and promptly resolves them. Nikon – are you listening? ;)


text:
Studio Fifty-Seven. "Fifty-seven."
Kara spews her nonsense till I start to freak.
Then it's Randy's turn to lob a lame critique.
And yet still I live for Idol all damn week.
Five-four. She meant Studio five-four.
But the new judge, once again she did misspeak.
And now Simon's calling Allison a freak.
And yet still I live for Idol all damn week.
Oh I love to hear Kris Allen
'Cause Kris Allen never shrieks
But the judges never give him props
Their praise remains oblique
Now let's say goodbye to Megan
She has got a hot physique
And she's giving us one last 'caw-caw'
Although she has no beak
Group singing!
Time for a quick shnack-y break
I'd kill for some cake
Is this singing fake?
Haha. Lady Gaga.
Has a zipper on her eye, my interest's piqued!
When did Paula learn about singing technique?
This is why I live for Idol all damn week.
written by Micheal Slezak, www.ew.com
Ok, so I happened to stumble upon this lil rap off of the Entertainment Weekly website- it definitely described my feelings from Idol this past week. So why not give the guy some credit, and post it on my popular, uber-fan flowing blog? Hence you've feasted on the word!
Enough Idol-atry...>ahem<
Ok onto the week which was hell for me..
Sunday evening as I was enjoying a late night catch up on the DVR, (really enjoyed Dennis Rodman in a chauffeur outfit on Celeb Apprentice, my new favorite reality show) and then I felt IT!
A toothache!
One I have not felt for 7 years! I think that's got to be a record! At least it is for me..I have thought I had been immune to feeling such annoyance for the remainder of my days-yeahhh not quite. Once I got myself back onto the rough, turf that is reality, I called and made an appointment to take care of said annoyance.
I like to consider myself...IN TOUCH..with the ethereal forces of nature, cosmic forces, stars allignment yadddah yaddah and had the smallest thought that this was not just any normal toothache, but that it would require a root canal! Mind you this thought came to me waaaaaaay before I saw the dentist-but to make a blog post short, sure enough the words, "How do you feel about a root canal," shattered my already fragile soul.
What was I suppose to say? "Oh ya know, I LOVE root canals!!"
But of course, my luck, they had to refer me to ANOTHER dentist office for the procedure.
Finally 2 dismal days later, I enter the Rocky Mountain Endodontic office. As I entered suite 109 I seriously thought I had traveled back in time to some bad country western. The only thing missing was the musk and smell of cattle and a wide open range. As I was expecting John Wayne himself, to come walking up to me, completely in dental gear-I realized what I'd been missing the past 7 years of good dental health. Damn. Below are a few recollections of that very afternoon, before AND after the nitrus gas.
- Being told that I was lucky because I had "chosen" the RIGHT tooth that would be easier to work on than the others. "Ya know I tried my best."
- Sitting there, staring out the window, contemplating what would be worse-the fall after I had leaped out said window, or the root canal. hhhmmm.
- Having the dentist relate to me the difference between sitting in first class or coach, (in regards to choosing nitrus gas over 'versed' and the initial bill to come afterwards.)
- As I had decided to go with the nitrus, my mind was still completely in-tack, as the rest of my body felt like it had taken that JUMP out the window.
- Wrestiling with my mind NOT to say anything completely out of the ordinary or busting out into some Nsync lyrics.
- Being told throughout the procedure "Are you doing okay?" What did they expect me to say while I was breathing in intense amounts of nitrus??? Was this their way of trying to initiate some sort of comedy routine for their pleasure?
- Still wishing I had followed the rest of my body, and jumped out that window
- Attempting to drive home while still feeling the effects of the gas, and numbed out of my mind!!
- Getting home and supposedly texting while under the influence (hence the text asking Jess if we had lunch that same afternoon, which we had, but I had forgotten about...)
So for the next 2 weeks I have to watch what I eat, so as to not cause any sort of fracture or break in the remaining tooth. Can you feel my excitement? Somehow my telepathic abilities are telling me this is only the beginning...


text:
As we near the Thanksgiving matchup between the Dallas Cowboys (3-7) and the Carolina Panthers (10-0) here are a few notes and news from both organizations.
Dallas Cowboys
- Cornerback Mo Claiborne and DE Ryan Russell did not practice today.
- Dez Bryant,Tony Romo, Darren McFadden, Brandon Carr,Jeff Heath, Byron Jones, and Kyle Wilber were all limited.
- Panthers DE Frank Alexander has been suspended for a year for violating the NFL substance abuse policy.
- DE Charles Johnson was activated from injured reserve-designated to return.
- Amini Silatolu torn his ACL against the Washington Redskins and will miss the reminder of the season.
- Cornerback Charles Tillman and wide receiver Philly Brown was limited in practice for the second consecutive day.
- DE Wes Horton has been suspended four games after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.
Players To Watch
(QB) Cam Newton-2,283 yards, 22 touchdowns, 9 interceptions.
(TE) Greg Olsen- 48 receptions, 718 yards, 6 touchdowns.
(RB) Jonathan Stewart- 190 carries, 764 yards, 4 touchdowns
(LB) Thomas Davis-69 tackles, 3 sacks
(LB) Luke Kuechly -68 tackles, 1 sack
(DT ) Kawann Short- 36 tackles, 6 sacks
(DE) Kony Ealy-26 tackles, 4 sacks
Follow Us
TrueBlueNation on the Web: TrueBlueNationblog.com
TrueBlueNation on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TrueBlueNationBlog
TrueBlueNation on Twitter: twitter.com/TrueBlueNation1
TrueBlueNation Instagram: TRUEBLUENATIONBLOG


text:
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This is a lesson about ice worlds in the outer planetary regions and the role they play in understanding the Solar System. Learners will role-play stories connecting science-related literature to ice worlds, view and interpret space-based images of... (View More) ice worlds, and investigate surface and interior features of outer planetary ice worlds. Photometry and spectroscopy will be used as background. Activities include small group miming, speaking, drawing, and/or writing. This is the lesson 11 of 12 in the unit, Exploring Ice in the Solar System. (View Less)
This is an activity about the size and scale of the Sun-Earth system. Learners will take an imaginary trip to the Sun by comparing images of the Sun and Earth at different points in altitude above the Earth. This is to ultimately conceptualize the... (View More) spherical shape of the Earth, which is key to understanding the cause of the seasons. They will then produce a scale model of the Sun and Earth to reinforce the idea that the distance to the Sun is enormous compared with the size of the Earth. Finally, learners reflect on Question 3 of the Sun-Earth Survey, which is the prior activity in this set. This is Activity 3 in the Great Explorations in Math and Science (GEMS) guide titled Real Reasons for Seasons: Sun-Earth Connections. An additional related activity, entitled Scale Models of the Earth-Moon System and the Solar System, is included in the CD-ROM enclosed with the resource guide. The resource guide is available for purchase from the Lawrence Hall of Science. This activity recommends use of an overhead projector, and requires use of a small scale model toy, such as a car or any other toy made to scale, and a rigid globe or large ball like a soccer ball or basketball. (View Less)
Materials Cost: 1 cent - $1 per group of students


text:
I've been a little out of the blogosphere (what a funny word) the last week, since I've been kinda busy helping my dad move, working on my Swedish driver's license (a ridiculously long and expensive process), looking for jobs, working on craft stuff that I've been wanting to do for a long time, and of course, spending time with Inara.
Today, I actually had the benefit of taking a lion to preschool. She wanted to wear her costume (which was part gift and part my mom's quick creation), but refused to have her picture taken. Since I have a personal rule of not messing with lions (especially not in the morning), no picture was taken. One of our friends and her son is coming over for some last minute pumpkin carving this afternoon, so hopefully I'll be able to sneak one then.
Things are moving a little bit on the work front. Andrew might have a prospect, but it's not completely sure yet, so I can't say more right now. I'm going to work extra at a hotel in town this weekend and we'll see where that leads. I also have an interview next week (please keep your fingers crossed) and I'm hoping to get another interview for a job that I really, really want. So, that's the update. Since I don't have any Halloween pictures yet, you'll have to make due with this taken the other day:


text:
In late September, some 30,000 petition signatures were presented to the U.S. bishop delegates attending the International Synod on the Eucharist in Rome October 2-23. The five bishops were also given the results of Call To Action's survey of over 15,000 priests in 55 U.S. dioceses. In this survey, 67% of priest respondents thought the Church should open discussion on the mandatory celibacy rule.
In a nationwide press release, it was stated that "we wanted our bishop delegates to get the petitions and survey results from people in their own dioceses. They represent the tens of thousands of Catholics, including many priests, worried that parishes will close and we will lose access to the Mass if nothing is done about the priest shortage."
Internationally more bishops are speaking out in favor of married priests. In May, Cardinal Keith O'Brien of Scotland said he "can foresee the day when there will be married priests." In June, British bishop John Crowley predicted that married priests would soon be serving alongside celibate ones.


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Leah Ashleigh Mannion
1985 - 2018
Visitation at Funeral Home
Final Resting Place
In Lieu of Flowers
My daughter Jessica and I were very sorry to hear of Leahs passing. Our prayers and thoughts are with you during this difficult time.Leah was Jessicas School mate whom she has wonderful memories of that will always be close in our hearts
To me you were so special you were my friend and most of all a sister. I could always count on you with everything.You were always there for me in my hard times. Never will I forget you my friend neither will Brandon & Evan. You will be deeply missed by us. I know you are now in a better place with your beloved mother Linda may you both Rest In Peace. My thoughts & prayers go out to the Mannion Family.
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Japan Red Cross mobilises help for landslide and flood-hit communities
As Japan's southern island of Kyushu and other areas were pounded by a year's worth of rain over just a few days, triggering floods and landslides, Japanese Red Cross Society volunteers and staff have been mobilising to provide medical care and relief to those hit by the disaster.
The JRCS Kumamoto Chapter mobilized two medical teams, consisting of both doctors and nurses, to Aso City, in the worst-affected area, providing medical care and first aid to the affected population.
"I've never experienced such torrential rain and flooding, even though I have been living here since I was three years old," said 70-year old Kyoko Jinbo. She's President of the Red Cross Women's Volunteer Association in Aso City.
"Once the mountain has absorbed such massive rainfall and lost its solid ground, then another landslide can easily happen and such a thought sends a chill down my spine."
She and her fellow volunteers have been battling to keep hundreds of evacuees fed with rice balls, tofu and hot soup with meatballs, following the downpour since July 11. She is not sure how long her group will need to continue serving meals, because another typhoon is approaching. Some evacuees are going home during the day but returning to the evacuation centre to eat and sleep, with water supplies still cut off in some areas.
Local branches in the most severely hit Kyushu prefectures of Kumamoto, Oita and Fukuoka also distributed a range of relief supplies, including more than 5,400 blankets, 382 emergency sets consisting of a portable radio, towels, tissues, toothbrush sets and other daily necessities for families to use in evacuation centres, as well as 350 sleeping sets of pillow, mattress and pillow case.
The JRCS officials said they were continuing to monitor the situation and were ready to provide more relief if needed.
At least two of the worst-hit prefectures have started to raise funds to help to support the survivors.
Residents of the flood-hit areas were gradually being allowed to return home after the record rainfall that left thousands cut off and at least 28 people dead.
Local government officials said they were beginning to clean up the debris: "We are stepping up efforts to remove rubble as roads remain covered with mud at many points," Masatatsu Minoda, an official from Kumamoto prefecture, was quoted by AFP news agency as saying.
But he said they might have to suspend efforts in case of further heavy rain.
Earlier, troops were airlifting supplies to those trapped in mountainous areas and seeking at least four missing people. Evacuation orders were issued on Saturday for a quarter of a million people. The orders were lifted in most areas on Sunday as the rain stopped and many people were allowed to return to their homes.
In the west of the main island of Honshu, Japanese media also reported that in the western prefecture of Kyoto, intense rainfall as heavy as 90 mm per hour flooded some 100 houses each in Kameoka and Kyoto.


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No, the title doesn't refer to my performance in PvE encounters, but instead to my performance in PvP ones! Due to some serious pushing (and guilt), I'm trying to gear my paladin for PvP. What this means is that I am running battlegrounds on her in all PvE gear, making me one of those hated "PvE Heroes" that we hear about.
I know I should craft myself some of the blue PvP gear, but it is so hard trying to force myself to put away my 277 gear for it. And I know I should change my secondary spec so that I have necessary talents like Sacred Cleansing. I -know- I should! I grumble and bitch about other PvE Heroes in battlegrounds while I'm on my priest, trying desperately to keep them alive as they eat damage like it is cake. But… I just can't. I don't want my 10k FoLs to go away, I don't want my Sacred Shield to become a weak imatation!
When I started gearing my priest, I had no issues stuffing her into the craft cloth PvP gear. I was beyond squishy and her PvE gear wasn't all that much to write home about. I rushed into arenas in the stuff, even, perfectly satisfied knowing that my throughput would be crap, but at least I had some resilience to keep me from becoming a schmear on the floor in a single global. I went about gearing her in the time-honored tradition of "survivability first, then throughput." Heck, I'm still working on her gear, since I'm such a PvP noob.
My paladin is a whole different matter. My throughput is so incredibly high (for PvP, at least) that I just can't bring myself to sacrifice it for such little return. (Because not getting destroyed is such a -small thing,- obviously!) Even swapping out my mail PvE chestpiece for a Furious one made me frown. It is utterly illogical, but it is entirely true.
I am a PvE Hero. Don't be like me!


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Post your complaints about ADMINS, VIPs, and PLAYERS in this topic!
Post Reply
6 posts • Page 1 of 1
- LINUX v.2
- Member
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- Contact:
Hello bros before 1 minute i ban Mitev for swearing but the reason is not this. IF HE SWEAR 1 MORE TIME I WILL PERMANENTLY BAN HIM FROM THE SERVER BCS HE SWEAR A LOT. THANKS!
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Re: Mitev
Linux, this is your second warrning! READ THE RULES and follow them! Stop acting like a little kid and be more serious with your admin position! You are not allowed to ban people for swearing, not for 2 hours and especially not permanent ban. I was online at the time and i didn't even see Mitev swearing at all. A talked to him and he told me, this is the second time you banning him. You are gonna stop being so impulsive and stop abusing power to people you don't like. From now on if i see you one more time to use ban or gag like that, your admin status will be removed forever. Last chance.
2. Bann command is ONLY, I REPEAT, ONLY used on people that are proved to be using hack or other cheat method that gives them advantage - maximum to 3 hour. If the same player use the cheat again after his ban, then he can be banned for time period by admins own judgment (not more than a week!)
6. Gag players from all communication that are swearing, spaming or abusing in any similar way, if player continue with chat abuse after multiple gags, then can be banned for no more than 30 min
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- Maverick
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Re: Mitev
If the reason is not swearing, then what is it, because it is not very clear?
0 x
Re: Mitev
Banning is waaaayyy too much over the top to do to someone swearing i swear a lot heck i never get banned or gagged no matter what he says just continue gagging him he won't do much after getting gagged.
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Saturday, May 26, 2018
The Mount Wilson Trail Race (MWTR) is the second oldest trail race in California and is held the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. Every year 300+ runners challenge the Mount Wilson Trail and race 8.6 miles on a course that features an elevation gain of 2,100 feet. This challenging race sells out every year, so be sure to register early! Registration information can be found at www.mountwilsontrailrace.com in January. In addition to the main race, the MWTR features a pasta feed dinner the night before, Kids' Art Show and Race, beer garden, vendor booths and hundreds of race enthusiasts cheering our runners.
Training Runs
Beginning in February, the Mount Wilson Trail Race Committee offers a free training run program. Runners meet in Kersting Court at 7:00am to participate in this training program. Runners of all levels are welcome and the program is divided into three brackets of beginner, intermediate and advanced runners. The training program occurs every Saturday morning until race day. In addition to training, volunteers also provide tips on hydration and trail running safety.
*NOTE: Participation in the Mt. Wilson Trail Race and/or Mt. Wilson training program is open to individuals age 14 and above as of the day of the race.
Kids' Run Training
Training runs are not limited to just the adults. Mount Wilson Trail Race Committee members host two youth training days each year to prepare youth for the Kids' Fun Run. Learn proper running techniques, execute running drills and train with a former race winner!
Pasta Feed Dinner - Friday, May 25, 2018
Held the Friday before the main race in Kersting Court. Runners have the opportunity to pick-up their race bib and load up on carbs to prepare for the race the following day.
Kids' Fun Run
The Kids' Fun Run is held just after the start of the main race in Kersting Court. Youth and their parent/guardian must register for the free race at the Pasta Feed Dinner, or prior to the race starting at 7:00 am. Youth ages 3 to 13 years run approximately 1 mile and start and finish under the main race banner! All registered youth receive a free t-shirt.
Kids' Fun Run T-Shirt Design Contest Submission Deadline April 19th!
Your own artwork can be specially featured on the 2018 Mount Wilson Trail Race Kids' Fun Run T-Shirt! Youths in Kindergarten – 8th Grade are encouraged to submit their artwork for this contest. The winning entry will have their artwork displayed on the back of the Kids' Fun Run T-shirt, be recognized at the Mount Wilson Trail Race and receive a t-shirt along with their design. Participation in the contest is absolutely free. Applications are due by Thursday, April 19th at 5:30 p.m.
13th Annual Kids Fun Run T-Shirt Design Contest Application
For more information, contact the Community Services Office at 626-355-5278.
232 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, CA 91024 | 626-355-7135
Sierra Madre | All Rights Reserved | Powered by CivicLive | © 2019 West Corporation.
City of Sierra Madre


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Shanna and Tyler
How We Met
Tyler and I met in the US Navy while serving on-board a Naval vessel where we both was stationed. Awkwardly, I was his supervisor and at first never thought once about ever being more then that…his supervisor. Yet, Tyler had different plans. His 21st birthday was approaching and a few friends were taking him out to celebrate. Tyler called me that evening and invited me to join the celebration at first I was upset because I saw the celebration on SnapChat and was not invited and I hate last minute events because it takes me forever to get dressed.
After my moment of selfishness, I told him I would shower and get dressed and met them at the Bar. I finally drove the 20 miles and 35 minutes to meet with him and other Sailors on-board our ship. All night we all laughed, joked and made sure Tyler 21st was celebrated Navy style. That night I seen something more than a co-worker. Obviously he did too because from that night forward he started using my number for more than work related information and conversation. Never in a million years would I ever think that October 29, would be the first time that I would look into his eyes and see everything I ever PRAYED for in a man. That day started a genuine friendship that soon blossomed into a beautiful relationship!!!
how they asked
The afternoon of Christmas Eve, Tyler told me to pack a bag we were going to celebrate our last date of 2016. Normally it takes me forever to pick an outfit and pack but Tyler had already picked out an outfit and shoes. So, all I had to do was pack and pick out my makeup.
Once we were packed he started driving, but he had the GPS on silent because he told me he wanted to plan everything and make it special (Because I'm a control freak and always must be involved in everything). Tyler, know I hate surprises but I promised this time I wouldn't insert my control nature.
Finally, we arrived at our destination which was a hotel in Downtown, Saint Louis and immediately I noticed inside the hotel was one of my FAVORITE restaurant…RUTH CHRIS! Internally, I prayed that we would eat dinner there but when I asked he said "NO". A little disappointed but did not show it because I was appreciative that he was doing all this for our LAST date of 2016.
Once we checked in and went to our room, he told me to start getting dressed because he knew it took me forever to get ready and we had reservations. A few hours had passed and I was finally dressed. Tyler and I took the elevator down to the lobby and started walked towards the front door of the hotel, when he said this way and pointed in the direction of Ruth Chris. My face lit up like a kid in a candy store. After dinner, Tyler asked me if I wanted to go on a walk and though downtown was beautiful at night with all the lights it was the middle of winter and I strongly dislike the cold but I promised I wouldn't insert my control, so I agreed.
We started walking outside and in front of us was a beautiful horse carriage ride. So, I didn't have to walk at all (THANK GOD). We rode the carriage throughout downtown and observed all the beautiful lights, buildings and people. Then he asked if I would like to get out somewhere and take pictures and I said yes. What woman don't like to take pictures?! We arrived at the City Garden and the driver of the carriage ride took our pictures. Then they both said "How about a funny video?"
The funny video, turned into a marriage proposal and I said…YES!!!
Our Video
Watch more proposal videos & follow @HowTheyAsked on Instagram for more stories!


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Say you're at work. You've got Facebook, Twitter or even LinkedIn up on your computer monitor. Your boss — or a peer — unexpectedly walks in. Which of the following most closely describes your reaction?
a.) Pleased that you've been noticed staying abreast of the latest in business communications and networking technologies.
b.) Embarrassed at being caught sneaking a peak at social media sites on work time.
c.) Fearful, or at least concerned, that you'll be viewed as a slacker or, worse yet, reprimanded or fired.
d.) Other.
Let's not make this a hypothetical. Go ahead and take this one-question Touch Point City MicroSurvey, then come back to finish this post and offer your comment. Or, finish this post and then take the survey. Either way, we'd like to hear what you're thinking. And we'll publish the results in a future post.
After all, your answer to the above — tens of millions of people's answer to the above — will have much to say about where we're all going with social media as a business and marketing consideration.
The Big But
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and the like are, without question, intriguing and potentially powerful marketing and customer service channels.
But — and here's the big but — if the business professionals we marketers seek to inform and engage via those channels are hesitant, or even forbidden, to access the content and conversations provided there, we've got a problem.
Lacking widespread acceptance as a legitimate tool of business, social media might just become a channel to nowhere. At least it might during the normal business day, when many brand perceptions get shaped and lots of purchasing decisions get made.
Working Away at Social Media
It's possible this question has already been debated ad nauseam. But TPC got thinking about it because of a study done recently by Nucleus Research, a Boston-based provider of IT research and consulting services.
In late July, Nucleus released "Facebook: Measuring the Cost to Business of Social Notworking." Get it? Notworking?
Nucleus interviewed 237 "randomly selected office workers" about their Facebook use. Among the findings:
- 75 percent of those interviewed have a Facebook account
- 61 percent access Facebook during work hours
- Those who access Facebook at work do so for an average of 15 minutes daily, with the range as low as one minute and as high as 120 minutes
- 13 percent claimed to have a business reason for accessing Facebook; 87 percent couldn't define a clear business reason for doing so
- One in every 33 created their entire Facebook profile during work hours
Based on its research, Nucleus came to this conclusion:
Companies that let employees access Facebook during
work hours can expect to see total office productivity decline by an average of 1.5 percent.
Rebecca Wetterman, Nucleus' vice president of research, framed the survey findings in this stark context:
"If your company is facing tight margins and low profitability, as many are now, then how can you accept any work distractions that drain your overall productivity? While it won't make you popular, restricting Facebook can reclaim lost productivity. If your profitability is say two percent, this could be the difference between staying open or closing shop."
Does Your Content Empower Your Audience to Justify Your Social Media?
TPC isn't privy to how Nucleus defines "total office productivity." And we recognize that for some types of businesses (e.g., marketing and PR agencies), and some job categories (e.g., marketing, PR, corporate communications, investor relations), it's more acceptable, even expected, for employees to spend time focused on social media sites during work hours.
But what about purchasing managers? Design engineers? Other product and service specifiers and influencers? If they're shamed at the thought of engaging with social media, or outright barred from doing so, social media suddenly becomes a lot less social.
You wonder if there's a day of reckoning coming. A day when our customers and prospective customers are going to have to explain to superiors — and to IT gatekeepers — the legitimate business reasons why they need to access and interact with social media during work hours.
If so, it's going to be incumbent upon marketers to not just be "on" or "doing" social media, but to ensure the conversations and content that define our social media offerings are truly relevant and value-adding. In other words, that the social media you strategize and publish is actually doing something for your audience.
Otherwise, decision-makers critical to your brand and business success might be lacking the evidence they need to argue the case for accessing your social media during office hours.
As you ponder that notion, be advised that Nucleus has launched a second study to examine the impact of work-hours Twitter use on productivity, the findings of which might pose this philosophical question:
If a marketer tweets in the marketplace, but there's no one online to hear it, does it still make an impact?
What do you think? Are social media and productivity headed for a High Noon-style showdown? Has your organization instituted policies that restrict social media use during work hours? If you were the CEO or CIO, what would be your stance on social media use by employees during the workday?
Lots of angles and implications here. Comments and discussion welcome. And don't forget to take our one-question TCP MicroSurvey.


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But Ms. Jung, 38, a magna cum laude graduate of Princeton University and a second-generation Chinese-American fluent in Mandarin, has a list of credentials that should place her among the top young talent on any headhunter's list.
In her current job, she is responsible for research and development, marketing research, strategic planning and joint ventures and alliances while also overseeing Avon's North American marketing and the development of its global brands strategy.
Currently, global brands account for just slightly more than 20% of Avon's $4.8 billion in worldwide sales. While Avon is looking for Ms. Jung and her cohorts to raise that figure to 70% by 2000, the former exec VP of Neiman Marcus, who now also serves on the board of Donna Karan International, has already taken Avon a long way from where it was when she joined two years ago.
Back then, there were few brands, if any, that could be marketed around the globe. Avon now has fragrances like Far Away, Millenia and Natori as well as Anew skincare products.
Next on her agenda: Avon Home, a collection of home furnishings, to which she'll apply her acid test of the "wow factor . . . I always want people to look at a product and say, 'I can't believe this is from Avon.' Our philosophy is to redefine value in terms of product."


text: In an era of massive cuts to social services, the largesse of the wealthy seems a blessing. But what do the rich get in return for their philanthropy? Linsey McGoey argues that they receive both financial benefits and great influence over policy. She traces the history of philanthropy in the United States and discusses the … Continued


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The video player could not be built.
Do you want to chat with a missionary?
We are happy to answer any questions you may have. Start a chat or call us at 1-888-537-6600.
Hi I'm Grant.
I'm an abalone diver, a fisheries scientist and I'm a Mormon.
About Me
I am the Father of five wonderful children and am married to the lovely Natalie. We have extended a small house with a lot of hard work and we are trying to make it a peaceful oasis of learning and harmony. I have had a wild and amazing life so far having had many adventures that would make a good book one day. I guess my dream used to be to have a job that could fit into my surfing schedule but it hasn't quite worked out that way. I work as a professional abalone diver and also as the fisheries research manager for a large fishing company here in Australia. Studying fisheries and trying to make them sustainable is something that I am passionate about. I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ and am trying to get better as a person and do more to help others.
Why I am a Mormon
Well to start with we don't usually refer to ourselves as 'Mormons' but as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 'church members' or 'Latter Day Saints' for short. My Grandma grew up in a small town on the Coorong. She later joined the Church in Melbourne when the missionaries answered her questions about life and the scriptures that others could not. I attended Church as a child and attended early morning scripture classes for four years during High School. During this time I heard the song, "I heard Him come" which describes how Jesus ministered to the lepers. I felt the Holy Spirit, a warm burning and peaceful feeling deeply in my chest and I knew that Jesus really did walk upon the Earth and that he was indeed, as the Apostle Peter testified, The Son of God. As I continued to study the scriptures and listen to the talks of the Church leaders, I learned more about the Gospel and it continued to answer my own questions about life. I credit much of what is good about my life now to my adherence to the teachings of the Church.
How I live my faith
I make mistakes as all men do. I repent of these mistakes and humble myself before God and ask for his forgiveness. This gives me the opportunity to try again and to improve which is what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is about. The capacity the Gospel has for changing people's lives amazes me. It has changed mine for the better. One thing I love about the Church is the Home Teaching program. This is where we are encouraged to go out and visit people in our area. We visit roughly two households from our local congregation, once a month, and share with them a brief message about the Gospel and actually ask if we can serve them in any way. I think Home Teaching is one of the best opportunities we have to learn how to apply the Gospel of Jesus Christ in service of our fellow men and women in our community. We go in groups of two and I used to go with my Dad when I was 12 years old. I think he was a great home teacher, visiting the elderly and helping people with their problems. He had an accident the year later and this time with him was a defining influence upon me. Another great example was the late Brother Dalziel who was our family's home teacher. He was a banker and he applied his skills to help my Mother rearrange her finances after the accident. I think of the service he gave our family often. The women of the Church were also great providing us with meals every night for what seemed like six months. These women came from different backgrounds and economic circumstances. Some were quite well off while others may have had to budget to provide an extra meal for our family. They all gave of their time. It is examples like this that make me want to try harder, do better and serve more. We all have different skills and abilities. If we look, we find ways to use our abilities to help others out. This is what I believe creates strong communities and slowly makes the world a much better place. I try and live as if picking up where these great men and women left off.


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OB's favorite Canuck collective, King Deluxe, is at it again, this time with the label's seventh release, Runner, by Muta. The Denver-based* beat head dances between glitchy cacophonies and much subtler, simple melodies with the dexterity of a 15th level thief-acrobat. Muta begins his journey with noise, devolves the sound before evolving it, all the while revolving it on the wheels of steel. Of course, i like rhyming, but that should do nothing to detract from this beat manifesto.
Today's track, "Lock Jaw," is a perfect embodiment of the entire album, starting with abstract blips and bleeps before a solid beat and accompanying groove establish themselves. Before you know what's happening, we've gone from esoteric to beat-tastic, all within the space of a few bars. Impressive work, if you can get it. And what do you know? You can. Just follow the links, sucka.
And as with all things King Deluxe, they've added some incredible artwork by local talent, in this case, one Ms. Laura Bifano. You'll probably notice her 70s sci-fi film inspiration in the cover art, as well as thematically in some of the tracks.
mp3: Lock Jaw (Muta from Runner)
*i'm fully aware that Denver is not in Canada, being both 1/4 Canuck myself AND fully cognizant of where our national borders lie. It's not my collective. Take it up with those cats.


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Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories
Community Missions and Canal Fest of the Tonawanda's are partnering again this year to help the homeless and hungry through the 2011 annual duck race.
The yellow, pink and blue ducks will race at 3 p.m. Saturday, July 23, in the Erie Canal between Tonawanda and North Tonawanda.
Purchase individual ducks for $5 or choose a "Quack Pack" of six for $25, or a "Quacker's Dozen" of 13 ducks for $50, or "A Flock of 30" for $100. Duck adoptions are available online at www.communitymissions.org and in person at Canal Fest all week, July 17 to 23, at the tent with the yellow duck on the North Tonawanda side of the festival. Duck adoption will end at 2:30 p.m. on the day of the race. There are prizes for the top three winning racer ducks and 15 runners-up.
Along with the duck adoptions, anyone up to 18 years of age can participate in the duck race coloring contest for $1.
The duck race proceeds benefit crisis and community service programs of Community Missions, located at 1570 Buffalo Ave., Niagara Falls.
For more information, contact Katie Trombley, CMI's duck race coordinator, at 285-3403, ext 2225, or email [email protected].