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It's time for some post-trade-stress-disorder analysis.
With Robyn Regehr, the Buffalo Sabres picked up the rugged, dominant defensemen that they needed to push teams around in the playoffs (instead of the other way around, as we've seen in recent history). We've already touched on the promise of Regehr, Kotalik, and that 2nd round pick before, but what are the pundits and fans in Calgary saying about what they got in return?
Brian Costello (Senior Special Editions Editor of of The Hockey News) was quick to fire off a neutral-site column about this trade, a piece entitled "Robyn Regehr Trade Makes no Sense for Calgary Flames." Not the most auspicious title for Flames fans. From the column:
Why did Feaster think he had to be the one throwing in the second round pick? Shouldn't Buffalo have been the team sweetening the pot? Was it that important for Feaster to get rid of Kotalik's deal? Why wouldn't he farm the winger in Abbotsford next year (like he did part of this season) or make him go away to Europe, the way Chicago GM Stan Bowman made Cristobal Huet and his $5 million go away a year ago?
If the rationale for the Regehr trade was freeing up salary cap space, shouldn't Feaster have been trying to trade disappointing Jay Bouwmeester and his $6.68 million, or unproductive Matt Stajan and his $3.5 million, or stone cold Niklas Hagman and his $3 million? Not someone useful like Regehr.
Chris Butler is a No. 5-6 defenseman now. The Flames have a plethora of those in Brett Carson, Adam Pardy, Brendan Mikkelson and T.J Brodie. Those types of players can typically be purchased every July 1 for about $1 million or so. Butler has upside as a No. 3-4 defenseman and that will be absolutely necessary for Feaster to save face here.
Paul Byron is an undersized 22-year-old minor-leaguer who wasn't ranked among Buffalo's top 10 prospects in Future Watch. He has terrific offensive skills, but that may or may not translate at the NHL level because of his 5-foot-9, 170-pound frame.
A lot of things have to align for Feaster to make this trade look good. And if they don't, it'll look even worse when the toughened-up Sabres have a successful playoff run, then pile on by boosting their prospect system with Calgary's second pick next June.
The Flame's blog "Matchsticks and Gasoline" noted that this trade was going to need some serious analysis. They sat down for an "M&G Roundtable," wherein Arik James collected his team of writers for some perspective. (Note: surnames of writers were not noted.) From Arik:
There's a lot more going on here than meets the eye. But I'll address the whys and hows in a different post. I'd like to talk about what this means for the Flames and their defensive corps going forward. The first thing is obviously the acquisition of Chris Butler. Now while he hasn't been "great" so far in his career, it's important to remember the development curve for defensive defensemen is exceptionally late. If Butler can develop as even a 3/4, the Flames won't have terrible defensive depth. Just pretty bad defensive depth.
From "Hayley:"
I suppose you really have to wonder what other teams were offering if Feaster did indeed like the Buffalo deal best (or if it was just the chance to dump Kotalik that sweetened the pot), but then again he's not exactly a candidate for GM of the year. Re-signing Tanguay at the cost of his annual cap hit ($3.4M) probably could have been done without moving Regehr and/or Kotalik considering that there will be a number of unrestricted free agents whose salaries come off the books next Friday, so it seems Feaster has something else up his sleeve, which is, understandably, terrifying.
Overall, it's hard to feel the least bit positive about this deal. It's simply a continuation of the awkward middle-ground the Flames find themselves in between being average/capable enough to get by and horribly awful, although now we're probably leaning more towards the 'horribly awful' side after dealing our best defenceman, which I suppose could be a plus in the long-run.
I don't know, I think I've gone delusional.
From "Ryan:"
In the end, the Flames have $7.5m in cap space and the freedom to do some things in free agency, which is a win. However, we're down a top-pairing d-man without an immediate replacement in the top 4 and didn't get a blue chip prospect coming back the other way. That's disappointing.
From "Mitch:"
I don't think many teams out there are seeing Regehr playing much past his current contract. He is a D man who has to play physically to contribute, if that dimension of his game begins to soften what else does he have to contribute? Is he that incredible first pass out of the zone, is he that bullet from the point and PP QB, is he that fast D man who can save a goal on a broken play with a diving poke check? I don't want to slag Regehr, I love the guy as much as any Flames fan but how he was seen on the market may not have been as high as many think.
His body has taken a lot of abuse over the years and he is not going to play till 41 like Lidstrom, I don't think anyone is going to dispute me on that.
Ultimately this trade is all about Cap space for the Flames and trying to clean up a Sutter mess. Nothing else, they have taken some very high risks on Butler and Byron which may or may not work out. So if you were expecting this trade to improve the team for the season you have to be disappointed.
Essentially, the Sabres seemed to have ripped Calgary off on paper, but it's not like Regehr is a spring chicken anymore – and that is the best way to look at this trade. Sabres fans may not really be getting the wholly dominant shutdown defenseman that they were hoping for in the slightly aged Regehr (at least not for the long term), and at the same time, Flames fans are getting a bit more than they immediately thought.
Byron still has a lot to prove at the NHL level, but Chris Butler is still an up-and-coming defenseman who may be quite good. It's easy for fans to forget that Chris virtually skipped all of his pro development. After spending just 27 games in the AHL, the bulk of his pro hockey training and experience came at the NHL level.
Butler's quick success in the big league was overshadowed by each defensive zone mistake that he made in the faster, meaner, mentally tougher NHL. Having virtually gone straight from the NCAA to the NHL, it may have been a bit unfair to judge his entire future on his developmental mistakes. Frankly, he did quite well for a guy who had the pressure of honing his pro game in the NHL, up until the point where he found himself as Tyler Myers' partner at the end of this season. Flames fans should take heart – Butler does have a lot of promise.
For now, of course, there is a lot of panicking going on in Calgary. For the more adventurous, here's the link to the Flames' fan chat on HF Boards analyzing the returns for Regehr and that 2nd round pick. Let's just say the people in that discussion are pretty ticked off.
They really have a hard case of post-trade-stress-disorder.
Go Sabres.
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In a new post to the Zumba Engineering blog, they share an interface they use for testing on their API (after working with something similar from another company).
They provide the documentation to the methods and I saw they have a simple interface to test their methods: Ooyala API Scratchpad. This interface was very useful while we integrate with them and I thought: "Why we don't have one interface like that for our API?" I started a page with Twitter Bootstrap to have a similar functionality, which the goal was to get an interface easy to developers see the response for multiple HTTP protocols, set the parameters, etc.
The interface uses Javascript to make requests over to a RESTful API and returns the response JSON directly to the page. It's a little bit customized to how their API works, but it's a good foundation for anyone looking to implement something similar. You can get the full code for it over on github.

subset: commoncrawl


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Brighten up any residential or hospitality setting with this unique blue bathroom combo of counter top basin and tap.
Basin Dimension: 22.05"L x 14.17"W x 3.94"H (560mmL x 360mmW x 100mmH)
Glass Thickness: 0.5" (12mm)
Mounting Ring Thickness: 0.36" (9.2mm)
Tap Overall Height: 2.99" (330mm)
Spout Height: 7.48" (190mm)
Spout Reach: 5.51" (140mm)
Waste Opening: 1.75" (45mm)
- Basin and spout constructed from tempered glass, while tap constructed from solid brass for durability and reliability.
- Tap finished in a high quality, corrosion resistant polished chrome.
- Features a waterfall spout design that delivers a gentle cascade.
- This item includes basin, tap, mounting ring and popup waste.
- All mounting hardware and hot/cold flexible hoses are included.
- Due to the handcrafted nature of this product, minor differences in colour and pattern are to be expected.
Free Shipping to major countries in North America, Europe and Asia. More details
Total Delivery Time = Processing Time + Shipping Time More details
* Processing time differs from category to category. The actual time is subject to the instructions on each product page.
* We partner with major international shipping companies like DHL, UPS, FedEx and EMS to offer two shipping methods:
Expedited Shipping: 3-5 business days
Standard Shipping: 6-8 business days
* We will do our best to provide you with accurate shipping times for your package, but please note that the times are estimates only.
* The definite shipping method varies with the product weight, size, destination country and other special circumstances. More details
Please note that all import duties including any taxes, tariffs are the sole responsibility of the customer. Most of shipments to countries with high tax-free threshold won't be charged any customs fees, for example the US, Australia, New Zealand, as we can easily control the declared value within tax-free amount. For countries with low tax-free threshold, customs duties or fees are to be expected, for example the EU countries, Canada. But we will declare the value as low as possible to save customs fees for customers. More details
Customers can initiate a return or exchange within 30 days of receipt. Items must be returned in new or unused condition and contain all original materials included with the shipment. More details


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Jonathan Wypych necesitaba un nuevo diseño de página web y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 9 diseños de 8 diseñadores freelance.
Daemon Bikes
We are a popular bike engine kit seller. A Bike engine kits converts your standard mountain bike or beach cruiser into a motorized scooter or moped at a fraction of the cost.
We are targeting people who enjoy riding motorcycles, hobbyist and people who want to ride their bikes to school or work. The bike have great gas mileage and are fun to ride.
We are at the early stages of a re-design of our site, we've had our current design (http://www.daemonbikes.com) for a year and have never really put any effort into it. You can use the pictures found on our current site and incorporate them into your PSD mock-ups.
I would prefer that you use a new layout because I don't like the current one we are using.
You will design a full PSD mockup of the site. Feel free to change the color scheme of the logo to help match your design better.
Feel free to experiment with colors and fonts, but please keep to the basic template idea and design keywords. If you feel something needs to be clarified or if you have any other questions please ask.
We do not have a wireframe for the content we would prefer to see on the homepage, so placement and structure is largely up to your design.


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I know this summer is hardly over, but we have started some initial planning for next year, when we would like to have Greek Cookery Classes in Corfu. This would be for small, friendly groups combining a holiday on this lovely island with hands-on lessons in authentic, local Greek cooking.
You may have noticed the simple poll at the top left of the blog. I would like to ask you to take a few seconds to answer it, so that we can get an initial indication of the interest - or lack of it - from readers of this blog. We will of course be coming back later with more details.
For those of you who are reading this as a subscriber, I would like to ask if you could visit the blog and just quickly answer the poll.
And please do feel free to add your comments on this post.
Many thanks and, who knows, perhaps I'll be seeing some of you next year!
Traditional Greek food as cooked by Greek mothers!! Delicious and easy recipes!!
Greek Cookery Classes Corfu 2010
Labels: Cookery Classes, Other Posts
2 comments:
- anna said...
i FOLLOW YOUR BLOG VIA GOOGLE-ALERTS ON CORFU IN GENERAL. GOOD IDEA THE COOKING HOLIDAYS. HAVE BEEN TO CORFU MANY TIMES AND LIVE IN ATHENS SINCE 30 YEARS. WISH YOU ALL SUCCESS, and a good winter- as one says in Greece! Anne Dourou
- 16 September 2009 at 01:18
- symposio said...
Thanks very much, Anne! I wish you a good winter, too! We are certainly looking forward to doing the cookery classes next year and actually feel quite excited about it.
- 19 September 2009 at 06:01
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At SPACEHAB, Cape Canaveral, Fla., members of the STS-107 crew look over equipment. Inside the SPACEHAB module, Pilot William "Willie" McCool scans documents. STS-107 is a research mission, and the primary payload is the first flight of the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM). The experiments range from material sciences to life sciences (many rats). Among the experiments is a Hitchhiker carrier system, modular and expandable in accordance with payload requirements. STS-107 is scheduled to launch in June 2002. (Photo Release Date: 12/13/2001 )
KSC-01PD-1875 - Raw ASCII Text Caption file
KSC-01PD-1875 - Low (GIF Format, 320x240 pixels x 256 colors, approx 50 Kbytes)
KSC-01PD-1875 - Medium (JPEG format, 1024x768 pixels x 256 colors, approx 250 Kbytes)
KSC-01PD-1875 - High (JPEG, 2040x2640 pixels x 16 million colors, approx 400 Kbytes)
STS-107 KSC Photo IndexNext Image KSC-01PD-1876
DISCLAIMER: No copyright protection is asserted for these photographs.
If a recognizable person appears in this photograph, use for commercial purposes may infringe a right of privacy or publicity. It may not be used to state or imply the endorsement by NASA of a commercial product. These photographs are available for preview and download in electronic digital form ONLY. They may not be ordered from NASA in photograph form. (See NASA Copyright Notice)


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Complete your bedroom look with the fabulous Tangerine divan base by Interiors HQ. All timber used in the production of products sourced by Interiors HQ is from sustainable forests.
The team at Interiors HQ are proud of all the products we offer, each of which have been carefully selected by our team of experienced interior professionals.
Create the look you'll love...
Standard Delivery will be in 5-7 working days.
For products and order values over €79.99 or £60 delivery is free.
For products and order values under €79.99 or £60 delivery will be charged at €8.99 or £7.00.
Express delivery (1-2 working days) is available on products and orders over €79.99 or £60 and will be charged at €39.99 or £30.


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The film won't be released until 2012, but here's the poster for Dorothy Of Oz, the CGI animated project in which Lea Michele will be the voice of Dorothy. Because, you know, what classic films of the 1930s need are techy new remakes! Dan Aykroyd plays the Scarecrow, James Belushi is the voice of the Cowardly Lion and Kelsey Grammer is the Tin Man. Oh. And Oliver Platt is the voice of Wiser the Owl (?!) and Megan Hilty is the China Princess (?!) We're definitely not in Kansas anymore.
Here's the full poster (click to enlarge); there are a few video teasers you can check out here, and the official site is here.


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|2011-07-24, 12:32
|Link #41
Seishu's Ace
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Kobe, Japan
|2011-07-24, 13:57
|Link #42
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
I was already pretty excited about The Hobbit since I love Tolkien and I thought the movie adaptions if LOTR were great. Not as good as the books but still excellent films
But now with the casting of Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage & Benedict Cumberbatch I am even more thrilled about the Hobbit films.
|2011-07-25, 12:44
|Link #45
Blooming on the mountain
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light....
Later on he would develop individual parts of the world/ages on and off. The whole "realm" was his ... err ... passion/obsession/hobby/creative outlet.
The Hobbit was indeed a story to be read to his children, who had been hearing bits and pieces of papa's stories now and again, and it was the first printed book. However, a lot of other material had already been developed in different stages and different ... err ... "episodes" (for lack of a better word).
The trilogy (technically 6 books - each book is a compilation of two "books") was much more reflective of the "serious" quality of his writing - as in the silmarillion, and the endless notes and revisions he had (posthumously published in the "lost tales" volumes and other books by his son Christopher ... and still being published iirc).
BTW ... I am a HUGE Tolkien fan! (Or was that obvious?)
|2011-07-25, 14:27
|Link #46
The Comet has Come
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Republic of California
Age: 41
Memories from the Lord of the Rings films come back. And the heacy interest in all the novels that followed it. I sense it will happen again.
Though I'm fairly sure these two films, while they will follow the book, will not be childrens book level films. Not if they continue using the style they had in the previus three films.
But I love that the films will flow together because it is made by the same people with the possible returning cast being the same (elves and wizards mostly...but also Gollum). Also we will get to see stuff that was only talked about in the novel...the stuff Gandalf was doing in the south for much of it.
I also remember that in one of the commentaries from the other films, that Peter Jackson has specifically saved the Bag End set, partly because it was a nice piece and partly in case he every got around to making the Hobbit...which, now, he is.
And don't tell me you wouldn't want to live in a home like Bag End. A place like that seems alomst tailor made for hot places like Arizona. Only the doors would need to be changed for safety reasons.
|2011-07-25, 21:15
|Link #47
Seishu's Ace
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Kobe, Japan
Tens of millions of readers have fantasized about living in Bag End. That put a lot of pressure on PJ, but he did a helluva job.
I think PJ will strike a middle ground with these two films. The Hobbit by necessity is going to have a lighter tone than the LotR films, but I suspect he'll make is slightly grittier than the book was, for the most part.
|2011-07-27, 15:07
|Link #48
「Darkly Charismatic 」
Join Date: May 2008
Location: The Lounge
In light of people complaining about the movie adaptation (Not me, I am personally psyched to go see it),
including returning characters such as Legolas and Saruman,
I just hope Saruman's appearance is something like this:
Keeping the humor up!
|2011-07-27, 17:50
|Link #51
Tumble Rumble
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Imagination Land
Age: 34
500 million into the two films (part 1 & part 2) is a lot considering that the trilogy is just over half of that.I hope peter jackson makes it good and gets really in depth with bilbo's adventure, Also Dragonnnnn :P
|2011-11-04, 19:20
|Link #52
The Comet has Come
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Republic of California
Age: 41
Update: 3D Hobbit
And a more direct way there....
(Peter Jackson's video blog #4)
It actually sounds like they know what they are doing. Meaning we might get a 3D film that works like it was just filmed naturally. Depending on location shooting I suppose.
|2011-11-04, 23:11
|Link #55
Takao Tsundere Cruiser
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Classified
|2011-12-20, 22:33
|Link #59
The Comet has Come
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Republic of California
Age: 41
I am pleased.
What I wonder...is where will they break the film into two...and what will they add to the second film.
I'm not seeing a dragon until the second film at this rate.
|2011-12-20, 22:40
|Link #60
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Is there any concrete information about the material the second film will cover? Anything at all? At first I heard it was going to be background events that didn't explicitly occur in The Hobbit novel so much as in supplementary materials, but who knows if that had any truth.
|Thread Tools


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Thursday, December 20, 2007
8 random things about me
Me, in december 2007
I was tagged by Helena (who's SO talented, she makes the most beautiful sketches and keeps a great blog!) for this fun little meme. So - eight random things? Shouldn't be so hard. But it is! I feel like I talk so much about myself that you all know me by now - but I realise that no, you probably don't. At least not all of you. So, well, here are a few little tidbits to get to know me a bit better.
-My interest in cooking didn't really grow until, say, 2000 or so. I wasn't really interested when I was younger, and it wasn't until I met Per and we moved in together that I really got into it. I think my biggest inspiration was actually Nigella Lawson's first two books, "How to Eat" and "How to be a Domestic Goddess". These are the first cookbooks I remember actually reading, like books, and not just like cookbooks. I loved her writing, her passionate way about food... and I still do.
-I hate getting my hands dirty. No sticky cookie dough for me! Thankfully, there's a very simple solution, that surprisingly didn't occur to me until fairly recently: plastic gloves. A lifesaver, indeed! (A fun thing here is that Per is just the same - his mom is fond of telling a story where he was asked to fingerpaint, in daycare many years ago, and he went to get a brush instead. So maybe *that's* why we're meant to be together?)
-I am not very adventurous. At all. Not in life in general, and not with food either. I am not one of those who will seek out strange things to try - no, not at all. In fact, when food shopping and asked to sample things, I frequently say no. Foodie, yes, food nerd, no.
-I love movies and tv shows. And I watch a lot. My favorite, all time favorite, is Buffy. Which I actually just watched last year. And I fell for it straight away. Lovely, lovely show. But I also enjoy Dexter, Heroes, Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, Prison Break, The Shield and MANY more.
-Very few of you know this, but I've actually worked really hard this past fall to lose weight. And I have, for the first time in my life, been successful! To date, I've lost 20 pounds. My secret? I wish it was simple. Truthfully, it's hard work. It's eating less, exercising more. And a LOT of walking. Both Per and I have bought pedometers, and we now aim for at least 12.000 steps every day. I'm not very comfortable talking about this, but as long as we're sharing...
-I have three sisters and a brother, and all of them are quite a bit older than me. I also have two nieces, and four nephews. And one of my nieces have two boys of her own.
-One of my very favorite pastimes is shopping. Meeting a girlfriend for lunch, coffee and shopping is really one of the best ways to spend an afternoon. The very best shopping? Handbags. Oh, handbags...
-I don't listen to music. At all. Sure, the radio is on when I'm driving, but that's pretty much it.
14 comments:
You look very lovely and I enjoyed your sincere opening up. The weight loss stuff is so important. Even though it is so private, I wish you could give us some tips. It is so difficult to lose weight and I hate, just hate exercising. I would rather just eat less. But, 'tis not the season. That's why people plan it for January, including me.
- December 20, 2007 9:28 PM
Jättefin bild på dig! Och grattis till viktminskningen!
- December 20, 2007 10:15 PM
- selena said...
i love my pedometer. i try for 10,000 a day, and i feel that it keeps me healthy since i'm not really a gym person.
- December 21, 2007 1:42 AM
- Mrs. W said...
What a great post--thank you for sharing of yourself like this.
I love that you admit to being rather unadventurous with food. I guess I'm a food nerd... what a funny term! Although I don't taste samples at the grocery either (because I don't know what's in it).
Merry Christmas.
- December 21, 2007 2:43 AM
- Pille said...
That's a lovely picture, Anne! And thanks for reminding me about pedometers - I used to have one, but could so do with it again!
- December 21, 2007 8:17 AM
Hej, Anne
Thank you so much for sharing in the meme! Especially when work and the Christmas holidays demand so much attention (I understand that meme can be quite challenging). Cheers on your weight loss too! It takes great willpower when one loves good food so much. :)
God Jul & Gott Nytt År!
- December 21, 2007 9:31 AM
- Dagmar - A Cat in the Kitchen said...
Great photo, Anne! Congratulations on the weight loss, well done. I just bought a swimming card, but I'm still too lazy :-)
- December 21, 2007 10:30 AM
- Féline said...
Vilken söt bild! :) Men hur kan man inte lyssna på musik? :-o Tänk att vi är så olika, du och jag. ;D
- December 21, 2007 10:32 AM
Wow!! Beautiful photo Anne! You look terrific! Congrats on the weight loss. I, too, am trying to drop a few pounds and I know how difficult it is. I was figuring it out the other day and determined that I have biked close to 3300 km this year on my stationary - now if I could only stop eating the pies, cakes, and cookies I make!
We wish you and Per a very Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous 2008!
Jeff & Brad
- December 21, 2007 11:57 AM
Lovely entry, thank you for your very interesting blog. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
- December 21, 2007 3:01 PM
- Jessika said...
Du ser fantastisk ut :)
- December 21, 2007 7:16 PM
- karlsfoodie said...
Thats a pretty good introduction of yourself =) and a pretty photo too
Merry Xmas to u and ur Family
God Jul
- December 22, 2007 3:32 PM
- Honeybee said...
That was fun to read! Well done for the weight loss, that's impressive! You look great in that picture. Merry Christmas!
- December 24, 2007 11:23 AM
- Isle Dance said...
- December 25, 2007 1:39 AM


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Cleaning / Sanitizing
1908260 ACleaning1. Rinse in cool water to remove breast milk.2. Wash in warm, soapy water.3. Rinse with clear water.Note: Nipple shields can also be washed on top rack of dishwasher.Drying & StoringAllow nipple shield to air dry in a clean area and store dry with the nipple facing upwards. Do NOT store wet or damp parts.SanitizingIn addition to washing, you may sanitize your nipple shield once per day by following the instructions on Medela's Quick Clean™ Micro-Steam™ bag or boiling.If boiling your nipple shield:1. Choose a pot that is large enough so the nipple shield DOES NOT rest on the sides or bottom while boiling.2. Fill the pot with water and bring to a boil.3. Carefully drop nipple shield into boiling water, and boil for 10 minutes.4. Gently remove from water with tongs and place on a clean surface with nipple facing upwards. (For easier removal, add cool water to pot to prevent splashing.)5. See Drying & Storing section above for further instructions.
Misc. Questions & Answers
What is the diameter of the nipple shield at the base?
Medela's Nipple Shields are available in 3 sizes: 16 mm, 20 mm, and 24 mm (measured at the base).
Product Usage
How can I determine what size nipple shield I will need?
We recommend that you seek advice from a lactation consultant or other healthcare professional to determine the correct size for you and your baby.


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Languages: عربي | Asturianu | Català | Česky | Kaszëbsczi | Dansk | Deutsch | English | Esperanto | Español | Eesti | فارسی | Suomi | Français | Galego | Italiano | 日本語 | 한국어 | Norwegian | Polski | Português Brasileiro | Română | Русский | Svenska | Slovenčina | Slovenščina | српски | Türkçe | Tiếng Việt | Українська | 简体中文 | 繁體中文
|Tutorial Series
|Marble C++ Tutorial
|Tutorial 7 - Searching
|What's Next
|Tutorial 9 - Loading .kml files into your Marble Widget
|Further Reading
Marble uses so-called runners to calculate routes, do reverse geocoding, parse files and search for placemarks (cities, addresses, points of interest, ...). This tutorial shows how to use the MarbleRunnerManager class to get a textual description of a given coordinate.
#include <QtGui/QApplication>
#include <QtCore/QDebug>
#include <marble/MarbleWidget.h>
#include <marble/MarbleModel.h>
#include <marble/MarbleRunnerManager.h>
#include <marble/GeoDataPlacemark.h>
using namespace Marble;
int main(int argc, char** argv)
QApplication app(argc,argv);
MarbleModel *model = new MarbleModel;
MarbleRunnerManager* manager = new MarbleRunnerManager( model->pluginManager() );
manager->setModel( model );
GeoDataCoordinates position( -0.15845, 51.52380, 0.0, GeoDataCoordinates::Degree );
qDebug() << position.toString() << "is" << manager->searchReverseGeocoding( position );
Copy and paste the code above into a text editor. Then save it as my_marble.cpp and compile it by entering the following command on the command line:
g++ -I /usr/include/qt4/ -o my_marble my_marble.cpp -lmarblewidget -lQtGui -lQtCore
If things go fine, execute ./my_marble and the output looks similar to this:
" 0° 09' 30.4"W, 51° 31' 25.7"N" is "Sherlock Holmes Museum, "221b", Baker Street, Marylebone, City of Westminster, Greater London, England, NW1 6AX, United Kingdom"
|Here's a little checklist to tackle some problems that might arise when compiling the code above:
|If you provide maps in your application please check the Terms of Use of the map material. The map material that is shipped with Marble is licensed in the spirit of Free Software. This usually means at least that the authors should be credited and that the license is mentioned. E.g. for OpenStreetMap the license is CC-BY-SA. Other map data shipped with Marble is either public domain or licensed in the spirit of the BSD license.


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February 1, 2013 is Go Red for Women Day, emphasizing heart health for women.
Wear something red to our shop on Friday, Feb. 1st
and enter our drawing for a "RED" gift bag, which includes a Knit Red book of patterns! Receive an extra drawing ticket if you actually knit or crocheted the red item that you wear.
Take care of your heart!
Take care of your heart!
When you come, check out the new yarn that just arrived……
'Rhapsody in Glitter' by Artyarns. Silk-mohair-metallic (85%silk!).
Hand-dyed and breathtakingly beautiful.
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Celebrating illustration, design, cartoon and comic art of the mid-20th century.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Jones Does Crime...
...though rarely, I think. Where other Saturday Evening Post regulars like Stan Galli or Bernard D'Andrea often worked in crime or adventure genres for the magazine, this series, "Alibi for Murder" is the only example I've seen by Jones. He seems to have been called upon more frequently for romance features.
Going through these old magazines, I'm often startled at the shocking degree of brutality, especially against woman, that mainstream magazines of that time allowed their artists to graphically portray. In the context of the Leave it to Beaver world that those of us who were born after that time assume about the fifties, these images seem wildlly out of place.
Be that as it may, and though the vast majority of his work seems to have dealt with more "genteel" subject matter, when called upon to visually satisfy the public's bloodlust Jones was clearly up to the task.
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Sunday, September 16, 2007
Character Maquettes
I made this bust of the explorer Arthur Denison because I couldn't find a real person with exactly the features I was looking for. I used Sculpey modeling compound, which can be shaped like clay and then baked hard in the oven.
With a maquette in front of your drawing table, you can experiment hundreds of different combinations.
You can also accessorize the maquette with a hat, turban, or whatever. The head on the right is a simplified "plane head" that I sculpted based on the anatomy teacher George Bridgman's analysis of form. The plane head helps me to see the head's basic construction without getting distracted by the features. The head is mounted on a flexible metal tube from the hardware store, which allows you to tilt the head to any angle you want.
Here's one of the paintings that used these maquettes for reference.
4 comments:
Wow, Will's looking so grown up!
I went in to my favourite local bookshop to reserve my copy of Journey to Chandara yesterday and the guy who was working the cash said that I was the first person he'd met who was a Dinotopia fan. We crop up when you least expect us, I think!
- September 16, 2007 at 10:01 AM
- John Ward said...
If it's not too much trouble, could you take a moment to write a post about how you are lighting the maquettes? What type of bulbs, lamps are you using? How are they set up? That sort of thing. I have tried lighting models in the past, but I have not yet been able to achieve the same polished look that your lighting schemes have. Thanks.
- September 16, 2007 at 5:38 PM
- Bill said...
Hi James,
"Can you get organic forms (like rock or tree bark) with the 3D programs? And do the light rendering programs give you reflected light as well as simple light and shadow?"
Well, the 3D programs out there are always getting better. The one that would probably suit you best is called ZBrush, and it allows you to "sculpt" 3D clay right in the computer. But I'm gonna go ahead and say you've already got such a talent for traditional sculpting that you should just continue to work that way! Given the right amount of processing power and render time, you can get beautiful reflected light (known as "global illumination") as well as hard or soft shadows of any color.
Speaking of maquettes, I went to a benefit dinner at Pixar last night and saw their maquettes for the characters from Ratatouille. Absolutely beautiful work - the expressions and poses and attention to detail was incredible.
- September 16, 2007 at 7:01 PM
Thanks, Cat, John, and Bill,
I do plan to do a thing on lighting in the future, because I use a pretty unusual set-up.
Bill, if you have links for more about global illumination and Z-brush, I'd be curious to learn more about them. Even though I work in traditional media, I'm completely fascinated by what my colleagues do digitally.
And thanks for you loyalty, Cat. Hope you enjoy J2C.
- September 16, 2007 at 8:11 PM


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Ken Block, founder and chairman of the Moderate Party of Rhode Island, created quite the buzz last week when he launched his new website, www.MasterLever.org.
The purpose of the site is simple: promote his stance that the "master lever," or straight party option at the polls, should be banned in Rhode Island. The master lever law was enacted in Rhode Island in 1939 by a Republican-dominated legislature. The "master lever" term was coined when voting machines required voters to physically pull levers to cast their votes, and though those machines were replaced with today's current electronic system in the late 1990s, the law has stayed on the books.
By visiting the masterlver.org site, those who support Block's stance can send an automated letter to high-ranking officials like Governor Lincoln Chafee, Senate President Teresa Paiva-Weed and House Speaker Gordon Fox.
Block said the initial launch of the website was a bit premature and was prompted by a Providence Journal story that ran last week. Since then, Block said 500 people have sent letters via the site to support the ban of the master lever.
In the days following the site's launch, various groups and individuals have echoed their support of Block's stance. This week, Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis announced his intent to introduce a bill that would remove the master lever option.
Mollis introduced legislation in 2011 to get rid of the straight party option and, according to Spokesman Chris Barnett, the legislation he plans to introduce this year will be identical. The bill to ban the master lever in 2011 was sponsored by Rep. Michael Marcello and Senator David Bates. Both bills were held for further study.
In addition to Mollis, Block's campaign has gotten support from Governor Chafee as well.
"It is time for Rhode Island to join the majority of states and eliminate the master lever from the ballot," said Governor Chafee in a statement issued Tuesday. Sixteen states currently have the master lever on the books, but Block said only 15 actually use it.
"Any mechanism that contributes to voter confusion – and worse, voter disenfranchisement – should not be on the ballot," said Chafee. "Its time has come."
Voter confusion is one of the main reasons Block said the master lever option should be eliminated.
According to the Board of Elections, 74,399 voters used the straight party option to vote for Democrats: 21,139 for Republicans and 9,295 for the Moderate Party. Altogether, 104,844 out of 438,571 voters who had the straight party option on their ballot (same-day registration voters for president did not have this option) used it. That's roughly 24 percent of voters.
But Block said the problem goes deeper than the numbers show. For example, 9,295 who pulled the master lever for the Moderate Party occurred in cities where there were no Moderate Party candidates on the list; the Moderate Party only had candidates in Burrillville, East Greenwich, South Kingstown, Central Falls and East Providence. Block said people are often confused by the true purpose of the straight ticket option and use it to identify their affiliation.
"It's a political Rorschach test," he said. "I am 'fill in the blank.'"
Block said anything that causes voter confusion should be "eliminated as quickly as possible."
Another issue is that straight ticket voting tends to occur more often in presidential election years. Block said the number of master lever "pulls" increased from 2010 to 2012, a sign that many people were at the polls to vote solely for their favored presidential candidate. But the consequence of voting a straight party ticket, solely to cast a vote for president, is that many candidates that the voter is unfamiliar with also get their support, said Block.
"Quadrennial voters don't know who these [other candidates] are," he said. "Should people be casting a ballot for people they haven't heard of?"
By eliminating this single party option, Block said those voters could simply cast their vote for the president and walk out of the booth. In 2010, roughly 46,000 voters used the single party option, a number that more than doubled last November.
"That's a substantial hurdle to overcome as a non-Democratic candidate," said Block of the additional 50,000 votes.
In addition to the confusion it causes, Block said the master lever option often detracts votes from non-partisan candidates, like school committee members. It's called "undervoting," where a voter abstains – knowingly, or in the case of the master lever, potentially unknowingly – from casting a vote for contested candidates on the ballot. Block said he's also curious to see if using the master lever dissuades voters from answering back-of-the-ballot referendum questions.
Where the master lever is typically seen as damaging to non-Democratic candidates, since Rhode Island is a blue state, Block said it can also be harmful to Democrats, too.
According to Block, when a voter casts a straight party ticket, no additionally marked votes for non-partisan candidates are counted. However, if they cast a straight party ticket and then additionally mark votes for partisan candidates, their straight party vote is discounted. It's a tricky system that Block said most Rhode Islanders don't understand.
He used the example of casting a straight Democratic ticket. The voter in Block's example also wants to ensure his favorite partisan council candidate gets their vote, so they mark that as well. Because of that additional mark, the computer system gets confused and no other Democrat on their ballot gets their vote.
"You always override the master lever if you mark an individual candidate," explained Block. "It's a very wonky thing, but the impact is very real."
Cranston Mayor Allan Fung said he had first-hand experience with the impact of the master lever during his 2006 election. When his team requested a recount of the ballots, what they discovered was that many people had cast a single party ballot and had circled or marked Fung's name, too.
"People don't know how it works," he said. "It disenfranchises one party over another."
Both Fung and Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian – both Republicans – said they see the master lever as a problem for non-partisan candidates, too.
"Since there are some non-partisan offices on the ballot, straight ticket voters – 6,859 this last election alone in Warwick – do not actually vote for School Committee candidates," said Avedisian. "The usual fall-off between the number of people who vote in a mayoral race and the number who cast ballots in the School Committee races is large anyway. Taking another 6,859 votes out of contention for School Committee is wrong."
Avedisian said banning the single party option would make the voting system stronger and allow the people of Warwick, and other cities, to more acutely choose their elected officials.
Johnston Mayor Joseph Polisena, a Democrat, would not say if he supported or opposed the master lever ban. Instead, he voiced his displeasure with the timing of the campaign to ban it.
"The state is financially collapsing and they're worried about the master lever? That's why 24,000 people moved out of state," Polisena said, referencing recent U.S. Census estimates that 24,000 people have left Rhode Island since 2004.
Instead of worrying about the master lever, Polisena said the "buffoons" who raised the issue should be focused on ways to reconstruct the Rhode Island economy and jobs market. But he added, "Ken Block is a good guy…a smart businessman."
Still, Block said now is the best time to make a move on the decades-old master lever law.
"One of the symptoms of a broken economy is the dysfunction of our political system," he said.
Block said the current makeup of the legislature is unrepresentative of the body of Rhode Island voters. About 10 percent of Rhode Island voters are registered Republicans, compared to 41 percent registered Democrats; most are unaffiliated. The vast majority of legislators elected in November are Democrats, with only 11 Republicans out of the 113 General Assembly members.
"That's unhealthy," he said. "I don't care who the party is."
Block said by fixing the workings of the Assembly, the rest of Rhode Island would benefit.
"You need a vibrant Democracy to effectively work your way out of problems like this, and we don't have one," he said.
For the site, masterlever.org, Block said he has been polling legislators at the State House to get their opinions on the master lever ban. According to Block, most are in support of it, while those who are against the ban say the single party option benefits them at the polls. A full list of the elected officials' stances on the master lever issue is available on the site.
Block, who tossed his hat into the gubernatorial race in 2010, said he "honestly doesn't know" if he'll run again. For now, he's focused on his business, Simpatico Software, of which he is the president, and the master lever campaign.
17% of voters in the state pulled the master D lever. This is not terribly surprising in a low information state that relies on the Projo for it's news, and retains the distinction of having the second lowest median adult education level in New England. The political climate used to be a source of amusement, than anger. Now RI is just pathetic and caving in on itself.


text:
To the Editor:
I would like to respond to Mayor Ed Fare's letter to the editor in last week's Herald ("Objects to statement by school trustee").
In my remarks at the Envision Valley Stream meeting, I made no comment whatsoever regarding the village's process in creating its Master Plan or how participatory that process was. I did caution that careful consideration should be given to residents' concerns when and if the village allows a hotel to be built in our village. I stand by that remark.
I would like to point out that the Herald's Brian Croce correctly reported that I was speaking from personal experience in saying that the village does not have a good reputation for considering the needs of its residents. I can cite three specific instances from said personal experience where the village failed to consider the needs of its residents. One, when it granted Valley Stream Hyundai a zoning variance to allow it to operate a parking lot on a residential parcel, which turned into an outdoor showroom. Two, when it granted BNY Investments a zoning variance to operate an automotive repair shop in a residential area, ignoring the objections of surrounding residents who attended the zoning board meeting. And finally, by allowing Gregoris Nissan to park its cars on Casper Street, obstructing the view of the intersection and making for a hazardous traffic condition just blocks away from Shaw Avenue School. This was allowed to happen over the objections of surrounding residents as well.
Based on my personal experiences outlined above, my concern is that if hotel development is undertaken in our community and requires any kind of zoning variance, the village would grant such a variance without paying heed to residents' concerns. I hope that is not the case and that, as Mayor Fare states, the village would "consider all of its residents."
I appreciate the mayor's efforts to establish an inclusive decision-making process, and I support any effort to increase business development in our community, as long as it is done in a responsible manner with opportunity for meaningful public participation.
Elise Antonelli
Valley Stream


text:
Now Viewing:
Product Highlights
Color: Brownexeztzduutbyscxeyxttdevdztc
Compatibility: Sony DWT-B01
Sony DWT-B01
This item is noncancelable and nonreturnable.
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The microphone offers optimal gain amplification before feedback and can handle sounds with a maximum SPL of 135 dB. The microphone can connect to a wide range of wireless transmitters using its interchangeable X-Connector system. This particular unit comes with an interchangeable 4-pin Hirose twist-lock connector for Sony DWT-B01 transmitter. The microphone also comes with a foam windscreen, a body clip, and a storage box.
|Back electret condenser
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|160 to 14,000 Hz
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text:
New programme to help communities recover from violence in the Central African RepublicFeb 26, 2014
US$ 22 million still needed to finance recovery activities
Bangui -- The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has launched a comprehensive new programme to promote peace-building and recovery across the Central African Republic.
Launched today in the capital Bangui, the two-year initiative, which will reach more than 350,000 conflict-affected people, aims to promote social cohesion, rebuild local infrastructure and create short-term employment opportunities in communities that have seen homes and businesses destroyed by the on-going violence.
"The program aims to help rebuild the social fabric in the Central African Republic, by reducing vulnerabilities in the social, economic and security spheres," said Kaarina Immonen, the UNDP Resident Representative in Bangui."
"It will build a bridge between the dire humanitarian situation facing the country and efforts to build peace, community resilience and long-term development," she added.
More than half of the population of the Central African Republic is now in need of humanitarian assistance, the equivalent of 2.5 million people.
Since December 2012, violence and instability have displaced more than 700,000 people inside the country and forced over 288,000 to flee to neighboring Cameroon, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo.
Cash for work and social cohesion activities will begin in Bangui and Bossangoa in collaboration with international NGOs.
The US$ 26 million scheme will be rolled out in the districts of Bangui, Ouham, Ouham-Pendé, Nana-Gribizi and upper Kotto, situated in the center and western part of the country. UNDP says it still needs around US$ 22 million however, to ensure it fulfills all of the objectives of the programme.
UNDP will repair damaged infrastructure, such as water reservoirs, sewers, bridges and local clinics through public works programmes. It will create temporary jobs, help to quickly regenerate the local economy and create new employment opportunities.
To help marginalized groups such as women, young people and minorities, UNDP will improve their earning potential through vocational training. It will also give such excluded groups a voice in decision-making by helping them contribute to development planning abd connecting them to mayors and local administrators.
UNDP will also conduct awareness campaigns, through seminars, public discussions and media, on such issues as human rights, drug abuse and sexual and gender-based violence.
By bringing together members of communities from different religious or ethnic background, half of whom are young people, the programme expects to help heal differences, improve overall security and rebuild trust.
The initiative is expected to reach nearly 20 percent of the population in the capital and other crisis-affected areas.
Beyond the programme, UNDP will work with transitional authorities and other stakeholders to strengthen the rule of law and the justice system while also supporting a State presence beyond the capital.
Once the situation allows for it, UNDP says it will support the National Electoral Authority, which brings together representatives of civil society, political parties and the government, to help organize national elections.Contact information
Damian Kean firstname.lastname@example.com ; Tel: +1.212.906.6871


text:
cootch needed a new stationery design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 68 designs submitted by 19 freelance designers.
I need a label that can be used in different sizes to suit different jar sizes, we produce jams sauces and preserves with a native australian twist.
our main sales is of Quandong Jam and other quandong products. Winning designer will have the oppurtunity for other designs in the range.
Lisa's Kitchen~Quality homemade products using locally sourced native ingredients
I have had a label in the past but have out grown it. my main problem is that i have varied products, and would like a label that helps represent them all. Because we a a 'cottage' business i tend to make one off products that i may not do again for sometime and can not justify the printing costs of short runs. i have decided to go with a front label that is always the same and incorporate the product name somwhere else!!??
i like things to be modern and simple. we are in the outback South Australia, Blinman to be precise, my products are mainly sold to tourists so they need to be relevant to the area.
- Item 1...LKLISA'S KITCHENQuality homemade products using locally sourced native ingredients*at the moment it is black and orange
- Item 1...Nothing citchy


text:
Pay bill online was last modified: October 17th, 2014 by admin
An accurate diagnosis is our primary objective. Our board-certified physicians and experienced technologists are paired with our FDA and ACR accredited systems in the following areas:
Wendy who made my appointment was wonderful. Kylie who did my exam was also very helpful and positive and made me feel comfortable. Read more » read moreA patient from Carmel
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I am quickly writing this note, as my life is so hectic and over-scheduled. However, it was important to take the time to tell you and your staff how amazing you all are. I appreciate your professionalism and compassion. These Read more » read moreA patient from Somers, NY


text:
3:00 pm
Dialogue "Colum McCann: Conversations from the Sun Valley Writers' Conference" Marcia Franklin talks with Colum McCann, author of Let the Great World Spin. The book, which has been called the "first great 9/11 novel," won the 2009 National Book Award for fiction, and was Amazon.com's 2009 Book of the Year. The interview is part of Dialogue's ongoing "Conversations from the Sun Valley Writers' Conference" and was taped at the 2011 conference.G
3:30 pm
MotorWeek "Ford Focus St" Road Test: 2013 Ford Focus ST. Road Test: 2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo. Goss' Garage: LED Lights. D
4:00 pm
America's Test Kitchen from Cook's Illustrated "Two Ways with Fish" Test cook Bridget Lancaster uncovers the secrets to perfect Poached Fish Fillets with Sherry-Tomato Vinaigrette. Then, science expert Guy Crosby explains the science of poaching in oil. Next, tasting expert Jack Bishop challenges host Christopher Kimball to a tasting of oyster crackers. D
4:30 pm
Crafting at the Spotted Canary "Things That Hang in the Window" There is nothing like a warm summer day, when the windows are open and the sheers are gracefully moving with the wind. Windows are an interesting part of the home that are decorated with textiles, but can also be adorned with photos, crystals and banners. Learn how to think of this space as a decorative element of the home. D
5:00 pm
Globe Trekker "Puerto Rico" Zay visits San Juan, the El Yunque National Forest, the Camuy River Caves National Park and the coffee-producing central highlands. He discovers why Puerto Rico is known as the "island of enchantment," boasting sun-kissed beaches, dramatic mountains, a rich colonial history and distinctive music.G
6:00 pm
The Artist Toolbox "Massimo & Lella Vignelli" "Design must be intellectually elegant," poses Massimo Vignelli. "What is intellectually elegant? Well, it's the opposite of vulgar." As the man behind such simple and beautiful design from the Helvetica font to the New York Subway map, the design world is indebted to this pragmatic yet lyrical designer. D
6:30 pm
Sun Studio Sessions "Amber Rubarth and Dave Egger" Amber Rubarth and Dave Egger are talented musicians who bring their varied backgrounds together to lift each other's sounds to new heights. In this episode, the artists perform several songs including "Full Moon in Paris" and "Hillbillies and Bach.". D
7:00 pm
Austin City Limits "The National/Band of Horses" Representing the cream of underground rock, The National plays songs from its recording High Violet and Band of Horses highlights its latest album Infinite Arms.G
8:00 pm
Rick Steves' Europe Travel Skills The genial travel expert distills 30 years of travel experience into this information-rich special. He dispenses practical advice on how to enjoy a fun, affordable and culturally broadening trip to Europe. Shot on his favorite 3,000-mile "Best of Europe" loop - Amsterdam, Germany's Rhineland, Venice, Siena, the Italian Riviera, the Swiss Alps, Paris and London - Rick shares the essential skills of smart travel.G
10:00 pm
11:30 pm
Austin City Limits "The National/Band of Horses" Representing the cream of underground rock, The National plays songs from its recording High Violet and Band of Horses highlights its latest album Infinite Arms.G


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Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Comic 518: Diagram My Feelings
I should probably start by saying I was this close to liking this one. This is not a bad concept. I mean, it is not going to win any prizes for comedy, but it's a flowchart to explain flowcharts. That's amusing, right? Ha ha? So it has a decent structure. It starts as a flowchart, for one! While this might make it one of his many diagram comics at least it's not, like, "My hobby: making flowcharts to explain flowcharts." Bonus points for actually telling a joke!
Then he gets to the part at the end of a joke, it is the part which is supposed to be funny, what is it called, oh right THE PUNCHLINE. Right, he gets to the punchline and, uh. It is a random joke about... getting drunk and installing FreeBSD. FreeBSD is not a flowchart. It is an operating system.
So the flowchart joke never really happens. This is something you scribble on your napkin at the diner at 3 am, a half-formed idea in your head, its humor derived mostly from the context of the conversation, ultimately lost and discarded as the relic of a moment.
Am I alone in this one? I feel like jokes should have punchlines which are related to the premise of the joke. Unless it is a shaggy dog story, or The Aristocrats! etc, which is subverting the standard format of a joke. I mean, you could probably make a funny comic about recursive flowcharts. You might even be able to make one about 'woo I am drunk let's install FreeBSD' but I doubt it.
But you can't just say "uh, man, FreeBSD is a six drink minimum and, uh. Flowcharts? Yeah, man."
CARL SAYS: "Also, you have to assume it's going to lose some points for saying 'presented in flow chart form' at the top there when it's pretty danged obvious from the, you know, flow chart sitting below it that there will, in fact, be flow charts involved. This comic to me felt like he started with a good idea and then gave up trying to make it really great. My mind keeps going back to 'Screw it' --> 'let's go drink' and imagining Randall saying that while drawing the last few panels. Also, Rob, hope you don't mind me invading your post like this. I didn't change anything, just added stuff. PS you are doing a heckuva job so far."
26 comments:
Carl, you can't expect people to know what flow chart looks like in a guide to understanding flow charts? The seamingly extra explanation makes perfect sense in this one. And the fact that it all ended in drinking feels more like an "accident" than an accident. The good idea in this one definitely involved that ending. And IMO, this one was great.ReplyDelete
Rob, I would say the only requirement of a punchline is that it's funny and this one was exactly that. The idea that the natural flow of taking six drinks would be wanting to install free bsd is as geeky as the idea of explaining flow charts with flow charts. And it's of course a reference to #349 as well, even if that one was about open bsd.
This is what I like to call a "doctor." Just MS Paint out everything to the right of "Let's go drink." Fixed!ReplyDelete
I think that if the punchline was the "screw it" thing, maybe it would have been funny. The freeBSD thing felt tacked on.ReplyDelete
So, M75, the requirement of a punchline is that it is funny. Which this wasn't. So, the comic has failed.
I thought the chances on someone having a "get out of my head, Randall" moment were slim, but I checked the forums. Stupid, stupid girl because every time I see that phrase I want to slam my head into a brick wall. Or better yet, remove that person from the gene pool.ReplyDelete
Of course, there was someone that had been thinking of flow charts. And he comes in early in the thread. I can't read the rest of the thread, my cat-killing-curiosity has been slaked and now I must go to bed.
- DoubleBlackbirdDecember 17, 2008 at 6:32 AM
LET'S GO DRINKReplyDelete
i think randall wrote himself into a corner on this one. here is his train of thought:ReplyDelete
"let's see, what quirky and semi-original idea can i come up with today? chris onstad does and sells lots of flowcharts, and it's worked for me before, so i'll do it too! but what kind.. how about a flowchart to explain flowcharts! that's so meta and clever."
"wait, this doesn't go anywhere and i can't end it. hmm... how about a linux joke."
commentary on linux is funny! and it's even funnier after six drinks! ha ha ha! i don't even know why he's bashing on bsd..
I liked it. The FreeBSD joke wasn't funny, but the other paths were pretty good.ReplyDelete
This is the best XKCD in a while.
M7 - Why does the extra explanation make sense? It's clearly a flow chart. It also says "UNDERSTANDING FLOW CHARTS" above it. Why on earth does he need to say "in flow chart form"? None of his other comics say "presented in comic form."ReplyDelete
Flow charts are so overdone these days. Chris Onstad's still are awesome. Particularly for Phillipe.
greg: Yeah, I think that's exactly how it went. Either that or he had the 'six drinks... free BSD' joke just floating around in his head forever, and he finally found one where it (doesn't) fit (in any way).ReplyDelete
M7: Now, I have to be honest here: I was this close to liking this one. If the punchline were not some random unrelated Linux joke, and were instead something which flows (ha) from the rest of it, I think it would have been funny! Like, not even just 'passably funny', but legitimately chuckle-worthy.
Carl: INVADING MY PRIVACY OMG no go ahead, it was pretty clearly delineated.
I'm not sure if I care one way or the other about 'presented in flow chart form.' I guess I just don't care much about the title of any given comic--it is sort of like the title text. It can add, but I never feel cheated if it is absent or lame.
(Except for this comic. It is topical to the election, and the title text, for some reason, makes it one of my favorite ASWs.)
Carl - Was my explanation really that bad? I'll try again, then. Imagine this. You have never seen a flow chart before, or you are not really sure what a flow chart looks like. You get to a page on the net that says it explains flow charts, but under it is just a lot of figures, arrows with text on or beside them. You probably guess that it's a flow chart but you still would think that it's a bit weird that you *have* *to* *guess* that the explanation is in form of a flow chart. (Of course you would anyway think it's weird to explain flow charts with a flow chart, but that is part of the joke.)ReplyDelete
Bunnie and the rest of you - I guess I have to explain the punchline since you don't seem to understand it. I tried already but perhaps I was a bit undetailed.
First, I hope we all agree on why it's funny the chart ends up in drinking. It's because of the inevitability of it. If you are attempting to do something as silly as explaining flow charts with a flow chart, that's what gonna happen. Period.
The real punch line is funny because of three things:
1) It's a reference to #349. Installing bsd is very hard in xkcd-world. You need six drinks to be brave or foolish enough to try it.
2) No one thinks that drinking six drinks would lead to you wanting to install freebsd. It's not the first thing you think of when you get drunk. No one does that! Except perhaps... a guy geeky enough to try to explain flow charts with a flow chart. For him it's obvious. What else is there? Everybody does that, right? It's so obvious it can be part of the flow chart itself.
3) I'm not sure if Randall intended this one but by referencing to #349, both comics get's the exact same flow (ha, right back at you Rob ;) I'm not above reusing bad puns). You start out with something innocent (explaining flow charts - installing bsd) that get's worse (drinking - dead computers) which ends up in a catastrophe (installing bsd - shark attacks).
This was one of the best comics in quite a while. The best chart/diagram comic since the one with the kitten for sure.
I thought a better punchline would have "6 drinks -> I can no longer understand flowcharts", or something like that. Something relating to the rest of the comic.ReplyDelete
I think I like the "I hate you" part.ReplyDelete
DO YOU READ XKCD--> yes
IS IT FUNNY TODAY--> no
LISTEN.--> randall
Although "randall" is probably not a yes/no answer... BUT WHATEVER
Incidentally, did all of you know that xckd shows the xkcd page but doesn't redirect the address? And you can navigate all around the page (like previous, next, etc.) and the domain is still xckd. For some reason this bothers me.
M - I think the issue comes from whether this comic is actually meant to teach people about flow charts, in which case your explanation is right, or if it is just meant to be a joke for those of us who already know them, in which case I think I'm right.ReplyDelete
I'm also not convinced that this comic is a reference to 349. Yes, they are both about installing bsd, but that uses it more as an example, the real joke is just "standards get lower over time, taken to extreme --> SHARKS!" You could replace "bsd" in that comic with anything, and it would be the same basic joke. It's not about bsd being hard, it's about how every project is hard, even if it seems simple. This new one is about how bsd is so hard you'd have to be drunk to try it.
Randall does like these meta-ideas. A reset sing about reset signs! Rickrolling Rick Astley! An xkcd about previous xkcds! twittering about twitter! It's ok for now, but I can imagine it getting to be annoying.
Jay - I think that that is waaaay funnier than the actual punchline. You could even go further, making that have an arrow back to the beginning, or a drunken rambling arrow going to a box labeled "you know what i hate about you, i hate EVERYTHING, dammit just leave me alone i don't have time for thissssssszzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzz" or somthing. Or not. your idea is still better than his.ReplyDelete
Amanda - remember, if you need help with step 2, you can always consult http://www.isxkcdshittytoday.com/! I did not know about x-c-k-d but you have to assume that a lot of people type it in by mistake, so it's not a bad idea. As to why it doesn't just redirect, that I don't know. Looks like I'll need to register http://xckdsucks.blogspot.com!
- DoubleBlackbirdDecember 17, 2008 at 4:01 PM
Time for something more complicated. Ignore the dots:ReplyDelete
XKCD Forumites' Flowchart
(presented in flowchart form)
Or I would even settle for the BSD joke in the alt text. Having it plopped in there just dilutes the joke.ReplyDelete
Double blackbird, that is awesome. The formatting gets messed up because the font width is different when you post from how it looks in the comment field, but we can tell what you mean. And it is great.ReplyDelete
M, I think you are reaching here. There is just too much explaining to make the punchline funny. I like consistency that doesn't require an elaborate narrative. (The weather here is so terrible right now. It was 60 degrees and quite lovely a few days ago. Now it is cold and snowy. I WANT CONSISTENCY etc.)ReplyDelete
I mean, it wasn't like a suckerpunch, you know? You start a joke talking about flowcharts, you expect a punchline about flowcharts, and it isn't really clever if your punchline just isn't about them.
There are jokes where you start talking about one thing and then end with something unexpected, but even then it follows--just not in the way you'd think. It's usually a clever wordplay. It catches you off-guard but it's still effective.
This one is kind of like Randall saying "hey guys you want to go get some burgers?" and then you all get in the car and he just goes to Staples and buys printer paper.
I like Jay's ending more.ReplyDelete
Also, Rob, your burger comment reminded me of Cuil Theory. Have you ever heard of it?
I haven't, but that is respectably awesome.ReplyDelete
I generally shelve my own comments when others express them just as well, but I must repeat Rob's sentiment as my own: "[Cuil Theory] is respectably awesome."ReplyDelete
Rob - Of course that much explaining shouldn't be needed. Point 1 and 2 in my explanation was basicly my very initial reactions to the comic, a bit less worded out of course. I guess other geeks had such as reactions as well.ReplyDelete
I guess we have to a agree on disagreeing about unexpectedness of punchlines. A really great punchline should be a sucker punch, it's no fun if you can see the punch line coming from a distance.
Carl - If it says it's a guide, at least it should make the illusion of beening a guide. Your exclusion of "presented in flow chart form" makes the guide incomplete. Sorry to be harsh but do you really hate Randall so much that you don't see this and rather believe he explains something completely obvious to his comic readers? You've said before you don't hate him, and I do believe you, but this time you sure makes it look like you do.
349 alt text: "40% of OpenBSD installs lead to shark attacks. It's their only standing security issue." Even if you can agrue that bsd was more of an example in 349, you can't say that intalling bsd isn't a hard thing to do in xkcd-world.
Most of you - Almost every time Randall makes a computer reference you act as if he just uses buzz words. He really isn't. There are lots of things xkcd could be criticized for, some of them are correctly spotted here. His computer references aren't usually among these things. They aren't empty references for the sake of referencing, they have substance and are often spot on (353 is the golden example).
M, obscure inside references are not funny. I complain about them when I get them, and get confused when I do not. I want my humor to be easy and not require me to know things. DO ALL MY WORK FOR ME, RANDALL.ReplyDelete
At Defcon this year, I was actually accosted by an obviously intoxicated individual who was dead set on convincing me that FreeBSD was the best OS on the planet. There is more than a grain of truth in this flowchart, and my personal experience led me to find it far more humorous than most.ReplyDelete
The other paths were pretty funny, too. And I'm a whore for flowcharts to begin with, so personally I would rate this comic as slightly above average.
That being said, if I hadn't had that experience, I probably would've hated this one.
When properly used, all caps speech is probably the funniest of all possible text humor. I applaud your efforts.
Poore: Thank you! I hope I don't overdo it. But caps-based humor is one of my favorite kinds (one of the reasons I also like Dinosaur Comics).ReplyDelete
- sweetie_pumpkinDecember 21, 2008 at 12:05 PM
I also think you guys sometimes forget about the sort of random nature of xkcd to begin with. It's supposed to be sort of scizophrenic (I have no idea how to spell that) and kind of a "stream of consciousness" thing. There's lots of jokes in this one, and it makes sense that if he was drunk he would attempt to do something stupid. The fact that he decided to do something stupid and incredibly nerdy strikes me as just part of what the comic does.ReplyDelete
If I was reading a webcomic about baking and this comic was on there, only it ended in "attempt to make a souffle that doesn't collapse" (I don't know what bakers make jokes about) I probably wouldn't enjoy the reference, but it would still make sense.


text:
WOCCU program participants seek to "change perception" of CUs
June 02, 2011
BUCHAREST, Romania — The Romanian Federation of Credit Unions (FEDCAR) and the Ohio Credit Union League (OCUL) last month signed an agreement of mutual support as the newest participants in World Council of Credit Unions' (WOCCU) International Partnerships Program. The partnered organizations will look for ways to continue strengthening Romania's evolving credit union system, in the process addressing perceptions that credit unions' "cooperative nature" echoes conditions from the country's former position under Soviet rule.
An OCUL delegation accompanied by WOCCU staff visiting Romania learned that such perceptions exist largely due to obsolete legislation used to govern the country's credit union movement. FEDCAR officials seek to develop new credit union laws that bring regulatory oversight more in line with requirements from other European Union member countries. Strengthening Romania's credit union system and providing assistance with lobbying are two areas in which the delegation pledged assistance, according to Paul Mercer, OCUL president.
"I am very impressed in the trust credit unions have in FEDCAR, which is one of the system's strongest assets to build a better future," Mercer said. "It's not about size, but about their commitment to serve their members."
Mercer, OCUL Vice President John Florian and Bill Herring, president and CEO of Cincinnati Central Credit Union, joined FEDCAR officials to visit Romanian parliamentarians Alexandru Peres and Corneliu Olar to discuss different approaches to developing the appropriate legislation. WOCCU staff members Brian Branch, executive vice president and COO, and Victor Miguel Corro, senior manager in charge of the International Partnerships Program, were also part of the group.
"One of the first steps toward effective credit union development is making sure appropriate and enabling legislation is in place to help a movement grow," Branch said. "FEDCAR already has a strong organization in place, and our hope is that through its partnership with OCUL, Romania's credit union movement will gain access to the international information resources and support it needs to help it succeed on the legislative front."
FEDCAR, which represents just 17 of Romania's 2,900 credit unions, has already strengthened it member institutions through stringent management training requirements, strong representation and requiring its members to use PEARLS, a financial performance monitoring program first established by WOCCU in 1990. The challenges the movement faces include going beyond a narrow product mix and stabilizing government regulation. Many credit unions not represented by FEDCAR belong to other organizations that lack the association's focus, creating contradictions that dilute the movement's impact before legislators.
The combined group identified three areas of immediate need in which OCUL could help FEDCAR:
- Support lobbying efforts for better credit union legislation in Romania
- Assist with marketing efforts to bring more credit unions into FEDCAR's membership
Provide continued training in risk management, including a possible visit to Ohio by Romanian credit union leaders for intensive training
The delegation also visited several FEDCAR member credit unions to get a better understanding of the issues facing individual institutions. At the end of the weeklong visit, the formal partnership agreement was signed by Mercer, Branch and Florin Simion, FEDCAR executive director.
"I look forward to a long and close partnership with our friends from Ohio," Simion said. "We will start by pushing for a better law that will allow the movement to grow, modernize and benefit more Romanians. Now is our chance."
The partnership between Ohio and Romania is one of 23 partnerships in the WOCCU program. Learn more about the International Partnerships Program at www.woccu.org/partnerships.
World Council of Credit Unions is the global trade association and development platform for credit unions. World Council promotes the sustainable development of credit unions and other financial cooperatives around the world to empower people through access to high quality and affordable financial services. World Council advocates on behalf of the global credit union system before international organizations and works with national governments to improve legislation and regulation. Its technical assistance programs introduce new tools and technologies to strengthen credit unions' financial performance and increase their outreach.
World Council has implemented 300+ technical assistance programs in 89 countries. Worldwide, 89,026 credit unions in 117 countries serve 260 million people. Learn more about World Council's impact around the world at www.woccu.org.