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Celebrating illustration, design, cartoon and comic art of the mid-20th century.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Cartoonist vs Illustrator: Big-Foot vs ... "Small-Foot"?
Life doesn't always work out exactly as we had planned. I went to art college, graduated from the illustration program, and began my career doing storyboards for television commercials. Now, some twenty years later, I call my company Leif Peng Cartoon Art... but I still consider what I do to be illustration.
So what really is the difference between cartoonists and illustrators? Many artists have firmly entrenched views that there is a distinction. In the 13th issue of Hogan's Alley magazine, cartoonist Bud Blake, creator of the newspaper comic strip 'Tiger', recounts this anecdote that demonstrates just how thoroughly many artists have categorized themselves and each other:
"I remember having a discussion with Frank Springer, and at one point he says, "You big-foot people," like I have some sort of disease [laughter]. I know what he means when he calls me a big-foot fella. Of course, my argument is, "What are you talking about? You're talking about cartoonists when you're an illustrator." I really feel that way. Guys like Springer are illustrators, and there is a difference."
Blake continues, "I'd say [Hal] Foster was an illustrator, like Noel Sickles. There were a bunch of them that did the same style."
"Same style"? But isn't that interesting. I've always had the impression that the literal illustrators as a group looked down their noses just a bit at the 'big-foot' cartoonists... but here's an admitted big-footer lumping Noel Sickles, Hal Foster and Frank Springer together as a bunch of guys who "did the same style" - suggesting the contempt goes both ways.
Well, maybe contempt is too stong a word...
Someone who's in a unique postion to express an experienced opinion on this subject is Marcus Hamilton. You may recall a recent post in which I described the phoenix-like resurrection of Marcus' commercial art career. He had been a successful illustrator for many years when technology threw a monkey wrench in his gears. But through a combination of good luck, determination and talent, Marcus Hamilton re-invented himself as a cartoonist - he took over the Dennis the Menace daily panel from Hank Ketcham when the mischievious tyke's creator decided it was time to retire. Marcus continues to create new Dennis panels that appear daily in newspapers all over the world.
I asked Marcus if he believed, as I do, that the cartoonist is in fact an illustrator. Here is his reply:
"Yes, I DO agree that cartoonists HAVE to be illustrators. My background in illustrating is what helped convince Hank Ketcham that I could handle Dennis. The life-drawing classes I had in college, and the photography that helped me during those illustration assignments were invaluable when it came to learning the physical characteristics of each of the DTM cast members."
"Hank told me, early in my training, that I was the "director" and the "cameraman," and the characters were my "actors." I had to be able to put them into any situation, and have them acting/reacting in natural ways."
"My knowledge of composition both through previous illustration assignments, as well as the experience of photographing models from every angle, are what help me to meet the challenges of drawing the daily Dennis panels."
"Although in cartooning I use a different medium, the skills are the same, albeit in a more simplified form."
"However, some of the truly classic cartoonists, i.e., Hal Foster, Leonard Starr (a couple of my favorites, but there are many others), did not use a simplified style…as did Hank, Charles Schulz, etc. Those guys (Foster, Starr) made each panel of their strips a very involved situation that could stand on its own as a single illustration. The comic book artists of today are even more blending illustration and cartooning."
And that pretty much sums up what I've always believed... that there really is no distinction between cartoonists and illustrators.
Some elements of style or specific tools of visual language may differ from one artist to another - or one type of commercial art vehicle to another - but ultimately, all artists doing work for commercial purposes are illustrating something.
To my way of thinking, that makes them (us) all illustrators.
I'll close off this series of posts with a few more remarks from Tom Sawyer who was, during his years as a commercial artist, a member of both the National Cartoonists Society and the Society of Illustrators. Tom offers his always candid, entertaining observations about the two groups. In reference to the story of Roy Doty's 16-year debacle to gain admittance the NCS, Tom writes, "16 years for Doty to be "accepted" into NCS? I find that boggling. I never imagined nor experienced such pretentiousness nor "attitude."
"Less so about the Illustrators, who tend, perhaps, to take themselves somewhat more (and a bit too) seriously."
"I remember an incident of this last -- I think from before I was actually a member. I was at the bar with Leonard Starr, and the club was having a show of Jon Whitcomb's work. A couple of older members were beside us, making smartass remarks about Whitcomb, putting his illustrations down. As they wandered off, Teddy, the club's wonderful bartender, confided, as he cleared away their glasses: "I hear a lotta members make fun of Mr. Whitcomb and his work, but y'know, in the last ten years, Mr. Whitcomb ain't made less than $100,000 (in those days, a lot of money), and I don't think there's another member of this club can say that."
"While I do not think that money is what it was all about, I sensed, as did others, that there was a certain amount of (judgmental and financial) envy."
"I never encountered any of that with the NCS people, who most assuredly did not take themselves seriously. In fact, my take on the cartoonists was that, since most or all of them had been drawing pictures since infancy, and regarded it as essentially child's-play, they felt on some not-all-that-hidden level, guilty about being paid for it at all. Which for me tended to explain why they consistently undersold themselves and their work -- to my increasing consternation."
"In any case, since I never took myself very seriously, I never for a moment regarded any of my output, nor frankly anyone else's, as "art." Now, in far, far retrospect, I guess some of it was..."
"Go figure."
* My thanks to Tom, Marcus, Charlie, Roy and all the other good folks who took the time to answer my questions on this topic and give us all the benefit of their knowledge and experience!
* My Art Instruction Flickr set.
8 comments:
I love these old ads, Leif!ReplyDelete
Yeah, most cartoonists are very friendly, very nice people. There's very little "them v. us" kinda talk, and no snarky "I can draw better than that darn ol' Mike Lynch." Well, maybe there is, but I wouldn't give it the time of day. I'm cartooning, and making some money from it. Of all the careers I had (restaurant manager, college administrator, graphics manager for Deloitte, etc.), cartooning is the only one that felt right.
I tend to use the terms interchangably when asked what I do- one day an illustrator, the next a cartoonist. Bernard Krigstien described himself as a "comic book illustrator" (back when he was one) and that's nicely specific.ReplyDelete
I've never run into any us v. them sentiment. All the illustrators I know recognize how hard good cartooning is.
I have drawn cartoons but didn't consider myself a cartoonist. There was a very good cartoonist at the studio where I worked. He was also a funny writer and generally was able to come up with things that only he could. In addition to drawing & painting a cartoonist has to be funny. At least for some work.ReplyDelete
- Joseph Taylor8:03 PM
When I did work for someone else I was an illustrator, when it was for myself I was an artist. I now think myself as a visual engineer...you have a need ..I'll develop a solution. Sometimes that is a mix of Art,or illustration. I always figured a cartoonist was someone who developed a character that could live from one scene to the next. All I ever wanted to do was... more.ReplyDelete
Man do these send me down memory lane in a big way. I remember actually sending away for that Artist Test, as a kid into my teens, I loved to draw. Most of which stemmed from my love of comics. I remember taking the test and doing extremely well on it. But my folks really didn't have any extra money for stuff like this and I never pursued it. By high school, I realized although I had some skills, they would never blossom into the level required to make a living. So I jumped ship and set a goal to write comics. After a 35 year career in the field, I think it was a smart move.And a tip of the hat to Steve Lieber here, one of my favorite artist.ReplyDelete
- rich4:57 AM
"I never for a moment regarded any of my output, nor frankly anyone else's as "art" Now in far, far retrospect I guess some of it was -ReplyDelete
Go figure"
This quotation just hits the mark!
If I look around nowadays, be it in the internet or wherever, I meet all those self proclaimed "artists", trying to sell the most amateurish and awkward stuff you can imgagine. Everyone who's done a weekend seminar on aquarel painting calls himself an artist nowadays and puts his poor output for sale...
Go figure:
In comparison to THAT stuff, everything published here in your blog, retrospective as it is, Leif, has a far superior artistic quality!
I call myself a CartoonistratorReplyDelete


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Q: I'm considering digging a pond but I hear they are a lot of work, is it worth it?
Peter – Stoughton, WI
A: Let's be honest: pond maintenance can be a drag. Going out to your lake or pond over and over to clean up dead vegetation, fill the fish feeder, add your beneficial bacteria and check on your aeration system (not to mention all the seasonal chores) takes precious time and energy—so why bother?
Here's some inspiration: Think about why you wanted a pond in the first place. Check out these four fabulous benefits of having a pond. They'll remind you why all that maintenance is worth your effort.
A Cool Place to Relax
Your pond or lake is a scenic, peaceful place to snooze in a hammock or Adirondack chair, sip some cool lemonade, take in the views and just relax. It's also a great place to hang out with family and friends and let the warm days of summer pass by. Enjoying the tranquil beauty of a pond—enhanced by Pond Logic® Pond Dye, which shades and protects the pond while adding to its color and beauty—is one of the top reasons why people have one in the first place, so it's in your interest to keep it looking its best.
Sport Fishing
Having a lake stocked with game fish, like trout and bass, is another benefit to keeping and maintaining your pond. Any time you'd like, you can grab your fishing pole, head down to the lake and hook some tasty dinner. You can invite the kids (or grandkids) down for some catch-and-release fun. Maintaining you pond or lake—and feeding your finned friends some extra grub—will ensure a big catch every time.
Water Recreation
Do you enjoy swimming in your lake? How about boating or kayaking around—or even just floating on an inner tube? Your pond or lake is an ideal place to keep cool (and get away from your lengthy to-do list!) all summer long. When you keep your pond of lake in tip-top shape, it'll be an inviting place to get wet, stay cool and forget about the outside world.
Support Local Wildlife
Deer, frogs, birds, dragonflies, raccoon, opossum—lots of critters (besides you and your family, of course!) make use of your pond or lake. They'll visit for a drink of water. They'll use it for shade and protection. They'll even nibble at the bugs, plants and fish food, giving them sustenance throughout the year. By maintaining your pond, you'll help support the local wildlife. And what land owner doesn't want to do that?
Yes, maintenance can be a chore. But when you remember these four benefits to keeping a pond, you'll (hopefully!) see those chores as a way of keeping and improving your property—and your peace of mind!
Pond Talk: What was the No. 1 reason why you decided to add (or restore) a lake or pond on your property?
Filed under: Benefits of Owning, Pond & Lake, Pond Dye | Tagged: benefits of owning, fishing, pond dye, recreation, wildlife |


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Religious folks certainly know how to throw a party; festivals, ceremonies, feasts, sacrament, Hajj, Vesak, Bar Mitzvah and the list goes on....
But what if your beliefs are rather more down to earth? In 2010 a small group of Humanists ran our very first 'biological pilgrimage' on the Quantock hills in Somerset UK ~ a secular celebration of our shared origins, based on Richard Dawkins' book the 'Ancestor's Tale'.http://ancestorstrail.net/
Whilst our UK Trail is probably too far away for most folks on this site, the idea is spreading and has already made it across the Atlantic to Toronto where a Canadian Humanist Group are planning their own version. http://www.darwinday.org/events/index.php?id=13477.
However, the project is still at a very vulnerable stage. We have no external grant funding and everything is completely self financed. So far we are struggling to raise the funds for the speakers, musicians and festival facilities we need. All our fund raising depends on the success of a pitch on a website called Crowdfunder.
However, you don't have to attend to support the event. If you invest in the project we will send you a video of the acts and music that have taken place along the trail. So, if folks at 'think atheist' wish to see the concept 'evolve' please visit this site: http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/investment/ancestor-s-trail-72.
A little more about the event:
Our 'pilgrims' walk back 3.7 billion years along footpaths representing Darwin's tree of life, re-uniting with our ancestors as they go. At the finish we throw a party for what has to be the most spectacularly belated birthday anniversary on earth!
Along the trail people come across a range of scientific, philosophical and musical contributions, including Jonny Berliner (a science singer-songwriter), the British Humanist Association Choir, a blues band called the Treefrogs, Bob Churchill from the BHA in London, Steve Pinn with his birds of prey, and, at the trail end, a well deserved cup of 'primordial' soup!
The Trail also has a strong biodiversity theme and 2011 is our 'Year of the butterfly'. Walkers are encouraged to raise sponsorship (in £ per billion years walked!) for the Butterfly Conservation group.
Check out our website for more details. http://ancestorstrail.net/
Yours hopefully.
The Ancestor's Trail team.
Views: 135


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Sioux Falls Skyforce Get Huge Road Win At Austin
A tight game came down to a final play and the Sioux Falls Skyforce made one last defensive stand and toppled the Austin Toros 92-90 in a huge road victory Wednesday night among a myriad of playoff implications. Austin currently resides in the 5th spot in the NBA Development League standings and Sioux Falls is 7th with Tulsa sandwiched between.
Neither team had a lengthy run during the course of the game. Austin (25-20) had a couple of 7-0 strings and Sioux Falls (24-21) put together two 8-0 bursts in the second half. The surge that had the most damaging effect started with 8 minutes left in the fourth quarter as Sioux Falls took a two point game and pushed it to ten points and the first double digit lead for either team of the game. Ira Newble assistant coach of the Toros admitted after the game it was that particular stretch that decided the game.
Both teams also had their head scratching moments in the closing stages. In particular, Austin's Aron Baynes who inexplicably incurred a flagrant foul during the course of positioning for a rebound on a free throw attempt. Austin was in the course of cutting the Sioux Falls lead to three when the San Antonio Spurs assignee got too aggressive and gave Sioux Falls two free and the ball with 2:48 left. Well, Baynes is from Down Under so maybe he thought it was Australian rules. Sioux Falls who has seen some games slip away late had a two point lead with 24.6 seconds left and turned it over against backcourt pressure.
Thus when the game hung on a possession where the home team had to score, the clamps went down and the Toros were left with a very difficult shot for the tie that missed. Overall, Sioux Falls can be pleased with their defensive effort holding Austin to 39 percent shooting from the floor while the Skyforce had it clicking to the tune of 54 percent. In fact Sioux Falls had one more basket than Austin and accomplished the feat with thirteen less shots.
Jarvis Varnado had the hottest hand for Sioux Falls as the Miami Heat assignee scored 23 with 5 rebounds, 5 steals and 2 blocked shots before fouling out. Demetris Nichols added 20 points with 9 rebounds. For the Toros, Tre Kelley posted 23 points and Jamarr Sanders chipped in 15. Both teams have tough division rivalries ahead this weekend with Austin facing Tulsa twice while Sioux Falls plays at the division leading Rio Grande Valley Vipers on Friday and Saturday night.


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Hey gang,
If any of you are rockin' the BOSS VF-1 multi-effects unit and running Windows, I suggest you head on over to VF-1 Editor and check out the patch editor I've written!
I've had a few people testing it for me but it's just now getting exposed to the masses, so there could still be some bugs/issues. If that's the case, I apologize, but let me know and I'll get 'em sorted out as quick as I can.
I hope you enjoy it, and have fun!


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Ulman Fund needed a new banner ad design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 15 designs submitted by 4 freelance designers.
Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults- http://www.ulmancancerfund.org
Who We Are
A leading voice in the young adult cancer movement, we are working at a grassroots level to support, educate, connect and empower young adult cancer survivors.
We enhance lives by supporting, educating and connecting young adults, and their loved ones, affected by cancer.
Half Full Triathlon
We envision a world in which all young adults affected by cancer will have the access to resources necessary to thrive.
This isn't your ordinary triathlon. The Half Full Triathlon is a 70-mile fight for young adult cancer support. We are making a statement about cancer and we need your help. We chose the distance of 70 Miles versus the more well known 70.3 Mile distance for this race for one important reason.
ages 25-55
create a collateral piece that is both suitable for print (glossy full page, full color magazine) and email blast to market event. Audience is 25-55, athletic. Event benefits young adults (aged 15-40) affected by all types of cancer.
Need something clean and appealing.
Deliverables include:
ai files
InDesign files
All assets can be pulled from http://www.halffulltri.org


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Tuesday, September 28, 2010
celebration bento: F2K
I apologize for it being quite belated, I should have done this a couple weeks ago! Any idea what I'm talking about?
On September 7 the Another Lunch FaceBook Page hit 2000 fans! Wowza! :) Ergo, a F2K celebration bento!
The status I posted that night was, "Holy Moly Guacamole!! 2000 fans! I'm amazed! THANKS everyone! :) To celebrate, I'm giving away more bento picks! Just comment or "like" this status for your chance to win! :)"
So therefore, this little celebration bento is a fiesta in a box:
- the best corn chips I've ever had (seriously!)(I'll tell you more about them soon!)
- silicone cup of holy moly guacamole
- tortilla roll-up with some shredded chicken inside
- shredded cheese and more cheese :)
- fruit leather hearts, just cuz I luv you guys!!
Tonight I'll announce the two winners for the picks on Facebook! Yep, two winners. :) I have a couple different packs of picks to choose from, so I'll be private messaging the winners via Facebook to select which ones you'd like!
We are already bearing down on the 3000 mark on Facebook (craziness!), and so I'm putting on my thinking cap to see what I can pull together for that milestone! :)
11 comments:
- EP said... [Reply to comment]
I never saw the status update! Boo, I would have like some picks :) But so glad you got to 2000 fans :D
- September 28, 2010 at 2:56 PM
- Shayne said... [Reply to comment]
congrats again :) , I know I said it then ( atleast Im hoping I did ( might check on that lol ) but Congrats again
- September 28, 2010 at 3:32 PM
- Jenn @ BentoForKidlet said... [Reply to comment]
Awesome bento for an awesome milestone!! Great job :D
- September 28, 2010 at 3:49 PM
- Wendy said... [Reply to comment]
Congrats! What an incredible milestone!
- September 28, 2010 at 3:54 PM
- azbaby24 said... [Reply to comment]
Great milestone for a great blog!
- September 28, 2010 at 5:22 PM
- The Carey Family said... [Reply to comment]
Yay! Definitely one of my favorite blogs =)
- September 28, 2010 at 5:59 PM
- Julie said... [Reply to comment]
I am a new follower- so happy to have found you. Your ideas help me in the morning while I am packing lunched. Thanks!
- September 28, 2010 at 10:11 PM
- Jayne said... [Reply to comment]
Holy guacamole is right!!! Today Show here you come (soon-ish I hope)! :) P.S. I've been telling people that when you go to New York to tape the show(s) (i.e. Today, Martha, etc.) that I'm going with you. Thought you should know that. Who knew blogging about Bento would be your thing?! You're doing a great job. I'm very proud of you old friend :)
- September 28, 2010 at 11:14 PM
- milk tooth's rain said... [Reply to comment]
lovely and so inspiring for my daily homemade lunch at work :)
- September 29, 2010 at 4:17 AM
- Joelle said... [Reply to comment]
i love this website....i like like your supplies.. i hope i win! firstname.lastname@example.com
- September 29, 2010 at 9:09 AM
- Cher said... [Reply to comment]
Congratulations! You have great ideas and great pictures. Keep up the good work!
- September 29, 2010 at 11:34 AM


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Home Page
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Mariah Milano after dinner in Verona, Italy on a foggy January night.
My Personal Hotel and Restaurant Reviews....
One thing that has become invaluable to me in recent years are traveler reviews of hotels and restaurants. I have lived and died by TripAdvisor which has yet to steer me wrong. I have disagreed with some of the star ratings but all-in-all I prefer to take the experiences of actual travelers over the places trying to sell me accomodations or meals. So here is where I will post my reviews based 100% on my own personal experiences at each place.
Tips for Booking Hotels Abroad....
One thing to always remember when traveling in other countries is to not compare to what you are used to. For example, in London hotel rooms are small. Smaller than small actually, and that is the norm there. You might see spacious rooms in brochures or on website galleries but trust me, the hotel rooms in London are exceptionally small. This is very common in all of Europe but London seems to have even smaller rooms which sucks because they are also much more expensive. It is hard to find a decent room in London in a good area for under 300 pounds which translates to about $460 US dollars. Notice that I said decent, not "nice" or "great". You want nice and great, expect to really pay for that luxury. So when leaving the US leave it behind and drop your expectations and standards and I promise your experience will be much better.
Plan for some Unexpected Surprises....
Another thing that sometimes comes as a surprise when traveling abroad is the size or complete lack of elevators, or "Lifts" as they are called most everywhere outside of the US.
Most lifts in Europe are tiny.
Tiny as in 2 people at the very most without luggage or one person and luggage stacked one bag on top of another. Many places have no lifts at all and you're expected to climb several flights of stairs as you come and go so don't forget anything! One place I stayed in London was on the 5th floor with no lift and very narrow steep stairs that wound around and around. One night after too many drinks I slipped and skinned my knee on the carpet and to this day have the souvenir of a rug burn scar that did NOT come from an enjoyed carpet ride!
At Least try and Speak the Language and know the proper Etiquette....
If you are going to a country where they speak a different language you should at least learn some basic terms and customs before you go! For example, in almost all cultures other than US it is extremely rude to begin speaking to someone and not greet them with hello before you do . So when you walk in to a store in Paris and have a question,, don't just do it in English as if it is expected of every one to accomodate you. First greet them with a bonjour or bonsoir and then say politely, "Do you speak English?" Then ask your question. The French have a reputation for being rude assholes but if you try and speak a little French you will be amazed at how quickly their attitudes change. Do you wish to share your travel experiences?
Email me!
a morning phone pic on my balcony in Nice, France
A Cuban cigar after dinner in Geneva, Switzerland
Enjoying a cold Heineken in Amsterdam, Holland
The Red Dots are featured reviews - Mouse Over Pink Dots for Review
"Everyone is born as a part of the world. But to see far away places and different ways of life makes the world a part of you"
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Happy Hour
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NASHVILLE -- DecembeRadio is the epitome of a band who has paid their dues. They have spent years traveling around the country honing their sound in hundreds of different venues. They have knocked on the doors of many record companies only to be turned away. Needless to say, a variety of hard knocks has made them humble.
Breaking through in 2006 with their self-titled debut release, the Virginia based quartet finally began to reap the rewards from years of hard work – a 2007 Grammy nomination, a 2007 Dove Award, and four Top Ten hits.
With their new release, "Satisfied", DecembeRadio hopes to continue their unwavering commitment to spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
CBN.com Program Director Chris Carpenter recently sat down with lead singer/bassist Josh Reedy and lead guitarist Brian Bunn to discuss the new album, their reputation for performing live, and what important lesson they learned from Third Day.
A lot of people think that DecembeRadio is fairly new to the scene. Your first album came out in 2005. People see that and think that you are a new band. But in reality, this group has been around for 10 years. What has kept you going all those years until you got your first record out in mass release?
Josh Reedy: I think it is just the love for what we do. I will be honest, we are blessed to be in the place where we are – to be accepted by the music industry. I'm sure some people love us and others might not. But above all that, none of this could have gone or happened, the Grammy nomination, the Dove Award, or being on a record label if we didn't love what we do. It is a passion and I can't see myself doing anything else. It is a calling for us.
Brian Bunn: Being called, that is the biggest thing. When you know that God has placed a calling on your life you have to follow that. That is about the only thing that keeps us going sometimes.
You have developed a reputation of being a great live band. I have seen you perform live twice and I can attest that you have a lot of energy onstage. How do you take that great live quality that your music exhibits and translate it successfully into your studio recordings?
Reedy: It's not always easy. That is a very good question because when we went in to do the first record we discovered that there are so many different ways you can record. We were like, 'You know what? Let's just set up (our equipment) in this room and let's play as a live band.' We did it like this because we felt confident enough as players that we could do that and get into a groove to where we could really capture that live energy and rawness. We did that on the first record and it ended up being a great experience. We would go back and redo a few things but really captured the energy especially with the drums. We love playing live and jamming. On the new record, we are hoping to throw in a special bonus or hidden track jam. On "Satisfied", we caught a few things on tape that hopefully will be a benefit to the album. Recording is a great process and we just want to have fun with it. We recorded "Stranded" in Atlanta where Third Day records most of their records.
Speaking of Third Day, you just finished up a tour with them as their opening act. They are a group widely considered to be one of the all-time greats in Christian music. In your time with them out on the road, what did you learn from them?
Bunn: It was amazing. They have been doing this for 15 years so they know exactly how to interact with the audience, what songs to play, what to say, so it was an awesome experience for us. First of all, it has always been a dream of ours. We have been Third Day fans for a long time. We grew up listening to them. Just to get a chance to experience that and to learn from them was incredible. It is that whole "iron sharpens iron" thing. So, it was just really great to be part of that.
Reedy: It was really cool to be able to watch Mac (Powell) up on stage. With me being a front man, I'm always trying to figure out a new way or tweaking how I connect with an audience. It is tough for me sometimes. I'm confident in who I am on the stage but I am always just a little self-conscious trying to figure out whether I am connecting with people. It is awesome to watch someone like Mac who is so non-chalant onstage. That really spoke to me and inspired me. I just learned from that, seeing how those guys are still rooted in the thing that got them started. When they first came on the scene they definitely weren't watered down in their faith. It is really refreshing to see a band that has maintained that standard and stayed true to who they are in Jesus Christ. That speaks volumes to me.
You have just released a new album called "Satisfied". Tell me about it.
Bunn: There are a lot of songs on this record that we are excited about. There is a song called "Better Man" that we are really proud of. It talks about things we go through in life, good or bad, if we learn from our mistakes and follow Jesus Christ it will make us a better man. There is another song called "Love Can" that has a great line in it – "What can build a bridge between a Holy God and a sinful man.' As simple as it may be it is so deep and says so much. We are excited about this album. We feel we have learned more as a band and what works live. We thought about that a lot more when we went into the studio. We feel like we have become better songwriters. We have learned a lot over the last three years since our first release. We have had a chance to work with a lot of great artists and songwriters.
Does "Satisfied" have any one centralized theme? A lot of times people do albums that have a sort of conceptualized story arc. In other words, a record where every thing builds off one central theme.
Reedy: All the songs are actually really dealing with uplifting themes. There are not really any dark songs on this record. On the first album, we had a few songs ("Razor", "Greed") that were just dealing with a lot of things, a lot of dark things that can kind of creep up on your life. "Satisfied" really has a message of hope and celebration. That is who we are live as a band. We love playing songs that are just super fun to play. Musically, these songs have more of an Aerosmith-type of vibe. Hope is definitely a general theme you will hear when you listen to the record. There are a few songs talking about love and that God is our first and only true love. We need to always remember that.
If you could pick one song that you think defines the essence of DecembeRadio and who you are, what would it be? I'm sorry if this comes across as a Barbara Walters "If you were a tree what tree would you be?" type question.
Reedy: I would say "Drifter" from our first album. That one for me actually has a lot of what defined us as a band to the public eye. It was probably the biggest song on the first record. The way that song came together was really a God thing. God put all of those things into place – the sound – we knew we had this sound that we wanted to portray. Sometimes you do that but sometimes it is hard and it doesn't come out the way you want it to. I think on that song we really did that.
Final question, what has God been teaching you lately? What has He been showing you?
Bunn: For me, God just continues to show me to enjoy the journey and not to always be so worried about the destination or final point but just to enjoy getting there. He is showing me to be faithful in the small things along the way and to just realize that He is preparing me and getting that foundation ready. So, I need not to try and jump ahead but to wait on Him.
Tell Me What You Think
A caring friend will be there to pray with you in your time of need.
DecembeRadio on MySpace
Satisfied (2008)
DecembeRadio's song "Dangerous" is the theme song of Discovery Channel's "Hazard Pay" program. It has also appeared twice on the CBS television program "Cane"..
DecembeRadio artist profile


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The Gulf of Tonkin Incident, which occurred in the first days of August, 1964, led the government of President Lyndon Johnson to dramatically intensify its participation in the Vietnam War. The President and such advisors as Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara, declared often that the United States "will seek no wider war". They insisted that the United States was only responding to the attacks of the North Vietnamese navy on United States destroyers. Yet, the United States response included daily bombing raids on both civilian and military targets in North Vietnam. Preparations were made to send more ground troops to South Vietnam, and military forces were strengthened throughout Southeast Asia. The United States military response to the Gulf of Tonkin Incident increased Cold War tensions between the United States, China and the Soviet Union.
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"U.S. Planes Hit North Vietnam... " article in The Greenfield Record-Gazette newspaper
"Don't Tread On Us" editorial in The Greenfield Recorder-Gazette newspaper
"Goldwater Backs President's Acts in Emergency" article in The Greenfield Recorder-Gazette newspaper
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text: On Oct 5, 2007, at 4:17 PM, Leif Nixon wrote: > "Geoff Galitz" <geoff at galitz.org> writes: > >> Why do you automatically distrust hardware raid? > > To some extent I share Mark's sentiment. I certainly trust the > Linux kernel more than the firmware in a cheap raid controller. Let me offer up a somewhat concrete example of a problem with hardware raid. A local group around here kept some Very Important Data on a hardware raid array. Due to several factors, a backup was not made of certain data. The device lost a drive and started an automagic rebuild on one of the hot spares. The sudden beating that the other drives took (because of the rebuild) caused a second hard drive to fail (always a concern with RAID5). Since the data was not fully backed up, the drives were sent out for a Very Expensive Recovery. Most of the data was recovered but once the drives were reinstalled in the enclosure, the hardware raid could not be made to understand that all the drives were now okay. It essentially got itself into an unrecoverable state that could not be changed by us mere mortals (since data formats and such on hardware raid tend to be proprietary). So the entire array had to be sent out for another Even More Expensive Recovery to get the data back. Now while this is kind of a "perfect storm" in turns of hardware and data failure, it does illustrate the extent of control that you give up when going with a hardware raid solution. I think that the higher end vendors (ie. NetApp, EMC, et al) have their reliability up to the point where this is much less of a risk. But for the low-end beer budget cluster, software raid is probably still the way to go. As for the "mid-tier" vendors, I would be very cautious and pay close attention to the worst case data lose scenario. Good luck, -bill


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zh-CN:Thunar Template:Article summary start Template:Article summary text Template:Article summary heading Template:Article summary wiki: Thunar is installed with a nominal installation of xfce4. Template:Article summary text. Template:Article summary end
Thunar is a file manager that is designed to be fast, lightweight, and easy-to-use. It can be installed by itself or as part of the xfce4 group.
- 1 Installation
- 2 Automounting
- 3 Thunar Volume Manager
- 4 Tips and Tricks
- 5 Other plugins and addons
- 6 Custom actions
- 7 Links and References
Install the thunar package which is available in the official repositories.
If you are running Xfce4, you probably already have Thunar installed.
Thunar uses gvfs for automounting, see GVFS for details on getting it working.
Thunar Volume Manager
While Thunar can support automatic mounting and unmounting of removable media, the Thunar Volume Manager allows extended functionality, such as automatically running commands or automatically opening a Thunar window for mounted media.
Thunar Volume Manager can be installed from the package thunar-volman in the official repositories.
It can also be configured to execute certain actions when cameras and audio players are connected. After installing the plugin:
- Launch Thunar and go to Edit -> Preferences
- Under the 'Advanced' tab, check 'Enable Volume Management'
- Click configure and check the following items:
- Mount removable drives when hot-plugged.
- Mount removable media when inserted.
- Also make desired changes (see the example below)
Here's an example setting for making Amarok play an audio CD.
Multimedia - Audio CDs:
amarok --cdplay %d
Tips and Tricks
Using Thunar to browse remote locations
Since Xfce 4.8 (Thunar 1.2) it is possible to browse remote locations (such as FTP servers or Samba shares) directly in Thunar, similar to the functionality found in GNOME and KDE. The gvfs and gvfs-smb packages are required to enable this functionality. Both packages are available in the official repositories.
After a restart of Xfce an additional "Network" entry is added to Thunar's side bar and remote locations can be opened by using the following URI schemes in the location dialog (opened with Template:Keypress): smb://, ftp://, ssh://
Starting in Daemon Mode
Thunar may be run in daemon mode. This has several advantages, including a faster startup for Thunar, as well as Thunar running in the background and only opening a window when necessary (for instance, when a flash drive is inserted).
One option is to autostart it using
.xinitrc or an autostart script (such as Openbox's
autostart). It is up to you to decide the best way to start it, and this option can be run from a script or run directly as a command in the terminal.
To run Thunar in daemon mode, simply add to your autostart script or run from the terminal:
$ thunar --daemon &
Setting the Icon Theme
When using Thunar outside of Gnome or Xfce, certain packages and configurations that control which icons are used may be missing. Window Managers like Awesome and Xmonad do not come with XSettings managers, which is where Thunar looks first for it's icon setting. It is possible to install and run xfce-mcs-manager from a startup script if many Xfce4 and Gnome applications are going to be used. The gtk-icon-theme-name setting for gtk2 can be set for a user by adding something like the following to
gtk-icon-theme-name = "Tango"
Of course, just installing the gnome-icon-theme package will give Thunar an icon theme to use other than the default paper icon for all items.
# pacman -S gnome-icon-theme
Solving problem with slow cold start
Some people still have problems with Thunar taking a long time to start for the first time. This is due to gvfs checking the network, preventing Thunar from starting until gvfs finishes its operations. To change this behaviour, edit
/usr/share/gvfs/mounts/network.mount and change AutoMount=true to AutoMount=false.
Other plugins and addons
Many of these packages belong to the xfce4-goodies group. If you've installed the group, you probably have these packages already.
Thunar Archive Plugin
The Thunar Archive Plugin allows you to create and extract archive files using contextual menu items. It does not create or extract archives directly, but instead acts as a frontend for other programs such as File Roller, Ark, or Xarchiver. It is available through the thunar-archive-plugin package in the official repositories.
Thunar Media Tags Plugin
The Thunar Media Tags Plugin allows you to view detailed information about media files. It also has a bulk renamed and allows editing of media tags. It supports ID3 (the MP3 file format's system) and Ogg/Vorbis tags. It is available through the thunar-media-tags-plugin package.
Thunar thumbnails
Thunar relies on an external program called tumbler to generate thumbnails. It is available through the tumbler package.
To generate video thumbnails, you also need to install ffmpegthumbnailer.
The Thunar Shares Plugin allows you to quickly share a folder using Samba from Thunar without requiring root access. It is available through the thunar-shares-pluginAUR package in the AUR.
See Samba#Creating user share path for configuration directions.
Custom actions
This section covers useful custom actions which can be accessed through Edit -> Configure custom actions. More examples are listed in the thunar wiki.
Scan for viruses
To use this action you need to have clamav and clamtk installed.
|File patterns
|Appears if selection contains
|Scan for virus
|clamtk %F
|Select all
Link to Dropbox
|File patterns
|Appears if selection contains
|Link to Dropbox
|ln -s %f /path/to/DropboxFolder
|Directories, other files
Please note that when using many custom actions to symlink files and folder to a particular place, it might be useful to put them into the
Send To folder of the context menu to avoid that the menu itself gets bloated. This is fairly easy to achieve and requires a .desktop file in
~/.local/share/Thunar/sendto for each action to perform. Say we want to put the above dropbox symlink action into Send To, we create a
dropbox_folder.desktop with the following content. The new applied action will be active after restarting Thunar.
[Desktop Entry] Type=Application Version=1.0 Encoding=UTF-8 Exec=ln -s %f /path/to/DropboxFolder Icon=/usr/share/icons/dropbox.png Name=Dropbox
Links and References
- Thunar project page.
- Thunar Volume Manager project page.
- Thunar Archive Plugin project page.
- Thunar Media Tags Plugin project page.
- Thunar Shares Plugin project page.
- This list of plugins.


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WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — The reaction of the business community in Arizona and beyond to state legislation that would give businesses the right to refuse service to gay and lesbian customers on religious grounds shows that dollars do indeed trump ideology.
The tipping point on society's acceptance of gender orientation, including same-sex couples, has long since been reached and the rearguard action by Arizona legislators poses a direct threat to the state's economy. Read The Margin blog: Support for gay marriage has increased over the past decade
This has been the message over the past few days to Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, urging her to veto the bill before the Friday deadline that would allow it to become law even without her signature.
Seemingly everyone, from the Marriott MAR, -0.45% hotel chain to American Airlines AAL, -2.80% recently merged with Arizona-based U.S. Airways, to the state's small-business association have warned about the impact of a law allowing discrimination against the LGBT community on the state's tourism and convention businesses and on investment.
The Arizona Chamber of Commerce said it sent a letter to Brewer about the legislation, saying its members "are very concerned about the effect it could have on Arizona's economy."
The letter continued: "As leaders in the business community, we cannot support measures that could expose our businesses to litigation, nor do we want to send a message that our state is anything but an open and attractive place for visitors and the top talent that will be the cornerstone of our continued economic growth."
The National Football League has even indicated it could move next season's Super Bowl, scheduled to be played in Glendale, Ariz., with all its attendant business and publicity.
"Our policies emphasize tolerance and inclusiveness, and prohibit discrimination based on age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other improper standard," according to an email sent to the press by NFL spokesman Greg Aiello. "We are following the issue in Arizona and will continue to do so should the bill be signed into law, but will decline further comment at this time."
The NFL has moved a Super Bowl out of Arizona once previously, in 1993, when the state refused to recognize the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. The league has also been considering Arizona for next year's Pro Bowl, giving it additional leverage in the debate.
Businesses argue that the state hasn't fully recovered from the impact of the 2008 financial crisis and that the new law would deter both individuals and companies from visiting or locating in the state.
Small-business owners worry that the legislation as worded would allow individual employees to refuse service based on their religious beliefs.
The business community's stance on the issue is so unequivocal that the feeling is that Brewer will veto the bill. Her remarks as she returned to the state from the National Governors Association meeting in Washington that she would do what was best for Arizona was widely perceived as a sign she would block the legislation from becoming law.
A veto would be a victory for economic pragmatism, even in a state that has often been an ideological battleground. It may also send a message to state legislators in Arizona and elsewhere about where the true interests of voters lie.
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Whoa, the big guns are out for the welcome wagon today. Hi Lizzy!LizzieSamps said:Welcome to the Family!! I got my egg in June and have been welcomed so warmly. I was learning from scratch and did a brisket after about 1 month. It was quite the experience but turned out very tasty!! There is a large thread about it that has many laughs, good luck this weekend on your first cooks, and don't forget the pics.
dweebs0r said:Welcome! Enjoy the forum and ignore the troll flags. Not all of us are like that. Hopefully those flags will go away since they are being greatly abused by a select few.
Thats pretty funny. Thanks for the chuckle.That had to take a longtime. I should know.


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Five groups have submitted bids to become the new home to roughly 900 state workers.
One Commerce Square is one of several sites being considered by the state, which is looking to relocate about 900 employees Downtown.
(Daily News File/Lance Murphey)
JP-Memphis, Memphis Commerce Square Partners, Peabody Tower GP, Peabody Place Gold GP and Hertz Memphis all submitted bids for the state's real estate needs.
The state received bids Tuesday, July 2, for 100,000 square feet of office space that will become vacant when the state abandons the Donnelly J. Hill State Office Building Downtown.
The state has made it a priority to keep the state office workers Downtown. The state's last Request for Qualifications from the agency that handles state real estate put the focus entirely on Downtown.
"We will be evaluating these responses in accordance with the terms of the (RFQ)," said Leah Dupree with the state's Department of General Services.
Information released by the state didn't include the buildings proposed by the bidders to house the state workers, but the Shelby County Assessor of Property shows some of the likely properties in contention for the contract.
For example, JP-Memphis owns the office building at 1991 Corporate Ave. in the Nonconnah Corporate Center, near the airport and outside Downtown; Memphis Commerce Square Partners owns One Commerce Square at 40 S. Main St. Downtown; and Hertz Memphis owns the Toyota Center at 185 Monroe Ave. and the Falls Building at 22 N. Front St.
The state, following a consultant's recommendation, said it would vacate the Hill Building in Civic Center Plaza. Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam said the roughly 900 workers there would be relocated Downtown.
"(Haslam) said he's gong to do it and there's no barrier to then doing it," said Downtown Memphis Commission president Paul Morris.
Keeping the state office workers Downtown was critical, Morris said.
"It really goes to the importance of Downtown to the whole community," Morris said. "You can't have a great city without a great Downtown. Office workers Downtown are critical to the businesses Downtown, which in turn is critical to the image of Memphis."
The last RFQ from the Department of General Services said the area for the site would be bounded on the west by the Mississippi River, Interstate 40 on the north, I-55 to the south and I-240 on the east. The location must also be within "a comfortable walk," which it described as 10 minutes, of a bus stop.
A previous state RFQ sought bids for Downtown, Midtown and the airport area. The state plans to issue a notice of award for the lease on July 23.
The state has made several concessions to make it easier for Downtown property owners to satisfy the state's needs.
The General Services' RFQ says the state requirement for 100,000 square feet of contiguous space could be met if the space is divided into blocks where 35,000 square feet and 65,000 square feet are contiguous. The state also said that hurdle could be met if proposers submitted proposals for only 35,000 square feet or only 65,000 square feet, opening the door for property owners with smaller square footage to offer.
Last year, the state agency that handles real estate said the Hill Building, which opened in 1968, was functionally obsolete and it would be cheaper to sell the 12-story structure than spend $9 million to improve it. The state's decision was based on a recommendation by Jones Lang LaSalle, a Chicago-based real estate firm with an office in Memphis.
The state is operating on a fairly tight deadline. The state is expected to complete proposal evaluations by July 9. Completion of cost proposal studies should be done July 24. On Aug. 14 the state is expected to complete negotiations and negotiated cost proposal evaluations.
As the state prepares to leave the building on Civic Center Plaza Downtown, Memphis Chief Administrative Officer George Little said the city was in the early stages of exploring whether the building was suitable for relocating city services spread across the city into the building.
Copyright 1995 -
by The Daily News Publishing Co. Inc. - All Rights Reserved


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SAN FRANCISCO -- Intel, whose processors are firing away in 95 percent of all data centers, literally has been at the center of the data center world for generations. However, with all that power and influence in the silicon hardware sector, it has never been recognized by the general public -- and Wall Street, for that matter -- as the major player in the software world it is.
That non-awareness is changing. Intel, with 12,000 of its 100,100 full-time people employed in its software development and testing division, now describes itself as the fifth-largest software producer in the world. And this isn't just about firmware; we're talking about software applications in all forms.
The world's largest chip designer and maker now wants to have more of an influence in how all that software runs inside those boxes and inside new-generation data centers. To do this, it needed a new approach, and Sept. 11 it sent Diane Bryant (pictured) to the Intel Developer Forum here at Moscone West to explain it all.
New Devices Fueling Change in the Data Center
Further reading
"This is all rooted in the drive for innovation around the data center," Bryant, Intel's vice president and general manager of the Data Center and Connected Systems Group, told eWEEK in an interview. "There is an incredible amount of innovation taking place on the device side, with more and more people coming online with more and more devices. All of that fuels the data center buildup."
Bryant outlined Intel's data center strategy, wrapped around several announcements involving new initiatives and products. "What I'm responsible for are Intel solutions across server, storage and network," Bryant said, "all aspects of data center infrastructure, from high-performance computing, to cloud service providers, to our standard enterprise IT -- as well as all the billions of edge devices, the machine-to-machine connections."
Bryant did not reveal much detail in terms of the corporate initiatives, focusing instead on general overviews of what the world's largest chip maker is planning. The newest products involve new 22nm Xeon processors and a cloud-system research tool called Cloud Finder.
The initiatives involve current hot topics such as big data analytics, high-performance computing and fabrics, security, cloud computing standards, and the increasing pace of cloud system adoption.
A Lot Has Changed at Intel in Five Years
"Five years ago, Intel was all about selling Xeon chips to the enterprise," Bryant said. "Before 2008, 75 percent of Intel's business was with three customers: Hewlett-Packard, Dell and IBM, in that order. Now all this change (zillions of devices, cloud systems, larger workloads, the rise of analytics) forces us to think differently: The data center is now the system! And the cloud is the interconnection of multiple data centers.
"Intel's entire history is built on 'innovate and integrate': innovate new capabilities, and then integrate it onto a silicon platform."


text:
Name our production studio(s)!Comments
In the first podcast, Lawyers, Guns and Money presented a Lawyers, Guns and Money Production. Which is all well-and-fine for a first podcast, but as we're mere decades away from monetizing the Internet, I think we need names that are more representative than repetitious. In the comments to Other Scott's recent post, I suggested that Lawyers, Guns and Money should present
- A Head on a Stick Production
- An Internet Tradition Production
- A Pancakes for Jenny Production
I was thinking we needed one studio, but there's no reason each of us can't have our own. For example, Hogan won the Internet by nominating Erik to be the CEO of
- Control the Means of Production Productions
Also, Njorl pointed out that we don't need to stick to "Productions," but somehow missed the opportunity to note that our next podcast could be a Pancakes for Jenny Joint.
So I appeal to your vast knowledge of all Internet Traditions to help us figure out who we should be. The winner(s) will receive fleeting acclaim on a mid-level political-and-whatever-it-is-I-do blog and possibly an invitation to participate in a forthcoming podcast. Have at it!


text:
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Mentos Fuji Apple
Santos returned to LA with some wonderful new Mentos for me to try! (See more of her lovely gifts to Los Angeles bloggers at Franklin Avenue.)
Today I'm sampling the fantabulous and refreshing Mentos Fuji Apple.
The Green Apple Mentos that are pretty easy to find domestically (sometimes they're labeled for Canadian sale and say Pomme Vert), but they're definitely not the same thing. The Green Apple Mentos taste like that wonderful artificial green apple. Kind of plastic but puckeringly pleasant.
The Fuji Apple Mentos are a lovely off white color, like the inside of a freshly sliced apple.
Fuji Apple, well, is awesome. It replicates that crisp apple flavor so well. A little bit of the apple skin and a lot of the tart tingly flavor of real apples. They say they have "nature identical flavors" in there on the ingredients, for whatever that's worth. If you're a candy swapper or planning a visit to Asia and looking for something inexpensive to bring home for your pet-sitter, this might be the thing.
This candy was made in China and labeled for the Philippine market.
The Mentos USA website says they have a "Flavors of the World" store, but they are sadly lacking in the really great flavors they do offer overseas. Oh, how I wish that they did carry the true global varieties. Japan, Philippines and China all carry this flavor and it's possible you can pick them up in Australia easily. I haven't seen them in the Asian markets in Los Angeles (but I haven't looked very hard since Santos always hooks me up).
Note: these Mentos have no gelatin in them as the American and European ones do but contain something called Gellan Gum instead as a thickening agent. They are not certified Halal or Kosher though (I have some others that I'll post about that are Halal). Maybe some vegans can weigh in on whether Gellan Gum (derived from bacterial cultures) is on the approved list.
Another curiosity ... in the US Mentos are usually called Chewy Mint on the package. Just about everywhere else they're called Chewy Dragees.
Related Candies
POSTED BY Cybele AT 9:11 am
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Meticulously photographed and documented reviews of candy from around the world. And the occasional other sweet adventures. Open your mouth, expand your mind.


text:
Even if you're a remarkable boss -- and here's how to tell if you're a remarkable boss --there's a lot you don't know about your employees.
There's also a lot employees don't know about you.
Here are ten things bosses wish they could say to their employees:
1. I care about whether you like me.
I want you to like me. When I come off like a hard-ass who doesn't care about your opinions, it's mostly because I'm insecure or uncertain of my authority.
If I'm the owner, my business is an extension of myself. If I'm your boss, the company is at least partly an extension of myself. So I want you to like your job.
And I definitely want you to like me.
2. I don't think I know everything.
A few people stepped in, without being asked, and made a huge difference in my professional life. I will always be grateful to them.
So I don't offer you advice because I think I'm all knowing or all-powerful. I see something special in you, and I'm repaying the debt I owe to the people who helped me.
3. I think it's great when you're having fun.
You don't have to lower your voice and pretend to be working really hard when I walk by. I know it's possible to perform at a high level and have a little fun at the same time. Before I started acting all serious, I used to work that way, too.
When you enjoy what you do it makes me feel a little better about our company and about myself.
I get to feel like I'm part of something more than just a business.
4. I want to pay you more.
I would love to be the employer of choice in the industry or the area. I can't, mostly due to financial constraints, and if I own the business, because the risks I've taken require a reasonable reward. (If I go out of business tomorrow, you lose your job. That's terrible, I know. But I lose my business, my investment, my credit, my house… I could lose everything.)
Someday, if you become a boss - or especially if you start your own business - I promise you'll understand.
5. I want you to work here forever.
Job-hopping may be a fact of business life, but as a boss it's a fact I hate. I don't see you as a disposable part. When you leave, it hurts. A part of me feels like I've failed.
I want to run the kind of business people hope to retire from.
6. We sell what we can sell.
I know you despise filling certain types of orders or doing certain types of work. It's aggravating, it makes you fall behind, it makes it tough to hit your targets and goals… it's a pain.
You wish we would sell other work. Unfortunately (from your point of view at least) sometimes the jobs that takes the most time are actually the most profitable for our company. And even if they aren't that profitable, sometimes the least desirable work (from your point of view) is the only work we can sell.
And sometimes we take terrible jobs because it's the only way to keep the lights on.
7. I would love to turn you loose.
You can't stand to be micromanaged. That's good, because I hate to micromanage. But freedom is earned, not given. Show me you can fly on your own and I'll gladly focus on something or someone else.
In fact, if you feel I'm micromanaging you, tell me. Say, "I can tell you don't quite trust me to handle this well. I understand, so I'm going to prove to you that you can trust me."
Pull that off, and not only will I get off your back, I'll respect you even more.
8. I do notice when others don't pull their weight.
I'm not blind. But I won't discipline anyone in front of you. Every employee, no matter how poorly they perform, has the right to confidentiality and privacy.
And sometimes I won't discipline those people at all, because occasionally more is going on than you know. You wouldn't realize that, though, because oftentimes…
9. There are things I just can't tell you.
Even though I would love to, and even though you and I have become friends. Still, I can't. Especially if it regards other employees.
10. Leadership is like a smorgasbord of insecurity.
I worry about sales. I worry about costs. I worry about facilities and employees and vendors and customers and… you name it, I worry about it.
So occasionally I'm snappy. Occasionally I'm distracted. Occasionally I'm tense and irritable and short-tempered. It's not your fault. I'm just worried.
More than anything, I'm worried about whether I can fulfill the trust you place in me as your boss.
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This was originally published by Inc.


text: Chevrolet Cruze® is equipped with a 4-cylinder engine with 1.8 L MFI and DOHC systems, which give you greater fuel efficiency and 5-speed manual transmission. Chevrolet Cruze® has front disc and rear drum brakes with ABS, 16" wheels and front airbags for driver and passenger. Chevrolet Cruze® is equipped with McPherson ® front suspension and rear semi-independent suspension with a V torsion beam. Sit back and enjoy its AM/FM radio with CD, MP3 and air conditioning with electronic controls.


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You know there are some beauty products that I hear other people talk about a lot but never get round to trying. One of those products is Benefit Erase Paste – I love the name 'Erase Paste' but wasn't too sure about the 'Paste'.
Anyway I finally got a chance to try it out…ummm hello!? Why did no one frog march me to a Benefit counter to buy this?!
Here is the concealer – it comes in 3 shades, light, medium and dark:
They say:
This concentrated, creamy concealer brightens and camouflages in one easy step! Targets dark circles, discoloration and imperfections.
This concealer is different for a number of reasons; it's a creamy, thick, paste like texture and is almost a bit sticky to touch. The colour is a warm melon-salmon shade – it looks scary in the pot.
Benefit shows how its done:
This concealer can be used under the eye but also on other areas of imperfection.
Here is the pot – it comes with a spatula.
I have medium – see how it's an odd orange-peach type shade? Salmon concealers are great for under the eye area, the orange really seems to cover dark circles better than any yellow shade (which can look racoon-like).
Medium worked really well for my NC35 skintone. The texture is another weird one – paste is a great word to describe it. It is extremely thick and opaque – as a concealer it totally works.
It also has this super creamy, rich feel that is almost a bit sticky. Amazingly enough it's easy to spread on the skin if you don't use too much, plus you can just tap it into the skin after warming it up a little. Don't get me wrong – it doesn't go hard when it's cold but it spreads better with some warmth.
I guess sometimes under eye concealers can be too thin – I do like the texture of light eye concealers because they are less likely to settle into fine lines under the eye. If you have deep wrinkles around the eye, be aware that this could settle into them if you use too much.
Here is my scary eye with a few blobs of Erase paste (too much actually!):
Dab dab dab:
I think it works a treat! I've been using this a lot of dry blotchy bits on my face too as it's quite hydrating and it covers instantly…it's just easy to use!
There's a really good tip in the leaflet that comes with this, to cover those lines you get from nose to mouth (smile lines) apply three sweeps of this concealer from the top of the wrinkle outwards like cats whiskas. It's works well!)
I like this product a lot, I wonder how long it will last as the tub isn't that big and I feel like I can use this under the eye AND on normal blemishes!?
This costs £18.50 and you can buy it here.


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MAGALIA, Calif. (AP) – A 72-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and arson in the slayings of three people whose bodies were found inside a burning car in rural Northern California, authorities said on Thursday.
Donald Clark, from the Centerville area of Butte County, was taken into custody after authorities served search warrants on Wednesday, according to the Butte County Sheriff's Office.
He was being held at Butte County Jail on a little more than $3 million bail. He was scheduled to appear in court Friday, according to an automated jail information system.
The burning green 2000 Acura TL, which had been reported stolen to Sacramento police, was discovered June 13 in Magalia, which is about 90 miles north of Sacramento. Two bodies were in the trunk and a third was in the backseat, sheriff's officials said.
They each had gunshot wounds. They have been tentatively identified as Sacramento residents, but authorities were not releasing their names.
Citing an ongoing investigation, sheriff's spokeswoman Miranda Bowersox declined to release additional details, including a possible motive, although she said authorities don't anticipate making additional arrests.
She said she did not know whether Clark had an attorney.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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DD Cup Halter Bikini Top
Brand: Seafolly
Product Code: 30036DD065
Product Code: 30036DD065
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DD Cup Halter Bikini Top from Seafolly. Removeable soft cups with soft neck ties and soft back ties. Great style to fit inbetween sizes.


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taxi-dave needed a new button or icon design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 104 designs submitted by 28 freelance designers.
I would like a site header for a London taxi site. I am thinking sky with some London icons superimposed on top. But then again I could probably do that myself... that's where you come in!
I couldn't buy the URL london-taxi.net so I bought this one instead! The site will be about London taxis, how the system works, the vehicles, the companies etc. I would like 'taxi-london.net' in the header. Thats about it really! The rest is down to you. The size is 900px by 150px.
- Item 1...taxi-london.net in header
- Item 2 ..To blend in with red, white & blue (the other colours used on the site)
- Item 1...Cartoons
- Item 2... Flags


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'Seven Psychopaths' is crazy, good fun
'Seven Psychopaths'' is many things, chief among them a long-overdue love letter to Christopher Walken and a crudely drawn ransom note from Sam Rockwell. Mostly it represents playwright-turned-filmmaker Martin McDonagh trying mightily to up his game. Having disturbed theatergoers with stage dramas like "The Cripple of Inishmaan'' and "The Pillowman,'' and having delighted movie audiences with the existential gangster comedy "In Bruges'' (2008), the Irish bad boy of letters wants to prove he can do it all: make a parody Tarantino movie while going Tarantino one better, pull off a Charlie Kaufman-style meta-movie with genre film juice, give a Guy Ritchie crime caper a literate spin. Basically he wants to be both Coen brothers in one body.
He comes close. "Seven Psychopaths'' is absurdly entertaining even after it disappears up its own hindquarters in the last act, and it gives some of our weirder actors ample room to play. Surprisingly, Colin Farrell isn't one of them: As Marty (nudge-nudge), a struggling Hollywood screenwriter with a fondness for the grape, he's the film's straight man. McDonagh's eye and ear are equally sharp, though. When Marty's agent calls to ask where his latest screenplay is, the camera calmly pans to an empty wine bottle. Later, the hero is the subject of this exchange between two other characters: "Marty's my writer friend I was telling you about.'' "I could smell the booze.''
The first speaker is Billy (Rockwell), a part-time actor and full-time dog-napper who embodies the movie's hyperactive chaos principle. Marty's working on a script called "Seven Psychopaths'' and Billy's desperate to help him. Maybe a little too desperate. We see snippets of the movie in Marty's mind — Psychopath #1, Psychopath #2 — or perhaps they're playing out in real life. Hard to tell but bloody enjoyable (and joyously bloody) to watch. One of these mini-movies stars Harry Dean Stanton as a Quaker psycho, and that casting almost justifies the movie by itself.
Our first sight of Walken is similarly suitable for framing: He's wearing a cravat, holding a lap dog, and reading a pamphlet about breast cancer. All of these details will turn out to make sense. As Hans, Billy's fellow dog-napper — they wait until the "Missing'' posters go up, then return the pooches for the reward — Walken teleports in from Alpha Centauri with a performance of gentle but profound strangeness. McDonagh knows he's lucky to have the actor, and he knows how truly fond of him we've all become over the decades; there's a showdown late in "Seven Psychopaths'' where the audience's deep, satisfying belly laughs come purely from Walken's way of delivering a line.
Hans and Billy have stolen the prize shih tzu of Charlie Costello (Woody Harrelson), a fearsome crime kingpin who is the movie's third or fourth psychopath, depending on where you started counting. The plot eventually comes down to Costello and his gang swearing eternal vengeance on the two while Hans visits his dying wife (a nicely weary Linda Bright Clay) in the hospital and Marty tries to finish his screenplay while ducking the falling bodies.
Or is the screenplay writing him? "Seven Psychopaths'' breaks down the walls of its own narrative early and often with a manic glee that ultimately spins out of control. McDonagh's self-referential dialogue cuts both ways: When Billy tells Marty, "Your women characters are terrible. They have nothing to say!'' he has a point, and Abbie Cornish as the hero's underwritten girlfriend (at one point wearing a winkingly gratuitous wet T-shirt) proves it.
Billy also says about Marty's screenplay, "The first half should be the perfect setup for a revenge flick, and then the lead characters should just drive into the desert, pitch a tent, and talk for the rest of the movie.'' Which is pretty much what happens, although there's a little more gunplay toward the end. Luckily, McDonagh writes dialogue that's spring-loaded with wit, and he regards three characters sitting around chatting as a bet to be taken and doubled down upon.
There's so much going on in "Seven Psychopaths,'' in fact, that the movie finally bursts apart at the seams. The parade of secondary characters includes Gabourey Sidibe ("Precious'') as the unfortunate dog-walker who lost Costello's beloved Bonnie, Tom Waits — clutching a bunny — as one half of a husband-wife vigilante team ("We go around the country killing people who go around the country killing people''), and Kevin Corrigan being Kevin Corrigan.
It's all delightful and exhausting and the only thing that sticks to your emotions is Walken and his moonbeam grace. Rockwell, meanwhile, plays Billy crazier and crazier — and McDonagh lets him — and the performance ends up hijacking the film. By the time several of the characters get their just deserts, you're more than ready for the check.
It's a hell of a meal nonetheless, and worth a little acid indigestion. And McDonagh proves he can juggle multiple bowling balls and only drop a few of them on his toes and ours. Still, as high-spirited and inventive as it is, "Seven Psychopaths'' represents a case of more equaling less. If he can ever turn that formula around, Martin McDonagh may yet be a director of real consequence.


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judo needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 39 designs submitted by 24 freelance designers.
csharphelp.com is a large info site on the C# language gettnig approx 500k uniques per month and is currently being redesigned.
C# Help
Logo have C# Help as the text - a graphic to go with this would also be nice but not essential. Color scheme is totally up to the designer - the new site will have a white background.
- C# Help as the logo text (additional graphic logo to complement this is optional)
- C Sharp Help should not be used
- Do not use .com in the logo
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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> select price
Bittersweet Twilight Memorial
Memorial Flowers
(frame not included)
(frame not included)
Product DescriptionRemember the spirit of a loved one with the Bittersweet Twilight Memorial arrangement, elegantly designed to encompass a photograph. Vibrant peach roses and coral Gerberas highlight the brightness of the spirit while the pale green hydrangeas comfort the heart in this time of sorrow. Picture Frame not Included
You might also be interested in these arrangements
When you order custom designs, they will be produced as closely as possible to the picture. Please remember that each design is custom made. No two arrangements are exactly alike and color and/or variety substitutions of flowers and containers may be necessary. Prices and availability of seasonal flowers may vary.
Our professional staff of floral designers are always eager to discuss any special design or product requests. Call us at the number above and we will be glad to assist you with a special request or a timed delivery.


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Career Guides >> Browse Articles >> Government Job Search
Six Common Myths of Federal Job Hunting
Most federal job seekers spend a majority of their time hunting for positions online, using websites such as USAJOBS.
Shannon Kelly & Dan DeMaio | Monster.com
Myth 6: "The Recruiter Will Figure Out If I'm Qualified"
You need to demonstrate that you are qualified for the position. Read the job announcement carefully, noting keywords, deadlines and required materials. Pay close attention to how application materials should be submitted – this varies from agency to agency. Just because an agency allows a candidate to submit a resume via USAJOBS, it does not mean that completes the initial application process.
The application process to get a job with the federal government is much better than it was a few years ago, and with a little persistence and knowing the truth behind these myths, you can find a rewarding government career that serves the public good.
If you've received a job with the federal government and want to share it, please do so here.
|Previous Step
|Next Step
|Myth 5
|Return to Index


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Health & Beauty
Feel good about yourself!
Grab the spotlight with the help of Place Montreal Trust's health and beauty team. Are you looking for fitness tips? Would you like to learn about improving your skin care routine, the essential items for your beauty kit or the latest celebrity makeup and hair trends? Are you addicted to foundation, mascara or lipstick? Be inspired by our experts' tips and their favorite products!


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Anyway, I'd been perusing the miscellaneous items for a minute or so when I got a whisper from someone.
"Hey, what are you doing here?"
Whatever. Since I've been known to drop in on low level zones on my max level toons from time to time, I've grown accustomed to such questions. Some people seem genuinely perplexed that I'd not be spending all of my time in the Firelands or Icecrown Citadel, I suppose.
"Just loitering around, waiting on a BG."
After a few moments longer, I closed the AH window.
"Yr not waiting on a delivery, are u?"
I blinked. "No," I replied. "I'm good."
"U sure? I've got some gold here for u."
"Yeah, I'm sure." I then took a flight path to Org and marked the toon as a gold seller while on the way.
About a little over a year ago on Age of Conan, I spent a couple of hours teamed up with a pair of players, a Guardian and another Barbarian, while working our way through Conall's Valley. There are quite a few stretches of the valley where safety in numbers is essential, and I was grateful for the company. The conversation was good, and we had fun really sticking it to the Vanir. Over the next couple of weeks, when I'd login to Age of Conan I'd find one or both of them online, and we'd group up and chat.
Then, for a few weeks there was silence, but that didn't surprise me much since the three of us had families and jobs. I never saw the Barbarian again, but one Friday I logged in and saw the Guardian and whispered a hello.
I was ignored.
Puzzled, I whispered a hello again, and then I saw it.
The account started spewing Gen Chat with gold farmer spam.
What exactly is the amount of money that the gold farming industry makes?
Back in 2006, the BBC estimated that the industry made $900 million, but that was well before WoW's current popularity. I'm not exactly sure whether you can directly translate the increase in WoW subs from 2006 to 2013 to corresponding increase in gold farming, but it seems reasonable to say that MMO gold farming is at least a billion dollar business.
While that's not iPad dollars, it's still a big chunk of change, in the realm of such non-IT brands as Heinz ketchup. Think about that the next time when you see gold farmer spam in Gen Chat: gold farming is big business, and people are willing to skirt the law for it.
But at what cost?
Everybody knows somebody who has had a hacked account. Sure, you may get your virtual stuff back, but you really never get over the sense of violation. And the company involved has to spend time and money in getting your stuff restored, never mind attempting to prevent it in the first place.
All of that costs money, and affects a company's bottom line. Security one of those hidden costs that you never see in a company's balance sheet --the lengths a company goes to protect itself from the Black Hats, and the costs involved in successful hacking attempts, user accounts or otherwise-- but it does exist.
MMOs are a game, but you can't say that they are just a game. That's like saying that the New York Yankees or Manchester United aren't worth much because they both are organizations that play kids' games. Good luck trying to say that to a sports fan.
I suppose I ought to explain the trigger for this post.
A few weeks ago, a dormant account from a fellow WoW guildie who'd passed away from an illness over a year ago suddenly became active and refused to respond to tells. An alert guildie informed Blizz, who quickly shut the account back down, but the sheer brazenness about it still sticks in my craw. The Black Hat had to find out about and hack the account, reactivate it with (most likely) a stolen credit card, probably upgrade the account with the same, and only then could they go on their merry way.
Just a game, right?


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By Quentin Fottrell
The latest trend in gravestones is to change "here lies" to "here links." Barcodes much like the ones being slapped on advertisements and billboards are being affixed to headstones to provide mourners ways to connect with the dead online. Forget-me-nots and pansies may wilt, but websites live forever.
After scanning or photographing the "QR" code with a cell phone, people can instantly connect with a website tribute page for a loved one, showing all their favorite music, memories, photographs and videos. Some even include playlists of the deceased's most beloved songs on iTunes. Aaron Sorensen, a chemist and engineer from Salt Lake City, Utah, bought a barcode for his grandparent's dual gravestone Alva and Virgie Sorensen, and for the benefit of their 21 grandchildren: "It's a tribute to them to remember the sacrifices they made to give me a better life."
These "living memorials" are the next step in the so-called Internet footprint that most of us will leave behind. They even made the Doonesbury cartoon strip on October 16. (It says: "Welcome to the Digital Afterlife of Daisy Doonesbury." Wisely, Daisy has a "monitored" comments page because in life she had a lot of "frenemies.") But people buy them when they are planning their own funeral, too. Gravestone barcodes allow people to be the editorial director of their own online obituary, long before their corpse is in the hands of a funeral director. There's also the option to share stories from beyond the grave and provide your family's genealogy for strangers.
The barcodes were only recently made possible with the marriage of smartphones, QR barcodes and websites. David Quiring, president of Quiring Monuments in Seattle, Wa., charges $65, but says they now come free with any monument. Hudson Gunn, president of Code_It Barcodes in Orem, Utah, is in talks with national cemeteries and war memorials. "Demand has been phenomenal," he says. He charges $50 for a barcode, which is secured to the gravestone by adhesive, and hosts the tribute page on his own server for free. And if he closes? "Heaven forbid," he says. "In that case we'll give families all the information."
Most demand is national, but companies say they've also sold hundreds of barcodes to Asia, Australia and Europe, too. (One man in Ireland just bought six from Gunn.) Sorensen says his grandfather Alva took part in the Normandy landings during World War II when 95% of his platoon died; his grandmother Virgie was one of the longest living patients (28 years) with a kidney transplant. They both died in their 70s in 1999. What would they think? "They were very humble," he says, "but they were big on family and this keeps the memories of those who have been great influence in our lives alive."
See more video on living headstones here.