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When you saw the new pet rabbit in Fatal Attraction, did you say to yourself, "That bunny's minutes are numbered"? Or did you have a "friend" who, by teasing you about what happens to the bunny in the movie, actually warns you it's a movie you don't want to see: "Oh, yeah, just when the daughter discovers the bunny's not in the hutch, the mom finds it bubbling in a stew pot.
Real rabbits in the movies are almost always used as props. Most often a bunny is used to delineate a character; how a person treats a rabbit immediately tells what type of person it is. And, frequently the impact on the rabbit is pretty severe. In Fatal Attraction we find out how disturbed Glenn Close's character is by what she does to the bunny. In the comedy Raising Arizona, we know instantly how evil the biker dude is when he lobs a grenade across the desert at a jack rabbit.
Because a live rabbit, as opposed to an animated one, provokes an image of tenderness and vulnerability, directors seem to find them irresistable for emotional manipulation. Harming a bunny also adds shock value. After all, what movie-goers didn't drop the popcorn when the woman in Roger & Me skinned a rabbit before their eyes?
Once in a while a bunny is used to show how good a character is. In the lighthearted movie In the Mood, a teenager is sent to work with his crude uncle who raises rabbits. When our hero learns the bunnies' fate is to become felt, he lets them all go, bringing one along when he runs away. The action is cheered by the audience but is bittersweet for the viewer who realizes the rabbits will be rounded up and still turned into hats. This is one of the few movies in which a bunny actor receives screen credit.
Although a rabbit is occasionally shown hopping across a field (sometimes later to be seen slung over a hunter's shoulder), it's rare to see bunnies on screen merely as part of the atmosphere, the way a cat is sometimes shown occupying a desktop. One exception is Masterpiece Theatre's series on Beatrix Potter, in which a bunny poses as a paperweight. Nor is a rabbit likely to be portrayed as a long-eared listener and companion, like Sam the dog to Mel Gibson in the Lethal Weapon movies. About the only film in which a rabbit is really given an active part is Monty Python and the Search for the Holy Grail. (Harvey doesn't count; if you see it again, you'll be reminded that he wasn't actually a rabbit.)
In spite of being thought of as cute by everyone, rabbits are also hunted and eaten by some. The fairy tale Local Hero illustrates the ambiguous role of bunnies in our world. Two travelers tend to a wild bunny with a broken leg but are horrified when their Scottish innkeepers serve her for supper. Danny heatedly explains, "It had a name! You don't eat things with names!" Unfortunately some people do.
Why is it no one alone in the woods ever finds berries to eat? In Disney's The Journey of Natty Gann, a wolf brings the heroine a very dead rabbit for dinner. Even in Hunt for Red October, which occurs mainly on submarines, one would-be defector dreams of raising rabbits in Montana for his wife to cook.
In movies, it's as if the rabbit is viewed as the most expendable animal. (Besides people, what other creature has such a high on-screen mortality rate?) In Wicked Stepmother, on being chased by a dog, a cat who's a witch turns herself into a tiger, then turns the dog into a bunny and attacks. Viewers don't find out until much later that the dog is still alive. Rabbits on TV commercials are always portrayed as soft and cuddly or as just silly (bathroom tissue ads, the Cadbury Bunny, the Energizer Bunny).
Most parts for rabbits are very brief, but when a rabbit does appear throughout a movie, the presence usually represents something larger. This spring ABC-TV aired Lucky Day, about a retarded woman named Allison, her sister and their alcoholic mother. By showing Allison playing with her rabbit, named Uncle Stan #5, we see that she is loving and responsible. Her sister, on the other hand, takes wonderful care of her impaired sibling but forgets to feed the bunny. In a flashback to when they were young, we learn how deep the older sister's resentment is at having to raise Allison (because mother is drunk) when she puts Uncle Stan #1 in a bucket and lets him drown. Thus the rabbit proves to be mainly a dramatic device. But Allison's frequently seen love and good treatment of Uncle Stan #5 is refreshing.
I rented the videotape Wizard of Loneliness because the box had a picture of a boy holding a rabbit. In this PBS movie, a boy is sent to live with his eccentric relatives. At first he angrily isolates himself, but when he's given two rabbits (which easily could have been Sunday dinner–especially after one bites him), he begins to open up to his family. However, soon after silently swearing to protect his family, he discovers that the father rabbit has killed all of the new baby bunnies (an old wives' tale). In both Lucky Day and Wizard of Loneliness, the rabbits are metaphors for power and control. One character exercises control over her life by exerting it on a rabbit; another learns that there are things he can and can't control.
Although you may want to boycott most movies that depict violence towards rabbits, there are some (like Wizard of Loneliness) that are truly worth seeing. If you've been forewarned of a grisly rabbit scene, it's usually possible to turn your head away at the right time and still watch the rest of the movie; but, once seen, the images can be disturbing.
Perhaps it's time that we who share our homes with bunnies, and know better than those who write exploitative screenplays, to get out our bunny-bit pencils and write some new rabbit storylines. After all bunnies have higher aspirations than just leaping the couch in a single bound, or being filmed as a convenient food source.
Beth Woolbright
House Rabbit Journal Volume II, No. 6


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CHICO — A woman escaped a man who forcibly groped and tried to kiss her at about 10 p.m. Thursday on the Chico State University campus.
The woman told the University Police Department that she was on the north side of campus when a man called her by her first name, according to a notice from UPD Chief Robyn Hearne.
The man told the victim he knew her from an online chat room and grabbed her by force.
The man is described as about 5-foot-8, 200 pounds, with dark hair and facial hair. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt.
Anyone with information about the battery is asked to call University Police at 898-5555.

subset: commoncrawl


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I did take a look at Saga after the last time 🙂
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Star's End by Cassandra Rose Clarke
Mogsy's Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Saga Press (March 21, 2017)
Length: 432 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
From the moment I first picked up this book, I knew I was walking into something special. After my experience with her novels The Mad Scientist's Daughter and Our Lady of the Ice, Cassandra Rose Clarke's name has pretty much become synonymous for me with some very cool ideas in sci-fi, and she has not disappointed me yet. Star's End, I am happy to say, is another strong entry into the genre. And while it's true that I did not quite fall head over heels for it like with her previous novels, I nevertheless devoured the story like there was no tomorrow.
Described as a space opera which takes place in the far-flung future, Star's End follows a young woman named Esme Coromina, heir to her father Philip's vast corporate empire consisting of four terraformed moons that orbit one giant gaseous planet. Together, the moons are known as the Four Sisters—and perhaps not so coincidentally, Philip also has four daughters. Of his children though, only Esme, the eldest, is in a position to succeed him and take over the company when he dies; the three younger sisters have long turned their backs on him and abandoned the family business, due to a falling out long ago caused by something terrible Philip did. Esme was the only one who stayed, partly out of ambition and partly because she plans on changing things for the better once she inherits the Coromina Group.
What follows is narrative that alternates back and forth between past and present, exploring the events that led up to Philip's heinous act that drove Esme's sisters away. But the biggest shock to our protagonist comes at the start of this book—her 300-year-old father, whom she has always thought of all-powerful and invincible, is dying. Afflicted with a fatal disease that not even his rejuvenation treatments can cure, Philip tells Esme that he probably has at most six months to live, but before he dies, he would like to see all his daughters one last time. Esme, skeptical of her father's reasons for this request, agrees to help him regardless, though deep down, she knows the real difficulty behind his dying wish is whether or not she can even convince her sisters to come home. When they left, the three of them made it very clear that they wanted no more to do with Philip Coromina or their eldest sister—for in their eyes, by staying by their father and his company, Esme had betrayed all of them too.
As a result, Esme finds herself in a rather awkward and painful situation. It's this that makes me feel so deeply for her character, and makes me want to applaud the author for once again setting up such a compelling and emotional premise. Tracking down her sisters one by one, Esme must confront her guilt and come to terms with her past failings in this heartbreaking tale. In a lot of ways, this makes Star's End a lot less like your traditional space opera novel, and more like your familial drama about love and redemption. In fact, it makes me think that the publisher description is actually a little misleading, suggesting that there's a lot more suspense in this story when there really is none. Sure, there are indeed the promised "sinister aspects" of the Coromina Group involving its work with alien DNA, not to mention the overall mystery of the "big bad thing" that Philip did—but when answers do come, it is not a shock, nor are Esme's next moves really in question. Because of the way Star's End is structured, i.e. alternating between the past and the present timeline, nothing that happens is really a surprise, though ultimately it might not matter so much since the novel's strengths are clearly in the character building and in the poignancy of Esme's quest.
Perhaps this is also why Star's End reminded me so much of The Mad Scientist's Daughter. While on the surface the two stories have very little in common with each other, both are excellent in providing a deep analysis and portrayal of their main characters. Almost everything else fades into the background as Esme takes center stage in Star's End, much like how the plot in The Mad Scientist's Daughter took a backseat while Cat's personality and her relationship with Finn came to the forefront. This, in my opinion, is where Cassandra Rose Clarke's writing really shines. When it comes to the delineation of her protagonists, she is an artist; she'll take apart a character's entire life, deconstructing their past and present to show how their experiences influence their decision making and shape them as a person. This kind of in-depth character study is exactly we get to see in Star's End with Esme.
Still, there were a few hiccups. The first time we jumped from the present timeline back to the past, I was really jarred by the change from third-person to first-person narrative mode, and unfortunately, I never truly got used to the switching. As a result, I always found myself feeling more sympathy for and in tune with "past" Esme, especially since older "present" Esme sometimes felt wishy-washy and inconsistent. One moment, she would be preening in response to her father's praise and proud that she pleased him, but the next she would be flushing with shame if someone else complimented her on the exact same thing by comparing her to Philip. I was also frustrated that Esme didn't stand up for herself more, considering how her heart was always in the right place. Given how much of the past was outside her control, I didn't understand why Esme had to be so hard on herself either, and thought that a lot of her sisters' treatment of her was grossly unfair.
Minor as they were, some of these flaws were admittedly distracting enough that I felt the need to rate this one slightly lower than the author's other novels I've read in the past. BUT! In spite of that, I still want to make it clear—I had a really good time with Star's End. This book was a powerful and enjoyable read, and even though it wasn't exactly what I expected, I am in no way disappointed with the way things turned out. If anything, it just reaffirms Cassandra Rose Clarke as a must-read author; I honestly can't wait to see what she'll surprise me with next.
I have a great weakness for stories about familial drama, love, and redemption…sure, they're not usually set in space, but I think it could work! 😀 Esme sounds like a really sympathetic protagonist and despite your issues with this one I'm excited to pick it up. Even if it was a bit underwhelming, it *is* still a standalone, so I can't really resist!
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While editing the latest podcast with our interview of Mark and Matt from Zenoss I came across these two articles. The first is a list of five pretty cool tools for Tuning your machine over at Linux.com. The tools they mention, even by their admission, is not complete but definitely helpful if you are new to Linux and want the most performance possible.
The second article I came across was an article about one of the packages we are not currently testing called Munin. The article is over at HowToForge. It gives you step by step instructions to get it up and running.
What are your favorite tools for troubleshoot performance issues with your servers or desktops? What do you think of Munin?


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sa.global launches new development center in Singapore
Singapore – August 10, 2008
sa.global, a global Microsoft Dynamics™ solutions provider is happy to announce the launch of its new development center in Singapore. This new development center is part of a strategic plan to strengthen sa.global's international presence and be more visible in the South East Asian markets.
Ideally located on global business corridors and having a presence in a fast growing IT nation, sa.global Singapore will be perfectly placed as a key development and distribution hub for its Microsoft Dynamics products and services.
On the launch of the Singapore development center, Stephen James, CEO of sa.global said, "It has always been a part of our strategy to expand our presence in the East Asian and Australian markets. And, professional organizations globally have also started recognizing the development expertise and support excellence, sa.global has to offer. We look forward to strengthening and expanding our business development to provide a better localized support for business solutions through Microsoft Dynamics products."
sa.global in Singapore aims to provide its existing customers and new prospects the best business practices and solutions on Microsoft Dynamics™ products. It will cater to various business sectors including Manufacturing, Finance, Health care, and Project management among others. The international implementation and consultation, development and localization, upgrade, migration and support services expertise will definitely benefit its customers across the East Asian and Australian markets.
Stephen James annotated, "sa.globals Microsoft Dynamics based solutions is best suited for various business sectors taking advantage of its flexible and scalable properties. This leverages sa.global's international expertise and recognition as exceptional service and best solution providers in versatile business sectors."
The growth oriented business strategy of sa.global is to enhance the value of Microsoft Dynamics ERP services and to widen the portfolio of customers by offering industry specific solutions.
About sa.global
sa.global provides global solutions and services for Microsoft Dynamics™ customers. Established in 1990, with implementation experience in over 50 countries worldwide, our reach extends across the globe through our offices in 5 continents. Our Centers of Excellence in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Latin America provide consistent roll out and support. For more information, please write to us


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Apr 6, 2021
Brilliant!! Professor Covach is very knowledgable & enthusiastic. I've done four of his online music courses and thoroughly enjoyed every one. I'm 72 & live in the UK. Keep on rockin on!!
Aug 9, 2017
I have completed every last one of John Covach's courses and he has inspired my way of playing my own music and the way I hear new music. He is, by far, the best teacher on Coursera.
By Anthony C D•
Apr 7, 2021
Brilliant!! Professor Covach is very knowledgable & enthusiastic. I've done four of his online music courses and thoroughly enjoyed every one. I'm 72 & live in the UK. Keep on rockin on!!
By Lisa M S•
Nov 1, 2018
This class is excellent! The instructor is quite knowledgeable. I appreciate that the instructor is not only a musicologist and professor, but he's a musician too. I appreciate this as a musician myself. I'm a bit of a music geek and I am a huge fan of the Rolling Stones. I especially enjoyed learning about the early Stones' music, since I was more of a fan of their early 1970s work. It was a great experience to have the instructor do so many song close up's during this course. I loved delving into the structures of some of my favorite songs, including ones I've actually performed myself as a singer and guitar player. I recommend taking your time with this class, but definitely do a module weekly, so that you stay on top of things. I appreciated that there was a visual aspect to the course, especially since music couldn't be used, due to copyright issues (boo!). I loved getting snippets of history and pop culture mixed in with the information on the Stones, since I wasn't born until 1972 and wasn't around to experience some of that. On a side note, this course is one I had bookmarked to take since 2015. I just happened to be on the Coursera website the day it was starting in 2018. I felt excited and knew it was meant to be for me! On a personal note, my late mom who passed in 2015 was a huge Stones' fan, so this class helped me understand her pre-teen and teen years, as well as my early childhood in the 1970s. I felt a connection to the time period, music, people, and of course, the Stones too. I always have felt connected to their music, being blessed to have seen them play live in 2015, not even one month after my mom passed. I mention the personal aspects, since sometimes, I believe we feel drawn to delve into our passions, but don't feel we have the time to do so. Please take the time to follow your passions, interests, and education. Life is too short! It is time well spent. It's so much better than scrolling on social media. This class really is amazing. You won't be disappointed. Thanks to Coursera for having this class and also, to the instructor John Covach. Rock 'n roll forever!
By David W•
Jan 22, 2021
As a die-hard Beatles fan, I knew little of the music of the Rolling Stones, except for their big guitar-driven rockers. Honky Tonk Women, Brown Sugar, Leti it Bleed, etc. This course was excellent. It introduced me to a whole world of music and taught me that the Rolling Stones were/are versatile, and innovative, and, in their own way, trailblazers. Thank you, Prof. Kovach, for a great course and for your very informative (but not pressurized) delivery of entertaining and valuable material, in a way that was both educational and pleasurable at the same time. I thoroughly enjoyed the class, and will likely take another.
By MARK M•
Jul 5, 2020
Really enjoyed this course. As a "rock music tragic" I was a bit embarrassed that I'd never heard many of these albums start-to-finish, rather I'd majored on the albums from the late 70's and early 80's (my teen years) and the Greatest Hits collections. I've now heard every one of these iconic albums several times. I do wish we could have gone a few more albums into the 70's and 80's, but perhaps that's one for the future ? Thanks John, a really great experience. I'll now sign up for History of Rock Part 2.
By Kevin S•
Mar 25, 2020
This was my fourth course in the history of rock and roll series offered by Professor Covach. Unfortunately, I think it's also his last offering. This was the most challenging of the four, perhaps because my knowledge going into the class was a bit more skeletal. It's also the course I took the most away from. I really enjoyed this course. The content was fascinating. I really enjoyed the musicology, and connecting the influences. Covach has a great style that really speaks to me. He's a great teacher.
By Clive M•
Dec 6, 2022
This is my third online Rochester University course led by Professor John Covach, following on from The History of Rock, parts 1 and 2, and the standard remains as high as ever.
I have an in-depth knowledge of The Stones, their music and history, but still learned lots that was new and useful.
All of Professor Covach`s courses are very well researched and informative, nicely structured, easy to follow and, which is important for any study, fun!!
By Benjamin J S•
Nov 30, 2015
John Covach is one of the best I have ever had. I have taken 4 of his courses and enjoyed every one of them! I would also address the fact that the lack of music (due to licensing) is probably the best option. I believe that most people that take these courses are fans of the subject if not only the genre. That being said, 'we' know the music. I honestly believe it would weigh the course down. Keep up the great work John!
By Norhayati S•
Dec 16, 2021
I love this short course! I've learned a lot more about one of my favourite bands and I would definitely recommend it to friends who love The Stones too. Professor John Covach has compiled alot of useful information for the course and he's kind of cool with the guitars too. :) Will definitely follow his other courses should they happen to be the bands I like again!
By Scott D•
Mar 14, 2018
Excellent course. Like most people who grew up in the 70's, I was familiar with the Stones hits, had a few of their records, etc.. I don't know if I skipped over the slow songs or what, but this got me listening to their music again. I was really impressed with the depth and different genre's that they were influenced by.
By Robert B•
Jul 15, 2016
Excellent course from which I learnt so much. I could not stop viewing the videos and keenly followed the history of the Rolling Stones from the early 60s to the early 70s. I wish I had taken this course years ago. Kudos to the instructor and the teaching staff. You have another satisfied customer.
By Luca M•
Jul 7, 2018
Very interesting approach to the first years in Rolling Stones history. It gives the opportunity to deep dive into their musical evolution and influences taking a look also on what was happening in the meantime in culture. Hoping to have the possibility to see what it will happen from 1974 onwards!
By Dan F•
Nov 14, 2015
Although not a Rolling Stones fan, I've taken this course in order to discover the series of fortunate happenings and great ideas that turned this band into one of the greatest projects the music industry ever produced. I've learned a lot and I am thankful for that.
By Michael B•
May 2, 2020
Thanks very much for providing this course. It's a great guide to their influences and how and why this music was made. It really supports listening and appreciating this phase of their career - listen to their music as you work through the course.
By valorie h•
Oct 18, 2021
Loved this course. You learn about the Rolling Stones from the beginning. Such interesting lives and grand music. Of course, I am passionate about the Rolling Stones and feel they are far superior to the Beatles so maybe I am biased.
By Bruce R•
May 20, 2019
Great overview of the early days of the Rolling Stones. I particularly liked the way the instructor identified threads of consistency from album to album while pointing out the growth and diversity of the individual recordings.
By Susan W•
Mar 12, 2022
So many interesting stories and the knowledge of music that Kovach brings to the course is tremendous. Gives one a much deeper appreciation of such an iconic music group as well as skills to better comprehend all rock music
By Todd D F•
Nov 13, 2015
Mr. Covach is a very dynamic instructor. He entertains while educating. This is the third course I have taken where he is the instructor. I look forward to his "Music of The Beatles" course, which I will soon be enroll
By Fernando M A•
Aug 15, 2021
Excelente curso que - presumo - debe ser del agrado de alguien más ligado al estudio de la música así como de los que únicamente somos fans de The RollingStones. A la espera del curso sobre The Beatles!
By Jean P G C•
Jul 4, 2020
Muy buen curso. Siempre he valorado más a The Beatles que a The Rolling Stones. Gracias al Sr. John Covach he comprendido la enorme influencia de The Rolling Stones en muchas bandas hasta el día de hoy.
By Santiago R S•
Jan 18, 2016
Muy completos los materiales. Hay una buena indagación de la mayoría de canciones de The rolling stones. Muy bien estructurado, siempre esta despertando el interés de los estudiantes.
By Blue C R•
Aug 9, 2017
I have completed every last one of John Covach's courses and he has inspired my way of playing my own music and the way I hear new music. He is, by far, the best teacher on Coursera.
By Cristiano S A d S•
Jul 26, 2017
Very good course. I would like to congratulate both the teacher and coursera for this successful endeavor. And would like to sugest a course about the music of Michael Jackson.
By kate m•
Jul 29, 2019
This course was excellent. I really like the instructor and his ability to bring up interesting facts that really add to the understanding of the music and the musicians.
By Karina v r•
Aug 15, 2016
I love this course, I keep on taking it over and over again as much as I possibly can.
I always learn something different and new.
Thanks ; )
By Charles A•
Oct 22, 2015
Excellent and very informative course. A well presented view of why the Stones are a Major impact on music of the Rock and Roll Era.


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Driving backwards on the shoulder of a four lane highway seems incredibly dangerous. Doing so with your foot planted firmly on the accelerator is even worse.
So what in the hell is this Pennsylvanian State Police Officer doing?
Reader Tom Lyons was riding with friends on the Pennsylvania Turnpike when something caught his eye. On the opposite side of the road was a police officer reversing in the shoulder and he had his lights on.
Tom said he was going about 75 MPH and the officer was nearly keeping up. "He had to have had it completely floored to be keeping up with traffic like that. Not sure what the top speed of a crown vic is in reverse but lets say he was doing 45, a very conservative number in this case," Tom tells us.
Tom says that the officer was probably speeding to get to the scene of an incident. "I looked like 3 or 4 miles down the road and there was one of their "municipal vehicle only" entrance gates so maybe he was trying to get to a call the fastest way he knew how," Tom says.
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The problem is that he was going against traffic on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, a road with a 65 MPH speedlimit that is often exceeded. One wrong move could result in a huge disaster. Thankfully, it seems everyone made it through unscathed.
We spoke to the Pennsylvania State Police to find out what was going on. They were unaware of the incident until we brought it to their attention and are looking into what happened. We expect to hear an official statement shortly.
UPDATE: The state police responded to our request for a statement. "From the quick snapshot that this video provides, there is very little information available. There could be many reasons that he is driving in reverse and quite often on our job there are many factors that come into play when responding to and handling emergency situations."
(Thanks for sharing Tom!)


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Skyrim's Dawnguard downloadable content is out on Steam right now, Bethesda's Pete Hines announced at QuakeCon today. You can buy it for $19.99.
The PlayStation 3 release is still up in the air, Bethesda added on its blog today, because the company isn't satisfied with how it's running:
We are not satisfied yet with Dawnguard's performance on the PS3. We would like for everyone to have a chance to play Dawnguard, but we aren't going to release it for PS3 knowing that some people's experience in Skyrim will be worse. We do everything we can to have our content available to all; from our free updates, to user mods, to paid DLC. We're as disappointed as our fans when that isn't the case, but we'll continue to push for that reality.
Bethesda first released Dawnguard in June for the Xbox 360. We didn't love it.


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Okay, so we tackled the ladies' end of this topic last week. I think it's only fair we flip the script.
Got a ladyfriend? Thinking of popping the question to her? Good for you. Now, it's time for you to do your homework. You'd hate to marry your girlfriend without realizing that she has a secret zipper running down the back of her body, and that upon marriage she will unzip this skin suit and reveal that she is actually BEASTULA: VAMPIRE HYDRA QUEEN OF THE FIFTH CIRCLE. It does happen from time to time. Consult the "Succubus" episode of "South Park" for a refresher course.
I am not one of these people who thinks every woman out there is a raving nutjob. As I've said before, I think women are usually the ones who end up getting hosed in the whole marriage deal. They have to give birth. They usually have to do more of the child work. They get less real estate in the bed. They have to fuck men. It's not a pleasant thing. But that doesn't mean guys can't end up getting screwed as well. Here now are ten questions you should politely and discreetly ask any woman before you go ring shopping. YOU COULD TEXT MESSAGE HER THESE! SHE'D LOVE IT!
1. Can we live together for a period of at least one year prior to marriage?
Oh, are you Catholic? Don't like the idea of living in sin? Awww, that's so quaint. You're a fucking moron. Man or woman, you better damn well know if you enjoy the day-to-day experience of living with your potential spouse before you decide to get hitched. And the whole, "Well, we see each other all the time. We pretty much live together anyway," thing is WRONG. It's so terribly wrong. If you have your own place, that means you can GET AWAY.
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2. Can we please be married for a period of three years before we begin trying to have children?
No woman will actually agree to three years. Strictly a bargaining point. Ideally, you negotiate down to two, one in a worst-case scenario. Are you marrying a woman over the age of 30? You're fucked. She'll throw away her blister pack of Yasmin two months before your wedding night. But if you're marrying a woman in her twenties, IMPLORE her to give you some time before kids come and ruin everything. Travel. Eat. Have lots of sex. Spend money on retarded things. You can do all that before you have kids. Get as much of that time as possible. Otherwise, you'll have kids, you'll pass each other in the night, and you'll ask yourself, "Hey, WHO THE FUCK IS THIS PERSON?"
3. I know we aren't going to have as much sex once we get married, but exactly how much sex will we NOT have?
Varies by woman. However, as a guideline, I'd take the number of times you have sex a month right now, divide that number by five, and then multiply it by zero. That'll give you a solid idea of how much future sex is in store for you.
4. If I agree to be the breadwinner in the family, will you accept that sometimes I have to DO FUCKING WORK in order to win said bread?
Happens to some men out there. They get married, they get a job, they have a shitload of kids, and then wifey is on the phone at 2PM every day saying, "HEY, I NEED YOU TO COME HOME." Or, "Couldn't you take a day off or something?" Well, no. No, that isn't how it works. In order to live, we need MONEY. Which means we have to fucking work, sometime late! We're not out a titty bar. We're not golfing. We're really, truly, legitimately working. And we'll be right home, unless you delay our work by calling every ten fucking minutes.
5. Do you cook? Or clean? Are you mildly proficient in home economics?
Again, this question works for both sexes. Don't marry some lazy bitch (or asshole) who won't fucking do anything.
6. Have we broken up several times before?
Yes? Then you're going to end up getting fucking divorced.
7. Do you take any medication for depression, particularly manic depression? What happens if you don't take it?
Oh, I'll tell you what happens if they don't take it. Your severed penis in a recycling bin.
8. I'm going to do my damnedest to provide for you and our children. But I can't guarantee we'll ever be rich or anything. Is that good enough for you?
Because it isn't, for some ladies. Some ladies will expect you to become CEO of Prestige Worldwide by age 37. When I worked in advertising, I had a lunatic ex-girlfriend who constantly demanded that I try and find a job in finance. Avoid women like this, women who could give two shits about you following your passions and seeing where they lead. Women like that are horrid.
9. I like lots of sports and music and movies that you probably don't. Will you not try and get me to unlove those things?
In other words, do you want to marry me, or do you want to marry some wet dream version of me? Because I'll never be that fucking person. Marriage is acceptance. You either accept the person, warts and all, or you don't. If your girlfriend is going to marry you hoping you'll become some other person who doesn't listen to Slayer and jack off three times a day, you may as well let her ass down easy now.
10. Would you mind signing this?
It's something that you need to have because if she leave yo ass she gon leave with HALF.
What it all boils down to is if you're marrying someone who's as dedicated to YOUR happiness as you are to theirs. Because if it ain't even, then you're fucked. Forever. I'm sure I forgot millions more, including any and all questions about the history of the Baltimore Colts. Our commenters will fill you in.


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Sometimes I feel like nobody really knows the real "me." Ever since I moved to Argentina, I've been fitting in really well. In fact, I'm probably the most popular guy here. I'm having a great time laying out in the warm sun all day, enjoying the dry heat — I barely even have to worry about fungal disease these days! And at night, when it cools down, I can rest easy knowing that I'm ripening nice and evenly. When I'm at high altitude, it can be a bit of a challenge to get the nutrition that I need to thrive, but ultimately my hard work pays off as I develop more complexity. The laid-back, easygoing lifestyle here has made me soft and approachable, and I tend to get along with everyone I meet. But a part of me worries that I might soon forget where I came from.
You see, life wasn't always so easy for me. I grew up in the drained swampland of Bordeaux, where I began life as a very small fish in a big pond. There, while constantly battling difficult weather conditions to avoid disease or death, I contributed color and tannin to local blends — but I was never the star of the show. It's not so much that I need the attention — I'm just an outgoing guy. So after a devastating frost in 1956 during which I lost 75% of my crop, I decided to focus my energy on my second home in Cahors, just southwest of Bordeaux. There, I changed my name back to Côt, and alongside Merlot and Tannat, I began to shine, as I had been respectfully replanted by those who appreciated me. Meanwhile, back in Bordeaux, they decided they were better off without me, and these days you'll rarely find me back in my former home town. I'm not bitter, I swear — really, I wish all the best to my old friends Petit Verdot, Merlot, and the brothers Cabernet. I know they talk behind my back about my susceptibility to coulure and downy mildew, and my lack of maturity in colder years — but if I have to be in a blend with them, I'll be perfectly cordial.
I set down roots in Argentina back in 1868, when I was brought over by a French agricultural engineer who recognized my potential. Life was always comfortable there, but it wasn't until the late 20th century that I "went viral," effectively becoming the national grape of my adopted homeland. I'm happiest living in Mendoza, but I've made my way throughout the entire country. Wherever I go, I am always well-received by locals and foreigners alike!
When I'm in my native France, my personality is rather different. I guess you could say I live a more "rustic" lifestyle there — I'm not afraid to get a little dirty, and my tannins are a bit tougher. Probably because of the thicker skin I tried (and failed) to develop amidst the bullying in Bordeaux. Sometimes I like to vacation in the Loire Valley, where I can relax and let my aromatic side come out. But nowadays most people never get to see that side of me. I don't want to brag, but thanks to my success in Argentina, I've become a bit of a world traveler. Apart from France and Argentina, I'm now planted in Chile, California, Oregon, Washington, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, and a few other countries. Everywhere I go, people ask, "hey, aren't you that guy from Argentina?" I'm very proud of my recent success, so I smile and say yes, and occasionally I'll pose for a picture. But with each encounter, I think back to my humble beginnings and consider saying, "if you like me in Argentina, you should see me in France."


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The Athenaeum Literary Award was established in 1950 to recognize and encourage literary achievement among authors who are "bona fide residents of Philadelphia or Pennsylvania living within a radius of 30 miles of City Hall" at the time their book was written or published. Any volume of general literature is eligible; technical, scientific, and juvenile books are not included. Nominated works are reviewed on the basis of their significance and importance to the general public as well as for literary excellence. In recognition of his role in establishing the Literary Award, presentations are usually part of the Charles Wharton Stork Memorial Lecture program which was endowed in 1983 by his children. Dr. Stork (1881-1971) was a member of the board of directors of the Athenaeum from 1919 until 1968.
How To Apply
All nominations must be submitted
prior to December 1st of the year of publication.
Authors or publishers may nominate appropriate works by sending two copies of each to:
Literary Award Committee
The Athenaeum of Philadelphia
219 S. 6th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106-3794
Past Winners
|Edward Posnett, Strange Harvests: The Hidden Histories of Seven Natural Objects, New York: Viking, 2019.
|Witold Rybczynski, Charleston Fancy: Little Houses and Big Dreams in the Holy City, New Haven: Yale University Press, 2019.
|Madeline Miller, Circe, New York: Little, Brown & Co., 2018.
|Patrick Spero, Frontier Rebels: The Fight for Independence in the American West, 1765-1776, New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2018.
|Erica Armstrong Dunbar, Never Caught: the Washingtons' Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge, New York: 37 Ink/Atria, 2017.
|Carol Eaton Soltis, The Art of the Peales in the Philadelphia Museum of Art: Adaptations and Innovations, Philadelphia: Philadelphia Museum of Art in association with Yale University Press, 2017.
|Gino Segrè
and Bettina Hoerlin, The Pope of Physics: Enrico Fermi and the
Birth of the Atomic Age, New York: Henry Holt and Co., 2016
|Judith E. Stein, Eye of the Sixties: Richard Bellamy and the Transformation of Modern Art, New York : Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2016.
|David Grazian, American Zoo: A Sociological Safari, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2015.
|Barbara Miller Lane, Houses for a New World: Builders and Buyers in American Suburbs, 1945–1965, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2015.
|Jessica Choppin Roney, Governed by a Spirit of Opposition: The Origins of American Political Practice in Colonial Philadelphia, Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2014.
|Adrian Raine, The Anatomy of Violence: The Biological Roots of Crime, New York: Pantheon, 2013
|George H. Marcus and William Whitaker, The Houses of Louis Kahn, New Haven: Yale University Press, 2013.
|Liz Moore, Heft: A Novel, New York: W.W. Norton, 2012.
|Steven Ujifusa, A Man and His Ship: America's Greatest Naval Architect and His Quest to Build the S. S. United States, New York: Simon & Schuster, 2012.
|Robert McCracken Peck and Patricia Tyson Stroud, A Glorious Enterprise: The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia and the Making of American Science, Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2012.
|No Award
|Robin Black, If I Loved You, I Would Tell You This: Stories, New York: Random House, 2010.
|Stephen Fried, Appetite For America: How Visionary Businessman Fred Harvey Built a Railroad Hospitality Empire that Civilized the West, Bantam Books, 2010.
|Richard Beeman, Plain, Honest Men: The Making of The American Constitution, New York: Random House, 2009.
|Walter A. McDougall, Throes of Democracy: The American Civil War Era, 1829-1877, New York: Harper, 2008.
|Jon Clinch, Finn: A Novel, New York: Random House, 2007.
|David Traxel, Crusader Nation: The United States in Peace and the Great War, 1898-1920, c2006.
|Kermit Roosevelt, In the Shadow of the Law, New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005.
|Roger W. Moss, Historic Sacred Places of Philadelphia, Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2004.
|Jack Repcheck, The Man Who Found Time, Cambridge, MA: Perseus Publishing, 2003.
|Jane Golden, Robin Rice & Monica Yant Kinney, Philadelphia Murals and the Stories They Tell, Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2002.
|Charlene Mires, Independence Hall in American Memory, Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2002.
|No Award
|Susan Sidlauskas, Body, Place, and Self in Nineteenth-Century Painting, New York: Cambridge University Press, 2000.
|Patricia Tyson Stroud, The Emperor of Nature; Charles-Lucien Bonaparte and His World, Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2000.
|George E. Thomas, William L. Price; Arts and Crafts to Modern Design, New York: Princeton Architectural Press.
|Ben Yagoda, About Town; The New Yorker and the World It Made, New York: Scribner, 2000.
|J. Welles Henderson & Rodney P. Carlisle, Jack Tar: A Sailor's Life, 1750-1910, Woodbridge, Suffolk, England: Antique Collectors' Club, 1999.
|Witold Rybczynski, A Clearing In The Distance, New York: Scribner, 1999.
|Jonathan Weiner, Time, Love, Memory, New York: Knopf, c1999.
|James J. O'Donnell, Avatars of the Word. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1998.
|Leonard Warren, Joseph Leidy: The Last Man Who Knew Everything, New Haven: Yale University Press, c1998.
|A.C. Elias, Jr., Memoirs of Laetitia Pilkington. Athens, University of Georgia Press, c1997.
|Kathleen A. Foster and Kenneth Finkel, Captain Watson's Travels in America. Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Press, 1997.
|David P. Silverman, Ancient Egypt. New York, Oxford University Press, 1997.
|David P. Silverman, Search for Ancient Egypt. Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Museum, 1997
|Mary Walton, Car. New York, W.W. Norton, 1997.
|Peter Conn, Pearl S. Buck: A Cultural Biography. New York, Cambridge, 1996.
|Diane McKinney-Whetstone, Tumbling. New York, Morrow, 1996.
|Thomas Childers, Wings of Morning. New York, Addison-Wesley, 1995.
|Witold Rybczynski, City Life. New York, Scribner, 1995.
|Susan Stewart, The Forest. Chicago University Press, 1995.
|Paul Fussell, The Anti-Egotist. New York, Oxford University Press, 1994.
|Steve Lopez, Third and Indiana. New York, Viking-Penguin, 1994.
|Barry Schwartz, The Costs of Living. New York, Norton, 1994.
|Seymour I. Toll, A Judge Uncommon. Philadelphia, Legal Communications, 1993.
|Susan Q. Stranahan, Susquehanna, River of Dreams. Baltimore, John Hopkins University Press, 1993.
|Arthur Power Dudden, The American Pacific. New York, Oxford University Press, 1992.
|Art Carey, The United States of Incompetence. Boston, Houghton Mifflin, 1991.
|Elizabeth Johns, American Genre Painting. New Haven, Yale University Press, 1991.
|Roger Lane, William Dorsey's Philadelphia and Ours. New York, Oxford University Press, 1991.
|Matthews Masayuki Hamabata, Crested Kimono. Ithaca, NY, Cornell University Press, 1990.
|Camille Paglia, Sexual Personae. New York, Yale University Press, 1990.
|Paul Halpern, Time Journeys. New York, McGraw Hill, 1990.
|Ora Mendels, A Taste for Treason. New York, Carol Pub. Group, 1990.
|Coral Lansbury, The Grotto. New York, Knopf, 1989.
|Emily W. Sunstein, Mary Shelley. Boston, Little Brown, 1989.
|James Snyder, Medieval Art. New York, Abrams, 1989.
|Marilyn Gaull, English Romanticism. New York, Norton, 1988.
|Barbara Holland, The Name of the Cat. New York, Dodd Mead, 1988.
|John Allen Paulos, Innumeracy. New York, Hill & Wang, 1988.
|No Award
|David Eisenhower, Eisenhower: At War, 1943-1945. New York, Random House, 1986.
|Julie Nixon Eisenhower, Pat Nixon. New York, Simon & Schuster, 1986.
|Michael Malone, Handling Sin. Boston, Little Brown, 1986.
|Barry Schwartz, The Battle for Human Nature. New York, Norton, 1986.
|Ralph Keyes, Chancing It. Boston, Little Brown, 1985.
|Thomas Maeder, Crime and Madness. New York, Harper & Row, 1985.
|Carroll Smith-Rosenberg, Disorderly Conduct. New York, Knopf, 1985.
|Roland M. Frye, The Renaissance Hamlet. Princeton, NJ, Princeton University Press, 1984.
|Jean Gordon Lee, Philadelphians and the China Trade, 1784-1844. Philadelphia, Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1984.
|Philip Chadwick Foster Smith, The Empress of China. Philadelphia, Philadelphia Maritime Museum, 1984.
|Gerald Carson, The Dentist and the Empress. Boston, Houghton Mifflin, 1983.
|Helen H. Gemmill, E.L., the Bread Box Papers. Doylestown, PA, Bucks County Historial Society, 1983.
|Susan Gray Detweiler, George Washington's Chinaware. New York, Abrams, 1982.
|Jean Seder, Voices of Kensington. Ardmore, PA, Whitmore Publishing Co., 1982.
|Desmond Ryan, Deadlines. New York, Norton, 1982.
|Seymour Shubin, The Captain. New York, Stein & Day, 1982.
|David R. Slavitt, Ringer. New York, Dutton, 1982.
|David Bradley, The Chaneysville Incident. New York, Harper & Row, 1981.
|Daniel Hoffman, Brotherly Love. New York, Random House, 1981.
|John A. Lukacs, Philadelphia, Patricians & Philistines, 1900-1950. New York, Farrar, Straus, Girox, 1981.
|Edgar P. Richardson, Charles Willson Peale and His World. New York, H. N. Abrams, 1981.
|Russell F. Weigley, Eisenhower's Lieutenants. Bloomington, Indiana University Press, 1981.
|Arthur R.G. Solmssen, A Princess in Berlin. Boston, Little Brown, 1980.
|Lois G. Forer, Criminals and Victims. New York, Norton, 1980.
|James C. Humes, Churchill: Speaker of the Century. New York, Stein & Day, 1980.
|E. Digby Baltzell, Puritan Boston and Quaker Philadelphia. New York, Free Press, 1979.
|Richard J. Boyle, John Twachtman. New York, Watson Guptill, 1979.
|Dorothy Shipley White, Black Africa and De Gaulle. University Park, PA, Pennsylvania State University Press, 1979.
|Anthony F.C. Wallace, Rockdale. New York, Knopf, 1978.
|Peggy Anderson, Nurse. New York, St. Martin's Press, 1978.
|Elizabeth Gray Viving, Being Seventy. New York, Viking Press, 1978.
|Jan V. Westcott, A Woman of Quality. New York, Putnam, 1978.
|Seymour Adelman, The Moving Pageant. Lititz, PA, Sutter House, 1977.
|John Francis Marion, Famous and Curious Cemeteries. New York, Crown Publishers, 1977.
|Barbara Rex, I Want to Be in Love Again. New York, Norton, 1977.
|No Award
|Martin P. Snyder, City of Independence. New York, Praeger Publishers, 1975.
|John R. Coleman, Blue Collar Journal. Philadelphia, J. B. Lippincott, 1974.
|John Maas, The Glorious Enterprise. Watkins Glen, NY, American Life Foundation, 1973.
|Jerre Mangione, The Dream and the Deal. Boston, Little Brown, 1972.
|Loren Eiseley, The Night Country. New York, Scribner, 1971.
|No Award
|Henry Clarence Pitz, The Brandywine Tradition. Boston, Houghton Mifflin, 1969.
|Chaim Potok, The Promise. New York, Knopf, 1969.
|Ernest Penney Earnest, Expatriates and Patriots. Durham, NC, Duke University Press, 1968.
|Robert C. Smith, The Art of Portugal. London, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1968.
|Daniel P.Mannix, The Fox and the Hound. New York, Dutton, 1967.
|Edmund N. Bacon, Design of Cities. New York, Viking Press, 1967.
|Edward S. Gifford, Jr., Father Against the Devil. Garden City, NY, Doubleday, 1966.
|Laurence Davis Lafore, The Long Fuse. Philadelphia, J. B. Lippincott, 1965.
|Kristin Hunter, God Bless the Child. New York, Scribner's, 1964.
|Elizabeth Gray Vining, Take Heed of Loving Me. Philadelphia, J. B. Lippincott, 1964.
|Dorothy Shipley White, Seeds of Discord. Syracuse, NY, Syracuse University Press, 1964.
|Daniel Hoffman, The City of Satisfactions. New York, Oxford University Press, 1963.
|Samuel Noah Kramer, The Sumerians. Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 1963.
|Curtis Bok, Maria. New York, Knopf, 1962.
|Carleton S. Coon, The Origin of Races. New York, Knopf, 1962.
|Richard S. Dunn, Puritans and Yankees. Princeton, NJ, Princeton University Press, 1962.
|Roy F. Nichols, The Stakes of Power, 1845-1877. New York, Hill and Wang, 1961.
|Lauren R. Stevens, The Double Axe. New York, Scribner, 1961.
|Edwin Wolf, II (with John F. Fleming), Rosenbach: a biography. Cleveland, World Publishing Company, 1960.
|David Taylor, Storm the Last Rampart. Philadelphia, J. B. Lippincott, 1960.
|John Edwin Canaday, Mainstreams of Modern Art: David to Picasso. New York, Simon & Schuster, 1959.
|Loren Eisley, Darwin's Century. Garden City, NY, Doubleday, 1958.
|Lyon Sprague DeCamp, An Elephant for Aristotle. Garden City, NJ, Doubleday, 1958.
|Catherine Drinker Bowen, The Lion and the Throne. Boston, Little Brown, 1957.
|Bettina Linn, A Letter to Elizabeth. Philadelphia, J. B. Lippincott, 1957.
|Livingston Biddle, Jr., The Village Beyond. Philadelphia, J. B. Lippincott, 1956.
|Samuel Noah Kramer, From the Tablets of Sumer. Indian Hills, CO, Falcon's Wing Press, 1956.
|Conyers Read, Mr. Secretary Cecil and Queen Elizabeth. New York, Knopf, 1955.
|Davis Grubb, The Night of the Hunter. New York, Harper & Brothers, 1953.
|Lawrence Henry Gipson, The Great War for the Empire 1760-1763, vol. 8, The Culmination, 1760-1763. New York, Knopf, 1953.
|Nicholas B. Wainwright, A Philadelphia Story. Philadelphia, Wm. F. Fell Co., 1952.
|Arthur Hobson Quinn, The Literature of the American People. New York, Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1950.
|Henry N. Paul, The Royal Play of Macbeth. New York, Macmillan, 1950.
|John L. LaMonte, The World of the Middle Ages. New York, Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1949.


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The Biz: Chicago: The Polar Vortex Hits Primetime
Baby, it's cold outside - especially if you're filming TV shows during the worst Chicago winter in nearly 20 years.
The polar vortex is making it a tough season across the U.S., but it's especially brutal in the Windy City, where in January temperatures averaged 15.1 degrees and 33.5 inches of snow fell (the city's third-highest total on record). "It's even taken the die-hard producers who live here by surprise," says Peter Jankowski, the president of Wolf Films, which makes NBC's Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D. "When our fire consultants, who work for the department here, have to run inside between takes, you know it's cold."
A couple of inches of snow paralyzed the Atlanta metropolitan area in January, causing The Vampire Diaries and The Originals, the CW dramas that film there, to shut down for two days. But it was a different story in Chicago, where casts and crews often work through deep freezes. None of the four dramas shot in that area ceased production, despite weather deemed dangerous enough to close the city's public schools.
"Our motto here has been, 'We shoot through the elements,'" says Timothy Busfield, the executive producer of ABC's Mind Games, which premieres Feb. 25. But members of the production have had to seek shelter a few times, including during the last scene of the season finale, which was directed by series creator Kyle Killen. He had originally planned to have stars Christian Slater and Steve Zahn standing on a bridge over the Chicago River, near the mouth of Lake Michigan, where gusts are at their fiercest. "It was a beautiful shot of our actors down by the water," Busfield says. "But it was 30 degrees below zero with the windchill, and it was just too much. We couldn't get the performance."
Still, Busfield believes the cold weather adds authenticity to the look of Mind Games. "After years of doing shows that took place elsewhere and having to create winter - Without a Trace, for example [which was set in New York but shot in Los Angeles] - I really like all the elements we've had in Chicago," he says. "The actors act better. It feels real. It doesn't feel like L.A. and that L.A. sun." No doubt the tax incentives provided by the state of Illinois, which reduce the costs of production, also take some of the sting out of the bone-chilling conditions.
For NBC's upcoming political thriller Crisis, premiering March 16, the freezing temperatures pose more of a problem, considering that the serialized drama depicts a hostage situation set in Washington, D.C., during the first two weeks of September. "We have this candlelight vigil in front of the White House, and all the actors' breath can be seen," says producer J.B. Moranville. "Lance Gross is in a light cotton shirt and Rachael Taylor is in a silk blouse, and you can see their breath. People are saying, 'Well, tell them to hold their breath!' And I'm going, 'They have lines! You want them to hold their breath while they're speaking lines?' It's crazy."
"When I went to college here, I used to ride my bike to and from campus, and I don't remember it being this cold ever," says Crisis star Gillian Anderson. "This
is unbelievable"
Crisis has had to reschedule some outdoor location shoots to avoid snow on the ground and has moved some scenes inside. Actors flying in from Los Angeles have had to arrive in town a day earlier than their scheduled shoot time to account for possible weather-related airport delays and flight cancellations. Crew members who live locally have been put up in hotels so they wouldn't have to travel during the early-morning hours, when daily temperatures are typically at their lowest. Craft services provides hearty soups and specialty coffees to keep actors, wardrobe people, makeup artists and technicians going. "You feel sorry for the cast and crew," says Moranville. "But we've got to get the show done."
At NBC's Chicago Fire, Jankowski says there have been few problems thanks to a "cover set" - a replica of the firehouse where much of the -action takes place-built inside a climate-controlled studio. "That's really saved our butts," he says. The cast also keeps warm with layers of clothing worn under their firefighting gear.
The stars of the spinoff series Chicago P.D., who wear T-shirts and leather jackets in most outdoor scenes, aren't so lucky. Fortunately, the work is more important to the actors than is keeping warm. "I'm outside when it's 8 degrees and a 6-below windchill because I love my job," says Chicago P.D.'s Sophia Bush. "We're freezing, but we love it." -With reporting by Bruce Fretts
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No sooner had we settled the Venezuela 2019 and 2024 bonds, which investors received last Tuesday, that PDVSA announced last Friday that it would issue three bonds in a combo maturing in 2014, 2015 and 2016 with coupons of 4.9%, 5% and 5.125% respectively. Each buyer will buy a combo composed of $1,300 of the 2014, $1,300 of the 2015 and $40o of the 2016. They will be sold to investors at a price of 138% in Bolivars but at Bs. 2.15.
Thus, while the whole of emerging markets countries issued around US$ 20 billion in September and not one issue exceeded US$ 2 billion, Venezuela began October by issuing US$ 5 billion and now is ready to issue another $3 billion. Of course, PDVSA could decide to issue more if it wants. Except…
that it would have to change the terms if it wants the issue to be succesful, because as it stands, buying dollars via the PDVSA bonds is more expensive than going to the parallel swap market.
Let me remind you how this works (Version for Dummies here) :
1) You buy $3,000 in bonds denominated in $ for Bs. In this case you pay $3000 x Bs. 2.15 x 1.38= Bs. 8,901 for the combo
2) The bonds are not worth $3,000 in the international markets, they sell at a discount, i.e. less than 100%. Let's assume the combo (more on this later) sells at an average of 55% of its face value, then you get $1,650 for your bonds if you sell them right away.
3) Since you paid Bs. 8.901, then each $ cost you Bs. 5.39 (8,901/1,650) which is according to the swap market value, which I am not allowed to print, more expensive than doing a permuta swap according to this page.
So, whether it is a good deal or not boils down to what is the value of the bonds in the international markets. Since the bonds don't exist yet, we have to use other existing bonds as a guide or a guesstimate or what their price should be.
PDVSA has four bonds out there: the 2011 zero coupon Petrobono (zero coupon means no interest, you get 100% of face value on maturity) a 5.25% coupon bond maturing in 2017, a 5.375% coupon bond maturing in 2027 and a 5.5% coupon bond maturing in 2037.
The new PDVSA bonds are closer in nature to the 2011 Petrobono because in contrast to the 2017, 2027 and 2037 issues, which were issued under New York law, these bonds are all issued by PDVSA under Venezuelan law. What this means is that foreign investors don't like them as much. For some reason, they don't trust our Courts as much as those in New York. Wonder why?
Because the new bonds mature after 2011, the first thing we can say is that they should all yield at least the same as the 2011 bond, if not more.
Well, usually (there are exceptions that I will not go into) the longer maturity of the bond the more investors want to be paid for it. This can be understood simply as saying the longer I have to look into the future, the fuzzier it is, the harder it gets to predict.
In PDVSA's case, if you are uncomfortable that it will pay you in 2011, imagine if you had to wait three more years! Or five!
Thus, a first approximation would be to say they all yield the same as the Petrobono 2011, which on Friday was yielding 16.8%. This is the most optimistic case. If this were the case, using Excel you can calculate that the 2014 bond would be worth 60.8%, the 2015 56.4% and the 2016 53%. Which means that you would get for the combo $1,735.8 or you would be buying each dollar at Bs. 5.14. Does not sound that attractive, right? It gets worse…
Because this is the best case scenario. In reality these bonds should not only yield more, but when they begin trading they will yield even more as the market absorbs them. As an example, the 2019 and 20124 bonds issued two weeks ago, have always yielded at least 1% above similar Venezuela bonds and are still above them.
Additionally, the longer bonds should yield more, even if the difference is small. Using as a guide Venezuela's bonds, the 2016 yields 0.7% more than the 2014.
Thus, I think you can assume safely:
1) The 2014 will yield at least 1% more than the 2011 because of markets and you have to add 0.35% per year. Thus the 2014 should be at 16.8%+1% (markets)+1.05% (longer maturity 0.35% per year) for a total yield of 18.85%
2) The 2015 should be 0.35% above that or at 19.2%
3) The 2016 should be 0.35% above that or at 19.55%
This gives a value for each dollar of Bs. 5.69 per US$, 13.8% above the close on Friday.
Definitely not worth it.
Why did they do this? Because PDVSA thinks the bonds should trade higher. They are probably assuming they should trade with Venezuela's bonds or its own New York issued bonds. But markets say this is not the case.
Thus, unless PDVSA changes the 138% factor to make it more attractive, the issue should fail. People are not dumb.
Unless there is a hidden agenda somewhere and there is always an edge with the robolution when it comes to these bond issues. I haven't figured out where this one could be. Maybe PDVSA will start buying the Petrobonos like crazy tomorrow and drive down the yield sharply to make the comparison more attractive (Remember I am assuming Friday's prices in all this, if the Petrobono goes up in price the numbers would improve)
We shall see, I will keep you posted. For now, stay away from this.


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There's no shortage of bikey events around DFW this weekend, so take your pick! Outstanding.
1. Querencia is doing a Tubes, Tires, and Flats educational event from 2-3PM on Sat.
2. Bike Friendly Oak Cliff Cyclesomatic & RBM bike fair on Sat. BMX freestyle, repair workshops
3. Bike Friendly Oak Cliff urban chicken coop bike tour:
4. Bike Friendly Oak Cliff "Hit the Road, Jack" historic Ray Charles ride:
5. Doom Presents Drunkenshlagen alleycat, 6PM, Union Station.
6. Fort Worth Open-Streets carfree festival on Sunday:


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Notorious NYCK
Earth Shattering Beauty, Style and Health News from a Neurotic New Yorker
Years ago, Marie Claire invented a fabulous column called Splurge vs. Steal that showed delicious, drool-worthy designer products paired with their far more realistically priced doppelgangers. And it was genius! Everyone and their brother knocked it off. (Lust vs. Must, anyone?) No one had ever had the balls to say, "There is cheap stuff that looks just like the expensive-as-hell-stuff. And here it is." Talk about pissing off high-end advertisers. But somehow it worked, and I don't think there were too many casualties. Some people, though, didn't get it. I remember one grande dame in the PR industry saying to me, "I think that column is ridiculous, why would anyone buy the expensive version when they can have the cheaper one? They should call the column, Smart vs. Stupid. I mean, no one is that stupid."
OK--truth time: I am that "stupid." I not only prefer to make the "stupid" choice, I revel in it. I just happen to like (ok love) designer and expensive. With beauty products (and don't get me started on shoes and handbags), the packaging is always more gorgeous, the makeup pigment richer, the textures more luscious, the moisturizers more moisturizing, the fragrances finer and the effects more profound. I know these thoughts aren't rational because there are tons of mass market beauty products that are really, really good—probably, great, even. I just don't get the same rush slogging my way through poorly-stocked and disarrayed drugstore aisles or even Target (sacrilege I know) as I do blissfully strolling the beauty floor of Bergdorf Goodman. And I have a love/hate relationship with Sephora. Even though it has fabulous products, the place is always a mess, badly-stocked, crowded, noisy and deplorably lit. I feel like I am doing battle every time I go in there, unless I am meeting my star beauty advisor Zoe at the Powell Street store in SF.
But my allegiance to all things expensive is no longer feasible now that the cosmetics companies aren't sending me all of their latest and greatest products (and my daily staples) for free. So here Notorious NYCK sits—a girl with champagne tastes on a beer budget. But with a little digging and a whole lot of resolve, I've found a few reasonably priced versions of my extravagantly-priced addictions. And while they don't elicit the same passion, these cheaper products do get the job done--and I am only suffering slightly as a result of the substitutions. I know, I know, everyone should have such problems!
Splurge: Clarins Water Comfort One-Step Cleanser with Peach Essential Water : $32.50 (clarins.com) This is a beautiful cleanser. It's fast, gentle, thorough and moisturizing. And Its heavenly peach fragrance makes it a pure pleasure to use.
Steal: Sephora Collection Triple Action Cleansing Water: $14 The only drawback to making this switch is missing out on the sublime scent of the Clarins version. This cleanser is every bit as good. Promise.
Splurge: Dior Snow UV Shield SPF 50: $50 (dior.com) I'd like to pause and just take a moment to worship at the temple of Dior. I am obsessed with its beauty products; they are just beyond gorgeous. This sunscreen is silky, moisturizing, non-irritating, applies like a dream and is completely imperceptible on skin. Plus, its sleek white tube with black accents is perfectly portable and incredibly chic. And while it does contain some chemical sunscreen, Snow UV Shield's key defensive ingredient is zinc oxide, which is great for sensitive skin. An added bonus is that natural sunscreens like zinc and titanium dioxide provide immediate protection against the sun since, they are physical blocks. With chemical sunscreens, you need to wait at least 30 minutes before their protective powers kick in.
Steal: Neutrogena Healthy Defense Daily Moisturizer Pure Screen SPF 50: $11.99 (Neutrogena.com) The tube is nothing to write home about and the consistency a little less velvety than Dior's, but this product is a good, daily 100% natural sunscreen with moisturizing properties that blends well and doesn't leave a preternaturally white sheen on skin like 100% natural sunscreens can.
Splurge: Nars Monoi Body Glow II: $59 (nars.com) God I love Nars. It is impossibly glamorous. If I could eat it, I would. I first got turned on to the tinted version of this product (Body Glow) by this young gorgeous European couple who used to summer next door to us on Fire Island. Both he and she would frolic in the sand and surf in low SPFs and tiny bathing suits. At the end of the day, they would anoint each other's sun-kissed skin with this divinely-scented, shimmery cocoa-colored oil. (This act was only a little less pornographic than it sounds.) They looked so golden and gleaming, I had to try this magic elixir myself. What I got for my efforts were brown streaks (I am glow-in-the-dark pale so the color didn't blend) and stained clothes. I am also impatient and not interested in "drying time." But I am obsessed with the clear version of this product. It makes skin crazy soft, lends a subtle shimmer and imparts a flowery coconutty scent.
Steal: Monoi Tipanie (tahiti-iti.com, $7.98): I am pretty darn proud of myself for finding this bargain-priced version. It looks, smells and feels just as good as the Nars product. And while the packaging is less chic, it's sort of retro and kitschy with a Gauguin-style Tahitian woman on the label, so you can't help but smile every time you use it. Monoi oil was originally created in Tahiti, BTW. It's comprised of pure coconut extract macerated with the bud of the tiare flower (Tahitian gardenia), which supposedly infuses the oil with nutrients as well as a delicate, fragrance. The Tahiti-iti (God, don't you just love that name?) website offers several different scents of Monoi oil, but the one that most closely resembles the Nars product is the Tipanie, or Frangipani variation.
Ciao for now my friends. Stay happy and healthy.
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A shot from the inaugural Young Professionals of Color Conference. Photo via cascadeconsultinggroup.com
The second annual Young Professionals of Color Conference will be held this Wednesday.
The conference, which was organized by a group of young professionals from Cascade Engineering, was created to address the often-heard feedback that Grand Rapids is friendly, but not necessarily welcoming to people of color.
"We need diversity in our community," said Kelley Losey, Cascade Engineering business unit manager. "It is extremely important for us to be a vital community to embrace diversity."
The day-long conference will include four sessions, as well as a keynote address and will be followed by a BL2END networking event.
The event will be at Gordon Foods' new location, at 3400 Gezon Pwy. SW, Wyoming.
Jullien Gordon is scheduled to give the keynote address.
Gordon is a coach and consultant for organizations, individuals and teams that want to increase employee performance, motivation, engagement and retention.
He also is a speaker, trainer, author and founding partner of the New Higher consultancy.
He has worked with Fortune 100 companies to enhance their human capital strategies and helped more than 10,000 professionals discover new ways to create value, be present and find meaning at work.
"He is going to talk to them about how you define your own success," Losey said.
Personal brand and perceptions
The sessions will help attendees develop a personalized professional development plan.
The first session will focus on how to develop a professional reputation and manage perceptions.
"How do you take control of building your professional reputation and understanding that people are going to have perceptions?" Losey said. "People of color sometimes know that they are walking into a situation and very often they are the only one that looks like them and people may not have grown up with people who look like them.
"How do they control that?" she said. "How do they build their brand? What are some of those tools to create self-awareness, so you can understand how you are reflecting and how are you presenting yourself to other people? Understanding they may have their own paradigms, and you can just be who you are."
Work-life balance
The second session will look at developing the right work-life balance to fit with professional and personal goals.
"There needs to be a balance between work and life, and what are you willing to sacrifice to achieve success and not (sacrifice)?" Losey said.
She added that the session would help attendees develop a strategy that balances work-and-life priorities, as well as teach them time management and prioritization techniques.
In the third session, attendees will put pen to paper, as they work to develop their goals and an action plan.
"It's about mapping out your success and your vision," Losey said. "They will actually work on a personal mission statement, which will help them start to develop a blueprint for success and talking a lot about what is your passion or your big hairy audacious goal? What are some key points and resources for your action plan?"
Panel discussion
The final session is a panel discussion presented by BL2END members who will talk about their own experiences during their professional journey.
Losey said that as a follow-up to the conference, Cascade Engineering plans to hold a second conference in the fall that helps businesses develop an overall plan for diversity and inclusion.
The follow-up conference will incorporate some of the ideas brought to light by the Young Professionals of Color Conference.
"If the cultures in the businesses are not being purposeful and making sure that people feel comfortable and are being given opportunities, then it's going to be very frustrating for the young professional," she said.
The cost for the event is $100.
BL2END will host an optional networking event open to the public immediately following the conference, from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
People interested in attending or learning more can register via Cascade's website or contact Losey at (616) 516-1451 or kelley.losey at cascadeng dot com.


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A mum is warning parents of young children to check electrical appliances after her 23-month-old daughter got dragged inside a spinning tumble dryer.
Little Iiylah-Louise was playing when she opened the door of the dryer and got her finger caught on a blanket as it sped round the drum.
Horrified mum Shannon, 24, heard her daughter's screams and managed to flick the machine off at the mains just as the tot's head was pulled inside.
Iiylah was rushed to hospital following the freak accident at her home in Somercotes, Derby, last Wednesday (18/10).
She spent the day in King's Mill Hospital, Notts., where she received treatment for tissue damage to the fingers on her right hand.
Shannon, who has three other children, has tried to contact the manufacturer of the Crusader CT31V tumble dryer but the firm no longer exists.
She is now warning parents to check their appliances to make sure they automatically cut out if the doors are opened.
Shannon said: "It was about 3pm and I was cooking the tea when it happened.
"The tumble dryer is in the dining room along with a load of toys, and she had obviously managed to open the door while it was still going round.
"The blankets and duvet covers in there had wrapped around her tighter and tighter and were pulling her in.
"I tried to pull her out, but nothing was working.
"Her head was slowly being pulled in, and I was worried that something awful might happen, because the momentum was pulling her in.
"I grabbed her but it was still pulling at her so I flicked the power switch.
"She was screaming but it could have been awful if her head went into the fast spinning drum – she could have been very seriously injured or even worse.
"The dryer is a few years old but it had always stopped spinning when you opened the door.
"I've thrown the dryer out now and I'll never have one again. Thank god she was able to cry out and warn me about what was happening.
"It's been horrible. It's the most horrific thing that I have ever seen in my life.
"I just couldn't get the blankets off her quick enough, it felt like everything was just taking ages.
"The next day, we put her to bed as normal, but at around 7pm she started screaming again.
"She was shaking all over, and started vomiting repeatedly. The doctors reckon it must be some sort of seizure, perhaps brought on by shock.
"Thankfully she is all ok now and on the mend."
The appliance, which is believed to be around ten years old, was bought second-hand from Shannon's mum Louise Evans, 44, in 2012.
It had a safety feature which ensured it stopped spinning when the door opened, but this is believed to have malfunctioned.
Shannon has now thrown out the faulty appliance, and, along with partner A-Jay Forbes, 30, is warning fellow parents to take extra care when it comes to washing.
Craig McClue, lead officer and policy executive at the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, said: "Product safety is a serious issue and consumers need to think carefully when looking to buy older second hand appliances.
"The safety of the product will be unknown and parts of it might be failing depending on its age.
"As a precaution trading standards recommend that a thorough safety check is carried out by a qualified technician."


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From New York Times
A Can't Do Government
by Paul Krugman
Before 9/11 the Federal Emergency Management Agency listed the three most likely catastrophic disasters facing America: a terrorist attack on New York, a major earthquake in San Francisco and a hurricane strike on New Orleans. "The New Orleans hurricane scenario," The Houston Chronicle wrote in December 2001, "may be the deadliest of all." It described a potential catastrophe very much like the one now happening.
So why were New Orleans and the nation so unprepared? After 9/11, hard questions were deferred in the name of national unity, then buried under a thick coat of whitewash. This time, we need accountability.
First question: Why have aid and security taken so long to arrive? Katrina hit five days ago - and it was already clear by last Friday that Katrina could do immense damage along the Gulf Coast. Yet the response you'd expect from an advanced country never happened. Thousands of Americans are dead or dying, not because they refused to evacuate, but because they were too poor or too sick to get out without help - and help wasn't provided. Many have yet to receive any help at all.
There will and should be many questions about the response of state and local governments; in particular, couldn't they have done more to help the poor and sick escape? But the evidence points, above all, to a stunning lack of both preparation and urgency in the federal government's response.
Even military resources in the right place weren't ordered into action. "On Wednesday," said an editorial in The Sun Herald in Biloxi, Miss., "reporters listening to horrific stories of death and survival at the Biloxi Junior High School shelter looked north across Irish Hill Road and saw Air Force personnel playing basketball and performing calisthenics. Playing basketball and performing calisthenics!"
Maybe administration officials believed that the local National Guard could keep order and deliver relief. But many members of the National Guard and much of its equipment - including high-water vehicles - are in Iraq. "The National Guard needs that equipment back home to support the homeland security mission," a Louisiana Guard officer told reporters several weeks ago.
Second question: Why wasn't more preventive action taken? After 2003 the Army Corps of Engineers sharply slowed its flood-control work, including work on sinking levees. "The corps," an Editor and Publisher article says, citing a series of articles in The Times-Picayune in New Orleans, "never tried to hide the fact that the spending pressures of the war in Iraq, as well as homeland security - coming at the same time as federal tax cuts - was the reason for the strain."
In 2002 the corps' chief resigned, reportedly under threat of being fired, after he criticized the administration's proposed cuts in the corps' budget, including flood-control spending.
Third question: Did the Bush administration destroy FEMA's effectiveness? The administration has, by all accounts, treated the emergency management agency like an unwanted stepchild, leading to a mass exodus of experienced professionals.
Last year James Lee Witt, who won bipartisan praise for his leadership of the agency during the Clinton years, said at a Congressional hearing: "I am extremely concerned that the ability of our nation to prepare for and respond to disasters has been sharply eroded. I hear from emergency managers, local and state leaders, and first responders nearly every day that the FEMA they knew and worked well with has now disappeared."
I don't think this is a simple tale of incompetence. The reason the military wasn't rushed in to help along the Gulf Coast is, I believe, the same reason nothing was done to stop looting after the fall of Baghdad. Flood control was neglected for the same reason our troops in Iraq didn't get adequate armor.
At a fundamental level, I'd argue, our current leaders just aren't serious about some of the essential functions of government. They like waging war, but they don't like providing security, rescuing those in need or spending on preventive measures. And they never, ever ask for shared sacrifice.
Yesterday Mr. Bush made an utterly fantastic claim: that nobody expected the breach of the levees. In fact, there had been repeated warnings about exactly that risk.
So America, once famous for its can-do attitude, now has a can't-do government that makes excuses instead of doing its job. And while it makes those excuses, Americans are dying.


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DEAR STRAIGHT TALK >> I"m 20 and I hope you take this question seriously as a men"s rights issue because nobody talks about it except through hurtful jokes. With no concern that men might have body-image issues, girls seem to think it"s OK to laugh about a guy"s "size" — all the while, insisting size doesn"t matter!
I had one girl laugh at my size and another break up with me over it. This hurts and I"m nervous about getting in a new relationship. I"d really like some honesty from girls about what matters and from guys about how to deal with this (not that anyone will admit he"s small; it"s the ultimate shameful thing for a guy).
— James, Lenexa, Kansas
KATHERINE, 17, REDDING >> It"s time we realize men are insecure about body image, too. Those girls are not worth the stress. I know girls who like a bigger size, and it may seem like all girls do, but I guarantee, most don"t care.
BRANDON, 22, MAPLETON, MAINE >> Lots of guys worry about being "small." It"s on every dude"s mind, the whole, "I hope she"s not expecting X." Truthfully, from girls I"ve spoken with, the saying is true: "Size doesn"t matter, it"s how you use it."
However, not every girl shares that belief, as you"ve noted. I had a friend who was very open about having three inches. Why? Because he and his girlfriend (who scored high on the "hot-o-meter") enjoyed their sex life very much. My friend was willing to work with her sexually, worrying about HER climax before he worried about his. What girl could laugh at a guy who wasn"t well endowed when she was having the best orgasms of her life?
NICOLE, 24, GRASS VALLEY >> A boyfriend of mine was smaller than average. On our first time, he said, "I know it"s small, but let"s work with it." And let me tell you, we worked with it! I hear the hurt you"ve endured, but don"t be discouraged. You have everything needed to please a woman.
JUSTIN, 27, REDDING >> I understand male body-image issues. I was mocked constantly, "Ew, you"re so skinny! Eat something!" I still hesitate going shirtless in front of new people — and I"m in fantastic shape! Everyone rails about media depictions of females, yet every male superhero and action star has an impossible-to-obtain image, driving many boys to steroids.
All boys grow up hearing they"ll be inadequately endowed. I"m not big, and I could be nervous or ashamed, but the fact is, there"s nothing I can do about it! Why even spend even a second thinking about it? If a girl is so shallow she can"t enjoy what I"ve got, that"s her problem.
RACHEL, 22, CORTE MADERA >> Unfortunately, pornography has glorified large penises, but with erect size averaging five inches, there"s a LOT of variation. Vaginas are all different, too. I had a boyfriend say he"d never seen one like mine, which made me think something was wrong with me — which was ridiculous!
Some people are just mean, usually due to their own insecurities. They aren"t worthy of you. With the right person, nothing is an issue.
DEAR JAMES >> I cringe at your mistreatment and take this very seriously. The good news is, you had the cojones and resourcefulness to write us! And these are a man"s sexiest features (Brandon"s friend is a good example). While you can"t change certain things — or certain people — you can change your own thinking and have a wonderful sex life.
Imagine you"re an athlete in a slump. To get back in the game, stop comparing, shrug off negative thoughts (they are ridiculous), let the past go and focus on your partner. If you don"t get anywhere, I recommend a good counselor and/or the Landmark Forum.
— Lauren
Ask a question or go deeper in today"s conversation at www.StraightTalkAdvice.org — or write PO Box 1974 Sebastopol, CA 95473. Straight Talk Advice.org is a 501c3 nonprofit.


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Celtics outlast Nuggets in three overtimes
BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics relied on their veterans to help them win the matchup of the NBA's two hottest teams.
BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics relied on their veterans to help them win the matchup of the NBA's two hottest teams.
poll goes here
Paul Pierce had 27 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists and the Celtics extended their winning streak to seven games with a 118-114 triple overtime victory over the Denver Nuggets on Sunday.
Boston's win also ended Denver's winning streak at nine games.
Pierce made a tying 3-pointer in the second overtime to make it 107-107 and extend the game.
"I mean that's what great players do. I would love to tell you I had something to do with it," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "I was sitting just like the fans saying, "Please, Lord, Paul make a shot."
Kevin Garnett had 20 points and grabbed 18 rebounds while Jason Terry scored a season-high 26 points off the bench.
"It seems like Garnett has a huge heart and wanted to win the game and he made some big time shots," Nuggets coach George Karl said. "His range has improved and it's about time he get that respect."
Pierce, Garnett and Terry are the only active Celtics with championship rings since point guard Rajon Rondo's season-ending knee injury. The Celtics remain unbeaten in Rondo's absence.
Terry hit a 3-pointer with 1:33 remaining in the third overtime to put the Celtics ahead 116-113.
Danilo Gallinari, who finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds, hit a free throw, but Denver would not get any closer.
"Hard to believe these guys don't have an all-star," Garnett said. "That baffles me … Gallinari, Lawson … they have deserving guys."
Terry, who had missed five consecutive 3-point shots in the first two overtimes, also made the defensive play of the game when he stole the ball from Andre Miller with 35 seconds remaining.
Denver had one last gasp as Miller missed a 3-pointer with 4.9 seconds remaining before Terry dribbled the ball up the court and made a layup at the buzzer to finish the scoring.
"We're not into moral victories, but it was one of those games," Miller said. "It was a fun game and I'm sure everybody was tired."
Denver's Ty Lawson had 29 points, nine assists and six rebounds and hit several key shots, including a running bank shot to send the game into overtime tied at 92-92.
Gallinari struggled from the field as he shot 7 of 20 for the Nuggets. Kenneth Faried had 14 points and 12 rebounds for Denver.
Garnett was 3 of 4 from the field in overtime after missing 14 of his previous 20 shots.
With Denver leading 105-104 in the second overtime, Lawson hit another jumper to put the Nuggets up 107-104 with 18.9 seconds remaining.
But Pierce hit a 3-pointer with Miller in his face with 5 seconds left to tie the game at 107-107.
Gallinari then had an open lane to the basket as he was overplayed by Garnett, but missed his shot as time ran out.
Jeff Green's 3-pointer tied the game at 99-99 with 23.8 seconds remaining in the first overtime, but Lawson's long 3-pointer fell short at the buzzer.
"Lot of people still doubt us," Green said. Can't come into games thinking we have to impress people."
Denver failed to hit its last shot in all three overtimes with chances to win the game in the first two and to tie it in the third.
Green's jumper put Boston ahead 92-90 with 47.9 seconds remaining in regulation. Miller then missed consecutive shots on the ensuing Denver possessions, but Faried was fouled with 5.4 seconds remaining.
Faried missed both free throws, but Celtics guard Avery Bradley knocked the ball out of bounds. Lawson then scored with 0.8 seconds remaining.
Gallinari, who averages 20 points per game to lead Denver, was held to three points in the first half on 1-of-6 shooting as the Nuggets trailed 50-46 at the break.
Notes: Pierce and Lawson each played 54 minutes respectively. … JaVale McGee had 16 rebounds for Denver. … Boston is 13-2 in its past 15 home games against Denver, but the teams are 10-10 head-to-head in the past 20. … Boston matches up again on the road with Denver on Feb. 19. … This had been the Nuggets' longest winning streak since March 30 to April 15, 2005. … Andre Iguodala left the game for Denver in the third quarter with a strain and did not return.


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Movie review: 'Raven' travels on the Poe side of town
"The Raven" is nothing to crow about, but it's not a turkey either.
Enough bird puns for you? OK, nevermore.
"The Raven" is one of those films that takes a famous person, in this case Edgar Allan Poe, and plays around with history to create a drama.
In "Anonymous," William Shakespeare is portrayed as a charlatan, not a genius playwright. In the upcoming film "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Killer," one can assume Honest Abe has raised the stakes, so to speak, on his domestic policies.
In "Raven," Poe (John Cusack) is transformed into a detective, helping the police track down a serial killer who is murdering his victims in grisly ways found in Poe's tales.
The film opens with the author looking near death and rambling incoherently on a park bench in Baltimore in 1849. It then flashes back to explain how got there. In reality, Poe did disappear for five days before his "mysterious" death.
While Cusack is a talented actor and tries his best to portray Poe as a down-on-his-luck, impoverished drunk, he simply doesn't look or act dissolute and borderline mad enough to be convincing as the writer of "The Murders in the Rue Morgue."
I suppose if you had no idea who Poe was and what a raging alcoholic he was (he was no stranger to opium either), you might be able to buy Poe as an Americanized version of Hercule Poirot.
Anyway, a real detective, Det. Fields (Like Evans) enlists Poe to help him find the serial killer. Lovers of anachronisms will enjoy seeing the term mentioned in a newspaper, more than 100 years before it was actually first used.
Poe aficionados, meanwhile, might get a chuckle watching critic Rufus Griswold (John Warnaby) get sliced and diced by a scythe-like pendulum. In reality, Griswold wrote a scathing obituary on Poe, who was not a Griswold fan. The Boston-born writer might have taken a little guilty pleasure in watching his foe's gruesome demise.
To up the ante, the serial killer kidnaps Poe's fiancee Emily Hamilton (Alice Eve) and Poe has to use the clues the killer gives him to save her life. The killer also wants Poe to document his detective work in a newspaper.
Director James McTeigue ("V for Vendetta") wants to fashion a gothic thriller here in the same vein as "The Silence of The Lambs," but the film contains few thrills. It's more gory as the pendulum scene demonstrates.
The screenplay by Ben Livingston and Hannah Shakespeare (I assume she's not related to William), contains its share of anachronisms, too, but greater sins are created by offering the reader few clues about the identity of the killer.
The revelation seems tacked on like at the end of a "Perry Mason" episode where the killer, who typically exists on the periphery, confesses on the stand as the show approaches its end. The "fun" is watching Mason put all the pieces together. Poe eventually puts the pieces together, too. They just don't all fit — and there's not as much "fun."
At the least the film looks good with Serbia and Hungary substituting for Baltimore and the costumes adding to the atmosphere.
I have to confess I actually liked this film more than I had any right to, as Cusack, even when he's miscast, seldom delivers a bogus performance. And the script has its witty moments.
The supporting cast is above average, too, with Eve displaying some pluck as the love interest and Brendan Gleeson adding some spark as Emily's father Charles. Incredibly, he doesn't think Poe is right for his daughter.
Unfortunately, "The Raven" spends more time talking about Poe's genius than providing examples of it. Here, he's simply the besotted and smitten gumshoe. If Poe were writing this film, he would have killed himself off in the first act — and death by a scythe-like pendulum would have been too kind a fate.
"The Raven" opens tomorrow.
"The Raven" (C+)


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Rachel McAdams
Date Of Birth:
7 October 1978
Place Of Birth:
London, Ontario, Canada
After only a handful of movie and TV roles, Rachel McAdams made a splash as Regina George, the catty teen villain in the 2004 comedy Mean Girls (starring Lindsay Lohan). A graduate of York University (just outside Toronto), McAdams began her onscreen career in 2000. Mean Girls was the best and last of a string of roles in which McAdams played teen girls. Her impressive dramatic turn as Ryan Gosling's lover in The Notebook (2004, also starring James Garner) changed her status to rising star. By the end of 2005 McAdams had indeed arrived, starring in three high profile movies: Red Eye (with Cillian Murphy), The Wedding Crashers (with Owen Wilson) and The Time Traveler's Wife (2009). She also played brainy dame Irene Adler opposite Robert Downey, Jr. in the big-budget action movies Sherlock Holmes (2009) and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011), as well as the uptight fiancee in Woody Allen's 2011 film Midnight in Paris. Rachel McAdams's other film credits include Southpaw (2015, starring Jake Gyllenhaal), and Spotlight (2015, directed by Tom McCarthy), and she starred in the second season of the cable series True Detective the same year, with Colin Farrell and Vince Vaughn.
Extra Credit:
Rachel McAdams for a time dated Ryan Gosling, her co-star in The Notebook; coincidentally, the two were born in the same hospital in the city of London in Ontario, Canada.
See also:
Here are the facts and trivia that people are buzzing about.
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New attacks against mobile phones demonstrated by a researcher from Luxembourg
A researcher of the University of Luxembourg has demonstrated a […]
December 9, 2010
A researcher of the University of Luxembourg has demonstrated a new class of attacks against mobile phones at the security conference DeepSec in Vienna. Using a base transceiver station (available for 1000 euro) he showed how common programming errors in the communication stack of mobile phones can be exploited to gain control over the devices.
Ralf-Philipp Weinmann found devastating flaws in a large percentage of cellular communication stacks. According to him, sufficiently motivated attackers are able to perform these attacks, which are almost undetectable. They allow to take over control of mobile phones in the range of the rogue transceiver, which may mean hundreds of phones at a time in crowded urban areas. Attackers hence are able to cause billing problems by either dialling premium numbers or sending text messages to premium services; or monitor the complete communications of the cell phone user. Moreover even eavesdropping on the surroundings of the cell phone is possible by making the cell phone pick up incoming calls automatically – without the user noticing.The attacking transceiver needs to be online for just a couple of seconds to perform the attack.
The University of Luxembourg, an international university focusing on research areas like Security in Information Technology, is working together with a number of vendors for both cellular communication chips and mobile phones. The objective is to fix the security flaws found and to prevent similar flaws from happening in the future. While programming bugs are inevitable, serious code security audit and exploit mitigations by the major baseband chip vendors help to reduce this class of security problem.