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Monroe statue theft suspect previously took ax to Trump star
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Prosecutors say the man suspected of stealing a statue of Marilyn Monroe from atop a Hollywood public art installation is the same person who smashed President Trump's Walk of Fame star with a pickax last year.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office says 25-year-old Austin Mikel Clay pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to felony grand theft and vandalism. He could face 3 years in jail if convicted on all charges.
The Monroe statue depicts the actress in an iconic pose from the 1955 film "The Seven Year Itch" and went missing June 16.
Clay pleaded no contest to a felony vandalism charge for smashing Trump's star last summer.
He was sentenced to three years' probation and ordered to pay damages to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce in that case.


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Natalie Solent
Politics, news, libertarianism, Science Fiction, religion, sewing. You got a problem, bud? I like sewing.
E-mail: nataliesolent-at-aol-dot-com (I assume it's OK to quote senders by name.)
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( 'Nother Solent is this blog's good twin. Same words, searchable archives, RSS feed. Provided by a benefactor, to whom thanks.
I also sometimes write for Samizdata and Biased BBC.)
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Monday, August 06, 2012
Sunday, August 05, 2012
Discussion Point XXXVIII over at Samizdata asked,
What have you failed to find on the internet that you expected to be there?In the course of the comments, a minor literary mystery was, I think, solved by Guy Herbert. I'll reproduce the relevant comments for the benefit of future searchers. First I said,
The two unfound internet things that made me think of this post were (a) truly easy to follow instructions on how to prolong the life of various types of battery. Yesterday I finally found Battery University: Summary of Do's and Don'ts, although these instructions still demand more mental engagement from the instructee than this instructee wants to supply.Alisa pointed out that there is a Terris Bay in Australia, and then Guy Herbert said,
@Natalie 09:18 - (b) Submit this is a misprint. The internet very literal-minded. If you know the naval-historical context it is obvious Lewis would have been referring to the Jervis BayAlisa replied,
Guy, the net is full of references to that speech, and all of them have it as 'Terris Bay' (I tried to google 'C.S. Lewis and 'Jervis Bay' together, and nothing came up). If that is a mistake, it seems to have been made either by Lewis himself or by a chronicler.I replied,
Alisa & Guy Herbert,Guy's comment included a link to the Wikipedia entry for HMS Jervis Bay which makes it very clear why that ship might well have sprung readily to Lewis' mind. It reads:
She was the sole escort for 37 merchant ships in Convoy HX-84 from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Britain, when the convoy encountered the Admiral Scheer. The Captain of Jervis Bay, Edward Fegen, ordered the convoy to scatter, and set a course straight towards the German warship to draw its fire, guns blazing.[1] The Jervis Bay was hopelessly outgunned and outranged by the 28 cm guns of the German ship. Even so, Fegan and his crew fought on until their ship was set ablaze and sunk 755 nautical miles (1,398 kilometres) south-southwest of Reykjavík. Captain Fegen went down with his ship.[2] However, although Admiral Scheer went on to sink five merchant ships out of the convoy, Jervis Bay's sacrifice bought enough time for the convoy to scatter, and the remaining ships escaped. Sixty-five survivors from Jervis Bay were picked up by the neutral Swedish ship Stureholm. Captain Fegen was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross as a result of this action. The citation for the Victoria Cross reads "Valour in challenging hopeless odds and giving his life to save the many ships it was his duty to protect.")Alisa suggested that I add a note to a relevant Wikipedia entry. This I have totally failed to do, due to idleness, ignorance of the technique, and the fact that my IP range seems to be blocked from editing Wikipedia. If you reading this feel inclined to add such a note, please do.
Saturday, August 04, 2012
Wednesday, August 01, 2012

subset: commoncrawl


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'Obama's America 2016' Movie: If Obama Wins a Second Term, Where Will We Be?
Exclusive Interview with Author and Filmmaker Dinesh D'Souza
Despite it being a limited release film, "Obama's America 2016" is creating buzz at just the right time. By the time it opens to a wider audience in the U.S. in early August, the film – based on two books authored by conservative activist Dinesh D'Souza – just may play a part in the campaign against President Obama's re-election.
The film examines the question: "If Obama wins a second term, where will we be in 2016?"
Produced by Gerald R. Molen, who was the producer of the Academy Award Best Picture "Schindler's List," the film shows D'Souza "immersed in exotic locales across four continents" as he "races against time to find answers to Obama's past and reveal where America will be in 2016."
Filmmakers say that during D'Souza's journey "he discovers how Hope and Change became radically misunderstood, and identifies new flashpoints for hot wars in mankind's greatest struggle. The journey moves quickly over the arc of the old colonial empires, into America's empire of liberty, and we see the unfolding realignment of nations and the shape of the global future."
The Christian Post conducted an exclusive interview with D'Souza, who was a policy analyst in the Ronald Reagan White House. He is currently the president of The King's College in New York City.
CP: Can you give us a look into the part of the movie that answers the question you pose, "If Obama wins a second term, where will America be in 2016?"
D'Souza: The movie is divided into two parts. One looks backward into Obama's past and the other looks forward into what we can expect over the next four years. There's roughly equal time in the movie to both themes. The movie is also based on two books – my earlier book, The Roots of Obama's Rage (2010), and a new book I have coming out next month called Obama's America. The earlier book looks back and the new book looks forward, and the movie combines both.
CP: Can you give us a hint as to what the movie tells us about 2016 under Obama?
D'Souza: One of the themes in the movie is the anti-colonial goal of downsizing America in the name of global justice. So, the core idea here is that America has become a rogue nation in the world and also that America enjoys a standard of living that is unconscionably high compared to the rest of the world. So, anti-colonialism is a program of global reparations, not racial reparations. It's reparations for global injustice. Obama's goal is to shrink America. He wants to reduce America's footprint in the world because he thinks we are stepping on the world. He wants to redistribute money away from the rich and toward the poor. But we are not talking about the rich and the poor in America solely. We are talking about a redistribution of income away from the rich countries – America included – toward the poor countries such as Mexico, Brazil, Columbia, and so on. This is where I think we misunderstand Obama when he talks about the 99 percent. We think he means the 99 percent only in America. He doesn't. He actually means worldwide. It's important to realize that the middle class or even poor Americans are rich by global standards.
CP: How is this shown in the film?
D'Souza: It's shown in the film as a narrative. We basically follow a journey to discover Obama. In that journey we follow Obama's own journey to find himself. We find people that knew his father, his mother, people who are related to him, who knew young Obama. We also follow Obama's own description of his ideological odyssey. We then trace what his beliefs are and we match them against what he is doing so it's kind of a comparison to see if the jigsaw puzzle fits. It turns out that it fits rather well. Unlike my book, which came out in 2010 and had only 15 months of the Obama presidency to look at, we now have a full four years to look at. We have a full four-year record on which to see if we got Obama right and also to make reliable projections about where he is likely to go in the future.
CP: For those that have seen advanced screenings, what has the audience response to the movie been so far?
D'Souza: I would describe it as powerful, energized, tumultuous, ferocious, almost revelatory. I've seen people weeping as they come out of the theater. There have been people that want to hug me, people that look dazed, every kind of extremely kind of powerful response. We are only open in a few markets, but August 10 is when we go more broadly to at least two to three hundred more markets.
CP: Does this film have the potential to make a difference in the election? Why or why not?
D'Souza: Well, the film is intended to [offer] a debate about what's the future of America. Nowhere in the film do we mention the election. We certainly don't tell people how to vote. The film is about the American dream and Obama's dream. In some ways it's about my dream, which is the immigrants' dream. Also, worked in there is Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream and the dream of the founders. In that sense it's very different. In some ways I was inspired to do this by Michael Moore. I feel embarrassed to say that because Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" is an intellectual disaster, but nevertheless that film was about a controversial president and it was received at a time when one half of the country was for the president and one half was against him and it was dropped in the middle of an election. So that gave me the idea to make a film under similar conditions – controversial president, one half of the country is for him, one half is against him, and drop it in the middle of this year's debate. But I wanted to make and have made a very different kind of a film that is not fast with the facts and is intellectually and factually very sound. So far, no one has alleged the contrary.
CP: What do you hope moviegoers will come away with after seeing this film?
D'Souza: I can assure you that whatever your politics may be you are going to leave this film shaking your head and saying, "Wow. There's a whole lot in here about Obama that I had no idea about." I can guarantee that viewers whatever their politics will feel that way.


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Porto was once the last stop of adventurers on their way across the Atlantic to the New World. The cliché that Lisbon shows off and Porto just works is a well-worn metaphor that fails to fully do justice to the city's innumerate charms. History dwells around every corner, and more than ever, Porto is a place determined to hold on to its own and distinct identity.
1 Euro = 100 cents
European Emergency Number: 112
Jornal de Noticias – Porto based newspaper
Shops are usually open from Mon–Fri from 10am to 1pm and 3pm to 7pm. On Saturdays, most shops close down at 1pm. Shopping centres tend to be open from 10am to 11pm or even until midnight all week.
214,349 (2016)
Porto Tourism Office
Calçada Dom Pedro Pitões 15, Porto
+351 938 668 462
Daily 9am–6pm
Time has seemingly failed to touch some of the hidden corners of Porto, with many of its typical winding alleys full of shops and restaurants looking like a scene straight out of a medieval history book. The city is so soaked in the past that the historic area of Ribeira has been deemed a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Considering the backdrop of wrought-iron balconies full of flowers, the daily washing, and an array of fresh white and blue 'azulejos' tiles, you will have the perfect city for aimless wandering. However, the city does have a few key landmarks that are worth a visit, including the elaborately decorated Palacio da Bolsa (the Stock Exchange Palace), the medieval Cathedral, and The Clérigos Tower.
The other big draw for tourists is the tour of the Porto wine cellars at Vila Nova de Gaia on the other side of the Douro River.
The surrounding suburbs of the city are also compelling: Matosinhos offers great seafood eateries and small beaches stretching down the coastline. Foz do Douro is known as the wealthier area, with nightclubs and restaurants just 5 kilometres northwest of Porto, while Amarantes, a small northern town over the Tâmega River, has everything to win your heart: a preserved historic centre, charming architecture, and the warmth of its inhabitants.
In Porto, there is so much to see and do. Be sure to visit the port wine caves, its vibrant open-air markets, historic churches, but remember to set aside some time to admire its beautiful architecture and colorful neighbourhoods.
Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto)
Douro Valley Tour with Wine Tasting & Lunch
Food & Wine Tasting Tour in Porto
Clerigos Tower
Dom Luis I Bridge
São Bento Railway Station
Livraria Lello
Church of Santa Clara
Port Wine Caves at Vila Nova De Gaia
Soares dos Reis National Museum
Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art
Tower of D. Pedro Pitões
Nova Sintra Park (Parque das Águas)
Stock Exchange Palace
Estádio do Dragão
Monument Church of St Francis
Guindais Funicular
Portuguese Centre of Photography
Jardins do Palácio de Cristal
The people of Porto managed to acquire the name "tripeiros" or "tripe eaters", as they shipped out all their fine cuts of meat in order to feed their armies and traders abroad, conquering across the seas back in the 15th century. However, today there is a lot more on the Portuguese menus than just leftover offal of lower quality, and much port wine to wash it all down with.
Being on the coast, seafood restaurants are both ubiquitous and delicious. The city also has a good array of Brazilian-inspired restaurants, reflecting its former colonial links with the South American country–Brazilian barbecues are a carnivore's heaven!
Chez Lapin
Churrascão Gaúcho
ODE Porto Wine House
Lais de Guia
O Paparico
Yeatman's Restaurant
Praia da Luz
Mal Cozinhado
There are many pleasant cafés in Porto where you can get a refreshing drink or coffee. Snack-wise, most cafés will serve you a "francesinha," which is a cholesterol-full delicacy made from meat, bread, and cheese finished off with some spicy sauce.
Café Majestic
Café Guarany
Praia Da Luz
Café Candelabro
Lais de Guia
Tavi - Confeitaria da Foz
In central Porto, the liveliest place to head for is Ribeira–the vibrant historic heart of the city, which is also a popular students' haunt. For a flavour of traditional Portugal, go to a Fado bar to listen to a form of Portuguese blues with melancholic artists singing of lost loves and regrets.
In Porto, the distinction between bars and nightclubs are slightly blurred, as most bars stay open until the early morning hours. However, if you want to dance the night away, Porto does have a lot to offer. From traditional Fado evenings to dance clubs in converted warehouses.
Pipa Velha Petisqueira
Café Candelabro
Lais de Guia
Plano B
O Arco Da Ribeira
Taylor's Port
The Wall Bar
Hot Five Jazz & Blues Club
Baixa Bar
Passos Manuel
Ontop Bar
Bar Labirintho
Industria Club
The Gin House
Porto's main shopping street is the pedestrianised Rua de Santa Catarina in the city centre, where you will find famous international brands as well as the large Centro Comercial ViaCatarina Shopping Center. However, the small streets off the main streets are also worth a visit, brimming with independent shops selling fresh bread, cheese, and cakes, interspersed with bookstores and traditional shoe shops.
Gold jewellery is another speciality of Portugal, a reflection of its colonial past and its conquests of gold-rich lands in South America.
For a taste of daily Portuguese life, pay a visit to one of Porto's many open-air markets to mingle with the locals and try some local delicacies.
Rua de Santa Catarina
Centro Comercial Via Catarina
Open-air markets
A Pérola do Bolhão
Casa Da Guitarra (House of Guitars)
Livraria Lello
Garrafeira do Carmo
Mercado Bom Sucesso
Taylor's Port
Passport / Visa
Portugal can be visited visa-free for up to 90 days by citizens of most European countries, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Israel, UAE, and most countries in America. If you are unsure whether or not you need to apply for a visa, we recommend contacting the embassy or consulate in your country. International (non-Schengen) travellers need a passport that is valid for at least 3 months after the end of their intended trip in order to enter the Schengen zone. Citizens of Schengen countries can travel without a passport but must have a valid ID with them during their stay.
More Information:
Best Time to Visit
Porto provides mild weather throughout the whole year. The winter months, in particular, can be dominated by heavy rain – do not forget the typical coastal weather that can change quite fast. To experience the typical Portuguese life, however, the best time to visit might be in the summer months, when the open-air markets fill with crowds and the city hosts many festivals, such as Serralves em Festa and Festa de São João.
More Information:
Porto Airport
The Porto Airport is called Aeroporto Francisco Sa Carneiro and is situated 11 kilometres north of the city. To reach the airport you can use the lightrail. It departs every 30 minutes:
From here you can also take buses number 601, 602, 604 and 3M into the city centre:
There are also shuttle buses and taxis available at the airport:
Taxi Antral
+351 22 5353350
Address: Porto Airport, Porto
Phone: +351 229 432 400
Website: www.ana.pt
More Information:
Public Transport
Porto has a good bus and tram network with routes serving all the key tourist spots. The city also has a Metro system that is both clean and efficient. You can buy a metro ticket at the station and in other sale spots, or you can buy tourist cards that allow you to get around Porto on all means of transportation: daily tickets and 3-day tickets.
Website: www.stcp.pt
More Information: www.metrodoporto.pt
Taxis in Porto are very convenient and also great for airport transfer.
Taxis Invicta
+351 22 507 64 00
+351 225 073 900
More Information:
To find a post office in Porto, look for the red sign saying CTT. Letter boxes are also red.
Post Office:
Praça General Humberto Delgado, Porto
+351 223 400 202
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 8:30am–9pm. Sat 9am–6pm
Website: www.ctt.pt
More Information:
Pharmacies are normally open from 9am–1pm and from 3–7pm. All areas have one shop open all night or on Sunday. A white cross on a green background marks out the pharmacies.
Farmácia Sá da Bandeira:
R. de Sá da Bandeira 236/54, Porto
+351 22 207 4040
Opening hours: Mon–Sat 8:30am–7:30pm
More Information:
Country Code: +351
Area Code: 022
More Information:
230V, 50Hz, C/F
More Information:


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Shaun White film shows mental toll of new tricks
ASPEN, Colo. – For more than a year, the question that loomed largest in determining how well Shaun White could contend for double Olympic gold was whether he had a triple cork in slopestyle.
Turns out, White spent months trying to land a triple cork – an off-axis flip three times around – in the halfpipe.
His battle with the dangerous trick – which is now a must-have in slopestyle but has never been done before in the pipe – lies at the center of "Shaun White: Russia Calling", a film chronicling White's journey to the Olympics.
The most dominant halfpipe rider with the past two Olympic gold medals, White is the only snowboarder competing in that event and slopestyle, which requires riders to perform tricks on rails, boxes and jumps and makes its Olympic debut next month.
The documentary, which airs on NBC tonight at 8 p.m. on each coast and 7 p.m. CST and MST, follows White starting with the 2013 X Games through U.S. team qualifying. While it includes his summer touring with his band, Bad Things, his charity work and a look at his media obligations, it's White's journey to learn progressive tricks in the halfpipe that is most compelling.
For an Olympic audience accustomed to seeing White land high-flying tricks with almost robotic-like precision, the film is a brutally honest look at just how difficult staying atop the sport is.
Several shudder-inducing crashes are included as viewers get to see the physical demands that often lead the 27-year-old to ice baths or dips in a frigid lake. But more than the toll on his body, it's the toll on White's mind that is captured and lingers after the film is over.
As his quest to master the triple cork in the halfpipe proves more fitful, White says, "It's like I have beef with this trick."
While he steps away from the triple cork, it's the success of a rival that pushes him to progress. Swiss snowboarder Iouri Podlatchikov landed a switch frontside 1440, which he dubbed the "YOLO flip," at the X Games in Tignes, France, last year.
White matches I Pod, landing the frontside double cork 1440 while training in Australia this summer – something he'd already released in a GoPro video in November.
White told the Associated Press this week, "If you saw me pop up at the Olympics and do a couple double 14s, win medals and say, 'That's really cool,' you wouldn't know the whole thing. You wouldn't know I tried all this other stuff. It's so much more than just me showing up and saying, 'It worked out or it didn't work out.'"
While the film details his mental struggles and fears about the triple cork, his ability to learn a new double cork and overcome injury to make the U.S. team in both events leaves the viewer thinking that not only is double gold possible but knowing White did the work to get there.
As he says early in the film, "I'm still in the hunt for things that I want."


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What I Love Most About My Home Framed Art
Framed Art
VFR0036Regular price $27.99 Save 0%
This handcrafted framed décor item delivers a traditional farmhouse look by pairing a natural, stained pine frame with inspirational typography. From the texture in the wood to the placement of the words, this piece is artfully detailed. The deep boxed frame allows for tabletop display, as well as wall application using nails to hang.
Size: 10.75"W x 10.75"H x 2"D
As an employee-owned company located in the heart of Ohio's Amish Country, P. Graham Dunn designs and handcrafts inspirational and sentiment-driven home décor and gifts that have provided encouragement, peace, and hope for over 45 years.
Our guiding principle is "Crafted to Inspire," and this is reflected in everything we do. From the décor we create to the interactions we have with one another, we seek to spark meaningful, lasting memories.


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MAGIC DC (Metro Area Gender Identity Connection of Washington DC) is a peer support group for Transsexual, Gender Queer and other Gender Identity Questioning people living in the greater Washington DC Metropolitan Area. Active for over 25 years, we discuss everything from philosophy and feelings to practical matters such as legal issues and medical problems and solutions.
While the group is mainly for transsexuals and people questioning their gender identity, it is always encouraging to have family, friends, and significant others attend as well. Friendly parties such as psychotherapists, physicians, electrologists and so forth, are regular attendees providing professional support and insight.
The support group meets at 8 PM on the third Friday of every month on the third floor of the Falls Church Presbyterian Church, located at 225 E Broad St, Falls Church, VA (about a 20 minute walk from East Falls Church Metro station—should you need assistance getting to a meeting, please call one of the moderators a few hours in advance, and we will be more than willing to pick you up from the station and return you to the station later).
Just show up, and be accepted. There is no official membership, per sé, with no fees, dues, qualifications, or interviews required.
The group also has an online support forum hosted by Yahoo Groups at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/magic_dc
Please email email@example.com for more information or call one of the moderators.
Thank you,
Lead Moderator, MAGIC
This site will contain a more information in future, but the information above is enough to get you in touch with us until we have additional content ready for posting.
Header design by GLYPH -01.30.99-


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In the annals of customer feedback, one Netflix subscriber might merit a place in the record books. This anonymous individual took the trouble to rate more than 5,000 movies in a single day. That's the equivalent of rating five movies a minute for 16 hours straight.
At most companies, the behavior of one unusual customer might fuel discussions in the hallways. But this user performed for a far larger crowd. Three years ago, Netflix released data for this prolific rater and millions of other customers, scrubbed of any names, and offered $1 million to the first person or group to improve the accuracy of their movie recommendations by 10 percent. Specifically, the winning team had to come closer than Netflix in calculating how many stars each user would give to a particular flick. More than 50,000 people registered for the prize and downloaded the Netflix data. And on Sept. 21, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings handed a $1 million check to the winners, BellKor's Pragmatic Chaos, a seven-member international coalition.
The winning team, which includes scientists from AT&T Research, Yahoo's Israel lab and computer scientists from Austria and Canada, blended more than 700 different statistical models into their formula. They studied every conceivable angle. They looked at the correlation of one movie to the next (Which "Godfather Part II" lovers are most likely to rent "Scarface"?). They studied users' moods. (Once people start panning movies, it turns out, they give lower-than-normal ratings even to movies they like.) And they found that when people rank lots of movies in a single day, from dozens to 5,000, they think differently than when rating a movie they just saw. If a user tends to glorify movies as time passes, the algorithm can make allowances, predicting higher ratings as the months go by. "The frequency of ratings is very useful," says Martin Piotte, a Montreal-based researcher on the team.
Nineteen trillion variables
The relevance of the data, however, depends on the film. Some movies, it turns out, are more popular just after they've been watched. Others appear to rise as time passes. "Memento," for example, the 2000 thriller about a man who suffers from short-term memory loss, gets about 3.4 stars—about average—the day people see it. But when they rate it later, it skyrockets to four stars. "That's a big variation," says Piotte. "Patch Adams," the 1998 Robin Williams film about an unconventional doctor, sinks upon further reflection, Piotte says. Each movie develops its own curve, and the time variations can be incorporated into the predictions.
The challenge facing researchers is to account for scores of different factors, from movies and customers to the time of day, without overwhelming the number-crunching capability of computers. The winning team, according to Piotte, grappled with a possible 19 trillion variables. The team found ways to reduce the complexity. But still, Netflix must weigh the advantages of more precise recommendations against the cost of additional computing expenditures. "There are hundreds of algorithms [in the winning formula]" says Netflix Chief Product Officer Neil Hunt. "We've selected just a small number of them for now, maybe two or three."
The complexity is bound to grow in coming months. While announcing the prize winners, Netflix officials announced plans for a second Netflix Prize. Details, they say, will be revealed in coming days. But it's clear that data miners will be combing through much richer sets of user info. While the first set of data included only the renting and recommending behavior of anonymous customers, the second contest, says Hunt, will include demographic information, such as geography, age and gender, along with details of movies the users have previously rented. The goal, he says, is to be able to size up customers when they first arrive on the site—without waiting for them to establish a data footprint. "We want to predict people earlier in the cycle," says Hunt.
In the second contest, the company will award two $500,000 prizes, a preliminary award after six months, the other after a year and a half. Four of the seven winners of BellKor's Pragmatic Chaos say they plan to continue crunching Netflix data. Judging from the first contest, they'll have plenty of company. One user on the Netflix Prize site, who goes by the name of Newman, laments: "Please, no more! I don't want to spend more time on these contests, but I probably can't resist!"
For the data-mining community, the first Netflix Prize has been a sensation, attracting marketing buzz and brainpower to the prediction of consumer behavior. It's a crucial frontier for online retailers such as Amazon and Wal-Mart as well as online advertisers. "I'm a little surprised more companies aren't launching [these kinds of competitions]," says Darren Vengroff, chief scientist at RichRelevance, a San Francisco startup specializing in customized recommendations. "I bet [Netflix] hurried to announce the second contest to make sure no one else beat them to it. They want to keep their franchise."


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My coverage of PAX continues with a look at Everquest Next, WildStar's dungeons, and some awesome content leaks from Gazillion Entertainment for Marvel Heroes. And as usual more cosplay photos as well!
And for those coming for the contest, tell us in the comments below if you like HiRez's cosplay girl as Neith or Afrodite better for a chance to win a Kali convention skin.


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Super Illusions Thinking Putty
A dazzling, color-changing thinking putty.
You may also like:
After years of experimentation, Crazy Aaron finally achieved color perfection with Super Illusions Putty.
Each tin of putty features dazzling, marbled colors that sparkle, shimmer, and dramatically shift hue depending upon its angle to light.
Super Illusions Putty can be bounced, stretched, squeezed, and molded like traditional putty. When ripped, its insides appear jet black. But when stretched thin, it becomes as translucent as cellophane.
The amazing Super Illusions Putty is available in several color styles. Each tin includes 1/5 of a pound (90 grams) of putty. Made in the USA.
Features & specs
- Contains 1/5 lb (90 g) of putty
- Colors shift depending on angle of light
- Stretch it, tear it, bounce it!
- Cool memory effect
- Manufactured in the USA
- Ages 3+
Dazzling colors!
Crazy Aaron, the scientist / self-proclaimed lunatic, spent years developing the Super Illusions Putty. He wanted to create a putty with an exceptional color profile (and a few other nifty features which we'll explain below). Well, C.A., you did it!
Super Illusions Putty features brilliant coloring without compromising any of the fun, stress-relieving properties of his other famous putties.
Putty changes color depending on angle to light!
Super Illusions Putty appears almost magical when you shift its position relative to light.
Check out the pictures below. In the first row are three pictures of the exact same putty (Super Scarab), which has been lit in three different ways. Its appearance transforms from yellow to purple to blue simply by repositioning the main light.
When backlit, Super Lava features the same yellow highlighting as Super Scarab. It takes on a deep orange when lit from above and shifts to red when lit from the front.
The bottom row shows off Super Oil Slick. Notice the drastic change from green to yellow when shifting from overhead to frontal lighting? Awesome!
This putty moves on its own!
Super Illusions Putty features a fun memory effect. Here's how it works: stretch the putty and it wants to contract back to its original state. Twist the putty and it wants to untwist itself.
The effect is powerful enough to work against gravity. For example, you can stretch it out, hang it upside down, and watch as it shrinks back toward your hand.
Keep in mind that the effect is fairly shortlived and will only work for about five seconds at a time.
Colorful putty bounces, stretches like "regular" putty
Putty is all about play, fidgeting, and stress relief. It's fun to squeeze. It's fun to stretch. And it bounces pretty well, too!
Mystifying colors, but black on the inside?
Super Illusions Putty features dazzling bright colors, but when torn appears black on the inside. We're not sure why (and we try not to question a man who calls himself Crazy Aaron), but we certainly think it's awesome!
To "rip" your putty, flatten it out and then tear quickly. The site of the rip will be black. Crazy!
Black on the inside, but translucent when stretched?
Tear Super Illusions Putty and it's black on the inside, but when stretched thin, it's see-through.
Choose from a variety of colors
Super Illusions Putty is currently available in three styles: Super Scarab, Super Lava, and Super Oil Slick. Each tin includes 1/5 lb (90 grams) of putty!
- Super Scarab's colors shift from blue to purple with hints of red and copper.
- Super Lava looks like liquid hot magma as it shifts from gold to copper through ruby red. It has a metallic shimmer in most lighting conditions.
- Super Oil Slick appears like liquid metal. It can appear green, yellow, and gold with hints of silver and blue.
How does it compare to our other putties?
We put several of Crazy Aaron's Thinking Putties through a battery of tests so you can see how they stack up against each other. Enjoy the video below!
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Smash that 'Add to Cart' button!
Burning Questions: You Ask, We Answer
Want to ask your own Burning Question?
video to the right. It explains the Burning Question feature and answers some common questions.
Now, if there is something that you need to know about this product that we've omitted, please send us an anonymous question and we promise to answer it within 1 business day.
Now, if there is something that you need to know about this product that we've omitted, please send us an anonymous question and we promise to answer it within 1 business day.


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Belding student's condition upgraded
BELDING — The condition of the pedestrian hit by a car Thursday afternoon in Belding has been upgraded from critical to serious, Belding Police Chief Dale Nelson said.
The pedestrian is a junior at Belding High School. His name has not been released at the family's request, said Nelson.
The victim was practicing with his cross-country team, which was returning to the high school. The runners were westbound on the eastbound shoulder of East State Street (M-44) near Ionia Street, when the victim allegedly cut across M-44 into the eastbound lane, and was struck by an SUV about 4:20 p.m.
He was taken to Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids by Life Ambulance, and then transferred to Helen DeVos Children's Hospital.
"The junior class, in support of him, all wore his favorite color of blue to school today, and they are doing the same thing for homecoming tonight," Nelson said Friday.
The accident remains under investigation.
The Belding branch of Independent Bank has set up a fund for the victim.


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Home » Threaded Rod Coarse Thread - B7 Alloy
Threaded Rod Coarse Thread - B7 Alloy
ASTM A193 GRADE B7 Threaded Rod Plain
Made from Grade B7 steel with heat treated alloy steel for use with high strength applications.ALERT! When shipping Threaded Rod, additional dimension freight fees may occur.
If your order is affected by these fees, you will be contacted with the revised freight charges.
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Survey: Private companies' hiring surged in June
A private survey shows U.S. business hiring surged in June, a sign of stronger economic growth.
Payroll processer ADP said Wednesday that private employers added 281,000 jobs last month, up from 179,000 in the previous month.
The figure suggests the government's jobs report, to be released Thursday, could also show a significant gain from May's tally of 217,000 jobs. But the ADP numbers cover only private businesses and often diverge from the government's more comprehensive report.
Recent economic data suggests that the economy has shifted into a higher gear. Autos sold at an annual rate of 16.9 million in June, the highest rate since January 2006. New orders for manufacturers are at a six-month peak, according to the Institute for Supply Management.
"The job market is strong and it feels like it is getting stronger," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics, which calculated the job gains for ADP. "Job gains are broad-based across all industries and company sizes. Judging from the job market, the economic recovery remains fully intact and is gaining momentum."
The improvement in the ADP figures occurred mostly in professional and business services, a category that includes many higher-paying jobs such as accountants and engineers, but also lower-paid temporary workers. That category gained 77,000 jobs.
Goods producers hired 51,000 workers in May, up from 31,000 the previous month.
Small businesses with fewer than 50 employees added 117,000 workers in June. That partially reflects growth in the construction industry where smaller firms tend to represent a larger share of that sector, Zandi said.
Economists forecast that the government's employment report will show that 215,000 jobs were added in June, according to a survey by FactSet. If that happens, it would be the fifth consecutive month of job additions of more than 200,000. The last time the economy experience that kind of job growth was in the 1990s during the tech boom, Zandi said.
Wage growth still remains a problem, despite the steady gains. Median household incomes remain lower than what they were in 2007, before the start of the Great Recession.
Steady job growth should cause wages to rise, but such growth could be modest. That is because many unemployed Americans left or were forced out of the jobs market during the downturn. As those workers begin to return, it increases the supply of available employees and reduced pressure on employers to increase wages.
"Slowly, but surely wage growth will accelerate going forward," said Zandi, before cautioning that "it probably won't take off."


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- 115 updates
Ukraine government suspends MH17 crash site truce
The Ukrainian government has suspended a ceasefire in the area surrounding the MH17 crash site after the recovery mission was halted yesterday, Reuters reported.
The Netherlands halted the operation because of fighting in eastern Ukraine, the Dutch prime minister announced yesterday.
Mark Rutte told journalists in The Hague the risk posed to the team of 70 Australian, Dutch and Malaysian experts was too great to continue working in the area.
Live updates
More victims identified from MH17 bringing total to 65
A Dutch led forensic team has managed to identify the remains of 42 more victims who perished aboard Malaysia Airlines flight 17, according to the Netherlands' Justice Ministry.
Of these victims 21 were Dutch nationals and 21 were other nationalities, they said. A total of 65 victims have now been identified.
They said the relatives of the victims have been notified but at the request of the embassies of the countries concerned, they have not announced the specific nationalities of the non-Dutch victims.
A total of 228 coffins were brought to the Netherlands for analysis but it is not known how many victims that represents.
The forensic experts at a military base in Hilversum are using DNA samples and dental records in a process expected to take months.
Malaysia Airlines gives £2,980 to MH17 families
Malaysia Airlines is offering a payment to the families of each passenger and crew member who died aboard the MH17 flight.
In a statement the airlines said they were currently supporting the families and that they had assigned caregivers for each family member to "provide emotional support and assistance."
They said: "In addition, the airline is offering financial assistance of $5,000 (£2,980) to the families of each passenger and craw member. To date, a majority of the families have already received such financial assistance, which will not be part of any compensation that may be payable."
They added: "We have also taken steps to arrange for contractual benefits to which our crew are entitled to be explained and paid to their next of kin, together with a further goodwill payment to help meet the current needs of their families."
British MH17 passenger among 23 identified victims
The remains of 23 passengers including one Briton aboard Malaysia Airlines flight 17 have been identified by the Dutch-led forensic team, according to the Netherlands' Justice Ministry.
Spokesperson Jean Fransman said those identified include 18 Dutch, two Malaysians, a Canadian, a German and a Briton. All of their families have been notified.
In all, 228 coffins have been brought to the Netherlands but it is not known how many victims that represents.
The forensic experts at a military base in Hilversum are using DNA samples and dental records in a process expected to take months.
Pro-Russian rebel leader steps aside for Ukrainian
The head of the self-proclaimed "Donetsk People's Republic" has stepped down in favour of a native Ukraine in a move regarded as an attempt to defuse claims the pro-Russian rebels are being directed by Moscow.
Aleksander Borodai said he would now serve as deputy leader to Alexander Zakharchenko, who is from Donetsk.
"After all, I am a native of Moscow and I think the DNR [Donetsk People's Republic] should be run by a person who is body and soul of Donbass," Borodai said in a reference to the wider Donetsk region.
Zakharchenko commands a heavily armed rebel unit called Oplot, which has taken part in some of the fiercest battles and has its origins in a martial arts club.
Analysts said the move was unlikely to have a significant influence on the battle for control of eastern Ukraine.
MH17 victims to be honoured at St James' Park
The two Newcastle United fans who died when flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine will be honoured with a minute's silence before the team's first Premier League game this season.
John Alder, 63, and Liam Sweeney, 28, were on their way to New Zealand on the Malaysia Airlines flight to watch Newcastle play two friendlies there last month.
Tributes will be paid on Sunday August 17 at St James' Park before Newcastle play Manchester City.
Team captains Fabricio Coloccini and Vincent Kompany will lay wreaths at the centre circle before kick-off, accompanied by representatives of the families of both men.
Russia continues to threaten Ukraine, Nato chief says
The Nato Secretary General has accused Russia of continuing to destabilise Ukraine and called on Moscow to "step back from the brink".
Anders Fogh Rasmussen said that rather than helping to stabilise the situation, Moscow's support for Ukrainian separatists continued to grow "in scale and sophistication".
Nato has warned that Russia has put 20,000 troops near the border with Ukraine and could be planning a ground invasion.
Fogh Rasmussen added that Moscow "should not use peace-keeping as an excuse for war-making" and that the shooting down of flight MH17 was a tragic consequence of its "reckless" policy of supporting the pro-Russian separatists.
Ukraine: Nato boss discusses possible 'Western alliance'
Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk have discussed a possible Western alliance support for Ukraine's defence capacity, a Kiev government statement said.
The two men discussed ways in which a proposed NATO trust fund could be used to support Kiev's defence ability in areas including command and control, communications and cyber-defence, the statement also said.
Ukraine government suspends MH17 crash site truce
The Ukrainian government has suspended the ceasefire in the area surrounding the MH17 crash site after the recovery mission was halted yesterday, Reuters have reported.
Operation to recover MH17 victims halted amid fighting
The Netherlands is halting the operation to recover victims and debris of MH17 because of fighting in eastern Ukraine, the Dutch prime minister has said.
Mark Rutte told journalists in The Hague the risk posed to the team of 70 Australian, Dutch and Malaysian experts was too great to continue working in the area.
"The security situation in eastern Ukraine and the MH17 crash site has worsened by the day," Rutte said. "That is making it impossible for experts to do their work."
He said it made no sense to continue the operation under the current conditions.
Family 'happy and relieved' after MH17 victim identified
The family of MH17 victim Liam Sweeney - one of two Newcastle United fans killed in last month's plane crash - have said they are "happy and relieved to be getting (him) home" after his body was identified.
Tributes were paid to Liam Sweeney and John Alder, who were travelling across the world to see their team play during a pre-season tour of New Zealand.
Liam Sweeney's father Barry later called for the bodies of his son and the other victims to be returned to their families in the aftermath of the tragedy.
Today's statement from the family read:
Latest ITV News reports
Memorial service held for 3 children on MH17
The mother of the three Australian children killed on flight MH17 told a memorial service her "arms would always be reaching for them."
Woman 'poses with make-up taken from MH17 site'
A woman has apparently posted pictures of herself on social media with mascara looted from the Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 crash site.


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Anthem Organic Full Zip Hoodie | Charcoal
Anthem Organic Full Zip Hoodie | Charcoal
- Soft cotton faced fabric.
- Brushed back fleece.
- Drop shoulder style.
- Double fabric hood with self colour drawcord.
- Nickel free eyelets and drawcord tips.
- Full length metal zip.
- Front pouch pockets.
- 2x1 ribbed cuffs and hem.
- Twin needle stitching.
- Unbranded size label at neckline.
Please select for the persoanlisation options carefully. If you are unsure or have any questions, please contact us before making your purchase and we will be happy to help.
Made To Order
Made To Order
All of our items are persoanlised to order in our factory in Shropshire. If you can't find what you are looking for, please contact us. We also have a bespoke divison who can help you with any custom project that you may be working on.
Most orders are shipping within 5 days of order. If you order is urgent, please conatct us before you make your purchase and we will do all we can to expidite your request.
Return policy
Return policy
Items that have been customsised cannot be returned unless faulty. Please be sure to confirm all persoanlisation details clearly.
You Deserve a Medal
You Deserve A Medal manufactuer, supply and customise the widest range of medals, awards, trophies, embroidered garments, personal and corporate gifts. If you can't fine what you are looking for, please contact us and we are sure to be able to find someting to suit. If not, we can always make if for you!


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Mali's perfect storm of woes creates a perfect militant breeding zone
Issued on: Modified:
A military coup followed by a rebel advance, capped by crippling economic sanctions have combined to make Mali an ideal abode for Islamist militants of varying stripes.
With its legendary cities such as Timbuktu conjuring images of ancient trade junctions, its undulating Saharan sands and its distinctive indigo-scarf encased nomads, Mali has all the features of a perfect tourist destination. But a recent slew of developments have combined to produce a perfect storm of crises in this West African nation – one that many fear will be exploited by Islamist militants.
Mali has been in disarray since a March 22 military coup in the capital of Bamako opened a window of instability that was seized by rebels in the north, enabling them to sweep through key northern cities and control a swathe of territory as large as France.
The coup led to crippling economic sanctions on the impoverished landlocked nation. These in turn have threatened the precarious humanitarian situation in a country already reeling from the effects of a drought and months of intense fighting sparked by Tuareg mercenaries returning home after the fall of Libya's Muammar Gaddafi.
A vast country that spans the Sahara desert and the African savannah called the Sahel, Mali is home to the sort of forbidding terrain that traditionally affords shelter to smugglers, traffickers, insurgents and militants.
"There was always a measure of threat because nobody really controls this zone, it's easy for extremists and militants to operate here," said Marie Rodet, a West Africa expert at the London-based School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). "Now it's getting increasingly threatening and you have even less control, which makes it attractive for any kind of militant and extremist."
Exaggerating and verifying al Qaeda links
Militants and extremists of various stripes have long roamed these hostile zones, but it's the Islamists – especially the ones with real or imagined al Qaeda links - that captures international attention in a chronically overlooked corner of the globe.
For over a decade, experts have disagreed about the extent of al Qaeda's reach in the Sahel region that spans the border regions of Algeria, Mauritania, Mali and Niger. Sceptics maintain that the threat is overplayed by countries such as France and the US for their strategic interests. They also note that some West African governments – including ousted Malian President Amadou Toumani Touré – are prone to exaggerate the al Qaeda threat to hike their international military assistance figures.
But there's little doubt that the region is home to al Qaeda's North Africa branch, also known as al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).
Days after rebels seized Timbuktu over the weekend, the AFP quoted unnamed security and religious sources as saying three of the four top AQIM leaders were in the historic northern Malian city.
Algerian-born Abdelhamid Abou Zeid, Mokhtar Belmokhtar (also known as "Mr. Marlboro" for his smuggling operations) and Yahya Abou Al-Hammam took part in a meeting with the city's imams, a source told the AFP Tuesday.
The reports could not be confirmed and it is difficult to ascertain exactly who controls the UNESCO World Heritage city that for centuries has been synonymous with Africa's mysterious inaccessibility.
Unlikely alliances and embarrassing friends
The biggest rebel group in the latest Malian advance has been the MNLA (Mouvement National pour la Liberation de l'Azawad), a secular separatist group that is seeking to carve out a Tuareg homeland, which it calls Azawad, across the border regions of Mali, Niger and Algeria.
But in recent weeks, the MNLA has made an unlikely alliance with the Ansar Dine (Defenders of the Faith), an Islamist group that is seeking to establish sharia law across Mali, a Muslim nation where the majority follow a moderate Sufi branch of Islam.
Ansar Dine is led by Iyad Ag Ghaly, a veteran Tuareg militant who, experts say, has converted to Salafism, an extreme, revivalist branch of Islam.
In the course of his long, eclectic career, Ag Ghaly has served as a mediator in peace talks between the Malian government and Tuareg rebels, which were held in Saudi Arabia. One of Ag Ghaly's previous bosses includes Libya's Gaddafi, who used Tuareg mercenaries to fortify his security forces.
On Monday, shortly after Timbuktu fell from Malian government control, witnesses said Ag Ghaly drove into town in a convoy of "technicals" - or flatbed vehicles mounted with machine guns - and dislodged MNLA fighters.
Timbuktu residents told reporters the Ansar Dine fighters burned the MNLA flag and hoisted their own flag on a military base.
In an interview with AFP Tuesday, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said there appeared to be, "two opposing tendencies among the Tuaregs. On one hand, the MNLA wants independence for Azawad, which is unacceptable to us because we're very committed to Mali's territorial integrity," he said. "Then, there's another faction, Ansar Dine, which is closely tied to al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. Its goals are not clear, but it may be to install an Islamic regime across the whole of Mali." Juppe continued.
In an interview with FRANCE 24 on Tuesday night, MNLA spokesman Hama Ag Sid Ahmed denied that his group has any links with AQIM. "Concerning what happened in the city of Timbuktu, Arab militants who were sent there by Bamako a few weeks ago joined forces with Islamist terror groups who were already in the region," he said before adding, "These are people who have come from outside and who are foreigners. We are currently trying to revise our strategy regarding the confusion."
The MNLA spokesman's statement came as no surprise to Greg Mann, a historian of francophone West Africa at the New York-based Columbia University. "The Ansar Dine is sometimes in alliance with the MNLA, but that seems to be a very fraught alliance," said Mann. "Rumours of AQIM circulation have been around for some time and they've become stronger now. The MNLA will continue to deny them because they know it's very bad publicity for the Malian Tuareg separatist movement to be aligned with Islamist movements much less al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb."
Marriages of convenience
While the MNLA may vociferously deny any al Qaeda links, the same cannot be said for Ansar Dine. "Ansar Dine obviously has some ties with AQMI," said Marie Rodet from SOAS, referring to al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. "The AQMI militants are mainly Mauritanian and Algerian and when they try to take ground in Mali, they need to make contact with the local people. They do so by marriages with local women so there are family connections and this makes the situation more complicated."
Marriages between militants and daughters of well connected local elders are a common al Qaeda sanctuary-seeking strategy in many regions, including Pakistan's border tribal areas.
For AQIM, these alliances are particularly important given the hostility of the terrain and the Tuareg's famed ability to navigate routes through one of the world's most impassable zones.
While there is little spiritual affinity between the AQIM's Salafist ideology and the moderate Islam practiced by the Tuareg, the region has mirrored a rise in Islamism that has gripped many parts of the Muslim world - particularly in North Africa following the Arab uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya.
In the old days, Gaddafi provided unemployed disaffected young men a theatre to stage their battle skills. In the new era, when battle-hardened fighters returning to their impoverished countries confront few economic prospects, Islamist militant groups offer a livelihood. In a perfectly picturesque country hit by a perfect storm of economic and political woes, it does not bode well for the future.
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It's Important To Discuss Side Effects With Your Health Care Providers
Talking About Side Effects With Your Health Care Team
Side effects may occur with any new treatment, including new medications, placement of a new medical device, surgery, or even physical or occupational therapy. We usually think of side effects when we begin to experience bad changes —when the treatment introduces new worrisome symptoms or problems. Most treatments have some sort of side effect associated with them, and many of us may wonder if side effects are simply the price we must pay for a necessary treatment.
But side effects shouldn't be taken lightly, for a number of reasons. At their most extreme, side effects raise the alarm when you are having harmful and even potentially fatal treatment reactions. Even somewhat mild side effects like a dry mouth, sleepiness, or minor muscle aches may still interfere with your daily life. Sometimes side effects bother some people so much that they skip doses or give up a treatment altogether, which can derail care and put them at risk for both short- and long-term complications.
Before treatment begins, here are a few questions you can discuss with your health care team: Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Prepared Patient Forum: What It Takes Blog*


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Apply to Become a Volunteer Mentor
Mentoring can be defined as a developmental relationship in which a more experienced person provides support and guidance to a less experienced person.
Mentoring goes beyond the traditional teacher-student relationship – effective mentors serve as advisers, coaches, teachers, sounding boards, cheerleaders, and critics all rolled into one.
Mentors give those with less experience an opportunity to improve their understanding of practices, discuss problems, and analyze and learn from mistakes in an atmosphere that is collaborative, constructive, and confidential. The International Trade Council suggests that Mentors have at least five years of experience as a senior manager; however exceptions may be made by the Program Coordinator.
This application form needs to be completed by all Volunteer Mentors who would like to be placed on the International Trade Council Mentor register. Please complete all of the fields below as completely as possible. (Until we have received all the required information your name will not be added to the Council's Mentor Register).


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It was about 11:00 at night in the cramped visiting coaches locker room at Cashman Field in Las Vegas.
The team was all dressed and gone, and usually we are right on their heels, but this time was different.
Manager Daren Brown, pitching coach Dwight Bernard, trainers Tom Newberg and Jeremy Clipperton, and I just sat there, with surprised expressions on our faces: both Tacoma Rainiers catchers had just been called up to the major leagues, because both Seattle Mariners catchers had been injured.
None of us had ever seen this happen before – and the five of us combined for over 100 years of professional baseball experience, mostly at the AAA and MLB levels.
Josh Bard and Jose Yepez were promoted to Seattle, leaving the Rainiers without any catchers.
Thank goodness the team had Wednesday off. Today, we have a ton of Tacoma roster moves:
- Catchers Josh Bard and Jose Yepez – called up to Seattle on Wednesday.
- Catcher Ralph Henriquez – promoted from Class-AA Jackson.
- Catcher Trevor Coleman – promoted from Class-A High Desert
- Pitcher Denny Bautista – released so he could sign with a team in Korea.
- Pitcher Chaz Roe – designated for assignment; unavailable for a few days while we see if he clears waivers.
- Utility Leury Bonilla – sent to Jackson.
- Pitcher Jarret Grube – promoted to Tacoma from Class-AA Jackson
Tacoma has 22 active players for tonight's game, with 11 pitchers and 11 position players.
Tonight's game is at 7:05, with the Rainiers at home against the Fresno Grizzlies. Tacoma is scheduled to start LHP Nate Robertson (2-2, 5.26) against Fresno LHP Dan Runzler (0-1, 4.50). You can hear the broadcast on 850 AM and streaming online right here.
The Rainiers are home through the weekend, with fireworks after the games on Friday and Sunday. Sunday's fireworks show is the massive one – the annual July 3rd Fireworks Extravaganza, and tickets are still available.
Congratulations to Tacoma Rainiers reliever Josh Lueke, who will represent the team in the Triple-A All-Star Game on July 13 in Salt Lake City. Lueke is fully recovered from his rough start in the major leagues and he appears to be ready again should the Mariners make the call.
Seeing how the Rainiers all-star gets promoted to Seattle the day after the all-star break every year, thus meaning that he doesn't get to play in the all-star game itself, I suggest that Brown use Lueke as often as possible in the next ten days.
Here is the release on the entire PCL All-Star team.
I was on the early flight to Seattle (with all of the Rainiers catchers) on Wednesday, and I made my Mariners Radio debut that afternoon.
I thought the broadcast went well. I wasn't nervous, and I only called the Mariners the Rainiers once (whoops!).
I was comfortable because of how warm and welcoming Rick Rizzs and producer Kevin Cremin are. They made everything go very smoothly, and they eased me in.
Rick is such an excellent, professional announcer and he's a complete natural for the lead position in the booth. In addition to easing me (a rookie) into the broadcast, he's working with a revolving door of announcers this year, so his rhythm and flow are constantly changing.
One thing that fans don't see is that between innings, Rick is constantly greeting sponsors and visitors during the commercial breaks. His enthusiasm is relentless and he truly has fun in the booth.
On top of that, Rick is supremely prepared. He has several pages of hand-written notes for each broadcast, so he stays up all night (or wakes up at dawn – I don't know) and preps for his game.
On a personal note, I'd like to thank all of you who left me notes of encouragement on this blog and on twitter. It's great to hear some positive feedback – thanks!
- I'm 0-1 as a Mariners broadcaster, although I did get to sit next to Rizzs as he called a Dustin Ackley home run.
- Ryan Divish has some analysis of Ackley's hitting success.
- Larry LaRue has more on the Mariners catching situation.
- At the Seattle Times, Jerry Brewer tries to get a handle on whether or not the Mariners are contending.
- Todd Dewey – the guy who covers the Las Vegas 51s for the Review-Journal – ran a piece on Alex Liddi on Wednesday.
- I'm glad the guys at The Weekly Volcano aren't handing out nicknames.
- Former Mariners pitcher Chris Bosio has taken over as the pitching coach for Nashville. Bosio was the pitching coach with Jim Slaton for the 2001 Rainiers.
- Not surprisingly, Reno led the PCL with four all-stars.
See you at Cheney this weekend!


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CARACAS — Washington has expelled Venezuela's highest-ranking diplomat in the United States and two others from its embassy in retaliation for Venezuela's booting out three American diplomats accused of fomenting sabotage, both governments said on Wednesday.
The flare-up appears to derail some tentative moves to improve relations between Caracas and Washington since President Nicolas Maduro took over this year from the late socialist leader Hugo Chavez, whose 14-year rule was halted by cancer.
"We repudiate this expulsion," Maduro's government said in a statement, confirming that its acting head of mission, Calixto Ortega, and two others had been ordered out.
"This cannot be considered a reciprocal decision, if you look at the clear conduct of our officials, who have at no time dared to meet groups opposed to President Barack Obama's
government, or people interested in acting against it."
Maduro expelled three U.S. diplomats this week on charges they were involved in promoting anti-government plots and sabotage in the OPEC nation, whose people are bitterly divided
between "Chavistas" and the opposition.
The expelled Americans included Kelly Keiderling, who was in charge of the Caracas mission where Washington has been without an ambassador since Chavez kicked out the last one in 2008.
The U.S. government denied the allegations, saying the officials were conducting normal diplomatic activities, including meeting a wide cross-section of Venezuelan society.
"This action by the Venezuelan government is clearly an effort to distract from its domestic problems and is not a serious way for a country to conduct its foreign policy," White House spokesman Jay Carney said.
Venezuelan state TV has been broadcasting video, set to menacing-sounding music, of a trip the three Americans made to Bolivar state, in the southeast of the country. It showed them
holding meetings there, including with a pro-opposition non-governmental organization, Sumate.
"Of course we met politicians … just like Venezuelan diplomats in Washington," Keiderling told reporters late on Tuesday before the three headed out on Wednesday. "If they were not going out freely, they would not be doing their job."
Critics say Maduro is continuing a Chavez-era tactic of inventing crises to divert focus from economic and social ills affecting the South American nation's 29 million people.
Venezuelan government supporters, however, point to a history of U.S. opposition to socialism in Venezuela, including Washington's endorsement of a brief coup against Chavez in 2002.
Opposition leader Henrique Capriles, on a trip to Bolivar state, berated the government for blaming others rather than fixing grassroots problems, and called for a protest vote in
upcoming Dec. 8 local elections.
"Do you think that with this expulsion they'll fix the problem of power-cuts?" he asked in a speech. "It's not a matter of sabotage. There's no light because they stole the money intended for investment in electricity."
Since winning the election in April, Maduro, 50, has swung between vociferous denunciations of U.S. "imperialism" and appeals for better relations.
Despite their frayed political relations, the United States remains Venezuela's main oil export market, receiving an average of around 800,000 barrels per day of crude and refined product search month this year, according to U.S. government data.
That puts it behind only Canada, Saudi Arabia and Mexico on the list of the United States' most important suppliers of oil.


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THE Indian government?s success in effectively implementing the squeeze on gold imports and bringing down the current account deficit (CAD) have apparently come at a very high cost as far as its neighbours are concerned.
A senior official told The Indian Express that customs officials of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan have spoken to their Indian counterparts on the rise in gold smuggling in their countries due to steps taken by India to curb gold imports for reining in CAD. The countries, the official added, have also sought India?s advice on tackling the twin issues of smuggling and CAD.
?There was an informal meeting between customs authorities of India and these countries wherein they sought India?s advice as to how to tackle the smuggling and CAD. With India being able to bring down its CAD successfully, these countries have asked it to share these measures with them,? the official said.
Concerned over the rising CAD, largely due to gold imports, India raised import duty on gold to 10 per cent from Rs 300 per gram in 2012.
It also imposed quantitative restrictions on the metal. As a result, the CAD which shot up to $88 billion or 4.8 per cent of GDP in 2012-13, is estimated to narrow down to $45 billion in the current fiscal.
However, the curbs have led to substantial rise in smuggling, both in India and its neighbours including Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh due to porous borders. Smugglers have been routing gold in India through Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Pakistan among others.
This has led to a surge in import of the yellow metal in these countries.
Since all these countries have had customs duties less than the 10 per cent, smugglers have been reaping benefits of the arbitrage.
While a worried Sri Lanka has imposed import duty of 10 per cent on gold for the first time, Pakistan has temporarily banned gold imports for the second time in six months in an attempt to stem smuggling.
The ban would be for 30 days though exports would not be restricted. Pakistan last banned imports for a month in August last year.
Authorities in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have been routinely nabbing people suspected of smuggling gold out of the country at airports. Bangladesh has seized gold worth more than 300 kg in the last few months, most of it being routed to India.
Further, apart from gold smuggling, Pakistan is also battling with a widening CAD, which ballooned to over $2 billion in the first seven months of FY14 compared to $441 million in the corresponding period of 2012-13, according to State Bank of Pakistan.
* Customs officials from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have detected increased gold smuggling activity after India imposed curbs on the yellow metal
* Smugglers have been routing gold meant for India through these countries


text:
- When I want my men to remember something important, to really make it stick, I give it to them double dirty. It may not sound nice to some bunch of little old ladies at an afternoon tea party, but it helps my soldiers to remember. You can't run an army without profanity; and it has to be eloquent profanity. An army without profanity couldn't fight its way out of a piss-soaked paper bag. … As for the types of comments I make, sometimes I just, By God, get carried away with my own eloquence.
- Remark to his nephew about his copious profanity, quoted in "The Unknown Patton" (1983) by Charles M. Province, p. 184 (here, via Wikiquote)
- Remark to his nephew about his copious profanity, quoted in "The Unknown Patton" (1983) by Charles M. Province, p. 184 (here, via Wikiquote)
One glorious summer, after a couple of months of Scouting, I signed on to do air pollution research for several weeks in the field, in and around Farmington, New Mexico. Hours were long, and the driving between sampling sites was more than 120 miles a day, between Farmington and Teec Nos Pos, Arizona. Driving through the desert, passing the Shiprock every day, is rough duty, but somebody had to do it.
My mother's brother, Harry Stewart, lived in Farmington. Weekends I was royally dined and liquored, and got the opportunity to meet Uncle Harry's friends, who included C. M. Woodbury, then city manager of Farmington. Woodbury's exploits on the golf course provided constant entertainment. His opinions about having to measure air pollution from the Four Corners Power Plant and the then-under-construction San Juan Generating Station gave me great insight into local views on regional and national issues, as the Clean Air Act wended its way through Congress.
Woodbury had been an aide of some sort to General George Patton in Europe, as I understood it. Sadly, I never did get back to Farmington to debrief him in detail about World War II, a loss of information that still stings from time to time. I think he was with the 752nd Tank Battalion. Woodbury retired in 1976.
The movie, Patton, still played in theaters, and one Sunday, over dinner, conversation turned to great leadership and whether I thought Patton was such a leader. I hadn't seen the movie. I didn't know much about Patton. I asked what a definition of a good leader might be. Uncle Harry and Woodbury settled on this criterion: A good leader is someone whose followers will go to hell and back for her, or him. Why did Patton inspire that sort of followership, I asked.
Woodbury rambled on about Patton getting gasoline for his tanks and trucks on a run through German lines that became legendary, and was portrayed in the movie. He talked about how Patton's troops always could count on a good, warm meal when they got a break from battle. He talked about how proud every soldier was to be a part of that unit under Patton's command. He stopped, his eyes welled up and a tear, or maybe more, rolled down his cheek.
"We would have gone to hell for Patton because we knew he would have gone to hell for us. And he did."
William Manchester once noted that, in battle, soldiers don't die for great causes. They fight to defend and save the friend to the right and the friend to the left.
It would have been interesting to know Patton.
We moved to Texas in 1987. Texas is a culture shock, I think, regardless where one comes from, even sometimes if one comes from Texas. We moved directly from Cheverly, Maryland, outside of Washington, D.C.
Describing the conservative, goody-two-shoes aspects of Texas culture of that time can't be done in shorthand. A couple of examples: Duncanville at the time had about 35,000 residents, and 44 churches. Bordering Duncanville were three or five megachurches, among the largest in the nation, which drew heavily from Duncanville residents. It was rare to meet someone who wouldn't ask early in any conversation, "And where do you go to church?" A great, personal and close relationship to Jesus is expected to be a feature of any "normal" person's life in Texas. The day I drove out of Utah, I remember thinking as I rose above the fog heading up Parley's Canyon that I would probably never again live in a place where it was so difficult to get a drink with dinner. Then we moved to Texas. On the surface, and often below the surface, Texans worked hard (and still do) to demonstrate that they are straighter than Mormons, and blessed because of their lack of sinning. We don't need to get into the ironies and incongruities of country music, Dallas culture and other now-well-identified sins of the Bible Belt.
Let's just say, profanity was not something one publicly assented to.
I came down here to work with American Airlines, which was headed at the time by Robert Crandall. Crandall's use of profanity was legendary among AA executives and workers — executives, especially. Crandall ran a tight operation with high expectations of worker achievement, especially in competition with other airlines. "Competitive anger," Crandall called it — and he expected all employees to demonstrate that, in appropriate, customer-serving, money-making ways. Failures were noted, and often enough one might expect to be in a meeting with Crandall where an explanation of how and why things went wrong would be cut off with an expletive-filled dressing down that both made the
victim subject understand the nature and severity of the error and pledge never to make that nor any other error ever again.
Talking about these events later, witnesses almost never said anything about the profanity. Living in Texas where profanity was thought to make even strong men faint and swoon, Crandall's expletives were considered instead indications of the importance of his thought, and speech, and markers that he was to be listened to. I remember one young MBA rattled by the profanity; he left the company within a few weeks, and he wasn't even the subject of the discussion. But among others, especially successful managers and executives, discussion of content of meetings focused on the subject of the meetings, what was said about that subject, with unconscious excising of the profanity.
One famous meeting involved cutting costs, and the subject was security for a warehouse in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Complaints about the cost for security the previous year led the local manager to beef up fences, get rid of the security company, and get dogs to roam the area at night. Crandall pushed harder, and discussion turned to whether it would be even cheaper than dog food to get a sound system that would randomly play the sounds of big, vicious dogs' barking instead. I wasn't in that meeting, but I heard several different accounts, all of them noting the boss's exploration of options others might not think of, and how hard it was to please him — but not one story that included any comment about profanity, which I learned had laced the entire episode and probably made it memorable to everyone within earshot. And so they'd retell it. A remarkable piece of effective corporate communication.
How does one gauge when and whether profanity is necessary, or effective, in communication?
In one project, we videotaped Crandall talking on company issues and what he expected in the leaders the company hired as managers. In several hours of video, I don't recall a single time we had to retape, or edit, any profanity out. Crandall turned off the profanity when it might pose a problem. People who know him outside the company often express surprise that he'd ever use such language.
I sometimes wondered if Crandall was a reincarnation of Patton in at least some small way. But Crandall was born in 1935, and Patton died in 1945. Reincarnation is not the answer.
- "Bob Crandall flies off the handle," Dana Rubin, Texas Monthly, August 1993
- Bob Crandall Thinks, a blog
- 752nd Battalion, regimental history of the Italy campaign; from the DigiCommons of the Bangor, Maine, Public Library; see letter from The Iron Major, Col. C. M. Woodbury on page 5 of the .pdf


text:
Here's what the editors of Schools of Thought are reading today:
Chicago Tribune: 9 out of 10 CPS teachers authorize strike
As negotiations between union members and Chicago's school district continue, 90% of the city's unionized teachers have authorized a strike. The union and district have reached agreement on several items, but remain split on teacher pay and linking teacher salaries to student performance.
Education Week: Telling Is Not Teaching
Walter Gardner scoffs at the advice that some college professors give to public school teachers. Most college professors lecture, Gardner says, and wouldn't survive long in a modern K-12 classroom.
PsychCentral.com: Teachers Need More Training to Handle Children's Emotions
A new study suggests that when dealing with children's emotions, teachers tend to rely on how they respond to their own emotions. The study's author suggests that learning how to deal with children's feelings should be incorporated into teacher training.
Here's what the editors of Schools of Thought are reading today:
New York Times: Amid Million Dollar PTAs, a School Fights to Keep Its Library
In response to an article on New York City PTAs that raise a million dollars, KJ Dell'Antonia says that one city school had trouble raising $40,000 to save its library. The school doesn't quite make the cut for Title I funds which would have saved the library outright, and Dell'Antonia wonders why parents should have to shoulder that financial burden.
U.S. News: College Financial Aid Packages May Become Clearer in 2013
Ten colleges and universities have pledged to release more detailed information about financial aid offers to prospective students. Students will be given financial information that includes how much the school will cost per year, the differences in the type of aid offered, and how much a monthly loan payment could be.
Food Safety News: Nearly Every State Opts Out of 'Pink Slime' for School Lunch
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says that only three states have ordered Lean Finely Textured Beef (LFTB), which critics call "pink slime," for their school lunch programs. Ground beef without LFTB costs about 3% more. The USDA and the beef industry say that LFTB is safe, but one beef producer isn't surprised that states have cut their orders for the product.
Here's what the editors of Schools of Thought are reading today:
Bennington Banner: Vermont drops waiver request for No Child
Vermont's Board of Education voted unanimously to stop pursuing a waiver from No Child Left Behind provisions. The U.S. Department of Education said that Vermont's proposed accountability system lacked detail and wouldn't ensure student success, while Vermont says it was trying to create a system that relied less on standardized testing and negative consequences against educators and schools.
Miami Herald: Students at Miami Dade College's InterAmerican campus received funds to help undocumented high school students go to college.
Students from a Miami college won $5,000 to start a social media and community project that will outline higher education options for immigrant students, including undocumented ones.
StLToday: Imagine schools mark graduations, closings
In what could be the largest charter school shutdown in the country, Missouri's Board of Education voted to close Imagine's six St. Louis schools. Many of the roughly 3,800 students, who finished the school year last week, don't know what school they will attend come August.
Cleveland.com: Public colleges in Ohio asked to go totally smoke-frees
A member of the Ohio Board of Regents says that he will introduce a measure asking the state's public colleges to ban smoking tobacco on their campuses. State law already prohibits smoking in public buildings. Currently students can smoke on college greens and other outdoor locations.
Sun Sentinel: Mandated Holocaust education depends on donors to survive
Florida was the first state to mandate Holocaust education in its public schools. A film crew documented the 1994 law's inception and current implementation and found that state budget cuts are forcing some districts to look to outside sources of funding to train teachers on the curriculum.
Here's what the editors of Schools of Thought are reading today:
Salon.com: Cheating runs rampant
Daniel Denvir says than emphasis on high stakes testing at the federal and state levels has led to rampant cheating among U.S. school districts. His article also says that subjects outside of reading and math have been hurt as well, including science, physical education and the arts.
Education Week: NCATE Accredits First 'Nontraditional' Program
The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education has accredited iTeachU.S., which can now recommend teachers for licensure in the states of Texas, Louisiana, and Tennessee. The online provider is the first non-higher-education-based teacher preparation program accredited by NCATE.
Washington Post:College dropouts have debt but no degree
The percentage of college dropouts who have students loans has risen over the past decade. Public policy has pushed more students towards college, and some education experts say that more needs to be done to help students reach graduation.
ED.gov: Student Voices of Military-Connected Children Inspire Guidance from Secretary Duncan
After meeting with children of members of the U.S. military, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan wrote a letter asking school districts to consider the needs of military children. The students told Secretary Duncan of the hardships they face when transitioning to new schools and difficulties in connecting deployed family members with school activities.
MySanAntonio.com: Vaccine adds to cost of college
Vaccination against meningitis is now mandatory for most students at Texas colleges. At around $140 per shot, the vaccine against the rare but potentially fatal infection could cost as much as one or two textbooks.
Here's what the editors of Schools of Thought are reading today:
Arizona Daily Star: Students who didn't pass AIMS can't walk in Tucson Unified graduations
Roughly 100 Tucson seniors will not be allowed to walk in graduation ceremonies after they failed part of a state-mandated test. Some parents argue that the students didn't receive enough preparation for the test or the time to remedy the situation.
The Atlantic: Do Cell Phones Belong in the Classroom?
In many American high schools, teachers and students are at odds over cell phone use. While some teachers consider the devices distractions, others say educators should learn to incorporate cell phones into their lesson plans. Robert Earl argues that whatever philosophy is applied, students have to learn to love learning.
Edutopia.org: The Homework Trap
Clinical psychologist Dr. Kenneth Goldberg has a list of suggestions about how parents should approach the issue of homework with their kids.
Connected Principals: Lessons Learned
A veteran teacher shares 13 lessons learned during a 13-year career in the classroom.
Here's what the editors of Schools of Thought are reading today:
Los Angeles Japanese Daily News: USC Honors Nisei at Graduation
Nine Japanese-American students who were forced into internment camps while they were students at University of Southern California during World War II graduated from USC on Friday. A small group protested the graduation because the honorary degrees are only being conferred upon the living, and because some were denied their transcripts if they continuted their education elsewhere.
AZCentral.com: Some schools removing valedictorian title
Some Arizona high schools are honoring more of their best students, not just the top two who used to earn the titles valedictorian or salutatorian. Some top students prefer the competition for the title and are afraid the lack of one hurts them in the hunt for college scholarships.
Education Week: Charters Bills Go Down in Alabama, Mississippi
Recently, charter school bills have been popular in the Deep South. However, in Alabama and Mississippi this legislative session, charter school measures died before they could hit pro-charter school governors' desks.
U.S. News: 3 Etiquette Tips for New PTA Members
Parent-Teacher Associations can have an impact on school budgets, curriculum, and other activities. The article offers advice on how parents who are new to a school can introduce themselves to the PTA.
Wired.com: Girls Impress FIRST Championship With Project That Could Save Lives
Thousands of students gathered in St. Louis recently to compete in a national robotics competition, which includes the Junior FIRST Lego League. The Hippie Pandas, an all-girl team from New York, invented a way for people to pasteurize milk safely, and their invention is already in use in Nicaragua.
Here's what the editors of Schools of Thought are reading today:
NationalJournal.com: Recess, New Menus Key to US Obesity Crisis, Report Finds
A recent report from the Institute of Medicine projects that 42% of Americans could by obese by 2030. One recommendation from the institute: at least 60 minutes per day of physical education and activity in schools.
AJC.com: Colotl allowed to stay for another year
Federal officials granted Jessica Colotl, the Georgia college graduate at the center of a debate over whether illegal immigrants should attend public colleges, a one-year deferment from deportation. Colotl's case resulted in a state ruling that barred illegal immigrants from many of Georgia's colleges.
Washington Post: Principal urges state ed chief to take standardized tests to see problems with exams
New York principal Sharon Fougner was so upset with questions on recent state standardized tests that she issued a challenge to New York's education commissioner – take the test. In a letter to the commissioner, Fougner reports that many of her students cried during testing, while others simply gave up. "It is unacceptable for eight, nine and ten year olds to be subjected to this kind of torment," Fougner says in her letter.
New York Times: Move to Outsource Teacher Licensing Process Draws Protest
Stanford University is working with education company Pearson on the development of a new national licensure procedure. Of the 68 teacher-candidates at the University of Massachussetts, 67 are protesting the procedure, saying that their colleagues are better equipped to judge them than are paid scorers. The teacher candidates have also refused to send in required videos of their teaching due to privacy concerns.
Al.com: Columnist smarter than a fifth grader? No way
In a head-to-head knowledge match, a Huntsville Times columnist loses to a Horizon Elementary School fifth grader.
Here's what the editors of Schools of Thought are reading today about proms:
MetroWest Daily News: Are these prom dresses too hot to trot?
According to a Harvard sociologist, teen fashion may becoming more provocative due to influences like "The Jersey Shore" and Angelina Jolie. However, prom styles may have more to do with school dress codes than social norms.
AZdailysun.com: Home-schoolers don't miss out on prom
The roughly 300,000 home schooled students in Texas miss out on many of America's traditions. Home schooling groups around the state are trying to make sure prom isn't one of them.
Detroit Free Press: Project prom dress: Teen designers get creative with prom dresses made from newspapers
The Detroit Free Press issued a challenge to area high school students – make a prom dress out of the newspaper. Readers can select from eight finalists, and the winner will be awarded $500.
YNN: Johnstown prom tradition a tradition no more
In years past, Johnstown, New York seniors would arrive at prom in front-end loaders, ATV's and even boats. Officials killed the tradition this year out of concern for the students' safety.
Wave3.com: Tim Tebow goes to prom – sort of
On a bet, an Iowa teen asked New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow to her prom through Twitter. When he didn't reply, she brought Tebow anyway – but not in the flesh, a cardboard cutout.
Here's what the editors of Schools of Thought are reading today:
Cooperative Catalyst: Behind the Standardized Test Curtain
Todd Farley wrote a book about his experiences working for some of the biggest standardized test publishers. Farley says there are a few reasons why schools shouldn't trust the industry to handle exam scoring.
Mail Tribune: 'It's Our Education'
Nearly 100 Eagle Point High School students walked out of school - not to spite their teachers but rather to support them. The Oregon school district and its teachers union have been trying to negotiate contracts for more than a year, and the teachers have threatened to strike beginning May 8.
Georgia Health News: Long weekends risky for teens?
A North Georgia town says it's seeing a higher teen birthrate and more teens having sex in general. Health officials say a four-day school week implemented this year has caused teens to have nothing better to do on Mondays.
Wired: My Standard Based Grading Notes
Physics professor Rhett Allain has started to use standards-based grading with his college students. Allain provides his methods and results, similar to a lab report, and says that his new method of grading measures what students understand and isn't just a measure of effort.
DesMoinesRegister.com: 32 heads are better than 26: Class breaks twin record
The Guinness World Records certified that Valley Southwoods Freshman High School has the "Most Twins in the Same Academic Year at One School." The 16 sets of Iowa twins beat out the old record by three pairs.


text:
I love this time of year! It's time to let our candy computer generate a best selling candy report for me. Here is our list of our top ten best selling online candies of 2008.
10. Satellite Wafers – Otherwise known as flying saucers, stale candy with beads, or communion hosts filled with sugar beads.
9. Chocolate Tootsie Pops – This was a limited edition Tootsie Roll brought out. Limited edition? Are they nuts??? Even Weight Watchers endorsed these low calorie tasty treats and we couldn't keep them in stock.
8. Caramel Apple Lollipops – Yeah another winner for Tootsie Roll. A delicious apple tasting lollipop dipped in caramel.
7. Sugar Free Tootsie Pop Mini Lollipops – Yep this company sure is on a tootsie " roll!"
6. Dubble Bubble Sugarless Bubble Gum – and to think it use to be Bazooka
5. Bob's Soft Peppermint Sticks – These Nostalgic candy treats are a favorite all year long. Some people dip them in chocolate and others in lemonade!
4. Candy Cigarettes – I'm sure that was a shocker to a lot of people, not us though, they held the number one spot for a lot of years!
3. Penny Candy Taffy Chews – Ahh we can thank all the parade goers for this #3 cheap candy favorite of the year!
2. Chocolate Golf Balls – We are avid sports fans here and carry a huge selection of sports candy treats. Chocolate golf balls took first place in the sports division this year beating out, chocolate footballs, basketballs, and soccer balls
And finally our #1 best selling candy of 2008 is… Tootsie Frooties Tootsie Rolls by Tootsie Roll Inc. We sold almost 38 thousand 360 count bags of these tasty treats. That's over 13 MILLION Tootsie Frootie Tootsie Rolls!
So, anyone care to guess what next years winning top ten will be? I'm not sure on all 10, but I think I'll put my money on the Nostalgic Gum, Beemans, Clove or Black Jack Gum. We got notice last month from the manufacturer they are finally bringing them back out after a 2 year absence in production.
Even if your favorite didn't make our top 10 this year, We appreciate your business and wish everyone a Happy Healthy New Year!


text:
Darrell McClure was born in Ukiah, California, but moved to San Francisco at age nine. His mother pushed him to develop his artistic talent, so the studied at the California School of Fine Arts for two years. McClure got his first professional jobs in 1920 at some animation studios. This didn't turn out well, so McClare became a seafarer for a while.
A reunion with a fellow Californian, James Swinnerton led to McClure taking on a job at King Features Syndicate as an apprentice artist. After working on several of the King Features productions, Darrell McClure was assigned to his own series, 'Vanilla and the Villains' (1928) and 'Hard Hearted Hicky' (1930), but both were short-lived.
In 1930 Darrell McClure took over the artwork of Brandon Walsh's 'Little Annie Rooney' from Ben Batsford, who had taken over from Ed Verdier in 1929. McClure left the 'Little Annie' Sunday page in 1933 to start a Sunday page of his own, 'Donnie'. Although McClure could use all his knowledge of the sea in his series, this comic also didn't turn out well, so he went back to 'Little Annie Rooney'.
During World War II, McClure also drew 'Ahoy McCoy' for the military magazine All Hands. After retiring from 'Little Annie Rooney' in 1966, McClure focused on painting naval sceneries and doing illustrations for Yachting Magazine.


text:
Problem 44338. Recaman Sequence - I
Solution Stats
Problem Comments
8 Comments
Recaman sequence uses zero indexing, thus `seq(n) = seq(n-1) - (n-1)` or `seq(n) = seq(n-1) + (n-1)` (not the formula used in the description).
That is correct. I have modified the sequence to avoid zero indexing.
According to the definition here, seq(2) should be 2 because seq(n-1)+n when n=2, is 2. And so on...
Adiel, Thanks for your attention. I have changed the definition.
When i preinitialise y as follows:
y = zeros(1,x);
it doesn't pass, but when i just ommit preinitialisation - it works perfectly!
Hello, Mehmet OZC. I think the problem statement is still subject to misinterpretation. At the moment it looks like "index" means "n", which is inconsistent with the formula. To avoid this misunderstanding, you could insert one extra row to show explicitly the values of "n". ... Thus you would have: seq = 0, 1, 3, 6, ... . Then, n = 0, 1, 2, 3, ... . And finally, Index = 1, 2, 3, 4, ... . ____ Alternatively, you could omit any mention of indexing and just clarify with an _example_, such as: "The first four elements are [0, 1, 3, 6]."
David, you have already made a good explanation for a possible misinterpretation. I appreciate it. Thanks for your contribution. When I said indexing I meant something like linear indexing (https://www.mathworks.com/company/newsletters/articles/matrix-indexing-in-matlab.html)
good question :-)
Solution Comments
2 Comments
Any idea what the time limit for the Cody solutions is? I've got code that runs the test suite in about 2.3 seconds on my (six-year old) machine, but it's timing out repeatedly on Cody.
Hi, James. The Cody time limit is reportedly around 30 seconds. [ https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/cody/problems/44356 ] I just have confirmed a runtime of ~24 seconds (split across four tests) did not time out on Cody [Solution 1327589]. Although I would generally be aiming to get code complete within less than ~10 seconds in Cody. [Cf. Problem 44389.]
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