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Can't Wait for Windows 9? It Could Be Coming Sooner Than You Think
If you upgraded to Windows 8 or 8.1 and want out, there may soon be an alternative to simply downgrading to Windows 7. Microsoft is reportedly going to offer pre-release versions of the next major Windows upgrade, currently codenamed "Threshold," as a public download in the fall of 2014.
ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley reports Microsoft is planning to release the software in late September or early October. Although there's no official name yet for the release, it's widely expected to be called Windows 9.
To be clear, this will be beta software — probably buggy and lacking all the planned features — not the general release what everyone expects to be called Windows 9. Although Microsoft hasn't said anything about when Windows 9 will go on sale, the report mirrors others that point to spring 2015 as the general timeframe.
Before then, though, users will be able to get Windows 9 from a public beta site, the report says. This isn't unusual for Windows: Microsoft offered "preview" builds both Windows 7 and Windows 8 before their release. Although the software was ostensibly for developers, anyone interested could download and install it.
The report suggests there will be a more streamlined public download process for Windows 9, however. Those who choose to install it will need to agree to automatic monthly updates, making it similar Apple's public beta program for OS X Yosemite, whose download/upgrade process is separate from what's already in place for developers. For previous Windows cycles, the beta software progressed from developer, consumer and release previews, but there was no distinction in what was offered to developers and members of the public.
Microsoft previewed some of the features of Windows 9 "Threshold" at its annual Build developers conference in 2014. For starters, it's bringing back the Start Menu — whose absence is a big criticism of Windows 8/8.1. It'll also let users run Window Store apps (AKA Modern apps) within individual windows on the Desktop.
Other rumored changes include the elimination of the Charms menu that peeks in from the right side of the screen in Windows 8.1 as well as possible integration of Cortana, the digital assistant in Windows Phone.
Representatives for Microsoft didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.


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Peer-Reviewed Publications
Found 6 results[ Title]
Filters: Author is Douglas, Ethan C [Clear All Filters]
Analysis of Near Crashes Among Teen, Young Adult, and Experienced Adult Drivers Using the SHRP2 Naturalistic Driving Study." Traffic Inj Prev. 2018;19(sup1):S89-S96."
Characterization of the Motion of Booster-seated Children During Simulated In-vehicle Precrash Maneuvers." Traffic Injury Prevention. 2019."
Effect of Age on Kinematics during Pre‐crash Vehicle Manoeuvres with Sustained Lateral Acceleration.". In: IRCOBI Conference. Athens, Greece; 2018."
Effect of Automated Versus Manual Emergency Braking on Rear Seat Adult and Pediatric Occupant Precrash Motion." Traffic Injury Prevention. 2019;20(Sup1)."
Near Crash Characteristics Among Risky Drivers Using the SHRP2 Naturalistic Driving Study." Journal of Safety Research. 2020."

subset: commoncrawl


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Foot, not Food!
>> Saturday, September 6, 2008
Are you wondering why the PerutBesi duo has been so silent for the past couple of days? *teehee*
Anne told me to share this piece of news to all of you out there, just to make sure that you won't think this blog is 'dying' :D
Ruth wanted to enter the Olympics so badly that even after the Olympics fever that everyone had, she was still trying hard to practice (gymnastics) for the next Olympics 2010 in London...hahaha....ok, ok, lame jokes aside.
Last Wednesday evening, Ruth off-balanced, & fell down, spraining her left foot, & leaving her in great pain after that. *sigh* I was basically rushing back after work as it was getting late & the sky was about to 'cry'. I parked the car at the open car park area opposite my office, & I had to walk through some bushes & rocky path before reaching the main road of 2 lanes each side to get to the car park. Sounds far eh? Hahaha...
I had my laptop on my left & was walking down the rocky path, when I off-balanced, fell, & injured my leg. Bah. I was wearing low-heels la...sigh...instead of getting back early, I ended up trying hard to walk to the car & drive back to the house. My left foot was swollen quite badly...
It doesn't look THAT bad from this photo, but it sure IS painful!!
I applied those Chinese ointment that my housemate has for such cases & rubbed the bruise/swell as hard as I could withstand. I felt that my foot looked like pig's troter!! Ergh...the worse & most painful thing was when the doctor rubbed the affected area (the next day after I fell). I shouted/screamed so loud that I reckon not only the clinic, but the ground floor ppl in my office heard it *super pai se*
*sigh* Thus, I've been pretty much home-bounded & didn't really get to go anywhere for good food. I'll cook dinner on most nights (yeah, although my foot was injured, I could still drag myself around & prepare meals la...) & for lunch, I'll end up just tagging along my colleagues wherever they go.
I'll do my best to keep this blog updated with information. 'Til the next post, stay tuned with us!
- Ruth


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Maryland Fixer Upper: Super Chea
This 3 bedroom/1 bath puppy is a #rehabber's dream. It is located in Capitol Heights, Maryland. With repairs estimated at $45,000, a low price of $32,000 and an arv of $177,000 (that's 43% of arv), this deal is a NO brainer. It won'T last long.
Send email to Show email


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Posted 7 years ago
(98 items)
This is a wonderful British Arts & Crafts pendants in the Suffragette colours Green, White & Violete which stand for Give Women the Vote, made around 1910. The central stone and pendant are amethysts, surrounded by silver and green leaves. I believe the green leaves may be glass but they could also be carved chrysoprase. There is some damage to the central stone, but I actually don't mind it, being so beautiful in its totality. No maker's mark, unfortunately.


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This is an archive page. The links in this content are no longer being updated.
Greg Rosenthal (301) 851-4054
Suzanne Bond (301) 851-4070
Washington, Sept. 5, 2013 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today announced that plum pox virus (PPV) has been eradicated from Orleans and Wayne counties in New York. PPV, considered the most devastating viral disease of stone fruit worldwide, severely reduces crop yield and leaves fruit that is blemished and unmarketable.
Stone fruit species—or members of the genus Prunus—that are susceptible to PPV include almonds, apricots, cherries, nectarines, peaches and plums, among others. PPV also can infect wild and ornamental Prunus varieties such as Korean cherry (a.k.a., flowering almond or oriental bush cherry), black cherry (a.k.a. rum cherry or mountain black cherry) and American wild plum.
"Many years of diligent work have led to this success," said Osama El-Lissy, Deputy Administrator of APHIS' Plant Protection and Quarantine program. "We're lifting federal quarantines in these two counties that had prohibited the planting of disease-vulnerable plants in a combined 24,000-acre area. It had also prohibited existing host plants and plant parts from moving out of regulated areas to other states. We could not have accomplished this eradication without the strong involvement of our partners, including the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, the Tuscarora Nation of New York, and the stone fruit industry."
APHIS determined that the regulated areas met the criteria for deregulation based on 3 years of negative PPV survey results. These surveys included all orchards and residential properties with host plants within the regulated areas. The survey method included collection of leaves from host plants and testing for PPV.
Now that the federally regulated areas have been removed in the two counties, PPV-host trees of the genus Prunus can once again be planted for fruit or ornamental purposes. In addition, the interstate movement of regulated Prunus species plants and plant parts that originated in the previously regulated areas can now be moved interstate. However, State restrictions still apply in those areas. Specifically, PPV-host plant propagation, including budwood collection and nursery plantings, will still be prohibited by New York state regulations.
Portions of New York's Niagara County will continue to be regulated and surveyed for PPV through a cooperative program. There were no positive detections of PPV in Niagara County in 2012 and to date in 2013.
Note to Reporters: USDA news releases, program announcements and media advisories are available on the Internet and through Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds. Go to the APHIS news release page at www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom and click on the RSS feed link.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write:
USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call
(800) 795-3272 (voice), or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).


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Be informed about new events matching your search criteria: register for personalised email alerts
Subcontracting Meetings 2018 - Brokerage Event on Industrial Subcontracting
Encouraged by the success of the previous editions of the Subcontracting Industrial Subcontracting Exhibitions, Poznań International Fair d... See more
International Brokerage Event within the XIV New Economy Forum – Green Economy
Enterprise Europe Network in Katowice is organizing the 5th edition of international bilateral meetings within the XIV New Economy Forum "... See more
Cleantech company mission from Berlin-Brandenburg to Stockholm
The Enterprise Europe Network Berlin-Brandenburg together with Berlin Partner for Business and Technology in cooperation with Enterprise Eur... See more
Event Details Event Status: Expired About Japan! Cross-cultural workshop in Coimbra, Portugal
½-day "About Japan" Cross-cultural workshop in Coimbra, Portugal In cooperation with local EEN-partner, EEN-Japan is organising a cross... See more
Company mission of Croatian innovators to Katowice
The Croatian Chamber of Economy is organizing a company mission to The International Exhibition of Economic and Scientific Innovations, INTA... See more
About Japan! Cross-cultural workshop in Lisbon, Portugal
½-day "About Japan" Cross-cultural workshop in Lisbon, Portugal In cooperation with local EEN-partner, EEN-Japan is organising a cross-... See more
SCAPE 2018 Matchmaking Stockholm Conference on Applications in Power Electronics
Enterprise Europe Network is happy to welcome you to the B2B matchmaking event during SCAPE 2018, the Stockholm conference on applications i... See more
Match making @ NORDROCS 2018
The Nordic Countries invite you to NORDROCS 2018 Match making at NORDROCS is your opportunity to connect with key stakeholders within your f... See more
Danish Drinks for Distribution - European distributors/importers meet Danish producers of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks in Denmark
Distributors/importers of alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks will be personally invited by network partners and can register by contacting th... See more
B2B Wood Meetings - Brokerage Event on wood processing
Poznan International Fair together with Polish Economic Chamber of Wood Industry and Poznan Science and Technology Park invite to first edit... See more
Ocean Business 2018 - B2B Meetings
The Ocean Business 2018 is an international blue industry event that will be held in Lisbon (Gare Marítima de Alcântara), from 18th to 20t... See more
Matchmaking @ ITS World Congress Copenhagen 2018
B2B MATCHMAKING SESSION Enterprise Europe Network, Vaeksthus Copenhagen and ERTICO – ITS Europe are organizing international B2B meetings ... See more
Company mission from Luxembourg and Rhineland-Palatinate to Poland (Wroclaw, Opole)
The multisectoral trade mission will lead to Wroclaw and Opole. Besides b2b meetings between Polish companies and companies from Luxembourg ... See more
Hospital Innovation B2B
The Portuguese National Innovation Agency (ANI), in partnership with Steinbeis Europa 2I Gmbh and with the support of the Enterprise Europe ... See more
B2B Meetings for Automotive, Auto-Fleet, Transport&Logistics, Automatics&Service during TSLA EXPO 2018, Jasionka/Rzeszow
We have a great pleasure to invite you to participate in B2B Meetings organized by Enterprise Europe Network operating within The University... See more
B2B Moulds Event 2018: Exploring new European projects and business opportunities in Industries of Engineering & Tooling
The National Innovation Agency Portugal (ANI) in collaboration with CENTIMFE (Technological Center for Mouldmaking, Special Tooling and Plas... See more
Brokerage event of International Trade Fair of Renewable Energy Exposition "RE-energy 2018", Warsaw (Poland)
The Enterprise Europe Network office hosted by the Podlaska Regional Development Foundation has a pleasure to invite you to participate in a... See more
Multisectorial Company Mission of Brazilian SME`s to Portugal
EEN Aveiro - Portugal is receiving a group of brazilian companies SME's covering a variety of sectors, but special the construction se... See more
Multi-sectoral matchmaking event within the VIII European Congress of SMEs
The B2B meetings are organised in the frame of the VIII European Congress of SMEs (http://ekmsp.eu/), 18th - 19th of October 2018. The Congr... See more
Brokerage Event on Dronetech 2018 Fair
Enterprise Europe Network in Torun (Poland) is organising the third edition of a Brokerage Event on the occasion of the Dronetech Fair 2018.... See more


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Connor scores in OT as Jets beat Blues 2-1 to even series
ST. LOUIS -- With the Winnipeg Jets searching for the biggest goal of their season, players in the dressing room were loose heading into overtime Tuesday night.
"I mean, who doesn't want to play in an overtime (playoff) game?" forward Kyle Connor said. "I think everybody had that kind of mentality and we went out there to win it, not to kind of hold back and sit back and try to defend them."
It worked.
Connor scored at 6:02 of overtime and the Jets beat the St. Louis Blues 2-1 to tie their best-of-seven Western Conference series at two games apiece.
Mark Scheifele also scored and Connor Hellebuyck made 31 saves for the Jets, who arrived in St. Louis down 2-0. It is the only first-round playoff series in which the home team has failed to win a game.
Game 5 is Thursday night back in Winnipeg.
"Every game has been a battle," Scheifele said. "St. Louis has made us work for every inch and we know that's going to happen again in Game 5 going back home. We've got to be prepared. We've got to get our rest and be ready to battle."
Vladimir Tarasenko scored and Jordan Binnington made 37 saves for the Blues.
"Obviously, tough for sure. But again, it's a tight series," St. Louis coach Craig Berube said. "Two good teams, it could have gone either way."
Connor ended it when he banged home a feed from Scheifele for his third goal in two games. It was the first playoff overtime winner for the Jets since they returned to Winnipeg in 2011.
"It's going to look like this for possibly the next three games," coach Paul Maurice said. "It's going to be really, really tight. The entire team is going to have to play well, but you're going to need one guy to put you over the top."
Tarasenko beat Hellebuyck with a wrist shot from the top of the left circle 35 seconds into the third period to give the Blues a 1-0 lead. The power-play goal, Tarasenko's eighth career in the postseason, moved him into a tie with Brian Sutter and Al MacInnis for fourth in franchise history.
Scheifele tied it at the 7:33 mark, tipping in a feed from Connor. It was Scheifele's second goal of the series.
"Our game got better as the game went on," Scheifele said. "We knew they were going to push and they pushed all night. They played solid. They made us work for every inch. Binnington made a ton of saves and so did our goalie."
After a slow start in Game 3, the Blues came out strong in the first period. They built an 8-0 advantage in shots on goal as it took the Jets almost 11 minutes to test Binnington, who came up with a couple of saves on a Winnipeg power play to keep the game scoreless.
Pat Maroon had a pair of chances to give the Blues the lead in the second period, hitting the post off a pass from Tyler Bozak and getting stopped by Hellebuyck on a partial break.
Binnington came up big on a point-blank chance from Scheifele early in the second, and Brandon Tanev hit the crossbar on a breakaway midway through the period.
"With them winning two here and us winning two there, it's like a restart to the series," Blues forward Robby Fabbri said. "That's the mentality we're going to have to have. Just stay on an even keel and get back to work."
Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky took in the game. Gretzky played in 18 regular-season games for the Blues in 1996.
Game notes
Fabbri saw his first postseason action for the Blues on a line with RW Alexander Steen and C Ivan Barbashev. ... Jets D Dustin Byfuglien had his eight-game playoff point streak snapped. ... Binnington, who got an assist on David Perron's first-period goal in Game 3, became the sixth Blues goaltender to record an assist in a playoff game and the first since Chris Osgood on April 12, 2004, vs. San Jose. ... Jets RW Patrik Laine has scored in seven of nine career games at Enterprise Center.
The series shifts back to Winnipeg for Game 5 on Thursday night.
More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports


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This beautiful bouquet will make their day.
Made up of seasonal pastel flowers.
This bouquet comes beautifully gift wrapped in a bubble of water and a coordinating gift bag.
Premium option displayed
Wherever possible we will endeavour to provide the shown product, however this could vary due to supply and time of year we may need to substitute some items.
Please be advised that there will also be a delivery charge, price of which will be advised when taking payment.


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Want New Followers? Following bloggers that won't follow back? Join this discussion if you want to meet other bloggers that will really return the follow and build your follower list while making new friends. Enjoy and have fun building your blog!!!
Follow me at http://onesweetstory.blogspot.com and I will most definitely follow back!!!!!!
Also leave a comment here with your blogs link for others to see and follow!
Views: 1023
I just checked out your blog and I must say those pics are adorable! I just started following you, can you do the same? :)
Hi Zerique,
I am following your blog. Beautiful baby girl!! Here is my blog http://cmsfamilyblog.com/ I am somewhat new to blogging and am looking for people to follow my blog as well. Hope you enjoy!
Just leave a comment on one of my posts and I will follow back every one!! :)
I just started following your blog! I love it! I started a new fitness blog about 3 weeks ago. I'd love for you to come by and say hi! http://www.ComputerGeektoFitnessFreak.com
Hi reading new blogs and I am in need of followers too. http://www.mymommydaze.com http://www.facebook.com/mymommydaze
I followed you! Looking forward to reading more of your blog :)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/ladycouponercom/136518676445022
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Hi Zerique! I'm your newest follower, I love your blog and that potato salad looks absolutely delicious! I'd love a follow back!
I'm very new to blogging, but am slightly obsessed with it already. I barely have time to write mine, let alone read others, but I will do my best to keep up. Give me a follow and I'll reciprocate!
Thanks, ladies!
I WILL for sure follow back, quickly even if you leave a comment with a link! :)


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[Guildford, England; May 31. Image via Getty]
GUILDFORD, ENGLAND - MAY 31: Young people enjoy the rides at the funfair during the Surrey County Show 2010 at Stoke Park on May 31, 2010 in Guildford, Surrey, England. The annual Surrey County Show is the biggest one day agricultural show in the UK, attracting up to 40,00 people. A surge in the numbers of people keeping livestock and growing their own produce has led to a focus on a more rural atmosphere at this year's show. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)


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Haar measure is a measure on locally compact abelian groups which is invariants to translations. For example, the Lebesgue measure on the reals is such measure.
It can be shown without the use of the axiom of choice that the Haar measure exists and it is unique up to a scalar, that is if we want the measure of the unit interval (for example) to be $1$ then it is really unique.
While the measure is defined on Borel subsets, but we can complete the measure in a unique way by adding all the subsets of measure zero sets (and in the case of the real numbers we once again have the Lebesgue algebra)
As with the Lebesgue measure, when the axiom of choice is present there are cases in which non-measurable sets can be constructed. In the Solovay model, however, we have that all subsets of reals are measurables.
Are there any similar results about Haar measures of general LCA groups? Is there a model in which all Haar measures (perhaps under some limitations on the groups) are "full measures" (in the sense that every subset is measurable)?


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Click to enlarge
The White Horse Dart case is made of durable, high quality nylon, with double action zippers in non-fading blue or black that is easy to keep clean.
This is a double-sided case......one side holds up to 4 sets of darts, and many sets of spare flights. The other side has 3 tubes for tips, quarters, and spinning flights.
Please take note that the case comes with 3 tubes. All other products shown in the photo are for display purposes only, and not included in the purchase of the White Horse Case.
This case is 7 3/4" x 6 3/4" x 4" thick.
Buy Now


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New York D.A.: Don't dismiss Kerry Kennedy drugged-driving case
Kennedy claims she took sleeping pill
New York prosecutors are asking a judge to deny a motion to dismiss a drugged-driving case against Kerry Kennedy, the ex-wife of Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
In court documents made available Tuesday, prosecutors argue that Kennedy's case should move forward as it would for other first-time offenders.
Lawyers for Kennedy had argued in a motion filed in North Castle Town Court last month that she had accidently taken a sleeping pill on July 13, 2012, before she swerved into a tractor-trailer on a highway and was arrested.
But prosecutors argue that a trial should be held to determine whether Kennedy accidentally took the pill.
A lawyer for Kennedy says he'll respond to the motion this month.
Kennedy is the seventh of 11 children of the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy.


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Announcing 4 NEH/DFG Bilateral Digital Humanities Program Awards
The Office of Digital Humanities is pleased to announce 4 awards from our NEH/DFG Bilateral Digital Humanities Program from our September 2012 deadline. Each project represents a collaborative effort between at least one partner based in the United States and one partner based in Germany. Congratulations to all the awardees!
Columbia University - New York, NY
HG-5004113, SARIT: Enriching Digital Texts Collections in Indology
Sheldon Pollock, Project Director
Outright: $175,000
To support: Search and Retrieval of Indic Texts (SARIT, a Sanskrit word for "river") proposes to create a corpus of Sanskrit texts focused on three areas: Buddhist philosophy, Vedic hermeneutics, and literary theory. TEI conformant digital editions amounting to more than 10,000 printed pages will be integrated with two existing reference resource databases from the two partner organizations: Epistemology and Argumentation in South Asia and Tibet (EAST, University of Heidelberg) and Sanskrit Knowledge Systems on the Eve of Colonialism (SKSEC, Columbia University).
New York University - New York, NY
HG-5005013, Digital Corpus of Literary Papyri
Roger Bagnall, Project Director
Outright: $190,000
To support: This collaboration between the University of Heidelberg and New York University would create a Digital Corpus of Literary Papyri (DCLP), building an infrastructure that initially focuses on Greek and Latin texts but that can accommodate other ancient literatures as well.
University of California, Los Angeles - Los Angeles, CA
HG-5004613, Ancient Egyptian Architecture Online Illustrated Standardized Terminology (AEGARON IST)
Willemina Wendrich, Project Director
Outright: $157,170
To support: The development of a controlled vocabulary for ancient Egyptian architecture to be supported by geo referenced, annotated illustrations of architectural details, which will be delivered through the Ancient Egyptian Architecture Online (AEGARON) digital library in collaboration with the German Archaeological Institute.
University of Nebraska, Board of Regents - Lincoln, NE
HG-5004713, Diachronic Markup and Presentation Practices for Text Editions in Digital Research Environments
Brett Barney, Project Director
Outright: $165,005
To support: Using three case studies -- the Walt Whitman Archive; an edition of James Joyce's Ulysses; and an edition of J.W. Goethe's Faust -- the proposed project collaboration with the University of Frankfurt will experiment with methods of advanced TEI markup, create methods for detailed scholarly queries currently unavailable, and develop user interfaces to best display the variants exposed through diachronic markup.


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The Clowns Gang
Where the clowns dwell, even angels fear to tread
Graphic content, reader discretion is advised
The Clowns Gang
Appearance: The typical Clown wears traditional gangland apparel, though typically accented with bright colors or clashing colors. They wear face make up and a few wear masks. Masks do remain relatively uncommon as most masks restrict peripheral vision and can affect ability to hear. The make up patterns used have meanings within the gang, and are tied to the gangmember's new persona.
Equipment: pistol or sawed off shotgun (poor quality) melee weapon such as a knife, switchblade, or straight razor, illegal pharmaceuticals such as nuke, jet, psycho, crystal dream, substance d, etc, reinforced jacket or ballistic vest.
In times of gang conflict, clowns have access to much heavier weapons such as automatic weapons, improvised explosives, and on occasion some military grade hardware.
Purpose: The Clowns are as much a hyperviolent family as they are a gang. The clowns exist to take care of their own in a world that won't take care of them. Most members come from broken family backgrounds, and many have undiagnosed mental illness. While they are ruthless and brutal to their own members, there is no other gang in (insert major city) that has the level of solidarity and cooperation exhibited by the Clowns.
Beyond family, the Clowns are heavily involved in the drug trade, and specialize in the worst of the worst sort of drugs. They start with methamphetamines and PCP and then move on to harder drugs. This combined with their penchant for violence and the carnival motif has generated much of the clown's feared reputation. In gang wars, clown fighters have taken mortal wounds but been so high on their narcotics that they continued fighting until collapsing. This intimidates the hell out of most other gangs, as the clowns often demonstrate this reckless disregard for all life
Crystal Dream: Crystal dream is a popular hallucinogen and downtime drug manufactured and distributed by the clowns. The drug is available in a blue powder form that is snorted, or a liquid solution that is injected or dropped into the eyes. Causes euphoria, visual hallucinations, and can magnify existing mental instabilities.
Nuke: Nuke is a synthetic form of cocaine that can been cooked up from common household and industrial chemicals. An orange fluid that can be cooked down into a crystalline form, nuke is either injected or smoked and causes a strong high with associated hypersexual activity, rage explosions, and paranoia. Nuke is commonly used by female clowns, and is given to hostages or abduction victims to keep them cool.
Substance D: one of the hardest drugs used by the Clowns, Substance D causes all sorts of hallucinations and violent mental disorders, with some users claiming that it gives them the ability to read minds, see sound, and so forth. Causes brain damage, permanent personality disorders, and death
Jet: Formerly a drug developed by the military for application as a combat drug. Jet accelerates the nervous system, and increases reflexes and dexterity. Clowns will use it in urban combat, making them incredibly fast using their knives and in close quarters combat. Jet users are twitchy and the gang refers to the drug as 'acting the fool'.
Psycho: the signature drug of the Clowns, Psycho was a military designed combat drug that was abandoned. Psycho, quite fitting to its name, causes increased aggression, lowers the pain threshold, and increases strength. Clowns under the influence of psycho (and often other drugs) are the sort who take horrific injuries in gangland fights and continue on unfazed by the sometimes lethal injuries. They are also known for the extreme sadism and violence demonstrated during said conflicts.
1. Look out for your brothers and sisters in the gang
2. Fuck the police
3. Make drugs, get money
4. Have fun
The clowns have typically fluctuated depending on the current leader of the gang. Stronger bosses have pulled the clown family together, allowing them to make major gains in turf and influence, while weaker leaders have seen the gang wane in power and fear.
The current leader of the Clowns is a charismatic, chaos philosopher that the police have dubbed 'the Joker'. Almost nothing is known about the Joker before he appeared in the rank and file of the gang. He is suspected to be a mental patient, but there are some theories that he is a former member of the military, possibly with some influence as the Clowns have demonstrated the ability to put military equipment into combat in their gang wars. They also have demonstrated some known combat tactics and strategies that are known to have originated in the insurgencies in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Joker also is known to have provided general access to military combat drugs like jet and psycho, further lending support to the notion of his military background.
The first recognized leader of the Clowns was a man named Cesar who ran a small outfit downtown that was called the Piccadilly Circus. The Circus was a mixture of parking lot carnival, and halfway house. Cesar gave disturbed youths a place where they felt safe, and used make up to make their new faces so that they could hide from themselves. He was a crackerjack psychology flunkie and his techniques of burying mental illness, creating fake personas and indulging in recreational drug use typically made the illnesses worse. Cesar's boys entered crime to fund the Circus, and then to provide entertainment for themselves. In lighter days they were seen as hooligans but urban decay created harder meaner gangs in the territory around the circus.
Cesar eventually was killed by a rival gang, sparking the Clowns first gang war. A new leader, Jack, with strong ties to the criminal underground took Cesar's place and lead the battle against several other gangs. With guns and other favors, Jack's clowns decimated the rival gangs and established Piccadilly Circus as the stronghold of the Clowns and their territory.
Under Jack, the drug use among the clowns increased, as did their violent tendencies. As a former mafia man, Jack understood the value of violence as a deterrent, so when the clowns moved in and messed someone up, it was done in an as over the top manner as possible. This created a good deal of the original aura of fear around the clowns as it became known that anyone who crossed them or tried to mess with their affairs was going to be made a horrific example of. Arson, murder, and torture done for entertainment became popularized during this time.
A popular tactic among the Clown raids during this time was what they called having a Burner, or a Suicide Party. A club or other popular nightspot would be selected and during peak occupancy, the venue would be locked in by the clowns, and then set on fire. Clown gang members would typically start other mayhem to spread out first responders, and by the time fire and rescue arrived on the scene most of the fire would already be burned out. Suicide parties were eventually cracked down on by police and club owners after a string of such attacks left more than a 1000 people dead.
The Clowns videotaped and distributed videos from at least two suicide parties.
Mother Harley took over the Clowns after Jack's eventual demise. A former lover and protege of the criminal mastermind, Harley was a deeply and violently disturbed woman who went on to lead the clowns for several years,a further reinforced the gang's values for family first and foremost and other elements of gang and criminal life second. As the first insane leader of the clowns, her tenure as boss was marked by chaotic leadership, schizophrenia and several reigns of terror.
The Clowns grew rapidly in numbers under Harley, as her family values made the gang more open and safe to women. The gang remained violently misogynistic but women in the gang were seen as sisters, and touching your sister wasn't allowed unless sister wanted you to touch her. It became common for female clown members to not just cheer on their brothers during violence against women, but to participate in it themselves. This marked one of the darker turns in the already dark history of the gang, as several 'rape gangs' formed. These cells were almost completely female in membership and became known as some of the most terrifying enforcers in the Clowns gang as they were usually attractive women wearing the clowns make up brazenly sporting strap on dildos and other sexual apparatii. While most of their targets were female (the most notable being an investigative reporter attempting to infiltrate the gang) more than a few were men. Almost all of their victims were filmed, and the videos distributed.
Welcome to the Circus
The Clowns had established themselves as not just a gang, but as a terrorist organization. Piccadilly Circus has sinced turned into an urban wasteland, damaged by decades of Clown dominance. Many of the buildings are dilapidated and have since been condemned by the city. Power and water are haphazard at best, and the area looks like a third world country. This is covered by the fact that the entire area is covered in graffiti, not the shitty gangland sort, but brightly colored and very artistic in nature. Piccadilly Circus is almost a cultural enclave full of disturbed artists.
The Circus itself was a strip mall that has had the parking lot covered with tarps and makeshift enclosures. It functions as the motherhouse and mall for the gang. They have a barter system in effect where guns, drugs, and other goods are traded for what they want and need. Around the edge of the Circus/clown ghetto there is a ring of businesses that are based around feeding the clown's vices and taking their money in exchange. These businesses are known for having high security, armed guards, and metal shutters over all windows and doors. There are strip clubs, liquor stores, and a few medical clinics run by the city, as the neighborhoods around the Circus are among the poorest in the city.
The Clowns and the Police
Given the violence and firepower of the clowns, when the gang riots and gang wars break out, the police have a containment policy. Rather than attempting to move in and shut down the fighting, they form barricades across the roads that come out of the Circus, and just wait out the fighting. Previous attempts to quell the violence have ended poorly, as the police lack the fanatical zeal of the Clowns, and often are outgunned by the gang. The previous attempt to quell a gang war ended with dozens of cops dead, a police helicopter shot down, and the chief of police made to look like a jack booted thug and incompetent as well.
Criminals: many members of the clowns are just run of the mill thugs, criminals, murderers, and such who have found a place where they can indulge in their high risk high profit lifestyle. The criminals are the least involved in the family aspect of the gang, but are the wheels and gears that keep the gang functioning. The criminals bring in money, firearms, and other things that the gang needs and uses.
Mental Patients: the disturbed are drawn to the gang, seeking the twin values of family, and losing themselves behind the mask or the facepaint. These members are the most strongly aligned with the family, and are the hard core of the gang. While the criminals keep the enterprise running, the lunatics keep everyone afraid of the clowns. The mentally ill have the strongest gang personas and specializations.
Drug Dealers: most of the Clown's drugs are manufactured, and it is up to the bakers and cookers to keep making their recreational pharmaceuticals. This generates a large piece of the clown's revenue as some of their drugs are in high demand, such as Hollywood's taste for crystal dream, to the mundane demand for crystal meth. The candy makers (meth cookers) are known to sell their goods in other cities and states, providing a river of money into the gang.
Ex-Military: the military produces a large number of disturbed individuals. The poor state of their health and mental care lets many of them slip through the cracks. Once on the streets, its a short road to drug addiction, and then to the circus. They live in a continuous hell of violence in the Circus, but their skills make them valuable and dangerous additions to the gang. Many ex-military gravitate to positions of leadership, or become specialists within the gang.
Thugs and Gangbangers: some members of the Clowns would be in whatever gang was local because being in a gang is cool and thats what all of the others are doing. The gang has the money and the power, and those not in the gang either pay them tribute, or are their victims. The thugs are gangbangers do light drugs and dont participate in the money generating aspects of the gang, and other than entry level vandalism and so forth, they are nothing more than filler. Once in the gang, these are the members who are in over their heads between the lunatics, real criminals, and drug addled zealots.
Money: the clowns, despite living in third world hellholes have mountains of cash. The lunatics, and the ex-military, and anarchists don't have much use for spending their money on whips and bling. They like guns and gasoline and compared to chrome, whores and cocaine these things are cheap.
Drugs: the Clowns produce massive amounts of drugs. While they consume most of these drugs themselves, there is enough left over to provide the cash flow to float the gang.
Loyalty: the clowns are a family and family doesn't turn on family. The only thing that generates a larger demonstration is when a clown turns on his own. Clown rats are hunted down, and other their families are killed or otherwise abused.
Firearms: the Clowns have ready access to all sorts of firearms, ranging from the standard gang issue cheap pistols and shotguns to more troublesome SMGs, assault rifles, and homemade improvised explosives. Clown bombs are known for being as often cruel as lethal.
Plot Hooks
Mooks, Goons and Minions: The Clowns can be used a stock filler gang, having a specific look and theme, but otherwise functioning as any other gang, making and selling drugs. Reduce the intensity level of the Clowns to PG-13 and carry on.
Juggalos Everywhere: The Clowns are a local menace and are an increasing cultural phenomenon. Like other large gangs, the Clowns are branching out to other cities, and its up the police/law enforcement PCs to stop them.
Rescue Mission: the clowns have abducted a person of interest, and the PCs are hired to bring the person back as close to unharmed as possible.
Special Ops: the PCs are hired to pull off a special mission (burn down Piccadilly Circus, assassinate the Joker) that will require them to infiltrate the gang. They have to pull off the dangerous mission without being compromised. They can also encounter the members of the clown family and discover that the gang has been created not from within, but from without by society, and its treatment of the mentally ill and the real poor.
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? Responses (7)-7
Drug-addicted, psychopathic clowns slaughtering people? You are an evil, sick strolenite, Scrasamx. I, naturally, love it.
I especially love the suicide parties and the rape bit. Well, I don't love it, because its sick and evil, and in fact hate it... ah, you know what I mean.
The one improvement I can see is less pictures. You see, having so many pictures means I'm seeing at least one as I read, which means that I get a mental image of an evil clown grinning as he rapes and burns me to death.
Also, it might help if you add a line saying that it has graphic content. I don't mind it, but others might.
Added the graphic warning, good call. As for the leering images of evil clowns, mission accomplished.
I think the pictures added quite a bit, though some of them could have been sized down a tad. As for the content, it's pretty much what you'd expect of a whole gang based around Heath Ledger's Joker -- violent, disturbing and scary as hell. I especially liked the bit about the various drugs; that one sentence about administering Nuke to hostages to 'keep them cool' tells you all you want to know about being at the mercy of this gang.
If there was anything I could suggest, it would be to imagine a few more unique gang-related activities. The Suicide Parties are a good step, but what else can they do to distinguish themselves from other 'normal' gangs (besides the thematic elements, I mean). Are they big in the hostage industry? Sex-trade? Do they have any long-term plans?
The Clowns are a gang of degenerates that have been used as the worst of the worst in my home game. In the home game, they rarely have any sort of leadership and it is a general carnival of chaos and mayhem. The history and background of the Clowns is somewhat unimportant in that context so the leadership role being filled by the various actors/personas that have played the Joker provided a figurehead for both leadership and for their history.
As for long term plans, as the Joker says, Do I look like the sort of guy who makes plans?
The things that set the Clowns apart from other gangs is that they are the bottom of the barrel, the most depraved, the most violent, and the most inhuman of all. They are involved in the drug trade, but on the bottom side up, peddling the worst sort of drugs, the sort that cause bodily harm by simple proximity like meth and bath salts. The thematic elements are the most obvious factor, with the circus/clown theme recurring over and over. The gang members lose themselves in those elements.
Not a gang to mess with.
Brutal in a good way. Great use of pictures.
This is pretty horrific. I mean, in sort of a good way. I'm not sure these guys would fit into the sorts of games I tend to run, but at the very least, the post makes a good format for a gang write-up, and there are definite strong points to this one.


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This is the homily I preached on Sunday, May 31, Holy Trinity Sunday.
+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen! Do you see what you did there? I made the sign of the cross and you did it too. You didn't have to do it. We don't normally make the sign after the Gospel. It's not in the book. But, as Catholics, we've been taught that when someone else, especially someone standing at the front of the room signs themselves, we're supposed to follow along. It's a Catholic thing.
In fact, + (sign) is probably the second-most recognized hand gesture in the world. The peace sign might be first. I'm not sure. But, like I said, it's a Catholic thing. If you see someone crossing themselves, they're probably Catholic.
So……the sign identifies us as Catholics. It also tells anyone who knows our faith what we believe.
That IS in the book.
I believe in one God, [not multiple gods like the Romans of the Greeks, I believe in the one and only God. I don't worship cats, or the sun, or the earth.] the Father almighty,maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. My God isn't part of nature. He created nature out of nothingness.
If that were all there was, things would be very simple. But, like they say on the infomercials, "But wait, there's more!"
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made.
This word "begotten" must be important. We say it twice in one paragraph. See, there was a guy running around in the 4th century saying that Jesus wasn't really God. He was just some "super" angel, better than us, but not as great as God. The Church held a council and promulgated this creed, establishing once and for all that God and Jesus are one and the same.
According to the new translation of the Creed that some of us are still learning, Jesus is CONSUBSTANTIAL" with the Father. Remember, we used to say "one in being with the Father", which isn't enough to describe who Jesus really is. You and I are one in being with the Father because everything in the world is created through Him. Consubstantial sort of means "of the same substance". God IS the Father and the Son.
The Creed goes on to tell us what Jesus did, how He suffered and died and rose again on the third day to save us from our sins.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.
When Jesus returned to heaven he left us an Advocate, His Holy Spirit. In last week's Gospel He said He would send the Advocate "whom I will send you from the Father." Notice the words. Jesus would send the Spirit from the Father. He proceeds from the Father AND the Son.
Just today (yesterday) nine men were ordained to the Permanent Diaconate at the Cathedral Basilica. The Archbishop laid hands on them, just like he laid hands on me ten years ago next week, and he said, "Lord, send forth upon him the Holy Spirit, that he may be strengthened by the gift of your sevenfold grace to carry out faithfully the work of the ministry."
Of course we all receive the Holy Spirit at baptism and at confirmation as well.
That's it. That's what we believe about God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Our problem as humans is that we want to understand things. We want proof. But there are just some things that are beyond our understanding. Saint Patrick used the shamrock to illustrate the Trinity, each leaf representing one of the three persons. Since he's my patron saint, I'd like to say that it was the perfect analogy. Unfortunately it wasn't. That's why God has given us this thing called "faith". As Christians we have to believe some pretty unbelievable stuff. Jesus turned water into wine. Jesus turned bread and wine into His body and blood. Jesus died and was buried, rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. God is one but He exists as three different persons.
Don't try to figure it out. Just accept it. He's God. He can do anything. He's our Father, our Brother, and our Advocate; He's existed since the beginning of time and He made everything in the universe out of nothing. I know you believe it because I hear you say it every week. Don't question it. Just be thankful that it IS.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Filed under: Church teaching, evangelization, faith, Holy Spirit, Personal Growth | Tagged: ferguson, Holy Spirit, Our Father, Trinity | Leave a comment »


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Article content
An anti-gay pamphleteer whose flyers Canada's top court ruled Wednesday crossed the line into hate speech says he won't back down from his campaign.
And the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission that fought Bill Whatcott up to the Supreme Court of Canada is calling the ruling a "vindication" for hate-speech watchdogs.
Whatcott, a born-again Christian, is "profoundly disappointed" by the justices for upholding Saskatchewan's hate speech laws and called them "repulsive."
"They should be ashamed of themselves for coming up with a ruling like this and I certainly won't respect it," he said. "I have to follow Christ rather than socialist justices."
The highest court struck down the section of Saskatchewan's human rights code that defines hate speech as something that "ridicules, belittles or otherwise affronts the dignity" of any person as too broad.
It restricted the legal definition of hatred to "those extreme manifestations of the emotion described by the words 'detestation' and 'vilification'."
In the unanimous ruling, it also upheld in part a human rights tribunal ruling against Whatcott, who distributed flyers in Regina and Saskatoon in 2001 and 2002 calling homosexuals "sodomites" and equating them with child abusers.
The court agreed some of those flyers crossed into hate speech and upheld reduced damages of some $7,500 imposed on Whatcott.
The Canadian Constitution Foundation -- an intervener in the case -- warned the ruling could have a chilling effect on free speech.
"The Supreme Court missed an excellent opportunity to rein in the power of various human rights commissions and tribunals to censor the expression of unpopular beliefs," he said.
But Don Hutchinson, with the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, said he's pleased the court has giving religious freedoms some leeway in the ruling.
"The court is clear that Bible passages, biblical beliefs and the principles derived from those beliefs can be legally and reasonably advanced in in public discourse," he said.
The Saskatchewan commission brought the case to the top court after losing against Whatcott in a second appeal in a Saskatchewan appellate court in 2010.
The province's court of appeal ruled Whatcott didn't breach the hate speech laws and overturned the original $17,500 in damages and a ban on distributing the flyers the human rights tribunal had imposed for the pamphlets he distributed over a decade ago.
Four people filed complaints against him at the human rights commission, arguing the flyers promoted hatred against homosexuals.
The court heard arguments in the case in October 2011.
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Left to right: High on Fire's Matt Pike, Des Kensel, and Jeff Matz. Photo Credit: Travis Shinn
|Click here to watch our Rig Rundown with Matt Pike
High on Fire guitarist Matt Pike's previous band, the legendary underground rock act Sleep, helped reinvigorate this long-lost sound once championed by bands like Black Sabbath and Blue Cheer. Sleep and bands such as Kyuss (Josh Homme's band before Queens of the Stone Age), Neurosis, and veteran rockers Saint Vitus, helped pioneer a revival of the early days of heavy rock by playing droning guitar riffs through simple rigs—often not much more than a loud, fuzzed-out amp. At the time, rock of this fashion wasn't exactly in style. More sterilized forms of the genre were all the rage, because huge, epic jams that clocked in at 15 minutes weren't conducive to radio play. A defining trait of these underground bands was that they lived for the thrill of the stage and didn't need cheap gimmicks or cheesy distractions to take attention away from the music.
After Sleep's demise, Pike formed High on Fire with drummer Des Kensel. The sound, while still retaining the Sabbath-esque doom elements of Sleep, was infused with the rawer elements of Motörhead. Pike's voice and persona draw a lot of comparisons to Motörhead's infamous frontman, Lemmy Kilmister. After laboring and touring for 12 years, HoF has garnered fans the world over and has become one of underground rock's biggest success stories. Just recently, Metallica handpicked them to open for them on a two-week tour—a sign that years of hard work has paid off.
We recently caught up with Pike in Madison, Wisconsin, during the band's tour for their fifth studio album, Snakes for the Divine (E1 Music), to talk about metal's place in the music business, his nine-string First Act guitar and dual-amp rig, and what it takes to be a torchbearer in the latter-day metal underground.
How did you get into playing guitar?
Basically, I was a juvenile delinquent in Denver. One of those bad kids in high school. I did things like drop acid all of the time, hang around the smoking pit, chase girls, whatever. One of the things that I was always really capable of was playing guitar, and I had been playing since I was 8. I was pretty good at the time, but I didn't think about it in a "I'm the best ever" sense. I just really liked to play and only cared about getting better and better at it. I'd eventually become the guy in school that taught other guys songs. Stuff like Mötley Crüe and Metallica. I eventually got caught up in stealing car stereos, then eventually the cars straight up. It was completely my own fault, and I paid for it by going to military school and juvenile hall. I ended up taking the rap for some older guys in the ring, and when I was about 14 I got shipped off to my dad. While I was there, I met this guy named Al [Cisneros]. He would eventually become the bass player and singer for Sleep. He had this band called Asbestosdeath, which was this dirge-y, Black Sabbath-y punk band. I wanted to play leads and do a bunch of crazy stuff, and they were like "No man, it's not like that." We'd go see these really great punk bands like Neurosis and the Melvins that were doing something new and cool at the time, and we got to open for guys like that. Eventually, we dropped the other guitarist and formed Sleep. And man, Sleep blew up really, really fast after that. I spent my 21st birthday in Amsterdam on tour, and before that we had done a tour in the States.
It didn't last that long, though—why?
We made Jerusalem and then broke up. I'm an aggressive, competitive type of guy. I like a challenge. It's a great attitude to have when you're an athlete, but sometimes it's bad when you're a musician. I get that way to try and push the music to be the best that it can be, and if I blow you off the stage one night, that's your problem. You should be doing that to me! [Laughs]
Then what happened?
So, six months go by and I start High on Fire. I met Des through a friend, and instantly clicked with him after we jammed. He's one of those drummers that I know exactly what his playing is going to be like, and I think he feels the same thing. He wouldn't have put up with me for this long if he didn't. We've been working together for years and years, and we made kind of a business out of it. It's like if you started a painting company or something. You might not get paid all of the time, but you believe in this one weird thing. For us, it's that we play beautiful music together.
Snakes for the Divine is pretty aggressive— even for you guys.
This one is a lot more aggressive than the last one. The last one had its moments. Our bass player, Jeff Matz [formerly of Seattle hardcore band Zeke], wrote a lot more of the stuff than last time. He was a little bit shy about showing what he could do, thinking that he'd get shot down if he brought in a riff or two. I was like, "No, dude!" So he'd be down in the studio at 6 a.m., looping something in a delay pedal. I'd hear it and think, "Oh my god, dude, you're really serious about this aren't you?" [Laughs]
Matt Pike and hist custom First Act—which is a half-inch thicker than a Les Paul. Photo by Chris Kies.
Did this record come together faster since you guys have been playing together for a while now?
No! Jeff, Des, and I sat around Oakland for eight months, just going down to the studio and pressing record. We started thinking about how we were going to get all of this on a record, and then we met Greg Fidelman [engineer for Johnny Cash's American V and Slayer's World Painted Blood]. We started playing him the stuff we had, and he told us that we had about four or five albums' worth and that we needed to cut the fat. He thought we were going around in circles, just chasing our tail, and that we could make something great out of what we had. It was a good thing, because we're so good at writing stuff together that sometimes we'll just keep writing and writing if no one is there to yell "Stop!" or "You need to record that!" and "You need to hone in on one thing."
You guys have played with some really talented bassists over the years, too.
We went through George Rice, our first bass player, and he was incredible. He just got sick of the touring, and he's a lot like me. You know, he has to be out loud and a smartass all the time. Then we got Joe Preston [formerly of the Melvins and Thrones], recorded Blessed Black Wings, and asked him to tour. After a while, he said that he was sick of us and the huge amount of touring that we do, which is like nine out of 12 months a year. Who would want to do that, right? [Laughs] It really bummed me out when he left, because I love Joe Preston. Then, we found Jeff after touring with his band Zeke. Des and I said to each other after seeing him play "We need him in our band!" I felt guilty because I didn't want to steal him from another band. It worked out though.
Was he the only candidate at that point?
I called Hank [Williams] III, who's a really good buddy of mine. I said "Shelton, do you want to play on the album?" That dude's making, like, five albums all of the time, so he was pretty busy then. He's a big High on Fire fan but he said he wouldn't feel right there. But then he said, "Jeff Matz"— the bassist from Zeke that Des and I toured with—"is looking for a band." Des and I were stoked, and I called him up to come practice. He can play guitar exactly like I do, and he knew all the songs. About 50 to 60 percent of Snakes for the Divine was written by him, too. I told him "I'll just put lyrics over your riff, I don't even know what to say." [Laughs]
So let's talk gear for a bit. What are you using for the tour?
Basically, my main rig starts with a Soldano SLO. It was custom made for me by Mike Soldano, and it's the best investment I ever made. They're not cheap. I'm using it with a Marshall Kerry King head, which has a built-in noise gate. It runs with the Assault control, which adjusts the intensity of the channel. I use it in the right way, because there is no clean tone whatsoever in that amp.


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His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates Divine Liturgy in Shanghai
On 15 May 2013, Wednesday of the second week after Pascha and commemoration day of the holy passion-bearers princes Boris and Gleb, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the building of the former cathedral of "The Helper of Sinners" icon of the Mother of God, which now houses a museum.
Children of the compatriots living in Shanghai gave a hospitable reception to His Holiness offering him bead and salt according to a Russian custom.
Celebrating with His Holiness were Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate's Department for External Church Relations (DECR' Bishop Sergiy of Solnechnogorsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate's Administrative Secretariat; archpriest Nikolay Balashov, DECR deputy chairman; archpriest Dionisiy Pozdnyayev, rector of Ss Peter and Paul church in Hongkong; archpriest Alexiy Kiselevich, rector of St. Nicholas of Myra in Lycia church in Shanghai; and Rev. Michael Wang Quansheng and protodeacon Evangelos Lu Yaofu, the eldest retired clerics of the Chinese Autonomous Orthodox Church living in Shanghai.
Attending the divine service were Andrei Denisov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the People's Republic of China; Russian Consul General in Shanghai, Andrei Smorodin; Ukrainian Consul General in Shanghai, Sergei Burdyliak; Belorussian Consul General in Shanghai, Vladimir Vorobey; and Bulgarian Consul General in Shanghai, Ms Irina Beleva.
The choir of the Moscow Novospassky Monastery sang during the litury.
The Apostol and the Gospel were read in the Church Slavonic and Chinese languages, and some exclamations were proclaimed in Chinese.
After the liturgy, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church celebrated Litiya for the reposed archpastors, pastors, monastics and laymen of the Chinese Autonomous Orthodox Church.
Patriarch Kirill said in his homily: "It is remarkable that the liturgy in the Church of "The Helper of Sinners" icon of the Mother of God, the first divine service after fifty years of interruption, was celebrated during Easter-tide… Both China and Russia give us examples of revival after the time of sorrow. The Divine Liturgy celebrated today is a symbol of China's revival."
His Holiness greeted all Orthodox worshippers, Russians, Chinese, Ukrainians, Byelorussian, Moldavians, Greeks, Georgians, Serbs and Bulgarians, who gathered in the church and reminded them that when an Orthodox Christian comes to a certain place, he becomes a member of the local Orthodox community. "Today we, who have gathered here, are the Chinese Church."
The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church presented liturgical vessels to the church, and small icons of the Resurrection of Christ with patriarchal blessing to the worshippers.
Source: mospat.ru


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A proud, born-and-bred Jersey girl, Stephanie Plum's got plenty of attitude, even if she's been out of work for the last six months and just lost her car to a debt collector. Desperate for some fast cash, Stephanie (Katherine Heigl) turns to her last resort: convincing her sleazy cousin to give her a job at his bail bonding company... as a recovery agent. True, she doesn't even own a pair of handcuffs and her weapon of choice is pepper spray, but that doesn't stop Stephanie from taking on Vinny's (Patrick Fischler) biggest bail-jumper: former vice cop and murder suspect Joe Morelli (Jason O'Mara) - yup, the same sexy, irresistible Joe Morelli who seduced and dumped her back in high school.
Nabbing Morelli would be satisfying payback - and a hefty payday - but as Stephanie learns the ins and outs of becoming a recovery agent from Ranger (Daniel Sunjata), a hunky colleague who's the best in the business, she also realizes the case against Morelli isn't airtight. Add to the mix her meddling family, a potentially homicidal boxer, witnesses who keep dying and the problem of all those flying sparks when she finds Morelli himself... well, suddenly Stephanie's new job isn't nearly as easy as she thought.
Director: Julie Anne Robinson
Writers: Janet Evanovich, Stacy Sherman, Karen Ray and Liz Brixius
Producers: Wendy Finerman, Tom Rosenberg, Gary Lucchesi and Sidney Kimmel
Executive Producers: Andre Lamal, Katherine Heigl, Nancy Heigl, Bruce Toll and Eric Reid
Also Starring: Jason O'Mara, Daniel Sunjata, John Leguizamo, Sherri Shepherd, Debbie Reynolds, Debra Monk, Nate Mooney, Adam Paul, Fisher Stevens, Ana Reeder and Patrick Fischler
© Katherine Heigl Online 1999-2020. Designed By Keith Follett.


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Cystic fibrosis affects many systems and organs in the body. By collaborating with national and international partners we continue to increase our understanding of the condition and improve the treatments and techniques available to manage the condition and all of its symptoms.
Take a look at our ,Research Strategy or explore the specific areas of research happening now.
Research for today: working to alleviate and manage the symptoms for everyone living with cystic fibrosis today.
Over the years, research funded by the Trust has made major contributions to improvements in clinical care, which have significantly increased life expectancy for people with cystic fibrosis.
Research for tomorrow: investing in science to correct the basic defect that causes cystic fibrosis, so that we can transform the lives of everyone with the condition.
Currently, we are experiencing the most exciting period in the history of cystic fibrosis research. Over the next few years we expect research into transformational treatments will bring about a revolution for people with the condition.
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Brandeis University Stats, Info and Facts
|Institution Type:
|Private not-for-profit
|Campus Setting:
|New England Small city
|Highest Degree Offered:
|Doctor's degree - research/scholarship
|Level of Institution:
|Four or more years
|School Mascot:
|School Colors:
|Blue and white
Brandeis is an all inclusive school with everything a student could wish for. Busting at the seams with student diversity, clubs of all kinds, and professors that you can approach…
When I first applied, I really had no interest in going to Brandeis. Somehow I wound up changing my mind, and after taking a closer look, I fell in love.…
Brandeis is an amazing university with tons of opportunities. It provides the fun vibe of a summer camp while also fostering great knowledge and a professional atmosphere - you form…
in three sentences, brandeis is academically rigorous - the science courses in particular are taught at a much higher level here than at other schools. the social life is atrocious…
Brandeis University is a community of scholars and students united by their commitment to the pursuit of knowledge and its transmission from generation to generation. As a research university, Brandeis is dedicated to the advancement of the humanities, arts and social, natural and physical sciences. As a liberal arts college, Brandeis affirms the importance of a broad and critical education in enriching the lives of students and preparing them for full participation in a changing society, capable of promoting their own welfare, yet remaining deeply concerned about the welfare of others.
Brandeis is a kind of idyllic college environment - it has an open, green campus, very active student life, and wonderful academic opportunities. Students really get involved in everything from political and cultural clubs to intramural sports, theater, and music groups. However, though Brandeis is only nine miles away from Boston, those nine miles are quite substantial unless you have a car. The campus can sometimes seem like a bubble - if you are the kind of person who wants to spend a lot of time in the city, or have a really active and dynamic social life, this might not be the place for you.Read More
There's always new people to meet and things to do around campus. Everyone manages to have some free time from studying so its not work work work all the time every day. It's easy to find fun even when there's a lot of work to get done.Read More
Brandeis is an incredibly welcoming community. The people at Brandeis are making my college experience stellar. I look around and admire my friends for all their fantastic accomplishments. While everyone here is an overachiever invested in his/her own Academics and Extracurriculars, it is a supporting community. Each of my friends truly want to see me succeed just as much as they do for his/herself. That said, I study really, really hard and often.Read More
I've met the most amazing people. The community is incredible.Read More
The Brandeis community is amazing!Read More


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Ark. State Police won't probe 107-year-old's death
Arkansas State Police says it won't investigate the shooting death of a 107-year-old Arkansas man who was killed in a standoff with officers last weekend.
State Police Spokesman Bill Sadler said Thursday the department has declined a request by the Jefferson County prosecutor to investigate the incident surrounding the death of Monroe Isadore in Pine Bluff on Saturday. Pine Bluff police say Isadore opened fire on officers who returned fire, killing him.
State Police declined Jefferson County Prosecutor Kyle Hunter's request for an investigation in a letter dated Wednesday.
Authorities have said they tried using a camera, negotiating tactics and gas before shooting Isadore. But the shooting has prompted questions from residents and some city leaders.
Authorities say Isadore told officers months earlier that they would have to shoot him or throw him in jail before he went back home with his son-in-law.
Police reports obtained by The Associated Press on Tuesday show that Monroe Isadore made the comments in June after he said his daughter and son-in-law didn't want him around.
Neither Isadore's daughter nor son-in-law returned phone messages left Tuesday.
Police say an officer involved in the shooting has been placed on paid, administrative leave.


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Last week we had the Mercedes-Benz Guinness World Record stunt and this week sees another amazing World Record as two Hot Wheels drivers race through a double vertical loop.
The Hot Wheels drivers, Tanner Foust and Greg Tracy set a Guinness World Record racing two vehicles through the impressive six-story double vertical loop at the X Games in Los Angeles last weekend. Watching the video above it's easy to see why this activation has been getting so much global attention. This experiential piece is just one part of a global marketing campaign lead by Mistress in LA that will also consist of a series of story based episodes that will be released throughout the year via TV, digital and social media. This is a great, no doubt expensive, way to create some unique content that sparks global interest. What will they produce next?


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Singles Travel International
Singles Travel — Cruises Prefer a Trip?
|Japan Explorer Singles Cruise
|September 27th, 2020-October 11th, 2020
|14 nights
|Hotspots of Eastern Europe on the Danube
|October 22nd, 2020-November 1st, 2020
|10 nights
|Holy Land Singles Cruise
|November 14th, 2020-November 26th, 2020
|12 nights
|Hawaiian Paradise Singles Cruise
|November 21st, 2020-November 28th, 2020
|7 nights
|Alluring NYE Singles Party Cruise
|December 7th, 2020-January 3rd, 2021
|7 nights
Singles Travel Service is a National Tour Operator specializing in Singles Vacations. We bring together vacationers from many partners including singles clubs, travel agencies, online dating networks, singles event planners and of course referrals from past travelers. By extending our reach through select partners we are able to attract critical mass and create exciting travel alternatives for our singles guests.
When you sign up for one our vacations you will be in the company of singles from all over the country with similar hobbies and interests. This is a relaxed casual way to meet and make new friends while enjoying exotic and exciting places....the days of "going it alone" are over.
Some of our cruises attract as many as 300 singles while other vacations are more intimate and might have as few as 10 or 20 depending on the destination. A great singles vacation is more than just a resort, it's the excitement of meeting and making new friends, learning or progressing in a favorite sport or just enjoying a quiet beach.
Best of all on our vacations you have NO obligations, just choices. You are always invited to our scheduled activities and parties, but again, it's your vacation and you can do as you please .... you are never obligated to anything .... except to have a good time!
Give us a week and we'll give you new friends, great adventures and a vacation you won't forget.


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You want to know what is the best place to live. With the Life Quality Index, or LQI, we make it a lot easier to decide which place is better to live.
The LQI is calculated by combining all our data on transportation, safety, health, affordability, entertainment, demographics, leisure and other essentials for everyday life. All our data comes from very reliable sources, like the MTA, NYPD, Google, Socrata, Foursquare and the U.S. Census to offer you the best information to find the right place to live.
You want to be free to go wherever you want, when you want. So in our LQI we use all the available data on public transport, taxi services, parking places and the distance to the city center or the next borough when calculating the livability of a place.
Life is all about the small things, so if you have everything you need nearby, then that is a great plus! When we calculate the Daily Life for the LQI, we take everything into account. Ranging from the distance to the nearest convenience stores and places of worship to Wi-Fi Hotspots and financial services.
You want to feel safe in your new home, so in the LQI you will be able to find all our data on crime levels and the nearest police and fire stations for that particular place.
Health is important to us all. In the LQI we include everything related to your well-being: the proximity to health and medical facilities, but also pollution levels, the proximity you live to busy truck routes or factories, and even the number of noise complaints.
When you have time off, you want to relax and have fun. So the closer to sport facilities, beauty salons and spas, running tracks and interesting places, the better.
Let's face it, what would life be without restaurants, bars, cafes, museums and other entertainment venues? That's why we include it in our LQI.
We use data on demographics to calculate our Life Quality Index. We all want to feel welcome in our community and at home in our neighborhood. Things like average income, education levels, and poverty index are all taken into account to create the LQI.
Place I live is a site which can teach you the things you do not know about neighborhoods. You can view all the different data, for example areas to hang out at or transportation stops.
In this page you can find the information about Schick. Look through the categories shown on the map to find possible things to do near you on Schick as well as other locations that might be important for you.
|Bird`s eye
The categories are divided according to Life Quality Index rating and show different locations on Schick. You can also find statistical data in there that can help you learn about street's community and environment. Perhaps you will find something that you might be able to improve with the help of the neighborhood. If you want to add something more, you can always leave a comment about Schick as well.
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Gagne Is A Red Sox....DONE DEAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT A BULLPEN!
Eric GAGNE is a Boston Red Sox bullpen pitcher! And I'm smiling...and I will continue to smile. I hope you are, too! Try it, you'll like it!
From the AP.....just now.....
"With Eric Gagne finally pitching like his old self following two elbow operations and back surgery, the Boston Red Sox agreed Tuesday to acquire the reliever from the Texas Rangers.....
Gagne, who has a limited no-trade clause, was asked to give his consent to the trade Tuesday afternoon, a person familiar with the talks said, speaking on condition of anonymity because an announcement had not yet been made.
Unidentified major league sources told NESN that Gagne agreed to waive his no-trade clause and agreed to serve as the team's set-up man.
Once one of baseball's premier closers, Gagne was to join a Boston bullpen that already has two All-Star relievers: closer Jonathan Papelbon and setup man Hideki Okajima."
Sweeter than sugar! And we'll all remember this day, July 31st, 2007.


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At the time the challenge was made, I was two and a half books away from being 'up to date' with the series and was just about to start reading Promises In Death. So, the creation of the In Death Challenge was perfect timing IMHO *grin*
I'm not going to review Promises In Death. It has been done before and by reviewers far superior to me *grin* But I wanted to share with you my thoughts and my favourite paragraph. A paragraph that...spoke to me. I don't think this post contains spoilers per say...but it is plot-related...to this book and previous books, so those of you who haven't read many of the In Death books may want to put a blindfold on.
I haven't read an In Death book for almost a year, so it was nice to re-immerse myself in Eve's world. One thing that struck me while reading Promises In Death was how far Eve has come compared with where she was when we first met her in Naked In Death. (And I now have a hankering to re-read Naked in Death just to remind myself of where Eve was at.) Eve was a loner...now she has Roarke....and Peabody...she has family. That really hit home for me in this book. Now, on to my favourite paragraph:
'And the mirror turns so you wonder next about your own blood. What passes from father to daughter.'So, have you read any of the In Death books and, if so, who is your favourite secondary character? I say secondary rather than primary so I don't receive comments with the same answer - Roarke - throughout *grin* Me? I love Charles...
'I know I'm not like her. But it's another question.'
'Here's an answer. Three fathers - hers, mine, yours - and three products of that blood, so to speak. And all of us have done what we've done with it. Maybe because of it. You know you're not like her, you're sure of that much . I know you. I'm sure you never could have been.'


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BYU coaches await impact of lowered missionary age
Point guard Cooper Ainge just turned 19, yet if he knew a year ago what he knows now he'd be off on his church mission rather than in his first season as a Brigham Young basketball player.
That's the situation of many Mormon athletes after a new rule recently went into effect that lowers the age when members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can go on a mission from 19 to 18. It's already affecting players deciding now whether to come to schools across Utah, and BYU in particular.
Among those could be top high school recruit Jabari Parker, a Mormon who included BYU on his top five list earlier this month. He also plans to make official visits to Duke, Florida, Michigan State and Stanford.
A 6-foot-8 forward, Parker is one of the most prized recruits to come along in recent years.
While he has told some his plans were to attend college for a year then either go on a mission as his brother did, or jump to the NBA, the fact that he turns 18 in March could affect his thinking.
Coaches can't talk about specific recruits, but BYU basketball coach Dave Rose acknowledged the new rule won't affect this year's team but could have a big effect on his 2013, 2014 and 2015 classes.
''For our coaching staff, it will be a process,'' said Rose, who has spreadsheets that slot missions along with scholarships available and the timing of such. ''What it basically does is it gives every LDS player that has a desire to serve a mission another option. What we need to do is find out what they are planning on doing. My role here as head coach is to support their decision.''
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has more than 55,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, spreading information about their faith and doing humanitarian work. Most missions for men are two years.
The new policy already has influenced BYU recruit Nick Emery, a guard from nearby Lone Peak High who announced on his Twitter page that he will be leaving for a mission right after graduation then return to school to play four straight years.
Having uninterrupted athletic careers can be a big plus, players and coaches said.
''It gives them a chance for a clean start right out of high school to go on a mission and then uninterrupted play when they come back if they're ready and if they're willing to,'' said BYU football coach Bronco Mendenhall, who has 38 players serving missions in 17 different countries.
On Monday night, Mendenhall said he's already shifting plans to recruit more junior-college players in the next few years because of the rule change.
''Most of the players that were in between are going first,'' he said of recruits who were uncertain of what to do depending on where their birthdates fell.
''It will affect us a lot. More junior-college recruitment in the short term to fill immediate holes because our LDS pool will be serving. So yeah, there will be a few holes that will be junior-college oriented. But there's a nice plan in place for three years. I don't think it will take quite that long. I think within two years we'll probably have the cycle just about right.''
His counterpart at Utah, Kyle Whittingham, likes the change to lower the age to serve.
''In the past, you were juggling when to send athletes out who you knew were going to go on missions,'' said Whittingham, who has 25 returned missionaries on his current Utes roster. ''Depending on when they turn 19, do you play them for a season? ... I think this is going to lay some common ground and the rule of thumb will be to send them out right after graduation.''
Tyler Haws, who just returned from his church mission in April and is expected to be a major contributor on BYU's basketball team this year, likely would have gone on his mission straight out of high school had the rule existed then.
''I think it makes sense to get out and come back and play four years,'' Haws said. ''But I'm happy with the way I did it. It feels good to have a year of experience under my belt.''
He is just glad he had about six months to get his body right after returning after spending two years in the Philippines.
''I tried to take it one step at a time,'' said Haws, who was a starter as a freshman and managed only a few pickup games in the Philippines. ''I didn't want to jump into anything too quick. There have been some returned missionaries who tried to do too much, too quick and have gotten hurt, so I tried to be smart that way. The first couple of months, I just tried to hit the weights and try to get my legs back.''
Not every LDS player serves a mission.
BYU stars Steve Young, Danny Ainge and Jimmer Fredette didn't. Heisman Trophy winner Ty Detmer also did not, but he wasn't a church member when he came to BYU.
Center Shawn Bradley served his mission after playing one year at BYU then headed straight to the NBA.
Cooper Ainge, son of Boston Celtics basketball operations president Danny Ainge, still is planning to serve his, but is hopeful he can go in April, which would give him an entire summer to get back in basketball shape after being away from the game for two years.
But he clearly likes the rule change because of the options it provides.
''I don't think everyone should go at 18 because I don't think everyone will be ready then, but it's a good rule for people who are ready,'' he said.


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The key to the perfect fitting room isn't just about 'skinny mirrors'
In a 1994 Seinfeld episode, Elaine Benes, the fictional character played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, spends an afternoon shopping a "huge sale" at Barney's department store in New York City. Elaine finds a dress she loves, and she thinks it loves her back. That is, until she gets home.
"I try this dress on. Stunning. Stunning. I couldn't take my eyes off myself," Elaine tells Jerry Seinfeld. "OK, so then I put it on at home. It looks like I'm carrying twins!"
And in that comedic moment, Elaine identified the arch nemesis of every frustrated shopper: skinny mirrors. "Skinny mirrors! They make you look, like, 10 pounds lighter!" she cries.
If Elaine's plight sounds familiar, then you too may have fallen victim to the skinny mirror snafu, in which a particularly cheap or warped mirror reflects to you a morphed version of your size, perhaps taller and thinner than you see yourself IRL. But more on that later.
While Elaine was certainly on to something, the truth is, there's so much more to a disheartening fitting room experiences than the culpable skinny mirror. There are actually dozens of things that affect how you feel about yourself when you try something on in-store, and retailers have struggled for years to perfect the fitting room formula.
"Fitting rooms are a psychological land mine for everybody," Marge Laney, CEO of retail consulting company Alert Tech said in 2015. "Retailers can't do anything about that at all, and they shouldn't even try to address that. What they can do is ride as lightly as they can on psychological problems by creating an environment that makes the customer look and feel good."
Laney's son Brian, the vice president of sales and product for Alert Tech, has worked with his mother for the last 20-plus years, and talked to Yahoo Style about how he tries to help retailers be successful and shoppers comfortable.
Brian Laney says that until the 2010s, "fitting rooms were horribly utilized" and retailers really didn't pay attention to how fitting rooms impact sales.
"Spending money on a high quality mirror is really important, but labor is also one of the largest costs that retailers spend money on," he adds, "and they weren't training their labor to address fitting room problems, like connecting people with associates."
According to the National Retail Federation, more than two-thirds of shoppers who use fitting rooms are likely to buy something, and those who use fitting rooms are twice as likely to buy than people who don't use them. Other fitting room factors that majorly affect sales: the availability of a salesperson to pull another size and the length of the fitting room line to begin with.
Some retailers have tried to bring too much technology into what should be a simple, comfortable space, which can ultimately make fitting room lines longer, says Laney. The so-called "magic mirror" craze in 2015, in which "smart" mirrors that displayed widgets and touch screen functionality to shoppers, never quite caught on, despite industry fanfare and implementation at stores like Rebecca Minkoff.
Laney says it's because adding high-tech features to a space where shoppers already feel vulnerable adds another layer of stress to the mix. Plus, shoppers who aren't tech savvy end up spending too much time in fitting rooms trying to figure out how to work the machinery, creating even longer fitting room lines.
So, if all this tech isn't the answer to fitting room woes, what is? The formula for a perfect fitting room isn't as tough as retailers make it out to be, according Laney, who boils it down in the following way: Fitting rooms shouldn't make shoppers feel claustrophobic or like they need a flashlight; if you're sweating before you've unzipped your pants, it's too hot; if there are leftover clothes or debris from previous shoppers, that's a deterrent for buyers.
Regarding those pesky mirrors, Yahoo Style spoke with Michael Tuts, physics department chair at Columbia University, for the skinny on how to spot a mirror you can trust. When a mirror is vertically convex ("the top and bottom of the mirror bends and bulges out in the middle") or horizontally convex ("the sides are squeezed until the middle bulges out"), the way the light reflects off the mirror can reveal an image that isn't true to size. Meaning that you might appear shorter and fatter or taller and thinner than you truly are.
Tuts says "flat" mirrors will the reflect the same height and width of the object (in this case, you).
"The way you could tell [a mirror is flat] is by taking in a nice straight ruler in with you — hold it vertically on the mirror and see that it touches everywhere. There should be no gaps between the ruler and the mirror surface," Tuts explains. "Now hold it horizontally. If there are no gaps, then it is a flat mirror, whereas if you see a gap at the end of the ruler, then you are looking in a 'skinny-making' mirror."
The horror of all horrors when it comes to mirrors might be when the mirror itself is placed outside an individual's fitting room, a cardinal sin according to Laney. Still, some retailers like Aritzia stand by their decision to use communal mirrors in a "spacious, well-lit environment" that "allows for a more social shopping experience and greater access to our highly knowledgeable stylists," says an Aritzia spokesperson.
And if anything else in that fitting room is making you feel uncomfortable, consider whether you'd feel better trying on the clothes at home (depending, of course, on the store's return policy). That's always been this writer's MO, and it probably would've helped one Elaine Benes 20 years ago, too.
Read more from Yahoo Style + Beauty:
• Angelina Jolie, One of Hollywood's Highest Paid Stars, Wore an Affordable Everlane Outfit
• Tiffany Trump Quotes Muhammad Ali in Stylish Memorial Day Photo
• Teen Faced Her 'Biggest Fear' and Wore a Swimsuit at the Beach
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyle and @YahooBeauty.
Alexandra Mondalek is a writer for Yahoo Style + Beauty. Follow her on Twitter @amondalek.