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Ford System Status
FordEtis performance metrics for system availability measured as system uptime can be accessed from the link below. The metric which will be published weekly shows the previous weeks performance in detail and a 12 week view. Additional metrics will be available soon.
"FordEtis Metrics"
Authentication Service
Digital Service Record
Parts Kit & Prior Approval
Service Information
Technical Hotline
Type Approval Number Service
Vehicle Information
Vehicle Information
Dealer System Status
|User Agent
|Operation System
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When you use the Ford Online Technical Information and Services website www.etis.ford.com (the 'Website'), the technical information and services on the Website (the 'Materials') and any associated application made available by Ford from time to time in conjunction with the Website and/or the Materials (each an "Application") Ford Motor Company Limited ("Ford", "we", "our" or "us") will collect and use certain information about you (your "personal information").
This notice explains what personal information Ford will collect, how it will be used and who it will be shared with.
In addition to this notice, some other Ford products and services (including some Ford apps or systems) have their own privacy notices which describe in more detail how your personal information is used in a particular context.
What personal information will be used
Ford collects your personal information:
when an account is created for you on the Website;
when you use the Website, Materials or Applications, including through the use of cookies and similar technologies (please see below for more information);
when you contact Ford (for example, we will keep a record of the information you provide when you write to us or contact our Technical Hotline);
as part of any audit or inspection which Ford is permitted to conduct under the agreement(s) we have with you or your employer regarding the use of the Website, Materials or Applications; and
as part of any investigations Ford may be required to carry out involving the Website, Materials or Applications, including those related to issues such as fraud, or to otherwise protect and defend our rights or property or to comply with a legal or regulatory obligation.
We will collect your personal information directly from you. The Legal Representative (as described below) at the entity at which you work will also provide us with your personal information (for example, when they create an account on the Website for you).
So that we can make sure the personal information we collect is accurate, it is important that you do not share your log-in or account information for the Website with anyone else, and do not use the Website, Materials or Applications under anyone else's log-in.
If you are the individual with authority to legally bind the entity for which you work to the FordEtis Terms and Conditions of Registration and Use (the "Legal Representative"), we will collect your name, your contact information and role at this entity and certain information about the entity (such as its address).
Whether you are the Legal Representative or another individual with a registered user account for the Website, we will collect:
the password and username or other identifiers you use to access the Website, Materials or Applications, your contact details (phone and/or email), and your language and user preferences for the Website; and
logs of your activity when you use the Website, Materials or Applications, including information about any repair or service you carry out using the Website, and your access to information about vehicle security systems.
We may be required by law to collect certain personal information. In some circumstances, we may also be required to collect your personal information as a result of a contractual relationship with you. Failure to provide this information may prevent or delay the fulfilment of these obligations.
How your personal information will be used
We use the personal information we collect to:
provide and administer the Website, Materials or Applications;
fulfil your requests (for example, to provide you with access to the Website);
maintain an accurate service and repair record of the vehicle(s) on which you have worked, and to make that record accessible to Ford, Ford Motor Company, other Ford Motor Company Group companies worldwide, your employer, and other registered users of the Website, Materials or Applications around the world so that they can diagnose, analyse, repair or service Ford vehicles. This means that the person who assigned you your username will be able to tell which services and repairs you have carried out. Ford, Motor Company Group companies and other Website users will also be able to see your username, what repair or service was carried out using it and at what location;
manage and improve our business and our relationship with you and your employer;
to personalise your experience of the Website and our products and services;
communicate with you regarding the Website and matters related to Ford;
assess the quality of the services we provide, and the services our suppliers provide to us or on our behalf;
deal with your enquiries;
conduct research, including into the use of the Website, Materials or Applications;
ensure that the Website, Materials and Applications are being used in accordance with the terms and conditions that apply to them; and
comply with our legal and regulatory responsibilities; to respond to legal process or requests for information issued by government authorities or other third parties; and to prevent and detect crime or fraud, or security, safety or privacy issues, or to protect your, our or others' rights or property.
We, Ford Motor Company and other Ford Motor Company Group companies worldwide may combine and, using automated decision making processes, analyse your personal information to assist with the purposes outlined above, and to:
help understand, develop and improve our products, processes, services and business and marketing strategies;
personalise our communications, products and services to you;
keep your personal information up to date;
understand Website users and our customers; and
manage and improve our relationship with you and your employer.
This could include, for example, informing our distribution strategy, evaluating the effectiveness of our marketing and customer service, conducting market analysis and identifying products or services which may be of interest to customers.
In some limited circumstances, the automated decisions we take may have a legal or similar effect on you. We will only make these kinds of automated decisions about you where:
the decisions are necessary for performing or entering into a contract with you;
the decisions are authorised by law; or
you give your consent to us carrying out automated decision-making.
You can contact us to request further information about automated decision-making, and in some circumstances object to our use of automated decision-making, or request that an automated decision is reviewed by a human.
We keep your personal information in identifiable form for as long as is reasonably necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it is collected and as required to comply with applicable legal and regulatory obligations. This generally means holding your personal information for as long as one of the following apply:
your personal information is reasonably required in order to provide the services you have requested (for example, to access the Website);
your personal information is reasonably required in order to protect and defend our rights or property (this will generally be the length of the relevant legal limitation period); or
applicable laws or regulations otherwise require the retention of your personal information.
Who your personal information will be shared with
Your personal information may be disclosed to:
companies or other organisations that we have engaged to provide services on our behalf such as web-hosting companies, mailing vendors, analytics providers, event hosting services, and information technology providers;
companies or other organisations where you have asked us or agreed that we may share your personal information with them;
other users of the Website, Materials or Applications who use them to view the service record for a Ford vehicle on which you have worked, as described in the 'How your personal information will be used' section above;
professional advisors;
any law enforcement agency, court, regulator, government authority or other third party where we believe this is necessary to comply with a legal or regulatory obligation, or otherwise to protect our rights, the rights of any third party or individuals' personal safety, or to detect, prevent, or otherwise address fraud, security or safety issues; or
any third party that purchases, or to which we transfer, all or substantially all of our assets and business. Should such a sale or transfer occur, we will use reasonable efforts to try to ensure that the entity to which your personal information is transferred uses it in a manner that is consistent with this notice.
Ford may also share your personal information with Ford Motor Company, other Ford Motor Company Group companies worldwide. When we share your personal information, we will make sure that is used for purposes which are compatible with those described in this notice. A list of the companies within Ford Motor Company Group is available at https://www.ford.co.uk/useful-information/privacy-policy.
Transferring your personal information internationally
Your personal information will be treated in accordance with UK law concerning data protection and may be transferred within the European Economic Area ("EEA"), as well as to countries outside the EEA (including to the USA). The countries to which we transfer your personal information may not be regarded by the European Commission as ensuring an adequate level of protection for personal information. We will ensure that where we transfer your personal information outside the EEA, we do so in accordance with applicable data protection laws. For example, where required we will put in place appropriate safeguards in accordance with our legal obligations to ensure that your personal information is adequately protected, irrespective of the country to which it is transferred. These safeguards may include obtaining contractual assurances from any third party given access to your personal information that your personal information will be protected by standards which are equivalent to those that protect your personal information when it is in the EEA. If you would like to know more about how Ford protects your personal information when it is transferred outside the EEA, or to obtain a copy of the safeguards we put in place to protect your personal information when it is transferred, please contact us using the details below.
The lawful grounds that will be relied upon when your personal information is used
There are different lawful grounds that we rely on to use your personal information and we will collect and use your personal information in the following situations:
where our use of your personal information is necessary to perform a contract or contracts that you are a party to, or to take steps that you request before entering into a contract. These contracts could include agreements in relation to the use of the Website, for example;
where our use of your personal information is within our legitimate interests or the legitimate interests of the organisation with which we have shared your personal information and we have made sure that your personal information, and your rights in relation to that information, are protected. For example, Ford may rely on this legal ground if we and/or the companies within the Ford Motor Company group use your personal information: to understand and improve our (or their) products, services and/or business or marketing strategies; for research purposes; to manage and improve our relationship with you and your employer and for administrative purposes; to assess the quality of the services we provide, and the services our suppliers provide to us or on our behalf; to personalise your experience the Website and our products and services; to ensure that the Website is delivered and used in accordance with the law and the terms and conditions that apply to it; where necessary to protect or defend our or another's rights or property, or to detect, prevent, or otherwise address crime, fraud, security, safety or privacy issues;
where we believe it is necessary to use your personal information to comply with a legal or regulatory obligation;
in limited circumstances where we believe it is necessary to protect someone's safety or vital interests;
in certain circumstances, we may need to use your personal information for purposes which are in the public interest; and
where we have your consent. Where we rely on consent to use your personal information, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. Please see the 'Your rights' section of this notice for more details.
Your rights
You have the right as an individual to find out what information Ford holds about you and for what purposes, as well as to access that information and make corrections if necessary. You also have the right in some circumstances to object to our use of your personal information, to ask us to restrict or erase your personal information or to request that your personal information is provided to you in a commonly used electronic format so that you can share it with other organisations (this is often referred to as the right to 'data portability').
Where you have consented to the use of your personal information (please see the section named 'The lawful grounds that will be relied upon when your personal information is used' for further information), you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.
If you have questions or concerns regarding Ford's use of your personal information, or would like to access the information that Ford holds about you or exercise any of the other rights you have in relation to your personal information, please contact:
Privacy Enquiry
PO Box 2318
Or email: firstname.lastname@example.com
We encourage you to contact us to update or correct your personal information if it changes or if the personal information we hold about you is inaccurate.
Ford has appointed a Data Protection Officer. You can contact the Data Protection Officer at email@example.com.
If you have a complaint about the way in which Ford uses your personal information we hope that in the first instance you will contact us. You may, however, also make a complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office, which is the authority that upholds information rights in the UK, or the data protection authority in the Member State in which you live or work.
Changes to this notice
We may modify or update this notice from time to time. If we change this notice, we will notify you of the changes. Where changes will have a fundamental impact on the nature of the processing or otherwise have a substantial impact on you, we will give you sufficient advance notice so that you have the opportunity to exercise your rights in relation to your personal information (for example, to object to the processing).
We are Ford Motor Company Limited. Registered in England: No.235446, Registered Office: Arterial Road, Laindon, Essex, SS15 6EE, England.
The Website requires you to submit personal information relating to customers, including the VIN of their vehicle. You must:
ensure that customers are provided with the fair collection notice (in the FordEtis Terms and Conditions of Registration and Use) supplied by Ford before their information is submitted;
only submit personal information relating to the customer which is necessary for the repair or service to be carried out;
only use personal information found in the Website, Materials or Applications for the purposes set out in, and in accordance with the FordEtis Terms and Conditions of Registration and Use;
only access personal information found in the Website, Materials or Applications which is necessary for the direct repair, maintenance, diagnosis or conversion of the customer's Ford vehicle; and
if you download or print Materials in accordance with clause 3.6 of the FordEtis Terms and Conditions of Registration and Use, where those Materials include personal information, ensure that such Materials are held securely and securely deleted or destroyed once they are no longer required for the purposes for which they were printed or downloaded, as appropriate.
The Website generates cookies that are sent and stored by your web browser. These cookies contain the following information about you and your use of the Website:
Your language code and country code. These are the values that you have explicitly set or we have been able to determine for you from your browser, or by the link that you used to access FordEtis
Your session id. This is a long alphanumeric character list that uniquely identifies any requests we get from your browser that are related to you. Each time you access FordEtis a new one of these will be generated
A Ford Web Single Login id: Some Ford internal and Authorized repairers use a propriety system to authenticate themselves before they can access FordEtis. This cookie contains encrypted identification. This will expire and requires to be re-issued on a frequent time basis
Every registered user has a unique personal profile. Each profile is assigned a unique personal identification number, which helps us ensure that only you can access your profile.
When you register, we create your profile, assign to you a personal identification number, we might send this personal identification number back to your hard drive in the form of a cookie. This code is uniquely yours. It is your passport to seamless travel across many of the Ford Web Sites. This might allow you to visit Sites without having to fill out multiple registration forms with information you've already provided. Even if you switch computers, you won't have to re-register - just use your Registration ID to identify yourself.
Your customer profile might also be used to customise what you see on the site to meet your personal preferences and settings.


text: The Sea to Summit is not your traditional multisport race. This is an amazing day which combines the core elements of triathlon with the challenges of an adventure race. With assistance from your support designate, or porter, you'll swim 1.5 miles, ride 92+ miles then run and climb your way up the tallest mountain in the Northeastern United States. Serious athletes only need apply.

subset: commoncrawl


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TORONTO — The Boston Bruins aren't overly optimistic Marty Turco will be around for the stretch drive.
One day after signing the veteran goaltender to a free-agent contract, general manager Peter Chiarelli pegged the odds of Turco clearing waivers and joining the Bruins at just "50-50."
"The fact a goalie like that is available after the trade deadline, we're fortunate to a certain degree," Chiarelli said Tuesday before the Bruins played the Maple Leafs. "But there are other teams that need some goaltending help also. I'd say it's 50-50 that he'll clear waivers."
Teams have until 12 p.m. EST Wednesday to put in a claim for Turco. On Monday night, he signed a one-year contract with Boston for a pro-rated salary of $600,000 and had to be placed on the waiver wire because he had only played in Europe this season.
It's a low-risk rental for the Bruins — or any team that claims him — because the 36-year-old will only be on the roster for a month. Turco is ineligible for the playoffs because he was signed after the Feb. 27 trade deadline.
Prior to signing with Boston, Turco had been playing for EC Red Bull Salzburg in Austria. He also suited up for Canada at the Spengler Cup in December.
"He's committed to continuing to play in the (NHL)," Chiarelli said. "So the motivation will be there. I spoke with the manager of Salzburg and he said he was in good condition and had some good games — he did quite well."
Turco, a 10-year NHL veteran, spent last season as a backup with Chicago. He went unsigned during the summer and eventually sought work in Europe.
The Bruins found themselves in need of a backup for starting goalie Tim Thomas after Tuukka Rask suffered a lower abdomen/groin strain during the weekend that will keep him out four to six weeks. The organization's third goalie, Anton Khudobin, is also on the sidelines with a wrist injury.
Ideally, Boston would like to give Turco at least four or five starts before the end of the season.
"He'll give us the experience and the type of backup goaltender that we need here going down the stretch," coach Claude Julien said.
The Bruins are wary of playing Thomas too much. Chiarelli and Julien believe the ideal number of regular-season appearances for the 37-year-old is 55, but he's on pace to surpass that after playing his 46th game against the Leafs on Tuesday. The Bruins have 17 games to go before the start of the playoffs.
"The history shows it's important to spell him," Chiarelli said. "In an ideal situation you want him rested for the playoffs and that's what we're trying to do."


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Novelty Adult Apron with "BOO!" Glow In The Dark embroidery
$29.00Ask a question
Novelty adult apron with "Boo! Glow In The Dark" embroidery design from Urban Threads. A No Pockets Apron is available in a variety of different colors, please specify when ordering. Size 34 inches long by 31 inches wide. Built from a heavy poly/cotton twill with reinforced stress points, featuring extra long long ties. Embroidery is performed by machine using the highest quality embroidery threads and backings.
Two Pockets Apron is designed for full coverage, this premium adjustable Bib Apron features a divided center pocket, sliding neck strap and extra long self ties that fit most anyone. Embroidery is performed by machine using the highest quality embroidery threads and backings.
Since our products are made to order, please allow 7 to 10 days prior to shipping. All purchases will be shipped USPS Priority Mail unless otherwise specified by customer.
Please note that coloring of embroidery may vary due to apron color and variations in color thread dye lots.
Customizing is available at additional cost. Please contact our sellers shop using Etsy conversations for specifics and pricing. Unfortunately all customized products are non-refundable.


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This is the China-made m888a mini iPhone that is one third of the size of Apple's iPhone. The m888a comes with a 2.4-inch touchscreen and a VGA camera. It supports Bluetooth and up to 2GB of microSD cards. Like some other iPhone clones, the m888a has two SIM card slots.
As a "mini sized iPhone", the m888a doesn't support multi touch, instead it comes with a stylus. But the phone does offer iPhone-like UI. m888a supports dual-band GSM. Other than Black and White, m888a is also available in Pink.
More photos after the cut:


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Tagged: Bullpen
C.J. Wilson's Potential Move To The Rangers' Rotation
By Tommy Rancel
Spring Training marks a period of experimentation. With a month of meaningless games to fill, it's the perfect time to try things that you would never think of once Opening Day arrives. Most experiments go nowhere and end in mid-March. Occasionally one will work, such as last season's move of Skip Schumaker from the outfield to second base for the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Texas Rangers are doing some experimentation of their own by giving set-up man and former closer C.J. Wilson a chance to compete for a rotation spot. In recent seasons we've seen Adam Wainwright, Ryan Dempster, and Braden Looper make successful moves from reliever to starter – albeit to differing degrees.
It was not too long ago when Wilson was the Rangers' closer. After solid numbers in 2007 (66 games, 3.02 ERA, 12 saves), Rangers Manager Ron Washington tapped the lefty as the team's bullpen stopper in 2008. However, things didn't go according to plan. In 2008, Wilson saved 24 games, but finished with a dismal 6.02 ERA in 50 games.
The biggest difference between the two seasons was a disparity in home runs. After allowing just four homers in 68.1 innings in 2007, Wilson gave up eight in just 46.1 innings in 2008.
The huge jump can be explained by a ridiculously high home run-to-fly ball rate (HR/FB). For his career, Wilson owns a HR/FB rate of 12.6%. But in 2008, his HR/FB skyrocketed to 16.8%, up from 2007 levels, when batters hit home runs on 8.2% of the flyballs hit off Wilson.
Wilson benefited from regression last year, when his HR/FB dropped to a career-low 6.3%, in the process lowered his home runs allowed per nine innings rate (HR/9) to 0.37 – also a career best. Filling the set-up role and backup closer role in support of the Rangers' top closer choice Frank Francisco, Wilson finished the season with 14 saves and set career marks in several categories, including: wins (5), games pitched (74), innings pitched (73.2), strikeouts per nine innings (K/9) (10.26), and ERA (2.81).
Despite the career year out of the bullpen, Wilson is still auditioning for a rotation spot in the Texas Rangers rotation. Why? Because in most cases 150 innings of average starting pitching is more valuable to a team than a 60 good middle relief innings.
As strong as Wilson's 2009 campaign was, his contributions added up to a decent but not overwhelming 2 wins above replacement level (WAR represents the number of wins a player adds to his team over your typical 25th man on a roster). According to fangraphs.com, Wilson was one of just one of 10 relievers to hit the 2 WAR threshold, showing the limited upside inherent in a role that severely limits innings pitched. On the other hand, 63 starting pitchers were worth 2 WAR or more.
According to B-Rank (Bloomberg's proprietary ranking of all players), Wilson's stellar relief numbers earn him an overall ranking of 336. In most leagues he is not even drafted. On the other hand, Joe Saunders ranks 271th despite posting a nearly league average 4.60 ERA and an ugly 5.17 FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching, a stat that runs along a similar scale to ERA, while stripping out factors a pitcher can't control such as defense and luck). He is also drafted in almost every league regardless for format. This is just another example of the value of league average starting pitching over above average relief
The move from bullpen to rotation is a tricky one. It's generally accepted that a pitcher can see increases in ERA, strikeouts and velocity moving from the rotation to the bullpen. New Yankee Chan Ho Park is a good example of his phenomenon. As a starter, Park owns a career 4.39 ERA. His ERA plunged to 2.58 last season, on the strength of a strikeout rate that reached its highest point for a full season since 2001. Park also saw an increase in velocity: He posted an average fastball velocity of 92.2 MPH last season, up from his career average of 90.3 MPH. Even if Wilson makes a successful transition, he will likely see the reverse effect that Park – and other failed starts like Eric Gagne and Jose Mesa – experienced in moving to the bullpen from the rotation. In 2009, only two qualified major league starters posted K/9's above 10.00: two-time National League Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum (10.42) and Justin Verlander (10.09).
In addition to the strikeouts, there are also the looming home run concerns. As mentioned, Wilson enjoyed career best marks of 6.3% HR/FB and 0.37 HR/9 in 2009. Beyond regression to the mean, neither are sustainable as a starting pitcher. In 2009, only five starters had HR/9 less than 0.50: Chris Carpenter (0.33), Clayton Kershaw (0.37), the aforementioned Lincecum (0.41), AL Cy Young Winner Zack Greinke (0.43) and Joel Pinero (0.46). Looking at HR/FB rates, five starters had rates below 6.0%, including four names from above: Carpenter (4.6%), Kershaw (4.1%), Lincecum (5.5%) and Greinke(4.5%), along with Carlos Zambrano (5.6%).
Outside of the statistical regressions, the biggest question is can Wilson handle the toll of pitching every fifth day over a 162-game season? After spending nearly five seasons in the bullpen, Wilson will be asked to throw at least 150 innings and upwards of 100 pitches per start. Last season, he threw 25 or
more pitches 14 times and never went over 38 pitches in one appearance. The good news is Wilson's numbers reflect that he does better when pitching on more days rest. With zero days rest in between appearances, Wilson's slash line against was .325/.385/.482 (opponents' AVG/OBP/SLG) last year. When working on three days rest that went down to .190/.261/.238; on four days it was .190/.190/.238 on four days. (Please note small sample sizes in all cases.)
In addition to the physical aspect of starting, Wilson will need to work on pitch selection. A relief pitcher can get by with one dominant pitch and a secondary pitch. A starting pitcher generally needs at least three pitches to deal with the opposing lineup three or four times a night. Wilson has an above average fastball and a decent slider, but is lacking a true third option. In 2009, he toyed with a cut fastball and a curveball, but neither was used more than 5.6% of the time. He will need to up the usage of both pitches, or concentrate on just one as his third pitch, to balance out his pitch selection.
When taking everything into account – statistical regressions, the physical impact and pitch selection – Wilson is facing an uphill battle. But it's a battle worth fighting. Despite being one of the games better relievers last season, Wilson was not a valuable fantasy player, because pitchers can only produce so much value (in fantasy or real life) as non-closing relief pitchers. However, if Wilson can parlay his solid historical strikeout rates into a league-average ERA as a starter, his value would jump considerably. I wouldn't put Wilson on any draft boards as a starter right now; but you should add him to your watch list.
To keep an eye on C.J. Wilson, and hundreds of other players, check out Bloomberg Sports' fantasy kits


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Amongst the #ToroHondaRenaultMcLarenRosso hype during the Singapore Grand Prix weekend, news of around Aston Martin increasing its involvement in Formula One with Red Bull Racing has started to solidify. Andy Palmer, Aston Martin CEO, when quizzed on the grid by Sky Sports F1's Martin Brundle confirmed the business is keeping a watching brief on 2021 engine regulations, which should they fall favourably towards independent manufacturers, could lead to increased involvement of the brand. Should this be the case Palmer confirmed Aston Martin may seek to preemptt the regulation change by enhancing their visibility with Red Bull Racing possibly from as early as 2018.
This news comes at a time in which the media are speculating Red Bull's long-term interest in Formula One may be dwindling, which has lead some observers to suggest a change of ownership of Red Bull Racing under the guise of Aston Martin. Whilst this is entirely possible, there are, in my opinion, a few to many creative leaps being taken for this outcome to be viable.
Firstly, lets address Red Bull or more specifically Dietrich Mateschitz's diminished interest in Formula One. Red Bull entered F1 to sell a product, this objective is the same today as it was 30 years ago. In 2016 the Red Bull achieved more than $1,000M in media coverage from through Formula One. This far exceeds any investment the brand makes into the sport. With budget caps on the horizon, the business rationale for a marketing focused business to be involved with F1 will only increase. Should a $150M budget cap be achieved, Red Bull Racing can be assured of achieving this investment through existing sponsors, and prize funds. Red Bull stand to benefit from $1000M in free advertising.
2017 saw Aston Martin return to profit for the first time in over a decade. The business has stated ambitions around going public in the coming 5 years and are focused on expanding their automotive range to increase revenues. At this time, and in the mid term they are not a business capable of sustaining any form of Formula One engine development plan. Aston Martin Racing is a completely separate business to the Aston Martin which sponsors Red Bull Racing.
Returning to Dietrich Mateschitz. A serial entrepreneurr and self made billionaire. In recent years, he has seen the likes of McLaren diversify into the production of cars, and Williams create successful businesses in the application of their technology within a commercial environment. He is aware that the technical capability of the Red Bull Racing group is under utilised, something which will only increase under a F1 budget cap. Projects such as Newey's America's Cup Project and the Aston Martin Valkyrie Hypercar project show an evaluation of ways in which the team can direct resources to other projects. Could this lead to an alternative direction for Red Bull Racing?
Rather than Aston Martin becoming title sponsor of Red Bull Racing, with a view to producing a power unit under the 2021 regulations. Could Red Bull be considering buying Aston Martin, supporting them in the acceleration of their automotive expansion plans, facilitating F1 power unit development, through their partnership with AVL, and using the proven brand power of Formula One allow Dietrich Mateschitz to evolve Aston Martin into a genuine competitor to the entire Ferrari Group.
Dietrich Mateschitz acquiring Aston Martin and reshaping his position in Formula One towards a Red Bull owned Aston Martin F1 Team, from a business perspective appears entirely more feasible than a company reporting $16M profit, having committed $550M to new road cars, suddenly investing $20M per annum in title sponsorship then paying to develop an F1 engine.
All that being said, Red Bull, through offering half stories and snippets of information continue to dominate F1 news despite being unable to challenge for a world championship. The business continues to offer a master class in media manipulation. As in 2014, when F1 news was dominated by stories of Red Bull looking set to quit Formula One, Red Bull have an ability to create their own news to ensure they dominate the F1 headlines between the races.
Finally, despite quotes to the contrary, Red Bull Racing are very well aware that the best chance they have of securing a return to a championship challenging position is with a fully funded manufacturer. Talk of Aston Martin, in my opinion, is nothing more than a negotiating tactic around the terms under which the Volkswagen Group will enter Formula One.
Credit to Sean Bull for the fantastic livery creation supporting this article.


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I injured my wrist while pulling a bag from a conveyor belt in airport security in Portland—before we'd even boarded our first flight of the day. For the rest of the day it hurt and swelled up quite a bit, but thanks to an ice pack in one of our bags of snacks, I was able to ice it some during the trip. By the time we went to bed that night, my elbow had swelled up even more than my wrist, and Jaymz encouraged me to go get it checked out.
After a visit to urgent care the next morning, I learned that I'd messed up some tendons in my right (dominant) wrist and elbow. The braces have definitely been helping to support (and rest) everything while I heal, so I should be all better in a few more days at this point. I've been learning to use my left hand in lots of new ways, and I'm definitely gaining some valuable insights about being a lefty in a world set up for right-handed people!
This is certainly not how I expected to spend this trip... but all said, it could've been much worse!
Do you have an away-from-home injury anecdote to share? I would enjoy reading your stories in the comments!


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Because we live and work in a dynamic market situation, managers must accept as the normal state of affairs that all products have a limited life. This fact is commonly expressed in the form of the product life-cycle curve. Products during their existence go through the phases indicated on the curve, as follows:
1. Starting before, sometimes long before, a product reaches the marketplace, there is a development phase. Market research must be undertaken, the product designed, prototypes built, plants laid down. While costs can be very high, income will initially be nil and will probably grow only slowly. Profits are a long way off yet. Many products are slow to 'catch on' and this part of the curve typically does not rise steeply.
2. During the growth phase the product reaches general acceptance, and sales increase steeply. Profits mount as development costs are recovered and unit costs decrease with greater volume of production.
3. As the product reaches maturity, initial demand is beginning to be satisfied, competitors may have arrived on the scene, and there will be greater reliance on replacement sales. Sales increase more slowly, and profits come under pressure and may start to decline.
4. When the market is fully saturated, sales will 'peak off' and profits decline still further.
5. Finally, sales will go into definite decline and margins come under very severe pressure as it becomes increasingly costly to maintain sales at a reasonable level.
The curve for any particular product may be steeper or flatter, the time-scale may be longer or shorter. Some products seem to go on for a very long time. For this reason the pattern must be applied with care. In addition, we must be careful what we mean by a product in this context: for example, the market for glass has risen steadily over the past 50 years, but within this period the sale of lamp glasses has declined and that of milk bottles has risen steeply (to decline again in some countries in face of competition from waxed cartons or plastic and the change from doorstep delivery to bulk purchase from the supermarket).
Nonetheless the typical pattern stands as a warning that it is dangerous to rely too heavily for too long on one product, so that, as profit from one declines, profit from its successor rises to fill the gap. Ideally this will give a steadily rising profit for the company as a whole, even though some products have entered the 'decline' phase of the product life-cycle.
It must be emphasized that the product life-cycle diagram is not a rigid description of exactly how all products always behave. Rather it is an idealized indication of the pattern most products can be expected to follow.
There is nothing fixed about the length of the cycle or the lengths of its various stages. It has been suggested that the length of the cycle is governed by the rate of technical change, the rate of market acceptance and the ease of competitive entry. So, each year numerous new fashion styles are introduced, many of them to last only a few months. At the other extreme, a new aircraft must have many years of life if it is to be commercially worthwhile.
The main importance of the life-cycle concept is to remind us constantly of the three following facts:
1. Products have a limited life;
2. Profit levels are not constant but change throughout a product's life in a way that is to some extent predictable;
3. Products require a different marketing programme at each stage of their life-cycle.
Implications of the Product Life-cycle
If we have to accept that no product will go on earning profits indefinitely, then we must plan so as to have a whole succession of new products coming 'through the pipeline'. Peter Drucker has drawn attention to the need to keep all products under review to ensure that not too high a proportion are at the end of their life-cycle. He describes the following six categories:
1. Tomorrow's breadwinners – new products or today's breadwinners modified and improved;
2. Today's breadwinners – the innovations of yesterday;
3. Products capable of becoming net contributors if something drastic is done;
4. Yesterday's breadwinners – generally products with high volume, but badly fragmented into 'specials', small orders and the like;
5. The 'also raps' – generally the high hopes of yesterday that, while they did not work out well, nevertheless did not become outright failures;
6. The failures.
Product Elimination
From the product life-cycle concept and Drucker's analysis of product categories, it follows that all products must be kept under review to assess their present and likely future contribution to profits. A common mistake of marketing management is to keep in the range products that have little or no prospect of contributing to profits. Products are kept in the range until they fade away, meanwhile consuming valuable resources, which could be more profitably utilised elsewhere. These marginal products lower the company's profitability, and it is essential to control them.
Source: http://en.articlesgratuits.com/the-product-life-cycle-concept-id1560.php


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By JENNIFER PELTZ and DAVID B. CARUSO
Associated Press
New York City cracked down on the sale of supersized sodas and other sugary drinks Thursday in what was celebrated by some as a groundbreaking attempt to curb obesity but condemned by others as a blatant intrusion into people's lives by a busybody mayor.
Public health experts around the nation _ and the restaurant and soft-drink industry _ will be watching closely to see how it goes over among New Yorkers, a famously disputatious bunch. Barring any court action, the measure will take effect in March.
The regulations, approved easily by the city Board of Health, apply to any establishment with a food-service license, including fast-food places, delis, movie and Broadway theaters, the concession stands at Yankee Stadium and the pizzerias of Little Italy. They will be barred from serving sugary beverages in cups or bottles larger than 16 ounces.
No other U.S. city has gone so far as to restrict portion sizes at restaurants to fight weight gain.
The mayor rejected suggestions that the rule constitutes an assault on personal liberty. "Nobody is banning anything," he said, noting that restaurant customers can still buy as much soda as they want, as long as they are willing to carry it in multiple containers.
He said the inconvenience is well worth the potential public health benefit, and likened the city's actions to measures taken decades ago to phase out lead in household paint.
Others, though, likened the ban to Prohibition. A New York Times poll last month showed that six in 10 New Yorkers opposed the restrictions.
The restrictions do not apply to supermarkets or most convenience stores, because such establishments are not subject to Board of Health regulation. And there are exceptions for beverages made mostly of milk or unsweetened fruit juice.
(Because convenience stores are exempt, the rules don't even apply to 7-Eleven's Big Gulp, even though the belly-busting serving of soda has become Exhibit A in the debate over Americans' eating habits.)
Some health experts said it isn't clear whether the ban will have any effect on obesity. But they said it might help usher in a change in attitude toward overeating, in the same way that many Americans have come to regard smoking as inconsiderate.
The regulations follow other ambitious health moves on Bloomberg's watch, many of which were attacked as a push toward a "nanny state."
Yet some have proved to be national trendsetters, such as making chain restaurants post calories on their menus. The city has also barred artificial trans fats in french fries and other restaurant food, cracked down on smoking and promoted breast-feeding over formula.
The Board of Health approved the big-soda ban 8-0, with one member, Dr. Sixto R. Caro, abstaining. Caro, a doctor of internal medicine, said the plan wasn't comprehensive enough.
Others spoke forcefully of the need for action to deal with an obesity crisis.
The restaurant and beverage industries complained that the city is exaggerating the role sugary beverages have played in making Americans fat.
He said the group is considering suing to block the rule.
Enforcement will be carried out by New York City's restaurant inspectors. Violations will carry a $200 fine.
Complying might prove complicated for some establishments.
Starbucks is trying to figure out whether the regulations bar it from selling its calorie-packed Frappuccinos in the 24-ounce size.
Another issue could be iced coffee, which many cafes sweeten with liquefied sugar. Customers might have to add the sweetener themselves.
Fast-food restaurants with self-serve soda fountains will be prohibited from giving out cups larger than 16 ounces, but people will still be allowed refills.
Manhattan pizza shop owner Vinnie Siena said halting sales of large sodas will hurt his already thin profit margin, unless he raises prices.
Associated Press Writer Alex Katz contributed to this report.


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2017 Average Costs For Home Theater Installation
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A Home theater system is a comprehensive audiovisual system that can offer you the luxury of experiencing real cinematic effects while watching a film at the comforts of your own home. Home theater installation in Brattleboro is a good choice for people who want to enjoy great movies without going through the hassle of getting into the movie house. Furthur specializes in home theater installation in Brattleboro. Their services include planning and systematic placing of your home theater components to ensure that you only get optimum performance from them.
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Home theater installation in Brattleboro is very useful for enjoying great films with your family or friends. A boring Friday night can turn into a movie night that you can enjoy with everyone. Nothing to do on over the weekend? Get your favorite popcorn and binge watch your favorite series in your home theater. The home theater is indeed a great source of entertainment, however, home theater installation in Brattleboro is not an easy task. It involves a lot of wiring and proper positioning of your television and surround sound system. Furthur will get the job done for you at a reasonable price. All you have to do is sit back, relax and, wait until it is done.
Turn your living room into a small cinema. Contact Furthur and start your home theater project now.
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FAQ for Home Theater Installation in Brattleboro
Why do I need a professional home theater installation in Brattleboro?
After making the purchase, a lot of people are usually content with using the manual that comes with the home theater system to connect all they need at home. That might work for some people, but in most cases, it barely works as planned. You might make a mistake in one of the connections and you will never be able to get the real quality of sound that comes from your systems, and with this in mind, you will never truly be able to achieve the true potential of the system you've purchased. That is why you need to look for a professional home theater installation in Brattleboro.
Can I afford Brattleboro home theater installation services?
Unknown to many people, Brattleboro home theater installation services are actually very affordable. There are many companies that are currently offering these services, and given that they are experts at what they do, it would be well within your budget to consider working with them. It is also wise for you to discuss the issue of the cost with the contractors working for you, so that in the long run, you will be in a good position to understand what you are paying for and why.
What should I look for when I need a professional home theater installation in Brattleboro?
The first thing that you need to do is make sure that you are working with an expert. There are some signs that you will use to know whether you are on the right track. Always ensure that you contract a company that has been in the industry for some years. Their experience will definitely work well in your favor, especially when you are trying to get the best home theater installation in Brattleboro.
Broco ConstructionOld Chesterfield Rd Chesterfield, NH 03443
Guilford Excavating Inc3890 Guilford Center Rd Brattleboro, VT 05301
Small Dog Handyman LLCBrattleboro, VT 05301
Hodgkins & Sons Inc169 Beakins Hl Putney, Vt 053469159 Usa Putney, VT 05346
M T 3 Unlimited414 Tkaczyk Farm Rd Brattleboro, VT 05301
Cook Rb Construction40 Maple Rdg Putney, VT 05346


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Comparison-Shopping for New WindowsUpdated: Jun. 30, 2017
Follow these six steps to make your new windows pay off in comfort, durability and ease of maintenance
You might also like: TBD
Step 1: Test all mechanical parts to be sure the windows open and close smoothly
Photo 1: Check operating mechanisms
Open and close casement windows to test the smoothness of the operating system. Test the latch system for even, tight closure at the top and bottom.
Windows are one of the most expensive features of your home, and you'll be disappointed if they're drafty, don't open and shut easily, or break down after a few years. Visit several window dealers and home centers so you can test firsthand and compare as many types and brands of windows as possible.
The cranks on casement windows should turn easily without binding or catching (Photo 1), and the locking latch should pull the window tightly and evenly against the weatherstripping from top to bottom. Double-hung windows should slide snugly in their tracks, yet not bind so that it's a strain to lift and lower them. Sliding windows should glide on their tracks without too much resistance.
Chances are you'll see and feel a significant difference between lower- and higher-priced windows. More-expensive windows generally have heavier-duty, more-durable hardware and better design, making them operate more smoothly. They're usually a better investment.
For easy cleaning, make sure you can reach all glass surfaces. Test the tilt-out sash systems on double-hung windows (Photo 2). Remove both the upper and the lower sashes. If you can't get them out fairly easily, you'll have to climb a ladder to reach them—and you probably won't clean them often.
Crank casement windows all the way to be sure you can reach out and clean the exterior glass from the inside. Some systems have a release that allows you to rotate the glass for easier cleaning.
Step 2: Read the energy performance labels and compare the different glass options
Photo 1: Compare energy labels
For the best energy savings and comfort, compare energy labels on windows. A low U-factor is better in all climates.
Windows account for about 22 percent of the heating and cooling losses in the average home. At a minimum, buy windows with the Energy Star label as shown to be assured of decent energy savings. And consider windows with even higher performance; they won't save you a whole lot more on utility bills (yet!) but can make your home a whole lot more comfortable. They'll reduce cool drafts and condensation (see Step 4) in cold weather and keep rooms from overheating in hot weather.
To compare windows, read the NFRC (National Fenestration Rating Council) energy-ratings label that's pasted on most units (Photo 1). Look for a low "U-factor" first. (Unlike R-value, the lower the U-factor, the better.) This is the rate of heat transfer through the window—glass and sash combined. Higher-performance windows have a lower heat transfer rate, making them more energy efficient, less drafty and less prone to condensation. Double-pane windows with clear glass generally have a U-factor of about .40. Adding a low-e coating and argon gas to the space between the panes lowers the U-factor to about .35 (about a 15 percent improvement). And triple glazing (three panes, Photo 2) lowers the U-factor to about .27. Windows with a low U-factor are ideal for all regions. Note: For a true comparison, you must check the labels for windows that are about the same size.
To control overheating from direct sunlight, look for a lower Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC). The number roughly represents the percentage of the sun's heat that comes through the glass. Low-e coatings on the glass can block most of that heat. These coatings are ideal in warm regions where the windows receive direct sunlight. They're valuable in colder regions as well to block the late afternoon summer sun on west-facing windows. Tints also block the heat of the sun, but they will obscure your view. Compare another number, the Visible Transmittance, to make sure your rooms remain light and bright and you retain a good view. A .50 value is good; a higher value is better.
Chances are that the windows you'll see in a showroom will have similar ratings, indicating an adequate glass option for your region, but usually not the best. You'll have to ask about other options. They'll cost a bit more, but they're usually worth it. One good Internet source to compare energy ratings of various windows (and brands) for your region is www.efficientwindows.org.
Step 3: Look for a long glass seal warranty
Photo 1: Moisture fogging
Fogging between panes of this old insulating glass unit indicates that the edge seal has broken. There is no fix except glass replacement.
Double-pane insulating glass is great for comfort, convenience and energy efficiency, but it has one weakness. If the seal between the two panes deteriorates, moisture will creep in and the glass inside will fog up (Photo 1). There is no fix for this. You have to replace the glass, typically costing $50 and up, plus labor. Manufacturers know approximately how long their seals will last (the failure rate) and plan their warranties accordingly. Don't buy a window with less than a 10-year glass seal warranty. Better warranties will go up to 20 years.
Unfortunately, glass replacement is rarely easy. Check the warranty (save your receipts!) to see if it covers just the new glass, an entire new sash—glass plus the wood, vinyl or metal frame surrounding it—and/or the replacement labor. Better warranties transfer to new owners, so if you recently bought a home with fogged windows, you might be in luck. Check with the manufacturer.
Tip: The window brand and date of glass manufacture is usually etched into a corner of the glass or the edge spacer (Photo 2). If you have trouble finding it, call a window repair expert (search "Window Repair" online or in your yellow pages).
Step 4: Bugged by condensation? Look for windows with "warm" edge spacers
Persistent interior condensation in cold weather makes the air inside your house drier and causes sash deterioration. It's an irritating problem, because you often have to further lower your indoor humidity to an uncomfortable level to protect your window sash. Windows with a low U-factor (rate of heat transmission) pay off here, because they cause less condensation. However, even high-performance windows may have a cold spot around the perimeter of the glass because of the metal edge spacer, the rigid tube that separates the two glass panes. That's where you'll see condensation first occur. Some manufacturers address this detail by installing "warm" edge spacers, that is, spacers that transfer less heat. Finding this information can be difficult. The NFRC label might include a condensation rating, but it's an optional category that few manufacturers use. Ask the sales staff or call the manufacturer to find out if it uses warm edge spacers.
Step 5: Check the exterior fit on replacement windows
Your new windows may fit nicely into the old rough opening and look great from the inside, but they may not look good from the outside. Usually you want the exterior dimensions of the new window frame to fairly closely match the old so that the exterior trim remains the same (photo). If the trim sizes change and look unbalanced, the windows will look odd. You'll have to spend several extra hours per window cutting siding and making new trim, or pay a carpenter an extra $100 to $200 per window to make the corrections. The difficulty and cost go way up if your exterior is stucco or brick.
Since new windows have to be ordered, you won't have the opportunity to measure the new unit itself. However, the window catalog usually lists "unit" dimensions, which should be the actual outside dimensions. The catalog may include cross-sectional details of the top, bottom and sides of the unit so you can see how it fits into the opening. Sometimes one model or brand will fit better than another. Some manufacturers will make windows any size you want, which may be a simpler and less costly solution if you have a masonry or stucco exterior.
Step 6: Make sure you can find replacement parts
Depending on how much you move them, such parts as crank arms, counterweight springs and weatherstripping will eventually wear out. Replacing these parts is usually fairly easy, but finding the replacement parts, especially 20 years from now, may not be so easy. Many key parts are not standardized; they're unique to the brand and model of window. So ask if the manufacturer makes spare parts readily available. This is one advantage of buying from manufacturers who have been in business a long time. They'll probably be available to supply spare parts years later. If you're lucky, you can find parts through aftermarket sources. One source is Blaine Window (www.blainewindow.com).


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First of all, think of it not from your viewpoint but from the viewpoint of the punters and the reviewers.
In my opinion, you should have a title which starts in the first half of the alphabet.
ZEBRA JOKES FOR FOLKS may seem like a good title, but punters looking through the Fringe Programme start at the front and work through looking for attractive shows. So they go A-B-C-D-E etc etc.
By the time they get to M or N, after literally hundreds of shows, they are starting to skim the listings, their eyes are glazing over and the time slots they want to fill-up already have multiple shows vying for their attention. By the time they get to Z, they probably wish they had never had the idea of going to the Edinburgh Fringe in the first place..
For this reason, the late Malcolm Hardee used to start his titles with Aaaaargh!… increasing the length of the Aaaaaaaarghs year-by-year to out-manoeuvre copycats.
He was almost always first in the Fringe Programme's comedy section listings.
Don't go for Aaaaaaargghh! The market for it is already full. But I suggest you have a first word which starts with a letter between A and M.
Using the title A ZEBRA SHOW probably will not work because A and THE tend to be ignored by the Programme's alphabetical listers.
Also, in my opinion, you should have your name in the title because, ultimately, the reason you are performing at the Edinburgh Fringe is to sell yourself and awareness of yourself to punters and to the media – NOT primarily the show.
Jonathan Ross first became famous on the Channel 4 show THE LAST RESORT WITH JONATHAN ROSS.
No-one knew who the fuck Jonathan Ross was when it started (not the punters; not TV industry people) but, because the show was good, they inevitably got to know his name. Every time the show was mentioned or printed, his name was publicised because it was in the title.
Another important thing is DO NOT BE TOO CLEVER with a title. Achieving impact is more important than being seen to be clever-clever. The more clever a title is, very often the more confusing, obscure and – when glimpsed for 1½ seconds on a flyer or in the very cluttered listings page in the Programme – possibly the more incomprehensible it is – especially to people from the US, Oz, Europe etc. The dividing line between being intriguing and confusing & annoying is narrow.
You only have 1 to 1½ seconds at very most for the title to register in people's brains as they skim through listings, see your flyer among many or see your poster among many 15 feet away across a street.
KISS – Keep It Simple, Sucker.
The other thing to remember is that, in lists of "Today's Shows" – either in The Scotsman newspaper or on a board at the venue or elsewhere – the punters only see the title in isolation – they may well NOT have read your 40 carefully-crafted words in the Fringe Programme. So your sole sales pitch to the punters who have never heard of you and who have no idea what your show is about is the title.
My inclination would be to figure out what TYPE of comedy show it is going to be.
Then figure out three words which make that obvious.
Then make them jolly and attractive (no easy feat).
And mix your name in there somehow.
I know that, when the Fringe Programme deadline comes, you will almost certainly have very little idea what is actually going to be in your show. But is it satire? Quick fire gags? Stories? Autobiographical? Physical comedy? Gay? Variety? Sketch? Surreal? Rude? Clean? Cutting-edge? Clowny? Family?
As a punter, if I see a general show title from a performer I have not seen, I have no idea what the show is like. It could be any of the above categories. If it is in a simple Daily Listing in a paper, in a magazine or on a board, there is not even a flyer or poster image. Just the title.
So the title on its own has to tell the punters – or at least hint – what TYPE of comedy show it will be.
Someone like Jimmy Carr does not need to do this. Because people know what to expect. They know who Jimmy Carr is and they know he is not a comedy magician or a juggler or a drag act.
Someone like Janey Godley can get away with titles using puns on her name because she has a big existing audience in Edinburgh. So For Godley's Sake! will work for her. The word GODLEY will get in her dependable audience.
But, the punters probably have no idea who you are – it is your first Fringe show. Remember that, defying expectations, a large percentage of your audience is likely to be local NOT from London. All the Fringe Office research I have ever seen seems to confirm this.
Another bonus to a clearly-defined title is that the title – as well as helping the punters know roughly what your show is about – will actually concentrate your own mind on exactly what the show is about and will stop you whizzing off in all sorts of irrelevant directions. Everything in the show should relate directly to the title.
And don't use meaningless words – every word has to actually mean something. This is more important in the text rather than the title, but…
"Hilarious" and "rib-tickling" mean bugger-all.
Your show is in the Comedy section fer feck's sake. Every show can say it is "hilarious". What is your show's Unique Selling Proposition? Why is it better and more interesting that the other zillions of comedy shows yelling for attention?
Meaningless words like "wacky" and "zany" are actually suicidal. If any experienced reviewer sees those words in the description, it screams "18-year-old University student wankers who think they are funny and want to be famous and fêted". It is like people putting up signs saying: "You don't have to be mad to work here, but it helps".
These "wacky" and "zany" shows are almost guaranteed to be laughter disasters. I would personally avoid like the plague seeing any show describing itself as "wacky" or "zany" and I would be more likely to go see a comedy show calling itself "Satanic" than one claiming it is "hilarious".
In my opinion.
But that don't mean a thing.
The other vitally important factor to bear in mind is the oft-repeated refrain from William Goldman's book Adventures in The Screen Trade – "Nobody KNOWS anything".
However experienced or knowledgable anyone is, they don't KNOW what will work.
You have to ultimately go on your gut instinct, have self-confidence and ignore any advice you think is wrong.
Don't forget you can probably change the name of your show either until you submit it or until the final deadline for the Fringe Programme (both have been the case in past years) or until some arbitrary date that the Fringe Office may conjure up.
Because, just as this may be your first year at the Fringe, so it is for a lot of the people working for the Fringe Office, many of whom change from year to year.
There was one inglorious year – 2012 – when a completely barking mad person was in charge of the printed Programme. I blogged about it at the time – here and here and elsewhere.
2012 was the year poor Richard Herring had his show asterisked TALKING C*CK despite the fact that the origin of the word 'cock' in that phrase is not sexual (it comes from 'cock & bull story') and despite the fact that his original show TALKING COCK had been printed in the Fringe Programme with impunity ten years before, in 2002.
In 2009, I staged a show which the Fringe Programme had happily printed as AAAAAAAAAARRGHHH! IT'S BOLLOCK RELIEF! – THE MALCOLM HARDEE AWARD SHOW. They would never have allowed that in 2012 and that had nothing to do with changing public taste but with individual stupidity in the Fringe Office.
Never assume anyone anywhere in Edinburgh in August is sensible.
2012 was the year the title STUART GOLDSMITH: PRICK was UNacceptable by the Fringe Office but the title STUART GOLDSMITH: PR!CK was totally acceptable (with an exclamation mark replacing the I)… and Australian comedian Jon Bennett intended to perform his first Edinburgh Fringe show: PRETENDING THINGS ARE A COCK.
The show's title had been printed in full without any problem in the brochures for the Adelaide Fringe, the Edmonton International Fringe, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, the Montreal Fringe and the Vancouver International Fringe. But the Edinburgh Fringe Office that year insisted the word COCK had to be changed to C*CK.
To make matters even more ludicrous, the word had to be printed C*CK in the Programme listings, but the image for the show (also printed in the Programme) had the word COCK rising erect from a man's groin.
The same Programme happily printed the show title MOLLY WOBBLY'S TIT FACTORY, a show by KUNT AND THE GANG and Reginald D Hunter's show WORK IN PROGRESS…AND NIGGA while banning another comedian's show title because it included three dollar signs in a row – $$$ – which, it was claimed, did not fit 'the Fringe's house style'.
Always assume that everyone in Edinburgh in August is on some hallucinogenic drug or has a severe personality disorder. This assumption has served me well.
Never assume anything at the Fringe is easy or anyone is sane.
Most importantly, do remember that the title of your show is all about self-promotion, not necessarily about the show itself.
One template which I do recommend for any Edinburgh Fringe show title is:
Trust me.


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Win a Two-Month Supply of Tribe Hummus!
We're teaming up with fellow food bloggers and healthy eating advocates to host a Healthy Every Week Challenge, a month-long initiative to develop healthy eating habits. The plan is to develop a manageable healthy habit each week that will carry through the new year. Join us here and share what you're eating on Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #gethealthy.
Adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet doesn't mean you have to crunch on raw carrots like a rabbit. Keep things interesting by adding hummus to the mix. Whether you like the creamy classic flavor or you prefer your hummus with touch of added spice, you can dip, dunk and spread your way to a healthier you.
Keep a container of hummus and raw vegetables at work for a mid-day snack. Add a scoop of Tribe's Mediterranean Style Hummus to a green salad. Spread some Sweet Roasted Red Pepper Hummus on veggie sandwich -- it's a healthier alternative to mayo.
You can buy your own Tribe Hummus or enter in the comments for a chance to win a two-month supply. Just let us know, in the comments, your favorite vegetables to dip in hummus. The contest starts at 10:00 a.m. EST today, and ends on Friday, January 27 at 5 p.m. EST.
We're giving away a two-month supply of hummus to two lucky, randomly selected commenters. You must include your email address in the "Email" field when submitting your comment so we can communicate with you if you're a winner.
You may only comment once to be considered and you don't have to purchase anything to win; a purchase will not increase your chances of winning. Odds depend on total number of entries. Void where prohibited. Only open to legal residents of 50 U.S. states, D.C. or Puerto Rico, and you must be at least 18 to win. For the first day of the giveaway, all entries (answers) must be entered between 10:00 a.m. EST on January 25 and 5 p.m. EST on January 27, 2012. Subject to full official rules. By leaving a comment on the blog, you acknowledge your acceptance to the Official Rules. ARV of each prize: approximately $24 per prize. Sponsor: Scripps Networks, LLC, d/b/a Food Network, 9721 Sherrill Blvd, Knoxville, TN 37932.


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American Association of Critical-Care Nurses Selects Kent State Alumna as 2013 Distinguished Research Lecturer
The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) recently selected Kent State University alumna Nancy M. Albert, RN, Ph.D., CCNS, CCRN, NE-BC, FAHA, FCCM, as its 2013 Distinguished Research Lecturer.
Albert is the senior director of nursing research and innovation for the Cleveland Clinic enterprise (nine hospitals in Northeast Ohio and 16 regional medical practices). In addition, she is a practicing clinical nurse specialist for patients with advanced heart failure in the Heart and Vascular Institute of Cleveland Clinic main campus in Cleveland, Ohio.
In addition to her research and clinical responsibilities, Albert is an adjunct associate professor at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, and an adjunct faculty member in the College of Nursing at Kent State.
The Distinguished Research Lectureship recognizes nurses who make significant contributions to high-acuity and critical care research. Funded by a grant from Philips Healthcare, the lectureship is one of the association's most prestigious honors. The awardee is nationally recognized as a nurse researcher, known for publications, presentations, mentorship and consultation in research relevant to acute and critical care nursing.
Albert says the lectureship is a wonderful honor. "I am thrilled to have been selected and to be able to present my research at the AACN's 2013 National Teaching Institute and Critical Care Exposition," she says.
Albert says her favorite part about her jobs is gaining new knowledge about clinical and administrative practices, based on research evidence, whether from her own research, from nurses she is coaching in research or from the literature.
"My research focuses on patients with heart failure and nurses who deliver heart failure care," she says. "Specific themes of interest are self-care – diet, fluid restriction, exercise, etc.– delivery and adherence and relationships of self-care with re-hospitalization, quality of life and emergency care."
After receiving her nursing diploma from Huron Road Hospital School of Nursing, East Cleveland, Albert earned her B.S.N. from Cleveland State University and M.S.N. and Ph.D. from Kent State University.
Albert says her Ph.D. coursework from Kent State set her research foundation she uses daily as a nurse scientist.
"Additionally, I met wonderful, talented people while in school that I still network with today," she says. "Through the M.S.N. program, I think the greatest experiences were associated with learning the value of collaboration, consultation, teamwork and innovation."


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This page lists recommendations from our Barbara K. Lipman Children's History Library collection (fiction and nonfiction picture books for children under 8) and from our Reading into History family book club (fiction and nonfiction chapter books for children 9 - 12).
For the picture books, click here.
For the middle reader books, click here.
Recommended Reading Available in the Barbara K. Lipman Children's History Library
Families will find these books and more in the Barbara K. Lipman Children's History Library, next to the DiMenna Children's History Museum. Find familiar friends and meet new characters from America and New York's past!
Art and Architecture Picture Books
- Art 123: Count from 1 to 12 with Great Works of Art by Stefano Zuffi
- A Book of Artrageous Projects ed. by Klutz and the Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Building Stories by Isabel T. Hill
- Come Look with Me: American Indian Art by Stephanie Saloman
- Come Look with Me: Art in Early America ed. by Bank Street College of Education
- Library Mouse: A Museum Adventure by Daniel Kirk
- Meet Me at the Art Museum by David Goldin
- Urban Animals by Isabel T. Hill
- 13 Buildings Children Should Know by Annette Roeder
- 13 Photos Children Should Know by Brad Finger
Baseball Picture Books
- Campy: The Story of Roy Campanella by David A. Adler
- Play Ball, Jackie by Stephen Krensky
- Players in Pigtails by Shana Corey
- Stealing Home: Jackie Robinson Against the Odds by Robert Burleigh
- Teammates by Peter Golenbock
Children's Reference Books about the United States
- America: The Making of a Nation by Charlie Samuels
- If America Were a Village: A Book about the People of the United States by David J. Smith
- O, Say Can You See? America's Symbols, Landmarks, and Important Words by Sheila Keenan
- Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out ed. by National Children's Book and Literary Alliance
- Presidential Pets: The Weird, Wacky, Little, Big, Scary, Strange Animals That Have Lived in the White House by Julie Moberg
- The Slightly Odd United States of America: Wacky Facts, Great Country ed. by Klutz Press
- State Shapes: New York by Erik Bruun and Rick Peterson
- United Tweets of America: 50 State Birds by Hudson Talbott
- We the People: The Story of Our Constitution by Lynne Cheney
- White House Kids: The Perks, Pleasures, Problems, and Pratfalls of the Presidents' Children by Joe Rhatigan
Children's Reference Books about United States History
- The Amazing Impossible Erie Canal by Cheryl Harness
- The Boys' War: Confederate and Union Soldiers Talk about the Civil War by Jim Murphy
- Colonial Voices: Hear Them Speak by Kay Winters
- Flesh and Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and its Legacy by Albert Marrin
- How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous by Georgia Bragg
- Kids Make History: A New Look at America's Story by Susan Buckley and Elspeth Leacock
- Lost States: True Stories of Texlahoma, Transylvania, and Other States that Never Made It by Michael Trinklein
- The New Americans: Colonial Times 1620-1689 by Betsy Maestro
- Orphan Train Rider: One Boy's True Story by Andrea Warren
- Rightfully Ours: How Women Won the Vote by Kerrie Logan Hollihan
- River of Dreams: The Story of the Hudson River by Hudson Talbott
- Titanic Sinks! by Barry Denenberg
- We Rode the Orphan Trains by Andrea Warren
Children's Reference Books about African American History
- 5,000 Miles to Freedom: Ellen and William Craft's Flight from Slavery by Judith Bloom Fradin and Dennis Brindell Fradin
- Discovering Black America: From the Age of Exploration to the Twenty-First Century by Linda Tarrant-Reid
- Emancipation Proclamation: Lincoln and the Dawn of Liberty by Tonya Bolden
- Five Thousand Years of Slavery by Marjorie Gann and Janet Willen
- Fort Mose: And the Story of the Man Who Built the First Free Black Settlement in Colonial America by Glennette Turner
- Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson
- Lincoln: How Abraham Lincoln Ended Slavery in America by Harold Holzer
- Many Thousand Gone: African Americans from Slavery to Freedom by Virginia Hamilton
- Maritcha: A Nineteenth-Century American Girl by Tonya Bolden
- Remember: The Journey to School Integration by Toni Morrison
Children's Biographies of the Founding Fathers/ Prominent Political Figures
- Abe Lincoln: The Boy Who Loved Books by Kay Winters
- Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope by Nikki Grimes
- Benjamin Franklin by Ingri and Edgar Parin D'Aulaire
- Frederick Douglass for Kids: His Life and Times with 21 Activities by Nancy I. Sanders
- George vs. George: The American Revolution As Seen from Both Sides by Rosalyn Schanzer
- Hilary Rodham Clinton: Dreams Taking Flight by Kathleen Krull
- How Ben Franklin Stole the Lightning by Rosalyn Schanzer
- John, Paul, George & Ben by Lane Smith
- Looking at Lincoln by Maira Kalman
- Make Your Mark, Franklin Roosevelt by Judith St. George
- My Dream of Martin Luther King by Faith Ringgold
- Sonia Sotomayor: A Judge Grows in the Bronx by Jonah Winter
- Those Rebels, John and Tom by Barbara Kerley
- When Harriet Met Sojourner by Catherine Clinton
- When Washington Crossed the Delaware by Lynne Cheney
- Young Teddy Roosevelt by Cheryl Harness
Children's Biographies of Visual and Performing Artists
- Edward Hopper: Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists by Mike Venezia
- Georgia O'Keefe: Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists by Mike Venezia
- James McNeil Whistler: Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists by Mike Venezia
- Winslow Homer: Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists by Mike Venezia
- Art from Her Heart: Folk Artist Clementine Hunter by Kathy Whitehead
- The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon by Jacqueline Davies
- The Extraordinary Music of Mr. Ives: The True Story of a Famous American Composer by Joanne Stanbridge
- Fabulous! A Portrait of Andy Warhol by Bonnie Christensen
- Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue by Anna Harwell Celenza
- Harry Houdini: The Legend of the World's Greatest Escape Artist by Janice Weaver
Children's Biographies of Prominent and Lesser Known Historical Figures
- Buffalo Bird Girl: A Hidatsa Story by S.D. Nelson
- Emma's Poem: The Voice of the Statue of Liberty by Linda Glaser
- Fannie in the Kitchen: The Whole Story from Soup to Nuts of How Fannie Farmer Invented Recipes with Precise Measurements by Deborah Hopkinson
- Henry and the Cannons: An Extraordinary True Story of the American Revolution by Don Brown
- Here Come the Girl Scouts! The Amazing All-True Story of Juliette "Daisy" Gordon Low and Her Great Adventure by Shana Corey
- Jean Laffite: The Pirate Who Saved America by Susan Goldman Rubin
- Nurse, Soldier, Spy: The Story of Sarah Edmonds, a Civil War Hero by Marissa Moss
- Patience Wright: American Sculptor and Revolutionary Spy by Pegi Deitz Shea
- Phillis's Big Test by Catherine Clinton
- Timeless Thomas: How Thomas Edison Changed Our Lives by Gene Barretta
Historical Picture Books
- Fish for Jimmy: Inspired by One Family's Experience in a Japanese Internment Camp by Katie Yamasaki
- Journey to Ellis Island: How My Father Came to America by Carol Bierman
- Kid Blink Beats the World by Don Brown
- The Memory Coat by Elvira Woodruff
- One Thousand Tracings: Healing the Wounds of World War II by Lita Judge
- This is the Dream by Diane Z. Shore and Jessica Alexander
- Train to Somewhere by Eve Bunting
- Unspoken: A Story From the Underground Railroad by Henry Cole
- We March by Shane W. Evans
- When Jessie Came Across the Sea by Amy Hest
New York City Themed Picture Books
- A Walk in New York by Salvatore Rubbino
- Balloons over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade by Melissa Sweet
- Building Manhattan by Laura Vila
- Chinatown by William Low
- City Hawk: The Story of Pale Male by Meghan McCarthy
- The Curious Garden by Peter Brown
- I Live in Brooklyn by Mari Takabayashi
- The Little Chapel that Stood by A. B. Curtiss
- The Lonely Phone Booth by Peter Ackerman
- The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein
- Mermaids on Parade by Melanie Hope Greenberg
- My Taxi Ride by Paul DuBois Jacobs and Jennifer Swender
- New York, New York! The Big Apple from A to Z by Laura Krauss Melmed
- Old Penn Station by William Low
- Subway by Christoph Niemann
- Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold
- Twenty-One Elephants and Still Standing by April Jones Prince
Early Childhood Picture Books
- 123 NYC: A Counting Book of New York City by Joanne Dugan
- ABC NYC: A Book about Seeing New York City by Joanne Dugan
- Above New York by Robert Cameron and Nina Gruener
- Central Park Serenade by Laura Godwin
- Chugga-Chugga Choo-Choo by Kevin Lewis
- Demolition by Sally Sutton
- Good Morning, Digger by Anne Rockwell
- Good Night, Good Night Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker
- Good Night New York City by Adam Gamble
- Smash! Mash! Crash! There Goes the Trash! by Barbara Odanaka
- Subway by Anastasia Suen
- Trashy Town by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha
- Wow! City! by Robert Neubecker
Picture Books for Children of All Ages
- Curious George in the Big City by H.A. Rey and Margaret Rey
- Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems
- Duck for President by Doreen Cronin
- Every Friday by Dan Yaccarino
- Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback
- Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems
- The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
- The Three Little Pigs: An Architectural Tale by Steven Guarnaccia
- Turtle's Race with Beaver by Joseph and James Bruchac
- We are Best Friends by Aliki
Holiday Picture Books
- The Christmas Tugboat: How the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Came to New York City by George Matteson
- Cinco De Mouse-O! by Judy Cox
- The Easter Egg by Jan Brett
- Lights of Winter: Winter Celebrations Around the World by Heather Conrad
- Memorial Day Surprise by Theresa Golding
- President's Day by Anne Rockwell
- Seven Candles for Kwanzaa by Andrea Davis Pinkney
- The St. Patrick's Day Shillelagh by Janet Nolan
- When Mindy Saved Hanukkah by Eric Kimmel
- The Yankee at the Seder by Elka Weber
Science Picture Books
- The Adventures of a Plastic Bottle: A Story about Recycling by Alison Inches
- The Earth Book by Todd Parr
- First Peas to the Table: How Thomas Jefferson Inspired a School Garden by Susan Grigsby
- Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women by Catherine Thimmesh
- Great Inventions: The Nature Company Discoveries Library by Richard Wood and Graham Back
- The Mighty Mars Rovers: The Incredible Adventures of Spirit and Opportunity by Elizabeth Rusch
- My Baby Blue Jays by John Berendt
- Wild Horse Scientists by Kay Frydenborg
- The Wolves Are Back by Jean Craighead George
Historical Fiction Chapter Books
- Amos Fortune: Free Man by Elizabeth Yates
- Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis
- Harriet Tubman: Secret Agent-How Daring Slaves and Free Blacks Spied for the Union During the Civil War by Thomas B. Allen
- Indian Captive by Lois Lenski
- Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes
- Journey into Mohawk Country by George O'Connor
- King George: What Was His Problem? by Steve Sheinkin
- Mr. Revere and I by Robert Lawson
American History Books for Middle Readers
Our Reading Into History family book club reads a new American history book each month. On this page find all our past reads – terrific and timeless books for kids 9 – 12 who love history and love a great story. These books have nuanced diverse characters, explore the impact of a historical event or time period on day to day life, include well researched history, and have thrilling plots.
To find out what the current read is book club, click here.
The Detective's Assistant by Kate Hannigan
Orphaned Cornelia is clearly not wanted by her Aunt Kitty as this thrilling novel begins. However, young Nell proves herself quite useful to her detective aunt, the real-life Kate Warne, in uncovering some of the richest and most dangerous criminal activity of the Antebellum period. Through Nell and her best friend Jemma, who escaped slavery by fleeing to Canada via the Underground Railroad, we learn about mysteries in Nell's own life. This fast-paced, exiting novel is a historical caper sure to make best-of-the-year lists.


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Jeff Bezos (founder and CEO ofAmazon
) is the man. While unveiling technologies that will revolutionize the digital playing field, he remained utterly cool, calm, and collected. I think he adequately summed up Amazon's philosophy by saying that the company provides premium products at non-premium prices. How so? Everyone at the Amazon event today was anticipating the announcement of a $250 tablet device. He not only one-upped expectations by introducing an under-$200 tablet, he also unveiled three new members of the Kindle e-reader family that will set tongues wagging.
He began by touting the success of the Kindle thanks to its long battery life, no-glare e-ink technology, and compact design. Here at the Good Housekeeping Research Institute we recognized that it was way ahead of its time as a mobile companion by giving it one of our highly-coveted Very Important Product (VIP) Awards.
Now, drumroll please for the big device announcements:
More From Good Housekeeping
The New Kindle Family:
1. Kindle Touch, $99: Using infrared (IR) touch display technology, this baby has no extra layer on top of the e-ink so, just like the original Kindles, it reads like the printed page. The Touch is smaller and lighter and has been subtly changed for a better, dedicated reading experience. For instance, you'll find it's easier to switch hands when you're using the touch screen grid that controls page turns.
2. Kindle Touch 3G, $149: In addition to all of the features mentioned above, the Touch 3G ensures that you're not a slave to WiFi hotspots or their fees. Free 3G is included in the upfront cost and there's no annual contract and no need for a data plan.
Both Kindle Touches can be preordered now on Amazon, with a shipping date of November 21st.
3.Kindle, $79: If you don't want, or need, touch, no fear. Also just introduced: a smaller (by 18%), lighter (by 30%), faster (page turns quicker by 10%), non-touch Kindle. And you can go out and purchase it today!
Upcoming Kindle e-readers will have a new "X-Ray" feature that will bring up detailed descriptions from Wikipedia and Shelfari (Amazon's community-based encyclopedia) about particular places, ideas, and characters with a single tap. X-ray will show all mentions of selected topics throughout the book. A great benefit of this feature is that there are pre-determined topics for each book that appear in a side file that's downloaded along with the book so you don't need to rely on a wireless connection to utilize it.
And now, the news you've been waiting for, the Amazon tablet:
4. Kindle Fire, $199: The basics: It has a 7-inch display that allows for wide-angle viewing, an ultra-fast dual-core processor, a slim, light design (14.6 ounces ), and runs a custom version of Android. The Fire not only combines, but leverages, all of the great services Amazon already offers, including Amazon Web Services, Amazon Prime (for instant, unlimited, commercial free streaming of over 11,000 movies/shows), Amazon Kindle (with over 1 million books), Amazon Instant Video (over 100,000 movies and videos), Amazon mp3 (over 17 million songs), and Amazon app store (with lots of popular Android apps and games). You also get free storage in the Amazon Cloud, so you can rest assured that all of your content and media is automatically backed up. The same Whispersync technology, that allows you to pick up and read a book at the page you left off on on any Kindle device, will be available on the Fire so you'll be able to watch a movie on your tablet and continue watching it on TV.
Bezos performed his customary live demo at the presentation, highlighting the brilliant color display (16 million colors in high resolution), the sleek design, and clean user interface. The home screen has a platform-wide search tool and a menu bar for easy access to items like books, apps, and music and two carousels, one with your most recently used items, and one for your favorites. You can pre-order the Fire now for shipment on November 15th.
So why was I so impressed? Amazon built a new framework for its tablet from the ground up. Bezos showcased the innovative Amazon Silk, a split browser that relies not only on the device, but on the cloud to accelerate the power of the hardware. This allows extremely complex web pages to load as quickly as on a desktop computer. Optimizations are performed seamlessly. The browser learns what you're most likely searching for and prepares your next step before you even request it. If for example you're on The New York Times' homepage, it knows which article you're most likely to click on next and begins to load the page.
That's not to say the Amazon Fire isn't without its faults. First of all, it's a wireless-only device that doesn't have 3G. What that means is that you'll be restricted to the limitations of wireless hotspots around you. Secondly, the device has no volume buttons or ports. While Bezos stressed the tablet's ability to do everything wirelessly, the lack of 3G may pose some problems. You also won't find a camera or microphone built into the Fire. But at $200, who's complaining? Stay tuned for a hands-on review.
If you're coming to New York City, be sure to plan to tour the famous Good Housekeeping Research Institute where we'll be trying out the new members of the Kindle family.
Rachel Rothman (she/her) is the chief technologist and executive technical director at the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she oversees testing methodology, implementation and reporting for all GH Labs. She also manages GH's growing research division and the analysis of applicants for the GH Seal and all other testing emblems. During her 15 years at Good Housekeeping, Rachel has had the opportunity to evaluate thousands of products, including toys and cars for GH's annual awards programs and countless innovative breakthroughs in consumer tech and home improvement.


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I've already described how misfortune and adversity left Apple with a new OS platform free of legacy constraints; and I've also discussed how Microsoft had failed to do the same, choosing instead to hobble its new OS with way too much legacy baggage.
Now, let's look at why I'm even considering the big switch: what has Apple done with its platform to make it so appealing? Of course, if you're already writing software for the Mac, then I'm not going to tell you anything you already don't know. But all of this was new to me, because it wasn't until I became so thoroughly disappointed with Windows that I really looked in earnest at what the Mac had to offer. My mistake.
The NeXT connection
First, let's take a brief look at what Apple got when it bought NeXT, and at some of the important bits of NeXT technology that live on today. When Apple bought NeXT, it inherited what was in many ways quite an unusual OS. Most operating systems are written in C and define all the APIs and extension points of the OS in C terms. As I said in part 2, this is because C's simplicity means that virtually all programming languages can call C APIs without too much difficulty. C is very much the lingua franca of programming languages—an adequate, though imperfect, lowest common denominator for exposing OS functionality to applications. NeXTstep was (and remains) unusual, because NeXTstep bucked this trend. NeXTstep didn't eschew C altogether, and indeed, many low-level features did use C APIs—its use of BSD UNIX ensures that much, as UNIX and C go hand-in-hand—but it also used a dynamic, object-oriented language, Objective-C, for many things.
Obj-C is a kind of hybrid between C and the language Smalltalk. Smalltalk is a niche language that has never been widely used, but it has particularly strong support for one approach to object-oriented programming, called message-passing. In message-passing OO, objects send each other messages to perform actions. When an object receives a message, it can examine it and choose to respond to it, ignore it, or send it somewhere else. Whether an object knows how to handle a message isn't known until the program is actually running. The program code that the developer writes needn't contain any particular restriction on which messages are sent to which objects, and indeed the messages that an object might respond to could also vary when the program runs. Although this dynamic behavior is not especially unusual in scripting languages, it's much less common in system programming languages. The message-passing approach is quite unusual in the OO world; most OO languages (including all the common ones: C++, Java, C#) use a different model for their OO facilities, one based on the Simula language instead. This approach is much stricter; whether a particular function can be called on a given object is determined when the program is compiled, not when it's run.
The Smalltalk-inspired object oriented parts of Obj-C are quite independent of the C parts. Any C program can be compiled by an Obj-C compiler; using C APIs from within Obj-C programs is trivial, because Obj-C can do everything that C can do. Going the other way is much harder; many languages simply have no facility for the kind of things that Obj-C takes for granted, especially when it comes to some of its more complex features.
Coupled with this unusual programming language was an API that exploited the unique properties of the language. The API was split into a number of "frameworks", each of which covered a specific area of functionality. Although these frameworks have evolved over time (NeXTstep's history was a lot more complicated than I have described here, and this history influenced the development of the API considerably), there are two in particular that are of paramount importance, because they are what makes up Cocoa.
The Cocoa API has two parts; "Foundation Kit" and "Application Kit". Foundation Kit provides basic functionality common to virtually all programs: string manipulation, container/collection classes, XML parsing, file I/O, and so on. Application Kit is what provides GUI programming facilities. It's here that Mac OS X (and NeXTstep before it) sets itself apart from platforms such as Win32.
The people who developed Smalltalk also devised a design approach for writing GUI applications called "Model View Controller" (MVC). The idea of MVC is to separate an application into three parts; the Model, which represents the things that the application actually cares about (e.g., documents in a text editor); Views, which contain the visual representations of the data in the application, such as buttons and text boxes; and Controllers that link the two and ensure that changes in one are properly propagated to the other. The Model is common to all the Views, with each View representing a different part of it, and each View has a corresponding Controller. Although this pattern of writing applications is quite widely used, it is particularly important to Application Kit. Application Kit bakes in a lot of MVC functionality, all but forcing software to be structured in this way.
What that means today
Cocoa applications get a lot of things for free, just by virtue of being Cocoa applications. The predefined Models, Views, and Controllers provide powerful built-in capabilities that can be used and extended by software. The class NSTextView, for example, provides a consistent multi-line text editing View, complete with multiple fonts, font sizes, and text colors, along with red and green wiggles underlining for spelling and grammar errors (respectively) with unlimited undo/redo. As new abilities are added to the NSTextView class, software that uses it can pick up these abilities automatically.
The NSTextView is not some monolithic and inflexible class, either; it hands off different areas of responsibility to other classes. For instance, the way that text flows in an NSTextView is governed by a class named NSTextContainer, which performs line-wrapping and similar tasks. If, however, NSTextContainer doesn't do what you want (perhaps you want to be able to put arbitrarily shaped objects into the text and have the words reflow around them) you can replace it with your own class. As long as it responds to the same messages, it will work as a drop-in replacement.
The customization mechanisms for the classes that Apple provides depend strongly on Obj-C features. Although the subclassing approach found in most OO languages is an option, it is not the only one. The ease with which Obj-C can forward messages to different objects means that delegation (where one object passes responsibility for a behavior to another object) is very easy to express and support. Unlike with, say, Java or C++, the delegated-to object needn't implement any specific interface or extend any particular base class; it can just listen for the individual messages that it's interested in and ignore everything else. This makes replacement or modification of individual operations quick and easy.
To make best use of this framework, you also need to look at Apple's development tools, in particular Interface Builder, which is Apple's application for constructing user interfaces. Interface Builder is another NeXT artifact; it ultimately dates back to the 1980s and was one of the first development tools that allowed user interfaces to be built using drag-and-drop and a mouse. Within Interface Builder, Views objects can be arranged and connected together to construct an interface for your application. Once you have your View objects, you add a Controller to tie the View to your model, to propagate changes from one to the other. Finally, you plumb individual fields into their respective Views, and wire up buttons and other interactive elements to actions, so that things actually happen when you use the UI.
Interface Builder makes it very easy to put together user interfaces. If you have absolutely no design skills, you're probably not going to get a work of art, it's true. But equally, it's unlikely to look terrible. The Views that come with the system are the ones used everywhere else in the OS, and they bring a lot of behaviour with them. Appropriate guides appear in order to assist with lining up objects in the right way, and just following these should prevent anything too horrific.