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Ratifying waves of gay marriage continue to conquer the U.S. with an LGBT community seemingly stronger than ever; however, when looking beyond U.S. boundaries, is the LGBT community receiving the same positive support? In late 2009, David Bahati introduced the Anti-Homosexuality Bill to the Ugandan Parliament. This bill, which seemed to strip away basic human rights, would make homosexuality punishable by death. Thus, equipped with the new bill at hand, amazing directors Malika Zouhali-Worrall and Katherine Fairfax Wright took it upon themselves to dive into the hardships the LGBT community in Uganda with the terrifyingly intimate documentary, 'Call Me Kuchu'.
'Call Me Kuchu' allows the viewer to shadow David Kato and a group of powerful activists in their mission to shine light on the LGBT community and gain support from the Ugandan Parliament- but most importantly to live a normal lifestyle, protecting the most basic human need and right: to love. While watching 'Call Me Kuchu', I found myself falling in love with the strong and fearless characters, infuriated with the villains but most importantly, so wrapped up with a story that is not only compelling but universal no matter who you love or where you live. This is a story that showcases the waves of progress for the LGBT community not only in Uganda, but also around the world. I highly encourage you to meet the Kuchus, a disparaging word for homosexuality in Uganda, and fall in love with them as well.
I was given the incredible opportunity to interview the two directors, Malika Zouhali-Worrall and Katherine Fairfax Wright, to gain a better understanding on what it was like shooting the empowering yet, alarming documentary:
Shelby Morrow: How did you two meet each other and what inspired you both to do a project like 'Call me Kuchu'?
Katherine Fairfax Wright: We had seen each other a couple times just in normal social settings and got to know each other well enough to know that we had similar viewpoints, backgrounds and interests. Then Malika contacted me about a year later after…she was interested in doing a project in Uganda and I wrote back expressing my interests. We both had been following what was happening with the LGBT community in Uganda; so it was fortuities that we decided to come together and after the Anti-Homosexuality Bill was tabled formally in 2009, that is when we just decided to buy tickets and head over to Uganda to see what was happening…so in January 2010, that is when we took our first trip [to Uganda].
SM: So was it the [Anti-Homosexuality Bill] that really encouraged you both to head to Uganda and expose the Ugandan LGBT community?
KW: Well, we were in touch with [the LGBT community] before the bill was tabled and were tossing around the idea and starting to connect with people and get in touch with what was going on there in terms of the LGBT community building themselves, but it was when that bill was tabled that we decided to head over there as quick as possible.
Malika Zouhali-Worrall: We actually had spoken with David [Kato] before the bill was introduced, as part of our research for the film. He was aware that this bill was coming down the line…so even back then, he had been encouraging us to come to Uganda. Soon after the bill was officially introduced, we decided to go over there as soon as we could.
SM: So was your plan always to focus the documentary on David Kato, being that you had talked to him before?
MW: Well, he was known to be one of the most prominent activists in Uganda, so we initially just spoke with him to find out more about the community and when we went to Uganda for the first time, he was the first person we had met and he had introduced us to the whole community. So initially, we knew that we wanted to film with him quite a bit, but we didn't know that he would be the main character. Really, it was after our first shoot that it became obvious and he had such a charismatic attitude and was essentially the most outspoken activist in the community.
SM: Watching 'Call me Kuchu', it seems as though when you are publicly gay in Uganda, it becomes essentially very dangerous to live there due to the intense backlash towards the LGBT community…how did you get the main characters to agree with doing the film, knowing that it would be a movie screened potentially around the world?
KW: Well, I think one thing that we noticed when we got there was, because we only knew what was readily available to us in the U.S. at the time in terms of reading articles or anything coming out of [Uganda], they made it seem like the LGBT community or anyone ultimately gay was a victim of these hate crimes all the time…and we were actually really surprised to find out that for the most part…they managed to live pretty normal lives and that is something we wanted to get across was to be careful not to over-sensationalize the issue and just tell it as honestly as we could. I think because of that, we were able to document more of just general life than we might have otherwise expected. I think that also had to partially do with the fact that a lot of [the characters] had already been "outed" by the newspapers, so their faces were already known pretty publicly and we weren't outing them through our film, we were just finally allowing them to speak in their own voices, on their own terms in a way that they hadn't been allowed to up until that point because it was normally these tabloids who were exposing them.
SM: In the documentary, there were moments where the main character's houses were broken into, or they received threatening phone calls and even some of them lived in homes guarded by massive gates for extra security precaution; at any point did either one of you think, this may just be too life-threatening for myself?
MW: For the most part, we never really felt any threats to ourselves…In terms of us filming in Uganda…that never really led to any problems. After David [Kato] was killed of course, everything seemed to change quite a lot because I think a lot of people had never thought that something like that could happen. Even in the community, it was a complete shock…I think everyone thought that no one would dare to touch David because he was the most internationally known activist in the community. SO after [David's death] everything, including our own understanding of the threats had to change. So definitely when we went back to shoot after he died, we were a little more concerned, especially because we were living with one of the activists, Naome.
SM: Speaking of tabloid magazines, how did you get the Managing Editor [Giles Muhame] of The Rolling Stone in Uganda to agree to talk to you guys?
KW: Without much difficulty, actually. Especially because that was at the point before the court's decision, which was ultimately not in his favor, but I think at that point he thought that the courts would most definitely rule in his favor, so he was obviously more willing to speak to us because he felt like he was on the winning team. Also, he's not someone who is very apologetic, and he is very proud of his stance on the issue because he very much believes in it and I think that's why in general we had such access to people because the parties that we were following feel very strongly about their opinions and are happy to have them documented.
SM: As a viewer, it was really enraging to watch the interview with Giles after Kato's horrific death, where he still condemned Kato to hell. What was it like for you two as both filmmakers and also having established such a strong relationship with Kato up until that point?
MW: I think at that point, we had become more accustomed to interviewing people like Giles and separating our own emotions from the process of interviewing because it was more useful for the film to have these people express their feelings and motivations without interfering too much. Clearly they were able to hang themselves with their own words. In that sense, we were very prepared for it…we new it just wouldn't be helpful of us to start spreading our opinions. But definitely, it was a pretty difficult interview.
KW: For me at least, the thing that was the most maddening was that when we were interviewing some of the more religious people such as the as the pastors or the people who wrote the [Anti-Homosexual Bill], they were saying those words because of the way they were choosing to read The Bible, I personally think it is a misreading of The Bible, but nevertheless, it was their reading of The Bible, which was slightly harder to deny. What was so frustrating about Giles was that he was really just putting out to the world, and actually quite a large amount of readers, just flat out lies. For example, he told us how David [Kato] was HIV positive, how David was a pedophile and all these horrible things that were just flat out not true…that to me was so much more maddening than someone who is misguided religiously.
SM: Was there a particular character that either one of you identified with the most?
MW: Well, we ended up living with Naome for most of the filming...We lived with her for about two-and-a-half months over the course of two trips, I think we definitely got very close with her. She was very generous in terms of her hospitality but also in terms of really understanding what we were trying to do with the film and really trying to help us connect with the community and helping us stay on top of what was going on. [Naome] and David turned out to be the key people who really supported us in building trust with the rest of the community. I think that was really the key for getting the access that we got in the film.
KW: One of the nicest things about being a documentarian is that you get to fall in love with all the different virtues of all your various characters. Stosh for example, is someone who speaks so poetically and his words carry such weight…it was really humbling being there documenting because she speaks so gorgeously, people really just appreciate whatever she is saying. David's charisma was really undeniable…but that's also what is so hard about documenting is that you really appreciate these people's characteristics and you end up basically having to tone them down more than you otherwise might like. For example, David's jokes and his incredible wit…so much of that we had to take out of the final cut of the film because of timing reasons and audience reasons. Naome had such logistical and rational thought and such motherly love, so you really end up with this great spectrum of human qualities.
MW: The thing about Naome was that we thought she wouldn't be a key character in the film at all, but when we were editing, quite literally every key scene that connected the characters involved Naome. We realized that in a way, she had become a nexus for all the different characters that we met…she ended up emerging almost organically in the film and as an essential character… ultimately in the editing process or in storytelling, you end up experiencing David's death predominately through Naome's eyes. We were really surprised at how key she became.
SM: Where are these characters now? Do you keep in contact with them?
KW: Yes, we do. Some of the key activists over the past couple of years have actually ended up leaving the country. Of course, the [LGBT] community is continually growing and people are filling up more positions, so it is not that the activist community is no longer existent.
SM: Do you think that it was your documentary that pushed the activists to really get this issue exposed on a larger spectrum?
MW: I think our documentary ended up revealing what key roles the activists in the [LGBT] community were playing in the exposure of the issue…I think our film actually ended up exposing what an incredible and courageous job this community was doing; in that way, it almost certainly supported the community hugely because it helped people realize what they are doing and realize that they need more support than ever.
SM: What do you want your viewers to experience during the film?
KW: Well, on the most simplistic level, I think our intention upon making this film was to show these LGBT activists as the human beings that they are. I think the biggest takeaway is…they should be allowed their fundamental human rights just like every other human being on this planet is…this film isn't just about helping Ugandan LGBT activists getting their rights recognized, it's also about helping this kid in Iowa come out to his parents or helping someone in Russia realize that he has a support network all over the world. I think that's one of the ways this film can be really helpful is that is can be just sort of a conversation starter.
MW: I think one thing that was really important to us while making this film was that we wanted people to relate to David, not as a gay person, as a Ugandan or as an African, but to relate to him and the rest of the community as a human being. That's why it was really key to follow them in their daily life and draw out universal aspects. Ultimately, I think we wanted someone who never thought of LGBT rights or even know someone LGBT to at least empathize with them and help them realize what is going on in another part of the world…or potentially even screen it to a straight Ugandan so they can see exactly what a LGBT Ugandan is going through.
SM: What has the overall feedback been on your film?
KW: Overall, the feedback has been pretty overwhelmingly positive, both from audience members that have gotten in touch with us to screenings and overviews.
I think that's been really encouraging for the activists themselves as well…yeah, overall it has been a pretty positive experience. We are now getting into the stage where we are getting into doing more community screenings and we are starting to do church screenings.
MW: We have also been working on getting the film out to as many different audiences as we can. The film has been theatrically released in the US, Canada, the UK and Germany, as well as out on DVD and ITunes and so on. But we have also been working on high-level screenings of the film such as with the U.S. Department of State, the World Bank, the British Parliament and we are working on getting the film out more widely around the world especially in countries like Uganda…we've been wanting to get the film out there to not only inform the wider public but to also bring about change, not only in Uganda but in other countries that criminalize homosexuality and there are still about eighty countries in the world that criminalize homosexuality currently.
'Call Me Kuchu' was released by Cinedigm on DVD, Blu-ray and cable movies on demand on September 24. I can't stress how important this documentary is for the LGBT community around the world. Make sure to check out the trailer and more information about the film here!


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NEW YORK - Despite pediatric guidelines endorsing "allergy-friendly" whey-based infant formulas, a new study finds the products don't ward off allergies in babies at high risk for sensitivities.
Babies with a family history of allergies to foods or environmental allergens who were fed Nestle's NAN Hypoallergenic whey product after they stopped breastfeeding were just as likely to develop allergies later as children who were fed milk or soy formulas, researchers report in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
The "findings do not support the recommendation that (the whey formula) should be used after breast-feeding as a preventive strategy for infants at high risk of allergic diseases," wrote Adrian Lowe and colleagues at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, Australia.
Because previous research has found that proteins in traditional cow's milk formulas may make allergies more likely, many doctors recommend an alternative, known as partially hydrolyzed whey formula (pHWF). Whey is a byproduct of cheese production.
The pHWF has smaller proteins that are believed to be less likely to cause an allergic response.
Introducing high-risk children to the smaller whey proteins will help them gradually be able to tolerate larger milk proteins, said Tiffani Hays, director of pediatric nutrition at Johns Hopkins Children's Center, who was not involved in the current study.
"The goal with the immune system is to build tolerance," explained Hays, who has worked as a consultant for Nestle Nutrition.
To test whether whey-based formula really does build protection from allergies, the Australian researchers randomly divided 620 high-risk infants into three groups that received pHWF, cow's milk formula, or soy milk formula after they stopped breastfeeding.
The infants in the study had been breastfed for an average of three and a half months before they were given formula and the researchers tracked the children for two years to see how many of them developed allergies.
During that time, the babies got periodic skin prick tests to gauge their responses to common allergens such as milk, egg, peanut, dust mite, grass and cat dander, and they were watched for signs of eczema or food reactions.
Just over half the babies in the study developed allergies, and they were equally likely to do so no matter which type of formula they had consumed.
The researchers also found that formula choice had no effect on the child's risk of asthma, another form of immune system oversensitivity related to allergy.
Earlier studies have found that pHWF (or similar products) can protect against allergies when they are introduced early and the baby is not exclusively breastfed.
The new results will not change current clinical recommendations, but highlight the need for further study, said Dr. Wesley Burks, chief of pediatric allergy and immunology at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, who was not involved in the work.
Hays also noted that pHWF is not known to have any harmful side effects and "is available at every grocery store at the same cost (as traditional formula)."
While whey formula may benefit children who are not breastfed compared to cow's milk formula, it is not recommended as a substitute for breastfeeding, said Dr. Jose Saavedra, medical and scientific director at Nestle Nutrition.
Breastfeeding has important health and nutritional benefits for the baby that formula cannot provide, Saavedra said.
On the Web: The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, online June 23, 2011.
(This corrected the name of the medical journal at end of paragraph 2 and in the citation)
Copyright 2011 Reuters US Online Report Health News

subset: commoncrawl


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The Fire Dragon
- Published By: eXtasy Books
- Author: Tianna Xander
- Page: 139
- Word Count: 19867
- Publication Date: February 29, 2012
- Heat Level:
- Available Formats: Adobe Acrobat, Epub, Hiebook, Microsoft Reader, Mobipocket, Mobipocket (.mobi), Palm DOC/iSolo, Rocket, Sony PDF
- Categories: Fantasy, Paranormal, Sweet Romance
Like her sister Rose, Tansy fears her inner powers. They're dangerous. Fire follows her wherever she goes and Tansy is certain it's only a matter of time before she harms someone. When Tony, a dragon she met at one of her sister, April's, dating parties begins to make his move, she runs away. She fears him, her power and intimacy with an ancient dragon.
When Tony finds his mate in the arms of another man, he wants to rage at the world. In fact, he finds it difficult to rein in the power of his dragon at the sight. What is his mate doing in the arms of another dragon male? One thing is certain. He will do anything to convince Tansy that she belongs with him and him alone.
Series Link: Dragon Bound
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text:
Bontrager Vella Women's Tank
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Designed with your unique shape in mind, the Vella Women's Women's Tank offers the perfect union of smart on-bike performance and stylish off-bike fashion.
Key features
- Soft, breathable main material provides moisture-wicking performance
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- Built in shelf bra provides support during athletic activity
- Drop tail with silicone gripper for cycling-specific fit that stays put
- Reflective elements enhance visibility for maximum safety
- Fitted cut provides streamlined body fit for enhanced performance


text:
I hate both of you because your conversation is both navel-gazing and puerile
Anyone ever think about how Richter inhabits the same reality as you and just scream and scream and scream, but in a good way?
FOUND ON WWW.URBANDICTIONARY.COMNessie, n: Urban Legend from the UK, circa 2013. Usually refers to things in the sewers that prey on the underclass. Commonly thought to be either (a) the product of dumping raw sewage in the Thames for centuries, (b) improperly disposed medical experiments, or (c) a Government hoax used to justify the unusually high homicide rate in London. Cf: Candyman, Bloody Mary, "Paynenite Conspiracy", TimeSlip.
If Luna was a furry, she'd sex humans and scream "BEASTIALITY!" at the top of her lungs at inopportune times.
I like the Luna one. She is a good one.
"Stop talking to yourself. You don't like you any better than anyone else who knows you."
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY OBJECTION TO THIS GOING TO PRINT?I'm going to try to get Pent involved in some illustrations for this stuff, and throw it together on Nook or Kindle.Any and all profits will go to board upkeep, should they exist, and all authors will be credited on the contents page.
kopyleft with atribution.
BRB. Operations is complaining about some weird noise in the plant/sewer discharge.
Quote from: LMNO, PhD on March 29, 2011, 08:43:39 pmkopyleft with atribution.Attribution is going to be universal, I just need to know what names to use.BRB. Operations is complaining about some weird noise in the plant/sewer discharge.


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I used to give my father shit because he'd do it to my friends all the time. Then, when I was in my twenties, I started doing the same thing and I realized it's because, like my dad, I'm great with faces, really bad with names.
Friday, January 07, 2011
I used to give my father shit because he'd do it to my friends all the time. Then, when I was in my twenties, I started doing the same thing and I realized it's because, like my dad, I'm great with faces, really bad with names.
69 comments:
- Mimi said...
Ah Kurt, you are the greatest. (by the way, do you ever get tired of hearing that? How wonderful you are, etc, etc?)
Anyway, I am terrible with names too. I totally understand.
- Jan 7, 2011, 1:58:00 PM
- Kerri said...
I'm Southern. I call everyone honey, baby, darlin, sweetheart... regardless of gender.
Which is to say, not sure it's a Jersey thing. I've had to watch the "baby" lately, though. My 4YO son will scream at me, "I'm not a baby!" So there.
- Jan 7, 2011, 1:59:00 PM
- Concerned in Winslow said...
Having worked in bars and hospitality industry as well as having a father that sounds similar to yours, call me darling anytime you want!! I feel it is flattering and a term of endearment and if my customers didn't call me darling, honey or sweetheart I would think I did something wrong!!! To all the women who take offense get over it, he could be calling you worse!!!
- Jan 7, 2011, 2:00:00 PM
- Lisa Lambrecht said...
I personally am not offended when a man calls be Darling, Sweetie, or whatever. Living in the south it is not all that uncommon. She sounds like an uptight bitch!
Love the show!! Lisa
- Jan 7, 2011, 2:03:00 PM
Honey...you can call me darling any day LOL :o)
- Jan 7, 2011, 2:04:00 PM
- Unknown said...
Wow... I mean if you grabbed her ass or something while saying it then ok..
People have become way to PC and then stuff like this happens..
- Jan 7, 2011, 2:05:00 PM
- Tammy D. Phillips said...
Mr. Sutter,
I find it both sad, and amusing, that this woman would be so offended by such a small thing, as to actually call you an "asshole"; whereas the "darling" was not even remotely as offensive.
To me this shows that either this woman is a very sad individual, or she is entirely too uptight.
- Jan 7, 2011, 2:08:00 PM
For the love of Gawd! Why this woman would get her thong in a wad over bein' called 'darlin' is beyond me. As a middle aged female w/some feminist leanings, I take no offense when you've called me darling on the twitters. Hell, it's damn near orgasmic!
Pretty damn bad when you can't express genuine gratitude with an endearment and get chastised for it. It's not like you told her she Can't Understand Normal Thinking!
Consider the source and you can call me darlin or any other term of endearment any time!
- Jan 7, 2011, 2:15:00 PM
- casey from kentucky said...
I do not think that it is rude calling someone darling or honey or whatever. I think it's quite nice, But i'm from the the south so everyone calls everybody names like darling or honey.
- Jan 7, 2011, 2:21:00 PM
You need to move down South, Sugar! Everyone talks like that here!
- Jan 7, 2011, 2:24:00 PM
As an educated female from the south who can't remember shit, everyone is darlin', hon, or sweetheart. Not all women (or men for that matter) will be offended and those that are simply need to get over themselves.
- Jan 7, 2011, 2:28:00 PM
feminist.nuff said
- Jan 7, 2011, 2:30:00 PM
Man Kurt do I hear you on this one. I do the exact same thing for the exact same reasons. No offence is ever intended. it is simply a means of being cordial and warm while not intentionally drawing attention to my own faulty memory.
Cheers brother!
- Jan 7, 2011, 2:33:00 PM
- stylecouture said...
Right on Kurt, a similar thing happened to me not too long ago. Life is too short to be bothered with people like this, especially when the terms are coming from a center of thanks/endearment. Keep doing what you are doing and fight the good fight brother.
- Jan 7, 2011, 2:33:00 PM
Funny, I was just thinking the other day that I love guys who calling me darlin' or sweetheart. Interestingly, my husband never does. Hmm.
- Jan 7, 2011, 2:36:00 PM
- MiddleSis said...
Move to the south. I melt when a guy calls me darling. Except down here, it's "darlin'".
You can say it to me anytime!
- Jan 7, 2011, 2:43:00 PM
I've noticed Jax says "darling" a lot, now I know why!
- Jan 7, 2011, 2:44:00 PM
My dad's thing was 'babe'. Everyone was 'babe'.
Ms. Towelfinder, whether she's your darling or not, was rude.
Know what I mean, pal?
- Jan 7, 2011, 2:45:00 PM
My father was the same way and for that matter I am too, being a woman doesn't change that.
"Honey" is my favorite endearment but I do use others.
As a woman, I don't see what the big deal is, I don't see it as being offensive at all. There are a lot of people in this world that need to get over themselves.
Oh and by the way honey, SOA is amazing and you are brilliant!
Lori Trent
- Jan 7, 2011, 3:00:00 PM
That post made me smile. I think people take things too freaking seriously these days. People are so concerned about being "Politically correct" and not pissing others off that todays' world is filled with a bunch of oversensitive idiots. I mean let's take a stand on the important things going on in this country...I think a lot more worse things can occur then being called "darling" so to all those out there that this offends...put your energy into something else, lighten the hell up!!...it's not like you said "Thanks Bitch!"
- Jan 7, 2011, 3:01:00 PM
I am a "Liberated" woman- I have an excellent job in management and believe a woman can do almost everthing a man can. I DO NOT understand why this is a big deal to any woman. If you said it to me I would have replied, "No problem sweetie (cutie..whatever)". For some, it can be the only time a person hears these terms of endearment! Don't let one rotten person change the way you speak to others. Some of us enjoy it!
- Jan 7, 2011, 3:03:00 PM
- Cionnaith MacRitchie said...
I'm sorry but I think the bitch has a problem. As long as she was the one helping you it was OK. Typical power tripper. Real people don't get all up in arms unless you insult them with malice...friendly applications of the type you mention are just normal ....wait, did I just say you were normal????
- Jan 7, 2011, 3:04:00 PM
I'm bad for this, and for the same reasons. 8 Years in the Army steered me into "Sir" and "Ma'am" territory, which tends to be a bit safer.
- Jan 7, 2011, 3:06:00 PM
- Donna's Daze said...
LOL. I'm guilty of doing that, too. I call everyone "Hon". Because I am so bad at remembering names, I answer to anything that people call me because I figure turn about is fair play.
- Jan 7, 2011, 3:10:00 PM
- PhotoMom said...
Pet names like this are very common in the south. I am 28 and often had 16 year old waitresses call me "Honey" when i lived in GA and SC. It gets under my skin in that circumstance but Towelfinder sounds like a Royal B*tch. All you did was thank her for finding your towel. She needs to get over herself.
- Jan 7, 2011, 3:12:00 PM
- Joseph said...
Jesus, what a cunt. Probably doesn't say thank you if a man holds the door for her. If it were me, I'd cut in front of her and close the door in her face... And hold it shut for a few seconds more just for spite.
J Jolton
- Jan 7, 2011, 3:23:00 PM
- Cunningham said...
I understand your situation. I grew up in the South and I am always saying things like, "Yes, Ma'am" or "Yes, Sir."
You would have thought I made a grab or something when I ended a sentence with "Yes, Ma'am" to a woman who was younger than I . She was deeply offended and corrected me by saying, "I'm not a Ma'am!"
And yes, occasionally I let out with a "Hon" or a "Darlin" and find myself apologizing with:
"I'm not a creep, I'm just Southern."
- Jan 7, 2011, 3:33:00 PM
Free Ron Gardocki!
- Jan 7, 2011, 3:45:00 PM
Free Ron Gardocki!
- Jan 7, 2011, 3:46:00 PM
- About Me said...
I'm so glad I'm not the only one. Being from the South (well, Texas . . . which sometimes is The South and sometimes is The Southwest, depending on the need at the time) I tend to use the "darlin" or "honey" card by nature more than modern females like. I don't want to offend anyone, but it's hard for an old dog to change his ways sometimes.
- Jan 7, 2011, 3:59:00 PM
Love that story Kurt..I have a saying I use..(I didn't come up with it but love to use it)
Jokem if they can't take a fuck!!
- Jan 7, 2011, 4:48:00 PM
Since I routinely call you genius, rat bastard or both at the same time, you can call me whatever you want. I'm cool with it...honey. *smirk*
- Jan 7, 2011, 4:58:00 PM
- Kelly K said...
It's totally a jersey thing... My boss, who shall remain nameless,,, because i'd get fired... is a very popular musician... a new jersitian (as we like to say)... he never remembers names... Hey Doc how ya doing??? sounds friendly... does the trick... gets the door open to get the questions answered..dont sweat it.. and f. that girl... a guy who says darling isn't going to try to rape you in a car park.. i hate people who waste your time...
- Jan 7, 2011, 5:06:00 PM
I found this quite funny and sad at the same time.. I too have a "bad" habit of calling people (both men and women) darling or hon or sweets.. not meant to disrespect anyone or be demeaning in any sense, but like you, getting old has made me really bad with names.. so.. it's just a term I use with very general attributes.. "thanks darlin'" appreciate it hon, okay sweets.. makes it so much easier to voice my gratitude to those I come in contact with, as opposed to the alternative, truly crude, rude and socially unacceptable terms of endearment.. lol Don't be sorry for using those terms Kurt.. it's shows some sense of consideration for those who probably don't deserve it or understand that it doesn't really mean a thing other than you were trying to be nice in return..
have a great weekend..
Cindy Fisher.. aka Breeze5150 (yes you read that right, and yes I DO live up to the numbers when pushed to my limit with people stuck on stupid.. (:..
- Jan 7, 2011, 5:14:00 PM
- KustomJeff said...
Some people need to get a grip. They take all this stuff too personally and it just ends up making them a sad bitter old person in the end. I do the same thing you do, I suck at remembering names, people need to just deal with it or move on. This is America where you do NOT have the right to not be offended!
- Jan 7, 2011, 5:53:00 PM
My mother was from Scotland and after 11 years of age, grew up in Jamaica Long Island. She had a habit of nicknaming people & things." Fudnitz" could be the pimply faced kid who tried to cop a feel, or the man who delivered ice..another favourite of hers was calling fat women "Leaping Lena"or some one from Alabama was "the cotton picker" or an alcoholic was either Oscar Pumphandle or Rosie Arse...OR she could be very sweet and call everyone "honey" "darling""lovie""
sweetheart"; And her 5 kids followed suit; So I think it's not unusual for a kid to emulate a parent, even when grown into adulthood- Too bad Miss Priss got bent out of shape about you calling her "Darling"..(I bet she's been called far worse behind her back!)
V/r Betz Kimble
- Jan 7, 2011, 5:54:00 PM
- Old Uncle Dave said...
I know what you mean, man. I can't help but wonder how Ms Towelfinder would have reacted to "ma'am."
- Jan 7, 2011, 6:23:00 PM
- Mark said...
I suppose "thank you cunt" would have been inappropriate as well...at my ripe old age of 52, I find that calling people "kid" takes care of most similar situations
- Jan 7, 2011, 7:14:00 PM
That's NOT how I would have responded.....
- Jan 7, 2011, 7:20:00 PM
- Jan 7, 2011, 7:38:00 PM
- Elizabeth said...
This is awesome I am the same way! Great to know I'm not alone LOL Some ppl just need to chill out LOL
- Jan 7, 2011, 7:51:00 PM
- Peter said...
No worries mate.
- Jan 7, 2011, 7:56:00 PM
I call a lot of women I know sweetie or hon/hun (the short-for-honey term) at sometime or another. I know I said it recently to someone working on a project together, I said, "Hon, this is fantastic." Nothing at all meant by the term other than we had a working relationship and I thought she had mad something wonderful. Sometimes with guys it might be, "what's up, brother?". But with guys it is less common, but I still don't usually use names. I could understand someone getting pissy if you made advances, but not in this situation.
- Jan 7, 2011, 8:33:00 PM
- J.B. said...
Oh my GOSH!! What I wouldn't do to find your towel or anything else you might drop along the way!
- Jan 7, 2011, 11:24:00 PM
- Wanda said...
I think she was angry with herself for wanting you. You are pretty hot, there, daddy.
- Jan 8, 2011, 9:49:00 AM
I would not mind if you called me darlin'. I'm just sayin'.
- Jan 8, 2011, 12:37:00 PM
- Tempest said...
She should have just let it go. Some people are really uptight about those things. I have had men I don't know call me darling, sweetheart and I did not care for it, but I did not lash out and use profanity--because, as in your case, they were people I was not going to see again.
- Jan 8, 2011, 2:55:00 PM
- gramma said...
I just love you . . . that's all. By the way, I'm 66 & not skinny, but I'd at least pick up your towel for ya!
- Jan 8, 2011, 3:55:00 PM
I'm going to be the devil's advocate here. I agree that this woman acted a little harshly towards her being called darling, but what if that name brings back bad memories? What if her dad abused her and he called her darling? Or what if she was raped and her rapist called her darling? I repeat that her reaction was a little harsh, but maybe you should put yourself in her position.
- Jan 8, 2011, 7:27:00 PM
Looks like a lot of people are in your corner on this one, my friend. I grew up on the Yankee side off the Mason -Dixon line. Some of us Southern Hoosiers tend to speak in a Southern drawl, and think nothin' bout dropping' an all y'all to a group or referrin' to someone as darlin' or hun. I was also brought up to respectfully refer to folks as mister, mrs, miss, sir or ma'am unless given permission to do otherwise.
Too many people get hung up on titles and the idea if bein' dissed. Once upon a time, while in a group of people of differin' ethnic backgrounds in the workplace, I let slip with an innocent "all y'all" (plural of y'all). Next thing I knew, I was sent to a diversity appreciation class!
It could've been worse . She's just an ass. Gives donkeys a bad name.
- Jan 9, 2011, 1:05:00 PM
One of the nicest guys I've ever met has a really short memory for names, and he once explained to me that he dealt with this by addressing all men Big Guy and all women as "Darlin' " He's been doing this since he was in his early '20's and has never prevented him from being a beloved figure, anywhere he went.
I say if you are not doing so to be condescending or creepy (it WAS darling of her give you your towel back - less so to call you an asshole,) your language was well within the realm of civilized discourse.
keep the faith, Babe
- Jan 9, 2011, 3:28:00 PM
- trapper said...
Wow! What have she said, if you stepped on her toes?
My belief, too many people are stupid!
- Jan 9, 2011, 6:28:00 PM
- Sadltrmp said...
Wow, I do the same thing as you all the time.
I'm a sales rep and you'd think being in sales I'd be better with names, but sadly I'm not - faces I'm good with though. Personally I blame my poor memory on the '70's!
But I've never got my ass chewed for using the term baby, darlin, or honey - though the wife has given me shit a couple of times about calling some of the women I know baby!
I could see you using this for Jacs on SOA
- Jan 10, 2011, 4:43:00 AM
- Qweenie said...
I have to say that I think her response was clearly disproportionate to the 'offensive' term. I too use terms of endearment when speaking to people, not because I'm bad with names and not because I'm from Jersey (because I'm not) but because I just do.... most people think it's sweet. I think it's sweet.
I have to say if the choices are "Thank you, Ma'am" or "Thank you, Darling" I'd be THRILLED to hear Darling. Ma'am makes me feel old....and nobody wants to feel old.
- Jan 11, 2011, 11:18:00 AM
Some women just have something to prove - and it's their misfortune to be so hard and angry. Come on to North Carolina, Kurt, where we say things like "sweetie" and "honey" all the time - even the most educated of us! I promise you'll not get that kind of reaction from a Southern belle.
Dr. Angela
- Jan 11, 2011, 11:51:00 AM
I am behind on my reading of your posts so this is a catch up. I too am horrible with names and I think Darling babe ect is better than hey you... Besides I recently watched the first season of SOA for the 20th+ time. I would not mind you calling my darling either you are very handsome! If you let one word define your self awarness or self esteme you have bigger issues! Now Season three was Brilliant!!! I have re-watched it trying to figure out how I missed that the rest of the club knew all along what Jax's was doing! If you were unable to follow season three perhaps some of the several TV judge programs would be your speed. I would love to sit and have a conversation with people from different walks of life. I find myself complaining about all my troubles then I have to step back and remind myself there are other people in the world!
- Jan 12, 2011, 2:09:00 PM
I agree with most here that a little nic-name isn't a problem. I have fallen in the habit myself, I'm afraid, sometimes. I've tried to instill the "sir" & "ma'am" in my 2 sons.
My granddad was from Manchester, England & used to call me "Duck" or "Ducky". Since he died in '90, noone has called me that since. What I would give for him to call me that again...
- Jan 14, 2011, 4:37:00 AM
I deal with truck drivers on a daily basis. Hell, I call them darling, sunshine, trouble, sweetie or whatever I can think of at the time. I don't know their names.. male & female.. its just something to make someone smile. I also used to bartend, and I got called dear, honey and even so not such nice names. Big f'n deal. So Kurt keep on using dear
- Jan 15, 2011, 6:33:00 AM
- Denise Shelton said...
I once was called "sweetpea" and read the guy the riot act but when another guy called me "baby doll" I melted into a puddle of sweetness. The difference was that Mr. Sweetpea was an asshole and Mr. Babydoll was someone I liked. As to complete strangers, I guess it's all in the tone you use. Also, if the guy is a lot younger or something, you might be offended that he was giving you some weird vibe like you were a sweet old dear or something. What I expect happened in your case is that you caught this gal (wouldn't she LOVE me calling her THAT!) at a low ebb in her self-esteem and she lashed out at you. She believes she's nobody's darling and so in her mind, you could only have meant it as a slight. Sad. If you'd said it to me, I might have been flustered, but it would have made my day. Reminds me of my favorite Beatles' quote, "Don't you know that it's a fool who plays it cool but making this world a little colder?" Keep spreading the love, babe.
- Jan 17, 2011, 10:08:00 AM
Ugh. I'm so with ya! I'm from Philly and I call my students "doll" all the time. The boys get really offended and say "I'm not a doll!" LMAO. Oh well I I just can't help myself.
Congrats to Katey on her Golden Globe! I just started watching it this season and SOA is badass. I do however think that you NEED to get Don Swayze on there. Did you see him in True Blood. Holy crap! I didn't even know Patrick had a brother. He is badass! Have a nice day doll;) LOL
- Jan 17, 2011, 10:33:00 AM
- Kimmy said...
I can't stop laughing. Although I am not towel finder, I get it.
I picture "Gemma" (the character) and think, if I was a male, which I am not, I would never attempt to call her BABE or Darling.
Some strong women don't like the terms of endearment. In my 20s, I would have told you off like she did. As I get older, (closer to 40s), I am more apt to realize the world isn't all about me, and I would laugh it off.
Just another bitch perspective!
- Jan 18, 2011, 7:30:00 AM
- Unknown said...
Well I'm a 30 year old woman who lives 15 minutes from where you grew up. I can't even count how many times I'm called something other then my name at my job, and most of the patients have known me for years. Its just a Jersey guy thing (don't see it in woman all that much) Sweetie, honey, darling. It's just how it is. I guess you have to be raised here to appreciate it. Its just as Jersey as a group of your friends screaming OHHHHH!! When someone says something out of line. Don't worry about the dumb broad she will get over it :)
- Jan 18, 2011, 5:46:00 PM
The funny thing about situations like this is you will forget what she looked like. You will forget what you were doing and what you dropped. You will forget where you were and when it was. But you will never forget "Fuck You Ronny Killer". It's the little things in life ya know...
- Jan 20, 2011, 10:21:00 AM
- SmallTownTexasWoman said...
I don't think it's just a Jersey thing. I'm from Texas, and don't go a day without being called sweetheart (by men or women), and I have noticed, I have picked up the same habit. It doesn't bother me when someone calls me that. I always think Darling, Sweetheart or Honey is way better than "Hey, bitch", right?! Also, in Texas, I have noticed that women who don't particularly like each other, but don't want to really be outwardly hostile toward one another tend to call each other Honey. It's just a thing. We all do it. Taking it too personally is a little ridiculous. I have a way longer list of better things to take personally.
- Jan 21, 2011, 12:09:00 AM
- Louie said...
Having been born and raised in Texas, as you have seen already, it is quite common here. My older sister and I lived together during our college years and she could have easily been the lady with the towel. I, on the other hand, don't mind a 'darlin', 'sweetie', 'honey' at all. I had to curb my own use of these terms while my sister and I lived together, but I find that as I grow older and more distant from those college days, I use the terms more and more once again. Though, I do reserve the term for the free world. I work in a maximum security all male prison as an officer and I don't think making use of those terms would be fitting in the least. Fuck you, Ronny Killer! usually works well in that situation ;)
- Jan 25, 2011, 11:27:00 AM
- LawMommy said...
Well, maybe she had you confused with another television writer and thought you were responsible for the final wretched season of Veronica Mars? (Veronica / Ronnie?) Too much of a stretch?
Hopefully she was just having a bad day and over-reacting.
- Jan 27, 2011, 2:06:00 PM
- hissyfit64 said...
Some people just like to be offended. It only makes me mad to be called darling, sweetheart or baby, if there's obvious sarcasm behind it. Other than that, generic terms of endearment are fine with me.
And I love it when waitresses call me hon, especially if they're bringing me pie. Maybe if you handed her a slice of pie when calling her darling, she wouldn't have taken offense.
I call all kids under the age of 4 pumpkin and all drag queens honey or girl.
- Jan 29, 2011, 9:18:00 AM
- A Scott said...
I was in the finacial aid office trying to talk to this really mean C you next Twatsday lady who took one look at my tattoos and assumed a instant High horse attitude with me so that started our conversation well.
She then proceeded to talk to me like I was 4 and dissmissed anything i had to say and withing 5 mintues of everything that came outta my mouth seemed to just be wrong in every way to her, so by this time rather then prolong this meeting i said
"Yes Ma'm" and did the just smiled and nod to move one to the next topic
She looked at me like i just stood up and whipped out my dick and slapped her with it by calling this late 50sish woman Ma'm.
I then felt like i had to APOLOGIZE because i was raised with respect and politeness.... all because she was offended by calling her Ma'm.
Fuck you, Ronny Killer.
- Feb 5, 2011, 7:37:00 AM
- Aritul said...
Man, I really can't stand overly sensitive people. I love terms of endearment and think it's cute when strangers address me with such. Besides, darling is one of my favorite terms of endearment that is not used nearly enough.
- Aug 21, 2011, 10:56:00 PM


text:
While not Mark's Blog worthy, this problem has been bothering me (and at least a few other Win PE builders) for some time now.
I've finally tracked it down and created a very easy solution.
Houston, I have a problem…
In my Custom Win PE Boot Disk Building: Step Four – Pulling it all together post I had outlined my long-fought journey to get a custom Win PE boot disk working with Dell USB keyboard/mouse drivers. It worked and has been ever since; under both Win PE 2.0 and PE 3.0 builds.
In October of 2009, "Ryan" dropped into the comments and noted his non-success launching CubicExplorer from the WinPE builds.
CubicExplorer is a free Windows file manager that was included in my custom PE build as Win PE doesn't come with one by default.
For some reason it was working in my PE builds but not his.
So over the next few months we have keep up a running comment thread exploring why he was not meeting with success and I was.
I went back and followed my building steps and it worked every time. Ryan would do a PE build and it would fail every time.
We explored scratch-space settings; that wasn't it.
We explored the possibility of different versions of CubicExplorer being the cause; versions didn't matter.
We explored folder-building security permission levels; that wasn't it.
Along the slow trip, another commenter "Anonymous" re-lit the fire in the search for a solution.
We explored possible differences between the Win PE sources (Windows 7 OEM Preinstallation Kit (OPK) versus Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK) for Windows 7). That wasn't it.
I don't like having something working for me but when others follow my steps, it doesn't.
So, re-energized, I started the troubleshooting process fresh.
A Successful Failure
One of my problems was that I couldn't replicate the errors that Ryan and Anonymous were getting with CubicExplorer in my builds. Despite Ryan providing error information, it was still out of context and I really was having problems interpreting it.
So I started from scratch week before last.
Instead of following my custom PE building steps, I built a fresh basic Win PE 3.0 ISO from the latest WAIK.
I made my winpe_x86 folder and contents. I mounted my winpe_x86.wim file. I copied a fresh download/unpack of CubicExplorer into the \Program Files folder. I committed the changes during dismount. I also tossed a copy into the ISO sub-folder as well so it would be included on the root of the ISO file.
I mastered the PE build to an ISO file and booted it in a VM.
It loaded fine but when I went to launch it, I finally got the Cubic Explorer error in Win PE that Ryan and Anonymous had been encountering.
Finally, I had something to directly work with.
Capturing the Error
Hoping it was something easy I fumbled around for a while rechecking rights issues in the building process and folders, etc. That got me nowhere.
However, it was clear that something deviant was happening as my custom WinPE builds worked perfectly with Cubic Explorer and the standard PE builds did not.
So I rechecked all the custom PE building files and configs that I added into my build. Maybe a registry key gets added behind the scenes or possibly Cubic Explorer gets launched with special parameters?
However, again, inspecting all the files I add in my custom PE build (devcon.exe, hw.bat, HWPnp.exe, HWPnP.htm, HWPnPDLL.dll, vistape.cfg, vpeldr.exe, winpe.bmp, winpeshl.ini) I didn't find any special handling of Cubic Explorer that would explain why it would launch fine in my custom PE build and not a plain PE build.
Next I focused on Cubic Explorer again. This time I looked at the various setting files it uses in the Program Directory. Maybe some tiny custom settings were enabled/disabled in my working build that wasn't the case in a fresh download version. I loaded up a fresh download of the default and in WinMerge compared the layout.xml, settings.xml, and sessions.xml files between a working and non-working set. Yes there were differences, but nothing that I could see which would explain the crash issue.
So it was time to go the Mark Russinovich route and toss Process Monitor at it.
I made a fresh "basic" Win PE build and added Cubic Explorer again to the mounted wim's Program folder. This time I also added Process Explorer. I committed the changes, built the ISO and launched in in my VM.
I fired up Process monitor and began my event capture. Then I fired up Cubic Explorer and it crashed, as expected.
I then saved my log file to the local virtual hard-drive file (having booted my VM off a VHD attached with the Win PE ISO) and extracted it from the VHD to my real desktop for examination.
Tracking down the Root Cause
Filtering for the cubicexplorer.exe process name, I still had over 14,000 events captured. That's a lot of data to sift through.
Stepping back for a moment, I tried to think of any clues that might help me narrow my search. All "failures" captured in Process Monitor are not necessarily problems or true "errors".
Letting the brain-cells relax, I pondered any obvious differences between my custom PE build and the basic PE build. And while staring at the failed CubicExplorer launch error dialog again in my VM, I had a "eureka" moment.
Following the steps in my Custom Win PE Boot Disk Building: Step Four – Pulling it all together post, the Win PE build results in an interactive desktop shell (for my work I'm using BS Explorer shell in PE). The basic PE only results in an interactive DOS box; no shell/desktop.
I also noticed that the Cubic Explorer crash dialog box mentioned "madExcept".
So I started out by setting my loaded Process Monitor log file to show only file events and started looking for lines that referenced shell, desktop or related mui items in or before "madExcept".
And I quickly hit paydirt.
CubicExplorer.exe was attempting to test for the presence of the <system root>:\windows\system32\config\systemprofile\desktop folder. It was unable to, and shortly thereafter, kicked off a "madExcept" related file for the first time.
Note, in this case the <system root> drive letter = X: which is the Wim-loaded RAM-disk.
I quickly loaded up a working custom PE ISO build of mine and confirmed that on my custom PE builds, this "desktop" sub-folder was present under "systemprofile". It was not present in the stock Win PE build structures.
Turns out my custom BS Explorer shell was creating the "desktop" folder as it loaded up. That made sense as the custom PE shell-enabled version I use has a desktop with interactive icon shortcuts on it.
I went back to my Win PE build that would generate a failed Cubic Explorer launch.
In the DOS box I ran the following command:
md x:\windows\system32\config\systemprofile\desktop
I then reran the command to launch cubicexplorer.exe
It launched perfectly.
So the root cause of the error was the failure for Cubic Explorer to find the expected "desktop" folder.
That folder isn't included/created in a standard WinPE build. It was generated in my custom PE builds due to inclusion of the custom BS Explorer shell in mine.
So you can see, the CubicExplorer crash issue in PE builds has nothing to do with security rights or the amount of scratch space the PE build is configured with. It has nothing to do with the version of the PE (2.0 or 3.0, RC or not), nor the PE source files (WAIK versus OPK). Finally it has nothing to do with the version of CubicExplorer either.
It simply is because CubicExplorer is coded by the developer (for whatever reason) to look for and expect a "desktop" folder for the profile. The stock/base Win PE builds don't offer that particular folder by default. Thus CubicExplorer will crash upon execution.
If you already have a stock Win PE build and don't want to take the time to re-master it, but want Cubic Explorer (either seeded into your WIM file or on, say, a USB drive) to work, just manually create the needed "desktop" folder as noted on the fly each time you load a Win PE boot disk.
md x:\windows\system32\config\systemprofile\desktop
Then run cubicexplorer.exe and you will be good to go with no crashes.
Or before you "master" your PE ISO, mount the boot.wim file in r/w mode, and create the "desktop" folder appropriately. Commit the change then master your ISO. This saves you the step of having to create the folder on the fly each time.
Or, if you are still using the basic stock PE format, and knowing that the DOS box opens to the x:\windows\system32 location, mount the boot.wim file in r/w mode, and add in the the following batch-file:
md "x:\windows\system32\config\systemprofile\desktop"
"x:\program files\cubicexplorer\cubicexplorer.exe"
Save it with an easy-to-remember name like "launchCE.bat" directly into the mounted \windows\system32 folder.
Be sure to also add the "CubicExplorer" application folder/contents to the mounted "Program Files" folder as well.
Once you have committed the changes and remasted your ISO, when you launch PE and get to the DOS box, just type launchCE.bat and it will both make the needed sub-folder on the fly as well as launch CubicExplorer without needing to navigate by DOS to the appropriate program folder.
Of course, now that I knew the solution, the options were flowing in.
WinPE Building Bonus Tips
What if I didn't want to run Cubic Explorer as "administrator" but wanted to execute it with full "system" rights?
I downloaded and extracted the Sysinternals PsExec utility and dropped it into the mounted boot.wim \windows\system32 folder.
Then I added the following batch file I named "launchCE-Sys.bat"
md "x:\windows\system32\config\systemprofile\desktop"
psexec -i -d -s "x:\program files\cubicexplorer\cubicexplorer.exe"
Running that batch file from a committed/remastered PE ISO gets me a Cubic Explorer session running elevated with "System" privileges. Neat and maybe handy.
Have fun coming up with your own combos.
I suppose you could also read the Custom Win PE Boot Disk Building: Start me Up! post and in particular the Wpeinit Command-Line Options and work out how to auto-launch Cubic Explorer directly now as part of your Win PE loading process. I'm just sticking with my Custom Win PE Boot Disk Building and all the bells and whistles that comes with it. This is the optimal combo of functionality and PE sexiness I demand from my personal custom PE builds.
I've also started bundling both "devio" (see this post Devio: Remote drive access and acquisition for all the goodies) and TeamViewer Portable in my custom Win PE builds. Both benefit from boot.wim files modded with scratch space settings of 128 MB and higher. In the case of Devio, if a technician has used my custom Win PE disk to boot a system that is still attached to our network, I can guide them through the steps to get it going on the remote end, then use ImDisk on my system to remotely attach to the system though devio and view/image/capture the file-structure/drive remotely. That's a big support help to our field-team when I can't be at all places at once!
Alternatively, I can get them to launch TeamViewer in the Win PE load and then take control of the remote Win PE system and do hands-on remote assistance of any CLI or troubleshooting/response actions needed on that remote system that may be a bit more advanced than they can comfortably handle.
Want to get crazy? Port your custom Win PE build over to a bootable USB stick version: Sexy USB Boots (Win PE style)
Final Thoughts and Observations
For the curious, first, here is a filtered set of Process Monitor logs showing the file-system references by Cubic Explorer when the "desktop" folder is present as expected. As you can see, Cubic Explorer does expect and interact with that folder location.
For the curious, secondly, here is an additionally filtered set of Process Monitor logs showing all the file-system references by Cubic Explorer only with the "desktop" folder when present as expected. I've highlighted the fact that at some point, Cubic Explorer temporarily creates a file desktop.ini as well for some purpose.
As I noted in my response to "Anonymous" in the comments after my pre-post tips offered hope that I had tracked down the solution led to "Anonymous" independently finding the need for the required "desktop" subfolder to get Cubic Explorer to work without crashing…
I suspect that adding this folder may help additional applications work better as well under PE. Couple that with some bumps in scratch-space 256-512 MB (if system RAM is available) and you can seem to get much better performance and operations from your "portable" Windows apps under the PE environment.
My recommendation for custom Win PE builders would be to create the \windows\system32\config\systemprofile\desktop folder as part of their building process.
Also, bump the scratch-space setting as high as can be supported by the systems you work on. I'm going to address that in a follow-on post next. Suffice it to say that while the default 32 MB scratch space of Win PE builds is typically enough and ensures compatibility with low-RAM systems, Win PE just seems to perform better (as do applications running in it) with scratch-space (X drive) sizes of 128 MB, 256 MB or 512 MB sizes. In fact, what I have done is always build my custom boot.wim file at the default 32 MB level, then make additional versions with each of those higher scratch-space levels. I keep a version of all of them on my WinPE boot USB stick and swap out the boot.wim accordingly as needed depending on the system specifics.
And the silly reason why I kept on reporting success originally when Ryan and Anonymous did not experience it?
I made the erroneous assumption they were following my "custom" build steps, rather than realize they were building from a base (non-custom) stock Win PE build.
On the positive side, by not doing so, we have now learned the value of Process Monitor yet again as well as the integral role creation of the \windows\system32\config\systemprofile\desktop folder plays with Cubic Explorer in particular, and maybe other "portable" Windows applications that for some reason just didn't seem so portable after-all in Win PE builds. While this certainly won't fix everything, it might help in a few more cases.
Also, Ryan noted early into the process that he was committed to finding a solution for inclusion of a working build of Cubic Explorer in his PE build as "…I don't want CE for myself, but for other techs that whine that they want explorer. CE was the closest thing I have seen that "looks" like explorer. They only need the ability to copy/paste."
I'm personally a big fan of FreeCommander as my preferred alternative file manager/explorer utility. It works great under Win PE environments as well. I had also suggested Ryan try out A43 which is another great freeware utility.
However, an even better alternative than all these might be the new Explorer++ freeware file manager/explorer utility. It also works great in Win PE (at least 128 MB minimum scratch space seems to be a sweet spot) and consists of a single exe file. It has a fantastic interface and does have tabs as well if desired. I'm now including it on all my own custom Win PE builds.
There are lots of others, see this much older File Managers, Copiers, and Sync Utilities post I did for more oldies but goodies.
Any of these, coupled with the PSExec app from Sysinternals as launched from a simple batch-file will help give extra power and flexibility to your Win PE usage needs.
This has been challenging but fun.
In the final words of "Anonymous" wrapping up the comment thread;
Go in peace, CubicExplorer users, for your WinPE woes are no longer.
Well said, indeed.
--Claus V.


text:
AMC - The Walking Dead / The Walking Dead is an American post-apocalyptic television drama series developed by Frank Darabont. It is based on the comic book series The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. The series stars Andrew Lincoln as sheriff's deputy Rick Grimes who wakes up after being in a coma to find the world dominated by "walkers", resembling the zombies of George A. Romero's horror movies. He sets out to find his family and other survivors along the way. The Walking Dead premiered on October 31, 2010 on the cable television channel AMC in the United States. Based on its reception, AMC renewed the series for a second season of 13 episodes which premiered on October 16, 2011. Two episodes into the second season, AMC announced that the show would return for a third season.
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Following the film 'Avatar''s win at the Golden Globes, tribal people have claimed that the film tells the real story of their lives today.
A Penan man from Sarawak, in the Malaysian part of Borneo, told Survival International, 'The Penan people cannot live without the rainforest. The forest looks after us, and we look after it. We understand the plants and the animals because we have lived here for many, many years, since the time of our ancestors.
'The Na'vi people in 'Avatar' cry because their forest is destroyed. It's the same with the Penan. Logging companies are chopping down our big trees and polluting our rivers, and the animals we hunt are dying."
Kalahari Bushman Jumanda Gakelebone said, "We the Bushmen are the first inhabitants in southern Africa. We are being denied rights to our land and appeal to the world to help us. Avatar makes me happy as it shows the world about what it is to be a Bushman, and what our land is to us. Land and Bushmen are the same."
Davi Kopenawa Yanomami, known as the Dalai Lama of the Rainforest, said, "My Yanomami people have always lived in peace with the forest. Our ancestors taught us to understand our land and animals. We have used this knowledge carefully, for our existence depends on it. My Yanomami land was invaded by miners. A
Director James Cameron received his Golden Globes awards for Avatar last week, and revealed one of the central ideas of the film.
"Avatar asks us to see that everything is connected,' he said in his acceptance speech, 'All human beings to each other, and us to the earth.
Cameron was inspired by the Maori language of New Zealand when devising the language spoken by the Na'vi. Survival's director Stephen Corry says, "Just as the Na'vi describe the forest of Pandora as 'their everything', for most tribal peoples, life and land have always been deeply connected. "The fundamental story of Avatar - if you take away the multi-coloured lemurs, the long-trunked horses and warring androids - is being played out time and time again, on our planet.
"Like the Na'vi of Avatar, the world's last-remaining tribal peoples - from the Amazon to Siberia - are also at risk of extinction, as their lands are appropriated by powerful forces for profit-making reasons such as colonisation, logging and mining." "One of the best ways of protecting the our world's natural heritage is surprisingly simple; it is to secure the land rights of tribal peoples.' (SI)


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This numbered edition Canvas Print, designed by Barlena, comes with a numbered and signed certificate of authenticity. Ready to hang, this image is printed onto a 450gsm white finish, 100% cotton canvas and stretched over 1.5" deep wood stretcher bars (3/4" for XS). Each print comes with wall hanging hardware.
donut, bicycle, penny-farthing, high wheel, ride, sweet


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Peer-Reviewed Publications
Found 3 results[ Title]
Filters: Author is Haarbauer-Krupa, Juliet [Clear All Filters]
Variations in Mechanisms of Injury for Children with Concussion." J. Pediatr.. 2018."
Risk of Repeat Concussion Among Patients Diagnosed at a Pediatric Care Network." J. Pediatr.. 2019."
Point of Health Care Entry for Youth With Concussion Within a Large Pediatric Care Network." JAMA Pediatr. 2016:e160294."


text: Pizza is a flat Italian bread coming originally from the northern shores of the Mediterranean. In ancient Rome "panis focacius" denoted flat bread cooked in the ashes of the fire ("focus" meaning fireplace in Latin). This is the origin of the name we use today. In France this type of bread had become a luxury item towards the end of the middle ages, and was available in a number of different shapes and forms. Documents from the 14th and 15th centuries even equated it to a sort of cake known as placentula - apparently to avoid paying the tax on bread at the time.


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Dennis is a Bellevue and a Kent State University graduate with a Bachelor's in Electronic Media Production. He has been in radio for 8 years doing sports and on-air work. Dennis' favorite WLKR artists include The Doors, Dylan, and the Chili Peppers.
When not working, Dennis loves to watch sports. A die-hard Green Bay Packers fan, Dennis has been to historic Lambeau Field twice. Dennis also loves the Cleveland Indians and holds out hope that he will meet up with another good media friend when the Indians make it back to the World Series. Other than sports, Dennis likes to watch movies and travel to warm places. As far as celebrities, Dennis has met a couple, one of those being Larry the Cable Guy, as his brother is part of my aunt's family.


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Kittencal's Beef or Pork Marinade and Tenderizer
Who ever said that marinades are only for flavor and not tenderizing has never tried this recipe! this marinade produces the most fabulous tasting beef...
black pepper, ginger, honey, meat tenderizer, olive oil, red wine vinegar, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, +garlic
Bourbon Vidalia Onion Barbecue Sauce
Use on any meat (pork beef chicken even add into ground beef for burgers). Jar this sweet sauce for gifts!
black pepper, honey, olive oil, paprika, red wine vinegar, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, +bourbon, +brown sugar, +butter, +chili sauce, +garlic, +ketchup, +molasses, +salt, +vidalia onions
Tom's Steak Marinade
red wine vinegar, worcestershire sauce, olive oil, black pepper, paprika, soy sauce, honey, +salt, +red wine, +orange juice, +ketchup, +garlic powder, +onion powder
www.cooks.com - Similiar recipes
Always A Winner Grilled Chicken
"I'm a working mother and needed a quick, healthy, flavorful chicken recipe that was versatile and could be used in many different dishes. So, after trial...
cumin, ginger, honey, olive oil, paprika, black pepper, red wine vinegar, +cayenne, +chicken, +chili powder, +chipotle peppers, +cinnamon, +oregano, +garlic powder, +lime, +onion powder, +orange juice, +red pepper flakes, +salt, +white wine
allrecipes.com - Similiar recipes
Pinchos Moranos W Garlic Potatoes - (Marinated Pork Loin)
olive oil, cumin, paprika, ginger, black pepper, red wine vinegar, honey, +zest, +red chilies, +garlic, +turmeric, +salt, +sugar, +pork chops, +potato, +parsley
www.bigoven.com - Similiar recipes
Tea-smoked duck with noodle salad and sweet and sour plum sauce
black pepper, paprika, olive oil, red wine vinegar, ginger, soy sauce, honey, +duck, +tea bag, +brown sugar, +duck breast, +curry powder, +plum sauce, +chilli, +chocolate, +plum, +salad greens, +noodles, +vegetable oil, +sesame seed, +lime juice, +zucchini, +coriander, +salad dressing, +zest
www.bbc.co.uk - Similiar recipes
Grilled Sirloin Steak
Got this from a taste of home magazine - yummy! Prep-time includes marinating time.
ginger, honey, olive oil, black pepper, red wine vinegar, soy sauce, +sirloin steak, +garlic
Marinated Lamb Chops
Preparation time is marinating time.
ginger, paprika, black pepper, red wine vinegar, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, +basil, +oregano, +parsley, +garlic, +lamb
Asian Flavor Barbeque Chicken Recipe
This is a quick broiled chicken recipe with crazy flavor. It has a lot of different ingredients, but don't worry you can easily substitute for some of...
olive oil, black pepper, ginger, honey, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, +chicken, +chili oil, +vegetable oil, +chili powder, +lemon juice, +mustard, +rice vinegar
www.grouprecipes.com - Similiar recipes
Flank Steak with Warm Moroccan Spices
olive oil, red wine vinegar, ginger, paprika, cumin, black pepper, +garlic, +salt, +cinnamon, +coriander, +sugar, +cayenne, +beef
find.myrecipes.com - Similiar recipes
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Rab® women's legwear caters for all types of mountain sports, environments and conditions. Whether you need a pair of down-filled trousers to protect you from extreme Himalayan weather or lightweight and breathable climbing trousers for a summer weekend trip to Gogarth, our extensive range caters for all requirements.
No matter the intended use, all of Rab® climbing and walking trousers share the common characteristics of being constructed to the highest standard with the most sophisticated fabrics available, to proven and tested designs ensuring maximum security when you may need it most. Slim fit trousers such as the Merino 120 and 160 pants are aimed to be used as a lightweight baselayer, providing optimal temperature regulation in the toughest of conditions.


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This won't help you take out Reapers. And it's probably not such a good choice against Cerberus, either. At least, not if you want them to stay dead after you shoot them.
Because this? Is the best Nerf gun ever. It's Commander Shepard's favorite Nerf gun on the Citadel. It's a Nerf gun painstakingly handmade to look like it's right out of the Mass Effect series. If the Alliance could get away with Nerf guns, instead of the hot metal kind? They'd use these.
It's from Etsy designer Viktor Graves, who has a whole bunch of amazingly detailed, mostly harmless, fully functional replica weapons available. But this one is the best. Because Mass Effect.
And if foam just isn't an effective enough weapon against your nemesis, there's always the Super Soaker watergun edition. Which is pretty damn cool too.
MASS EFFECT Inspired Nerf Maverick Steampunk Scifi Video Game N7 [Etsy]


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Oh hell yes. Look at that kid right there! The tie says, "business," the peacoat says, "style" and those boots say, "outta my effing way, dudeson. I ain't got time for no crybaby antics, son. I don't care if you are the frigid morning air or icy sidewalks or the fact that I am still ridiculously tired because I stayed up late watching Apprentice reruns when I should have been sleeping. Balderdash!" But in all honesty, I do not rock my Red Wings as much as I should. Today, though? Today just felt right to do so. Ands I'm glad I did. Super comfortable, wickedly durable, and the color is just bar none. Nothing like a shade of light chestnut among shades of blues and grays to make the outfit pop. I'd be lying if I said I haven't already gotten a plethora of compliments on these ass-kickers… Same people who said something about the panda sweater. I'm just throwing the world for a loop. Now almost a year old, these Gentleman Travelers were WELL worth the price point. I recommend them highly. Also, every item on me I suggest checking out. Wharf and Pierrepont Hicks especially. You already know J. Crew and Levi's and H&M.
Plus, we're gonna revisit these boots just in time for the holidays….


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Tallahassee, Fla. – A suffocating defensive attack allowed the Tennessee State football team to pick up its first win of the season with a 27-7 victory at Florida A&M.
The TSU defense held FAMU to just 156 yards of total offense, 22 rushing yards on 24 carries, forced two turnovers-with one being returned for a touchdown- and the Rattlers were 2-of-12 on third down conversions.
Senior Tim Broughton led the Tigers with 124 yards on 17 carries for a 7.3 yards per carry average. Sophomore Telvin Hooks was not far behind, gaining 77 yards on the ground on 12 attempts (6.4 ypc).
The Rattlers got the ball to start the game and picked up a quick first down. Two plays later, a false start penalty moved FAMU back and eventually set up a third down. FAMU quarterback Damien Fleming changed the play at the line and fired a short out pass to the wide side of the field. Safety David Van Dyke jumped the route, picked the ball off and brought it brought it back 46 yards for a TSU touchdown.
Van Dyke's interception was his second in as many games and the first touchdown scored by the Tigers in 2013. It was also the first TSU defensive touchdown since Sept. 8 of 2012 when Daniel Fitzpatrick scooped up a fumble and scored against Jackson State.
After a three-and-out on FAMU's next possession, Tennessee State went to work on offense and executed an eight play, 65-yard drive that featured a perfectly timed screen pass to Hooks that went for 28 yards. Broughton, TSU's other running back, finished off the effort with a 10-yard touchdown.
The score put TSU up 14-0 with just under seven minutes to go in the first quarter and Tennessee State would maintain its two score lead until Fleming found Lenworth Lennon wide-open in the end zone on a second and goal from the TSU 36-yard line. The FAMU touchdown brought the Rattlers within seven with 14 minutes left to go before halftime.
On the ensuing kickoff, redshirt junior Martine Stevenson received the ball and raced right up the middle of the field. 95 yards later, Stevenson was standing in the end zone with TSU's first kickoff return for a touchdown since Weldon Garlington's 100-yard return on Oct. 1, 2011 versus Austin Peay.
The TSU defense forced another FAMU three-and-out on the Rattlers' next drive, giving the Tigers the ball at their own 15-yard line. Gashing runs by Broughton, Hooks and quarterback Ronald Butler eventually gave TSU a chance to score a field goal from 42 yards out. Jamin Godfrey lined up the kick, the snap and hold were perfect, but the kick was blocked.
FAMU was unable to capitalize off of the blocked kick but the Tigers' offense went dormant as well, bringing the first half to a close with TSU in control, 21-7.
The Big Blue offense woke up to begin the third quarter and marched right down the field on a 13 play, 76-yard drive. Again, the TSU rushing attack could not be stopped and Hooks found the end zone from 14 yards out at the eight-minute mark. The sophomore's score gave the Tigers a commanding 27-7 lead, as Godfrey's PAT was blocked.
Hooks's score proved to be the last of the afternoon as the Tigers continued to pound the ball on the ground to kill the clock and the TSU defense proved unrelenting.
Butler finished the day 14-of-21 for 131 yards. The freshman did have one interception when a fourth-quarter pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage.
TSU will look for win number two win next Saturday when the team travels to Memphis for a date with Jackson State in the Southern Heritage Classic.


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Ceo1 necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 377 diseños de 63 diseñadores freelance.
ultrashield or ULTRASHIELD
Ultrashield is the company and brand name for a new nanotechnology coating for glass, bathroom ceramics and other surfaces, that effectively converts the properties of the material. The "easy clean" coating makes the material:
Repellent (to water, mud & oily deposits etc); Non-stick (to limescale, soap scum and grime etc); and Protected (against staining, etching and corrosion). It can also reduce cleaning by up to 90%.
The main market for this industrial coating/material-conversion chemical will be shower glass/door/enclosure manufacturers and bathroom ceramics (basins, toilets) manufacturers (worldwide). The brand also needs to appeal to consumers who buy these products.
We have an idea to incorporate a repelled water drop (which is the way to tell the coating is working) into the logo. Compared to the attached 3 concepts which our own designer did, I would like to see your improvements/new-ideas in 3 areas:
1) Better body of water-drop (more definition, lines/shapes/solid body, possibly 3D shading/curving effects, but still simple/iconic/stylised)
2) Better font (but still special or customised text)
3) Ideas for integration of ultrashield text and water drop to form the logo
The Ultrashield brand should stand for: 1) forever-lasting, 2) sparkling clean & clear (including some kind of sparkle into the design could be a good idea), 3) ultimate coating. It should appeal to both large industrial manufacturers and consumers.
I am looking for an iconic logo (simple/stylistic/minimalist). So don't submit any complex/highly-detailed/very-realistic designs.
The final logo file should be delivered in scalable .EPS and .AI formats.
Full requirements/suggestions/details are in the attached Ultrashield Logo Brief document.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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It's tough enough when an actor becomes a victim of his own success, but we now find ourselves in the position of being victims of Colin Farrell's.
Farrell, who is in the midst nice career renaissance, has recused himself from David Cronenberg's "Cosmopolis," presumably in deference to starring in a remake (reboot? mulligan? do-over?) of "Total Recall." And when you lose an actor of Farrell's caliber, you naturally grab the sparkly-skinned vampire teen heartthrob Robert Pattinson. Right?
Pattinson will star in this adaptation of Don DeLillo's novel, playing billionaire Eric Packer, who in the course of 24 hours cheats on his wife, loses his fortune, is attacked by protesters and has lunch with his wife, played by Marion Cotillard--and he accomplishes almost all of this from the comfort of his limo. Oh, and throughout the story he's being stalked by Paul Giamatti.
Farrell can currently be seen in select cities in the WW II film "The Way Back," and his British gangster film "London Boulevard" is somewhere in limbo. Giamatti's "Barney's Version" (look for Cronenberg in an amusing cameo as a soap opera director) goes into wider release Jan. 14. And Pattinson can be seen April 14 opposite Reese Witherspooon in "Water for Elephants."
"Cosmopolis" starts filming this spring.


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This is where the snappy title goes.
Time for Saturday Sky:
This morning at Knit Group, Felicia helped me figure out where I went wrong with the Minty Fresh blanket. It turns out: I was thinking too much, instead of just following the pattern. Thank you, Felicia! I made some progress on it today:
Driving to work yesterday morning, the sunrise was so spectacular that I had to pull over to watch it (and take pictures!):
I'll end for today with, what else, The Three Stooges:


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- Orignal Painting Available-
• Museum quality paper and fade resistant ink ensure your artwork will last generations.
• Gallery wrapped canvas prints are stretched by hand around 1-1/2" wood stretcher bars to ensure the highest quality and perfect presentation. Black Tyvek backing covers the back of the canvas. Mounting hardware is included.
This item is made-to-order.
Although we tend to produce and ship quickly, please allow up to 2 weeks for delivery.
Alex Pietrangelo (CIB Special)
$39.00 Regular Price
$33.15Sale Price


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Some watch manufacturers think adding a sapphire crystal face, compass or having a diving depth of 1,000m is enough. Me? I won't consider strapping something to my wrist unless prehistoric animals have been set in the dial.
Louis Moinet's Jurassic Tourbillon watch has fragments of fossilized dino bones set in the dial, and is encased in 18K white gold with 56 diamonds equating to 3.46 carats. A watch sparkling with diamonds—however ugly it may be—would attract a pretty penny alone, but the addition of dinosaur bones? Well, the one thing I'm certain of is that you won't be able to barter a cave drawing for one of them. [Swiss Time via Gizmag via Oh! Gizmo]


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REPUBLIC, OHIO: A fast-moving fire leveled a 130-year-old farmhouse overnight on Tuesday, killing five people believed to be from the same family.
Authorities said they believe the victims were three young children who lived at the home along with two adults.
�We assume those are the ones recovered,� said Dean Henry, a spokesman for several volunteer fire departments that responded.
It will be up to a coroner to identify the victims.
A truck driver spotted smoke coming from the house, in rural Northwest Ohio, just after 3 a.m. Tuesday and called 911, Henry said. The two-story house was fully engulfed in flames when the first firefighters arrived, he said.
The wood-frame home, which sat outside the village of Republic, about 50 miles southeast of Toledo, is fairly isolated and surrounded by farm fields. The nearest house is about a quarter-mile away.
Firefighters and investigators spent much of Tuesday looking through the debris for the victims and clues to what caused the fire. The last two victims were found by mid-afternoon.
The family bought the home in 2004, according to county auditor records that said the house was built in 1880.
It�s unclear how the victims were related. One of the three children, ages 6, 8 and 12, has a different last name than the other four.
Investigators from the state fire marshal�s office were looking into the cause of the fire.


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Even though home automation technology has been around for decades, the opportunity it represents for electrical contractors right now is phenomenal. The need for energy conservation, a public sector initiative established to meet that need, the rapid evolution of home automation technology, and an aging but well-to-do baby boom generation are all converging to make home automation, also known as domotics, a rich vein of potential revenue that can be mined for decades.
In 1893, eccentric electrical engineer Nicola Tesla filed U.S. Patent 613809 that described, in essence, a remote control. It was not until the 1950s that the devices became commercially available. Zenith Radio Corp. produced the first in 1950. Called the Lazy Bone, the device could turn the TV on and off and change channels. However, the control was attached to the television by a bulky cable, which customers would frequently trip over, thus adding injury to the insult inherent in the Lazy Bone.
The next attempt, by Zenith engineer Eugene Polley, was the Flash-matic, introduced in 1955. It truly was a remote control, but it had issues. The defining characteristics were four photocells, one in each corner of the television screen, and a directional flashlight that the viewer used to activate the photocells and turn the picture and sound on and off and the tuner dial clockwise and counter-clockwise. The Flash-matic, it turned out, was not a fair-weather friend; on sunny days the television would change channels at random.
That ended in 1956, when Zenith engineer Robert Adler designed the Space Command remote control using ultrasonic technology. That remained the dominant design for the next 25 years, which just about brings us to the modern age of home automation and the beginnings of controls that have more constructive intent than the erstwhile Lazy Bone.
Today, home automation controls are practical, cost-effective solutions for convenience, security, safety, energy conservation and entertainment. Even within the last two or three decades, this was not always the case. The first integrated home automation systems could be expensive, cumbersome, and difficult to install and maintain.
"Now, home automation systems are affordable, effective, and relatively easy to install and use," said Jay McLellan, president and CEO of Home Automation Inc. (HAI), New Orleans.
A good, reasonably priced system, he said, can be operated from a six-button panel by the front door. Lighting, heating and cooling, and security systems can be adjusted depending on whether the homeowner is home, away, awake, asleep or having a party. More robust systems might include a home theater, multi-room audio, irrigation control, access control, vehicle detection, surveillance cameras and even remote pet feeding systems.
McLellan said a basic system, including lighting, security, temperature control and phone access, would cost between $3,000 and $3,500 and include 10 lighting switches, two thermostats, an interface console, and a small equipment box. Such a system can be remotely accessed by telephone. Devices, including smart phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and personal computers, can access more sophisticated systems over the Internet. The best systems today, including home entertainment systems with all the bells and whistles, can cost as much as the homeowner is willing to pay. One installation can make a contractor's year.
Kenneth Wacks, a home and utility systems consultant, believes home automation systems are not only desirable but, in an increasingly energy-starved world, necessary. Wacks is a member of the Department of Energy's 13-member GridWise Architecture Council established in 2004 to develop the architecture of a smart grid for reliable, cost-effective and efficient distribution of electricity. The council serves as a resource to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which was charged under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 with identifying and evaluating existing standards and technologies. Smart grid proponents are counting on an educated, involved consumer and more sophisticated energy demand and response systems. Experts believe that development of the smart home and smart grid standards will help drive the market for home automation equipment well beyond where it is now.
Wacks called hard wiring—as opposed to other method, such as wireless—the gold standard of home automation.
"It's reliable, long-lived and often performs better than Wi-Fi, which is subject to competition—multiple devices using the same available bandwidth, i.e., 2.4 gigahertz. It will also ease supply-and-demand responsiveness as the smart grid gets smarter and utilities offer savings incentives to customers who agree, for instance, to use certain appliances during off-peak hours," he said.
Wacks said all builders should plan for the installation of structured cabling. He cites TIA-570-B, an American national standard that defines the number and size of wires to be used to support broadband Internet access, home entertainment systems and home automation. The top quality cables commonly being installed today are Category 6 twisted-pair wires and RG-6 coaxial cables with quad shielding. The standard is voluntary now, but may very well be included in state and local regulations.
Brad Wills, director, Insulation Systems and Control, Schneider Electric, Palatine, Ill., said contractors should build relationships with developers and jointly plan "to offer customers an option for a home networking system that supports automation control or, alternatively, offer the same system as an inherent part of the sale package as a way to differentiate their offering from that of their competitors."
"Customers always seem to frustrate builders by focusing past the great-looking house in a great neighborhood and, instead, concentrate on peripheral items, such as technology. Rather than dealing with technology grudgingly, builders ought to understand the options to stay ahead of customer demands and learn how to make extra income from technologically based add-ons to a home sale," Wacks said.
In new home construction, Wacks and others say contractors have an advantage over low-voltage equipment installers because prime contractors would rather deal with as few subcontractors as possible. They prefer one-stop shopping.
However, getting in the market may not be that easy. There is a tug of war in industry and in state legislatures over who has the right to install data networks. In the last 10 to 15 years, low-voltage experts have seen the demand for their services take off. Contractors have watched this trend with more than a passing interest and are now engaged in legislative battles over licensing and domain protection. Wacks said that electricians would have a more credible case for protecting their turf if they can claim some home automation expertise.
However, Wacks said, contractors would do well to get additional training and perhaps certification in home automation equipment. They can obtain training, which is not onerous, and even certification from a number of sources. Some manufacturers provide free training to familiarize contractors with the field, its players and various product lines. The Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association (CEDIA) offers training and certification programs and is working with the Consumer Electronics Association on standards. There are private training organizations, such as Bedrock Learning, Holland, Mich., which bills itself as a residential technology training solution and offers remote, flexible, 24/7 course access. Training and information are also available through the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee.
Wills noted that Schneider Electric requires training before it will allow installation of its home automation systems, a practice not uncommon in the industry.
"It is important," he said, "to put a value on the training as well as to filter out those who are not serious about it."
So, structured cabling is the perfect type of system and now you know where to get training, but what about all that wireless buzz you hear? While wireless systems have some disadvantages compared to structured cabling systems, they can still be a cost-effective solution for residents of existing homes. They are relatively simple to install and program. While the components may be more expensive, installation is less expensive. Manufacturers say that, after about four hours of training, contractors can program a home automation system. It is important to note, too, that there are 100 million existing homes, compared to a million or so new home starts every year. Wills said the country will not make a significant dent in the country's energy costs unless existing homes are retrofitted with wireless solutions.
He also said there is growing demand from consumers to understand their energy consumption.
"If there is transparency in the use and cost of electricity in the home, there is an instant 15 to 20 percent savings in energy costs," Wills said. "For example, by dimming an incandescent bulb so that it uses only 80 percent of its energy capacity, a difference barely discernible to the human eye, the bulb will last up to 10 times longer, plus save energy. The homeowner can readily grasp this concept and come to the right conclusion."
Combined, new and existing homes represent enormous market potential, especially in an environment in which energy policy is promoting conservation. But another trend, the aging of the baby boom generation, is also creating opportunity. The ability to control security and safety systems, lighting, heating and air conditioning, as well as entertainment systems, from a remote keypad is very appealing to today's seniors. Home automation systems, in addition to turning on alarms at night, can light stairs or mark pathways to safety should a fire break out in the home. Having some friends over for bridge? Just hit the programmed "scene" button to adjust lighting and select music for the event. Grown children can check on their aging parents' well-being remotely. Occupancy sensors can reveal an unusual period of inactivity in the home, a possible indicator of a medical emergency.
If the convenience, safety, environmental soundness and cache of home automation cannot convince the homeowner to buy, then perhaps dollars and sense will. Experts say that, over time, home automation systems pay for themselves in energy savings and increased home resale values.
Schneider's Wills said making the decision to go with a home automation system is "a little like buying a car. It's an emotional as well as a rational decision. You might want to buy home automation control systems mostly because it has a cool multiroom audio system and home theater, but the rational side, the one that says, 'I can save a lot of energy and have a safer home,' is the one that justifies the purchase. Think hybrid Maserati."
Therefore, contractors have a compelling case to make to the consumer. If they don't make that case, Wills said, and if they can't offer home automation expertise, they risk losing the opportunity of a lifetime.
"Right now electrical contractors are sitting in the catbird seat, particularly in new home construction because they have a license for high-voltage installations," Wills said. "If they fail to pay attention to the low-voltage end of the market now, they may be marginalized in the future. On the other hand, by fully embracing the technology, they expand opportunity, increase revenue, and, some say, take on more interesting work."
HAMILTON, a former vice president of communications for the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, is a freelance writer and artist living in Parkton, Md., and can be reached at email@example.com.


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This week, former "Oprah" producer Janet Lee takes us inside her 720-square-foot NYC apartment. She shows us that you don't need a lot of space to live large (Watch video below). Next, we take a tour of a classic turn of the century home with breathtaking views of the Bay Area (Watch video below). Then, Coldwell Banker chief operating officer Budge Huskey gives us the inside scoop on what baby boomers are looking for these days in the real estate market (Watch video here). Later, we visit a whimsical home in New York City with a pool in the living room--you have to see it to believe it (Watch video above). Finally, designer Steve Somogyi revamps his client's home office in just one day (Watch video below).
Are you following Open House on Twitter and Facebook?
This episode of Open House was hosted from 300 W 14th St, New York, NY. For more information on this property please contact Sheila Lokitz of Prudential Douglas Elliman at 212-891-7172. View the listing.