text:
I posted this on my new Facebook page, but I figured I'd blog it as well. It'll be an ever-growing list of FAQ's. It was fun to do. I hope you dig it.
Monday, February 22, 2010
I posted this on my new Facebook page, but I figured I'd blog it as well. It'll be an ever-growing list of FAQ's. It was fun to do. I hope you dig it.
71 comments:
- Xander Bennett said...
There's some irony in placing the question about overseas distribution next to the question about watching for free.
What's the person in the Ukraine supposed to do? Wait a year or two to watch the latest season, assuming their local stations pick it up at all?
So they have to watch online. But Hulu and the FX site don't work in their country, and maybe they don't want to use iTunes -- taking an ethical stance against Apple software is not uncommon -- or they physically can't install iTunes (as in the case of a Linux user).
So the choice is either A) bittorrent, or B) waiting for the DVD. Or, you know, both. Viewers in the USA get to at least check out a few episodes of the show before paying for a DVD boxed set. Why shouldn't international fans watch online before buying your DVDs?
The point is that torrenting a show is justified in some situations. It's often the only way people in other countries can view your show, and it's probably the reason WHY your international demand is so strong. Pretending that some dude in the Ukraine is going to put your cast and crew out of a job is hyperbolic and misleading.
- Feb 22, 2010, 11:29:00 PM
- Cali said...
Thanks, Kurt! I'd been wondering where the "Redwood" part came from because there are no redwoods in the vicinity of the coordinates given on the website for where Charming is supposed to be.
Can't wait for season three!
- Feb 23, 2010, 2:38:00 AM
- J.B. said...
- Feb 23, 2010, 3:06:00 AM
thank you.
that must have been just itching to be written.
- Feb 23, 2010, 4:18:00 AM
- Anton said...
Thank you, that post rocked.
- Feb 23, 2010, 6:36:00 AM
Great FAQ! Answers a lot of questions that you're probably asked time and again. Especially nice to know how the 'Redwood' tag came to be. (Something tells me that you'll still hear/read the same questions).
It must be annoying to have some writer hack wanna-be hitch his dying star to your meteor by claiming you 'lifted' a character from him. Sheesh! The dude needs to either put up, or shut the duck up. By the way, you do know the meaning of 'expert' don't you? A has been blast of gas. Annoying for a while, but quickly dissipates. Like a nasty fart, Winterhalder's claims will pass. As will the hack writer wanna-be's out there that think it's ok to tear up what they don't like under the guise of 'critism'. Critics tear up because they can't create.
Anyway, enough of that soap box.
Thanks for taking time out of the creative process to share some great information on SOA and the process.
Congrats on the new FB page, too. Notice you do respond to some of the posts, and that's awesome.
Lookin' forward to the box set for S2, is it summer yet?
Thanks for sharin' this info with us!
- Feb 23, 2010, 7:17:00 AM
- njames said...
Thanks for sharing. Can't wait for this show to keep rolling out. You've got me as a lifer in your fan club.
- Feb 23, 2010, 7:55:00 AM
- Unknown said...
#14 and #15 are a bag of hurt for the studios, but also for the (international) fan. I buy stuff I like, I don't mind doing that. Rather I hope to support people who make quality stuff make more of that. If studios don't make things available international there is usually no other resource. I know it's not your business but I end up with a big FU everytime I contact studios about those things, and I think that side of the story should be told too.
- Feb 23, 2010, 8:11:00 AM
- andrea mangiri said...
- Feb 23, 2010, 8:27:00 AM
- Iberostar said...
Great answers! What the heck do people want to send you? That's just too creepy.
FAQ could stand for Fuckin'Answers for Questions.
Lookin' forward to September!
- Feb 23, 2010, 9:02:00 AM
Here's a Q that might be FA...
...besides the 1-9ers, are there any other elements of the "Shield" universe that cross over to "SOA" that you can tell us about?
Are The Horde from "The Shield" a factor in the "SOA" universe? They seem like an appropriate fit.
Thanks for your work.
- Feb 23, 2010, 9:43:00 AM
Great FAQ. As someone trying to break into writing I find the writing process fascinating. I'd be interested in how much depth the backstory for each character there is? I'm sire there's a lot for Gemma, Jax, and Clay but what about someone like Juice?
- Feb 23, 2010, 9:52:00 AM
- Garpu said...
Think it would be funny if you showed some of the weird things people send. Then again that could be more attention than they should get.
- Feb 23, 2010, 9:54:00 AM
- Manos Torgo said...
I find it even more ironic that Xander's comments trying to justify pirating come from a guy who is a writer. Maybe instead of buying Xander's books from Amazon, I can just make photo copies and hand them out to anyone who wants it. Yanno, as an ethical stand against Amazon.com.
I'm sure Xander would have a whole other view on hyperbole then.
Everytime music, software or tv/movie is legally purchased or donwloaded or viewed, someone somewhere can track that and see that X number of people LIKE that work of art, etc. That tells the bigwigs to keep these people employed and supports them. Its like voting with your pocketbook. But if you choose to illegally view or take something, then the bigwigs don't see those numbers and they say "shit, this work isn't popular, let's cancel this show or not renew this contract."
For what it's worth, I don't care much for iTunes, but to get caught up on season 1 of SOA, I downloaded all of season 1 from Amazon and it's worth $2 bucks an episode. That's $2 for an hour of quality entertainment. Beats paying $10 bucks for 2 hours of some shitty Hollywood movie.
- Feb 23, 2010, 10:01:00 AM
On point 14, I have to agree piracy is a tremendous issue particularly outside US. Please purchase the Season DVD. In my case I use iTunes / Apple TV to get and pay for the current season (which is sort of a circumvention of the idiotic distribution schemes).
However once the Season DVD shows up I purchase it, as a matter of fact I purchased both the Blu-Ray and the DVD (for the laptop).
In that sense, the show / actors / producers will be better served if the DVD was available in shorter time.
My 2 cents. Again, thanks for the show.
- Feb 23, 2010, 10:09:00 AM
Hey SutterMan,
Can't believe that you actually had to do a FAQ for the show! Any viewer should already know this stuff. But I do have a bone to pick. You shouldn't piss on Ed. I'm no lawyer, but I occasionally sleep with one. And she think that there's grounds for defamation of character action here with what you said. Winterhalder is no rat; never turned any of his brothers and from where I sit, isn't crying sour grapes about SOA. Didn't you guys settle this shit a few years ago? He's not riding the SOA bandwagon either; he started publishing his books long before SOA hit the airwaves. I watch SOA more out of curiosity but am sorry that our little part of the world is becoming even more mainstream. It's bad enough that accountants and financial planners are wanna-be/weekend warriors and if one more of these pricks call me 'bro', I swear that I'm gonna poke 'em in the nose. Try to keep it a little more MC real in S3 please, otherwise, Wednesday nights will be spent at my favorite strip club laughing at the show rather than enjoying it.
I figure you'll never post this and that's ok. At least you read it.
- Feb 23, 2010, 10:23:00 AM
- jengod said...
Thank you so much for the clarity on SAMCRO v. Sam Crow! Now maybe my commenters will stop being bitches about it when I use Sam Crow instead of SAMCRO. :)
- Feb 23, 2010, 10:40:00 AM
You are so cool. Sometimes I do the community blog over on the web site that FX has up and I have a 'cut and paste' FAQ that I put up over there. This is so much better. Thanks for reminding people that pirating in any form hurts the artists who create more than it hurts any corporation. And, on that note, FX and it's parent FOX maybe seem to be nameless and faceless corporations but they employ a lot of very good people who are just trying to make a living and when you steal corporate profits you are also stealing jobs. Stealing is stealing and when enough people steal just a little bit each, it becomes a lot and hurts all of us who enjoy quality shows like yours. Keep fighting the good fight and reminding all of us to do the right thing, just because it is the right thing. Thanks again.
- Feb 23, 2010, 1:09:00 PM
Gemma's first son? Great show!! Cant wait for season 3!
- Feb 23, 2010, 1:37:00 PM
- Caffiend said...
7. Is Half-Sack really dead?
Fuck, yes.
Goddamnit, no good deed goes unpunished. I need a drink and to go light a candle.
- Feb 23, 2010, 1:37:00 PM
- GB, RN said...
Great post. Especially the Redwood origins. It would be kind of hard to be taken as a serious badass when you have the word "Charming" sewn on your cut.
I do have one question. I don't know if this is something you plan on addressing in future episodes, but we can assume that the sons of members grow up to become members themselves. What becomes of the daughters? Do they grow up to be old ladies, or would the fathers just as well not have them in that lifestyle at all?
- Feb 23, 2010, 2:57:00 PM
- shovelhead said...
Brother Sutter,
Thanks for the info,but to be honest if these people were paying attention all these Q's are answered in your writing.So fuckers put down your chips and salsa stop your SOA viewing party and fucking pay attention dont text your ol'lady call your girlfriend.Clay talked about men sitting around a REDWOOD table.Bobbie told Alverez killing a VP of a mother charter is not a good thing.Hey Jackasses you can watch the lastest episode of most shows on HULU usually 24-48 after it airs and sometimes a week depending on the network.Dont steal shit I'm tired of paying more for shit because fuckhead pirates dont work for their belongings and do shit properly.I may be scooter club trash but my father told me if it ain't yours dont fucking touch it.Watch the show, pay fucking attention a so Kurt does not have to explain shit 3 or 4 times.In my Club the sarge would fine you guys for being fucking stupid
- Feb 23, 2010, 3:46:00 PM
Hi Kurt Sutter i wanted to take the time to say thanks for answering the questions of fans. I do go through the boards where i have limited acsess and see how others view and discuss elements of the show and most of the time the questions you answered are asked! i did read last year that when a character dies on s.o.a. that we can count on they are not coming back,in the reaper crew world ;)i do love searching for info myself to be honest and from my sociological perspective break it all down with a great fan\friend sweetiepiepen who gives me the external viewpoint i always need:)i too have a theory with a photograph from seas 1 and note a correlation with a major character? but i will save that for another time. thank-you kacado (Aussie fan)
- Feb 23, 2010, 3:52:00 PM
Siding with Xander (#1) on this one - I live in Japan and there is no way I'm waiting a year or two to see the latest ep. 'Sides, after watching the two seasons in what must be described as a frenzy, I immediately bought season 1 DVDs as gifts to my sister and my mother-in-law. How is this hurting you? The alternative would have been me not watching it, thus not buying the DVDs as gifts, also thus not spreading the word to all my friends that this is a great show that needs to be seen.
Believe me, I would like nothing more than putting money in the right pocket (yours, the writers, actors etc), and if there was a way for me to watch the show legally with less hassle than downloading it "illegally" I would definitely do it. But the onus is on YOU (meaning "the industry") to make that happen. We live in a globalized world where location simply doesn't matter anymore for media consumption. Get on that train asap.
Anyway, looking forward to season 3 which I undoubtedly will have to get access to by unofficial means unless there's some rethinking done on your ("the industry's") part. I'll most likely end up buying season 2 DVDs as gifts when they come out anyway, so I don't feel bad in the slightest.
- Feb 23, 2010, 5:13:00 PM
By saying "Gemma became pregnant with her first son, Jackson" are you implying that there's another child out there that we may meet? (That would be awesome!!)
Thanks for posting this, I finally gave up trying to figure out when Season 2 was coming out on DVD because I couldn't find the info anywhere!!
- Feb 23, 2010, 6:36:00 PM
Xander Bennett you're my new hero!
I couldn't have said it better.
I'm a litlle disappointed that Inter'l viewers are only regarded as bank robbers putting "artists" out of work!
If not for the good words of mouth by people streaming shows, there would not be any International success ( which apparently you don't give shit about anyway). There is no legal way to watch shows outside the US and personally, if i cannot check it by myself beforehand, i wouldn't spend 50$ on a DVD set - coming out only at least a year after US release-just because some journo said it's good!
This said i love the show & will keep watching it!
Take care
- Feb 24, 2010, 2:17:00 AM
- Denise Shelton said...
Good call about not accepting presents from fans. I met the horror author Clive Barker once and he said some guy once sent him his tatoo with the chunk of skin attached! Even the baddest badass has got to say "ick" to that one!
- Feb 24, 2010, 7:39:00 AM
- Prolo said...
Awesome post and thanks for the insight and bringing it to the blog. My wife and i absolutely love this show, and recently watched season 1 again. Its amazing to see the characters grow like they have. I truly consider myself a SOA disciple and love you giving us more background on the story. I seriously hope you release "The life and death of Sam Crow" for everyone to read!!!! Thanks again for bringing TV back into my life!
- Feb 24, 2010, 8:54:00 AM
- shovelhead said...
People do you really watch the show.Episode one when Jax and Gemma are huffing a hooter in Jax's house they talked about the congenital heart defect that Gemma had repaired hence the scar we see at the opening of every fucking show.Jax in season one epi 13 was standing in front of Thomas Teller's grave marker when Piney handed him the second manuscript of the JT's book.Let's see how many of you noticed the name on the moseleum that Jax passed out on the steps of.It said PATMOS that is the island that apostle the John was exiled to when he had the vision that lead to the writing of the book of revelation.
John Teller is the SOA apostle that wrote the clubs REVEALING.
Hey Kurt the homeless begging lady that Gemma gave a 20 to she
"Abel will help the boys"
and then when Gemma asked her what she said she replied "im able to help my boys."Was that a mess up I dont believe so you writer type guys are always specific in your words.
OKAY PEOPLE fucking pay attention SOA has many layers there is a whole lot more than bikes, babes and bullets.I double posted this comment I forgot to sign in so people know who I am
- Feb 24, 2010, 2:08:00 PM
@ dozenroses13 said...
By saying "Gemma became pregnant with her first son, Jackson" are you implying that there's another child out there that we may meet?
I believe that Kurt emphasizes first son so that we don't think that they arrived in Charming when Gemma was pregnant with her 2nd Tommy who was 6 years younger than Jax.
- Feb 24, 2010, 3:16:00 PM
- schmut said...
+1 on Xander's & Eric's comments.
The show didn't air over here and without the some beloved piracy, we would never have heard of the show let alone watched it. Without piracy we wouldn't have purchased the DVD and we wouldn't have gotten our friends hooked on the show either. My guess is they wouldn't have gotten their darn DVDs either and without that, no domino-effect.
I know everything is about the States, rating, sales and having a better deal than your neighbor, but that doesn't mean there aren't countries on the other side of the puddle. Think about the big picture. Don't be all Lily Allen post-Myspace.
- Feb 24, 2010, 4:13:00 PM
- Unknown said...
Fuck yeah!!!
- Feb 24, 2010, 9:41:00 PM
Thanks, i can wait for third season. You deserve for the best drama show quality of tv.
- Feb 25, 2010, 3:21:00 AM
You now need to add that Jax is Gemma's first born son and that you have no idea what Conan is doing or if you will film in Ireland to your FAQ's. I swear I don't know how you can do it. My kids drive me crazy asking the same questions over and over, I can only imagine after 2 years how frustrating it must get, but it is done out of love for your work so I guess you grin and bear it. Rabbid fandom does have its downfalls.
Anyway I have asked you several times on your FB page if you would publish John Teller's manual so we could have some backstory/canon for SOA. I am sure you are intentionally sketchy with chronology and details, but I think it would be a great read. There is even a special paper my daughter used that you can burn the edges around for the charred look of the original. Just a thought. Take care and God Bless
- Feb 25, 2010, 6:03:00 AM
- Outsider said...
But they could've been called the Princes of Charming Chapter.....fail.
- Feb 25, 2010, 11:19:00 AM
- mikonos said...
Connie...it's a TV show, not a documentary, John Teller's manual is a stage prop.
- Feb 25, 2010, 6:35:00 PM
- Adri said...
A couple short comments:
#7 Half-Sack's death was a blow. In an episode that had so much happening, we almost didn't have a chance to mourn him. It was like "oh shit, he's dead!" followed by an "oh fuck, no way!" about the very next scene. It wasn't until after the credits I stopped and said to the girlfriend, "woah, I just realized, Sack's dead!"
#11 - well, fucking, said.
#13 - Ah, 13. The "director's take" of it. I thought it was 13 episodes because of the biker influence... 13th letter, M, for Motorcycle... common tattoo and all that. Anyway, I don't think the seasons are too short, or too long, they're great, we just want more of them! (how dare you rest haha)
Still here waiting to see what'll happen next on "our show",
Adrian and Ashley from Canada.
PS: The story line is far from predictable, but it's not rocket science to follow either. All the answers and plenty of clues to questions we still haven't asked are in the episodes somewhere. "What is SAMCRO? What is Sam Crow?" - People really couldn't figure it out? Damn!
- Feb 25, 2010, 9:49:00 PM
I know it is a stage prop. There are many television shows which publish short stories based on their shows. It is a common practice of Joss Whedon. You might have heard of him.
Condescension does not equal intelligence. It has never made any sense to me why fans who share the same love of a show would be so rude and disrespectful to each other for no reason other than to feel good about themselves. Have a lovely evening.
- Feb 26, 2010, 3:27:00 PM
Thank you Xander for that post. Additional info - i-tunes does not offer tv-shows in certain countries, neither does amazon. And if you live outside region 1 you'll have to make sure to get a region-free DVD player and then buy over-priced imports. That's asking a lot if you've never had the opportunity to watch a show. And not ever tv-station is keen on getting new US-shows unless there's a certain buzz surrounding them already. So yes, a big part of the international demand you're boasting about is caused by word-of-mouth by the very same people you accuse of destroying your job.
- Feb 27, 2010, 2:05:00 AM
- mikonos said...
A) Sorry to offend you. I did not mean to be rude or disrespectful. The post read kinda wierd, wasn't sure about the daughter charred paper thing so I assumed you really did not understand it was a stage prop.
B) Sometimes I like the show, sometimes I love the show, sometimes I hate the show, and sometimes I'm indifferent...I have watched all episodes
C) My sense is the blog needs a little balance. The posts all seem a bit similar "Kurt your so wonderful, Katy is so great, the show is awesome, anyone that has any other opinion is an idiot"
D) I don't like groupthink and I get itchy when everyone agrees, sorry.
- Feb 27, 2010, 2:53:00 PM
- Outsider said...
I see Jeff Zucker's network is bringing out some bilge called "The Marriage Ref".....it looks like the penultimate forced laughter show...with
big name dinosaurs doing color commentary....
He is definitely killing the Peacock worse than
Sarah Palin's Thanksgiving Backdrop Turkey Plucker
- Feb 27, 2010, 6:33:00 PM
The issue of illegal copying, pirarcy or whatever you want to call it is a loaded one, sorry to say, and has been that way since the first person copies over the shoulder of the person sitting next to him/her. It will continue to be a touchy subject.
To those of you who have posted defenses for copying, I feel a need to say this: Mr. Sutter was replying to a question that is frequently asked of him. The man was/is callin' it like he sees it. That's his right. SOA and The Shield are creations he has given a lot of time and effort to create. Wouldn't you feel the same way if someone copied something you put a lot of work into and sold it for their own gain?
That's the point I believe Mr. Sutter was making. It's how he feels. Agree or disagree with him, that's your right. More than likely, he is aware of the difficulties fans in foreign countries have in getting access to first run episodes as well as DVD box sets. If it were possible for him to do so, he'd probably move heaven and earth to enable all fans all over the world to have access.
Alas, though the world wide web has made the distances between countries less of an issue, there are still gaps that can be insurmountable. The unfortunate fact is access to SOA and other American shows can still be limited for reasons other than access. All y'all know your situation better than I do.
Mr. Sutter certainly wasn't intended to alienate anyone by his FAQ response. He seems to be the type of person who appreciates his fans. If he didn't, there wouldn't be this blog site, Twitter and Facebook pages were he posts information and responses to his fans!
Though it may be only one post to us, he takes the time to read and often responds to posts on those pages. That is time that comes from his creative process, time with his friends and family, and time for himself. There's not a lot of people who do that for the fan base.
It's time to move on from the copying question. Mr. Sutter, thanks for keepin' it real, even when it's not the popular thing to do. You were asked, you answered. I respect your opinion.
If that makes me a brown noser, Hell, I've been called worse.
- Feb 28, 2010, 12:21:00 PM
Hi Kurt,
All I can say is SOA is an EXCELLENT show. I haven't been so obsessed about characters in a really long time. Thanks for the great writing and casting. Looks like it would be fun to go to work everyday. Looking forward to Season 3!
- Mar 2, 2010, 2:50:00 PM
Bro, I love the show. I'm completely addicted to it. I went on to the site and ordered a shirt for myself and one for my girlfriend. I didn't go to zazzle or one of the other sites offering unofficial SAMCRO stuff. I gotta say though, I'm completely pissed. The shirt's lettering isn't even straight, the cap I ordered came completely bent out of shape. Clearly this is not your fault, I just wanted you to know the crap they are sending out as 'official' SAMCRO merchandise.
- Mar 2, 2010, 4:43:00 PM
- Jonny Stranger said...
I was thinking of making a Texas Chapter fan video, but I will refrain in order to respect your copyright.
- Mar 2, 2010, 9:25:00 PM
- Unknown said...
Great thanks for the clarification,bring on season 3...but please, just one thing, go easy on Auto this time :-)
- Mar 3, 2010, 6:59:00 AM
I agree, partially.
After downloading ,watching and enjoyin the show for free from other regions,"as a preview", then you must definitely support the show, buying DVD or turning your TV on or whatever, once it becomes available in those country. That's just a couple of suggestions among others....thought a decent compromise would help!
..if the show is regularly airing in your country, you have access to all the options to watch it legally, and you regardless decide to go for free,...yeah fuck, that's stealing!
my 2 cents.
Viva Sam Crow!!!
- Mar 3, 2010, 10:25:00 AM
Hi... I was wondering if there's a way of going about getting the series Bible or the one page pitch document for Sons Of Anarchy. It's definitely one of my favourite shows, and since I'm going to be pitching shows to networks (hopefully) in the near future, I'd love to see how SOA was sold.
- Mar 3, 2010, 10:39:00 AM
I have to do a monologue in school, and i really want to do one from sons of anarchy. I need a 1 minute monologue, and i wanted it to be from tara, please help. I've been searching for monologues on SOA for a while.
- Mar 3, 2010, 2:39:00 PM
- mikonos said...
Kurt, I been bustin' your balls a bit on Twitter about working on your bike. But you latest twit bothered me a lot. I suggest you don't publish this but you are worrying me. I've seen several dozen middle career guys fuck up their lives in the motorcycle business INCLUDING myself. I acted like a complete asshole when I was the head of Von Dutch Kustom Cycles when it was one of the hottest brands out there. I've seen countless guys at middle age get into the business of custom bikes...which brings along with it clubs. An every one of them, to the man, is broken and out of the business. These guys have there own sub culture that has admirable qualities but do not believe for a minute you are one of them and don't throw away your career on this. The cunt comment was over the top, careful dude, you can't make that many enemies! If things go South you are making your bed. Trust me, none of the posters here will "have your back" when things go awry. I almost ruined my relationship with my father, calling him a "corporate criminal" when I thought the bike culture was my life. I could be wrong, you have had way greater success with me in this endeavor, I just think you need to moderate this a bit. It's good to be the King, don't let it go to your head.
- Mar 3, 2010, 6:42:00 PM
I ditched work this morning and sadistically braved Woodland Hills-to-Fairfax traffic with only half a pack of cigarettes to read your SOA pilot at the WGA library. My boss called and the ringing pissed everyone off in the library. And why must I stow my computer bag in a locker when they have my driver's license? But shit, I WOULD have stolen that script. I don't mean to lube the ole' Sutter wang, but I loved everything about that pilot. It was unpretentious yet completely precise. The characters drew me in immediately and there was a subtly to their development that was still completely accessible and yet made me feel somehow smart for getting it. The Lowell Apartment scene had so many layers to it and yet it didn't feel crowded. I loved the world you set up very clearly and specifically (with not a lot of words, by the way – hating you jealously for that) in the information pages before page 1. The prose was like a scalpel: (forgive me for misquoting you, I'm going off memory here) "Handsome, in a broken Cowboy sort of way," and the Gemma description. And how the hell do you use the word "fuck" so damn descriptively?! A show-creating Johnny fucking Cash (see I can't do it justice, but you've got me trying).
Thank you so much for your show. It's inspiring that a show like SOA exists.
- Mar 3, 2010, 11:29:00 PM
- MNBeans said...
Its funny so many people out there trying to give you advice on the biker lifestyle when they don't know what the fuck they are even talking about. Believe me the "outlaws" that are working with Kurt have his back, they are not going to let anything happen. WHY...because FINALLY they have an outlet for the fucking TRUTH. This is the life baby, ride hard and fast and die free. For all of you out there with a opinion, you can love the show and the characters, but unless you have lived this life like I have since I was 9 years old, you don't have a clue about being a real outlaw and I won't explain it to you because you wouldn't understand. The stereotype put on our outlaw lifestyle is changing, but this life is not for the faint of heart. You gotta go heavy or go home...Thats how we do it in Minnesota. Oh and we don't tolerate rats..here that Matter!
- Mar 5, 2010, 1:37:00 PM
Kurt, is it possible kenny Johnson is likely to make a reappearance? I'm beyond a massive fan of his work in the shield and would love to see him in another full time role!
- Mar 6, 2010, 5:23:00 AM
- DIRTBIKE.COWBOY said...
Hi Kurt,
I actually found the show by accident while channel surfing in some hotel room somewhere. That was episode 1.4
I wanted to catch the first 3 in reruns. I actually watched all 13 and then season 2 after that. Now I'm hooked. Can't wait for season 3.
Great writing, casting and the attention to the little details that make this whole story come together and play very well.
- Mar 6, 2010, 1:44:00 PM
Dear MNBeans, the "Outlaws" are a diverse group of clubs and individuals within those clubs. Do you really think the have Kurt Sutter's back? He's not a patch holder in any club to my knowledge. Groups of people that have such animosity for each other to the point of killing each other all come together to protect a Hollywood producer?
If you are correct Mr. Sutter needs to go to the Middle East as a special envoy. He can straighten up that area of the world.
- Mar 9, 2010, 12:05:00 PM
Just an idea for Merch. I am unlikely ever to buy anything with Sons of Anarchy on it, or that looks like an MC club patch/logo. But I would buy some more subtle stuff: maybe an "Unser Trucking" T shirt or cap or workshirt, or a "Welcome to Charming" Tourist T shirt, stuff like that: kind of expand on the TM workshirt idea.
- Mar 9, 2010, 3:13:00 PM
- michele said...
Thanks for all the Q and A!
- Mar 9, 2010, 6:45:00 PM
i just read kenny johnson is returning for a 6 episode part in the show!
you are a beautiful man!
- Mar 9, 2010, 9:55:00 PM
- Aaliyah said...
This was a not only funny, but interesting. Thanks for keeping us on our toes.
- Mar 10, 2010, 9:24:00 AM
- Liz said...
Was a sunday morning
the boys were still drunk
theyd pulled an all nighter
stead of hitting the bunk
The pornstars
were in full force
to Tigs endless glee
Yo,Juice back off
he said menacingly
keep your hands off that merchandise
them bitches are for me
And Juice in his ire
wanting to lash
said to hell with you tigger
keep your hands off my stash
Those brownies you love
and the shrooms and the weed
im not gonna share
oh hell no indeed
While they were going rounds
over pharm vs hole
Chibs and Bobby were ogling the hooker
working the stripper pole
How the hell does she do that
said Chibs with a grin
not sure said Bobby
as she gave another spin
the stripper smiled at the guys and said my name is Blynn,who's going first? well how about rps to see who would win.
In a mad dash.........they ran to her side
Each hoping to be the first to take the WILD RIDE!
As they landed beside her, all in a pile...
She hitched up her G-String and said
This could take a while!
someone get me a phone so I can call a few friends,cause if not, after awhile you all just start to blend
So Half Sack sraggered to the bar and grabbed up the phone......
And came back running to the END ZONE
- Mar 10, 2010, 10:41:00 AM
- therealzenobia said...
Finally, word about Goggins on Justified: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/03/10/1801000/justified-is-just-about-perfect.html
- Mar 11, 2010, 12:39:00 PM
Glad to hear that Kenny Johnson is coming back, but I still don't git the tension between his character and the Tacoma chapter and Tig!
What up with that? ANybody?
- Mar 11, 2010, 1:27:00 PM
I don't know if you have been asked this but are you aware of the South Park Episode in which Harley Riders are referred to as "fags"? I love South Park and found this particular show quite humorous. I also love Sons of Anarchy and can appreciate both perspectives. What are your feelings on the episode?
- Mar 11, 2010, 4:52:00 PM
Is Auto ever gonna get out of prison?
- Mar 13, 2010, 4:55:00 AM
- CaptainChet said...
I think even though SAMCRO is a fictional MC, it deserves to be shown the same respect as any other MC club and by purchasing anything that even resembles patch of the club would be not only disrespectful to SAMCRO, other MC clubs might also not take too kindly to seeing someone wearing a patch they didn't earn.
Now offering a line of support stuff, that might be a great idea.
- Mar 13, 2010, 6:06:00 PM
O.K. my wife and I are anxiously awaiting an explanaition of to the scar on Katies chest.
- Mar 13, 2010, 6:15:00 PM
Hey Kurt:
This is the reason why your blog is in my opinion the best blog out on the internet. I'm glad to hear that you are updating the merchandise on the FX's website, because there isn't much selection on there. I live in Canada, which means I wear a sweatshirt 8 months out of the year, and the sweatshirts on the website don't have such great designs. I would like to support FX over some random shirt manufacturer on the internet, but if you take a look at some other websites designs, they look a lot more appealing then just "samcro" across the front of the sweatshirt.
Besides all that, the show is definitely in my top 5 shows of all time, and I can't tell you how many people in my area watch this show now because of me. Keep up the good work.
- Mar 15, 2010, 11:09:00 PM
- Unknown said...
First of all, I do not agree Xander. I used to download movies all the time. I used to pirate. I used to watch them for free. Somehow I lost my way, I chose greed. Now I choose quality. I found some stories I wrote in high school and realized that when a movie is made, it is someone's baby. Everything that is ever created is a vision of something good by the writer, director, producer. Is that one person in the Ukraine going to derail the whole show? No. But you did what many people do, take it too literally and miss the whole fucking point. See, you're the guy who is trying to flip the story because you probably have done the same thing and are now trying to justify it. There is never a justification. Just because you are not directly stealing, doesn't mean a theft does not occur. The simple fact is this, one day, far from now, you'll have to answer for all the things you have done. What's better is if you take some time to reflect on the decisions you have made and where it has taken you and how you got to where you are. It's the only way to grow. To try and become a better person, shit you might not make it, most of us don't. I'm not. But I try. I use Hulu, last I heard it works pretty well. Justify it any way you want, pony up the dough, or better yet, do some original thinking on your own, work your fingers to the bone writing and rewriting, pitch it, pour your heart and fucking soul into a project so much, and then find out that some people are ripping it off. Is it Kurt's fault? Does he negotiate the international distribution rights? No. Did you have nothing better to do then be an asshole for the 6 minutes it took you to write that post? yes. But hey, G#D Bless America, you have the right to say that here, or better yet, head off to the remote village in the Ukraine so that you can continue to stick up for the plight of poor Europeans. Either way, your ignorance is just fodder. I know this was supposed to be a good thing, but I can't stand to listen to people with too much free fucking time on their hands. Which means I just became one just in opposition of what he said. Pay for it. Simple as that.
- Mar 18, 2010, 2:57:00 AM
Great fucking show. Why are there rumors that it's cancelled? Please don't let it be true. S.O.A is so fucking gripping man, such great writing, and what a cliffhanger at the end of season 2! I was jumping out of my skin man. We need a third season!
- Mar 27, 2010, 7:19:00 PM
Stuck in Afghanistan and can't get on the internet to watch the episodes, because of this war and shit.
Any chance I could get a DVD? Has season three started? This place sux...you all should do a USO Tour here and enjoy the hell with us!
- Apr 10, 2010, 11:44:00 PM
- Firedowsr said...
what happened to the junkie bitch mother of Jax's son. It is the only question I can't answer for my cage driving friends who don't really get it.
- Mar 31, 2011, 10:42:00 PM


text:
Steve Mason | 12/04/11
Steve Mason releases new single, All Come Down, through Double Six on Monday May 2nd 2011. The stunning single is one of the stand-out tracks from his much-applauded solo album, Boys Outside, which was released last year and subsequently featured in many end of year 'best ofs' including Q, Mojo and NME. The 10-track album was produced by Richard X and Steve Mason.
You can watch the beautiful new video for 'All Come Down' here, directed by James Gardner
Friends Hervé and Justin Robertson have also leant a hand at remixing the track, Herve with a beautiful ghost house remix of the song, and then Justin with a more dub styled house remix.
Steve Mason - All Come Down Remixes by DominoRecordCo
Steve is currently on a UK headline tour, where he is playing some of his biggest shows to date. Full list of Steve's forthcoming live dates are as follows:
April 12th Manchester The Deaf Institute
April 13th London Scala
April 15th Belfast The Spring and Airbrake
April 16th Dublin Record Store Day Instore, Tower (acoustic)
April 16th Dublin The Button Factory
April 17th Galway Roisin Dubh
May 17th Brighton Komedia
May 19th Liverpool Masque Theatre
July 16th Sweden Hultsfred Festival
Steve is currently in the studio with the legendary producer / musician Dennis Bovell working on a 'dub version' of the Boys Outside album. One of the leading lights of U.K. reggae, Bovell gained renown with his own group, Matumbi and also worked with the likes of Linton Kwesi Johnson, I-Roy, Janet Kay. He also produced a wide diversity of bands including The Pop Group, Orange Juice and The Slits. The album is nearing completion and release plans will be announced shortly.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
3 Cheese - Vegetable Loaded Quesadillas
12 comments:
Mari - Wish I could just reach in and grab those for lunch!ReplyDelete
Love the dishes!!!
Oh man do those look good. I will definitely have to try those.ReplyDelete
I like the idea of putting the cheese on the outside of the tortilla. These look just delicious!ReplyDelete
Yes, cheese on the outside sounds wonderful!ReplyDelete
I really like the idea of the crunchy cheese on the outside too! These look so good to me right now :-)ReplyDelete
Wow - the presentation is just beautiful :) Makes me hungry even though I know I surely am not!!ReplyDelete
These look so yummy! Love the way the cheese looks on the outside. Fabulous idea.ReplyDelete
You've moved tortillas up to a completely new level, Mari.ReplyDelete
This is a perfect quick, tasty meal.
Oh boy...my guys will love this take on one of their favorite things...ReplyDelete
Thanks so much! This will be lunch this week one day...they both have mid-terms and will be home for lunch every day!
L xoxox
Those look wonderful, Mari! I wish I could have a bite right now.ReplyDelete
just love quesadillas!ReplyDelete
I made them and they are delish but do u have any tips on turning them without dropping out all the filling?!ReplyDelete
Thank u soo much!


text:
Zoltar Teal/White
This variant is currently sold out.
Our boards are designed and printed here in the UK with no compromise on quality. Karma decks are Pro quality, made with 100% North American hard rock maple cold pressed. Look for the quality Z laser logo mark.
With Karma Custom you can have any graphic at any width. Just select your desired width from the drop down and complete your order. The board will then be printed especially for you to your specification.
We always encourage you to support your local skate shop so please check our stockists list to see if you have one in your area before ordering from our online store. If we have missed your local skate shop or if your shop doesn't stock Karma Skateboards, please let us know.


text:
President Brian Matthews
Vice President Frank Tuma
Secretary Eoin McCann
Treasurer Paul Salvato
Sergeant at Arms Jason Spencer
THE MONTAUK FRIENDS OF ERIN was founded in 1962 as a civic and social organization. Their main purpose was to organize and raise funds for a St. Patrick's Day Parade that would bring the dreary winter to an end, and welcome spring with a joyous and festive Irish celebration. The Original 12 members would be very happy to see how their idea has prospered over the 40 plus years. It has been estimated that 40,000 spectators and supporters attend this annual event. The Parade is still our main goal, and the Friends have expanded their fundraising to meet the ever-escalating cost of putting on such an exciting event. We have also broadened our purpose to include scholarships for our outstanding students along with sponsoring little league activities for boys and girls and the organizations that we support or have supported in the past are:
This Parade is a community effort and could not be as successful without the support of the Town of East Hampton, Town Police, Montauk Fire Department, the Chamber of Commerce, and the entire business community along with all the volunteers who join in to complete the team.
But most of all we need you and your financial support. There are many costs in hosting a parade including: bands, reviewing stand, insurance, parade clean-up, etc...with the exception of the above mentioned support, all monies to pay for the parade come from individual contributions and Friends of Erin sponsored fundraisers.
Tax deductible contributions can be made by contacting the:


text:
TheServerSide got a chance to talk to hit up Jonathan Lindo of Replay Solutions about being an exhibitor at JavaOne, and what JavaOne attendees can do to get the most out of JavaOne and OracleWorld 2010.
Is this your first time at JavaOne?
This is our second appearance. We're anxious to see how the new format plays out.
Are you presenting or running an exhibit?
This year we have a booth on the Expo floor, and we're excited to be running private demo presentations for folks throughout the event.
Why should someone visit you?
Anyone who works for a company building Java EE applications owes it to themselves to see how the latest Java virtualization technology can save their bacon when things go wrong and the datacenter is on fire, or your customers are down. We solve these problems and will be showing Java recording technology that has never been seen before.
What have you been looking forward to the most?
Connecting with our great customers and seeing old friends. Also seeing some of the new innovations in our space.
Any advice for first timers at JavaOne?
Don't miss the keynotes. They're early, but usually well worth it. Also make sure to jump into a BOF or two. Some of the best info is shared here, and it might be the best hour you spend at the show.
Any advice for people returning to JavaOne?
Remember it's now at the Hilton near Union Square this year, not the Moscone center!
Where's the most fun to be had at JavaOne?
Probably Treasure Island for the Oracle Appreciation Event this year... C'mon, it's the Black Eyed Peas!
Any advice to people visiting San Fran for the first time?
The quintessential San Francisco experience must include the Golden Gate bridge. I recommend you head down to Pier 39 Fisherman's Wharf and rent a bike. You can cycle across the bridge, ride down to Sausalito, enjoy a drink on the water, then jump on a ferry back to Pier 39 with your bike past Alcatraz. It's brilliant.
Jonathan Lindo is co-founder and CEO of Replay Solutions, and is passionate about improving the way software is built and delivered. His research has resulted in numerous patent filings for technologies including high performance networking, application virtualization, and the record/replay of computer programs.
Jonathan is a frequent speaker on software lifecycle best practices and enjoys engaging audiences to uncover new ideas around using technology to improve the lives of software teams. Before being pulled into the software industry, Jonathan studied Electrical Engineering at Carleton University. He has over 15 years experience as an engineer and entrepreneur with companies which include Nortel Networks (NT), Milkyway Networks (MWAY), and Muse Corporation.


text:
Ipswich, Suffolk
Job type:
Up to £35000 per annum + Excellent Benefit Package and Bonus Scheme
Elizabeth Harris
Contact email:
Job ref:
12 months ago
Expiry date:
Job Type: Full-time
Location: Ipswich
Salary: £35,000.00 /year
Are you a highly motivated Experienced Nurse (RGN, RMN, and RNLD), Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists or Paramedic looking to develop new skills to complement your existing clinical knowledge?
We have an excellent opportunity for registered Nurses (RGN, RMN, RNLD), Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists (OTs) and Paramedics who want to expand their career and qualify as a Disability Analyst. You will be rewarded with a fantastic benefit package, with no weekend work required.
This is a permanent position working for a private organisation that specialises in disability analysis on behalf of the DWP.
You will receive comprehensive training as part of an induction and receive ongoing peer support from a range of health professionals.
We will consider applications from all nursing levels; however the minimum requirement is 18 months post graduate experience. The ideal candidate will have an agile mind for learning and developing, as well as excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively with the general public.
Role overview:
- Conducting thorough and consultative verbal assessments with people who are living with a long term health condition and/or disabilities
- Once accredited, following training you will work in the community conducting home visits as well as in the local assessment centres
- Ensuring that your part in the assessment process is positive, dignified and professional
- produce excellent written reports on the conditions presented to help the Department for Work and Pensions to make an informed decision around an individual's entitlement to the benefit
We are advertising health and disability assessment jobs for the below specialities:
- NMC Registered Nurses (RGN, RMN or RNLD)
- HCPC Registered Physiotherapist
- HCPC Registered Occupational Therapist (OT)
- HCPC Registered Paramedic
- Government legislation requires at least two years 'post qualification work experience to be able to start in the role.
- Roles outside of London require a driving licence home visits are a requirement in all roles
- 25 days' annual leave, with the option to buy 10 and sell up to 5 days
- Employer-matched pension scheme, up to 10%
- Life assurance, private medical insurance and medical indemnity insurance
- Reimbursement of your annual NMC/HCPC registration fee
- Health screening every 2 years after 1 year's service
- Thorough in-house and professional training and development, well over the required CPD hours to revalidate and maintain your professional registration
- Flexible benefits tailored to your needs - travel or dental insurance, child care vouchers, cycle to work scheme and more.
Disability Assessordiscussion to find out further details, please apply to this advert. Alternatively email your CV to eharris @ meridianbs .co .uk. You can also contact Liz Harris at Meridian Business Support 0 7 4 6 4 5 4 2 0 1 5 / 0 1 5 1 5 5 6 2 0 9 0
Meridian Business Support is acting on behalf of our Client as a Recruitment Agency.


text:
by Dr. George W. Collins
Air University Review
September-October 1980
THE close, cordial Western European-American relationship of the first decade following the Second World War has been shattered by economic crises and by the changed nature of America's foreign policy. From Charles de Gaulle to Helmut Schmidt, Western European leaders repeatedly glance eastward as they appraise their prospects for security and independence in the light of Soviet-American relations and the U.S. commitment to Europe. For the NATO partners, security is more than a matter of a SALT II agreement, and assessments of the present and future thrust of Soviet policy must continually be reevaluated.
Walter C. Clemens, Jr., assesses probable Soviet foreign policy in The U.S.S.R. and Global Interdependence.* A political science professor at Boston University and an associate at Harvard's Russian Research Center, Clemens has published a number of works on Soviet affairs. To those who have a doomsday vision of the ultimate aspirations of the Soviets and thus look askance at any agreement that does not provide for a clear-cut American strategic superiority, Clemens suggests that there is hope for a more favorable relationship. He sees a "world of escalating interdependencies" in which Soviet interests will not best be served by the hermetic policies traditionally followed to preserve the state internal system. Moreover, Clemens denies that a more cooperative policy would be counter to Communist ideology as Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels themselves, in the Communist Manifesto, preached of the "universal interdependence of nations." (p, 1)
*Walter C. Clemens, Jr., The U.S.S.R. and Global Interdependence: Alternative Futures (Washington: American Enterprise Institute, 1978, $3.25), 113 pages.
Despite the fact that the U.S.S.R is the least vulnerable major power in terms of the adequacy of natural resources, Clemens points out a number of problems facing the Soviets. No other nation is so ringed with hostile or restive neighbors nor does any have a demographic situation similar to that of the Soviets, who fear that someday the non-Slavic peoples will demand a dominant role commensurate with their numbers. Clemens also predicts finite limits to Soviet economic growth due to an inadequate agricultural system, labor shortages, and a declining rate of capital productivity.
To evaluate the probable nature of future Soviet foreign policy, Professor Clemens concentrates on four tendencies that have prevailed: détente and trade, globalism, forward strategy, and autarky. The nature of detente and trade and of autarky is evident; what he defines as globalism is a cooperative international policy in regard to environmental, economic, and other problems, and as forward strategy is the attempt to establish hegemony over the Third World. He traces the roots of Soviet policy disagreement back to earlier controversies between Russian "westernizers" and "slavophiles" and notes that unanimity still is lacking. Nevertheless, Soviet leaders since Khrushchev have staked their careers on accommodation with the West. That policy has been a calculated risk which must be monitored carefully if "the potentially contaminating effects of increased contact with the West within the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe" are to be properly limited. (p. 56)
Professor Clemens admits that speculation on future Soviet policy is risky, as much depends on the next generation of Soviet leadership. He anticipates that a mixed policy featuring elements of the four prevalent tendencies will most likely prevail. He also recommends a policy of detente and trade as mutually beneficial for both the U.S. and U.S.S.R.
LIKE Clemens, Geoffrey Williams is convinced that the Soviets are sincere Marxists, but while the former was optimistic about Soviet policy the latter remains a traditional cold warrior. Williams believes that the creation of NATO came as the "direct and inevitable result of Stalin's hostile marxist conditioned foreign policy," and that the crux of the East-West confrontation is that Soviet offensive power "has remained throughout a menacing feature of European politics." It is from that perspective that Williams, in The Permanent Alliance,* examines the "origins, development, decline, and possible future" of Western European-American relations since the Second World War. The problem for the West is how to cope with the Soviet threat; the solution is in a more organic Western European-American relationship than NATO. Williams is a senior lecturer in international politics at Portsmouth Polytechnic in Great Britain, and his research for the book was supported with a NATO fellowship.
*Geoffrey Williams, The Permanent Alliance: The European-American Partnership, 1945-1984 (Leyden: A. W. Sijthoff, 1977, $37.00), 407 pages.
On the issue of American participation in European affairs since 1945, Williams credits the British government for drawing the United States "toward the reality of an alliance" when it agreed to permit American atomic bombers to be based in Britain in the late 1940s. However, he sees in the Korean War "the real beginning of the western alliance system" because it led to the general rearming of Europe.
By the mid-1950s the cohesion of the European-American alliance began to deteriorate. The change began with the accommodation reached by the U. S. and the U.S.S.R once they reached a strategic stalemate. That accommodation was symbolized by the 1955 Geneva Summit Conference, which heralded the beginning of the doctrine of coexistence. In addition, both nations worried about nuclear proliferation and grew suspicious of their allies' politics. Later, the American unilateral action in the 1962 Cuban missile crisis convinced many Europeans that in America's pursuit of her own special interests those of her allies "were apt to be relegated or even sacrificed." A more recent factor in the European-American estrangement when Williams wrote was the Nixon Doctrine, which he regards as a shift from the activist policy of Kennedy and Johnson toward "a pragmatic adjustment of interests. "
As a result of these developments, Williams states that if Europe is to survive it must assert its own will and resolve the dilemma posed by the "antithesis between the idea of Atlantic unity and European integration." Although he agrees that the Soviet threat to Europe has "almost certainly diminished," he considers the European-American partnership, including the commitment of America's nuclear deterrence, to be essential. That relationship should be sealed in a permanent alliance for which he suggests three possibilities: the present functional approach based primarily on military commitments; a political partnership of the United States and the European Economic Community (EEC); or an Atlantic Federal Union. Williams opts for the third choice, but he insists that if it is to be achieved, Europe must take the initiative. He admits that European integration will not occur for some time but is optimistic that EEC is a real beginning and that if proposals for a federal union are formulated quickly the institutional structure could be agreed upon before President Carter leaves office (which Williams believes will be in 1984).
Should the European-American alliance fail to materialize, Williams warns that Western Europe may slip into a subservience to the Soviet Union that, despite American efforts to prevent it, eventually would lead to Soviet world domination.
THE Clemens and Williams books present both historical summarization and speculation of certain critical international issues. But is it possible to be more precise in evaluating such matters, and is there a general theory of international relations that can be applied? These are some of the questions addressed in Glenn Snyder and Paul Diesing's Conflict among Nations.* The book is the result of a joint project conceived and directed by Snyder for the Center for International Conflict Studies, State University of New York at Buffalo, with support from the National Science Foundation and the Naval War College. Professors Snyder and Diesing separately wrote the chapters after each contributed to the other's drafts. They agree that unfortunately there is no adequate general theory of international relations and, therefore, analysts are forced to cope with fragmented conceptions of issues. While the authors recognize that their study does not solve the problem, they hope it will serve "as a theory of crisis behavior and as a contribution to the theory of international conflict or international politics generally." (p. 3)
*Glenn H. Snyder and Paul Diesing, Conflict among Nations: Bargaining, Decision Making, and System Structure in International Crises (Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1977, $32.50 hardback, $9.50 paperback), 578 pages.
The authors explain their conception of international relations and the role of bargaining as follows:
Conflict is central to all politics, especially international politics, and crises are conflict episodes par excellence. Lying as they do at the nexus between peace and war, crises reveal most clearly and intensely the distinguishing characteristic of international politics and the logical starting point for theorizing about it: the pervasive expectation of potential war. , . . (p. 3)
In these interactions between states, bargaining is basic and results in either war, capitulation, or compromise. A modern problem however, is that although war historically served as a "mechanism for change and for resisting change," it is not plausible for nuclear powers who are limited to the use of "psychological force" in conflicts between themselves. Therefore, say Snyder and Diesing, to allow themselves more room for maneuver, the U.S. and the U.S.S.R have carefully managed confrontation so as to avoid loss of control while simultaneously allowing the "provocation threshold" to rise.
Those who advocate unilateral disarmament as the best prescription for peace may be disquieted by the findings of these scholars. In the cases they examined for this book (dating from the 1898 Fashoda crisis to the Soviet-American confrontation during the 1973 Arab-Israeli War), the bearing of military strength upon the outcome repeatedly was demonstrated. And Snyder and Diesing note that the Soviet buildup since the Cuban missile crisis indicates that Soviet leaders see political advantage in military strength.
The heart of the discussion in Conflict among Nations is about game and decision-making theory. The writers found most useful for analysis of the structure of international bargaining situations the 2 X 2 game and the "supergame" (which links sets of 2 X 2 games). For analyzing the decision-making process, they favor the "bounded rationality" theory in which the players "search for an acceptable, not a best strategy." In order to obtain a complete picture of crisis resolution, the structure of the bargaining situation and the decision-making process must be interrelated, but as previously noted, no existing model sufficiently incorporates all the variables. And for those skeptics of systemic analysis who prefer historical analogy, Snyder and Diesing have a rejoinder:
History is not only more complex than chess or geometry, it is qualitatively different in that it never repeats itself. The use of historical analogy to deduce mechanically a proposed strategy is always irrational insofar as it obscures the new features of the present bargaining problem. Consequently those statesmen who reason deductively from historical analogies. . . [reason] irrational[y], while those who try to deal with a crisis in its own terms are more likely to be rational. (p. 371)
The authors conclude that what is needed is a model incorporating "various cognitive processes--search, information processing, building up and revising subjective estimates of the bargaining situation, constructing and revising strategies." (p. 182)
POLITICS and Markets by Lindblom, Sterling Professor of and Political Science at Yale, is unlike the other books reviewed.* Whereas they primarily address international issues, Lindblom is more concerned with internal affairs, and his particular goal is the best politico-economic system for enhancing the quality of life. He also is less interested than they are in historical development or prediction and, instead, concentrates on analyzing "those fundamental aspects of the systems that have been with us for at least several centuries and show every sign of persisting indefinitely." (p. x) Politics and economics do matter, Lindblom insists, and he singles out Adam Smith and Karl Marx because of their contributions: Smith for insight into the wide-ranging scope and authority of the market system, and Marx especially for his study of the relationship between property rights and government.
*Charles E. Lindblom, Politics and Markets: The World's Political-Economic Systems (New York: Basic Books, 1977, $15.00), 403 pages.
Lindblom inquires as to the best means for man to control his destiny in the face of the authority wielded over him by the state and the market system. He concentrates primarily on the politico-economic systems of communism and of market-oriented polyarchy. (He prefers the word polyarchy, the rule of many, to the more frequently used democracy.) For his analysis he postulates models of both systems and draws comparisons.
Looking for a world guided by reason and egalitarianism, Lindblom gives high marks to Communist theory. He argues that, at least in theory, communism has a more optimistic version of man's capabilities and that it attempts to guide him intellectually. Moreover, since communism has a comprehensive theory of what the best society is, that theory is used to provide direction for the society and any policy may easily be evaluated as to its theoretical correctness.
Professor Lindblom notes that the spread of communism to one-third of the world's population and one-fourth of its territory has been phenomenal, and he believes that the movement has not yet been spent. Nevertheless, he realizes that communism has difficulty in encouraging innovation and reform. He also argues that one should not be misled by the barbarism with which communism has taken hold. Although admitting that countless thousands have perished, Lindblom denies that it proves the system is inherently inhumane anymore than the wanton destruction by America in World War II and Vietnam implies the same for polyarchy.
In contrast to communism, he presents market-oriented polyarchy as having a more pessimistic view of man's capabilities and as therefore relying on other than intellectual means of guidance. In addition, as polyarchy has no synoptic theory of society, its leaders utilize their own visions and volitions. He summarizes the differences between the two models as harmony and discovery (communism) versus conflict and choice (polyarchy).
Professor Lindblom's criticism of polyarchy extends to its dependence on a market-oriented economy that intensifies the inequality of income. He is intrigued that "the mere possibility that business and property dominate polyarchy opens up the paradoxical possibility that polyarchy is tied to the market system not because it is democratic but because it is not. " (pp. 168-69) The basic economic flaw that he perceives is the tremendous power of the business corporation. He declares that the progressive decline of self-employment is the "unplanned revolution" of modern times. Less than two hundred years ago, eighty percent of American workers were self-employed, but that has declined today to less than ten percent. That constituted a revolution that "fundamentally changed the work patterns and other forms of human interdependence ... Not a revolution pursued for egalitarian, democratic, or other humane motives, its motives are profit and power; and it succeeds for no more lofty reason than efficiency." (p. 28) Moreover, the corporation so dominates the market, and through it the society, that it is beyond governmental control. In fact, he charges that the private corporation has no place in democratic theory.
Several recommendations are offered by Lindblom, for the improvement of the polyarchic system, including consideration of a redistribution of wealth and of more centralized planning. He is encouraged by what he sees as a broad international movement toward employee management of business and, particularly, by the more radical "market socialism" introduced in Yugoslavia for businesses employing more than five workers.
THESE four books are well written. Geoffrey Williams's The Permanent Alliance is the least original, yet readers may profit from his discussion of British and French policy. However, he missed the mark in his urgent call for an Atlantic Federal Union. One might agree that the challenges of diminishing natural resources and communist expansion lend credence to his argument; nevertheless, the timing he believes possible, i.e., a basic plan for a federal structure by 1984, is far too optimistic. Despite President Carter's declaration of the nation's determination to act in the event of an attempt by another power to seize control of the Persian Gulf area, American foreign policy has returned to a posture not unlike that of the 1920s, which the late Daniel M. Smith characterized as "limited liability." Several polls have indicated that Americans would accept the overthrow of virtually any government through force or subversion without reacting militarily. In these circumstances prospects for a more intimate "permanent alliance" are nil.
Williams's recommendations for a revised NATO "forward strategy" merit consideration. I agree that the deployment of the neutron bomb is an acceptable means for offsetting the Warsaw Pact's numerical superiority but not with his argument that fixed fortifications and trained paramilitary forces armed with portable antitank and antiair weapons could "give NATO a more flexible defence capacity." (p. ix) A lesson of twentieth-century warfare would be that such defenses would be of minimal value in halting a massive ground and air blitz.
The efforts of Snyder and Diesing, in their Conflict among Nations, to further the development of a general theory of crisis management is laudable. In their writing they are modest about their own contributions while they unfailingly document the ideas of those scholars from whom they have drawn. Yet, despite the increasing sophistication and subtlety of game and decision theory, one is left with the uneasy feeling that international relations and crises are too complex and varied for mathematical or computer solutions. The final paragraph of Snyder and Diesing's text bears this out:
In future big power crises, the bargaining power and bargaining strategies. . . will depend more than in the past on who is in charge and on the values placed by incumbent decision makers on the going relationships with the other two members of the triangle [U.S., U.S.S.R, and China]. With changing regimes these valuations may well shift. Such internal changeability, and the inherent ambiguity of interests in a system that is at least moving toward multipolarity, augurs unpredictability. . . . (p. 530)
The importance of leadership also is emphasized in Walter Clemens's U.S.S.R. and Global Interdependence. He observes that the future of Soviet policy will be dependent in large measure on the next generation and that a policy of patience is advisable until that next generation takes control. Today the precarious health of the aged Leonid Brezhnev indicates that the old guard Soviet leadership is indeed drawing to an end, and therefore assessments, like Clemens's, of future Soviet policy are even more pertinent.
The matter of leadership has a bearing as well on the ideas presented in Charles Lindblom's Politics among Nations, which is the most provocative of the books reviewed. Criticism of the operational flaws of the American politico-economic system is not unusual, but his charges of its fundamental theoretical inequality are like a challenge to "baseball, hot dogs, apple pie" and, yes, even "Chevrolet." Lindblom admits the distinction between theory and practice but concludes that if the theory is correct it ultimately will prevail. However, just as he insists that politics and economics are important, so too is leadership, and to ignore it, as he virtually does, is to project a very sterile view of societal systems. One is more inclined to agree with Clemens as to the importance of leadership as a decisive factor--whatever the system.
Professor Lindblom also too easily dismisses the brutality with which communism has been imposed. To compare that with the death and destruction inflicted by America while at war is possible only by accepting the Marxist contention of perpetual war until the Communist revolution is universally successful. The tragedies of the Gulag Archipelago surely are not evidence of communism's optimistic faith in the superior nature of man nor of a humane, egalitarian, preceptorial system.
His strictures against the business corporation go far beyond President Eisenhower's fear of the military-industrial complex or Jean Jacques Servan-Schreiber's of the multinational corporation. However, the trends that Lindblom sees toward greater employee management or ownership may not be the answer. Such arrangements are no more infallible than corporate directorates in making decisions. Moreover, if the only solution for failing communal enterprises is governmental relief or takeover, it appears that the inability for innovation and reform, which Lindblom recognizes as a problem already within Communist systems, may become more widespread.
This is a world of escalating interdependencies both within systems, as Lindblom observes, and between them, as Clemens points out, a world in which the nations will find competitive policies more dangerous. Matters of military, political, and economic systems and balances are important, and those who are interested in the course of events over, the next twenty years will find food for thought in these books.
Air War College
Maxwell AFB, Alabama
George W. Collins (Lt. Col., USAF, Ret., Ph.D., University of Colorado) is currently Professor of Military History at the Air War College. He is Associate Professor of History at Wichita State University, Kansas. He served as B-17, B-29, and KC-97 navigator and taught navigation and history at the Air Force Academy. Dr. Collins was a Fulbright lecturer in Afghanistan. He has published articles in professional journals and is a previous contributor to the Review.
The conclusions and opinions expressed in this document are those of the author cultivated in the freedom of expression, academic environment of Air University. They do not reflect the official position of the U.S. Government, Department of Defense, the United States Air Force or the Air University.


text: Crowd-sourced citizen science bagged another astrophysical biggie this month. Einstein@Home, everyones favorite desktop screensaver program, announced the discovery of a new potential pulsar pair earlier this month. Like SETI@Home, this program utilizes idle computing time to analyze avalanches of data looking for signals. In the case of Einstein@Home, the data received comes from LIGO,VIRGO, and more recently, Arecibo.


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HOUSTON - The Texans are learning how to win, even when their high-powered offense has an off day.
Arian Foster rushed for 112 yards and a touchdown, and Houston shut down rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert and the NFL's worst offense in a 24-14 win over the Jaguars on Sunday.
Matt Schaub threw a touchdown pass and ran for another score for Houston (5-3), off to its best eight-game start. The Texans also took one more step toward the franchise's first division title and playoff berth by improving to 3-0 in the AFC South.
"We knew it was going to be a tough, dirty game," said Houston linebacker Brian Cushing, who led his team with seven tackles. "In this league, it's tough to get a win. We just had to do what we had to do."
The Texans have outscored their division opponents by a total score of 99-28. This was the closest of the three games, mostly due to two Houston fumbles that led to Jacksonville touchdowns.
Schaub completed 16 of 30 passes and was sacked twice, and the Texans once again missed star receiver Andre Johnson, who sat out for the fourth straight game with a hamstring injury.
Unlike past seasons, Houston can rely on its defense to pick up the slack.
The Texans stayed in control by holding Jacksonville to 61 yards and five first downs in the second half. Gabbert, making his sixth career start, completed 10 of 30 passes for 97 yards and two interceptions in the game, for an anemic 26.7 rating.
"We had a defense that stood up and said, 'We're gonna win the game,'" Houston coach Gary Kubiak said. "They were excellent all day, exceptional."
The Jaguars (2-6) couldn't carry over momentum from their surprising 12-7 win over Baltimore on Monday night. Maurice Jones-Drew was limited to 63 yards on 18 carries, and says the entire offense bears some of the blame for Gabbert's struggles.
"We have to continue to give him time in the pocket. We have to catch the ball when he throws it," Jones-Drew said. "The quarterback is only as good as the players around him. So obviously, if he's not doing well, we're not doing well."
The Texans got off to another fast start, scoring on their opening series for the fifth time. Schaub went 4 for 5 and then sprinted for a 2-yard touchdown with 8:21 left in the first quarter.
Jacksonville's sixth-ranked defense held Baltimore to 34 yards rushing on Oct. 24, but Houston matched that total on its first three possessions.
Gabbert was hurt on Jacksonville's first series. Forced to scramble, he slid awkwardly at the end of an 11-yard run and was hit by safety Glover Quin and Cushing.
Trainers helped Gabbert off the field with bruised ribs, and Luke McCown replaced him. Gabbert returned on Jacksonville's next possession, then threw five straight incompletions.
The Texans' offense bogged down, too, failing to convert three consecutive third downs.
"We wanted to get everyone involved," Schaub said. "We had some opportunities down the field, and I missed a few of the throws. I've got to make those plays for us to be successful as an offense."
A slick play by Jacksonville's defense midway through the second quarter created the Jaguars' best scoring chance of the game.
Clint Session sacked Schaub and forced a fumble, triggering an impromptu double-lateral. Defensive end Matt Roth scooped it up, then flipped the ball backward to defensive tackle Terrance Knighton. Knighton chugged 7 yards, then pitched to Session who reached the Texans 10 before Foster tackled him.
Two snaps later, Gabbert threw a short TD pass to Jason Hill, Jacksonville's first touchdown since the third quarter of a 17-13 loss to Pittsburgh two weeks ago.
The Jaguars were lucky to be tied at halftime after producing 113 yards in the half.
"We are working our butts off," Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio said, "and I'd sure like to have a little more validation for the type of effort that's being put forth."
Jacoby Jones returned a punt to the Jaguars 44 early in the third quarter, and Schaub threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Joel Dreessen.
Jason Allen intercepted Gabbert's pass to Mike Sims-Walker on the first play of the fourth quarter, and the Texans stretched the lead on Foster's 4-yard touchdown run.
Jones-Drew scored on a drive set up by Ben Tate's fumble. The Texans used nearly the rest of the time to set up Neil Rackers' 39-yard field goal.
Notes: Foster has 12 100-yard rushing games, a franchise record. ... Texans LB Darryl Sharpton is out for the season after tearing a tendon in his right leg. ... Jaguars PK Josh Scobee had his streak of 15 games with a field goal snapped. ... Jacksonville is 5-9 in the week after playing a Monday night game.


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As the health-care bill passes through Congress, one wonders about an issue that has been left out of discussions. No, not abortion. Food. How much is what we eat linked to what we spend on health care?
First, consider the costs. The average life expectancy in the United States is around 78 years. Over the course of these 78 years, the average American can expect to spend $7,290 on health care. That's twice as much as our brothers and sisters in Canada. And in terms of GDP, double that of our friends in the United Kingdom. Oh, and both of those countries have higher life expectancy rates.
So we spend a lot on health care. But why? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 75% of our health-care spending is on preventable chronic diseases. And most of these -- obesity, Type 2 diabetes, most heart disease, and some cancers -- are linked to our diets (or lack thereof).
Specifically, about 60 percent of Americans are overweight or obese. And according to Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food, we spend $147 billion to treat obesity, $116 billion to treat diabetes, and hundreds of billions more to treat cardiovascular disease and some cancers. Thank our so called "Western diet."
Our health care would not be sick care if we ate smarter. That means less low-fiber food (corn and soy) and more high-quality fibrous foods (fruits, vegetables, and whole grains). But unfortunately, our current agribusiness and health-care systems benefit from large-scale corn and soybean plantations as well as factory farms, which are unsafe for animals, humans, and our environment.
It's a poor equation: spend less on food, spend more on health care. And no matter how many farmer's markets we have, the poor among us will continue to eat cheap, processed food, or no food at all. Approximately 1 billion people worldwide don't have regular access to any food all, including 36 million Americans.
We need to rediscover the value of food. Our legislators must realize that to reform our health system is not enough. If our leaders really want a challenge, let's reform our food system.
For 10 ways to change our food system, watch the movie Food, Inc. and visit their Web site.
Sheldon C. Good is the media assistant for Sojourners.
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Below is a link to a Forbes article predicting ESO's demise. Before polling and posting your thoughts read the article through. This was in another thread I read here, so I wanted to give people a simple yes or no poll to see where the population of gamers are on this matter.
You know, I don't much particularly care anymore about what it means for these games to fail. All i know is I'm tired of playing the same damn game over and over and over again since i was a teenager.
I am tired of great ideas being converted into generic shit to spoon feed the masses.
EDIT: Things NOT to say when you want people to believe what you're talking about
" even though I'm not normally a big PC MMO guy"
Originally posted by Fappuccino
Define failure. Define to whom?
Did you read the article? The author covers your questions.
Originally posted by Deadlyne
This looks like a situation where a moderator needs to come by and consolidate posts. There are so many versions of this exact subject already, why not just post on an already existing one?
I gave you my reason. I wanted to add a poll to see where people stand.
Originally posted by NobleNerdOriginally posted by Fappuccino
Define failure. Define to whom?
Did you read the article? The author covers your questions.
From the previous thread it came across as if many people didn't and kept using the terms subjectively. So just to get it clear.
Failure to us players but success to the dev and publisher.
Name one recent MMO that DIDN'T fail? I can bet right now that any you list will have failed to someone.
IMO, it will fail like GW2 failed.
I'll be playing it though.
mmorpg.com, the 4chan of mmo forums.
Originally posted by Fappuccino
Define failure. Define to whom?
Failure , very simply put , for everyone to understand :
Commercial product failing to break even
Originally posted by bcbully
There are 20 threads like this. This is starting to remind me of the BS that took place on this site with TSW. "If you say it enough it becomes true" slander campaigns.
Let me state it clearly... I am not trying to slander ESO. I am a fan of all that is Elderscrolls. My intent with this post is to have a simple poll with constructive comments based off someone elses "slander". I personally do not think ESO will fail. I have played all the betas and enjoyed seeing the progress of the game.
That article reads as if it was written by someone here in MMORPG's forums. Take that however you want.
It sounds like the point he's making is that SWTOR was a "failure". Gamers seem to be redefining the term "failure" to now contain many levels of granularity.
Before we can determine if anything is a failure, we must understand what the intended goal was. If we do not, than we are only judging something from our own perspective; our own idea of what we think the goal was. Not a very objective approach to say the least.
So we're just left with the "guessing game" when it comes time to pass judgment on a game that isn't even live yet. I guess that's what we do around here.
So my guess? I might as well just use history as a lesson (history through my own eyes, naturally. No use trying to even make up stats or numbers to support any claims, right?). So... TESO will launch. Some will love it as the second coming, others will hate it and/or claim that "if only the devs had listened to me in beta, there would be *insert problem here*". Game rolls on, adjusts it's payment structures as needed and coasts along for years to come.
Pretty much like every other MMO that is based on an existing IP.
But meanwhile, here we'll be... talking about how the next big MMO on the horizon will fail.
Meh, I dunno man. The failure of most every MMO is predicted on this site, or of many games on other sites.
I think its not really going to be a mega hit, but its not gonna be the titanic either. Its just going to be really popular during launch. Then it's popularity will taper off as the newness of it goes away.
But I feel like its going to retain a decent player base for a good while.
Originally posted by aleos
EDIT: Things NOT to say when you want people to believe what you're talking about
" even though I'm not normally a big PC MMO guy"
Hence why it's a totally biased view and worth diddly squat.
Apparently there are a lot of "Failed" MMO's currently in the market place right now, you all know the ones because they continually get dragged out of the cupboard to be paraded around as the complete and utter failures they are, by someone who has just been hacked off by whatever game they happen to have lurched to after losing interest in there favourite game.
Yet I still see those abject failures hosting active servers, with regular patches and shock horror even expansions, how dare they add more content to a failed game, don't they realise someone said on a forum that their game has failed?
With that in mind I'll give the author of the article the 2 fingered salute and tell him this, you wouldn't know a good MMO if it bit you on the arse.
Originally posted by LobotomistOriginally posted by Fappuccino
Define failure. Define to whom?
Failure , very simply put , for everyone to understand :
Commercial product failing to break even
Going by the objective definition the game will be a success.
Paul Tassi contended that because the game is launching as P2P that it is doomed because "the monthly subscription model is dead."
So it will fail to hold on the subscription numbers, going the same route as SWTOR and many before it.
Even if the game fails to hold a P2P status, opting to go F2P it might do a SWTOR and survive thanks to it, becoming profitable.
Failure? Warhammer was a failure. That's my view of things. It shut down...how much more objective can one get whether a product failed or succeeded?
I personaly don't think game will fail.
Originally posted by KyutaSyuko
I have to disagree mainly because, if I remember correctly, that article was mainly about console gamers like they're the only ones that exist anymore and they'll determine the fate of the game. I'd risk my current savings on betting most TES players are actually PC gamers. The guy's also basing his decision on the fact it'll be P2P rather than F2P or B2P which most MMO players on this forum seem to prefer the P2P model.
TES series sold way more on consoles than it did on PC. Skyrim alone was 86% of its sales on consoles with 14% on PC.
What people don't understand that ESO's failure would have to mean it never launches. You don't kind of fail a test, you either do or do not. so if ESO launches, that's a success. Whether people play it is something totally misconstrued with the developing and launching of a mmorpg.


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Posted by Editoress on 05/11/08
UCI World Cup Downhill #1 - Maribor, Slovenia
by Larry Ireland
Photos by Larry Ireland
Sam Hill (Monster) started the 2008 season the way he ended the 2007 season; by decimating the MTB World Cup Downhill peloton. Hill qualified in third place, and was decidedly unhappy about it. When asked if that is where he wanted to be, he only replied "not really, I wanted the [qualifying] points".
Hill discussed his run in the finish area while signing autographs. "It was pretty good, there's still stuff to improve. I'll look to get the perfect run at Andorra. I'm really happy to get out here and win, I didn't have a good qualifying run so it was good to get out here and ride and just have fun on the way down."
Hill was untouchable in Final with first place qualifier Julien Camellini of Chain Reaction Cycles only able to get within 4.1 seconds of the Aussie. The Frenchman was grinning ear to ear as he talked about his slightly messy run. "My run was good but I committed so many mistakes trying to go as fast as I could. I went overspeed in a few corners, slipped on some roots and got unclipped. I tried to catch up my mistakes but I was just flat out. At this level you cannot just go smoothly." World Cup Veteran Steve Peat was third.
For the ladies, it was France's Sabrina Jonnier continuing her winning ways for her new Maxxis Iron Horse team. "I was pretty upset about my ride in the morning," she explained, " I just gave everything I had. I had heaps of fun. I had a big smile on my face on the way down."
The only Canadians competing were Steve Smith and Claire Buchar. Smith had an amazing qualifying run, placing 15th, but had some difficulties in his finals run. "I hit a tree going really fast and then I pinned it after. It was about 4 seconds after the rock garden on a simple spot where I shouldn't have."
Buchar also didn't have the run she wanted: "I was a little disappointed with my final, as I rode a lot smoother in my qualifier. In my final I obviously pedaled harder but only ended up making up 1 second off my qualifier. I feel like I could have gone faster."
|Return to Canadian Cyclist homepage | Back to Top


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The analysis of 1.6 million mammograms in seven states has delivered the most definitive findings to date on whether the popular mammography tool is effective in helping find breast cancer.
"In real-world practice, CAD increases the chances of being unnecessarily called back for further testing because of false-positive results without clear benefits to women," said Joshua Fenton, assistant professor in the UC Davis Department of Family and Community Medicine. "Breast cancers were detected at a similar stage and size regardless of whether or not radiologists used CAD."
The study examined screening mammograms performed on more than 680,000 women at 90 mammography facilities in seven U.S. states from 1998 to 2006. The false-positive rate typically increased from 8.1 percent before CAD to 8.6 percent after CAD was installed at the facilities in the study. In addition, the detection rate of breast cancer and the stage and size of breast cancer tumors were similar regardless of CAD. The study, entitled "Effectiveness of Computer-Aided Detection in Community Mammography Practice," was published online today in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute and used data from the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium.
Computer-aided detection software, approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1998, analyzes the mammogram image and marks suspicious areas for radiologists to review. Its use has skyrocketed in recent years since Medicare began covering it in 2001. CAD is now applied to the large majority of screening mammograms in the U.S. with annual direct Medicare costs exceeding $30 million, according to a 2010 study in the Journal of the American College of Radiology.
According to 2009 Medicare data, insurers including Medicare typically paid about $12 per screening mammogram for CAD in addition to the costs of the mammogram (about $81 for film mammography and $130 for digital mammography), representing a 9 percent to 15 percent additional cost for CAD use.
The current study builds on Fenton's initial assessment of the technology published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2007. That report, which examined mammography screening results in 43 facilities, including seven that utilized CAD, found that CAD was associated with reduced accuracy of interpretation of screening mammograms but no difference in the detection rate of invasive breast cancer.
Critics of the research findings in the New England Journal of Medicine said the study was based on use of an older kind of CAD technology, and so did not accurately reflect its usefulness."In the current study, we evaluated newer technology in a larger sample and over a longer time period," said Fenton.
"We also looked for the first time at cancer stage and cancer size, which are critical for understanding how CAD may affect long-term breast cancer outcomes, such as mortality."
The authors write that the results of real-world studies of CAD may differ from results from pre-clinical studies. They suggest that these differences may arise because radiologists in clinical practice don't always adhere as strictly to use of the technology as designed, as have radiologists in protocol-driven studies.
Fenton's co-authors are at Group Health Research Institute, Cancer Research and Biostatistics, and the University of Washington, in Seattle; the National Cancer Institute, in Bethesda, MD; University of Vermont, in Burlington; Oregon Health and Science University, in Portland; and Emory University, in Atlanta.
The study was conducted within the national Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium, which is funded by the National Cancer Institute. Additional support was provided by the American Cancer Society, along with state public health departments and cancer registries throughout the U.S.
Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium
The Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium (BCSC) is a research resource for studies designed to assess the delivery and quality of breast cancer screening and related patient outcomes in the United States. The BCSC is a National Cancer Institute-funded collaborative network of seven mammography registries with linkages to tumor and/or pathology registries. The network is supported by a central Statistical Coordinating Center. Currently, the Consortium's database contains information on over 8 million mammographic examinations, 2.3 million women, and 100,000 breast cancer cases (85,000 invasive cancers and 17,000 ductal carcinomas in situ). For more information, visit http://breastscreening.cancer.gov.
The Center for Health Policy Research (formerly called the Center for Health Services Research in Primary Care) conducts research on health-care access, delivery, costs, outcomes and related health policy to improve the organization, quality and effectiveness of the practice of medicine, especially primary care. The Center is a resource for the university and health system on comparative effectiveness research. Center faculty conduct original research, offer consulting services to agencies in both public and private sectors, and provide research training to fellows, graduate students and junior faculty. Established as an interdisciplinary unit, the center includes more than 80 health-care researchers who represent disciplines ranging from business management and psychiatry to preventative medicine, epidemiology and statistics. For more information, visit www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/chpr.


text:
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ST. JOHN'S, N.L. – It's Take Two for Newfoundland and Labrador's governing Tories as they launch a fresh leadership race after the debacle that was their first attempt.
Progressive Conservatives and their critics alike have compared Take One to an embarrassment at best, a political Gong Show at worst.
"Some would say you couldn't write the sequence of events like that if you were to try," Paul Davis said last week as he gave up his post as health minister to contend.
Nominations close Monday. But Davis and another cabinet minister, Steve Kent, have so far stepped up along with John Ottenheimer, a former Tory government minister of health and other portfolios.
Kent resigned as municipal affairs minister to run. The winner will be chosen Sept. 13 at a delegated convention in St. John's. An election is expected some time in 2015, if not sooner.
It's a far cry from the first leadership contest that attracted not one high-profile Tory. It was triggered when former premier Kathy Dunderdale quit in January after a slide in the polls and her handling of power blackouts raised doubts about her leadership.
Premier Tom Marshall took over on an interim basis but wants to retire.
Progressive Conservatives have held a majority in the legislature since 2003 but trail the Opposition Liberals in recent polls. They've also lost three byelections, two in former Tory strongholds.
Just three caucus outsiders lined up to take Dunderdale's place before a string of bizarre incidents left political neophyte Frank Coleman as the only candidate left standing in the race.
The successful businessman from Corner Brook faced a media barrage over his pro-life views and a government contract involving one of his former companies. He shocked even Tory insiders when he suddenly withdrew last month, nixing a planned coronation.
Coleman cited an undisclosed family matter for his decision.
He became the sole contender after the party ejected one of his two opponents, retired naval officer Wayne Bennett, for Twitter posts that compared his online critics to Muslim terrorists.
The other challenger, fishery magnate Bill Barry, dropped out after saying the race was stacked in Coleman's favour.
Coleman's exit created a whole new set of circumstances, said Davis, who declined to enter the first race last March and endorsed the businessman.
"I was in a different place personally and my health was in a different place," said the former police officer and spokesman for the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary.
Davis, 53, was diagnosed in 2011 with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of cancer.
"I'm in a position now where I can take this on," he told reporters Wednesday at his campaign launch.
Davis, who was first elected in a 2010 byelection and previously served as a town councillor and deputy mayor of Conception Bay South near St. John's, is already hailed by some pundits as the one to beat.
Kent, 36, a former mayor of Mount Pearl outside St. John's and a strident defender of the Tory government's record, has nothing but good things to say about Davis, a friend for two decades. He helped Davis win his first municipal campaign in 2001.
"That's one of the reasons I believe this will be a clean, spirited, positive race," Kent, first elected provincially in 2007, said in an interview.
Both Davis and Kent so far have the support of one cabinet minister each along with several caucus members.
Ottenheimer, 61, declared his candidacy last month and said he also has cabinet and caucus backing.
"There's no question we've gone through some difficult times," he said in an interview. "We need a good race."
Stephen Tomblin, a political scientist at Memorial University of Newfoundland, called the first leadership round "a train wreck."
The Tories now have an especially credible candidate in Davis, he said. Ottenheimer totes political baggage from his time as health minister in 2005 amidst a scandal over botched breast cancer tests, while Kent unsuccessfully sought a Liberal nomination for a federal byelection in 2000 after testing the waters with the far-right Canadian Alliance.
"He communicated very well and he seemed almost likeable," Tomblin said of Davis. "It's important that people connect with you."


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I thought I'd tap up a review to go alongside my Green Blusher video which I posted over on Youtube. Just because... well I dunno really but I thought I would. I recorded my first impressions of the product but here is a bit more of a all round review.
So the Lipstick Queen Frog Prince is one of those old school Ph changing blushes that reacts to the oils and stuff on your face to create a "universally flattering" tone.
Remember those green Barry M lipsticks that used to dazzle your pals at a sleepover because you had no idea what wizardry was making it change colour on your lips???!! It's basically like that but in a blush format.
The blush has a really creamy gel like feel to it, much more slippery than your average cream blush. It doesn't dry down to a nice finish either and just feels dewy-ier than dew on the grass on a crisp spring morning. And not in a good way. More like, I'm a lil sweaty from going on a run dewy...
It's just a little TOO pink on the cheeks. Not a flattering pink, it almost looks like a semi uncomfortable rash. The unpredictability of the blushes makes it a huge fail for me, I wanna know that whats in the pan is going to be similar to the colour that graces my cheeks. I dont need a blush fronting as something else! A redeeming feature is it's very lightweight but luxe feeling lil' compact. It feels very nice in the hand.


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