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Charlotte, NC: Burgers + Sushi = Unexpected Greatness at The Cowfish
The Cowfish
4310 Sharon Road, Charlotte NC 28211 (Map); 704-365-1922; thecowfish.com
Cooking Method: Grilled
Short Order: A sushi and burger bar that does both exceptionally well... and even mixes the two with surprising success
Want Fries with That? The shoestrings are plentiful but may need an extra hit of salt
Price: The Taste Explosion, $14; Boursin Burger, $11
During a recent weekender to Charlotte, my hunt for a burger worth reviewing proved more difficult than anticipated. One promising place was closed on Saturdays and Sundays. Another packed it in every day at 3 p.m. Several joints were all about nostalgia for longtime locals, but seemed somewhat sketchy if the goal was an objectively awesome burger.
With barely 24 hours to spend in the city and a short window of not-otherwise-committed time to work with, my options were limited. One of the few restaurants to fit my tight schedule turned out to be The Cowfish. I went, figuring I'd at least be able to report on a goofy gimmick gone horribly wrong. Let's be honest: a self-proclaimed sushi-and-burger bar set on the fringes of an upscale mall could easily have disaster written all over it. Instead, I got one of the most memorable burger experiences I've had in a while, and left wondering how soon I could justify a return trip to The Queen City.
Now, my palate has never expanded to include sushi, so this was heading into uncharted waters. But The Cowfish felt exactly how I imagined all swanky sushi bars to be.
It was loud and dimly-lit and brightly-colored and way hipper than I am. Serious-looking chefs were hunched over exotic-looking ingredients and wielding sharp-looking knives. There were touch screens with video games built into the bartop. On the walls, giant bento boxes were filled with sake bottles and oversized plastic-prop prawns and TVs displaying aquarium screen savers (when it's not an NFL Sunday).
Between me and the glass case full of fluorescent-lighted raw fish were tiny bowls and plates I'm unaccustomed to dealing with, a pair of chopsticks, and a thick ten-page menu. Inside, amidst an entire page of sushi and a whole page of burgers, I found this:
I'm all for turning a genre on its ear, but doing sushified treatments of non-sushi food items seemed like it could come off as dangerously blasphemous to sushi fanatics...and downright weird to sushi teetotalers. But I decided to follow the menu's advice, "open my mind," and sample the closest thing I could find to true cheeseburger sushi: The Taste Explosion Roll ($14).
Admittedly, it was drop-dead gorgeous. Each of those twelve bite-size morsels features seasoned Angus, applewood bacon, and jalapeños, wrapped up in a roll of seaweed and sushi rice, then coated in tempura flakes, topped with a slice of marinated Roma tomato and shredded pepper jack cheese, and baked until golden brown. It's finished with a dab of cashew cilantro pesto and plated on an artful zigzag of spicy cream sauce. After fumbling about with the chopsticks for a few minutes, I dove in, fully expecting my virgin "sushi" experience to be about 97 kinds of nasty.
Yes, a completely unfair assumption. But The Taste Explosion Roll is not really a burger, and it's not really sushi, so I just assumed it would be...not really good. And I was really wrong. It was unlike anything I've ever had, but with just enough of that "essence of cheeseburger" to be strangely familiar.
I fully expected to eat one or maybe two pieces, tops—enough to get a baseline reading for journalistic purposes—and then move on. I polished off that entire plate with a smile on my face and a disbelieving shake of my head. Intricately-layered flavors hit all the expected "burger" notes, with the rice even standing in for the bun more admirably than I would have guessed. This may not be true sushi*, but I could definitely get fanatical about it.
* As for the true sushi, I asked a couple of gents sitting near me how it was, as they were methodically making their way through that portion of the menu. Turned out the pair of chefs made a 90-mile drive specifically for the sushi at The Cowfish, which they enthusiastically referred to as "the real deal." I can't speak authoritatively about octopus and eel, but that's enough of an endorsement for me.
But this sushi joint also gets talked about pretty widely as a contender for Best Burger in Charlotte honors. The menu lists almost twenty, with a build-your-own section of over fifty toppings, cheeses, and sauces. I went with the Boursin Burger ($11).
All of the burgers at The Cowfish are half-pound patties of Meyer Natural Angus, with the option to double the beef for an extra five bucks. The Boursin adds a liberal slathering of the namesake garlic/herb cheese, sautéed mushrooms, and grilled onions. It's given an underpatty layer of lettuce and tomato, tucked into a toasted brioche bun, and served alongside your choice of sides.
Wow, my shoestring fries were absurdly plentiful. (Don't even want to think about an equivalent-sized pile of bacon coleslaw or fried pickles...) I didn't come close to finishing them off, though they were excellent. I should point out, however, that while the menu sold them as "house seasoned," I found the seasoning on mine to be extremely subtle to the point of nonexistent.
I requested a medium rare burger. For a kitchen that specializes in a category of food that's not cooked at all, The Cowfish clearly knows how to grill some beef. My burger showed an incredible rosy pink and was exceptionally juicy. The exterior didn't have much in the way of color, and when I tested a pinch of plain beef, I thought it could use a touch more salt and pepper. But when combined with the rich Boursin, earthy 'shrooms, and punchy onions, this burger as a whole packed a wallop of flavor.
While my Burgushi was actually called the Taste Explosion, it was the burger that blew up, the patty slip-sliding away in a gush of creamy cheese spread and heavily-lubricated veggies. But, hey, I won't nitpick over style points; this was a legitimately outstanding burger and made me curious as to some of the other crazy creations, with names like The Jalapeño Popper Show-Stopper, The Arnold Hamandegger, The Reuben Kulakofsky, and their peanut-butter-fried banana-and-bacon one-pound gutbomb called The Hunka Hunka Burnin' Love.
So yeah, Charlotte's best burger may indeed come from a sushi place. For sure, the best sushi I've ever had just happens to come from a burger joint. And I am now officially looking for reasons to go back to Charlotte to have them both again.
About the Author: Todd Brock lives the glamorous life of a stay-at-home freelance writer in the suburbs of Atlanta. Besides being paid to eat cheeseburgers for AHT and pizzas for Slice, he's written and produced over 1,000 hours of television and penned Building Chicken Coops for Dummies. When he grows up, he wants to be either the starting quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys or the drummer for Hootie & the Blowfish. Or both.
Love hamburgers? Then you'll Like AHT on Facebook! And go follow us on Twitter while you're at it!
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The Public Archives of Nova Scotia has just released The Acadian Recorder and the The Liverpool Transcript newspapers on the internet.
The Acadian Recorder (1813 to 1853) was a Halifax weekly, and it printed local, national, and international stories.
The Liverpool Transcript was published in the town of Liverpool on the province's south shore (1854-1867), and I am interested in this paper because it printed shipping news – who owned what ships – and I am looking for my ancestors who owned ships in Shelburne around the same time that the newspaper was printed.
If you wish to read these newspapers (they are not indexed), go to http://gov.ns.ca/nsarm/virtual/newspapers

subset: commoncrawl


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Welcome to the new Heffel website!
As we switch our platform over, our old website still remains active. To access the previous version of Heffel.com, please click here.
Please click here for important information on artwork shipping and collection related to COVID-19 government directives.
Inventory #
PROVENANCEEstate of the Artist
Please note: this is a posthumous cast
All prices are in Canadian Dollars
Although great care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information posted, errors and omissions may occur. All bids are subject to our Terms and Conditions of Business.


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Click below for some really wonderful folk tracks by Forest Mountain Hymnal.
Jack of the Lantern is pretty sweet.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Fitcher's Bird And Other Tales Of The Macabre
Click below for some really wonderful folk tracks by Forest Mountain Hymnal.
2 comments:
- Emjay Girling/ Seeing Things Art Apothecarium said...
After a long day of slogging away at my desk it was great to find your post and listen to Rebecca's clear haunting voice! My favorite has to be Fitcher's Bird, love the "conversation" between the two voices. Thanks for the link, really enjoyed it!
- November 10, 2011 at 5:28 PM
- Marrow said...
VERY cool! I love Jack of the Lantern!
I scrolled through your 'songs' tags and found a song called Worms by Lolly Jane Blue. I've never heard of her, but her music sounds quite a bit like the amazing Florence + the Machine. My favourite band.
Here is a link to the darkest, creepiest song off her incredible new album (all the youtube videos had the pitch shifted).
- November 11, 2011 at 4:30 AM


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Matthew weakened slightly from a Category 5 to a powerful Category 4 hurricane in the Atlantic early Saturday as it drenched coastal Colombia and roared across the Caribbean on a course that still puts Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba in the path of potentially devastating winds and rain. At least 2 people were killed.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Matthew's maximum sustained winds had slipped from a peak of 160 mph (260 kph) to a still-devastating 140mph (220 kph). As of 8 p.m. ET, the NHC was reporting that the storm has barely moved during the past few hours. A "slow northwestward motion" is still expected to begin Saturday night. The center of Matthew will approach Jamaica and southwestern Haiti on Monday.
The forecast track would carry it across Cuba and into the Bahamas, with an outside chance of a brush with Florida, though that would be several days away.
Parts of coastal Miami-Dade and Broward entered the forecast cone Friday, and Florida Gov. Rick Scott said the Florida Division of Emergency Management was actively monitoring the hurricane.
"While the National Hurricane Center's current forecast predicts Matthew traveling east of Florida, we all know that the track of these storms can quickly change which is why it is imperative that all Floridians and visitors continue to monitor Hurricane Matthew and make sure to have a plan in place in the event of severe weather," Scott said in a statement.
As Matthew skimmed past the northern tip of South America there were reports of heavy flooding and at least one death — the second attributed to the storm.
Authorities said at least 18 houses were damaged along the La Guajira peninsula of Colombia, which has been suffering from a multi-year drought. They said a 67-year-old man was swept away to his death by a flash flood in an area where it hadn't rained for four years.
In Jamaica, high surf began pounding the coast and flooding temporarily closed the road linking the capital to its airport. Carl Ferguson, head of the marine police, said people were starting to heed calls to relocate from small islands and areas near rural waterways.
At its peak, Matthew was more powerful than Hurricane Gilbert, which made landfall on the island in September 1988 and was the most destructive storm in the country's modern history.
"Hurricane Matthew could rival or possibly exceed Gilbert if the core of the strongest winds does actually move over Jamaica," said Dennis Feltgen, a meteorologist and spokesman for the hurricane center in Miami. "There is no certainty of that at this point."
Matthew was expected to bring heavy rainfall especially to the eastern tip and higher elevations, which could trigger flooding and landslides, said Evan Thompson, director of Jamaica's National Meteorological Service.
Forecasters said rainfall totals could reach 10 to 15 inches (25 to 38 centimeters) with isolated maximum amounts of 25 inches (63 centimeters) in Jamaica and southwestern Haiti.
A hurricane watch was in effect for Jamaica, as the country activated its National Emergency Operations Center and Prime Minister Andrew Holness called an urgent meeting of Parliament to discuss preparations for the storm.
A tropical storm watch was issued for Haiti's southwest coast form the southern border it shares with the Dominican Republic to the capital of Port-au-Prince.
Rain and winds from the strengthened Hurricane Matthew whipped at Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao early Friday.
Authorities on the Dutch Caribbean islands had urged residents to reinforce their homes and stock up on emergency supplies. Some streets flooded on Aruba and Curacao in the early hours of the storm's pass-by, though there were no reports of evacuations.
Matthew's approach prompted long lines at gas stations and supermarkets on the so-called "ABC islands." Authorities in Aruba ordered government offices closed Friday and Curacao's parliamentary elections were postponed until next week.
The U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is also potentially in the path of the storm. A mandatory evacuation of non-essential personnel, including family members of military personnel was underway and everyone remaining behind was being told to take shelter, said Julie Ann Ripley, a spokeswoman. There are about 5,500 people living on the base, including 61 men held at the detention center.
Matthew caused at least one death when it entered the Caribbean on Wednesday, with officials in St. Vincent reporting a 16-year-old boy was crushed by a boulder as he tried to clear a blocked drain.


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When Netherlands-based filmmaker Tobias Mathijsen's brother Facebook-pranked him last year, he took revenge by giving his brother's room a girly pink makeover. This year, he admits, his brother has done no wrong. But as Laughing Squid reports, he pranked him anyway, by turning the room 90 degress.
U.S. & World
You can see a time-lapse of the transformation here:
While the little Mathijsen seemed frustrated, ("I understand how to get a pink room back to normal, but I don't know how to fix this...") he can't help admit that the prank is "pretty awesome," before warning, "I'm really gonna get you back for this."
Wonder what Mathijsen will cook up next year!
See the full piece on Laughing Squid.
Copyright LXTVN - LXTV


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Kal Penn says his return to Hollywood won't last for long.
The star, who left TV's "House" to join President Barack Obama's White House staff, only to sign on for a third installment of his "Harold & Kumar" film franchise earlier this year, told New York Magazine's Vulture blog that he was hoping to come back to politics after the stoner comedy finishes shooting.
"It's a seven-week shoot," he explained. "I signed a piece of paper. It's Time Warner, I made a commitment and they said they're filming now. I thought, 'Come on, guys, can't you give me a few more years?'"
The star added that it may indeed be a few more years after the film arrives before fans see him on screen again.
"I'm hoping to come back to this. It may not be in the White House. Maybe four or eight years after that I'll go back to movies," he said. "But I don't want to put a definite date on it."
Kal's stint in Washington, D.C. hasn't come without drama for the comic — as previously reported on AccessHollywood.com, he was robbed at gunpoint in the city late one night nearly two weeks ago.
"A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas," the follow-up to 2008's "Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay," is expected in theaters for the 2011 holiday season.
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Barack Obama
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Stars Supporting Their Candidates
PLAY IT NOW: Comic-Con 2009: John Cho Talks 'Flash Forward'
PLAY IT NOW: 'Harold & Kumar' Premiere
MORE ACCESS ON THESE TOPICS: Movies - TV - Barack Obama - Politics


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by Deborah Stanish on Sep 3, 2013 in Nonfiction | 26 comments
It's not easy being a modern fan. We're battling decades of institutionalized sexism, racism, and imperialism. We're working on it. We may still be struggling with all of the —isms but we're clawing our way toward second wave fandom, particularly when it comes to female fans sharing the dais. We recognize that women really do game, read comics and geek out over all the things guys geek out over. But even in this enlightened age, the gendered term "fangirl" has become a casual slur, used with impunity to mock and ridicule a certain type of fan.
Google "fangirl" right now; chances are, your first hit is the charming Urban Dictionary definition:
A rabid breed of human female who is obsessed with either a fictional character or an actor. Similar to the breed of fanboy. Fangirls congregate at anime conventions and livejournal. Have been known to glomp, grope, and tackle when encountering said obsessions.
Hugh Jackman: 'ello.
Fangirl: SQUEEEEEE! *immediately attaches to Jackman's leg*
Jackman: Security!
Even enlightened fans — who would never dare "fake geek girl" a woman — use the term with barely concealed contempt. Fangirls are just the shallow adolescents who glomp onto the hottest actor du jour and spend all their time posting gifs on Tumblr, right? They've already proven they're not one of us, what with all the squealing and obsession with hair and pecs and abs.
When Peter Capaldi was recently announced as the 12th Doctor, replacing Matt Smith, Doctor Who fandom brought this point home in a particularly virulent way. Capaldi, 54, is the oldest actor to play the role since William Hartnell in 1963. Matt Smith, by comparison, is retiring at the tender age of 30. Within minutes of the announcement, Twitter and Facebook were filled with gleeful declarations of how an "old" Doctor will finally drive away the fangirls, and how they couldn't wait to see the fangirl diaspora because Capaldi wasn't young and/or hot. There were reports of fangirl meltdowns and hysterics, and declarations that Tumblr would burn from the fangirl ire. Even fans who didn't dab eau de schadenfraude behind their ears cautioned "the fangirls" to give Capaldi a chance.
So, yeah. Somewhere between here and there, "fangirl" no longer means a fan who identifies as a female, but instead became a pejorative term used to Other a whole section of fandom — a primarily young, female section of fandom.
There are a couple of issues to unpack here. The first is fandom gatekeeping: protecting fandom from those who don't appreciate it or who aren't doing it "right." (The translation for right, by the way, usually means "the way which I find acceptable.") There's been a lot of discussion about fandom gatekeeping lately, some of it even from the creators of the things some fans feel they need to protect from the unworthy. John Scalzi recently posted a primer to those who feel the need to police what he creates. It pretty much boiled down to "you're fucking with my livelihood".
The harsh economic truth is that the things we love depend on a healthy cash flow in order to exist, and fangirl money spends just as well as the devoted brethren's money. ALL of that money, collectively, is keeping the things that we love in existence. Do you think the BBC cares who's dropping cash on DVDs, sonic screwdrivers or TARDIS USB hubs? 20th Century Fox certainly isn't checking to see if theater seats are being filled by X-Men experts or fans who want to check out Hugh Jackman's more physical assets. Artists, writers, directors, actors, etc. may be creating from a place of love, but they're also pretty invested in eating and paying the mortgage. Go ahead and ask them. My guess is the vast majority of them will be on Team Scalzi.
You'll notice that I've been very careful up to this point to not to make this a male vs. female fan issue. While you often can't escape the misogyny that holds up this entire fannish house of cards, in the case of barring the doors against the fangirls, it's not only the guys who are filling the sandbags. You'll find a distressing number of women who distance themselves from the term fangirl, not just because of the word "girl" which may imply a certain sense of immaturity, but rather because of the negative connotation they've internalized and helped perpetuate. Women in fandom have a hard enough time being taken seriously, we certainly don't want to be lumped in with the rabid, glomping, groping sort, right?
Fandom gatekeeping also implies that there is One True Definition for being a fan and all other definitions are therefore invalid. That is an absurd notion. You can call yourself an Apex Magazine fan whether you've been a subscriber from issue one or if this is your first read. You can call yourself an Avengers fan whether you've got a monthly pull order from your local comic shop, or have only seen that one movie that one time. You can call yourself a Sherlock fan whether you've read the entire Doyle canon or just think Benedict Cumberbatch is ridiculously hot. You get to define yourself; no one else has that power. This is an amazingly difficult concept for some people to grasp. I actually had a gentleman, whom I had never met, gently reassure me that I was not a fangirl, but rather a fan who happened to be a girl. (A not uncommon distinction among enlightened male fans, I might add.)
You can guess how well that sat. Having someone else determine how I should define myself, how I required reassurance that I was not one of those fans, smacked just a little too close to controlling the parameters of my fannish experience.
This brings us to the second issue of concern in the demonization of fangirls — the systematic belittling of women's, particularly young women's, opinions. Fangirls are not only being told they are doing it wrong, they are also being mocked and marginalized within the larger fandom community. Granted, there are some more welcoming, female-friendly environments, such as Tumblr, but in the larger context, fangirls are being told that their opinions and fannish expressions don't count — or worse, are hysterical and overwrought. The Hysterical Fangirl has obtained near mythical status. After the Capaldi announcement, a single YouTube reaction vid went viral and was held up as proof that the fangirls had lost control. See? said The Internet. This is what happens when you let fangirls into the clubhouse.
Oddly enough, there was way more talk about fangirl hysterics than there were actual fangirl hysterics. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure there was plenty of grumbling (there was that one video, remember?). After all this is Doctor Who fandom, where bitching about the show has become its own cottage industry. Fifty years of existence will do that to you. Every actor change has brought out the torches and pitchforks from some faction. During the live announcement special, Matt Smith noted that there was a backlash against his casting. And there was. After the Internet shook off its confusion at the casting of a relatively unknown actor, the protests against his age, looks and pedigree were almost immediate. Yet at no point did we see the wall of admonishments for the "fanboys" to give Smith a chance; that the "fanboys" had let go of their ageist ideas and just get over it; that perhaps having a younger Doctor would finally rid fandom of the "fanboys." That backlash was non-gendered. This time around, the backlash against Doctor Who fangirls was all about putting the girls in their place.
Sadly, it's not hard to see how this developed. Geek culture is riding high on the wave of pop culture approval at the moment, but that wasn't always the case. For years, fans of both genders had to scramble for respect as terms such as "geek" and "nerd" were tossed at us with a sneer. We rose above that by finding our tribe, regaling each other with facts and quotes and bootleg VHS tapes. To be fair, male fans had a harder time of it. Socially it was okay for girls to be enthusiastic about movies or books. Gendered expectations were that it wasn't quite on for boys to lose themselves in fictional worlds once they outgrew G.I. Joe. They countered by becoming experts within their chosen hobbies, creating their own geek hierarchies where the only currency that mattered was knowledge, and advancement in the ranks had everything to do with intellect rather than how they handled a ball. They built magnificent clubhouses with intricate rules for inclusion and all was well. They made gatekeeping an art form. But now, those social barriers are crumbling, the once obscure things they loved are now cool and hip and — horrors — accessible to everyone. Even to girls who persist in doing it wrong. These ARE the fake geek girls. They haven't paid their dues, they're too irrational, too emotional, and not able to comprehend anything more significant than pretty actors. Not the fans who happened to be girls mind, just the fangirls.
These petty fandom politics are damaging, and create an environment of exclusion that seeps into the real world. These are the same sort of arguments that were used to keep women out of voting booths, jobs and political office. It's the rationale that is still used to drive women away from video games, comics, and the Internet at large: they don't count, their opinions don't count and we're going to make sure they know it. The Doctor Who incident may have started out as smug fannish gloating but soon turned into something darker and, at times, the Internet reverberated with the sound of older fans shouting at what they presumed to be teen-aged girls. A prominent Doctor Who forum twitter account started using the hashtag #wehatefangirls and lots of people saw nothing wrong with that.
It was deeply inappropriate and deeply uncomfortable.
Ascribing this behavior solely to a fandom that has a reputation for being cantankerous would be convenient, but fangirl derision is widespread. Ashton Kutcher's 2013 Teen Choice Award acceptance speech, during which he explained key life lessons he had learned in his career, quickly went viral. One heavily linked site was thenosebleeds.com where Pete Blackburn's snarky entry said:
I'm not the biggest Ashton fan but this is a pretty amazing speech with a great message behind it. It kind of sucks that it probably went in one ear and out the other on a bunch of screaming girls who didn't even pay attention to what he was saying but, hey, at least the rest of us got to enjoy it.
When a few commentators noted that the assessment was unfair and that the audience did listen to the speech, the response was a disheartening combination of sneering at teen-aged girls and accusations of rampant feminism. Apparently the very worst thing you can be in this world is an enthusiastic young woman. The second worst is a supporter of enthusiastic young women.
Geek culture is going through growing pains. We're struggling, and continue to struggle, to be as inclusive, as fair, and as decent as we should be. But there are still those of us who feel awfully safe mocking female-centric fandom and fannish expressions. (Just drop the Stephenie Meyer/Twilight bomb in the middle of a SF/F conversation and see what happens. Hint: It won't be pretty.) While we're struggling with these issues which will, hopefully, lift us up to the next level of fannish enlightenment where we're all just known as "fans", the least we can do is strip the negative power from the word fangirl.
I define it and I own it.
I'm a fangirl. I'm the mother of fangirls, sister to fangirls and friend to many, many fangirls. I engage in some fandoms very deeply and very thoughtfully, and some simply because Rupert Graves is ridiculously hot. I applaud the creativity and enthusiasm that young fans are bringing to this crazy, amazing world and urge them to forge their own paths.
We're all fangirls and we're here to stay. So run, you clever boys, and remember us.
Oh, Deb. Just, wonderful.
Having seen you work through your thoughts on this topic over the last few weeks, via Twitter and podcasting and finally producing this eminently linkable essay…
Just, yes. You say it beautifully, and it needed to be said.
Yes. Just yes.
Thank you so much for this, Deb. I am with you, a grown up fangirl and proud of it.
Enjoyed this piece; I've made some jokes in the past about fangirls in my particular field of interest (sports fandom)…yet as a 50+ woman, I confess to fangirling myself over one of my team's media analyst, and I look forward to lusting after the new Doctor from afar without feeling like I'm robbing the cradle. 😉
This is music to my ears, particularly the words "mother of fangirls". If you think it's tough being a New Who fangirl, try being one in your 50s. I am still extremely cautious about who I mention the name David Tennant to, but he had a lot to do with why I went back to college and did an MA in Shakespeare Studies in 2008.
"Do you think the BBC cares who's dropping cash on DVDs, sonic screwdrivers or TARDIS USB hubs? 20th Century Fox certainly isn't checking to see if theater seats are being filled by X-Men experts or fans who want to check out Hugh Jackman's more physical assets."
Ultimately they may not care, but it would be naive to think they're not paying attention. DW's casting in the Moffat era brought attention to the show and introduced new audiences to DW partly because of the "hotness" factor. A lot of the people that came to DW fell in love with the history and the lore and others just went on watching the new series disregarding it. It was bold from the BBC to cast Capaldi because ultimately we don't know if this will impact the audience, but yes, there WAS a ~fangirl~ backlash, at least that's what I witnessed in several threads and videos throughout the internet.
It's interesting that you note the backlash. I too very closely followed the Capaldi choice, and I'd say from all the forums, groups, facebook threads, and tweets I read, the 'complaining about fangirl backlash' to 'actual fangirl backlash' was about 10 to 1. Most mentioned Capaldi's age in a 'oh no, I hope they still include running' variant of complaint, not a 'oh no, however will I fap my girly bits to this new incarnation' complaint. However, the men and boys gleefully cheering on their beloved Doctor as all theirs again was deafening to the minor complaints of casting. The poor dears are going to be in for quite a shock in a few months when those 'fake' fangirls are still watching the show, aren't they.
I really don't mind the reasoning behind people watching DW as long as the show survives all the while it stays true to itself (I have my complains about Moffat's Who, but overall Im still able to enjoy it). I hope people really keep watching the show, whoever they are and why, but this remains to be seen since the tone may shift. I have some friends who really hate DW for their own reasons, and for them I just say "oh well, it's not for everyone". I, for one, am very excited for whatever it is to come, just hope the BBC can keep it going for the next 50 years.
I disagree completely with Mateus. Why is it that men assume the ONLY reason a woman could watch a movie or TV show is the "hotness factor"? Do you REALLY think we are that shallow?
The incredible rise in *Doctor Who* popularity has to do with many factors – but I don't think Matt Smith's supposed' "hottness" is one of them. And it's certainly not the most important one.
1. FOUR actors have played the Doctor, since it's re-launch in 2005, not just Matt Smith.
2. Steven Moffatt has CONSCIOUSLY gone after the American market. From BBCAmerica's special "Amy" introduction for Series 5 (I hated it, most fans hated it, it quickly disappeared, but guess what folks? THAT VOICEOVER DID NOT AIR IN THE UK!!!) to shooting part of an episode in the US, and setting several episodes in the US — Moffat is courting US fans. IMO, he's doing it badly, but that's another essay.
3. The new series is successful WORLD wide, not just in the US, Canada, and the UK — tho' those markets are obviously important to the BBC. BBC World-Wide not only airs the show, but is behind the sonic screwdrivers and TARDIS everythings.
4. Doctor Who has been on the air for 50 years. Worlds longest running SF program. One of the longest running dramas for sure (other than soaps – can *you* name a drama that's been around for 50 years?) obviously doing something right.
5. Moffat, is good at PROMOTION. You see this with *Sherlock* too. Heck, you saw it with his comedies that he produced prior to *Sherlock* and *Doctor Who*. The guy understands international television, sales, promotion. He can talk the talk and walk the walk and speak to suits in languages they understand. Not every producer can. This in turn means ALL *Doctor Who* fans get things they want: the show airing immediately after the UK, cast appearances at Comic Con, merchandise, the 50th Anniversary world-wide simulcast.
6. You said, "It was a bold move for the BBC to cast Capaldi,". However, technically speaking, Moffat cast him. These days, producers cast shows, NOT the BBC. (This was NOT true back in the 60s, 70s, and 80s when the BBC operated with a system very similar to the US film industry "studio system" of the 30s, 40s, and 50s.) You can't say: 'Moffat cast Smith which brought in the 'fangirls" then turn around and say, 'the BBC cast Capaldi which is a bold move'. Sorry – that's a failure of logic. You have to complement Moffat (or the BBC) for both. Or blame him (or the BBC) for both. But you can't *blame* Moffat then turn around and *complement* the BBC.
Amen Amen Amen. I too am an older fangirl (late 30s) who has dug sci fi and the Doctor since he was wearing a long scarf (and, strangely, he wasn't that attractive. Oh, how did my fangirl self ever keep up with the storyline?). I now have nieces who grew up on DT's incarnation of the Doctor, but who love the character, not the person who plays him.
A few months ago when Iron Man 3 was doing the press rounds, winners of a 'Fanboy rountable' competition got to chat with Drew Pearce and Shane Black for about a half hour alone. Of the four of us at the table, two were female, two were male. The youngest was 13. I was the oldest. Each of us had incredibly in-depth questions, asking them about canon construction, backstory, the works. We were all clearly fans of the comic book as well as film franchise. It did my old geek heart proud to see the young ones trade twitter handles after the talk and geek out irrespective of their gender. Gave me a lot of hope that the new generation really are figuring out that more fans equals a better fandom. If only some of the old guard could get it through their skulls, we'd be a lot better off.
Bravo Deb! The tide does seem to be turning as these conversations are finally being had. The most disturbing aspect has been women gate keeping other women. This essay is the cream of the crop for the idea that there is no wrong way to be a fan.
I'm just sick of the term being used, especially on FaceBook, as a club with which to shut us up and belittle Tennant fans. Most of the ones that do it are convinced that all polls are fixed and that Mr. Tennant has only every acted in Doctor Who. I'm 59 and don't mind being a fangirl as long as it isn't used as a form of abuse to shut up people like me. In all honesty I've left most DW groups because of a small but very vocal and very abusive subset of Tennant-hating bullies.
You're in the wrong fan groups! The ones I'm in on Facebook love Tennant fans.
I've also seen David Tennant in other roles. It's outright *creepy* in "Secret Smile", and his *Hamlet* with Patrick Stewart is brilliant. I'm currently watching "Spies of Warsaw" and it's out and out depressing. But Tennant ALWAYS impresses.
I guess for the record I should point out my favorite Doctors are: Davison, McCoy and Tennant! 🙂
Awesome article. But Peter Capaldi is 55 and Matt Smith will be 31 by the time he retires in December. But then perhaps this article was penned a year ago, in an incredible bit of foresight 🙂
Also notice that part of the problem apparently also is women noticing and commenting on men's hotness, while men do and have done the same at women without being called hysterical and/or overly emotional or silly. There is a reason that female superheroes' costumes are skimpy. What is wrong with us woman thinking that men are attractive?
Great piece!
Not even that – can you name one 'ugly' female companion on Who? Even when the Doctor was not 'hot' like Tennant, the companion has always been a lithe, gorgeous creature. Yet no one calls a guy who found Sarah Jane attractive 'less than a true fan'.
Donna wasn't lithe and yet she's many people's favourite companion. (Though she's the *only* non-lithe one.)
And the war on women exists in fandom just as it does in mundania.
Brilliant, brilliant, excellent essay — with so many good points it's hard to say where to start. I think I want to start by saying that, overall, I think the Internet is a fun and brilliant place for Fannish Women. Yes, you are absolutely right – attacking other girls for "not doing it right" isn't what fandom should be about. I've seen the Gatekeeping too – both on and off line. (And off-line it's sad because the loudest voices in the "not doing it right" camp are gatekeeping themselves right out of the "business" – frankly we're getting older, and if you're not welcoming the new fans, you're going to go extinct. There's a convention I know that has this problem.) Anyway, though, when I see young Cosplayers at a convention, or read fanfic on-line, or watch music vids, or read blogs and other Social Media — I know that the women, often very young women, but the women are at least DOING something. They are engaging with media and transforming it in a way that suits their own means. So somehow – snarky criticism of the fact seems unfair. The backlash against the anti- Comic Con-Cosplayer (the girl in the purple outfit with the green hair that someone labeled "trying too hard") shows, to me, that others ALSO think it's unfair. It's important to keep in mind the difference between a fanfic written by a 12 or 13 year old — and someone who's been around writing fanfic for 15 or 20 years. But it's EQUALLY important to encourage the young fan. Suggestions for improvement can be made without being harsh or mean. It can be hard – but it's possible. (Here's a hint, if you want to help the younger fan improve their: fic, vids, costumes, etc — don't write a critique when you're tired or having a bad day, put it aside for a bit).
But what I also saw in a thread about bullying on Twitter (um, the thread was on Twitter, not the bullying) was a call to "Throw the entire Internet baby out with the bathwater" – ban kids from any Internet contact etc. And a tolerance for bullying in person (or a disbelief that it still happens). Views to the contrary were shut down so fast and so coldly it was almost, ironically, a form of bullying the opposing view. Not a view that bullying is 'good' – of course not, but the view that the Internet has good things too.
So, anyway, thanks for the brilliant post. I loved it!
The simple truth is many of Doctor Who's more vocal female fans were put off when Tennant left DW. A HUGE number of the female contingent that got into it through his time as the Doctor complained about Smith's looks when he was announced. I don't need to choose examples because we all remember the back lash too well. It was an incredibly frustrating time to be a long term fan of DW. The fans that had been watching since forever got their backs up because of this and of course would make comments and call people fangirls when Capaldi was announced. It's merely a case of long term fans being afraid of history repeating. I have met people first hand and witnessed girls on the Internet complaining about Capaldi not being hot. I'm sorry but I have! They'll all quickly forget about that when he takes over of course.
While I agree with the sentiment of this post I do think the writer has clearly forgotten what it was like around DW fandom 4 years ago when Smith was announced and has probably not spoken to hundreds of DW fans about Capaldi before making the presumption that the young female fan contingent have just welcomed him with open arms…
I am willing to bet that we will come back to this article a year from now with a GENUINE example of how the young female fans have taken to Capaldi, until then I will join everyone in congratulating the author in calling out the chauvinistic attitudes of many of the DW fan circles!
Also one last question – who here would like a female Doctor to take over after Capaldi?
"The simple truth is many of Doctor Who's more vocal female fans were put off when Tennant left DW. A HUGE number of the female contingent that got into it through his time as the Doctor complained about Smith's looks when he was announced. "
You have data to back up your claims, of course? Statistics and the like?
I really wish someone like Tilda Swinton would take the role when the day comes for a female doctor
"I really wish someone like Tilda Swinton would take the role when the day comes for a female doctor"
That day should have come long ago.
Hopefully it won't take much longer than it already is. Tilda has an androgynous/alien quality that I identify a lot with the Doctor and an actress that could translate these to the screen would be an instant favorite, perhaps the best incarnation of the character yet. She could be a bit like Eccleston and Smith, but more alien and unattached. I have seen some pics of Tilda sporting some steampunk apparel and it looked awesome, very akin to what I would like to see with DW, I mean, just look at this: http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/audio/video/2013/5/25/1369480646638/Tilda-Swinton-by-Tim-Walk-001.jpg
I think you're missing the point that there were just as many outspoken 'old school' Doctor Who fans who were upset about Matt Smith's casting because of how young he was. Is that a more valid response than fans being upset he isn't as conventionally attractive as the previous Doctor?
Fans getting upset about the new actor between him being cast in the role and actually turning up in his first episode is a long-standing tradition and one in which people of all ages, fan histories and genders often participate in. Complaining is, basically, what most Doctor Who fans do.
Just look at the anger and resentment that has been bubbling about the 50th anniversary story not being a good enough celebration for us, up to a year before it ACTUALLY airs.
It's a basic double standard to call out the young female fans for voicing their responses without acknowledging that everyone else does it too. I saw probably as least as many fans upset at the Capaldi choice because he wasn't female or an actor of colour (a minority but a very angry minority)- and I also saw male as well as female fans concerned that Capaldi's "advanced age" meant he might not be able to do as much running as his predecessors.
And let's not forget how many long-term (mostly male) fans have been complaining about David Tennant's Doctor for years (and still continue to do so). I've talked to male fans who love Smith but hated Tennant AND male fans who couldn't accept Matt Smith after Tennant. An awful lot of men have also been nitpicking at and bitching about Jenna Coleman for the last year. Many male fans hated Amy Pond. MANY of them were quite vile and horrid about Donna. And let's not forget the Rose-hatred that rolls out of Doctor Who fandom circles that are dominated by men to the point that many women who love the character don't feel they can speak up at all.
I personally love Peter Capaldi, but then I love all the Doctors, and I do despair at any and all waves of negativity around Doctor Who casting.
But Deb's essay is about how the fannish responses of young women are being treated with a different level of sneering, trivialisation and anger than any other fannish responses. It doesn't matter how many girls actually have complained about Peter Capaldi's hotness levels on the internet, the backlash against those fans for daring to feel that way has been much louder and more ugly.


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Envy is one of the most ugly things we can struggle with in our relationships with others— especially with those we call our friends.
Despite knowing we ought to be happy for our friends when they call us with good news about school/work/a relationship/ etc., we may often find ourselves suddenly comparing how we are faring in those fields to the positive news that our friend just shared with us about their life. Before we know it, and often without even realizing what we are doing, we begin looking for all of the negatives in that other person in order to make ourselves feel better about our own lives. Rather than being happy for our friend, we choose to tear them down, even if only in our own minds.
Some of us may realize this terrible tendency within ourselves, and so we rightly attempt to correct it. But we often choose a method that, though better than tearing another person down, is still not ideal because it robs us of our own happiness. We choose to compare ourselves to that other person. We know it's silly to wish that other person harm, so instead, we conclude that the other person is awesome and we just have to live with the fact that we are not.
Neither of these options is healthy, and neither is what God wants for us. Since good things are inevitably going to happen to the people we know in life (yay!), I thought I'd put together a plan of action to help deal with envy and this terrible tendency of comparing ourselves to other people.
1. Reasonably examine your feelings
So you're not happy for your friend? Acknowledge it. Acknowledge it to yourself and in your prayer to God, because it's pointless to pretend with yourself or with God. Be real about your feelings, but let them lead to this question:
Why aren't you happy for your friend's success? Chances are, there is no good reason for you to not be rejoicing in your friend's good fortune. Still, it's incredible how talented we are at coming up with even the tiniest of reasons as to why we aren't as happy as we should be for our friends. We recall past times when that person made a mistake and somehow allow that to lead us to the conclusion that they should not be allowed to have any successes ever again. Makes perfect sense, right? Of course not. But it's important to go over these reasons of why you're not happy so that you can see just how illogical they are. Which brings me to step two.
2. Go over all of the logical reasons for why you should be happy
Even if your friend was just the random winner of some contest that had nothing to do with personal ability or skill, (i.e., they did nothing to deserve this positive news) that's still no good reason for you to wish this were not happening to them. So make a list, and write it down if you have to, of all the reasons why you should be happy for your friend. Here are some to get you started:
- It's rare that positive things happen by chance and without at least some small amount of effort. Your friend likely worked hard to achieve whatever positive thing is happening in their life. You should acknowledge that.
- You care about your friends. You don't want to see them unhappy, so you should logically rejoice to see them happy.
- You would expect your friends to be happy when something good happened to you. If they weren't, you'd wonder what kind of friends they were.
- Being unhappy for your friend will likely hurt your relationship with them.
- Even if you had a good reason (which you don't), being unhappy for or about your friend is not going to make you feel better about yourself.
- If all else fails: Jesus says so. (Mark 12:30-31)
3. Realize that another person's happiness takes nothing from you
At its core, I think this tendency to comparison and to envy is rooted in fear. We're afraid that, if good things happen to our friends, there won't be enough good to go around for us. As a result, it's hard to be happy for our friends' good fortune because a small part of us fears that this means there is less left for us. But all we need to do is realize this one simple truth: One person's happiness truly takes nothing from you.
Remember that we live within time. Good things are going to happen to you, and they are going to happen to the people around you—but they may not always occur on the same day. It doesn't mean you're never going to be happy again. Cicero wrote that, "Friendship improves happiness and abates misery, by the doubling of our joy and the dividing of our grief." When your friend is happy, you should actually rejoice because you get to share in that happiness.
4. Practice Makes Perfect
Now that you know all of the reasons why you should be happy, and that you have no real reason not to be happy, it's time to practice genuine happiness. Don't be fake, but don't expect fuzzy feelings over night either. Realize that, after years of negativity, it will take practice to get used to being happy for other people. So fight the urge to look for the negative by repeating to yourself the reasons why you should be happy for your friend. Ask them questions about the good thing they have shared with you and look for all of the reasons to rejoice with them. Put yourself in their shoes and realize that they probably told you because they want you to share in their happiness. And of course, pray, pray, pray for the grace to be genuinely happy for those around you.
Copyright 2012 Mary Lane
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Well it's been a while since I've posted. Some of that has been work, but recently I've gotten to finally build and use my new PC. You could say it fills in that gap of buying a next-gen machine, since it's almost entirely made with modern parts. As I got closer to building my computer, and watched a few builds online, I thought it would be fun to share my own experience. While I don't own an actual Steam Machine, my purpose for this PC was something similar: make something small that can blend into a living room, retain a good deal of power, boot quickly, and overall be convenient.
My last PC I built around 6-7 years ago, when I was in college studying game design, so long time coming. Yes, contrary to sayings on the internet, gaming computers don't need to be replaced or upgraded every few years, and since mine cost around $800…the $1000+ myth doesn't apply either. Over this long 8 year console gen, I've only upgraded 2 things, a Samsung Blu-Ray reader for watching movies, and a Nvidia gtx 570 GPU for faster rendering in 3d classes…while oh so conveniently maxing out the Witcher 2 (minus that crazy ubersampling). I bring those two parts up, because those are the two I'm still using in this new computer, while everything else got replaced.
Why re-use my GPU? Well, it near maxes out most AAA games still, and I might as well wait until Nvidia's 800 series next year when Witcher 3, The Division, Watchdogs, etc. hit.
Some of you may also be wondering why I said "Mini-ITX" for the headline. The answer is mini-itx refers to the motherboard type, which is what the Valve Steam Machine prototypes have within them. So much so that I recognized the exact same motherboard I'm using in one of their prototype pictures. What is the benefit of Mini-ITX? Pretty much this:
Mini-ITX motherboards are tiny!They're only about half the size of standard ones, which allows you to use much smaller cases to fit in the rest of your components. Really all you lose is some RAM slots, but you can still put in 16gb, and you lose the capacity for multiple GPUs...which is overly expensive.
Now I spent some time searching for cases, and finally landed on the Bitfenix Prodigy. Why I liked it was the nice layout that could fit any powerful GPU, has good ventilation, some nice handles to grip for traveling to LANs/friends' houses, room for my optical drive, usb 3.0 and audio/mic jacks in the front. Just for a size comparison, I took a picture with my old PS3 next to it, and sorry for the quality…only have an iphone camera:
As you can see, it's still a bit bigger, and is deeper in the back. However, it's a far cry from the large lumbering gaming towers, and I think looks fairly clean and elegant. Now, before I get started with the actual building process, I just wanted to list the other basic components, and a short reason why I picked them to achieve my Steam Machine ideal.If you'd prefer to build your own on a budget, and want a better "bank for buck" build, skip ahead past this first part list. Bear in mind, my prices were based off taking advantage of Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales.
- CPU: Intel Core i7-4770k 3.5Ghz Quad-Core LGA1150 - $300 (Amazon)
- Reason: While the i5-4670k is the better deal for the power you get, I wanted the hyper-threading. A few games make use of hyper-threading for better fps, and it's useful when running simultaneous programs at once.
- CPU Cooler: Thermalright TS-120M 53.3 CFM (Amazon) - $40
- Reason: Well this cooler outperformed quite a few water-cooling fans, and the heatsink is quite thin so you don't have to worry about it blocking RAM sticks of any height.
- Motherboard: ASRock Z87E-ITX Mini ITX LGA1150 (LGA1150 is the CPU socket type) - $120 (Newegg)
- Reason: Plenty of sata ports for hardrives, 8-pin CPU power connector for possible overclocking, analog and optical surround sound support, 6 usb ports (4 usb 3.0), wi-fi AC antenna, and the biggest differentiating reason: supports what ASRock calls Home Cloud. Home Cloud (requires Windows 8 to use) essentially lets me boot and control my computer remotely from ANY web browser on a PC, or through an app on mobile/tablet devices. So if I need to buy a game during work to play with friends when I get home. Simply boot my rig up from my work PC, start the download on Steam, and play the finished game right when I get home. No other mini-itx motherboards I saw but ASRock's line support this, and I hope it becomes a standard feature in the future.
- OS: Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit w/Disc - $100 (Amazon)
- Reason: No, I'm not crazy…and yes the Metro UI sucks. HOWEVER, installing Classic Shell brings back the beloved start menu, and negates the metro UI altogether. So now I get some of the new explorer UI benefits, and faster boot times of Windows 8, without the downsides. Here's my Desktop right now:
Feel a bit similar to Windows 7?
- RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16gb (2x8gb sticks) DDR3-1600mhz - $100 (Newegg)
- Reason: Competitively fast RAM with nice timings, and Newegg's $50 discount sealed the deal.
- Storage (main drive): Samsung 840 EVO 500GB 2.5" SSD - $300 (Amazon)
- Reason: Samsung's drives are faster than almost anything else out there, the EVO series prices well, and they're fairly reliable from what I've read in reviews. I started out thinking I'd just get 120gb, but then it became 250gb to treat myself...and then I just said "screw it, I want to install games on this too" when Amazon shaved $60 off the 500gb.
- Storage (secondary media drive): Western Digital WD Black 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM - $200
- Reason: Western Digital Black drives are notoriously reliable compared to other hardrives, and that's good considering hard-disk drives are usually the thing that fails first. Amazon marked the 4TB one down to within $5 of the 3TB, so I decided why not?
- Power Supply: Corsair CSM Series 750W Gold Certified Modular - $110 (Newegg)
- Important Reason: While the Bitfenix Prodigy says you can fit any power supply, what they don't tell you is that buying a power supply that is deeper than 140mm or 5.51 inches, will bend the cables in a bad way, or just not fit. This power supply is great because it is 140mm, modular so you can connect only the cords you need, and hits 750 watts, making it future-proof for any of the highest-end components you throw at it.
- Case Fan (front intake): BitFenix Spectre 97.8 CFM 230mm fan - $18 (Amazon)
- Reason: The Bitfenix Prodigy case is designed to store this as the biggest fan in the front for intaking cool air. Completely worth it, and fairly quiet.
- Case Fan (back outtake): Cougar Vortex 70.5 CFM 140mm fan - $15 (Newegg)
- Reason: The Bitfenix Prodigy comes with 2 120mm fans, but the Cougar one's are incredibly quiet without sacrificing speed, and use vibration reducing rubber screws. The back of the case fan placement supports 140mm, so I'm taking advantage of that.
- Case Fan (top outtake): Cougar Vortex PVM 70.5 CFM 120mm fan - $15 (Newegg)
- Reason: The Bitfenix Prodigy case supports two 120mm or one 240mm fan on the top sections, but only one 120mm fan if you put an optical drive in. Since this is a secondary outtake fan, I chose a PVM 4-pin, which essentially means the motherboard will alternate the speed depending on the temperature inside the case.
- Fan Cables: APEVIA CVT334 Power 3 PIN TO 4 PIN Fan Converter (3pk) - $4 Newegg
- Important Reason: My motherboard, and most mini-itx motherboards only have 2 headers to connect your fans to, and 1 of them needs to be the CPU cooler fan. So these cables simply convert a 3-pin fan header into a molex cable, which every power supply comes with.
TOTAL(includes case): $1372
Now you're probably saying, Rathorial you hypocritical liar, your PC is clearly over $1000. Very true reader, but I'm not trying to build a best bang for buck build. Why? Well I'm not in college strapped for cash, and since I landed my first game design job…I've had the income to save for this. So the SSD, 4tb media drive, extra quiet fans, Windows 8.1 even though I have a Windows 7 disc, i7 CPU, and 16gb of RAM was me treating myself with the expectation to make this last another 6 years.
However, part of why I wanted to make this building of was to encourage/help people who thought they'd like to try making a PC to game on. So I want to present my bang for buck build, and to assist you in pricing I recommend using PCPartPicker. Basically PCPartPicker helps you organize a build, and aggregates the pricing of components from all the major sites to help you get the best price. I used it to research parts for my own computer.
Bang for Buck Build
- CPU: Intel i5-4430 3.0 GHz Quad-core - $185
- CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM - $33 (edit: I included this to let people overclock in the future, so their CPU could have extended life running games well, but for those not interested, drop this cost as your CPU comes with a decent cooler)
- Motherboard: ASRock H81M Mini ITX LGA 1150 - $72 (still supports Home Cloud too!)
- Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (1x8GB) DDR3-1600 - $64 (Newegg) (you can add another 8gb stick later if you want)
- Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200 RPM - $60
- Power Supply: Corsair CSM Series 650W Gold Certified Modular - $100 (Newegg)
- Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 760 2GB - $250
- Case: BitFenix Prodigy (color up to you) Mini ITX Tower - $80 (Amazon and Newegg have marked these down to $50-60 quite often)
- Case Fan (front intake): BitFenix Spectre 97.8 CFM 230mm fan - $18 (Amazon)
- Bitfenix Prodigy Case comes with two 120mm fans, so use those as outtake fans.
- Fan Cables: APEVIA CVT334 Power 3 PIN TO 4 PIN Fan Converter (3pk) - $4 Newegg (yes you still need these)
Of course, the OS is left out, but I'm not sure if you guys/gals have a Windows 7 product key you can re-use, or would just prefer getting Windows 7 to 8. Upgrade versions of Windows are cheaper as well. Also, if you'd like SDD-Lite speed in your hardrive, look into the Seagate 1TB hybrid drive ($97). If you want an optical drive, the $15 Lite-ON DVD/CD Writer fills that need nicely, otherwise just boot windows off a usb thumb drive. Also for your convenience, I've linked this build on PCPartPicker to give you an example, and included my extra options which you can deduct if not needed.
(Edit: Those interested in an OS for the cheapest price possible would do well to get Windows 7 on ebay. I've seen it as cheap as $30, and there are "buy now" options)
THE BUILDING Process
(those who don't have time to read or care, feel free to skip to the conclusion where I wrap up what my built machine can do):
Ok, now we're at the "fun" part, where we put all this stuff together. Yes, "we"! I'm here to take you on journey after all, my fellow gamer brethren. Instead of going too tech manual on all you guys, I'm going to give the gist of how I organize making a computer, and some light generalized tips. All the other minor details you will find your motherboard and PC case manuals can cover…but for something sexier, this build video, from the same guys who built, Jeff Gertsmann's (of Giant Bomb fame) PC, should help. Now our tale begins!
Step 1: Open the case. (See, I'm easing you into it, right?)
Step 2: Now to fit that long GPU I've been talking about, along with more room for cables, we need to remove that additional hardrive rack.
Now for convenience, I prefer to install the case fans first. Ideally we want airflow to go like this:
Blue arrows indicate the intake of cool air, and red arrows indicate the outtake of hot air.
Step 3: In order to put in the front fan, we're going to need to unscrew that bottom cage. To do that, I tipped the case over, and unscrewed the 6 screws for the cage (very easy to put back on), and remove the front face-plate. Then I simply set up the fan vertically, and line up the holes in the front for the 4 screws to go in.
To tell which side the fan should be facing the case for intake and exhaust, I always follow this:
The side with the logo and connecting plastic indicates the exhaust side, which needs to face against the case to exhaust. Since my case fan is intaking cool air from the outside, flip it over.
Step 4: Install back and top exhaust fans.
Back Fan:
Top Fan:
Step 5: Because the SSD is a smaller drive, and I don't want to take up the two 3.5 inch cages below, I chose to install it on the compartments on the left door itself. Bizarrely, this case has screw holes that can support about 8 SSDs…because you know…reasons.
Step 6: Now, I originally had my 4tb media drive facing this way shown in the pic, but as you can see with the stretched sata cord…I flipped the cage around to the other side. It's really easy to do, as the cage is designed to go either direction.
Step 7: Now here's the ugly, but important step. We want to connect all the cables we'll need to the power supply, and then just pick the directions that best manage where these cables come out of in the case. This is important, because you want to say to yourself:"Ok, what cables do I want to come out of this side, and how do I want to arrange them so they don't get in the way or block anything." Also, it's a pain the ass to fit your hands back in there to plug them in.
Step 8: First thing, make sure the power supply fan is pointed down, as we don't want to shoot heat on the motherboard above, and the case is suspended to let air go out that way. Now I screw in the bracket that holds the power supply inside the case. Face it in the direction that fits the holes of your power supply.
Step 9: The motherboard is next, and I handle this part delicately. First we should put in the I/O shield, or that metal thing that has the shape of the ports on the back of the motherboard. When the motherboard is put through it, it will look like this:
This next pic is the back of a Steam Machine…see the resemblance?
However, we don't want to put the motherboard in yet, better to install the CPU and the CPU cooler first. We'll be doing that next.
Step 10: Ok, this is an area I skipped showing a picture, and that involves sticking in the CPU, and installing the CPU cooler. Why? Well, the instruction manual for your motherboard will better illustrate the direction you put the CPU in, and really that's the only important part about installing a CPU. Once you've found the right direction, just set the CPU you down to match the shape of the socket, and they'll be a lock to keep it in place on the motherboard itself.
Step 11: The CPU cooler…this step I just looked in the manual for the CPU cooler. Much more useful diagrams than I can post, and just good to make sure I did it right (took 5 mins). The CPU cooler comes with thermal paste, which you apply on top of the cpu, and do a light coat over it. I however, re-used some Artic Silver thermal compound, and locked the bracket for the CPU cooler down. Also put the RAM in, which just involves lining up the bottom connectors to the slot (takes 10 seconds).
This is the part where I like to stand back, and admire the beauty of what I've assembled so far. While it involves more work than buying a PS4, building something myself gives me a greater sense of ownership…not unlike people who build/restore cars.
Step 12: This is the step that takes some time, because I am going to be connecting cables, and doing cable management so nothing gets in the way.
So I'll be connecting sata data and power cables to the 2 hardrives and my optical drive. Connecting the power cables to my motherboard and CPU, which are the big braided fatty ones. Then we hook up the usb header and audio cable for the left side of the case that has the power button. I press the power button to see if the power supply boots up, just in case I need to order another. While it still looks a bit messy, none of these cables are colliding with parts that get hot, or blocking much in terms of airflow.
Step 13: Now here we plug in the last component, my old video card. I did some cable management before this, because I need to make sure nothing blocks or touches this, and because the video card will block my hands from getting back there. Before pressing it down on the PCI express port to connect it to the motherboard, I plug in the 2 black power cables shown.
Your GPU will take up the most wattage of power over any other single component.
Conclusion: Now we're done assembling, I hook up my mouse/keyboard, and prepare to install Windows. Within a few seconds I see the bios screen indicator, which means no returns to Amazon!
Now my computer restarts, and it gives me a "press any key to use this disc" message in DOS-ish text. Ok now I see the windows logo, I click next a few times, pick my SSD as the main drive windows will be installed on, and then wait. Last time I did this with windows 7, it took about an hour or more…hard to remember since I just made something to eat and watched TV. However, SSDs are amazing, and Windows 8 a bit more efficiently coded…so it only took 7-9 mins.
What's even more beautiful was stop-watching my boot up. On my 6 year old PC, it takes about 5-10 minutes just to boot, and load up startup programs to the point I can start messing with it. This computer…no lies…booted in 5-6 seconds, and was ready to use. This is the biggest endorsement I can make for SSDs: they make your life better, they boot faster than the next-gen consoles can, and you get all the multi-purpose benefits of a PC.
Of course I couldn't finish this without testing games. I'm not expecting better frame-rate in most titles, since they're often heavily GPU-based. Tomb Raider performed only a bit better…but wait!
General McFist asks me to co-op some Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War 2, and to my amazement my average FPS went from 35 to 88!
Well…safe to say my new CPU and RAM paid for themselves there! Gotta love those CPU-hungry strategy games. All in all, I'm very happy to have a fresh new machine to greet the next-gen, and one that is a step up in multiple areas, from raw power to sheer conveniences.
If you have any questions about making your own small-ish computer, or just want to chat, feel free to comment. While I find that the PC is my preferred platform, that still doesn't call for master race nonsense. Instead I'd love to talk about people interested in getting into PC gaming, or anything about this next generation.


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Pro-Life Letter Included in Time Capsule Buried at MLK Memorial
Date: October 19, 2011
Contact: Andre Kim
WASHINGTON, D.C. – A letter bearing a pro-life message was among the items placed in a time capsule put together as part of the dedication of the Martin Luther King Memorial.
Naomi Ruth Barber King, the widow of civil rights strategist Rev. A. D. King and sister-in-law of Martin Luther King, included a copy of "The Beloved Community" letter, as she and other family members gathered Saturday, Oct. 15, at the construction site. The memorial was dedicated the following day.
The letter, written for the celebration of Martin Luther King Day this past January, urges his followers to include the unborn in the ongoing fight for civil rights.
"As our nation pauses to recommit itself to fulfilling the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.," the letter begins, "we invite our fellow citizens to reflect on how that dream touches every human life. Dr. King taught that justice and equality need to be as wide-reaching as humanity itself. Nobody can be excluded from the Beloved Community. He taught that 'injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.' "
Among the signatories are Mrs. King; Dr. Alveda King, director of African-American Outreach for Priests for Life and founder of King for America; Father Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life; Rev. Derek King, nephew of Martin Luther King; Gloria Jackson, the great-granddaughter of Booker T. Washington, and Lynn Jackson, great-great-granddaughter of Dred Scott.
"Over the years, many pro-abortion leaders and organizations have claimed that Uncle Martin was pro-choice, but that is just not true," Dr. Alveda King said. "He was a champion of the sanctity of life, and he included the unborn among those whose civil rights he fought and died for."
Father Pavone said, "The new Dr. King Memorial will inspire many to give their lives for the dream as he did. In our day, that means giving our lives to restore equal protection to our unborn brothers and sisters."
Mrs. King also included in the time capsule a copy of the book, "How Can the Dream Survive" by Dr. Alveda King, and a copy of the video "Metamorphosis," about the life cycle of the butterfly. Mrs. King is known as the "Butterfly Queen." http://www.adkingfoundation.com/home/aboutnaomi.html
President Obama was invited to include copies of two of his speeches in the time capsule, which will be unearthed in the future.
For the full text of the "Beloved Community" letter, go to http://www.priestsforlife.org/africanamerican/beloved-community-and-the-unborn.htm. For more information about the King family, visit AD King Foundation and King for America.
Priests for Life is the nation's largest Catholic pro-life organization dedicated to ending abortion and euthanasia. For more information, visit Priests for Life.


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by Ken Bartels, Sr. Vice President
...paint da' fence gray? Read More..
by Ken Bartels, Sr. Vice President
...paint da' fence gray?
The Mission of Community Bank of Elmhurst
is to provide superior, personalized banking services,
valuing our customers and community first.
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Community Bank of Elmhurst is one of the few independently-owned, community oriented banks in DuPage County. Our Board of Directors and Staff are committed to the community we serve. We are all from the area and have a combined total of over 275 years of Elmhurst banking experience. We believe in putting the people back into banking.
Copyright 2010 by Community Bank of Elmhurst
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Home >> Bathroom >> Bathroom Sinks >> Vigo Bathroom Sinks
Vigo Northern Lights Glass Vessel Sink And Waterfall Faucet Set
Faucet Available in Chrome or Brushed Nickel
$206.32 - $210.55
No Sales Tax, Except CT
Product Reviews
The galactic pattern on Vigo's Northern Lights glass vessel sink and faucet set is out of this world. Constructed from solid glass, the sink features a non-porous surface that is both scratch and stain resistant, plus easy to clean. The matching waterfall faucet is built to last in solid brass and topped with a chic chrome or brushed nickel finish.
(W = side to side) (D = front to back) (H = top to bottom)
Sink Measurements
1 3/4" standard drain opening
16 1/2" Diameter x 6" Height
Glass thickness: 1/2"
Faucet measurements
Standard 1 3/8" diameter opening is required for this faucet
7 1/4" Diameter x 11 1/2" Height
Additional Information:
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study(redirected from Action study)
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Medical, Wikipedia.
Related to Action study: nifedipine, Action research
1. a drawing, sculpture, etc., executed for practice or in preparation for another work
2. a musical composition intended to develop one aspect of performing technique
3. Theatre a person who memorizes a part in the manner specified
A drawing executed as an educational exercise, produced as a preliminary to a final work or made record observations.See also: Design drawing
1. A room or alcove of a house or apartment used primarily as a place for reading, writing, and study. It often embodies the features of a private office and private library.
2. A preliminary sketch or drawing to facilitate the development of a design.


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Vegas police investigate discovery of girl's body
NORTH LAS VEGAS — Police investigating the week-old disappearance of a 10-year-old Las Vegas girl said Thursday they think they found the child's body in an undeveloped housing tract in North Las Vegas.Authorities couldn't immediately confirm the body was Jade Morris pending positive identification and notification of family members by the Clark County coroner, Las Vegas police homicide Capt. Chris Jones said.But, "I can tell you that the likelihood is that this is our victim," Jones said.He also said that the body belongs to a black girl. Coroner Michael Murphy said he did not expect positive identification until Friday.Jade was last seen by her family at about 5 p.m. Dec. 21 when Brenda Stokes picked her up for a shopping outing, police said. Police said Stokes was a trusted friend of the girl's father, and family members have told reporters that the two dated for several years.Stokes, who also uses the name Brenda Wilson, was later arrested after she was accused of slashing a co-worker with razor blades at the Bellagio resort casino.Stokes, 50, is now in jail and Jones said she has not cooperated in the investigation about the girl's whereabouts.A passer-by called 911 about noon Thursday, and North Las Vegas police found a girl's body in unkempt brush near palm trees in a small traffic circle near Dorrell Lane and North 5th Street. The location is a short distance from the northern 215 Beltway and about 10 miles from the downtown Las Vegas outlet mall off Interstate 15 where Stokes was to have taken the girl shopping.Stokes picked up the girl about 5 p.m., and two hours later returned to another friend the red 2007 Saab sedan that she borrowed for the shopping trip, Jones said.Later, Stokes got a ride with a friend to the Bellagio resort on the Las Vegas Strip, where she was arrested after allegedly attacking a female co-worker, Joyce Rhone, with a razor in each hand as Rhone dealt blackjack about 9:30 p.m.Rhone, 44, was hospitalized with deep cuts on her face, including one from her ear to the edge of her mouth. A police arrest report said Rhone also had several smaller cuts around her right eye.Records show that Stokes was being held Thursday on $60,000 bail at the Clark County jail on felony battery with a weapon, burglary and mayhem charges that could get her decades in prison.She told a judge Wednesday that she had not obtained a lawyer. She was due again in Las Vegas Justice Court on Friday.The arrest report says casino video shows Stokes attacking Rhone before a casino patron and security officers intervene. Officer Marcus Martin said the video is evidence that may be shown by prosecutors in court but will not be made public by police.Police said Stokes later told investigators that she attacked Rhone over harassing phone calls and an unspecified betrayal that ended their seven-year friendship.Stokes also told police she visited her doctor last week, seeking to be admitted to a hospital "due to feeling like she wanted to hurt someone."She is reported to have told investigators she hadn't taken a prescription anti-anxiety drug on Friday, and that, "Sometimes people just snap."


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MammaPrint makes every treatment unique
You have just been diagnosed with breast cancer. But what is the next step? Unfortunately, half of all breast cancer patients receive chemotherapy unnecessarily. MammaPrint is unique. It is the only test which can indicate with precision which stage your tumour is at, so that you and your surgical or medical oncologist can decide on the most appropriate treatment for your condition.
What is MammaPrint?
Agendia's MammaPrint is a test which determines how aggressive a breast cancer tumour is. The MammaPrint result will enable your surgical or medical oncologist to determine what would be the best kind of treatment for you following your operation.
How does MammaPrint work?
MammaPrint is carried out on tumour tissue that is fixated in formalin or fresh, which is put in an mRNA preservative immediately after the operation has taken place. This tumour tissue is sent off to Agendia's clinical laboratory, where a histological staining test is done, to verify that the tissue indeed carries a tumour: the staining test checks whether the level of tumour cells is at least 30%.
MammaPrint is a breast cancer test which is performed using microarray chip technology. This is a small solid surface which is split into thousands of tiny grids. Each grid contains DNA. In each grid the DNA has a different code, which corresponds with the code of precisely one gene. Only the RNA of this particular gene can attach itself to this particular grid. DNA microarrays enable you to study the activity of hundreds or even thousands of genes simultaneously.
MammaPrint measures the mRNA level of 1900 different genes, whereby the expression of 70 specific genes is measured six times, in order to examine them in greater detail. The result of a MammaPrint is very clear: there is either a low risk of metastasis ('good prognosis') or a high risk of metastasis ('bad prognosis').
Dr Guy Hingston now recommends that women who are considering undergoing chemotherapy should consider having a MammaPrint test to help them decide whether to have chemotherapy or not – if they have a new diagnosis of breast cancer which is up to 50mm in size, with up to 3 lymph nodes involved, is oestrogen receptor positive and is HER2 receptor negative, particularly if the tumour is low grade and larger than 30mm in size, or intermediate grade and larger than 20mm in size, or is high grade and larger than 10mm in size.


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The purpose of the Youth Case Management program is to provide for the administration of juvenile dockets in order to hold youth offenders accountable for their actions.
We are here to assist with the legal process in which a juvenile (ages 11-16) enters once he or she has been alleged of a violation. We help by offering individualized service for each case as well as offering other programs to help educate the youth about criminal charges and the impact that they can make.
Programs We Offer
Teen Court is alternative program that allows juvenile offenders the opportunity to experience the justice system. Offenders who are deferred to the program will participate in a mock trial and go through the whole process including sentencing.
Traffic Safety Class is a program offered to juvenile offenders who have received a ticket for traffic related violations. Students who attend this class will receive facts and guidance on the real dangers that go along with having a driver's license.
If you have questions regarding the programs or want to register or have other questions, please contact us.