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I like nice things. I also, at least try, to hold onto my familial frugality. Buying something at full price has always been difficult for me – hence the full blown eBay addiction that occasionally rears its ugly head. However, as much as I love the 'Bay, it has one tremendous downside: the inability to physically see, touch and try-on what you're purchasing. Which brings me to the almighty Outlet Mall, the focus of this post. Outlet malls (can sometimes) provide the bargains found on eBay and they also do not share eBay's flaws noted above. However, they have their own set of issues, which will be explored further below. eBay is great in that it has an incredible selection of rare items AND it allows you browse these items while drinking a glass of wine in a bathrobe at home. While some of the people you see at the typical outlet mall are only a half step removed from this, I would not recommend trying to mimic this experience. If you want to visit your local outlet mall (if you have one), you will need to pry yourself off the couch to experience the joys (or, more often, horrors) that are part and parcel to such an expedition. As someone who has been to many outlet malls on many occasions and has lived to tell the tale, please find some suggestions below that I hope will make your experience as good as digging through mountains of unsold goods in a crowd of people possibly can be.
1. Do not be specific
Almost daily, we hear the common refrain to "be specific". However, if you are looking for an oxblood suede belt with silver buckle, or a specific model of Tod's loafers, or even just a "bathrobe", and that is the primary purpose of your shopping expedition, than I would suggest not going to an outlet mall. Outlet malls are places where you find things you aren't looking for, but don't find things that you are. In other words, specificity is not the forte of outlet malls. From a time-cost persepective, you will spend eons of time trying to find that specific item you're looking for. Generally speaking, it's not worth the time or trouble, particularly since outlet malls tend to be in the middle of nowhere. Go to your preferred local store and spend a few extra dinero, or, easier still, troll eBay or Amazon.com in the comfort of your own home rather than sacrificing your day scouring sale bins at a distant outlet mall when your chances of success approximate the odds of the Cubs winning the World Series in the next twenty years (not out of the question, but history says that it's highly unlikely).
2. Price, time and the sphere of availability
Walk into Harry Rosen, Bergdorf Goodman, Canali, Louis Boston, etc., and say that you would like a medium grey suit with pale blue pinstripes and they will likely have an array for you to choose from. Same with the perfect yellow tie that you're after, or the pair of brown boots you want for Fridays and the weekend. It will be an easy, comfortable shopping experience (at least it should be). When you reach the cashier with your purchases, you'll see why: you pay for service and the ease and comfort described above. Someone else is curating for you; sifting through the litany of options and providing you with precisely what you're looking for with you barely having to lift a finger.
Outlet stores more closely resemble the following scenario: a dump truck pulls into the back of a warehouse and dumps a massive pile of loosely sorted apparel onto the floor for you to sift through with a crowd of fellow misers. Much like Andy Dufresne, you will crawl through a pile of foulness to find the diamond in the rough. This is part of the reason why they can offer goods so cheaply; they have stripped away much of the cost associated with good customer service. I've made peace with this trade-off – just be prepared to spend quite a bit more time (and incur a substantially larger headache) per purchase than you normally would. Furthermore, outlet malls bring clothes that would otherwise be out of your sphere of availability into that sphere of availability, which is the reason why it may be worth the trip. That, plain and simple, is the value of outlet malls.
3. Reach for the top; 'zig' instead of 'zag'
Further to "2" above, I have found the most success (and the best deals) when I've focused on items that I couldn't otherwise afford, but have been made affordable at the outlet. I cannot afford a $3,000 suit; however, a $3K suit marked down to $700? That's what you'd pay at SuitSupply or other mid-priced establishments. In other words, you are getting a far nicer suit at a price that comfortably fits within your budget.
I believe that there are a few specific reasons as to why these situations present themselves and how best to capitalize on them. The first is that people buy things that they know and recognize. Simply put, most people recognize the names 'Gap', ' Hugo Boss' and 'Armani', so items from these brands will not need to be as deeply discounted to sell, and will also be substantially more "picked over" due to their brand recognition. Nearly everyone knows these names, but far, far fewer are familiar with Loro Piana, Pal Zileri, James Perse, Belstaff, Sundek, Grenson and even higher-end brands within a brand (eg. '15 mil mil 15′ by Ermenegildo Zegna or Ralph Lauren Purple Label). These brands make fantastic quality items that, at full retail, would constitute a huge splurge over other options for the majority of people, if they even knew what they were. They may not sell at the retail store because, next to more recognizable names, people chose those recognizable names for the same price. At an outlet store, they are suddenly deeply discounted because they were passed over, only to be passed over again for more recognizable brands, even at the outlet store, and therefore often discounted again. I have, on several occasions after finding a gem gone to the retail store and asked for the brand, only to be told that they no longer carried it because it didn't sell. Undoubtedly, there are many that are familiar with these names, but far less than more common names, which gives you a better chance of scoring a great item at a great price from a brand that flies under the radar. In addition, there are no 'outlet brands' for these particular marques. Companies like J. Crew, Brooks Brothers, Hugo Boss, Calvin Klein, Burberry, etc., make items specifically for their outlets, meaning that the dress shirt you think you're getting an outstanding deal on is actually not the same shirt they sell in their retail store. I covered the idea of "outlet brands" in depth in the following post: https://onemansstyle.wordpress.com/2010/11/15/one-guys-daily-tip-beware-of-clothes-made-for-outlet-stores/
The best way to find deals at an outlet store is to be familiar with lesser known brands that make high quality items. In other words, where everyone else "zigs", you need to "zag" to find the best deals.
Here is a "cheat sheet" of brands I've seen in outlets which are not as well known to the casual consumer as Banana Republic, Hugo Boss, Burberry, Prada and the like, and often are deeply discounted because of it (if you'd like to learn more about the brand, click on the name as each is link to the respective brand's homepage): Loro Piana, Pal Zileri, Vince, Belstaff, James Perse, Grenson, Sundek, Rag & Bone, Billy Reid, Smythson, Aspesi, Charvet, Oxxford, Battistoni, Brunello Cucinelli, Turnbull & Asser, Samuelsohn, Drake's, Nudie, Balenciaga, Mabitex, Incotex, Naked & Famous, WANT Les Essentials de la Vie, Jack Spade, Barbour, Martin Dingman and Kiton.
In other cases, many customers are unaware that a specfic brand has a variety of quality levels, leaving extremely expensive items available at deeply discounted prices. Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Ralph Lauren Black Label, RЯL, Ermenegildo Zegna '15 mil mil 15′, Salvatore Ferragamo Tramezza, Calvin Klein Collection, Gant by Michael Bastian, Gant Rugger, etc., can provide, as many do not realize, a much higher quality level than a brand's standard fare.
While many of you will be aware of some, or even the majority of the names found above, keep in mind that many are not. Furthermore, many that are do not frequent outlet malls. This makes the Venn Diagram's centre very small indeed.
4. Best and worst outlets
First, it must be said that many outlet malls are not even worth bothering with. Sadly, my native country of Canada has embraced the concept of the outlet mall in much the same way as Americans have embraced the sport of curling: half-hearted at best. In Canada there are really two places worth visiting: Holt Renfrew Last Call (which, I believe, is only in Toronto now), and Harry Rosen Outlet (again, only in Toronto). Basically, if you're not in Toronto, you're probably out of luck, at least locally. If, however, you reside in, or near the United States, there are a number of great outlet malls potentially close by. This is particularly the case if you live in an area frequented by tourists: New York, Los Angeles, Miami/Fort Lauderdale, Niagara Falls, San Diego, Las Vegas or Phoenix. Therefore, the first decision to make is whether it's even worth driving out to the nearby outlet mall. In many cases, it may not be worth it at all.
I've found the majority of my best deals at department store outlets. Barney's New York, Century 21, Niemen Marcus Last Call, Holt Renfrew Last Call (apparently there is a shortage of outlet store names, as somehow two share the same one) and Saks Off 5th tend to be some of the best. Unfortunately, like every other store at the outlet mall, the value of these stores has been decreasing. Formerly, they were the exlusive domain of unsold merchandise from their regular stores; however, lately they have begun to sell "outlet store merchandise" – clothing manufactured expressly for outlets (usually, they are named after the store itself, eg. Saks Fifth Avenue Green). Nonetheless, these stores are still the cream of the outlet crop in terms of bargains, as there remains loads of items that went unsold at retail locaitons, providing some excellent access to nice things at good prices.
In addition, some of these stores, offer customer loyalty programs that provide even deeper discounts on items if you show the card associated with the program, or offer discounts if you sign up for a credit card.
The outlet stores I would tend to avoid are those that almost exclusively sell merchandise manufactured for outlet malls: Brooks Brothers, J. Crew, Banana Republic, Calvin Klein, etc. By and large, the prices match the quality of the items being sold.
5. Buy with purpose, not for price
You may think that the teal blazer is kind of cool and it's down from $722.98 to $89.99! How could you lose on this deal? Well, after it sits in your closet, unworn, for 2 years, the economics no longer support this particular purchase. Don't buy something cheap, buy something because you know it will be part of your regular rotation, or you have a specific purpose in mind for it (wedding coming up, been looking for an orange tie, you can never have too many socks…). It's cheap and you may not have otherwise been able to afford it ("I've always wanted an Hermes tie… it's just too bad it's pink, yellow and orange, with pictures of bunnies on it…"), but that doesn't make it a wise purchase. I have a number of items I've bought at outlet malls that I wear/use all of the time (my go-to carry-on bag, a number of my favourite ties, some favourite shirts, one of my favourite suits) but I've also had a few losers haunt my closet after the fact. You really need to win much more than you lose, otherwise you are negating the savings you believe you are getting via outlet shopping. Only buy something at an outlet mall if you'd buy it in a regular store. More is not always better when it comes to a wardrobe; I find that I gravitate towards certain items time and time again, and the remainder simply take up precious storage space in my condo. Buy like a surgeon, not a drunken gambler.
6. Get in, get out
Outlet mall trips are like commando raids – you want to get in and get out as quickly as efficiently as possible. The decending hordes typically do not get there until mid-afternoon. Be smart and go first thing in the morning. You do not need to into every store and wander around. Only go into the ones that you actually may make a purchase in. Do you really need to wait in line to get into the Coach Store? (Hold on – you WANT to get into the Coach store….? Your problems are bigger than I thought….) Outlet malls are exhausting places; don't blow your stamina at places that are a waste of your time. If you're there with your wife, girlfriend or friends, and your attention is starting to wane, often times there are restaurants with bars to grab a bite to eat and a drink (often times at very cheap prices – they want you to stay as long as possible, not to go elsewhere to find something to eat) when you've just about had enough.


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Single virus sensing strikes gold
The ability to detect and characterize invasive biological particles, such as viruses, within the body is critical to providing early treatment for disease. Once infected, the body serves as an incubator, allowing viral loads to build and eventually overload the immune system, leading to the manifestation of disease. The best-case scenario is a short-lived illness, while the worst case can result in death. Due to the broad variability in outcomes (influenza infection, for example, can result in varying degrees of severity) it is important to administer treatment at the earliest stage possible, but this requires the ability to detect and characterize trace quantities of unknown viral load.
In order to detect bioparticles, we considered resonant systems, which have long proven sensitive to changes in their local environment. For instance, a guitar's tone alters when its strings are tightened, and bells sound different on cold days. However, these macroscopic phenomena are not suitable for bioparticle detection. Instead, we envisioned a micro-scale system. Born of an idea conceived for telecommunications applications,1 the whispering gallery mode (WGM) biosensor uses micro-optical structures, such as glass spheres, to confine light at specific frequencies (that is, resonances or whispering gallery modes). The light typically comes from a narrow-band tunable laser source operating in the near-IR spectral regime.
Since its demonstration,2 the WGM biosensor has evolved to allow detection of biological particles of ever-smaller sizes.3 We can gauge the sensor's response to bioparticles by measuring the shift in resonance frequency caused by the particle's adsorption on the sphere's surface. Described by the Reactive Sensing Principle (RSP),4 the shift in the resonance frequency is directly proportional to the amount of adsorbed material and the field intensity at that position. The greatest shifts occur when the adsorbate falls on the equator, the orbital path of the confined resonant light.
The typical silica micro-resonator, although capable of single virus detection, cannot achieve single bioparticle sensitivity in particles much smaller than influenza A. To achieve smaller detection limits, we needed to make fundamental changes to the system.
Guided by the RSP, we realized that one means for enhancing the shift due to adsorption is to generate larger field intensities at the position where the bioparticle lands relative to the average intensity within the WGM's ring of light. We affixed a plasmonic nanoparticle to the equator of the microsphere (see Figure 1). The gold nanoparticle acts as a nanoscopic antenna, enhancing the field intensity locally through the electron oscillations of the plasmon resonance. When a bioparticle adsorbs onto the plasmonic particle it 'sees' greater field intensity and leads to a larger shift in the resonance frequency.
Our experiments using this enhancement mechanism have realized the greatest detection sensitivity to date using WGM devices. For the plasmonic nanoparticle, we used a silica core gold nanoshell,5 which has the ability to alter the plasmon resonance depending on the ratio of thickness of the gold layer to the radius of the silica core. We used 11nm shells on a 60nm radius silica sphere, which aligned the plasmon resonance with our excitation laser (780nm). The target analyte was MS2, the smallest known ribonucleic acid virus.6 We observed the enhancement in the field intensity, and therefore the resonance shift, to be ∼70×. The resulting 17fm shift from the adsorption of MS2 was easily measurable (S/N ∼8). The detection limit was computed to be 260kDa, below all known viruses and overlapping the size regime of protein.
The plasmonic enhancement of the WGM biosensor has made it possible to detect all viruses one at a time. This is essential for sizing, and it may be possible to detect single protein molecules. In the future, we aim to increase the sensitivity of the system to allow detection of single protein molecules. This could enable the screening of cancer markers, which are themselves protein molecules. Currently, there are several markers that could be detected by the WGM biosensor, and early detection of these markers could allow treatment to begin sooner, enhancing cancer survival rates.
Stephen Holler is an assistant professor of physics and engineering physics and heads the Laboratory for Micro-optics and Biophotonics. Prior to joining the faculty he was an entrepreneur working on laser-based sensors for environmental monitoring.
Stephen Arnold is a professor of physics and chemical engineering and Thomas Potts Professor of Physics. As director of the Microparticle Photophysics Laboratory he has been involved in pioneering research on micro-optical cavities for three decades, and he conceived and invented the whispering gallery mode biosensor.

subset: commoncrawl


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Tipster Neil alerts us to SI.com's album of "Rare Jason Kidd Photos" (note to self: assemble album of rare Jason Kapono photos, don't tell anyone, profit), and one photo in particular.
SI captions it, "Just a creepy photo for you." Uh, yes.
Thanks for putting up with Dickspin this weekend. Dream Team's back on Monday. Enjoy the baskethoops.


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The Collections
Scientist or institution: Roca de Vinyals, Ricardo
Repository institution: Museu d'Història de la Medicina de Catalunya
Keywords: Medicine, History of Science
Period covered: 1954-1956 aprox
Additional information:
Ricardo Roca de Vinyals (Barcelona, 1905 - 1959). He earned a Bachelor's in Medicine and Surgery in 1929 and a doctorate in 1941. He was the Head of Services at the Policlinic Institute of Barcelona (Platón Clinic), Head of Laboratory at the Spanish Red Cross, Doctor-Head of Laboratory at the Cancer Service at the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, and Head of Laboratory at the Municipal Neurology Institute of Barcelona. He participated in numerous national and international congresses. He studied anatomopathologies in the field of neurology along with Dr Ley and Dr Subirana, which had major repercussions in the world of science in the 1950s.
Academic correspondence
Scientific correspondence
Personal correspondence
Approximate volume: 0'10 ml
Projects completed: Catalogació fons Josep Maria Roqué


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- Processes
- Analysis & Instrumentation
- Cleaning, Polishing & Grinding
- Clinical Analysis & Diagnostics
- Coating & Surface Treatment
- Controlled & Modified Atmospheres
- Cutting, Joining & Heating
- Freezing & Cooling
- Fumigation & Pest Control
- Inerting, purging, sparging
- Leisure & Hospitality
- Melting & Heating
- Petrochemical Processing & Refining
- Pharmaceutical Processing
- Molding, Foaming, Forming & Extrusion
- Process Chemistry & Refining
- Water Treatment
Examples of heating include flame straightening, flame hardening, hot forming and heating in conjunction with welding. The flame is used for melting purposes in flame brazing and for fusing purposes with flame sprayed coatings. With oxyfuel cutting and gouging, the flame heats to ignition temperature in order to start and maintain the cutting process.
Hydrocarbons such as methane, ethylene, acetylene, propane, and propylene or hydrogen are used as fuel gases for flame heating. The flame temperature and intensity depends on the fuel gases used and oxygen mixing ratio. Acetylene and hydrogen flames can be set to a normal or reducing atmosphere whereas all other common fuel gases have an oxidizing flame.
LINDOFLAMM® is the Afrox solution for all your heating requirements.
The main heating applications are described below:
Preheating: Certain materials must be preheated before welding to avoid hardening cracks. After welding, stress relief heat treatment may be necessary in order to reduce welding stress.
Flame straightening: This technique is employed to change or restore the shape of parts that have been distorted. When a defined section is heated beyond its yield limit and the surrounding prevent expansion, plastic deformation will occur. Once cooled, the material will shrink in size. A skilled operator can heat isolated spots to straighten the deformation.
Melting: This involves soldering, brazing and fusing of sprayed coatings as well as flame welding.
Forming: The part to be formed is heated locally. An external force is then applied to form the part. For example, necking out pipe branch stubs.
Shrink fitting: To achieve a change in size used for shrink fitting to securely fit shafts/bearings. Liquid nitrogen can be used for cooling (shrinking) and an oxy-acetylene flame for heating (expanding).
Stress relief heat treatment: This may be necessary after welding.
Metal structure changes: This involves flame hardening.


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The Debate over the Young �Disadvantaged Child�: Preschool Intervention, Developmental Psychology, and Compensatory Education in the 1960s and Early 1970s
by Barbara Beatty - 2012
I focus on the role of preschool intervention and developmental psychology researchers in defining the concept of the �disadvantaged child� and in designing and evaluating remedies to alleviate educational �disadvantages� in young children. I argue that preschool interventions concentrated especially on compensating for supposedly deficient language acquisition patterns in interactions between low-income African American mothers and their children. The language of the discourse of the �disadvantaged child,� with its terminology of cultural deficits, thus mirrored research on supposed language deficits in young children. I begin with a brief overview of the history of psychology and social science research on deprivation and the black family. Next, I examine three pre�Head Start preschool intervention models that used different methods to enhance black children�s language development: the Institute for Developmental Studies begun in New York City in 1960 by Martin and Cynthia Deutsch; the Perry Preschool Project begun in Ypsilanti, Michigan, in 1962 by David Weikart; and the laboratory preschool begun at the University of Illinois in 1964 by Carl Bereiter and Siegfried Engelmann. I also examine an influential 1965 study by University of Chicago psychologists Robert Hess and Virginia Shipman, which compared effects of the childrearing styles of black mothers from upper- and lower-income backgrounds on children�s language and cognitive development. I then trace some of the critiques that emerged in the 1960s and early 1970s in which preschool intervention research was used as evidence that compensatory education was a failure, and criticized for imposing white middle-class stereotypes on poor black children. I conclude with a plea for a balanced approach to interpreting the many factors that may hinder some children�s performance in school.
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NEW YORK – He may be one of the shortest tenured players within the squad, but Alex Muyl already felt as if he had waited long enough.
Signing with the Red Bulls first team this past offseason, the Homegrown product strived to make his presence felt after rising through the youth ranks.
A standout at Georgetown, Muyl never had much doubt in his ability, but cracking a talented Red Bulls lineup would be no small task. That task became even more complicated during preseason, as an ankle injury forced the 20-year-old to the sidelines as his teammates prepared for the upcoming season.
That setback did little to faze a confident Muyl, as the young forward continued to battle, making an impression on teammates and coaches alike when he finally was able to step onto the pitch.
"He has earned the respect of his teammates at the highest level," head coach Jesse Marsch said in his postgame press conference. "When he steps on the field, he gives everything he has. For a young guy, they've grown to love him, so it's been easy for me to make the decision to put him on the field."
A frequent selection off the bench, Marsch once again elected to throw Muyl into the match as a second half substitute, giving him his first taste of the New York derby.
"He just wanted me to bring energy and keep the game going in the same direction," Muyl told NewYorkRedBulls.com. "I think he wanted to give me an opportunity to get more minutes."
Entering the match with the result more or less decided, his introduction was far more than just a cameo appearance. The Manhattan-born Muyl, growing impatient with the "0" occupying his goal tally, picked quite the time and place to bag his first MLS goal.
"I lost it a bit, I was just going crazy," he said with a laugh. "It was just a huge release for me. I've been wanting to score for a while now, but to be able to come here and do it in front of my family and friends, it was the perfect place to get it."
It certainly felt apropos, as the kid from New York, desperate to break through, finally got his moment in the sun.
"Alex has been tremendous for us every time he's come on," captain Dax McCarty said. "He's worked his butt off in training and he's earned every opportunity that he's gotten. So for him to score a goal against our crosstown rival, I'm so happy for him. I give that kid a ride to training every single day. He's so humble, he works so hard; he's got a really bright future ahead of him."
Assisting his first MLS goal, forward Bradley Wright-Phillips could hardly hide his elation for Muyl.
"Amazing for him," he said. "You could just see the delight on his face, like Chris Duvall last season. This place does something special for us. Duvall, Matt Miazga, these young guys come here and score. I'm happy for him. He's worked hard in training and he deserves his spot right now."
It wasn't always an easy road for Muyl, and he acknowledges that plenty of work lies ahead. But as his teammates and coaches can attest to, good things don't happen by accident.
"I just feel much more comfortable with coming on," Muyl added. "There was a period where I was a bit nervous on the field, but I just want to be able to do whatever I can to help the team. If that means working hard in training and fighting for minutes, I just want to do whatever it takes.
"If my role stays the same or it changes, it doesn't matter to me. I know that if my mentality is good, it'll be good for the team and good for everybody."
Playing just minutes from his childhood home, the goal and win were particularly sweet for Muyl, a lifelong Red Bull. And hey, if he was able to change a few minds in the process, that certainly doesn't hurt either.
"It's funny, he said a lot of his friends are season ticket holders for NYCFC," McCarty said. "What better way to show them that they're supporting the wrong team with that goal and that win."


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Relationships with
Photo Credit: Amber Valletta's picture is courtesy of go4celebrity. Photographic illustrations of Amber Valletta are copyright © by their respective holders. The images are published with permission or as allowed by the copyright law's fair use or quotation provisions. If any copyright holder objects to an image being included, please notify us and it will be removed immediately.
Disclaimer: This information about Amber Valletta is derived from astrological interpretation of Amber Valletta's date, time, and place of birth.


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Oman Telecommunications Company (Omantel) and Middle East and North Africa Company (MENA) of Egypt have recently signed an agreement on the landing of a submarine fiber optics cable on the Omani coasts to enhance international telecommunications traffic between the Sultanate of Oman and the world.
Dr. Mohammed Bin Ali Al-Wohaibi, the Chief Executive Officer of Omantel signed the agreement on behalf of Omantel, while Dr. Nagi Anis, the director of Middle East and North Africa Cable Project, signed the Agreement on behalf of MENA Company. The Chief Executive Officer of Omantel Dr. Mohammed Bin Ali Al-Wohaibi stressed the importance of the agreement as it would introduce huge capacities for submarine cables in the Sultanate. The project would provide great services for international telecommunications traffic, especially the Internet, through fiber optics in case of any cable cutoffs. It would provide alternative lines for international telecom network, as well as upgradable transmission facilities in support of Internet, e-commerce, video, data and voice.
Dr. Al-Wohaibi said that Omantel constantly seeks to make the Sultanate an important hub for international telecom traffic through submarine cables network which guarantees uninterrupted telecom traffic between the Sultanate and world countries on one hand and between world countries themselves on the other. This was made possible in view of the strategic location of the Sultanate. Therefore, many companies endeavour to exploit the Sultanate's secure location between the East and the West to facilitate the international telecom traffic.
Omantel CEO indicated that the MENA Cable Project, which is implemented by the Middle East and North Africa Company, an affiliate of Orascom Telecom, is vital for the telecom sector as a whole because the cable passes through many countries besides the Sultanate of Oman, including Mazara in Sicily, Italy, Crete in Greece, Alexandria and Suez in Egypt, Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and India. The cable landing point will be executed in Wilayat Al Seeb where Omantel Submarine Cables Center is located. This center is used as the main hub for submarine fiber optic cables landing in the Sultanate. Dr. Al-Wohaibi added that the total cost of MENA Cable project is about 400 million US dollars. The 8000-kilometer long cable, which would provide a total capacity of 5.7 terra bets, will arrive at Wilayat Al Seeb during the third quarter of 2009. Omantel would achieve great benefit from the MENA submarine fiber optic cables once as it will enable the company to provide its subscribers with large capacities besides the fact that it would provide new tracks in case of any mishaps in any submarine cable lines. Dr. Al-Wohaibi indicated that Omantel is always seeking to diversify its income mix through the agreements it concludes with international companies, especially in the area of submarine cables, which have become of great importance to telecom traffic. Submarine cables have also gained great interest of world companies and countries, being the most important element to facilitate the international telecom traffic in the next stage. Omantel CEO noted that the company has recently jointed 15 international telecom companies in signing the Europe-India Gateway project for the building of an international broadband fiber optics submarine cable extending from the United Kingdom to India and passing through the Sultanate of Oman and some other countries. The US$ 700 million EIG project would enhance diversity in the service of these fast growing regions in telecom sector and investment environment.
Dr. Al-Wohaibi added that the submarine cable system is designed to provide a range of communications up to 2.88 terabits (Tbps) using dense-wavelength-division-multiplexing (DWDM) technology to provide upgradeable transmission facilities that support Internet, e-commerce, video, data and voice.
It is worth noting that Oman Telecommunications Company (Omantel) is the sole integrated telecommunications services provider in Oman. The Sultanate of Oman, through its strategic location on the crossroad of the Gulf, Middle East and Indian subcontinent has become a major landing point for global cable connections including, FLAG (Falcon), SMW3 and TWA1. In addition, Omantel has established direct links with its adjacent neighbours in the region. Omantel is currently working on additional cable landings to extend its reach to all the continents. Furthermore, it possesses a resilient network that is capable of providing uninterrupted service to its customers.


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|View Poll Results: K-ON! The Movie - Rating
|Perfect 10
|9 out of 10 : Excellent
|8 out of 10 : Very Good
|7 out of 10 : Good
|6 out of 10 : Average
|5 out of 10 : Below Average
|4 out of 10 : Poor
|3 out of 10 : Bad
|2 out of 10 : Very Bad
|1 out of 10 : Painful
|Voters: 85. You may not vote on this poll
|Thread Tools
|2012-07-24, 05:15
|Link #841
He Without a Title
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: The land of tempura
|2012-07-24, 13:46
|Link #843
Join Date: Oct 2010
Age: 32
Man, watching the movie made me realize how much I miss having more K-ON to watch. Plot-wise I was expecting the emphasis to be on the London trip but having it focus on a present for Azusa actually made a lot of sense, since the former just consisted of "doing stuff" while the latter involved "getting something done". I don't think it was the kind of movie that blows your mind or anything, but it was really upbeat and funny, and I had a good time. Plus, there was a surprising amount of music.
|2012-07-24, 17:00
|Link #845
Les Pays Bass
Join Date: Jun 2011
|2012-07-25, 00:53
|Link #846
Bury My Shell
|2012-07-25, 02:01
|Link #848
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: California
I really loved the movie. It really feels more like a grand finale or an alternate last episode since it incorporated the entire cast, even the minor extras like Tachibana Himeko and that male teacher who's always nagging Sawako. Not to mention that it also ended with the song Tenshi no Fureta, but this time shown from the perspective of the seniors.
All in all, it was funny and heartwarming like the rest of the series and a fitting sendoff for Houkago Tea Time.
|2012-07-25, 11:22
|Link #849
Join Date: Apr 2011
Age: 25
|2012-07-25, 18:03
|Link #850
Lurking~ ( ಠ_ಠ)
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Germany
Age: 35
It actually made me rewatch both seasons again, and it made me all fluffy inside as well. :P
|2012-07-25, 21:27
|Link #851
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: California
I wonder if it's just me, but I felt like the musical performances in the movie grew more personal and intimate to the girls as the movie went on; in other words, each performance was more personal and, in the context of this series, more important than the previous one.
The 'performance' that opens the movie was fake and intended to prank Azusa. The performance in the sushi restaurant was the first real performance but was unintended since it only happened due to a misunderstanding on both sides. The third one was intended and the largest in terms of audience size but was performed in front of a wide audience of people who are strangers. The performance in class was done in the classroom with their classmates who they've been together with for the year and almost the entire cast of the series present. And the final one of course, was the seniors' present to their beloved Azusa.
|2012-07-25, 21:30
|Link #852
Your wife is hot...
Join Date: May 2008
Location: At your house fixing A/C
What? No sushi after the performance? You would think that you could at least get a free meal out of it
The last performance to Azunyan was the best imo
Last edited by kk2extreme; 2012-07-25 at 22:56.
|2012-07-25, 21:52
|Link #853
a.k.a. Flammenkrieg
IT Support
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Down under...
The other thing to note is that the regular editions don't come with any subtitles at all (contrast with the LEs, which include Japanese subtitles), though I doubt that's a major influencing factor in which edition people buy.
The temptation to get the BD limited edition was too great, thus blowing a massive hole in my wallet.
Edit: Whoops, seems the DVD and BD limited editions are significantly different... the DVD one is 2 discs, the second disc containing bonus material (230g/0.51lbs). The BD one, on top of the second bonus disc, also has a ton of physical goodies- like a storyboard book (that's about as thick as three stacked BD cases, the whole package weighs about 1.1kg/2.43lbs). Considering the relatively minor price difference of an already expensive product (BD LE incl. tax: 9240 yen vs. BD SE: 7665 yen; a 1575 yen/approx. USD20 difference; for comparison the DVD LE is 7560 yen, and the SE is 3800 yen), it's probably little wonder why there's a bigger BD LE to SE ratio than expected...
Last edited by blaze0041; 2012-07-25 at 23:10.
|2012-07-27, 17:36
|Link #854
Bittersweet Distractor
Join Date: Nov 2007
Age: 28
If you can't digest a very negative opinion on this movie, I suggest skipping over this post to save yourself grief.
K-ON! has always been one of the most disingenuous anime franchises of all time to me. If there is any big reason why this movie ultimately falls flat on its face it is because they try to strike a sentimental chord about the nostalgic high school years in a franchise whose sincerity has gone completely bankrupt a long time ago. Not to mention the amount of distraction that is caused by what ultimately felt like a minor side point to this story, their trip to London.
Seriously what was the point of this movie in ever venturing off to London? Half the movie, if not maybe a little more actually takes place back in Japan. The time they do spend in London is just waltzing around random parts of the city and hardly utilizing any elements of the culture and setting for the purposes of the movie. When they did their little performances, one was at a sushi bar and the other was at a Japanese cultural fair. Home away from home? Give me a break. This movie never needed to go to London to do what it did because it never actually really used the goddamn setting in anyway meaningful. The focus here is completely off.
I also have to note why people in London were portrayed like the biggest weirdos ever. I mean c'mon now, I know Japanese people tend to not be very good with foreign countries but this sort of ridiculing portrayal of foreigners has got to stop. I usually forgive TV more for this since well they don't got the budget and stuff, but this is a goddamn movie and they can't actually do a better job here? Worst the engrish still exists and they can't get proper english speakers? Give me a break.
If this movie was supposed to be about how they wanted to say goodbye to the their good friend, then good grief did they go about in the most roundabout manner possible. It does not help that most of movie is pretty much recycling the same old jokes and personality quirks that have long since gone past their life time of freshness and amusement.
And like always this franchise hasn't been about music. That became very clear in its very first season and it still is clear now. I never got the impression that the music was something deeply important to the character, rather it was the experience with themselves as friends that they seemed to value more. Essentially the hobby didn't matter, it was just that they all interacted with this hobby. To the very end this permeated the show, and I still have to ask the question here, why music? If K-ON!! ever truly sent the message here about why music was here in the first place, I never got it. It had about as much purpose as it did in something like Angel Beats, it's just sort of there. This franchise is still completely false advertising in this regard.
I also do not like how they always manage to play so damn perfect in their songs. Oh we wrote a song, we don't really practice it and all of a sudden they're on stage and the whole crowd eats it up. Great. It's a disservice to the process of music completely. The only time they did any different was the very last song that they prepared for Azu-nyan, but these scenes were far and few in between through this entire franchise and even in the movie.
In reality this didn't need to be a film. The pacing throughout was completely off and very uneven. The production values were honestly a bit disappointing for a Kyoani effort. A lack of a cohesive narrative structure plagued the film all throughout because of two completely different focuses never meshing together. The sentimentality doesn't work because it never properly built a base by distancing itself from its obvious 4-koma roots in the first place. When most of your show consists of eating cake and drinking tea with 4-koma styled humor and interactions throughout, it just does not feel sincere. The film wasted too much time in an ultimately pointless side adventure to make up any ground here on this front.
I hope this is the last we ever of the K-ON franchise. This film was extremely, extremely poor.
Rating: 3/10
|2012-07-27, 21:05
|Link #855
Senior Member
IT Support
Join Date: Mar 2009
On close inspection, it is not unreasonable to suggest that you're not a fan of the entirety of the K-On! franchise. Ordinarily, people are content simply to not watch that which does not suit them. Therefore, I'm curious to know why spent 2 hours of your time watching the movie, if you had anticipated in advance that the movie would not suit your interests.
|2012-07-27, 23:48
|Link #857
Senior Member
IT Support
Join Date: Mar 2009
I don't think you were tricked to begin with. The movie isn't supposed to move you or impress you in the same way as something like Lord of the Rings or Studio Ghibli productions would. It was merely an extension of the series, and as such, builds upon the series' characteristics: whatever is present in the series, strength or weakness, will be amplified in the movie format. This is almost to be expected from K-On!, given that it was never intended to have a strong story. Granted, other movies have a different approach, but that is neither here nor there.
I shouldn't have to point out that it is quite disrespectful (rude, even) to dismiss something by challenging its relevance. It matters because your review was in great detail, showing that you cared enough to discuss it. I am not criticising the validity of your opinion, nor am I commenting on your review, which reasonably justifies your thoughts on the movie.
Instead, my main concern lies within the consistency of the numerical scores you gave the movie. I find that a score of 3/10 contradicts your review and assessment (you gave the movie 2/10 in the poll): whereas your review makes it clear that you wouldn't recommend the movie, a score of 3/10 or 2/10 implies that there are some redeeming values (consider that AnimeSuki gives it as "bad" and "very bad", respectively, not "painful"). If there are no redeeming values, it would have been more reasonable to assess a score of 1. Again, I am curious to know where that 3 and 2 come from, and it would be polite to respond From a personal standpoint, I never give numerical values because that requires objectivity in the form of a standardised system. This is, naturally, an unwise use of my time: instead, I assess shows based on whether they work for me or not.
Last edited by teh_nubkilr; 2012-07-28 at 00:22.
|2012-07-28, 00:29
|Link #858
Bittersweet Distractor
Join Date: Nov 2007
Age: 28
I'm being dismissive because I am not sure how my motives in viewing this factor into it unless you're trying to accuse me of trolling, which if that is what you believe then nothing to say there.
And lets be real here, ratings have nothing to do with objectivity. Objective is a loaded term to begin with. When people write reviews on anything it all comes down to their subjective opinion. The best you can do as a reviewer is to limit your own bias, but I assure you I don't hate the genre (I like shows like Working! for example).
Like I said before, I though they actually tried to do something too different which just worked against it. The sentimental farewell high school years to their friend was just not something I felt they built a sufficient enough base for it to be at all emotionally effectual. I was apathetic to the whole thing.
I gave this movie a 3/10 because there are worse out there for me, believe it. (The poll vote was a mistake don't worry about that)
Last edited by Reckoner; 2012-07-28 at 04:59.
|2012-07-28, 00:55
|Link #860
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Canada
Ah, it's been so long. It took me a bit to get used to the all-too-sweet setting of K-On! again, but once I was settled in I was treated to an irresistible ride of cute, fluffy, and adorable. And it was fantastic. Not to mention it looked spectacular too.
Nearly 2 hours of pure joy, and also caused me to watch ep. 24 again to see it fall effortlessly into place. I'm not too fond of the "cute girls doing cute things" Schtick nowadays, but there'll always be a place for K-On, and I will admit I felt a bit sad knowing this was the end of their run (for now).
|comedy, slice of life
|Thread Tools


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Tuesday, 15 November 2011
The Beautiful Mystery
Wow - very mild. We're finding the seasons seem to have been shifted by a month. November is like October...Sept like August used to be...
We're in Montreal - stopped by Nespresso to get a new machine...tired of fighting with the old one - though it owed us nothing. We'd used it many times a day, everyday, for years. And it still works - sort of. Trying to decide what to do with it. Give it to someone handy, I think.
The fun news is that I heard from the publisher himself yesterday. He called twice...once I was out doing errands and he (Andy) spoke to Michael....and the second time I was in. He called to say he'd just read THE BEAUTIFUL MYSTERY, the eighth Gamache novel - and loved it. Indeed, he said he was trembling at the end and actually stayed home Monday morning to finish the book. Then had to call to tell me it was his favorite.
It was one of those calls an author (or at least this author) dreams of getting. Not only because it says something about the book - but it speaks so beautifully of Minotaur Books, my US publisher....that the head of the imprint himself would call. I've heard, of course, from my wonderful editor- and we worked on the editorial notes together....but to actually hear from the publisher is amazing. Incredibly passionate about books, and publishing - and so supportive. Wow.
I'm so excited to get THE BEAUTIFUL MYSTERY into your hands. We don't have a set publishing date yet, but it will probably be sometime next fall.
Someone asked a very good question on my Facebook page today about why it won't be out for 10 months when the book seems finished.
One of the great discoveries for me about the publishing industry is how very many decisions need to be made - and all the care that goes in to getting a book out. For instance, while the editorial decisions have been made - those to do with content and continuity and character and those sorts of things....the book still needs to be given to someone who specializes in doing the 'line edits'....that's for the most part spelling and grammar and some issues of continuity we haven't yet caught...if someones eyes are blue in one scene and brown in another...or if Gamache and Beauvoir are on their third lunch of the day. For those of you with an eye for this sort of thing, you'll know that even with all this scrutiny and very hard work, mistakes still sneak through.
She'll finish those notes in January and send them to me....I'll then go over the manuscript again. This actually happens a couple of times before we're happy and feel it's ready for you.
There is just an incredible amount of work that goes in to a book, long after the actual content is decided. Basically the process is:
I write five or six drafts of the book, until I'm pleased with it. Then I send it to my agent in London (Teresa Chris) - if she's happy, she'll send it to my UK editor (Dan Mallory at Little, Brown) and my US editor (Hope Dellon at Minotaur Books). They read it and get back with their notes....which are pretty much wanting to make sure the characters are consistent with their personalities, time-lines make sense - the structure and pacing and flow are good....there are no plot holes. They act as sophisticated, knowledgeable, rational 'readers'....since by then it's often very difficult for me to be able to stand far enough back to appreciate things like structure and pacing.
They'll give me their suggestions (and they are just suggestions....they never insist and never, ever make the changes themselves, but leave it up to me). I read their notes and think about them for a while - then do another draft - making the changes I think are appropriate. We can sometimes go back and forth a few times, fine-tuning as we go.
It's an amazing, quite intimate, process. On the one hand it's highly solitary. I conceive of the story, the tone, the plot and character development. Then they come on board...and as the process progresses it becomes a team effort. Not a committee - but a team. Each member has their expertise. Editing, grammar, marketing, publicity, strategy, cover design.
It's very satisfying and very powerful when everyone respects and appreciates the contribution of the other....and no one becomes a bully. We all have a place at the table, and have earned that place and earned the right to be heard.
I have a lot invested in it - emotionally, creatively - with my time and efforts. But so do the publishers - with their time and effort - and money. It all needs to be respected and valued.
Once the editing is done then the Advance Readers Copies - or ARCs - are printed. These are mostly for bookstore owners, libraries, critics...opinion makers. People who will read the book and pass judgement.
It's pretty nauseating, for a writer - for this writer. Ugh. I literally feel sick. I know it shouldn't matter - and when I wake up at 3am, anxious, I repeat that I've done my best...as long as I've done my best, that's all that I can ask of myself. The rest is up to others, and the Universe.
That helps. A lot. Until the next night. I suppose if I didn't care so much, I wouldn't worry so much. If I didn't put so much into the books, and genuinely care about the characters and you, the reader....then I might be more cavalier. but I think the person capable of writing the books is also the person who is vulnerable. It's the full package. I get the joy when things go well, and the heartache when they don't. That's the adult reality...can't have one without accepting the other.
Which is why, when the publisher himself calls, raving about THE BEAUTIFUL MYSTERY, I subside into a chair, my legs weak but my heart strong and soaring. Phew.
Then - decisions about cover design start. And strategies of which week is best to put it out...what other books might come out then - when is it best to tour? Where should I go?
I'll be going to NYC in early December to meet with the publisher and discuss these things.
What a very long answer to a single question! I dare you to ask another!
Thanks for sticking with me - presuming you're still reading. Hope you're enjoying this late autumn day. We're off to lunch at the Tavern on the Square.
21 comments:
- barbara sanchez said...
Keep up the good work. I do so enjoy the results. I have read mysteries since I was ten and yours are some of the best.
- 15 November 2011 at 11:40
Louise - You deserve all the best! Your books are so wonderful and we are going along on the best ride with you. There are few books that I want to reread . Yours are the ones I read again and again and I even listen to them on audio. You have invested so much life into these characters. I can't wait to read what's next!
Karen L. in Iowa
- 15 November 2011 at 11:54
- A. Wright said...
Not only wonderful news for you, Louise, but for all of us who are already salivating over "The Beautiful Mystery." Personally I can't wait, but must. Sigh.
- 15 November 2011 at 14:58
- Ann from Boston said...
You are a such a fabulous writer. It is so wonderful to follow your blog and really get a view of your process. You, obviously, love what you do and love your life and it shows everywhere. I love the village of Three Pines and want to visit there.
You MUST go to The Chelsea Market when you visit NYC in December.
- 15 November 2011 at 15:14
That was so interesting -- I knew that a lot more goes in to the publishing of a book than meets the eye, but the detail you provided and the description of the process were fascinating. If this next book has had such an impact on your publisher, then I am keener than ever to get my hands on a copy. As I gallop ever faster towards middle-age, time has become such a precious commodity that I rarely wish it away. This is one of those rare occasions: roll on next fall!
- 15 November 2011 at 16:09
- Melody said...
Congrats on the exciting phone call. Now, I'm going to have to anticipate The Beautiful Mystery for months...
Love your books, they are worth the wait.
- 15 November 2011 at 16:24
I had never read mysteries, but my friends talked me into reading yours..... because of the language...they
said. I am still reading. I have tried to read the endings several times, but it has never worked out!!! Great stories. Thank you. Beth
- 15 November 2011 at 16:26
I do not like the wait---but! it is really worth it!
- 15 November 2011 at 16:27
- danielle-momo said...
Je suis si contente pour vous !
Et comme j'ai hate de lire The Beautiful Mystery...
- 15 November 2011 at 16:48
- Linda said...
What a delight to find your blog. I have been reading through the series at lightning speed. The very first book I downloaded on my new Kindle was "A Trick of the Light."
I love a good mystery, but I love great writing even more. It is the writing that has drawn me to your books - the careful crafting of the characters whom I have grown to love.
Thank you for sharing your gift.
- 15 November 2011 at 16:49
I have always wondered why it takes so long for a book to get into the hands of a reader after the author has finished writing. Thank you so much for detailing the process. As an author you are surprisingly appreciative of the other participants in the process. I am sure that makes for a very positive working environment for your "team." Thank you not only for your wonderful books, but also for allowing us to peek into your life and process through this blog!
- 15 November 2011 at 18:13
I agree with Linda - it is the writing that drew me in. Absolutely lovely to read - I have recommended you to many friends, and they love your books now too!
Congratulations on the review!
- 15 November 2011 at 20:00
- Reine said...
I wouldn't miss one of your books, Louise. They've been a great gift to my sanity, and I am so looking forward to the next!
- 15 November 2011 at 22:58
- Barbara said...
I have enough experience with editors and publishers to appreciate how you felt about your publisher's call. Now that's rare! Your books are great stories but the care you and the rest of the team take with the books is another reason they are so successful. Looking forward to the publishing date.
- 16 November 2011 at 06:49
- Colombine said...
C'est si intéressant de lire votre cheminement et toutes les étapes inhérentes à la production d'un bouquin.
Félicitations pour le 8ième... on a très hâte de le lire.
- 16 November 2011 at 13:12
Thank you, that says it all to me, thank you.
- 17 November 2011 at 04:58
Wanted you to know have just been given 'Trick of Light' by my sister in law with your signature on it. Soooo thrilled.
I note i can now pre-order 'A Beautiful Mystery' from Fishpond so will be doing that to keep up to date with all of the books.
Wonderfully Written and so intriguing, you do a truly magnificant job.
- 18 February 2012 at 22:25
Just discovered your Three Pines series in June 2012 and have read 3 of them already with 4 on my bedside table to be read. I love them and love the character of Armand Gamache. Wish you'd come to Barnes & Noble in Manchester, NH to promote "A Beautiful Mystery." Your writing is superb.
- 22 July 2012 at 07:00
Beautiful Mystery, hardcover, page 9
Beauvoir did the math. He was ten years older than… should have been 'she,' not 'her.'
- 30 August 2012 at 11:39
Just finished The Beautiful Mystery. It is an engaging, and educational, story. Educational in that whilst reading, I frequently looked up a word to know more about the word. At times, it is easy to forget that this is a work of fiction - there are many descriptors within that apply to one's self or one's own surroundings. Some of the writing is magically brilliant, and the story flows well.
I had written the previous comment regarding the wrong pronoun on page 9. I've pondered that since. One shouldn't have to be distracted in reading by 'mistakes' in the writing. It is like enjoying a barefoot walk in the shallow waters of a sandy beach in a remote lake during a beautiful sunset; then stepping on a piece of glass left behind by some … It tends to ruin the moment, disrupts the flow, and erases the positive emotions. The pronoun identified in my previous comment was not the only such error that broke my enjoyment of the story - it happened several times. When it is dialogue, it could be argued that that is how people speak. When it is not in dialogue, it is what it is - an error. The other thing that bothered me was the misspelling - the setting is in Canada, the characters are Canadian, the languages spoken are Canadian French and Canadian English - sadly, and distractingly, the written language was American English. Why? To cater to an American audience? Why? Are they perceived to be so dumb that they wouldn't be able to understand that Canadian English and American English are different? Give the American readers more credit - let Canadians speak Canadian. And use the right pronouns!
My bottom line here is that The Beautiful Mystery is a good read, and worth the price of the hardcover (which mysteriously, has a higher Canadian price than an American price during a time when the Canadian dollar has a higher value than the US dollar - not a beautiful mystery) As mentioned, there is also a lot that can be learned from this novel.
- 1 September 2012 at 08:54
Loved the idea of the latest Gamache novel. Please, please rethink your use of the F word. There is too much of it around! We get the mind set of Inspector B. We get the fact that drug use has set him on a terrible course. You are far to good an author, one that I cherish to stoop to this addition to the English language.
In South Dakota
- 19 November 2012 at 10:22


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Easy Greek Yogurt Dessert with Agave Nectar and Pecans
|Here's a delicious dessert you can make in about one minute!
If you've never tasted Greek Yogurt, you may be wondering what all the fuss is about. I'd heard about Greek Yogurt for years, but hadn't seen it for sale in Salt Lake until recently when my friend Georgette informed me she found it at Wild Oats here. Imagine how excited I was when I went to Wild Oats and found three brands of Greek Yogurt. All were good, but of the three my favorite is Fage Total Greek Yogurt (pronounced Fa' Yeh). Normally Greek yogurt has more fat than regular yogurt, but I bought the fat free version of Fage Total Yogurt, and it tastes fantastic.
Greek Yogurt with Agave Nectar and Pecans
(Makes 1 – 2 servings, depending on whether you're having it after a large meal.)
1 container Greek yogurt 5-6 oz. (I used Fage Total Greek Yogurt, fat free variety)
1 T agave nectar (the amber variety of agave nectar will taste most like honey)
about 10 pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped
Click Here for Printer Friendly Recipe
South Beach Suggestions:
More Low-Sugar Dessert Recipes using Greek Yogurt:
(Recipes from other blogs may or may not be South Beach Diet friendly; check ingredients.)
Fresh Peach and Blueberry Yogurt Parfait
Low-Sugar Double Blueberry Yogurt Parfait
Greek Yogurt Dessert with Hazelnut Agave and Shaved Dark Chocolate
Low-Sugar, Fat-Free Strawberry Frozen Yogurt Pops
Low-Sugar, Fat Free Fresh Peach Frozen Yogurt


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White Chocolate Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 160oC/fan 140oC/325F. Line muffin pans with 18 cupcake liners.In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.In a small, microwave-safe bowl, melt the chopped white chocolate by heating it in 30 second intervals in the microwave. Stir well with a fork between each interval and cook only until the chocolate is smooth when stirred.In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in eggs one at a time, followed by melted white chocolate and vanilla extract. Working in two or three additions, alternate adding in some of the milk and some of the flour mixture, ending with a final addition of flour. Mix until just incorporated and no streaks of flour remain.Divide batter evenly into prepared muffin cups.Bake at 325F for 20-23 minutes until a tester comes out clean and the tops spring back when lightly pressed with a fingertip.Cool on a wire rack.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together cream cheese, butter and melted white chocolate. Beat in vanilla and milk, then add in the confectioners' sugar gradually until the frosting reaches your desired consistency (make it a bit stiffer if you wish to pipe it onto the cupcakes instead of spreading it with a knife).Spread frosting onto cupcakes with a knife, or transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a wide tip and pipe onto cooled cupcakes. Top each cupcake with a Love Heart Sweet.


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Kristen Stewart & Robert Pattinson Kissed At Her Birthday Party
Rob and Kristen gathered a group of friends at LA's Malo Taqueria Mexican Restaurant for her 23rd birthday. HollywoodLife.com can reveal exclusively that there was lots PDA and dancing. Read on!
Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart can't get enough of each other. HollywoodLife.com has all the details on Kristen's special 23rd birthday night, and it turns out Rob even made a special announcement to their friends who came!
Rob & Kristen Kissing At Her Birthday Party
A source tells us that Robsten were surprisingly not "glued to each other's side."
"They were so cute together, they weren't glued to each other's side," the eyewitness tells us. "Kristen was being a good hostess and working the room. But whenever they were standing near each other, they were touching. Rob had his arm draped around her a lot and every once in a while they'd sneak a kiss. They both looked so in love!"
This is SO exciting! We are literally beside ourselves and hope more pics from the party leak.
Rob's Special Announcement At The Party
The coolest part is that Rob actually stood up and said something at the party.
"Rob thanked people for coming to his girl's birthday," the source tells us.
The onlooker says that everyone got there around 7pm and closed the place down around 1 a.m. They actually rented out the entire upstairs too! The insider tells us that the group was rather large and that the guests looked to be in there 20s and 30s. Plus, everyone was dressed really "hip."
It turns out the group ate a ton, and there were a lot of vegetarians there because they kept ordering zucchini blossoms.
"They had a ton of margaritas, lots of spicy cucumber drinks which Malo is famous for and lots of sangria which is what Kristen usually orders. They ate ground beef and pickle tacos, chips and guacamole, lobster tacos, and pork carnitas."
Another insider tells us that the restaurant is a favorite of K-Stew's and that when she goes there she always really "sweet and low-key."
They Danced All Night At The Party
But they didn't just sit around eating and drinking.
"They were listening to indie rock, lots of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Father John Misty," the source said. "It got pretty loud, it was a great party!"
That makes sense because K-Stew's bestie Scout Taylor Compton tweeted hours after the party: "My feet have never danced so much. they are very happy indeed :)."
We're so happy these two had a blast and we can't wait to see them spend even more time together!


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Why was my mission the worst two years of my life? Well, the answer is going to be really big, really personal, and really hard to explain because I'm going to have to give background info at every step. I honestly don't know if this even scratches the surface. Looking back at everything I've written I'm realizing it would take an entire book to get the full message across.
I'm also going to be talking a lot about masturbation, so you can go ahead and skip the whole post if that makes you uncomfortable.
First of all, you need to understand the social expectation of every "worthy" young man of 19 years to serve a mission. Young women are taught their whole lives to stay pure so they can meet that special RM (Returned Missionary) and get married in the temple. In a lot of ways, your mission is your breeding license, indicating to all the ladies that you're good enough material in God's eyes to be the father of their children. After that it's just a matter of them picking which one they like the best. I guess girls are naturally pure and lovely, and don't need to do anything to prove their worth. A mission becomes your plumage for attracting a mate. Without it you're kind of hooped.
So what does being "worthy" to serve a mission mean? Well, you need to be keeping the commandments, especially the Law of Chastity. There are conflicting reports, but I've heard of guys who had sex in high school, repented, and were not allowed to serve because of their prior transgressions. In mormon theology, breaking the Law of Chastity is second in severity only to murder: God decides who comes and goes, and those who take those powers into their own hands are in big trouble.
Now imagine you're a fourteen year old boy. Everybody knows what fourteen year old boys do. Now imagine you're in your sunday school lesson and your teacher points out that the law of chastity can be broken BY YOURSELF. Just stop and think about the terror and internal turmoil of a fourteen year old who realizes that what they've been doing in private is the second worst thing they could possibly do in God's eyes. Thus begins the shame spiral.
Now I don't know about everybody else, but I don't see how people (especially teenage boys) can just turn off the desire to masturbate unless they've got some sort of asexual medical condition. Each time you "relapse," you feel disgusting, unworthy, and hopeless. Each time, you promise that it will NEVER happen again. After going through this process for weeks, months, and years on end, a person's self worth becomes permanently damaged. They cannot help but view themselves as broken somehow. Imagine raising someone to think that food is sinful, and they must never partake. It's like Alcoholics Anonymous, but for breathing. It's just not healthy.
Every week in sacrament meeting the young men prepare and bless the sacrament. Each week you are acutely aware of your unworthiness and inadequacy.
Then suddenly you're 18 1/2. There is a rather explicit expectation for every worth young man to serve a mission when he's 19. It's time to get ready for a mission. You know that they have "raised the bar" on the worthiness standards. They expect you to be abstinent of all sexuality. People as when you're putting your papers in. What do you tell them? Do you delay? Do you decline? Every ward (congregation) has "that person" who didn't serve a mission. They're the weird 35 year old with no family, no prospects. Sometimes they go inactive (stop coming to church). The time came and they didn't step up to the plate.
So you tell yourself that you've got it all under control, that despite your shortcomings you are worthy enough to serve. I never even had the opportunity to stop and decide if this was something I wanted to do: it was expected of me, and nobody says no to the Lord.
This topic is so big, and I've just scratched the surface, yet I don't even know if I'm getting the idea across.
So anyway, you end up on your mission. Everyone tries their best to project the outward model of what you are supposed to be, and you feel like you are the only on who is struggling on the inside to even WANT to be that. But you don't stop trying. It's like the woman in an abusive relationship who takes her beating and then frets over what she must have done to deserve it. The mission is two years completely dedicated to the Lord's work: anyone who doesn't love selflessly giving themselves to their Heavenly Father must not be living the Gospel right. For two years you lose your first name. You are given a new identity: "Elder/Sister So-and-so." You are supposed to lose yourself in the work, and really you do. You start to lose all sense of who you are as a person, you see yourself only as a missionary, as a tool in God's hands. Except that only makes it worse, doesn't it? Because people aren't meant to be perfect. People are meant to have flaws. But a flawed tool in God's hands? You're shortchanging God. After all He's given you, he just asks for two years and you can't even do that properly.
And the work itself is grueling, vapid, and depressing. Each day you wake up at 6:00. You have one hour for personal preparation (breakfast, exercise, shower, dressing), and then it's study time. For three hours every morning you study the scriptures, the lesson manuals, various teaching aids. You are expected to be a scriptorian. And Mormons have a lot more scriptures! On top of the Old and New Testament, there is the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price.
At 10:00, you hit the streets. Door-to door tracting, street contacting, anyone, anywhere. Nobody wants to listen to you. You spend from 10am to 8pm being rejected by every person you see. The only people who ever let us in to talk to them were those with obvious social or mental problems, who we referred to as "less accountable." We preyed on the weak, the lonely, the ignorant, while being constantly foiled and frustrated by the intelligent and well informed. Although in hindsight I can see why nobody wanted to listen to the batshit crazy nonsense we were spouting, at the time we knew that the message was perfect: the fault must therefore lie in the messenger.
Each evening we would return to our apartments and call in our numbers to our supervisor: how many hours we had spent doing what. How many people had actually let us speak to them. How many return visits we had scheduled. Our teaching sessions were called "discussions" rather than "lessons," but they really weren't anything of the sort. We were explicitly instructed to tell them our message, but that we were not supposed to hear their contradicting view in return.
The people I had to put up with made me want to kill myself. Those who achieved leadership roles in the mission organization tended to be horrendously arrogant and self-righteous. Authority in a theocracy comes down from God, through other people above you, so you can't really complain against them without complaining against God. Each person for each position is chosen by revelation, and they are entitled to receive revelation to guide those under their stewardship. That means that if you have an asshole for a Zone Leader who says everyone who doesn't baptize someone this month isn't dedicated enough to the Lord's work, that is the divinely revealed truth. Then when you work your ass off all month and nobody gets baptized, it lands on your shoulders. When they accuse you of things you didn't do, it turns out you're wrong. When they're assholes and steal your personal belongings that they don't think are in line with being a missionary, you can't complain.
For two years the mission decided what music I was allowed to listen to (only things with the church's logo, or classical music pre-1900's), when I was allowed to call home (on Christmas and Mother's Day, 30 minutes each), and who I could write emails to (only family members). They decided how many hours I had per week to buy groceries and do my laundry. I had no recreation to speak of (I started gluing popsicle sticks together out of boredom). Missionaries are paired with a "companion" who lives, eats, studies, and works with you. Literally the only time that they are not at arm's length is when you are in the bathroom. These are assigned as well.
I don't really know how to get this across. It was two years of the most mentally and emotionally damaging abuse I've experienced in my life. I vividly recall one morning, sometime early in my second year, when I realized how much longer I had left to go. I was standing in the kitchen, holding the largest knife I could find. I was trying to figure out how exactly to drop it on my foot to injure me enough to be sent home honorably without making me permanently disabled for life. I was literally weighing which appendages I could stand to lose to get out. If none of the particulars of what it was like get the message across, maybe that will at least let you know how it impacted me. I came very very close to dropping the knife.
So I spent two years being a horrible person, dedicating my soul to being better at it, and feeling like a failure for not loving it.


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For shading or blending of color or creamy products. This brush has fine, densely packed fibers that are arranged in an oval shape. M·A·C professional brushes are hand-sculpted and assembled using the finest quality materials. They feature birch, linden and ramin wood handles, nickel-plated brass ferrules.
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I have a lot of brushes in my collection, but this MAC 217 Brush has to be one of the best brushes ever! I have THREE of them, and I always find I need more. I used this brush for everything. I blend my colours with this, when I want to apply a soft colour on my eyelid I use this, I use this to apply my highlight colour. Basically for everything.
Like someone has mentioned already, this is a great brush to blend your concealer as well! Yay.
I highly recommend this brush for someone who can't afford to get several brushes but can only get one.
Hands down THE BEST BRUSH from MAC. It works for everything: blending, concealer, highlighting, everything!! Its shape is perfection, works with every eye shape, every makeup design. Well worth the splurge and a must buy for every makeup artist and makeup lover
The reason why this brush is simply an all time favorite of most makeup artists is because of its ability to blend eye shadows harmoniously. The brush is very light weight and easy to carry around on one's purse or makeup train case. The brush hair doesn't easily come off when you clean it and it dries up fast. You can use this brush to apply an eye shadow on and blend it using the same brush without it looking muddy. This product best works for people who love doing smokey eyes because it really gives that smokey effect! Hence, this is a highly recommended product for all makeup artists!
The MAC 217 (17 cm) brush was one of three of my first brush purchases. I'm happy to say that I still own and use the same brush I first purchased. It is my most important eye brush in my collection. Obviously, it is a fantastic blending brush. Its tapered top is excellent with getting into the crease and the semi-stiffness gives the right resistance with blending out colors. The brush works as well wet and dry eye shadows. Likewise, it's great with power or cream products.
There are similar products to the MAC 217 ($22.50). Sigma has the E35 ($9) and Crown Brush has C433 (I paid $5.49) Sadly, I do not own the former and happily purchased the latter. I breathed a sigh of relief when my Crown C433 arrived, so much I relied on my MAC 217. Though I constantly use my Crown C433, I first grab my MAC 217.
There is one con with the brush. It is made of white goat hair. I would advise caution with using red or orange eye shadows. It's ok to use them, just wash your brush immediately after use to keep from staining the hairs. Additionally, I would suggest reshaping the brush after washing either by using a Brush Guard or gently wrapping the brush head with paper towel.
This brush deserves all the rave reviews and the price. If you only buy 1 MAC brush,make it this one. It's amazing. The first time I used it I couldn't believe how easy and effortless it was to use. My makeup looked like a professional had put it on! I don't know how it works but it just does! Eyeshadow is flawlwssly blended and beautifully faded out. I love it!
Wish id got this sooner!! Best blending brush I have tried, amazing results! Could not live with out it!! Gives a perfect blended look! Very soft! Worth every penny!
Like many beauties out there in the makeup industry when you find a brush that work for you that is your baby. And with this brush a lot of companies have tried their best to duplicate it and many have come very close but there still is no other like the 217.
Does what it promises. Blending colors is absolutely a breeze with this one. Is also pretty good with concealer application under the eyes. Only gripe I have is that the brush starts looking a bit dirty after a while even after deep cleaning etc. Due to the white bristles. But I wouldnt swap my 217 for any other blending brush!
I just love love love this little brush so much! The very first mac brush i purchased. Its a definite must have for every girls kit. Very high quality. No wonder almost all pro make-up artists are so inlove with this brush. Two thumbs up!
I really like it, does the job, blends perfectly, perfect size, not too big, not too small. You definitely need brush guards for it, they will help it stay you favorite blending brush


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Story highlights
- Sixteen people have been rescued as of Tuesday morning, state media report
- Three boats from Guangdong province foundered after being caught in a storm
- Typhoon Wutip made landfall on Vietnam's central coast late Monday
Seventy-two people are missing after three Chinese fishing boats sank in the South China Sea amid stormy weather caused by a typhoon, state media reported.
Two of the vessels foundered Sunday afternoon as they battled gales about 330 kilometers from the Chinese island of Hainan, the state-run news agency Xinhua reported. The third one sank Monday morning, it said.
As of Tuesday morning, rescuers had retrieved 16 survivors, the state-run China News Service reported, citing the Hainan government. Rescue operations have been hampered by strong gales and rough seas.
A total of five fishing boats with 171 crew aboard had been caught in the storm, the Hainan Maritime Search and Rescue Center said, according to Xinhua. The two other vessels managed to survive the harsh conditions.
All three boats that sank were from the southern Chinese province of Guangdong.
President Xi Jinping urged local authorities to do their utmost to find the missing or stranded and minimize casualties," state media reported.
Xi also ordered the armed forces and central government departments to help in the rescue effort.
The storm, Typhoon Wutip, made landfall in central Vietnam late Monday. Authorities there relocated tens of thousands of people from areas at risk as the storm approached.


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By Edward Zelinsky
Sixteen more billionaires have signed the "Giving Pledge" sponsored by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates. Signers of the Pledge commit to donating to philanthropy a majority of their wealth. New signers of the Pledge include the founders of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg and Dustin Moskovitz.
Critics of the Giving Pledge denounce it as a public relations gimmick. Even if each Pledge signer donates a majority of his fortune to charity, his heirs will still inherent substantial wealth from what remains.
I am not one of these critics. I take Mr. Buffett, Mr. Gates and the other signers at face value and applaud their charitable intentions. I do find it interesting that certain names are absent from the Pledge. For example, despite their self-proclaimed liberalism, not a single member of the Kennedy family has signed the Giving Pledge. By the same token, no prominent movie star has signed the Pledge even though many such celebrities loudly proclaim their commitments to humanitarian causes.
Those who have signed the Pledge deserve to be recognized for their philanthropic intentions.
However, an important aspect of the Giving Pledge is troubling and I urge Mr. Buffett, Mr. Gates and the other signers to consider this problem: Their charitable donations will exacerbate the federal budget deficit. The Giving Pledge should accordingly be amended to include the federal Treasury.
When a billionaire dies without making a charitable contribution, unless he or she leaves a surviving spouse, a portion of every dollar of the estate goes to the federal Treasury in the form of estate tax. This remains true under the estate tax deal recently crafted by President Obama and the Republican congressional leadership. When part or all of a billionaire's estate is instead directed to charity, no portion of the charitable bequest goes to the federal fisc.
For two reasons, the Giving Pledge donors should direct a significant fraction of their charitable donations to the U.S. Treasury in lieu of the federal estate taxes they are avoiding by their charity. First, their billions were created with the help of the nation's laws, institutions and infrastructure. The signers should reimburse the taxpayers who funded this valuable public overhead and thereby help preserve those laws, institutions and infrastructure for others to come.
Second, the future economic strength of the United States is a vital cause. We should not saddle (as we are) our children and grandchildren with mounting national debt. Payments to the Treasury by the signers of the Giving Pledge will help reduce that debt.
The standard retort is that these billionaires can allocate their money more efficiently and effectively than can the federal government. Perhaps. Nevertheless, the rest of us don't have the financial freedom of the signers of the Pledge. In fairness to us, those signers should allocate a significant portion of their charitable payments to the federal fisc – just as we are required to make significant tax payments to the U.S. Treasury.
I too might allocate my resources more efficiently and effectively than does the federal government. However, I am not afforded that chance. Instead, federal income tax is withheld from my every paycheck. To the extent that I donate to charity, some of that withheld income tax is subsequently directed by me to a charity of my choice. Nevertheless, for me and others who work for a living, the vast majority of our contributions to the federal Treasury are involuntary tax payments. We lack the practical option to send the bulk of our money to a charity of our choice – even though we too might direct that money more productively than does the federal government.
I accordingly suggest an addendum to the Giving Pledge. In recognition of the role this nation's laws, institutions and infrastructure play in creating their fortunes, the signers should commit the first 35 cents of every donated dollar to the federal Treasury in lieu of the estate taxes being avoided by such charitable donations. The remaining 65 cents per donated dollar will still be an enormous amount of money for each signer of the Pledge to commendably direct to the charity of his or her choice.
Taxes should not just be for the little people.
Edward A. Zelinsky is the Morris and Annie Trachman Professor of Law at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law of Yeshiva University. He is the author of The Origins of the Ownership Society: How The Defined Contribution Paradigm Changed America. His monthly column appears here.


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Extending tablesExtending Tables | Modern Dining Extending Tables | Italian Dining
Extending tablesThese tables are ideal for any room. Having some extra space is always a good idea - especially if you can take that space out of nowhere, in this case, from your own normal table. Therefore, this kind of tables are a great idea if you have a small apartment and if you need to save space during your normal routine but have also the need to have a huge table when you give dinner parties. This philosophy goes perfectly well with My Italian Living way of thinking: in fact, we do like style and refinement, but also practicality and reliability. Our modern extending tables have also versatility and simplicity of mechanisms, like counter top allow you in few minutes time to turn the coffee table into a dining table and vice-versa. So using them is of course not going to be difficult.
As with all of our products, we do guarantee high-quality materials, such as precious wood, stylish hi-tech version of melamine in various colours and in combination with metal. We of course have also table tops made of tempered glass, which make them the central furniture piece of every room. Extendable tables may be good both for a single that gives dinner parties or likes to have guests every now and then, both for a big family who need to host relatives and friends in special occasions. As Italians, we know how it is to have big families and big meals - and extending the table for Christmas, Easter or birthday parties is almost a habit. What may really be an asset in your house is having two tables: one, smaller and comfortable, for your kitchen or dining room, and another one, an extendable one, to put in your living room, where you can put books, ornaments and lamps during everyday life but that you may also use in special occasions to give huge lunches with your relatives or friends.
Our section does not only present every single extendable tables, but it present them in different environments and furnished rooms. You can watch every single piece, giving a look to the details, dimensions and materials (such as wood, metal or glass); or see them if put into different places, how they look and how they may inspire your own style. There are traditionally four-legged extendable tables and also more contemporary ones, such us the ones made in painted metal frame, with a lacquered trunk to support the surface. Depending on your style, whether it may be minimalist or old school, you will find a very wide range of amazing products that will make your choice quite hard. Interestingly enough, despite the fact that the majority of extendable tables are square, we also have extendable round tables. Among our suppliers there are amazing Italian designers such as Sedit and Compar.
If you'd like to add an ironic, informal touch to your house, then we strongly suggest you to give a look at the camping-looking tables, which are of course designed and created by some of the best interior designers in Italy.
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