text:
The drop in prices are mainly due to the fact that Nissan has moved Leaf production from Japan to Tennessee

Nissan’s Leaf just experienced a dramatic price drop, making it the cheapest five-seater electric vehicle (EV) in the U.S. At the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn said the price of the base model 2013 Leaf has been cut by $6,400. Last year’s base model went for $35,200, and now, the 2013 Leaf S will sell for $28,800 to start before a $7,500 federal tax credit (and any applicable state credit/rebate) is applied.
A couple of other Leaf models have seen a price cut as well. The Leaf SV will drop from last year’s price of $35,200 to $31,820 this year. The Leaf SL is also going from $37,250 last year to $34,840 this year.
“With nearly 50,000 Leafs on the road globally, we are the leaders in zero emissions vehicles and our class-leading product just got better,” said Billy Hayes, Global vice president of Leaf sales for Nissan. “From the very outset, Nissan has continuously advanced and refined the affordable zero emissions vehicle ownership experience. Now customers won’t have to pay a premium for owning a green car that’s really fun to drive, and that’s exciting.”

2013 Nissan Leaf

The drop in prices is mainly due to the fact that Nissan has moved Leaf production from Japan to Tennessee. It also has its lithium-ion batteries and motors manufactured there. Nissan announced that it began Leaf production at a new plant in Smyrna, Tennessee last Thursday. It will build the Leaf and gasoline vehicles in this plant, while building batteries at a separate plant next door. The plant is the result of a 2010 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) loan for $1.4 billion. According to the DOE, Nissan can build up to 150,000 Leafs and 200,000 batteries annually at the Tennessee plants
Nissan’s Leaf had a rough time last year as far as sales and performance goes. In July 2012, Leaf owners in Arizona complained that their EVs were losing significant battery capacity in the desert’s high heat. Nissan responded by basically saying that this was normal and promised more open communication with owners of the Leaf EV.
Later, Nissan had to admit that it wasn’t going to hit its sales mark for 2012, which was 20,000 Leafs. Nissan only sold 9,819 Leafs for the whole year -- less than half of its goal, and only 1.5 percent higher than the number it sold in 2011.

Source: Nissan

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By Manch on 1/15/2013 1:56:27 PM , Rating: 2
huh? I think you misunderstand. You can buy the car and drive it for five years for the price of the leaf. If you want to keep it longer then go for it, It will have been long paid for!

By Mint on 1/15/2013 2:25:08 PM , Rating: 2
You're not very bright, are you.

Who is going to pay for the gas and maintenance of that crappy Rio after five years? It's not free to run. The point is that over 10 years, the Leaf will work out cheaper.

By Manch on 1/15/2013 2:38:01 PM , Rating: 2
Oh Jesus Christ, Pick another car on that list then. The point is vs buying a leaf, any of those cars is more economical. I already found your leased car for cheaper than you r leaf so just STFU already

By Mint on 1/15/2013 4:10:17 PM , Rating: 2
You didn't find jack.

You claim that a dog-slow two-seat car with half the interior space is equivalent to the Leaf.

Everyone on this board knows how dumb you are for thinking that. Not even you would ever buy that car.

By JediJeb on 1/15/2013 4:10:34 PM , Rating: 2
If you have to replace the battery at 10 years then the savings of the Leaf will be lost versus any of the cheaper cars. At best it will be a push in overall costs.

Now if you keep the Leaf for over 16 years and 235K miles as I have my current vehicle, how much will maintenance costs on the Leaf be? That is uncharted waters for any EV right now.

By Mint on 1/15/2013 5:16:11 PM , Rating: 2
We don't know what battery costs will be in 2023, so you can't say that with any certainty. Envia systems is promising $125/kWh by 2018, i.e. $3k for a Leaf sized pack.

True, it is uncharted waters. However, everything we know about electric motors in industry suggests that they are lower maintenance than gasoline motors. So far, hybrids have scored very well in reliability, and it makes sense since they take load/wear off the gas engine. EVs have done very well also.

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Strategy Analytics found that Apple shipped about 17.7 million phones for the fourth quarter

A new report from Strategy Analytics shows that Apple was the No. 1 phone vendor in the U.S. for Q4 2012.

According to the report, which was conducted by Strategy Analytics' Wireless Device Strategies service, Apple became the No. 1 mobile phone vendor for the first time in the fourth quarter of 2012. It grabbed about 34 percent of the market in that three-month period.

Strategy Analytics found that Apple shipped about 17.7 million phones for the fourth quarter, which was a healthy increase from 12.8 million shipped and 25 percent of the market share in Q4 2011.

The report noted that Samsung, the hardware maker for many popular Android smartphones, was nipping at Apple's heels with 16.8 million mobile phone shipments in the fourth quarter, giving it 32 percent of the market share. This was a nice 5 percent jump for Samsung from Q4 2011.

LG landed in third place with about 4.7 million phone shipments and 9 percent of the market share in Q4.

Mobile phone shipments overall grew 4 percent for the quarter compared to Q4 2011, jumping from 50.2 million to 52 million in the U.S.

Source: Strategy Analytics

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All things considered, not impressive.
By kamiller422 on 2/1/2013 6:42:20 PM , Rating: -1
Samsung's only high end release was the $300 subsidized Note 2, which is successful but not going to appeal to everyone. The SIII was right behind the iPhone 5, and it's an older phone.

RE: All things considered, not impressive.
By tayb on 2/1/2013 6:48:05 PM , Rating: 5
Oh come on. Samsung has a huge selection of phones available on all of the major carriers in the US at every price point. It's impressive that a company that is allergic to choice selling a phone that hasn't been redesigned in 2+ years (longer is not a new design) managed to outsell all of these phones combined. You haters are no better than the fanboys.

ATIV Odyssey - $50
Galaxy Stratosphere II - $30
Galaxy Note II - $300
Galaxy S III - $200
Galaxy Stellar - $0

Captivate Glide - $0.01
Rugy Smart - $0.01
Galaxy Exhilarate - $0.01
Galaxy S II Skyrocket - $1
Focus S - $1
Focus 2 - $1
Captivate Glide - $1
Galaxy Express - $100
Galaxy Rugy Pro - $100
Galaxy S III - $200
Galaxy Note - $200
Galaxy Note II - $300

RE: All things considered, not impressive.
By xti on 2/3/2013 12:31:29 AM , Rating: 1
I have never understood the argument that Apple HAS to make an entry level phone, a mid, and high end. Car companies do it all the time, but im struggling to find a better example - nevertheless it might not be what they are interested in.

It technically was redesigned and included LTE, antiantennaegate, etc.

By RufusM on 2/4/2013 9:43:36 AM , Rating: 2
I wonder how many of those iPhones were iPhone 5, 4S and 4's. Is the market mainly getting the top iPhone (5) or are they going for the more budget iPhones (4S and 4)?

By tayb on 2/4/2013 11:02:46 AM , Rating: 2
The entry level phones from Apple are the previous iPhones. The 4 is free (or a penny), the 4S is $99, and the 5 is $200. What Apple doesn't do is release a NEW entry level and mid-tier phone on a scheduled basis.

I bet the free iPhone 4 played a large role in those numbers.

By GotThumbs on 2/4/2013 5:18:43 PM , Rating: 1

These stats do little to sway any buyer from what the will choose. IMO, It has zero relevance on whether someone buys an IPhone or not. Those who are interested in an Iphone will buy it for the fashion/follower factor, because they lack any real technical knowledge.

Seeing people with an Iphone is like seeing kids (or worse...adults) walking around with their pants hanging down. I just look and know they are a 'clueless/Ignorant' IMO. With Apples overpriced costs and walled garden ecosystem, only an clueless/ignorant person would make the Apple choice.

Personally, I have no need to use a companies Cloud service when I have my own. It's so easy to setup too. I have Zero reliance on any company and I have total control of my content (streaming music, video, documents, photos). Only pay $30.00/month with zero contract restrictions. It does what I need it to do and I keep more of my money in my pocket.

Ever heard of....A fool and His/Her money are quickly parted. Apple knows it well.

For anyone in Apples ecosystem, Apple retains full control over users accounts and freedom to cancel and delete content at their discretion with zero recourse. Just read Apples TOA and you will know it's fact.

Best wishes and enjoy the freedom of choice. Yes, I have disdain for Apple's ecosystem, but I respect each individuals freedom to choose. Just don't expect everyone else to jump off that bridge with.

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It will save USPS $2 billion annually

Many aspects of our lives have made a digital transformation over the last decade or so. We no longer rent physical movies from the video store; we watch them on Netflix or Hulu. We no longer get subscriptions for or pick up the daily newspaper; we read the news online. We don't run to the bank as often for daily finances; we jump on our smartphone, tablet or computer for online banking.

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is seeing these shifts in technology as well, but can't seem to keep up. Many letters, bills, etc. can now be sent electronically rather than through the mail. Hence, in an effort to save some serious money, USPS will no longer deliver mail on Saturdays starting August 1, 2013.

Cutting mail delivery down to five days per week will save USPS about $2 billion annually. For fiscal 2012, USPS saw a net loss of $15.9 billion (three times the loss record one year previous).

While mail delivery is getting axed, USPS plans to continue package delivery on Saturdays since this particular area has seen a 14 percent increase since 2010. Mail will also still be delivered to P.O. boxes six days per week as well.

In addition, post offices will remain open on Saturdays to allow customers to drop mail/packages off, access post office boxes or buy postage stamps -- although hours will likely be cut.

USPS is expected to give an official announcement today without explicit congressional approval. Lawmakers have said this approval is necessary for a change like cutting Saturday mail delivery, but the USPS is arguing this claim.

As far as the American people go, USPS expects some opposition from those like rural communities that worry a change in scheduling could make low-cost deliveries of items like medication a thing of the past, and publishers who will have to adjust schedules with publication deadlines.

Just last month, it was reported that USPS wanted to be more digital-friendly in order to keep up with the times. The agency is working on a digital platform called MyPost, which will allow customers to log in and view all packages that they'll be receiving as well as those they've already received instead of searching several different sites that the packages may be coming from.

However, Paul Vogel, president of digital solutions at USPS, revealed that his office is like "a San Jose startup," with only 15 Android/Apple developers, consultants coming and going, one computer and his BlackBerry smartphone. Technological restrictions make upgrading hard to come by.

A few other major obstacles are legislation needed to get permission for new digital products, the USPS' huge instruction manual for just handful of current products (adding digital products and security certifications would turn that 1,500 page book into something unimaginable), and USPS' losses of nearly $16 billion last year led to legislative proposals to keep making cuts (hence, more digital tech may not be in the cards right now).

Source: Boston Business Journal

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By bah12 on 2/6/2013 12:58:40 PM , Rating: 1
Totally agree there, but if you still require them to drive by each box daily the volume reduction only impacts inter post office miles, and sorting. You'd still have lots of un-productive miles. IMHO they really do need to be allowed by congress to implement a call for pickup model. Do that, and then you can kill all bulk discounts.

Take a look next time you drive out of a subdivision on how many mailboxes have a flag up, yet the postman still has to weave through the entire area looking for them. Luckily he has some revenue generating bulk in his bag or those miles would be all cost.

You and I are on the same page, but I don't think many people really understand just how complex the issues are. It isn't just a management issue. In fact very little of it is. The vast majority of their problems are Congress driven.

Several drastic changes need to occur for them to recover, but alas the union lobby will eventually kill them.

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text:
Pricing and release dates for upcoming Intel products revealed

Intel's Yonah hasn't gotten quite the launch that many would have like to have seen. Core Solo and Duo based PC notebooks are few and far between these days. Apple and the smaller boutique PC notebook manufacturers have been able to launch products based on Yonah, but the heavy hitters like Dell are still lagging behind a bit. In the mean time, Intel's mobile processor roadmap is abuzz with activity. Intel will launch Core Solo Ultra Low Voltage processors on April 23rd. At that time, 1.06GHz and 1.2GHz models will be available, with a 1.06GHz ultra low voltage Core Duo U1400 to join the family Q3'06.

An Intel Core Duo T2700 will replace the T2600 at the top of the Yonah processor family. The T2700 will debut in Q3 with a clock speed of 2.33GHz and a price of $640. The T2700 will have a short reign at the top of  Core Duo product range. Q4 will see the launch of Merom. Merom launch at speeds ranging from 1.83GHz to 2.33GHz and will feature EMT64 support -- more than a year after AMD brought Turion64 to the mobile sector.  Granted, I still have yet to see a laptop with more than 4GB of memory anyway.

Intel Mobile Performance Roadmap
Processor Brand Processor No. Core Name Clock Speed/FSB Cache Launch Date Price @ Launch
Merom Processor T7600 Merom 2.33GHz / 667MHz 4MB Q4'06 $637 (???)
Merom Processor T7400 Merom 2.16GHz / 667MHz 4MB Q4'06 $423 (???)
Merom Processor T7200 Merom 2.0GHz / 667MHz 4MB Q4'06 $294 (???)
Merom Processor T5600 Merom 1.83GHz / 667MHz 2MB Q4'06 $241 (???)
Intel Core Duo T2700 Yonah 2.33GHz / 667MHz 2MB Q3'06 $637 (???)
Intel Core Duo T2600 Yonah 2.16GHz / 667MHz 2MB Now
Intel Core Duo T2300E Yonah 1.66GHz / 667MHz 2MB Q2'06 $209 (05/28)
Intel Core Solo T1400 Yonah 1.83GHz / 667MHz 2MB Q2'06 $209 (05/28)
Intel Core Duo LV L2400 Yonah 1.66GHz / 667MHz 2MB Now
Intel Core Duo LV L2300 Yonah 1.50GHz / 667MHz 2MB Now
Intel Core Duo ULV U2500 Yonah 1.06GHz / 533MHz 2MB Q3'06 $289 (???)
Intel Core Solo ULV U1400 Yonah 1.20GHz / 533MHz 2MB Q2'06 $262 (04/16)
Intel Core Solo ULV U1300 Yonah 1.06MHz / 533MHz 2MB Q2'06 $241 (04/16)

Yonah based Celeron processors are on the way for the second quarter ranging in speed from 1.46GHz to 1.73GHz. The chips will still feature 1MB of L2 cache and will come will feature a 533MHz FSB.

Intel Mobile Value Roadmap
Processor Brand Processor No. Core Name Clock Speed/FSB Cache Price @ Launch
Intel Celeron M 430 Yonah 1.73GHz/533MHz 1MB $134 (04/16)
Intel Celeron M 420 Yonah 1.60GHz/533MHz 1MB $107 (04/16)
Intel Celeron M 410 Yonah 1.46GHz/533MHz 1MB $86 (05/28)
Intel Celeron M ULV 423 Yonah 1.06GHz/533MHz 1MB $161 (04/16)

Intel expects to ramp up the production of dual-core mobile processors thoughout 2006 (see image, right). In Q1 of 2006, dual core processors are expected to make up just over 25% of Intel's total mobile processor shipments. By Q4, that product mix will do a complete 180 with dual core processors making up just over 80% of Intel's total mobile processor shipments.

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More to x64 than memory
By huges84 on 2/15/2006 7:03:35 PM , Rating: 2
Everybody say it with me now:

"There... is... more... to.. AMD64/EM64T.. than... just.. memory"

x86-64 is a retooling of x86 that tweaks it to be more in line with current needs. The real advantage of x86-64 is that it doubles the number of general purpose registers as well as the size of them, meaning they are 4 times as big. It also doubles the number of SSE registers. This was badly needed because other more modern architectures have more registers. For example, 32 bit x86 has 8 registers while the POWER architecture has 32 general purpose registers. That is a huge disadvantage.

Unfortunately, you won't see much difference right now becuase all programs written in 32 bit were compiled to optimize for only 8 registers. Once code starts to be compiled for x86-64 and compilers learn to do the new optimizations, the performance gains will kick in. Also, the x86-64 architecture gets rid of some old, uneeded crap that holds back CPU speeds.

So the sooner there is a critical mass of people running x86-64, the sooner code will be optimized for it and the sooner the real benefits come.

If you want to read more about the advantages of x86-64 then read this:

RE: More to x64 than memory
By fbrdphreak on 2/16/2006 8:43:34 AM , Rating: 2
Thank you!!!!

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text:
News Politics National Politics

National Politics

Democratic support among Hispanics could prove tricky for Republicans

A day after Hispanics broke heavily for President Barack Obama, giving the Democrat a massive 71 percent of their vote, Republicans were left to confront the demographic reality that could endanger their political strength across the U.S.

Hispanics accounted for 10 percent of the vote this year and proved pivotal in swing states such as Florida, Colorado and Nevada. With the population continuing to grow, it could be just a matter of time before the shift engulfs reliably Republican states such as Texas.

Many experts, including some Republicans, agree that the GOP must soften their at times abrasive tone on immigration if they want to win over more Hispanic voters. But that alone might not be enough.

Hispanics — like the rest of the country — are voting first and foremost on the economy and jobs, polls show. And after being mostly ignored by the GOP for years, Hispanic voters are identifying with Democrats on those essential pocketbook issues.

“Support for President Obama went up, and that’s because he talks about the kind of issues — and offers examples of policies — that appeal to Hispanic voters,” said Sylvia Manzano of the polling firm Latino Decisions.

“There’s no magic to it,” she said, giving immigration and taxes as examples.

That Hispanics backed Obama on Tuesday wasn’t exactly a surprise, given that he won 67 percent of the demographic in 2008.

GOP nominee Mitt Romney made little effort to court Hispanics until late in the campaign. He also took tough stances on illegal immigration during the GOP primary, even ridiculing Texas Gov. Rick Perry for supporting a state law that provides in-state college tuition to illegal immigrants.

And while Obama hasn’t kept all of his promises to Hispanics, such as aggressively pushing the DREAM Act, he allayed some concerns this year by signing an executive order that lifted the threat of deportation for nearly a million young illegal immigrants.

Beyond that, Democrats have led a more consistent effort over the years to build a broad coalition of support.

So what alarmed some Republicans in the aftermath of the election wasn’t necessarily the gap between Obama and Romney among Hispanics. It was the realization that the Hispanic vote influenced key races and that the GOP was years behind Democrats in its outreach.

Adding to the despair was the acknowledgment that the GOP’s more extreme immigration rhetoric — along with a lack of attention to other issues important to Hispanics — had blunted the conservative common ground the two groups share on social issues.

“It’s a huge wake-up,” said Henry Flores, an expert in Hispanic politics at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. “The Republican Party knows they’ve painted themselves into a demographic corner by appealing almost exclusively to older, white males.”

In Texas, where groups such as Hispanic Republicans of Texas have made a more substantial effort to appeal to the demographic, the GOP’s situation isn’t quite as dire.

The state just elected its first Hispanic U.S. senator, Republican Ted Cruz, and other Hispanic Republicans, including North Dallas state House candidate Jason Villalba, won their races handily on Tuesday.

Outgoing state Rep. Aaron Peña, R-Edinburg, said he remained optimistic about the GOP’s chances to connect with Hispanic voters, despite his frustration over persistent “verbal and nonverbal cues that communicate that Hispanics are not a high priority.”

He said both Republicans and Hispanics believe in economic and educational opportunities, but that any agreements on the issues need to be preceded by a more respectful and thoughtful tone.

“I don’t believe Republicans have to change their basic principles to win over Hispanics,” said Peña, who switched to the GOP in 2010. “But they have to see it from our perspective.”

Follow Tom Benning on Twitter at @tombenning.

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text:
Sachse beats North Mesquite 8-2 in Class 5A first-round girls soccer playoff

Photo: Matthew Busch/Staff Photographer

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text:
Sports DaySports Day Stars

Heika: I can see the Dallas Stars possibly retaining these three soon-to-be free agents

Getty Images

Derek Roy #9 of the Buffalo Sabres skates with the puck against Zdeno Chara #33 of the Boston Bruins at the TD Garden on April 7, 2012 in Boston, Massachusetts.

Stars beat writer Mike Heika held a chat on Thursday. Here are some highlights.

Of all the UFA's we have this summer. Who do you see the stars keeping around? Or at least trying to keep.

They will make a serious push for Derek Roy, but if they don't get a contract done, they definitely might consider trading him. I think they will keep Eric Nystrom, and then wait on Jaromir Jagr until the summer. That's a coin toss and depends heavily on how the season ends.

I didn't even comment on Grossman, that trade for a 3rd? rounder still baffles me. He is the big presence in front of the net that would be good a 2nd line assuming the other guy is a Trevor Daley type with speed and skill. I have heard rumors that once Dillion gets his confidence that his offense will impress. Its hard to believe an undrafted free agent signing is playing as a #1 right now 1/3 way into the season and he still has a ton of upside we haven't seen because he lacks confidence. I can't wait to see that upside when it arrives.

Agreed. Watch Jake Muzzin with the Kings tonight. He was drafted, but Pittsburgh didn't sign him, and he signed with the Kings as a 20-year-old free agent. He's currently playing on the top pair with Drew Doughty. There are hidden gems out there, and still the chance for scouts to make a significant difference with your team.

Do you feel that Loui is starting to come out of the awful funk he had for a while? I think if him and Roy get cranking and then Ray coming back as well that this team has potential to be lethal on the front end. Am I just being a homer fan or do this seem true?

Loui Eriksson has been too consistent in his career to have an extended streak, so yes, I do think he will improve and play better as the season moves on (and he already is). Bottom line, this team has five wingers making $4 million or more a season, so yes they should have some offensive potential. You should be able to get both even strength scoring and power play scoring out of Eriksson, Jagr, Whitney, Cole and Morrow. So, yes, there should be some enthusiasm about this team. We'll see if they can carry it through or if they disappoint.

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text:
It's Business as Usual for The Trip Stars, and That's Fine

It's Business as Usual for The Trip Stars, and That's Fine
Ciro Meggiolaro

For women especially, it's wholly out of fashion to have sympathy for middle-aged white men. In both real life and fiction, the thinking goes, they've reigned supreme long enough. Who cares about their anxiety over their receding hairlines, their poochy stomachs, their inability to attract young babes? That tinny plink you hear is the sound of the world's tiniest violin.

Yet, Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, the dueling stars first of Michael Winterbottom's 2010 The Trip — in which the two kvetched and squabbled through an automobile journey crisscrossing the English countryside — have restored some mojo to the classic middle-aged gent's lament. Now, in The Trip to Italy, Coogan and Brydon, again playing semi-improvisatory versions of themselves, explore Italian coastal spots and cities, sampling meals from the finest restaurants, but again, pay only minimal attention to the food. The Trip to Italy is basically more of the same Trip, with yet more picturesque scenery, more muted and not-so-muted fretting about the horrors of getting older, more Michael Caine imitations, only now we know just what to expect from Coogan and Brydon, although as long as you're willing to settle in for the ride, that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Brydon and Coogan have again been sent out by a London newspaper to sample the culinary delights of a given locale. Brydon rings Coogan up to talk him into it; this takes about two minutes. Next thing we know, the two are winding through the Italian countryside in a rented Mini Cooper, Alanis Morissettte tootling from the stereo. Brydon wonders aloud how Alanis pronounces her first name; Coogan offers more possible answers than necessary, although listening to his mind shift gears is fascinating by itself. All of this improvisatory applesauce comes after Coogan guesses — correctly — that Brydon has rented a Mini specifically so that he can pretend he's in The Italian Job. It's only a matter of seconds before someone says, in the young Michael Caine voice, "You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off."

Things get more serious as the trip winds on, and as more fabulous, modern-Italian delicacies are plated and consumed. This Coogan has some family problems, and his career is stalling out — he can't help feeling jealous that Brydon just might land a part in a big Michael Mann film. Brydon has a young child at home, and his wife is distracted and cranky every time he phones her from the road. Whether that's intended as a sidelong justification for his dalliance with the bright, pretty woman who's first mate of the boat he and Coogan have chartered (she's played by Rosie Fellner), that dalliance happens. It's easy enough to judge him, but it's far more interesting to watch how he deals with his feelings of guilt and confusion.

Of course, most of the time Coogan and Brydon are cracking unapologetically puerile Mount Vesuvius jokes or making fun of Lord Byron's full name. (There's a "Gordon" in there, which they find hilarious. Come to think of it, it is.) Winterbottom orchestrates it all beautifully, which is to say that he seems not to be orchestrating it at all. His touch is wonderfully casual. Like The Trip before it, The Trip to Italy is a condensed version of a television series. For those who think a multipart serial might be too much of a good thing, Winterbottom offers the option of imbibing in one concentrated dose.

This dose is probably just enough. And no matter what, I'll always feel more sympathy for Brydon and Coogan, in their middle-aged malaise, than I will for Paul Giamatti's wine-swilling sad sack in Sideways. Giamatti, like Charlie Chaplin, spent too much time plinking at the pathos key. Brydon and Coogan are more like Buster Keaton: For every five minutes of self-pity, they spend 30 poking fun at themselves. The rest of the time they spend trying to sound like Michael Caine. Boys will be boys.

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text:
Quintet For The End Of Time Is Recording, Mixing New Material And Heading To Italy

Local experimental/neo-classical ensemble Quintet for the End of Time has just come out of the studio with a bevy of Zappa-esque compositions nearly ready for public consumption.

“Our new material should be mixed next week,” says Kevin Hanlon, leader of the group. The 55-year-old SMU music professor is excited about finishing up the group’s debut--as well as going overseas to perform. “I head out July 15th for a family reunion in Ireland,” says Hanlon, “and then I hook up with the rest of the guys to play several festivals in Italy.”

Once back in the states, Hanlon says the record will be released and the band will start playing locally: “We’ve made some connections with Club Dada as part of their Deep Culture Series, hopefully playing the last Saturday of every month.”

Though heady, the quintet’s sound is not unapproachable, mixing jazz and rock instrumentation into its detailed mix of John Cage and King Crimson. Hanlon started out playing rock and blues in the early '70s with a midwestern outfit called Zagfield, but became more interested in modern classical composition once his rock and roll dreams did not materialize. “Nothing like a disappointed audience in the pop realm to strengthen your resolve in other areas,” says Hanlon. --Darryl Smyers

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text:
Prying open the past

Adoptee Karen Joiner, state representative for the American Adoption Congress and a TxCare member, has yet to see her original birth certificate.
Alyssa Banta

The bumper sticker on the truck outside of Karen Joiner's Richardson home sums up what she wants. "Adoptees deserve their original birth certificates," it reads. Yet for Joiner, a 40-year-old Missouri native, and thousands of other adoptees nationwide, gaining access to their records is no simple task. Petitioning the courts, being dependent on a judge's ruling--Joiner knows the arduous routine. She has been there herself, having spent years trying to get her original birth certificate to unravel clues to some of her health problems, a gall bladder disease among them. She has yet to see that sheet of paper.

"People have this perception that you walk up to a counter and get this big file of records," says Joiner, sitting in an easy chair in her home as several kittens lie nearby, being nursed by their mother. "It's a fallacy."

Joiner, a member of a statewide not-for-profit organization called the Texas Coalition for Adoption Resources and Education, otherwise known as TxCARE, will join others later this week to challenge laws prevalent in most states--including Texas--that seal birth certificates once adoptions are completed. As TxCARE members did two years ago, they'll be at the Texas Democratic convention in Fort Worth to support the passage of what they have termed the Texas Adoptee Rights Resolution. Simply put, the resolution calls for all adult adoptees to have access to their original birth certificates and court records.

TxCARE's resolution is not a novel concept. Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed a law in Oregon granting adoptees 21 and older access to their birth records. Alaska, Kansas, Alabama, Delaware, and Tennessee have similar provisions, though Oregon's was the first approved by voters. Globally, countries such as Argentina, England, Finland, France, Germany, Holland, Israel, and Korea allow adoptees access to their records. For Joiner and other members of TxCARE, getting their resolution on the state Democratic platform--and two weeks after that, the Republican one--is only the first step. They accomplished the same goal two years back. Then as now, they want to see the resolution taken a step further by becoming state law.

They've found a supporter in state Rep. Tony Goolsby, a Dallas Republican and adoptee himself who two years ago introduced a bill to make open records a reality. "For the rest of your life, you never have the chance to find out 'What am I? Who am I?'" Goolsby, 66, says of current law.

Despite support from family judges, the bill floundered amid opposition from Gov. George Bush and The Gladney Center for Adoption, a premier agency that since its inception in 1887 has placed more than 24,000 children in homes. Goolsby will try again the next legislative session, amending the previous bill with the provision giving birth mothers the choice of whether they want such records opened to the children they put up for adoption.

Still, advocates of sealed records contend that the current system is fine and is the only way to protect the confidentiality of birth mothers. Once adoptions are completed, new records are issued listing only the adoptive couple as the child's parents.

"What you're essentially doing by forcing open records is, you're forcing these women or these adoptive persons to remove any protection to maintain their privacy," says Paige Smith, a spokeswoman for the Fort Worth-based Gladney Center. Smith also argues that the solution lies in what already exists at their agency--a mutual-consent registry in which both a birth parent and adoptee agree to disclosure. "It doesn't force anyone to sacrifice their privacy."

Beyond the mutual-consent registry at Gladney, a birth parent can exchange letters and photos with adoptive parents via the agency if both parties agree. For 26-year-old Stephanie, a birth mother who declined to give her last name, such an arrangement is good enough. About six years ago, she was a student at a Dallas-area college when she became pregnant. She went to the Gladney Center to place her child in an adoptive home. "Medical records should be open and updated," Stephanie says. But other than such non-identifying information, she says that she doesn't believe any legislation should mandate giving all adoptees their original birth certificates, "because of the privacy issue." She's content to receive pictures of her daughter once or twice a year through the agency, just to see how she is doing.

Some adoptees agree. "My biological father and mother entered into an agreement that their identity would be confidential," says Rainey McClung, a 28-year-old court intern who was adopted through the Gladney Center when she was 10 weeks old. "It should be a personal choice, not a mandate," she says. And like Smith and Stephanie, McClung says she believes that a mutual-consent registry is the only viable option for disclosing identifying information about a birth parent.

Still, it's an answer that doesn't satisfy members of TxCARE. Of the 86 licensed agencies in Texas that regularly place children for adoption, only 33 operate a voluntary adoption registry as mandated by the Texas Family Code. Given that fact, many TxCARE members also argue that few birth parents and adoptees are aware of private mutual-consent registries. They maintain that such registries only serve to penalize adoptees whose birth parents die or become incapacitated, or those who are adopted across language, cultural, or geographic lines.

In 1973, Texas barred adopted children from access to their records without a court order based upon what it ambiguously called "good cause." That frustrates people like Karen Joiner. "Adoptees are bound by agreements made by other people. I didn't sign any confidentiality [agreement]. They're claiming birth mother confidentiality when it didn't even exist."

Adoptee Penny Mendez, 47, estimates she has spent about $1,000 in efforts before the courts to obtain her original records. She describes the frustration of being on the phone with a court intermediary and hearing the person--a stranger--flipping through the file containing confidential information Mendez has longed to see.

Mendez's was a private adoption arranged by a lawyer. For more than 20 years, she has tried to find out the truth of her origins. "There's just a part that's missing," she says. "It doesn't matter how much love adoptive parents [have]. It's the not knowing [who] you look like." Eventually, a court granted the Tarrant County woman access to her original records and she reunited with her birth mother, as well as a half-sister.

Knowing your biological parents is "absolutely a right," says Bill Betzen, a social worker in Dallas who serves on the board of directors of the American Adoption Congress, a nonprofit organization founded in 1978. "Everyone else can do it. Why can't adoptees? There's no reason to have that handicap."

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Fur the boys

Andy Stark brings reality TV to bear — with sights set on the networks

BEARS ON FILM | Andy Stark, left, created the reality show ‘Bear It All’ with a mostly Dallas-based cast including Matthew Moriarity, right, who has already made quite an impression. (Tammye Nash/Dallas Voice)

RICH LOPEZ  | Staff Writer

On shows like The A-List or Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys, TV audiences get a peek into the inner workings of gay men (at least the ones Logo thinks represent us). But Dallasite Andy Stark isn’t so sure the current crop of reality shows profiles our community in the best light — or in all its glory.

He’s not the only one. Where those series may rely on caricatures or fabricated storylines, Stark is delivering his own show that he sees less as a drama fest and more as just a good time.

“The show is going to be a positive natured show,” he says. “I want it to be appealing across the board.”

Stark is talking about his reality/travel series Bear It All, which follows a cast of hirsute gentlemen in different cities around various bear events. Clips of the show have made their way online, with some containing footage taken at this year’s Texas Bear Round Up, but it makes its full-episode debut at a screening party Sunday at the Round-Up Saloon.

“The idea originally came up at Southern Decadence last year, so it’s almost a year old,” Stark says of the germ of the series. “I didn’t think it would take that long, but it’s nice. You know, we had the idea and the tools to make it and just said, ‘Let’s do it — we don’t need money, just the will to do it.’”

Pulling together a cast of mostly locals — including Butch Compton, Charlie Himmler and Michael Herrington — Stark pulled in Philadelphia-based bear Barney Philly and Indiana native Matthew Moriarity, who just might be the breakout star of the show.

“The one bit of feedback I always get is how adorable he is,” Stark says.

“I got involved with it when I was in North Carolina,” Moriarity says. “I didn’t really go to a lot of bear events or gay events, but I got in contact via Facebook.”

Initially, Moriarity hadn’t heard anything back other than “stay tuned.” But as TBRU approached, he received a call: He was now in the cast as he was making his way to Dallas for the bear event.

“I didn’t know what to expect,” he laughs.

As the Dallas-based episode came together, Stark entered Moriarity in the Mr. TBRU contest. Figuring on his random entrance into the contest, Stark had developed the arc of the episode and began planning the rest based on Moriarity not winning.

Only he did win.

“I had to rethink the entire thing,” Stark cries. “But we ran with it.”

The show has cemented a certain foundation for Moriarity. He moved to Dallas at the end of June, found a job as a bartender three days later and now finds himself a recognizable face among the local community. Of course, he’s modest about it and steers the conversation away from himself.

“The show is a great portrayal and good-natured of just us regular guys,” he says. “I think its great to bring that certain community to the frontlines. You don’t see that too much in mainstream portrayals.”

Andy Stark has the cred needed to produce his own show. He does production work for HDNet and MavTV so this isn’t some guy with a camera and an idea. Stark has a plan.

“I’ve had the idea of what I wanted in my head, but also it’s been an experience that we’ve manifested ourselves,” he says. “I wanted the travel documentary built into the concept of the show and so perhaps we’ll highlight cities and bear events as well as meet interesting people from all around. Hopefully we do something awesome with it.”

While Stark and Moriarity have only experienced positive feedback so far, they got a big push from the bear-oriented phone app Scruff. In one episode, Philly is wearing a shirt with the app’s logo on it; founder Johnny Scruff noticed and posted a notification so when people clicked onto the app, they were served with a pop-up announcing the show and its Facebook page.

Stark and Moriarity are affable guys — the kind that good luck seems to follow, which seems to be the case here. With the help of producer J. Louie Partida, Stark feels that the only way is up after Sunday’s screening. He’s even planned to have the show adjustable for different networks should they be interested.

“I’m aiming for the 25-minute mark. We call the show ‘bear-satile’ because it can be formatted to any network,” he laughs.

Hmmm. Maybe it’s better Stark stays behind the camera.

Eligible for a reason: Obnoxious

Here’s my big problem with reality TV: Most of our lives aren’t scripted, but they are made to seem so if you watch too many of these shows. It’s not a problem on competition-based series like The Amazing Race or Survivor (how many of us get to travel that much anyway?), or even episodic series with a sense of humor, like Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D List (Kathy’s inherent wittiness feels authentic). But the Bravo-style throw-six-people-together-and-pretend-they-are- the-shit egothons like The Real Housewives and The A-List? They are merely soap operas where the actors are underpaid. And not very good actors.

Add to that list the latest little disaster of preening incorrigibility: Most Eligible Dallas.

It’s one thing to cajole your way onto America’s Got Talent by wearing goofy clothes or exaggerating your personality for a performance; it’s another when what sells you as a TV star is being the biggest asshole you can be. I don’t wanna sound like a curmudgeon blaming TV for the ills of society, but when I see drivers who take left-turns from right lanes with arrogant disregard for the rest of humanity … well, it’s difficult not to think that because they see everyone on the tube behaving the same way.

Most Eligible takes a half-dozen single 20somethings from Dallas and follows their appallingly wonderful singleness. There’s Drew, pictured, a car-loving gay guy who self-medicates with female hormones to keep from getting fat again; Glenn, the muscle-bound football wannabe who’s been passed around more locker rooms than a Kardashian; Matt, the obnoxious “playa” who goes on dates with multiple women; and Courtney, the big-haired bimbo who has such a blatant unacknowledged crush on Matt that her venom forms the basis of the Sam-and-Diane (or Reichen-and-Rodiney) thread on the premiere.

The calculated way the series tries to create personalities — Drew is, to my knowledge, the only person who has ever been shown smoking a cig in the address-the-camera interviews, just to show what a rebel-outside-the-box-gay he is — feels incredibly fake, exacerbated by the over-reactions to banal activities (Glenn in particular seems like a real drama queen). Easily the best thing about the series is seeing local landmarks. The rest just perpetuates negative stereotypes about Dallas.

— Arnold Wayne Jones

Premieres on Bravo Aug, 15 at 9 p.m.

This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition August 12, 2011.

—  Kevin Thomas


text:
Re: Delta Saturday

[Bulletin Board]

Posted by Dan Blanton on 2014-02-17 10:44:04 in reply to Delta Saturday posted by James on 2014-02-16 23:08:46

Hey James,

Nice going! Sounds like you enjoyed a great morning of fishing. It takes a number of times fishing a HPS (high percentage spot) during different tides to know if it produces better on the fall or flood. Some fish well both ways; some fish best the last hour of each or the first hour of reversal. Time will tell; but then, nothing is etched in granite.

I think I know that spot and I've done best there on falling tide.

Glad you are enjoying your new skiff and are having fun on the California Delta.

See you at the Pleasanton Fly Fishing Show.

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Popular Owners

Recital Improvement by dancerxiv
So this past year was our fourth recital, and in my opinion it was our best yet. Because we've grown...

Forum: Costumes

Page 3 of 51 2 3 4 5
re: Costume Company Reviews en>fr fr>en
By happydancinPremium member Comments: 973, member since Tue Nov 22, 2005
On Mon Jun 02, 2008 11:23 PM
Edited by happydancin (146038) on 2008-06-02 23:25:48 typo
I just celebrated my 25th annual... here is my list!

Curtain Call-Good quality, good service, no complaints

Kelle - Love them! GREAT customer service, great costumes!

Weissmans- Cheaper quality, but cheaper prices, no complaints

Wolf-Fording- Nice, no problems

Marcea-No problems, but used rarely...I love her designs, but pricey

Art Stone- Love the costumes, never had any problem

The Line Up- nice, but pricey!

NEW this year for me ~ REVOLUTION! AWESOME...ordered numerous costumes! WOW!!! Very impressed...great quality, prices, service! They took a big chunk of my business away from the competition this year & I will continue to use them if they keep up the good work and expand their line! CHECK them out! You will not be disappointed!
re: Costume Company Reviews en>fr fr>en
By behappy_dancemember has saluted, click to view salute photos Comments: 662, member since Sun May 11, 2008
On Mon Jul 21, 2008 07:36 PM
They will custom make anything for you, too, like if you ask for #120 with the fabric from the #310 costume on the legs and the collar in silver metallic with the #530 fabric on the sleeves, and please add fringe down the legs of the pants so it looks western. I actually did that. Mixed two styles of costume, three totally different fabrics, and added fringe to make a boy's costume. And, the price for the alterations was VERY reasonable.
I didn't know they did that. I ahve tons of costumes from them. Good to know.

AdrenalineDance, that made me cry. It's nice to know there are some companies that care.

And to everyone that ordered from revolution, what kind of garment bags did they come in?
re: Costume Company Reviews en>fr fr>en
By dancingdivas6 Comments: 3, member since Tue Sep 23, 2008
On Tue Sep 23, 2008 10:20 AM
Two years ago we were majorly burned by the whole Dansco/Fina fiasco. We stayed away from them for recital last year. Did anyone use them? Have they gotten their problems fixed. We are loving their new costume catalogs...but are still very nervous to use them. Help from anyone!!!!!
re: Costume Company Reviews en>fr fr>en
By shellbelle Comments: 142, member since Fri Aug 08, 2008
On Tue Sep 23, 2008 09:10 PM
I used both of them last year. I didn't have a problem but I ordered real early. If they have any costumes that fit in our recital theme, I will use them.
re: Costume Company Reviews en>fr fr>en
By Lisa05 Comments: 129, member since Fri Aug 10, 2007
On Wed Sep 24, 2008 08:39 AM
I too have continued to use Dansco, even through the Fina acquisition and have had no issues. Everything on time as usual. They have even been able to get late add ons to me on time and I usually ask for at least one just about every year. Other companies are not so helpful in that area.
re: Costume Company Reviews en>fr fr>en
By dancingdivas6 Comments: 3, member since Tue Sep 23, 2008
On Wed Sep 24, 2008 01:38 PM
How early did you order? In 2007, we ordered Jan. 1st for delivery by May. We didn't get our costumes until June...some in July. Did you order even earlier than that?
re: Costume Company Reviews en>fr fr>en
By Lisa05 Comments: 129, member since Fri Aug 10, 2007
On Wed Sep 24, 2008 02:03 PM
My costume order generally goes out the first or second week of January and our recital is usually around May 15.
re: Costume Company Reviews en>fr fr>en
By dancingdivas6 Comments: 3, member since Tue Sep 23, 2008
On Wed Sep 24, 2008 03:15 PM
Ok, my "Always" and "Never Again" lists:

Costume Gallery - on time and good prices
Weismann's - LOVE THEM!!!!
Wish Come True - great customer service
Curtain Call - good variety, prices and ships on time

Dansco/Fina - didn't send 90% and what they did send was wrong or falling apart. We had no costumes for some of our classes for our recital. When we tried to call, got no response. We lost alot of students because of them. DON'T GO ANYWHERE NEAR THEM!!!!
re: Costume Company Reviews en>fr fr>en
By MissJess Comments: 113, member since Thu Aug 14, 2008
On Mon Oct 20, 2008 10:09 AM
Just a note, I recently went to the dance costume show, and I was most impressed by the quality and professionalism of the following (I will even give them star points!):

_Revolution (****)
_Curtain Call (****)
_Art Stone (***1/2)
_Ferreira (***1/2)

Everything else at the show was like ** hahaha...mwah! Jess

Comment #7826577 deleted

re: Costume Company from Art Stone en>fr fr>en
By dddancer88Premium member Comments: 83, member since Tue May 18, 2004
On Tue Dec 30, 2008 12:51 PM
Dear Californiadancer
I am very sorry you are having any problems. We are using the same chart for the last few years and most of our customers love it. Ater reading your post, we called a few of our local teachers and they seem very satisfied.
I will be in my office on Monday and if you would like to call me, I would love to talk to you about it. I am pleased that you like our styles and I want you to like the way they fit too.
Art Stone
re: Costume Company Reviews en>fr fr>en
By steppinsteph Comments: 1347, member since Wed Oct 26, 2005
On Wed Jul 01, 2009 07:41 AM
Revolution costumes come in a clear plastic zip-up bag with a plastic hanger that has a metal swivel hookey-part. NOT crammed into a ziploc bag. They also come with ALL of the accessories you see pictured as well as clear AND nude straps and fasteners for all accessories--like, even hair pins! And, the costumes, last year anyway, were mostly under $40.00. Don't know how they can do it, but it's way awesome.

Art--We ALWAYS order from you guys for something. We've also won costume awards at competitions (kinda funny, we won best costume at a competition that you advertised with--can't remember which one. Guess they had good taste!) I can't remember last year, but I know the year prior to that we had costumes that were larger than we had intended, but it was okay because we use them all competition season, so they grow into them in a year. We have never had an Art Stone costume tear or fall apart, and I like that you don't use velcro to close them. They are very concise and well thought-out. I know when I get a costume from you guys that it will hold together and be of good quality fabric.
re: Costume Company Reviews en>fr fr>en
By kcampb7 Comments: 105, member since Sat Jun 20, 2009
On Fri Jul 03, 2009 09:01 AM
REVOLUTIONS! Great costumes for younger dancers, great prices, great customer service. Simply the best costume company we've ever worked with - check them out!
re: Costume Company Reviews en>fr fr>en
By fancyfootwork Comments: 43, member since Thu Sep 04, 2008
On Thu Oct 08, 2009 03:27 PM
I love The Line Up! You get to pick your own fabrics and they make everything to your own specs. If they don't have a fabric that you want, they will find it for you to use. They are actually pretty reasonable for competition costumes. The studio pricing is less than the posted online five or more price.

Otherwise I really like Wolff Fording costumes as well.
re: Costume Company Reviews en>fr fr>en
By ddncr4life Comments: 58, member since Thu May 15, 2008
On Wed Apr 28, 2010 11:06 AM
We ordered from a select few this year and I was once again impressed with Curtain Call. They have their production process together!
I was pretty disappointed with Artstone though. I have admired one costume for about three years now, and although it was pricier than others I decided to go with it this year. I measured my girls and compared it to the sizing chart and only 1 out of 10 even fits. It is a unitard, the arms are all too long, the gloves don't fit their fingers and are attached, and the legs are at least one foot too long. I expected a better product, admittedly. We also had a tutu come in way too big.
Other companies we ordered from this year were Costume Gallery, with decent quality and service, and Weissmans, with decent quality and excellent service.
re: Costume Company Reviews en>fr fr>en
By dancedva82 Comments: 22, member since Fri Apr 23, 2010
On Fri Jun 04, 2010 07:31 PM
we used Revolution for a lot of our costumes again this year. they have a small selection, but good quality for a very reasonable price ( most costumes range 30-40). we've used them for the past 3/4 years and have never had any problems besides the sizes running a bit small until this year! i had to send 4 back b/c of holes in the costume, 4 b/c they were cut too small, 2 b/c they were sewn differently than the rest of the group. 3 styles that we ordered in january weren't avail until may and then when we got them they didn't have any extras to exchange sizing for another 2 months!! also sent shipments with only partial accessories and took 1 month to get the ones they forgot. not happy with them this year and questionable if we will use them again in the future.
re: Costume Company Reviews en>fr fr>en
By GetRhythmmember has saluted, click to view salute photosPremium member Comments: 4723, member since Mon Jun 20, 2005
On Mon Aug 23, 2010 09:24 AM
Revolution: Great costumes, quick shipping, great customer service. We absolutely love this company and order from them as much as we can.

Liberts: They don't have the flashiest costumes, but they're great for classes where I just need a top or just need a skirt to complete an outfit. Lightning fast shipping. We had a performance spring up on us and we needed a costume for it, and they got us an entire class' worth of costumes in less than a week. I can't say enough good things about them.

Artstone: We never have the problems most teachers on DDN have, but we don't order from them often because their stuff is too expensive.

Costume Gallery: Never had a problem with shipping or costumes. Always beautiful, always the right size, etc.
re: Costume Company Reviews en>fr fr>en
By dancingstar210 Comments: 1308, member since Wed Aug 13, 2003
On Fri Nov 05, 2010 09:23 PM
Revolution is one of my favorites! Very affordable, and the costumes come with pretty much all of the accessories they show in the catalog. It also comes on a hanger in a nice garment bag and not just shoved into a tiny bag. definitely a go=to company!
re: Costume Company Reviews en>fr fr>en
By lulubellePremium member Comments: 188, member since Tue May 01, 2007
On Fri Nov 05, 2010 09:59 PM
yes, Revolution, is continuing their reliable service...great fabrics, styles, and prices....they are always wonderful to deal with on the phone,and follow through with all demands placed on them for deadlines, etc....love their shoes too!....the packaging of the costume is so high quality...the re-usable bag is great!....no one else has come close to the high standards of Revolution!
re: Costume Company Reviews en>fr fr>en
By AmandaKaye918 Comments: 40, member since Mon Nov 16, 2009
On Wed Nov 17, 2010 09:37 PM
I love Revolution Dance Wear for my recital costumes. They are very affordable and come with all the things you see in the magazine!
re: Costume Company Reviews en>fr fr>en
By giacm90 Comments: 198, member since Fri Aug 12, 2005
On Thu Nov 18, 2010 01:58 PM
My favorite costume companies to order from are Artstone, A Wish Come True, Curtain Call, Kelle and Weismann's. I have the following comments for each:

Kelle- I love the quality for their costumes and they're fashion-forward I think but high priced and almost never comes with the accessories shown in the book which I hate because if I order the accessories they show, it makes the costumes too much money for me to order.

Artstone- Never have a problem with! Quality costumes, very affordable (baby costumes at least) and I've never had problems like the onces mentioned here.

Curtain Call and Weismann's- love both. Great quality and low prices. Love the early order discounts.

A Wish Come True- they have great costumes, especially their theme costumes, but I've found that their prices go up every year and are becoming too expensive for me to order for my kids or I have to only use them with small classes.

I try to pick costumes from books that don't charge tax or shipping costs, as well as I try to pick as many from the books that offer discounts for high volume totals.
re: Costume Company Reviews en>fr fr>en
By starz701 Comments: 43, member since Mon Dec 13, 2010
On Tue Dec 14, 2010 07:22 AM
Edited by starz701 (228897) on 2010-12-14 07:25:39
I 100% agree with you regarding costume gallery. We ordered two different style costumes from them last year and they both had the plastic fasteners. Neither style of the costume closed well and wouldn't stay fastened on a hanger. When I sent customer service an email, they told me that no one else had complained about them and maybe I just got a "bad batch" of fasteners. They offered to replace them, but it was too close to picture day and I was worried they wouldn't get back in time. I just had everyone pin them shut for the recital because I was worried they would pop open on stage. It's a shame too...because the costumes were beautiful, but it turned us off from re-ordering again this year.
re: Costume Company Reviews en>fr fr>en
By lulubellePremium member Comments: 188, member since Tue May 01, 2007
On Tue Dec 14, 2010 09:44 AM
Yes, it is still the same with those terrible plastic fasteners...when I complained I was told the same thing..."you are the only person who has complained".....I am happy to know that you are in the same boat!..the only way is to pin them..and pray that there is not an incident....I, too, was told to send them all back to get better fitting fasteners(the same kind)..the costumes from that company are beautiful, and I really like the owner....but, someone there ,just has to realize that the inferior fastenings are a deterrent to ordering costumes from them!....
re: Costume Company Reviews en>fr fr>en
By Nicole25 Comments: 1, member since Fri Feb 18, 2011
On Fri Feb 18, 2011 11:27 PM
ART STONE RIDICULOUS!!! I ordered from them about 10 years ago, claims they dont have me in their system, and to place an order, I have to make a customer account online only. After doing that, you still can not purchase your order over the phone, you have to do that online. THEY ARE RIDICULOUS!!! The forms they asked me for, they could not even explain it to me. After being denied on the phone my Tax ID Form, I faxed it, and funny...I was approved. Their right hand doesnt know what the left is doing. Just plain old careless. I hear they run very small...even if you go by sizing charts...but when i inquired, they claim to run true to size so I will see. Ive ordered from costume gallery, liberts, leos, revolution, no one has been ridiculous as art stone. I only stuck with them this year to give it a full out try and see if my opinion will change. Having a full 12 weeks they are taking because none of their costumes I ordered are in stock, is a bit annoying too. They are the only company that is taking that long!!! I love Revolution, I love their packaging, and their quality is phenomenal for the price. I went to UDMA and its interesting to put faces to names that I hear on the phone with these companies. Art Stone especially.
From Art Stone en>fr fr>en
By dddancer88Premium member Comments: 83, member since Tue May 18, 2004
On Tue Feb 22, 2011 08:50 AM
Dear Nicloe25,
Needless to say, I am very unhappy to read your post. I truthfully do not understand what went wrong with your order and attempt to place an order. There is no excuse for you to be put through any additional stress.
We do take phone orders if the teacher wants to place an order that way. Our ship date now is ten weeks since this is the height of the season.
I would love it if you would call the office and ask to speak to me personally. If I am not in I will get back to you within 24 hours. I can assure you I will do everything in my power to make up for any problem you had.
Art Stone
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text:
Yellow Margin Moray Eel

Seraya Secrets, Tulamben, Bali, Indonesia
Titan Triggerfish Hypselodoris infucata Nudibranch Yellow Margin Moray Eel Yellow Margin Moray Eel Juvenile Emperor Angelfish Spotted Moray Eel Frogfish
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photographer Linda Cline.

notes: 81A warming filter. Optical connections to strobes.

photographer: Linda Cline | shooting date: 2009-11-11 | camera: Nikon D700 in Sea&Sea Housing | lens: Nikon 105mm f/2.8 Micro | light source: Inon Z240 strobes | media: Digital | shooting mode: Manual | metering: Multi-Segment | country: Indonesia | location: Seraya Secrets, Tulamben, Bali | categories: All, Fish
SLIDESHOW OFF | 4s | 7s | 10s | 15s | 20s

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Easy link to this photo: http://www.dancingfish.com/gallery/photo.php?photo=91111058

All images copyright Linda Cline. All rights reserved. All unauthorized usage forbidden.


text:
Man Photographs Himself Every Day for 12.5 Years!
Jan 24, 2013 - Noah Kalina photographed himself every day over 12.5 years, from January 11, 2000 to June 30, 2012. It's quite something to watch a man aging before your eyes through these 4,514 photos. Kalina posted a shorter video after six years. This is a work in progress that will be an absolute masterpiece, sadly, upon his death.
Tags : 12.5 years, aging, every day, hamptons, Noah Kalina, photographs, Video
Video By : Noah Kalina


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Cooper Joins The Other "Chef" Project

By Garth Franklin Wednesday May 15th 2013 10:37AM

Bradley Cooper is confirmed to be starring in John Wells's "Chef". Cooper plays a Paris chef who destroys his wunderkind status in a blaze of out of control behavior.

He cleans up and returns to Paris sober, determined to redeem himself by spearheading a top restaurant that can gain three Michelin stars.

Michelle Williams and Marion Cotillard are being considered for the female lead, and Omar Sy for a co-starring role.

This is not to be confused with the Jon Favreau-directed comedy "Chef". In fact, due to the title confusion, Sony Pictures has sent a cease and desist letter to coax Fairview Entertainment and Favreau to find another title.

Source: Deadline


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Bryce Dallas Howard To Visit "Jurassic World"

By Garth Franklin Friday September 27th 2013 07:16AM

Bryce Dallas Howard ("The Help," "Spider-Man 3") is in early negotiations to star in "Jurassic World" at Universal Pictures.

Howard has long been rumored for a lead role in the film, but she only recently received an offer.

Colin Trevorrow ("Safety Not Guaranteed") helms this fourth film in the series which is slated for a June 2015 release. Trevorrow co-wrote the script with Derek Connolly.

Frank Marshall and Pat Crowley are producing.

Source: The Wrap


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Students take part in Book Bash with author

BOOK BASH: The competition winners with author Sufiya Ahmed

BOOK BASH: The competition winners with author Sufiya Ahmed

First published in

CHILDREN from schools around the region gathered for a book themed event that gave them the chance to meet a top author.

The Durham Schools Big Book Bash was hosted by Education Village, in Darlington, an annual event organised by school librarians.

Author Sufiya Ahmed travelled from London to talk about her latest novel Secrets of the Henna Girl, which looks at forced marriage.

Pupils from seven schools - Barnard Castle School, The Hermitage Academy, Wolsingham School, Belmont School, Framwellgate School and Durham High School for Girls joined students at The Education Village.

Each group had been challenged to read ten books before answering questions about what they had read and learned from each book.

Ms Ahmed also ran workshops for pupils throughout the day and presented the winners of the Big Book Bash 2014, The Hermitage Academy and Framwellgate School, with their prizes.

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Darths & Droids

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<     Episode 503: Appointment With J.E.D.I.     >

Episode 503: Appointment With J.E.D.I.

Besides immense riches, one of the largest goals for PCs is the acquisition of power. All adventurers dream of setting up their own castle and establishing a realm, and then hobnobbing with princes and kings. Or even becoming royalty.

In fact there's no need to stop there. In many fantasy campaigns there are entire planes of existence to conquer and gods to slay!

And now you know why you should think twice before including such things in your campaign.

Anakin: I want to serve the Republic as best I can, but I need your help.
Palpatine: In what capacity?
Anakin: Give me authority over the Jedi Council so I can root out the Sith Lord.
Palpatine: The Council is outside the influence of the Senate; I absolutely cannot do that.
Anakin: Now now, Chancellor, don't be coy. I know you have reason to fear the probings of the Council.
Palpatine: My hands are tied.
Anakin: As Chancellor, you may personally appoint one member of the Council. Surely you can extend your influence.
Palpatine: Er... No Chancellor has used that power for hundreds of years.
Anakin: Trust me.
Anakin: There's a Sith on the Council. This threatens the entire Republic.
Palpatine: That's a very serious accusation; who is it?
Anakin: I'm not sure yet. That's why I need access to the Council.
Palpatine: <sigh> Very well. I shall inform them of your appointment. But you will have no special authority.
Anakin: Thank you, Chancellor. You won't regret it.
R2-D2: Hey, great! Now we can get my dreadnought back.

Darths & Droids | Irregular Webcomic! | Planet of Hats | mezzacotta | Square Root of Minus Garfield | Lightning Made of Owls | Comments on a Postcard | The Dinosaur Whiteboard | The Prisoner of Monty Hall | Awkward Fumbles
Last updated: Sunday, 02 January, 2011; 14:36:51 PST.
Copyright © 2007-2015, The Comic Irregulars. irregulars@darthsanddroids.net


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Julius Sachs

German botanist and plant physiologist. PhD, Prague, 1856. Research assistant, forestry academy, Tharandt, 1859. Professor of botany, agricultural training institute, Poppelsdorf, 1861; professor, Freiburg im Breisgau, 1867; Wurzburg, 1868. Founded the institute of plant physiology, Wurzburg. Ennobled, 1877.

Sources: DBE DSB. (See the bibliography for full references to sources)


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Database Journal
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Featured Database Articles

SQL Scripts & Samples

Posted Jul 26, 1998

By Staff

Put sp_spacehistory in master database.

Put sp_spacemon in database where your recorded table is. Schedule a task to run sp_spacemon.

A table (spacehistory) will be created and all the table space usage information will be recorded against each user defined databases. master, tempdb, model, pubs, msdb will not be recorded.

sp_spacehistory is a cutdown version of sp_spaceused.

They work on SQL 6.5, have not tested against 7.0.

Author: William Zhou

Download Script:

Disclaimer: We hope that the information on these script pages is valuable to you. Your use of the information contained in these pages, however, is at your sole risk. All information on these pages is provided "as -is", without any warranty, whether express or implied, of its accuracy, completeness, or fitness for a particular purpose... Disclaimer Continued

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• DatStat’s Illume Next Streamlines Data Collection And Improves Participant Engagement For Health Researchers Across Globe

    Today DatStat Inc. announced the release of Illume Next, the next generation of its enterprise software designed to simplify the lives of health researchers and clinicians. DatStat’s survey-based data collection and study automation platform, with its enhanced features, is mobile friendly, supports online or offline data capture, and automates complex studies to dramatically improve recruitment, study management and retention of participants.

  • Instore Certifies Three Epson Printers For Its iPad Restaurant Management Platform

    Epson America, Inc., a leading supplier of value-added Point of Sale (POS) solutions, recently announced that Instore, a restaurant management platform, has certified three Epson printers for use with its iPad platform.

  • CHERRY Introduces The JT Family Of Class 1 Terminal Smart Card Readers

    These new JT Class 1 terminal smart card readers use bidirectional communication for both contact and contactless smart cards. All models are PC/SC smart card readers, and are compatible with CCID and CardMan 3021.

  • MediaClone, Inc Introduces 'SuperImager Plus'

    The Computer Forensic Field Imaging devices in today’s market are divided into two categories. The first category includes embedded solutions units, with dedicated software and hardware, which are very secure when it comes to malware and virus vulnerability.

  • RuggON Announces Broadwell-Powered Rugged Tablet With Enhanced Battery Life And Graphics Capability

    RuggON, the rugged mobile specialist, announces a new version of its Rextorm Rugged Tablets, PX-501B, powered by Intel’s latest 5th Generation Core i5 processors(5350U) with Intel Turbo Boost Technology up to 2.9GHz, Intel vPro Technology, and integrated IntelHD Graphics 6000(up to 1GHz.) Besides better multi-tasking and graphics capability this processor update means up to 30% better battery life for the new 10.1” Rextorm PX-501B tablet with 6.5 hours using the regular battery or 13 hours using the extended life battery.

  • SML Group Joins RAIN RFID Alliance

    Leading apparel brand identification solution provider, SML Group, announced today that it had joined the RAIN RFID Alliance. The collaboration will bring additional strength to RAIN’s effort in evangelizing and fostering the advancement of technologies that connect billions of everyday items to the internet, enabling businesses and consumers to identify, locate and authenticate each item.

More Industry News

  • Track/Trace Solutions For the Logistics Supply Chain

    Consumer satisfaction with the quality of your products is clearly important, but the service you provide before and after the sale is equally important to any business, but often overlooked as benefiting the bottom line. However, providing efficient tracking and tracing of shipped products enhances customer loyalty and your company image. Obviously, satisfied customers are a company’s greatest asset.

  • Retail IT VAR Of The Future Preview: 4 Parts Of The Retail IT Ecosystem

    Business Solutions Retail IT VAR Of The Future Conference, May 12-13, at Bally’s Las Vegas, will present an in-depth look at four topics: POS-as-a-Service, mobile point of sale (POS), Payment Security and EMV, and customer experience.

  • How To Prepare Your IT Clients For The Impact Of The IoT

    An IT strategy is key in preparing for the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT), says a new report from Spiceworks, “The Devices are Coming! How the Internet of Things will affect IT … and why resistance is futile.”

  • Wi-Fi Solutions Streamlines Inventory Process Based On Security, Reliability, Manageability

    A leader in the shortening and oils industry, Columbus Vegetable Oils chose Aerohive’s Cooperative Control wireless LAN solution for its new manufacturing and warehouse facility because of its superior security, reliability, manageability, and flexibility.

More Featured Articles

  • MC70 Handheld Mobile Computer
    MC70 Handheld Mobile Computer Put the power of a cell phone, PDA, computer, scanner and imager in the hands of your mobile workers with the first rugged enterprise digital assistant. Designed to withstand all-day everyday use in nearly any environment, this rugged compact device delivers true anywhere anytime wireless WAN/LAN/PAN voice and data communications, including superior voice functionality, data capture and the power to run nearly any application.
  • Avery Dennison AP 7.t Thermal Printer
    Avery Dennison AP 7.t Thermal Printer The AP 7.t from Avery Dennison is a textile label printer that lives up to the very highest expectations. Avery Dennison‘s years experience in the textile market and the latest generation of hardware technology make a perfect combination for top quality printing results.
  • Brother Mobile Solutions: TD-4000 And TD-4100N Desktop Barcode And Label Printers
    Brother Mobile Solutions: TD-4000 And TD-4100N Desktop Barcode And Label Printers The Brother TD-4000 and TD-4100N desktop barcode and label printers represent a great value at an affordable price. They feature a four-inch wide print head, high-resolution printing, fast throughput, and a built-in auto cutter, all of which make these printers an excellent choice for many vertical market applications.
  • VX8 Thor Vehicle-Mount Computer
    VX8 Thor Vehicle-Mount Computer

    The Kärv is designed for enterprises that need full Microsoft®Windows® computing power in a mobile environment to optimize application and network management compatibility, and is flexible enough to run multiple advanced applications, with either Windows® XP Professional MUI or Windows® Embedded Standard.

  • Cisco Wireless Location Appliance
    Cisco Wireless Location Appliance The Cisco® Wireless Location Appliance is the industry’s first location solution that simultaneously tracks thousands of devices from directly within the WLAN infrastructure — bringing the power of a cost effective, high-resolution location solution to critical applications such as high-value asset tracking, IT management, location based security, and business policy enforcement.
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SATO America

SATO America

Today, SATO continues its tradition of designing and manufacturing high-quality industrial printers that deliver reliable performance with each print job.

The channel is always in transition, and it seems to be shifting even more rapidly these days. VARs are endeavoring to achieve greater profits and more predictable revenue by implementing the “as a Service” business model. In response, Business Solutions has developed an exciting new resource for VARs, MSPs, and ISVs.

Channel Transitions is an education and networking conference designed to help VAR/MSP executives learn how to best implement and manage the “as a Service” model. Channel Transitions will feature real-world, nuts-and-bolts, headaches-and-heartaches discussions and success stories on the transition.

Learn More About Channel Transitions Here.


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marketing « Datadial Blog
0208 6000 500

On the subject of marketing

January 12th, 2009.

Stop discounting – How to add value instead and build loyalty

We have already seen in my previous blog that online sales are very robust even in the teeth of a recession.Â  Companies have used a myriad of marketing techniques to entice users to buy usually with excessive discounts.Â  It’s now the task of keeping those customers and encouraging repeat buys.

It’s well known that discounting does not engender loyalty necessarily and so retailers need to find other ways to add value.

First lets see what customers actually want:

EMEA survey

A recent study by EMEA concluded that the two biggest factors, likely to influence consumer spending during a credit crunch, are competitive prices (79%) and a combination of good prices AND good customer service (72%).

Retailers relying on brand pedigree, product uniqueness or reputation to see them through the downturn in spending may come unstuck as these were listed as the three least influential factors.

In a recent New Media Age survey consumers said:

89% believe internet has better prices
68% said online was cheaper (taking into account ancillary costs of “outside” shopping
81% said Internet offered wider range
89% cited ease of finding items
95% cited ease of comparing prices

Where the Internet could improve
74% said lack of waiting made high street attractive [Personnally I’ve never understood why retailers cant offer next day delivery if items are ordered before a certain time]

70% said customer service was better on the high street [there’s so much to say about this that I will write a separate blog post about this]

So customer service (combined with customer service) and lack of waiting are key elements that customers want.Â  Lets see what other retailers are doing to respond to this.Â  I am assuming that if you run and e-commerce site that you have already covered the basics: free delivery, free returns, properly organised website with your telephone number and security in place etc..

We have scoured the Internet to see whatÂ successful retailers have come up with in terms of building customer loyalty and service over and beyond the usual discounting:

Customer service – Delivery
It’s always baffled me that retailers still think it’s ok to take 5 days to arrange delivery.Â  Next day delivery should be standard for most products. ASOS have made a start on this at least by offering Saturday deliveries at no extra cost as well as offering a next day service.Â  With 74% retailers citing this as making the high street more attractive I would have thought this should be the most pressing thing for most retailers.Â  Use a branded delivery service that can represent your brand.

Customer service availability
Zappos, an Online retailer that specializes in selling apparel and shoes has been able to grow from $1.6 million in 2000 to $597 million in revenue last year alone. Some of Zapposâ€™ highlight features include their excellent customer service and a free overnight shipping on all orders. Over the past 8 years.Â  “We`re continuing our focus on service, which includes 24/7 customer service, free overnight shipping and free return shipping with a 365-day return policy.”

Customer service – communication
Letting customers know its coming – If you’re sending something bulk then why not call ahead to let the customers know.Â do this and it’s very effective as people will tell other people about the great service.

Customer service – Know what your service is.Â  99% right is not enough
Make sure your Website is 100% accurate. Zappos ran into trouble when it used to have the manufacturers drop-ship orders, because their inventory was often off and created backorders and unhappy customers. Even 99% is not good enough.

Increasing loyalty
Amazon – Amazon PrimeÂ  – Amazon Prime is an exclusive membership program that gives you and your family the benefits of unlimited One-Day shipping on eligible purchases for an annual membership fee of Â£47.97. During your one month trial, you will enjoy all the benefits of being an Amazon Prime member.

Understand FREEMIUM – the concept of making money out of giving things away for FREE.Â  This is not for eveyone but you need to understand the power of it. What ever you are selling think of what can be given away for free which will add value to your proposition. Give your service away for free, acquire a lot of customers very efficiently through word of mouth, referral networks, organic search marketing, etc., then offer premium priced value added services or an enhanced version of your service to your customer base.” viz google, facebook – read more

Communication – The ability to communicate with your customer base is now as important as ever. The ability to get your message to your clients quickly and efficiently can translate into large profits. Blogging, mailing lists and participation in social networks can and do make a difference. Again using the example of Zappos over 400 members of staff use the microblogging service Twitter. This gives the company the ability to contact thousands of people in an instant about offers or new products. The CEO of Zappos alone has 35,000 people watching his updates.

Discount vouchers being sent with each delivery. Whilst constant discounting is not the direction to go in, it’s good for encouraging viral sales.

Membership – get 15% off for life once you reach a minimum spending limit (bronze) then 25% silver etc.

more to follow…as we find them

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Our work »

What we do »

Who we work with »

Got Questions? Lets Talk »


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All Threads by Date

Actors who are bent on picking disastrously boring roles...

When will Daniel Day Lewis actually pick an exciting film to star in. I'm serious. I only liked him in gangs of New York; he was an awesome actor in that film. Every other film, though, I couldn't sit through. He seems [italic]bent[/italic] on picking the worst possible roles. The guy could go far but he just doesn't seem to want to.

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All Threads by Date

Favorite websites you visit daily for the latest news in the gay community.

I have few sites I visit daily. The Huffington Post "Gay Voices' page, the Backlot and Towleroad. What others are good sites you find fun and informative on a daily basis? I would like to add some new ones to my regulars.

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DataStax Developer Blog

Isolating OpsCenter Performance Data

By Mike Bulman -  June 4, 2012 | 7 Comments

Update: Since writing this post we have added first class support for storing OpsCenter data in a separate, dedicated cluster. Read more here: Storing collection data on a different cluster

One of the core features of DataStax OpsCenter is that it monitors all of your nodes and keeps track of historical metrics. We made the decision early on to leverage the DataStax Enterprise or Cassandra cluster being monitored to store all of this data. By doing this, your data is automatically replicated, and you don’t have to worry about scaling a separate storage system as your cluster grows. You can read more details about how we store this data in last week’s post.

While we’ve done a lot of work to minimize the performance and storage impacts of this data on the cluster — an average cluster will never use more than 1GB per node — we certainly understand why some users may want to isolate OpsCenter data from their production data. Whether it’s strictly for storage capacity purposes, or the need to isolate reads/writes for performance or tracking reasons, I’m going to show you how to store your OpsCenter data on dedicated nodes.

The approach I’m going to describe involves making your cluster data center aware, and utilizing replication settings in each data center to control where data is stored. For the purposes of this post I’m going to utilize the PropertyFileSnitch that is shipped with Cassandra, but the concept can be applied to any data center aware snitch.

For this example, we’ll create two data centers: Production and OpsCenter. First, use this PropertyFileSnitch reference to configure your data centers and nodes. Next, you’ll need to configure your keyspaces to write to the proper nodes. You can do this via the Cassandra CLI:

Note: This configuration change should be made before running OpsCenter for the first time to avoid losing any OpsCenter specific data that may have already been stored.

USE OpsCenter;
UPDATE KEYSPACE OpsCenter WITH placement_strategy='NetworkTopologyStrategy' and strategy_options={OpsCenter:2};

USE Keyspace1;
UPDATE KEYSPACE Keyspace1 WITH placement_strategy='NetworkTopologyStrategy' and strategy_options={Production:3};

USE MyKeyspace2;
UPDATE KEYSPACE MyKeyspace2 WITH placement_strategy='NetworkTopologyStrategy' and strategy_options={Production:2};

And you’re all set. Multiple copies of each type of data will be stored on the nodes you’ve specified for their respective data centers.

While this approach will accomplish the intended goal, there are some tradeoffs. Since OpsCenter data is no longer stored on the nodes with your production data, as the number of nodes in your Production data center grows, you will have to manually monitor and scale the set of OpsCenter nodes to accommodate growing data sizes.

Also, for any newly created keyspaces you will need to be sure to properly setup their replication strategy options before any data is inserted. If this isn’t done you will end up storing production data on your OpsCenter nodes.

We’re constantly trying to learn more about use cases for isolating the data OpsCenter collects, and would love to hear about why that might be something you require, and whether this solution will or will not work for you. So please don’t hesitate to tell us more in the comments.

  1. Sankalp says:

    It is going to give you this error
    [default@OpsCenter] UPDATE KEYSPACE OpsCenter with strategy_options = [{OpsCenter:2}];
    WARNING: [{}] strategy_options syntax is deprecated, please use {}
    SimpleStrategy requires a replication_factor strategy option.

  2. Mike Bulman says:

    Thanks Sankalp. I’ve updated the post to convert the keyspaces to use NetworkTopologyStrategy at the same time.

  3. Sankalp says:

    I think it will not work by updating the keyspace and running repair.
    When you change OpsCenter keyspace from
    UPDATE KEYSPACE OpsCenter with placement_strategy = ‘org.apache.cassandra.locator.SimpleStrategy’ and strategy_options = [{replication_factor:2}];
    UPDATE KEYSPACE OpsCenter WITH placement_strategy=’NetworkTopologyStrategy’ and strategy_options={OpsCenter:2};

    Now when you run the repair, how will it get the data from the old nodes? Repair task will try to get consensus of data between 2 nodes in OpcCenter datacenter.
    So I think it will not work.

  4. Sankalp says:

    What I mean to say is that once you update the replication, there are no overlapping nodes. As in all nodes are new now. So from where will it pull the data from during repair.

  5. Mike Bulman says:

    Sankalp, that is correct. I’ve updated the note. There are ways (although fairly complicated) of migrating the data, but it would be much easier to make this change when first setting up OpsCenter.

    Thanks again.

  6. Sankalp says:

    It looks like a chicken and egg problem. Till you don’t start Opscenter, it does not create the OpsCenter keyspace for you. And if you start it, you cannot move from it. Can you put the schema to create the keyspace and all CFs.

    I ran OpsCenter(just the server and not agents) and then stopped it. Then I truncated all the Cfs in OpsCenter. Now when I update the keyspace to use a new DC, it only shows me nodes of that DC.
    Then I again tried updating it to use another Dc and it then started showing me nodes of that DC.

  7. Mike Bulman says:

    Correct. This is a limitation of the describe_ring call in Cassandra. You will only see nodes in OpsCenter that have a keyspace configured to write to them. OpsCenter will combine nodes from all keyspaces, so if you create a new keyspace configured to replicate to your other nodes, you should see all nodes.

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A Timeline of the Romantic Movement

The Romantic Movement brought a change in the way people thought about art, writing, and other creative endeavors. The era of Romanticism began in the 1700s and lasted into the mid nineteenth century. The word Romantic, in this case, refers to a shift in thinking and not a scenario of two singles on a date. The writers and artists of the Romantic Movement created work that celebrated nature and the spirit of the individual. Emotion, imagination, and independent thinking are three common ingredients often found in the creative work of this particular era. In fact, with the arrival of the Romantic Movement the stale rules of convention and traditional thinking were quickly tossed out to make way for a whole new approach to artistic creation.

Timeline of Significant Events of the Romantic Movement

1712: Birth of philosopher, writer Jean Jacques Rousseau who believed in valuing the individual and his or her capacity for good. Some of his works marked the beginnings of the Romantic Movement.

1757: William Blake, a poet of the Romantic Movement is born.

1759: Poet Robert Burns is born in Scotland.

1760: The beginning of the Industrial Revolution. It is considered by many to be a significant influence on the artists and writers of the Romantic Movement.

1761: Jean Jacques Rousseau's novel Julie or the New Heloise is published.

1762: Jean Jacques Rousseau's work entitled Emile ou l'education is published.

1770: A leading figure of the Romantic Movement poet William Wordsworth is born.

1772: Samuel Coleridge is born in Devonshire.

1774: Poet Robert Southey is born in Bristol.

1778: Jean Jacques Rousseau dies.

1782: Jean Jacques Rousseau's work Confessions is published posthumously.

1786: The poem by Robert Burns called A Winter Night is published.

1786: A poem called To a Mountain Daisy by Robert Burns is published.

1787: An Evening Walk by William Wordsworth is published.

1788: Lord George Gordon Byron is born in London, England. He is, perhaps, the most well-known poet of the Romantic Movement.

1789: Start of the French Revolution. The tremendous changes going on in France influenced the artists of the Romantic Movement.

1789: William Blake's poetry book entitled Songs of Innocence is published.

1792: Percy Bysshe Shelley is born in Sussex.

1793: Poet John Clare is born in England.

1794: A work entitled Songs of Experience by William Blake is published.

1795: John Keats, an influential poet of the Romantic Movement, is born in London.

1796: Poet Robert Burns dies.

1797: Robert Southey's poem entitled Winter is published.

1797: Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin is born in England.

1798: A work entitled Lyrical Ballads written by Samuel Coleridge and William Wordsworth is published. This collection reflects many of the themes valued by the writers of the Romantic Movement.

1804: William Wordsworth's poem I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud is published.

1814: Lord Byron's poem She Walks in Beauty is published.

1814: Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin marries Percy Bysshe Shelley.

1816: A poem entitled On the Grasshopper and the Cricket by John Keats is published.

1818: A poem by John Keats entitled Endymion is published. The lines of this poem created in the Romantic Era are alive with colorful images and emotions.

1818: The novel Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley is published. The novel is an example of a Gothic work that was created out of the elements of Romanticism.

1819: John Keats publishes his famous works Ode to a Grecian Urn and Ode to a Nightingale.

1819: The Fall of Hyperion: A Dream by John Keats is published.

1819: Don Juan by George Gordon Byron is published.

1820: Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem To a Skylark is published.

1820: A poem by Samuel Coleridge entitled To Nature is published.

1820: Percy Bysshe Shelley's creation entitled Prometheus Unbound is published.

1820: Ode to the West Wind a masterpiece written by Percy Bysshe Shelley is published.

1821: At twenty-five years old poet John Keats dies.

1822: Percy Bysshe Shelley drowns in a boating accident at the age of thirty.

1824: Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem Julian and Maddalo is published posthumously.

1824: Lord Byron dies due to complications related to a fever.

1832: John Clare's poem Remembrances is published.

1835: Evening a poem by John Clare is published.

1837: Queen Victoria takes the throne of the United Kingdom. The beginning of Queen Victoria's reign sees the decline of the Romantic Movement.

1843: Poet Robert Southey dies.

1850: Poet William Wordsworth dies.

1850: William Wordsworth's work entitled The Prelude is published.

1851: Mary Shelley dies in London.

1864: Poet John Clare dies.

Further Reading

·         Musicians of the Romantic Period

·         Background of the Romantic Era

·         The Aspects of the Romantic Movement

·         British Women Poets of the Romantic Period

·         Events of Importance in the Romantic Movement

·         Romanticism Explained

·         Writers of the Romantic Movement

·         Visual Art of the Romantic Period

·         Elements of the Romantic Movement

·         Art Style in the Romantic Period

·         The Romantic Era

·         A Look at Samuel Taylor Coleridge

·         John Keats

·         William Wordsworth Biographical Information

·         The Work of William Wordsworth

·         The Creativity of William Blake

·         The Life of Samuel Taylor Coleridge

·         George Gordon Byron

·         Biographical Information on Percy Bysshe Shelley

·         The Life of William Blake

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