text:
Dems surge in generic ballot as economy fades from spotlight
By Jonathan Easley - 02/28/18 06:00 AM EST
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Democrats have reopened a double-digit lead in the generic congressional ballot, as a cascade of White House controversies has pushed the economy off the front page.
Republicans closed the generic ballot gap on Democrats in January, raising hopes that the GOP could hang on to the House in November. But now Republicans have seen their gains almost completely wiped out, underscoring their concerns that the party could be in for a bruising midterm election battle this year.
A new CNN survey released Monday put the Democratic advantage in the congressional generic ballot at an eye-popping 16 points. The margin in the RealClearPolitics average has returned to nearly 10 points, after Republicans crept to within 7 points earlier this month.
In that time, the White House has been racked by a string of controversies, ranging from a senior official who resigned after his ex-wives accused him of abuse to allegations that President Trump Donald TrumpPredictions of disaster for Democrats aren't guarantees of midterm failure A review of President Biden's first year on border policy Hannity after Jan. 6 texted McEnany 'no more stolen election talk' in five-point plan for Trump MORE had affairs with an adult-film star and a Playboy model.
Special counsel Robert Mueller Robert (Bob) MuellerAn unquestioning press promotes Rep. Adam Schiff's book based on Russia fiction Senate Democrats urge Garland not to fight court order to release Trump obstruction memo Why a special counsel is guaranteed if Biden chooses Yates, Cuomo or Jones as AG MORE's probe has intensified. Trump's former deputy campaign manager Richard Gates is cooperating with the investigation, and more than a dozen Russians have been indicted for allegedly interfering in the election in an effort to help Trump win.
Meanwhile, a debate over gun laws has gripped the nation, hobbling GOP efforts to keep the focus on their tax overhaul and the economy.
"It's a very simple equation," said GOP pollster Frank Luntz. "When Republicans are talking about the tax bill and the economy, they are winning. When they are talking about or explaining anything else, they aren't."
Republicans had become bullish about their prospects after a string of polls from mid-February found that shifting voter sentiments in favor of the GOP's tax-cut bill had boosted Trump's job approval rating and helped the party close the gap in the generic ballot.
That trend came to a screeching halt this week, with new surveys showing a return to the blowout numbers that have had the GOP on edge.
The new polls have raised fresh concerns among Republicans that the party is headed for an electoral wipeout in the 2018 midterm elections.
When Democrats picked up 30 seats and seized control of the House during former President George W. Bush's administration in 2006, the party entered Election Day with an 8-point advantage in the generic ballot.
In the 2010 midterm elections, when the GOP picked up 63 seats in the House and shrank the Democratic majority in the Senate to one vote, Republicans had a 7-point advantage.
Adding to GOP concerns, the party in power historically loses seats in a midterm election. Trump's approval rating has sunk back to near its low point after rebounding briefly in January, threatening to drag down GOP candidates.
Republicans in the House have also been stung by retirements, stretching their campaign resources even thinner.
And Democrats have proven that they can translate grass-roots energy into electoral victories, winning several state-level seats in 2017, some of them in districts that the president carried by double-digits.
The Cook Political Report, a leading election handicapper, on Tuesday moved a closely watched March special election in Pennsylvania's 18th District from "leans Republican" to "toss-up." Trump won that district by 20 points in 2016.
"Democrats are clearly showing up in increased numbers to make their voice heard. Republicans? Not so much," said former Republican National Committee spokesman Doug Heye. "This looks like a mirror image of the Obama midterm problem, where enough of his base stayed home to cost Democrats the House and the Senate."
Still, pollsters warn that the generic ballot is better as a gauge of the entire electorate's mood than as a predictor of outcomes in individual races.
In the Senate, Democrats are defending 25 seats, while Republicans are only tasked with defending eight seats. Many of the GOP incumbents are running in states that Trump won handily in 2016, while several Democrats are running in states Trump won by double-digit margins.
Pollsters say not to read too deeply into generic ballot polling at this early stage, pointing to the extreme volatility in the polls in recent weeks.
Over the past month, polls have put the Democratic advantage everywhere from 2 points to 16 points.
Pollsters note that the industry is still working out the kinks from a disastrous 2016 cycle, when most experts failed to forecast Trump's shocking victory.
Their methodologies will change between now and November, as will voter sentiment, which pollsters say is as volatile as it's ever been.
"I've never seen anything like it," said Monmouth University pollster Patrick Murray. "The electorate has been extremely unpredictable and we expect to see a lot of volatility going forward."
Democrats could also fumble the advantages they have in 2018.
There are signs of intraparty conflict between the progressive grass roots and the establishment as the primary season kicks off.
A recent memo from the Democratic super PAC Priorities USA warned that the party would fail to capitalize on the favorable political atmosphere if they continue to focus on Trump's day-to-day controversies, rather than come up with an economic message of their own.
"If you're going to pick one issue that could offset this difficult political environment for Republicans, it's the economy, jobs, taxes and wages," said GOP pollster David Winston.
Some Republicans say they're encouraged by Trump's moves to energize the conservative base by moving electoral politics to the forefront.
Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference last week, the president pleaded with conservatives to stay energized in 2018. This week, Trump announced a new manager for his 2020 campaign, and an early reelection run announcement is expected soon.
"The great danger any party in power has in the midterms is a depressed or complacent base, and the president is ensuring conservatives stay engaged on that front," said Josh Holmes, the former chief of staff and campaign manager to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellBiden stiff arms progressives on the Postal Service Biden clarifies any Russian movement into Ukraine 'is an invasion' The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by Facebook - Biden talks, Senate balks MORE (R-Ky.). "We know Democrats are engaged, but the president is capable of bringing that same intensity and level of enthusiasm to our side."
Still, Republicans acknowledge they've been blown off course in recent weeks, leading to a downturn in the polls.
"The takeaway is clear: Republicans benefit politically from focusing on the positive impact tax reform is having on American jobs and the economy," said Michael Steel, a senior aide to former Speaker John Boehner John Andrew BoehnerDemocrats eager to fill power vacuum after Pelosi exit Stopping the next insurrection Biden, lawmakers mourn Harry Reid MORE (R-Ohio). "While they will continue to work on the American people's other priorities this year, there needs to be a sustained, disciplined and ongoing effort to highlight the benefits of tax reform."
Tags Mitch McConnell Robert Mueller John Boehner Donald Trump Boehner
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Be very interested in buying a copy - do you take Paypal?
@agony...PayPal is my preferred method of payment. My I.D. is my email address, which can be found on Bizarro.com.
Most women rank humor and intelligence above looks and money when it comes to choosing a mate.
Thank God I have all four. Do I hear an amen!
I'll buy a book (I'll even pay extra) if you sign it "To Phardt: I admit it, 9/11 was in inside job! Veganly yours, Dan."
Either that or you have to include a note explaining what the firecracker means, because you didn't explain that one on your site.
Off that topic, don't get me wrong, I still really enjoy bizarro, otherwise I wouldn't be checking and commenting on this blog, but I just realized what it is that I miss about the early bizarros- they're more surreal. Not in a 'how strange, that person isn't behaving like they normally should' way but in a 'why is a dog writing a book? oh, and there's a joke too' kind of way. What I liked about it was it made me think of bizarre things (what would dogs write about..).
Your new stuff is funnier, though.
Hi Dan. I used the donate button to pay $15 by PayPal. Hope international postage to Wales isn't too expensive - if it is and you want some extra to cover it, then just say!
Hey, I've got a copy of Bizarro Among the Savages, too -- anyone want to buy it? I enjoyed reading it.
@Jongudmund...yeah, I forgot that people from other countries are reading this blog. If you're in the U.S. the price is $15. If you're not, it might be a few bucks more. I won't charge you extra, though, since I didn't think of it until after. No biggy.


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Sep 29, 2011 at 12:01 AM Sep 29, 2011 at 10:44 AM
Samuel Offei, a Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society student at Quinsigamond Community College, has been selected as a 2011 Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholar.
He was selected from more than 1,200 regional applicants enrolled in community colleges, based on outstanding academic performance and demonstrated leadership potential.
The purpose of the scholarship is to provide PTK students financial resources to help defray educational expenses while enrolled in a two-year college and to develop leadership potential through participation in PTK Society programs. A total disbursement of $1,000 will be awarded to Mr. Offei over two semesters.
Mr. Offei is enrolled in the business administration program at QCC.
Mark Fantasia of Workers� Credit Union, a registered representative affiliated with CUSO Financial Services, received CFS� 2010 Silver Pacesetter Award.
The award honors the top producing registered representatives among CFS� 130-plus credit union programs. Mr. Fantasia was credited with generating significant revenue while providing financial and retirement planning services to Workers� Credit Union members.
Johanna Montalvo was one of five personal care attendants honored at the Statehouse on Sept. 15 with the Paul Kahn Award for outstanding performance of their duties. PCAs serve seniors and people with disabilities, and work with nearly 20,000 residents across the state.
The award is sponsored by the PCA Home Care Workforce Council, representing the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for purposes of collective bargaining, and 1199SEIU, the PCA union.
The awards are named in honor of Paul Kahn, a longtime PCA employer and advocate who died in January 2010. Having personal care assistants allowed Mr. Kahn to pursue his art, writing, teaching and advocacy activities.
Worcester cyclist John Leary led Team Jake in the Camp Challenge Ride recently to benefit the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, which Paul Newman founded for kids with serious diseases.
Mr. Leary and his team, including Al Etre of Douglas, rode 62.5 miles to honor Jake Boudreau, a Shrewsbury boy and Hole in the Wall Gang camper who lost his battle with cancer in 2010.
Mr. Leary says the team rides so that kids with life-threatening illnesses can go to summer camp and have the time of their lives the way Jake did. All kids attend the camp for free.
The team raised more than $2,700, all of which will go toward sending a kid to the nonprofit camp.
© Copyright 2006-2019 GateHouse Media, LLC. All rights reserved • GateHouse Flash

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text:
The Segregation of West Moberly First Nation
With already two dams and thousands of gas wells, the territory around the West Moberly Lake is no longer available for traditional activities: First Nations can no longer practice their culture and are living in a new form of segregation.
Watch more videos from Upstream
About the Project:
Following the route of the proposed gas pipelines from northeastern British Columbia to the Pacific coast, along almost 1000 km from the Peace River Valley to Lelu Island, First Nations and settlers are opposing new developments (MAP) and are finding new ways to fight for the land and the future. Opposition forms are different and change according to the local situation, but in every camp, in every group, in every occupation of the land, there is one common understanding: respect for nature and aboriginal rights, in search of a sustainable future. In 2016 we spent 4 months along this "corridor of resistance" and found a lot of inspiration.
by Paola Rosà and Antonio Senter
www.rosasenter.weebly.com
Year 2017 Length 6 MINS Categories Featured Content, Indigenous Resistance
RCMP Blocked from entering Unist'ot'en Camp
On July 15th 2015, officers of the royal canadian mounted police (rcmp) tried to enter Unist'ot'en territory.
The Legendary Battle of San Lázaro #1DMX
Mexican anarchists and their allies, opposing the incoming president Enrique Pena Nieto, took to the streets to express their resistance to the return of the Institutional Revolutionary Party of Mexico, the same political party that was in power when the Zapatistas emerged from the jungle in 1994.
Madrid On The Brink: S25 → S29
This short film chronicles the events of September 25-29th in Madrid, Spain where tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets to demand the resignation of the government and an end to police brutality.


text:
Vaddio™ Helps Citizens in Faroe Islands Participate in Local Government
In the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, roughly halfway between Norway and Iceland, lies the Faroe Islands. Comprised of about 18 rugged, rocky islands the Faroes occupy only about 540 square miles of land mass, with a total population hovering around 50,000 people. But if idylls of a simple people removed from modern technology spring to mind, you can banish that thought. In fact, one small community in the Faroe Islands recently deployed a high-tech solution using Vaddio products to get its citizens more involved in local governance.
The municipality of Sunda (known locally as Sunda kommuna) stretches across two of the larger Faroe Islands and includes about a dozen small communities. When it came to municipal matters, the city council of Sunda faced a challenge: Getting citizens scattered across a wide area to attend the meetings. To solve this problem, the council decided to take their meetings to the public by live-streaming the events on the web.
"In the past, city council meeting minutes were published after-the-fact," said integrator Alvin Ellebye Andersen of Raclip, who worked with Sunda to create its live-streaming system. "The new method allows residents to follow along with the meeting as it happens. Although they can't interact, they have real-time access to decision-making and community business."
VADDIO COMPONENTS MAKE STREAMING EASY
Because Raclip is, itself, located in the Faroe Islands, Andersen had a keen understanding of the obstacles Sunda kommuna needed to overcome. The live-streaming system had to be easy to use and not require a dedicated operator. It also had to be cost-effective. After evaluating other systems, Andersen knew an all-Vaddio system would deliver a great solution.
"The Vaddio components we installed really are the best thing for this type of situation," Andersen said. "You just turn it on, and it works. Simple."
The Sunda kommuna system consists of a single Vaddio HD-19 camera, two microphones, a Vaddio AutoPresenter, and Vaddio AV bridge™. As a city council meeting gets underway, the mayor simply turns on the equipment and the event is live-streamed instantly. It quite literally is that simple.
"Other systems we looked at required a person to sit at the controller and operate the equipment," Andersen said. "That wouldn't have worked for this application, not to mention some of those systems were much more expensive than the Vaddio set-up."
BEAUTIFUL PRESENTATIONS ON A BUDGET
Any type of live-streaming setup with a high-definition pan/tilt/zoom (PTZ) camera isn't going to be cheap. But Andersen was able to keep costs contained for Sunda by sourcing all the components from the same manufacturer. Plus, the seamless integration of the Vaddio products drives the system's ease of use.
The Vaddio AutoPresenter interfaces with the HD-19 PTZ camera mounted in the city council's meeting room. Originally designed for classroom use, the AutoPresenter is the perfect solution for live-streaming any type of similar meeting, as in Sunda kommuna's case. While the Sunda city council currently uses only the camera for broadcasting their events, in the future they could easily incorporate the presentation of other materials, such as PowerPoint slideshow, which is what the Vaddio AutoPresenter was designed to do. By harnessing this capability, the Sunda council could, for example, display a proposed budget using a picture-in-picture format while the city treasurer explained to viewers what each line item meant.
EASY STREAMING WITH THE SOFTWARE OF YOUR CHOICE
Another key component in the Sunda kommuna live-streaming setup is the Vaddio AV Bridge. This little box offers supreme flexibility in the choice of streaming platform. The AV Bridge functions as a digital gateway that connects the audio and video sources to the streaming software, be it Skype, Cisco Jabber, Microsoft Lync -- or any application that supports USB 2.0 devices.
"We just input the camera and microphone sources to the AV Bridge, and the city council can live-stream on any platform they desire," Andersen said. "Again, we wanted to make this as easy as possible for them."
Importantly, the AV Bridge also records the meeting for archival purposes. Instead of relying on a set of written minutes that could be incomplete or even contain innocently introduced errors, the Sunda kommuna city council can review the video archives of meetings to discern precisely what was said, done or decided.
A WELL-RECEIVED SOLUTION
What do Sunda's citizens think about their community going high-tech?
"So far, they're pretty happy with it," Andersen said of the system, which was installed in March 2013. "Other Faroe Islands cities are watching how things go in Sunda and are checking out how this could work for them."
Although the meeting archives currently aren't publicly available, the ability of a citizen to "sit in" on a live event occurring on another island offers great convenience to those who want to stay current with what the city council is doing. Ultimately, the system should stimulate more public input and involvement with local government, and that's a big win for Sunda.
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Aerial view of Jatiluwih rice terrace in Bali, Indonesia.
4k00:26Rice terrace field in the mountains, farmlands, trees. Aerial view of rice plantation,terrace, agricultural land of farmers. 4K video, Aerial footage.
4k00:27Drone footage of rice paddies terraces on a hill with river at the bottom around Lelak province, Flores. The camera is going along the fields while slightly panning.


There are tons of Anti-glare glasses available in the market that claim to reduce the glare and provide eye strain relief in front of the computer & while driving too. With improper knowledge, a common issue that is experienced by most of the Anti-glare glasses buyers is the disappointment and of course financial loss. On the other hand, by equipping yourself with knowledge & information it is possible to get maximum value of each dime you spend.
Before we learn about the myths, it is important to know what is our aim after reading this article. If you already know all the basics about the anti-glare glasses then you may skip this portion and go directly to the Myths written below.
Understanding its meaning is simple. Glare is a dazzling & annoying appearance of light. The bright light from any light source when hits the surface of spectacle lenses don't pass through completely and some amount gets reflected back. This phenomenon results in a loss of light and hence creates visibility issues. Anti-glare glasses allow maximum visible light to pass through the lenses for better vision. It should be kept in mind that no anti-glare glasses can provide a 100% glare-free vision.
There are certain myths associated with Anti-glare glasses which we have tried to clarify below for better understanding & reasonable expectation from the product.
Reality – If you type the search term "Anti Glare Glasses for Laptop" on Google, will see hundreds of cheap anti-glare glasses appearing through e-commerce websites. When we tested such glasses, we found that they are usually not only cheap by price but also by quality. The anti-glare coating applied to the lenses not only get damaged but sometimes create hindrance when you see the world. Such spurious anti-glare glasses do not follow any trusted manufacturing or health standard and can be bought for a mere amount of Rs 150 – Rs 900. Interestingly, most of them are sourced from China. In an ophthalmic industry looking for a cheap option could turn out to be an expensive deal. That does not mean one must buy a very expensive pair of anti-glare glasses. Point is to look for a value buy and not a useless cheap product.
Reality -This is just an over-hyped point. Yes, thin lenses have low weight and people find them more comfortable but a critical concern rises with the clarity. High index lenses are usually lighter in weight than normal but rank lower in terms of Abbe Value. This value is simply a measure of how much light is dispersed. Higher the Abbe Value, Higher the Clarity and Lower the Abbe Value, Lower the Clarity of the anti-glare lenses. One should try to stick to standard CR39 Lenses as much as possible as they provide excellent visual experience and have abbe value of around 58.
Reality – Can you name a single substance in the universe that is scratch proof? So there is nothing called as scratch proof. It is just a plain marketing phrase to loot the gullible uninformed people. You will agree that even the hardest material (diamond) on the earth is not 100% safe from scratches. So don't get carried away with this feature and take a decision just because a seller has said that the anti-glare glasses are scratch proof. They can't be scratch proof but being impact-resistant is possible. It is always suggested to handle the glasses gently.
Reality – This is a topic that we have explained in our earlier post as well. This is a common misconception that all anti-glare glasses can be used as computer glasses. Well, it takes special qualities for an ocular device to be termed as computer glasses. An ordinary pair of anti-glare glasses in India are usually general purpose products and may not be able to block the high-intensity blue light of your computer/mobile screen. There is no precise definition of computer glasses but they are meant to provide visual relief in front of digital screens by qualifying certain comfort parameters. Typical computer glasses usually have amber lenses. You may want to read a detailed explanation here to know how to buy computer glasses online.
Reality – Most of the anti-glare glasses users tend to clean the dust on the lenses by just any cloth or sometimes with their own shirt-tail. This is a completely wrong way to clean the lens of anti-glare glasses as it may damage the thin coating and round scratches are tend to appear over a period of time. Worst happens when people clean the lenses with ammonia-based liquid solutions. Ammonia can remove the anti-glare coating from the lenses. If you do not have any lens cleaning solution then just use plain water and Never wipe them dry especially when dust is sitting on the lens surface.
In addition to the ongoing sale, you will also get INR 235 OFF while making the payment digitally.
You may order any two models for a total amount of INR 3757 under COMBO OFFER.


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Q: How can I mock methods that are also in @InjectMocks class? I am doing JUnit tests with Mockito on Spring Mvc. The tests are using @InjectMock and @Mock with when(method(..)).thenReturn(X). The issue is how to @Mock methods that are within a @Inject instance?
I have tried creating two instances such as
@InjectMocks
Foo fooInstance and @Mock Foo fooInstanceMock;
My way of thinking is to differentiate from what instance to inject and what to mock.
I also tried using Spy with InjectMocks but it returns a exception.
Actual Class Syntax-
class Foo {
    public X(..) {
        ...
        Y(...); // method call to Y
        ...
    }

    public Y(..) {
        ...
    }
}

Test Syntax -
public class FooTest {
    @Before
    public void setUp() throws Exception {
        MockitoAnnotations.initMocks(this);
    }

    @InjectMocks
    Foo fooInstance;

    @Mock
    Foo fooInstanceMock;

    @Test
    public void xTest{
        when(fooInstanceMock.Y(..)).thenReturn(true);
        Boolean result = fooInstance.X(25);
        Assert.assertTrue(result == true)
    }
}

I except the output to be true as when then return true but since it thinks it is a injectMock and it goes into the implementation.

A: @InjectMocks is used to inject mocks you've defined in your test in to a non-mock instance with this annotation.
In your usecase, it looks like you're trying to do something a bit different - you want a real intance of Foo with a real implementation of x, but to mock away the implmentation of y, which x calls. This can be done by partial mocking, or in Mockito's terminology, spying:
public class FooTest{

    @Before
    public void setUp() throws Exception {
        MockitoAnnotations.initMocks(this);
    }

    // Default constructor is used to create a real Foo instance.
    // In the test's body, though, we'll override the behavior of SOME of the methods
    @Spy
    Foo fooInstance;

    @Test
    public void xTest {
        doReturn(true).when(fooInstance).y(/* arguments, presumably 25 */);
        Boolean result = fooInstance.x(25);
        Assert.assertTrue(result);
    }
}

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text:
The Duality Of Me
Uncategorized | February 22nd, 2013
Positive Reinforcement vs. The Stupid Bitch Who Will Never Succeed
When I was 8 years old, my grandma was going to college for a psychology major. It was one of the rare instances in her life where she wasn't governed by a man, and the only people living with her was my sister and myself. She learned a lot for the short period of time that her life was directed by her head and not so much the clouds of false love she shrouded herself in by the men who used her.
My grandmother never saw a real difference between adult and child until bedtime came, or the moments when she felt age difference was the proper leg to stand on when telling me what to do. "You listen because I'm the adult!"
So…she was learning about limitations and how if you don't set any, then their probably won't be any…so go and be and do whatever those special and unique things are that make you who you are. Fly, touch the sun and see what happens.
From an early age, I was picked as the golden child. The kid who, "if anyone is going to make it in this family, it's going to be you." I heard that a lot from various family members and their friends. Strangers sometimes too. My life has been very strange for as long as I can remember.
My mother instilled in me from my earliest memories to "never say can't, because can't never did nothing" and "you can be anything you want to be in this world if you want it badly enough." Turns out, if you want to be a little shit that breaks her favorite things or gets out of line, you can also find yourself with a bruised ass or thumped head pretty quick.
The words rarely matched the actions, and often if the words did match the actions, it was anything but positive. The first time I ever heard the word 'Cunt', it was my grandmother screaming at my sister and I, along with us being little bitches, and some other choice phrases. I think I was 10 or 11, which would have put my sister at 4 or 5. Sometimes, the star you were born under takes full affect, and you lose all control of anything that could be considered rational behaviors. I know, because I've been there myself many times. Ration and logic mean nothing to the outrage of an angry child.
From my perceptions, the things that have happened to me have been the direct effect of an angry child that never adopted all the right tools to heal. Not just my grandmother, all of them. That's the same person that is screaming at cars who drive too slow or whatever stupid shit I do when shit isn't lining up the way I want it to. The degrees vary depending on the circumstance.
I'm going to stray off topic a bit here, to answer a question I've been asked a lot recently. "Why do you sell crafts/art of pornographic nature, while collecting donations to help victims of rape, incest, and sexual abuse? Isn't that kind of like a mixed message?"
No, it's not. Selling products made from porn is not the same as advocating rape, incest, and abuse. At some point, we should all self-evaluate what sex really is, and what it's been portrayed to be. Sex is not dirty, it's not wrong, and it's not bad. It's a natural part of being a human being, which is also an animal. Don't let your attachment to your thumbs sway you from thinking any differently about that.
To put it simply: rape is wrong, sex is not.
Rape is not really about sex. Rape is power, or more so a violent way of flaunting the fact that you have power over someone else. I find the way we treat our fellow man way more offensive then porn. Granted…are some of those girls doing it for drugs? Yes. Are some of them doing it because they were abused? Yes. Are some of them doing it because they love their bodies, self expression, and sexual freedom? Yes. Thing is there's a lot of folks with the same backgrounds as our little porno princess who chose a path of flipping burgers or some corporate endeavor to achieve the almighty dollar, so reason has little to do with profession, and more to do with what you're willing to do for a buck vs. what you love doing for a buck.
At this point, you could argue that most of the people in porn have been abused in some way more so than the other occupations of our day, but the argument would be severely flawed. 1/3 of the population of our country alone suffers from abuse of some kind. And in Africa, rape is so bad they now have created condoms with teeth that women insert into their vaginas that can only be removed from the shredded penis by going to a doctor. I have a feeling the numbers for rape might be slightly higher in Africa than the US.
What's my point? Rape, incest, & sexual abuse has no more to do with porn than anything else. How you feel about yourself as a person and how you allow others to treat you as you live through your day to day lives says a lot more than if you took some cock for cash.
Now back to what I was saying before…
So where was I? The duality of me…
I am the product of what happens when you tell a child they have no real limitations, but beat them down with your actions and sometimes your hand. My mom said she didn't believe herself capable of achieving her goals, because she was told her whole life that she would never amount to anything and to not waste her time on dreaming…so she thrived in D&D, because there her imagination could not be limited, and in the real world she told me what she could only believe for herself within' the confines of the game. I was her secret rebellion, and I think the same went for my grandmother. For the small period when her life was her own, and her eyes were their bluest, she made it very clear to me how important it was to break the cycle. She didn't know how, she had no ideas on how to find a path, only that it was the path I needed to travel, and so away I went.
It is very confusing inside of my head. There's a part of me that wants nothing more than to tear down the world around me and destroy everything I see in sight. There's another part of me that wants nothing to do with that way of thinking and has been trying for years to drag the other side along and dwell in the beauty of life, hoping to find a way to thrive in it.
Change is fucking hard. How do you live with yourself when you see a beautiful face that you want to fall in love with at the same time you're trying to figure out how best to tan the hide and preserve it's beauty? How do you contain the desires that creep in when the scent of a woman's hair fills you with so much rage that all you see is her becoming a beautiful corpse as she's running out of tears? The world is never going to feel your pain, because it's too busy processing it's own.
There's a joke in there somewhere, I'm sure…
I am not a monster. The potential is there, sure…but deep down, there's a fighting spirit inside of me that has never let me be completely consumed by the dark side no matter how closely I've teetered on that line. And for that, I thank my mother and my grandmother. For that, I love them…because despite their fucked up childhoods and shitty upbringing, they somehow managed to plant a seed of hope within' me at a very small age…and that seed is growing.
I recently met a wonderful woman while working the 2 Bit Punk Rock Swap Meet last weekend, who told me how she had worked a show down in Texas to help raise funds for The Disappearing Women of Juárez. To say the least, we had a very in depth and passionate conversation about the things that matter most to us and I am grateful for finding another friend who has broken the veil of silence.
Idunno, in all of this, I am an experiment. I'm just as unsure of what's going to happen next as those of you who watch my progress and my pitfalls. I am the first of my kind in this link, and no one has really shown me how to do much of anything, because they never knew how themselves. I've learned and grown through chasing down my own experiences as I've partied with and fought my demons. Not that there haven't been a multitude of folks I've learned from, because we all take something away with us from every single person we encounter, but the classroom is my life. I think in that respect, we are all one.
Live. Follow your heart. Do what you feel is right and fuck what anyone else has to say. Live as if that is all there is, because that really is all there is. Anything else is a distraction from the truth of discovering who you really are.


text:
Q: Serial Port Connection - Only works with breakpoints The Problem
I have a serial port connection used to control a lamp.
The problem I'm having is that it seems to work every so often but works consistently in debug mode when
I run through with breakpoints.
What I've tried
I have tried adding in delays to allow connections to take place after initalizing the port
await Task.Delay(model.TimeIntervel);

Code
 public async Task<ActionResult> RunExperiment(ExperimentViewModel model)
    {

        if (model.Intensity > 250)
        {
            TempData["BadMsg"] = "Intensity value is out of range. Please try again with a value between 0 W/m2 and 250 W/m2";
            return RedirectToAction("Index");

        }
        if (model.TimeIntervel <= 0)
        {
            TempData["BadMsg"] = "Time interval value is out of range. Please try again with a value >0 in ms";
            return RedirectToAction("Index");

        }

        if (model.TimeIntervel <= 0 && model.Intensity > 250)
        {
            TempData["BadMsg"] = "Time interval value is out of range. Please try again with a value >0 in ms. Intensity value is out of range. Please try again with a value between 0 W/m2 and 250 W/m2";
            return RedirectToAction("Index");

        }
        #region Port Set Up
        //Set up the port
        SerialPort port = new SerialPort("COM3", 57600, (Parity)0, 8, (StopBits)1);
        //Set Flow Control to none
        port.Handshake = Handshake.None;
        //Open Port
        port.Open();
        #endregion

        if (model.AllLamps == true)
        {

            //Set Logic From Form
            port.Write("gintensity " + model.Intensity + " \r");
            port.Write("genable \r");

            //Set Time Delay
            await Task.Delay(model.TimeIntervel);

            //Turn Off Lamp/Lamps
            port.Write("gdisable \r");
        }
        else {

            //Set Logic From Form for individual lamp
            port.Write("w "+model.LampID+"m1 " + model.Intensity + " \r");
            port.Write("w "+model.LampID+"m1 enable \r");

            //Set Time Delay
            await Task.Delay(model.TimeIntervel);

            //Turn Off all Lamp/Lamps
            port.Write("gdisable \r");

        }

        //Close Port
        port.Close();

        //Successful Experiment Message
        TempData["GoodMsg"] = "Experiment Ran Successfully";

        //Return to Form
        return RedirectToAction("Index");
    }


Salaam, led by multi-instrumentalist and composer Dena El Saffar, is a Middle Eastern band based in the Midwest. The band has delighted audiences for years with its expansive repertoire of Middle Eastern and North African music, informing the uninitiated, and evoking nostalgia in listeners who are familiar with the art form.
Growing up in Chicago, she began learning Classical music on the violin at age six. On weekends, there were often "Iraqi Parties", where everyone gathered to eat Iraqi food, while Arabic music played on the stereo. Adults would sit, talk and smoke cigarettes while the kids had great fun playing together and running rampant through the host's home. At age 17, she travelled with her father to Baghdad. It was a life-changing experience, and the music of Iraq suddenly became very important: it was not just to be listened to, but learned and played.
It was only a few months later that Iraq became center stage of the first Gulf War. The immense heartbreak of the war prompted her to create a mission: to bring the beauty of Middle Eastern music and culture to U.S. audiences. Thus, the band Salaam was formed. El Saffar recruited many extraordinary musicians, and the group has steadily built a repertoire over the past two decades of music from Iraq, as well as Egypt, Palestine, Lebanon, Turkey, Greece and many other countries. They have performed weddings, festivals and cultural events throughout the Midwest, East and West Coast, and have been featured on NPR's All Things Considered.
In October, Salaam's 7th CD, Train to Basra and Other Stories will be released. This CD features El Saffar as a composer, performer, arranger and author – each track on the CD has a corresponding story in the CD booklet. The album is entirely instrumental; a tribute to El Saffar's many years of playing in orchestras. The CD has a very full sound, and features a delightful array of acoustic musical instruments, including: viola, violin, cello, bass, guitar, accordion, nay, saxophone, trumpet, san?oor, óud, dumbek, riqq, tabl, doira and naqqarat.
There are many talented musicians featured on the album, some of whom are family members. Her husband, Tim Moore is the percussionist. Her brother, Amir El Saffar, and sister-in-law, Lety El Naggar, are featured prominently, as is Stephen Harms, Sam Finley and Svetla Vladeva.


text:
Exclusive - Anti-money laundering group blasts Mexico in draft report
By Michael O'Boyle
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican prosecutors are failing to systematically punish money launderers and tax authorities are too lax with potential drug money fronts such as real estate and luxury goods firms, according to a draft report on Mexico's efforts to fight illicit finance.
FILE PHOTO: A flag with the logo of the Tax Administration Service (SAT) is seen at their offices in Mexico City, Mexico May 26, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Jasso/File Photo
The report by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an international organisation that sets global standards for fighting illicit finance, highlights the tiny dents made by Mexican prosecutors in the financial networks of drug gangs and corrupt officials.
Mexico has been slipping in convictions, data in the report shows. The country already lagged regional peers such as Colombia and Brazil, both of which have made strides in setting up independent prosecutors.
"Money laundering is not investigated and prosecuted in a proactive and systematic fashion," said the draft of the report, sections of which were seen by Reuters. Its publication is set for early January.
The finance ministry and attorney general's office did not respond to a request for comment for this story.
Mexico is the top source of illegal drugs to the United States and both countries' authorities have been criticized by civil society groups for leaving drug gang finances largely intact.
The more than 200-page report commends efforts to clean up the Mexican banking sector after U.S. investigations in the mid-2000s showed global banks processed billions of dollars in drug gang cash. Officials say tighter regulations flushed much illicit money from the banking system.
However, the report says Mexican tax authorities did not do enough to monitor businesses outside the financial sector used for money laundering, such as real estate.
Since 2014, Mexico's tax authority has had powers to audit more than 64,000 businesses considered high risk.
But it has only allocated 16 people to probe those companies and since 2014 they have audited just 118, or less than 0.2 percent, the draft noted.
The lack of a national registry of shareholders has made it difficult for authorities to follow the complex money trails used by drug gangs and corrupt officials to hide ill-gotten funds, the report said.
Slideshow ( 2 images )
The draft seen by Reuters was hammered out at closed-door meetings in Buenos Aires last month.
An earlier draft prepared by a team of officials led by the International Monetary Fund was harsher, according to two sources familiar with the issue. The IMF did not respond to a request for comment.
The earlier draft noted poor co-ordination between financial officials, prosecutors and security forces within Mexico, and flagged weak co-operation with the United States, the sources said. However, Mexican officials convinced the assessors to tone down the report, they said.
During the Argentina meetings, Mexico's government said in a statement that the FATF report identified areas for improvement on its efforts to combat money laundering but "affirms that there is good co-ordination between authorities and extensive international co-operation."
LOW SEIZURES, FEW CONVICTIONS
Mexico is making little headway in seizing illicit cash, according to the government's own estimates.
Data in the report provided by Mexico shows the country seized just $32.5 million (24.34 million pounds) in 2016. That represents less than 0.1 percent of the $58.5 billion of illicit revenues the government estimates is generated by organised crime annually.
Also, fewer investigations than in previous years were based on information from the financial intelligence unit (FIU), a part of the finance ministry, the report notes.
Setting up sophisticated FIUs that target major operations is key to effectively fighting money laundering, compared to cases that stem from routine police and customs busts.
Yet only 8 percent of investigations in Mexico last year were based on FIU reports, according to data in the FATF report. That is down from around an average of 15 percent in recent years.
Mexico is at the bottom of major countries in terms of its efforts to fight money laundering, said Edgardo Buscaglia, an expert on organised crime at Columbia University.
While convictions based on FIU data have grown more than fourfold in Brazil and nearly sixfold in Colombia since 2000, Mexico has seen the number drop, according to data compiled by Buscaglia that runs through 2015.
"The financial intelligence unit is not engaging the criminal networks," Buscaglia said. "They are not passing the right kind of data."
Additional reporting by Stefanie Eschenbacher; Editing by Daniel Flynn and Rosalba O'Brien


text:
Dr Neil van Heerden
Home Frequently Asked Questions
Below are the most frequently asked questions about various conditions and ailments covered on the website. If you do have any further questions, please feel free to leave a comment on the post and I will be happy to get back to you as soon as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions About Acne
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What is Acne? Acne is an incredibly prevalent medical condition that affects the skin of a patient. The condition causes the breakouts of spots, the over production of oil...
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Athlete's Foot is a highly contagious fungal infection that's caused by a specific group of fungi. This group of fungi love warm, damp squalid conditions – much like...
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Warts and Verrucas
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Esce per l'etichetta italiana ARK Records il secondo album solista del pianista compositore Luigi Rubino, già fondatore degli Ashram, gruppo neoclassico di Napoli, e pianista del gruppo progressive ethereal folk Corde Oblique.
«Il soffio e la voce" consta di 14 nuove tracce. Una sequenza di sfumature color pastello che svelano un orizzonte sempre diverso. Melodie malinconiche disegnano la fragilità dell'essere... un racconto sonoro sospeso in una dimensione onirica che rifugge dal caos che ci circonda per indicarci la via catartica e interiore attraverso la quale ritrovare noi stessi.
«Il soffio e la voce" consists of 14 new tracks. A sequence of pastel shades that reveal an ever-changing horizon. Melancholic melodies draw the the fragility of being ... a suspended sound story in a dreamlike dimension that escapes from the chaos around us to show us the cathartic and inner way through which we can find ourselves.
Carlo Contocalakis è un cantautore e polistrumentista.
PMS has its roots among the classroom desks of «S. Pietro a Majella» Conservatory of Naples when the pianist Martina Mollo met the violinist Caterina Bianco. The artistic and human synergy that began instantaneously between these two young women leads them to experiment with music, gradually shifting from their shared background (classical music) towards an original language, imbued with the most varied influences, from Queen to Metallica, from Radiohead to Bjork. In the following years the two artists worked side by side on many projects, the first of which was Ethereal Dark Orchestra, then followed by Rua Port'Alba's world music, Quartieri Jazz' Gipsy jazz, Foremare and 'e Zezi's folk music, while at the same time they work together with the most important artists of the Neapolitan dark scene: Argine, Edo Notarloberti, Ashram.
2012 is effectively the birth year of the PMS duo, with the recording of some works by Samuel Barber rearranged in a very peculiar way that gives the two musicians the inspiration to compose their own music. Their style lays its basis on classical music but is a complete expression of their own musical thought, without any filter. This is the reason of the name chosen by the duo, the Premenstrual Syndrome, shortened to PMS, to evoke an impunity for the bold stylistic choices, for the deliberate pursuit of dissonance, the harshness of the dense harmonies: the same impunity that is "allowed" to women when affected by PMS, excusing any excess because it comes from that peculiar condition, a condition that comes from the simple fact of being a woman.
The album «Premenstrual Syndrome», out in February 2016, collects, almost in just one breath, the songs that represent best the latest period of the duo's production. A deliberately short album, that seeks to leave the listener longing for a follow-up, a tension that doesn't resolve, but will stay hanging until the next album comes out.


text:
Q: iPad mini retina doesn't boot My iPad shows the Apple logo, and then it turns off.
I tried reinstalling iOS with iTunes (update) and it returned error 27?
Any ideas of what to do?

A: Have you researched error 27: https://www.google.com/search?q=itunes+update+error+27&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari
It appears to be a hardware problem, so you may need to go to the Apple Store.


What is another word for Adjudging?
It remains to consider its office of adjudging statutes which come in conflict with their meaning, as thus determined, to be void.
The power given to the Council to formulate an armistice would be the power exercised if hostilities broke out rather than the power of adjudging the aggressor; unless the aggression was openly admitted, which would mean that one of the parties to the Protocol really defied the others; and, in that case, of course, it would defy the terms of an armistice as well as any other terms.


Located at Walt Disney World's Polynesian Village Resort, 'Ohana serves is a family-style restaurant serving Polynesian cuisine. This review features food photos, thoughts on the ambiance, the difficulties of dining at 'Ohana, some comparisons to Kona Cafe, and other general thoughts on the restaurant.
Dinner options include meat skewers roasted over an expansive 18-foot oak fire pit (more on these delicious, delicious skewers later!) and side dishes such as stir-fried vegetables, fried dumplings, lo mein noodles and salad. The restaurant participates in the Disney Dining Plan. It also accepts the Tables in Wonderland card for a 20% discount. 'Ohana is a reasonably good value on the Disney Dining Plan. 'Ohana also offers a character breakfast, but this review focuses solely on the dinner menu.
What's so great about 'Ohana? Let's start with its location. Polynesian Village Resort is one of our favorite resorts at Walt Disney World, and not just because we got engaged there. The ambiance, vestiges of the "Vacation Kingdom of the World," and awesome photo ops make the resort top notch.
Although the resort conspicuously lacks a Signature Dining option (sorry, Spirit of Aloha, you don't count), its restaurants are yet another reason why we love the place. 'Ohana's Best Friends Breakfast with Lilo & Stitch is one of our favorite breakfast options, but where we feel the restaurant really shines is at dinner.
We had done breakfast prior to doing dinner at 'Ohana, and while breakfast was great, I am always a little skeptical towards family style or buffet dinners. In the real world, the food is invariably cold, sub-par, or best for people who place an emphasis on quantity over quality when eating. I think the family style restaurants and buffets at Walt Disney World are, surprisingly, typically far superior to real-world buffets. Highly subjective, of course, but that has been Sarah's and my experience at the buffets.
Any skepticism we had was wiped away as soon as we were seated for our ADRs after a long wait. The energy of 'Ohana was palpable, with the cooks in plain view preparing meals over flame as the restaurant pulsed with tropical song and rhythm. We received a window table, which made the experience all the better.
Shortly after being seated, the first side dishes arrived, which included stir-fried vegetables, cooked pineapple, fried pork dumplings, lo mein noodles, and salad. Although we were hungry, upon seeing some of the meat being served all around us, we quickly learned to enjoy these sides in moderation.
As I mentioned above, we had eaten at Ohana for breakfast a few years ago, and we really enjoyed it. We knew it wouldn't be at all the same for dinner, but one of our favorite things about the restaurant is the ambiance. This should be no surprise, as I don't think I've ever written or spoken a negative word about the Poly.
The meats were delicious, especially cooked over the fire pit and brought around on skewers. The skewered meat included Oak Grilled Chicken, Asian Barbecued Pork Loin, Marinated Sirloin Steak, Spicy Grilled Shrimp, with Honey Coriander Chicken Wings also served, sans skewers.
The shrimp were easily our favorite, with the sirloin steak being second; both of these had excellent flavor. The pork loins and grilled chicken were fairly good, albeit slightly dry.
Had I ordered a dish with either one of these, alone, I would have considered it a solid meal, but as we were eating family style and much better options were at our table, we instead opted for those better options–making it an excellent meal.
While we ate, various entertainment, including song, dance, and entertainment for children, took place, continuing that fun atmosphere.
This atmosphere is a big part of what takes 'Ohana to the next level. In our experience there, it perfectly toes the line between "festive" and "rambunctious." Even before you get to the actual in-restaurant ambiance there's the open air kitchen where the food is cooked over flame (setting the tone for the whole experience).
There are also storytellers and a parade around the restaurant for younger guests, all of which is cute and fun to watch. At other restaurants, this kind of thing has a tendency to cause a loud atmosphere, but we found it all to be enjoyable at 'Ohana.
Potentially adding to the atmosphere were the Lapu Lapus that we ordered from the Tambu Lounge after seeing them at the table adjacent to us. One Part Myers's Rum, One Part Bacardi 151, One Part Orange Juice, One Part Sweet-and-Sour Mix, and a whole lot of Disney Magic combined together in a pineapple for this delicious drink. While it's not particularly manly (although depending upon how much 151 is in there, it could be!), being manly wasn't my primary objective this particular evening.
The drink was somewhat expensive, and obviously a bit gimmicky, but those little gimmicks can be what makes a Disney vacation so fun. I'd recommend this drink–just make sure to scrape the sides of the pineapple when you're done to get all of the fruity nutrients (which, I've heard, offset any potential health risks contained in alcohol).
We didn't get quite as many shrimp as we wanted, and we both were itching to get back into the Magic Kingdom after dinner, and we didn't want to wait around for more to be brought to us, plus we were already pretty full (so much so that we passed on the banana bread pudding dessert–although we did split a small cupcake). Readers have told us that the banana bread pudding is absolutely not to be missed, so if you do visit 'Ohana, make sure to have that!
Overall, 'Ohana is a great restaurant to visit for a relaxing meal–just don't expect it to be quiet. The atmosphere here should in no way be considered a negative. Unlike California Grill or another Signature Restaurant, this is a family restaurant and its ambiance should reflect that. It has a level of "relaxed excitement"–a seeming contradiction in terms–that makes it one of the most enjoyable restaurants at Walt Disney World from the perspective of ambiance. When you go, bring your childlike enthusiasm, let loose and unwind, and have a good time. With delicious food, drinks, and even some entertainment, the restaurant is a top notch option that is not to be missed. While I would consider the often overlooked Kona Cafe a solid alternative, 'Ohana edges it by a significant margin in terms of ambiance and fun. 'Ohana quite possibly offers the best combination of fun and food at any Walt Disney World restaurant.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? If you're interested in learning more about hotels, our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page is a good place to start. If you want to save money on tickets or determine which type you should get, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at unconventional things you should take on your trip. Once you arrive at the parks, our Walt Disney World "Ride Guides"are great for determining what to do and when to do it. Want more dining tips? Check out our 101 Delicious Walt Disney World Dining Tips. If you are planning a Walt Disney World trip, make sure to also read our comprehensive Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide to make the most of your experience!
Do you share our praise for 'Ohana, or do you think it's overrated? Do you have any favorite dishes at 'Ohana? If you've done both breakfast and dinner at 'Ohana, which did you prefer? If you've never been to 'Ohana, do you plan on going? Any questions? Hearing readers' perspectives is both interesting and informative, so please share your opinion in the comments!
Just kidding…your review of Garden Grill was also dinner. Can't decide on breakfast between the two. From what we've read, Garden Grill has the cinnamon rolls where 'Ohana has the typical breakfast offerings. Anything special about the 'Ohana breakfast that sets it apart. Everyone rave's about 'Ohanas breakfast. Let me know your thoughts.
You won't find Lilo & Stitch at any other character spot (that we've ever found). Chip N Dale, though, are also in Animal Kingdom. If you're going with children for the character experience, Ohana is the better bet.
But there's also the ham with a Hawaiian compote on top of it and the infamous pineapple bread.
Hi Tom! Thanks for all of your great reviews! I always look forward to seeing new email from you in my inbox! My family and I love Ohana, and we eat there every time we go to Disney. This trip, we are considering the Spirit of Aloha dinner show instead. I haven't found your review of SOA. Have I overlooked it, or maybe you haven't done one? If not, I would love your take on it! Ohana vs SOA. What do you think? Thank you from a loyal reader!
can the night time fireworks in the MK be seen from Ohana's? If so, what is the best time to make a reservation?
Just to add to the growing consensus of the "Don"t miss the Bread Pudding" gang… My husband and I loved O'hana despite the volume of food being a touch overwhelming (He's big, I'm small- with our powers combined, we eat the average of one normal sized human)- we will return again and again because we cannot find the bread pudding they serve anywhere at Dis. The first time we ate at O'hana, we were both popping at the seams from shameless over-indulgence by the time the last chicken wing was scarfed down. As though timed perfectly (it was… due to my amazing ADR skillz) our dessert was served as Wishes! began. We both agreed we would only have one bite of dessert because we were too full to try any harder than that, but needed to reach the finish line of course. One bite and we were obsessed. It is THE treat we still fantasize about when we get home. Its warm, its gooey, it banananny, its chocolatey…. it made us (almost) ignore Wishes! Not that we don't love O'hana but we really wish that this golden ticket dessert was served somewhere else so we could order it after we've enjoyed meals that better suit our food volume needs….– Maybe Kona Cafe serves upon request? If anyone knows, please share!
Ohana is one of our favorite restaurants in Disney World. The men in my family love the 'all you can eat' meat! We think the food is excellent and also love the atmosphere. My only problem is that we can almost never get a reservation there. We are DVC members for about 12 years and only ate there 2 or 3 times. We are able to book restaurant reservations 6 months in advance and still have trouble getting in. We're going in November and pray we can get in, even if we have to eat at 10 pm!!!
My husband and I are staying at All Star Movies next month (yeah, I read your review of this resort, but it was AFTER we already booked. What can I say, we're first-timers….oh well!) and I was wondering if you could give me advice on this situation: We have breakfast reservations for 7:45 AM at O'hana and from there we'll be going to Animal Kingdom. Do you think it's best for us to drive our own vehicle from All Star Movies to O'hana, and then to AK? I read your review about the bus system at the All Star Resorts and my husband doesn't want to shell out $25 plus for a taxi.
We ate dinner here in April 2015 (and in 2011). The food was good and they bring a lot to your table, maybe even too much – loved the chicken wings – but the atmosphere was way too noisy and busy for my taste. I do understand that it's family oriented but other similar places (for example Crystal Palace or Tuskers) are not as loud or crazy. At night it also seemed somewhat dark – but that might be that I am getting older 🙂 The tables are arranged very close together.
However, the Polynesian is not to be missed – it's my favorite resort and I love eating at Kona and shopping at Boutiki. We've stayed there twice and loved it.
Tom, great article as always. Ohana has a special place in my family's heart. Easily our favorite restaurant in the world. Couldn't agree more with this review! Keep up the great work.
I have only been able to find a 9:40 ADR for december 13th…is that still a good time for the whole O'hana dining experience?
Having a tough time choosing between this place and Kona Cafe for a dinner reservation.
Hey I really enjoyed your blog and I am reading everything on here. I am going to disney during the Christmas with my bf, and I am a huge fan of LILO&STITCH and I read so many reviews about this restaurant and I really wanna try. The problem is I tried to make a dinner reservation but it's so popular and it's all booked. I am really upset that I can't go. So I am still hoping to get a chance. Is there any advice you can give me? Thanks so much!
I did a HUGE Disney Restaurant March Madness type poll on my food page. 'Ohana walked through the tournament.
I just don't get it though. Anytime I have ate here the food has been really really dry and not much flavor. My brother who ate the same meal we did loved it. So it must be just us. I want to love "Ohana…but I just can't. Even the shrimp which was great was also annoying because it's peel and eat. Who really wants to spend 30 minutes on that?
I really like 'Ohana, but I think it has overtaken Le Cellier as Walt Disney World's most overrated restaurants. How it's so popular, I'm not sure. It's good, but not THAT good.
We are staying at a Disney resort for our upcoming trip, but not at the Polynesian. Is it still worth making reservations? Would it be possible to get to via monorail from Magic Kingdom? Everything about this place looks amazing!
We have eaten at O'hana's the last 2 trips, most recently November 2013 and have taken family and friends with us. We all enjoyed it very much, the food is DELICIOUS. I would suggest however that you pace yourself with all the starters, i.e. salad, potstickers and noodles as I find I am full by the time the meat and shrimp comes around. Dessert is amazing!! Everyone has to try O'hana's once and you will for sure go back again and again. It is great value for those on the dining plan too!
We had dinner here last week. Window seat on a cold rainy day, but still beautiful atmosphere. (found a plug near our table to charge my phone while we ate – bonus!) We're vegetarian, and the chef made us a hummus platter appetizer, stir-fried tofu and vegetables (heavy on the broccoli, but good.) Nice mango and grapefruit salad. The bread pudding and ice cream with carmel sauce is heavenly, and yes, we were full, but still ate it! Fun family atmosphere, kids had a coconut race and drum parade. A lovely evening, great table service.


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Every Star Wars Lightsaber, Ranked From Worst to Best
Spoiler alert: Neither of these is the best one. Photo: 20th Century Fox
Star Wars and Saturday Night Live's Long History in 16 Sketches
Star Wars: Battlefront Doesn't Have the Immersion That You're Looking For
Here's Star Wars With Entirely Different Audio
This post was originally published in December 2015, as part of Vulture's Star Wars Countdown. We first updated it to reflect the lightsabers of The Force Awakens, and now, to celebrate the arrival of The Last Jedi, we have updated it again to included the best lightsabers from the recent Star Wars TV series. Thank you to all of the helpful readers who told us, often politely, which ones we had forgotten.
Star Wars did not invent the concept of a magic blade, or even a laser sword — those pop up in Asimov's Lucky Starr series, among others — but as with many of the series' pulp influences, George Lucas refined and reduced them to their essential elements, creating the series' ultimate addition to the pop-culture canon. Think of the otherworldly glow, the distinctive hum, the (illogical, but who cares?) weight of the blade. For the Jedi, a lightsaber is a symbol of their innate exceptionalism; for Luke, it's a connection to his father; for the Sith, it's one more way to assert their dominance over the weak. But of all the lightsabers we've seen in Star Wars so far, which one is the best? To answer that question requires an elegant listicle, for a civilized age. Cue up "Duel of the Fates," and meet us below the jump. Those who disagree should consider our new reader re-rankings below as their chance to challenge us to a duel.
100-17. Every Lightsaber Held by a Jedi at the End of Revenge of the Sith
Is it blaming the victim to suggest that a few more Jedi should have been able to survive Order 66? Maybe a little bit. But every other indication we've gotten of the Jedi's combat prowess shows them to be fearsome fighting machines — and now suddenly they're being taken out by a handful of blasters? (And don't give me that "They were betrayed by the troops they were commanding" line; the Jedi had every reason to distrust the clone troopers from the get-go.) The most plausible explanation is that their lightsabers all spontaneously failed them at the crucial moment. For that, those lightsabers come in last.
16. Obi-Wan's Lightsaber
Have you ever counted how many times Obi-Wan loses his lightsaber in the prequels? I have. He drops it once while fighting Count Dooku, twice against Darth Maul, and two more times against Jango Fett, who isn't even a Force user. Get a Velcro strap on that thing, my man.
15. Darth Sidious's Lightsaber
Aesthetically, this one is a total gem: Peep the elegant sleeve holster, the gold shading on the hilt. But doesn't it just feel weird to see the Emperor use a lightsaber? It's like seeing Jimi Hendrix play the electric bass — sure, he's probably pretty good at it, but you really just want him to break out the lightning.
How The Phantom Menace's Epic Lightsaber Fight Came Together
14. Qui-Gon Jinn's Lightsaber
People made fun of Kylo Ren's lightsaber for having a crossguard, but you know what would have happened if Qui-Gon Jinn had a crossguard on his lightsaber? He would have been able to block Darth Maul's riposte, which means that he might have survived the duel on Naboo, which means he could have been a much-needed paternal presence for Anakin Skywalker, which means Anakin might never have turned to the Dark Side, which means the fate of the Galaxy might have been completely different. But Qui-Gonn's lightsaber didn't have a crossguard, which means that, instead of all those things happening, he just died.
13. Anakin Skywalker's Lightsaber
There's bad luck, and then there's what happens to anyone who fights with this lightsaber. Anakin Skywalker uses it in his battle with Obi-Wan, and ends up a dismembered, charred shell of a man. His son Luke inherits it and promptly gets his hand cut off in his very first duel. (And after that, he receives the devastating news that Vader is Anakin.) Finn picks it up, and gets his ass kicked by Kylo Ren. Only Rey is immune — like color blindness, does this lightsaber's bad mojo mostly affect men?
12. General Grievous's Lightsabers
General Grievous fought with four lightsabers at once, which is cool, and used two of those lightsabers to do spinning saw-blade things, which is very cool. It's an A-plus concept, but with an unfortunate C-minus execution — Obi-Wan chops them off literally five seconds into their big fight. And that's why you never send a cyborg to do a Jedi's job.
11. Asajj Ventress's Lightsabers
Oh, crap! You didn't realize you had to watch the animated shows to understand this list! Don't worry, there are only a few. I've gotten the sense from reading message boards that people who have studied the blade consider dual-wielding a laughable concept, the swordsman version of holding guns sideways. But since it looks awesome, the Star Wars people decided to make it an official form of lightsaber combat called Jar'Kai, the most notable practitioner of which was Asajj Ventress, the Dathomirian assassin from Clone Wars. Using two swords might be silly in real life, but Ventress makes it look good.
10. Pong Krell's Lightsabers
This fallen Jedi from Clone Wars used two double-sided lightsabers at once, which he spun around like they were helicopter blades. I imagine that's pretty dangerous, but luckily Krell had two spare arms in case things went awry.
9. The Darksaber
Okay, so: The Mandalorians. An ancient race of warriors who were famed for killing Jedi (or, if you're a casual fan, the guys who made the armor Boba Fett wears). Thousands of years before Star Wars, one Mandalorian became a Jedi, and created this sweet black-bladed lightsaber, which was then passed from Mandalorian to Mandalorian like a championship belt. (You had to kill the previous owner to get it.) It first popped up in Clone Wars being wielded by Pre Vizsla, a separatist mercenary fellow, and though the blade was indeed very badass, it was not badass enough to stop Vizsla from getting killed by Darth Maul. (Through some complicated business, the good guys on Rebels have it now.)
8. Luke Skywalker's Lightsaber
According to legend, Luke's self-constructed lightsaber in Return of the Jedi was originally blue, but was changed to green for better contrast against the Tatooine sky. (That's why it's blue in the film's poster.) It's proof that not everything George Lucas changed about Star Wars was a bad idea: Amid the yellow sand and blue sky of Jedi's first act, Luke's green lightsaber really does pop off the screen.
7. Yoda's Lightsaber
Reasonable people — and unreasonable people, too — can argue all day about the prequels' CGI Yoda, and whether or not it was appropriate for him to suddenly defy all laws of gravity when it came time to get in a lightsaber duel. But no matter what position you take in this argument, there's one thing we can all agree on: Yoda's little lightsaber is cute as fuck. It's short, just like him, and green, just like him. Very adorable, the whole thing is.
6. Count Dooku's Lightsaber
Is casting an 80-year-old man as the greatest swordsman in the galaxy a little bit of a stretch? Sure, but if you've got a chance to put Christopher Lee in your movie, you don't throw it away. Instead, you give him a sweet curved lightsaber, make him (and his stunt double) move as little as possible, and do some hand-waving about his graceful Makashi Technique. The sleight of hand works well enough that you don't even question Dooku absolutely destroying Obi-Wan every time they duel.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens..Ph: Film Frame..? 2014 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Right Reserved.
5. Kylo Ren's Lightsaber
Before the movie even came out, this weapon was the most unexpectedly controversial aspect of Force Awakens. (Lightsaber crossguards were canon in the expanded universe for years, guys.) No one's complaining now. This is a brutal, unglamorous lightsaber, befitting a hardened galaxy that's seen 30 years of warfare. And we'll state for the record: The crossguard looks cool as hell.
4. The Grand Inquisitor's Lightsaber
The expanded universe takes some big swings when it comes to lightsabers, and there are some real horrible ones out there. (The less said about the light-whip, the better.) But the Grand Inquisitor's lightsaber on Rebels is a great invention, combining the helicopter-blade defense of General Grievous with the minimalist style of Count Dooku to create a unique weapon that perfectly suits Jason Isaacs's deliciously arch performance.
3. Mace Windu's Lightsaber
Generally, it's the villains in Star Wars who get all the coolest and most innovative lightsabers. The only exception is Mace Windu, who was given a sweet purple lightsaber after Sam Jackson insisted on being able to spot himself in the large fight scene that closes Attack of the Clones — the sci-fi equivalent of a wallet that says "Bad Motherfucker."
2. Darth Vader's Lightsaber
Across the hundreds of lightsabers that have appeared in various Star Wars stories over the years, one rule has held firm: With very, very few exceptions, bad guys always have red lightsabers. (They also wear all black and favor hoods, just in case you didn't know they were evil.) Vader's instantly recognizable red lightsaber kicked off this trend, and it became as much a symbol of his distinctive menace as his gleaming black armor and problematic asthma.
1. Darth Maul's Lightsaber
The music you listened to in tenth grade will always be the best music in the world, and the lightsaber you saw when you were 12 will always be the best lightsaber. But even taking that into consideration, Darth Maul's double-sided lightsaber stands apart. Just like its owner, Maul's lightsaber is both terrifyingly simple — it's two lightsabers in one, he's a red guy who looks like the devil — and utterly unique, demanding a fighting style unseen anywhere else in the series. And if it breaks, it just turns into a normal lightsaber. If you're not convinced by that, why not try simple Spinal Tap logic: Two blades, it's one better, isn't it?
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Dudley Dix Yacht Design
News about what is happening at Dudley Dix Yacht Design, from new designs to boat shows or anything else of interest to our followers.
40 Years of Wooden Boats
Dehlia and I are in currently soaking in the deep maritime history that is Mystic Seaport in Connecticut. We are here to exhibit our little Paper Jet skiff on the 23rd Annual Wooden Boat Show. We have been here every year since first showing her in 2007, when she won the Outstanding Innovation prize. As always, she is attracting a tremendous amount of attention and we just ride along on her coat tails, happy to meet and talk with those who stop by to admire her. She is just so different from everything else around her that she has to grab a few minutes out of the day from all who come by.
This year's show is something special though. It also marks the 40th year of publication of Wooden Boat Magazine, a milestone that was celebrated at a big party at Latitude 41 restaurant last night. We were rubbing shoulders with many of the major characters in the sector of the boating industry that has anything and everything to do with boats built from wood. I say "characters" rather than "players" because most of these people are indeed larger than life characters when compared with much of today's bland, washed-out and politically correct world.
Masthead from Wooden Boat Facebook page.
My direct association with Wooden Boat does not go back anywhere near 40 years but it has been nearly 20 years and I have collected the magazine from long before that. I have visited their home in Brooklin, Maine, on a number of occasions, have met many of their staff on visits to the rambling mansion from which they produce their wonderful magazines and I have had close associations with a few of them for the past 10 years or so. We have become good friends in those years. They even flew me to Maine a few years ago to be a judge in their design competition, run in partnership with the sister magazine, Professional Boatbuilder.
I have come to see this organisation as a big, close-knit family. I did not realise how big, nor how close-knit, until last night's party. All of them were introduced to us and the function of each was described. Most have worked there for a very long time. Personally, I think it is the winter snow and ice that traps them there for part of the year and the exquisite beauty keeps them transfixed the rest of the time.
In all those years I have never known who was at the head of this place that produces such wonderful inspiration to everyone who loves wooden boats and creating beautiful craft from nature's original engineering materials. It was quite funny how I found out who that person is and became lucky enough to meet him.
We were sitting at a big round table with about 8 other people, some known to me and some not. Steve White, the head of Mystic Seaport Maritime Museum, was MC and had been talking for awhile when I said to Dehlia that after all these years I still didn't know who owned Wooden Boat. Hardly a minute later Steve called on John Wilson, as owner of Wooden Boat, to come to the microphone. The man sitting just two seats away from Dehlia stood up.
John told us the fascinating story of the early years of Wooden Boat magazine. He told us of his incredible naivete, optimism and hard work that launched it. It was launched at Mystic Seaport at a boatbuilding course. On the strength of just two subscriptions sold to students at that course, he had 12,000 copies printed. The rest is history.
John told us how he could never have dreamed of how his magazine would help to revitalise such a deep interest in wooden boats as it has, how it has helped to bring back to life wooden boatbuilding and restoration country-wide. John inspired us with his passion for his company, his staff and his magazines.
Never one to stand back, when open mike time came and comments were invited, I had to say my bit. That was simply to point out to John that Wooden Boat had not only had that effect country-wide but had done so all over the world. This is a close group of people who produce magazines of the highest quality and which will forever be collector's items. Personally, I never throw away any copy of either Wooden Boat or Professional Boatbuilder. Dehlia knows better than to take her life in her hands by trying to throw out any copy that she may find lying around.
These magazines are great reading and wonderful for research. I look forward to receiving them for many years to come. Happy 40th birthday to Wooden Boat.
Posted by Dudley Dix at 11:09 PM No comments: Links to this post
Paper Jet flies at Cape Hatteras
Two weeks ago I towed my Paper Jet to Cape Hatteras for a few days, for my annual Iguana Surf Club Father's Day Weekend of surfing/camping/sailing and general soul revival after a very hectic year. We camp next to the water at Frisco Woods Campground, on the shores of Pamlico Sound. When there is surf I spend much time at the beach. When the surf is not good I spend more time sailing.
This year the surf conditions weren't great and I only spent half a day surfing when the wind swung into the right direction and there was a good combination of offshore breeze and swell for a few hours. That gave me time to take my Paper Jet on a few outings on the Sound. There were thunder storms in the area part of the weekend, giving some spectacular light shows and heavy downpours, with accompanying gales that arrived very swiftly and dramatically.
The storms gave some dramatic backdrops when I was sailing one evening and Dave Keegan took full advantage to take some interesting photos.
Rigging my Paper Jet on the shore of Pamlico Sound, North Carolina.
Beam-reaching away from the camera in a patch of sunlight.
Very threatening clouds but they were miles away.
Sailing on chocolate wrapper silver paper.
About an hour after these photos were taken a violent storm arrived. I anticipated it and felt it likely to be strong enough to pick up my 50kg boat and cause serious damage. I put her onto her trailer and hitched that to my car both for anchorage and shelter from the expected storm. When it came it had 40-50 knots of wind in it and later in the night there were gusts of 60+ knots recorded. Being anchored to the trailer likely saved her from being cart-wheeled along the shore.
The next evening was much more pleasant and Curtis Watson took these beautiful photos of her in the very pretty sunset.
This is a very photogenic boat.
Relaxed end to a strenuous day.
Please visit our website at http://dixdesign.com/ to see more about this and our other designs.
New Dinghy Launches in Russia
Similar to my previous post, a new boat has also been launched in the Eastern Europe (actually two new launches). That is where the similarity ends.
This one is a thoroughly modern high-performance dinghy, rather than the small classic cruising Cape Henry 21. It is Paper Jet #65 and was launched in Moscow, Russia. Built by Konstantin Denison and Den Vakar, she is striking in her red and white colour scheme.
Ready for launch. Looks fast even when standing still.
Raising sail for the first time, with a 420 rig for training.
Paper Jet looks interesting upright or capsized.
They are using a 420 rig as a training rig for the first season before moving up to a permanent Paper Jet rig. These boats are a lot of fun to sail and can challenge the sailors to push their limits.
The other launching is an Argie 15, also in Moscow, Russia. She was built by Andrey Borodihin, who built her as a family fun boat. He reports that they have enjoyed sailing their boat, with fun and exciting sailing.
Andrey's Argie 15 in a quiet moment.
Argie 15 being chased by a smiley balloon.
Not only for calm weather, here the Argie shows her strong wind ability.
Andrey is very happy with his Argie 15 and her performance.
To read more about these designs and others, go to our main website at http://dixdesign.com/.
Cape Henry 21 Launched in Croatia
Dean Ivancic lives in Porec, Croatia. He bought plans from us a few years ago for the Cape Henry 21. He has been working steadily on his boat and reported to me today that he launched her in April. He has sent me some rather nice photos of her under sail. She is still incomplete down below but has all that is needed to sail.
She is named "Scintilla", Italian for "spark", also the meaning of "Iskra", the Croatian name of Dean's youngest daughter.
We wish Dean and his family lots of fun and adventures in their Cape Henry 21.
"Scintilla" on one of her first outings.
Pretty from any angle.
Dean has done a nice job of building "Scintilla".
The Cape Henry 21 is surprisingly quick and has delightful manners. These boats prove that a boat doesn't have to be ugly to be fast.
For more on this design and others in our range, go to http://dixdesign.com/.
Posted by Dudley Dix at 6:33 PM No comments: Links to this post
More Argie 15 Sailing
John Read in Cape Town built himself an Argie 15 and has been sailing it a year or two. He has made a video of him sailing it in breezy and gusty conditions on Rietvlei, in the suburbs of Cape Town. John has learned much about his boat and is now very comfortable with her characteristics. In this video she shows some of the speed that these boats manage to achieve.
John is obviously enjoying his Argie 15, which is our most popular design.
The beautiful Table Mountain stands guard over Cape Town and is visible in the background of some of the shots.
Please visit our website at http://dixdesign.com/ for more on this and out other designs.
Didi 950 Hull Skin Completed
Over the last few months we have watched as two builders on opposite sides of the world have worked on their Didi 950 projects. Mike Vermeersch in Ohio, USA, is building his boat from a kit and Fred Grimminck in Queensland, Australia, is building his from scratch.
Fred has taken a break from his boat for a couple of weeks while delivering his recently sold Didi Mini clear across Australia by road, a formidable road trip.
Fred Grimminck delivering his Didi Mini Mk2 across Australia.
Mike has been able to continue and has now completed the fairing and sanding of the radius as well as fitting the bow capping and shaping of the forefoot. His boat is looking very nice, with the final hull shape now clear.
Radius skin completed but still to be faired.
Radius faired and sanded. The jigsaw joints of the side panels are seen below the radiused panel.
Completed stern sections.
Bow capping fitted, ready for shaping.
Bow capping and forefoot shaped and sanded.
Completed bow shape. Clean and shaped from plywood.
Faired and ready for epoxy and the fibreglass reinforced areas to be done.
There are also builds of the Didi 950 progressing in Greece and Latvia.
To browse our full range of designs, please visit http://dixdesign.com/.
23rd Wooden Boat Show, Mystic Seaport
Every year Wooden Boat Publications in Brooklin, Maine, hosts the Wooden Boat Show. This year is the 23rd edition of this annual show, one of my favourites. After moving around to various locations over the years, it has settled into Mystic Seaport as a pretty much permanent home.
We have exhibited our Paper Jet at this show for the past 7 years and will be there again this year. In 2007 she won the "Outstanding Innovation Award" for introducing many different concepts to wooden boatbuilding. Every year she attracts much attention, standing out as something very different among the mostly traditional craft on display by amateur and professional builders alike.
Dudley sailing Paper Jet on the beautiful Mystic River.
Paper Jet at the Wooden Boat Show 2013
Our booth at the Wooden Boat Show 2013
We will be there again this year. The show runs from 27th to 29th June and your ticket includes full access to the whole of the living museum that is Mystic Seaport. It is well worth the visit. Dehlia and I will both be at the show each day, to show Paper Jet, what other designs we have and to just chat about boats and boating adventures. We hope to meet you there.
Chesapeake Light Craft, the company that cuts and ships our USA kits, will also be there. This is your opportunity to talk to both them and us about a kit that you might like to build. More info on our plywood USA kits.
For more info about us and our boats, please visit our main website at http://dixdesign.com/.
Posted by Dudley Dix at 8:57 AM No comments: Links to this post
A Didi Mini Goes Cruising
The first boat to our Didi Mini design, drawn to the Mini 650 Rule, was built by CKD Boats of Cape Town for owner Mike O'Neill. She was named "Warlock" and never raced in anger. Mike is a superyacht captain and seldom in the same location as his little boat. Eventually he sold her and the new owner commissioned Fluid Yachts, based in the gorgeous town of Knysna, to transform her into a little fast cruiser. The photos below show "Warlock" in her original form and the transformed "iCandy".
Changes include a reworked interior with as many comforts as could be fitted into such a small hull, extension of the deck to the transom, swept-spreader rig for easier handling and a retro-fitted lifting keel to replace the 2m deep fixed keel.
"Warlock" with 2m fixed keel
"Warlock" had the old style Mk1 aft deck.
"iCandy" with lifting keel to access shallower anchorages.
"iCandy" with extended aft deck for a bigger cockpit.
"iCandy" with tall swept-spreader rig for easier control.
"iCandy" now has a retro-fitted aluminium lifting keel.
Keel-lifting tackle of "iCandy".
Looking aft from the massive forward double berth into the saloon.
The new lifting keel of "iCandy" is to our design and can be retro-fitted to any of the Didi Mini or Didi Cruise-Mini series designs. Keel-down draft is 2m, the same as the fixed keel, but it can lift to reduce draft to 1m, for access to shallow moorings or anchorages.
For more about our Didi Mini design series or our other designs, please visit our main website at http://dixdesign.com/ .
Argie 15 - A Boat with Multiple Personalities
The Argie 15 is our most popular design, with about 50 plans sold to builders worldwide every year. I designed it in 1988 for the Argus newspaper group in South Africa, for publication of the full plans in their newspapers around the country. The prototype was built by journalist David Biggs, who wrote their weekly DIY supplement, in which the drawings were first published. It has also been published in magazines in Australia and USA, with amateurs able to build from the articles. We can only record plan sales and have no idea how many have been built from those publications.
Newly launched Argie 15 prototype, Dudley at helm.
The Argie 15 started life as a large 3:1 dinghy, able to be rowed, sailed or motored. The design brief was for as large a dinghy as could be built from 6 sheets of plywood. To that I added the ability to be used for camp-cruising, so I laid out the cockpit to give enough length and width for two adults to sleep on air mattresses in the cockpit, under a boom tent.
Over the years that followed, many builders added side seats to make it more comfortable to sail than was possible with the thwart-type seating of the original design. Eventually I added information to the drawings for building with full-length side seats, which added another two sheets of plywood. These also increase safety for sailing in rougher water by reducing splash water entering the cockpit and adding flotation. For camp-cruising, the seats add watertight stowage compartments for clothing and food.
The Argie 15 has proven to be a very versatile boat, well beyond the scope of the original design. It was intended as a large open boat for family fun but has proven capable of so much more.
This photo of Nick Fairley's boat shows the capacity of the Argie 15 pretty well.
The late Colin Farlam, a larger-than-life character around the yacht clubs of Cape Town, liked to tell the story of his first sail in an Argie 15. He was visiting a friend at Zeekoevlei, the lake where I grew up and did most of my small boat sailing. The Zeekoevlei Yacht Club fleet was on the water, racing in quite strong conditions. There was an Argie 15 on the lawn and the friend said "Come, lets go race the Fireballs". Colin's response was "We can't race them in that". They did "race them in that" and Colin was shocked. He told me that they could hold the Fireballs on all headings except that they sailed a fraction lower to windward. Not bad for a 3:1 family dinghy. But this 3:1 family dinghy can pick up it's skirts and fly like no 3:1 family dinghy is supposed to do. Colin immediately bought one for himself and later declared to me that the Argie 15 was the best dinghy that he had ever sailed.
The Argie 15 has classic styling, with a springy sheer and good freeboard. That makes it a dry boat in lumpy water and well-suited to fishing in moderate coastal conditions. This was the plan of Pete Frielinnghaus when he fitted a centre console and 30hp outboard to his Argie 15. He reports that it can do more than 20 knots. Pretty good for a 3:1 family dinghy.
Pete Frielinghaus in his Argie 15 centre console fishing boat.
After the 2004 tsunami, I was approached by a church organisation from California, asking if I had a design that could be used to help replace the decimated subsistence fishing fleets. I donated the Argie 15 design for as many boats as they needed to build. They cut plywood component kits and supplied the kits plus all other materials needed, as well as training, to allow fishermen to build the boats on the beach in India. I have no idea how many were built this way.
The Argie 15 would be a great boat for raid-type adventure sailing events. It has the load capacity to carry the crew plus stores, camping gear etc. It is fast enough to get there ahead of most of the competition. It is light enough to be portaged over short distances or trailed on a dolly for longer overland legs.
I have been promising myself for years that I will build an Argie 15 for myself. Somehow there has always been some other project or adventure in the way, so it hasn't happened. This would be a good boat to take to the Wooden Boat Show at Mystic Seaport. I must pull finger and build one to take to the show in the next year or two.
Construction is the most basic of basic boatbuilding methods, stitch-&-glue plywood. It uses 6mm plywood that is jointed mostly with fibreglass tape and resin. This method sometimes produces rather boxy shapes but the Argie 15 manages to be quite elegant. It can be built from plans only, with components drawn full-size from dimensioned diagrams on the drawings. An optional extra is to order full-size patterns that save the measuring work by supplying printed patterns of the components, for the builder to transfer onto the plywood.
Pre-cut kits of all plywood components are also available from suppliers in a few countries. Our USA kits are cut and shipped by Chesapeake Light Craft in Annapolis but must be ordered from us direct. For suppliers in other countries go to our kits page.
There are many sailing videos on-line of the Argie 15. A new one by Justin Philips of Nick Fairley's new Argie 15 sailing in about 12 knots of breeze, shows how responsive and quick it is, tacking on a tickey and accelerating very quickly out of turns. http://youtu.be/gNFx8FHGiww
To see our full range of designs, please visit http://dixdesign.com/ .
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Dudley Dix
I have been designing boats professionally since 1979 when I won the Cruising World Design Competition. As an amateur boatbuilder myself, my roots are in amateur boatbuilding. I have drawn many designs that are suited to building by amateurs and even first time builders. My preference is for fast boats, so even my cruisers display a good turn of speed.
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