Saturday, October 11, 2008

The Power User's BlackBerry Guide

CrackBerry addicts, are you ready to take your BlackBerry to the next level? In this list, you'll find some of the most awesome tips, hacks, how-tos and guides for the BlackBerry, making it easy for just about anyone to become a power user.

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Prince - 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' (Live George Harrison Tribute)

Friday, October 10, 2008

10 Awesome Benefits of Drinking Beer

10 Awesome Benefits of Drinking Beer: "So, your friends tell you that you drink too much. Your significant other tells you that you drink too much. Tell them to shove it - you’re protecting yourself against Atherosclerosis and 9 other ailments!

Now, after a century of studies, scientists have confirmed there are realized benefits of a nice cold beer."

How Long Until We Find a Second Earth?


How Long Until We Find a Second Earth?: "Gliese 876 is a modest star, just one-third the mass of our sun and only 15 light-years away, but it has a history-making planetary system all its own. In 1998 a team led by Geoff Marcy of the University of California at Berkeley detected the first sign of something interesting there: a giant planet, twice the mass of Jupiter, circling Gliese 876 once every two months, its gravity yanking the star back and forth at the speed of a jet plane. Three years later the same group found a second planet, half the mass of Jupiter and closer in, pulling the star around at the speed of a race car. Although the planets are too faint to be seen directly, their motions cause the star’s spectrum to wobble back and forth across the digital detector of an astronomical telescope."

8 Strategies For Successful Relations With Clients

8 Strategies For Successful Relations With Clients : "Let’s face it. Some days, you want to just fire your clients. You go through one too many comps, iterations or edits and you’ve had enough. It has happened to everyone at least once and I’d be lying if I said it won’t happen again; you get to the end of a project and realize that you would have made more per hour flipping burgers at McDonald’s. Thankfully, as with most common problems, there are a few simple guidelines that you can follow to help make sure that you’re never working for below minimum wage."

The Year in Beer: Beer Drinking in America by Volume


Only China is has a greater thirst, but they also have an extra billion people's thirst to quench so with only one fourth of the population, we certainly hold our own.

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Economic indicators: Lipstick, booze, hemlines and the box office


Economic indicators: Lipstick, booze, hemlines and the box office : "During these turbulent economic times, all eyes are glued to the major market indexes: the S&P 500, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the Nasdaq Composite. But there are other indicators out there. Take beer and lipstick. They're part of an Everyman's economic index. Here's what they can--and can't--tell you about the economy."

Man kills bear with stick


Man kills bear with stick (and he's got the scars to prove it): "A man who was attacked by a black bear while walking his dogs survived only after crushing the creature's skull with a stick.

Jim West needed 60 stitches on his head and body to close wounds from the terrifying attack.

The 45 year old was out walking his dogs on Saturday in British Columbia, Canada, when, he said, he heard a grunt and turned around."

London Traffic Signal

Dow Jones Industrial Average (1900 - Present)

Click here for more Graphs

Awesome Animal Dads in the Animal Kingdom

Awesome Animal Dads in the Animal Kingdom: "The trials and tribulations of being a parent is never easy. In the animal kingdom, it is even more trying, as everything depends on survival. It is often believed that when it comes to parenting, the males of the animal world shirk their responsibilities and leave it up to the mother. But this isn't necessarily true with some species. When it comes to parenting, these dads put it all on the line for their young's survival."

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Review: Acer's $399 Notebook


Review: Acer's $399 Net, er, notebook : "Our resident cheapskate spied the Acer Aspire 5735 earlier this week. I just finished reviewing this 15.6-inch laptop and have only minor quibbles with what amounts to a ridiculous deal. The Aspire 5735 lists for $499 but is currently selling at Best Buy for $399. I mean, how critical can one be of such a low-cost, fully featured laptop? With a cheap laptop, all you really need to know is that it is not terrible. And after banging on the Aspire 5735 this week, I can tell you that it is not terrible."

One-Organism Ecosystem Discovered in African Gold Mine

One-Organism Ecosystem Discovered in African Gold Mine: "In the hot, dark water of a South African mine, scientists have found the world's loneliest species.

Everywhere else biologists have studied life on our planet, they've found communities of life, but today, biologists announced they have discovered an ecosystem that contains just a single species of bacteria.

In all other known ecosystems, the key functions of life -- harvesting energy and elements like carbon and nitrogen from the environment -- have been shared among different species. But in the water of the Mponeng gold mine, two miles under the earth's surface, Desulforudis audaxviator carries out all of those functions by itself. In short, it's the tidiest package of life found yet.

Viatorgenome 'It is possible to pack everything necessary for maintaining life into one genome,' said Dylan Chivian of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory."

10 Ways to Eat More Bacon

10 Ways to Eat More Bacon : "Metallica’s tour rider notes: BACON VERY IMPORTANT THAT BACON BE AVAILABLE AT EVERY MEAL AND DURING DAY. [Caps are theirs.] Yes, bacon sure does rock. It’s crunchy, salty, and incredibly versatile. What other ingredient could fill the needs of every meal, whether chopped and sprinkled on a salad, served fresh out of the frying pan alongside a platter of scrambled eggs and hash browns, or even made into a sweet-salty dessert? Or incorporated into one of these more unusual foods:"

New pain relief that is eight times stronger than morphine

New pain relief that is eight times stronger than morphine: "The revolutionary technique involves an injection that can combat serious discomfort for more than three days - 14 times as long as morphine.

The substance, which can be injected, appears to have few side effects and works by neutralising the chemical in the body that causes the brain to feel pain.

A team at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Medicine have pinpointed the identity of a particular 'pain protein' in nerve cells and have found a way of converting it from a substance that causes pain into ones that suppress it.

'This protein has the potential to be a groundbreaking treatment for pain,' said lead study author Mark Zylka, assistant professor of cell and molecular physiology at UNC."

Tiny mouse kills snake


Tiny mouse kills snake: "Firefighters in Taiwan caught a 35cm snake and put it into a cage for safe-keeping. They found a tiny mouse and threw him into the cage as food for the snake but what happened next was hard to believe.

The tiny mouse became so aggressive when he saw the snake in the cage that he started to attack it, bite it and scratch it continuously.

After a vicious 30 minute battle, the snake was dead and the mouse was left with hardly a scratch."

KU sends students video of Mangino asking for end to explicit chant

KU sends students video of Mangino asking for end to explicit chant: "Kansas University football coach Mark Mangino asked students to stop an obscene football chant today.

The video was distributed to university students by e-mail this afternoon, asking them to stop yelling “rip his (expletive) head off” after Kansas kickoffs.

Mangino thanked the students for their support and praised the university’s many traditions.

“But do us a favor,” Mangino said in the vide"

Yankz Turn Lace-Ups into Slip-Ons


Yankz Turn Lace-Ups into Slip-Ons: "I'm strictly a Gucci Loafer man. The prized shoes never leave my feet -- I even have little waterproof 'shower cosies' for them. But if I was into old-fashioned lace-ups, I might want to turn them into equally stylish slip-ons with these Yankz Sure Laces."

10 Famous People and Their Drug Habits


The Quick 10: 10 Famous People and Their Drug Habits: "New book recommendation! Assuming you’ve already pre-ordered the mental_floss History of the World, that is. It’s called Genius and Heroin, by Michael Largo, who is the same guy that wrote Final Exits. It’s also a super-interesting read, if you haven’t heard of it. Genius is full of stories about famous people and what they were addicted to – drugs, sex, work, food. It’s really fascinating, and it’s perfect Quick 10 Material.

I’m going to stick to drugs today… ummm… that didn’t come out quite right.

Today’s list will focus chiefly on drug addictions, but don’t be surprised if there’s a Quick 10 around the corner about non-drug addictions. Errol Flynn was apparently a sex fiend. Anyway. On with the list!"

Gecko-like glue is said to be stickiest yet


Gecko-like glue is said to be stickiest yet: "CHICAGO (Reuters) - A new type of dry glue designed to mimic gecko feet is 10 times stickier than the gravity-defying lizards, and three times stickier than other gecko-inspired glues, U.S. researchers said on Thursday.

'It's the stickiest dry glue yet,' said Liming Dai of the University of Dayton, who reported on the glue in the journal Science."

Nasa: 50 Consumer Technologies Developed by NASA in the Last 50 Years


Nasa: 50 Consumer Technologies Developed by NASA in the Last 50 Years: "Every year NASA publishes a new edition of their Spinoff magazine, a periodical that outlines NASA-based technologies that have disseminated into everyday devices, improving our lives beyond giving us some nifty new desktop wallpapers. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Spinoff, and to celebrate, NASA has created a 'best of' list (that we pasted after the jump). From the aerodynamic principles applied to tractor trailers to advanced imaging techniques that allow 360-degree Real Estate photo tours, NASA demonstrates that their technological breakthroughs are about more than just sticking an American flag on the moon."

Amazing Feats of Survival

Amazing Feats of Survival : "While it's true that every next breath is a matter of life or death, there are some feats of survival that reach the level of astounding phenomena. Even in our best, most mantastic days, could we crawl 200 miles back to camp after being mauled by a bear? What would we ever do if lost for a week in the middle of a sweltering desert with nothing to drink but bat blood and our own urine?

The answers to these questions are probably far less impressive than the stories we highlight below.

Asylum salutes the men and women who found themselves at the end of their ropes, or without a rope, and beat the odds. They didn't all manage to escape in one piece, but they all survived to tell the tale."

14 Of The Biggest Upsets In College Football History


14 Of The Biggest Upsets In College Football History : "Everyone loves upsets. Well, not the team that loses, though--they generally hate upsets. But other than that, everyone loves an upset."

5 Bodies Nobody Ever Found


5 Bodies Nobody Ever Found: "The wreckage of Steve Fossett’s plane was located last month, but it’s still too early to say with absolute certainty that Fossett’s body has been found. (Partial remains are currently undergoing DNA analysis.) Here are five bodies we still haven’t stumbled across, even after all these years."

How To Give a Public Speech and Still Appear Confidents

How To Give a Public Speech and Still Appear Confident: "Public speaking . . . it’s the number one fear of most adults. That fear is even greater if you happen to be shy.

Yet, most small business owners will be required to make a public presentation at some point in their career.

Whether it’s a proposal presented to clients, or a talk before a professional organization, the ability to speak well in public can bolster your freelancer business in ways that nothing else can.

Quickly, some of the benefits you can get from making a public presentation include:"

Vintage Audi Catalog

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Top 10 Worst Trick-or-Treat Candies


Top 10 Worst Trick-or-Treat Candies - HorrorMovies.ca: "With Halloween fast approaching, one thing is on kids and adults minds: candy. Even with what seems to be shortened Trick Or Treat hours and crazy rules for kids these days, you know all they want is to get their hands on a huge candy booty. And if you are a parent you know you look forward to sneaking some of that candy after the little ones go to bed. So what does it take to keep these kids and parents happy? Well one thing is for certain, it probably wont be anything on this list. You can have the creepiest house and have all the horror decorations you want, but if you give out these to trick or treater's then you may find yourself wiping egg residue off your precious decorations."

10) Bubble Gum- Here's the thing about bubble gum and Halloween.....you cant eat it. Not only that but the gum that you usually get for Halloween loses its flavor in about 15 seconds and even if you decided to keep chewing it after the flavor is gone, it starts to get hard to chew overtime. And lets not forget that sometimes the gum can be hard as a rock, and that's the last thing you want when reaching for a piece of gum. And don't even get me started on getting a single stick of Wrigley's gum in a candy bag.

9) Dum Dum Suckers- I just don't get the point of these. They are the tiniest little suckers ever so its almost an insult to big suckers like tootsie pops or blow pops. They come in a variety of nasty flavors like butterscotch, buttered popcorn, and ever 'mystery' flavor. If you do happen to get a flavor worthwhile, you get all the way to the end in like 2 minutes and the cheap stick that it's on gets all soggy and tastes terrible. Do everyone a favor and avoid these and get something bigger.

8) Mounds/Almond Joy- One thing I've come to figure out is there are a LOT of people who don't like coconut, kids and adults. So you can understand how nothing ruins Halloween candy more than seeing a large amount of chocolate only to see a bunch of Mounds or Almond Joy's that have to get throw out. There aren't many other candies made with coconut, so shouldn't that be the first indication that nobody likes coconut, chocolate coated or not.

7) Bit-o-honeys- Who ever decided to make a candy to taste like honey and put a bee on the package to appeal to kids made a mistake. These things are just a failed attempt to do something different with a taffy style candy, but in the end the remain uneaten. They are hard, they stick to your teeth, and they just taste awful. They used to at least coat them with chocolate which made them tolerable, but you never see the choc-o-honeys in Halloween candy sizes. Oh and the fact that little pieces of the wrapper always seem to get stuck to the candy makes it even less appetizing.

6) Apples- I know an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but who ever came up with the bright idea to put an apple in a kids bag? Kids have a tough enough time eating fruits and vegetables when their parents tell them to, so its no wonder that apples at Halloween either get discarded or thrown back at the house it came from. If you are gonna give a kid an apple, you at least should make sure its a Candy or Carmel apple because at least then there is some sugar to go with it.

5) Smarties- You get home from a busy day or trick or treating and dump out your candy bag on the living room floor. The first thing you notice is a plethora of Smarties. It seems like everyone thinks Smarties are a good thing, but you get way too many of them to enjoy. To alter a joke from the late comedian Mitch Hedberg, Smarties are like pancakes: "all encompassing at first but by the end you're f'n sick of em." With so dozens of packs of smarties in a candy bag, it's only a matter of time before they all begin to taste like chalk.

4) Halloween Popcorn Balls- I never really understood the point of the popcorn balls for trick or treaters. It's not quite popcorn and its not quite caramel corn, but they most likely are disgusting. Popcorn balls on Halloween are the equivalent of fruit cake for Christmas. Everyone thinks its a good idea to make them but very few people actually eat them. It's a failed attempt to make a healthy snack fun. When the only thing fun about them whipping them at your younger sibling or using them as a bowling ball, it probably means they suck. And they are even nastier when they are colored. Eww.

3) Candy Corn- This one is tough for me to put on my list because I personally love candy corn. Give me a bag of the pumpkin ones and I'll be your friend for life. However, I have learned that I am in the minority when it comes to candy corn. It seems this candy staple in Halloween time is about as popular as rain while trick or treating. Candy corn is just too sweet for most people, but what do you expect when it's made out of nothing but sugar, corn syrup, marsh mellows and honey. 20 million pounds of candy corn is sold each year, but apparently not that many people enjoy to eat it.

2) Change- Ok so it's not candy, but after sifting through your candy haul there always seems to be some loose change underneath the pile. Really? Who actually thinks giving kids a handful of change instead of candy was a good idea. If you really don't want to give kids candy, at least don't give them money. All they are gonna do is use the change to buy candy anyways....that is if you can even find a place to sell you something for .12 cents. With all the money these houses probably shell out in an evening, they could of at least attempted to buy a cheap bag of candy instead. At least then it would look like you're trying to please the little ones.

1) Mary Jane Peanut Butter Kisses (the orange and black things)- How can this not be number one? I am sure the name threw people off as many people don't even know what they are called. Whether you know the name or not, you mostly likely know that these candies are awful. The crazy thing is that very few people like them but TONS of people seem to give them out. They try and make them all "Halloween" in the orange and black wrappers, but there is nothing that people hate more about Halloween than these candies.

The Worst 'Healthy' Foods

The Worst 'Healthy' Foods: "If you want to lose weight, it may seem like a good idea to trade candy bars for granola bars or to swap bacon and eggs at breakfast for the classic bagel (it’s shaped like a zero; how bad could it be?).

Sadly, it’s just not that simple. Customers’ nutrition knowledge is rising, so food marketers are desperate to attract the right kind of attention from the eating public. So they’re twisting nutritional buzzwords to trick us into eating the kinds of foods that can actually help make us fat. We need to be more careful than ever to make sure we’re feeding ourselves and our families the very best real health foods — not sugar-infused calorie bombs disguised as weight-loss foods.

Read up for our latest batch of dietary phonies. They may look good on the front label, but they’ll get you in the end if you're not careful."

Dominant Pitching Seasons

People Love Angry-Faced Cars

People Love Angry-Faced Cars: "If a Toyota Prius just looks too friendly for your tastes, you’re not alone. People readily see faces and traits in cars, and a new study suggests that they prefer cars to appear dominant, masculine and angry.

The finding rests on the propensity we have to actually see faces or human characteristics in everything from cars to clouds, a phenomenon called pareidolia. But now researchers hope to better understand what goes on in the brain when people see faces in objects versus humans faces, as well as help automakers design more appealing cars.

'When investing in a new passenger car, you're talking about billions,' said Truls Thorstensen, head of EFS Consulting Vienna. 'If you get the wrong styling, you get problems.'"

The man who reads dictionaries


The man who reads dictionaries: "Ammon Shea spent a year reading the Oxford English Dictionary - 20 volumes, 21,730 pages and 59 million words - and he rates poring over a dictionary as enriching as reading a novel. Why?"

Audi to Launch Small Affordable Electric Cars


Audi has confirmed plans to launch a small all-electric city car, most likely based on the VW Up! concept. Speaking at last weeks Paris Motor Show, Audi management board member, Peter Schwarzenbauer, said, “we will offer a pure electric car.” He also revealed that the electric Audi “will not be based on the A1,” the firm’s premium supermini.

read more | digg story

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Sharpie Magic


Sharpie Magic: "Charlie Kratzer decorated the walls of the basement in his south Lexington, Kentucky home with $10 worth of Sharpie markers. The walls started as a cream color, but are now illustrated with fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes, Winston Churchill lounging with George Bernard Shaw — and the TV squirrel Rocky and his less adroit moose pal Bullwinkle."

Mark Wahlberg Talks to Animals

Book Review: The Battle For Wine And Love by Alice Feiring


Review by Brooke Cheshier - Brooke spends most weekends watching SEC Football and stealing blackberries from the neighbor's yard. When she's not staring blankly at the computer (she is working on her first book), Brooke moonlights as a freelance/marketing copywriter in Napa Valley and is the Wine Correspondent for G - The Magazine of Greenville.

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Who Does She Think She Is?

Classic Ads: The Best Of Cigarette Pseudoscience


Classic Ads: The Best Of Cigarette Pseudoscience: "esterday, the Supreme Court heard arguments in a class action case accusing the tobacco industry of fraud for its marketing campaign aimed at convincing the public that 'light' cigarettes are safer. This just shows you how far we've come: 50 years ago, we would have had to call the Supreme Court to determine which brand has the smoothest flavor for your T-Zone'! Coincidentally, the New York Public Library is now holding a huge exhibition of hi-larious old cigarette ads. With doctors! Babies! Blackface! And other outrages! In honor of our nation's justice system, the 15 best are below:"

Photos of Tiny Animals In People's Hand


Photos of Tiny Animals In People's Hand

Parents Charged in Faith Healing Case

Parents Charged in Faith Healing Case: "The prosecution of an Oregon couple who allegedly tried to heal their dying son with prayer has focused attention on laws that, in some cases, allow parents to treat their children with faith.
The Beagleys prayed for their son instead of seeking medical attention.

Jeffrey Dean Beagley, 50, and Marci Rae Beagley, 46, pleaded not guilty on Friday to criminally negligent homicide charges in the death of their son, 16-year-old Neil Jeffrey Beagley.

Neil died June 17 from complications of a urinary tract blockage, according to medical examiners. The condition, which doctors say is easily treatable, caused kidney and heart failure."

10 Great Songs about City Destruction


10 Great Songs about City Destruction: "Here’s a list of what happens when rock takes aim at your favorite town."

Incredible Pictures of Earth from Above


Photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand will bring his work to the United States for the first time in 2009. Aiming to inspire people to think globally about sustainable living, Arthus-Bertrand has been photographing unique views of our planet, seen from the sky, since 1994 - and has produced an exhibit of over 150 4-ft. by 6-ft. prints

read more | digg story

Monday, October 6, 2008

Teens Not Sleeping Enough Because of Their Gadgets


Teens Not Sleeping Enough Because of Their Gadgets .: "This is definitely one of those studies that doesn't surprise me. An Australian study has shown that over 50 percent of third- and fourth-year high-school students aren't getting enough sleep because they are too busy playing games, watching TV, listening to their iPod, or chatting on the phone."

Celebration Of Smoke Photography and Smoke Art


Celebration Of Smoke Photography and Smoke Art : "In this edition of our Monday Inspiration series, we present 60 examples of beautiful smoke photography and smoke art: a round-up of some of the best examples of photos and artworks where smoke dominates. At the bottom of this post are some links to tutorials on creating your own smoke photographs, as well as other resources on the subject."

24 Words the CED Want to Exuviate (Shed)

24 Words the CED Want to Exuviate (Shed): "Here are a list of words the Collins English Dictionary want to discard to make room for up to 2,000 new entries."

Click here

The amazing photographs that show the world's most famous landmarks replaced by cheap souvenirs


The amazing photographs that show the world's most famous landmarks replaced by cheap souvenirs: "At a moment's glance this picture could be the real Big Ben.

But then you notice the hand below and the incredible optical illusion is revealed.

Tourist Michael Hughes today unveiled his extraordinary holiday snaps of the world's famous landmarks - perfectly blended with cheap souvenirs.

Michael, 56, stumbled across his unusual technique in 1998 and has perfected it after travelling to hundreds of famous sights.

His series of stunning photos include a Golden Gate fridge magnet slotted ideally into the San Francisco landscape."

Readers’ Rock List: Sports Anthems : Rolling Stone

Readers’ Rock List: Sports Anthems : Rolling Stone : "With the baseball playoffs in full swing, last week we asked the readers to tell us their sports anthems. After sorting through information like the Vancouver Canucks’ goal song and what Dio song the Phillies’ Pat Burrell comes to the plate to, we can reveal that Guns N’ Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle” is your favorite stadium rocker, beating out a pair of tunes by AC/DC, Metallica and the White Stripes song that has become the unofficial theme song for soccer hooligans. Check out the list below:

1. Guns N’ Roses — “Welcome to the Jungle”
2. AC/DC — “Thunderstruck”
3. Metallica — “Enter Sandman”
4. AC/DC — “Hell’s Bells”
5. White Stripes — “Seven Nation Army”
6. Ozzy Osbourne — “Crazy Train”
7. U2 — “Vertigo”
8. Ramones — “Blitzkrieg Bop”
9. Todd Rundgren — “Bang The Drum All Day”
10. House of Pain — “Jump Around”"

8 Best Albums to Get Over a Breakup


The post break-up period can be terrible. That’s why we’ve put together a list of the eight best musical albums to listen to while you put your ex behind you. You want a soundtrack for your sadness, but what should you put on? Coming from an indie-rock prick who faces this dilemma all too often, here are some suggestions:

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The Measure of a President

The Measure of a President: During the Presidential campaign, much has been made of Barack Obama’s slender physique, with some commentators going so far as to argue that he is too thin for most Americans to relate to him. Does candidate height and weight play a role in electoral success? With Mr. Obama and John McCain set to square off in the second of three presidential debates tomorrow, it seemed worth taking a look through recent history.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

David Letterman NBC Years and Earlier

Wisconsin band suspended for hazing

Wisconsin band suspended for hazing: "The University of Wisconsin marching band has been suspended indefinitely while allegations of hazing, alcohol abuse and sexual misconduct are investigated.

The band won't play Saturday during a nationally televised football game between the No. 18 Badgers and No. 14 Ohio State at Camp Randall Stadium.

The university made the announcement at a hastily called news conference Friday night, saying the behavior is consistent with conduct that put the band on probation in 2006.

Mike Leckrone, band director since 1969, said he made the decision and it was the first time in his tenure the entire band has ever been suspended and prevented from playing at a game."

The Most Popular Life Style on Earth


The Most Popular Life Style on Earth: "Forget lions, tigers, and sharks. The billions of tiny parasites that make a living castrating and brainwashing their hosts may be the new kings of the food web."

Prehistoric cave paintings took up to 20,000 years to complete


Prehistoric cave paintings took up to 20,000 years to complete - Telegraph: "It may have taken Michelangelo four long years to paint his fresco on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, but his earliest predecessors spent considerably longer perfecting their own masterpieces.

Expectations