The Herald: July 2006 Edition

[The Herald]

This month has been one hectic thing after the other. I write this editor’s note listening to my newest acquisition – Sandi Thom’s new CD smile... it confuses people – which leads me to wonder why smiling would confuse people. Now that I think about it, smiling is contagious. Someone smiling at me causes me to smile back. Sure, it kicks the blues away. Someone taking the time out of their day to give you a small gift – taking the time of day to smile at you, to pass on a small shred of their happiness – is something that shouldn’t be turned away. Some just duck their heads, smile and walk on. Some just walk past it altogether.

Next time you walk past someone or talk to someone who looks like they’ve had a bad day, just smile. If anything, at least you know that you didn’t put negative vibes out into the world that day and you have something to feel happy about it.

Moving onto sadder notes, I just want to make my own little tribute to one of the people that graced us with their presence once and will no longer. We send out love, prayers and thoughts to Cody’s family from us all at The Herald. Included in the magazine this month is a tribute to him from us all. May you now fly free. Fly among dreams -- fly among the heights that we all aspire to. We'll miss you, but we'll see you there.

Onto a lighter note, I’m really impressed with the number of applications that were sent in this month. I’ll be looking through them over the next few days and narrowing down the candidates with the help of the team. Keep your eyes peeled!

Moreover, let's hit up the contest of Cat and Mouse. I read through the entries sent in and looked at the photos and alas, we have some winners!

Photo:


Literature:
They say I am poisonous
But they fail to see

The life within me

They say I am dull
But they fail to see

The colour within me

They say I am lifeless
But they fail to see

The spark within me

They say I am ugly
But they fail to see

The beauty within me

They say
We are cowards to always stay together
But they fail to see

The harmony.

Look out for next month's section!

Enjoy this month’s issue.

[The Herald]

You Were
Written by Kay
In Dedication of Cody

You were a coder, an inspiration, a friend
Now suddenly your life has come to an end
You were here for those that needed you most
Though you could've, you never allowed yourself to boast.
You've been within our community for years
Your empty presence has brought us to tears.
Cody, you kept well to yourself,
But you were always there to help.
Some may not remember,
But you were a dedicated staff member.
Trying never to do a bad deed,
Always wanting to succeed.
Yet even though sadly you're gone,
We have no choice but to keep pressing on.
So with every little thing that we do,
Our thoughts and prayers will forever remain with you.
Rest In Peace Cody.
Your memory will live on forever.

---

In the last month, the SSD and the ProBoards community were hit by a tragedy like no other.

Cody, also known as california or cali, has passed on. He has been a dedicated member to the PB Community for the last couple of years and he was also the proud owner of SoCal.

All of our thoughts and prayers go out to Cody's family and close friends.

---

The following are song lyrics that are dedicated to Cody.

Eagles Fly by Sammy Hagar
Dedicated by Jim


Sunday morning 9 a.m.
I saw fire in the sky
I felt my heart pound in my chest
I heard an eagle cry
Now I'm alive I can breathe the air
Feel the wind, smell the earth in the air
I watch an eagle rise above the trees
Project myself into what he sees
Hey-
Take me away
Come on and fly me away
Take me up so high
Where eagles fly
I often dream I sail through the sky
I've always wished I could fly
The simple life of a bird on the wing
Oh Lord, I could sing
Take me away
Come on fly me away
Lift me up so high
Where eagles fly
Oh yeah-
I'm alive, I breathe the air
Wash the earth from my face
I catch a glimpse of another dream
I turn, I look but there's no trace
Take me away
Come on, fly me away
I wanna fly away
Pick me up so high
Where eagles fly
Oh yeah-
Eagles fly, oh, take me away
Eagles fly, oh, take me away
Come on, let's fly away where eagles fly
Come on, fly away where eagles fly

---

Simple Man by Shinedown
Dedicated by Kay & Jim


Well, Momma told me
When I was young
Said sit beside me, my only son
And listen closely to what I say
And if you do this, it'll help you some sunny day (ahhh ya)

Oh, take your time
Don't live too fast
Troubles will come
And they will pass
You'll find a woman
And you'll find love
And don't forget that there is someone up above

And be a simple kind of man
Oh, be something you love and understand
Baby, be a simple kind of man
Oh, won't you do this for me son, if you can

Forget your lust
For rich man's gold
All that you need now
Is in your soul
And you can do this, oh baby, if you try
All that I want from you my son, is to be satisfied

And be a simple kind of man
Be something you love and understand
Baby, be a simple kind of man
Won't you do this for me son, if you can

Oh, don't you worry
You'll find yourself
Follow your heart
And nothing else
And you can do this, oh baby, if you try
All that I want from you my son, is to be satisfied

And be a simple kind of man
Be something you love and understand
baby, be a simple kind of man
Oh, won't you do this for me, son, if you can
So baby, be a simple be a simple man
Oh, won't you do this for me, son, if you can

[The Herald]

At the start of last month, I would have expected that my hair would be melting down the side of my face, due to the warm weather we have been having. However, England has its advantages and it is dull and cloudy, and like they say, live it and love it.

(Ed: Any of you people that want to trade a summer for a winter... let me know. I’m quite happy to trade.)

A Tribute to California
As many of you now know California recently passed away. I feel it is only fair that we give him a mention here. We have lost a member who voluntarily gave up his own time to help others; someone who was keen to share his coding knowledge with other people and run his own community. It is a tragic loss to SSD and many other forums around us. All that is left to say is thank you. Thank you to California, thank you to the members who have left their positive messages and made kind gestures such as little signatures to wear. Just... thank you.

Staff Changes
Photoshop: c130 (AKA Grace) has returned from her exam leave to resume her duties in the Photoshop board. The team would like to thank Josh for his excellent support in that area, but you can still catch him in the duels board.

Coding: David [hp] is now a coding moderator, he is a man who will give you the help you need or those requests that you crave. I don’t think I could think of anyone more deserving for this than he is. Welcome to the team.

Show Off: You will most likely being seeing a lot less of me over the next month. Eternity will be in charge of show off along with Happy! I hope to have a little present for you all by the time I resume. I’d like to say a big thank you in advance to this kind lady for helping me out like that.

SOTW: While I am away, the more than capable Jonny and C130 will cater for SOTW. These are two people who I cannot thank enough for being around to help me with decisions regarding winners and entries.

Coding Area
As you may have noticed, the coding area is less active than I and a lot of others expect. Over the coming weeks, you shall see a questionnaire pinned up for you all to reply to. The main aim is to really gauge what people’s thoughts are and what we can do to turn it around. You shall also see other little changes shortly.

Version 6
Is soon. I realize I might have slightly thrown people when I said about it being “a complete rework of the current design.” Well it is something new, not based on what we have at the moment.

Meanwhile, enjoy your summer while I go out to get some more apple juice. (Yes, Ollie, I realise that you’re currently deprived of it. Y’know, England really should get some juice stores...)

Enjoy this month’s issue!

Oliver.

[The Herald]

Signatures, forums, and hockey go at the forefront of this member’s mind. This is someone who has been at SSD since the early days. I can’t ignore the fact that they have not always been on the right side of the rules on the forums. However, this is one member you can’t really place into a single area of expertise. Whether it be voting, duelling, chatting, or commenting, Adam aka LPF, Vampy, Shinoda is your man. Congratulations.

July Birthdays



Stable Oxidation is a template that doesn't use the conventional colour system of several shades of one colour. Instead, "The Order" (a collaboration between our own Ovi and Hp.mad) have chosen two contrasting colours, but they work so well together.

It is a breath of fresh air in the template world to see such rarely used colours not only used, but used together! The whole look of this template is superb. With a simplistic approach the pair have achieved a very usable (and I foresee very popular) pre-made.

Although it is not a complete template (the only icons provided are those seen on the front page), it would not be difficult to find matching icons elsewhere to fit the look of the template, as either turquoise or pink icons would work brilliantly.

I strongly suggest that you give this template a try; it could give your proboard a new and refreshing look amid the sea of grey and technical forums.

Avatar of the Month

I love the uniqueness of this avatar. It's got just the right amount of animation, and I've never seen anything like it. Though some may consider it "n00bish", I'm considering it the AOTM for July! Congrats.

Signature of the Month

Noticeable, yet subtle; love the work, Jonny. You only used black and white, which is rare for someone to pull off, and it looks great. You do a great job of advertising, but yet pulling the attention of everybody in as well. The use of your own photo is a must with you, but it looks great. Keep up the great work Jonnyboy! Congrats.



Aidan The Punk by Headbanger

If there is any specific medium I love more than anything when it comes to photography, it’s film, even more so if it’s black and white and, dare I say it, if the film is Ilford!

And good grief, when I looked in my board on July the 11th I had one photo that bore all of those marvellous qualities. In my opinion, it is evident that the texture and feel of the photo is instantly boosted by the use of film. I also like the pose: I think the "model" has a nice posture and fits within the frame well. The only thing I that bugs me is the fact that the hair has been clipped at the top, although I’m being fussy!

Well done Headbanger!



Lost in You
Your mind is like a maze
The walls constantly changing
Your thoughts always moving
Obscure motions walking the paths.

I follow the maze
Watching the walls
Reading the thoughts
Pay attention to your motions.

I'm lost in you
The walls brought me in
The thoughts cast a spell and
The motions captured me.

“Lost In You”, written by Sirius Wolfsbane.

Sirius says he’s getting used to this positive feedback, and I shouldn’t be encouraging him (especially since he’s been mentioned in literature of the month before), but I cannot help but give this more attention.

This is one of those pieces that simply struck home with me. It may be short, but it’s powerful. It shows in such a beautiful way how changing and testing a person’s mind can be. However, it also shows how easily a person can be pulled in and become lost.
The only downside I see in this is the periods… though I have that reputation for disliking punctuation in poetry, and they can easily be looked over.

Congratulations, Mr. Wolfsbane!

"Ovi, if I had an ounce of humanity left in me, that would have seriously hurt.

Fortunately, I do not.

Expect several lesser demons to visit your house tonight.

They would've been greater demons, but I ran out of summoning chalk.

*goes back to his candles*"
- Mastermind

"I'm serious, Sirius. That is seriously your best piece."
- Pandora

"They definitely overpriced you."

"I am on sale on Walmart only. What else do you expect?"
- Max & Ovi

"Drugs.... I hate drugs, I really like to know why these days in the world I see many druggie people around, in Europe , Asia, America, .... where I have travelled I see druggie people.
really why?"

"Why not?"
- Ellen & Criminal Mastermind

"$367

wtf. <_<"
- Remix (in reference to the humanforsale.com thread)

"Oh don't you worry, the size you posted was way too small. You know me, the bigger the better(but not in any sexual way...maybe) "
- Assassinator

"I'm only just turned 14. Now who’s the n00b. xD"

"You. You're only 14 after all."
- Luke & Lucifer

"Against Costa Rica? I will dance naked on a webcam and put it up in the Show Off board."

"You shall not, but remember I have msn too"
- Michael & Oliver

"My dictionary of philosophy is half in and half out of my apartment, because when it broke the window, it got caught in the mini-blinds and remains suspended."
- Pandora

"Three Brothers + Childhood = Scars + Memories.

Punched my brothers tooth straight into his tooth. Threw a rock at a girl in my grade her head started bleeding got to sit in the corner. -preschool owns- "
- nest!

"Artos, 1,929,000 dollars.
Eternity, 1,482,000 dollars.
Kai, priceless.
There are some things money can't buy, but for everything else, there Solid Snake Master Card."
- K a i

"Edinburgh's full of Americans during the festival. They constantly stop people on Princess Street and ask where the castle is. For anyone who doesn't know the distance between Princess Street and the castle: click."
- The Baron

"I’ve been told before:
"You’re so far in the closet you’re back in Narnia"

But to my best knowledge, I’m straight."
- Criminal Mastermind

"No, I Just lived on a farm until I was two. It wasn't particularly exciting, according to my mum I was very quiet and sat in the garden all day talking to the plants."
- The Baron

"just easy stuff, like Hash or something"

"You can cook hash?

Man i thought growing it was hard enough...."
- Mitch & Criminal Mastermind

"It's well known around my family that I have the creativity of a doorknob when it comes to cooking. Hell, I can't even boil an egg correctly."

"That's prejudiced against doorknobs! You never know, there might be a few out there with artistic flare."
- Kari & Jonny

"Glad to see I'm loved."

"Psh, I was joking. You know it. >_> STOP MAKING ME FEEL BAD!"
- Josh & LPF

"She might as well sue the government for building roads because they are quite dangerous to cross if you don't look both ways first."
- Crazed

"There are people on the internet that aren't who they claim to be!? I am shocked! But, wait- there are also people who are so utterly moronic that it is an incredible achievement that they can think and breathe at the same time? Overwhelming!


--------------------


Here's an easy solution to the mess: put the pervert in prison, and deny the girl the money that is supposed to allocate her asinine claim. Problem solved; the media vultures can go back to promoting doom and gloom about the military quagmire in the shimmering, bloodied sands of the Middle East.

That- and how many times Britney Spears dropped her baby on its head in the past twenty-three seconds."
- Artos

"And when are you going to get pregnant?

"

"We're working on it. "
- Crazy_J & Mitch




“I'm an Englishman, and therefore I crave disappointment. This is why I buy Kinder Surprise.”
– Bill Bailey

“Surrealism is destructive, but it destroys only what it considers to be shackles limiting our vision.”
– Salvador Dali

“Human beings are the only creatures that allow their children to come back home.”
– Bill Cosby

“But the fact that some geniuses were laughed at does not imply that all who are laughed at are geniuses. They laughed at Columbus, they laughed at Fulton, they laughed at the Wright brothers. But they also laughed at Bozo the Clown.”
– Carl Sagan

“Language exerts hidden power, like a moon on the tides.”
– Rita Mae Brown

“You create your opportunities by asking for them.”
– Patty Hansen

“One's first step in wisdom is to question everything - and one's last is to come to terms with everything.”
– Georg Christoph Lichtenberg

“Suburbia is where the developer bulldozes out the trees, then names the streets after them.”
– Bill Vaughan

“In summer, the song sings itself.”
– William Carlos Williams

“Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd.”
– Voltaire

“The most radical revolutionary will become a conservative the day after the revolution.”
– Hannah Arendt

“A painting in a museum hears more ridiculous opinions than anything else in the world.”
– Edmond de Goncourt

[The Herald]

The Alien Beforehand...
9:30 AM rolled around and I was rudely awoken by my dad kicking the bed telling me to get up. I didn't get the best nights sleep, as anxiety kept me up most of the night. I sluggishly got up, got dressed... and all that other morning stuff. My dad and I got in the car and went to a Waffle House for breakfast. My nerves were completely shot, so I wasn't hungry at all. Soon after, we left and were on our way to Whitney's house. After the insane roads and driveway, we were finally there. The address wasn't labeled, so I made a guess and started walking to the door. Soon before I got to the door, her mom opened the door, invited me and my father in, and then left to get Whitney from her room.

From Whitney...
At 8:45am (or was it 8:30?) my alarm went off. I grudgingly got out of bed, though that mood soon wore off as excitement and nervousness– more nervousness than excitement– set in.

I hopped into the shower, trying to both wake up and calm down. I got out after about 30 minutes and pulled on my jeans, blue top, and sandals. I then proceeded to dry my hair, the whole while debating on whether or not to put it up. After much dispute, I finally decided to just leave it down and go find something to eat.

It was now around 10am, and I really didn’t have much to do other than sit and be nervous. I browsed around SSD for awhile, trying to find something to keep me occupied with. I logged off, deciding there wasn’t anything to do there, then walked down our driveway to check the mail and find our puppy. To my dismay, I discovered that our pup had been given away. After all of my bonding with the black, energetic lump that sunk its teeth into my foot… it was gone– given away to some old man in town.

I glanced at the clock as I walked in our front door, finding it to be 11, which meant only one more hour until Mr. Alien and his dad would arrive. Not knowing what else to do, I went and laid down in my room, hoping to nap just a little, though butterflies kept me awake. At 11:30 my mom comes in there, telling me I needed to straighten up the kitchen before they showed up. I got up, spent fifteen minutes on that, and then immediately went and laid back down, managing to fall asleep this time despite my extreme case of butterflies. 15 minutes later, my mom comes in again, telling me that I had company.

I got up, a bit grumpy at having been waken, walked into the living room, and saw my dear alien for the first time ever (well, in a physical sense). It was tempting to suddenly stop and stare at him, though I made myself keep walking, and ended up flopping onto our smaller couch where no one was sitting. The parents talked for awhile; my mom ended up deciding to stay out of work and join us (and I’ll admit I was a bit annoyed at that).

After they finished talking, we– my step-dad, my mom, me, Jim, his dad– all squished into our Ford Focus. Using squished is no exaggeration; Jim and I were up close and personal… though I’m not complaining. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the first thing he said directly to me (though I’ll definitely forget the song name, and have already): he looked straight at him and commented about what was on the radio, “Bron-Y-Aur Stomp by Led Zeppelin.”

For me, it seemed as though the ride to the aquarium/IMAX took ages, though it was probably less than an hour. Having my hair whipping in the wind with no hairband definitely didn’t help, and was annoying to no end. However, we arrived there soon enough, and got our tickets for the IMAX theater at which we were going to see Deep Sea 3-D.

After a few pictures, which I was completely against, we walked over to the IMAX and watched the show. My favorite part of the whole thing would have to be before it even started when Alien and I were sitting outside the building and he had his arm around me. Sure, I felt a little awkward, but it was nice. When the movie ended, we walked over to the River Journey building (the aquarium, if you didn’t know) and walked through it. I really don’t have much to say about it, as all of it felt… awkward.

Before going into the Ocean Journey building we stopped by a restaurant called Cheeseburger Cheeseburger for food, though I didn’t get anything to eat as hunger had… completely left me due to nervousness and awkwardness. Everyone else ate, yadda yadda yadda, and we then made our way to and through the Ocean Journey building. Once again, I can’t really say much about it, as it was all rather awkward.

We squished back into the car after finishing it all and made our way back to my house, though first stopped to pick up my step-brother. I think the awkwardness stopped on the way back to my house, as Jim slipped his arm around me and I scooted up against him some more. It seems as though after that… nothing was really awkward. At least, not like it was before where nothing was happening.

My step-dad asked if Jim and his dad would like to go to a drive-in movie theater, which they agreed to. My parents left to go and get my siblings and Jim’s dad left to go and freshen up (or… to change his shoes or something). Know what that means? It means it was just me, Jim, and my step-brother all alone.

Weston, the step-brother, had been playing Grandma’s Boy on the computer, so I asked him to just pop it into the DVD player. I sat down beside Mr. Alien again, leaned over on him, he put his arm around me, I laid my head in his lap on a pillow, and he slipped his other hand into mine. How I wish I had a picture of it! After all of my grumbling over pictures being taken… I really wish I had one of that. I laid there, completely content, and dozed until the parents came back. Well, wait, I suppose completely content isn’t quite right, as I was rather annoyed over my grandma coming in and smacking me on the butt… but that’s beside the point.

My mom told me I needed to get a few blankets to take to the drive-in theater, so I grumpily got up from my ever-so-comfortable position. I fetched a brown blanket as well as my blue one and my cow pillow. Most of my family (step-dad, mom, step-sister, step-brother, and half-sister) rode in our Focus, whereas me, Jim’s dad, Jim, and my other half-sister rode in their car. I’ll admit I was a little sad that Mr. Alien sat in the front… but that’s okay, because what happened afterward made up for it.

We drove to the drive-in theater (with our blankets, pillow, pizza, and whatever else we had– wait, does an alien count as a carry-on?), which I had actually never been to. Upon arriving, I was hoping that things wouldn’t be too awkward, but was glad to know that my mom didn’t expect Alien and I to sit with them. I took my blue blanket and cow pillow away from them a bit and laid it out on the grass.

The first movie was already playing (American Haunting or something), so I was a little disappointed, as I didn’t know at the time that you got to watch two movies. I laid down on the blanket on my stomach with my cow pillow under my head. Mr. Alien came over, sitting down beside my head on the grass. I looked at him, asking if he planned to sit there, which he replied to with, “For now.” After a few moments of silence he then said, “fine” and moved onto the blanket beside me on his stomach.

He says he was watching the movie to begin with, but all I was doing was laying there staring at his hand. Yes, I was staring at his hand, trying to work up the gut to slip mine into it. After a few minutes, I finally did work up the gut (be proud!), but then once my hand was in his, I was far too uncomfortable and let go, changing my position.

After that, I honestly have no idea what order things happened in. I do, however, know that I was extremely cold and tried to steal the brown blanket away once, though my mom wouldn’t let me. Mr. Alien ended up getting me a sweatshirt, which I still have, mwaha. I’m fairly sure that before that happened I had had my head on his shoulder and arm around him.

All I know is that there was lots and lots of cuddling. I had my head on his shoulder and my arm around him. After an “I love you”, I couldn’t help but want to try and remember everything I could about him. I kept looking at him, not ever wanting to forget anything about him. My hand moved to his head, playing with his hair, and making its way around his face, touching anywhere I could get to on it. (If you don’t like the sappy-ness, you can just get over it or stop reading, mwaha, okay?)

The second movie, Mission Impossible 3, ended far too soon. We got back into the cars, Mr. Alien sat in the backseat with me this time, and started making our way back to my house once again. We had brought my blue blanket and cow pillow along with us in the car, and I was quite glad we did as I was very cold on the way to the theater. I scooted closer to him, laying down with my head in his lap. He leaned over sideways, laying his head on my shoulder. I pulled the blanket up a little, trying to keep out the coldness.

I couldn’t help but keep looking at him for some reason. I didn’t want him to have to leave at all. However, I eventually fell asleep, and we got back to my house far too soon. I woke up as we were pulling into our driveway, and then woke my dear alien. I walked into the house, tossing my blanket and pillow onto my bed, then went into the living room, standing by our green chair.

Not wanting to stand around listening to the parents talk, I went outside, motioning for Mr. Alien to come with me. When he came out there, nothing was said, we just… hugged. I let go after awhile, and lay down on the sidewalk. Alien lay down beside me, lying on his side and putting an arm around me. I cannot describe how hard it was for me to keep back tears then. Knowing that he was about to leave and not be back the next day was… heart-wrenching (it still is, really).

After awhile, the parents came outside, which meant it was time for him and his dad to leave. We both stood up, hugging for one last time. Him and his dad got into their car, and… well, left.

No matter how long I make this, I couldn’t ever describe everything enough. There are lots of things I’ve missed out on in this, but I simply… cannot describe it. The 17th (and the few hours of the 18th) were the best days ever. There’s no way I could ever describe it to you well enough, so I’ll leave you to imagine just how wonderful it was.

Maybe I’ll have some stories for you from July as well, but that’s not concrete at the moment. Anywho, you’ll have to excuse the long-ness of this article, and I thank you if you read it all. Hopefully you enjoyed it at least a little and hopefully it wasn’t too mushy for you.

---

Alien Invasion: The Lost Chapter


I sat on the couch after arriving back from the Aquarium. Whitney plopped onto it next to me. My dad said he wanted to go back to the hotel to “freshen up” (whatever the hell that means), but I asked to stay behind at Whit's house. Her parents were fine with this idea (in fact, they came up with it). My dad left, and shortly afterwards, Whit's mom and step-dad left to get her siblings, leaving Whit and I alone with her step-brother. A real shocker to me, but I decided this was... an opportunity for a little fun. Okay, more like a lot of fun.

After a careful talk with her step-brother about the severity of pain he'd be in if he said a word, the house was ours, and it was time to heat things up. We started off slow, trying not to wear each other out too fast. Slow, steady, and not too hard was the best way to go about our mischief. As we went on, things slowly began to move a bit faster, rougher, harder, and hotter. Finish was nowhere in sight and sweat started to drip.

Things really started to heat up when I was a bit too rough and she moaned a little. From pain or ecstasy I do not know. All I knew was to be a bit more gentle but keep going steady. Though steady, we began to tire. Our breathing was heavy, and the end was just around the corner. We both could feel it coming. In an effort to have it come quicker, things sped up and got rougher yet. Almost crossing the line of pain.

In the end, we both were satisfied with the outcome, even with the cost of heavy breathing and working up a sweat. It had been great fun for us both. We went back to the couch we were on before, and she laid her head on a pillow in my lap. I wrapped an arm around her, and slid my hand into yours. We both fell asleep, spent from our fun. Who'd have guessed a pillow fight can take so much out of you?

[The Herald]

Open Heart Zoo by Martin Grech

Released: 2002
Island Records
Tracks: 11

Tell me what you get when you combine influences such as Nine Inch Nails, Radiohead, The Cure and Peter Gabriel. Faecal matter might be one answer; the other might be Martin Grech.

This man was completely unknown to me until a few months ago. A friend showed me his music. In the early stages of the title track, I almost thought that his could have been someone trying to do a Coldplay impression. I was mistaken. What is uncovered is something far more emotional, deep, and thoughtful than a mainstream chart group.

When listening to this it is very easy to forget that this is the work of a then 19-year-old. The songs are masterfully polished and sculpted into what I see as a work of art. You can easily pick out the Radiohead influences, but at the same time you could not imagine this as a kid pretending to be Radiohead.

This is a depressing album throughout. If you’re looking for something to dance and jump around with, this isn’t your album. If you’re looking for something to relax to, close your eyes to, and admire, then head out to the record store.

Suggested songs to listen to before buying:
- Open Heart Zoo
- Dali
- Death of a Loved One

Follow up purchase:
- Unholy

Track Listing:
1. Here It Comes (5:02)
2. Open Heart Zoo (5:21)
3. Dali (5:38)
4. Tonight (5:07)
5. Push (5:00)
6. Only One Listening (4:51)
7. Notorious (4:55)
8. Penicillin (4:47)
9. Catch Up (3:46)
10. Twin (4:41)
11. Death Of A Loved One (20:51)*

*(There is a sneaky bonus track which starts at 17 minutes into track 11, called Ill.)

[The Herald]

Since this game came out on November 22 of this year, Call of Duty 2 has left the teenage population of this world in awe. This game is a first person shooter following the path of a Russian and then American soldier in the heat of World War II. You follow your player everywhere from Stalingrad to Omaha Beach. This game has amazing graphics which are the highest quality of a first person shooter ever. This game also happens to be the sequel to the original Call of Duty. Ever since the original came out it has been a major competition with Medal of Honour. I highly encourage you to get this game for yourself.

First off, you guessed it; I’m going to mention the game play. This game is well known for its amazing game play – the realism of this game wears off on you as you fight for your life in this action packed thriller. You can choose between three weapons – a sidearm, rifle, or a grenade – to get rid of your enemies.

The multiplayer of this game is truly amazing. You can choose to be an Axis or an Ally. You can choose to play with players all over the world to compete for first place. It’s an amazing experience, with a variety of maps, and skins, and weapons to choose from.

As I mentioned before the graphics are something to be reckoned with. They are fantastic the realism of this game is amazing. It is graphic and really makes you feel like you’re in the game. I love a game that lets you experience that.

Hats off to the makers of Call of Duty. It’s a fantastic game. I would recommend it to any active gamers, who love a good shoot ‘em up game. This game has one flaw. There is too much going around, and it is quite easy to cheat on the multiplayer. It is a fantastic game and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good shooter game.

Overall, I am going to give this game a stellar 4 out of 5.

[The Herald]

I recently (recently being in the last couple of weeks) was privileged enough to interview someone that has taken SSD by storm with his repertoire of witty remarks, personality and stand that there is a difference between nerd and geek, which he has well and truly established. If you’re still confused about that [commonly not made] distinction, check out his post here or even the entire thread and get educated.

Yes, folks, I was fortunate enough to have the honour of interviewing Mastermind. Without further ado, we’ll leap right into the interview.

So, Mastermind, what initially brought you to the forum?
Originally as in for the first time, or originally as Mastermind?

You had another time at SSD?
Twice, actually. Once as Apollyein, once as Polly.

Well, okay, spill. All times.
I was never really active either time. The first time was when I saw the link on Proboards. The second time was after I had long abandoned all of you. I saw it, remembered I used to go there, and gave it a second shot. This time, I got bored, got a little more experience (admined VFX, etc.) and thought I would give it one more go.

How was it admining VFX? I'm unfamiliar with the forum myself.
Well, this leads to VFX. It's not too bad. I started only a little while ago, when the main admin Virus left for bigger things. Now Pierce and I work together to run the thing.

How do you find the general community of Proboards as opposed to other forums, ie: other websites, Invision, etc.?
Better than other free software and hosting sites, as this is easier to mod, and was my first forum software. However, I don't like the complexity of coding needed to change a simple thing, IE: text, that results as a lack of FTP access (hint hint nudge nudge Proboards)

?
Don't ask, personal vendetta. It pisses me off that I need for loops to change the text Karma: to Rating:.

Hahahaha. Yeah, I can imagine that'd be a pain. Aside from forums, what sort of interests do you have?
Coding, reading, writing, 'security testing', hardware, singing, musicals, listening to music... Did I miss anything?

You tell me.
I'm pretty much your average computer geek. If it has a keyboard, I can master it. If it thinks rationally, it's my playground. I am also your average geek. If it has a rhythm, I like it. I am also your average gay kid: If I can dance to it, it rocks.

So if you come across a keyboard that has a broken enter button, someone singing that's tone-deaf, and bad music all in one room, what would you do?
Well, depends on my objective. If I'm posting in a forum, then I would simply use the \n function. Even if the software didn't fix it, everyone would know what I meant. If I am attempting to get something accomplished, I would calmly lodge my foot up whomever is singing's [self-censored]. If there was bad music involved, I would calmly fire up LimeWire and get something better. Preferably "Every time we touch" because that has to be the best dancing music ever. Period.

Picture yourself in a disco situation. What music would be playing and what would you be wearing?
1. Every Time We Touch
2. Preferably? Khaki shorts, and not much else.
Actually, depending on who was around me, I might not have the shorts, either

How did you originally get into coding? Hobby?
Hmm... Good question. Shit. I'll need to think about this. I think it was when I realized the first time I mentioned binary, my 'peers' (note the angsty and egotistical quotation marks) all ran for the hills or bowed down in worship. So I guess you could say hobby. My interest really skyrocketed when I took part in a Lockheed Martin program for young engineers, and was accepted into an advanced Python class.

I've only heard of Lockheed Martin in the past couple of days when we were studying the film "Bowling for Columbine" in media studies. Same sort of thing?
Ish. Independent engineering company that works for the government at times. Their latest project when I was there was a new radar system for military planes. Actually, my mentor, Bob Duke, was in charge of that project.

What do you find good for concentration?
Music is good for your concentration. You concentrate on the music. Food is good for your concentration. You concentrate on the food. Both are ethically wrong, for it takes concentration away from me, where everyone in the world should be concentrating.
Ow! Dammit! Sorry, I just bumped my ego on the door frame.

Needles are good for deflation.
Only when properly placed. What they don't tell you is that it hurts like hell to deflate.

Hot air just makes you rise all the more.
Touche.

Therefore you're not grounded anymore, and you need to be grounded for some situations. So the needle is probably the more painless option when compared to floating on hot air forever. I mean, wouldn't that be uncomfortable?
Depends on the situation, and whether or not my medication ran out. Not really. Haven't you ever heard of 'like sleeping on a cloud'?

I have, and apparently it's like sleeping on a really comfortable bed... [edited the typo out]
Sleep = good. That's why we all die. Thus, my ego is secure, and good for me!

And what about the poor other souls that have to wedge themselves around your ego when they walk into a room?
They don't need to. My ego has brought me up to the height of the clouds by that time. Even if it hadn't, it's a sad world we live in when we feel bad for the animals we eat. (You realize by arguing you are feeding my semi-humorous ego, right?)

(Yes, but it's fun)
(I know! Few other people get that. *gives Kari kudos points)

I'm an animal-lover, always have been, but that doesn't make me a vegetarian. In society nowadays, we've become desensitised to what would have scandalised the nations years ago. ... well, parts. (Some people just don't have a sense of humour. )
Don't get me going on the desensitised bullshit. I will eat that for lunch. Video games are a non-destructive venting point of anger. (I know. I don't know how they survive. I mean, if you can't laugh at life, how will you ever get out of it alive?) Read the Da Vinci code?

Yes. Seen the movie too.
*frowns* Haven't seen the movie. Remember the part about the church scandalizing sex?
Now, what were you saying about desensitization, again? *flexes literary and argumentative muscles, which, sadly, are not to scale with physical muscles*

The church has issues with what most of society has come to accept.
I'm tempted to take the opposite case, just to be the devil's advocate, but I'll let that statement stand, as it's mostly accurate.

When I refer to desensitisation, I refer to what happens on TV nowadays -- they show all these images of war, people getting hurt, murder cases (because the media loves a good conflict) -- and people don't react. Some do, but others just don't care.
I'm squeamish, but I practice the policy of schadenfreude. It's good for my ego.

Schadenfreude? I'm familiar with the german word, but I don't know what context you're using it under.
Schadenfreude, as in the Avenue Q schadenfreude, meaning "happiness at the misfortune of others".

Thanks for letting me interview you, Mastermind. It’s been fun.


Well, well, well. I had a fun afternoon. Mastermind is a great person to talk to – he cracked me up – and he has an honest and direct point of view that I found refreshing. Thanks for reading.

[The Herald]

Julius Caesar was born on July 12 100 B.C. He was a warrior, and political leader of Italy. He played a key role in developing the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire, in his life he was claimed dictator for life after he played a key role in the Roman Civil War, and helped the Roman’s defeat the enemy. A phrase that Julius Caesar is quite famous for is Veni, Vedi, Vici. Which mean’s “I came, I saw, I conquered”. This very well describes Caesars outlook on life. If he saw something he liked whether it be land or an object. He would go out of his way to take it by any means necessary for himself.

Caesar led a fascinating that consisted of getting captured by Cicilian pirates, countless attempts at assassination, playing a key role in the Gallic wars, and many other amazing things.

He was born in Rome in 100 B.C, much say he was born as a caesarean section hence his name, but this is all in speculation as usually the mother would die in such rarities but in his case his mother lived.

He was born into a aristocratic family, though they weren’t rich by roman standards they were well off and were of quite importance in Rome. When Julius joined the military at a early age, he went and fought and proved his importance to his fellow soldiers and officers. He showed that he was a man of power and was a fantastic leader.

On Mach 15, 44 B.C Julius Caesar was assassinated while reading a petition. A man named Casca threw off Julius’s tunic and stabbed him once in the throat Julius turned around and caught his arm. Casca then yelled “Help My Brothers” and a mob of senators came down upon Julius and beat him to death.

Julius Caesar reformed the Roman calendar (hence the Julian calendar) in 46 BC. In the process, he renamed this month after himself. He was a confused yet great leader, who is considered one of the greatest military powers to ever live on the earth. He was a wonderful man who cared about what he wanted. Hope you enjoyed this article on Caesar. Cheers!

[The Herald]

Canada Day: that day has almost always brought back many fond memories to my mind. Those two words have always reminded me of my family and I walking down to the town square and just having fun watching all of the festivities. In my hometown of Vancouver we celebrate this day by having festivities throughout the day. My personal favourite is planes doing nosedives and amazing acrobatics in the sky and to end it all with a fantastic display of fireworks in English Bay. This day for me is spent with family and friends just enjoying each others company.

Canada Day celebrates the coming together of three different territories: the Province of Canada (Quebec and Ontario), New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. It’s amazing to think that in the past how many Provinces we had added onto that small number of three. We have added eight more. This holiday originated on the date July 1, 1867. Though from only 1982 was this holiday officially named Canada Day. This day originated as being called Dominion Day. In the past it was still much celebrated like it is today. They would have many parades, fireworks, and many other festivities throughout the day.

This day is usually followed by going into the city and visiting the local pubs, including me at my tender age of 14. This whole weekend is a stat-holiday, which means fathers, mothers, and even fellow part-times like me have a chance to have the weekend off and just enjoy ourselves.

Throughout the years Canada has developed into a fine country with a strong government and citizens. If you really just focus onto the fact that in 1867 Canada was only three territories on the Atlantic side of Canada: there were no northern territories, no western Canada. It’s pretty hard to believe how much a country has developed in a short amount of time. It’s quite an amazing thing to wrap your mind around.

I hope on this first of July you’ll think of Canada. I recommend to my fellow Canadians to enjoy this day while you still can. It’s a wonderful holiday and should be appreciated by all. Have a good one SSD.

[The Herald]

Americans have Independence Day; Canadians have Canada Day, and guess what the French have Bastille Day. We all know the history behind the American and Canadian national holidays, but quite frankly I don’t know the first thing about Bastille Day. Part of the reason why I chose this article was to learn something. That’s part of the joy in being in the Herald you get to learn while you are doing something you thoroughly enjoy. So as a learning experience for all of you guys I am going to share with you a few things I picked up while researching France’s national holiday “Bastille Day”.

Bastille Day has some great history behind it, I often find myself becoming jealous of Europe because of the great history. Canada has 1812, but what else? Europe’s got it made when it comes to history, France especially. For example Bastille Day, who would’ve known that something as simple as a mere act of defiance could lead to the forming of a wonderful, captivating nation?

Bastille Day was this outrage. On July 14 1789 a group of citizens of Paris, stormed the Bastille which served as a fortress and prison. They hoped to capture ammunition but ended up killing the aristocrats living, and guarding this prison. The Bastille stood for the normal everyday citizens of Paris “a symbol of the hypocrisy and corruption of the aristocratic government”.

Much say this simple act of defiance helped with the downfall of the French Monarchy, it also was the beginning of the French Revolution. This helped France realize that they didn’t need a King or Queen to govern. They developed into a democracy that much countries envy to this day.

Many people celebrate Bastille Day with joyous celebrations. There are many celebrations throughout the country, people go out and enjoy the day at special events carried out by the city. In Paris they celebrate with a grand military parade up the Champs Elysées. There are often many displays of amazing feats of aviation. They celebrate this day much like we would on Canada Day, our Independence Day. So this 14th of July I encourage you to think of where would France be today if it wasn’t for a simple act of defiance carried out by normal peasants and everyday citizens? It’s quite mind boggling actually. Anyway, thanks for reading, SSD. Cheers!

[The Herald]

I am one of the three or four people, of the billions populating this planet, who have never owned a cell phone. Although, that’s not entirely true. A few birthdays ago a friend of mine bought me one. I never took it out of the box. I’m about to purchase a new one and actually activate it this time. There’s a list of pet peeves I have concerning cell phones, and I’m only too happy to share them.

Those who have very loud cell phone conversations in a restaurant:
If I’m in a restaurant, chances are I’m attempting to enjoy my meal, and the company sitting with me. I don’t want to hear a one-sided conversation from the next table or from halfway across the restaurant for that matter. And if the connection is so bad that you feel the need to yell, you have options. Option one, go outside…do us all a favor. Option two, call them back later. Option three, I “accidentally” smash the phone with a sledgehammer that I keep in my car for just such an occasion.

Those who talk on cell phones in a movie theater during the movie:
I’m enjoying Star Wars: Episode III, a very poignant moment when Anakin decides to confront Mace Windu in order to save Emperor Palpatine. A shrill muzak version of the chorus from The Village People’s YMCA cuts through the hushed theater like Yoko Ono’s vocal stylings cut through an otherwise harmonious Beatle’s song. A hundred Star Wars geeks start yelling, half at the ignorant fool who had the audacity to answer the call, and half telling everyone to shut up so they can hear the movie. Everyone fell silent when Mace Windu himself turned on the fool and cut his hand right off with his light saber. I feel justice was served.

Those who talk on cell phones while driving:
I’m sure there is a special corner in hell for people so absorbed in their own phone conversation they endanger the lives of those who share the road. I’ve witnessed the running of stop signs/red lights, inconsiderate self important jerks that won’t let others merge onto the highway, all guilty drivers sporting a very stylish flip phone. I think some people actually sign-up for the “surgically attach phone to hand” option.

Some drivers use an earpiece so they can at least have two hands on the wheel. That’s moderately better, but still not good enough. Divided attention leads to slower reaction times when an unpredictable situation presents itself. When I find myself in control of literally a ton of machinery, somehow I’m content with focusing on the task at hand. I don’t know what it is, probably my aversion to risking lives so I can hear how my friend’s date went the night before. I’ll listen to music while I drive, that’s a necessity. I don’t like talking while driving. Too many idiots use my roads. I’m looking out for their stupidity, and that’s a full time job.

If the call is, on that rare occasion, an actual emergency, PULL OVER. There are plenty of parking lots just waiting for you, the center of the universe, to receive your emergency.

If you do not fit any of the above descriptions, thank you for using cell phone courtesy! Here’s a cookie.

[The Herald]

July happens to be Culinary Arts Month, as the article title suggests, and I’ve collected a few favorite recipes submitted by Herald Team staff members.

Being that we are generally a nonconformist, free thinking crew, I’ve decided to begin at the end with an interesting dessert recipe from the Herald’s own reigning Lordess, Kari:

“Well, my favourite baking thing is something that’s well known to us from the land of the hobbits. It’s called ‘pavlova’, and it’s the scrummiest dessert ever.



Pavlova

4 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla essence (i.e. 5 ml)
2 teaspoons vinegar
1 cup sugar
________________________________________


Beat the egg whites until very stiff
Fold in vinegar and vanilla
Add sugar, and beat until smooth
Grease oven tray
Preheat oven to 150ºC (300ºF)
Place pavlova in oven, and immediately reduce temperature to 100ºC
Cook for 90 minutes
________________________________________


You should use a rounded tin. That’ll work the best.
If cooked correctly (as all ovens vary), it should be crunchy on the outside and like marshmallow on the inside.
To serve: sliced kiwifruit (peaches, strawberries or whatever) on top of whipped cream (250ml of cream per pavlova), with icing sugar being added to the cream during whipping until the cream tastes how you’d like it. ”


Up next is Whit, the Queen of Lit:

“Something that I could eat any time is cheese pizza. Cheese pizza will always and has always held a dear place in my heart. Whether it be homemade or from a restaurant, both are yummy. However, you do have the satisfaction of knowing you made something tasty for yourself if it's homemade.

Aside from the greasy pie, I always enjoy fruit. Fruit in general isn't a recipe, but I absolutely love fruit. Strawberries have to be my absolute favorite, as they are so incredibly tasty any time and anywhere. Strawberries, apples, bananas, grapes, oranges... they're all so tasty!

However, as a nice summer snack, frozen bananas & chocolate are so yummy. It doesn't take much preparation, nor does it take long to fix. All you have to do is cut a few bananas in half, melt some chocolate, stick the bananas onto a popsicle stick, dip them into the melted chocolate, set them on a plate or tray, and stick them into the freezer until the chocolate is nice and frozen.

You could do the same with strawberries, though I've never tried that one. I personally prefer my strawberries just how they are. The one thing I will do to them though is simply blend them up in a blender or food processor into a smoothie-type shake. I don't add anything- no milk, no ice, no sugar, not anything. You simply take some strawberries (it's far better if they're rather frozen, if they're completely thawed that's just nasty), blend them up, put it into a cup, and enjoy. Very, very tasty.”

Guys who can cook just plain rock, if you ask me. Here are a couple from The Man, nest!:

Mexican Chip Dip

Materials:

-Pie Plate -Cheese Grater
-Sink/Water -Bowl
-Measuring Spoons -Spoon
-Measuring Cups -Knife
-Paring Knife -Cutting Board

Ingredients

-1 Cup Sour Cream
-1/2 of cream cheese
-2 tbsp of taco seasoning
-1 tsp of lemon juice
-1 Fresh tomato
-1/2 green pepper
-Bunch of green onion
-3 cups of grated cheese

Method:

#1 In a bowl, mix sour cream and cream cheese together.
#2 When mixture is smooth (only a few bumps and raises), add 2 Tbsp of taco seasoning and thoroughly mix it in. Put mix in bottom of pie plate
#3 Chop tomatoes + Green Pepper into small pieces. Sprinkle on top of the cream cheese mixture.
#4 Drizzle lemon juice on top of veggies.
#5 Chop green onion on finely and sprinkle across the top of the mixture.
#6 Grate cheese for a final covering

*Remember to Wash Veggies*
__________________________




Beef Enchiladas

Materials:

-Frying Pan
-Baking Tray
-Cutting Board
-Sauce Pot

Ingredients:

-1/2 lb of ground beef
-1/4 green pepper + ½ small tomato
-1 tbsp chili pepper
-2 tbsp chicken soup powder
-Soft tortilla shells
-Mozzarella cheese
*For the Sauce*
-1/2 can of tomato soup
-1/3 cup of water

Method:

#1 In a frying pan, brown beef, green peppers/tomato, chili powder and chicken powder (add a little water)
#2 Combine sauce ingredients. Heat until boiling, stir well.
#3 Fill shells with cooked beef, peppers etc + fold up
#4 Pour sauce over and add shredded cheese
#5 Bake at 350 Degrees until cheese is melted + bubbling.


Ok, Whitney. Per your comment above, I present to you, The Ultimate Homemade Pizza Crust, and how to turn it into Pan Pizza Bliss. Pandora’s submission:

Pizza



The Dough:
2 ¾ to 3 ¼ cups of all purpose flour
1 package of active dry yeast
¼ teaspoon of salt
1 cup of warm water
2 tablespoons of Olive Oil
Crushed Italian herb blend (to taste…I use about a teaspoon)
Garlic Powder (to taste…hell, throw a whole tablespoon in there.)

Combine 1 ¼ cups of the flour, the yeast and salt. Add warm water and oil. Beat with an electric mixer on low for 30 seconds, then high for 3 minutes. With a wooden spoon stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in remaining flour until the dough is moderately stiff, smooth but workable. Divide the dough in half, cover and let sit for 10 minutes.

Pan Pizza:
Grease two 9x9x2 inch baking pans with Olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with cornmeal. With greased fingers, pat dough onto bottoms and halfway up the sides of the prepared pans. Cover and let rise in a warm place until nearly double (about 30-45 minutes). Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until very lightly browned. Spread your preferred brand of pizza sauce onto the hot crust, sprinkle a disgustingly generous amount of Mozzarella cheese over the sauce, and add any toppings your little heart desires, e.g. pepperoni, mushrooms, peppers, bacon, Swedish fish (?) etc. Bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly.

Yay, Pizza!

*Pandora’s random and sweet baking tip: Follow the exact directions for chocolate chip cookies on the back of a bag of Nestles’ semi sweet morsels. When it is time to add the vanilla, add along with it a tablespoon of Breyer’s Extra Creamy vanilla ice cream. Under-bake the cookies a bit. They should appear doughy, with a light brown edge. They will set as they cool. One bite, and people will think your secret ingredient is crack cocaine, because they will be instantly addicted to these cookies.

Try these recipes…or at least whine obnoxiously until your mom tries them for you, and enjoy!



Pavlova photo from galinette.blogdns.net
Bananas and Strawberries photo from www.dreamstime.com
Beef Enchilada photo from www.mexican-barbecue-recipes.com
Knead dough photo from www.cooking.com
Pizza toppings photo from webpages.csus.edu

[The Herald]

As we enter the month of July, for many, summer is in full blast. For many, summer means time spent by the pool, playing out in the yard, no school, barbecues, sporting events, and of course, the great food. Yes, while items such as burgers, ice cream, chips, potato salad and peanuts are a summer staple, one has truly stood the test of time and one of the most popular foods of the summer: the hot dog. The hot dog has gained so much popularity, that in 1957, the United States Chamber of Commerce honored hot dogs by designating July as National Hot Dog Month.

Thanks to Minilane.com for the picture

According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council ^[1], Americans eat nearly seven billion hot dogs between Memorial Day and Labor Day. That's a lot of dogs and buns. Also, the Council credits 155 million of the hot dogs to be consumed on July 4^th alone. While many different brands of varieties of hot dogs are available, the following will apply to any hot dog of choice. Enough with the numbers and more about the hot dog itself; what makes it so special and dearly beloved?

---

Where did the name come from?
History has traced the term "hot dog" back to sports cartoonist Tad Dorgan. At a 1901 baseball game in New York, Dorgan drew a little sketch of the vendors selling hot dogs, which were known as "Dachshund sausages" at the time. However, since he could not spell Dachshund, he merely dubbed them "hot dogs" and the rest is history.

Preparing the delicacy for consumption.
As any hot dog enthusiast will tell you, there is a commonly accepted "proper" way to eat a hot dog. Obviously, the first step is easy: place the dog in a bun of choice (plain white is the preferred bun, but alternatives such as potato and wheat are good too). Next, dress the hot dog with your favorite condiments. Of course, as with everything else in life, there is a complex way to dress up this summer treat. First, the "wet" toppings are put on. These include: mustard, ketchup/catsup, or even chocolate sauce when kids know their parents are looking elsewhere. Then, the chunky condiments are added. These can include: relish, cheese, and chili. Finally, if desired, cheese is added last so that it may melt over the entire meal. As a last rule of thumb, always dress up the hot dog and not the bun, else you risk a soggy bun. No one wants soggy buns.

What to eat with the hot dog.
Following traditional summer barbecue etiquette, hot dogs should be eaten with a salad (green or mayonnaise based) and a glass of either lemonade, iced tea, soft drink mix, or if you are of legal age, beer.

Baked Beans.
Baked beans?? This is about hot dogs, not baked beans. Yes, but July is also National Baked Bean Month, and baked beans happen to be delightful when eaten along with a good hot dog.

Fun Facts.

• Hot Dogs are less commonly referred to as frankfurters (where they were invented) or wieners
• The #1 selling brand of hot dogs in the United States is Nathans
• Mustard is the favored topping for hot dogs with 87% of the population supporting it while ketchup is the children's favorite
• Hot Dogs were invented in Frankfurt, Germany in 1484.
• In different regions, people like to dress their hot dogs in different ways
  • Hot dogs in New York are served with a lightly flavored mustard and steamed onions
  • Chicago hot dogs can come with mustard, relish, onions, tomato slices, or anything, really

So Happy National Hot Dog Month to all!

[The Herald]

Anton Simanov, aka Band!t, is an active SSD member, and an exceptional talent. His handiwork in Show Off caught my eye immediately. His style is varied and unique, and I decided to get to know the fellow behind the work. And now, the interview:

How old are you?
19

Where are you from?
I was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and was raised and lived there for 11 years. I moved to California when I was about 11, almost 12. So I've been living here in the States for about 8 years. When we moved here I thought that we were going to live in San Francisco or some other well known city here in California... but here I am in Fresno, the smog/meth capital of Cali.

How long have you been interested in the arts?
I've been interested in the arts, according to my parents, ever since I was able to walk and scribble on paper as a child. The real interest for art started in first grade, at which point my parents enrolled me in the Catherine Art School in St. Petersburg. It's a fancy name, but the school was very old, with great instructors, but obviously nothing too high and prestigious.

Why did you, an artist with a history in traditional art, decide to delve into digital art?
Traditional art was always too slow for me. I liked the outcomes and the hands-on quality from working on a plain canvas... but I wanted my art to have a faster way of getting out to the public and to people who were interested in my art. This idea was always with me as I did traditional art, but only started to really shape and form after I got to mess around in Photoshop about three years ago. Plus, digital art is more flexible and controlled in virtually every aspect, or at least that's my opinion.

Which do you prefer, digital, traditional, or a combination of the two?
I prefer digital in the long run, but I do end up working with my sketches to better the composition when I paint in Photoshop or Illustrator. In the end, the works are more digital than anything, but the fact that I use my sketches in my paintings is important.

Pieces like “Evil in You”, “Troll Warrior” and “Machine God Messiah” are very inspired and are the reason I became so attracted to your work. Do you plan on taking that particular style in another direction, meaning instead of paintings, perhaps creating a graphic novel, or animations?
I'm a huge, huge, huge fantasy nerd at heart. I love concept work, I love working on commission for others’ novels or game projects, whether it be a short story, a novel in the making, or just some RPG that my buddies are either making or playing. The style is definitely my favorite and safe, and it does get me some commissions (which is surprising to me to start with).

Music tends to inspire quite a few of your digital pieces and photo manipulations. Which music artist/band inspires you the most? Why?
Mmmmm, well, depends on my mood. I tend to listen to A LOT of music, metal in general, but I do branch out quite a lot to other genres such as neo-classical, classical, trance, techno in general, glam rock, etc. A particular band that inspires me the most is Opeth. I can always seek inspiration at any given day or moment from their music.

You also are heavy into music yourself. Tell us about your band. Who and what influences your sound?
My band started in high school as just a thrash metal garage/jam band and quickly progressed into more speedy/technical and mostly northern European metal influenced band. We had countless names back then, but we found Writhen to be the keeper. I guess the old term for our sound was "melodic thrash," considering that our sound was very European and fast, but the main core structure was still old school bay area thrash. You can hear this on our current EP, buuuuut we've been working on the new material for a while now, getting ready to record it in the future. This new material is probably as close as we'll ever get to melodic death metal, lots of Disillusion, Opeth, and Death influence. The new sound is much, much more mature and better composed. FYI, I'm the singer for this band. So I do mainly thrash/growling vocals that tend to be higher growls on the current EP... but I can and do sing, the new material has a lot of clean singing and my growls are low, Opeth/Disillusion style. We've been a band for about three years now. Wow, that was a lot. That's all you need to know really.

P.S. I'm in a new band now... which is very exciting. Once again I am the singer in this band. This one is a very catchy death metal band, great line up, couldn't ask for better musicians. We'll be playing shows soon, still writing a lot though. Very, very happy with it.

Where do you see this project ten years from now?
I’m not one to look in the future when it comes to music. Music is now, not the future. Live it now. Live it then. It’s all the same in the end.

deviantArt: dark exodite
Band site: www.writhen.net
Band myspace: www.myspace.com/writhenmetal
Portfolio: www.writhen.net/simanov




I believe I came across Mr. Tabanera’s work from either the favorites on deviantART or a daily deviation. I was struck with awe by his amazing talent of surrealism. I had the wonderful honor of interviewing him, so hopefully you’ll learn a bit more about him, as well as about his artwork.

You should be warned that a lot of his work contains nudity, but that’s something that makes it all the more beautiful, as it’s used in a far from obscene way. His deviantART can be found at d-struktiv.deviantart.com.

To start off, here's a little eye-candy by Fernando to get you interested.

Name: Fernando Tabanera
Age: 26
Personal Website: www.d-struktiv.net

Who or what first got you into digital design?
As a child I had always enjoyed drawing and generally being creative, so I guess it was a natural progression once I got older, and got into computers, to seek out possibilities for creativity in this medium.

The first time I tried my hands on a graphic application was back in the Amiga days with a program called Deluxe Paint. It never got very serious though, but it was a fun experience, and this was what opened my eyes for the possibilities of digital art. Years later when I got my first PC, I was then introduced to Photoshop, and this is the primary program that I use for the art I make today.

In the beginning, I just liked experimenting around with it, and this was how I learned most I know about Photoshop today. I got into photomanipulations about 5 years ago when I found the magnificent works of Dennis Sibeijn, AKA Damnengine, and I knew that was something that I had to try my hands on myself. In the beginning, I made mostly horror themed images (Dark Art), but over the course of the years I have moved gradually over to making more surreal imagery, but with a twist of dark now and then.

How long have you been designing?
I believe I have been making photomanipulations for about 4 or 5 years now. But I have probably known Photoshop for about 8 years in total.

What program(s) do you use when creating your artwork?
I primarily use Photoshop, and occasionally Illustrator as well. I have also been experimenting a bit with Bryce and Poser, but I haven't used that a whole lot. I mostly enjoy working with photos in my work.

Where do you find your inspiration?
Mostly I get my ideas when I’m just walking around doing nothing, that’s when I’m thinking the most freely. I also draw inspiration from art in general and other art forms such as movies and especially music. I almost always listen to music when I’m creating my art, and primarily ambient music. This kind of music really gets me in a great mood for creating surreal imagery. Nature, the world, and the universe are also a great inspirational source for me, and are themes that are quite common in my work.

Have you tried or are you interested in more traditional forms of art?
No I haven't really tried making traditional art at a serious level myself, but pretty much all art forms interest me at some level, and traditional art is no exception. Doing mostly surreal art myself, I am especially interested in surreal painters, both the old masters and contemporary artists. I have always been extremely impressed by the way a painter can create something so seemingly realistic and beautiful from nothing but paint. Myself, being educated in the field of graphic and web design, and doing digital art as a hobby – which all take place in front of a computer, this is my medium of choice for now. But who knows... that might change some day.

What do you enjoy most about surrealism?
I really enjoy the mystery and dreamlike quality of surrealism. I have always been drawn to the unknown, and surrealism oozes of just that. I love the symbolism, and the use of common elements in often very uncommon situations. I like that it requires an imagination, and the ability to think in an abstract way to fully understand the meaning behind a surreal piece.

I've noticed you use a lot of nudity (not obscene, but still nude) in your artwork. Is there a specific reason for this?
I work in a very symbolical and also timeless style; the characters in my works most often symbolize humankind in the purest form. Clothes in most cases would just interfere with those things. This is also one of the reasons that I rarely show the face of the characters in my work, the naked human body is a symbolical element, and in this aspect the personality of the character is unimportant.

This is a little out of the blue, but I personally love your pieces and would love to have them on my desktop. Do you make and provide wallpapers for others to use? If so, where could they be found?
No, I haven't made any wallpapers of my works, but since you mention it I will see what I can do about it. It's a good idea, so thanks for bringing it to my attention. When/if I make them available, they will be available for download from my website, and possibly my dA account as well (www.d-struktiv.deviantart.com).

Have you made any tutorials for others to use?
No, I haven't made any tutorials so far, but I have been asked this question many times now, so I might do that at some point in the future.

Lastly, do you have any tips for those interested in surrealism or who are just beginning their art career?
PATIENCE is the key.... I always say that to people who ask me how I do my art. Photoshop doesn't do magic (though it can seem pretty damn close, hehe), but it can do excellent illusions if you just have the patience required. Take your time to get to know Photoshop: play around, experiment. That’s how I learned most of the techniques I use in my art today. I usually don't use anything other than the most basic tools really.

Don't rush your artwork, give it that extra day to look at it with fresh eyes. You might see something that could be improved that you didn't see the day before. Also, and I think more importantly, it takes a lot of time and work to develop a style of your own. It's only within the last year or two that I think I have truly found my own style and have made pieces that I am really proud of. So ye', as I said in the beginning, have patience.

[The Herald]

I must say, in all my time on SSD I've very rarely seen anyone mention any outside photographers within the board. Now, I don't know whether this is because you don't find the right discussion to slip a name into, or whether you're all blind to the amazing photographers around you. In most cases I'm sure it's the former that applies, but just in case we have some cases of the latter, I'm going to help spread the photography word to SSD.

So, from now on, I shall be bringing you a monthly photographer spotlight. I may choose the biggest photographer about, or I may choose someone who's only just cropped up into the online world. Obviously and probably inevitably, I'm going to try and keep all of the artists to dA; mainly because I know a lot of you use dA and you'll want to watch them.

My first photographer spotlight is a fairly big photographer on dA, a Canadian who goes by the alias Londonxpress. Looking through his gallery we have a huge range of different subject matters and styles. His use of colour and black and white are superb. I honestly can't choose which medium he uses that I prefer; he pulls them all off so well!

I'm not kidding; I cannot for the life of me decide between any of his photos which to give you as a straight example! It's usually a traditional three, but I just can't narrow it down that much for him. So, I'll choose some of my favourites and for some, just pour my heart out as to why I love this guy so much!

1: Beautiful Strange

Okay, okay. His highlights are blown so we've no colour in the whites. But who cares! The use of these three strong tones is just wonderful. The dark black outlined by the white snow just looks amazing on this shockingly delightful red!

2: Grand Two

Even this guy's angles are just perfect. The detail and focus on this image just makes me fall into the shot and stare at the wonderful little patterns on the strings for an age!

3: Rice Lake

Soft, peaceful, awe inspiring. This is one of those black and white shots that really just captures you. This photo is one of those that really makes you appreciate the black and white photography, used well... it's just perfect.

4: West Arm

How I adore this photo: the soft focus and the wonderful blend of colours are just fabulous (yes, I even do the camp hand movement).

5: Eggplant

And he's clever! This is a great idea and shot to perfection. I'm sure I'm not the only one who loves this piece of minimalistic heaven!

6: Fisherman's Blues & 7: Solkku's Surf

These two are probably my favourites. I know the long exposure effect in Solkku's Surf is overused, but it's not often put to such good use!

Now I order you to go and check out his damn gallery! londonxpress.deviantart.com/gallery

[The Herald]

Black and white? Why would you want to do that in this day and age? After all, we’ve got the technology to produce wonderful colour compositions with detail to die for and saturation beyond belief! However, one of my favourite photography quotes comes into play here: “It’s not about what you fit in, but what you leave out.” It’s true, trying to cram as much colour and detail into a photo often makes it cluttered and extremely difficult for the eye to focus on.

How do we know if that image you’ve got opened in your Photoshop could knock down the colour version and look amazing in black and white? I find that I usually have a gut feeling about what kind of a photo would look excellent dressed in black and white. I tend to choose most portraits as a black and white image; there’s something about the tones of people that just look far superior with total lack of colour. If a gut feeling isn’t apparent, there’s always the trial and error methods of finding out if your photo looks good in black and white!

So, you want to convert your image to black and white then? Surely that’s simple? Just ctrl + shift + u and bada-bing-bada-boom you’ve got black and white! WRONG! If I catch any of you doing that I’ll rip out your eyes and use them as mini-swing balls for my pet mice. There is a much better and accurate method of converting images into the monotone format. We do this using the channel converter mask options.

It’s a very simple process, yet it can be used in many different ways to get many different results. To start off, we need to make a new adjustment layer “Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Channel Mixer”. Now you should have a pop up box like this:

Make sure that the “monochrome” tab is checked. From this you can then alter the way the black and white displays using the sliders, and it can be very different for different slider positions! Here are some examples.

I shall leave you at this point for you to sit and enjoy (because, you will) playing with your new discovery! Next month we shall have part two of the black and white process... no, it’s not over!

[The Herald]

I am sure all of you whom are familiar with the command line have had an incident with your $PATH. For those of you who don't know, the $PATH variable tells bash where to search for a binary. Many programs can overlap in different bin directories and different versions can create hell. I have recently undergone this problem and am here to discuss the difference between these two commands.

Whereis
The more known of the two, whereis searches commonly used binary directories for the binary executable you specified. It uses sysctl to determine the value of user.cs.path, a variable that is usually set to search in /bin, /usr/bin, /sbin, and /usr/sbin. This can be quite troubling when you keep your binaries in different directories. For example, /usr/local/bin is very common, ~/bin is not unusual either. Whereis therefore is usually faster than which because it only searches in a few directories, while which probably searches many more.

Which
Which, on the other hand, uses your $PATH variable to search instead of sysctl. So, which will determine exactly what binary bash (or any other shell for that matter) will execute according to your environment variable $PATH? The time difference between which and whereis is easy to disregard, being only milliseconds of a difference.

The deviation between these two commands could be overlooked at first, but can make a huge difference when you really need it. So keep in mind that which is the correct command to find the executable, not whereis.

[The Herald]

This month, we will go over an important process in developing a website: choosing the best host. First, and most important, is for you to assess what type of technology you need and how much money you can spend on your host. Most of you will only need a simple LAMP host, one that provides a Linux server with Apache, a MySQL database, and PHP. Some others may need a more advanced host that provides Python, Ruby, or other language support. Most LAMP hosts also come with cPanel X or X2. While cPanel is not necessary to running a website, it can help quite a bit.

Definitely the most important thing that you have to look for in a host, number-wise, is bandwidth, or throughput. This is the total amount of data that you transfer from the server. So, if you have ten 10mb files, and you expect each of them to get ten hits per month, then you will need at least a gigabyte worth of bandwidth. Overall, you probably won't need more than five or ten gigabytes for a small website, especially since you can make use of many new technologies such as BitTorrent to minimize your bandwidth costs.

The next most important thing is the amount of space you get. This also goes along with MySQL databases, since some hosts combine them into one. Now, I don't want to go on a rant here, but I never quite understood why hosts charge extra for MySQL databases, when all a database is is a simple folder and you can store an infinite (near infinite) number of records in a MySQL database, so multiple ones are not necessary despite for organization and speed. Otherwise, it is important to have enough room for all your files. As long as you are not hosting large non-text files, you shouldn't have to worry about space. If you are, then a gigabyte of space max should do it.

Overall, what you have to do before signing up with a host is finding what their current and former customers think about the host. It is vital that you search the host's website for any user-generated content about the host and you should also ask friends that might've looked at the host before and ask them why they chose to or not to sign up. From this, you can learn about things that you can't from just examining the host's numbers, and save yourself a lot of money and trouble in the process.

I'll end this review with two of my favorite hosts: Elixant, which is where SSD hosts their website, and DreamHost, a host that hosts many popular websites, such as Mike Industries.

[The Herald]

Backpack is a popular web service made by 37signals, the company that extracted the Ruby on Rails source from another one of their popular services, Basecamp. Backpack is a personal organizer that currently includes webpages, writeboards, and reminders. These are all organized into a simple product that can really revolutionize how you organize yourself. Also, in the coming weeks, 37signals plans to add another section into the mix, calendars. A preview can be found here (Get Oliver to Re-host).

On your pages, you can conveniently choose to add in plain text, lists, notes, files, images, writeboards, and links. You can also allow others to see or even modify the page. Backpack uses Textile formatting instead of UBBC, so it might take some a little time to make the transition, but Textile can be more powerful formatting. While sharing is not convenient for entire website, it will surely help you organize pages that friends or coworkers may need to use.

Writeboards are useful for collaborative writing, but if all you are looking for is that, then the free program from 37signals, writeboard.com is good enough. In the reminders section, you can get reminders sent to your email or text messages to your phone. It will be interesting to see how these tie in to the calendar.

Overall, Backpack is another personal organizer but it is probably one of the best out there. It is published by the makers of Rails, who have an excellent reputation, and can help the user looking for one place to get most everything with personal organizing done. Otherwise, it would be easier to pick and choose the best product for your personal organizing needs. However, Backpack does offer comprehensibility with good repute. I'll leave that decision up to you.

I would rate Backpack three out of five mainly because it is another one of those Web 2.0 startups trying to offer too much, but it does do that quite well.