Does Chicago 'value' anti-Catholic gimmicks?

<chicagop>Just as I was thinking about getting a great, thick, juicy burger - but one without any condiments that mock the sacred Christian sacrament of Holy Communion - a truly weird thing happened:

A fried chicken sandwich came to mind.

Yes, I know, it's odd. First, I'm almost tasting that medium rare beef, onions, real cheese and thick bacon on a fresh bun, and wouldn't you know it, chicken pops into my head.

It's that old Chick-fil-A outrage. Remember?

Only a year ago, the Chick-fil-A chain sought to open a restaurant on the Northwest Side. Immediately, the politicians were apoplectic with horror and indignation.

Chick-fil-A owner Dan Cathy, an opponent of gay marriage, had dared publicly suggest that marriage should only be between one man and one woman.

City Hall was so offended, the local alderman vowed to block the store's construction. Chicago's mayor weighed in, too.

"Chick-fil-A's values are not Chicago values," warned Mayor Rahm Emanuel. "They're not respectful of our residents, our neighbors and our family members. And if you're gonna be part of the Chicago community, you should reflect Chicago values."

But what of Chicago's values when a heavy-metal burger joint makes national headlines for selling a $17 gourmet burger seasoned with the metaphoric blood and body of Christ?

You must have heard of the amazing story in the Tribune last week, by reporter Ellen Jean Hirst, about Kuma's Corner. The renowned burger place began offering a new burger, the Ghost, to commemorate the Swedish band Ghost B.C.

On its Facebook page, Kuma's explained the burger "in the spirit of our undying reverence for the lord and all things holy." And they listed the contents. A 10-ounce patty, chile aioli, braised goat shoulder, white cheddar cheese and two other special ingredients, quoted here directly from Kuma's:

"Red Wine Reduction (the blood of Christ) with Communion Wafer garnish (the body of Christ). Come pay your respects!"

I've since heard apologists suggest that since the wafers had not been consecrated, they were really nothing but bread. But they do bear the sign of the cross.

I'm not Roman Catholic, but I am a Christian, and I was offended. And sickened. And angry, because the predictable happened. Kuma's got the public buzz. And half-wits couldn't wait to mock Christians who were offended.

One blog at ChicagoNow, part of the Tribune media group, purported in a fake news story to have interviewed the Roman Catholic Pope Francis.

At this newspaper, we're not allowed to make up fake interviews with popes. But some blogs must operate under different rules. According to that blog, "Pope Francis" defended Kuma's. He said he might like his Ghost burger sent to Rome.

"Perhaps ... if this Kuma considers lowering the price so that families with kids - good, breeding families with 8-10 kids - can eat there. You know, like McDonalds," the fake pope said.

Breeders?

That's how some refer to women with children. They're not mothers, they're breeders, you know, like sows producing livestock. Is that part of Chicago's values, too?

We called Kuma's Corner and spoke to Luke Tobias, the director of operations. He said the response had been mostly positive.

Source: Chicagotribune

DPReview takes a detailed look at the iPhone 5s camera

DPReview is well-known for its exhaustive camera reviews that analyze both the hardware and the resulting images produced by that hardware. Beside traditional point-and-shoots and DSLRs, DPReview also examines smartphone cameras with the same amount of detail it uses with its traditional camera reviews. The photography review site recently turned its attention towards the iPhone 5s iphone cases otterbox defender quotes in a 10-page review that features 78 sample images.

Not surprisingly, the reviewers found the iPhone 5s to be a very capable camera in the smartphone category. DPReview concludes,

The iPhone 5s features a very good camera that's easy to use and delivers strong results with little user intervention. It's a logical extension of the Apple design philosophy, with evolutionary performance increases and feature extensions. iPhone photographers looking to trade up will find much to like in the 5s, but it's not likely to lure users who prefer larger screens or are committed to other mobile operating systems.

You can read the entire review on DPReview's website.

[Via The Loop; Image from DPReview]

Source: Tuaw

Weekend Baking: Apple Cider Donuts Welcome Fall to the Kitchen

<norprop>

Despite having temperatures in the 90s last week, I wanted to celebrate the arrival of fall. Some of our trees have already lost their leaves and some are just starting to turn colors. I was in the mood to bake, so we tried making a new recipe.

What goes better with fall than apple cider? Apple cider donuts!

Image: Courtesy of Daily Messes

DM TIP: I used Wilton's Donut pan, which turned out well. It has space for 6 donuts. I was able to get 14 donuts out of the recipe below. Norpro has a 6- and 12-donut pan as well.

For the donuts, you will need:

• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the topping, you will need:

• 3 tablespoons apple cider
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 cup sugar

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Spray donut pan with a nonstick spray and set aside.
3. In a bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together sugar and butter until combined.
5. Add egg and vanilla to sugar-butter and continue mixing.
6. Next, stir flour mixture into the sugar-butter-egg mixture.
7. Add in buttermilk and mix together.
8. Finally, add in apple cider and mix until it is just combined.
9. Fill donut pan about half full and baking for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown.
10. Remove from oven and flip onto a cooling rack.
11. Mix the remaining cinnamon and sugar for the topping.
12. Once the donuts have cooled enough to touch, brush apple cider over the top and sides.
13. Dip donut into the cinnamon-sugar mix.
14. Enjoy!

DM Alternatives: You could also dip the cooled donuts in an apple cider glaze (whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons apple cider). You could also sprinkle cinnamon/sugar on top of the glaze.

Source: Blogher

Cuccinelli planning major Bi-County Parkway rally

<tolerantp>But the Cuccinelli campaign is planning a major rally on the Bi-County Parkway Saturday morning - complete with Civil War re-enactors and a sound stage - and Cuccinelli is expected to make an announcement that area residents hope will be a strident statement against the proposed roadway.

As of Wednesday, the Cuccinelli campaign was keeping mum on what exactly what Cuccinelli would say at the 10 a.m. event. But Page Snyder, who will host the rally at her home on Pageland Lane, said she was told Cuccinelli would "come out strongly against" the Bi-County Parkway.

Snyder, who said she just learned about the rally Tuesday, said the rally was prompted by conversations between Bi-County Parkway opponents and Cuccinelli's wife, Teiro.

"First of all, we've been talking to the Cuccinelli campaign for some time about this and I've been talking to his wife, Teiro, who has seemed very sympathetic" to our concerns, Snyder said. "She has worked on him, evidently."

Snyder said Cuccinelli now realizes how detrimental the Bi-County Parkway would be to this region "and that's why he's coming out."

Cuccinelli is a resident of western Prince William County and his family attends a Catholic church in Gainesville.

Asked for comment Wednesday, Josh Schwerin, press secretary for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe, said his boss supports the idea of improving transportation options to Dulles International Airport.

"Terry thinks that we need to unlock Dulles airport," Schwerin said in an email. "But there are also some legitimate concerns about this proposal related to road closures and impacts on the battlefield. After he's elected he will meet with all the stakeholders to ensure that our solution is both economically beneficial and supported by the local community."

The Bi-County Parkway, a 10-mile road linking Va. 234 to U.S. 50 in Loudoun County, has come under fire by Prince William County residents for several reasons. Those closest to the proposed route, including Pageland Lane residents, are upset about the damage they say the four-lane road will do the Manassas National Battlefield Park and the Manassas Historical District, which it would traverse for several miles.

Residents are also worried the road will worsen commutes into Washington if Sudley Road is closed inside the Battlefield and U.S. 29 is subjected to "calming methods" designed to discourage commuters from using the road.

Opponents also remain convinced that the Bi-County Parkway would be the "missing link" in a larger section of roadways that would connect Interstate 95 in Dumfries to Interstate 66 and onto Dulles - creating what some call "an outer beltway."

Snyder said she has been withholding her support for either Cuccinelli or McAuliffe until she hears more about their positions on the Bi-County Parkway. And she said she knows several other area residents who feel the same way.

"A lot of people here have Cuccinelli yard signs that they have not put out because they are waiting to hear" where he stands on the road, she said.

"For them, this is a one issue campaign and they would support whichever candidate would come out against the Bi-County Parkway," Snyder said, adding: "I, for one, hope it's going to be a very strong, black-and-white statement with no wiggle room."

Source: Insidenova

Otterbox Introduces New iPhone 5/5s Case With Space for Credit Cards and Cash

Otterbox has introduced iPhone case/wallet combination, the Commuter Series Wallet. The $45 case includes space for 3 credit cards and a single dollar bill, while coming in black, white/grey and pink/grey color combinations.

The new case competes against other wallet 5s iphone cases otterbox camo defect like TwelveSouth's BookBook, as well as dozens of other wallet cases on the market.

- Multi-layer case guards against damage to your device
- Slimline design hides contents, keeping them safe and secure
- Self-adhering screen protector guards against scratches and scrapes to the glass display
- Access drawer holds up to three cards and one bill
- Audible click closure gives you peace of mind knowing your items are securely enclosed
- Access Wallet drawer contents without turning case over

The Commuter Series Wallet case, for the iPhone 5 and 5s, is available from Otterbox and other retailers for $45.
Source: Macrumors

Qualcomm exec calls Apple's 64-bit iPhone 5s processor a 'gimmick'

There has been a lot of discussion surrounding the iPhone 5s iphone cases games for girls y8's new 64-bit processor ever since Apple unveiled the chipset last month. Some have applauded the upgrade to the iPhone while others have implied that the new chip might not be much of an upgrade at all. Techworld reports that Qualcomm CMO Anand Chandrasekher is in the latter of those two groups. In an interview, Chandrasekher said that he believes the announcement was nothing more than a "marketing gimmick. There's zero benefit a consumer gets from that."

Chandrasekher also said that the 64-bit processor is only necessary when running a device with greater than 4GB of RAM, whereas the iPhone 5s only contains 1GB of RAM. Others have argued that despite the early implementation of the 64-bit chip, Apple has cleared the way for developers to begins production of 64-bit apps on future devices by striking first. Other smartphone makers are clearly taking note as well, as evidenced by Samsung's insinuation that the Galaxy S5 will also contain a 64-bit processor.

The iPhone 5s also slaughtered rival smartphones in performance tests, so Apple is clearly doing something right.

Chandrasekher went on to say that Qualcomm, developer of Snapdragon processors, will inevitably move to 64-bit as well at some point in the future. The hardware will eventually demand a more powerful processor, but Apple's preemptive strike might have come a bit too early.

Source: BGR

Sony Acknowledges it's the Underdog in America

<packp>Sony's Shuhei Yoshida has expressed his admiration for Microsoft's decision to change the Xbox One, saying competition is healthy.

In an interview with Games Industry, the Sony Worldwide Studios boss acknowledged the company faces a fight to make the PlayStation 4 the dominant console in North America, but he's glad that Microsoft changed aspects of the Xbox One to make things harder for Sony.

"It's always great to have two companies fighting each other," he said. "People like it; it creates a news story. The games media will cover any platform launch, but the general media - a big Sony versus Microsoft battle is a bigger story. Microsoft launching Xbox One in the same year, the same Christmas - people compare them, lots of news stories are written."

We never took them lightly. Especially in the States, we are the challenger - we're trying to compete with them.

When the interviewer suggested strong PS4 pre-orders were due to Microsoft mis-marketing the Xbox One, Yoshida was quick to disagree, calling the rival company's efforts "great". Asked to expand upon this further, he explained that the swiftness with which policy changes were embraced showed Microsoft was committed to gamers, which can only be a good thing for consumers.

"We know they're very smart people," he said. "It's great that they were able to quickly realise that some of the things they were doing were not popular, and were able to make really quick decisions to change some of those things - even things that their engineering group must have spent a lot of time preparing before the launch. It must have been a very tough time for them. That shows how smart they are, and it shows their dedication to making Xbox One successful.

"We never took them lightly. Especially in the States, we are the challenger - we're trying to compete with them. Some of the messaging that they stumbled on just gave us more chances to compete with them in the States. Other markets are very different - in Europe, we have a larger market share and in Japan, we have a much longer history of being here. Being consistent and persistent helps; the legacy and people's associations with the brand, their memories of having a great time before."

Despite this appreciation for Microsoft, Yoshida is keen to emphasise the strengths of the PlayStation 4; specifically the fact that the console is completely gamer-focused, with a hardware design that'll enable developers from all walks of life to coax the best out of the machine in the years ahead.

[The changes show] how smart they are, and it shows their dedication to making Xbox One successful.

"We continue to say what we've been saying since February," he said. "PS4 is really designed for consumers and focused on how people want to play games. At the same time, we've really made sure that it's hardware which game developers will enjoy making games on. We want consumers to look at how much fun it is to use this system, not just for playing games but for finding out about games and sharing the experience with other people.

"Something that can be a weakness but can be a very strong asset for the PlayStation team is the management team that we have. Many of us in key positions have gone through all the transitions from the launch of PS1. Andrew House, Jack Tretton, myself and many of the executives were all there at the beginning. We've gone through great times and pretty difficult times together. I've never worked for another company, so I can just imagine, but we have a very efficient way of discussing issues and being open and honest. We make quick decisions when necessary, and that's something that's very fresh to me."

The Xbox One is due to launch globally on November 22, while the PlayStation 4 will be available in North America on November 15 and in Europe on November 29. Both are available to pre-order/reserve now at online retailers in multiple territories.

Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Junior Editor. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on IGN and on Twitter.
Source: Ign