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Sunday, April 14, 2013
If you only have pots for your veggies, you can grow almost anything you can in the ground. There has been a renaissance in growing your own vegetables in small spaces so development of compact, dwarf and patio varieties have proliferated.
Any varieties listed for a smaller pot will be happy in a larger pot, too. There are many more varieties out there than listed below. Just look at the seed packet for terms like patio, compact, or dwarf.
For containers 8" wide by 6-8" deep:
Carrots-Thumbelina, Parmex, Tonda di Parigi
Greens-arugula, corn salad, cress, small pac choi like Tatsoi, purslane
Lettuce or Kale-any type that you are going to continually harvest and not grow into full heads.
For containers 10" wide by 10" deep or larger, these will grow well:
Carrots-Atlas, Little Finger, Adelaide, Short n Sweet
Eggplant with small fruits-Bambino, Casper, Fairytale, Neon, Patio Mohican, Slim Jim, White Egg
Greens-French sorrel, salad burnet, spinach
Herbs-any. Mediterranean herbs love having dry feet.
Lettuce-Little Gem, Tennis Ball, Tom Thumb if growing to full heads
Peppers, compact types-Blushing Beauty, Chili Pepper Krakatoa F1, Habanero, Hungarian Yellow Wax, Sweet Pepper Ingrid, Prairie Fire, Red Delicious, Sweet Pickle, Zavory
Radishes-Amethyst, Cherry Bell, Pink Slipper, Poloneza, Red Head, Rudi
For containers 14-16" wide and 10" deep or larger:
Beans-compact bush types , Runner Beans
Broccoli raab
Cucumber, compact bush types-Lemon, Little Leaf, Suyo, Salad Bush, Fanfare, Sweet Success.
All types of eggplant
Okra-Little Lucy
Onions-Apache, Pompeii or the perennial Egyptian Onion
Peas-dwarf bush types
All types of peppers (sweet peppers tend to be more productive in the ground)
Tomatoes, compact types-BushSteak, Celebrity, Daybreak, Johnny's 361, Legend, Patio Princess, Sweet Baby Girl, Sweet n Neat F1
Summer squash, compact bush types-Gold Rush, Midnight F1, Venus F1, Patio Star
Containers 20" wide by 16" deep:
Beans-any bush type, more compact pole types (look for the ones have vines 6' or less or you can pinch off the longer types)
Lettuce-all varieties
Peas-all bush types and more compact pole types (look for ones that vine 6' or less)
Sweet potatoes
Winter squash, compact bush types-Butterbush Butternut
For really large containers on the scale of a half whiskey or wine barrel:
Beans-all pole beans
Carrots-all varieties
Cucumbers-bush and vining types
Summer squash-Bush Baby, Space Miser, Egg Ball, Papaya Pear
Winter squash-Honey Bear, Carnival, Discus Bush Buttercup
When growing veggies in containers, they will require more watering and more liquid fertilizer than if they were in the ground. In the summer, you may have to water some water lovers every day.
To reduce watering, purchase or make pots that have a water reservoir in the bottom. A couple on the market today are "Earthbox" and "Grow Box". With these type of pots, you can water weekly. They are easy to make out of 5 gallon buckets or other plastic containers.


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(PRWEB) December 08, 2013
On SeniorSinglesMeet.us, US seniors meet and build loving relationships. While the website has always advocated for everyone to discover great relationships for the obvious reasons, simple happiness, joy and pleasure, there is increasing evidence that relationships late in life can improve health and longevity.
"This is increasingly being studied and folks are finding out that there is so much more that love and relationships can do for people. There is more and more evidence being found all the time that indicates that being relationships can help people live longer and be healthier." – Jason, SenoirSinglesMeet.us
Recent studies indicate the married seniors or seniors in close relationships have less health problems and are better able to care for themselves. Having another person in the home helps to avoid extended illnesses and untreated injuries. A partner also allows seniors to notice changes can also avoid problems with cognitive concerns. That is a large part of what drives SengleSeniorsMeet.us to work so hard to help senior singles meet and find long-term, loving relationships.
"I met my life's second love through SeniorSinglesMeet.com. I was a widower and I saw that she lived nearby. We met for a day at the beach. Within months, we were engaged and on our way to spending the rest of our lives together." – Peter V., Port Townsend, WA.
For over 12 years, SeniorSinglesMeet.us has been helping senior singles find love and friendship. All over the US, seniors have found the loves of the silver years through this amazing website. With a commitment to helping senior people meet, SeniorSinglesMeet.us only assists seniors allowing them to focus on the needs of only this group of people.
If you would like more information about this topic, please visit http://www.SeniorSinglesMeet.us.

subset: commoncrawl


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- Anniversary Symbols
- Banquet Settings
- Best Man Speech
- Bridal Favours
- Bride's Speech
- Bridemaids Speech
- Changing Your Name
- Choosing Your Wedding Reception
- Church Flowers
- Church Music Guide
- Church weddings
- Duties of Mam & Dad
- Duties of the Bride
- Duties of The Groom
- Etiquette for the big day
- Fashion Sense
- Fr. Dara Molloy ( Blessings )
- Grooms Speech
- Have your cake and eat it!
- How to choose a Top DJ
- Invitations & Stationery
- Irish Wedding Blessings
- Irish Wedding Traditions
- Love Quotes
- Meanings of Flowers
- New Testament Readings
- Old Testament Readings
- Old Ways Are Best
- Order of Church Service
- Pre-Marriage Courses
- Rules for Marriage in Ireland
- Sample Marriage Vows
- Speech Time for Mam & Dad
- The Perfect Photographer
- The Role of the Grooms Parents
- The Story of the Claddagh
- Transports of delight
- Wedding Countdown
- Wedding Music
- Wedding Quotes
- Wedding sentiments
- Wedding Tips
- Wedding Vows..As Gaielge
- White – Prague Wedding Agency
- Who Does What on the Big Day!
- Who Pays for What
- Wine Basics
- Wording for Invitations
- Your Wedding Videographer
Hats Off? No Chance
Size Matters(Really!)
Wear It Well
Dress It Up
Skin Deep
Your jewellery will be subject to three variables:
Your taste
Your budget and
The style of your dress
The first one can't be helped; tastes can vary from Doris Day Sweet to Joan Collins Glamour. Budgets, that dreaded restriction, will mean the difference between Cartier and costume. However, it is ultimately the style of the wedding gown that will determine the accessorising jewellery. If your dress is simple and pure then you have the option of "glamming" it up with large gems, or even a choker style in diamante, or remain with the theme with such items as the "ghost necklace" – a stone hung from an invisible thread, or the classic simple strand of pearls, or the docile beauty of the gold pendant.
If, however, your gown is intricate and detailed, the only option is simple; otherwise you run the risk of looking overdone. The trick is to make it look and seem effortless. Trust your instinct – and that of your mothers'!
Click here to go to our jewellery section
There's nothing quite like a hat to add that essential finishing touch to the glamour of the wedding outfit.
But what happens to your hair when the hats come off? Well to avoid that horrible flat mop, characteristic if Post Hat Wear (PHW), there are a few preventatives to take note of.
Firstly, make sure your hair is at its optimum level of health, no grey hairs, no uneven strands and definitely no split ends. If your hair is replenished it will definitely be less prone to "flopping".Click here to go to our Wedding Hats section
When choosing your hat it is crucial that you concentrate on the size. This is one area that cannot be compromised on, no matter how perfect the colour or shape. If you ignore this rule, you have no one to blame but yourself for that unsightly indent gracing your head of hair.
Finally, bring a can of hairspray on the day and a hairbrush. As soon as the hat comes off spray a little and then comb through.
If there is one thing you should take from this piece, it's this: Listen to your own instincts and if you're void of such a gift, borrow someone else's.
The outfit you choose should ultimately make you feel glorious, svelte, chic and very, very worthy. Here are a few tips to guarantee an ensemble that is simply divine.
No matter what your size or height we all have certain fashion restrictions to adhere to.
If you have a voluptuous figure, it is crucial that the fabric is non-clingy, lightly skimming your curves rather than "grabbing" onto them.
Of course we all know to steer clear of those dreaded horizontal stripes.
Petite women, as well as larger figured women, should avoid breaking the silhouette of their figures with dramatically different fabrics or colours. This does not render you doomed to life in monochrome, just keep in mind that similar shades do elongate and slim the figure.
If you're stepping out in a smart trouser suit, do –
Opt for a ľ length if you are tall.
Wear a well-fitted short jacket or "box" jacket if you are petite.
Ensure your suit is well cut, particularly over the shoulders of the jacket and the rear of your trousers no matter what your height or size. You cannot afford to make a mistake here.
A dress is perfect for a wedding, particularly a summer wedding. Teemed up with a smart jacket of this season's ultra feminine cardie, you really can't go wrong, that is, if you take heed of my advice.
For the more petite of us there are certain lengths you can wear with ease, and others you should avoid at all costs. In the former category, strut your style in chic minis or ooze sophistication in the classy longer style. The very fashionable "on the knee" length will also deem you very a la mode.
However, a dress or skirt that is calf length and you only have yourself to blame – you have been warned!
If you are tall, count yourself one of the lucky ones. Most things go, mini, maxi, mid length, it is totally dependent on your taste, just make sure your taste is up to scratch.
And finally, whatever you wear, wear it well. There really is nothing like a touch of confidence to set off an outfit.Click here to go to our Attire section
We've all heard the tales of the beautiful bride, all dewy skinned and healthy blushing cheeks. Well now it's your turn to show off the skin you've always wanted.
Visit a beauty therapist (make sure they come highly recommended). A specialist in their field, they will be able to consult you and organise a skin treatment routine over the weeks up to your wedding. Also while you're there invest in a steam facial, and really experience the change.
If this sounds like too much expense and trouble then follow these handy tips for great looking skin.
First of all, make sure the skin products you purchase are suitable to your skin type.
Second, train yourself into a routine of removing all make up in the evening. Resist the temptation to leave it on until the morning.
Invest in a good facial scrub and mask. Use these once per week on alternate days. Essentially, these remove the dead skin from your face, and thus the grey hue that is characteristic of neglected skin is removed to reveal skin that is replenished, glowing and supple.
Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise, what more can I say? The benefits of moisturisation cannot be understated. It rejuvenates and invigorates, leaving skin that is so smooth you can't help but to touch it.
That brings us to our next point. Do try and keep your hands by your sides. If you insist on touching your face, you've only got yourself to blame for the transferring of all those germs!
And finally, don't forget the H20, AKA water. It is recommended that you drink 5 pints per day.
Take heed of this advice and believe me, you'll be laughing!Click here to go to our Make Up Artists section


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I took a picture of this sign outside a public toilet in a McDonald's in Mongkok, Hong Kong yesterday. The sign piqued my interest, and I decided to translate it. One thing that I find especially interesting is that the writer of the sign mixes Traditional Characters with Simplified Characters. Maybe the assumption is that Mainland Chinese would be the culprits, but I have no idea. I have pasted the sign's contents, followed by the transliteration in Mandarin Pinyin, followed by my translation.
zhūwèi wénmíng rénshì cǐ chù dàxiǎoèrbiàn huò xīyān
Ladies and Gentlemen and cultured people. This area you cannot defecate, pee, or smoke in.
jiāng shòu è
It is evil to do so
èyǒuèbào guǒbào
evil has its retribution karma will self report
Your comments are welcome below.


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Century Lodge to host corn feed
July 18, 2013
Century Lodge #190, Garden City Chapter Order of the Eastern Star, Mahi #18 Order of the White Shrine of Jerusalem and Faith Court #18 Order of the Amaranth, will host a Corn Feed from 12-2 p.m. Aug. 11 at 2532 9th Ave.
Corn on the cob, fried chicken, scalloped potatoes, cole slaw and desserts will be available.
The cost is $10 for adults, $5 for ages 5-12 and free for those under 5 years old. The proceeds will go toward funding renovation and upkeep of the Masonic Hall.


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Writing in active voice is a must for news. It means, our sentences in the news should follow the Subject-Verb-Object order. It's not only that the S-V-O format makes our sentences shorter, it also identifies first the doer of the action.
In some local broadcast news that i have been monitoring, the writers are trying to follow the S-V-O format for their Cebuano newscast programs. So, some of the lines in the newscast would go like these:
"Kapolisan mosikop sa mga kawatan…." (Kapolisan is the Subject; mosikop is the Verb; mga kawatan is the Object.)
"Mayor Tomas Osmena mopaguba sa gitukod nga edipisyo sa Cebu Provincial Police Office…"
If you have notice (as you read aloud) the subject of the sentences above would seemed the recipient of the action instead of being the doer of the action. Though, the subject is properly situated before the verb.
The reason for this awkward tone when reading Cebuano sentences like above is simply our language doesn't work like that. Cebuano language is said "predicated". I don't know exactly how to explain what is predicated but i understand it refers to the verb and the object in the predicate.
Maybe this explains–the Cebuano language always start with a verb not a subject. Thus, it follows the Verb-Subject-Object order. See translation samples below:
(English) I am going to the Carbon Market. (S-V-O format)
(Cebuano) Moadto ko sa Carbon Market. (V-S-O format)
WRONG : (Cebuano) Ako moadto sa Carbon Market (S-V-O format)
The last translation follows the English grammar S-V-O (active voice) format. However, if you read the sentence it sounded very awkward.
Read aloud the first Cebuano translation (V-S-O format) and you'll sound natural and filled with action. So, why should we force the S-V-O format for our Cebuano sentences? English grammar is not the mother of all languages that we should base our own language.
We're not unique on this matter because the Korean language has place the verb at the end of its sentences. Busa, padayon ko nga mogamit sa V-S-O format. 🙂


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Tunisia pick up first World Cup win in 40 years as Panama fall
Tunisia ended their disappointing World Cup campaign on a high note as they dispatched Panama 2-1 in Saransk on Thursday to win their first game in the tournament since 1978.
It was an underwhelming showing by Tunisia, but they at least gave a good account of themselves in the second half after falling behind.
Despite the toil of those around him, Wahbi Khazri has boosted his reputation during this tournament.
He didn't make his name as a striker, but excelled again while leading the line here, and has been one of Africa's stand-out players in Russia.
While Tunisia sought to dominate their opponents early on, they suffered an almighty scare when they fell behind.
With their finishing so poor during the first half, there were fears that their ignominious World Cup may get even worse.
Manager rating (out of 10):
6 - Nabil Maaloul opted to rotate his squad, and the game ended with all 23 members of the Tunisian squad seeing some action.
The new faces largely impressed, with Oussama Haddadi and Ghaaylen Chaalali, in particular, doing enough to suggest that they should have featured earlier.
His attacking approach was the only way to go against this limited Panama side, and Tunisia eventually got over the line after a few nervy moments.
Player ratings (1-10, with 10 the best. Players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating):
GK Aymen Mathlouthi, 6 - Finally got the chance to feature at the World Cup after being usurped to date in this competition. He fumbled a second-half cross, but did make a fine save later on to deny Panama.
DF Hamdi Nagguez, 6 - Restored to the starting XI following Dylan Bronn's injury, he delivered a competent and lively display, but his crossing was sub-par.
DF Rami Bedoui, 7 - An excellent display in the air by Bedoui, who's not got much of a look-in during this tournament, as he won seven aerial battles during the contest.
DF Yassine Meriah, 6 - His day was marred by an own goal, but Meriah was still a key presence in the air at the back for the Tunisians and the Eagles regularly built their play through him.
DF Oussama Haddadi, 8 - Named ahead of Ali Maaloul, who struggled against Belgium, Haddadi demonstrated that he's perhaps ready to replace the team stalwart with a fine display.
He created three goalscoring chances, contributed the assist for Khazri's goal, and made a series of key interceptions.
MF Ellyes Skhiri, 6 - A decent presence in midfield, winning headers and seeing a lot of the ball, but there are still many who can't exactly see why Skhiri has earned such unswerving faith from Maaloul.
MF Fakhreddine Ben Youssef, 7 - Got the goal that his endeavour at this tournament has deserved, although his control was lacking on a few occasions.
MF Ghaylen Chaalali, 7 - Finally got the chance to show what he can do in the World Cup, and didn't disappoint. Was influential in the heart of the park for Tunisia, winning six tackles and seeing a lot of the ball.
MF Ferjani Sassi, 5 - Not his best day, again, and he was replaced at the break after a tenacious, frustrated display in which he picked up a booking.
Too often sought to go long when, against such feeble opponents, a subtler approach might have been more effective.
MF Naim Sliti, 6 - His finishing, yet again, let him down at times, although Sliti did prove - on the odd occasion that he ran at the Panamanian defence - that he's magic with the ball at his feet.
FW Wahbi Khazri, 8 - For the second game in a row, he scored one and assisted another, demonstrating the kind of finishing touch and quality of delivery that few of Africa's other teams could match.
He created four goalscoring chances overall.
MF Anice Badri, 6 - Didn't offer too much after replacing Sassi at the break, although his passing was largely accurate.
FW Ahmed Khalil, N/R
FW Bassem Srarfi, N/R
Ed Dove is the Soccer Editor for KweséESPN. Follow him on Twitter @EddyDove.
Ed Dove is the Soccer Editor for KweséESPN. Follow him on Twitter @EddyDove.
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Meeting Loose Dogs While Walking
One of my Pet Hates! Dealing with a Loose Dog When Your Dog is On Leash
Imagine the scene: you are walking your canine best friend on a beautiful sunny day and suddenly, you come across every dog owner's nightmare – a loose dog. Sometimes, dogs get out of their yard or cunningly sneak their way out of the door, but there are times when an owner simply lets their dog off leash to run free.
What do you do in this situation?
While my dog is well behaved, I know she is rather nervous around other dogs particularly if they are bigger than her. Even if the loose dog is friendly and isn't looking like it would hurt her, there is always the chance that she still gets a fright and becomes even more anxious around other canines.
As a dog owner, you must be prepared for these situations. Let's go over some tools to keep loose dog away from you and your dog.
· Use your voice: Loud yells in a deep voice will often deter an approaching dog.
· Barriers: Use your legs and feet to create a barrier between your dog and the approaching animal.
· Sprays: A citronella spray is harmless to dogs, but smells bad enough to put another dog off coming any closer.
· Sounds: An air horn will definitely scare a loose dog but it may also frighten your own pooch, so this isn't the best solution to the problem.
Another good tool is to have is extra dog treats in your pocket. Most dogs will be tempted by a tasty snack. Simply throw the treats on the ground behind you and walk away.
Instead of relying on these tools, it is better to be proactive and plan on keeping your dog away from loose dogs wherever possible. This can be done by:
· Keeping your distance. If you see an off-leash dog, walk in the opposite direction and always stay as far away from the other dog as possible.
· Keeping your dog's attention on you at all times so he doesn't do anything to attract attention, such as bark at a loose dog.
· Choose a walking route where you can easily walk your dog away from any off leash pooches.
If a cranky looking or over-exuberant dog is coming at you, the main goal is to get your pooch well out of harm's way. To do this, you can:
· Pick him up, turn your back on the approaching dog and slowly walk away. However, be prepared to be jumped on by the other dog.
· Use the tools mentioned earlier, particularly the dog treats, spray, and a loud firm voice. That may be enough to put the brakes on the loose dog's approach.
· Put your dog behind a barrier. For example, if you're walking around the neighborhood, there may be a fence that you could put him over. Make sure there already isn't a dog there. Most home owners would understand your need to keep your pup safe, and wouldn't mind.
Loose dogs are a danger to everyone and everybody has a right to walk their dog without fear of another animal on the loose. Keep your pet safe by ensuring that you always keep him on a leash and be watchful when you are out for a stroll.


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Are you interested in protecting your country from threats of terrorism and protecting fellow citizens during times of crisis? If so, then Homeland Security could be the major for you.
Studying Homeland Security will provide you with knowledge about security threats, both domestic and international. Classes will cover such topics as international relations, homeland defense, government, bioscience, consequence management, and terrorism. Current issues in this field are keeping American interests in mind worldwide, drug trafficking, and emergency management.
Some concentrations you may be able to specialize in are Disaster Management, Critical Infrastructure Protection, and Terrorism and Counterterrorism Operations.
Required Skills
This major teaches students many valuable and practical skills. You will learn how to evaluate domestic security challenges and propose changes to government at the local, state, and federal level. This requires a logical thinker who doesn't shy away from controversial topics. Students should be objective and pay close attention to detail in their research in order to have accurate outcomes.
A career in homeland security requires clear thinkers who are able to make decisions and keep calm in emergency situations. You may face any number of dangerous environments. Students should be physical fit and strong as well as emotionally consistent.
Graduates will have learned a broad set of skills they can apply to a number of different occupations. Many grads work for the department of homeland security as federal agents, law enforcement officers or first responders. Other options are to become a law maker, detective, government lawyer or police officer.
Here is a small sample of the careers that a degree in Homeland Security might open up.


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CWA Calls for Immediate NLRB Decision on CNN Case
Washington, D.C. -- The Communications Workers of America has filed a motion with the National Labor Relations Board calling on the Board to immediately hear the case involving CNN/Team Video and 250 technicians in New York and Washington, D.C., who have been harmed by CNN's illegal actions.
"This case has been languishing before the NLRB since 2003, and points out the total failure of U.S. labor law when it comes to workers' rights," said CWA President Larry Cohen. "CNN set out to get rid of union workers and their bargaining rights. Despite overwhelming evidence that CNN broke the law, today, nearly eight years later, workers still are denied justice. It's time for the NLRB to take action."
In November 2008, NLRB Administrative Law Judge Arthur Amchan issued a scathing decision against CNN, finding that the network created a phony reorganization scheme to get rid of workers because they had a union, the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians-CWA. The judge said that CNN engaged in "widespread and egregious misconduct, demonstrating a flagrant and general disregard" for workers' rights.
He ordered the immediate reinstatement of the 110 workers who were not rehired through CNN's scam hiring system, called for the restoration of the economic losses of all 250 workers and ordered CNN to recognize and bargain with NABET-CWA. None of CNN's defenses was accepted by the judge.
"Two years after that decision, after the NLRB judge confirmed CNN's union-busting practices, CNN technicians still are waiting for justice," said Jim Joyce, president of NABET-CWA.
CWA's motion calls on the NLRB to give this case priority over all other pending cases. This action is necessary, CWA said, because none of the remedies ordered by the ALJ in 2008 have been implemented and more than 204 workers are due substantial remediation. "The saying 'justice delayed is justice denied' has particular relevance to violations of the National Labor Relations Act," CWA said, because such delay makes it more difficult for workers to believe they will ever obtain justice under the law. CWA called for a decision to be issued without further delay.


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Teacher Tom
What is so good about a junkyard playground
Teacher Tom talks about the importance of giving our children different items that enables them to create their own 'play equipment'.
Related Videos
Help My Child Doesn't Want to go School
(3:37 mins) Is your son or daughter refusing to go to school?
Handling goodbyes / separation anxiety at childcare or school
Expert tips for handling those tricky drop-offs as you help your child settle into childcare or school
Teachers, please keep fighting for play-based learning
In this video, Maggie Dent voices her support for the Australian teachers and educators who are trying to advocate for play-based learning, despite the pressure to implement formalised learning conditions…
What it means for play to be self selected
What is play and why is it important for our children? Teacher Tom gives some insightful examples into the importance of play for children.
Is my child ready for school?
(5:50 mins) Is my child ready for big school?
What does open ended play mean?
Teacher Tom discussed the importance of open ended play and how encouraging this in today's technology focused world is an important milestone that many of our children are missing out…
What are some guilt-free (even educational) ideas for screen-time for pre-schoolers?
Learn some educational ways you can use screens with your pre-schooler.
Preparing toddlers for childcare or preschool
(4:40 mins) When preparing your child for preschool here are three areas that are essential and they may not be what you think!
How a growth mindset can be developed through play
(3:03 mins) How a growth mindset can be developed through play
Preparing Your Child To Start School
Practical tips for making your child's transition to 'big school' as smooth as possible.


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Need a team card? Need a registration form? Odds on we've got it here, resources for players, managers and coaches.
Player Resources
Mini & Mods dates 2016 – TBC (Galas, Finals, End of season).
Kitchen roster for 2016 – TBC.
Download the player registration form (.pdf 20kb).
Map of Walker park showing location of league playing fields 2, 3 and 4 (.pdf 233kb).
Field 4 is contains 2 mini fields, mod grade upwards are played on fields 2 & 3.
New Zealand Rugby League safe play code, or download the .pdf 116kb
General guide to rugby league on wikipedia and the wikipedia guide to rugby league positions.
Lots of resources and general information on the Auckland Rugby League website and New Zealand Rugby League website.
Coach & Manager Resources
To find out if Walker Park fields are open for training during the week, call the council sports closures line after 1pm daily using the following menu selections: 3792024 option (then press) 5 option (then press) 3.
Check the weekly cancellations page on Friday afternoons to see if your Saturday game has been cancelled.
Auckland Rugby League run coaching courses across all grades, form mini right through to senior.
For the latest course dates check out coaching courses on the Auckland Rugby League website.
Download the Mini Mod Team Card – ARL 2015 (.pdf 232kb). Hint – print double sided.
Download the International Team Card – ARL 2015 For U13 grade and up, (.pdf 301kb). Hint – print double sided.
Download the player registration form (.pdf 20kb).
Download the team registration-Form (.pdf 1.2Mb).
Download the team maintenance form (.pdf 55kb).
Download the team balance sheet/budget template (excel spreadsheet 40kb ).


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Eye care professionals specialize in understanding how the human eye really works, as well as diseases and conditions that affect your vision – many of which do not have obvious symptoms. Optometrists know how age and risk factors affect vision over time for young and old, and they understand the benefits and features of corrective lenses including eyeglasses and contacts.
Our optometrists take the time to explain the results of your eye exam, describe your options and listen to your eye care needs. Because maintaining good eye health is an ongoing partnership, we encourage you to ask questions and share your health information, which could be vital to monitoring, diagnosing and treating potential vision problems.
Meet our doctors:
Dr. Richard Scheid graduated with his Doctor of Optometry from the University of Waterloo School of Optometry in 1977. He was a Clinical Resident at the University of Waterloo School of Optometry from 1977 - 1978 and went on to be a Clinical Supervisor from 1978 - 1994. He was the Director of Optometric Training and Education at TLC in London from 1994-1995.
Dr. Scheid has been seeing patients in his Private Practice since 1978. He is a member of the Ontario Association of Optometrists and a member of the Canadian association of Optometrists. Since graduating he has received an International Board Certification for Treatment and management of ocular disease (TMOD).
Dr Scheid enjoys golf, boating and cycling when not in the office. He has two adult children and spends quiet time with his wife Margaret and their three cats.
Dr. Jim Bender graduated from the University of Waterloo, School of Optometry, in 1981. He has served for many years as a clinical instructor at the University of Waterloo, School of Optometry, and as Director of Off-Campus Geriatric Eye Clinics. He was also the Leader of Off-Campus Eye Clinics for Developmentally Challenged Adults.
Dr. Bender has served as an examiner for the National Board of Examiners in Optometry. He holds a certificate in Advanced Ocular Disease & Therapeutics. His special interests include contact lenses, laser vision and laser vision comanagement.
Dr. Joulaie received her B.Sc in Biology and her M.Sc in Molecular Genetics at York Univeristy. She has done various clinical researches on Glaucoma at St Michael's hospital in Toronto. She graduated from the Doctor of Optometry program at the University of Waterloo in 2014. As part of her training, she completed an eye disease internship in a busy general ophthalmogy practice. There she gained extensive training and hands on eperience in diagnosing and treating ocular diseases with the main focus on glaucoma and post refractive eye surgery care.
Dr. Joulaie is also very passionate about doing pediatric eye care. She is a member of the Ontario Association of Optometrists (OAO) and Canadian Association of Optometrists (CAO).
Dr Joulaie lives in Waterloo with her husband, an Intensive Care Physician in town, and their three young children. She enjoys cooking, playing piano, gardening and playing with her children.


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Is it just me or is 2012 THE year for rookies in KPOP to debut? It hasn't even gone half a year since 2012 started and yet, it already seems like 4387467426842086760 groups have debuted. We're talking B.A.P, NU'EST, EXO, BTOB, JJ Project, Hello Venus…and then we have YG Ent. upcoming girl group, DSP Ent. upcoming boyband (think they're called A-JAX…?) and many more to come…or has debuted that I even don't know about. See, can't even keep track of the new groups anymore or yeah well…when have I ever kept track of new groups anyways? (My sweetest lambchops EXO are an entirely different story!!)
Then we have this new rookie group, VIXX, from Jellyfish Entertainment who's also ready to debut, more precisely this thursday on 24th. This entertainment manages very talented artists like Seo In Guk, Sung Si Kyung and Brian Joo and the newcomers, VIXX, are not an exception. They've so far released 3 teasers from their upcoming debut single, Super Hero, and they do seem very promising!
Although they may seem promising, I can't say for sure yet if they're good or not since they haven't even debuted yet. All I can say is that they are going up for some hard ass competition because all of the rookies that has debuted so far are ALL so damn talented! If they don't do something to make them stand out in the horde of the new rookie groups, (and i'm not just talking about competing over who's got the weirdest group name!) i'm afraid that they'll easily be forgotten.
Let the competition begin!


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In case you didn't know, the Cylons have a Plan. Viewers of Ron Moore's acclaimed Battlestar Galactica remake have for the last two years been told just how cunning and calculating the show's antagonists are at the start of virtually every episode. Created by man, yadda, yadda, evolved, yadda, rebelled, yadda, many copies, et cetera, Plan. The Cylons, in case it had escaped your attention, have a Plan.
No one has the slightest clue what it is.
Battlestar Galactica is simultaneously a show compulsively attached to continuity and one with a logic which often doesn't bear the most superficial of inspections. One of the great questions barely obscured by the show's sometimes contradictory treatments of the Cylons can be very simply expressed: who are the Cylons, and what do they want? What on earth is this plan of theirs, anyway? The cynical viewer could be forgiven for coming to suspect that she is told at the beginning of each episode that the villains have a plan because, if it were left merely to the events depicted in the show, it'd look like the robots were stumbling around without even a sketch of a map. And here's the really funny thing: in its second season finale, "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part 2," Battlestar Galactica completely reinvented itself and, apparently, the modus operandi of the Cylons. Who were the Cylons, and what did they want? Well, I'm not sure we'll ever know.
"Lay Down Your Burdens, Part 2" is an ambitious piece of television: it manages to wrap up not just the cliffhanger from the preceding episode, but in addition, more or less every other dangling plot thread from the rest of the show's history, and still finds time to change drastically the series paradigm. By the end of its ninety minutes, Battlestar Galactica is no longer a show about a fleet of less than 50,000 humans, the only survivors of a massive act of genocide, on the run from a victorious robot army. It's a show about a colony set up by the human survivors of a massive act of genocide under occupation by a victorious robot army. At the same time, the characters have been developed perhaps further than during the entirety of the show's run to date, the show's internal politics have altered beyond recognition, and, oh yeah—the Cylons have gone and got themselves a new plan. Ron Moore reboots his show right in front of our eyes.
It's not like it was impossible to see it coming: after an exhilarating and thoughtful opening half, season two's back end had seen a procession of disappointing episodes, some of which even Moore would only weakly defend with mutterings about "production problems." From the bone-crunchingly bad science of "Epiphanies" to the tired noir of "Black Market," even the decent instalments had at least one notable flaw which rankled when seen in the context of an endless march of mediocrity: the out-of-sequence plot points of "Scar," for instance, could have been forgiven had they not been sandwiched between character ret-conning for Lee Adama and a confused melange of a hostage-taking entirely devoid of tension.
True, Battlestar Galactica has never been the most ground-breaking of shows. Largely, it has relied on moments of eloquence rather than constant revolution. There is a scene in "The Captain's Hand," for example, in which Apollo is finally given command of Battlestar Pegasus by its incompetent and ill-prepared captain. Rather than showing Lee stepping up to the plate with immediate confidence and swelling music, the
camera zoomed out, leaving the fighter pilot isolated and not a little lost as he intoned quietly, as if trying the concept on for size, "I have the bridge." Galactica has always delighted in adding humanity and emotional complexity to what are essentially stock situations.
Ultimately, it was in applying this alchemy that the latter half of the second season fell down. After the serial of its first half, it could have proved refreshing to turn to the sort of stand-alone episodes which are the bread and butter of other shows, but the show failed to mine its backstory or respect its continuity sufficiently to make a success of this change in tone. Characters were twisted and coerced by writers into acting in the ways now necessary (the most glaring example of this being the non sequitur of a relationship between Lee Adama and Anastasia Dualla), whilst little effort was made to fit each episode's concept to the show's previously established lore (Chief Tyrol was making moonshine last season—exactly where does Cloud Nine get its enviable selection of exotic drinks?).
Something had to be done. The work started in "Downloaded," which saw two Cylons—the Six from the show's originating miniseries, and the Eight who masqueraded as the raptor pilot Boomer during its first season—begin to voice their doubts about Cylon policies towards humanity, and agree to work together to change them. This was certainly a significant development, and the format of the episode—focussing almost entirely on the Cylons rather than the humans—a refreshing shift in perspective, but still more was needed. Battlestar Galactica had lost its way so comprehensively that it had to redraw the map.
In principle, then, "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part 2" is a fine thing. In jumping the hurdle of the fleet's presidential election, in giving us an insight into the changes which the events of "Downloaded" had already wreaked upon the Cylons, in resolving the frustratingly stalled sub-plot involving Gaius Balthar, a nuclear warhead, and a Cylon within the fleet, and in having that fleet decide to colonise a newly discovered planet, the episode consciously seeks to create a new place from which the show can start next season. And then comes the doozy, the thing I haven't mentioned yet. Then comes the skip in time.
The last twenty or so minutes of the episode take place a year after the events of the preceding hour. Within those twelve months, New Caprica City has been colonised by 39,192 souls, all protected by a now skeletal defensive fleet. We are reintroduced to our characters (this much is necessary—as Admiral Adama points out, the show has skipped ahead by more months than the fleet was running). It is this process which reveals the weakness at the heart of this superficially strong episode.
The thing about storytelling is it takes time. The impact of something almost always lies not in the thing itself but rather in the care of its set-up and the detail of its aftermath. A similar format change was squashed into the final episode of the penultimate season of Joss Whedon's Angel, for example: having fought evil law firm Wolfram and Hart for four years, the show's protagonists then went to work at its offices. Potentially disastrous and in its fifth season execution ultimately disappointing, the change itself built strongly on the preceding season's themes, and was sold to the audience on the strong back of the established character traits of the title character. Crucially, the audience felt and were shown the consequences of the episode's rapid developments. But "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part 2" is running scared from the old format, so scared that it doesn't give itself any time to pause for breath. The episode is a tacit admission that, yes, the writers aren't really all that sure they want to or even can write within the series's old set-up. Those of us disappointed by recent Galactica have known the show needs some form of saving; but the writers seem to have decided that it needs changing. It may not be coincidence that Galactica is going prime-time next season, and a new format may well appeal to new viewers.
Change in itself, of course, is not bad—in fact, rebooting Galactica could well be a stroke of genius. "Spaceships on the run from implacable foe" is perhaps not a concept with huge dramatic scope, and the fundamental effect of retooling the show is to find a way to tell the human versus Cylon tale in a fresh, new way. It has been suggested that the movement from stories about a scared and beleaguered fleet to ones about an occupied colony is an effective way to keep pace with the real-world progression from 9/11 and its aftermath to the situation in Iraq, which is of course notably different in character. The series was certainly developed in part as a response to current affairs, but its confusion in depicting the Cylons has always weakened its status as analogy: it is hard to argue for the moral equivalence of the Cylons when their initial act of genocide is so out of proportion.
Indeed, Abigail Nussbaum has convincingly argued that the show's "Cylon Problem" has its roots in this uncertainty over whether to deal with them as a purely science fictional conceit or as a parallel to real-world developments. Here's the rub, then: if the change of format is designed to reflect the real world's change of political climate, it is spectacularly soft-headed. The attacked are not now the occupiers but the occupied, the initial attackers now victorious (let us ignore the fact that Iraq wasn't linked to the real world's initial attack in anything like this clear-cut fashion). If the format change has political rather than artistic purposes, it leaves little comfort for those hoping it will set right the mess which is the Cylon/terrorist analogy.
What the rebirth can do, however, is cast new light on the show's characters and situations, and on its very concept: if we attempt to shout down the sorts of putative concerns discussed above (and it is worth giving a retooled show the benefit of the doubt), then the events of this episode could be precisely the reinvigoration Galactica has seemed to be in need of. (How worrying, though, that it needs such drastic attention after just 30 or so episodes.)
The problem with "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part 2," then, isn't the drastic change it wreaks on the series. Rather, it is its method. Ron Moore has admitted he fell in love with the idea of shaking up his show at the end of a season, rather than starting its third with the "one year later" caption. But what this choice means in practice is that the episode has no chance to reflect, to count the cost of its monumental events; worse, it has no time to parse them effectively—we are left with largely hollow posturing rather than any sense of import.
For example, Dean Stockwell's Cylon informs humanity that his people have chosen to leave the humans alone, and regret the attacks on the 12 colonies; half an hour later, they're back with a whole new plan. For those of you keeping score, that's three Cylon plans in just ninety minutes. Similarly, Cloud Nine is destroyed in a nuclear explosion and then, erm, gets talked about for a few minutes. Following the year's worth of jump, characters are entirely shortchanged—we know Starbuck has changed because she has transformed into a hen-pecking wife, although anything approaching a real explanation is left to the bewildered imagination—or, even worse, leave us somewhat disturbed—having last been seen swollen and beaten after Chief Tyrol attacks her in a senseless rage, Cally is next seen swollen and pregnant with his child. Narrative vertigo can be fun, but it can also make you nauseous.
The overall impression is not of a show confidently stepping forward towards a grand new format, but rather a series galloping full tilt from a paradigm it's not sure it can write very well anymore, heedless of everything it has set up. Having followed Galactica and expected some follow-through on the old issues, the viewer is instead presented with an episode which pays lip service to addressing them but in fact is merely getting them out of the way. It is a curiously unceremonious narrative, a nervy rather than a gutsy performance.
It's difficult to argue that Galactica's third season will be bad on the strength of this twenty-minute "pilot"—given the time he should have given himself here, Moore will likely do with the new format what he did with the old. But presented with a season two that started brilliantly and ended by eviscerating itself, one is left with an ominous query: what is Battlestar Galactica, and what does it want?
It's far from clear that anyone has the slightest clue.
Dan Hartland is a British writer of various words, of which some are occasionally about science fiction. He retains a perspective decidedly outside of the genre, one which could conveniently be described as well-wishing frustration. He awaits the day he can do this for a living and copy-write for fun.
I'm starting like the deleted scenes in the previouslys. In fact, I sort of hope they're filming them as they need them rather than just pulling them off the cutting-room floor. It gives the writers a chance to swerve in mid-season without having to waste time (and credibility) on as-you-know-Bob dialogue. Maybe it's not as good as if the writers Had A Plan to begin with, but it kind of goes with the handheld camera work.
I also enjoyed this interesting article.
I'm not particularly concerned, however, about the changes in the Cylons' "plan." If pressed, I would speculate that their original plan was to destroy most of humanity and utilize the survivors in the Cylons' quest for some kind of biological reproduction.
Then, the Six and Eight models-with-a-conscience ostensibly convince Cylons that destroying the colonies was bad. This doesn't mean they've decided that reproducing with the humans is bad. (We don't really know if Dean Stockwell Cylon was telling the truth when he said "we'll leave you alone," so whether the Cylons' ultimate plan really changed can be debated.)
The Cylons regroup to think things through, Six-aboard-Cloud-9 sends up a smoke signal via nuclear bomb letting the Cylons know where the human fleet is, and the Cylons come around -- not to destroy the humans on New Caprica but to find a new way to subjugate them and to get back to that original reproduction plan. This seems pretty simple to me.
Also, I have to say that I liked the jump of a year. Now I have until October to speculate how they got from Point A to Point B -- and I firmly believe they're going to fill in many of those blanks for us next season. (For instance, perhaps Lee grounded Kara from flying for being a drunk, which could explain her being on the planet in the role of housewife. Why would they NOT address this, and what's wrong with doing so next season?)
I think it would have been very easy for Battlestar to play attack-of-the-week, so I actually think the season two finale was pretty bold -- a way of saying that BSG commits to a storyline, without a reset button. It doesn't mean that the show's creatores have to be 100% linear, nor do the Cylons.
Interesting article- some stuff I agreed with, and some stuff I didn't. Just thought it was worth noting that in all the comments I've read from Ronald D. Moore online and other sources, they're not planning on spending as long sorting out the cliffhanger to Season Two as they did for Season One. The plan mentioned was four or five episodes- so I'd lay bets that while the after effects of the reboot will lurk around for a very long time, it's probably not going to be that many episodes before New Caprica is vacated.
Thanks for the comments, guys.
Abigail, I agree that the Cylons probably gave us the most interesting material in the second half of season two, but I part company with you when you argue that this material gave us meaningful or in-depth insights into Cylon culture and society. Interesting detail does not necessarily make for coherent detail, and however entertaining 'Downloaded' was, I can't in good faith say that it gave us much more about the Cylons than the muddled guesswork we'd already managed.
Having said that, I kind of agree with David that the writers don't necessarily need to have a plan (though using deleted scenes to explain poorly executed plot lines still seems to me bad form). What they do need, though, is the ability to execute their latest left-field idea in such a way that it doesn't grate. Amy and Saxon are right when they suggest that dealing with the issues raised by a season finale in the following season isn't a bad thing (indeed, it's pretty much par for the course). But that wasn't my criticism. Rather, I looked at the finale in isolation and found it wanting as a piece of standalone storytelling.
I really don't think that the developments in the latter half of season two were performed at the behest of whining fans. I think they were probably a solution to the problems faced by trapped writers. As I said, it seems to me that a reboot could do wonders for the show, and I really like the Vichy possibility. The show may well pull all this off. My concern simply is that the writers ended the season still having trouble with turning out good product within the constraints inherent to their medium.
You imply that the original plot was growing stale and therefore a shakeup was needed? Baloney. What was happening was that the writing about the original plot was growing worse and worse, making it seem like a shakeup was needed. In fact, there was wonderful opportunity to explore the feelings of Sharon (Boomer) as she realizes at last that she's a Cylon - everything she was taught to fear and loathe. Then there was the anti-hero, Starbuck, a brilliant solo warrior, recklessly courageous, the best pilot in the fleet, but overall dangerous to the team as a whole, a truth which Col. Tigh saw very clearly. It would have been fun watching Starbuck fight her demons and eventually grow up. I could go on and on but I'll spare you. Bottom line, the original plot was not stale and IMO whoever wrote the mini, first season, and first half of the second season is now gone from the BSG writing team, and the remaining writers simply lack the "chops" to carry the ball. So instead they're giving us shocking changes evidently hoping that shocking change will be taken for quality scripting, like drowning a bad meal in ketchup and hoping to disguise the putrid taste underneath. Yuck.
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This uber quick 'n easy miso soup recipe is delicious! It just takes a few ingredients, a few steps, and a few minutes!
- 3 (14.5 oz) cans fat free chicken or vegetable broth
- 5 tbs miso of your choice (I used white miso)
- 1 package firm tofu, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 2 tbs green onions, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Saute green onions and garlic with cooking spray in a pot over medium heat.
- Add broth and heat to a slow simmer.
- Slowly whisk in the miso until it dissolves.
- Add tofu and heat for a few minutes.


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|Archived February 20, 2019
Florida Integrated Science Centers' Open House in GainesvilleThe U.S. Geological Survey Works for All Ages
Tiny frogs, a giant blimp, mobile labs, touch tanks, demonstrations, and lots of enthusiastic scientists greeted visitors to a recent Open House at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)'s office in Gainesville, FL. Previously known as the Florida Caribbean Science Center, the Gainesville office is now the headquarters of the new Florida Integrated Science Centers (FISC)'s Center for Aquatic Resource Studies.
The center's second annual USGS Open House was a 2-day event, held on May 16 and 17. On May 16, a Friday, nearly 400 4th-graders from Alachua County elementary schools received guided tours, some of them led by volunteers from local high-school service groups.
On the next day, a Saturday, the event was open to the public. The Open House gave the Gainesville community a glimpse of current USGS studies, including research on manatees, nonindigenous species, and the effects of African dust on the environment. Students had a hands-on scientific opportunity to experience environmental science in Florida, which included handling crayfish, apple snails, tadpoles, and leopard frogs in the large aquarium touch tank.
Scientists from the four USGS disciplines of geology, hydrology, biology, and geography participated in the event, coming from Gainesville and from many of the USGS' other FISC offices, including those in Altamonte Springs, Miami, Ocala, St. Petersburg, and Tallahassee.
Mike Orr, a hydrologic technician from Altamonte Springs, brought equipment that demonstrated water-quality sampling and measurement of the flow and amount of water carried by Florida's rivers.
Dennis Krohn, a geologist from St. Petersburg, showed how a volcano works with a model that was rigged to make sound effects as it erupted.
Jon Wiebe, a fisheries biologist from Gainesville, explained that USGS researchers working with alligators and crocodiles have placed about 30 'gators on a special diet; female alligators are being monitored to see whether the chemicals in pesticides they ingest by eating contaminated prey are passed on to their eggs.
"The scientists conduct research that people really care about, such as preserving wildlife and endangered species like manatees, American crocodiles, gulf sturgeon, and fresh-water mussels," said Russ Hall, center director. "We are doing work that affects everybody's lives."
Hannah Hamilton, public-affairs specialist, added, "It is important for the public to see where its tax money is going. The community deserves to see what research is being done and the studies its money is funding. The Open House is a casual way for the public to learn about the large-scale, long-term, and complex things the USGS does."
in this issue:
cover story:
Gas Hydrate: Potential Drilling Hazard
Florida Open House
Foreign Professors Visit St. Pete
|Archived February 20, 2019


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Elizabeth (spoilers!)
After The Magnificent Seven, I was ready for The Great Escape. Like The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape was a movie I hadn't seen because it looked long and boring. But both films were directed by John Sturges and star Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, and James Coburn. So things started to look up for The Great Escape.
I was dying to see Richard Attenborough in this because my only image of him is from the Jurassic Park/Miracle on 34th Street era. Chris and I tried to spot him, first thinking he was a different British actor, but when Attenborough came on screen it was unmistakably him. It was kind of amazing to watch him so young and to have the same voice, eyes, and mouth as he always did under that white beard. And it's always nice to see James Garner from this time period, in all of his masculine sexiness. And the more Chris talked about it, the better it sounded. Sexy dudes banding together? Check. Allies fighting and defeating Nazis? Check. That plus knowing the movie wasn't about actual battles (therefore not being super bloody and sad) really convinced me.
But you want to know something about The Great Escape? There is no great escape. Before you argue, I will counter by asking how great can an escape actually be if you're murdered immediately after? By Nazis? How about: NOT THAT GREAT.
We spend about 2 hours learning about our characters, American and British soldiers being held in a Nazi POW camp. This particular camp is kind of a camp of misfits; the Nazis seemed to have dumped every POW that's made an escape attempt into this camp. The Nazi Kommandant in charge of the camp is surprisingly likeable; he's a career soldier who's really ready for the war to be over. He thinks he and the POWs shouldn't have a problem peacefully living among one another while they all wait out the war. Like The Magnificent Seven, all of the POWs we meet are charming and tough. They come up with an elaborate escape plan using tunnels they dig underground, including the necessary documentation to get them out of Nazi territory once they're on the other side of the fence. They even build 3 tunnels simultaneously in case the Nazis discover one.
When the night of escape finally arrives, the Nazis have already discovered one tunnel. The POWs realize, a little late, that the tunnel they're using isn't long enough to safely get them past their Nazi guards. They figure out, using signals to each other, how to escape one by one without getting caught. After a whopping 76 POWs escape successfully, one of the POWs makes noise to alert the Nazis and the escape is cut short. As insanely stressful and tense as the escape was, I was shocked to learn that 76 had escaped because it was kind of hard to keep track on screen. It was awesome! As a viewer, you feel like celebrating. Fuck you, Nazis! Go USA! But what's strange is there's almost a full hour of the movie left at this point. But that's surely to track some of the main POWs in their escape out of Nazi territory. Right?
Ha, ha! Gotcha! After we watch the 76 POWs escape we are fortunate enough to watch 50 of them get murdered by Nazis. And a bunch more get re-captured and sent back to the Nazi camp. Literally only three POWs actually escape. It was one thing when four of the magnificent seven were killed because A.) I mean, you kind of expect it and B.) they died on their own terms, trying to save the village. Both The Magnificent Seven and The Great Escape have the same number of good guy survivors. Not. Cool.
I wouldn't say this movie is bad, per se. Those amazing actors are still amazing in it. And it's a harrowing true story for sure. I just kind of wanted to curl up and die after watching it.


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No nuova Giulietta 'til 2014?
File under things I don't understand: Fiat takes over Chrysler, suddenly has North American distribution for a vastly improved car fleet — which includes such storied marques as Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Maserati and Lancia — from the days when Fiat and Alfa left the U.S. market, tail between their legs. Fiat's nuova 500, aka the Cinquecento, already a hit in Europe, will be available to American premium small-car fans by the end of this year. All well and good.
But the real halo car is the redesigned, third-generation Alfa Romeo Giulietta, which launches in Europe now, and for which Alfisti and other American car fanatics will have to wait until 2014? This, after rebadged Mopar SUVs (the current Jeep Liberty-Ram Nitro hooptie) with the Alfa arrowhead grille will hit American dealerships. When you have a car as solid as the new Giulietta, why do you want to wait four years to launch this hot hatch in a market you're stating is important to revitalizing the marque, after selling some less-than-stellar vehicles with the name grafted on?
Talk about leading off with the wrong foot. —Jackson Griffith
For a guy who doesn't drive, I still love cars
"Have you ever thought to write about cars?" The other day I was standing on the sidewalk on 21st Street, in front of the Press Club, when Chris Macias walked by. Chris is a feature writer for The Sacramento Bee, whose current beat, I believe, has something to do with wine and argyle clothing, although he wrote about pop music for a while there.
I guess he knows me well enough to make that comment. My response went something like, oh, yeah, but to write for the big car mags, unless you're Jamie Kitman or Bob Merlis, you pretty much have to have a degree in engineering.
Then I thought about it. Even though my relationship with the automobile is somewhat torturous, even though I'm currently not driving and get around on a bicycle, even though I know we're killing the planet by sucking all that oil out of the ground and refining it into gasoline and burning it our cars and trucks and choking the atmosphere with our carbon monoxide and raising the temperature of the planet and melting the glaciers which pretty much ensures we'll end up living like a bunch of hippies on leaky-ass boats at the mercy of hungry sharks and giant monster squid if we don't do something soon, I still love cars. So maybe I could write something about them once in a while.
Okay, I figured I'd start with the American automobile industry, which has gotten slammed pretty hard by the economic downturn. It must suck on a macro sense, because on this micro sense I currently don't have a job, which as made things like insurance and car payments difficult if not downright impossible, thus giving me the Hobson's choice, or hobo's choice, of riding a bicycle or walking. So if other people are in my predicament, it must be harder to sell cars and sustain a healthy auto industry.
Y'know, I could be a grumbling two-wheeled hater, but I dig the automobile and car culture. Not so big on racing; the Euroweenie stuff like Le Mans seems to embody the old joke question, what's the difference between a porcupine and a Porsche? (With a porcupine, the pricks are on the outside.) And NASCAR, well, let's just say that I love comedy, but certain forms of comedy can get played out pretty quickly although Talladega Nights is pretty goddamn funny, especially after Sasha Baron Cohen's character shows up.
I guess for my first entry on cars in this blog, I'll go over where I understand the car industry is in this country. We'll start with the healthiest company of the former Big Three and kinda move downhill from there. After that I'd planned to go into how Volkswagen plans to rule the world or at least become the world's biggest carmaker and then how Toyota is all butthurt that it's lost its juju a bit and then kinda segue into Honda and Mitsubishi and then Renault which controls Nissan (which is pretty funny whenever you see some wingnut driving a Nissan product and there's some buttholic teabag party bumper sticker on the back and you just know the driver has no idea he's behind the wheel of a Frog-made vehicle) and Peugeot-Citroën which doesn't, and then of course go into Daimler (Mercedes, jawohl, formerly Chrysler) and BMW and some others. But I don't have the bandwidth right now, so that'll have to wait. Besides, this is the eve of the North American International Automobile Show in Detroit, so maybe it's best to keep the focus on the historic American manufacturers. At least we can talk about Fiat, the Italian company that now controls Chrysler.
This is all pretty much off the top of my head, so grab a cup of coffee or whatever you like to put in your cup, as '70s waterbed icon Tom LaBrie used to say, kick back, and dig:
Ford: My mama used to tell me the first word I spelled with my blocks was "F-O-R-D," but as I grew up I was more attracted to the renegade Mopar vibe than the classic dichotomy of "Are you a Chevy or a Ford man?" which was like when people always asked "Beatles or Stones?" and my answer was "Kinks." Nevertheless, as we enter the second decade of the 21st century, Ford is the only American car company that wasn't such a goddamn dog's breakfast it had to get bailed out by the U.S. government. Part of that came from the Ford family hiring Alan Mulally away from Boeing to run the car company; Mulally saw what was coming, put loads of money in the bank, and sold off a bunch of brands: Aston Martin to a consortium of Kuwaiti and English investors, Jaguar and Land Rover to up-and-coming Indian manufacturer Tata, and now Volvo to Chinese automaker Geely; Ford also sold off most of its stake in Japanese carmaker Mazda. Which is interesting, because most of the car platforms Ford has used for models from its core brands Ford, Mercury and Lincoln are either Mazda (small cars) or Volvo (larger cars).
Ford's strength, however, is its European division, which develops products like the forthcoming Fiesta small car and the Turkish-built Transit Connect small commercial van (already selling here; just saw one drive by), so the input (or reduced participation of) of Volvo and Mazda may be missed. Mulally figured that the smart thing would be to make Ford's product offering consistent across the board, which basically means selling the same popular cars here that they sell overseas. This will mean that cars like the Volvo-derived Taurus (a beautifully done but overpriced sedan of which I've only seen one on the street to date, and that was a rental at a hotel), Mazda6-derived Fusion (which offers a nice hybrid version) and Mazda3-derived Focus will be replaced by whatever Ford is selling in Europe when those products are refreshed. Ford's other strength is its truck division, because the F-150 is always competitive with whatever the other light truck makers — GM (Chevrolet, GMC), Chrysler (Ram), Toyota and Renault-Nissan (Nissan) — are selling here (and the SVT Raptor option looks like a pretty ripping, albeit kinda douchey, guytoy), and its cop-car franchise, which pretty much owns the U.S. market with the Crown Victoria, a model that also used to have a pretty nice following among indie-rock types in New York and New Jersey.
Mullally reduced Ford to three brands sold through two dealerships in the U.S.: Ford, the closest analog of which is Toyota, with a complete product range, and Lincoln/Mercury. Lincoln, as the luxury division, or Lexus analog, makes sense, but Mercury's lineup looks like Ford models with nicer trim levels that give Lincoln dealers something less pricey to sell. Mercury's waterfall grille is blandsville okay, but its logo is kinda meh, and when was the last time you heard anyone talk about getting tumescent over a Mercury? I mean, James Dean's character drove a '49 Mercury in Rebel Without a Cause, and blues singer K.C. Douglas wrote a great blues tune titled "Mercury Boogie," later covered — and retitled — "Mercury Blues" by the Steve Miller Band, and David Lindley and a bunch of others (and then covered by my pals Jeffrey Clark and Grant-Lee Phillips on their old band Shiva Burlesque's second album, Mercury Blues, but that's another story), and then FoMoCo bought the rights to the song and let suburb'n'western singer Alan Jackson record it as "Crazy 'bout a Ford Truck." Which should give you an idea of Ford's commitment to the Mercury brand; as they are wont to say in France: "That's fucked up." Um, you have a marque with James Dean and a fucking classic blues tune to draw from, and you can't figure out how to develop some hot product to capitalize on that mojo? Remind me again why I'm unemployed, while there are people, nay, idiots who get paid biggum bucks to fuck things up like that no-brainer?
Lincoln as a brand is kind of an also-ran to GM's Cadillac, perhaps the brightest marque in the General's reduced arsenal. The new split grille design is nicely polarizing, and time will tell if Lincoln can compete with Caddy. The key to luxury-marque success in America seems to lie in cultivating products and imagery that appeal to an audience steeped in hip-hop, R&B and other artforms that accelerate the bling factor (like Lincoln did with its most recent Navigator SUV), while offering product that performs competitively when compared to the luxury cars built by European and Asian manufacturers. It's weird that Lincoln is named after a very famous Republican president, at a time when part of the car-buying public might be turned off to that marketing hook, and more button-down Republicans are opting for BMW or Lexus over Lincoln; that said, one suspects that a luxury-car division named "Reagan" or "Nixon" or "Hoover" or "Coolidge" — or, god forbid, "Bush" or "Cheney," but not "McKinley," which already is an upscale trim option at General Motors' GMC division — would be a non-starter, or at least those would go over like a massively brapping Carl's Jr. fart in the boardroom. I could be wrong. And driving a Nixon might be a cool act of subversion for certain iconoclastic types. Like, uh, yours truly. I'd drive a Nixon, especially if they had the cojones to name the topnotch model the "Dictator Coupe d'Etat." If Ford really wants Lincoln to emulate Toyota's Lexus division, though, the secret is in the dealership experience. Up the ante with cocktails, nude massages and live cool-jazz combos (just trying to make work for my musician pals), and you'd have a real winner.
General Motors: Okay, let's talk about the General. What can you say about a company that went from owning, what, 60 percent of the U.S. market half a century ago to getting its ass taken over by the government? Yep. Sad. Pathetic. And what Chairman Obama, or one of his Kremlin apparatchiks — or, uh, czars — told 'em in Detroit was you've got too many brands, which is Urdu for you guys have staggered around for so long like a gaggle of 13-year-old paint-sniffing morons, and you already fucked up by killing off the coolest brand you had, Oldsmobile, that we're gonna put your ass on a short leash. So, GM got winnowed down to three divisions: Chevrolet, Cadillac and Buick/GMC, which were surgically split from the remaining "bad GM" — Saturn, Hummer, Saab, Pontiac and Opel/Vauxhall. So, as a result, a first order of business was that The General tried to sell Saturn to racing driver turned carbiz magnate Roger Penske, who was planning on using the marque to sell whatever off-brands he could find on the international market in the U.S., starting with Ssangyong, the Korean division of Renault-Nissan, but it was a no-go and Saturn got sent to Uranus.
Then, Hummer, the brilliant idea of offering monster SUVs based on AM General's HMMMV military cruiser (the Hummer H1), then fattening the line with boxy, more expensive versions of the Chevy Suburban/GMC Yukon/Cadillac Escalade (the H2) and Chevy TrailBlazer/GMC Envoy/Oldsmobile Bravada/Buick Rainier/Saab 9.7x (the H3), so that armchair generals and patriots, made woodrowescent from watching way too much Fox News military cheerleading, could support the war effort by tooling around in faux-martial hoopties, running bicyclists like me off the road, proved to be an Edsel move once George W. Bush and Dick Cheney and Arnold Schwarzenegger — the original mover behind the brand — lost their luster once the war in Iraq turned out to be substantially less of a cakewalk than was originally projected by administration dopesmokers; Hummer currently is in the process of being sold to Sichuan Tengzhong, a Chinese heavy-equipment manufacturer. Go figure that one out, Hannity.
The General's Swedish yuppie car division, Saab, or Svenska Aeroplan AktieBolaget, looks like it's either going to that auto graveyard in the sky, or it will be picked up by Spyker Cars, a tiny Dutch premium carbuilder owned by Russian and Saudi investors. And Pontiac, well, not even Oprah Winfrey could save that one; too many years of ugly cars with way too much ribbed plastic cladding on the sides, culminating with the Aztek, which looked like what might happen if a Volkswagen "Thing" could mate doggy-style with an old bathtub Nash Ambassador and then reproduce. Too bad, because John DeLorean-era Pontiacs from the 1960s (think "wide track") were hot-shit wheels, and the G8 GXP, Pontiac's version of the Holden Commodore, an Australian V8-powered rear-wheel-drive sedan, was the best thing GM has offered in years — even cooler than the new Camaro or some of Cadillac's latest cars, which are fairly fine. I saw one on the street a few weeks ago, and immediately wished I'd been wearing looser-fitting trousers. Requiat en pace, Pontiac.
GM tried to unload Opel, the German division that sells Opels in Europe and Vauxhalls in England, to Magna, a Canadian-Austrian company that manufactures cars under license and sells auto parts — I think Magna builds the Audi TT in Hungary for Volkswagen — but Magna had big plans for Opel in Russia, where one of its key investors resides. And then Ed Whitacre, the autocratic Southwestern Bell executive who reassembled AT&T from Baby Bell components (SBC, BellSouth, Pacific Bell, etc.), who got tapped by
GoldmanSachs the government to run the new GM, woke up and figured out that the real heavy lifting on product development at GM these days was being done by, ahem, Opel: The Saturn Aura, Astra and Vue, Pontiac G6, Chevrolet Malibu, Buick LaCrosse and Regal? All rebadged or reconfigured Opel products. So Whitacre smartly put the kibosh on that idea, and Opel will stay for now. No one talks about Holden, GM's Australian division, which makes some pretty kickass cars. Which is good, because GM would be stupid to unload that, too.
(It should be pointed out that GM is a near-complete fuckup when it comes to buying or investing in foreign carmakers. It had a dalliance with Fiat before Fiat got revived recently and picked up Chrysler, and also had messed up some other carmakers, like Isuzu — remember that make? — which GM pretty much totaled and left by the side of the road, hasta la bye-bye Joe Isuzu. GM also owned a good-sized stake in Subaru, which it strong-armed into building a mini-version of its ugly-ass Chevy Avalanche-Cadillac Escalade pickup called the Subaru Baja, and then it — GM — unloaded its Subaru stake, which was promptly bought by Toyota. Way to go, General! More recently, GM got rid of its stake in Suzuki, which immediately got picked up by Volkswagen, which was prowling around the Yellow Sea in a UBoat looking for an Asian carmaker. If GM laters its stake in Korean affiliate Daewoo and Hyundai/Kia picks it up, well, don't be surprised, because there's a history there.)
GM's big worldwide brand, under the new "good GM" regime, is now Chevrolet, which it will use pretty much globally outside of Germany, England, Australia and, well, China; more on that a few grafs down. From the microcars built by Daewoo, which makes the tiny Aveo and has a few other Fit-Yaris-Versa killers in the pipeline, to the much-larger Impala and Opel-sourced Malibu, along with the Cruze, GM's entry in the Civic-Corolla sweepstakes, Chevy is back in the car business big time. The front ends of those cars all look similar, with a grill opening shaped like the old Chevy escutcheon from the mid-1950s bisected by a horizontal crossbar upon which a gold Chevy bowtie is mounted. Unfortunately, to these eyes, the effect is butt-ugly, and when you put butt-ugly on the front of the car, people get confused as to whether you're coming or going; remember Studebaker already. But the cars themselves are huge improvements over the iron that preceded the arrival of septuagenarian product czar Bob Lutz at GM a few years ago. Lutz is the "car guy" credited with turning Chrysler around in the 1990s, before Daimler (né Daimler-Benz) bought the company, ran Lutz out and ran Chrysler into the ground. Lutz was partially responsible for bringing the G8 to Pontiac, and there was talk that it would get a different front end and be sold as a Chevy Caprice. It was merely talk. Too bad. (Side note: Is there anything currently in the Chevy lineup that can be dropped and chopped by lowriders? Because Señor Whitacre might want to put that in his pipe, spark it and ponder its significance. Just sayin'.)
Nevertheless, Chevy doesn't have to worry too much, because it has the Volt. Even with a theme song stupider than a Mentos jingle penned by the people who wrote Elvis' lamest hits for his movies, even with people doing bad dancing and calisthenics routines around it, the Volt sedan is like an iPod, iPhone and MacBook Pro rolled into one, with four wheels on it. Seriously, if GM fucks this one up it deserves to be euthanized, or at least placed under the aegis of Mahindra & Mahindra, an Indian manufacturer of goofy-ass trucks. I wouldn't say "Bye-bye Prius," but the Volt is a lot better looking, its gasoline four-banger is only there to charge the battery, and your Fishsticks Paltrow contingent of Hollywood trail-mix munchers will be migrating there tout suite.
Chevy makes trucks, too, and SUVs. If they made cool pickups like the Apache from the mid-1950s, or even the rounded ones circa 1950 or so, I might be writing more about them. Forgive me for not giving a shit, although the new Equinox small crossover is an improvement over its predecessor.
I do give a shit about Cadillac, though. For a while, that marque's sharp-edged origami styling cues bothered me, but I've warmed to them considerably. To these eyes, they're some of the freshest looking designs on the road, if a bit ostentatious, and aside from the played-out Escalade SUVs and trucks, Cadillac's alphabet-soup models (a naming convention now emulated by Lincoln) are giving American luxohoopt fans an alternative to German or Japanese (or now Korean, e.g. Hyundai/Kia, which is underselling everyone with Bimmer-killers like the Genesis) cars. The new CTS-V coupe? Wood, motherfucker. I want one, and if I wasn't broke and unemployed and so far in debt I'll be lucky to get my hands on a shopping cart for a while, I'd be getting my guido on behind the wheel of one. You think Cadillac ain't cool? When überdouche DJ Pauly from MTV's Jersey Shore pulls his shirt up, he doesn't have "Lincoln" or "BMW" or "Hyundai" tattooed in script down his right side. And Caddy will be even cooler if it gets a version of the Volt, the car-show version of which was called the Converj, but I'm guessing will get a production name like "VTS" instead.
A new GM comprised only of Chevrolet and Cadillac would make perfect sense, but The General started selling a lot of cars in China, where I'm guessing those marques were difficult to pronounce, or else they phonetically sound out as kanji that translates as "drop the razor, gramps" or "Tila Tequila is licking your daughter silly." So Buick became a big-selling brand there, and when our Chinese overlords were asked to give us another few years before they put the screws to us, the word came from Beijing: Buick stays.
The problem here was that, since the late 1970s, all Buick models here have been designed by the Batesville Casket Company, and the people buying Buicks were so damned old that they were confused as to whether they were shopping for a new car or their own funeral. With an average age of 86 and not getting any younger, the target Buick buyer made a good argument for embalming the brand and parking it in Forest Lawn for good. But thanks to Bob Lutz and the Chinese, Buick picked up what's arguably the best-looking GM cars in its refreshed lineup — courtesy of Opel, which almost got sold off. The new Regal, a rebadged Opel/Vauxhall Insignia, gets a lot of power from a four-banger, and the redesigned LaCrosse is pretty sweet-looking, too. The Enclave crossover, which Chevy (Traverse) and GMC (Acadia) also sell, and now-defunct Saturn (Outlook) was selling, does well for Buick, but, well, forgive me for not being excited about another station wagon on steroids: Mommy, can we drive the entire girls' soccer team over to Chuck E. Cheese in one? And I may be the only one bummed by Buick dropping Tiger Woods as a spokesman, which it did before his recent tabloid bonanza. Can you imagine writing scripts for Buick ads featuring post-skank parade Woods? Sounds like fun to me. (A cop TV "buddy" show starring Tiger Woods and Jon Gosselin, with Tila Tequila as the chief of police, might be a pretty entertaining idea, too, but again, I digress.)
Speaking of lack of excitement, what's the reasoning behind keeping GMC? Bundled with Buick as its analogue truck brand, Jimmy is just a rebadged version of Chevy Truck. "We Are Professional Grade"? Who got all squinkadelic on Rush Limbaugh drugs and came up with that brilliant tagline? And what the hell is the GMC version of Chevy's redesigned Equinox — a make-work gig for unemployed Pontiac designers from the 1990s? The Terrain, as it's called, is Aztek ugly.
That said, GM now has some really good products. It's a far cry from the 1980s and 1990s, when upper management decided that the best way to sell cars was to hire "brand managers" for each model, who would come up with snappy taglines to sell cars that had three or four or five identical save for front-ends and badges versions for sale at other GM divisions.
Which brings us to ….
Chrysler: At one time, I was a Mopar man. Fuckin' Dodge, man. Plymouth. 426 Hemis, 413 Wedges, shit howdy. Little Red Wagon. Richard Petty. My late father used to preach the superiority of the Dodge Dart with the unkillable Slant Six engine, not to mention the superiority of the torsion-bar suspension, but he drove an El Camino. Go figure.
So how did this American religion disguised as a car company wind up in the clutches of the Italians?
Well, after almost going out of business a hundred times, with the most well-known example being in the late 1970s whe Lee Iacocca took over and parlayed one platform (the K Car) into a buttload of cars (Dodge Aries, Plymouth Reliant, Chrysler, uh, I forget, plus the Plymouth Voyager and Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country minivans), Chrysler struck gold in the 1990s with the LH or "last hope" sedans — Chrysler Concorde and New Yorker, Dodge Intrepid, Eagle Vision. There were also a set of "cloud" cars, too: Chrysler Cirrus, Dodge Stratus, Plymouth Breeze. And Dodge and Plymouth shared the Neon. Somewhere along the line, Eagle got killed as a brand; Eagle was what was left over when Chrysler acquired American Motors, aka Nash-Hudson, later Rambler, after the Frogs, aka Renault, had messed it up in the 1980s; why they tried to call it "Eagle" instead of "Rambler," which was a far cooler name, is a mystery, but Eagles were cars for Jeep dealers to sell. Anyway, Eagle went down, even though I'd sent whoever was the CEO at Mopar a letter when I was half in the bag one time explaining why Chrysler should kick Ford's ass in the cop-car department by bringing back a rear-wheel-drive Dodge Polara, and then making a totally jacked-up four-wheel-drive version of the Polara called the Eagle Enforcer. You don't think cops would get boners over that shit? Fuck yeah, they would. Anyway, I never heard back from them, but what the hey. Then they killed Plymouth, or I think that by this time the Germans were running the show and they were upset about the Mayflower or something. Before that, Dodge had dropped a truck V-10 engine into a beast of a car called the Viper, which they still haven't killed off. Then, let's see, the Germans left the roofie'd and raped carcass of Chrysler by the side of the road, where it was reanimated by Cerberus, a gaggle of Bush-Cheney banksters whose
racket company was named after the three-headed dog that guards the entrance to either hell or Dick Cheney's underground lair.
Then, basically, Sergio Marchionne, the guy who turned Fiat from a joke into what's arguably the up-and-coming kickass car company in Europe in less than 10 years, knew a good opportunity, which cost his company zip, because the U.S. gummint would have let Fisher-Price take over Chrysler at that point, and Fiat had more experience in cars other than plastic toddler models. Fiat's been out of the U.S. market for a while now; a few years ago, GM was toying with buying Fiat, and had drafted plans to sell Alfa-Romeos (that's a Fiat product, as is Maserati, Ferrari and Lancia, along with Fiat's performance brand, Abarth) at Cadillac dealerships, but the wheels came off that juggernaut before it happened. So now Fiat has a chance to re-enter the US market with an established dealership network. Dunno about you, but if they can get their reliability thing under control, I think a combined Fiat-Mopar combo, with superior Italian design, could be pretty damned exciting.
Chrysler's halo car is still the 300, which I think still looks pretty swell; that one was a product of the Mopar-Mercedes clusterfuck, but it turned out pretty cool. A redesign reportedly is due for the next model year. The rest of the Chrysler-brand lineup? Not so good. Rumor has Chrysler refreshing its lineup with rebadged Lancia designs, which would be an improvement over the godawful Sebring. Maybe the Fiat Nuevo-500 can find an expression as a Chrysler. Hell, build a scaled-down Airflow to replace the PT Cruizer, and put a high-revving Fiat four-banger under the hood, and you might have some kind of movement.
As for Dodge, now it's just a car division. The Challenger is, to me, the best of the three retro muscle cars; yeah, Ford's Mustang and Chevy's Camaro are nicely tooled, but I prefer the Challenger. Too bad there's no 'Cuda option, which would have been even cooler. The Charger should be rebadged the Polara when that Chrysler 300 analog is refreshed. Other than that, what? Kill the ugly Caliber and replace it with a Fiat product, and same goes for the Avenger, Dodge's version of the Sebring. Next, get rid of the played-out crosshair grille, and come up with a new logo (don't opt for the old Dodge Brothers Star of David, which might not fly in certain parts of the country where Glenn Beck is taken real seriously), because the goat-head got hijacked. (Clue for the Italians, gratis pour moi: There was a time when Chevy's ad slogan was "The Heartbeat of America," and the acknowledged subtext was that Dodge was the hard-on of America. Know this; make future decisions accordingly.)
Which is to say that "Ram" is now a separate brand. No more Dodge Trucks. I wonder if the executive who floated this idea just got back from vacationing on San Francisco's Folsom Street, and bonus points if he wore full-body leathers with exposed butt cheeks to the board meeting where this brilliant idea got approved. Of course, it makes sense to peel off your truck brand in case Sichuan Tengzhong comes shopping for another marque. Ram Trucks? Um, yeah. The trucks themselves are pretty nice, so keep the Italian fashion consultants away from the ads, perhaps.
Which leaves Jeep, another brand that could get sold off. Yeah, the new Cherokee is a nice design. The Wrangler is the iconic model, though. The rest is kind of useless, no? And those new commercials will go a long way in killing Jeep, or driving the price down far enough for some renegade Libyan manufacturer to pick it up on the cheap.
Advice for the new Chrysler: Just bring Alfa cars here. Lots of them, and Fiats, not to mention certain Iveco (Fiat's big truck brand) and Fiat Commercial models to replace Daimler's Sprinter van, which Dodge and Freightliner were selling. Bring more diesels, too. And Fiat goofy vans and everything. Just bring all that shit over here.
So that's my long-ass rant-cum-ramble on the car biz. Links to follow when I feel like it. It's Saturday night, it's cold here, and I'm feeling kinda crummy. Sorry. —Jackson Griffith
Note: I'm updating links on this when I get around to it. Partially done now. More later, eh?


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Tesla will sell solar panels and Powerwalls at Home Depot
Tesla-branded selling spaces are coming to 800 retail locations.
Trump's new solar tariffs could kill 23,000 US jobs
The White House applied a 30 percent levy on all imported solar panels.
A newsletter a day keeps the FOMO at bay.
Now available on your smart speaker and wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | iHeart Radio
Now available on your smart speaker and wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | iHeart Radio
Green tech will be everywhere in 2018
Politics can't stop the revolution.
What is the future of Puerto Rico's energy grid?
The storm-ravaged island may be an opportunity for renewable energy.
Your solar panels could power the neighborhood during a blackout
New algorithms could redistribute renewable energy without the grid.
Stanford toughens up cheap solar cells by mimicking insect eyes
The cells are made of a mineral cheaper than but as efficient as silicon.
Google: 4 out of 5 US homes have solar power potential
Project Sunroof has checked the viability of 60 million US rooftops.
SolarCity roofing might cost the same as traditional shingles
It seems like Elon Musk is being intentionally vague on this.
Six amazing uses for the wonder material graphene
An aerogel so light, it can perch on top of a flower.


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Tour Description
Horseback Riding, El Encanto Waterfall Rappelling and El Encanto Waterfall Zipline
Activity Information
Horseback Riding
Hop on up Amigos! Saddle up on our gentle and beautiful horseback riding tour in Jaco!
Waterfall Rappel Tour
Get WET and WILD in true Pura Vida fashion and conquer El Encanto Waterfall!
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Three in One Nature and Adventure Package
• $125 USD per Person
Deposit Only: 50%
• Select "50% Deposit Only" at Checkout
• Remaining 50% payment due day of tour
Tour Requires a Minimum of 2 People
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Three in One Nature and Adventure Package
Activity Information
Three in One Nature and Adventure Package
Waterfall Canopy Zipline
Our canopy zipline adventure tour will have you feeling like a free bird as you fly over raw jungle and vast river valleys with spectacular mountainside views.
Waterfall Rappel
Get in touch with nature as this adventure tour includes two short hikes and two opportunities to rappel down El Encanto Waterfall.
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Additional Information
Three in One Nature and Adventure Package
This Package Includes
• "El Encanto" Waterfall Canopy Zipline Tour
• Waterfall Rappel Tour
• Horseback Riding Tour
• One day free hotel pickup and drop-off included*
For all tours in the approved area (Jaco, Playa Hermosa and Herradura) we offer transportation for free with a minimum of two people reserving the tour for one day.
If transportation is required in addition to the first day, additional fees will be incurred.
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Three in One Nature and Adventure Package
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Hometown: London.
The lineup: Frances Noon, Lazlo Legezer. Charlie Boud, Alfonso Pisanelli.
The background: Rebellion comes in many forms and guises. Yesterday's New Band of the Day, Terry Lynn, used electronic pop techniques to rail against injustice, authority and The System, not just in her hometown of Kingston, Jamaica, but all over the world. With their name and superficially rinky-dink techno sound, you would think London synth-pop quartet My Toys Like Me were mainly railing against the deteriorating quality of CBeebies and the damaging effects of Haribo on the pre-teen psyche, when actually they do Proper Adult Anger, only coated in candy and rammed full of E numbers.
For example, Superpowers, the first single from their debut album, is so irrepressibly bright and bouncy with its bossa nova groove and singer Francis Noon's perky, chirpy vocals, it makes the Ting Tings sound like 80s hardcore dirge band Swans. But listen for a moment to those words she's singing: "They see the limits, the limits we break ... I will always do what I love doing ... You can't hold me down." By the end, she's fingered "the nanny state" and asserted her independence, like a children's TV presenter cooing Anarchy in the UK at an infant's school assembly.
Superpowers isn't an anomaly in MTLM's catalogue in terms of dichotomous message/mode of delivery. They've got a song called Sweetheart about a stalker, one about being "in charge of your state of mind" called Quiet Please, another titled Barnaby which sounds like the name of a cartoon character, possibly purple and made of fuzzy felt, in which Noon's got "my head up my arse"... Oh, and a pretty little ditty called Sick Couple, which may be about a pair of ill octogenarians or a dissection of the poisonous nature of relationships, we can't tell, because we were too busy ricocheting around the room to the additive-enriched chorus.
And that's without mentioning the cover of Van Morrison's The Way Young Lovers Do. Throughout, Noon sounds like Clare Grogan's hyperactive younger sister gorging on helium. Meanwhile, the music, despite the sugar surface and childlike simplicity of the melodies, employs a variety of beats, from the laconic stroll of Sweetheart to the ravey Quiet Please, Barnaby with its fizzy take on Crystal Castles' 8-bit terror-disco, and the glitchy, underage-Aphex skitter of Making Fire. Apparently, their album, Where We Are, also features (Wendy) house keyboards, sub-bass rolls, trip-hop blasts, sinister dub, saccharine acid squelches, playground skank and junior drum'n'bass. Don't let it near your kids.
The buzz: "Like Lily Allen lost in a k-hole, battered and twisted but deeply catchy and deeply lovable."
The truth: It's hard to tell whether the Ting Tings' success is based on novelty value or a genuine wide appreciation, but the chances of the really rather good but similar-sounding MTLM making it in their slipstream are slim.
Most likely to: DJ at raves for under-fives.
Least likely to: Encourage Van Morrison to do a duet with Alice Glass.
What to buy: Debut album Where We Are is released by Dumb Angel on 4 May.
File next to: The Ting Tings, Clik Clik, NYPC, Spektrum.
Links: www.myspace.com/mytoyslikeme
Tomorrow's new band: Defend Moscow.