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Stargate: Continuum
While SG-1 attends the execution of Ba'al, the last of the Goa'uld System Lords, Teal'c and Vala inexplicably disappear into thin air. Carter, Daniel and Mitchell race back to a world where history has been changed: the Stargate program has been erased from the timeline. As they try to convince the authorities what's happened, a fleet of Goa'uld motherships arrives in orbit, led by Ba'al, his queen, Qetesh (Vala), and his first prime, Teal'c. SG-1 must find the Stargate and set things right before the world is enslaved by the Goa'uld.
Movie Guide | Transcript | Production Notes
MGM Official Summary
The official summary is not yet available as this movie has yet to be produced.
Note: Latest updates are in color.
SG-1 gets involved once again with time travel.
"While SG-1 attends the execution of Ba'al, the last of the Goa'uld System Lords, Teal'c and Vala inexplicably disappear into thin air. Carter, Daniel and Mitchell race back to a world where history has been changed: the Stargate program has been erased from the timeline. As they try to convince the authorities what's happened, a fleet of Goa'uld motherships arrives in orbit, led by Ba'al, his queen, Katesh, (Vala) and his first prime, Teal'c. SG-1 must find the Stargate and set things right before the world is enslaved by the Goa'uld." — Business Wire, MGM Greenlights New Stargate Movies, January 15, 2007.
Production Notes
- Announcement of the movie was made online by TV Guide, October 11, 2006:
- Stargate SG-1 may be winding down its 10-year-run this spring, but here's some exciting news for its fans. MGM has granted a green light — and enough money — to produce two movies, most likely for DVD, executive producer Brad Wright tells TV Guide. The first flick will tie up most of the finale's loose threads — "It's the climax of the Ori story line" — and will be written-directed by exec producer Robert Cooper. The second film, penned by Wright, will involve time travel, and both projects should debut in the fall of 2007. Though no deals are signed, SG-1's stars are said to be "very eager" to continue.
- "They're not big-budget [films] by any definition, but for us it's pretty good," says Wright. "As we've proven over the years, just give us little more money and we can make pretty good television, or DVDs.
- "There's a sense of an era for us ending," Wright continues, "but at the same time, we're all positive because of the prospect of continuing forward with movies and the introduction next year of Stargate Worlds, a massive multiplayer online game."
- Michael Shanks comments on his interest in being a part of these movies: "Oh yeah, absolutely," he says. "We know that it's going to be a better way to take some time and tell some good stories instead of what we've been doing a lot of years - telling some good stories and some not so good. This time we can really take our time and I think it's a dream fulfilled for a lot of people. Certainly a better wish would be to do a big budget feature film, but to do things like this, with less time commitment and more care taken, is something that we all are very interested in doing; especially if this is going to be the end of the road, then this is a great way to go out." — Michael Shanks, "Skating Past The Gate" Interview on Michael Shanks Online, October 2006.
- "Asked about the DVD movies, he [Michael Shanks] said he doesn't know much, but one is supposed to resolve the Ori storyline, while the other one, being written by Brad Wright, is about time travel-Ba'al-submarines. He doesn't know much and only found out the movies had been green-lit on the internet while he was in Bulgaria." — Solutions Features: Burbank Creation Con Report by Michelle, November 2006.
- "He's [Cliff Simon who plays Ba'al] excited about the movies that are going to be shot next year. He has a "yes" on one and a "maybe" on the other, but it's a Hollywood yes, meaning no contract yet. He's heard that filming will take place in May and June of '07. He expects the movies to be really good story-wise and in terms of special effects." — Solutions Features: Burbank Creation Con Report by Michelle, November 2006.
- "As a matter of fact, just last night Brad [Wright] and I were talking about how we're going to work live orchestra into the movies. And we were just discussing that and how, logistically, we were going to do that. Because there is a little more budget on that. So we can do it." — Joel Goldsmith, composer, Interview at Gateworld, December 2006.
- IGN Interviews Michael Shanks, published December 18, 2006:
- IGN TV: Though there isn't going to be a next season, there was an announcement that movies would be in the works. Are you set to appear in the movies and is there anything you can tell us about what the movies will center around? I didn't know if you'd got those scripts yet or not. I know I heard something about filming starting in April and June.
- Shanks: I just finished negotiations - I think most of the cast has finished for appearances in movies - as far as I know, you guys by reading stuff on the Internet know as much as I do, because all we knew were we were going to do two movies, and Rob and Brad were going to pull away from the Atlantis franchise and focus on doing these movies - Rob was going to write one and Brad was going to write one. Rob was going to direct one and I think Martin Wood was going to direct the other.
- We know the first shoot date of the first movie is April 15th and the second is around June 1st. [...]
- And Brad is writing one, as far as I know, is a bit more standalone that will involve some kind of time travel and has something to do with our main mustache twiddling villain Baal doing something in the past that alters…he basically finds a way to lift the stargate from Earth so the Stargate Program never happens, and I imagine the characters will have to go through some process to reset the clock and fix everything over the course of two hours. Quite frankly that is as much as I know. I haven't even talked to the guys about it. They told us these pitches in September, so I haven't talked to anyone since then so that could've changed overnight, I have no idea. Everybody is very excited to close the book on the show and maybe it will introduce the possibility of continuing the franchise in the DVD format or taking it to another level and boosting it up to a feature film or it just might be on closing the book on it or another spinoff - who knows. There is a lot of potential for the franchise and it would be a shame just for it to end, but it has been a wonderful run.
- "Regarding yesterday's post, SG-1 Forever writes: 'Jack would be awesome! Can you tell us if he's in the movies, Joe?' Answer: Nothing to report on this front (sorry)..." — Joseph Mallozzi in his personal blog, January 10, 2007.
- Solutions Blog: Cooper, Wright Talk Stargate's Future, January 14, 2007:
- MGM has financed the movies based only on projected DVD sales, but are looking for broadcast deals as well. The funding for each of the 2 DVD movies is more than it would be for 2 episodes, but still nowhere near a feature-type budget, so they will be using their creativity to make it look big on a TV-movie budget. All of the main cast have signed for the movie, and they have contacted RDA about appearing as O'Neill in one or both movies. No work on whether that will work out business-wise or not.
- The second movie is more of a standalone story, although, if the actors are available, it will bring back a lot of fan favorites. The intention is to get fans used to the idea of SG-1 movies, to whet their appetites for more.
- The movies will not be tied to an exact length, so they can edit them to have all the scenes and shots that make sense for the stories, rather than being tied to 44:15 like they were for episodes. They will also be shot in widescreen 16×9 format without 'protecting' the center of the screen, for a movie-like feel.
- The movies will keep RCC and BW busy until the summer time. They are writing now, planning of 4 weeks of shooting for each starting in mid April, then the usual post-production.
- The second DVD movie will be called Stargate Continuum. It will be a time travel story. He [Brad Wright] wants to prove it could be the first in a string that could continue the SG-1 legacy. It will feature characters who are dead in current show canon, but can be brought back because of time travel. He would really like RDA to be in one or both movies, but it's up to RDA and the business side to work it out. At the time of the interview, Beau Bridges was not yet signed for the movies. Wright hopes that Martin Wood will direct the second movie.
- He [Brad Wright] does not feel going direct to DVD for the movies is a bad thing. As home theaters become so good, more and more people prefer to watch movies on DVD. The 16×9 widescreen format gives them a lot more freedom to film in a movie style as well, rather than having to keep all the action in the center of the screen for 4×3 TV's.
- "While SG-1 attends the execution of Ba'al, the last of the goa'uld system lords, Teal'c and Vala inexplicably disappear into thin air. Carter, Daniel and Mitchell race back to a world where history has been changed: the Stargate program has been erased from the timeline. As they try to convince the authorities what's happened, a fleet of goa'uld motherships arrives in orbit, led by Ba'al, his queen, Katesh, (Vala) and his first prime, Teal'c. SG-1 must find the Stargate and set things right before the world is enslaved by the goa'uld." — Business Wire, MGM Greenlights New Stargate Movies, January 15, 2007.
- "Anonymous #5 writes: "I read in Variety that Beau Bridges is going to be starring in a new show for Fox. Does this mean General Landry won't be in the movies?" Answer: Congratulations to Beau who is hilarious on My Name is Earl and I'm sure will prove just as hilarious on his new series. And, yes, General Landry will be making an appearance in both SG-1 movies." — Joseph Mallozzi, Personal Blog, February 21, 2007.
- "Today was the big Arctic briefing for Stargate: Continuum. Those heading up North for the shoot were regaled with sobering warnings on thin ice, wandering polar bears, and wind gusts that freeze exposed skin in less than three seconds. But assurances were made that everyone would be accompanied by "someone with ice experience". Like, say, a shotgun-toting Dorothy Hamel?" — Joseph Mallozzi, Personal Blog, February 27, 2007.
- "David McKee writes: "What does your Magic 8 Ball say about the prospects for Jacob Carter returning in "Continuum"?" Magic 8 Ball says: Outlook not so good." — Joseph Mallozzi, Personal Blog, March 4, 2007.
- From ComingSoon.net's "Stargate: Continuum to Film Scenes in the Arctic," March 14, 2007:
- MGM is teaming with the U.S. Navy to capture a series of bone chilling adventure scenes for the studio's upcoming "Stargate SG-1" direct-to-video, "Stargate: Continuum." Cast members, including Ben Browder ("Stargate SG1's" Lt. Colonel Cameron Mitchell) and Amanda Tapping (Lt. Col. Samantha Carter) will travel to the sub-zero climate of the Arctic to shoot at the Navy's Applied Physics Laboratory Ice Station (APLIS) for the week of March 23 through 29. Martin Wood, Director of over 70 "Stargate SG-1" and "Stargate Atlantis" episodes, is confirmed to direct "Stargate: Continuum."
- "Stargate: Continuum," which is being co-financed by MGM and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, will shoot a variety of scenes on location in the Arctic ice, located approximately 200 nautical miles north of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. In addition to the frigid outdoor environments, the filming will also involve U.S. Navy submarine USS Alexandria (SSN-757). Among the most visually stunning and dramatic scenes to be filmed at the location involves the submarine as it bursts through the ice and into the cold Arctic air with temperatures hovering around 50 degrees below zero.
- Playback Magazine reported that Richard Dean Anderson will be in the movie. "Stargate goes nuclear", March 17, 2007.
- "Siler will not be making the move to Atlantis but will be putting in an appearance in Continuum." — Joseph Mallozzi, Personal Blog, March 21, 2007.
- Lexa Doig cancelled her appearance at the Vulcon: Ladies of Sci-Fi convention to be held May 18-20 due to the changes in the filming schedule of Stargate Continuum, according to the Vulcon convention website, accessed March 26, 2007. However, in an interview conducted while filming her new movie Killer Eyes before the resumption of filming of Continuum, Doig didn't mention being in the same movie with her husband, Michael Shanks, when he stopped by her trailer during the interview. She said that she had nothing planned after Killer Eyes but "motherhood" (Interview published May 27, 2007).
- Those who attended the Vancouver Creation Con report that N. John Smith said that special sets will be built to accommodate Michael Shanks's filming of Daniel Jackson's scenes in the Arctic. Shanks was not available for the Arctic shoot because he was filming a four-episode arc for FOX TV's 24. — Solutions Blog: SG-1 Spoilers: Continuum Locations and Sets, March 28, 2007.
- Reuters reports of the extreme dangers of filming in the Arctic Circle and also reveals that the movie is costing between $6-7 million to produce. — "Stargate" filmmakers risk lives in Arctic Circle, March 27, 2007.
- The opportunity arose because Barry Campbell, who runs the ice camp, is a fan of Stargate. "He invited [executive producer] John Smith to visit the ice camp, then it became John and a few people from the show, and it snowballed from there," executive producer Brad Wright told StargateAtlantis.com. "When I was conceiving the story, I came up with a reason that SG-1 could end up stranded in the Arctic and get rescued by a submarine -- and Jack O'Neill -- and Barry has been very accomodating. So has Erik Reynolds, the Navy liaison." — SG-1 cast to film in the Arctic, StargateAtlantis.com, March 14, 2007.
- Question: "Did Martin Wood wear his shorts up in the Arctic?" Answer: "Find out in the Stargate: Continuum tease Ivon Bartok has put together for the season 10 dvd release." — Joseph Mallozzi, Personal Blog, April 11, 2007.
- The Stargate crew was featured in Navy Lab "post cards" (similar to a blog) while filming in the Arctic. There are pictures and an entry made by Amanda Tapping. — Solutions Blog: Navy Lab Chronicles Stargate Filming, April 11, 2007.
- Barry L. Campbell, head of operations at the San Diego-based U.S. Navy Arctic Submarine Laboratory, presented the idea to Executive Producer N. John Smith at a Stargate convention in Vancouver, British Columbia, and has a speaking role in the film. — Navy Newsstand: Stargate Stars Film Movie Aboard USS Alexandria at the Polar Ice Pack, April 18, 2007.
- "In the second movie, we get to see a completely different side of the character [Daniel Jackson] — we get to see him vulnerable in a way we've never seen before. I won't give away specifics, but something he's never had to go through before, but be alive, which is different. It's kind of neat. I know it was kind of a last-minute thing that Brad [Wright] offered for the character because I wasn't able to go and shoot scenes in the Arctic. So, it's one of these compromises that turned into a real neat character thing that's going to be fun to play." — Michael Shanks, SciFi.com interview, May 2007.
- IMDb is reporting that Steve Bacic will be reprising his role as Camulus.
- "Jacqueline reprises her recurring role from Stargate SG-1 as the evil Hindu goddess/go'auld Nirrti in the upcoming movie Stargate: Continuum. Shoots May, 2007." — Jacqueline Samuda's Official Website, Jacqueline appears in Stargate movie as evil Nirrti!, May 15, 2007.
- Concerning filming scenes with Ben Browder, Michael Shanks stated in his May 17 blog entry at TVGuide.com that the tendency for keeping the two actors apart (presumably because they look too much alike) continues in the movies, where Shanks implies that they don't have much of an opportunity to work together (share scenes).
- Joseph Mallozzi published some photos from the "up-and-coming sets" for the movie in his May 21, 2007, blog entry. One is of a storage crate damaged by the Stargate's "kawhoosh" and others appear to be parts of a weather-worn yacht. In his May 22 entry, he included more set pictures (a gimbaled set) and candids of actors Michael Shanks and Don S. Davis who was wearing Lt. Gen. George Hammond's class A uniform. He also mentioned that Richard Dean Anderson was in the production offices and expressed his excitement about being back with the Stargate crew.
- "Shooting for the second Stargate movie, "Continuum", began this week and it's going strong. Martin Wood is directing this one, and Brad Wright has been on set almost everyday making sure everything is just how he likes it. Also Peter Woeste is the DOP (he was also the DOP for "The Ark of Truth") and this guy is truly a talented photographer. We watched some dailies and I have to say, shooting those movies on film is going to make them look incredibly cool. Now I'm a film purist – ever since film school. I love the depth of field film creates, the contrasts between light and dark, and how forgiving film is in making the actors look… well, wunderbar… But no one can deny that HD is now the dominant medium for television. We've been shooting Stargate and Atlantis on HD for the last couple years, and the results have been great." — Alex Levine, scifi.com blog, May 31, 2007.
- Joseph Mallozzi published in his June 1 blog entry several more behind-the-scenes pictures that include Teal'c as Ba'al's First Prime and some interesting sets sure to spark fan speculation. — Solutions Spoiler Blog, June 2, 2007.
- "Afterward, production resumed in Vancouver from May 22nd to June 14th, during which time Richard returned to the set in late May and again in early June to shoot several more scenes. In the movie, SG-1 gathers to witness the execution of Ba'al, the last of the Goa'uld System Lords, but suddenly history is changed, and SG-1 must journey through several alternate timelines in an attempt to set things right. On June 4th and 5th, the cast and crew were shooting the pivotal scenes in which SG-1 confronts their nemesis, Ba'al, and the events are set into motion that will send them through time." — Richard Dean Anderson Web Site, June 4-5 Update.
- SCI FI WIRE Interview with Robert C. Cooper, June 13, 2007:
- The second movie, Continuum, will be a stand-alone story conceived by Cooper's fellow executive producer Brad Wright. Wright, who co-created SG-1, leveraged the show's ties with the military for Continuum.
- "In some respects, Brad's idea evolved out of the fact that the Navy had come to us and said, 'If you ever want to shoot in the Arctic, we'd love to take you up there,'" Cooper said. "'We have a couple of nuclear submarines you could shoot on.' So Brad said, 'Wow, I'm just going to write a movie around that.' We were the first production ever to shoot that far north. It was a pretty cool experience for everyone that went." Cooper paused, then added: "A very cold experience."
- Stargate SG-1's warm relationship with the U.S. military began in season one, when the producers needed permission to use stock shots of the Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center, which is the home of Stargate Command in the show's fictional universe. Eventually, the military vetted scripts for accuracy, and two chiefs of staff had cameo roles as themselves. "As things progressed, we started to say, 'Hey, send us up a C-130 or a couple of F-18s,'" Cooper said. "There are two F-15s that are parked out at Vancouver airport now that we're shooting in [for Continuum]."
- "A second DVD, "Continuum," coming next spring, will feature an alternate-timeline story in which O'Neill, Carter and Mitchell find themselves in the 1939 Arctic battling Nazis — and an old alien enemy — over the newly discovered Gate." — TV GUIDE, June 18-24, 2007.
- Joseph Mallozzi included eight pictures from the filming of scenes in a refrigerated boat set in his June 13 entry:
- "They were shooting a scene from Continuum on stage 2 which had been refrigerated for the occasion. While Michael and Amanda were outside thawing out, Martin was setting up his next shot which required Ben to make his way through the dark and frozen ship with only a flashlight to lead him. I had goosebumps and I could barely keep my teeth from chattering. It was that creepy. And cold.
- "Minutes later, Martin had his shot and called lunch. As the crew filed out, no doubt headed for warmer climes, Lawren and I hopped aboard and checked out the frosted boat."
- "But there are mechanical aids to move the replica of a 1940s-era ship being used in the second of two Stargate SG-1 direct-to-video films. [...] The second movie, Stargate: Continuum, is a stand-alone story that includes time travel and was partially shot in the Arctic with the help of the U.S. Navy and one of its nuclear submarines. That location explains the necessity of refrigerating the Continuum set to accurately reproduce the actors' frosty breath." — From The Province: Stargate secrets revealed at last, June 17, 2007.
- "Continuum has wrapped and I'm sorry to report that, contrary to the recent TV Guide spoiler, our team will not be traveling back to 1939 to battle Nazis. Not that it wouldn't be cool to see them battle Nazis, but just that the script never called for Nazis. I suggested we could call for some re-shoots and insert a Nazi or two in the big fight sequences, but Brad put the kibosh on my suggestion. So, to clarify, the team will not be traveling back in time to fight the Nazis, but will still be traveling back to do battle with the combined forces of the Abominable Snowman and starfaring ice pirates. Glad I could clear that up." — Joseph Mallozzi in his personal blog, June 18, 2007.
- Ben Browder shared a little with SCI FI WIRE about his experience in the Arctic in an interview posted June 19, 2007.
- Joseph Mallozzi included three pictures of the boat set from the last day of filming on Continuum in his June 20 blog entry.
- Amanda Tapping revealed how it is that Ba'al prevents the Stargate Program from ever forming in a Sneak Peek video at MGM's Official Stargate website: Ba'al intercepts the boat on which the Stargate is being transported from Egypt to the United States and causes it to wreck in the Arctic. When SG-1 returns to Earth, they end up on the frozen boat in the alternate timeline. Daniel stays behind on the boat, suffering from frostbite, while Carter and Mitchell don cold weather gear they find on the boat from the 1940s and step out on the ice. The two teammembers are rescued by the nuclear submarine — and Col. O'Neill — and Daniel is rescued as well, but we're not told how just yet. The team must convince the authorities that they need to fix the timeline so that Ba'al's changes are undone, but no one believes them.
- Gateworld reported that the movie will not be released in the fall of 2007, but rather following The Ark of Truth, which is now coming out "in the first half of 2008." — Gateworld, Ark of Truth will be released in 2008; June 24, 2007.
- "Brad [Wright] was at the studio cutting Continuum. He invited us to a special producer's cut screening for this Thursday [June 28] morning." — Joseph Mallozzi in his personal blog, June 26, 2007.
- "I was treated to a double-feature today. Not one but two spanking new SG-1 movies. We started with Stargate SG-1: Continuum, written by Brad Wright and directed by Martin Wood, which is a throwback to Stargate of yore: Jack O'Neill, the Tok'ra, plenty o' System Lords, and an absolutely mind-bending plot to stick it to Earth. This one is a lot of fun and moves very, VERY quickly." — Joseph Mallozzi in his personal blog, June 28, 2007.</font>
- "Continuum is not a Vala-centric piece so both I and the Vala haters sigh with relief on that one. She is a high energy character to say the least and as much as I love to work and play her, it is great to sometimes add a flash of colour and go home. I also play another character in Continuum which was great fun. Short but also sweet. I loved Brad's script and what he gave me to do. [...] [Filming for] Continuum, I was outta there in just over a week." — Claudia Black, Interview with Slice of SciFi, posted July 15, 2007.
- Today's Air Force did a segment on the two F-15s used in the movie and interviewed Brad Wright about their use: "Things go bad in Antarctica, so they have to turn around and try to get to Murmansk [the largest city in the Arctic in Russia]. We have in-flight refueling; we have two of the four F-15s dogfighting with gliders — the enemy's, the alien's, fighers, essentially — and they fend off the bad guys while we get to our destination, so it's basically, they save the day." (posted in the Solutions Blog on July 23, 2007).
- "...Ba'al, played by Cliff Simon, is about to be executed, but he has one last trick in his bag that he decides to pull out. So he tries to mess with us, and the characters go on an interesting journey to stop him from reaching his ultimate agenda, which is making sure that the Stargate program on Earth never happened." — Michael Shanks in a Starlog interview, transcribed and posted by MSOL on July 21, 2007.
- "The Tok'ra was a great vehicle for a while, just like the NID was, but we don't hear much about them any more. Stories run their course and you can milk them dry. You don't ever want to get to the point where you are writing the last Tok'ra story. Although, in my [DVD] movie, the Tok'ra feature in the opening scene quite prominently." — Brad Wright, Official Stargate Magazine, July/August 2007 Special issue.
- Amanda Tapping's interview, Tapping on the Gate, with Dreamwatch's Total Sci Fi, posted July 27, 2007:
- The story is that we are thrown into this alternate timeline where the Stargate didn't exist. We have to race against time to prove that we can get it to work and there is a real threat to Earth. They dismiss us entirely and send us off to live our lives away from each other, and we're not allowed to work in our chosen areas of expertise. We are kind of flying in the wind and they've left us there.
- We shot this scene two days ago with Beau Bridges where he basically says, "You are on your own and we are going to give you new identities and lives." That, for me, was probably the most telling scene of the movie. There is that element where we are left to our own devices and we can't even contact each other. That is pretty scary - to be thrown into a world where you don't know anybody and can't even do what you love for a living. All the Arctic stuff, just being on that desolate, barren, we-may-die environment. That O'Neill comes back is a very cool thing. Beau is involved and General Hammond has a little cameo. There are a lot of tender hearty moments.
Note that all spoilers are subject to change before the finished film is produced.
In Stargate Wiki Character Order:
- Richard Dean Anderson as Jack O'Neill
- Michael Shanks as Dr. Daniel Jackson
- Amanda Tapping as Lt. Col. Samantha Carter
- Christopher Judge as Teal'c
- Ben Browder as Lt. Col. Cameron Mitchell
- Claudia Black as Vala Mal Doran
- Don S. Davis as Lt. Gen. George Hammond
- Beau Bridges as Gen. Hank Landry
- Cliff Simon as Ba'al
- Steve Bacic as Camulus (Source: IMDb)
- Jacqueline Samuda as Nirrti (Source: Samuda's Official Website)
- Dan Shea as Sgt. Siler (Source: Joseph Mallozzi)
Arctic Shoot: USS Alexandria and U.S. Navy Arctic Submarine Laboratory:
- Electronics Technician 2nd Class Courtney D. Miler, a longtime Stargate fan, played an extra.
- Barry L. Campbell, head of operations at the San Diego-based U.S. Navy Arctic Submarine Laboratory, presented the idea to Executive Producer N. John Smith at a Stargate convention in Vancouver, British Columbia, and has a speaking role in the film.
- Written by Brad Wright
- Directed by Martin Wood
- Filming: March 23-29, 2007 in the Arctic; May 22-June 14, 2007 in Vancouver.
Related Articles
Related Links
Further Reading
- Solutions Blog: TV Guide: 'Gate Expectations: SG-1 OK'd for Two Films
- Michael Shanks Online: "Skating Past The Gate" Interview, October 2006
- Solutions Features: Burbank Creation Con Report by Michelle, November 2006.
- Gateworld Interview with Joel Goldsmith: "Gate Harmonics", Part 1 of 2, December 2006.
- IGN Interviews Michael Shanks (page 3), published December 18, 2006.
- Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, January 10, 2007.
- Solutions Blog: Cooper, Wright Talk Stargate's Future, January 14, 2007.
- Business Wire: MGM Greenlights New Stargate Movies: Studio Continues Record Breaking Franchise by Releasing "Stargate: The Ark of Truth" and "Stargate: Continuum", January 15, 2007.
- Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, February 21, 2007.
- Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, February 27, 2007.
- Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, March 4, 2007.
- ComingSoon.net: Stargate: Continuum to Film Scenes in the Arctic, March 14, 2007.
- USS Alexandria SSN 757
- Applied Physics Laboratory Ice Station (APLIS)
- Playback Magazine, "Stargate goes nuclear", March 17, 2007.
- Solutions Blog: SG-1 Spoilers: Wright and Anderson on Continuum, March 21, 2007.
- Solutions Blog: SG-1 Spoilers: Tapping on Filming Continuum, March 21, 2007.
- Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, March 21, 2007.
- Solutions Blog: SG-1 Spoilers: Browder on Continuum, March 26, 2007.
- SG-1 Spoilers: Continuum Locations and Sets, March 28, 2007.
- SG-1 Spoilers: Martin Wood on Continuum Location (includes link to Reuters article, "Stargate" filmmakers risk lives in Arctic Circle), March 28, 2007.
- StargateAtlantis.com: SG-1 cast to film in the Arctic, March 14, 2007.
- Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, April 11, 2007.
- Solutions Blog: Navy Lab Chronicles Stargate Filming, April 11, 2007.
- Navy Newsstand: Stargate Stars Film Movie Aboard USS Alexandria at the Polar Ice Pack, April 18, 2007.
- Michael Shanks interview (video) at SciFi.com, May 2007.
- Jacqueline Samuda's Official Website, Jacqueline appears in Stargate movie as evil Nirrti!, May 15, 2007.
- Solutions Blog: SG-1 Spoilers: "Continuum" Resumes Filming May 22 (article dated May 16, 2007)
- Michael Shanks's TVGuide.com Blog, May 17, 2007
- Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, May 21, 2007 and companion article at Solutions Blog
- Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, May 22, 2007 and companion article at Solutions Blog
- Interview with Lexa Doig on the set of Killer Eyes, published May 27, 2007.
- Alex Levine's blog at scifi.com, May 31, 2007.
- Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, June 1, 2007 and companion article at Solutions Blog
- Richard Dean Anderson Web Site, June 4-5, 2007 Update.
- SCI FI WIRE: SG-1 Ends, Begins on DVD, Interview with Robert C. Cooper, June 13, 2007.
- Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, June 13, 2007
- Solutions Blog: TV Guide, Mallozzi Give Spoilers for Movies, June 14, 2007.
- The Province: Stargate secrets revealed at last, June 17, 2007.
- Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, June 18, 2007
- SCI FI WIRE: Browder Froze in Continuum, June 19, 2007
- Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, June 20, 2007
- MGM Behind-the-Scenes Video Library: Sneak Peek at Continuum with Amanda Tapping and Ben Browder, posted in June 2007 and companion article at Solutions Blog
- Gateworld: Ark of Truth will be released in 2008; June 24, 2007.
- Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, June 26, 2007.
- Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, June 28, 2007.
- Slice of SciFi: Interview with Claudia Black, posted July 15, 2007.
- Solutions Blog: SG-1 Spoilers: 'Today's Air Force' Features Continuum, posted July 23, 2007.
- MSOL: Transcript of Starlog #358 interview with Michael Shanks, July 21, 2007.
- Official Stargate Magazine, Titan, Issue #17, July/August 2007.
- Dreamwatch's Total Sci Fi: Tapping on the Gate, July 27, 2007.
--DeeKayP 13:20, 11 October 2006 (PDT)


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Raf Simons Working Fast to Make Dior More Like Chanel.
Raf Simons says he's working on turning Dior into a brand that everyone in the world will recognize as soon as they see it — sort of like Chanel.
"The Chanel woman? I don't even need to see, I smell her from round the corner, but I don't recognize the Dior woman," Simons said in an interview for the January issue of Vogue UK. "I want to work on that fast. Chanel has the deux-pièces with the pockets, or the bouclé, but what is it for Dior nowadays? I can't say."
Eventually, Simons wants Dior to be something that appeals to a wide variety of people.
"Dior's ultimate obsession is that he wanted [the public] to wear it. I want them to wear it on the street," he said. "If it doesn't relate to the outside, then it would be very theatrical for me."
That mission — to make serious and wearable clothing for Dior — has guided Simons's short tenure at the French fashion house, and even extends to his couture collections.
"I want to get away from couture just being done for a picture, or for a single moment on the red carpet," he said in an interview with Vogue Australia last month. "I want to try and convince women that couture can be worn in the day and that there's a reality and a relevance there, because that's what Mr. Christian Dior wanted. In my opinion, Christian Dior was never, ever theater."
Photo: Simons photographed by David Sims for the December issue of Vogue.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Hi out there,
I am not sure, if this is a "bug" or a known issue! Installing more than ONE ZoRAM in my A4000T, for example two, which shows up 640 MB Fastmem (including CSPP-RAM) in the titlebar causes a crash when
I copy more than ~400 MB into the Ramdisk.
Was this tested? More than one ZoRAM in a classic-Amiga ?
Not that I need more than 1 Card in the system! Its only nice to have.....


text:
A frame is equivalent of one sample being played, irrespective of the number of channels or the number of bits. e.g.
- 1 frame of a Stereo 48khz 16bit PCM stream is 4 bytes.
- 1 frame of a 5.1 48khz 16bit PCM stream is 12 bytes.
A period is the number of frames in between each hardware interrupt. The poll() will return once a period.
The buffer is a ring buffer. The buffer size always has to be greater than one period size. Commonly this is 2*period size, but some hardware can do 8 periods per buffer. It is also possible for the buffer size to not be an integer multiple of the period size.
Now, if the hardware has been set to 48000Hz , 2 periods, of 1024 frames each, making a buffer size of 2048 frames. The hardware will interrupt 2 times per buffer. ALSA will endeavor to keep the buffer as full as possible. Once the first period of samples has been played, the third period of samples is transfered into the space the first one occupied while the second period of samples is being played. (normal ring buffer behaviour).
Additional example
Here is an alternative example for the above discussion.
Say we want to work with a stereo, 16-bit, 44.1 KHz stream, one-way (meaning, either in playback or in capture direction). Then we have:
- 'stereo' = number of channels: 2
- 1 analog sample is represented with 16 bits = 2 bytes
- 1 frame represents 1 analog sample from all channels; here we have 2 channels, and so:
- 1 frame = (num_channels) * (1 sample in bytes) = (2 channels) * (2 bytes (16 bits) per sample) = 4 bytes (32 bits)
- To sustain 2x 44.1 KHz analog rate - the system must be capable of data transfer rate, in Bytes/sec:
- Bps_rate = (num_channels) * (1 sample in bytes) * (analog_rate) = (1 frame) * (analog_rate) = ( 2 channels ) * (2 bytes/sample) * (44100 samples/sec) = 2*2*44100 = 176400 Bytes/sec (link to formula img)
Now, if ALSA would interrupt each second, asking for bytes - we'd need to have 176400 bytes ready for it (at end of each second), in order to sustain analog 16-bit stereo @ 44.1Khz.
- If it would interrupt each half a second, correspondingly for the same stream we'd need 176400/2 = 88200 bytes ready, at each interrupt;
- if the interrupt hits each 100 ms, we'd need to have 176400*(0.1/1) = 17640 bytes ready, at each interrupt.
We can control when this PCM interrupt is generated, by setting a period size, which is set in frames.
- Thus, if we set 16-bit stereo @ 44.1Khz, and the period_size to 4410 frames => (for 16-bit stereo @ 44.1Khz, 1 frame equals 4 bytes - so 4410 frames equal 4410*4 = 17640 bytes) => an interrupt will be generated each 17640 bytes - that is, each 100 ms.
- Correspondingly, buffer_size should be at least 2*period_size = 2*4410 = 8820 frames (or 8820*4 = 35280 bytes).
It seems (writing-an-alsa-driver.pdf), however, that it is the ALSA runtime that decides on the actual buffer_size and period_size, depending on: the requested number of channels, and their respective properties (rate and sampling resolution) - as well as the parameters set in the snd_pcm_hardware structure (in the driver).
Also, the following quote may be relevant, from "(alsa-devel) Questions about writing a new ALSA driver for a very limitted device":
> > The "frame" represents the unit, 1 frame = # channels x sample_bytes. > > In your case, 1 frame corresponds to 2 channels x 16 bits = 4 bytes. > > > > The periods is the number of periods in a ring-buffer. In OSS, called > > as "fragments". > > > > So, > > - buffer_size = period_size * periods > > - period_bytes = period_size * bytes_per_frame > > - bytes_per_frame = channels * bytes_per_sample > > > > I still don't understand what 'period_size' and a 'period' is? The "period" defines the frequency to update the status, usually via the invokation of interrupts. The "period_size" defines the frame sizes corresponding to the "period time". This term corresponds to the "fragment size" on OSS. On major sound hardwares, a ring-buffer is divided to several parts and an irq is issued on each boundary. The period_size defines the size of this chunk. On some hardwares, the irq is controlled on the basis of a timer. In this case, the period is defined as the timer frequency to invoke an irq.
original created 2006-09-24 by User:JamesCourtierDutton


text:
Fabolous (Feat. Jeremih) - It's My Time
Video for Fabolous "It's My Time" featuring Jeremih off of the new album, Loso's Way, coming soon.
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


text:
Stedo12 necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 282 diseños de 56 diseñadores freelance.
Centre Financier OPTIMAL Financial Centre Inc
NEED BILLANGUAL LOGO...! We are offering financial products and administrative support to experienced and independent financial advisors. As a centre, we represent lots of large financial institution (Insurance company, Investment company...), we are the middle men to distribute their products to independent financial advisors. In the financial market, advisors can't do business directly with those financial institution...they have to go thru a middle men.
So our mandate/vision, we want to offer them the best support in the process of selling different products and offer outstanding customer service to them. The more time they have to do their business, the more money they will make. Time is money, so we would be partners to make it easy, easier to attein their business objectives.
As this is a new company being created, all our new immediat clients/advisors knows us, as the new owner, as I used to work for one of the financial institution for more then 15 years. I will have over 50 advisors to start and will be looking for other advisors to offer them the services/support.
We want to be talk about, as business partners to them. If they do good, we do good as we are paid on overrides on their sales.
We will have a financial centre that will also allow them to used the etablisment, as a place of business, where they can meet clients. High-end office look, will include a very nice boardroom.
We will welcome clients of the advisors at our new financial centre, but our clients would be the independent financial advisors. They are the one, that will create our income. As we will be paid, on what they sell.
We would cather to them, offer them a place of business (boardroom, office space, office supply, internet, electronic file backup,....) also access to administrative support from our administrave assistant.
As most financial advisors don't have a specific place of business, other then a home office, this will be a business centre that they will take advantage of. Offering all the services/support that usually would not be possible, as most of them are one person show.
I am looking for a sleek, clean cut design. I would love for advisors to relate the logo to the company as we will also be recruiting for more advisors.
The design of our new build office is a futurisic design, clean lines, with bold colours.
This is a brand new company. I personally been in this industry for the last 15 years. So I am part of the brand, but would love to top it, with a great logo.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


text:
I thought that since Cliff Lee has a special place in most Phillies fans hearts, I would use him as my topic for my Christmas post. Now if you read my Cole Hamels edition, you will know what I plan on doing in this series and that is, I plan on projecting how players, whether on the Phillies or just around the league, will perform next season. So without further ado, I present, my Merry Cliffmas
In this series I'll be evaluating the Phillies and whether certain players will rebound, breakout and unfortunately, who I think will bust. As I move along I think I will evaluate players from other teams, but for now I'll just do the Phillies. As the series move along you may notice I'm not mentioning players like Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee, that is because they have nothing to rebound from, they have already
You wanna know how bad the Canadiens first eight games of the year have been? Their leading goal scorer is Travis Moen. He is averaging just over 14 minutes per game, and there are only two regular starters averaging less time for the Canadiens. Eight games into the season and Moen's four goals ranks as the third most productive scoring season of his career. Moen has scored double digit goals only once in his
Updated 10-26-2011 at 01:59 AM by ICU
According to Mike Richards, A lack of intensity and focus for these game led by me and its gotta change and its going to change starting Friday. He waits until there are two games left in the season and they have lost the lead in the East and are a point from losing the lead in the Atlantic to say something more than "I am not answering that question again," when asked about the lack of intensity.
I find it funny that Richards waited until the team wasted his two goal
The Washington Capitals, the Boston Bruins, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Tampa Bay Lightning. These are the only four teams left that have a chance to pass the Flyers in the standings. A win tonight and the Bruins and Lightning can be scratched off of that list. Two points against the second worst team in the Eastern Conference, and the Flyers are guaranteed home ice for the


text:
Merge Web Design needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 54 designs submitted by 15 freelance designers.
Royal Hospitality Group
Royal Hospitality Group is a rennovating company servicing mid to high level Hotels. We do more than just rennovating, we service the industry though a highly efficient processes in purchasing , logistics and design. We have been in the industry for 25 years and are expanding on our capabilities with some high-tech solutions for our clients and so have started Royal Hospitality Group as an offset to several other subsidiary companites.
Clients like working with us because we are upfront, dependable and our work is of highest quality. For an example of what we would do: every several years, the look inside hotels fro the lobby to the guest bedrooms becomes dated and worn. A designer gets involved and chooses the colors and feel and fabrics that will be used. We are given the design and the specifications for the products and then we go into the hotels and remondel according to the plans.
We are creating and designing a software solution which will be designed and modeled after the feel of the logo. The website will be designed with the logo in mind. This is an opportunity to create artwork for a growing company with the potential need for several other logos for the other subsidiary companies.
Hotel Industry: Hotel Owners, Purchasing Agents, Designers. The clients are anywhere from "Mom and Pop" franchise owners to large Hotel family groups. We also work with and service other contractors in the industry.
We are looking for a new logo that incorporates the company colors: blue, platinum and titanium. We are more interested in sleek typography more than a symbol for the logo. We are not interested in any playing with words (i.e. even though "Royal" is in the company name, we do not want any crowns). We want the look and feel of a high-tech and modern company as we emplore the highest of technology into our work.
We would like the design to be in a vector format (eps) file so that we may be able to size and use. The artwork will be used on business cards, brochures, letterhead, etc.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


text:
By Richard Landes
In the years before 2000, as the director of the ephemeral Center for Millennial Studies, I scanned the global horizon for signs of apocalyptic activity, that is, for movements of people who believed that now was the time of a total global transformation. As I did so, I became aware of such currents of belief among Muslims, some specifically linked to the year 2000, all predominantly expressing the most dangerous of all apocalyptic beliefs – active cataclysmic – that is the belief that this transition from evil to good demands massive destruction, and that we true believers are the agents of that destruction, warriors of God, Mujahidin. Death cults, cults of martyrdom and mass murder…destroying the world to save it.
Nor were these beliefs magical, like the far better known Christian, but largely passive-cataclysmic, Rapture scenarios where one must await God's intervention. They had practical means and goals. In the same year 1989, that Bin Laden drove the Russians from Afghanistan, Khoumeini issued a global fatwah against Rushdie, and the West trembled. Iran and Afghanistan, however, like so many utopias born of such death cults, proved terrifyingly dystopic – acid in the faces of unveiled women. But these bitter new heavens on earth also showed remarkable staying power… and spreading power. So when Bin Laden struck with such spectacular force on 9/11, he took his Jihad, already declared in 1998 against America (the "Second 'Ad"), to the next level. He put deeds to words.
We, in the West, were taken totally by surprise. Who are these people? Why haven't we heard about them before? (NB: the blogosphere, which first "took off" in the early "aughts" is largely the product of a vast number of people turning to cyberspace for information that their mainstream news media had conspicuously failed to deliver.)
What was the logic of such a monstrously cruel attack that targeted civilians? A warning shot to pay attention and address grievances? Or the opening shot in a battle for world domination? Was this primarily an act of retribution for wrongs suffered, i.e., somewhat rational? Or global revenge at global humiliation, i.e., a bottomless pit of grievance?
Some of us said, "What can they possibly believe to make them hate so?" Others, "What did we do to make them hate us so?" And while both are legitimate questions, over the last decade, the "aughts" ('00s), we have split into two camps, each of which will not allow the other question's consideration.
A Frenchwoman said to me in 2003, "after 9/11, there are two kinds of people: those who understand that we are at war, and those in denial." Some pointed to a culture of genocidal incitement in the ideology of this religious enemy. They identified the totalistic reasoning, and warned that what these Mujahidin said in their own language was radically different from how "moderate" Muslims portrayed them to the West.
Others dismissed and downplayed these issues, pointing to rational and moderate trends among Muslims, and insisted that the vast majority are peaceful and moderate who can be reached by dialogue, and that rounding up the tiny percentage who are terrorists can be, and should be, a matter of criminal proceedings. They showed more concern for the tendency of fascist war-mongering movements to appear in Western culture than deal with far more advanced such trends in Muslim political culture; they favored a moral relativism that permits one to spread the blame. Some showed a near-messianic will to self-criticize: "Aren't we guilty of terrorism when we let people starve to death?" opined Derrida. Others delighted in moral inversion: Chomsky "reminded" us that the USA is the world's worst terrorist. After all, those alleged civilians were really little Eichmanns, cogs in the wheel of a genocide of "people of color."
At one extreme, then, we find racists and xenophobes who want to get rid of all Muslims; at the other, oikophobes, who don't even believe there's a Muslim-inspired terror, but that 9/11 – the whole threat – was invented by fascist Western politicians looking to establish their dictatorships. "My side right or wrong," vs. "Their side right or wrong." Both end up supporting fascism – ours, or theirs.
By and large, we tend to label these two directions of political thinking "right and left." Using this distinction, however, reflects primarily the "policy" postures involved rather than serious political thought. Since the "left" adopts a discourse and posture of accommodation, it seems like the party of peace and understanding; anyone pointing out the evidence for implacable enmity, and the counter-indicated effects of pursuing peace with such a foe, seems like the party of war.
Now if it were merely a matter of different emphases, this could be a productive tension. Indeed, I'm convinced that there are a host of rightfully troubled thinkers who, despite strong liberal and progressive impulses, nonetheless acknowledge the evidence and want to talk about it. There is a hugely creative and productive conversation still waiting to take place, one that would include people from all faiths and ethnicities, of people genuinely committed to societies committed to the freedom and dignity of all their people. One that was not afraid of its own shadow.
But during the aughts that conversation has not place: on the contrary, the "left" has asserted a strong grip on the public sphere, exiling those who begin to pay attention to the problems with Islam rather than focus on the sins of the West, muffling both their voice, and the Muslim voices to which they point. I remember Fox News interviewing me on 9/11. When I identified this as part of an apocalyptic global Jihad, the interviewer informed me that that was impossible because – here quoting President Bush, "Islam is a religion of Peace." They never played the interview and didn't come to interview me again.
Those who doubt the wisdom of pursuing messianic demands for self-criticism and openness on the West at this time, who suggest we exercise our free speech and lay some of the moral onus here at the feet of Muslim spokesmen, who themselves so loudly denounce our racism and prejudice, but tolerate so much among their own – such people have rapidly found themselves labeled "right wing" and exiled from the "mainstream." "If I speak of Muslim anti-Semitism," confessed one French colleague to me in 2005, "it's the last invitation to speak at a conference that I'll get."
As a result of this animosity, the adversarial "right-left" axis has reached dysfunctional proportions. The "left" views the right as at best mean-spirited, increasingly as malevolent; the "right" views the left as traitors and fools, as useful infidels. And these two camps now so bitterly speak about each other, that the presidential campaign of 2012 looks like a nightmare of inappropriate candidates. And in the meantime, our disarray fills the sails of our apocalyptic enemy. As one of my friends said to me recently, "I thought that Mayan 2012 stuff was ridiculous. Now I see how global disaster really could happen by then."
And among the elements that played into making this situation far worse, one of the cruelest winds blew from Europe and from the "progressive left." It's worth remembering that the week before 9/11, the UN had assembled at Durban all the major "human rights" NGOs, representing the "best of the left," to fight racism world-wide, an assembly that turned into of demopath's delight, an orgy of hatred aimed at two Western democracies, by a voting bloc with members who still engage in slavery. When the "Magnificent 19" struck, they had every reason to believe that they would be cheered on by a Western elite, a global tribe, called "left wing", inebriated with anti-Americanism.
And they were, to some extent, right. Although the initial European response to 9/11 was sympathy for the US – the next day, Le Monde wrote "Nous sommes tous des américains" – it did not take long for anti-Americanism to emerge. Ten days later, Jean Baudrillard wrote a masterpiece of what Nietzsche would call ressentiment in a Le Monde: "It's natural to want to strike at such a suffocating hegemon as the USA…They did it, we wanted it." According to Nidra Poller, within weeks of the event, le tout Paris resounded with this kind of Schadenfreude. "America had it coming." When Michael Moore's sophomoric Fahrenheit 9/11 came to Europe, crowds stood and cheered.
No good deed goes unpunished by the envious. The French find it easier to forgive the Germans for conquering them, than the Americans for saving them, twice. When David Marash resigned as editor in chief of Al Jazeera English because it was so anti-American, he commented that it was the British, not the Arabs, who were the worst – and by that he meant the products of a media elite that clusters around a BBC–Guardian nexus.
The anti-American left, like courtiers in a 21st century production of the emperor's new clothes, embraced Jihadis who struggled so mightily against American hegemony. The "peace" rallies of 2003 against Bush's war in Iraq brought the pacifist left and the Mujahidin together in common cause. One Pakistani participant in Islamabad wore a headband with Kill Jews; Berkeley radicals would not be outclassed in their demonizing. And yet, too few were disturbed by the oxymoron of an anti-Semitic peace rally. They failed to note that in apocalyptic politics, my enemy's enemy is my enemy.
When Bin Laden's men took out the twin towers, they, in a typical act of cognitive egocentrism, thought they would bring down the arrogant and empty tyrant of the US. What they did accomplish, however unintentionally, was to fend their foe – us – into two self-recriminating and dysfunctional halves. These halves, who so inaccurately identify themselves as "right" and "left," seem to despise each other more than they do an enemy who passionately hates both of them – us! – a foe that hates all we collectively believe in about those messy and productive societies that treasure tolerance and dignity and freedom.
Demotic polities that protect everyone's rights and request everyone's disciplined participation, are rare historical accomplishments. They're based on the difficult civil meme: "whoever is right, my side or not." They need high levels of ability among their citizens for self-criticism, compromise, positive-sum behavior, and mutual trust and respect. Eli Sagan, one of the more astute observers of these issues notes: "Democracy is a miracle, considering human psychological disabilities." However imperfect our democracies, they are as valuable as they are vulnerable.
Among the many memes widely circulating in Western circles, one of the most absurdly noxious is "Who are we to judge?" All the great progressive victories of demotic polities – equality before the law, freedom of religion and dissent, respect for those disadvantaged by "might makes right," women, workers, weak – arises from harsh value judgments on the authoritarianism that exploits them: patriarchy, exploitation, cruelty. Not judging too quickly – admirable; not judging at all – folly. We end up ferociously judging ourselves, and giving others, whose values and motives are far more base, a free pass. In doing so we illustrate Pascale's warning, "the more we want to be angels, the more we become beasts."
So when, in order to seem peaceful, we abandon non-westerners to brutal political cultures in the name of some quasi-religious commitment to cultural relativism, we betray everything we claim we support. Such attitudes seem particularly inadvisable when facing an apocalyptic foe dedicated to the destruction of all our progressive values.
If the only people who fight Islamic triumphalism are really on the right, their solutions will obviously favor harsh responses. Liberals and progressives would, presumably, struggle harder to come up with more creative and less violent forms of effective resistance. So it constitutes a catastrophic loss of creative energy to have a "left" that believes that somehow, if only we were nicer to Muslims, they'd be nicer to us, one that views as an alarming embarrassment anyone who points out the Islamic contribution to the problem, as a saboteur of this effort at placation, an "enemy of peace." It also represents a colossal betrayal of genuine Muslims moderates who really do want to live in a vibrant civil society that respects everyone; where Muslims respect infidels, and infidels respect Islam.
If the aughts were a debacle of culture wars in the West and a period of growing radicalization in Islamic circles, let the teens be a period when finally, we turn around this self-destructive behavior. The well-being of billions of people on this planet depend on our commitment to Western progressive values.
Richard Landes is Associate Professor of History and directed the Center for Millennial Studies at Boston University. He is the author of the blog The Augean Stables and his most recent book is Heaven on Earth: The Varieties of the Millennial Experience.


text:
Farmers and ranchers who seek affordable health insurance can find solutions in the Affordable Care Act and the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010.
That's according to South Dakota Cooperative Extension Family Resource Management Specialist Liz Gorham, who said farmers and ranchers struggling to purchase a health care package to cover themselves and their families can find tax incentives in the law that can help.
Tax incentives to help offset health care costs
"These new laws provide significant tax incentives to help offset health care costs, such as the one found in the Small Business Jobs Act, where the sole proprietor receives a deduction for health care costs on their 2010 tax returns," Gorham said. "A farmer or other self-employed person will be able to deduct their health insurance premiums as a business expense. As such, income and self-employment taxes are reduced for the 2010 tax year."
Gorham said the Center for Rural Affairs website explains the benefits that South Dakota farmers and ranchers can evaluate. The website is available at this link: http://www.cfra.org/policy/health-care.
The Affordable Care Act allows businesses with 25 or fewer employees to offset 35 percent of an employee's health care costs, Gorham added.
"These employers are covered as small business tax credits in the new laws, and both laws provide significant and crucial relief for family farmers, ranchers, and 'main street' business owners who have watched their health insurance premiums climb over the past few years," Gorham said. "We also want to remind producers in South Dakota of another important piece of legislation, the Rural Microbusiness Investment Credit. It is designed to help entrepreneurs by providing a 35 percent refundable tax credit, up to $10,000, on investment in their business."
Gorham said that if passed, the Rural Microbusiness Investment Credit would help rural small businesses recover from the last recession."We want to remind everyone to check his or her eligibility for health care tax incentives on your 2010 taxes," said Gorham. "We'd also suggest people support the Rural Microbusiness Investment Credit."


text:
Around 1,000 people braved the driving rain on Sunday to support the second Harrogate charity dog show.
A sausage dog joined dalmatioans, an Irish Jack Russell and plenty of pugs at the Claro Road event.
Defying the soggy conditions, organisers Kim Metcalfe and Verity Watts ensured around £1,500 was raised, money which will be split between the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.
Verity said: "We are delighted with how the show went.
"Of course, the weather was disappointing, but plenty of people came out to support the event.
"We were pleased that people stayed when they got there, too.
"Everyone had a great time."
Winner of the Best in Show was Livvy, owned by Tom MacDonald.
Livvy was rescued by her owner when he found her in Turkey.
The show was sponsored by Vets4Pets.
Further classes included best sausage catcher, golden oldie, best rescue and waggiest tail.
Harrogate Advertiser News Editor Alex Johnston judged the Most Like Owner class.
Pictured above are Gordon Coleman from Wetherby and Bailey, aged six months (left), and Susan Brown of Knaresborough with 14-week-old Lily.
The show was set up in 2013 after Harrogate was named one of the UK's most dog-friendly towns.
Images supplied.


text:
The Gila Tools Xtreme Speed Cut Tuckpointing Blades are designed with versatility and ultra-speed for mortar removal. The shorter segment design allows the blade to cut virtually all mortar types. Specially designed cooling holes keep blade cool and extend life.
- Ultra-efficient and Ultra-fast Xtreme-blade design
- Shorter segment design allows the blade to cut virtually all mortar types.
- Fast, efficient removal of mortar joints in brick, block or stone for exterior building resurfacing
- Designed for the professional contractor
Gila Diamond Products Warranty pertaining to all Diamond Cutting Tools and Carbide Blades
All Gila Diamond Products are engineered and manufactured to the highest of standards. Your satisfaction is a dominant consideration. All Gila Diamond Products are warranted to be free from defects in material and/or workmanship, provided that the tools are properly maintained and there is no evidence of abuse or misuse.
- In the event of failure or malfunction, return the product, properly packaged and postage prepaid, to Gila Diamond Products. You may also contact Gila Diamond Products at (888) 850-0889 for instructions on returns and technical advice.
- Gila Diamond Products assumes no liability for defects or damage caused by abuse or misuse of any product or unauthorized service of any product. The product must have been used for its recommended purpose and not modified by sharpening or other changes. Normal wear and tear is not covered under Gila Diamond Products warranties.
For proper size, seg width, seg height and arbor, view product table
- Arbor Size: 7/8"-5/8"
- Blade Diameter: 4"-5"
- Material Cut: Mortar Joint Removal
* Use Gila Flush Mount Adapter for use with Angle Grinders
Bosch: 1375A, 1380SLIM, 1380SLIM-K, 1800, 1810PS, 1810PSD, 1801, 1811PS, 1811PSD, 1803EVS, 1821, 1821D, 1853-5, 1772-6, 1873-8, 1873-8D, 1974-8, 1974-8D, 1775E
Makita: 4101RH, 9564CV, 9564P, GA4030K, GA4530, GA4534, 9015A, 9005B, 9558PB, 9565CV, 9565PC, GA5010Z, GA5020, GA5020Y, GA7001L, GA7011C, GA7020, GA7021, GA7031Y, GA7040S, 4114, 4101RH
Dewalt: DWE4011, D28402N, D28112, D28110, D28402, D28402K, DW802G, D28402W, D28114, D28114N, D28131, D28065, D28065N, D28115, D28115N, DW831, DW840, DW831, DWE4517, DWE4557, DWE4597N, DWE4597, D28499X, D28497
Milwaukee: 6146-33, 6147-30, 6147-31, 6121-31, 6117-33D, 6121-31A, 6117-30, 6117-31, 6088-31, 6089-30, 6089-31, 6088-30
Ridgid: R1005, R1020
Metabo: 6.00270.42, 6.00270.00, 6.06696.42, 6.06696.00, 6.06701.42,6.00259.42, 6.00259.85, 6.00264.42, 6.00264.00, 6.00263.42, 6.01101.42, 6.00274.42, 6.02131.42, 6.00281.42, 6.00281.00, 6.00292.42, 6.00269.42, 6.00304.42, 6.00166.42, 6.00322.42, 6.00279.42, 6.06711.42, 6.00267.42, 6.00268.42, 6.06250.42, 6.06418.42, 6.06445.42, 6.02170.86, 6.02170.52, 601119520
Hitachi: G12SA3, G12SE2, G12SE2P9, G12SN, G12SR3, G12SS, G12VA, G13SC2, G13SC2P9, G13SN, G13SP, G13VA, G18DL, G18MR, G18MRP9, G18SCY, G18SR, G18SS, CM5SB, CM4SB2
Ryobi: AG452K, AG402, AG700
Craftsman: 24544, 26438, 24543
Skil: 9296-01, 9295-01


text:
- Licensed and fully insured
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Beautiful/Decay Book 5 is officially in the building and we're stuffing subscriptions as we speak. You have until midnight tonight to take advantage of our Biannual subscription sale and save some cash on your favorite Art & Design Book Series.
For those of you who want to start your subscription with Book 4 we can send you both books. Just put a note in the comment box when you check out saying whether you want your subscription to start with book 4 or book 5. After midnight all subscriptions will begin automatically with book 5.


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ATX to Xbox Converter 2
Our ATX to Xbox Converter 2 has been restocked. This is a popular device for case-modders or people looking to use their Xbox in a vehicle. It will allow for an ATX power supply to power your Xbox, rather than the original Xbox power supply. This is especially useful for installing your Xbox in a PC case or using 12V from a vehicle to power it.
Our ATX Extenders, which are an optional addition to avoid splicing into your power supply, will be restocked soon.


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Patton Oswalt's Halloween dream was to transform into the villainous Doc Ock - but he only had four hours to do it. Mythbuster Adam Savage was more than happy to oblige, and he created a mind-blowing costume in record time. Watch Savage create Doc Ock from inside his lair, and gain inspiration for your own last-minute costumes.
[via Tested]


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January 28, 2011
The most irrational activity
I would say without hesitation – writing this blog. I have written over 400 posts on this blog and have been writing for close to 6 years now. 90% of the content on the blog is original – I don't cut paste someone else's content. If I cannot write something interesting, then why bother?
Now each post takes me around 1-2 hours to write. So If you do the math, it means almost 800-900 hrs of effort till date. This would amount to almost 3-4 months of lost income, as this blog makes next to nothing. So the point is why am I doing it?
I can list quite a few reasons now, but when I started in 2005 I had none. I tried thinking of some rational ones then, but as I could not think of anything I realized that the only reason was that I loved doing it. Some people like to watch TV, some like to paint and I like to invest and write (talk of a boring interest !!)
The start of investing
If I dial back time a bit further, the same situation existed at the time I started learning about investing. The first 3-4 years in the late 90s were a complete wash in terms of income. I made quite a few mistakes, but still managed to do fine in terms of the returns.
However if I look at the absolute amount of money I made in those days, it was peanuts. The only reason I kept doing it was that I enjoyed the process a lot. The income is now meaningful, but I love the process even more.
Being better at it everyday
I personally look at investing as an intellectual activity, where my measure of progress is not the returns alone, but also if I am becoming a better investor over time. It is always difficult to be very objective about it, but I feel I am a much better investor now than I was in 2005 – though I have no quantitative measure to prove it.
I will make a bold claim now. If some of you like me are not professional investors and are into investing because you love the craft, then it is a given that you will improve year on year, inch by inch and will do well in the long run. How will it be otherwise?
What about the money?
By the way, in case you are thinking that I am being hypocritical and don't care about the money, that's not true. I do care about money – have a family to feed :). Its just that investing and blogging in my case is more than just about money. If it was only about money, I would have never started it.
A surprising conclusion
I have come to a very surprising conclusion due to the above experience and based on what I have read about others. If you love doing something and really don't care what others think or whether you will succeed or not, paradoxically you will get better over time and actually be more successful at it than you originally imagined.
What makes me think I am now more successful at investing? My wife now thinks that this odd thing her husband does on the side may amount to something :)
31 comments:
"However if I look at the absolute amount of money I made in those days, it was peanuts."
The time itself is an investment. Personally, I made a lot of dumb mistakes starting out (still do!). It was probably better to make the obvious mistakes when there wasn't a lot of money on the line.
- January 28, 2011
Your blog has been quite an education. Continue writing.
- January 28, 2011
- anurag said...
Hi Rohit,
Its been a long time since Iam posting comments but I make sure to read all your excellent post.
all I can say is
Mirza Sauda:'Dilon mein Bahooton ko dhoond dhoond kar har Kahin jo paya bhi to bar zuban ikhlas':))
Happy Investing
- January 28, 2011
- satish vijaykumar said...
Hey Rohit,
"It's not about the money, it's about the game."
Gordon Gekko - Wall St II
I'm a silent reader of your blog, really appreciate the effort and pain you put in each post.
Everyone person at times, specially after a few drinks asks this introspection question, Am I on the right track,have I got the multi-bagger right?
Well time will answer my experience is the gut feel is always right and if one has helped others the karma would surely bouce back.
All the best and more power to you, hope you make a few million dollars.
P.s Am an annual investor I invest all my funds in one stock in a year :), Currently invested in BNK capital.
- January 28, 2011
- The maturing process said...
1stly nothing irrational about writing, i'll come to that later. But 1st your comment that people grow better by doing something more, Duh!! Thought that was obvious. Especially if you have an INTEREST and INCENTIVE in that thing. ENJOYING doing difficult thing which you have no aptitude for, helps. Hence I look only at interest rather than aptitude in a thing to predict if he'll succeed in it.
On the 1st thing about writing; its a record, thing you can check long after for comparison, mistakes and right choices. Also a teaching tool, teaching being something men are evolutionary programmed to do.
So nothing irrational or illogical about writing.
PS: This may seem like a harsh comment. . . . . . But i've nothing better to do. And i'd really wanna be like a Hemingway or Premchand.
- January 28, 2011
- seshu said...
Writing always makes a person think more and better. It is always difficult to write as compared to verbally expressing.
I am sure this process had helped you in making your investment decisions more and more thought through and rational.
By the by, why did you invest in asian paints? Was it a trading decision or thoroughly analysed like the others?
- January 29, 2011
- Avadhut said...
This was introspection. I agree with your "surprising conclusion".
- January 29, 2011
- Ninad Kunder said...
The wife is making a smart trade. She has figured out that by being interested in investing, the amount you could blow on stocks will be lower than what you could blow off if u divert your interest to the proverbial other woman :-).
Hence the occassional grunts of acknowledgement might be coming from her end.
- January 29, 2011
- Rohit Chauhan said...
Hi anon
agree with your comment. ofcourse losing when i had little money only ensures that i dont lose money the same way. i have found newer ways to lose money since then.
but then that is the part and parcel of investing
- January 30, 2011
- Rohit Chauhan said...
Hi lucky
i also benefit by sharing the learning. it drives the learning deeper
- January 30, 2011
- Rohit Chauhan said...
Hi anurag
thanks for the comment and the poetry :) ..though i am artistically challenged in that area
- January 30, 2011
- Rohit Chauhan said...
Hi satish
you really have some courage ..one stock !! i can never do that.
you are right about the game part ...most of us can earn a living in multiple ways ..choosing to invest actively is definitely more than the money bit alone
- January 30, 2011
- Rohit Chauhan said...
Mr maturing process
some people take longer to learn the obvious ..some of those people are me :)
on writing and record keeping ..one can do it in multiple ways which are less time consuming than blogging. so there is a level of wishful thinking or irrationality involved in writing a blog especially when you are starting new and no one reads it
its a funny feeling to write posts in the begining with no one reading expect yourself ..its like like talking to yourself. you think you are insane :)
- January 30, 2011
- Rohit Chauhan said...
Hi seshu
fully agree ...witing makes one think more logically and explicity. makes one rational. so definitely agree with it
i worked in asian paints for 4 yrs. it was 50% analysis and 50% emotional. its a well managed company and i knew it from the inside ..so made sense to invest
- January 30, 2011
- Rohit Chauhan said...
Hi avadhut
true ..i took time for this conclusion. always thought becoming good in investing required from special talent. i think its more a factor of hard work. ofcourse becoming a great investor is special talent
- January 30, 2011
- Rohit Chauhan said...
Hi ninad
:) oh she is smart ..knows how to prepare me for the impending mid life crisis.
i think women are definitely smarter ..they allow guys to think they are smart and live in their fantasy :)
- January 30, 2011
- Smart Singh said...
I'm going through that phase when it feels like talking to a post. That said, blogging is becoming an addiction for me. It is wishful thinking + a need to document my thoughts + kicks I get when I see a comment on my blog.
Keep it up Rohit.
- February 01, 2011
- KD said...
Hi Rohit,
Its always nice to read your blog, which compels me to think harder on many things over and above investing :)
I fully agree with your comments and believe myself that sure path to succeed in anything, is to LOVE it, or vice versa :-)
All the very best.
- February 02, 2011
hi rohit,
just wondering
q1.any thoughts on evaluating companies in turnaround/restructuring situations?
( interesting possibilities include indage vintners and dhandapani finance)
q2.any ideas on how to evaluate financial companies ?(like nbfcs and banks)
eagerly awaiting ur thoughts
- February 03, 2011
- Anuj Joshi said...
Hi Rohit
I have recently started following your blog, value investing and fundamental analysis.I follow short term technicals mostly.
I am tracking cement sector in general.Mangalam cement(my pick) and as you mentioned about Hyderabad Industries some time back, have reported a huge drop in OPM specially past two quarters.Any particular reason for that?.How long do you see margins under pressure?
- February 03, 2011
- Rohit Chauhan said...
Hi kd
true ...if you love something...it is no longer work
- February 05, 2011
- Rohit Chauhan said...
hi rayhaan
generally avoid turn around companies. on banks - i have written on the blog. you can find the posts on it via the search option
- February 05, 2011
- Rohit Chauhan said...
hi anuj
hyd industries and mangalam do not have pricing power ..what that means is that the company can charge higher prices in times of high cost. they can only raise prices in supply tight situation. so if the supply is in excess- which is usually the case in cement companies, then rising costs hurt will hit the company
when will it turn ..i dont know. it will not correct till the demand starts exceeding supply
- February 05, 2011
- Anuj Joshi said...
Hi Rohit,
You said, "hyd industries and mangalam do not have pricing power"
That's because these command a relatively less market share of sales with respect to larger player like ACC,Ambuja and Ultratech Cement?
- February 06, 2011
- Jb said...
Hi Rohit,
Like one of the readers commented, I'm a silent reader of your blog too and must say if you've attracted so many eye-balls, you HAVE done a good job.
Just a small thought, which I thought I'll share. I'm like Rohit Chauhan 2-3 years into investing but still miles before I can become the present Rohit Chauhan. And a lot of the readers are on the same path, at various distances from each other.
I have this feeling that, if we can, in any way, contribute in a better way, to each others' learnings, we can add a lot more value to ourselves.
I see this being possible, if those of us who do intend to write about our investments and rationales (it sure helps as it as helped you, over the years) get a more integrated platform to share our views, have others point out any discrepancies in the approach, their suggestions, etc.
In its present form, its more of one way communication, which sure is good for each one of us, courtesy you, but doesnt allow us to add value to each other in any way. A comment, is after all, pretty short.
For example, I remember reading an article by a SmartMoney columnist recently on how he identified the multibaggers - Google, First Solar, Home Depot, etc - and wished I could share it with you and all the readers.
I visualized a site moderated by you wherein anyone of us could add posts too, before we could engage in a healthy discussion.
Any thoughts..?
- February 07, 2011
- siva said...
Can you pls let me know is hcc a value buy? considering lavasa ipo might hit in another 1-2yrs.
HCC market cap is 2000crs
Lavasa IPO was supposed to come for 2000crs in which HCC has 65% stake. total valuation was 20,000crs. but all the real estate stocks fell by 50%.. say 10,000crs out of which HCC stake is 6,500crs.
are we not getting HCC for free? I understand other issues like reality is very bad investment. but if we wait for 2yrs we will sure get at least 100rs when lavasa ipo hits.
- February 07, 2011
Rohit, I remember you having initiated research on Hawkins but before you could press the "Buy", it shot up like anything. How does Hawkins look now, since the sharp fall it is witnessing? Agreed that it has had 2-3 bad quarters. But based on its past record of coming back from red in a big way, I think this should be a small blip.
- February 09, 2011
- Rohit Chauhan said...
Hi anuj
it is not a question of mkt share alone. yes, mkt share helps as it provides economies of scale and helps in generating better returns.
however industry which have commodity type characterisitics ..where the only factor in a purchase is price, have poor pricing power
- February 10, 2011
- Rohit Chauhan said...
Hi jb
i agree a forum on valueinvesting would be a lot of help for a variety of investors.
I gave it a thought a few years back, but did not proceed with it. It is time consuming to manage a forum and personally with my day job, this blog and now a subscription service and also a family :) ...i just dont have the time for it.
a few years later, maybe.
at the same time, i think the comments can used to share thoughts..though i agree it is not as good as a forum
- February 10, 2011
- Rohit Chauhan said...
hi siva
i have not really looked at hcc. btw, isnt lvasa the project which got stuck in some environment clearance issues ?
- February 10, 2011
- Rohit Chauhan said...
Hi sachin
i am still following hawkins. its in tracking list ...but as always not cheap enough :) ...another 15% and i will get interested. till then there are other decent ideas
i personally want to avoid chasing any idea ...more like that pretty girl in college which everyone was after but could not get :)
you can guess my valueinvesting principles would have never got me any dates :)
- February 10, 2011


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Used Truck - 2001 Toyota Sequoia Limited 2WD in Dallas, Tx
Please Call For Price
About This 2001 Toyota Sequoia Limited 2WD
Vehicle Location:
Dallas, Tx
Limited 2WD
Call For Price
Stock Number:
Fuel Economy Estimates
City MPG
Highway MPG
Combined MPG: 16
Estimated Monthly Fuel Cost: $139.06*
*Based on $1.78 per gallon and 15k miles per year.
Actual costs may vary.
Actual costs may vary.
Send This Vehicle To Your Smartphone
Seller's Description and Comments:
Located at Fidelity Ventures in Dallas, Tx. Call Fidelity Ventures today at 972-241-4800 for more information about this vehicle.
Vehicle Options:
- Abs Brakes
- Air Conditioning
- Alloy Wheels
- Am/fm Radio
- Cassette Player
- Cd Player
- Child Safety Door Locks
- Cruise Control
- Driver Airbag
- Driver Multi-adjustable Power Seat
- Full Size Spare Tire
- Leather Seat
- Load Bearing Exterior Rack
- Passenger Airbag
- Power Door Locks
- Power Windows
- Rear Window Defogger
- Tachometer
- Tilt Steering
- Traction Control
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2001 Toyota Sequoia ReviewThis car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale.
A big dog that's as nice as a Lexus.
To give you an idea of the amount of space the new Toyota Sequoia takes up, it's actually bigger than a Chevrolet Tahoe and about equal in size to a Ford Expedition. That's a big dog. Not quite Ford Excursion or Hummer proportions, but still a near-monster truck.
However, the Sequoia is also very civilized, quiet, comfortable, and, in the Limited version we drove, very luxurious. Over and over we had to remind ourselves that we weren't driving a Lexus, as our test model was filled to the brim with sumptuous leather seats, automatic climate control, and a killer JBL stereo that had an in-dash 6-CD changer.
Perhaps the best feature of the Sequoia is its ability to function as an awesome family vehicle. With standard eight-passenger seating in three rows of seats, the Sequoia can haul a boatload of kids (with or without the big dogs in tow).
The Sequoia is bigger in nearly every interior and exterior measurement than the Toyota Land Cruiser; however, the top-of-the-line Sequoia Limited is more than $10,000 less expensive.
The Sequoia is offered in SR5 and Limited trim lines.
The SR5 comes standard with power windows, mirrors and door locks, cruise control, automatic climate control, and an AM/FM stereo with both cassette and CD players. The Limited version adds leather upholstery, front and rear air conditioning, heated outside mirrors, JBL stereo, roof rack, and alloy wheels.
Both trim lines come standard with skid control to aid handling and traction control to help in slippery driving conditions.
The standard engine is a 240-horsepower 4.7-liter V8, which is mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. Both rear- and four-wheel drive models are offered.
The front end of the Sequoia borrows key styling elements from Toyota's full-size Tundra pickup. That's no surprise considering they're both built in the same assembly plant in Princeton, Indiana. The front and rear doors are nicely integrated and fit proportionally with the rearmost seating and cargo area.
Our Limited model came with fog lights, side running boards, attractive five-spoke alloy wheels, and a rear spoiler. The overall look is clean, purposeful, and, above all BIG. One unique feature: The Sequoia comes with a liftgate rear window that actually rolls down (just like those wood-paneled station wagons of the '60s and '70s).
The first thing you notice about the Sequoia's interior is the attention to detail embedded in its design. For example, we appreciated the extra front seat visors; while the primary visor is deployed above the side window, an additional visor can be extended down from the headliner to block the sun streaming into the windshield. Plus, there's a terrifically large bin between the front seats, which is split into two levels. The top level has a notepad holder and a place for coins. The bottom level has a molded, bookshelf-like CD holder to keep up to eight CDs from rattling around. There's also enough room left over to hold a six-pack or a moderately sized purse. Further, there's an overhead console that holds sunglasses and an information center that gives readouts for vehicle direction (compass), outside temperature, and fuel economy statistics, such as miles until empty, and overall and instant mpg.
Our Limited model was fitted with comfortable (and heated) leather seats, an enormous moonroof, and every power-operated convenience feature you could imagine. Other items make family outings a snap: multiple cupholders and storage bins scattered throughout the cabin; large openings for the rear doors which make installing child safety seats a breeze; front and rear air conditioning controls; and flexible seating arrangements. The third-row seats are easy to tumble forward (or remove, as they only weigh 52 pounds each) to expand the cargo area. In doing this, we could fit both a jogging stroller and a baby backpack, plus all the rest of the gear you need for a day's worth of hiking, in the cargo area with ease. For maximum cargo carrying, you remove the third-row seats and fold and tumble the second-row seats behind the two front seats. There's enough space back there to clean out Toys 'R Us during a clearance sale.
However, all is not perfect. Toyota has a tendency to make its adjustable intermittent windshield wiper controls the opposite of what we would call intuitive. You'd think that if you want to turn up the tempo of the wipers' frequency, you'd twist the wheel on the wiper control stalk up (as in 'turn it up'). But it's the other way around, a minor nit, we admit. Also, the clock is mounted far too low in center of the dash and is obscured by the climate control switches. And not all of us are enamored with the Hammertone trim in the Limited model.
Driving Impression
Piloting the Sequoia on the open road is a pleasure. We loved the smooth and powerful V8 engine. It's a marvel of a power plant, and this truck needs all of its 240 horsepower. The transmission, too, was seamless in operation. With such a long wheelbase and overall heft, the Sequoia delivers a comfortable ride on all types of road conditions. While our Limited model was almost as luxurious as a Lexus, it wasn't nearly as quiet. Wind noise at highway speeds wasn't obtrusive, but the cabin wasn't as hushed as Lexus LS 430 sedan we recently drove.
But all of this luxury and comfort come with a price: The Sequoia is an absolute pig at the gas pump. EPA says to expect only 14 mpg in city driving and a paltry 17 mpg on the highway.
Braking, while never nerve rattling, takes a little getting used to. Stopping a vehicle the size of a Sequoia takes planning ahead, and you shouldn't wait until the last minute to apply pressure to the pedal. Technically, the brakes work fine (and ABS is standard); just don't forget that you're not driving a lithe sports car.
The Sequoia is not, however, a joy to get in and out of. Although the Limited model comes with side running boards (optional on the SR5) and grab handles mounted inside of the doorframes, you must be prepared to lift yourself up and into this vehicle. In contrast, a regular car allows you to literally drop into the seat. A big beast like the Sequoia requires some physical dexterity and for its occupants to be unafraid of heights: A commanding view of the passing scenery is guaranteed from every seat.
As you'd imagine from a vehicle of this size, the Sequoia is not an easy barge to park. Parallel parking this hulk in downtown Austin, Texas, proved to be a humbling experience.
The Sequoia is a champ if you have to transport lots of kids to and fro on a regular basis. We say 'kids' because they're the only ones with the agility to hop over the middle-row to get to the three-person rear seats. Asking full-sized adults to crawl back there will likely cost you a few friends.
There are two controls to activate the optional four-wheel drive system. The first is a simple button, located fairly low in the center of the dashboard. Punching it will put the vehicle in four-wheel high, which is good for driving on snowy or slippery roads. Engaging this extra traction can be done on the fly without having to stop the vehicle. You'll also find a traditional-looking shift lever located between the front seats to activate four-wheel low; also known as the creeper gear, this is only for more extreme off-road use, such as descending a very steep hill.
Speaking of steep hills, the Sequoia's active traction control, called A-TRAC, which comes standard on four-wheel-drive models, made it easy for us to drive straight up a set of moguls on a dry, gravel-covered ski slope at Big Sky, Montana. Instead of modulating the throttle, we simply held the gas down, and it walked right up the hill, transferring torque to the tires with the best grip. Drop it into the low range, and the system automatically locks the center differential for go-anywhere traction capability. Two-wheel-drive Sequoias also come standard with traction control, though, obviously, they won't offer the mogul-climbing abilities of the four-wheel-drive models.
The skid-control feature, which comes standard, helps the Sequoia maintain stability should the vehicle lose traction and begin to slid sideways. Like other electronic stability programs, it selectively applies braking force to individual wheels to stop a skid, and it can really help you avoid an accident.
A two-wheel-drive Sequoia is rated to tow up to a 6500-pound trailer, while a 4x4 is rated to pull a 6200-pound trailer.
Is the Toyota Sequoia the ultimate family vehicle? Look at the score sheet and you'll find that it has seating for up to eight (or five and have LOTS of room to bring the dogs); Toyota's legendary reliability; a smooth, comfortable ride; towing capacity for a 6200-pound trailer; and lots of safety equipment, including traction- and skid-control, available front side- and head-level airbags, three-point seatbelts for all seating positions, available on-demand four-wheel drive, and the secure feeling that comes with driving a vehicle that weighs more than 5,000 pounds.
Even though family life implies a certain amount of restraint and sacrifice to not follow what's trendy, most of the young families I know would still rather die than be seen driving a minivan (despite the fact that most minivans ride and handle better, sip less fuel, and cost less than many SUVs - - especially those that offer third-row seating).
Overall, though, the Sequoia is a marvelous truck. Perhaps not the best day-to-day family taxi in congested, urban areas, but certainly unbeatable for family road trips.
Model Lineup
SR5 2WD ($30,815); SR5 4WD ($34,345); Limited 2WD ($38,955); Limited 4WD ($42,275).
Assembled In
Princeton, Indiana.
Options As Tested
in-dash CD changer ($200); front side-impact and side curtain airbags ($500); rear spoiler ($200), daytime running lights ($40); power moonroof ($1,005); wind deflector ($93); Extra Mile Option Package B ($794) includes glass etching, pin stripe, floor mats rear trunk mat, rearview mirror upgrade, wheel locks, tire & wheel road hazard warranty, 3-year/36,000-mile roadside assistance.
Model Tested
Limited ($42,275).
11444 N Stemmons Frwy
Dallas, Tx. 75229
Email This Seller
Contact: Sales Manager


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Getting up close and extremely personal with the new iPhone 5 iSight and FaceTime camera, in-cell display, nano-SIM card, and Lightning connector
We've already shown you just how stunning the new design looks in our iPhone 5 gallery but we also want to go in for a much closer look at all the little details. Apple is manufacturing the iPhone 5 using some incredibly advanced equipment and tolerances measured in microns. The backing is anodized 6000 series aluminum with ceramic or pigmented glass inlays. The iSight camera is covered by sapphire crystal and the beveled edges are cut by crystalline diamond. It's been said the iPhone 5 is closer in kind to a luxury time piece than what's traditionally passed for consumer electronics.
How much of that is just marketing and ad copy, and how much is reality undistorted? If the details matter that much to Apple, how well did they execute on those details? Let's take a really close look...
8mp iSight rear camera, the new rear mic, and flash.
720p FaceTime front camera and speaker.
The in-cell display.
The pixels of the new in-cell display.
The new Lightning port, new speaker and mic grills, and the newly repositioned 3.5mm headphone jack.
The pins inside the new Lightning port.
The new nano-SIM in the card tray.
All shots taken with a Canon 5D Mark III and an EF 100mm F2.8 L IS USM Macro lens, embedded at HiDPI for iPhones, iPad 3, and Retina MacBook Pro.


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With the recent launch of our new catering menu, Cafe Natasha now offers generous platters and packages for your event or office catering needs.
Ask us about delivering to you!
Renowned for lean-cut meats, poultry and fish, Persian cuisine provides fresh balanced choices for a healthy lifestyle
We specialize in fresh, locally sourced Lamb skillfully transformed into seven definitive dishes guaranteed to satisfy your every craving
Enveloped in blooming grape vines and a fragrant rose garden, our romantic enclosure is the perfect atmosphere to unwind with a bottle of wine and good company


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Hassan-i Sabbah (the Old Man of the Mountain) lived in the 11th and 12th centuries. He founded a group of assassins whose members are referred to as the Hashshashin. The word assassin originates from this group. They were based heart of the Alborz Mountains of northern Iran.
Wikipedia notes, "The group transformed the act of murder into a system directed largely against Seljuk Muslim rulers who had been persecuting their sect. They were meticulous in killing the targeted individual, seeking to do so without any additional casualties and innocent loss of life, although they were careful to cultivate their terrifying reputation by slaying their victims in public, often in mosques. Typically they approached using a disguise; their weapon of choice was a dagger, rejecting poison, bows and other weapons that allowed the attacker to escape."
Hassan-i-Sabah had a unique and successful method of recruiting assassins. According to the site Assassins, "He constructed a secret garden and furnished it with all the delights promised in the Koran…to the faithful when they reached paradise. The chosen were drugged, one or two at a time, and taken to this garden by night. When they woke up in the morning they were surrounded by beautiful and scantily clad houris [in Muslim belief, women who live with the blessed in paradise] who would minister to their every need and desire. After being allowed to savor this false — but pleasant and sensual — paradise for a day or so, they were again drugged before being taken back to awaken in their own squalid hovel or cave dwelling. To them, it was as if it had been a vivid dream. Ben Sabbah then sent for them, told them Allah had given them a preview of paradise, and surprised them by telling them exactly what each had been up to while in the secret garden."
This recruitment method worked well. Even though the assassins did not seek death and would fight until dead, they never sought suicide. Despite this, many of the assassinations were carried out in public almost assuring death to the assassin. It is reasonable to assume that many of the assassins knew that their own death would occur in the process of the assassination attempt. Hassan-i-Sabah's "Paradise" approach worked wonders in conditioning his killers.
The Hashshashin were effectively destroyed by the Mongols. They destroyed Alamut (the assassin headquarters) in 1256. However, their legacy lives on to this day inspiring assassins.