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Most uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems alone cannot handle inrushes and fault clearing. When these systems lack sufficient overload capacity, they must resort to an automatic bypass that directly connects the load to the utility or a standby engine generator that is synchronized with the UPS output. By choosing a UPS system that helps the standby generator gain and maintain synchronization, you will maximize bypass and system availability.
Matching Frequency
Modern power supplies designed for worldwide use have made frequency-sensitive loads a concern of the past. When necessary, data center computer synchronization is done on a digital signal level rather than on the power source's 60 Hz sine wave.
But frequency is still a concern when you attempt to seamlessly transfer critical loads to bypass or another distributed redundant UPS system. A seamless transfer requires matching of frequency, voltages, and phase.
One practice is to synchronize at the output of the various UPS buses (using the UPS as a frequency converter) and allow the engine generator to freewheel. New emissions requirements and improvements in electronic governor controls now make it possible to match frequency at the engine level.
"Engine generators can now be made to phase-lock synchronize with other sources as if they are geared together," says Donald Becker, former president of the Electrical Generating Systems Association and senior area manager for Kohler Co., Sheboygan, Wis.
For example, you can synchronize the engine generator bus of one system to a utility reference, UPS output bus, or another engine generator output. This is also true for Cummins Power Generation, Minneapolis, MN, where senior market manager Steve Iverson says that their controls easily accommodate phase-lock synchronization at the engine generator level.
According to Steve Wetter, program manager for the Electric Power Group of Caterpillar Inc., Griffin, GA, all engine generators manufactured today are tested to ISO Standard 8528, Part 5, which dictates specific frequency recovery and transient response to loads.
Steady-State Loads
Kevin J. McCarthy, head of the Mission Critical Facilities Group of Einhorn Yaffee Prescott, Washington, D.C., observes that the demands on a load's power source are the least when the load is unchanging or in a steady state.
The capacity of the UPS's output inverter, which depends on the load and its characteristics, limits the UPS output. The higher output impedance (or lower output capacity) of the UPS places greater pressure on the system to make the bypass available and offset the lowered capacity.
A Stabilizing Topology
One UPS topology, used in conjunction with modern engine generators, is demonstrating that synchronization in critical power systems is the key to reliability and maximum availability. This topology, which is based on American Power Conversion's Delta Conversion technology, rapidly synchronizes the engine generator and incorporates a control loop to achieve engine-generator stability. With improved stability, generators can be synchronized with another utility source or distributed redundant UPS output bus using a simple master-bus synchronizer or in-phase monitor.
The Delta Conversion UPS (Fig. 1) uses a linear power walk-in to the engine generator, along with input unity power factor and input harmonic distortion active filtering. It requires no derating for load input current distortion and has no limits on crest factor. Its input power factor maintains at unity, even if the load power factor changes from 0.8 lagging to 0.9 leading, or the load current carries a high harmonic content.
In contrast, you must derate the Double Conversion UPS (Fig. 2) for harmonic-rich loads and set limits on crest factors. This UPS requires lossy input filters with capacitors and chokes. These modifications will raise the UPS's input power factor and attenuate heavy, self-generated harmonics to a marginal input .8 power factor lagging and typical 10% current total harmonic distortion (THD), respectively.
Most UPS systems handle steady-state load conditions but can't tolerate overload events. Overload events include step loads, starting inrushes, out-of-phase load transfers, and fault clearing. These out-of-phase periods prevent bypass availability. Without bypass, the UPS can only deliver a small percentage of the overload current needed. If the UPS fails or can't sustain adequate voltage quality during an overload event, the critical load becomes vulnerable to a hard crash. These events occur more often at facilities where numerous load changes and reconfigurations are made without shutting down the critical load.
Multiple Load Transfers
Today's complex distributed redundant UPS configurations (Fig. 3) depend on synchronized, seamless load transfers between multiple redundant UPS buses. Even if the two source voltages match, dissimilar frequencies between these sources mean they are in phase (synchronized) only occasionally, proportional to the difference of the frequencies. Applying high-speed static transfer switches (STSs) will transfer critical loads from one UPS source to another, but it requires the two sources be closely synchronized (i.e., generally not more than 5 degrees apart).
When the utility feeds two UPSs, they are the same frequency and well within the STS phasing. But if the utility feeds one UPS while a freewheeling engine generator feeds another, that UPS must compensate, or the engine generator must be brought into synchronization. If a UPS compensates continuously for the engine generator's frequency and phase, the UPS bypass is not available, and the system is vulnerable. Out-of-phase transfers are especially risky due to their potential for high-inrush currents.
Largest Single Load
The UPS usually is the largest single load on the engine generator. Since both the generator and the UPS are regulated systems, their respective regulators tend to interact and can result in instability.
The design of the Delta Conversion UPS optimizes the UPS as the main stabilizing component load of the engine generator. It offers an extended range of programmable parameters for system stability, including a linear ramp-in to soft load the engine generator bus (see Fig. 4, on page 14). The UPS input current is increased from 0% to 100%. Once the engine generator is loaded, the UPS can be programmed with a slew rate specifically set for the engine generator and the particular critical load. Slew rate is the frequency's rate of change (e.g., from 50 Hz to 52 Hz in 4 sec or 0.5 Hz per sec). Switch-mode power supplies can accept 4 Hz per sec, but high-inertia loads (such as motors) may need a lower slew rate of 0.25 Hz per sec.
A Double Conversion UPS uses a power walk-in with current limit in nonlinear steps and lacks adjustable slew rate (Fig. 5). Most manufacturers recommend gross oversizing of the engine generator to offset their UPS as a destabilizing load.
Engine Generators
When choosing the proper engine generator, you must first size the prime mover or engine for the critical load, then oversize for UPS losses, input power factor, and battery recharge. The engine should be equipped with an isochronous governor to reduce oscillations from load changes and generator torque angle reactions. Second, you must size the generator for the critical load, UPS losses, battery charging, UPS harmonics, and power factor.
The Delta Conversion UPS represents a unity power factor load that is ideal for maximizing the power transfer of the engine or prime mover as well as for the generator. Unity power factor means the UPS appears the same as a linear load free of harmonic distortion. The engine and generator can be optimized for sizing with the Delta Conversion UPS at around 130% of the critical load. Fig. 6, below, is an actual 500kW-rated Delta Conversion UPS at 100% load running from an engine generator. The waveforms are of input current and voltage showing minimum distortion from an ideal sine wave for the engine generator.
If the generator is undersized when powering a Double Conversion UPS, it may experience severe problems when load is applied — especially with Double Conversion UPS line-commutation notches. Line-commutation notches result from the commutation of the input SCR or Thyristor based rectifier/charger. These can increase in amplitude due to higher source reactance. Subtransient reactance of generators or alternators (typically 16%) is much higher than that of similar rated distribution transformers (typically 4%), which means that the total harmonic voltage distortion (THVD) figure at the generator bus will exceed 5%.
Often the only alternative is to oversize the generator by a factor of at least two (in comparison to UPS rating) and allow 10% distortion on the load bus. This 10% voltage difference compared to the utility source and UPS output can be a serious problem for downstream STS load transfers. Fig. 7, above, shows the input waveforms of a typical Double Conversion UPS at full load.
Synchronized critical power systems offer the highest degree of power protection by assuring all components are integrated and prepositioned for maximum performance.
As the largest single load in the critical power system, the UPS that most proactively maintains synchronization is the best choice for reliability and robust response to power aberrations. The UPS topology that contributes to engine-generator stability and synchronization further assures maximum availability and 9s. System level synchronization at the engine generator bus and at the UPS output bus increases system availability in direct response to the power uncertainties for critical loads in today's climate.


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A new report from John Deere provides perhaps the strongest documentation to date that deploying the controversial LightSquared satellite and land-based cellular communications network will dramatically interfere with agricultural GPS navigation systems.
In a letter accompanying the report, sent to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in late May, Deere said that deploying the LightSquared network "will create massive interference" for Deere's StarFire system, as well as other similar systems, "risking serious harm to the U.S. agriculture industry."
The report noted that in simulated tests, LightSquared transmissions interfered with GPS signals as far away as 22 miles from the transmitter. Furthermore, it said there are no effective work-arounds to mitigate the interference. LightSquared has indicated it could construct up to 40,000 ground transmitters as it builds out its network.
The Deere report comes at a critical juncture for the LightSquared network, which received a tentative license from the FCC in January. In issuing the tentative license, FCC required LightSquared to work with the GPS industry to resolve the issue over whether its transmissions would interfere with GPS signals. The deadline for a joint report from LightSquared and the U.S. Global Position System Industry Council is today (June 15, 2011).
For additional coverage on the Deere report and a link to a downloadable copy of the report, go to www.gpsworld.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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Sunday, May 27, 2012
I Need Some Unicorn Magic In My Life - AGAD
Well all that's about to change - I need some unicorn magic in my life, so I got to thinking (while currently on ambien, yes) - I'm going to start A Goal A Day (which I'll lovingly and annoyingly refer to as AGAD).
It's quite simple - to help me get better on track as to the person I know I can and should be, I'm going to set a goal aside each night that I will tackle the next day. Said goals can range anywhere from an intense workout, writing an article, pitching a new editor or publisher, eating healthy all day, cleaning my house, updating my resume, running errands, updating Charity Chicks Houston, sending out snail mail cards to loved ones or long overdue thank you cards - whatever I think it is that needs some positive influence and motivation in my life. Goals are good to have yes, so why not make one a day? Rather than some lengthy and editorial like to-do list, just AGAD to get me acclimated to using my time and my brain cells in a more efficient manner.
What do you think? What other daily goals should I add to this list?Should I devote an entire day to still trying to teach myself how to dougie?
My first goal for tomorrow, Memorial Day, is to have an insane workout. I really need it to clear my head out. I'm talking running up and down my parking garage and the stairs for 45 minutes. In 95 degree weather. Then head to the gym and do pushups until my arms fall off. Also, to start off a bit overzealous like I typically do, my second goal of the day is to remind people what Memorial Day is - because as we all should know, it's much more than an excuse to BBQ and run around in bikinis.
So leave me a comment on one of two things: first, what easy and attainable goals can I add to my rotating list (remember, there are 365 days/year, so I need more things to work on), and secondly, what does Memorial Day mean to YOU?
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
40 days and 40 nights...
of honest to goodness change. No, I'm not Catholic, but I believe in making changes for the better, so I've always been an avid participant of Lent.
Last year I gave up sex and cupcakes and I thought I made it through the entire 40 days until a guy "friend" of mine reminded me that we had cupcakes just moments after sex only a few weeks before Easter, so once again I failed. Challenges. Bring. It. On.
I'm not so good with New Year's Resolutions, but something about the 40 days and nights of Lent (probably because even Ashton Kutcher once did it), I think it semi manageable, even for someone like me.
So here goes what I'm giving up/or taking on this year for Lent:
1. As a sportswriter at The Blonde Side, I'm constantly surrounded by amazingly in shape women and athletes and their wives. I'm always Googling running methods or the psychology behind good solid running, so why not, on top of everything else, make a vow to run everyday for all 40 days. Rain or shine, I will run (even if on a treadmill, and yes, even the day after my next half marathon in March). I make a promise that I will run no less than 2 miles a day (to make it worth the sweat I'll inevitably put in), so that's AT LEAST 80 miles I'll run over the next 40 days. Starting at 8:30am with my friend Avery tomorrow. Bring It.
2. Lent is always a good excuse to give up a bad habit. Being a southern girl and living in Texas, sweet tea, or tea in general is my thing. For the next 40 days, no soda, no tea, no sweet tea. Hopefully this will also help with my aqua consumption. We shall see.
3. As a freelance writer, working for myself (which means my home is my office), I've gotten used to sleeping in. This is a weird one, because even for an insomniac, I've been known to sleep in. So my third and final thing for Lent this year is giving up sleeping in. I will not (no matter what time I go to sleep, or if i I go to sleep at all), sleep in past 9am on weekdays or later than 10am on weekends. This might sound lame to those of you 10hour a night sleepers, but for me, this will most definitely be a challenge.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Not Your Typical Valentine's Day Gift
This Valentine's Day as I geared up to "Boycott the World" for the Hallmark holiday I have come to know and hate, my doorbell rang. When your doorbell rings on Valentine's Day (for those of you other self-employed folk), you know there's probably a surprise in store on the other side. Oh hello understatement.
Not in the form of beautiful red roses or a sweet handwritten note which one might think on such a day, but instead, in the form of a book.
From my ex.
The ex from over two years ago.
A package with the book, "Why We Broke Up" showed up in a FedEx box on my doorstep with the following note scribbled on his office letterhead:
I know you hate Valentine's Day, but I thought this might be a good time to give this to you. After I ended things, you kept asking why we broke up and what went wrong. I knew you were heartbroken, but I couldn't find the words at the time.
Mike* told me you recently joined Match.com. He said your FB posts were hilarious, as I'm sure they were knowing you. He also said he didn't understand why a pretty, outgoing and avid sportsfan like yourself was single. I didn't want to say anything to him, but thought I should to you. I heard about this book (don't ask how, but I did) and took the liberty of highlighting some points about why you and I didn't work. Maybe this will help for your search in love. On Match or wherever else you decide to look for it.
You'll always have a special place in my heart. Take care and enjoy the book. Best of luck. And no hard feelings, k?
LYA [stands for love you always - sweet right?]
As you'll see from the picture above, said ex douche actually took the liberty of putting tabs on certain pages. I did some research on this book and how he ran across a book in the Young Adult Literature section at Barnes and Noble is well beyond me. It's apparently a book about a couple that is going through a breakup, narrating their relationship along the way. They take turns reminiscing about old times, citing reasons for the ending. It's actually quite alarming how he came across such a book, but I guess that isn't the point. Hmm, I wonder if he highlighted somewhere that I try and dissect too much information?
And the pages he notated for my reading pleasure? Since the book is all about memories, one of the pages he highlighted was about a dinner the couple went out to. It cited that she ate too much for a girl. He made his own note, "Luckily you work out, but this can scare guys. Especially when we think long term, meaning metabolism goes..."
Another memory of the couple was how she'd always take his clothes and wear them to sleep in. The note that accompanied that tab? "Jayme, girls are supposed to go to bed in sexy lingerie, not my UT mesh shorts that come past your knees."
Oh, so that's why we broke up? I didn't want to go to sleep with bacteria infested thongs that spelled his name in bedazzled jewels? How the hell did I not know this was a deal breaker?
Another tab was about how I dwell on things too much and don't let arguments pass.
My argument to that (which has and always will be) that if you don't TALK about the problem and address it properly, YES, I will continue to rehash the issue, because it remains just that, AN ISSUE. Simple communication would have fixed that, but alas, I don't have a book that I can mark up and send to him, now do I?
Oh and the final Happy Flippin' Valentine's Day kicker for me? After getting the "package", I headed out to the grocery store for a bottle of Prosecco to help ease the pain so I could continue reading each tab carefully through the tears. Pulled into my garage, opened the door to grab the bottle practically foaming at the mouth for a drink and wouldn't you know it tumbled out and smashed right on the ground. All over my brand new running shoes. Awesome, yes?
Crying over spilled milk? Not so much. Crying over chilled champagne however? Cry, cry like a baby is exactly what I did.
So Happy Valentine's Day to all of you. I can't wait for this day to be over. The countdown is on. T-minus some number of hours. I was never good with math anyways. Luckily I had a backup bottle of champagne to fill in.
But in all honesty, book aside, today wasn't so bad. I got flowers from an amazing guy (one who doesn't want a relationship or anything to do with me), but that's besides the point. I think. Or at least not needed for this post. I also ran my regular Tuesday 5k with Avery and BON Running Club and finished up a new article for my Culture Map column on Astros 3B, Chris Johnson. So yeah, not a complete waste of a day :)
[Note, as depressingly hilarious as today may have been for you and even myself, it could never have been worse than last year, which even I can't bring myself to blog about. So there's, that.]
Thursday, January 19, 2012
my match.com profile
In the world of Match.com, it's probably a huge no-no (perhaps even illegal?) to post excerpts from emails and winks to your FB page. But my friends really get a kick out of this nonsense, and quite frankly, so do I. I mean so far I'm not getting much else out of it, so why not?
I promise I joined match for the right reasons. But for now, it just feels SO right to talk about this stuff. I mean, the body builder who looks as if he dipped his 5'6 body into Snooki juice? C'mon people - that is Grade A material for a snark infested blogger like myself.
Anyways, after a few posts (and photos) on FB, a few friends emailed dying to know what the hell my profile says. So in all fairness, since I've been judging others and their feeble online pickup attempts (granted, it is hard to do), I'm now opening the flood gates to get made fun of myself - on FB, Twitter and now this here blog. So read it and weep. Or something like that.
"I've got a theory that if you give 100% all of the time, somehow things will work out in the end." - Larry Bird
I just turned 30, but that truly has nothing to do with why I'm here. I'm not a cougar, my biological clock isn't going off, I'm simply looking to meet a nice guy; one who doesn't wear Ed Hardy or skinny jeans. A guy that's sweet, patient and can handle my love and obsession for sports. Seriously, before you say that's your dream girl, realize I may know more than you about your favorite player.
If you're the kind of guy that MUST go out on Washington each and every weekend night, let's be clear - you're probably not the guy for me. I like to travel, am extremely active and love using my sarcasm to its fullest potential.
Also, odds are if your profile picture is you without your shirt, I will probably make fun of you. I simply can't help myself. Consider yourselves warned. I'm not topless in my pictures, so why are you?
A few other less than notable characteristics: I am terrified of stairs (walking up and down them), I am a violent sneezer and the hiccups annoy me to no end. I know they say "don't sweat the small stuff", but my hiccups come at the most inopportune times, and I'd hardly call that "small stuff." I'm also highly addicted to chapstick and my lack of memory has become a medical mystery to many. Pumping gas gives me anxiety because I know there's so much more valuable stuff I could be doing with that time (and money) - I drive an SUV so it is especially time consuming. Last but not least, the simple act of driving past an Applebees or Olive Garden will make me vomit each and every time.
Amendment #1 - Perhaps talking about sports above was a bad idea - I signed up for Match in hopes of meeting a nice guy, not to find a new sport's trivia partner. Head over to ESPN for that - it's free.
Amendment #2 - I get that we all signed up for this online dating thing, but after a few emails let's just be big kids and step away from the computer. I spend ALL day on the computer, so chatting with boys online just feels slightly SVU'ish, ya know? I'm not Meg Ryan and odds are you're not Tom Hanks, so this You've Got Mail seems slightly overrated, yes?
My apologies if the above seems highly negative or that I'm listing everything I don't want, but you've got to start somewhere. I'm a firm believer in full disclosure so I don't think my dating profile should reflect any different. Last but certainly not least, I need a guy who is patient. Mostly because I'm an only child and you can read into that what you will. Patience is not simply a virtue in any potential relationship, it's a downright must.__________________________________
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Children Aren't The Only Screaming Humans On Planes.
You may have noticed on Twitter just before I took off, I posted a picture of the woman next to me. She was probably 40-50 and wearing a hot pink HUGE beach hat on the plane. I knew I was in for quite the 4-hour adventure as soon as I sat down and the hat was resting on my earlobe. Luckily, after about 20 minutes (without me saying a word), she placed the hat in the overhead bin and we went on our merry way 30,000 feet in the sky.
About 45 minutes into the flight, the man in the row in front of me was snoring excessively loud. I mean, L.O.U.D.
People all around were rolling their eyes or cranking up their music on their iPods to drown it out. After about 15 minutes of me trying to do work on my laptop (with headphones mind you), I gently reached up and tapped the man on his shoulder. I whispered, "I'm sorry sir, you're snoring awfully loud." He kind of smiled and laughed and whispered back that he was sorry and even commented, "oh damn, I'm that guy, huh?" End of story. Or so it should have been.
Now enter the Asian hat woman directly to my left. The one who had already spilled her orange juice in my lap and didn't even bother to use her very own napkin to help clean it up.
"I thought this was s a free country," she said in her broken English. "Huh?" I responded.
Hat Woman: (rudely) He was in a deep sleep.
Me: Yes, and I'm deep in work. I'd like to think if my typing or papers got in people's way or inhibited their flying experience, they too would say something so that I could make their flight as pleasant as possible as well.
Hat Woman: This is supposed to be a free country.
Me: (blood pressure rising) Yes, as a citizen who was born and raised here and spent all 30 years of her life here, I can attest to that. I'm well aware of what our country is. He has the right to snore, and I have the right to ask him politely to stop. Simple as that.
Hat Woman: This is why I hate your country.
Me: Oh, REALLY? Would you like me to push the call button and get you the fuck off this plane? I'm happy to do so.
Hat Woman: You are a lady.
Me: Yes, thank you for noticing. Was it my c-cup bra size that gave it away, my shaved legs or the vagina underneath my dress that gave that away?
Needless to say, the remaining 2.5 hours of the flight was quite hysterical, at least for me. The entire plane had joined in and overheard our conversation, because one like this tends to get a little aggressive on my end. Even shortly after, snoring man himself told the woman to shut up and go back to her country.
What is it about airplanes?
Am I that much of an aggressive individual or is it simply the fact that spending $400 to sit next to blubbering idiots for hours in such tight quarters that doesn't bode well for me? Either way, I don't need a visitor in my country, trying to tell me what America is supposed to be about. You may have read that on those crazy internets or perhaps a history book decades ago, but I live it. I think I'm more suited to know all about the freedom this here country offers.
Editor Note #1: I did in fact speak with snoring man leaving the plane to apologize if he found my comments rude. He didn't.
Editor Note #2: This blog was written in LARGE font during the entire duration of the flight. If that woman can read English, then she saw everything I was writing. Yes, that was planned.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Dishwashers Piss Me Off.
But it's my blog and I'll vent if I want to. Even about a damn dishwasher.
I'm the kind of girl who puts a lot of stock in milestones, especially when it comes to dates (as in the calendar kind, not the kind I don't seem to get asked out on anymore). I've been in Houston for 5.5 years now - the longest I've stayed anywhere, and with that unprecedented tenure, I feel an uncomfortable itch to move (don't worry mom, not that kind of itch).
I knew I'd be getting a note from my townhouse about my lease renewal any day. With that note, I also knew I'd probably get a rent increase. So I left it up in the air - if my complex decides not to up my rent, I'll stay. If they do, I'm out.
Last week I received said letter. They only up'ed it about $60/month (I'm already paying entirely too much for a one bedroom townhouse, but that increase wasn't as much as I've seen at other places). Now that you've been briefed on the background, here's where the venting (er, bitching) comes in.
I went in on January 4th to renew my lease - for FIFTEEN MONTHS. Talk about a huge commitment. I also was dropping off my rent check. Well guess what? I was a day late. And by day, I mean NINE hours. But guess what else? The rent drop box is inside a building that gets locked everyday at 5pm, and I'm a travel writer, which means I'm not here very often. And we just had crazy amounts of holidays which the office was closed for many of. So yeah, I was late. By a few hours. Those few hours cost me $150 (I've yet to pay because I do plan to fight it).
So for 15 months, I've never paid my rent late one time. Not once. I've never shorted the rent, or anything. But in those 15 months, my apartment complex has told me the wrong amount to pay on at least SIX occasions. That's almost half the amount of checks I've written that have been wrong. The reason my rent amount changes is because you have to add on a varying amount for water, which my complex can NEVER get right. It's metered and you get a report - what makes this difficult?
Make that Apartment Complex - FAIL #1.
Before I left to run some errands today, I ran my dishwasher. A few hours ago, being the diligent little adult that I strive to be, I went to empty the dishwasher, assuming they'd be clean. Silly me.
Insert dirty dishes, add detergent, close and an hours later, voila. But no, not here. I have asked them SEVEN times to fix my dish washer and everytime they tell me not to put dishes over this one part so the water can reach all the dishes. Point taken. I make a point to only fill my dishwasher halfway so that it doesn't by any chance possibly block that water spout thingy. But my dishes are STILL dirty. Can you even imagine how much detergent I've wasted in the past 15 months having to do the same load of dishes multiple times? That may not sound like a lot of money, but that stuff adds up. And it's the frustration that really gets me. It's obviously non-working. So here's what I suggest - either FIX MY DISHWASHER or take that amenity off my lease. You consider that an amenity, so it should work. (Note, my air conditioning also broke NINE times during the SUMMER in HOUSTON. Yes, that was fun.)
Make that Apartment Complex - FAIL #2.
Oh and here's another piece of oh so pleasant news. You know, since my apartment complex is SO BIG on paying things on time. I just got an email from our leasing manager that we aren't getting mail anytime soon (you know, the place many companies mail bills, and my clients mail my checks so I can get paid). Seriously, here's a snip-it from the email they sent out on THURSDAY (note, it's now Sunday and still not fixed).
Dear Residents,
It has come to our attention that our mailboxes have been tampered with recently. Unfortunately these things do happen, especially around the holiday season. We have already taken the necessary steps to have the mailboxes repaired by contacting the Post Office directly. Know that until the boxed are repaired, the postman will not place any new mail inside.
Make that Apartment Complex - FAIL #3.
For anyone that made it this far and read this entire post, I applaud you. I'm already well aware that I'm crazy and little things really piss me off. Such is life. At least my life anyways.
(And for those of you wondering why I'd want to stay at a place that makes these dumba$$ mistakes, it's just that I don't have the energy, time, patience or money to move.)
Friday, December 30, 2011
This Year Has Taught Me...
With another year in the books, I look back at everything I learned in 2011. I can't say with much certainty whether it's been a good year or a bad year, but I'm still here and so are my loved ones. Well, most of them.
So while I ever-so daintily chug my bottle of champagne straight out of the bottle, read along with me at some of the things I learned, most of which, the extremely hard way.
This year has taught me that:
once again, Corporate America is not a fan of mine and vice versa.
online friendships and relationships should never replace the ones in real life.
my creativity is heightened when traveling. and watching or playing sports.
although Facebook is under the impression I have 1500+ friends, the reality is I only have a few. And I'm OK with that.
not having health insurance really puts extracurricular activities in perspective.
I'm too old to have friends with benefits.
college football is the key to most men's hearts. or maybe it's hockey?
grandpas don't live forever. even the most amazing ones.
although his paperwork may claim he's a teacup chihuahua, weighing in at an alarming 23lbs, Denali is no such thing.
I'd rather sit in a sport's bar wearing a baseball cap and flip flops than go clubbing in 4-inch heels.
your heart can be broken by someone you've never met.
dry shampoo can replace washing your hair, but not a shower.
some people are jealous of your life, but that doesn't mean they want in yours.
my skin has thickened by mass amounts simply because it's had to.
Pandora has no clue that Sting and Dave Matthews Band are not the same genre.
asking for forgiveness doesn't mean you'll get it.
knowing how to change a tire is not as overrated as I once thought.
tapping into savings to make your dreams come true isn't all that bad.
So with this post, I bid farewell to 2011. I don't know if I'll miss you or not, but I do know you were one hell of a year for me. A year I didn't know I was capable of having. Now on to the next -- 2012.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
I guess some things were meant to be...
For anyone that knew me in college, I'm sorry. I'll start with that. My sincere apologies. I was a certified a$$hole. Had there been a salary cap on being the biggest a$$ in all of Northern Virginia, I'd probably have maxed out and still negotiated more on my contract. Aside from losing whatever meager softball career I had left, I dated a jerk. Oftentimes I think about why I'm still single at 29. I'm not saying it's a bad thing or my life is ruined because I'm single, but I think back to all the things that got me to where I am, relationship-wise. I think back to where my trust issues stem from and I'm taken back to the days where he was in my life.
For anyone I've ever dated, I'm sorry. Something else I need to get out of the way. I know I haven't been the easiest person to date. Somehow that's probably in the running for understatement of the year, but I'm sorry and congrats for making it out alive.
My relationship resume probably looks a little like this: I'm pretty sure I doubted every word out of your mouth, thought you were lying about everything under the sun including the color of the sky, thought you were cheating on me with your ex-girlfriend or that skank you met at the bar, didn't believe you when you said your pager ran out of batteries, and worse. There's a reason for that - the first guy I ever really loved (in an adult, I think I can marry you and probably wouldn't abort our baby if we were ever dumb enough to get to that point) did all of that to me. And more. Much more. So needless to say, I'm not so trusting with guys. And it's not just that - I tend to get fixated on an issue and have an impossible time moving past it, and it's definitely hindered more than a few relationships from getting to the next level.
Before you get all crazy on the comments here, I get it - everyone has baggage. Once you reach your late twenties/early thirties, baggage is a prevailing part of the relationshipquation. That's not to say your suitors will all have baby mamas or prenups in the works, but emotional baggage is just as damning, I can assure you.
So back to my distressed and sorrowful college days with this guy. I was a disaster. That was probably when I first developed insomnia. There would be nights he wouldn't come home (while I was asleep in his twin bed upstairs in his parent's house while his little brother slept on the floor beside me, as weird as that may be), there'd be nights he would pocket dial me and I could hear things in the background. There'd be days he'd disappear and no one knew where he was. Not his job, not his family, and certainly not me, "the love of his life". So I'd stay up all night checking my Nokia razor flip phone incessantly waiting for his call. More than a few times this call ended up coming from the police station. I made myself sick waiting up to make sure he was OK. To make sure he was still alive. That he still loved me. That he didn't F.U.C.K another chick. His ex-girlfriend to be exact.
Aside from his lies, his extreme binge drinking (even for a college kid), bouts with drugs, financial struggles, and other problems, there was another constant problem in our relationship - his highschool sweetheart. After a year into our relationship, he transferred to a community college outside Virginia Tech, so we were forced to do long distance. If only I had listened to every single adult that long distance while in college was dumber than marrying Kim Kardashian on E!, this may not be an issue. But I didn't listen. So re-cue all those same alcohol, drug and lying problems, but add into the mix that I was now 4.5 hours away from my unstable boyfriend and his highschool sweetheart was just a mere 15 minutes away at a neighboring college.
I remember skipping some of the biggest sorority parties to either drive up and visit him or sit and talk to him on the phone (or more like wait for sporadic voicemails from him during his fraternity parties where the phone would always cut off as soon as I heard a girl's voice). I remember crying my eyes out because he didn't call for 3 days. His AOL Instant Messenger would change from idle yet he wouldn't respond to my messages. For days. Upon days. I'd have no clue if he was dead or alive, with or without herpes.
And then the phone calls started coming and the dirty away messages (you remember away messages on AIM, right?). His ex and I were in full-on he's mine bitch mode. (Seriously, watch that video as a short interlude.)
Whether she'll admit it or not, I'm finally adult enough to admit we were terrible to each other. Full on stalker mode. She left messages for my friends, and me hers. It became almost obsessive to destroy her than it did to mend my fleeting relationship with this guy. After basically foregoing any enjoyment my last two years in college because I was so upset and consumed with this misery, one day it all became crystal clear. He was in fact cheating on me. He had in fact turned two girls that had never met into two of the biggest enemies on the planet. You thought Robin Ventura and Nolan Ryan had a blood bath? You hadn't seen anything. I moved out from his parent's house (because yes girls, you can get cheated on even if you live with him and his parents) and wrestled with how to move on (which is what led me to move to Miami on a whim, but that's a different story). I was heartbroken and had trusted this guy who swore over and over and over that he loved me and he would never cheat on me. And to find out that every single gut instinct I had wasn't just a nightmare, but reality?
Every once in a while, I still battle with the what if questions. What if I had dated someone who truly loved me unconditionally and respected me during those primitive years? What if the moment I didn't trust him, I left instead of sitting through the pain? What if I had just told his so-called sweetheart she could have him? What if I was a better girlfriend and he never would have thought to cheat on me? What if I didn't quit my sorority because I had a controlling boyfriend?
Anyways, if I have any reader's left after this lengthy onslaught, let me get back to my actual point... The friend request brought all these thoughts and memories back. And low and behold while all this is swirling around in my head, I notice a photo of HER in a wedding gown.
And guess who the groom was?
Sunday, November 20, 2011
there's never a promise of a next date...
A few days ago he sent me a text asking for another date. I know - a text asking me on a date. But given my disdain for talking on the phone and our mutual hectic schedules, it was fine by me. I hadn't played my cards right in any of my last date-ships (because I certainly can't call them relationships as they ended just as quickly as they started), I thought I'd take a more casual approach and wait until the next day to respond. You know, give him a little time to wonder what I was up to and if I was interested. Except the next day was too late. Literally.
I responded to his text a mere 15.5 hours later (which in my world is forever) and was met with a phone call in return. I answered with a snide response something to the effect of how he must have missed my voice already but was caught off guard when I heard a woman's broken voice on the other end. She started by saying she was sorry to have called instead of text, but she wasn't sure how to tell me over text. We both quickly realized she wasn't sure how to tell me over the phone either. But she now had possession over her son's phone. He had died the night before in a car accident.
I was stunned. Partly because I didn't know the feelings inside my own heart and head, but also because I didn't know how to handle being on the phone with this loving and distraught mother. She sounded like she was still in shock and just wanted to know who I was and how we met. She wanted to know if he treated me like the gentleman he was raised to be. Every second of that seventeen minute conversation broke my heart and still replays in my head. His mother was desperately trying to hold onto some of the last moments of her late son's life.
Today is his funeral, which she kindly asked if I'd attend. I don't know what frightens me more - the fact I'll be surrounded by people that got to know him - something I will never have the chance of doing myself or just how close this hits home.
What if this was my boyfriend, or my husband, or my bestfriend? What if I hadn't made time to return my mother's phone call or respond to my bestfriend's text message? What if the last chance I'd ever have to respond to someone was taken away in an instant and I never got the chance to say yes to a date or tell someone I loved them?
For the past few days my head has been inundated with these types of questions all starting the exact same way: what if?
I just pray that in his last moments, he left this earth a happy man. Knowing that his friends and family loved him and knowing there was a girl sitting on her couch next to her chihuahua ready to say yes. I pray that his friends and family find comfort and have no regrets. And most of all, I pray that each and every one of us remembers to tell our friends and family how much we love them on a daily basis, for you never know when it'll be the last chance you have to say anything.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Merry Christmas. In October. With Love, Summer.
After a long day of traveling, I finally curl up onto my couch to catch up on Most Eligible Dallas on my DVR when I get a completely random text from my good friend Summer.
Merry Christmas Boo was the message attached to a picture of a half lit Christmas tree which I didn't have the heart to tell her was hanging a little to the right.
My only response IN mid-October of course was, "um, huh?" to which she responded, "we also made a mantle" which was attached to a picture of a pretty awesome Halloween display across her cobweb infested mantle. The next text simply read "zoom in boo" to which I did - you can see for yourself to the left what she was referring to.
Yes, "old boyfriends" was labeled on a mason jar (we do live in Texas) with what I later found out had old cake-toppers trapped inside portraying every man who ever did her wrong. Yes, this is what my friends do mid-October on a random Tuesday night. Presumably after 90210 ends and while drinking a cheap bottle of Shiraz. Or perhaps two. Out of the box.
Based on the "old boyfriends" mantle motif, I shouldn't need to point out the obvious (but I will) that Summer (just like me) seems to be going through an ordeal of boy drama. It makes my heart all warm and fuzzy to get random hilarious texts like these from her, because she's the kind of gal that just rolls with the punches. I mean really, what other option do we have? Kudos to her for keeping her head up high. But I must admit I'm a little pissed she thought of something as random to decorate a Christmas tree at this time of year before me. I guess I'm not the only one running for a shot at the title for Queen of Random. That's OK, I can handle a little friendly competition.
So I wish you all a Merry Christmas [in Mid October] from Summer.


text:
Monday, August 27, 2007
Obesity Rate in U.S. Still Climbing
By Amanda Gardner, HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Aug. 27 (HealthDay News) -- More and more Americans are sliding into obesity, a clear signal that this national health problem is getting worse.
According to the fourth annual report prepared by the research group Trust for America's Health and released Monday, adult obesity rates rose in 31 states last year, 22 states experienced an increase for the second year in a row, and no state had a rate decrease.
A related public opinion survey found that 85 percent of Americans now believe that obesity is an epidemic.
For the third year in a row, Mississippi topped the scales with the highest rate of adult obesity in the country. It also has the dubious distinction of being the first state to record a rate higher than 30 percent (30.6 percent), according to the report, F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies Are Failing in America, 2007.
Colorado was again the thinnest state, but even its adult obesity rate increased over the past year, from 16.9 percent to 17.6 percent.
"Despite increased attention to the obesity epidemic, obesity is continuing to grow in America," Jeffrey Levi, executive director of Trust for America's Health, said at a news conference Monday. "While some promising policy efforts are under way, the nation still lacks comprehensive, effective strategies for addressing this serious health crisis."
Dr. James Marks, senior vice president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which funded the project, was bleaker in his assessment of the findings at the news conference.
"We find this report to be a devastating indictment. We're in the middle of a public health crisis that is still deteriorating rapidly, and we're treating it like a mere inconvenience rather than the emergency it is. Over the past year, obesity rates got worse in nearly two-thirds of states and got better in zero. That is not progress. The number of states with obesity rates greater than 25 percent has more than doubled in just two years. That's not sending a wake-up call. We're ringing the disaster alarm," he said.
The existence of an obesity epidemic in this country is not news, but the rapidity with which Americans' waistlines are expanding is unprecedented. Obesity lurks behind several serious illnesses, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.
According to the new report, rates of adult obesity exceed 25 percent in 19 states, up from 14 states last year and 9 in 2005. In 1991, no state had an adult obesity rate exceeding 20 percent.
The South is a locus of the problem, possessing 10 of the 15 states with the highest rates of adult obesity. In addition, the South also had eight of the 10 states with the highest rates of overweight children (aged 10 to 17).
According to Levi, the South had higher levels of type 2 diabetes and hypertension and lower levels of reported physical activity. Mississippi had the highest rate of adult inactivity, at 31.6 percent; Minnesota the lowest at 15.4 percent. In the nation overall, 22 percent of adults reported that they do not engage in any physical activity.
The rates of overweight children ranged from a high of 22.8 percent in Washington, D.C., to a low of 8.5 percent in Utah. Overall, about 25 million U.S. children are overweight or obese, the report found.
"Diseases that used to be considered adult illnesses like type 2 and high blood pressure are becoming increasingly common among children," Marks said. "If we fail to reverse this epidemic, the current generation may be the first in American history to live sicker and die younger than their parents' generation."
Among the study's other findings:
Only 17 states require that school meals and snacks meet higher nutritional standards than the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires (six states enacted new laws in 2006-07).
Only 22 states have mandated nutritional standards for foods sold in vending machines, a la carte, in school stores or at bake sales, and only 26 states limit where and when such foods can be sold on school property beyond federal requirements.
Many physical education requirements in schools are limited in scope or not enforced.
This year's report also included a national opinion survey, which showed that 81 percent of Americans believe the government should play a role in addressing the obesity crisis, 55 percent of parents with children under 18 believed school lunches were not nutritious enough, and more than two-thirds of Americans believe children do not participate in enough physical activity.
In addition, 60 percent of those polled favored a proposal to measure students' BMI annually and provide this information confidentially to parents or guardians (currently 16 states provide BMI or fitness status information to parents or guardians confidentially).
The authors of the report also put forth recommendations for combating the problem.
"There isn't going to be a magic pill or a magic bullet," Levi said. "We need action from government, from communities, from individuals, and we need a major cultural shift. We need to change the norms in our society about healthy eating and about physical activity."
"This is going to require more than any single intervention," Marks added. "Schools have to be behind this, but it's also something that industry and business have to be behind."
Specific recommendations included: developing, at the federal level, a National Strategy to Combat Obesity; ensuring that all Americans have access to a workplace wellness program; increasing research on promoting healthy choices; and providing more recreational places.
"The only scorecard that matters is the health of our people, and right now obesity and the illnesses it causes are still getting worse," Marks said. "The need for strong interventions couldn't be clearer, and our leaders must answer that call."
11 comments:
- 9_Reps said...
Wow...I hear they're taking the transfat out of Dunkin' Donuts too...guess it'll be OK to wash a couple down with some Red Bull...also, been meaning to share this - A guy from my Kenpo class got his blackbelt last Thursday night...he's been studying for 7 years, is 50 years old, fought 6 full contact rounds, did all the forms, then fought us other students off in 2 man defense techniques...just awe inspiring to watch...when they unfurled that belt I got a chill...fitness rocks...simple as that...
" The number of states with obesity rates greater than 25 percent has more than doubled in just two years"...unbelievable...actually, all too believable...
milestone - hit the scale at 177 this weekend (was 197 at NY camp)...36.5 waist...lotsa work left to do, but I'm really feeling great...
Tony - when will we see the 10 minute series? I can't wait to weave them into my current interval training!!!
Hi everyone from Johnny and Terry
- JoeLo said...
Tony, hope all is well. Hey Johnny and Terry! Nick, I know you're out there too!
Rose and I are well. We're into round 2 / phase 2 and are still challenged by P90X! We love it. Sounds like you all are enjoying great results as well!
I started my 2nd round of P90X a week after camp and in that phase another 5lbs fell of. I'm now at 190 from 213. I'm not really surprised with the results, I'm surprised how quick I achieved them. 4 MONTHS!!! That's just incredible! Thank you Tony!
Unfortunately, it sounds like the US is moving backward instead of forward. Since camp, I pay closer attention to my surroundings and it really isn't pretty. Kids are under stimulated in every way and you can hear it in their speech and see it on their bodies. I was at a niece's birthday party this weekend and 4 out of the 7 kids there were obese. The other observation I made was the heavy ones were boys and the girls were all skinny but one.
It's obviously not just the food. It's the Nintendos and Playstations that allow kids to substitute real sports for a video version of it.
But that's why we're here. We need to silently motivate people just by taking the stairs in a public place or passing someone by and causing them to think, "I want to look like them. I have to do something about this."
For those that ask, I willingly share my 'secret'. I had one nay sayer borrow Turbo Jam from me and another actually asked me if I would be their trainer. I almost fell off my chair.
OK... Time for that work thing.
Later peeps!
Joe and Rose.
- Anonymous said...
Heck, southern folks just like fried food. Fried chicken, fried taters, cat fish. Heck, there ain't nuthn' that cain't be fried. Ever had a batter dipped and deep fried Twinkie? Yum yum. Pass the biskuts and gravy.
- nick said...
The other day I was standing in a real long line at a supermarket checkout and just couldn't help myself from noticing all the crap the people in front of me were loading up onto the counter--I mean, processed, toxic food city! Man, if I would eat a tenth of that stuff, my weight would shoot up 50 lbs in a single week!?! What are we doing to ourselves???
Have you ever cheated with a big bag of Doritos or a cheeseburger from a local joint, and shortly later found yourself to bloat up like the Goodyear blimp and feel just as sluggish. Well, that's your body going into defense mode against all the toxic chemicals and cheap saturated fats that were used in processing that junk food.
There was a study done out there not long ago in which 100 cancer and 100 diabetic patients were interviewed concerning their eating habits. It was found that ALL of the patients averaged three fast food or chain restaurant meals per week during the year before being interviewed. And you know what? the same thing happened regarding patients with heart disease, fibromyalgia, fatigue, obesity, arthritis, and MS. Man, what does that tell you?
You know, I've heard all the counter-arguments that it's too expensive to eat well or it takes too much time to make. Well, just consider all those hospital bills down the road. And if you don't have time to properly eat, it's time to reconsider your priorities.
Thanks so much, Tony, for bringing this horrible reality to light and not just talking a good game, but doing something about it!!!
Lean and reach, because it's gooooorgeous!
- Danielle said...
I heard the report on the radio and wasn't really surprised, just sad. My husband and I are at the right weight for our height, but knew we weren't in the best shape. We've been doing P90X for almost 2 weeks now and feel better than we have in our lives. I'm in my late 30's and feel better than I did at 25!
Our sons 5 and 7 don't like all the vegetables we are making them eat and why I make sure they have complete proteins in their diet, but that's my job as a mom. They aren't going to like it much after we teach them pull ups and push ups either, especially when they disobey! :)
I hope some day they will thank us. After all, if most Americans can't get off the couch or out of the hospital because they don't take care of themselves, who will run the country? Makes you wonder!
Thanks Tony, for challenging us to BRING IT everyday!
- Bronko said...
Hi Tony,
Minnesota has the lowest rate of adult inactivity in the nation. Yet we are still not the leanest. Must be a lot of obese people working out, including me. Or many obese folks lied about their activity level. Hehehehehe
I just want to also say that I enjoy your articles and I have been inspired to make this a permanent lifestyle change.
Thank you, Tony, and everyone else at MDB.
- Anonymous said...
Working in the health care field, I see plenty of obese patients, and how it affects their lives(when you're 35 and in the ICU because of your weight, there's a serious problem) What I don't get is this - for years, I ate like crap and didn't exercise at all. When I say that I ate like crap, I really mean it, I worked in a Sports Bar, free food all day, most of it coming out of a deep fryer. No vegetables, tons of carbs, and lots of fat, and the biggest I got was about 180 pounds. I was in horrible shape, and had no energy, but I wouldn't consider myself "obese" by any means. I about 5'8, so yeah I had a nice gut going, but I wasn't huge by any means. Now, I understand that everyones metabolism is different, and people process foods differently, but how in the hell do you get to be 400 pounds!!!!! I mean seriously, I would have to sit on my couch all day with a steady stream of Big Macs coming my way for years to even come close to that.
I had a patient just the other day, 21 years old, over 400+ pounds, we couldn't even scan him because he was over the table limit(which sucks because if he had something wrong, we wouldn't be able to diagnose it) The thing that really got me was that he didn't have like a desk job or something that didn't offer any physical activity. He had a moderately physical job.
The more time goes on, I realize that there is really no excuse for people to get this large. It's all because of laziness(don't get me wrong, I love being lazy too, I'm one of the laziest bastards I know) and I realize that eating healthy isn't exactly the cheapest or most convenient thing on the world, but, from what I've seen, Quadruple Bypass surgery is exactly a walk in the park either.
Now, I'm not saying that we all need to have the body of a model with 1% body fat or anything, but take walk and eat a salad here and there. One of the best things I've ever done for my diet was cut out soda(I was drinking AT LEAST 3 liters of Dr. Pepper a day) After I cut that out, and just started drinking water, I dropped 30 pounds in no time. I kind of let myself lapse a little in the exercise department and went back up to about 165. Since starting P90X, I'm back down between 150-155, and I don't really feel like I've been "bringing it" like I should. I've missed multiple workouts due to illness and just being lazy(we all have those days,lol) but I'm still seeing a huge difference.
I guess what I'm saying is that it doesn't take whole lot to make a big change in your overall health. Cleaning up your diet some, and doing some moderate exercise will far ahead of where you are now. Hmm, looks like I got a little long-winded there, oh well, you get the point,lol, later.
- AlfaSunshine said...
yup doesn't look like you'll be working yourself out of a job anytime soon.
- Mr. Step-it-up said...
Not too long ago I was watching a video about trolleys and public transportation shot in the summer of 1955 here in the Northeast. Needless to say, there were many shots of people throughout the video walking to and fro, going about their business. Anyway, I was just floored at what I noticed watching these people--NONE, and I mean none of them were overweight or obese in any sense of the word. Whether they were young, middle-aged or old, everyone looked like they had been doing P90 for at least 2 rounds as well as following the diet plan.
You know, I asked my 72-year-old dad about it and he just answered me with a "yeah, there was very little junk food available anywhere. You had to wait for your food!" Although this is true, I really think there's something more to this than meets the eye. I hope they'll figure it out someday.
- Anonymous said...
And as a sort of follow up, take a look at this article...
More incentive to skip the double double and push play another day.
The company I work for raised insurance rates for smokers. As of Jan 1, 2008 - there is no smoking on company property. No smoking anywhere, not in your car, not on the sidewalk, not on company property.
As health care costs increase, more and more companies will be looking for ways to reduce their expenses.
Guess everyone needs to get with the program and start pushing play.
Now if only the company I work for would pay for the next workout routine I buy from Beach Body. Still looking for an update on the 10 Min routines Tony is working on. How 'bout it Tony - tell my boss to buy the DVD's for me? Please? :)
- Sienna said...
READ THIS...yikes!!:
"Women ages 20-34 are the fastest growing - pun intended - part of the population. A study in Epidemiologic Reviews reports that in 1960, 21 percent of young women had a BMI of 25 - 30, considered overweight. By 2000, that number had ballooned to 52 percent. At this rate, 75 percent of the entire US population will be shopping for plus sizes by 2015"
[Women's Health, Oct. 2007 issue, pg.34]
Gee to think, size 2-10 will be the specialty store.


text:
Among the biggest concerns facing luxury retailers this year are higher income tax on the ultra wealthy and how it might affect spending at the top end of the market.
Relax. Results Tuesday from several chains catering to upscale shoppers show demand is holding its own. Shares of Macy\'s Inc. , which owns the Bloomingdale\'s chain, rose 3% Tuesday and was one of the most actively-traded retail stocks after reporting a better-than-expected fourth-quarter profit and full-year outlook.
Macy\'s said some of its success comes from tailoring merchandise to local markets and efforts to integrate online and in-store sales, which makes it possible for stores to fill online orders the same day. Macy\'s same-store sales last quarter rose 3.9%, including a 48% surge in online sales. It predicts same-store sales will rise 3.5% this fiscal year.
While the company doesn\'t break down its sales between Macy\'s and Bloomingdale\'s, Chief Financial Officer Karen Hoguet said demand at the higher-end chain was solid during the holiday quarter despite a higher percentage of Bloomingdale stores being hurt by superstorm Sandy.
\"Bloomingdale\'s is doing well relative to its peer group, and we feel pretty good about it,\" Hoguet said on a conference call. \"It was a tougher year in 2012, but it was a really strong year in 2011. And when you put it together, we feel good about their merchandise strategies, and what\'s ahead for Bloomingdale\'s in 2013.\"
Saks Inc. , which peddles $1,200 Gucci dresses and $300 Burberry rain boots, also reported a better-than-expected fourth-quarter result.
The company, battered by Sandy at the start of the quarter because of its heavy concentration in the Northeast, also eased investor concern, saying demand had resumed a more normal pattern by the end of the quarter. While it saw continued demand growth from Asian and Latin American tourists, it noted a drop in European tourist to its stores in New York.
For the new year, the company\'s profit outlook fell short, though a big part of the miss came from its investments on better integrating its physical and online store sales and inventory as well as store-renovation and outlet opening expenses. Fourth-quarter comparable sales rose 0.7%, topping analysts\' expectations of flat sales. As a sign of improved demand in the wake of Sandy, Saks said it expects full-year comparable sales to rise 3% to 5%. However, signaling possible problems for Tiffany & Co. , Saks said it noted slower transactions for jewelry above $75,000.
Saks rival Neiman Marcus, meanwhile, reported a comparable-sales gain of 5.3% during the holiday quarter. In comparison, industry-wide fiscal fourth-quarter same-store sales were expected to rise an average of 1.7%, Thomson Reuters data showed.
\"As we look ahead to 2013, we expect the external environment to remain somewhat volatile,\" said Saks Chief Executive Steve Sadove on a conference call Tuesday. \" There are several macro factors such as higher tax rates on the more affluent and the unknown resolution of pending fiscal matters that could create additional uncertainty, particularly in the first half of the year.\"
Sadove estimated its core customers probably saw a tax rate increase of 8 to 10 percentage points.
\"Having said that, they\'re still very much focused on their net worth and the stock market\'s held up quite well, so you have a number of buffeting factors that are effects, some going positive, some
going a little bit negative. But when you pull them all together, that\'s the kind of expectations that we have for the
course of 2013.\"
— Andria Cheng
Follow her on twitter @andriacheng
Follow The Tell blog on Twitter @thetellblog


text:
If you like all of these great freebies and deals, make sure you sign up for my newsletter.
Head on over to the Red Robin website, and join the Red Robin eClub. When you join, you will get a free gift. In addition, you can get a free burger on your birthday. At some locations you might have to go in to pick up a reward card.
Image Credit: Red Robin


text:
Cork isn't just for bulletin boards anymore.
Today, the environmentally friendly product is making inroads as the flooring of choice for a growing number of homeowners.
And it's making a stylish statement at the same time in a range of colours, from creamy sandstone to a dark, sophisticated coffee-bean shade, and bold patterns. There's Zebra Stone -- think zebra stripes, but mixing the traditional colour of cork with a richer brown stripe -- and Echo Canyon, which combine lighter cork with deep, espresso-like punctuations of colour that make a striking decorating statement.
That dramatic look hooked Keri Ebertz on cork.
"I saw the pattern and fell in love with it," says the Sherwood Park resident, who was preparing to redo her kitchen, living room and main-floor bathroom when she saw the Echo Canyon cork sample at the Edmonton Renovation Show early this year. "I didn't even realize it was cork at that time."
Being new to cork, Ebertz had some concerns -- mainly how it would hold up in a high-traffic area like the kitchen. Moisture might also be a problem, she thought.
In fact, cork floors hold up very well, says Kristin Krokis, owner of Edmonton-based Absolute Hardwood Flooring, which installed Torlys brand floors for Ebertz.
"It's very water resistant," Krokis says. "Think of using cork in wine bottles -- it doesn't leak. For higher-moisture areas like the front entry, kitchens and half baths, it's a popular choice. It's warm, soft to walk on and durable."
Cork floors are made from the bark of the cork oak tree. The cork is harvested every nine years and doesn't
harm the tree, which can live up to two centuries -- the bark grows back.
"Cork has been around for a long time, but in the last 10 years it has been gaining in popularity," Krokis says.
"Especially in the last five years, it's been extremely popular."
Renovator Sean Eskow, who worked with Ebertz on her remodelling project, is also noticing a stronger demand for cork floors of late.
"What I'm finding is that with my last few quotes and renovations that I'm working on, people are choosing cork," says Eskow, co-owner of You Dream It, We Build It!, based in Sherwood Park.
"One customer specifically asked for cork .... She felt it gave a warm feeling on a basement floor plus she really likes the texture and the softness of it," Eskow says.
"Another customer chose cork for her living room and kitchen primarily because of the warmth and the (soft) feel of it, and she wanted something different than hardwood, but did not want carpet. It was a perfect fit."
Cork floors are also hypoallergenic and scuff-and stain-resistant, with textured patterns that easily disguise wear and tear. They're also a natural insulator and help to reduce noise.
The combination of cork's hypoallergenic properties, its comfort for walking and its sound-deadening capabilities persuaded Edmonton homeowner Jacquie Touchie to use it in her new Magrath home.
Touchie chose a Merlot shade for her bungalow. The rich, wine-coloured cork floor can be found in her music studio, exercise room and bar-wine cellar, as well as in her daughters' bedrooms, which are all on the walkout level.
She found out about cork while choosing flooring.
"We have a walkout basement with in-floor heat, so we couldn't put hardwood in, and I didn't want to go to with the laminate-looking hardwood."
Before deciding, Touchie did some research. She was worried about durability, especially for the music studio. "My last studio had carpet and it didn't hold up," she says.
Now, however, she is more than pleased with the results.
"Not only is it (the cork floor) sound-absorbing, but it's also cushiony and less stressful on your body when you walk on it," says Touchie, who also likes the softer feel in the exercise room for floor exercises such as yoga.
The hypoallergenic qualities also caught her attention.
"I wanted hardwood in the bedrooms ... because of both my girls," Touchie says. "They had it in our other house because of allergies. But this time we had to choose something different, and this works really well.
"I'd have to say it even works better for them than the hardwood did. The girls love it. It's easy to clean and there are no allergy problems."
Touchie and Ebertz both say discovering cork is one of the best things that happened to their decorating plans.
"I would use cork the next time around, absolutely," Touchie says.
"I was impressed with the array of colours that it came in and that you could choose the plank style, to make it look more like hardwood, or squares so that it would look like tile."
Says Ebertz: "It exceeds my expectations -- there's the comfort (factor) and it's so easy to keep clean, and, of course, the pattern."
The reactions don't surprise Krokis.
"Cork is a great flooring to consider when renovating your home," he says. "The options in cork flooring have increased dramatically, from colour to texture, and its popularity increases as more people learn the benefits of cork.
"The warmth and comfort of cork flooring is due to the natural texture of the material. Since cork is 50 per cent air, it is able to acclimate to the same temperature as the air in your home."
- - -
Put a Cork in it
Think about cork and you'll probably picture it in wine bottles. But NASA also uses it as an insulator on space shuttles and unmanned rockets, and it has a long history as a flooring product. Renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright chose cork flooring for many of his designs.
Here's some more about cork and where to find it:
- -Cork is the bark of the cork oak tree. Cork forests cover 2.2 million hectares around the world, largely in the Mediterranean region (Portugal, Spain) and northern Africa.
- -Cork is harvested by hand. Trees are not harvested until they are mature -- about 25 years old, on average. The bark is then stripped in nine-year cycles. No cork trees are ever felled during harvesting, and only half of the bark is removed at a time. This enables the tree to use its own natural defences to protect itself from disease. Cork oak trees live 150 to 200 years.
- -After the bark is harvested and aged for three to six months, it's cleaned and boiled for production. The rough exterior is cut off and the rest is ground up and mixed in a binder. A paste is added to the granules and then the cork is moulded into large blocks and baked. The blocks are then sliced to make cork planks or tiles.
- -Cork is hypoallergenic. Its natural properties resist mould, mildew and bacteria.
- -Although cork is resilient, care must be taken to prevent damage to flooring from furniture, pet nails, etc. Furniture feet should have pads on them, and pet nails need to be kept trimmed. Minor scratches can be camouflaged.
Source: Torlys


text:
Lindsay Lohan's character written out of Machete sequel
LINDSAY LOHAN's ailing career has been dealt yet another blow as her gun-toting character in MACHETE has been written out of the film's sequel.
The squeeze on household finances has been relentless
Director Robert Rodriguez gave Lohan a chance to return to the big screen in his violent 2010 film, but the troubled star was cut from the trailer and the end credits after she was convicted of violating the terms of her probation stemming from a 2007 DUI arrest.
The filmmaker has now confirmed that Lohan's 'nun with a gun' character April will not feature in his upcoming follow-up, Machete Kills.
He tells MTV.com, "No, she's not in it. We thought to (sic) bring her back because we like that character, but it didn't fit into the story."
The news comes as Lohan is due back in court in Los Angeles on Wednesday (30Jan13) to fight claims she violated her probation from a 2011 necklace theft conviction by allegedly lying to a police officer following a car crash in California last summer (12).


text:
NEW YORK — Playwright Rick Elice calls the memorabilia-filled study in his Upper West Side apartment "the garage."
It's a good term for the workshop of a self-described workaholic whose method is a combination of technical rigor, restless imagination and playful tinkering.
At one end of the study is a long table piled with folders and books, each one representing a current or future project and demonstrating the exponential increase in offers he attributes to the success of "Peter and the Starcatcher," his dramatic adaptation of the Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson young adult novel.
"I'm now welcomed into the many rooms that I used to stare at through various windows," says the one-time actor, former ad executive and creative consultant for Walt Disney Studios. "I get to roll up my sleeves and solve problems, have ideas, a few good fights, a few good laughs. Thanks to this kid and this play, I'm part of something bigger than myself."
The "kid" who changed Elice's life is an unnamed feral orphan in Victorian England whose heroic potential is unleashed by Molly, a self-possessed and fearless 13-year-old in this prequel of sorts to J.M. Barrie's "Peter Pan." The two join forces to keep a magical, all-powerful substance — "starstuff" — from falling into the hands of pirates who would use it for evil gain.
Elice's rise is an eclectic and unusual Broadway success story. Barely a decade ago, he was playing a 25-year-old porn star in "Adult Entertainment," an off-Broadway comedy by Elaine May. Not long after, the opportunity arose to collaborate with Oscar-winning screenwriter ("Annie Hall") Marshall Brickman on a musical about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. The teaming resulted in the 2005 smash hit "Jersey Boys," earning Elice his first Tony nomination.
"Peter," his first solo effort, proved his Broadway debut was not a fluke. The fact that it was co-directed (along with Alex Timbers) by his longtime partner Roger Rees made it all the sweeter when the play debuted on Broadway in March 2012 to rave reviews and won five Tony Awards. (Two of its nine nominations went to Elice.)
The projects stacked up in the "garage" may give the impression that Elice has moved on but earlier this week he and Rees were about to return to their ragtag ragamuffins, flying to Los Angeles for Wednesday's opening at the Ahmanson Theatre, a major stop on a national tour that launched in August in Denver.
It's not hard to see what excited Elice when he was brought into the project by Timbers ("Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson") and Rees. Elice had fallen in love with Rees when he saw the Royal Shakespeare Company's epic 1981 production of "Nicholas Nickleby," in which the distinguished British actor played the title role.
Elice was intrigued when "Peter's" two directors told him that they would use minimalist storytelling techniques, as in "Nickleby." A thick rope could serve as both a doorway and a pirate ship's hull, and later, a versatile, energetic cast of 12 seems to increase four-fold.
The concept clearly worked. "A blissful exercise in make-believe," Ben Brantley wrote in the New York Times.
The immersion into Victorian gender mores also appealed to Elice. "I've always been fascinated by J.M. Barrie, not so much 'Peter Pan' as his other proto-feminist plays like 'What Every Woman Knows.' I loved the idea of taking this fiercely intelligent and empowered young girl on a hero's journey. Together with this inarticulate boy they discover the surprise of being a part of something larger than themselves."
Elice and Brickman had gone from "Jersey Boys" to the musical "The Addams Family." Scaling down to the intimacy of "Peter" came as something of a relief, he says, though he sees the heart of each story as similar. "Each is a story about family and connection, about acceptance and belonging," he says.
Unsurprisingly Rees sees the big and questing heart of "Peter" coming from his partner of 32 years. "Rick has an electric, febrile energy, always curious, always questioning," says Rees. "He can be very strong-minded but his words are not precious to him. He's wonderfully elastic. If something isn't working, he'll change it. Perfection is always a moving point."
That perfectionism, if not flexibility, was honed in a family of overachievers. Elice was born in Manhattan and raised in Queens, one of two boys born to a furniture retailer who, though a workaholic and absentee father, became a hero in his son's eyes. "He had real skill, a quality I aspire to but I never thought I would have myself: He could build and draw anything," recalls Elice. When young Rick was cast as Tevye in the high school production of "Fiddler on the Roof," his father built the milkman's cart in the backyard of their Queens house.
He says his early love of theater, especially the musicals of Stephen Sondheim and Harold Prince, provided salve to the trauma of coming to terms with his homosexuality. "I had a bottle of pills in one hand and copies of 'Company,' 'Follies' and 'A Little Night Music' in the other," he recalls.
After graduating from Cornell and getting a master's of fine arts at Yale, Elice pursued an acting career, becoming one of the founding members of the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge.
But it was during his 18-year stint as a creative director at Serino-Coyne, an entertainment advertising agency, and through his relationship with Rees that Elice began to befriend and learn from a veritable who's who of top theatrical talent: Bob Fosse, Michael Bennett, Tom Stoppard, Harold Prince, Stephen Sondheim, Trevor Nunn, Arthur Laurents, Elaine May and Stanley Donen, through whom he would meet Brickman.
Elice was a good student.
"Bob Fosse gave me a master class in editing over a weekend," recalls Elice of the time he was creating trailers for Broadway shows. "He taught me how you marry music with the visuals to build the most emotional impact, Arthur taught me how to have a passionate point of view, Trevor, the economy of storytelling…. All of these great artists follow me around like a cast of characters. These guys are always whispering in my ear. My head is a very crowded place."
No doubt, Elice will be hearing voices as he embarks on the new projects idling in the garage while he's in Los Angeles, among them a Disney musical about young magicians, a period TV miniseries with Brickman, and "Dog and Pony," which he describes as a romantic musical comedy in the Howard Hawks tradition of "His Girl Friday." "Dog and Pony" will receive a world premiere next spring at the Old Globe in San Diego, with songs by Michael Patrick Walker and possibly starring Christian Borle, who won a Tony Award as the pratfall-prone villain in "Peter" and was one of the lead actors in the NBC series "Smash."
Elice likes to work on a number of projects concurrently. "Working on one is not enough," he says. "If you get stuck and you've got nothing else to do, that's called writer's block. But if you can work on another, the solution to the one you're stuck on often presents itself somehow."
Another reason for the frenetic schedule is what Elice calls a family trait: impatience.
"We Elices have never been good at coasting with the pleasure of the moment," he says. "OK, that's done — what's next? It's a workingman's philosophy of life. We're always on the move."
ature-well-arts-story" />


text:
Once I was one of many children writing to Santa, coloring holly leaves around the edges of the page and asking how to spell every other word. For this year's Christmas card, I designed my own stationery set with those old days in mind, recalling the classic colors and the unwavering belief that my mailed letter would make its way to the north pole. Of course, any letter traveling that far should go by air, so vintage airmail envelopes and labels provided inspiration as well. In Illustrator I made an envelope, two patterns for the envelope interior, a sheet of labels, and flat cards with plenty of room for a handwritten message.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Dear Santa
Labels: Graphic Design, Holidays
18 comments:
- Eloise said...
Wow these are really amazing! I love the brown paper feel to it and the more subtle yet traditional colours. I would totally buy these! The photos are wonderful as well! Congratulations!
- December 23, 2010 at 4:03 AM
- cupcake studio said...
Your blog gives such joy throughout the year! Thank you & Merry Christmas!
- December 23, 2010 at 4:24 AM
- sheribloggins said...
I love everything about this post. Lovely.
- December 23, 2010 at 5:31 AM
- Kerry said...
Eeek. Stationary crush alert! Thanks for sharing duck x
- December 23, 2010 at 5:33 AM
- Cristina said...
These are lovely! How could I get a set? My nieces and nephews would have so much fun with these : D
- December 23, 2010 at 7:36 AM
- Natasha said...
Happy Christmas!
I am, I believe, what is commonly know as a 'lurker'. I have been a follower of your blog for a long time but have never left a comment.
I really enjoy your beautiful photos and considered projects.
I hope you have a lovely Christmas and a great New Year.
- December 23, 2010 at 8:47 AM
- Sarah Julius Design is... said...
Egads your work is so stunning! As is your photography. Thank you for sharing your beautiful work.
P.s. I can't believe you worked for Victoria magazine!! I can see why though :) Take care.
- December 23, 2010 at 9:40 AM
- Sharon Lovejoy said...
Thanks for your posts.
Joyous Christmas,
Sharon Lovejoy Writes from Sunflower House and a Little Green Island
- December 23, 2010 at 11:29 AM
- Anonymous said...
Oh wow you are so incredibly talented and inspiring. These are amazing!
- December 23, 2010 at 11:32 AM
- Modern Crush said...
You are so talented Livy, Merry Christmas!! I wish Santa were real :)
- December 23, 2010 at 2:24 PM
- Gandhali said...
wow, i am one of the lurkers, too! but i just loved this post so much, i HAD to comment! all this beautiful photography and designing makes me wonder, have you ever taken a design course? (i'm a design student)
wish you a merry xmas and a happy new year!
- December 23, 2010 at 11:43 PM
- Setty Lepida said...
Love them all ! Santa will be soooo pleased to give and to receive them !!!
- December 24, 2010 at 12:03 AM
- meandering pearl said...
so precious!!! loveliest Christmas wishes to you!!!
- December 25, 2010 at 3:23 AM
- Livy said...
Hi Gandhali,
I have not taken any design courses and am self taught in that regard. I did study art history in college.
- December 26, 2010 at 2:56 AM
- Kirsten said...
Oh my gosh, I am on amazingness overload...your blog is fantastic. Each post is better than the one before. LOVING THIS! Thank you for the amazing downloads!!! Wishing you the happiest of new years celebrations over the next few days.
- December 29, 2010 at 7:21 AM
- Team Craftwell said...
Team Craftwell
- November 22, 2011 at 7:34 AM
- Janel said...
I can't find where I would download these labels. They are amazing! Thank you.
- December 28, 2011 at 1:18 AM
- Livy said...
I actually did not make these available as printables/a hi res download -- apologies! I know they have been mistakenly posted all over pinterest as printables....maybe next year I will get together a pdf of all the materials for the stationery set.
- December 28, 2011 at 8:05 AM


text:
Electricians for Ferndale, We have listed as many Electricians in Ferndale as we could find. If you know of an Electricians in Ferndale that we missed please submit it at: Listings Page.
The listings below will help you find local Electricians Ferndale, domestic electricians, electrician contractors, industrial electricians and electrical repairs in Ferndale. Electricians can offer services like: NICEIC Testing & Inspections, PAT Testing, Lighting Contract, Portable Appliance Testing, Home, Shop & Business Rewires as well as Lights & Sockets, Outside Lighting.
Electricians Finder is first for domestic Electricians, Electrical contractors and industrial electricians in Ferndale.
City: Ferndale
Address: Gwynfryn
Link: P F Hooper
Services Offered:
Areas Covered:
City: Ferndale
Address: Gwynfryn
P F Hooper
Services Offered:
Areas Covered:
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text:
david mcphee needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 64 designs submitted by 23 freelance designers.
McPhee Mortgage Broking Pty Ltd
I'm a mortgage broker starting a new business trading under my own name.
specialising in residential , commercial and business loans.
my full name is David McPhee. trading as the above, what I need is a logo to go with my name, eithier abbreviated letters (mmb or dm) or a symbol which should be stylish but simple.
Professional bodies, ie accountants ,real estate agents, investors, financial advisors, and prospective customers.
business card to be black with logo design in a mid range aqua color
with writing in white
to show
(Logo) McPhee Mortgage Broking (Pty ltd optional)
David McPhee
Finance Professional
card to show
address 11 The Summit North Ringwood Vic 3134
phone 0434 745 123
fax number 03
email email@example.com
web site address http://www.mcpheemortgagebroking
Logo design to be used on letter heads, business cards, signs and web page (logo maybe used for watermark on letter heads)
I plan to use color scheme on binders black outside blue inside. this also can be part of business cards, black one side blue the other.
I require PDF,Jpeg and eps file
the logo should represent a professional business
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


text:
End of Tenancy Cleaning by End of Tenancy Cleaning Croydon – Your Local Specialists
There's only one number to call when you need end of tenancy cleaning. End of Tenancy Cleaning Croydon provides the kind of service which includes everything you could possibly need – or your landlord could possibly ask for. Not limited in time, and delivered according to the requirements of the UK's leading estate agencies, this service makes moving house a whole lot less stressful for you. Make your appointment quickly and easily, on 020 7846 0759. Or use our booking form to make arrangements now. Here's why other local people use us for tenancy cleaning…
Why Make Us Your End of Tenancy Cleaners?
- One service ideal for any property – add optional extras to your order to get everything taken care of
- Know that you'll get the results you're after – supported by a full re-clean guarantee
- Vetted and experienced end of tenancy cleaners – trained professionals you can rely on to get the job done right
- Helpful support – provided around the clock, 24/7, for easy booking and rescheduling of end of tenancy cleaning if needed
- Weekend and Bank Holiday appointments no problem – and costing you no extra
- Clear pricing information – upfront and with no obligation
Your Full Support For End of Tenancy Cleaning and More…
Use us when you need end of lease cleaning and ensure that your landlord won't have an issues returning your deposit to you in full. Or that you as a landlord yourself won't have any trouble finding eager new tenants for your spotless home.
We guarantee the quality of all of the work we deliver, making it easy to simply book an appointment and then know that your property is going to be restored in full – to the exact condition that the end of a lease requires. Every part of the interior will be dealt with, and we also include options for:
- Oven cleaning: using us as your oven cleaners means a swift and effective service delivered using the latest tools – it's a free part of many of our services.
- Window cleaning: window cleaning is a property exit requirement of many landlords. Get this met now, by adding this handy extra to your tenancy cleaning.
- Removals Services: more than just an end of tenancy cleaning provider, we can get all of your possessions safely moved between properties too.
If you ever have any questions about the services you need, get in touch immediately. We're so sure of the quality we deliver that if you ever have any difficulties with your landlord, we'll provide a free extra end of tenancy cleaning appointment – just so you can be sure you'll always get your deposit back when you use us.


text:
This was my first Gen Con. Though I've been hearing about Gen Con for as long as I've been gaming, over 18 years now, it's only this year that I've been able to go.
I had a blast, met the owner/operator of Pen and Paper Games coincidentally, and wrote about it all on my catch-all blog:


text:
JFP necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 162 diseños de 37 diseñadores freelance.
We are a digital agency of people building e-commerce, content management systems, iPhone apps, SharePoint systems, blogs, personal sites, advertising sites, Twitter/Facebook pages, and even digital games or promotions around things like Foursquare etc. Basically anything that needs to be built digitally online for a business.
This logo would be used for basically everything - business cards, website, Twitter page etc
Our target audience is small to medium business owners and even the occasional large corporation that is looking for an injection of creativity into what they do online.
Background of Bespoke:
The word "bespoke" is a British term for custom-made mens clothing.
The idea is that we build custom web apps using existing parts similar
to how you'd build a suit from buttons, cloth, and sewing..
We just use Wordpress, PHP, databases and our hands to make our suits.
Design Direction:
We're looking for a logo that is clean and sophisticated, but includes
an element that somehow communicates the idea of customization or
Examples of logos we like:
- http://loewydesign.com/
- http://theplant.jp/en/
The logo does NOT have to incorporate elements of the clothing
industry but our previous logo did (see attached scissors logo) and
we're still open to that approach.
Ideally the logo would include one graphical element that we can use
in cases where we don't want to include the full logo, such as a an
illustrated element like the Plant does (example above) or "B" with a particular treatment, for example like Twitter uses.
Please avoid anything in the design direction of "bubbly", "crafty",
or "whimsical", as well as anything neon-colored or candy-like.
We're also open on color scheme as long as it's in
a masculine palette. Again, nothing neon or too bright.
Delivery should be in a layered PSD (RGB) for web use and AI (CMYK)
for print.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


text:
Gaurav Gill needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 70 designs submitted by 26 freelance designers.
Task - To design a motorsport logo for an individual racing driver competeing in the world championship level of motorsport.
a logo which describes the man's agressive attitude to win with total commitment and complete passion for motor rallying.......
this logo will go on the web-site, all his fan t-shirts and team dress including helmet and the race wear.
The list inlcludes the country's flag i.e INDIA, a possibilty of a cartoon character, chequered flag etc... should be agressive and 'cute' at the same time !
Definately not rainbows !!!!!! all letters starting with Gaurav Gill or gaurav gill .
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


text:
Table of contents
Version as of 11:38, 21 Feb 2019
Return to Version archive.
The development of Gromacs would not have been possible without generous funding support from the European Research Council, the Swedish Research Council, the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research, the Swedish National Infrastructure for Computing, and the Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education. Several other grant agencies also provide funding to researchers involved in Gromacs development, in particular NIH and NSF in the US, and the DFG in Germany. For more information, see funding.
Gromacs is one of the applications that are part of the ScalaLife Competence Center (http://scalalife.eu). The Competence Center is being developed as a one-stop-shop for users and developers of Life Science software. Various training events on high-performance computing and optimization techniques for improving scalability and performance will be organized by the center.
Sticky: Can't Post to the mailing list? Read the 'important information' section on the mailing list page.
GROMACS 5.0 is out! Download the source tarball, and check out the release notes.
April 2, 2014
NVIDIA offers access to the latest and fastest accelerators - the Tesla® K40 GPUs, which offer up to 40% more performance compared to the Tesla K20X. Take a free test-drive with GROMACS here: http://www.nvidia.com/object/gpu-test-drive.html
December 2, 2013
GROMACS 4.6.5 is out! Download the source tarball, and check out the release notes.
November 13, 2013
GROMACS 4.6.4 is out! Download the source tarball, and check out the release notes.
July 5, 2013
GROMACS 4.6.3 is out! Download the source tarball, and check out the release notes.
May 30, 2013
GROMACS 4.6.2 is out! Download the source tarball, and check out the release notes.
January 21, 2012
GROMACS 4.6 is out! Download the source tarball, and check out the release notes.
December 22, 2012
GROMACS 4.6 beta 3 is out! Download the source tarball, and check out the release notes.
December 6, 2012
GROMACS 4.6 beta 2 is out! Download the source tarball, and check out the release notes.
November 30, 2012
GROMACS 4.6 beta 1 is out! Download the source tarball, and check out the release notes.
September 21, 2011
GROMACS is now on Facebook too :)
September 20, 2011
New maintenance release: gromacs-4.5.5.tar.gz is available. Here are the release notes.
April 8, 2011
Updated version 1.1.1 of xdrfile is available for download: ftp://ftp.gromacs.org/pub/contrib/xd...e-1.1.1.tar.gz. It contains compilation fixes and sample Python code for reading xtc files etc. from Python sripts.
March 22, 2011
Updated version 4.5.4 of the Gromacs manual is available at ftp://ftp.gromacs.org/pub/manual/manual-4.5.4.pdf.
March 21, 2011
New maintenance release: gromacs-4.5.4.tar.gz. Here are the release notes.
January 6, 2011
Happy New Year!
November 9, 2010
New maintenance release is now available: gromacs-4.5.3.tar.gz. Here are the release notes.
October 30, 2010
A new bugfix release of Gromacs is now available: gromacs-4.5.2.tar.gz. Have a look at the release notes for a list of resolved issues.
September 2, 2010
The new release was a very short lived one - it was missing a few files that broke the CMake build system and now 4.5.1 is out.
September 1, 2010
It is finally here: Gromacs-4.5 has been just released. All critical issues have been resolved to deliver a stable and powerful package full of many new features.
Big thanks to all developers and users who made it happen!
Happy simulating !!!
August 27, 2010
The last beta release of Gromacs is available for download. The AMBER FF have been validated and are production ready; the GPU code had a serious bug fixed; there is a new tool g_pme_error (it will be incorporated in g_tune_pme soon though). Most of the critical issues since the previous release have been resolved and we expect to have the final 4.5 within a week or so. There will be no more betas.
August 12, 2010
Now it is possible to search the developers mailing list.
August 10, 2010
New beta release - gromacs-4.5-beta3. Many bugs have been fixed in this release, mainly double precision support with icc compilers, SSE2. Have a look at the release notes for more details. There are still some issues on Windows platofrms that will be resolved before the final release.
August 2, 2010
New beta release - gromacs-4.5-beta2. Several important bugs have been fixed in this release, please try it out!
Also, a new beta release of the GROMACS-GPU is available for download. The new release comes with OpenMM-2.0 and supports pressure coupling.
July 30, 2010
December 6, 2009
Gromacs-4.0.6 has been released, and a couple of hours later 4.0.7 since the first version tried to build 3DNow instructions by default on 64bit linux (don't worry - there's nothing wrong if you managed to build 4.0.6!) This is a maintenance version that fixes a number of minor bugs reported in bugzilla over the last couple of months.
29 Sep 2009
All information from the old wiki site has been moved and reorganized here. Users might find the How-tos and Terminology sections most useful, while developers should check the information available at the Programming Guide section.
This site uses the Mindtouch wiki engine. It has a very easy and intuitive editor (it shows up when you click on "Edit Page"). Contributors can have a look at the Mindtouch User Guide.
Now it is possible to search the mailng list archives.
Using the "Find" form present on every page of the site searches only this site, not the mailing lists.
The News section was moved as a front page. Often accessed quick links can be found at the top.
The CVS server can't be accessed anymore, please use tarballs of old releases. The old Gromacs www server (oldwww.gromacs.org) and the old Gromacs wiki server (oldwiki.gromacs.org) have been shut down.
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