text:
Xcentric Ventures, LLC v. Mediolex Ltd., 2012 WL 5269403 (D.Ariz. October 24, 2012)
Plaintiff Xcentric Ventures provides the infamous Ripoff Report, a website where consumers can go to
defame complain about businesses they have dealt with. Defendant ComplaintsBoard.com is a similar kind of website.
Ripoff Report's Terms of Service provide that users grant Ripoff Report an exclusive license in the content they post to the site. Based on this right, Xcentric sued various defendants associated with ComplaintsBoard for "encourag[ing] and permit[ing] consumers to post content that has been exclusively licensed to Xcentric."
Defendants moved to dismiss the copyright infringement claim, asserting they were protected by the safe harbor provision of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA"). The court granted the motion to dismiss, but not because of the DMCA.
DMCA Analysis
The safe harbor provision of the DMCA states that a "service provider shall not be liable for monetary relief" if all of the following requirements are met:
(1) it does not have actual knowledge that the material on its network is infringing;
(2) it is not aware of facts or circumstances that would make the infringing activity apparent;and
(3) upon obtaining knowledge or awareness of such infringing activity, it acts expeditiously to remove or disable access to the copyrighted material.
In this case, Xcentric alleged that defendants actively "encouraged and permitted" copyright infringement by ComplaintsBoard users. The court held that this allegation, if taken as true, could be sufficient to preclude defendants from taking advantage of the DMCA's safe harbor provisions.
But the court went on to hold that Xcentric had failed to state a copyright claim on which relief may be granted.
Secondary Liability Insufficiently Pled
Xcentric did not allege that defendants directly infringed copyright. Instead, it alleged that by encouraging and permitting users to copy and republish material, ComplaintsBoard was engaged in secondary infringement — either vicarious or contributory infringement.
To state a claim for contributory copyright infringement, Xcentric had to plead that ComplaintsBoard had knowledge of the infringing activity and induced, caused, or materially contributed to the infringing conduct of its users. The court found that Xcentric had not alleged any facts that would lead to a reasonable inference that defendants knew of their users' republishing Xcentric's copyrighted content or that defendants had induced, caused, or materially contributed to such republication.
To successfully plead vicarious infringement, Xcentric had to show that defendants had the right and ability to supervise the infringing activity and also had a direct financial interest in those activities. The court found that Xcentric had not put forward enought facts to show that defendants had the right and ability to supervise the infringing activity.


text:
Volvo 780 Parts
- Volvo
- 780
- Transmission
Volvo 780 Parts
The Volvo 780 is a Coupe variant of the popular 700 series introduced in 1987 to the United States market and produced through 1991. The timeless and elegant design of the 780 was created and produced by the famed Italian car company Bertone to be exclusive, classy, and luxurious. Although having much different styling cues with an overall lower sleeker profile, it was mechanically based largely on the already proven successful Volvo 760 chassis. 8,518 of these cars were built in total over the production run.
Volvo 780 Parts at FCP Euro
Here at FCP Euro we have a huge inventory of Volvo 780 parts for all of your automotive needs, including many Volvo original parts. Whether it's simple maintenance or mechanical repairs we have an extensive collection of Volvo 780 parts available to you in our ever growing Volvo 780 catalog.
If you own one of these unique and elegant automobiles you will probably want to keep your car on the road for as long as possible. Our Volvo 780 catalog is easy to navigate, and updated with new Volvo 780 parts regularly. When this car was new over 2 decades ago it was truly an awe inspiring thing of beauty and elegance, and it still deserves to be treated as such today. When you find yourself looking for Volvo 780 parts, you can trust FCP to provide you with a quality and fitment guarantee, as well as a one year warranty on all our Volvo 780 parts.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
TV Roundup
I'm watching a whole bunch of shows this season, and while nothing's totally wowing me, there's a bunch of good stuff out there. Most of my favorite shows air on a more haphazard schedule, Mad Men just ended, Battlestar won't resume until January and Doctor Who is just throwing out episodes whenever they feel like it. In bad news, Joss Whedon's Dollhouse will now be airing on Fridays, which is pretty much acknowledging it'll never be a big hit. I hope that the awful timeslot means Fox will give the show a longer leash, we shall see. Anyway, here's the shows I'm watching now.
Life on Mars
Right now, I'm really liking the show. The premise seems better to a limited series, as with the original, or even better, a film, and after the weak second episode, I wasn't sure if it was going to work on a week to week basis. But, since then, we've got a couple of really strong episodes, and an alright one last night. For me, the show's greatest strength is the sense of place it conveys. I don't know if it's an accurate depiction of the 70s, but even if it's just a depiction of the mythic 70s created in our culture, I like spending time there. I think it'd be annoying to run into a lot of the hippie mystic characters from the time in real life, but I love watching them on film. Our world may be in a paradigm shift now, but for the last eight years, things have been pretty dire, and it's nice to look at a time when people were interested in expanding their consciousness and changing the world.
The show's strength is the trippy interludes that happen every so often, like when Sam got dosed with LSD. Those are really interesting visually and tie in with his existential dilemma about why he's in the 1973 and what it means for his existence. In general, Sam is a really likable, fun lead to watch. He, along with Michael Imperioli always keep things interesting, even when the show falls into rote police procedural territory. My major concern looking ahead is that the show becomes a 70s issue of the week police procedural, and after a certain point, the trippy material will slip away. After Sam runs into everyone he new from the 2000s in the 70s, what's left for the show to do beyond just tell stories about him in the 70s? I still don't see the show lasting more than a season or two without radically shifting its premise at some point. Still, I really like what I see, and the presence of three Wire actors in last night's episode helped keep things rolling along.
My greatest concern beyond the simple in sustainability of the premise is the fact that each episode seems to end with Gene siding with Sam on whatever argument they had, and doing the right thing instead of the morally corrupt thing. The problem with that is if you do it every week, shouldn't Gene just evolve morally at some point? It seems like we're heading towards that TV problem where every initially edgy characters gets worn down into an ally, and is given something in their past that explains why they do evil things. It can be a lot more interesting to just let your characters do bad things, and explore them from there than to try to make everyone live by 2008 morality in a world that doesn't necessarily hew to that morality. The show needs to go edgier, and go stranger, but I don't know that a first year show having some ratings issue is going to get the latitude to do what they really need to do.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
This is a show I had essentially no expectations for. I didn't see the theatrical movie because reviews were so dire, but I figured I'd check out the first TV episodes. It's strange that a Star Wars TV show has gotten so little heat as this has. I guess it's because it's targeted at kids, but I don't see anyone talking about this. I suppose that's the consequence of the prequels, in the mid 90s, any piece of Star Wars material was cherished, now with so much more out there, it's just not that special any more. But, perhaps it's best that this show comes in with lower expectations. I don't think it's a great show, but it's pretty entertaining, and occasionally touches those emotions that the classic trilogy hit so well.
The major flaw for me is the animation. It all looks like a video game cut scene, I don't know why they chose the wooden puppet look for the characters. The stuff without people is really pretty, but the people look awful. And, there's a lot of the same issues as the prequels have, the inexplicably retarded battle droids, and lack of really well defined characters. Anakin here is used as kind of a blank slate hero, lacking the moral ambiguity that the character should have.
But, there's also some good stuff. I like the way they depict the clones, people who are all similar, and struggle to find ways to define themselves. They exist for a mission, but still hope to carve out an individual identity. The space battles are pretty great, and the liberal swipes from the original trilogy make for some nice action sequences. The best episode for me was the one in which Anakin, Obi-Wan and Padme sneak aboard the Malevolence to destroy it from the inside. That had the fun adventure feel of the OT that the prequels rarely captured. I don't love the show, but it's got its moments. I just wish that I was more excited about a weekly Star Wars TV show.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Continuing a theme, I really like some things about this show, while others frustrate me. I was getting close to losing interest when they dropped the fantastic episode about John going to therapy, all the while being observed by Cameron and Sarah. That episode conveyed the difficulty he has trying to express himself and grow up while dealing with both the pressure of his future destiny, and the constant watching eyes of his mother.
But, amidst interesting character stuff, there's a lot of random b-movie action that doesn't really go anywhere. It's a show focused on narrative, not characters, and that means that things can get a bit samey. How many episodes have centered around our characters hunting down some random Eastern European guy? Monday's episode did surprise me with Cameron's brutality, when she killed the three guys who had robbed them.
There's always some interesting stuff in each episode to keep me going, but the show isn't making it to great. It's like Buffy pre "Surprise," I watch it, I like it, but it doesn't really capture my imagination. The tough thing with watching any series as it goes is you don't have the benefit of a pre-existing critical response. I stuck with Buffy and Babylon 5 because I knew they would get better, who knows what will happen with this show? It could become a classic this season or it could just keep going along as it is. Right now, I'm liking it enough to keep watching, the quality fluctuates, but for every weak episode, there's a solid one.
The Office
I've written about my mixed feelings on the US Office before. I do really like the show, but I was so emotionally invested in the original, I've never been able to really get into the Pam/Jim stuff in the same way. My least favorite aspect of this show is definitely Pam and Jim, I find them both unlikable, precisely because they're so engineered to be likable. In yesterday's episode, Jim is called smug and arrogant, but rather than engage with this criticism, it's revealed as a lie. I think it would have been a lot more interesting to deal with the idea that Jim hating his job is reflected in how he does it, and play with his flaws. But, they choose not to engage with it, and instead we get the annoying cutesy Bluetooth stuff.
The supporting characters have always interested me more. I really like what they did with Ryan. The Holly arc was solid, but I'm getting tired of the Andy/Dwight/Angela triangle happenings. I still enjoy the show, but I don't think anything this season has been as focused as the post-strike episodes last year.


text:
On June 19th, at the time of a New Moon and day before the Summer Solstice, when summer begins in the Northern Hemisphere, @seallion and myself @syncwinnipeg saw the movie Moonrise Kingdom in the theatre.
Sweet beautiful film.
In Moonrise Kingdom the heart prevails.
It was a powerful sync moment punctuated by us both jumping out of our seats at the point when the girl opens her suitcase and reveals a book called The Girl From Jupiter. The girl being blue skinned is extra sync juicy.
It did not escape us that this was taking place in June, the month named after Juno, or the Girl from Jupiter.
The next New Moon of July 18/19th saw the Full Express Tour with Shrillex, Diplo and Grimes playing the Goldeyes baseball stadium kitty corner to the Canadian Museum of Human Rights being constructed.
One of Grimes' hits is the song Oblivion where she sings "See you on a dark night." Perhaps she was singing about her performance in Winnipeg on July 18th, night of a new moon and therefor a dark night.
@seallion went to the concert and made this video shortly after about the sync web around it all.
July 20th, 2012, right after Grimes played Winnipeg was the theatrical release of the the Dark Knight Rises.
July 20th was also the day I left by airplane to visit Juan at his healing centre in the Peruvian Amazon.
This visit was to prepare for his eventual visit to Winnipeg for September, 2012.
August 31st rolls around and @seallion and I see the movie Lawless in theatres. This also happens to be the night of not only a Full Moon but also a Blue Moon. Meaning a second full moon in one month.
Lawless shined bright like twin full moons!
The two main characters were played by Tom Hardy, or Bane from Dark Knight Rises...
... and Shia Labeouf from Transformers: Dark of the Moon.
Of course the plot of Lawless has Labeouf and Hardy running a Moonshine business. The Moonshine Conspiracy as they call it.
The Moonshine Conspiracy reveals itself even more when we realize that Tom Hardy who plays Bane in Dark Knight Rises, and which opened after a dark night of the New Moon, celebrates his birthday on September 15th.
September 15th is not only Tom "Moonshine Conspiracy" Hardy's birthday but is also New Moon as well. Another dark night.
This got my attention as September 15th, 2012, was a Saturday and the main day of celebration for the Harvest Moon Festival situated in the Pembina Valley of South West Manitoba.
Beyond syncing with the Moon, why this means so much to me is that this little festival, that I help start 12 years ago, and the community that has grown around it, is where and with who, myself and Maestro Juan Flores plan to open Tonkiri: International Centre for the Study of Medicinal Plants.
How great was it that StArmy members @seallion @true and @spktrumsnaketin were at this years festival.
This year was the second time Maestro Flores came to The Harvest Moon Festival. The first time was during his first visit to Canada in 2006. Every time he has visited Canada we have made a trip to Clearwater where the festival and Harvest Moon Society call home. Planting seeds for the rise of Tonkiri...
Watch video of Juan at the Harvest Moon Festival in 2006.
This year Juan could just relax and observe the amazing scene developing around the festival and community. The time seems ripe for opening our centre here.
Juan below shows off his new WOLF (FLOW) shirt he bought at the fair trade market at the Harvest Moon Festival. I presume the the wolves on the shirt are howling at the Moon. Howling at the sync flow.
Perhaps the best highlight of the festival was Winnipeg band The Imaginary Cities headlining the Saturday night Main Stage.
A friend of mine Rusty is the mastermind behind this band. Here he is below sporting an outline of Manitoba with a heart in place of Winnipeg, as well as a Trumpet, his first instrument he learned as a child.
Playing the final slot of the Saturday night under a moonless sky Imaginary Cities ends with their hit single Hummingbird. A joyful sign as Tonkiri is the Ashaninkan word for Hummingbird and the symbol of our healing centre to come.
T-shirts for Imaginary Cities include a Hummingbird and a horn blowing.
Midnight rolled over, the Imaginary Cities were finished their set and like clockwork Jupiter rose from behind the stage...
These pictures don't do it justice but you can see a little white light above the word festival in the first picture and the to the right top corner in the next. That's Jupiter. The Joy that is here and rising in hearts everywhere.
Now looking back at this weekend I realize that the Sunday, September 16th was the beginning of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year and beginning of the High Holy Days leading to Yom Kippur on September 26th, 2012. Rosh Hashanah is the time in which our actions are recorded for judgement and the sealing of our fates. (Kind of like a court trial - I guess.)
The Shofar, a trumpet like instrument, is commonly associated with these Jewish holy days.
The sync trumpets are clearly being blown and heard far and wide.
The Harvest Moon Festival ends and we head back to Winnipeg for our final ceremonies at our new ceremony space. A hummingbird mural on the side is in honour of Tonkiri.
During our final ceremony Juan sports his headband with 3 gold stars. This I quickly recognize as the same formation as seen on the helmet of the 1995 Sylvestor Stallone Judge Dredd character. Why I know this is because the new version of Judge Dredd 3D opened on Friday September 21st.
Juan would later describe the 3 gold stars as symbolizing Saturn (Father), Mercury (Son) and Jupiter (Holy Spirit). He also has a silver line that symbolizes space and the red headband is for the World.
A world judged redd.
Juan teaches that this configuration of stars is what is manifesting on Earth as we speak, and that the plants contain the Holy Spirit. Ayahuasca is a primary means for distributing the Holy Spirit (Joy) throughout the world.
On September 20th, the day after our last ceremony with Juan here, the Canadian Museum of Human Rights celebrated the last piece of glass being put on it. For myself and others this building is clearly the temple for the new age upon us. The last piece of glass is like the last piece of skin being put on the new temple. Skin is like Sync. Through sync/skin we can see the form of God on Earth.
The very first Sync Whole post in 2009 was about the Human Rite museum. Read it here: A Dream Becomes a Reality 2012.
September 21st, International Peace Day, was Juan's last day in Winnipeg before starting his journey
back to Peru. We took some photos and celebrated our work over the last few weeks.
The Canadian Museum of Human Rights building can be best seen as the Temple at the end of the great Human Rite. Where we come together and celebrate humanity's hard work needed to realize Love on Earth.
Coming out of Juan's crown is a feather and behind it is the building's Tower of Hope.
Juan Flores (flores is flowers in Spanish) standing outside Tonkiri in Winnipeg.
The hummingbirds are coming from all around to feed off the nectar, ready to spread it
around the world and to pollinate the new Garden on Earth.
After saying goodbye to Juan and his family, @seallion @spktrumsnaketin and myself (@syncwinnipeg) went to see the late showing of DreDD 3D (I like how there are 3 D's in the word Dredd and it is in 3D).
The other movie that opened that same day was End of Watch.
End of watch is Jake Gyllenhaal's first movie since I made the sync video StarG8or in which he plays a role.
StarG8or from Mayahuasca on Vimeo.
By Saturday September 22nd, Juan Dredd was gone and I was able to watch a movie with my wife at night.
We decided to watch Moonrise Kingdom as she had not seen it. September 22nd was the equinox this year.
This was the perfect movie to watch considering I started summer by watching Moonrise Kingdom and September 21st was actually Bill Murray's birthday who stars in it.
@Seallion's recent video in honour of Bill Murray's birthday and his silly sync web.
Bill Murray's birthday marks the September Equinox, something hit home by watching him in a movie on the Equinox.
Watching it a second time I realize Bill Murray lives at Summer's End in the movie. How sync perfect as his birthday is at summer's end as well! That is what the Equinox marks. The end of summer!
On Monday September 25th, @Seallion and I decide to go see the other movie that opened on the 21st and we see End of Watch.
Both Dredd 3D and End of Watch are about cops enforcing the law. They both are films of Judgement.
As Yom Kippur is today, the day that I write this and I now realize how heavily this time of year resonates this theme of judgement. Not only do the movies do so but it is also the time we enter the astrological sign of Libra, the Goddess of Justice and Balance. Yom Kippur as well signifies the end of the period that began with Rosh Hashanah and is the day that God judges and that we ask for forgiveness.
When God's watch ends, Love will reign. Our heart/earth will have the final word. Judged by our own hearts. Judge, Jury and Executioner. Judge Redd. Sentenced to Love with no chance of parole.
As I am writing this post today on Yom Kippur, I notice through the twitter feed that Andy Willams, famous for singing "Moon River" has died at the age of 84.
Funny thing is, that last year at this exact time @Seallion and myself presented the 42 minute and 42 second long sync video Moonkey. (42+42 =84 - just say'in)
The video uses the song Moon River.
Moonkey was presented as part of Nuit Blanche event at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. The date was October 1, 2011. Nuit Blanche means White Night.
This year Nuit Blanche is on Saturday, September 29th, the night of a Full Moon. What can only be described as a White Night in relation to a New Moon being a Dark Night.
Moonkey by the StArmy from Syncwinnipeg on Vimeo.
This coming weekend as the moon approaches its fullness the movie Looper is being released into theatres. Looper stars Burce Willis, who is also in Moonrise Kingdom and Moonkey!
OK. That's all for now.
Have a wonderful Full Moon and White Night!
When God's watch ends, Love will reign. Our heart/earth will have the final word. Judged by our own hearts. Judge, Jury and Executioner. Judge Redd. Sentenced to Love with no chance of parole.
As I am writing this post today on Yom Kippur, I notice through the twitter feed that Andy Willams, famous for singing "Moon River" has died at the age of 84.
Funny thing is, that last year at this exact time @Seallion and myself presented the 42 minute and 42 second long sync video Moonkey. (42+42 =84 - just say'in)
The video uses the song Moon River.
Moonkey was presented as part of Nuit Blanche event at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. The date was October 1, 2011. Nuit Blanche means White Night.
This year Nuit Blanche is on Saturday, September 29th, the night of a Full Moon. What can only be described as a White Night in relation to a New Moon being a Dark Night.
Moonkey by the StArmy from Syncwinnipeg on Vimeo.
This coming weekend as the moon approaches its fullness the movie Looper is being released into theatres. Looper stars Burce Willis, who is also in Moonrise Kingdom and Moonkey!
OK. That's all for now.
Have a wonderful Full Moon and White Night!
Photo by Len Peterson@syncwinipeg and some friends saw the Eclipsing Red Moon over the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. (Jim: Let me add as well that December 10th, the day of the eclipse photos by the Human Rite museum is also considered International Human Rights Day and celebrated as such. Ok. That's it.)
Later that same day a new poster dropped at IMPawards, one of the places where we keep track of starry movements. This was the first time I had seen any image of The Dark Knight Rises. As a bit of a geek I remembered that the tale of Bane braking Batman was originally told in the Knightfall Comics of the early nineties.
The logo of Knightfall was an eclipsing Red Moon, just like the Red Moon Eclipse on the same day as the release of the poster for the film inspired by the Knightfall Comics. Strong sync. Little did I know, at that point, that the film itself would entrain with the Moon again by opening near The Dark Night aka New Moon, as Jim explains above.
The video "Web of the Dark Night" shows how the Spider-Man films entrain with The Dark Knight Aurora Shooting. Specifically of interest here Emma Stone is shown as starring in The Amazing Spider-Man and Gangster Squad whose trailer so eerily reflects the shooting it was pulled from circulation.
Above we see a list of sequential 2012 moon phases including the July 3 Full Moon and the already much discussed July 18 New Moon (when Grimes sang: "See you on a dark night") near the release of The Dark Knight.
2012 in film page and we see the release dates of The Amazing Spider-Man (July 3) and The Dark Knight (July 20) both entrain with Moon Phases.
@syncwinipeg post our "Moonkey" sync video featuring Audrey singing "Moon River" in honor of Andy Williams who passed away today, who is also famous for singing the same song. We read how I explain that I had not known about Andy dying when posting the picture and Jim jokes that I am lying.
contemporary art celebration "Nuit Blanche" (meaning White Night!) that we created Moonkey for last year. A loop of syncs connecting last year and Bruce Willis' film career.
See you on a White Night!
May 4 is also the date The Avengers was released, the highest grossing film so far this year.
"Supermoon". That full moon "just so happened" to be timed perfectly with its perigee (closest approach), thus bigger and brighter then usual. I was kinda skeptical about the visibly bigger & brighter "Supermoon" till I saw it myself right after all the "Super Hero" action on the screen. It was indeed very special and perfect for 2012's biggest film (maybe we must wait for The Hobbit before we count our chickens..), opening on the same weekend.
Clearly the moon and cinema have a special relationship as shown up by the syncs related above. The moon is a big reflector of sunlight just like the film screen, shining because of the light from the projector. Both cinema and the moon also associate with silver, as the metal of the moon and as the silver screen.


text:
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Red & Yellow Hawaiian Feathered Friends
16 comments:
- Deetz said...
That one birdie has a really cool head....My mum is going to look like that birdie tonight. She is getting her hair weaved with colbolt blue...hehe I think she is crazy. I wonder if I can color my hair..If I could it would be Lime Green I think.
OH, they have those duck busses in Arkansas too. They drive right off the road, straight into water, so the ducks don't even have to walk to the water.
- Thursday, August 28, 2008
- Kodak the Eskie said...
That is my new favorite bird! The cardinal was my favorite, but this one is even more special!
I would love to take that duck tour. I had my first boat ride this last weekend.
Hugs, Kodak
- Thursday, August 28, 2008
- Babs (Beetle) said...
That is a beautiful bird! I wish we had lovely birds like that in the UK.
- Thursday, August 28, 2008
- Mary said...
I like this new friend of yours very much! Wow....how beautiful!
- Thursday, August 28, 2008
- Lacy said...
w00f's JB, do u thinks dat pretty birdie will let me chase it....me likes its red head..
b safe,
- Thursday, August 28, 2008
- the many Bs said...
hi JB, that is one beautiful bird.
we could totally see you driving that duck bus. do you like to swim? hee hee
- Thursday, August 28, 2008
- Kathryn and Ari said...
Wow! That is one beautiful bird. Which island is your dad visiting? We went to Oahu and the big island a few years ago. Beautiful!
- Thursday, August 28, 2008
- Girl Girl Hamster said...
We have the Duck Tour Bus in Singapore too... Hope your daddy can come ride in one when he comes Singapore the next time
Ps. I think you're related to Bae since you 2 have same fur color JB. :)
~ Girl girl
- Friday, August 29, 2008
- Michele said...
Such a beautiful decorated bird! Incredible colors on that little fella!
Mountain Retreat
- Friday, August 29, 2008
- sdsfasda said...
What a beautiful bird! We have not such colorful birds here in Italy. The birds are black and grey mostly.
Could your dad not make a tour with that splendid bus? What a pitty!
- Friday, August 29, 2008
- Lux said...
That is such a beautiful birdie - just look at that red head!
- Friday, August 29, 2008
- Casper and pals said...
Beautiful birdie!
Hey JB, if you need a 'guest' Big World blogger you can use pictures of our recent trip to Prince Albert National Park (in Saskatchewan Canada). We saw a fawn, a moose and a yellow and black catipillar.
Woofs Casper, Buddy and Nikki
- Friday, August 29, 2008
- GMG said...
Hi JB! Great colours in Hawaii, even if taken from a vat of paint... ;)
Missed your comment on my post of 08.08.08 at 08h08 at Blogtrotter, now in Kos, Greece! :(
Wish you a great Sunday!
- Sunday, August 31, 2008
- Hana said...
I am suspicious of your Daddy Len. I thought he was supposed to be working on his airplane. Instead he is off spending time hiking and visiting the beach! Things don't add up, but then again, I can't add too well.
The Duck vehicle can also be found in Boston! And I think they might also be found at Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida. They can be used in land and water, at least the one in Boston can.
- Sunday, August 31, 2008
this bird has an amazing neck )))
- Friday, September 05, 2008
- myonlyphoto said...
Wow JB what a nice bird, and you got it. Anna :)
- Saturday, September 06, 2008


text:
unique dress for a special occasion
simple and minimalistic
long sleeves
round neckline
precisely sewn
nice textile for the body, breathable
Yuliya Babich More products
If you are not satisfied with your online purchase, you can return the unused articles within 14 days after delivery.
In order to claim a refund, log onto your SHOWROOM account, pick the correct order from the list and fill in the return form. Enclosing the printed return form together with the shipment is not required.
Send your return to the address provided in the return form.
Refund will be processed immediately after the return is delivered to Yuliya Babich. You will be refunded for the product to the bank account you provided.
All orders placed on SHOWROOM are delivered directly from the designers. This way we minimize your waiting time. Yuliya Babich will send the product in 7 days from placing your order.
Yuliya Babich creates for modern women, who value comfort, elegance and great attention to detail. The clothes are great option for those, who love office dressing. Among Babich's designs...


text:
|Homemade Kombucha with Berries, Lime & Mint
It has been a good challenge to come up with exciting and enjoyable things to eat, I just wish I had a little more energy as it is definitely taking extra thought and prep time to do this. My 'tablenosh' dinner party days almost seem like a lifetime ago, but I definitely had more energy and was constantly learning new things and concocting new dishes. It is good to be back in that zone to some degree, I am just at a very different stage of life not to mention different part of the world! Maybe I will be able to crank out a 'tablenosh' dinner or two this summer for RVA...we shall see or at least get my 'side porch' underground cafe happening...
|AIP BBQ Chicken Flatbread
So what have I been cooking and eating? Lots of salads, smoothies and gelatin in everything - who knew grass fed beef gelatin was so versatile and could be put in so many things as a added source of protein. And in the AIP world you can make a 'gelatin' egg and use it as a binder for baking. And those of you who know me know how much I love baking, so I have been very pleased to figure this out. One of my recent favorites is AIP flatbread! The recipe came from another bog site called the curious coconut and was my favorite recipe so far, it made enough for two and it was so nice to have the extra already made for the following day. I made a few alterations to the bbq sauce and added some extra salt and herbs to the flat bread and was very delighted with the outcome!
|AIP Sweet Potato & Plantain Waffles


text:
WESTLAND, Mich. – Westland police said charges won't be brought against a driver who hit a popular Garden City High School student athlete.
Vincent Meiers, 18, was walking home the evening of Feb. 28 after an awards ceremony when he was hit along Middlebelt Road near Warren.
He died a couple of days later in the hospital.
Police said it appears Meiers was walking close to the roadway because there was too much ice and snow on the sidewalk.
The 42-year-old Livonia woman who hit him with a Chrysler minivan stayed at the scene and isn't being considered responsible.
Meiers was a senior and on the football team.
Previous story:


text:
515 members287 Comments 18 Likes
704 members418 Comments 193 Likes
171 members72 Comments 19 Likes
509 members365 Comments 49 Likes
Samantha B has not received any gifts yet
Hi Samantha, and welcome to this rational world of Internet atheism---a haven from the superstitions and fictional god of the masses.
"Well-founded common sense inevitably leads to atheism."
We invite you to make good friends by joining the busy group "ORIGINS: Universe, Astronomy, Life, Earth, Humans, Religion, Gods, Atheism, Evolution, Darwin..." with its 475 discussion topics and 2700 members.
Terence Meaden
You as well. I've enjoyed hearing what you have to say. It seems there are so few voices of moderation, so it's a relief to find another person who can understand points of view that are not necessarily their own. I often my myself defending theists here (not their beliefs, but their right to have them), and I sometimes find that a depressing state of affairs. I used to think atheists would be more likely to have an open mind, having experienced oppression from theists all their lives, but so many of them really swing entirely the other way, such that I no longer see a difference between them and the theists they abhore.
Anyway, lol, nice to meet you.
Welcome, Samantha! Glad you could join us. :D
Please consider joining a group to meet people and talk about anything that's on your mind, Hang With Friends.
© 2020 Atheist Nexus. All rights reserved. Admin: The Nexus Group. Powered by


text:
Young Lace feat Cash Out Kidd - Sold Out [BMajor Music Submitted]
"Young Lace recording artist signed to B Major Recordings got
together with Kenneth Wynn to put together a visual for his song
Sold Out ft Cash Out Kidd. Check out what they came up with" -
Posted by @Worldstarvids
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


text:
Request DiscountPrice Quote
(FREE SHIPPING)-Body Solid Pro Power Rack System
Body Solid Pro Power Rack-GPR378
Freedom of movement combined with adjustable racking and safety positions make the Power Rack a must-have for those who want to strength train without compromise. The Body-Solid Pro Power Rack is designed to work with all types of benches and engineered for extreme workouts. Heavy-duty 11-gauge high tensile strength steel frames feature all-4-side welded construction and oversized industrial strength hardware. Electrostatically applied powder coat finish resists chipping and scratching through the most brutal routines. If you want to get bigger and stronger fast, a Body-Solid Pro Power Rack is what you need.
Wide 'walk-in' design
20 adjustment levels
3"x 3" vertical support columns
41" wide knurled chinning bar
Heat tempered Lift-Offs and saber-style safety rods keep your workouts simple, safe, and effective
Ideal for home and commercial use
82"H x 49"L x 46"W
Lat Attachment for Power Rack-GLA378
Transform your Body Solid Power Rack into a multi-workout machine. This Lat Attachment will help you build a wider, beefier Back and/or stronger and bigger Biceps and Triceps. Features nylon coated, aircraft quality (2200 Lb. test) cables. The Plate Load carriage on this Lat Attachment features 1" diameter weight posts that will accommodate Standard or Olympic Weight Plates. Includes Lat Bar and Low Row Bar. 84"H when attached.
Plates & Bar & 200 lb weight stack-SP200 sold separately.
Verify Security Code
Type Security Code Here:
Copyright 2020 Top Site Media
The Bench Press.com
Owned and Operated by Weight Lifters
Site by LoadedCommerce.com


text: Well, things are not as fun as they once were. Anywho. I am making this for myself, and I won't be taking certain requests to change anything. I will share it, and you all can port it to whatever you choose. This is nowhere near close to finish, at all. Instruction installation: This is a .340 theme, and there is no ROM used. If you have a stock, rooted, deodexed phone, you can run this. 1. First, uninstall all updates to these apps [Go into application manager, uninstall etc.]: --youtube --gmail --vending ~You will be getting the same files back, only in system/app, not data/app. They will be the latest updated versions that I am aware of as of 01/17/11 **WARNING** This was created from STOCK [NO ROM]. I don't think it will work with any ROM as it is, I haven't tested. I am not responsible for anything that happens if you test this on your own. If you decide to port, or add icons to whatever, just give a little bit of thanks. Included in Version 1.0: Settings.apk Updated icons for: Gmail.apk YouTube.apk BlurCamera.apk Browser.apk Music.apk Vending.apk FileManager.apk Additional Edits: framework-res.apk blur-res.apk LAST NOTE ~ Any and all icons subject to change at any time. Nothing on this phone of mine is guaranteed, I prefer a look. I hope you all enjoy it though.


text:
"Our long experience with Fujitsu hardware has always been incredibly positive. It is excellent value for money."
Dr. Hermann Gumpp, Procurement Services, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich (LMU)
The Physics Faculty was founded in 1971 and is closely linked to the names of the major scientists who worked at Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, including six Nobel prize winners: From Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, who was awarded the 1901 Nobel Prize, through to Theodor Hänsch, who was awarded the 2005 Nobel Prize for Physics. Today, the faculty, whose own history bears witness to the development of Physics into a discipline in its own right, remains a leading light internationally both in research and education. In fact, in the most recent QS World University Rankings by Subject, which highlights the world's top universities in a range of subjects, the faculty came 13th overall. The faculty teaches all the main fields of modern Physics.
Fast, high-performance hardware is essential for the complex simulations and calculations performed by the scientists at Ludwig- Maximilians-University (LMU). The existing 109 workstations within the Meteorology and Theoretical Physics departments no longer met these requirements and needed to be replaced by new, higher performance systems. In view of the fact that the computers were situated directly at the workstations instead of a central server room, quiet operation was a key criterion for LMU in its search for new hardware. Reliability and low maintenance were also high on the list.
The outdated workstations have now been replaced by 109 FUJITSU CELSIUS M720 workstations, each of which is equipped with an Intel® Xeon® processor E5-2650 with eight cores, allowing the processing of 16 threads in parallel. Featuring noise emissions of only 20 dB (A), the machines help to create a quiet working environment. High performance is guaranteed thanks to the 32 GB memory, NVIDIA® NVS™ 300 graphic cards and a 128 GB SSD.
Read the full LMU case study (216 KB/A4, 2 pages)
Dela med andra


text: Still Life Tattoo and The Pretty Pretty Collective Present: Everything Went Black By Tim Shelton Everything Went Black: An Artist Tribute to Black Flag, presented by Still Life Tattoo on March 10th, 2012... If you're mailing artwork after March 1st please email to PPC only. You may mail artwork to me at the shop, before this date, at the below address. If you are mailing contracts and/or artwork please mail it to: The Pretty Pretty Collective c/o Georgia Howard 3290 22nd Street San Francisco, California 94110 For more info please visit: http://theprettyprettycollective.com/ and http://sealbeachtattoo.com/


text:
After President Obama told a magazine that he shoots skeet at Camp David, critics and reporters demanded proof. The White House released a photo Saturday of the president in action. NBC's Kristen Welker reports.
WASHINGTON -- Seeking to put to rest questions on whether Barack Obama was a straight shooter when he claimed he went skeet shooting "all the time," the White House on Saturday offered proof: a photo of the president blasting away at clay targets.
Obama drew skepticism when he made the assertion in a recent interview with the New Republic magazine, an attempt to show sympathy for hunters even as he pushes for tighter gun controls after the Newtown school shooting massacre in December.
Obama's aides were in the awkward position of standing by his comments while resisting reporters' demands for proof that he was indeed a regular on the shooting range at the presidential retreat in the Maryland mountains.
The White House finally weighed in on Saturday with a photo of Obama skeet shooting at Camp David last August 4.
"For all the 'skeeters'," Obama senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer said in a Twitter message linked to the photo, which showed the president -- wearing sunglasses, jeans and noise mufflers on his ears -- firing a shotgun with smoke spraying from the barrel.
It was unclear, however, whether a single photo would satisfy skeptics about his claim that he and his guests frequently shoot clay pigeons at Camp David.
Obama, in the New Republic interview, was asked if he had ever fired a gun.
"Yes, in fact, up at Camp David, we do skeet shooting all the time," Obama said.
"The whole family?" he was asked.
"Not the girls, but oftentimes guests of mine go up there. And I have a profound respect for the traditions of hunting that trace back in this country for generations. And I think those who dismiss that out of hand make a big mistake."
Conservative critics immediately questioned the Democratic president's assertion, and talk show comedians had a field day with the idea that he had taken up shooting as a hobby.
U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn, a Tennessee Republican, even challenged Obama to a skeet-shooting contest.
Obama's comment was widely seen as an attempt to reach out to gun owners to ease their concerns about his legislative proposals, the biggest gun control push in decades. He will travel to Minnesota on Monday to speak on gun control.
White House


text:
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama, accompanied by First Lady Michelle Obama, visited with 3rd Infantry Division soldiers Friday at Fort Stewart, Ga., and discussed a new executive order that helps to safeguard military education benefits and protect service members from predatory schools.
Obama and the first lady expressed their desire to protect military members, veterans and their families from predatory recruiters offering bogus and costly education programs.
"I've heard the stories … you may have experienced it yourselves. You go online to try and find the best school for military members or your spouses or other family members," President Obama said. "You end up on a website that looks official. They ask you for your email, they ask you for your phone number, they promise to link you up with a program that fits your goals."
Obama pointed to certain schools that "aren't interested in helping" because "they don't care about you; they care about the cash," later referring to them as "appalling" and "disgraceful" and something that "should never happen in America."
"I'm not talking about all schools," the president noted. "Many of them, for-profit and nonprofit, provide quality education to our service members and our veterans and their families. But there are some bad actors out there."
Obama declared he was "going to put an end" to hidden high-interest student loans, non-transferrable credits and non-existent job placement programs used as tactics to "swindle and hoodwink" troops through his signature today of an executive order.
According to the president, the order requires colleges to provide clear information about qualifications and financial aid through access to a fact sheet called "Know Before You Owe," and providing increased support through counseling.
"If you've got to move because of a deployment or reassignment, they've got to help you come up with a plan that you can still get your degree," he said. "[And] we're going to bring an end to the aggressive, and sometimes, dishonest recruiting that takes place."
Obama also indicated tougher restrictions to colleges and universities allowed on military installations and increased vigilance to prevent improper education program recruiting practices.
Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta lauded the president's and first lady's commitment to protect the military, veterans and their families.
"I applaud the steps, President and Mrs. Obama, announced today to ensure military and veterans' educational benefits meet the needs of service members, veterans, and their families," he said. "Ensuring quality educational opportunities are available to those who have served our nation in uniform is an essential part of enabling them to compete in today's economy."
America's men and women in uniform and military veterans "have fought and risked their lives for this country," the secretary said. "They represent a generation of Americans returning home from war with unique experience and skills that make them invaluable in schools, workplaces, and communities across America and the world."
Panetta said the demands of military service can make it difficult to find the right information from schools, especially those engaged in aggressive, deceptive recruiting practices.
"This initiative will ensure that service members, veterans, and their families have the information and support they need to make informed decisions about their well-earned educational benefits," he said. "This effort helps preserve our nation's legacy, going back to the original GI Bill, of doing all that we can to help our troops lead productive and successful lives after leaving the military."
The defense secretary said Obama's executive order is another example of the president's "strong support" to troops and their families. Panetta thanked the president and first lady for their commitment to "these brave young men and women."
The first lady touched on the "Joining Forces" campaign during her remarks today to soldiers at Fort Stewart. Established about a year ago, "Joining Forces" is a nationwide campaign that was created to recognize, honor and support veterans, troops and military families. The first lady started the "Joining Forces" campaign with Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden.
"In our first year alone, more than 1,600 businesses hired more than 60,000 veterans, and they pledged to hire at least 170,000 more in the coming years," the first lady said of some results of "Joining Forces" campaign efforts.
The Commander in Chief commended the division's soldiers for their "unshakable commitment to our country" as they performed "heroically in some of the most dangerous places on earth."
"You have done everything that has been asked of you and more," Obama said. "You have earned a special place in our nation's history."


text:
The Official Web Site
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
Dust Off -- A Serious Fatal Hazard...
MarkWahlberg.com Forum Index
Off-Topic Messages
View previous topic
View next topic
Joined: 13 May 2005
Posts: 47
Location: VA
Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2005 2:20 pm
Post subject: Dust Off -- A Serious Fatal Hazard...
Kelly here,
I thought I would share this with you..
This story is true.. please read and make others aware of this..
People need to relize that no matter how educated they think they are about drugs, and how much you try to educate your kids about the dangers of drugs, they will find ways to get that quick high...
Dust Off -- A Serious Fatal Hazard
First I'm going to tell you a little about me and my family. My name is Jeff. I am a Police Officer for a city which is known nationwide for its crime rate. We have a lot of gangs and drugs. At one point we were #2 in the nation in homicides per capita. I also have a police K-9 named Thor. He was certified in drugs and general duty. He retired at 3 years old because he was shot in the line of duty. He lives with us now and I still train with him because he likes it. I always liked the fact that there was no way to bring drugs into my house. Thor wouldn't allow it. He would tell on you. The reason I say this is so you understand that I know about drugs. I have taught in schools about drugs. My wife asks all our kids at least once a week if they used any drugs. Makes them promise they won't.
I like building computers occasionally and started building a new one in February 2005. I also was working on some of my older computers. They were full of dust so on one of my trips to the computer store I bought a 3 pack of DUST OFF. Dust Off is a can of compressed air to blow dust off a computer A few weeks later when I went to use them they were all used.
I talked to my kids and my 2 sons both said they had used them on their computer and messing around with them. I yelled at them for wasting the 10 dollars I paid for them. On February 28 I went back to the computer store. They didn't have the 3 pack which I had bought on sale so I bought a single jumbo can of Dust Off. I went home and set it down beside my computer.
On March 1st I left for work at 10 PM. At 11 PM my wife went down and kissed Kyle goodnight. At 530 AM the next morning Kathy went downstairs to wake Kyle up for school, before she left for work. He was sitting up in bed with his legs crossed and his head leaning over. She called to him a few times to get up. He didn't move. He would sometimes tease her
like this and pretend he fell back asleep. He was never easy to get up. She went in and shook his arm. He fell over. He was pale white and had the straw from the Dust Off can coming out of his mouth. He had the new can of Dust Off in his hands. Kyle was dead.
I am a police officer and I had never heard of this. My wife is a nurse and she had never heard of this. We later found out from the coroner, after the autopsy, that only the propellant from the can of Dust off was in his system...no other drugs. Kyle had died between midnight and 1am.
I found out that using Dust Off is being done mostly by kids ages 9 through 15. They even have a name for it. It's called dusting. A take off from the Dust Off name. It gives them a slight high for about 10 seconds. It makes them dizzy. A boy who lives down the street from us showed Kyle how to do this about a month before. Kyle showed his best friend. Told him it was cool and it couldn't hurt you. It's just compressed air. It can't hurt you. His best friend said no.
Kyle's death
Kyle was wrong. It's not just compresses air. It also contains a propellant. I think its R2. It's a refrigerant like what is used in your refrigerator. It is a heavy gas, heavier than air. When you inhale it, it fills your lungs and keeps the good air, with oxygen, out. That's why you feel dizzy, buzzed. It decreases the oxygen to your brain, to your heart. Kyle was right. It can 't hurt you. IT KILLS YOU. The horrible part about this is there is no warning. There is no level that kills you. It's not cumulative or an overdose; it can just go randomly, terribly wrong. Roll the dice and if your number comes up you
die. IT'S NOT AN OVERDOSE. It's Russian roulette. You don't die later. Or not feel good and say I've had too much. You usually die as your breathing it in. If not you die within 2 seconds of finishing "the hit." That's why the straw was still in Kyle's mouth when he died. Why his eyes were still open.
The experts want to call this huffing. The kids don't believe its huffing. As adults we tend to lump many things together. But it doesn't fit here. And that's why it's more accepted. There is no chemical reaction. no strong odor It doesn't follow the huffing signals. Kyle complained a few days before he died of his tongue hurting. It probably did. The propellant causes frostbite . If I had only known.
It's easy to say hey, it's my life and I'll do what I want. But it isn't. Others are always affected. This has forever changed our family's life. I have a hole in my heart and soul that can never be fixed. The pain is so immense I can't describe it. There's nowhere to run from it. I cry all the time and I don't ever cry. I do what I'm supposed to do but I don't really care. My kids are messed up. One won't talk about it. The other will only sleep in our room at night. And my wife, I can't even describe how bad she is taking this. I thought we were safe because of Thor. I thought we were safe because we knew about drugs and talked to our kids about them.
After Kyle died another story came out. A Probation Officer went to the school system next to ours to speak with a student. While there he found a student using Dust Off in the bathroom. This student told him about another student who also had some in his locker. This is a rather affluent school system. They will tell you they don't have a drug problem there. They don't even have a dare or plus program there. So rather than tell everyone about this "new" way of getting high they found, they hid it. The probation officer told the media after Kyle's death and they, the school, then admitted to it. I know that if they would have told the media and I had heard, it wouldn't have been in my house.
We need to get this out of our homes and school computer labs. Using Dust Off isn't new and some "professionals" do know about. It just isn't talked about much, except by the kids. They know about it.
April 2nd was 1 month since Kyle died. April 5th would have been his 15th birthday. And every weekday I catch myself sitting on the living room couch at 2:30 in the afternoon and waiting to see him get off the bus. I know Kyle is in heaven but I can't help but wonder If I died and went to Hell.
The Truth
The "Jeff" of this email is Jeff Williams of Painesville Township, Ohio.
His son Kyle died on 3/2/05 after learning from friends about the brief high that can be experienced from inhaling the compressed air that spews from a can of Dust-Off, which is frequently sold at computer stores and used for cleaning hard-to-reach places in or on computers.
Williams first posted his note on a web site then gave an interview to the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper.
Dust-Off is from Falcon Safety Products, which has posted a warning about misuse of Dust-Off.
Click Here:
for that page.
Dust-Off is just one of numerous products that is used by those who are involved in what is called "inhalant abuse."
The National Institutes of Health has an extensive listing about it.
Click Here:
for that report
Straycat Promotions
"Official Promoter For The Funkbs "
My URL
Official Funkbs Website URL:
Back to top
Display posts from previous:
All Posts
1 Day
7 Days
2 Weeks
1 Month
3 Months
6 Months
1 Year
Oldest First
Newest First
MarkWahlberg.com Forum Index
Off-Topic Messages
All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Jump to:
Select a forum
Official Announcements
Mark Wahlberg Discussion
In The News
Off-Topic Messages
The Lovely Bones
The Fighter
The Happening
Max Payne
We Own The Night
The Departed
Four Brothers
I Heart Huckabees
Three Kings
Boogie Nights
Perfect Storm
Rock Star
Planet of the Apes
The Italian Job
The Big Hit
Basketball Diaries
The Yards
Renaissance Man
The Corruptor
The Traveller
The Truth About Charlie
Other Movies
post new topics in this forum
reply to topics in this forum
edit your posts in this forum
delete your posts in this forum
vote in polls in this forum
Powered by
© 2001, 2005 phpBB Group


text:
Search over 1 million properties and 550 airlines worldwide
Free cancellation on most hotels. Because flexibility matters.
Reviewed on 4 Jul. 2020
Reviewed on 5 Jul. 2020
Reviewed on 5 Jul. 2020
Reviewed on 5 Jul. 2020
Reviewed on 3 Jul. 2020
Reviewed on 3 Jul. 2020
Reviewed on 28 Jun. 2020
Reviewed on 6 Jul. 2020
Reviewed on 5 Jul. 2020
Reviewed on 30 Jun. 2020
Ontario is the most populous province of Canada and stretches nearly 3,000 kilometres from its eastern border with Quebec to its western border with Manitoba. If you are seeking a fun-filled vacation, Ontario hotels offer you many different options. If, for example, you are a boater, you can sail into Lake Huron for the Port Huron, Michigan, to Mackinac Island race. Discover a cheap Ontario hotel deal and get the best rates. The lake also offers hundreds of kilometers of beaches. Cheap hotel deals in Ontario abound, and reservations are available year round.
Check out the tallest freestanding structure in North America: the CN Tower. The tip of its spire plunges 553 metres into the sky. If you are particularly daring, for $175, you can walk outside on a catwalk the size of a city sidewalk 356 metres above the ground. It is an unforgettable adrenaline rush. From that dizzying height, you can even catch sight of some of the top hotels in Ontario. While in Toronto, you should also be sure to visit the Hockey Hall of Fame. Ontario hotel deals do not last long; find special discount prices early, book the rooms, and take advantage of the best Ontario hotel packages.
For those history buffs among you, Josiah Henson's cabin near Dresden is a must see. His 5-acre property, which is currently the Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site, was the last stop on the Underground Railroad. Petrolia is a half-hour drive north of Dresden and is the first place in North America where oil was discovered in 1858. If you prefer more modern history, you can visit Sarnia. This small city on the Michigan border was the number-two target of the Soviet nuclear arsenal behind Washington, D.C., during the Cold War because of its extensive petrochemical industry. Be sure to visit the waterfront for a plate of Sarnia's world-famous, fresh-cut chips.
Northern Ontario offers outdoorsmen a veritable bounty of game. Deer, elk, moose, and bear are all available for hunting in season, and the rivers and lakes teem with everything from walleye to sturgeon. Campers can enjoy a top outdoor experience in any one of a number of campgrounds or truly rough it in a tent in the Ontario wilderness. You can sail, camp, hunt, dine, sightsee in Ontario, or even gamble at one of its half a dozen casinos.


text:
The 10 Best Movie Physiques of All Time
These bodies stayed imprinted in our heads long after the credits rolled.Read article
These bodies stayed imprinted in our heads long after the credits rolled.Read article
Get the lowdown on basic punches, gear, and shadowboxing.Read article
NBA trainer Amoila Cesar shares his exercises and workout to build a six pack.Read article
Use these tips to maximize your foam-rolling sessions.Read article
The following is a guide to the exercises referenced in FLEX's "In the Beginning," a 12-week beginner's bodybuilding program. Exercise descriptions are listed in the order in which they appear in the charts on page 90 of the January 2008 issue of FLEX ("Weeks 1-6: Total-Body Circuit Workout" and "Weeks 7-12: Increased-Intensity Split Workout").
For more exercise descriptions, workout suggestions, and bodybuilding and nutrition tips, purchase a copy of 101 Workouts, a bodybuilding manual by Michael Berg and the MUSCLE & FITNESS editors, available in January at Barnes & Noble.
START: Place your feet on a leg press machine platform in a shoulder-width stance. Extend your knees (but do not lock them out) to lift the platform slightly, then disengage the safety handles.
MOVE: Lower the platform, bringing your knees toward your chest. At the bottom, press forcefully through your heels to raise the weight back up. Make sure your lower back stays firmly on the pad throughout the exercise.
START: Lie face-down on a leg-curl machine and position your Achilles tendons below the padded lever with your knees just off the edge of the bench. Grasp the bench or the handles for stability. Make sure your knees are slightly bent to protect them from overextension.
MOVE: Raise your feet toward your glutes in a strong and deliberate motion, squeezing the muscles at the top, then lower to the start position. Keep your hips down on the bench; letting them rise to get more leverage will take emphasis off the hams. A good mental trick for hamstrings is to think of them like biceps; for each rep, you want to flex them into a tight ball, then release.
START: Using a narrow-grip handle, keep your knees slightly bent with your feet flat on the platform in front of you for stabilization.
MOVE: With your torso perpendicular to the floor and your eyes straight ahead, pull the handle toward your midsection, focusing on driving your elbows back until the handle touches your navel. After squeezing your shoulder blades together at the peak of contraction, slowly return to the starting position, leaning forward slightly with your arms extended at the end of each rep to stretch your lats completely.
START: Load the appropriate weight on a chest press machine, lie back on the bench and grasp the handles at slightly beyond shoulder width.
MOVE: Keep your elbows pointing outward as you press the weight straight up. Pause at the top, then lower the weight slowly.
START: Position a bench under the barbell within the machine. Using an overhand grip that's beyond shoulder width, unlatch the bar from the safety supports.
MOVE: Lower the bar down behind your head, then flex through your shoulders and forcefully press it up. Keep your back straight and your elbows under the bar during each rep.
START: Grasp two heavy dumbbells and stand in a comfortable, shoulder-width stance.
MOVE: Hold the dumbbells at your sides and let them extend as far downward as you can. Pull your shoulders straight up and hold for two counts before slowly lowering the weights. No rolling is necessary.
START: With a slight bend in your knees, stand erect facing a high-cable pulley. Grasp a short, straight bar with your hands placed six to eight inches apart, palms down, and bend your elbows to 90 degrees.
MOVE: Keeping your elbows stationary near your sides, slowly straighten your arms, bringing your elbows down by your body. Pause at full extension and squeeze your triceps, then slowly return to the starting position.
START: Position the seat so your armpits are flush against the pad. Place your feet forward to help stabilize your body, and grasp the handle with an underhand grip so your little fingers are higher than your thumbs (your palms supinate outward). This helps keep your elbows in and better isolates the lower biceps.
MOVE: Slowly raise the handle, pause and squeeze your biceps, then lower the handle to just short of elbow lockout.
START: Lie face-down on a back-extension bench with your heels under the footpads.
MOVE: With your body straight, head neither flexed forward nor extended backward, and your arms crossed over your chest, lower your torso so your body forms an angle that approaches 90 degrees. Use a smooth motion to rise back up to the starting position.
START: Stand squarely beneath the shoulder pads of a calf-raise machine, with the balls of your feet at the edge of the footrest. MOVE: With your legs straight, lower yourself to stretch your calves, then rise as high as you can, squeezing the muscles.
START: Grasp a straight bar with an overhand grip, hands about 10 inches apart. Kneel on the floor along one side of a flat bench. With your forearms on the bench, let your hands and wrists hang over the edge.
MOVE: Curl your hands up as high as possible, then lower the weight to the starting position. To maximize your range of motion, keep your thumbs on the underside of the bar. Repeat for reps, then switch to an underhand grip with your hands about four inches apart (thumbs under the bar) and perform the same movement.
START: Lie on the floor with your knees bent, feet and lower back flat.
MOVE: With your hands cupped loosely behind your neck, contract through your abs to lift your shoulders and upper back off the floor. Hold for one count before slowly lowering back to the start, making the negative portion of the rep as slow and deliberate as the positive portion.
START: Lie squarely on an incline bench, which should be set at a fairly low angle. Hold the dumbbells just outside your shoulders.
MOVE: Forcefully press the weights up in an arc until your arms are fully extended above your chest. Reverse the motion, being sure not to overstretch your shoulders by lowering the weights below chest level.
START: Sit in a pec-deck station, placing your elbows and upper arms on the pads. Position your arms so that your elbows fall just below your shoulders, and limit the stretch to just behind your chest.
MOVE: Squeeze your pecs to bring the pads together in front of your chest. Flex your chest hard when your elbows are together, and always lower the weight in a controlled manner. Don't bounce.
START: Grasp a dumbbell in one hand and rest your free hand on a bench, keeping your chest slightly lifted as you bend forward from the hips, one foot just in front of the other for balance.
MOVE: Keeping your torso stable, pull the dumbbell all the way up to touch your chest, moving your shoulder backward as your elbow comes toward the ceiling. Lower the dumbbell straight down to the starting position.
START: Take a wide grip on the bar in a pulldown machine. Position yourself on the seat with your chest up. Lean back slightly.
MOVE: Squeeze your lats to initiate the movement, pulling the bar down in a smooth motion to nearly touch your upper chest. Hold the peak contraction for a moment, then slowly return the bar all the way up to get a good stretch through the working muscles. Don't rock back and forth — stay almost upright throughout.
START: Sit erect on an adjustable bench, feet flat on the floor. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with a pronated (palms facing forward) grip. Your elbows should be just slightly below the level of your shoulders, wrists directly in line with your elbows.
MOVE: Keeping your shoulders back, press the weights overhead in an arc, but don't let them touch at the top. Slowly lower to the starting position and repeat.
START: Sit or stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand in front of your hips, palms facing inward.
MOVE: Maintain a slight bend in your elbows as you lift your arms out to your sides. Lead with your elbows and, when they reach shoulder height, pause before slowly lowering to the starting position.
START: Lie on a flat bench and hold an EZ-curl bar in one hand with an overhand grip. Extend your arms straight up.
MOVE: Without letting your upper arms move (they should remain pointing straight up), bend at the elbows to bring the bar down toward the top of your head. Don't let your elbows drift outward. Stop your downward motion when the bar is just beyond your forehead, and reverse to bring your arms back up to the starting position.
START: With your knees slightly bent and your feet about hip-width apart, grasp a barbell with a shoulder-width, underhand grip. Let the bar hang to your thighs. Keep your abs pulled in and your elbows stationary.
MOVE: Without swaying, slowly curl the bar in an arc toward your shoulders as you exhale. Pause at the top of the movement, squeeze your biceps and slowly lower the bar almost to the start. Don't lift the bar all the way to your shoulders, and don't let it touch your thighs at the bottom, in order to keep continuous tension on the biceps.
START: Stand with the bar across your shoulders and traps, grasping it just beyond your shoulders. Twist the bar to unrack it.
MOVE: With your chest high, head up and back slightly arched, bend your knees and hips as if you're sitting back in a chair until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Reverse the motion by driving through your heels and pressing your hips forward to return to the starting position.
START: Sit in a leg extension machine so your knees are at the edge of the bench and your ankles are just below the footpad/rollers. Sit back against the back pad, if applicable.
MOVE: Grasp the handles or the bench edges behind your hips and keep your upper body stable as you straighten your legs in a smooth movement until your legs are fully extended. Contract your quads at the top and lower under control. For full benefits, don't let the weight touch down between repetitions. Keep the motion fluid and concentrate on feeling the muscle work.
START: Lie face-up on a bench or the floor with your hands extended at your sides, feet up and thighs perpendicular to the bench or floor.
MOVE: Slowly bring your knees toward your chest, lifting up your hips and glutes, and try to maintain the bend in your knees throughout the movement. Return to the starting position, using a controlled motion.


text:
There is an undeniable connection between cycling, drinking coffee, and drinking beer. But why?
Cycling Inquisition delves into this subject in some detail. But I've got a slightly different take on it.
There was an article sometime ago in Bicycling magazine that first alerted me to this idea, and I've seen references a couple of times since then. Basically, the idea is that endurance sports – like cycling and marathon running – release certain chemicals in the brain. This will come as no surprise to many, as frequently cyclists will cite occasions of becoming grumpy, lethargic or downright hostile if they are not able to get out and ride regularly. Sound like the same things that happen to regular beef aficionados when they don't get a night at the pub? Not a coincidence, says some research. Some of the same chemicals released by endurance athletics are also released into the brain by alcohol consumption. Of course, the cyclists and runners get it without fear of hangovers and DUIs!
So maybe there is good science behind the beer drinking connection. But what about coffee? My answer – logistics.
First off, caffeine has some very obvious and noticeable effects on athletic performance. Enough so that it was once banned and tested for as an illegal substance when used during athletic competitions. In fact, WADA, or the World Anti-Doping Agency, are considering adding it back onto the banned substances list. And who doesn't want a little extra kick that is both social acceptable and doesn't involve a blood bag?
That doesn't feel like the whole story, though. I believe the crux of the caffeine connection comes from the dynamics of group rides. Groups need places to meet and the two most common meeting places for random groups of folks: pubs and cafes. While drunken and hung over cyclists may explain Mr. Attack-at-weird-places-and-blow-up, or Mrs. Don't-talk-to-me-when-I'm-pedaling that sometimes show up for the group rides, alcohol consumption is generally frowned upon by the serious group ride leaders. That leaves coffee shops as the next most reasonable alternative as meeting places for group rides.
Get enough cyclists with their lycra kits showing up at your cafe repeatedly, and eventually sponsorship deals will be discusses. And – given that cyclists are often compelled to talk about the amazing products and services of their sponsors, it stands to reason that sipping the java would become an integral part of cycling as a whole.


text:
Login Required
You need to have a Pokémon Trainer Club Account to save your Favorite Pokémon!Log In Sign Up No Thanks
Seedot looks exactly like an acorn when it is dangling from a tree branch. It startles other Pokémon by suddenly moving. This Pokémon polishes its body once a day using leaves.
Seedot attaches itself to a tree branch using the top of its head. It sucks moisture from the tree while hanging off the branch. The more water it drinks, the glossier this Pokémon's body becomes.
Boosts the Pokémon's Speed stat in sunshine.
The Pokémon awakens quickly from sleep.
The Pokémon Company International is not responsible for the content of any linked website that is not operated by The Pokémon Company International. Please note that these websites' privacy policies and security practices may differ from The Pokémon Company International's standards.
Pokemon.com administrators have been notified and will review the screen name for compliance with the Terms of Use.
Your request could not be completed. Please try again. If the problem persists, please contact Customer Support.


text:
The Example of Josiah: Serving God Without Hope of Reward
|King Josiah Cleansing the Land of Idols, by William Hole
A while back, I wrote a research paper on King Josiah, and ever since then he has been one of my favorite Bible characters.
"He did right in the sight of the LORD and walked in all the way of his father David, nor did he turn aside to the right or to the left."
"'Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: 'Tell the man who sent you to me, Thus says the LORD, Behold, I will bring disaster upon this place and upon its inhabitants, all the words of the book that the king of Judah has read. Because they have forsaken me and have made offerings to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore my wrath will be kindled against this place, and it will not be quenched.
But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, thus shall you say to him, Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Regarding the words that you have heard, because your heart was penitent, and you humbled yourself before the LORD, when you heard how I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the LORD.
Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the disaster that I will bring upon this place.''
So basically, God says that for all their wickedness, the people of Judah will be punished, but because Josiah humbled himself before God, he won't have to witness the destruction of his country and will die before it happens.And they brought back word to the king."
"For no such Passover had been kept since the days of the judges who judged Israel, or during all the days of the kings of Israel or of the kings of Judah. But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah this Passover was kept to the LORD in Jerusalem."


text:
COINS in your Community
COINS (Community Of interest for Network Security) was developed as a way of supporting local professional information and computer security communities by offering SANS instructors and SANS content to local InfoSec Chapters all over the U.S and Canada. We support associations like: Information System Security Association (ISSA), Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), High Tech Crimes Association (HTCIA), InfraGard and others.
We provide you with one of our qualified SANS Instructors that can teach on various topics. For more information, on how we can work with your organization, click here.
Multiple Registrations
Do you have 3 or more individuals from your company or organization who would like to attend the same Community SANS event, or a combination of Community SANS events? Contact us for information on how we can customize a plan that works for you or bring a new Community SANS Event to your town!


text:
Rants from the Hill: My home lake
"Rants from the Hill" are Michael Branch's monthly musings on life in the high country of Nevada's western Great Basin desert.
Edward Abbey began Desert Solitaire with the following words: "This is the most beautiful place on earth. There are many such places." Well, my home lake here in Silver Hills is the most gorgeous place on the planet, in just the way Cactus Ed intended. It is nestled in a gently sloping basin surrounded by granitic hills that are dotted with bitterbrush and big sage. In the spring, balsamroot and lupine cover the upland slopes in a drapery of yellow and purple, while the pink flush of desert peach ignites the rocky draws. In late summer, golden domes of rabbit brush appear everywhere. Green fingers of ephedra, which emerge from a blanket of snow in winter, are grazed by pronghorn and mule deer. My home lake is also a jewel on the necklace of the Pacific inland flyway, and is home to at least 80 species of birds. All year round we see golden eagles here, and harriers, red tails, kestrels, ravens, great horned owls, mountain bluebirds. So perfectly lovely is this place that when it came time to marry, I decided to hike Eryn to the top of the nearby hills. There we rested on red granite boulders, gazed out across the stunning expanse of the lake, and decided to spend our lives together. In this place, as in no other on earth, there is a clarity of light, a play of shadow, a catharsis of wind that makes you want to change your life. And there is one more thing I should mention about my home lake. It contains no water.
Although my home lake is what is called a "dry lake" or "alkali flat," such lakes exist around the globe and carry a variety of lyrical names: kavir in Iran, takyr in central Asia, and abkha in much of the Arabic world; pan in South Africa, and salar in most of South America. The term most widely used in Mexico and in the intermountain West is "playa lake." To scientists, this is an "endorheic" lake, which is a wonky way of saying that it exists in a closed basin, one in which water may flow in but never flows out. Moisture arriving here by any means will either evaporate or be absorbed into the ground. In this kind of internal drainage system the concept of "downstream" simply does not apply. This special place is where water comes to die, and to be reborn.
An endorheic lake like this one has a dry bed—around here we call the lakebed a "playa" (Spanish for "beach")—which is among the flattest landscapes on earth. This is why desert playas are used for rocketry and for setting land speed records. It is also why huge playas like the Smoke Creek and Black Rock are the site of Nevada's signature form of outdoor recreation. First, drive your truck out onto the playa. Then, weight the accelerator pedal with a chunk of granite, or jimmy it with a bitterbrush branch.
As the vehicle begins covering ground, tune the radio to the baseball game, then clamber out your window and onto the top of your truck's cab. Be sure to take the six-pack with you. Now, sit back and enjoy the sun, the breeze, and the scenery of the distant mountains as your unmanned truck drives itself randomly across the expansive sublimity of one of the most isotropic landscapes on the planet. Wear your shades, because playas are usually bright white from a coating of fine-grained saline sediment that contains evaporative minerals like borax and sodium carbonate. The playa is also the cradle of fantastic dust storms, as climbing spirals of hot desert wind whip the white dust into towering gyres that may be seen for miles. And recent research has shown that the particles liberated from playas in this way act as condensation nuclei. That is, they are the seeds from which clouds are grown in the wild garden of the sky.
My grandpa, who was a homebrewer during prohibition, used to tell me stories of accidentally over-sugaring beer batches and having the bottles explode beneath the beds where they were hidden. "A lot of people wet their beds back then," he used to joke, "from the bottom up. Pop! Pop! Pop!" Playa lakes are often created in the same way: they are flooded from below. Even in the absence of runoff from snowmelt, it sometimes happens that the water table beneath the playa rises high enough to intersect the surface, at which point water percolates up onto the endorheic lakebed from below. When that happens, what looks like the sun-baked, rock hard surface of the playa is actually a thin crust beneath which looms the subterranean megalake of the aquifer itself. Every now and then some desert rat tearing across the playa at high speed fails to notice the telltale dimples that subtly reveal the upward movement of underground water. No matter. They figure it out when the crust of the playa breaks, like thin ice, and their truck is swallowed by the aquifer below.
Like many larger desert terminus lakes, my little home lake does have water in it now and then. Even in dry years there's enough subsurface moisture around its margin to sustain tulles—the reeds traditionally used by my northern Paiute neighbors to fashion everything from houses to boats to delicate duck decoys. Coyote willow, which also grows around the lake, is handy on hard hikes; just break off a branch and gnaw it a little as you walk, and its natural salicin, which is chemically related to aspirin, has a pleasant analgesic effect. If we've had a big snow year, the runoff onto the playa during the melt out will create a broad expanse of gleaming water, though the lake is often no more than a few inches deep. In those years it becomes an oasis for wading birds including stilts, avocets, and white-faced ibis. If we've had several wet winters in a row the lake becomes more expansive and a good bit deeper, and in those years migrating tundra swans will join the resident Canada geese in wintering with us. In one unusually wet stretch we had more than a hundred of these graceful birds on the lake from Thanksgiving until we uncorked the Redbreast Irish whiskey on St. Patty's. That was the winter we almost forgot that water is not a permanent feature of this landscape. Here in the desert, even a lake is like a swan, an antelope, a wildfire, a moment of clarity. It comes and goes.
Michael P. Branch is Professor of Literature and Environment at the University of Nevada, Reno, where he teaches American literature and environmental studies. He has published five books and many articles on environmental literature, and his creative nonfiction has appeared in Utne Reader, Orion, Ecotone, Isotope, Hawk and Handsaw, Whole Terrain, and other magazines. He lives with his wife and two young daughters at 6,000 feet in the western Great Basin desert of Nevada.
Follow Rants from the Hill and other Range blog posts via High Country News RSS feeds.
Not an RSSer? Get weekly updates on new HCN content, including the Range blog, by signing up for our e-mail newsletter.
Essays in the Range blog are not written by the High Country News. The authors are solely responsible for the content.
Black Rock Desert photo courtesy Shutterstock
Other images courtesy the author.