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Doors: Automatic & Garage Expert Witnesses
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AAA ConstructionWitness.com
Michael Panish
Construction Expert Witness & Consultant
PO Box 725
Woodland Hills, CA 91365
---------- Available ----------
phone: 818-429-1963
fax: 818-888-7302
Mike Panish
is an expert witness & consultant for most construction trades, specializing in automatic door systems and door sensors, door, door hardware, cabinetry, and architectural millwork.
Extensive experience working for plaintiff & defense (Federal & State). Highly credible & solid testimony.
Licensed in CA as a General Building Contractor, Electrical Contractor, Door, Lock & Security Equipment Contractor, Cabinet & Millwork Contractor, and Painting & Finish Specialties Contractor. 30+ years hands-on experience in all construction trades.
Local to CA & New England. Nationwide Inspection & Testimony.
Mike Panish is the most retained and the leading expert witness for
Automatic Door injuries / Wrongful Death and Door Defects and Injuries
. Security issues relating to daycare & healthcare centers. Construction defects, product liability, poor workmanship relating to contractor vs homeowner disputes and contractor fraud.
Areas of Expertise
Automatic Door Personal Injury, Wrongful Death Cases
Door and Door Hardware Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, Defects Cases
Cabinetry, Architectural Millwork, Furniture Personal injury, Defects Cases
Slip, Trip, Fall / Railings / ADA Personal Injury Cases
General Construction (all trades) Defects Cases, Personal Injury Cases, Wrongful Death
Premises Liability, Premises Security for Criminal Cases, Elder Abuse Cases, Wrongful Death
Building Inspections (all types), Site Evaluation, Product Evaluation, Defect Analysis, Poor Workmanship, Costs & Estimates, Plans Analysis, Proper Installation, Claim Analysis
View Michael Panish's Consulting Profile
Curriculum Vitae
Complete List of Expertise
Case Scenarios
Published Articles
Safety Equipment & Protective Gear: The Right Equipment Can Save Your Life!
Michael Panish
As a construction expert witness, I am often asked about the importance of using safety equipment. I have many years of personal experiences with the proper observance of safety procedures and appropriate safety equipment requirements.
Read Article
Modular Cabinet Systems Retail Store Fixtures: Injuries from Improper Installation
Michael Panish
I have been the retained expert witness by both the plaintiff and defendant to determine the causes of a variety of significant injuries that have happened as a result of improper cabinet and millwork installation practices. In most claims, if product abuse or deferred condition was not the reason for the injury, poor installation practices that have omitted required hardware was to blame. Architectural millwork injuries have occurred repeatedly in shopping centers and malls, hotels, hospitals, airports, and offices throughout the country. Casinos and restaurants are also routinely the location of significant cabinetry related failures leading to serious injuries. Many offices and industrial buildings that utilize modular furniture have had employees injured by improper or completely unattached components. In my other articles, improperly attached architectural millwork has been discussed. Heavy mirrors and headwalls have fallen upon hotel guests while they were asleep in bed. Generally, these failures occur due to lack of appropriate fasteners, missed structural connections, or product tampering.
Read Article
Mechanical Fasteners
Michael Panish
Mechanical fasteners, when properly used as recommended by the manufacturer, almost always assure safe and secure attachment of a fastened product. In commercial and residential applications, injuries resulting from mechanical attachment failures have often been attributed to inappropriate usage of products, improper installation procedures, or the failure of a poorly manufactured fastening product. When a product becomes disconnected from its point of attachment, serious personal injury can result.
Read Article
Plastic Laminated Products: Fabrication & Installation Problems
Michael Panish
This article will discuss plastic laminated products only. Although many other laminated materials are used for residential and commercial applications, plastic laminates are one of the most common products involved in casework claims and personal injuries.
Read Article
Cabinetry & Millwork: Defective Design or Defective Workmanship? Who is Responsible?
Michael Panish
My job as a cabinetry and millwork expert witness is to inspect and evaluate casework, cabinetry, or millwork that may have either failed or may be deficient in some way. Many of the past cases where I have been designated as the cabinetry and millwork expert witness have involved analyzing products that no longer exist because they have either been replaced or destroyed. What is available for review is often in the form of architectural elevations (renderings), photographs of the damaged cabinetry, or shop drawings and samples of the materials that were used. Generally, there is a question as to what entity is responsible for the monetary loss sustained. The usual course of action by attorneys is to sue all parties in the chain of events, from design through installation.
Read Article
Elder Abuse - It Isn't Always About Physical Abuse
Michael Panish
Having recently testified as the door hardware, lock and security expert witness on a very serious elder abuse case involving the rape of a 93 year old resident of a retirement home, I am intimately aware of the potential for physical violence and neglect aimed directly at senior citizens. The following is about a completely different kind of abuse involving our senior population.
Read Article
Patient Abuse & Rape: Daycare - Skilled Nursing - Long Term Care Facilities
Michael Panish
Rape and patient abuse are more prevalent and common place in daycare and long term skilled nursing facilities than anyone would think possible.
Read Article
Legal Issues
Expert Witness: Plaintiff or Defense?
Michael Panish
The first two questions that I am often asked by attorneys during deposition or trial testimony are "On what percentage of cases do you work for the Plaintiff?" and "On what percentage of cases do you work for the Defense?"
Read Article
Contractor Fraud: Beware of Unscrupulous Contractors
Michael Panish
Most of the misunderstandings pertaining to contractor and homeowner relationships occur as a result of unclear or wrongly interpreted construction contracts. Upon entering into a building contract, the enthusiasm for starting the proposed work often creates a kind of glazing over or dulling of the senses on the part of the homeowner. Many times questionable terms and arrangements for payment scheduling are accepted or unknowingly agreed to as the homeowner's urgent desire to start work overshadows common sense. Often, the lowest priced contractor seduces the homeowner with promises of more value for the money.
Read Article
Contractor Fraud : Don't Become a Victim Home Renovation Projects - CONTRACTOR FRAUD SERIES (Part 1)
Michael Panish
As a Construction Expert Witness, I have been involved in numerous homeowner vs. contractor lawsuits that turned out to be directly created by contractor fraud. In this article, I have combined a few different actual cases, highlighting the various tactics used by dishonest contractors to bait and then hook the homeowner. In all of these cases, the homeowner prevailed.
Read Article
M. O. A. T. A New Approach to School Security
Michael Panish
The need to have increased security to public venues such as airports, schools, religious facilities, day care centers, shopping centers, and government buildings is nothing new. However, it has become apparent that many unexpected assaults and deadly attacks are coming from individuals that have gained a certain level of intimacy with the venues and organizations that they are invading. The attackers are not necessarily strangers, but people we know.
Read Article
Elevators - Escalator - Automatic Doors
Increasing School Security Concepts to Keep Our Students Safe
Michael Panish
In December of 2012 a gunman broke into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut and viciously murdered 20 children and 6 administrators. Adding Sandy Hook Elementary School to a growing list of other tragic school shootings confirms that any educational institution should be considered a viable target for future attacks.
Read Article
Elevators - Escalator - Automatic Doors
Door Injuries & "The Eggshell Plaintiff"
Michael Panish
Every good attorney needs to consider the validity of every potential claim. As the most frequently retained door expert witness, working for both Plaintiff and Defense evenly, I have been retained on door injury and wrongful death claims that were not caused by malfunctioning doors or door hardware. As discovery has often shown, people in poor physical or mental condition who are left unattended or unassisted while moving through properly functioning doorways are often the genesis of their own injuries. All commercial venues have the responsibility to maintain their facilities to industry wide standards, seek proper routine maintenance, and provide daily inspections of their door systems. However, it is difficult to provide safe passage to every patron of their facilities when some of those patrons may include persons requiring diligent physical supervision, special assistance walking, or have special needs due to disease, mental incapacity, or other unknown infirmities.
Read Article
Elevators - Escalator - Automatic Doors
Door Panic Hardware: Getting to Know the Basics
Michael Panish
Injuries resulting from panic hardware are more prevalent than you might think. Injuries can be due to lack of maintenance on these devices and/or installation of spurious parts or components.
Read Article
Elevators - Escalator - Automatic Doors
Door Injury Cases Pertaining to the Insurance Carrier
Michael Panish
One of the most common types of expert related calls that I receive pertains to some sort of door injury. Door injuries caused by automatic pedestrian doors, manual doors, or garage doors often lead to serious and potentially life threatening high dollar liability and personal injury lawsuits. My case load as a door expert witness is evenly split between plaintiff and defense. I have written articles, testified, and been consultant on many door injury cases throughout the country and abroad. In addition, my services have been utilized by defense teams representing cross defendants such as door maintenance companies also named in the chain of commerce.
Read Article
Elevators - Escalator - Automatic Doors
Garage Doors: A Brief Tutorial on Garage Door Safety & Installation
Michael Panish
As a door expert, I am called upon many times a year to evaluate garage door injuries. In my professional career as a general contractor and door & hardware contractor, I have installed many different types of garage doors. I have been involved with roll up doors, both for commercial warehouse applications and automotive repair facilities that allow the passage of a motor vehicle. I have installed and serviced life safety/fire drop doors typically seen in hospitals, pharmacies, labs, shopping centers and other commercial venues. I have placed sectional doors in apartment buildings, single family homes and condominiums. My company has custom built many types of garage enclosures that have had special cosmetic concealed purposes for themed attractions. Working on historic buildings has given me the opportunity to work on sliding barn type doors, hinged parting doors and old carriage style swinging doors. I have removed and replaced the older style, overhead vintage single panel pivoting hinged garage door from commercial and residential locations, and have installed a variety of newer and safer products.
Read Article
Elevators - Escalator - Automatic Doors
Concealed Door Closers
Michael Panish
The overhead or floor mounted concealed door closer is a very common type of door closer mechanism which is normally unseen and unnoticed. In the majority of installations, these concealed closers are used on aluminum glazed storefront doors, hollow metal stand alone, or structural framed window systems. The concealed door closer design concept was initially engineered as a self-contained product that featured a center pivot allowing a variety of door functions with no exterior arm or visible operating hardware.
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Elevators - Escalator - Automatic Doors
Manual Door Closers - Do You Have an Open and Shut Case?
Michael Panish
During the past several years I have been contacted many times regarding door injury claims related to manual door closers. In response to numerous inquires asking if I have published any manual door closer articles similar to the primers I have done on automatic pedestrian doors, I am offering this article for general information to assist attorneys in determining potential issues relating to manual door closer mechanisms.
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Elevators - Escalator - Automatic Doors
Door Defects & Door Related Injury Claims
Michael Panish
We are all used to opening and closing doors on a daily basis. Unless you encounter a problem with the function of your doors, you probably don't give their operation and component make up much thought. I am continually contacted by attorneys seeking my advice on an injury that took place because of an improperly adjusted or malfunctioning door. In this article, I am simply discussing manually operated doors. Nothing fancy or automatic about them, the kind where you grab a lever, push a plate or bang on a bar to enter or leave a room or building. So, if you want to learn to communicate professionally and simply with your door expert or even your building manager, read on.
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Elevators - Escalator - Automatic Doors
Automatic Door Service Providers How to Limit your Liability
Michael Panish
If you run an active automatic door service company it is not a matter of IF you will be sued . . . it is a matter of WHEN ! What every door service provider can do to proactively protect their business.
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Elevators - Escalator - Automatic Doors
Automatic Door Injuries: High & Low Energy Automatic Doors
Michael Panish
Automatic doors are generally grouped into two major categories. Low energy and high energy doors. The difference between the two types of doors pertain to the ways that the doorways operate.
Read Article
Elevators - Escalator - Automatic Doors
Overhead Door Injuries - Commercial, Industrial, Residential
Michael Panish
As the retained expert witness on many overhead door injury and wrongful death cases, some of the injuries I have seen include injured or severed fingers and limbs, bodily trauma, and death. Disabling injuries often lead to involved lawsuits due to the combination of jobsite and employer, landlord and tenant contractual agreements, and property owner liability insurance coverage. Knowing who is responsible for maintenance and inspections of these doorways is essential.
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Elevators - Escalator - Automatic Doors
Low Energy Door Systems A Basic Primer for Your Next Door Injury Case
Michael Panish
In conjunction with many other articles that I have had published pertaining to high energy doors, or what most people think of when they say automatic doors, low energy systems can be equally dangerous and need to be appropriately and properly maintained.
Read Article
Elevators - Escalator - Automatic Doors
Revolving Door Injuries
Michael Panish
Within the past few months, I have been retained as expert witness to evaluate revolving door injuries in over a dozen different locations nationwide. While I usually see an even distribution of sliding door, swinging door, and revolving door injury cases, the revolving door injuries currently seem to be the most prevalent. What is particularly interesting is that no two of my recent cases were created by the same problem.
Read Article
Elevators - Escalator - Automatic Doors
Automatic Doors Maintenance: The Importance of Checking Your Doors Daily
Michael Panish
I have been involved in many automatic door cases during the past few years working for both plaintiff and defense. As discussed in one of my previous articles (The Ins and Outs of Automatic Door Operation), automatic doors are highly complex pieces of equipment that require daily attention. Most injuries occur when some component of the automatic door system malfunctions.
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Elevators - Escalator - Automatic Doors
The Ins and Outs of Automatic Door Operation
Michael Panish
A basic primer in how they work, what to look for, and how to analyze defects vs. deferred maintenance. Expert door contractor, Michael Panish, takes you through the basics for your case. A basic primer about Automatic Door functions.
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All About Pavements, Inc.
Wayne Seiler, PhD, PE
9142 W. Highway 98
Port St. Joe FL 32456
phone: 850-647-2740
Wayne J. Seiler, PhD, PE
, is a Principal Engineer with All About Pavements Inc (API), with responsibility for
Airport, Highway, and Port Pavement
engineering and construction projects. With over 38 years of pavement engineering expertise, he is a Registered Professional Engineer in Minnesota, Illinois, North Carolina, Florida, Virginia, Maryland, and Mississippi.
Dr. Seiler has conducted pavement evaluations and developed numerous pavement designs for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of airports throughout the United States during his 38 year career. As a project manager, he has completed pavement evaluation, rehabilitation design, and pavement management work for several commercial airports, including BWI, Charlotte International Airport, Portland International Airport, Pittsburgh International Airport, O'Hare International Airport, Raleigh-Durham International Airport, Dayton International Airport, Wichita's Mid-Continental Airport, and Montreal's Mirabel and Dorval International Airports. These studies were accomplished through extensive records review, thorough investigations, pavement condition index surveys, nondestructive deflection testing, remaining life analyses, rehabilitation design using FAA procedures and more advanced mechanistic analyses, and life cycle cost comparisons.
In 2017, ASCE's Transportation & Development Institute awarded Dr. Seiler with their national Airfield Pavement Practitioner Award. This award honors and recognizes practicing engineers employed in the airfield pavement engineering profession with demonstrated leadership and achievement in airfield pavement projects.
Litigation Support
- Dr. Seiler has provided expert witness and expert consultant services to assist in the investigation of
Pavement Failures
that have occurred shortly after construction. Engineering services include data collection with Nondestructive Deflection Testing equipment and the use of local geotechnical laboratories at the project site.
To assist in legal case resolution, API owns two Falling Weight Deflectometers that can be used to successfully gather forensic data to complement his pavement expertise. Dr. Seiler recently helped the Cities of Concord and Manchester New Hampshire defend permitting fees that charge utility companies for constructing deep utility cuts that reduce the life of roadways in their cities. The case was successfully defended all the way to the New Hampshire Supreme Court after appeals by the prosecution.
View API's Consulting Profile
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text:
Reserve online or call 01993 824 252
Start your shortlist by clicking on the icon next to any property
Los Molinos or 'The Windmills' is a very picturesque development. Wander along its charming garden paths to the central feature, the large swimming pool with waterfall, separate children's pool, poolside bar and restaurant (seasonal).
This 2 bedroom Los Molinos property is fully air conditioned, has remote control ceiling fans in the living area and both bedrooms, and wireless internet access is also included in the price.
Enter into the air conditioned living/dining room which has a ceiling fan, flat screen TV, and DVD/CD player. Patio doors lead to a terrace with table, chairs and barbeque, and views across the community to the Mar Menor. The kitchen is equipped with a dish washer, microwave, oven, hob and extractor, coffee machine, and fridge freezer, and has a door leading to the terrace.
Stairs lead down to 2 air conditioned bedrooms. The master bedroom has twin beds which can be made into a double bed if preferred, a ceiling fan, safe, and wall mounted flat screen TV. Patio doors lead out to a small terrace. There is an en-suite full bathroom with additional walk-in shower.
Bedroom 2 has twin beds, a ceiling fan, and a wall mounted flat screen TV. There is a day bed which can be made up as an extra bed if required – charges apply – please enquire. Patio doors lead to the small terrace, shared with the master bedroom. There is a separate shower room with twin wash basins, and this is also where the washing machine can be found.
From the front of the property, external stairs lead to the solarium from where you have lovely views across the community to the Mar Menor and the Mediterranean beyond.
Roof terrace with great views.
An excellent property in a popular community.
Saturday to Saturday bookings only in July and August and school holidays.

subset: commoncrawl


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Portland State University (PSU) and Wells Fargo announced this morning the winners of the inaugural PSU-Wells Fargo Cleantech Challenge. Two teams— Diatomix and Mobius Microfarms—tied in the final voting and will share the $25,000 grand prize in addition to professional service to further support the development of their innovations and business plans.
Diatomix developed naturally derived solar materials called diatoms with multiple potential applications including the improvement of solar cell efficiency. The team consisted of Haian Li, Ph.D. physics researcher; Lester Lampert, graduate applied physics student; and Dr. Jun Jiao, a PSU physics and mechanical and materials engineering professor.
Mobius Microfarms built a self-sufficient aquaponic system aimed at the restaurant industry to grow produce and raise fish in a closed-loop system. The team consisted of Anne Phillip, a recent PSU biology alum, along with undergraduate mechanical engineering students John Talik, Matthew Stewart and Taylor Rice.
PSU-Wells Fargo Cleantech Challenge launched in April with $75,000 in program support and prize funding from Wells Fargo. In May six semifinalist teams were selected from a pool of 21 teams that signed on to take the challenge: to develop an innovative product that meets the needs of a resource-constrained world. The six semifinalist teams spent the summer and $5,000 each in development grants to develop their prototypes, which ranged from a more efficient building brace to tires recycled into diesel fuel to earth-friendly natural dyes.
On the evening of Sept. 11, the six teams exhibited their prototypes and delivered their well-honed business pitches to investors, executives and grant makers who attended a private VIP reception in Portland, hosted by Cleantech Challenge partner the Oregon Built Environment and Sustainable Technologies Center (Oregon BEST). Attendees then voted to select the winning team, announced at the annual Oregon BEST Fest cleantech showcase this morning.
Cleantech Challenge team members represented a diverse cross-section of the PSU community including undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and alumni working in disciplines from chemistry to business to biology.
"I'm amazed at how far the Cleantech Challenge teams progressed over the course of the summer," said Angela Jackson, director of the PSU Center of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, whose team organizes the challenge. "The teams were able to refine their businesses while developing their prototypes and we were thrilled to see so much cross-campus collaboration."
"Wells Fargo believes that, as a company and as a member of the global community, it's our responsibility to help protect and restore the environment. We embrace that responsibility in all we do," said Wells Fargo Regional President Don Pearson of Portland. "We created the Wells Fargo Clean Technology and Innovation grant program as part of our effort to donate $100 million for environmental projects by 2020. The PSU contest is one of many across the nation that we are sponsoring. We strongly believe in supporting and fostering the development of new and emerging clean technologies that can positively impact all of our lives."
To learn more about the challenge and the teams that participated, visit www.pdx.edu/clean-challenge.


text:
Grown Man Reacts with Childlike Glee to 'Ultimate Christmas Gift'
"My Uncle Henry is hearing & speech impaired," writes YouTuber MiamiRedSkin. "He has a heart of gold and everyone who meets Henry absolutely loves him."
If you don't love Uncle Henry yet, just give it a minute and twenty seconds. That's the length of this priceless, precious home video showing Uncle Henry's reaction to receiving the gift of his dreams for Christmas.
"Henry is also a kid at heart," MiamiRedSkin explains, "and loves hot wheels, cars, and especially games on his iPhone. Because we appreciate Henry so much and wanted to show him how much he is loved, we all pitched in and got Henry the ultimate gift...That moment was pure joy and excitement."
Dare you not to smile.


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How can anyone see a great demo of Notes 8 and still think, "gee, we need to switch to Outlook"?
November 14 2007
During my travels in Australia last week, I had the opportunity to meet an existing Lotus customer where there is pressure to consider switching to Microsoft Outlook. Hey, it happens.
In the course of this meeting, one of my colleagues (I won't name by name, as that would likely identify which customer we met) did an integrated demonstration of Notes 8 plus Quickr, Sametime, and Connections.
It's not that his demonstration was particularly unique or advanced (though I did learn a few things, at least one of which I need to blog). What he did is he talked to the customer in their terms -- related it to their work, their organization, and their existing use of Lotus technologies.
I walked out of that meeting and turned to my colleagues, making the simple statement -- "How can anyone have watched that demo and think, 'gee, we really need to switch to Outlook'?" I tried to play devil's advocate and see what the scenario might be, and I found it hard to come up with much. I think the demonstration showed that IBM has been building tight integration within the Notes environment (presence awareness and one-click chat access everywhere, for example) and across the Lotus portfolio. The demonstration clearly showed the usability improvments in Notes 8, simple things like the improvements in the calendar and contact views and more advanced things like the conversations view. It showed the additional value of Notes 8 versus prior versions, through the sidebar notion, the integration of Symphony, and composite applications. We even talked about Traveler, the DWA lite mode, and other updates coming in 8.0.1 to fill in some of the remaining comparative/competitive gaps.
I don't want to be naïve, so I am examining remaining reasons. I've heard that ISV/plug-in support might be one reason that someone would still want Outlook as their desktop tool. I've heard that some individual features are preferred in the Outlook implementation versus the Notes implementation (but, I've now heard more and more that Outlook users looking at Notes 8 are expressing preference for the way we've done it).
Perhaps this is why, in the last couple of weeks, I've seen Microsoft trying to recruit partners to a session on their competitive displacement effort with the panicked notion that if a customer upgrades to Notes 8, Microsoft could lose the "entire platform". It's great to be getting signs from customers, partners, and the market overall that the product transition has turned things from defense to offense. There's more to do (I know, I know, I can hear your comments about marketing) but things are definitely on an exciting trajectory.


text:
Nate McLouth homers twice, Miguel Gonzalez and Orioles hold Mets to 1 hit in 7-1 win
SARASOTA, Fla. – Nate McLouth hit two home runs and the Baltimore Orioles concluded their spring training schedule by holding the New York Mets to one hit in a 7-1 victory Saturday.
Miguel Gonzalez, the No. 3 starter for Baltimore, gave up a leadoff single in the fifth to Marlon Byrd, who scored on Ruben Tejada's sacrifice fly. Gonzalez struck out four and walked one in five innings.
McLouth hit leadoff homers in the third and fifth. The first one came against Dillon Gee, slated to start the third game of the season for the Mets against San Diego. The second one was off Jeremy Hafner, lined up to start the fourth game.
Hafner gave up two more home runs, to Chris Davis and Steve Pearce. The right-hander left his previous outing Tuesday against St. Louis when he was hit on his pitching elbow by Carlos Beltran's one-hopper.


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Carol2 needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 119 designs submitted by 27 freelance designers.
Business Travel Success
I am a business traveler of 25 years.
I've traveled the world and help other people create harmony in their lives with business travel.
I teach business travelers all the ins-and-outs of travel, including how to handle family and home issues. And I work with corporations to help them retain business travelers when the stress of too much travel puts risk into their career.
I'm passionate about inspiring business travelers to feel empowered wherever they go in the world.
Corporations who employee business travelers AND business travelers themselves.
Picture Ryan Bingham in the moving "Up in the Air" ... my audience is bold, but not as well adapted to life on the road as Ryan is.
Attached is a document detailing out my brand and the feelings I want to impart on my customers. Please read this.
Confidence, harmony, strategies, innovation, discovery...these are the primary feelings.
Colors: blue, red, green
Contemporary, bold look... clean lines.
Require the logo to communicate and display well in both color and black & white.
Some ideas:
An airplane going up to the right, perhaps a globe behind it (if this shows up ok in black & white).
I have also attached a document of logos created that I do not like.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


text:
Perceptual Organization and The Representation Of Natural Form
by Pentland, Alex P.
Technical Note 357
Institution: AI Center, SRI International
Address: 333 Ravenswood Ave., Menlo Park, CA 94025
Jul 1986.
Note: Revised.
To support our reasoning abilities perception must recover environment regularities–e.g., rigidity, ``objectness,'' axes of symmetry–for later use of cognition. To create a theory of how our perceptual apparatus can produce meaningful cognitive primitives from an array of image intensities we require a representation whose elements may be lawfully related to important physical regularities, and that correctly describes the perceptual organization people impose on the stimulus. Unfortunately, the representations that are currently available were originally developed for other purposes (e.g., physics, engineering) and have so far proven unsuitable for the problems of perception or commonsense reasoning. In answer to this problem we present a representation that has proven competent to accurately describe an extensive variety of natural forms (e.g., people, mountains, clouds, trees), as well as man-made forms, in a succinct and natural manner. The approach taken in this representational system is to describe scene structure at a scale that is similar to our naive perceptual notion of ``a part,'' by use of descriptions that reflect a possible formative history of the object, e.g., how the object might have been constructed from lumps of clay. For this representation to be useful it must be possible to recover such descriptions from image data; we show that the primitive elements of such descriptions may be recovered in an overconstrained and therefore reliable manner. We believe that this descriptive system makes an important contribution towards solving current problems in perceiving and reasoning about natural forms by allowing us to construct accurate descriptions that are extremely compact and that capture people's intuitive notions about the part structure of three-dimensional forms.
Adobe PDF


text:
After 35 years as a private-practice attorney, David Roberts was ready to step away and spend more time on his golf game.
"To straighten my slice," Roberts said.
Then he received a request he couldn't ignore.
USC's athletic program was reeling from an NCAA investigation that resulted in some of the toughest penalties in college sports history. There were major infractions in football and men's basketball, even one in women's tennis, and the school's administration had been cited for "lack of institutional control," a tag dreaded by college presidents.
Max Nikias, who was preparing to take over as USC's president, invited Roberts on a bike ride and made an appeal.
"Basically, he said, 'Would you help us get these things straightened out?'" Roberts said.
So much for improving that golf game.
Bringing on Roberts, who had done legal work for the university, was among the first indications that Nikias received the NCAA's message loud and clear.
Roberts was hired as a school vice president and given the resources to beef up USC's compliance office, an on-campus watchdog charged with keeping the school and its coaches, athletes and boosters within the rules.
On Monday, USC serves the final day in four years of NCAA probation, one of the final vestiges of its penalties.
Tom Yeager, commissioner of the Colonial Athletic Assn., and a former chair of the NCAA's Committee on Infractions, said USC had made noticeable changes.
"There's a whole new administration at Southern Cal," Yeager said. "There's a different perspective, a different approach to everything."
In its 2010 report, the NCAA's Committee on Infractions noted, "concern that the institution's staffing commitment to compliance has been at times insufficient for an institution with an athletics program of the scope, depth and size as the one at USC. A serious commitment to Division I athletics must include a serious commitment to appropriate compliance."
At the time USC was penalized, the university had five compliance employees. Now, it is twice that size — among the largest in college sports. Administrators also have worked to foster a relationship with NCAA leadership and to be transparent when things do inevitably go wrong.
"They definitely have taken kind of a leadership position among Division I schools," said John Infante, a former compliance officer at Loyola Marymount and Colorado State who writes a respected blog about compliance issues.
The NCAA declined The Los Angeles Times' request to interview President Mark Emmert or its top compliance official to discuss USC's case, its effect on the college sports landscape and changes that have been made at USC since the sanctions were imposed.
Roberts and Pat Haden, who became USC's athletic director in August 2010, spoke from the outset of their tenures about creating a "culture of compliance." Roberts said that required a change in attitude throughout an athletic department that had been riding high on bowl game victories and unprecedented success.
"I won't say we were arrogant but we were certainly thinking a lot about ourselves," he said of USC's previous culture. "All those things led to, I think, a feeling where compliance just wasn't in the forefront of everyone's thought process."
USC's athletics compliance staff "educates and monitors its constituents; and, when necessary reports infractions and oversees the imposition of any remedial actions," according to the university website. The staff monitors issues related to recruiting, financial aid, initial and continuing eligibility, practice-time limits, agents, benefits, promotional activities and other topics as they arise. Athletes are offered printed materials, video and online presentations, seminars and one-on-one and small group meetings, and staffers are a constant presence at games and practices.
High-profile athletes receive the most attention, Roberts said, and are met with regularly for discussions about agents and other issues.
"You really have to get the athletic department to buy into this idea that we're not cops," Roberts said. "We're teammates."
Roberts and Haden also have made multiple trips to Indianapolis to meet with NCAA officials. USC administrators now serve on several NCAA committees.
The improved relationship has already worked to USC's advantage.
In 2012, USC and the NCAA launched an investigation after The Los Angeles Times reported that an employee in the Los Angeles County Assessor's office said he gave cash and perks worth thousands of dollars to football player Joe McKnight and basketball player Davon Jefferson while they were Trojans. McKnight last played for USC in 2009, and Jefferson in 2008, before the NCAA imposed sanctions.
"We found some things that we think happened but it wasn't a black-and-white situation," Roberts said. The NCAA treated the infractions as relatively minor "secondary" violations and agreed to USC's proposal to offer enhance education to its athletes on related topics.
"Now, would that same treatment have happened five years earlier?" he said. "Probably not. So I would say that the relationships that me, that Pat and that the president built there, and that all the people on my staff have built there, clearly helped us."
Other schools also may have learned from USC's experience.
USC self-imposed sanctions in men's basketball but not football during the NCAA investigation. Ohio State, Oregon and Miami, which were embroiled in high-profile NCAA investigations centering on the football programs, self-imposed sanctions and, in the end, were not penalized as much as USC.
The Ohio State case involved players who had received free tattoos in exchange for jerseys and other items, and it grew when it was determined then-coach Jim Tressel had lied to NCAA investigators. Oregon paid $25,000 to a scouting service, ostensibly so the founder would steer players to the Ducks. Miami booster Nevin Shapiro supplied Hurricanes players with cash and other benefits.
"Anybody out there now realizes if you have a major infraction problem with the NCAA, what you really should do is get in there and do some real examination and probably self-impose and take your medicine," Roberts said.
The NCAA cited Ohio State for "failure to monitor" — rather than the more serious lack of institutional control — and the Buckeyes lost nine scholarships. Oregon also was cited for failure to monitor and lost two scholarships. Miami was cited for lack of institutional control and lost nine scholarships.
Michael Buckner, a Florida-based attorney who has represented schools and coaches before the NCAA, said the USC case "changed everything."
"Looking back at it, said Buckner, who attended USC but has not represented the school, "it was the crest of the wave."
The NCAA's handling of Ohio State, its mishandling of Miami — which led to the ouster of the NCAA vice president of enforcement — and its rulings regarding Penn State had critics howling for consistency in the way cases were processed and ruled upon.
In 2012, in the wake a sexual-abuse scandal involving former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, Emmert imposed a four-year bowl ban, $60-million fine and a reduction in total scholarships to 65 — 20 below the maximum — for four years. A year later, the NCAA allowed Penn State to increase its scholarships to 75 in the 2014-15 academic year, 80 the following year and back to 85 after that.
When that modification was made, Haden appealed for relief for USC but was denied.
In August of last year, the NCAA implemented a new enforcement structure and penalty matrix designed, in part, to provide greater consistency and predictability.
USC hopes it never has to deal with it.
Though its probation is ending, under NCAA rules the school could be subject to "repeat violator" status if it commits a major infraction within five years of the start date of a major penalty.
"In essence, it's almost de facto quasi-probation," Roberts said.
There is also this: Roberts was asked whether, with the buildup in personnel and resources and the implementation of a high-profile athlete protocol, another Reggie Bush situation could occur at USC.
His reply: "Can a family 125 miles away from campus, who gets approached by an agent or guy, and who wanted to take money from that guy and say we're going to keep it totally quiet — and their son or daughter knows it's going on but they all want to keep it totally quiet — could it happen again?
"Sure it could."


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Nissan Sport Concept
The Nissan Sport Concept, which will made its public world debut at the 2005 New York International Auto Show, is the latest in a series of dynamic performance/ youth concept vehicles, following the Nissan Actic and Nissan AZEAL concepts.
The Sport Concept is a dynamic three-door hatchback with a dramatic four-seat interior. It offers the look and feel of a sports tuner car, yet is conceived as an affordable, attainable vehicle for buyers entering the new car market for the first time. The Sport Concept brings Nissan's heritage of innovation, sportiness and driving pleasure to a category of vehicles that traditionally lack excitement and visual appeal. AZEAL is powered by a turbocharged 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. It rides on 19-inch wheels and tires.
Source: Nissan press


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15 Planters Under $20
Think that the only inexpensive planters available are the ubiquitous terra cotta pots? Not so! We've found 15 fun, colorful and modern pots to house your plants and adorn your home — all under $20.
Gardening and giving your plants a home doesn't have to be a costly endeavor. These inexpensive pots range from metal to ceramic, neutral to colorful, and biogradable to long lasting and durable:
1. Ceramic Dancing Pots, from $5.95 at Sprout Home
2. Galvanized Square Planter, from $9.95 at CB2
3. Terracotta Planters, $19.95 at CB2
4. MANDEL, $2.99 at IKEA
5. Layered Earth Pot, $16 at Terrain
6. KARDEMUMMA, from $1.99 at IKEA
7. Claude Planters, from $16 at West Elm
8. All Natural Nova Eco Planters, from $10.95 at Sprout Home
9. Birch Bark Pot, $14 at Terrain
10. Lilla Planters, from $7.95 at Crate and Barrel
11. HÖSTÖ, $14.99 at IKEA
12. Zinc & WIllow Tray, $16 at Terrain
13. Ceramic Iced Teal Cup-Mini Planter, $10 at Sprout Home
14. Burlap Pressed Pot, $18 at Terrain
15. Trunk Pot Planter, $18 at Terrain
(Images: As Linked)


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We've featured plenty of apps and games during the past two weeks for our Forum App Giveaways. Now we move onto a different sort of application, a software that will allow you to back up your DVDs with several clicks.
WinX DVD Ripper Platinum can rip the content of DVDs to all popular video formats such as AVI, MOV, FLV, WMV, MPEG, MP4, 3GP, etc. This DVD ripper software supports multi-core CPU and is fully compatible with Windows 7. Besides converting DVDs to regular video formats, 1:1 DVD copy enables you to backup your DVD with original video, audio and subtitles within only 5 minutes
With WinX DVD Ripper Platinum ($29.99), you can finally transfer all your favorite movies and tv shows from DVD to your iPhone/iPod Touch and other mobile entertainment devices. The software is even able to backup/convert DVDs with the latest copy protection technology, such as Star Trek 2009, The Dark Knight, UP, District 9 and more. So if you want a simple and powerful solution for ripping that (old) DVD collection to your iDevice, be sure to see how you can win 1 of 10 copies after the gap!


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Daly City Station
Service Advisories
Service Advisories/ /
Welcome to Daly City
Daly City, located at the northernmost edge of San Mateo County, is often called the "Gateway to the Peninsula."
Latest News
Lines Serving this Station
- Antioch SFIA/Millbrae
- Richmond Daly City/Millbrae
- Dublin/Pleasanton Daly City
- Daly City Warm Springs/South Fremont
Real Time Departures
Next trains departing from Daly City Station:
Parking at Daly City Station includes:
- Daily fee ($3 per day)
- Scoop to BART Carpool Program
- Carpool Permit Program
- Single Day Reserved Permit
- Monthly Reserved Permit
- Extended Weekend
Check out the parking section for details about each program.
Estimated Parking Fill Time: Available most times
Bike Racks: Yes
Bike racks are available at most BART stations. Please review the BART Bike Rules.
Bike Station: None
FREE secure bike parking is available at several BART stations. Visit the Bike Section for more Bike Station information.
Bike Lockers: 24 shared use electronic lockers are located at this station. Read more about electronic lockers.
Connecting Transit Routes
Daly City Station is served by Samtrans and San Francisco Muni.
Try BART's free trip planning service!
For a personalized trip plan with BART and connecting transit, call the BART Transit Information Center. It's fast, it's easy, and it's tailored just for you!
Connecting Transit Trip Planner
Elevator Locations / Accessible Path
Learn more about the accessible path for this station.
Learn more about planning activity at this station and throughout San Mateo / Santa Clara Counties.
Other Transportation
Car share services are available at Daly City Station. More information is available at City CarShare and Zipcar.


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- Colors
- Detail Images
For a quiet ride.
While your car may already be equipped with sidebars, the Yakima Whispbar Bar Rack Kit will add immeasurable usability to your roof. And while older crossbars require drilling and other permanent attachments to your automobile, the Whispbar Rail Bars only need the towers that match with your factory side rails. They are easily installed by one person with a few quick measurements and turns of the wrist. What you'll notice is that unlike many factory rack systems, the Whispbar Rails' shape mimics the shape of an airplane's wing. This was specifically designed to move air over the bars smoothly. It not only reduces drag, it also means that you won't hear them whistling on the top of your car.
- Fit existing factory side rails
- Easily installed by one person
- 1B variant includes: One Whispbar crossbars, two towers with SKS locks
- 2B and Mixed variants includes: Two Whispbar crossbars, four towers with SKS locks
- Reviews
what is the measurement of this rails
Will these fit a 2010 Honda Pilot? If not what is recommended?
Yes, the Yakima Whispbar does fit your 2010 Honda Pilot if you have the raised side rails. However it will NOT fit if it's a naked roof.
If you have any other questions feel free to send me an email at my direct email : email@example.com - or you can reach me on my direct line at 800.409.4502 ext 4789 and I'd be stoked to help you find a rack set up that will fit your Pilot.
Fits TrailHawk
I was looking for a kit that fit my Jeep 2015 TrailHawk. This kit fit perfectly. Sales support was great. Very happy with purchase.
Whispbaring in the wind...
- Familiarity: I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions
This product awesome! Never have I experienced such a zen ski trip. Half the rattling/noise of other ski racks I've used.
Awesome Bars
- Familiarity: I've used it several times
Low profile and most importantly super quiet. I paired them with the Yakima WB300 Rooftop Ski & Snowboard rack and can't hear it at all. I have a 2014 Subaru Impreza hatch with raised bars and the S54 Rail 850 & 910 Mixed fit.
Great product.
- Familiarity: I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions
receiving this order was bitter sweet. Why you ask? Reading the title that said "rail kit" and seeing a picture that had two crossbars in it, I quickly placed the order. The price was awesome. I looked at Yakima's fit guide for my jeep and selected s44. Order arrives in 2 days. I open up the box to find one rail. $238 spent to 2nd day one rail. (Hand in face). The irony in all this. I will now pay more to order the second rail then it would have cost to purchase the set for $399. So enough of my pissing and moaning.
Overall a very well made product. This one crossbar replaced a factory jeep crossbar that had folded in last kayaking trip. Construction appears to be spot on. Very easy to install. Took all of 5 minutes or so. Locking covers on the ends so they can't be stolen. Yakima kayak carrier mounted to and provides a rock solid attachment of your kayak or other toy to the roof of your vehicle. Overall great product minus my lapse of judgement and stupidity.
By the way, anyone know if I can just order another "half rack" to finish this install? Half racks are the same for both front and rear crossbars right?
I almost fell into the same trap as you Dan. The small print says something about a half rail, yet the pic and the inserted Thule description says: Includes: Two Whispbar crossbars, four towers with SKS locks. WTF Backcountry?
Glad to hear you made out ok Mark. Doing to give it another day or so and see if Back Country weighs in on some of these conversations. If not i'll reach out to them direct. This mistake on my part will end up costing me $50 more than buying the complete set for $399. sucks...
Same thing here. Deceptive. I am returning mine and buying from Amazon.
WOW ! I would have done the same. A kit of ONE. Sounds like a mega scam.. I am not buying .. THNX for the warning
Low Pro Winner!
- Familiarity: I've used it several times
I wanted the lowest profile crossbars I could find and these did the trick! Easy mounting job and painless.
Awesome bars but watch what box you buy
- Familiarity: I returned this product before using it
I had to send these bars back since they did not have enough clearance with my 2014 vw tiguan and the yakima box that i also bought. Had to send back and get the yakima rail grab set that worked perfectly. Very nice sleek bars though i wished they worked but oh well, easy hassle free exchange with backcountry, thank you!
- Familiarity: I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions
These mounted quickly and easily. They're much quieter than I expected also.
- Familiarity: I've used it several times
Easy to install, virtually silent. Better looking than factory rails. Installed on 2013 Nissan Rogue. Installed in less than 10 minutes.
Great rack!
- Familiarity: I've put it through the wringer
I put these on my Subaru Outback last year. They are much stronger and more stable than the factor cross bars. I had 3 bikes on the roof during a 3500 mi road trip and no problems. Used the Yakima Forklift to mount directly to the Whispbars.
What size whispbar rail bar rack for 2012...
What size whispbar rail bar rack for 2012 Subuaru Impreza sport 5 door
Red, click this link and it will give you all the info you need:
Yakima Whispbar Allen Storage
Love the fact that Yakima has included a storage in the rail for your allen wrench.
my car is lexus gs430 ... installation...
my car is lexus gs430 ... installation possibility? if so model No.?
You would have to have some factory rails on it already. I think most GS models have a naked roof, you would have to do something like a Q Tower.
When will you have the S47 Whispbar in? I...
When will you have the S47 Whispbar in? I need it for a '13 Honda Pilot. Would be nice to get it while it's on sale.
Hey Mike, I know this is a little late but we have them in stock now!
Will they fit on a Subaru Forester Side...
Will they fit on a Subaru Forester Side Rail?
Can't tell without knowing more details about your vehicle. Here's a link to the Yakima Fit Guide. Once you put in your car info you should have the info you need. http://infolookup.yakima.com/


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Luck Likely to Play into 2nd Half vs. Redskins
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Andrew Luck is likely to see his most extensive playing time of the preseason at Washington. Colts coach Chuck Pagano says he plans to play most of his starters, including Luck, into the second half Saturday afternoon.
Luck played almost the entire half in the preseason opener against St. Louis and the first two quarters Sunday night at Pittsburgh. He even led the Colts to a field goal as time expired in the first half Sunday before going to the bench in the second half.
Pagano's plan is to use his starters until halftime, make adjustments and send the Colts' starters back out to see how they adjust.
The third preseason game is traditionally when starters play longest.


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With coach holidays in the UK and Europe, you'll be collected from a local joining point,
travel in a modern and spacious air-conditioned coach and arrive at your hotel ready
for a great time.
We all deserve a bit of time away, precious moments with friends or family, or time to just
kick back, relax and create special memories that will last a lifetime. You'll
find our hotels in wonderful locations where you can enjoy Britain's natural beauty
at its best.
If you fancy a weekend city break in Europe, sometimes travelling by air is the best way
to go.
That's why we offer a wide selection of air holidays which include flights from your
local airport, carefully selected hotel accommodation, meals and guided excursions.
With so many cruising destinations on offer, European river & coastal cruises as well
as Worldwide, you'll be spoilt for choice.
Our welcoming ships travel along some of the most scenic rivers in the World and you
can enjoy historic cities, traditional towns and quaint villages along the way.
Shearings Holidays has over 114 years experience and is the UK's largest escorted tour
We offer more than 170 destinations to choose from to suit diverse tastes and budgets.
Luxury coach travel from a joining point near you
Comfortable accommodation at Shearings owned hotels
Cooked breakfasts & 3-course evening meals
Fascinating excursions to local sights
Fantastic evening entertainment


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As the welcoming palm trees and coconut-lined pathways eased my everyday life stress, I delighted in the knowledge that the first activity during my stay at the newly opened Generations Riviera Maya by Karisma resort would be a five-course meal in its Habb Mediterranean Restaurant and Lounge.
The restaurant's plush Mediterranean style, with its modern, cream-colored sofas and oversized turquoise pillows, made it the perfect venue to sample the resort's Gourmet Inclusive experience — Karisma's concept of offering distinctive restaurants helmed by chefs trained in Michelin-starred kitchens around the globe. In addition to Habb Mediterranean, the resort features three more eclectic restaurants: Jade Pan Asian Cuisine, Palms Gourmet Terrace Caribbean Mexican Cuisine and Wine Kitchen Restaurant and Tasting Room.
This emphasis on gourmet cuisine is part of an overall focus on luxury throughout the resort. Pillars of the concept include exceptional service, as well as including top-shelf amenities such as free premium alcoholic beverages, 24-hour room service and personal butler service.
"Nothing signifies vacation like having everything taken care of for you," said Mandy Chomat, vice president of sales and marketing at Premier Worldwide Marketing, the exclusive representative of Karisma Hotels & Resorts. "With unlimited butler service included at Generations Riviera Maya, every need is met and every whim is indulged without the stress of added costs. This all-suite oceanfront resort will take our signature Gourmet Inclusive concept to new heights, welcoming guests on truly luxurious and carefree vacations, only steps away from the white-sand beach."
Luxury AccommodationsOpened in February and situated 25 minutes south of Cancun International Airport and 15 minutes north of Playa del Carmen, Generations Riviera Maya offers 144 oceanfront suites, each providing a view of the Caribbean Sea.
Each of the resort's 144 luxury suites include an oversize balcony or terrace, two 47-inch LCD televisions, an iPod docking alarm clock, a safety deposit box, an iron and ironing board, a coffee maker, a fully stocked mini fridge, plush bathrobes and slippers, double sinks and a Jacuzzi tub for two.
My favorite feature in the room was the rain showerhead in the bathroom — the soothing droplets falling from above was a great way to wash off after a day spent sunbathing.
While luxurious, the Generations Riviera Maya by Karisma resort also promotes a green approach. A 150,000-square-foot greenhouse — the largest in the region — is shared among the three Karisma properties, which are all located within walking distance of each other. The greenhouse is certified by the Rainforest Alliance and the Sustainable Agriculture Network, and it produces 12 tons of crops per month, including the flavorful herbs and hydroponic vegetables used by the resort's chefs.
In addition to the greenhouse, Generations Riviera Maya uses solar panels for energy and reuses its own cooking oils, turning the waste into biodiesel fuel to power landscaping equipment and emergency generators.
The resort has a kid-friendly atmosphere and offers plenty of activities for younger guests as well. Infants and toddlers can enjoy Baby Beach Lounges, which come with nanny service and toys. The hotel also provides in-room playpens, strollers, cribs, baby monitors, bottle warmers, bath toys and other helpful items so that parents with babies don't have to worry about transporting extra luggage. Meanwhile, the hotel's Eko Kids Club offers kids between the ages of 4 and 12 years old a supervised environment, complete with a craft and cooking station, a ball pit, a bean bag-filled movie room and a library, allowing parents an opportunity to sneak away for a massage at the nearby spa or a few hours of relaxation at the resort's private beach.
For me, leaving the beauty of the beach behind was as challenging as leaving the friendly smiles, warm greetings and excellent service of Generations Riviera Maya staff. Their attention to detail helped make for a truly upscale experience.


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The Ravens were awarded former Cincinnati Bengals safety Jeromy Miles off waivers, according to a league source.
Miles is a fourth-year player from the University of Massachusetts.
Miles played in the opening game for the Bengals before being waived, re-signed and then waived again.
The 6-foot-2, 214-pounder has 49 career tackles after entering the NFL in 2010 as an undrafted free agent.
The Ravens have released rookie safety Brynden Trawick, who played in the first three games.
Trawick accidentally injured Pro Bowl kick returner Jacoby Jones in the first game against the Denver Broncos, colliding with him while he was executing a fair catch. The injury caused Jones to sprain his right medial collateral ligament and he'll be sidelined for the next four to six weeks.
The Ravens may bring Trawick back for the practice squad if he clears waivers.


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Thank you for visiting our past auction result archives. If you have an item identical (or similar) to this auction lot, please call, write or contact us to discuss. We will be able to help you.
Lot # 1721 (of 1727) < Previous Lot | Next Lot >
Classic 1987 Lou Gehrig The Sporting News Eagle Artworks Limited-Edition Bronze Statue
Starting Bid - $500, Sold For - $1,645
One does not have to be an art connoisseur or have a background in art to appreciate the remarkable craftsmanship exhibited in this exquisite limited-edition bronze sculpture of Lou Gehrig. This is not the first example of this exquisite work we have seen or handled, however, we do know that the issued bronze statues (marketed exclusively via The Sporting News) differed slightly with regard to their marble base and paint color. The offered bronze statue, which sits upon an attractive mottled-green alabaster base, features the largest of the three bases we have seen and is the only one to include a home plate. While it is the most attractive variation we have encountered, it is also something of an enigma. Unlike the other examples we have seen, this one has not been painted and the artist's name (R. P. Daus) is not engraved along the base. Instead the base features the engraved name of "Del Zornada" and the copyright date "87." The other examples we have seen feature Daus' engraved name and bear a 1988 copyright date. Two other previously unseen engravings, which appear on the other side of the base, read "Eagle Artworks/St. Louis, MO." and "25" (limitation number). Even the engraved title of this piece Henry Louis Gehrig is different (others are titled Pride of the Yankees). Additional side engravings, which are consistent with other examples, read "The Sporting News" and "W. W. S. Inc." While information regarding the engraving variations of this piece are limited (as we have had so few examples to examine over the years), we did discover that Victor "Del" Zornada was the owner of Eagle Artworks.
This piece is a true work of art and has always been marketed as such. When originally offered in the pages of The Sporting News during the late 1980s, its issue price was $2,000. While many collectors appreciated the beauty of the piece at the time, its prohibitive cost resulted in a very limited distribution. Today, it is considered among the finest sports sculptures ever produced. According to the original press release, this sculpture was modeled after a Charles Conlon glass negative of Lou Gehrig from The Sporting News' photo archives. It should also be noted that the artist, R. P. Daus, is a sculptor of some note and his famous Fireman's Memorial, which stands outside City Hall on Market Street, is considered one of St. Louis' most impressive landmarks. This is an exceptional work of art and one that transcends the field of baseball collectibles. Near Mint condition. Height: approximately 16.25 inches (includes the height of the one-inch marble base). Reserve $500. Estimate $1,000+. SOLD FOR $1,645
(Click the smaller thumbnails to the left and right (if any) to cycle through each photo in the gallery of images for this lot.)


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Chicago executives you should know
Here's a round-up of our weekly profiles of interesting and newsworthy CEOs or other business leaders that appear in our Monday Business section.
A passionate, dynamic spark for Chicago ad agency
Peter McGuinness, an East Coast advertising wunderkind who took the helm at DDB Chicago less than two years ago, is competitive, passionate and driven to succeed. He also likes to stir things up. Those qualities got him into and out of hot water growing up on the Jersey Shore. They launched a meteoric...
New CEO to lead change microloan non-profit
Vicki Escarra's career path shows why she's ideally suited to lead change at Opportunity International
Trina Dru Gordon harnesses the power
Veteran headhunter steers executive search firm in new direction
Straddling the worlds of high finance and community activism
From humble beginnings, financial titan never forgot his South Side roots
University of Chicago Medicine's top official faces a challenging 2013
Nearly every morning, before 7 a.m., Dr. Kenneth Polonsky is dropped off near the Lakefront Trail on Chicago's South Side, a few steps from Lake Michigan. He carries no briefcase, wears no suit and has no cup of coffee, the standard trappings of his executive contemporaries. Instead — at least...
Former Dominick's CEO opening more grocery stores here
Stop in to one of the eight Mariano's Fresh Markets in the Chicago area and you could spot founder Bob Mariano pushing carts, rewrapping meat or helping clean up spills. The eponymous, upmarket grocery stores, tended with his exacting sense of detail, have made him something of a local celebrity....
Applying a steady hand as 'private-sector' colleges face scrutiny
Daniel Hamburger is quick to whip out his business card. One side of the card is standard — white background, corporate logo, contact information for the headquarters in Downers Grove. The flip side is dramatic, painted ripe-tomato red with white letters. It spells out the company's mission, which...
Adela Cepeda carved her own path to success
Colombia native has become one of Chicago's most prominent Latina businesswomen
Executive Profile: Martin Nesbitt, the first friend
Drive to succeed evident in business, with family, on basketball court
Former Playboy CEO takes on new role with health resort company
At 60, Christie Hefner is taking the Canyon Ranch brand in a new direction. She's doing the same thing in her career and personal life. Over a long weekend earlier this month, all three of those paths converged over some dusty walking trails in Tucson. Hefner, the former Playboy Enterprises...


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EMERYVILLE, Calif., June 9, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MobiTV, a global leader in enabling the delivery of live and on-demand TV everywhere, announced today that Chief Technology Officer Cedric Fernandes will speak at the highly-regarded TV everywhere industry event, TV of Tomorrow. Fernandes will participate on a panel aimed at examining the multilayered TV landscape and how competition, strategic alliances, technologies and platforms are presenting new challenges and opportunities for major industry players. TV of Tomorrow is a two-day conference in San Francisco where cable, telco and satellite operators, broadcasters, studios, content developers and producers, and CE equipment manufacturers in the interactive and multiplatform television industries meet to discuss the evolving TV everywhere ecosystem.
Panel Title: Navigating TV's New Competitive Landscape
Date and Time: Wednesday, June 11, 2014 from 12:20 – 1:20 p.m. PDT
Location: Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, Calif.
Due to the fundamental shift in TV viewing, this session will explore how the lines continue to blur between pay-TV and OTT content providers based on the launch of new technologies and delivery of unique content across new platforms. Major industry players now find themselves faced with increasing competition, and as a result, are developing new alliances and monetization strategies to find audiences. Fernandes, who oversees the strategic direction of MobiTV's end-to-end connected media platform – that delivers a personalized, user-centric TV everywhere experience across all screens, networks, platforms and operating systems – will share how this industry reconfiguration will affect business plans, content discovery and consumer viewing. Additionally, Fernandes will explain why personalization is critical to a deployment strategy and how industry players should focus more on an individual consumer's usage rather than specific devices. Specifically, he'll demonstrate how this deployment approach will allow for more personalized content such as favorites, recommendations, sharing and customized profiles that are based on each user's unique tastes, interests and demands.
If interested in learning more about TV of Tomorrow, visit thetvoftomorrowshow.com. For more information on MobiTV, visit www.mobitv.com.
About Cedric Fernandes
Cedric Fernandes serves as Chief Technology Officer at MobiTV, Inc. Fernandes oversees the strategic direction of the company's technology and platform roadmap utilizing his passion for conceptualizing and delivering true TV everywhere experiences and multi-platform solutions. Over the past eight years, Fernandes has been one of the company's key technologists helping to drive innovation in the delivery of media to all connected screens. Most recently, in his post as vice president of technology, he oversaw the direction of the company's connected media platform, OEM partnerships and R&D efforts, among other responsibilities.
Prior to MobiTV, Fernandes served as Chief Information Officer at NetPace, Inc., an application development and systems integration company. During his tenure, he trail blazed the B2B app space by having effectively architected and managed enterprise applications designed specifically for wireless. Additionally, utilizing his deep experience with delivery across networks, he built an SMSC and ESME to provide text messaging services to wireless operators and content providers while running some of the highest volume messaging campaigns of its time.
Fernandes is an inventor on several technology patents related to media streaming and distribution.
About MobiTV
MobiTV is a global leader in delivering live and on-demand video to any screen, connecting media reliably and securely anytime, anywhere, on any device. The company's end-to-end platform delivers a true TV everywhere experience that helps service providers reduce time to market and control costs associated with the deployment and operation of high concurrency, multiple platform services. MobiTV's connected media solutions solve the complexity of delivering video across networks, operating systems and devices while managing associated rights. The company efficiently optimizes for network conditions to deliver multiscreen media services that center on empowering the viewer. MobiTV's connected media solutions are tailored for IPTV operators, as well as mobile TV and over-the-top customers including AT&T, Deutsche Telekom, Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular, and Verizon among others.
CONTACT: Formula PR for MobiTV email@example.com
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A Special Prosecutor for the IRS
Despite her denials, it's now plain that Lois Lerner was deeply involved in targeting conservative nonprofit groups.
The House Oversight Committee's investigation of the IRS is at an inflection point. The president's congressional supporters realize that the administration's version of the agency's targeting of conservative nonprofits seeking tax-exempt status—such as blaming local officials in the Cincinnati office or claiming that liberal groups were victimized along with conservative groups—is nonsense. Instead of debating the substance, they have resorted to procedural antics and misleading rhetoric.
I have spent a considerable amount...


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Barcelona, Dec 6: Lionel Messi was carried off with a knee injury as Barcelona was held to 0-0 by Benfica at Camp Nou in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Messi had a bone bruise to his left knee, the club said after scans.
"The feeling is that it isn't more serious than a knock," Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova said.
Messi, who went on as a reserve in the 58th minute, collided with Benfica goalkeeper Artur in the 85th and was in obvious pain clutching his knee when he fell to the turf after weakly attempting a chipped shot.
As Messi dribbled into the box, Artur made contact with the forward to silence the Camp Nou, which is not used to seeing the star injured.
"Let's hope it's nothing serious and that he can soon be with us back to 100 percent," captain Carles Puyol said.
Messi has scored 84 times in 2012 to be only one short of tying Gerd Mueller's 40-year-old record for most goals in a calendar year.
Vilanova said Messi always prefers to play and isn't focused on Mueller's record.
"Had we been worried just about the record we would have played Messi right from the beginning," Vilanova said. "But we had talked about it and decided to bring him on with half an hour to play."
Benfica looked the sharper side in the first half, while Barcelona dominated in the second. Barcelona had already qualified for the knockout phase in top spot from Group G.
Ola John's pass from midfield allowed Rodrigo Moreno to beat the offside trap and race forward accompanied by two Benfica forwards, all three clear of Barcelona's defense, but the Brazil-born Spanish striker shot wide in the 11th minute.
A minute later, Lima had a shot deflected by Barcelona goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto.
Manuel "Nolito" Duran crossed to an unmarked Lima in the penalty area for the Benfica striker to head just wide in the 20th.
Barcelona winger Cristian Tello missed in the 23rd before Lima's 32nd-minute shot was deflected by Pinto onto the goal-frame.
John beat Barcelona's defense again in the 35th but Pinto dived to turn the ball wide.
"It was a game in which it was clear that we wanted to win even though we started with many young players," Barcelona midfielder Thiago Alcantara said.
As the halftime whistle blew, fans in the stadium chanted Messi's name.
Barcelona looked refreshed in the second half, attacking more and stringing together more passes, until Messi came on for Brazilian midfielder Rafinha to an ovation from the fans.


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Santi Mandala Villa & Spa is set in 3.5 hectares of hillside garden, located on the outskirts of Ubud and superbly positioned facing a breathtaking view of Tanaraga Giri Lake, rice paddies, and tropical greenery. Just 25 minutes by car from Ubud, with all its cultural and dining attractions, Santi Mandala Villa & Spa provides a spacious, stylish, luxurious environment in which to enjoy some of life's better moments.
Service is always with smile. from the first moments of your arrival at Santi Mandala Villa & Spa, our professional and Balinese staff will greet you with a traditional welcome drink and ensure your every need is taken care of.
To confirm and guarantee the booking, credit card detail is required. Hotel is to charge direct with customers for full payment upon arrival.
Cancellation Policy :
1. One night cancellation fee will be charged for any cancellation received after confirmed booking
2. 50 % cancellation fee from the total room night reserved will be charged if any cancellation received 14 - 7 days prior arrival
3. 100 % cancellation fee from the total room night reserved will be charged if any cancellation received less then 7 days prior arrival on in case of NO SHOW
4. Early check out and any reduction of the period of stay would be charged
100% of total reservation value
5. On 31 December there is a COMPULSORY New Year's Eve Dinner. You are to pay upon arrival for this New Year's Eve Dinner. Compulsory New Year's Eve Dinner: 31 Dec = US$ 65 net/person (50% free for child below 10 years old)


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Cat eating mashed potato with a fork video goes viral
It appears cats are getting cleverer after one astute feline was filmed eating an evening snack with the aid of a fork.
While most domesticated moggies have to make do with a bowl full of cat food, this intelligent tabby is clearly used to finer dining.
Leaning over a leather chair, the Savannah cat named Nylah disregards her lack of opposable thumbs as she tucks into a plate of food with a silver fork.
Bizarrely the carnivore's meal of choice appears to be a mound of mashed potato, shunning such zip pack favourites as rabbit in jelly or chicken chunks.
The 35 second clip has racked up over 250.000 hits on video-sharing website YouTube in just a matter of days, receiving thousands of likes.
One amused use wrote: 'OMG SUPER CUTE!!!!!'
However other users have questioned the video's authenticity, with one commenting: 'That's a suspiciously long fork.'
Earlier this month a video of a cat sitting upright on a wall went viral , however this clip of a frog sitting on a bench like a human remains the current king of viral videos.
VIDEO: Cat eating with a fork


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LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) The International Olympic Committee issued a warning to the world baseball and softball federation on Tuesday after an Israeli delegate was barred from displaying his national flag at a recent meeting in Tunisia.
''This is a clear signal that the IOC is not accepting any kind of discrimination,'' IOC President Thomas Bach said.
The IOC opened an investigation after the head of the Israeli Baseball Association, Peter Kurz, was told he could not display the Israeli flag or Israeli name plate at the World Baseball Softball Confederation congress in Hammamet, Tunisia, in May.
The IOC executive board noted that the WBSC had taken its own ''appropriate and reasonable'' punitive measures, suspending the Tunisian federation for six months.
But the IOC said it was warning the world body ''to ensure that a similar situation is not repeated in the future.''
The IOC said the measure was taken ''in view of the critical importance of maintaining respect for all members of the Olympic movement and upholding the Olympic values at all times.''
Kurz was one of 150 delegates from 90 nations attending the congress in Tunisia. He said he was asked to sit without his national flag or sign ''for my own wellbeing and for the sake of the host country.'' He filed a complaint to the WBSC.
''We examined it and understood it was probably a lower-level person, it wasn't a plot,'' Anita DeFrantz, an IOC executive board member from the United States, told The Associated Press. ''It seemed someone individually took an initiative, but nevertheless it's inappropriate, and we want to make sure the organization understood the responsibility for ensuring that the Olympic movement's principle is applied.''
The warning is an embarrassment for the WBSC, which was recently formed to merge the two sports as part of a joint bid to win inclusion in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Baseball and softball have been out of the Olympics since the 2008 Beijing Games and have failed in several attempts to secure reinstatement.
''It's not necessarily a blow to anything that will happen to that federation in the future but ... this is a signal they have to be proactive and make sure it does not happen again,'' said Christophe Dubi, IOC deputy executive director of the Olympic Games.
In October 2013, Tunisia's tennis federation ordered the country's top player to withdraw from a match against an Israeli opponent at a tournament in Uzbekistan. Malek Jaziri had been scheduled to play Israel's Amir Weintraub in the quarterfinals of an ATP challenger in Tashkent. He withdrew before the match and Weintraub advanced to the semifinals of the lower-tier event.


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|Procurement Schedule
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NOTE: For the most up-to-date information, visit the new State Use web pages.
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The Committee may certify qualified organizations and severely disabled individuals. The Committee designates by regulation a procurement schedule of products directly manufactured, produced, processed or assembled and services directly performed, offered or provided by a qualified entity, which the Committee determines suitable for procurement by a state agency. Program funds are directly related to the amount of sales by the vendors. One percent (1%) of all sales to a state entity from a qualified vendor are deposited into the State Use Revolving Fund for the sole purpose of promoting the program.


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|2009-03-20, 22:13
|Link #1881
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Age: 29
Talk about garbage on Television. As an American I feel ashamed that this was broadcasted on public television. These comments are asinine at best, and these people really have no right to be critiquing the Canadian Army. With out them this world still would be in the hands of Hitler... And to disrespect all the Canadians that have died fighting the War on Terror in Afghanistan is just a mockery of our own lost soldiers. These people on Fox News call themselves patriots when they belittle the sacrifices our armed forces have made is just moronic.
|2009-03-20, 22:37
|Link #1882
Aria Company
Join Date: Nov 2003
|2009-03-20, 23:30
|Link #1883
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Age: 29
I don't think I'm overreacting. Since I don't watch Fox News and they tout themselves to be one of/the best news source I'm to take what they brand as Fox News as a news, and this show is completely dispicable. Mocking the deaths of troops who try to protect our way of life whether its for comedy or hell anything is wrong. And Stewart/Colbert at least let the audience know that their really not a news show.
P.S. Mocking the dead especially those that serve to protect our liberties is beyond me. Mocking an administration you disapprove fine, but the dead have no ability to defend themselves and considering they sacrificed/payed the highest price to protect our ideals to go bash them on a "fake news" show still doesn't justify this despicable act.
|2009-03-21, 08:35
|Link #1884
They're not really mocking the death of troops per se, but the Canadian military as an institution. I loled at the dude who said it's not a *smart culture* because everything isn't bullet-proof like in the US.
They fit the "stupid American" stereotype quite snuggly, which means they're arrogant and bigoted and should be ignored.
|2009-03-21, 13:11
|Link #1885
Aspiring Aspirer
Ugh, that really disgusts me, I can't believe they got the nerve to spew out Anti-Canadian crap on TV. The Canadian Troops stationed in Afghanistan are positioned in one of the most dangerous districts of Afghanistan and they got the nerve that to imply we're pussying it out?
It's always ironic to see news figures spouting how "cowardly" another country's soldier are while they stay at home snug and safe. But yea, they do fit the sterotypical "stupid Americian",. But something's wrong with their country if there's so many on TV.
And it's funny they've talked about invasion, its a good thing they greed too much for our oil, gas, lumber and water.
|2009-03-21, 14:15
|Link #1886
Le fou, c'est moi
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Las Vegas, NV, USA
Age: 29
^It's Fox News. You either do not take it seriously, or you...hope the other guy doesn't take it seriously. Sadly a lot of people take it seriously.
It's a comedy program in any case, although the comedy is utterly low-brow and tasteless, with an ironic lack of the irony (get it? ) that makes the Daily Show or the Colbert Report fun. I have to admit, though, when Fox News claim it's making satire, and it's saying something ridiculously close to the message it's been sending out for years, I get an urge to rage too. I don't pay much attention to them, but apparently recently they've been saying things like "It's time for a Tea Party!" or "What if...now just what if...the military coups and liberates us from the Obamacommie regime?" Like, yeah. :/
|2009-03-21, 14:56
|Link #1888
Aspiring Aspirer
Yar to that, unfortunately they're not as funny as the Daily Show or the Colbert Report (I watch them both) it might be because they're not exaggerating it enough :/.
|2009-03-21, 15:09
|Link #1889
Pretentious moe scholar
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Age: 31
I recommend we send a team of our crack lumberjack commandos to go beat some sense into Fox News. Canadians don't need armoured everything to kick your ass.
|2009-03-21, 15:20
|Link #1890
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Age: 29
Also Stewart and Colbert are on a channel called COMEDY Central, it implies that what they do is Satire, yet this crap is run on FOX NEWS CHANNEL, which implies to the viewer that there may be truth in what they say. I mean when watching anything from Comedy central there is no expectation for news or sound journalism because the network implies that its meant to dole out laughs. To an unsuspecting viewer who is surfing the channel and the happen upon this show, they might think its really a news dicussion...
|2009-03-21, 19:09
|Link #1891
Join Date: Nov 2007
Age: 29
The soldiers are just doing their job, and I believe they are really fighting either to live, or what they believe in.
The Taliban are just a group of madmen hellbent on making this world a worse place to live in with their so-called "true religious values". They claimed to have been oppressed, but look what they did to their society and women!
I never said that the Coalition who came in are perfect, neither are they all really good people. But certainly it is the truth that they are better people than the Taliban.
|2009-03-21, 21:05
|Link #1892
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: 28° 37', North ; 77° 13', East
Age: 28
|2009-03-21, 22:22
|Link #1894
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
|2009-03-22, 01:42
|Link #1895
Aria Company
Join Date: Nov 2003
|2009-03-22, 07:32
|Link #1896
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Age: 29
My main problem is with the hipocrsy and the implications of the networks their broadcasted by. For the Daily Show and Colbert Report there's the expectance of comedy where as FOX implies that what is shown is news, big difference, and since most non fox watching people were to see this they would assume it was one of the long propaganda arms of the conservatives that has been called "news."
|2009-03-22, 08:38
|Link #1897
On a sabbatical
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Wellington, NZ
Age: 37
|2009-03-22, 14:29
|Link #1899
Pretentious moe scholar
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Age: 31
I'd be the first to admit Canada's Afghanistan deployment is small (about 2830 personal total). However, it's pretty insulting to talk about how you don't even know a country is fighting along side you and to accuse them of leeching off you for defense when:
a) they are one of only a few armies in the coalition whose rules of engagement allow them to participate in frontline operations.
b) they not only provide security for the most dangerous part of the country, but extended their "shift" in that part of the country from 3 to 5 years.
c) they have the third highest casualty rate (about 120 deaths so far, most since deploying near Khandahar in 2006) in Afghanistan after the US and Britain, and suffer 2-3 times the number of casualties for their size of deployment than either of those armies do.
And this is coming from a citizen who has very mixed feelings about the Afghan mission (I don't like the Taliban, but I'm skeptical of the mission's chances of success and dislike backing a government that last time I checked still has the death penalty on the books for religious apostasy). I'm really hoping that the writers were honestly ignorant of what Canada's role in Afghanistan has actually been.
|2009-03-22, 15:44
|Link #1900
Aspiring Aspirer
What's your thoughts on this?
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Joined: 06 Jul 2001
Posts: 4839
Location: Shipsterns Bluff, Tasmania. Colorado
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 9:35 am
Post subject:
I have the Naia , Makani fin. It does what it says on the tin lid. The Koi I have not seen in person, I would consider it more dedicated F/S , small in size , very small. I would consider the weeds similar at Bird Island Corpus Christi or Hatteras sound.
While I like MFC fins the one you posted does not appeal to me as a weed/Freestyle weapon.
Using small fins in Hatteras sound, like 13cm and below on a quad I find that the leading edge still needs to be raked weed , if powered up , doesn't matter much but for marginal or early planing they certainly work better.
I would not count on a wave fin to do what you are looking for.
Andy at Wind NC would be a great resource for your question, his wife as well, and they carry the Makani s
K4 fins
4Boards....May the fours be with you
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Joined: 30 Jun 2000
Posts: 168
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 9:49 am
Post subject:
If you're serious about trying some freestyle, you're much better off purchasing a new freestyle weed over cutting one down. When we used to have to cut the larger fins down, many times the overly thick foil would be worse than dragging the weeds around! So we'd put the cut down weedfin back and deal with the weeds on the normal fin. The tip of a cut down fin will no longer flex causing spinout in an instant, and the overly thick foil will leave you going soooo slow that it will really make air tricks very difficult compared to having a proper foil on the fin. With so little surface area, we already loose a lot of speed and planing ability compared to the same board with a larger fin. So having a properly shaped freestyle fin makes a world of difference.
In reality every little defect in a 15 cm fin will have more of an effect on the performance than the same defects in a 30 cm fin since the defect is taking up twice the real estate on the smaller fin. I can drag around weeds all day on my 38cm slalom fin and keep going straight. One little strand of weed on a 16 cm freestyle fin and it's over!
The 15 cm Koi weed from Makani is the best one on the market right now for dedicated freestyle. I've tried them all! That MFC one you have in the pic is going to work against you more than you realize. Too much rake for a small fin will keep you constantly trying to pinch upwind with little success. Then sliding that thing backwards, I wouldn't even think about!!! The pointy trailing edge will wrap back up on you the second you hit the water fin first. Having a fin easily break free while sliding helps more than anything else when learning your first sliding tricks.
If you do decide to cut one down, there are two main things to keep in mind. Thin out the tip enough so that it can flex a bit. It will give you better traction and better pop. Then make sure the trailing edge isn't sticking out too far backwards. The further back that the bottom trailing edge of the fin is, the less leverage you'll have over it sliding backwards. The major problem you'll be left with is the thickness, which you're not going to be able to fix yourself without screwing up the flow of the foil. Remember, the only reason we used to cut the fins down is because there was no other option!!! I would have killed to have a proper foil on a small weed fin 10 years ago!!
I'm alway happy to give some pointers on learning any of those tricks too if you need help. Glad to have another freestyler among us!!
Happy sailing,
Mike Burns
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Joined: 06 Jul 2001
Posts: 4839
Location: Shipsterns Bluff, Tasmania. Colorado
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 10:00 am
Post subject:
I agree with Mikes observations.The majority of freestyle moves I make are un- intentional .
I do think you can cut a fin down, but the store bought version will be better, thick leading edge is only 1 of the issues.
K4 fins
4Boards....May the fours be with you
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Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 18693
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 12:04 pm
Post subject:
amarie wrote:
I did think about the grinding thing
I'd cut rather than grind, a la U2**3's photo above. Grinding would create a hazardous mess, and you'd be doing enough of that just beveling the cut edges. (Most of the cut-downs I saw were primarily shortened, more than reshaped from top to bottom.) I'm sure you know, too, that Mike Burns is right in the long term; a fin designed from the outset for freestyle will work far better than something homemade. Cutting something down is for cheap experimentation, not long term satisfaction or optimal performance. Besides, FS has been around long enough now that excellent FS fins are hitting the swap meets. I've paid as little as $25 for unused, current year, top brand FS fins. Mike has "tried them all", so surely he has some great fins he'd like to unload.
Mike \m/
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Joined: 30 Jun 2000
Posts: 168
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 2:19 pm
Post subject:
haha!!! I do have lots of extra fins, but I'm keeping them around just for the memories. I attached a pic of a few of the clunkers and prototypes I still have kicking around. The two white Makani freestyle fins are the prototypes that lead to the current production Makani Koi Weed. Notice how they're sitting forward on the box compared to the some of the other models to help the spin-ability and keep the center of effort where it was designed to be under the tail of the board.
This shot brings me back through the evolution from the first cut down weeder I made, similar to the blue Orca/G-sport I have in the shot, to the cut down MFC San Carlos wave/weed, and now all the selections that Makani has to offer. I remember hitting my first spock the same day I cut down my first fin.. a red 21 cm trueames blade weed. Ah the memories......
I know I've got more fins around somewhere but I've given most away over the years to needy beginner freestylers. I also didn't feel like taking the fins I'm using now off the boards for the shot. You can see them on the Makani website!
Now I really want to get out there and use them!!
4042 Time(s)
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Joined: 30 Jun 2000
Posts: 168
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 2:22 pm
Post subject:
And yes, iso is right. Cut the edges to get the shape you want, then sand it to thin it out. A grinder will leave all sorts of dings in the fin. But if you can fork over $100.00, there's nothing like a fin shaped specifically for freestyle!
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Joined: 06 Jul 2001
Posts: 4839
Location: Shipsterns Bluff, Tasmania. Colorado
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 2:31 pm
Post subject:
15% off till Christmas
K4 fins
4Boards....May the fours be with you
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Joined: 01 May 1997
Posts: 398
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 3:05 pm
Post subject:
Yea , that fin seems too big, but the board seems big for you. I weigh 140 lbs
so can somewhat relate. If it was me, before investing even 100 more dollars, I'd somehow try to borrow a smaller fin to try.
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Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 3960
Location: East Bay
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 3:16 pm
Post subject:
I think, don't be afraid to cut, sand, and refoil a fin.
I often do that in my quiver of 35 fins, and use my cutdown fins to sail with equal level sailors on Tetonics and full slalom boards. I'm always on some old (at least 10 years) freeride board with my cutdown fin.
Speed is determine by how powered you are, and how well you can fly the board.
How many of us can claim we can sail Bringdal speeds when he was sailing in 1991, with ANY kind of windsurfing gear?
Look at Naish in RIP. None of us can match that speed NOWADAZE, with the newest gear.
Cut with a jigsaw, sand. That's it.
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Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Posts: 2246
Location: Connecticut, USA
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 5:03 pm
Post subject:
Mike and LeeD are correct. Cutting from the bottom leaves much to be desired.
Short of the very technical and often failed re-foiling as LeeD describes, cutting the fin at the root and re-potting often gives the best results. Epoxy and basic handy skills required, nothing more.
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