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Jazz Baroness
FILM MAKER Hannah Rothschild traces the grand love affair between her great aunt Pannonica and jazz giant Thelonious Monk.
Born into a world of privilege and wealth "Nica" gave up everything for the man she adored, battling society's prejudices as she embraced the world of New York's jazz elite.
Her story is told through rare archive material and fresh interviews with Sonny Rollins, Clint Eastwood and Quincy Jones.
N/C, 3DD Productions,
DVD; rental, retail and download


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At NoD, our definition of 'summer reading' does not rely on Oprah's Book Club nor the current 3-part novel everyone is raving about; or refusing to pick up. No, our summer reads are inspired by the pulse of the industry and our hunger for design.
Our well-informed and curious staff compiled a list of great books by industry experts that they have read or want to read – just in time for all those summer vacations we plan on taking…(Clearly this is sarcasm. If you are a designer, you laugh in the face of vacation and have convinced yourself you not only despise the beach and the sun, but you also refuse to be anywhere that does not have wifi and a work space!)
These design books are instructional, inspirational, informative and most of all, intriguing. From graphic design, Web design, typography, branding and much more, this list covers almost all the bases, enjoy!
1. HTML5 Cookbook by Christopher Schmitt
The HTML5 Cookbook is written in a Problem-Solution-Discussion pattern for each HTML5 feature covered, with plenty of references to external websites for more information and discussion. The segments are grouped in chapters that start with the most simple and common HTML features before advancing to the most complex. A great read to easily and effectively understand the new elements in HTML5 and get straight to applying them.
2. Don't Make Me Think by Steve Krug
Not the newest of the bunch, but still widely relevant, Don't Make me Think is not solely about Web usability but more of a guide book of what to do based on tactics proven to work. Published in 2005, this book is surprisingly on point for the state the Web has evolved into today. This is also great for marketers, developers, project managers and content writers who want to better understand how to make a Website work. There are 3 new chapters added to this edition.
3. Above the Fold by Brian Miller
This book provides everything you need to build a strong foundation for a successful Web site. The content and flow of this book is easy to read through and there are also plenty of visuals to support the content. With real world examples in action and theory to back it up, this is a great tool for a sensible and well thought out approach to Web design.
4. Graphic Design Thinking: Beyond Brainstorming by Ellen Lupton
I think we can all agree that Ellen Lupton is a genius, and this book does not fall short of her stellar reputation. In this book, she breaks down and explains the three basic phases of the design process: defining the problem, inventing ideas, and creating form. Change the way you look at the world and gain a better understanding for the process of design that creates everything around you.
5. Brand Thinking and Other Noble Pursuits by Debbie Millman
This book contains 20 interviews with industry leaders and an all-star list of contributors including Tom Peters and Malcolm Gladwell, to name a few. A highly entertaining, relatable and informative read, you will not be able to put this book down. What better way to learn more about the process and purpose behind branding than to read true accounts from industry leaders?
6. Return on Influence by Mark Schaefer
A fascinating look at the evolution of marketing, Return on Influence helps us understand online influence in the Digital Age and how best to go about establishing yourself or your brand as influential in your industry via social media. Schaefer also reviews innovative companies, like Klout, which measure social media influence with a score. It's a must-read for individuals and companies who crave influence and desire to increase word-of-mouth power on the social web.
7. 2012 Artist's & Graphic Designer's Market by Mary Burzlaff Bostic
This is a great yearly investment to evaluate the current market for designers and artists. With professional advice ad insight into what industry leaders, such as publishers etc, are looking for in the graphic arts field, this is a must read for all designers and artists. A great review of the market for emerging artists with resources you will end up using daily.
8. Thinking with Type, 2nd Revised and Expanded Edition by Ellen Lupton
Yes, Ellen Lupton again. This revised and expanded edition of the original best-seller released in 2010 has 48 pages of new content. Someone new to the field could use this highly accessible content, as well as experienced graphic artists and anyone who works with type. From the printed page to the computer screen, Thinking with Type explores and defines visual communication with type.
9. Symbol by Steven Bateman
With over 1300 symbols organized into groups and sub-groups, Symbol is a great source for inspiration and understanding of the use of symbols in the everyday world. This book gives a thorough understand of the purpose and vision for the symbols that define brands from around the world. This is a very useful resource for students and professionals.
10. The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron
A classic. This book is applicable to all designers, artists, and creatives to ignite inspiration and put a purpose to their process. Find your creative confidence, or if you have a strong hold on it, learn to evolve and tap into the inner workings of your brain to turn anything into a masterpiece. This book will not disappoint and, if you've read it, you wouldn't do any harm by picking it up again.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Style Me Pretty has featured another one of the weddings I photographed! Katie and Mike held both their wedding ceremony and reception at the elegant Wilder Mansion in Elmhurst, Illinois a suburb outside of Chicago this past May. Please check out the full post on Style Me Pretty's Illinois real weddings page.


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My names Kelsey, I like to party, but i can also keep it simple with a night in and some movies.. I love to swim and play volleyball. I...
KelseyE4DD is a 25yr-old single woman in Lower Sackville, Nova ScotiaView Profile


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It never fails. The formula must be set in stone somewhere. Never appeal to men when selling anything that's used to tidy a house! And I get it; I do. Men and women are not equal on the home-front. Women do more housework than men, and are still responsible for most domestic chores when they live with a man. It's understandable why a company would market directly to those people who are most likely to use their product in the first place. But it doesn't have to be so fucking insulting. They aggressively push the wife/mother = maid narrative, and the actresses in the commercials are always ecstatic when they get the opportunity to do laundry.
One Lysol commercial is particularly egregious. Mom arrives home to find dad and the kids turning the family kitchen into a salmonella lab. Unacceptable. Dad turns around and shrugs his stupid shoulders. Cut to mom wiping all kinds of nasty substances off various kitchen surfaces. Everyone has a good laugh. The end. Why couldn't dad clean that mess up?! They could just as easily have shown him reaching for the Lysol after a fun afternoon of culinary experimentation.
Men cleaning house are presented as a fantasy. I would be loyal for life to any company that presented them as a reality in its advertising.


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See All Contributors »
If this move by Darabont ****s this show up, I am going to be ******.
Report: Walking Dead Showrunner Steps Down - TVLine
Im sure it will be fine. I would rather have him step back and consult then be the head man with his heart not in it.
Does not sound positive. Sounds like the show may be going cheap: grind out the plots, grind out the footage. We will know if they start showing the same zombie scenes over and over.
Let Prohm's Posse Ride: Hallice, Brady, Stu, Lard, Naz, Deonte, Monte, Matt, Simeon, Jordan, and Babb.
Oh, Snap! Frank Darabont Didn't Quit 'The Walking Dead'; AMC *Fired* Him
If these statements are true, the show is doomed.
When does this start back up?
Kansas wears Adidas.
October. You cant go cheap on this show. Its a terrible idea.
"Couldn't the audience hear the zombies sometimes and not see them, to save on makeup? The source says Darabont fought "a constant battle to keep the show big in scope and style."
Dear God no, please don't ruin this show.
Originally Posted by bos
Oh, Snap! Frank Darabont Didnt Quit The Walking Dead; AMC *Fired* Him
If these statements are true, the show is doomed.
Yeah, this sound about right. I finally find a TV show I like and AMC ****s it all up. Great.
RIP Janice
b. April 2012 d. April 2012
9 posts
May perpetual light shine upon him.
Originally Posted by The_Architect
"Couldnt the audience hear the zombies sometimes and not see them, to save on makeup? The source says Darabont fought a constant battle to keep the show big in scope and style.
Dear God no, please don't ruin this show.
I almost hope it fails on AMC and a richer network picks it up. Its worth saving.
Oh well. Still have the books.
Nothing on TV will ever beat the very first scene of the first episode of tWD.
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Stray pastors
Culture | Only half of America's ministers hold to a biblical worldview, but even many who do aren't imparting it to their congregations
WORLD HAS DISCUSSED THE COLLAPSE OF theological literacy and the rise of out-and-out unbelief among Americans who consider themselves to be "born again Christians" ("Unbelieving 'born-agains,'" Dec. 6, 2003). Now we know at least part of the reason. According to a new study by the Barna Research Group, 49 percent of Protestant pastors reject core biblical beliefs.
The Christian pollster George Barna put together a list of biblical teachings that presumably Christians of every denomination or theological tradition could affirm: There is absolute moral truth based on the Bible; biblical teaching is accurate; Jesus was without sin; Satan literally exists; God is omnipotent and omniscient; salvation is by grace alone; Christians have a personal responsibility to evangelize.
This is a bare-bones list. It says nothing about the Trinity or the Deity of Christ or other important teachings that are essential for salvation. The list has to do not so much with theology as with the assumptions that are behind one's theology; that is, with worldview. Any minister of whatever denomination, especially a Protestant one, should be able to agree on these basics. But only 51 percent do.
Mr. Barna's breakdown of this data is telling. In the two largest Protestant denominations, Southern Baptists had the most pastors, percentage-wise, who hold to this biblical worldview (71 percent), while Methodists had the fewest (27 percent). The glass is either three-quarters empty or one-quarter full. That one in four Methodist pastors takes what the Bible teaches seriously might be surprising and encouraging in a liberal-leaning denomination. But it is equally surprising, though discouraging, to find that one in four Southern Baptist preachers does not.
The statistics of pastors holding a biblical worldview for other denominations studied were 57 percent of (non-Southern) Baptists; 51 percent of nondenominational Protestants; and 44 percent of charismatic or Pentecostal churches. In the so-called mainline Protestant churches (essentially those belonging to the National Council of Churches), those pastors who could be described as having a biblical worldview numbered only 28 percent.
Mr. Barna also broke the statistics down demographically. Only 35 percent of pastors of black churches hold to a biblical worldview, as he defines it. In denominations that ordain women, only 15 percent of female pastors hold to a biblical worldview.
Mr. Barna also found that pastors who attended a seminary are less likely to have a biblical worldview (45 percent) than those who did not (59 percent). This is doubtless due to the anti-Christian scholarship that dominates much of today's academic religious studies, such as the higher-critical approach to Scripture, which begins by assuming that the Bible is nothing more than fiction.
There is some good news, though, in Mr. Barna's numbers. Younger pastors (those under 40) are more likely to have a biblical worldview (56 percent) than older pastors (50 percent). Those who have been in the ministry for five years or less score even higher (58 percent). Perhaps the unbelieving ministers-mostly aging baby boomers, shaped no doubt by the theological, moral, and cultural upheaval of the '60s, and still assuming they are relevant today-will die out, to be replaced by younger and more faithful shepherds.
But, in the meantime, the sheep are hungry and are not fed. Many have already starved to death. Mr. Barna, who discusses these findings in his new book Think Like Jesus, says that if the numbers are bad among pastors, they are even worse for church members. Just 7 percent of American Protestants overall agree with the biblical tenets on that list. And among those who consider themselves "born again," only 9 percent do. About one out of 10.
There is a huge gap even when pastors do hold to biblical beliefs. "The research also points out that even in churches where the pastor has a biblical worldview," said Mr. Barna, "most of the congregants do not. More than six out of every seven congregants in the typical church do not share the biblical worldview of their pastor even when he or she has one."
This suggests, he says, that "merely preaching good sermons and offering helpful programs does not enable most believers to develop a practical and scriptural theological base to shape their life." Based on his research of those who have a biblical worldview, he says that acquiring one "is a long-term process that requires a lot of purposeful activity: teaching, prayer, conversation, accountability, and so forth.
"Based on our correlations of worldview and moral behavior," he said, "we can confidently argue that if the 51 percent of pastors who have a biblical worldview were to strategically and relentlessly assist their congregants in adopting such a way of interpreting and responding to life, the impact on our churches, families, and society at large would be enormous."


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Welcome to Hotel Royal Inn - Just 1 Minute walk away from Golden Temple
Hotel Royal Inn provides you with the best comfort possible. Your tiredness vanishes the moment you enter the lobby. The efficient and caring staff gives you a warm welcome. Here the finest tradition of hospitality with continuous commitment to provide the best facilities and services is assured. not like other hotels in Amritsar. Hotels Royal Inn is one of the Best in Amritsar. Our spacious rooms themselves speak of the comfort that you are looking at, to suit your holiday and to make your feel completely at home.


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West Elm helped Williams-Sonoma deliver another solid financial performance in the first quarter despite negative effects from the West Coast port dispute and sluggish consumer spending.
What if you could replicate the physical in-store experience on the web? The concept sounds incredibly powerful. Retailers could connect product experts with key audiences to demonstrate and sell physical products, just like in-store.
Williams-Sonoma president and CEO Laura Alber credited the strength of the company's brands across retail and e-commerce for its performance in the fourth quarter ended Feb. 2.
Home improvement retailers are reaping the rewards of a healthier housing market and so is Williams-Sonoma. The company reported strong third quarter results and raised its fourth quarter outlook as a result.
PBTeen is heading to Long Island, N.Y., for the first time. The PBteen store will join sister brands Pottery Barn and Pottery Barn Kids in the first-ever combined location at Walt Whitman Shops, with pass-through access to all three stores. The new store will feature the retailer's new holiday gift assortment.
PBteen has unveiled an inaugural collaboration with celebrity stylists and fashion designers Emily Current and Meritt Elliott. The exclusive, one-of-a-kind collection is the first collaboration of its kind for PBteen and represents Current's and Elliott's debut into the world of interiors and home furnishings.
Pottery Barn Kids, part of Williams-Sonoma's brands portfolio, has launched its Summer Reading Challenge in partnership with PBS Kids.
Janet Hayes, currently the president of Pottery Barn Kids and PBteen, will become president of the Williams-Sonoma brand, effective March 20.
Williams-Sonoma is betting it can replicate its highly successful formula internationally, with the opening of new stores in Sydney, Australia.
Williams-Sonoma announced that it will offer international shipping for its Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, West Elm and Williams-Sonoma brands.


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Scranton Times Tribune, Feb. 9, 2003
With his flowing, snow-white beard, fiery eyes and habit of holding Scripture over the heads of his followers, Stewart Traill could easily pass for Charlton Heston in the Hollywood epic, "The Ten Commandments."
He has likened himself to Moses, John the Baptist and the prophet Elijah. His followers have wagered their lives on the accuracy of these comparisons. Those who have left his controversial religious group and outsiders who study it, however, say the mysterious leader of the Church of Bible Understanding has more in common with P.T. Barnum than Jesus Christ.
Prophet or con man? Like a shadow at twilight or a single drop of rain in a cloudburst, separating the man from the mystery swirling around him is not easily done. Members of the group, also known as COBU, refuse to discuss him. Mr. Traill avoids the media religiously.
It is only through the testimony of ex-followers and newspaper and magazine clippings that a portrait of the 67-year-old man behind the curtain at Olde Good Things emerges.
"I don't believe anybody really knows him," says Jim Greiner, 51, an ex-member of COBU who was once one of Mr. Traill's most trusted lieutenants. He left the group about 11 years ago, after 21 years as a true believer.
"You don't just get to talk to Stewart," Mr. Greiner says, pointing to Mr. Traill's distance from even his most devout followers. This barrier acts as a buffer between the leader and "inconvenient questions," he says.
"For years, I was the only one of the brothers who could talk to Stewart," Mr. Greiner says. "If you wanted to get a message to him, it had to go through me."
Stewart Tanner Traill was born in Quebec in 1936, the second of Donald and Lorraine Traill's three children. He grew up in Allentown, developing early interests in science and religion, the latter of which has been attributed to his father, a Presbyterian minister and college professor.
The high school yearbook for Mr. Traill's 1953 graduating class describes him as an unconventional thinker who relished being different from his fellow students. The description of the 17-year-old Mr. Trail reads:
"Even in the ninth grade, Stuart (sic) Traill put to use his fantastic ideas. One day he was seen with a paper bag on a string tied around his neck. When questioned as to its purpose he simply replied that it would save him a trip to the wastepaper basket should a teacher ask him to deposit his gum."
In 1978, a former teacher told a reporter that Mr. Traill had his own ideas about how subjects like physics should be taught, often interrupting class to debate the instructor's approach.
"We locked horns continually over his inability or unwillingness to approach his studies methodically," the teacher said. "I told him, 'Stewart, your biggest problem is that you cannot be bothered with the basics.'
"I'm not surprised to hear he's started his own religion. There were probably threads of genius running through him, if only he had applied himself."
As a high school senior, Mr. Traill announced plans to build a cyclotron, or atom smasher. He convinced US Steel and General Electric to donate parts and won the consultation of the physics departments of Lehigh and Princeton universities.
Mr. Traill's physics aptitude, however, was long on terminology and short on substance. While he sounded like he knew what he was talking about, his professors at Lehigh said he had little scientific knowledge to back his words. He abandoned the cyclotron and dropped out of school, finding work fixing vacuum cleaners and reselling them.
In 1959, Mr. Traill married Shirley Rudy. They had five children. An atheist on his wedding day, Mr. Traill later said that becoming a father prodded him to establish a connection with a higher power. After studying several religions, he settled on Christianity, but he saw a basic problem with the faith — Christians were misinterpreting the Bible.
Announcing that the book was actually written in a color-based code only he could decipher, Mr. Traill went to New York to preach his version of the Gospel on Greenwich Village street corners. It was a new, tough interpretation of Scripture, heavy on repentance and retribution and light on grace and forgiveness.
Using dramatic catchphrases like "Deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow me," Mr. Traill returned to Allentown and assembled a small band of teenage acolytes that would become the nexus of the Forever Family. A few years later, the group would be incorporated as a nonprofit religious organization and renamed the Church of Bible Understanding.
In 1976, Mr. Traill divorced his first wife and won custody of the couple's children. He soon married Gayle Gillespie, his 20-year-old secretary, at the Diplomat Hotel in New York City. They are still married.
Two years after the divorce, Shirley Traill told the New York Daily News that Mr. Traill refused to let her see their two youngest children, and that he had taught their older children that she was going to hell.
Despite the troubles between them, Mrs. Traill said she still believed her ex-husband was a devoted servant of God.
"I still say Stewart's a good man who doesn't take anything from the church for himself."
The description ex-members give of Mr. Traill's appearance in the early years of COBU conjures an image of a quirky revolutionary: 6-foot-4 with glasses, long hair and a wild beard. He dressed in welder's pants and yellow Converse sneakers and wore a utility belt with pouches for tiny Bibles. He carried a suitcase phone.
While his outfit was eye-catching, ex-members say Mr. Traill disliked being looked at. Followers whose eyes hung too long on the temperamental leader were called "ghouls." Staring at Mr. Traill was called "ghouling."
Followers would wait hours for Mr. Traill to show up for "Big Meetings," gatherings that sometimes brought thousands of COBU members from different cities and states together under one roof. The meetings were usually held in rented theaters, gymnasiums and roller rinks.
Always late, Mr. Traill would burst into meetings, making grand entrances worthy of a rock star. Sometimes, he would get right to teaching. Other times, he would make the group sit in silence on the floor for hours. Mr. Traill opened many meetings with a favorite quote, 1 Corinthians 4:21: "Shall I come to you with a rod or with gentleness?"
Ex-members say he rarely came with the latter. Instead, they say, Mr. Traill badgered members into sharing their deepest secrets, which he would then use against them. He often promised to reveal his life story to them, but not until at least 3,000 members turned out for a Big Meeting. It never happened.
Mr. Traill's critiques were brutal and relentless, ex-members say, and he bullied followers into continuing the self- and peer-bashing when he wasn't around to handle it himself. He said their salvation depended on it.
"He'd really come down hard on them and you felt so incredibly crushed, you couldn't function," George "Skip" O'Neill Jr. told the New York Daily News in 1979. Once Mr. Traill's top assistant, Mr. O'Neill said his old boss was a genius at using the weaknesses of others against them.
Calling Mr. Traill a "master manipulator," Mr. Greiner says the man he once saw as Christ-like keeps followers in line by capitalizing on their deepest fears and disappointments. For Mr. Greiner, it was an unhappy relationship with his father.
"Stewart finds your weakness and uses it to control you," he says. "He knew that my thing was to please him. Whatever I did, it wasn't good enough for my father. He said I was a punk, and that I'd never amount to anything. I tried my hardest to earn his respect, but it never came.
"It was the same with Stewart, but every once in a while, to keep me going, he'd praise me in front of the group. It made me feel good, but if I was really following Jesus, that wouldn't have mattered to me."
In the early '80s, four COBU "brothers" were convicted in Philadelphia for beating Mr. Traill's youngest child, Donald, with a belt and a board. The boy, 12, at the time, was admitted to Children's Hospital in serious condition after the attack.
"We didn't want to hit him with the board," one defendant testified, "but the belt had no effect. We stopped when the board broke."
Why would they beat the son of the man they revered? The brothers said Mr. Traill ordered them to after Donald was accused of shoplifting. The judge sentenced each to five years probation. Mr. Traill was not charged.
"Of course he wasn't," says Beth Davies, 44, who joined COBU at 16 and left at 30.
"Stewart is always very careful to have someone or something between him and whatever goes wrong. He can say he didn't actually beat Donald, but think about it: what kind of person would order someone to do that to his own son?"
The kind who is cold to the suffering of others, according to Ron Burks, a clinical coordinator and counselor for Wellspring Retreat and Resource Center in Albany, Ohio. The nonprofit residential treatment for cult victims is the only facility of its kind in the United States.
"Stewart Traill is one of those rare people leading a group like this who is not terribly sincere," Mr. Burks says. "Most cult leaders are sincere. They're twisted, dangerous people, but they're very sincere. This person is not sincere. His thing started as a con, and I think he's come to believe some of his own con, but he's not sincere at all."
A respected authority on the psychological dynamics of cult leaders, Mr. Burks says his research points up "scary similarities" between Mr. Traill and habitual criminals.
"He fits the profile in that he seems to feel little remorse for the suffering of his followers," Mr. Burks says. "It doesn't seem to register with him that people are hurting. When people express their pain, it doesn't seem to get through, and that makes him one of the most frightening people I've ever heard about.
"For someone like that, the ends justify the means. People like that hook into the best of what it is to be human, and then betray it for their own benefit. That's what's so scary."
Transcripts and tapes of past COBU meetings show that Mr. Traill apologized for leading his followers astray at least once. At a 1989 Big Meeting that came to be known as the "Grace Meeting," Mr. Traill — who had recently admitted to "straying" with a young female member of his flock — was suddenly preaching a new gospel of forgiveness.
After years spent relentlessly punishing his followers for even the most trivial transgressions, he was asking them to cut him some spiritual slack. For many members who would leave over the shocking request, it was too much to ask.
"You see, in other words, here's another explanation," he said. "In some sense or other, I have a framework somehow, that I can keep going — does that make any sense?–that you don't have. I wasn't seeing grace, nevertheless I could include enough of it in some sort of pseudo-framework to, ah, keep going, enough to, ah, seem right. Got it?
"You know the whole while, I never tried to take Jesus' place. No way and I was always speaking against it. And yet that's what the devil arranged. God purposely made me blind to it …
"And who is the emptiest of all? Me. I was devoid, I was unconscious of grace. I really wonder if some of you were more aware of grace than I. I really think so, because it's zero with me."
Prophet or con man? Whichever he is, Mr. Traill's supporters and detractors all agree it's a role he was born to play.


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I recently returned to the US after a 6 month stint in the UK. In the UK I spent some of my weekends doing 100 mile rides on my Raleigh Town & Comfort to see more of the country. I enjoyed riding so much that I have immediately felt the itch to get riding again now that I'm back in the States, and have planned myself some routes ranging from overnight trips to a couple weeks. All that remains is to get a bike.
I see basically see three options: 1) get a new touring bike (probably an entry-level one like a Fuji or Surly LHT), 2) try finding a used touring bike, or 3) convert a used mountain bike or hybrid into a touring bike. It is worth noting that I would like to do some off-road riding but obviously don't expect to be able to handle anything too rough (on my Raleigh I was fine on gravel and chalk but had a hard time on sections that required properly knobby tires – steep ascents on chalk or just about any surface after going through some mud, that sort of thing). Also, my permanent home is in New York City, and I'd like to be able to use the bike to commute as well, which unfortunately means that theft is not totally unlikely.
The way I see the situation is as follows:
1) Obviously this is the easiest option, but also the most expensive. I'm a graduate student on a stipend that lets me be comfortable, but doesn't provide much wiggle-room for making a $1000 purchase lightly. I'm rather concerned about the possibility of theft if I go this route. I'd be tempted to keep this at my parents' house and get a second, cheapo bike for commuting, but I'd also feel like I'd then be somewhat cheating myself out of reaping the full value of the bike I'd invested so much in.
2) Used touring bikes don't come up very often on Craigslist. They're easier to find on eBay, but you don't get to check them out before buying, which makes me a bit nervous. I've seen old Cannondales and a Schwinn Voyageur SP for $200-400, but I feel like every time I look at threads on this site people are talking about vintage road bikes (that seem comparable to me) being only worth $50 tops. Is it likely that I'll end up sinking another $400 into replacing the headset or crankset or something and not saving myself money anyway?
3) I've read about successful conversions of mountain bikes into touring bikes, so long as the chainstays aren't too short. I like this option because new-ish mountain bikes are readily available for cheap, and I imagine that (so long that the bike has the braze-ons I'd need) that my "conversion" could be as simple as changing the tires and putting on bar ends to give myself an extra hand position. My Raleigh was comfortable enough for me on my two-day trips, but I never took it out longer than that to know if I could spend a week or more on it. (For what it's worth I'm a 23-year old guy with a high level of physical fitness who doesn't mind much.)
The extent of my experience with bike mechanics is removing the wheels and handlebars, adjusting the brakes and derailers, etc. Nothing serious. I don't know anything about gear. However, I don't mind doing research and I quite enjoy getting into geeky technical details. The problem is that I'm not sure where to look for the info I might need (or what that info necessarily even is). I've been looking at Sheldon Brown's site and mytenspeeds mostly, but I sometimes feel like a lot of it is going over my head. Again, I find it a bit disconcerting that every time I investigate a bike model on a forum like this, it seems like there's a $100+ discrepancy between what forum members deem a fair price and what it's advertised for, and I'm not sure I know enough to avoid getting swindled.
So I guess what I'm looking for is A) advice on what the "best" approach might be and B) what resources are out there that I can consume to become more comfortable in my knowledge of bicycle mechanics and quality.
Sorry for the long-winded post that is rehashing issues that I've seen plenty of other members bring to the forum.


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Shanahan said mo hurt will be placed on injured reserve today
Maurice Hurt (on PUP list with a knee injury) says he is still strengthening his quad. He's hoping to be cleared to play in 1 to 2 weeks.
Washington Post "Backup offensive lineman Maurice Hurt missed Thursday's offseason practice to have arthroscopic surgery on one of his knees, Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said. Hurt missed last week's round of offseason practices with a groin injury. Shanahan wasn't sure on Thursday which knee the third-year..." May 30
Shanahan said G Maurice Hurt having a scope on his knee today.


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|U.S. Attorney's Office April 22, 2010
Acting United States Attorney Robert S. Cessar announced today, April 22, 2010, that Charles Jude Gaschler, a resident of Carnegie, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of possession of child pornography.
Gaschler, age 63, pleaded guilty to one count before Senior United States District Judge Alan N. Bloch.
In connection with the guilty plea, Assistant United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman advised the court that a search warrant was executed at Gaschler's residence on December 23, 2009. Gaschler lived alone. The computer seized from the residence contained over 100 videos of child pornography, including videos showing graphic sexual acts between adult males and prepubescent boys.
Judge Bloch scheduled sentencing for 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, August 12, 2010. The law provides for a maximum sentence of ten (10) years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Charles Jude Gaschler.
Launched in February 2006, Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.


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Ashok Anand, Chitra Muthukrishnan, Aditya Akella, and Ramachandran Ramjee
June 2009
A large amount of popular content is transferred repeatedly across network links in the Internet. In recent years, packet-level protocol-independent redundancy elimination which can remove duplicate strings from within network packets has emerged as a powerful technique to improve the efficiency of network links in the face of repeated data. Many vendors offer such redundancy elimination middleboxes to improve the effective bandwidth of enterprise, data center and ISP links alike.
In this paper, we conduct a large scale trace-driven study of protocol independent redundancy elimination mechanisms, driven by several terabytes of packet payload traces collected at 12 distinct network locations, including the access link of a large US-based university and of 11 enterprise networks of different sizes. Based on extensive analysis, we present a number of findings on the benefits and fundamental design issues in redundancy elimination systems. Two of our key findings are (1) A new redundancy elimination algorithm based on Winnowing that outperforms the widely-used Rabin fingerprint-based algorithm by 5-10% on most traces and by as much as 35% in some traces. (2) A surprising finding that 75-90% of middlebox bandwidth savings in our enterprise traces is due to redundant byte-strings from within each client's traffic, implying that pushing redundancy elimination capability to the end hosts, i.e. an end-to-end redundancy elimination solution, could obtain most of the middlebox's bandwidth savings.
|Publication type
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|Proceedings of ACM SIGMETRICS/Performance
|Association for Computing Machinery, Inc.
Copyright © 2007 by the Association for Computing Machinery, Inc. Permission to make digital or hard copies of part or all of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than ACM must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, to republish, to post on servers, or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from Publications Dept, ACM Inc., fax +1 (212) 869-0481, or firstname.lastname@example.com. The definitive version of this paper can be found at ACM's Digital Library --http://www.acm.org/dl/.


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79% of Canadians to Shop Online for Back-to-School This Year, Study Says
Four in five Canadians this year will be looking online during their back-to-school shopping sprees, a new study from Pollara Strategic Insights reveals.
The study, commissioned by Visa Canada, says that shoppers plan to spend an average of $325 in store and $163 online on items specifically related to back-to-school.
Why are Canadians leaning more and more toward e-commerce? 57% cite cheaper prices and 42% cite better sales and promotions as the main reasons for purchasing back-to-school items online.
Additionally, 87% of shoppers surveyed admitted to "showrooming"—the practice of looking at items in-store before buying them for less online—with 41% admitting to doing this often.
"Canadians are approaching the back-to-school season in a savvier way, looking online to help them get what they need for a price they're willing to pay," says Dan Arnold, Associate Vice-President, Pollara. "This emphasis on cost is underscored by the fact that 90 per cent of shoppers surveyed stated that they'll be setting and following a back-to-school budget before going shopping."
"Canadians are looking to make online purchases that match their budget and priorities," says Ann-Marie McIntosh, Visa Canada. "Additionally, we're seeing that Canadians are logging on to avoid the hassles associated with busy retail periods. Crowds and lineups continue to be the number one pet peeve when it comes to shopping for back-to-school."


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« American Idol: Paul Abdul, Oh My God I Thought You Sang Twice | Home | Dancing With the Stars: Shannon's Shown the Door! »
American Idol Top Five Sing Neil Diamond Twice In Strange Show
April 29, 2008 07:23 PM by Joe Reality
On the American Idol top 5 performance show, each finalist sang two songs. The theme of the show was songs by Neil Diamond. Jason Castro sang "Forever In Blue Jeans" and "September Morn." After Jason's second performance, Randy Jackson said, "It was just ok." Paula Abdul said, "I feel like it's safe, and you need to get out of your comfort zone." Simon Cowell said, "For the last two weeks, this is not the Jason we put into the competition."
David Cook sang "I'm Alive" and "All I Really Need Is You." After David Cook's second performance, Randy Jackson said, "Again, you rocked the house." Paula Abdul said, "I feel like I'm already looking at the American Idol." Simon Cowell said, "I thought the first song was ok. I thought the second song was brilliant."
Brooke White sang "I'm A Believer" and "I Am I Said." After Brooke's second performance, Randy Jackson said, "Nice job." Paula Abdul said, "Everyone loves who you are, and that works." Simon Cowell said, "This is the Brooke we like, sitting behind the piano, singing a very good song."
David Archuleta sang "Sweet Caroline" and "America." After David Archuleta's second performance, Randy Jackson said, "Another good performance, baby." Paula Abdul said, "I love you, I love you, you were brilliant, have fun." Simon Cowell said, "Well, David, that was a smart choice of song."
Syesha Mercado sang "Hello Again" and "Thank The Lord For The Night Time." After Syesha's second performance, Randy Jackson said, "I think you're finally realizing who you are." Paula Abdul said, "On your second song, it shows a whole different side, and you are equally, that's your performance theatrical place." Simon Cowell said, "You are a very good actress stroke singer, you know. I think however, you may be in trouble tonight."
While Neil Diamond week proved to be somewhat disappointing, it also proved to be one of American Idol's strangest shows ever. The strange part came in when Ryan Seacrest asked the judges to provide brief feedback after all the finalists had completed singing their first song. In one of her most unusual American Idol moments ever, Paula Abdul offered feedback on both of Jason Castro's songs, even though Jason Castro had only sung one song at that point.
Based on the judges' feedback on both of his performances, it would at first appear that Jason Castro might be next to go home. However, Jason has a huge fan base that has kept him safe in previous weeks. Simon Cowell probably got it right when he said that Syesha Mercado might be in trouble. Even though she was not the worst singer of the night, her previous trips to the bottom three and bottom two seem to indicate that she might have one of the smallest fan bases of the remaining contestants.
Reality TV Magazine is your source for American Idol news. For other great American Idol news, please feel free to check out SirLinksALot: American Idol.
Photo Credit: Reality TV Magazine
Topics: American Idol |
« American Idol: Paul Abdul, Oh My God I Thought You Sang Twice | Home | Dancing With the Stars: Shannon's Shown the Door! »
One Response to "American Idol Top Five Sing Neil Diamond Twice In Strange Show"
vocals who are local Says:
April 30th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Very odd night. Paula befuddled. Everyone but David and David quite a diamond in the rough. Jeez.
So we have some lighter entertainment for you. Direct from Santa Barbara, California;
SCARY GUY: An Ode to Simon.
a small offering (funny video, seriously. it's funny) by some very attractive teenage girls and their loopy ringleader.
Because honestly, it's hard not to watch Simon be a scary guy.
shot with a photo camera by the train tracks near Oprah's house
there is good singing


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Borroloola accommodation
This list shows Fossick users' favourite places to stay in Borroloola. There are 1 places to stay in Borroloola, so to get more meaningful results, use the filters to narrow the list. If you have a car, you might like to search Northern Territory to see a wider range of options.
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Tea Bags And Tossed Salads
What could be more lovely and satisfying than having two slutty young fuck whores swallowing your cock and your balls at the same time, and then sticking their tongues up your asshole after you¹ve shot your hot steaming load all over their pretty little faces? Just when you think you¹ve seen every sick and perverted sex act out there, those dirty minded fucks at Mayhem have outdone themselves again. Get up close and personal as our ever invasive camera crew puts you right in the middle of all the filthy cock slurping, ball sucking, ass licking action as these cock hungry tramps get down and dirty in the wildest suck party ever seen.
Studio: Mayhem | Production Year: 2007
Performers: Trina Michaels Randi Wright Ava Ramon Samantha Ryan Paola Rey Bibi Fox


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On this episode of Insights & Influence, Dave interviews author and intellectual Daniel Pipes, blogging pioneer and television personality Kathy Shaidle, and non-profit activist Mimi Tsadok.
Daniel Pipes is the founder and director of the Middle East Forum and its Campus Watch project, and editor of its Middle East Quarterly journal. His writing focuses on the American foreign policy, the Middle East, Islam and Islamism. Kathy Shaidle is the proprietor of political and cultural blog Five Feet of Fury, as well as a contributor on the Sun News Network.
Mimi Tsadok is the Director of Development for Ulpanet Dolev, an Israeli-based non-profit that takes at-risk youth and places them in homes to receive emotional and financial support not otherwise available to them.
Editor's Note: The segment of this episode with Daniel Pipes was recorded in November, 2010 and used in this podcast for its timeliness to issues taking place in the Middle East at the present time.


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STARmeterSEE RANK
Up 13,418 this week
Donyale Luna (1945–1979)
The world's first black supermodel, Luna was born Peggy Ann Freeman was in Detroit and grew up there in the northeast side of the city. Her father, Nathaniel Freeman, worked for almost 40 years at Ford Motor Company, usually in the foundry. Her mother, Peggy, was receptionist at the downtown YWCA for almost 30 years. Her parents had a difficult ... See full bio »
Died:(age 34) in Rome, Lazio, Italy


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University of Rock Winter Camp
Young rock stars should grab their instruments for four days of intensive rock instruction. The camp welcomes students of all levels and accelerates their learning curve with private and group lessons, songwriting and music theory education, and live-performance coaching. All of the hardwork culminates in a student-produced live show. Age 7-18. Thu-Sun, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.


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Posted by ccoleman on 05/09/2014 2:51pm MDT tags: Photo
HOMS, Syria (AP) - Hundreds of Syrians, some snapping photographs with their cell phones, wandered down paths carved out of rubble in the old quarters of Homs on Friday, May 9, 2014, getting their first glimpse of the horrendous destruction that two years of fighting inflicted on rebel-held parts of the city. The scenes that greeted them were devastating: City blocks pounded into an apocalyptic vista of hollow facades of blown-out buildings. Dust everywhere. Streets strewn with rebar, shattered concrete bricks, toppled telephone poles and the occasional charred, crumpled carcasses of cars.


text: Fail to succeed Twitter 25 April 11 by Matt Cowan Bebo cofounder Michael Birch, a Londoner now in San Francisco, has spoken publicly about how his "overnight success" with Bebo (the social network sold to AOL for $850 million in 2008) was a long time in the making. "I think it's important that people have realistic expectations and understanding about how the vast majority of people succeed," he says. "You always hear about the Facebook story, or about the student who suddenly created a huge successful company. That's the total exception to the rule."If people understand other people's experiences and what they went through to achieve what they did, then the perception of them, should they try something and fail, will not be as negative as it currently is in the UK. Particularly in the UK, if you do something and it doesn't work out, it's more likely that your friends will say, 'I told you so,' rather than, 'You must have learned a lot, I bet you're going to have another go at that.' Whereas, in America, no one would expect you to actually quit if you tried building a business and it didn't work. It's sort of expected you'd be having another go. I guess there's a greater understanding that that's part of that journey."Finnish-born entrepreneur Mårten Mickos tells a similar story. Now based in California, he served as CEO of the open-source database company MySQL for seven years, including when it was sold for $1 billion to Sun Microsystems in 2008. "It's always dangerous to make generalisations, but in the US, in the San Francisco Bay area, there is a much higher tolerance of failure. Failure isn't seen as a fatal event but rather as a stepping stone or a learning moment for going on to whatever you do next. In Europe, failure isn't accepted. People think if someone fails, it means the person is bad." Read page 3 1234 Read on one page Latest on wired.co.uk


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אנחנו בפייסבוק
Investigation finds Hossam Hassan Kawasmeh, who aided kidnappers, used money to purchase the two vehicles used in the kidnapping, as well as weapons; more details revealed as other suspects caught.
Published: 09.04.14, 10:59 / Israel News
Hossam Hassan Kawasmeh, who was arrested in July
over his involvement in the kidnapping of the three slain Israeli teens, procured NIS 220,000 to fund the abduction, it was revealed Thursday when new details on the terror attack were cleared for publication.
Kawasmeh, who served as a commanding officer for the kidnappers Marwan Kawasmeh and Amar Abu-Eisha, admitted in his investigation to his involvement in the abduction.
He said he used the money to purchase the car used in the abduction, that was later found burned near Dura, and the escape vehicle that was later abandoned in Hebron.
The money was also used to acquire weapons - two rifles and two handguns - given to Marwan Kawasmeh prior to the kidnapping.
Following the kidnapping, Marwan Kawasmeh met with Hossam and the two went to the place where the bodies were dumped. They took the teens' bodies to a plot of land Hossam purchased several months prior and buried them there.
Hossam then helped Marwan Kawasmeh and Amar Abu-Eisha, who waited in Hebron while the bodies were moved, to go into hiding.
Related stories:
After the bodies of Gil-Ad Shaer, Eyal Yifrach and Naftali Frenekl were found on his lands, Hossam Kawasmeh was wanted for questioning over his involvement in the abduction and murder.
He planned to escape to Jordan using fake documentation with the aid of his family members in Hebron - Hisham Kawasmeh, 35, Jamil Kawasmeh, 38, and Hamas operative Hassan Kawasmeh, 45.
Kawasmeh was arrested on July 11 in his hiding place in the Shuafat refugee camp in a joint operation of the IDF and Shin Bet.
Hossam Kawasmeh, 40, served time in Israeli jail from 1995 to 2002 for his terror activity in Hamas. Among other things, Kawasmeh was a part of a cell that committed terror bombings. Some of his family members were also involved in major Hamas terror bombings. His brother, Hassin Kawasmeh, is serving a life sentence for his part in a bombing near the International Convention Center in Jerusalem in March 2011 that claimed the life of a British tourist and left dozens of others wounded.
In his investigation, Hossam implicated several other suspects that were later arrested and confessed to their involvement.
The vehicles were purchased with the aid of Hebron resident Nuh Abu-Eisha, while the arms were bought from Hamas operative Adnan Mahmad Izzat Zru, 34, also from Hebron.


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1939 Ford Project - Brake Lines And RearendWritten by on March 1, 1999 Hanging The Ford 9-Inch And Hydraulic Brake Lines
Project Freeway Fats is a 39 Ford Tudor sedan. In this series of build-up stories, were detailing the fabrication, restoration and assembly of the car using some of the top builders in the country as sources. Many of the build-up techniques involved are common to all street rods, and many more are common to all types of hot rod projects, regardless of year, make or model. Project Freeway Fats is designed to draw upon those techniques and illustrate how to build a reliable, durable, daily-driven street rod. The emphasis will be less on flash than on function, and the greatest stress will be placed on the cars handling, performance and safety.
In the previous installment, we followed the fabrication of the 39 Ford frame at Total Cost Involved Engineering (TCI). This month, we returned to TCI to detail the fabrication of the brake lines as well as the installation of a Currie Enterprises 9-inch rearend.
Most modern automobiles utilize hydraulic pressure to force either a caliper against a rotor in disc brakes or a shoe against a drum in drum brakes. In the case of Freeway Fats, TCI designed a system that incorporates disc fronts and drum rears.
The two halves of the system are connected but can act independently through a dual master cylinder, which allows each half to operate by itself should the other half fail. Because disc brakes require more pressure to actuate than drums, the system also incorporates a proportioning valve. Proportioning valves vary the percentage of system pressure between the front and rear halves of the system, reducing the pressure to the rear drums so that, under severe braking, the drums would lock up slightly after the front discs. In addition, the proportioning valve is used to differentiate pressure to compensate for the use of large-diameter rear tires with smaller front tires (big n littles), which is common not only on street rods but also street machines, especially Pro Street cars.
It is also common for street rodders to locate the master cylinder beneath the floorpan rather than high on the firewall in order to maintain a clean and neat appearance. But that placement can create problems, since gravity tends to drain the brake fluid back into the master-cylinder reservoir from the wheel cylinders. With disc brakes, in which there is minimal clearance between the calipers and rotors, the problem is not severe. But in drums, the complete release of system pressure allows the shoes to move too far away from the friction surface. It could take several pumps of the brake pedal to create sufficient pressure to close the gap, and thats definitely not what you want in a panic situation. The solution is a residual-pressure valve.
A residual-pressure valve allows pressure to drop off only to a certain degree when the brake pedal is released. Such valves can be installed directly into the hydraulic lines or, in the case of the system used in Freeway Fats, can be incorporated into the rear-brake portion of the master cylinder. In either case, the residual-pressure valve maintains slight pressure in the rear system (10 psi in our 39) to ensure that the rear shoes release but remain in close proximity to the drums.
TCI utilized 3/16-inch stainless-steel lines and No. 3 braided-steel hoses to plumb the brake system for the Ford. Weve heard of a few at-home builders attempting their own plumbing, but after watching the technician at TCI, we shudder to think what a do-it-yourselfer might encounter. Each fitting end must be double-flared to guard against leaks, and that requires a special tool. Laying the lines also requires meticulous measurements and bendsalso done with a special tooland every section of line must be time and again angled, laid into position, checked, measured, removed and the next curve bent. Its a painstaking and precision job that requires experience to perform, and its well worth the money to have it done by a professional.
TCI also installed the Currie Enterprises Ford 9-inch rearend. Currie specializes in Ford and Dana rearends and builds each of its products to the customers specific requirements. The company offers 8.8- and 9-inch Ford differentials as well as Dana 44 and 60 rearends. Each can be equipped with any one of half a dozen different limited slips, including Fords Trac-Lok, the Detroit Locker, Auburn and others. Currie also offers gear ratios ranging from 2.47:1 to 6.50:1, and the housings can be fitted with 30-, 31- or 35-spline forged-alloy axles or 28-spline rebuilt stock axles. The company offers narrowed housings and shortened axleshafts for Pro Street and other applications and can either pallet-ship complete rearend packages or provide any individual part from ring-and-pinion sets or complete third members to special axleshafts and each nut and bolt.
For Freeway Fats, Currie supplied a 9-inch third member fitted with 3.50:1 gears and a modified Trac-Lok limited slip. Currie also fitted the housing with forged-alloy 31-spline axles, and that combination is more than enough to stand up to the mild, 300-horse Ford small-block we plan to install. In fact, the Currie rearend setup would be sufficient for twice that horsepower or more. And who knows? Some day we may swap to an engine that will get us there. Next time, well take a look at the independent front end that will carry our fat-fendered Ford one step closer to the freeway.
More Photos From This Article View Slideshow
The brake system for Freeway Fats utilizes front discs, rear drums, a proportioning valve and a dual master cylinder with an integral residual-pressure valve.Total Cost Involved Engineering (TCI) welded brackets directly to the frame centersection and then bolted the 1-inch Ford dual master cylinder to it. The pedal lever that connects to the pushrod was also designed and fabricated by TCI.Rather than clamping the hydraulic lines around the outside of the framerails, TCI utilized this trick through-the-frame bulkhead fitting. The flexible No. 3 braided-steel hose between the connector and the disc-brake inlet is thus the only exposed portion of the brake lines.TCI used 3/16-inch stainless-steel brake line on our '39. Each section is meticulously measured, marked and then bent as necessary to fit the individual chassis.As each section is completed, it is fastened into place using three-piece clamps. They not only hold the lines securely but also provide a professional, finished look to the installation.Here you can see the T-fitting that is attached to the bulkhead connector for the front disc brakes. The main hydraulic line from the master cylinder is split by the T to provide fluid to the left and right front discs.A Wilwood proportioning valve allows the differentiation of pressure between the front and back halves of the system. If the pressure was equal, the rear drums—which require less pressure to activate—would lock up before the front discs were fully engaged.Another T-fitting is installed at the rear of the frame, routing fluid to the left and right drums. The AN fittings for the rear flexible lines are mounted in brackets welded to the bottom of the framerail (arrow).
The wheel bearings and retainers were pressed onto the axleshafts. Though the '39 will be fitted with a mild small-block rather than a high-horse engine, Currie's 31-spline alloy axles were used. If we wish to upgrade the powerplant, those shafts and the 9-inch rearend will stand up to practically everything we can throw at them.The rear drum-brake assemblies are rebuilt by TCI from the backing plates out, including new spring kits, new wheel cylinders, new shoes and new drums. With the brake assemblies in position, the axles were slid into the housings.The retainer and backing plate are bolted onto the axlehousing. Four Nylock nuts (arrow) hold the assembly in place.The backs of the rear leaf springs are set into place using shackles. The TCI frame is fitted with sleeved mounting holes. Bushings are inserted before the shackles are bolted into place.With the rearend in position under the framerails on a jack, the leaves are similarly bolted into position on their front hangers.The rearend is then lowered onto the leaf springs. Pins on the top spring fit into holes in the axle pad, positioning the axlehousing.
The bar is then positioned behind the axle tube, and urethane-bushed mounting plates are bolted to the bottom of the framerails. The bar ends bolt to the U-bolt mounting plate.Here is the completed rearend. The anti-roll bar has been removed to keep it from getting banged up while the chassis is transferred from shop to shop. Note that the braided-steel flexible brake lines have been run from the AN fittings on the bottoms of the rails to the fittings on the drum-brake backing plates. Next month, we'll detail the installation of the front suspension.


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Flow assurance is a discipline which includes all issues important to maintaining the flow of oil & gas from the reservoir through the flowlines and risers to the downstream processing facilities. Because several disciplines of the oil & gas engineering deal with flow assurance, there is now a new horizon to flow assurance engineering called Integrated Production Modelling (IPM). IPM reconciles the differences in assumptions between individual engineering disciplines, as well as becoming a single, unifying discipline to promote effective communication between sub-surface, subsea, and topsides/process engineers.
IPM captures the movement of oil & gas in a single integrated model with a detailed reservoir model through the wells, flowlines, risers, facilities, and export pipelines. As part of a typical IPM project, our Process Solutions group will work closely with a client's reservoir team to develop working models to forecast production and bench mark against other independent reservoir models. Simultaneously, we will work with a client's facilities team to understand the facility limitations and incorporate those limitations into the integrated model. The resulting fully integrated model is invaluable when determining economic trade-offs between recoverable reserves and system design components such as tubing/pipeline/riser line sizing, artificial lift options, drilling schedule, and more.
We provide full expertise in the modelling of oil & gas movements from the reservoir through the flowlines and risers to the downstream processing facilities using state-of-the-art IPM modelling software such as MAXIMUS* and other in-house developed customized software applications. The most recent IPM project our Process Solutions group performed was for the BP Block 31 NE (PSVM) black oil development and a screen-shot of the resulting IPM model is presented on this page.
With a number of IPM options available, our experience team of consultants has the familiarity/modelling approach available to match the experience that is most suitable to the client.
*MAXIMUS is marketed/licensed by FEESA.
All Rights Reserved.
Copyright© 2016, Wood Group Kenny


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According to a report out of re/code, Larry Page, CEO of Google, has placed Sundar Pichai in control of essentially the entire core Google business. Sundar, who has grown from head of Chrome to managing the Android business in Mountain View, will immediately take on additional roles, but an official title change at Google is yet to come.
Ready to hear what Sundar has on his plate? Let's get started. (more…)


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First Settlers Lodge in Weston, Maine sits high upon acres of unspoiled Maine countryside with panoramic views of Mount Katahdin and the East Grand Lakes Area.
First Settler's Lodge offers a relaxed atmosphere and a variety of overnight accommodation all with private baths and views of the surrounding Grand Lake areas, including:
Whether you are coming to enjoy our winter playground, experience the beauty of the East Grand Lakes in summer, to enjoy the thrill of a hunt, or simply to appreciate the splendor of the fall foliage in Northern Maine, this year-round Maine lodge will forever remind you of "The way life should be".
Be sure to take our 360° Tour for the best views of our property!


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Though I've read about the potential for lithium ion batteries to bloat up when improperly charged, and even blogged here about it before, I've never actually seen one.
So it was pretty impressive to come across some pix and description of a swollen iPod Nano battery posted by David Kerry in his blog post iPod Cause of Death: Dangerous Battery. He figures it swelled to 3X its original size. (Check out the other great photos here too!)
After removing the iPod's cover (which didn't take long for obvious reasons), Kerry writes:
"What I was greeted with inside was rather shocking. It would appear as though my battery has swollen to around three times it's original size and I've narrowly escaped a melting or exploding iPod. The swelling had not only wedged the select button permanently out rendering it, and the iPod useless, but also the front of the casing is actually cracked, a fact I had not initially noticed as it's not easily visible on the white backing.
I'm going to attempt to bring this to Apple's attention, as I believe this has been caused by a s***ty in-car charger, however I think Apple should be told just in-case there's a small chance there's a dodgy batch of two year old Nano's out there about to start popping."
Kerry says he never really got a satisfactory answer out of Apple — but I'd finger the in-car charger or a malfunction with the device's internal charging circuits. There is a limit on how much currrent can be put through a lithium-ion cell. Exceeding it can produce a chemical reaction that causes the battery to swell up, as described in my blog post here.


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Friday Night Baseball Game Against Kansas Postponed
April 30, 2004
LAWRENCE, Kan. - Heavy rainfall in the eastern portions of Kansas have forced Texas Tech and Kansas to postpone Friday night's series opener that was scheduled for 6 p.m. at Hoglund Park.
The 25th-ranked Red Raiders will take on the Jayhawks at the orginally scheduled time of 6 p.m. on Saturday and will the wrap up the three-game series with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
For the latest information on Red Raider baseball, please log into www.texastech.com.
Updated Weekend Schedule


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MdBioLab: Vehicle of Change
MdBioLab, part of the Foundation's larger strategy to increase student interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers, is a custom-built mobile laboratory that serves high school students, and their teachers, throughout the state of Maryland. MdBioLab's goal is to increase student experience and confidence with laboratory concepts and techniques while alleviating the budgetary burdens of laboratory science on schools. It also works to increase teacher self-efficacy for educators who may struggle with the advanced concepts, theories, and equipment used in laboratory science.
MdBioLab has provided quality educational experiences to more than 100,000 students throughout the state of Maryland since its launch in 2003. The program has shown statistically significant increases in student knowledge of science concepts as well as gains at improving attitudes towards STEM as a field of study and STEM-related careers. The Foundation's education programs are popular with both students and teachers, and each year demand increases for school visits. Most notably, the mobile laboratory's request-based schedule filled in less than 20 minutes for the 2013-14 school year, with more than 60 requests from high schools for only 35 available visits.
2015/16 MdBioLab Visits
Allegany County
Baltimore County
|Chesapeake HS
|Dulaney HS
|Eastern Technical HS
|Franklin HS
|New Town HS
|Patapsco HS
|Randallstown HS
|Woodlawn HS
Baltimore City
|Baltimore City College
|Digital Harbor HS
|Edmondson-Westside HS
|Green Street Academy
|MD Academy of Technology and Health Science
|Patterson HS
Frederick County
Garrett County
Montgomery County
Prince George's County
|Bladensburg HS
|Dr. Henry A Wise Jr. HS
|Fairmont Heights HS
|Friendly HS
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Success on the Broadway stage doesn't automatically mean success on the small screen, as a number actors can attest. In fact, those actors took the stage with Neil Patrick Harris at last night's 67th Annual Tony Awards to lament their failed series. Of course, that meant singing alongside Neil Patrick Harris, which may have been a bit of musically charged lemon in some fresh wounds.
Amidst a flurry of series orders and renewals, we're also hearing bad news for some series. For CBS, the ax has fallen on CSI: NY, Golden Boy and Vegas. For NBC, The New Normal joins Go On among the freshman comedies cancelled. And for ABC, Happy Endings has been axed, though there may be some hope for that one as there's talk of USA possibly rescuing the friends-centered comedy.
Most people guessed The Voice would spell a real ratings bringer for some of NBCs other programming when it returned to the schedule. True to form, last nights episode o NBC's hit singing competition, managed to push NBCs sitcoms, Go On and The New Normal, into some legitimately decent ratings
Since its return for the start of its second season, Smash has been struggling in the ratings. The return of The Voice might have helped it there, but it looks like NBC has opted to move the Broadway focused drama away from Tuesday nights, placing their new dating reality show Ready For Love in the post-Voice spot. That's good news for Ready For Love, but most certainly bad news for Smash, which is being moved to Saturdays, starting next month.
NBCs freshman comedy, The New Normal is currently on break, but when the show returns from holiday hiatus, it has big plans to add two more handsome men to its already overly handsome roster. All My Childrens Mark Consuelos (who also happens to be Kelly Ripas hubby) and ERs John Stamos (who happens to have some fine hair) will be joining The New Normal in guest starring roles.
At TV Blend, we know its not all black and white. Sometimes a great show can feature an unconvincing character, sometimes a bland shows scales can be tipped toward terrible by a poorly written man or woman (or alien), and sometimes even the worst shows can have a stand-out low point. This year, instead of celebrating the worst of the worst new programs on TV, wed like to get out our shiny microscope and dig in a little deeper, taking a look at the brand new characters that just dont work.
It's at this point in the fall, when most of the new series have premiered, that we're forced to look at our overflowing DVRs and figure out which shows to keep and which ones to let go. And then, of course, there are the shows we haven't gotten around to checking out yet. For those of you trying to play catch-up and need a little help deciding which new series are worth a look, we've come up with a list of the keepers this season.
White Collars Matt Bomer has been known to take a guest stint or two in the past. Soon, the snarky actor will be headed to NBCs freshman comedy The New Normal to play a potentially trouble-causing role. Bomer should be heading to the series to play a former love flame, and usually former love flames dont pop up unless there is a bad or awkward reason.
If you've been enjoying NBC's new comedies Go On and The New Normal, there's good news! The network has already decided to move forward with full season orders for both comedies, which made their debuts early in September. Also picked up for a full first season is J.J. Abrams and Eric Kripke's post-apocalyptic drama Revolution.
The New Normal showrunner Ryan Murphy revealed some casting news for the NBC comedys upcoming episodes via Twitter yesterday. A couple of well-known people will be showing up on the series, one a former socialite and daughter of a famous musician, and the other a bona fide legend.
NBC begins the process of rolling out their new fall series tonight with the official premieres of The New Normal and Go On. Both comedies aired sneak previews last night, but they move into their permanent Tuesday spot this evening after The Voice. NBC released some new artwork focusing on the casts of each of their new series, including tonight's comedies. Check them out ahead.
NBC's serving up a double-dose of comedy this Tuesday night, following The Voice. First up is the new half-hour comedy Go On, which has Matthew Perry starring as a widower who isn't ready to grieve. Sharing the hour is The New Normal, the Ryan Murphy/Ali Adler created comedy about a same-sex couple who hire a woman to be the surrogate mother to their child. Paired together, both comedies offer a heaping helping of snarky humor, under which are actual heartfelt stories.
It hasnt hit the air yet, but The New Normal is already the most controversial new show of the 2012-2013 season. With watchdog groups blasting it and a station in Utah refusing to carry it, the comedy about a gay couple who use a surrogate to have a baby has already had to defend itself repeatedly. Other shows that have seen the same sort of criticism have failed in their first season - last seasons The Playboy Club for one. Do protestors waving the family values flag really have an impact on how a new series will be received?
NBC is bringing The New Normal to primetime this fall, but those who don't want to wait for the pilot to premiere on television (or who won't be able to see it because their local TV station won't air it) can catch the full episode online today. Check out ahead!
The very title of the upcoming NBC show The New Normal says it all. Yes, this is a show about two men (played by Andrew Rannels and Justin Bartha) who are raising a baby together, but in this day and age, that's not anything to get worked up about. Well, unless you're Salt Lake City-based NBC affiliate KSL
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During the tenured coach's pregame session with the media, he was made aware of this tweet from Nash. And in classic Popovich style, he sarcastically answered the question, but not before making his feelings about Twitter crystal clear.
"Does Steve tweet? I've lost all respect," Popovich joked. "Steve Nash should not be a tweeter. He's a competitor, not a tweeter."
As for Nash's assertion that the coach's time in the military helped him become a basketball mastermind, Popovich wholeheartedly agreed.
"He's absolutely correct," Popovich deadpanned. "I spent all my military time in Russian basketball courts in different cities collecting as many out of bounds plays as I possibly could. And now, I've had a chance to employ them."
via Gregg Popovich, Not a Fan of Twitter — NBA FanHouse.
Popovich will never write a book, and if one is written about him, it will be deeply unsatisfying. He's got too much lockdown on his life, his thoughts, his history. And it's too bad, because over the last year I've come to the conclusion that not only is he the best coach in the NBA, he may be the best of all time, and he's probably the most interesting, too. There's no ego to him. None. The man's a whisper of smoke in reasonably nice attire. He doesn't lash out, freak out, or mouth off. He doesn't sink to "psychological warfare" or any of the other crap certain other coaches sink to. He just does his job, treats his guys like men, wins games, and then deflects all of it to his players. And in the meantime, we miss out on the fact that Nash is kidding, but also really kind of right. The guy majored in Soviet studies during the cold war. There are bodies hidden somewhere, man. All of a sudden the lifeless, cold aspect of the Spurs seems much more fitting.
Also, did you know he wrote a chapter about Robinson for a Chicken Soup for the Soul book? What the hell?


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The Washingtonian Burlesque of Callista's Hair
"The most prolific women in fashion are not "of the moment," they dare to be different and have distinctive style that does not change from season to season, it only evolves." – Dita Von Teese
Since Speaker Gingrich tossed his top hat into the ring of candidates, the fashion blogs and hen peckers have been clucking over the state of Callista Gingrich's hair. These fashion fembots marvel, scorn and envy Mrs. Gingrich while heaping laurels of praise for the 'effortless, elegant style' of the current First Lady. While this all might seem marshmallows, bupkes and whipped froth, a more sinister war against Christian women is being waged through fashion.
Socialist loving females can be so snarky and deceitful when it comes to their jealousy of other women. Words like prissy, icy, Stepford-manufactured, impermeable helmet-hair and boxy seem petty and hurtful especially to those that are married to powerful dreamboat captains of conservative politics. And so it has been for Callista. While she is a talented children's author, photographer and audio book reader the liberal mainstream media continues to draw attention to her hair and fashion. The reasons for all the attention can be distilled to one theme – liberals don't understand the significance of a conservative Christian woman's hair and they are insufferable hypocrites.
All Christian woman are called in Psalms 31 to be virtuous women. In Psalms 31:21-22 a virtuous Woman is defined as a woman of worth and beauty. She has the inner beauty that only comes from Christ. It is like wearing a little secret something underneath. We aren't talking about wearing a thong with (ugh) yoga pants here like some common whore. We are talking about communicating to others a worth and value that elevates and accepts the burden of being virtuous.
Virtue is very attractive to men. Virtue can also make one a target for other women. For many liberal women, virtue is interpreted as a woman-directed bat signal that a man-rustler is in town and the other females need to step up their game. First Lady Michelle Obama isn't virtuous because she only looks like she could wrestle a man to the ground, with little intent to rustle him away from a married woman. This idea of man-handling appeals to the liberal woman. They reject virtue by spitting accusations like adultery.
Far too many liberal Wiki-Bible scholars imply the label of adulteress to Mrs. Gingrich when the Bible clearly imputes adultery only in those cases only where a married woman is directly involved in a sexual affair. All of Newt's dalliances were with unmarried women ergo there was no adultery, only fornication as originally intended. The Catholic Church seems to agree. Too many people ignore the fact that hor means hair in Yiddish, not 'whore'.
While so many of the liberal, atheist fashionoids will applaud the effort and manufactured style of someone like a Dita Von Teese as evidenced by her numerous appearances on 'Best Dressed' lists, they deride and tear apart the same effort in someone like Callista. Both celebrate their feminine natures with tailored selections and a skillfully applied manufactured grace. Unlike so many slouchy, ripped jean, Coffee toting acolytes of the liberal sloth style, both Dita and Callista have exhibited exemplary good posture and a slightly padded shoulder to communicate their true natures. One would never see Callista or Dita hauling around a coffee cup, water bottle or chewing gum. It simply isn't a part of the presentation.
What are the Elements of Callista's Washingtonian Burlesque?
The Callista Gingrich style is jewel tones of color saturated fabrics, impeccably tailored suits that highlight her good posture, and hip slimming lengths for jackets. For the campaign, her proportions have evolved to cut off the length of her legs, lending a weebles wobble look that lifts her husbands rounded frame into a more svelte perspective. While this all sounds a bit contrived, it is an effort focused style choice that puts Callista in the holiest of holies as a woman. The woman that sacrifices what can highlight her own attributes in order to blend the physical failings of her man surely must have a place reserved in heaven.
The hair is a modern, softly layered bob ($400 USD) that requires a deep abiding commitment of at minimum 45 minutes per day and one and one quarter aerosol cans of AquaNet. Ask your Mom about AquaNet if you are unfamiliar with this product's many uses. I find it useful as a spider freezing agent. A few blasts and one can pick up a spider or shpin without fear that it will jump or try to run up an arm and bite an eye.
The now iconic pale daisy haircolor is very high maintenance. I have not seen a single photograph of dark root growth, which is evidence she is touching up the coloring every two weeks or so. The color is so distracting and harsh it draws the eye away from the fact she has a very prominent facial schnozz.
The effort of the Gingrich Washingtonian Burlesque style should not be minimized, even if it may not be applicable for many women. Those so called effortless, wash and go styles that are all the rage are really part of the Gay Agenda. Gays get some kind of gay thrill making women look mis-proportioned so a woman's husband feels small and insignificant. I imagine that is how the Gays cowpoke middle class married men and slyly invite them to wear chaps or Body Armour while forsaking Godly fabrics like deer season camouflage. It really is best that a Christian woman find her own personal style that compliments her man in a way that celebrates her womanhood.
I've noticed that Callista has been a little slump shouldered and avoiding the shapelier, kurveh peplum suit jacket to respond her detractors. While it may please the fashion bloggers, if anything could please them, she needs to push back her shoulders and let her light shine to truly support her husband. It's what Dita would do.
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As well as having a negative effect on your mood, the British winter can also add years to your looks, according to a new study.
Scientists have found that the winter months add an average four years and eight months to a woman's eyes.
During clinical trials on behalf of Adonia Organics, researchers studied the eyes of 5,000 women, aged between 27 and 60, throughout the seasons.
It was found that the lack of sunlight in winter brings paler skin, which emphasises the bags under the eyes.
The problem is made worse by a higher level of fatigue during the winter due to a lower level of Vitamin D, which is generated in sunlight and is directly linked to the body's levels of serotonin, a natural "feelgood" chemical.
The study, conducted at AMA Laboratories in New York, found that 82% of women suffer from dark circles and puffy eyes during winter compared to 38% in summer.
"More science is coming out linking the lack of Vitamin D and K as one of the causes that plagues us with dark circles and puffy eyes, especially as it relates to fatigue and immune related issues. Once you have them, it is usually difficult to reverse them.
"Once you have them, it is usually difficult to reverse them.
"Our research has shown that women are worried about the ageing effect of dark circles more so than wrinkles which are easier to tackle and overcome," said anti-ageing expert Dr Mark Binette of Adonia.
He added: "Ten years ago women were searching for the next wrinkle attacking cream, it seems the market is more open now to alternative ageing signs such as dark circles.
"Lacking in Vitamins D and K has a considerable negative effect on the appearance of dark and puffy eyes and can age a woman by 4.7 years putting over 10% on a woman's age of 40.
"It might not be wrinkles or grey hair that ages you most, but dark circles under your eyes."
Dark circles are often caused by tiny capillaries that leak blood beneath the surface of the skin. As this blood starts to oxidise, it turns an ugly dark blue colour similar to a bruise.
Thin skin under the eyes allows fluid to build up, which becomes more obvious in winter as the skin becomes more transparent.
In summer it is easier to hide dark circles as people suffer less from fatigue and the skin is more tanned.
Adonia claims the new cream it has developed in light of the research, reduces the appearance of dark circles by up to 87% after eight weeks.
Help counteract the ravages of winter with our round-up of the best anti-ageing herbs.
Milk thistle encourages the liver to make a powerful antioxidant, which aids the regeneration of new skin cells and helps to create a glowing, youthful complexion.
Ginseng is a perennial herb and its root is used to help beat age-related problems such as high blood sugar and cholesterol levels. It also helps alleviate stress, stimulates physical and mental activity, which may slack in older age, and protects the body from severe, physical pain.
The Rhodiola Rosea is an 'adaptogen' herb which has long been used to enhance the body's ability to cope with mental stress. It is also believed that the herb could help protect the brain from age-related mental disorders such as Alzheimer's and enhance body stamina and strength.
Rosemary helps to redress the skin's moisture balance, perfect for fending off sagging and wrinkles. It also helps protect the skin cells from environmental damage by aiding the development of collagen in the skin, leaving it plumper and more supple.
Ashwagandha is thought to help with the prevention of dementia by restoring the neurotransmitters in the brain. Ashwagandha also helps the body build a resistance to stressand can be used as stimulant for a healthy immune system.
Gingko Biloba contains crucial antioxidants that help to improve blood flow to the brain which help the body's peripheries function - ideal for those with poor circulation in the fingers and toes.
Also known as Uña de Gato in Spanish and Vilcacora in Indian, the Cat's Claw herb's super-immune-system qualities help battle age-related problems such as high blood pressure, bad circulation and high cholesterol levels.
The seeds from the grape contain powerful antioxidants called procyanidins that neutralise damaging free radical in the joints.
Pine bark, also known as Pycnogenol, strengthens capillaries, arteries and veins and fights inflammation to improve joint flexibility. It also helps the body to circulate more blood during stressful conditions without increasing blood pressure or making the heart work harder.
Known as the 'mushroom of immortality' this colourful fungi has been a folk medicine in China for thousands of years. It is traditionally used to treat age-related conditions like hypertension, arthritis, insomnia and lung disorders. It is also a great anti-inflammatory agent and can be taken in the form of tea or tablets.


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The slave quarters behind the President's House probably was a single 8-1/2-by-11-1/2-foot room built to house Giles, Paris and Austin, the three black men who worked in the stables. Washington's correspondence suggests that Moll and Oney Judge slept in a divided room over the kitchen with Martha Washington's grandchildren and that Hercules, Richmond and Christopher Sheels slept apart from the white servants, in a room in the attic of the main house. In the future, the site of the slave quarters will be the last thing that a visitor walks upon when approaching the main entrance to the new Liberty Bell Center.
My biographical sketches of the eight African Americans (www.ushistory.org/presidentshouse/slaves) were not written because of pressure from outside groups, but as a public service. Independence Park's preliminary report on the history and interpretation of the house had gotten the number of slaves in the presidential household wrong and misidentified three white servants as blacks. I wanted to set the record straight.
The President's House Web page is hosted and maintained by the Independence Hall Association, the congressionally recognized, citizens advisory organization for Independence Park. The IHA is not a branch of the park but an independent group of civic-minded volunteers. The Web page includes a history of the house, an archive of newspaper articles related to it, and a virtual petition calling on Independence Park to mark the footprint of the house (including its slave quarters) in the paving of the entrance plaza to the Liberty Bell Center.


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"Good girls go to heaven, bad girls go everywhere."
People have different motivations and fascinations to travel. For some it is to escape their daily routine. For others travel is a way to create new experiences and memories, a way to fill the shelf of a life well lived. For others it is to meet new and exciting people. People like the Travel Slut.
My motivations are driven by all the above, with the collection of new friends ranking high for me. I have been to 52 countries on all the continents except Antarctica. Travel was afforded to me by spending most of my childhood overseas and becoming an international businessman out of grad school (back when I wore suits, shoes, socks and underwear). In that time I have always been attracted to places and people who are just plain different. People like the Travel Slut.
High-energy people are awesome. People who are not afraid to live a little bit out on the edge of what society might believe is acceptable. People who do things their own way. People who love a lot, laugh a lot and have a big heart. People like the Travel Slut.
I ran across pictures of Ann at Fantasy Fest on Flickr, simply by chance. She was having fun, a smile brighter than a Key West afternoon and hair bigger than Hemingway's ego. I knew I had to meet her. I sent her a note to tell her we were launching Conch Republic Bikinis on Duval St. at the end of October 2010. I asked her to stop by. She added me as a contact but we did not meet. Recently, I did make contact with her and asked her to interview for this story.
Although Ann has been known to visit a nude beach from time to time (she likes my article on My Favorite Topless Beaches in the Caribbean) her name doesn't stem for such titillating activities. She has been traveling all her life and 25 years ago her friends nicknamed her the Travel Slut because, to quote her she will travel, "anywhere, anyplace, anytime, anyhow, and anyway –with just about anyone."
After retiring from corporate America on the west coast, Ann and her husband (sorry guys she spoken for) moved to the Gulf Coast of Florida and started a travel agency. Now she has the professional tools and perks to travel more. The result is like chumming the waters in great white shark country; her travel schedule has turned into a feeding frenzy. Today she travels between 120 to 150 days per year and has visited over 80 countries on 6 continents. She's an expert at getting invited or talking her way into most anyplace.
Ann has traveled alone, with her husband (she says she was the original Cougar) and with groups. She even has her own travel groupies. Many of those groupies have their own names like, TITS (Trainee in Travel Sluttery). She organizes an annual group trip to Hedo II in Negril and says her favorite form of travel is cruising. She has been on over 55 cruises, which means she really knows her islands!
With all those miles beneath that wig, I had to ask her what her favorite Islands were (Caribbean and other). Here is what she told me:
"I really have to give this one some thought – of course, Bora Bora and any of the small islands in the Great Barrier Reef are the top two tropical places I could stay for weeks at a time. Any of the many virgin beaches along the South China Sea, in Viet Nam are so beautiful also and I loved Phuket. White sand and blue clear water and lovely people – those are why I enjoy these areas. I love Grand Cayman, St Barts/Barth, Cozumel, Palancar Reef off the Mexican coast, Jamaica. Too many places to visit; not enough money."
The Travel Slut always packs wigs and costumes with her on trips. She claims she is a light and expert packer but when push comes to shove she never leaves the wigs behind, which she typically buys in Las Vegas. Big surprise. She has an old steamer trunk specifically set up for this purpose.
Once on a cruise in the Mediterranean a honeymooning couple asked Ann and her husband to be in their pictures. As the other passengers watched the activities they just naturally assumed they were part of the crew. She lost track of how many pictures they ended up being in. I can imagine that this scenario occurs a lot to the Travel Slut.
Ann is a talker. The kind of talker you like to listen to. When I spoke to her last week for this interview I was glad I had sent her some questions ahead of time because I never got a word in edgewise. Take notes? Didn't happen. I just listened and took in her energy. All good mind you. There are some people who can talk you into the ground in a bad way, but not Ann. This has to be her secret to travel and her ability to talk her way into places for free like the Burj al Arab in Dubai. The famous sail shaped hotel that is strictly closed to the public. You pay to stay or stay away. Ann was let in, wig and all. She promptly held court at the bar, which she says was average, and enjoyed all the people wondering who the hell she was.
The Travel Sluts perfect client is an experienced traveler. She loves all aspects of travel from researching and planning to execution but she doesn't like it when people put their entire itinerary and resulting experience on her. The fear is if they don't have a good time it will be her fault. I can't blame her given that travel is such an emotional and personal thing. If you are interested in Ann helping you plan that perfect trip to the islands and giving you her personal recommendations you can contact her directly at 941.448.1311. Just be prepared for long talk!
Where is her next big trip? Antarctica in 2012. Enjoy that one Ann, I'd rather have a rum in my hand, a bikini on my bow and a light breeze filling my sails. Send us pictures.
For more of those pictures I told you about go to Flickr and search Travel Slut. You'll see first hand why I knew I had to meet her.
Don't forget to follow me and look at my bikini store:
Bikini Store: store.conchrepublicbikinis.com
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