text:
Thermalright Releases Low Profile AXP-200 CPU Cooler
Subject: General Tech | August 6, 2013 - 07:57 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: thermalright, low profile, htpc, cpu cooler, axp-200
Thermalright recently released the AXP-200, a new low profile CPU cooler suitable for HTPCs and other systems with CPU HSF hieght restrictions. The AXP-200 is the successor to the existing AXP-100, and is available in Europe for €50 Euros, which is approximately $67 USD.
Thermalright's AXP-200 measures 150mm x 140mm x 73mm including the bundled TY-14013 140mm fan and weighs 475 grams (~1.04 lbs). Features include a nickel plated copper base plate that connects to an aluminum heatsink with 49 fins via six soldered 6mm nickel plated heatpipes. Thermalright logos are etched onto the heatpipe caps and fan shroud. Speaking of the fan, it is rated at 700-1300 RPM, 64.52 CFM, and a maximum of 30.6 dBA.
Interestingly, the AXP-200 comes with a TY-150 mounting frame that allows it to support a150mm TY-150 fan instead of the bundled 140mm model.
The cooler supports all of the latest CPU sockets including:
- 775, 1150, 1155, 1156, 1366, 2011
The low profile AXP-200 is available now in Europe for €50 and will hopefully hit the US soon. It should be a decent little cooler for your next HTPC or mini-ITX desktop build, though it is on the pricier side of things.


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In 2005, Chervin received the Premio Trabucco, a prestigious Argentine prize, for her career achievement in drawing. Catalina Chervin is represented in museum collections in the USA, South America, and Europe including: Brooklyn Museum (New York), Princeton University Museum (New Jersey), British Museum (London) Albertina (Vienna), Museo de Arte Contemporaneo (Buenos Aires) and Bochum Museum (Germany). To know more the artist, see this photo-interview: Catalina Chervin, Latin American Surrealist Artist.
View drawings and graphics for sale by Catalina Chervin. Learn more about her view on the role of technique in this article: Eolo Pons, On Technique. See more oilstick paintings by Catalina Chervin.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Monday, September 19, 2011 CMS Publishes Medicaid Recovery Audit Contractors Final Rule On Friday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a final rule on Medicaid Recovery Audit Contractors (RACs) that provides states guidance related to federal/state funding of state start-up, operation, and maintenance costs of Medicaid RACs. The final rule also includes payment methodology regarding state payments to the RACs. States are directed to ensure that adequate appeal processes are in place for providers to dispute adverse determinations that are issued by the RACs. States also must coordinate with other contractors that are auditing Medicaid providers. The regulations take effect January 1, 2012. Watch APTA's Web site for a full summary of this final rule.


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VH1 Funnies up Your Friday with Return of "Best Week Ever" and Premiere of "The Jenny McCarthy Show"
New Series "Making Mr. Right," and "Black Ink Crew" Join Returning Favorites "Mob Wives" and "Love & Hip-Hop"
"Mob Wives" - Premieres Sunday, January 6th at 8 PM ET/PT
VH1's hit series "Mob Wives" returns for a third season Sunday, January 6th at 8:00 PM ET/PT, and the gangster drama is back on a whole new level. Returning cast members Renee Graziano, Karen Gravano, Drita D'Avanzo, Carla Facciolo, Ramona Rizzo and "Big Ang" are joined by a new Mob Wife, Love Majewski. Love has returned to New York to reconnect with old friends and family - but her infamous history with the mob underworld proves to be the source of significant tension. Meanwhile, just as old feuds are put to rest, new conflicts arise, and names, accusations and even knives come out - testing the bounds of friendship, family and loyalty.
"Making Mr. Right" - Premieres Sunday, January 6th at 9 PM ET/PT
VH1 announces the new reality matchmaking series "Making Mr. Right," which will determine just how far three women will go to find true love. With the help of 15-year veteran successful matchmaker April Beyer, three single women pose as "expert matchmakers" to pull a rouse on 14 unsuspecting guys who think they've signed up for a show called "Match Me If You Can." Brittany Skipper, Lindsay Osborne and Rachel Seeker pretend to find these guys true love, but in reality are there to mold the guys into their own versions of "Mr. Right."
In order to find their Mr. Right, the "matchmakers" will put the men through a series of challenges designed to test not only their dating skills, but also to reveal their flaws, and with their animated personalities and dating personas the process gets very intense. Brittany, Lindsay and Rachel will get an insider's point-of-view coaching these men from labels such as "Frat Boy," "Momma's Boy" or "Falls Too Fast Too Soon," to prove that they know what it takes to be the perfect partner. Besides jaw-dropping make-overs and difficult challenges, the contestants will also be given the opportunity to showcase their romantic abilities by being professional, charming and sexy for their "matchmakers." The contestants who demonstrate charisma and poise, might unknowingly win the hearts of their 'matchmakers' and find true love themselves. "Making Mr. Right," an 8-episode series, premieres Sunday, January 6th at 9 PM ET/PT.
"Love & Hip Hop" - Premieres Monday, January 7th at 8 PM ET/PT
VH1's popular docu-series, "Love & Hip Hop" is back in the Big Apple from the Dirty South for Season 3 on Monday, January 7th, 2013. Some familiar personalities from Seasons 1 and 2 will return amongst a mostly brand-new cast, and promises to deliver all the drama from the lives, heartaches, successes and failures of hip hop's movers and shakers in the concrete jungle that is NYC. New York is truly the birthplace of hip hop and the home of some of its biggest successes, even more of its shattered dreams... and all of its secrets.
"Love & Hip Hop" Season 3 is executive produced by Mona Scott-Young for Monami Entertainment and Toby Barraud and Stefan Springman for NFGTV. Co-executive producer is Stephanie Gayle for Monami Entertainment. Shelly Tatro, Brad Abramson, Danielle Gelfand and Jeff Olde are executive producers for VH1. Vivian Gomez is coordinating producer for VH1.
"Black Ink Crew" - Premieres Monday, January 7th at 9 PM ET/PT
Enter the world of the "Black Ink Crew" and meet the girls and guys that run this black-owned and operated tattoo shop on 113th and Lennox, right in the heart of NYC's Harlem. The employees are a tight, but totally dysfunctional "family." For many of them, this shop is the key to turning their lives around, and for some of them, it's their first legitimate job off the streets. Black Ink is more than just a tattoo shop to the people who work there.
The shop is also a magnet for hip-hop stars and athletes, but the real flavor comes from the quite colorful characters that walk into the shop on a daily basis. Inside the doors of Black Ink, you never know what you are going to get. From the sexy new girl on the block, Dutchess, to the party animal of the group, Puma, the characters are crazy, sexy and, most of all, loveable. This hour-long docu-series follows the lives of Ceasar, Dutchess, Alex, Sassy, Puma, and O' Sh!t, as they work, live, party, and hang out in Harlem. "Black Ink Crew" explores the friendships, crushes, rivalries and craziness that comes when a group of friends become family. "Black Ink Crew" premieres Monday, January 7th at 9 PM ET/PT on VH1.
"Black Ink Crew" is executive produced by Dan Cesareo, Doug DePriest and Ken Martinez for Big Fish Entertainment. Executive producers for VH1 are Shelly Tatro, Kari Mcfarland, Rick Hankey and Jeff Olde.
"Best Week Ever" Premieres Friday, January 18th at 10 PM ET/PT
VH1's beloved weekly rundown "Best Week Ever" is back and funnier than ever! Featuring a brand new crew of panelist/comedians and some special appearances from the past, the reboot will celebrate and satirize an entire week's worth of pop culture events packed into one smart, hysterical 30-minute show. Topics will include the week's biggest pop culture moments including late-breaking celebrity gossip, viral videos and the most outrageous moments from daytime and prime time television. Don't fear we have preserved the show's original payoff and each week will identify who is having the "best week ever!"
Executive producers include Jeff Olde, Shelly Tatro, Karla Hidalgo and Bernie Kaminski for VH1.
"The Jenny McCarthy Show" - Premieres Friday, February 8th at 10:30 PM ET/PT
Every Friday night, Jenny McCarthy is hosting an exclusive party in her new high-rise penthouse apartment, and viewers will have an all-access pass. "The Jenny McCarthy Show" is a 360 pop culture experience that will feature appearances by a slew of Jenny's favorite celebs, her loyal shanks - AKA her girlfriends - and some dreamy bartenders. During every party, Jenny will break down the pop culture stories of the week with her handpicked entourage of VIP's while the party's weekly DJ keeps the crowd on their feet for every moment in-between. Nothing is off limits at Jenny's party. That means whether it's at the bar, the bedroom, or in the bathtub, everyone's in on the action - even her production crew. From pop culture games to dissecting the most sizzling celebrity headlines, the whole room is involved and absolutely nothing is held back.
When it comes to her unfiltered and over-the-top take on what's popping in culture that week, Jenny's party is the only place to spend your Friday night. "The Jenny McCarthy Show" premieres Friday, January 18th at 10:30 PM on VH1.
VH1 connects viewers to the music, artists and pop culture that matter to them most with TV series, specials, live events, exclusive online content and public affairs initiatives. VH1 is available in 99 million households in the U.S. VH1 also has an array of digital channels and services including VH1Classic, VH1 Soul, VH1 Mobile, and extensive video on VH1.com. VH1 is a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.


text: Are you a fan of Doctor Who and/or alcohol poisoning? Then The Warp Zone's Doctor Who drinking game is for you! Assuming you watch a few episodes at a time and follow the rules to the letter, I'd say even an experienced drinker would pass out sometime during the third episode. Sooner if there's a nu-Who Dalek episode.


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Every fitness club wants to be known throughout its community, but most club owners frown on spending a lot on advertising. Solution? Find creative ways to promote on the cheap. We asked top marketing consultants and club directors for their best (and least expensive) ideas:
Every club gives out passes for free visits — and most of these passes end up in the garbage can. Wow! Work Out World, a Brick, NJ company that operates seven facilities, has found guerilla ways to distribute passes that makes them seem more worthwhile. WOW! minted 10,000 silver coins — which were passes to the club — and had staff members leave them on the floor or counter of supermarkets and in parking lots.
"You can't help but pick the coin up and keep it because it feels valuable," says Stephen P. Roma, who goes by the title of WOW!'s "chief executive wow!zer." Another successful technique was printing passes on the back of what looked like 100-dollar bills, which were crumpled and thrown on the ground in various locales around the community.
The most effective is to distribute passes in a form that is useful. For instance, looking at fireworks through 3-D glasses will enhance the effect. So WOW! had 50,000 3-D glasses made — on the glasses was a free pass — and distributed the eyewear on the Fourth of July. "It's all about how you deliver the pass," Roma says. "We're giving people something at a time they want it. We're not giving them a beach ball in wintertime."
Bob Verdun, general manager of the Canton and Weymouth Clubs in Boston, is always on the prowl for inexpensive marketing techniques. One of his most successful programs was called "10 for 10" — passes that allow 10 visits to his club for 10 dollars. Verdun gives these passes to local groups, such as Pop Warner teams, to sell in their fund-raising programs. The groups get the money, and Verdun gets an army of eager soldiers making door-to-door calls promoting his club. "A local town raised $4,000 to build a playground with '10 for 10' passes," he says. "It was a win-win situation."
Be on the lookout for unexpected opportunities to promote your club. When Verdun saw how local junior high and high schools were cutting back on gym programs, he volunteered to have his staff teach exercise classes at the schools for a week. "We also arranged a field trip where high school kids could come into the gym, work out, and learn about careers in fitness," he says. "We ended up seeing not only hundreds of kids, but hundreds of teachers, who joined the club. That cost me nothing but staff time."
Upfront planning for advertising can save money and bring better results. "No matter whether your marketing budget is $5,000 or $100,000, you need to figure out the best approach, lay the year out in advance, and treat the expenditure like rent or towels or any other expense," says Jerry Davis, president of Davis & Co., an advertising firm in Virginia Beach. "If you don't, you'll be inconsistent with your program, not get as good results, and spend a lot more money."
By planning the year in advance, you might realize you will run, say, 1,200 columns of newspaper ads. If you buy those ads upfront, rather than piecemeal, you can receive a discount. "If you work with the media, they might tell you if you run one more ad, you'll cut your costs by 25 percent," Davis says.
WOW!'s Roma found that a single ad in a newspaper, no matter how large, often got lost. Instead, it was cheaper and more effective to buy 10 to 20 one-by-one inch ads with just the WOW! logo (which was also a free pass) and scatter the ads throughout the paper. "This is a very effective way to brand the club cheaply," he says.
"All these TV and radio stations call on my gym all the time and the owners get all excited," advertising man Davis says. "I tell them that 99 percent of the people who would see their ads on those places aren't close enough to use their gym."
The better solution is to targeted media, like local lifestyle publications or inserts in local papers that serve a nearby geographic area. The best marketing vehicle Davis has found is direct mail sent to new move-ins every month in selected zip codes. In addition to a letter, the recipients receive a list of yoga/aerobics programs and a club newsletter.
"The newsletter includes fitness tips and pictures of members," Davis says. "This is a successful technique, because people like to see photos of themselves, and prospective members like seeing pictures of real people. They know they won't be the only fat person in the gym." A newsletter doesn't have to be printed on glossy paper, but if it's littered with bad spelling and grammar it will hurt more than help.
It's not just your newsletter that can be an effective marketing vehicle. Initiate ad swaps with businesses that serve the same target market — a sporting goods store; chiropractic, massage or sports injury clinics; a specialty exercise clothing store or health supplement stores like GNC franchises. "Every one of these businesses may not have a newsletter, but you can propose ad swaps such as doing a bag-stuffer flyer in exchange for the ad that appears in the club's newsletter," says Susan Carter, a consultant and author of "How To Make Your Business Run Without You" and "SPLASH Marketing for Overworked Small Business Owners."
Verdun has offered to provide the paper mats to a nearby car detailing company for free — those mats, of course, carried the name of his gym. American Leisure, which operates 70 clubs, touted its New York facility by offering to pay for a year's worth of boxes of a nearby gourmet pizza shop. "On top of the box is our logo and a message that 'this pizza comes with a free six pack — abs that is,'" says Mark Natale, executive vice president for American Leisure. "Inside the box is a pass for a free week of workouts.
Some of the best free advertising is getting the local media to write about your club. The key is to pitch a health story with a good angle that will appeal to local features or health reporters. "For Valentines Day, it might be "be fit for your love," notes Nan Andrews Amish, a health care marketing consultant in San Francisco. "For spring it might be 'look great in your summer wardrobe at the beach.'"
Verdun runs numerous programs for members where he partners with local firms. Outback Steakhouse, for instance, cooks for members twice a year. But Verdun also programs for the entire community. He had celebrities, including a member of the Olympic Hockey team and the New England Patriot cheerleaders, read to the kids in childcare. He opened the event to the community and invited the newspapers. "Now we're looked upon as more than just a health club, but as an exciting place in the community," he says.
When you call up the Canton Club and get put on hold, you hear a peppy recorded voice telling you about upcoming events. "That's free advertising that gets people excited," Verdun says.
WOW! has nine vehicles and each car is a moving billboard. Every vehicle is painted in crazy colors with fire flames and includes the club's phone number and web site address.
There are upward of 4,000 manufacturers' or distributors' co-op plans, spanning more than 8,000 trademarks. If you use specific products in your advertising materials or are willing to start using the products in your advertising, you may qualify for a distributor or manufacturer's co-op program, according to consultant Carter. Some programs pay 100 percent of your advertising costs; most have shared fund plans.
Research these programs by using the library's copy of Co-op Source Directory, put out by Standard Rate and Data Service Inc. Then call or write for a copy of the details of appropriate programs.
The potential downside of a co-op program: you are endorsing a specific product, such as gym equipment or tennis shoes. "Be sure you want to be joined at the hip with the products you feature in your ads," Carter says. "Also, get the arrangement in writing so everyone is clear on responsibility and accountability.
E-mail can be a cheap and effective way to communicate with members and improve retention. The e-mail must be of value so it's not regarded as spam. WOW! sends e-mails to members during their birthday month, giving free gifts every week like a T-shirt, bottle of water, a session with a trainer and guest passes.
"The best advertising will be undone if the person walks into the club and doesn't receive good service," American Leisure's Natale says. "The advertising has to be supported by service or you won't accomplish anything."


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Used Truck - 2006 Mitsubishi Endeavor LS FWD in Miami, Fl
Please Call For Price
About This 2006 Mitsubishi Endeavor LS FWD
Vehicle Location:
Miami, Fl
Call For Price
Stock Number:
Fuel Economy Estimates
City MPG
Highway MPG
Combined MPG: 20
Estimated Monthly Fuel Cost: $111.25*
*Based on $1.78 per gallon and 15k miles per year.
Actual costs may vary.
Actual costs may vary.
Send This Vehicle To Your Smartphone
Seller's Description and Comments:
Located at Auto Club Of Miami in Miami, Fl. Call Auto Club Of Miami today at 305-693-0391 for more information about this vehicle.
Vehicle Options:
- Abs Brakes
- Air Conditioning
- Alloy Wheels
- Am/fm Radio
- Automatic Headlights
- Cargo Area Tiedowns
- Cd Player
- Child Safety Door Locks
- Cruise Control
- Daytime Running Lights
- Deep Tinted Glass
- Driver Airbag
- Front Air Dam
- Front Side Airbag
- Full Size Spare Tire
- Interval Wipers
- Keyless Entry
- Passenger Airbag
- Power Adjustable Exterior Mirror
- Power Door Locks
- Power Windows
- Rear Window Defogger
- Rear Wiper
- Splash Guards
- Tachometer
- Tilt Steering
- Tilt Steering Column
- Tire Pressure Monitor
- Towing Preparation Package
- Traction Control
- Vehicle Anti-theft
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2006 Mitsubishi Endeavor ReviewThis car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale.
A bold new look for a smooth-sailing SUV.
Endeavour was the ship commanded by Captain James Cook, hero of the Seven Years War, when he set off from England in 1768 to scientifically survey New Zealand and Australia.
Mitsubishi's Endeavor has easier objectives, but far greater competition from others. The Endeavor is a midsize sport utility that seats five, with generous space in the front and rear seats. The rear seatbacks flip down to reveal a big cargo area with a perfectly flat floor.
In spite of its rugged appearance, Endeavor is built more like a car than a truck. Underway, the Endeavor handles well and offers a nice, smooth ride. Its drive-by-wire throttle provides responsive control, and its 3.8-liter V6 delivers adequate power, though the Endeavor won't win many drag races. It's available with front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive, but we much prefer the AWD model.
Barely two years old, the Mitsubishi Endeavor has been moderately facelifted for 2006. ABS with traction control is now standard. The standard towing capacity has been increased to 3500 pounds. And all Endeavor sound systems now include MP3 capability.
Mitsubishi has simplified the Endeavor lineup for 2006, leaving only two trim levels: LS and Limited. Each is available with front-wheel drive (2WD) or all-wheel drive (AWD). All are powered by a 3.8-liter V6 making 225 horsepower mounted transversely (sideways) and mated to a four-speed automatic transmission with Sportronic manual shifting capability.
The LS 2WD ($26,599) and AWD ($27,999) come with the usual power accessories, plus a 140-watt sound system with single-disc CD player and MP3 playback, new brush-finish 17-inch alloy wheels with mud-and-snow-rated tires, intermittent rear window washer, roof rails, steering wheel controls, remote entry, full-size spare tire, and a remote tailgate release.
A new Road Trip Package for the LS ($2,000) adds a rear-seat DVD entertainment system with wireless headphones and remote, six-disc CD changer, an enhanced color dot-matrix information display (including compass, outside temperature, fuel computer, and maintenance recorder), sport-touch steering wheel, cargo cover, cargo net, and an alarm.
Limited 2WD ($30,799) and AWD ($32,299) add automatic climate control, premium cloth seats with power for the driver's seat, 315-watt MP3-capable sound system with six-disc CD changer, power sunroof, the color dot-matrix information display, fog lights, crossbars for the roof rails, the cargo cover and alarm.
Leather upholstery is available with the Leather Plus Package ($1,400) that includes seat heaters and heated outside mirrors. The Family Entertainment Package ($1,200) for the Limited includes the DVD system, wireless headphones and remote control. Mitsubishi Active Skid and Traction Control ($995), an electronic stability control system, is available only on Limited AWD.
Safety features on all 2006 Endeavors include dual-stage frontal airbags and front seat-mounted side-impact airbags, anti-lock brakes (ABS) with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), traction control, and a tire-pressure monitor. Curtain airbags are not available. Wear your seat belts as they are your first line of defense in an accident.
Endeavor's styling is aggressively different. It shouts to be noticed. Mitsubishi calls the design geo-mechanical.
Endeavor's front end is bold and this boldness has been further enhanced for the facelifted 2006 models. Chrome grille bars replace the previous body-colored trim, and on Limited the center bar is chrome as well. The bumper and fascia are new for 2006, but the headlamp units are unchanged.
Moving around to the side, the Endeavor is dominated by high, angular fender flares, which in the front are carried all the way up to the hood. It looks like they were designed for larger tires, as the wheel wells seem to dwarf the standard 17-inch rims. The tires are mounted on either five-spoke brush-finish (LS) or seven-spoke polished (Limited) aluminum wheels. The fenders are connected by a high, horizontal beltline.
Endeavor looks best from the rear. The back end is simple, smooth and classy, angular on a two-dimensional level. Triangular extensions on the taillights and an upturned rear bumper make a subtly stretched hexagon of the tailgate. The rear bumper has been extended for 2006, and its step cover redesigned. Mitsubishi has stripped trim-level badges of off the Endeavor for a cleaner appearance.
Because Endeavor's independent rear suspension is mounted low to provide more cargo space, the control arms are visible and catch your eye from the rear. It gives the Endeavor an air of mechanical seriousness, if not a suggestion of fragility from low ground clearance.
The roof rails are wide oblong tubular aluminum, neither easy to reach nor especially functional, at least not without the crossbars that come standard on the Limited. These thick aluminum rails may look rugged on the Nissan Xterra, but not on the Endeavor. Xterra, built like a truck, is a rugged vehicle; Endeavor is built more like a car.
For 2006, the remote keyless entry controls have been integrated into the key, eliminating the separate fob, a setup Mitsubishi believes to be more convenient. A valet key is no longer provided, however.
The geo-mechanical design of the Mitsubishi Endeavor carries through inside, though toned down a bit for 2006 with some trim changes. Getting in and out is easy, thanks to wide door openings. The step-in is low, which is one of the advantages to a car-based unit-body frame, as opposed to truck-based body-on-frame construction.
Once in, the Endeavor is roomy, with front legroom that's comparable to other midsize SUVs (41.4 inches). The Limited's driver's seat with standard adjustable lumbar support is comfortable and well bolstered. The premium fabric is nice, and appears quite durable. Big mirrors offer a good view rearward. Leather upholstery is offered as part of a Leather Package. The seats themselves have been re-styled. And all Endeavors with beige interiors are better color-coordinated, with beige replacing black on the door armrests, lower dash, glovebox, center console, and steering wheel.
Functionally, the Endeavor features big knobs and dials that are easy to push and turn. The instrument cluster is a unit of three gauges that are easy to read, lit at night in a moody ice blue, and accented for 2006 with bright rings. The climate control system efficiently combines heat and air conditioning with one blower.
The center stack features a small rectangular LCD screen with a panel background that changes from titanium to a more subtle black metallic for 2006. The small LCD screen displays a menu of programmable functions, including compass, outdoor temperature, calendar, and the timing of interior lights and intermittent wipers. For 2006, Limited and Road Trip models add a fuel-mileage calculator, door-alarm indicator, and maintenance recorder. The top of the dashboard is still a rubbery-feeling matt black plastic, but Mitsubishi has added brightwork to the inner door levers, door accent panels, and radio buttons.
The Endeavor's rear seat is quite comfortable, with a center armrest with two cup holders and generous legroom for the class, at 38.5 inches. That's more than you'll find in the second row of the Pilot (37.0) or Highlander (36.4).
The 60/40 rear seats fold totally flat with the touch of a finger. Cargo capacity behind the front seats is 76.4 cubic feet, which is a little less than the Highlander and Pilot. The cargo area has enough length and width to fit a 4x8 sheet of plywood, although it would rest on the small wheel humps. There are no less than 10 hooks on the floor and side panels so things can be secured with bungee cords or nets, and one power outlet. The full-size spare tire is mounted under the cargo floorboard, which is easy to raise.
A big glove box offers storage space along with the cushioned armrest console between the front seats with a removable tray, ideal for cell phones, that increases its capacity. With the tray in place, however, you have to lift two lids to get to the deeper storage area. There are two 12-volt outlets within the console, and another one accessible from the rear seat.
Driving Impression
The Mitsubishi Endeavor feels stable underway yet handles well in corners, benefits of its car-based structure. The rack-and-pinion steering is responsive. It turns in nicely for corners. There's some body lean, but it's free of the tippy feeling that used to plague SUVs. You have to drive it pretty hard before understeer sets in. Endeavor uses an independent suspension and 17-inch wheels with Bridgestone Terranza 235/65R17 road tires.
We've driven the Endeavor over all kinds of surfaces, and it has a nice ride. It's smoother than most truck-based SUVs and comparable to some of the car-based SUVs. The only bump in the Endeavor's otherwise comfortable ride appeared in the sharp ridges, those pitches upward that you feel in the pit of your stomach.
The unit-body chassis appears to be very strong. Mitsubishi says virtually every inch of it is either reinforced, corrugated, triangulated or doubled up. The longitudinal rails are octagonally shaped for strength, with no welded beads, and there are five lateral crossmembers.
Put it in Drive and the four-speed automatic transmission does a decent job. It also features a manual Sportronic mode, which allows the driver to change gears; put it in the manual mode and it only shifts when the driver shifts it. We prefer that over the manual modes on many automatics that won't hesitate to override the driver when it doesn't like the driver's decisions. Shifting manually is awkward, however; because of the size of the center armrest/console, you have to cock your elbow in the air to grab the lever, which puts an awkward angle on your wrist and hinders manual shifting.
The engine's drive-by-wire throttle system is very responsive. Mitsubishi says the 0 to 60 mph time for a 2WD LS is 9.5 seconds, which is reasonable but sets no records. The all-wheel-drive Limited we drove was 300 pounds heavier than the front-wheel-drive LS. The 3.8-liter V6 is rated at 225 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque, the latter at 3750 rpm. We felt the need for more torque in second gear, where the transmission wouldn't shift down for sharp acceleration. At the other end of the power curve we had the opposite transmission problem: too much shifting down. Peak power comes at 5000 rpm and redline isn't until 6000.
We also spent some miles in a front-wheel-drive Endeavor, on steeper and rougher roads that included gravel and loose dirt over asphalt. We were less impressed with its handling; it understeered, torque steered, and was sprung more softly. We would suggest choosing an all-wheel drive Endeavor unless you live in a place that's always flat and dry, and you never leave the pavement.
The Mitsubishi Endeavor, designed and built in the U.S., is a solid entrant in the midsize, mid-priced SUV field. Mechanically it appears to be on par with other mid-priced SUVs, while its styling is distinctive.
NewCarTestDrive.com correspondent Sam Moses filed the original report from the central California coast; with Mitch McCullough reporting from Los Angeles.
Model Lineup
Mitsubishi Endeavor LS ($26,599); LS AWD ($27,999); Limited ($30,799); Limited AWD ($32,299).
Assembled In
Normal, Illinois.
Options As Tested
Model Tested
Mitsubishi Endeavor Limited AWD ($32,299).The Endeavor is a midsize sport utility that seats five, with generous space in the front and rear seats. In spite of its rugged appearance, Endeavor is built more like a car than a truck. Mitsubishi has simplified the Endeavor lineup, leaving only two trim levels: LS and Limited. Each is available with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. All are powered by a 3.8-liter V6 making 225 horsepower mounted transversely and mated to a four-speed automatic transmission with Sportronic manual shifting capability. Safety features include dual-stage frontal airbags and front seat-mounted side-impact airbags, anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution, traction control, and a tire-pressure monitor. For 2006, the Mitsubishi Endeavor has been moderately facelifted. ABS with traction control is now standard; the standard towing capacity has been increased to 3500 pounds; and all Endeavor sound systems now include MP3 capability.
10220 Nw 27 Ave
Miami, Fl. 33147
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Contact: Sales Manager


text:
CDL Building Contracts15 Feedback reviews, 100% positive
I am a fully qualified, experienced builder who has been working in the industry for many years. I guarantee a great standard of work at reasonable prices. My team and I have a high regard for Safety and Site Cleanliness. We are flexible, reliable, and work in Essex,... read more
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By burch_64 on 18th Sep, 2017
Brayfield Construction13 Feedback reviews, 92% positive
We are an established family run building company with over 30 years experience in new builds, extensions, refurbishments and conversions. Our aim is to provide a complete and personalised service from start to finish of all projects, big or small. We are both an A+ NHBC... read more
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By adammonsell on 7th Dec, 2016
A F Robertson27 Feedback reviews, 100% positive
We have offered our services, regardless of size for the last ten years. All work is carried out professionally, efficiently and completed to a very high standard. We also pride ourselves on being methodical and a very clean tradesman. read more
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By greg_803 on 20th Nov, 2018
GL Building Services6 Feedback reviews, 100% positive
I'm Steve, a good reliable time served bricklayer, but take on all aspects of building projects, taking pride in all work undertaken. I have been in the trade for over 25 years and have been based in Ipswich for 15 years. I'm happy to provide free estimates for your... read more
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By darren_413 on 27th Jul, 2018
Graham Poynter Carpentry/Building & Joinery73 Feedback reviews, 100% positive
Hello and thankyou for looking me up. I am a fully qualified Master Carpenter with over 35 years of home improvement & building experience. I like to work closely with all my clients to achieve total customer satisfaction & value for money. read more
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By aqua1 on 19th Jan, 2019
BUILDUS3 Feedback reviews, 100% positive
Buildus is a family run Building Company providing a professional and comprehensive service. We cover all aspects of domestic and commercial building works including Extensions, Refurbishments and New Builds. Located at Cavendish, Suffolk gives us excellent access... read more
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By chrishare_93 on 24th Dec, 2014
Works Building Group10 Feedback reviews, 100% positive
We are a building company specialising in renovations and extensions. We have also just added works landscapes to the works building group. So we can now offer you all your landscaping needs from fencing to driveways to full re-design. Here at works building group we have... read more
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By rsutherwood_z950xc on 26th Jun, 2018
Collins Brickwork & Builders59 Feedback reviews, 100% positive
welcome to Collins brickwork & builder we are professional , established building company based on the outskirts of Colchester Essex. Our services range from bricklaying and general building repairs right up to extensions & new builds. Over 25 years experience, all work is... read more
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By bubble_51 on 15th Feb, 2016
M.O.K Building Services ltd2 Feedback reviews, 100% positive
we are a company based in Ipswich. We consist of four working directors who pride ourselves in maintaining the highest standard. Each director has a minimum of 10 years experience within the industry. We normally undertake extensions and alteration works. read more
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Reference taken by MyBuilder on 6th Jun, 2016
S S Builders8 Feedback reviews, 100% positive
S S Builders provide a friendly & professional service & stand by our commitment to provide high quality workmanship with 100% customer satisfaction. We offer expertise & reliability in all work & attract most of our work through customer recommendation. We pride... read more
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By araminta2001 on 13th Sep, 2017
M J Chance Building Contractor2 Feedback reviews, 100% positive
I have been in the building trade for about 12 years. Sole trader for two years. I am building my 3rd extension at the moment. But will take on anything no job too small. read more
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By user_1tr6 on 3rd Aug, 2017
M.A. SKINNER51 Feedback reviews, 100% positive
We are a small family run company with long serving workforce and fully qualified sub contractors working for us for the past 30 years.We carry out small or large contracts to the commercial and private sector. Our prodjects have ranged from £50.00 up to £500,000.00 all... read more
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By lee_vec on 27th Mar, 2018
LMD Construction Ltd3 Feedback reviews, 100% positive
We are a small family firm based in Colchester, Essex, offering comprehensive construction services to private individuals in the Essex/Suffolk Region. We are a close knit team of experienced trademen giving you professional but friendly service whatever your construction... read more
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Reference taken by MyBuilder on 11th Dec, 2013
Harpait Design and Build Ltd6 Feedback reviews, 100% positive
I'am Mark Gooch I have been in the building industry since 1979. I carry out all general building work from New Houses, Extensions, Garages, Garden Walls, Patios and all Internal & External alteration works. I can supply all labour and materials for a complete worry free... read more
Latest Extensions client reference:
Reference taken by MyBuilder on 17th Jan, 2013
c grimwade brickwork37 Feedback reviews, 100% positive
I do a good clean job for a reasonable price I always turn up to do my work.I am looking for some weekend work. read more
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By teddybear_62 on 13th Oct, 2014
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text:
John and Breece: Casey reflects on the summer's hottest re-release
"As for Breece D'J Pancake: I give you my word of honor that he is merely the best writer, the most sincere writer I've ever read. What I suspect is that it hurt too much, was no fun at all to be that good. You and I will never know."
–Kurt Vonnegut in a letter to John Casey last month
A native of Milton, West Virginia, Breece D'J Pancake arrived in Charlottesville in 1975 to enroll in UVA's writing program, and although he had published only a few stories by the time of his untimely death, he had already established himself as a unique voice.
Set in the underprivileged areas of West Virginia, his stories are populated with characters weary from emotional isolation, adrift amid unfulfilled wishes, whose only companions are distant memories and missing persons.
The talent evident in these writings earned him a spot in the classes and in the hearts of such famous UVA teachers as John Casey and James Alan McPherson.
"He was probably among the top five writers that I've seen," says John Casey, a professor of creative writing at UVA for the last 30 years and a close friend to Pancake.
"I learned a lot from Breece. I would even cite him as an influence," says Casey, author of Spartina, the 1989 novel that won the National Book Award.
"I don't think I could have done a really pissed-off Rhode Island fisherman. To do it spare and without a trace of self-pity so that he was just pissed off, pure, is something I think that I didn't get from Breece personally but from the way he could write sometimes," Casey says.
Four years after his student's death, Casey assembled for publication a collection of Breece's stories called simply The Stories of Breece D'J Pancake. Reprinted this summer by Little Brown and highlighted in the August issue of Vanity Fair, the anthology book-ended by a foreword by McPherson and two afterwords (by Casey and Andre Dubus III) is a vibrant portrait of a writer and his emotions as revealed through his characters. I recently spoke with Casey about Breece and the stories that keep him alive to a growing body of readers.
Why do you think you and Breece became so close?
Breece would've been 22, 23– but he seemed older. He'd been around the block a couple of times. And when someone is writing that well, I know how hard it is for them to do what they're doing; they know that I know how hard it is, and that creates an enormous bond right there.
Do you have a favorite story?
"Trilobites" and "In the Dry" are two of the really good ones. "The Honored Dead" I also like. "The Mark" is my favorite in a way. It's the only one from a female point of view, but he does it well. I used to say that there are 12 stories in the book, and five of them are just clearly out-of-the-park home runs. There's only one that I thought might not be as good as the others, but it turns out to be a favorite of a lot of people: "Time and Again," the one about the guy who picks up hitchhikers and feeds them to his hogs. It's kind of gothic. But a lot of people love it.
In your afterword, you write: "A theme of Breece's life and stories is the bending of violence into gentleness." What do you mean by that?
Well, he really wanted to have the virtues of compassion, gentleness, and to be not so much mild because I think I quote in [my afterword] one of his favorite biblical texts: "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth." [Revelation 3:15-16]
He knew he had a terrible temper, and he really was trying to curb it. But he had this urge towards kindness and attachment it was in him and it kept getting fouled up by his just being overtaken by anger. And that was part of the struggle he had.
How do you think Charlottesville or UVA affected Breece?
Well, you can read Jim's account, and I think I touch on this too. There's a phrase in Jim's foreword where he says, "the genteel hush of Wilson Hall," which I think overstates it. I never thought Wilson Hall was all that genteel. I mean, it's cinderblock, for God's sake. And they repainted it, and it began to look like a cruise ship or something like that. It had that sort of blue safety line along the wall. And the offices weren't big enough to swing a cat in.
On the other hand, the more depressing part is you walk up the lower part of Rugby Road after a lot of frat parties and you see all their fancy cars and beer cans and whiskey bottles, and you think, "What the hell are these guys doing?" You get a lot of spoiled brats, and it doesn't take but a few to make the whole place look like a haven for spoiled brats. Because they aren't all spoiled brats. I go to my classes having waded through the beer cans on lower Rugby Road and I think, "No, these are wonderful kids." But you can get a little bit assailed, as I say, by that top layer of foam. It can look a little daunting, especially if you can't put it in perspective and see that it is just a layer of foam.
And Breece already had a chip on his shoulder about that...
Yeah, he did. But it was very mixed because he had an admiration for traditional virtue as well as a kind of, "Goddammit, the whole system stinks."
It's easy to have one or the other, but if you have both at once it pulls you apart. Of course, the intelligent response is to recognize both of these poles. There is a lot of rottenness, and there's also an amazing amount of... odd goodness. But he certainly spent a lot of time in a kind of almost involuntary envy and contempt with both.
The other thing is people thought of him as a loner. But after he died, I was amazed to find out how many people he had some kind of friendship with. Everyone's life story has several versions. But there's no question that his pain reached way down inside of him and was a frustration at the way people ought to behave and the way things ought to be and the way people do behave and the way things aren't. He felt that very keenly, he wasn't about to shrug his shoulders.
What do you think Breece's lasting impact will be?
One of the satisfactions is that the book goes on and on and the ripples are still going on. It sounds strange to say it: 20 years. But 20 years is not quite enough. Let's see what happens in the next 10, 20. I think it will last. It won't date because the stories have all of the elements that can withstand time. And of course another way that a book lasts is that it actually preserves a way of life that people are interested in historically. And I think that would be a kind of lesser reason. To say, "This is what life was like in West Virginia." For those two reasons, but the first one is more powerful. The stories are very well constructed out of real emotion so that you have that sort of push and pull of strong wishes and strong desires that anyone of sensibility can recognize. I think that will keep it alive.
On April 8, 1979, in the yard of his rented Charlottesville cottage on Blue Ridge Lane, the 26-year-old UVA student and short-story writer placed the barrel of shotgun in his mouth and ended not only his young life but also a promising writing career.


text:
CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwire - Dec 7, 2012) - Kulczyk Oil Ventures Inc. (WARSAW:KOV) ("Kulczyk Oil", "KOV" or the "Company"), an international upstream oil and gas exploration and production company, is pleased to announce that the Makeevskoye-16 ("M-16") exploration well in Ukraine, has been cased to its total depth ("TD") of 4,300 metres after encountering seven potential gas-bearing reservoirs. The M-16 well is operated by KUB-Gas LLC ("KUB-Gas"), a partially-owned subsidiary in which KOV has a 70% effective ownership interest and is the deepest well drilled to date by KUB-Gas.
Makeevskoye-16 Exploration Well
The M-16 exploration well, located 6.7 kilometres to the northwest of the Makeevskoye-21 gas discovery drilled in the first quarter of 2012, commenced drilling in early August as part of the accelerated 2012 drilling program. It reached its revised total depth of 4,300 metres on 28 November 2012 and has now been cased to TD. Completion and testing of the well will occur in the first quarter of 2013.
The M-16 well is the deepest well drilled by the Company to date, having previously never drilled deeper than 3,200 metres. The well, which targeted a prospect with multiple potential reservoir units in sediments of Carboniferous age, is the first well drilled by KOV through the complete Serpukhovian section and into a reservoir section of Visean age. The well ultimately penetrated approximately 83 metres of unconfirmed Visean section.
The well encountered seven zones which appear to be gas-bearing based upon drilling information and interpretation of wireline logs. Potential gas zones were encountered in the Moscovian, Bashkirian and Serpukhovian sections of the well. KOV believes that there could be gas in the Lower Serpukhovian section but log quality was poor through the lower section due to worsening hole conditions at depth. As a result, log determination of the presence of gas was impossible in this deepest section of the well. Of particular interest is the Bashkirian R30c zone at a depth of 2,503 metres which appears to be gas-bearing in the M-16 well and is quite extensive, being present in both the Olgovskoye and Makeevskoye Licenses.
Jock Graham, Executive Vice President of the Company says:
"While we will have to wait to see how the testing of the well progresses, we are very pleased with the results of the M-16 well thus far. Operationally, drilling our first well to 4,300 metres without any material problems is an accomplishment our team is justifiably proud of. Of course to have encountered almost 22 metres of confirmed potential gas-bearing zones, with the possibility of an additional 49 metres in the Serpukhovian, depending on log interpretation, is very exciting. We believe that success here will open up new opportunities and targets elsewhere in our licenses, providing an additional path to continued reserve and production growth."
About Kulczyk Oil
Kulczyk Oil is an international upstream oil and gas exploration and production company with a diversified portfolio of projects in Ukraine, Brunei and Syria and with a risk profile ranging from exploration in Brunei and Syria to production and development in Ukraine. The common shares of the Company trade on the Warsaw Stock Exchange under trading symbol "KOV".
In Ukraine, KOV owns an effective 70% interest in KUB-Gas LLC. The assets of KUB-Gas consist of 100% interests in five licences near to the City of Lugansk in the northeast part of Ukraine. Four of the licences are gas producing.
In Brunei, KOV owns a 90% working interest in a production sharing agreement which gives the Company the right to explore for and produce oil and natural gas from Block L, a 1,123 square kilometre area covering onshore and offshore areas in northern Brunei.
In Syria, KOV holds a participating interest of 50% in the Syria Block 9 production sharing contract which provides the right to explore for and, upon the satisfaction of certain conditions, to produce oil and gas from Block 9, a 10,032 square kilometre area in northwest Syria. The Company has an agreement to assign a 5% ownership interest to a third party which is subject to the approval of Syrian authorities, and which, if approved, would leave the Company with a remaining effective interest of 45% in Syria Block 9. KOV declared force majeure, with respect to its operations in Syria, in July 2012.
The main shareholder of the Company is Kulczyk Investments S.A., an international investment house founded by Polish businessman Dr. Jan Kulczyk.
For further information, please refer to the Kulczyk Oil website (www.kulczykoil.com).
Translation: This news release has been translated into Polish from the English original.
Forward-looking Statements This release may contain forward-looking statements made as of the date of this announcement with respect to future activities of KUB-Gas and related to its five licence areas in Ukraine and to certain wells drilled or seismic activities undertaken within those licence areas that either are not or may not be historical facts. Although the Company believes that its expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date hereof, any potential results suggested by such statements involve risk and uncertainties and no assurance can be given that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. Various factors that could impair or prevent the Company from completing the expected activities on its projects include that the Company''s projects experience technical and mechanical problems, there are changes in product prices, failure to obtain regulatory approvals, the state of the national or international monetary, oil and gas, financial, political and economic markets in the jurisdictions where the Company operates and other risks not anticipated by the Company or disclosed in the Company''s published material. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature, they involve inherent risks and uncertainties and actual results may vary materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statement. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements in this announcement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this announcement, unless required by law.
|Suite 1170, 700-4th Avenue S.W., Calgary, Alberta, Canada
|Telephone: +1-403-264-8877
|Facsimile: +1-403-264-8861
|Al Shafar Investment Building, Suite 123, Shaikh Zayed Road,
|Box 37174, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
|Telephone: +971-4-339-5212
|Facsimile: +971-4-339-5174
|Nowogrodzka 18/29
|00-511 Warsaw, Poland
|Telephone: +48 (22) 414 21 00


text:
New NAPA/FHWA Survey Finds Recycling, Energy-Saving Technologies for Asphalt Pavements Increasingly Adopted Nationwide
Lanham, Md. — Thanks to broad adoption of sustainable construction practices, the asphalt pavement industry saved taxpayers more than $2.2 billion dollars during the 2011 paving season through the use of recycled materials and energy-saving warm-mix technologies.
According to a survey conducted by the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), about 66.7 million tons of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and 1.2 million tons of reclaimed asphalt shingles (RAS) were collected in the United States during 2011 for use in new pavements. Also, about 19 percent of all asphalt produced in the country that year was made using warm-mix asphalt (WMA) technologies.
"Asphalt pavements are the sustainable option for paving our nations' roads and highways. With warm mix, we can use less energy to produce high-quality pavements, and RAP and RAS allow us reuse liquid asphalt, saving costs and preserving natural resources," said John Keating, NAPA 2013 Chairman and President and COO East of Oldcastle Materials Inc. "While use of these technologies has increased dramatically, there is room to do more, and the asphalt pavement industry is ready to reach even higher levels of sustainability in road construction."
The use of RAP and RAS during the 2011 paving season translates to a saving of 21.2 million barrels of liquid asphalt binder, saving taxpayers some $2.2 billion. When reclaimed asphalt pavement and shingles are reprocessed into new pavement mixtures, the liquid asphalt binder in the recycled material is reactivated, reducing the need for virgin asphalt binder. Using reclaimed materials also reduces demands on aggregate resources. Warm-mix asphalt technologies allow asphalt pavements to be produced at lower temperatures, which means reduced energy demands, as well as fewer emissions during production and paving.
"The asphalt pavement industry has a long history of adapting new technologies and innovations to make a better product," said NAPA President Mike Acott. "This survey reflects that and demonstrates how asphalt producers are at the forefront of ensuring that our roads are built in an economical and sustainable manner."
Compared to a previous survey of the 2009 and 2010 construction seasons, the use of these sustainable practices has continued to increase.
In 2011, RAP usage reached 66.7 million tons, a 7 percent increase from 2010 and a 19 percent increase from 2009. More than 99 percent of asphalt pavement reclaimed from roads went back into new pavements. In the survey, 98 percent of producers reported using RAP in their mixes for new construction, pavement preservation, rehabilitation, and other projects.
RAS usage also continued to climb, increasing to 1.2 million tons in 2011 — an 8 percent increase over 2010, and a 52.5 percent increase since 2009. Since 2009, RAS usage has been reported in 36 states. RAS includes both manufacturers' scrap shingles and post-consumer roofing shingles.
In 2010, FHWA made warm-mix asphalt part of its Every Day Counts initiative to speed the deployment of technologies that can improve highway projects' quality, sustainability, and safety. In 2011, total WMA tonnage in the U.S. was estimated at about 69 million tons, a 67 percent increase from 2010 and a nearly 309 percent increase since 2009. Almost all WMA in the U.S. was produced using a foaming process, which injects a small amount of water into the mix; warm-mix additive technologies accounted for a little more than 4 percent of the market.
"Warm mix brings with it so many benefits — reduced energy usage, better compaction in a wider range of temperatures, and more pleasant working conditions. It is fantastic to see how quickly it's been adopted in such a short period of time," Acott said. WMA was first demonstrated in the United States in 2004.
The survey was conducted in mid-2012. Results from 203 companies with 1,091 plants in 49 states and Puerto Rico, along with data from 32 State Asphalt Pavement Associations, were used to calculate industry estimates for total tonnage. A slight variation from the previously reported 2010 results is due to changes in survey design to ensure greater accuracy. A copy of the full survey, including a state-by-state breakdown of the data, is available at www.asphaltpavement.org/recycling.


text:
I meant to write about my new wall art this fall, but since that never happened, I might as well do it now.
I have been wanting to change the stuff on my office walls for a while and add something genealogy related. The walls in my office are purple and I could have used black and white family photos, but I wanted something different.
So I decided to make word clouds of my ancestors' surnames and birth places. I used Tagxedo to create the images.
For the surnames tree, I created a text file of the surnames of 8 generations of my family. I uploaded the text file to Tagxedo, chose my options, and saved the image.
For the birthplaces tree, I created a text file of the birthplaces of 7 generations. [In order to get two words to attach, you add a ~ between the words. Ex: Lycoming~County.]
I had the images printed as 12x12 glossy photos and framed them. Along with some family photos, I now have genealogy art in my office.


text:
Tall Sales
This story appears in the August 2001 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe »
In a way, it began with a bet. Or a dare. Certainly it was a promise. Whatever you call it, it happened at the annual meeting in 1994, a half-social, half-serious function celebrating the past year. Larry Gaynor, founder, president and CEO of The Nailco Group, was proud of his beauty salon product distribution company. And why not? He had a strong company, largely constructed by a formidable sales team.
Today, it is a selling tsunami.
Back then, it had made $18 million for the year, and The Nailco Group--TNG for short--was moving into a 100,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art complex. But Gaynor was bracing for a possible quitting epidemic--the new office in Farmington Hills, Michigan, was 20 minutes further from most employees' homes. And so Gaynor, who is something of a showman, boldly announced to his 65 employees: "When we reach $50 million, I'm going to buy each of you a car."
He enjoyed the looks he got from his slack-jawed employees. Then he promptly forgot his pledge.
Until 1999, when 24 employees reminded him.
As the only ones left of the 1994 crew--and knowing sales would hit $50 million within a year--they expected their cars. "I was in shock," says Gaynor, now 45. "I remembered saying it, but then I didn't remember saying it."
At TNG's annual meeting, held in the waning days of 2000, those 24 employees were rewarded with a choice: $25,000 in cold, hard cash or a free car worth 70 percent of their salary.
Get the tips that'll boost your sales figures in our Sales section.
Employees wept. They shouted for joy--especially when Gaynor promised similar incentives for reaching $100 million. They promised Gaynor they'd reach that new goal within a year or two.
It could happen. After all, Gaynor's company is already something of an empire. There are several divisions underneath the TNG banner: The Industry Source, a mail order and retail store division; Hairco, a full-service hair-care products division; Beauty Direct, a master distributor for dealers, distributors and over-the-counter stores; and NailSmart, a discount nail product supplier.
Dizzying, Isn't It?
Gaynor is an entrepreneur determined to rise to the top of his industry. And it's hard to argue that he won't. TNG, which now has more than 230 loyal and enthusiastic employees, is growing by 30 percent each year in an industry that usually sees 2 percent growth.
"We don't call customers," brags corporate trainer Frank Knight. "They call us--with huge orders. It's like they can't spend enough. They apologize when they have small orders--they feel they aren't living up to [our] expectations."
So how can you achieve all that? In a way, it begins with a bet. But most of all, it begins inside the sales machine.
The Sales Machine
It's a big machine. Gaynor's warehouse holds 10,000 items, from nail polish to tanning beds. On a typical day, TNG ships out up to 15,000 items worldwide. Roughly 50 sales staffers sway minds on telephones, telling incoming callers that if they just buy a little more, they'll save a little more. They offer more good deals than Monty Hall. Meanwhile, about 25 salespeople make deals out in the field, persuading salon owners nationwide to carry nothing (or almost nothing) but Nailco.
One of those salespeople is indoor tanning director Dave Folsom. With his crew cut and tall frame, he looks like a cross between a military instructor and a gym coach. He's one of TNG's elite. "I like [TNG's] leadership, the management. We've got good commanders," says Folsom, who likens TNG's sales instruction to basic training (and he should know: He's also a military policeman in the reserves). "We attack, and we attack in full force."
But for all the people running the sales machine,
something's got to fuel it. And that formula is
* A sales-enthusiastic culture.
* A learning-friendly environment.
* Incredible customer service.
|"We don't call customers. They call us--with huge orders. It's like they can't spend enough."
The recipe is deceptively simple, but the cooking process is anything but. Almost as soon as new employees arrive, they're introduced to the TNG culture. Explains Maureen Mann, vice president of sales for the Industry Source division, "You have to want to play on the team, and you have to want to win."
Gaynor has wanted to win ever since he was 10 years old, working in his dad's hardware store in Detroit. Even in high school, Gaynor worked weekends and evenings, missing the chance to play in sports. An armchair psychologist might suggest that's why Gaynor acts more like the fired-up, beloved coach of a high school football team than a CEO.
TNG has "school colors"--purple and white. Especially purple. It colors the walls, carpet, cubicles, chairs, tables, pens, files and folders. The building's exterior features a prominent purple stripe. Numerous pennants, emblazoned with "TNG Rebels," decorate the place. And how many businesses do you know with their own fight song? At quarterly meetings, you'll find TNG cheerleaders and a Rebel mascot (played by Folsom), and at annual meetings, a real high school marching band. Working at TNG is one big pep rally.
That's the idea. It's hard to be excited about selling for your company if you hate your job. And how could you not like working here? Gaynor and his wife, Teresa, TNG's vice president, host two barbecues per year for the staff, and Gaynor routinely passes out $100 bills at quarterly meetings. TNG occasionally caters lavish lunches for employees, and there's always free soda in the lunch rooms.
Says Anne Schultz, one of TNG's top sellers, "Every day I come to work in a good mood."
Learn and Earn
A business has both internal and external customers (employees and clients), says Gaynor. It's basic math: Please both groups, and sales go up. And his employees often need a pat on the back: "Salespeople, in general, ride emotional roller coasters. They frequently run into rejection," says Tony Alessandra, author of The Sales Manager's Idea-a-Day Guide: 250 Ways to Manage and Motivate a Winning Sales Team--Every Selling Day of the Year (Dartnell).
But it's hard to enjoy your job-and thrive in it--if your brain matter is hardening. Hence Learning to Learn, a five-week, three-hour-a-week required course for all employees. They learn how to retain information, and everybody is assigned to read newspapers, magazines and two books: Tuesdays With Morrie (Doubleday) and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Scholastic Trade).
"The average person forgets 50 percent of what they listen to [within] the next day," Gaynor says. "They forget 90 percent of what they listened to within a week. And within a month, it's virtually forgotten altogether." Scary stuff, when your sales meetings are packed with information. But Gaynor remains enthusiastic that TNG can overcome the stubborn memory by giving reading a critical role in the learning process. In fact, it was a book--Timothy Gallwey's The Inner Game of Work (Random House)--that inspired Gaynor to make his company "a learning-based organization."
The book has since become the company bible. The main theme in Inner Game is this, says Gallwey: "The potential of human beings to learn from their work experience is not fully taken advantage of. To do this requires acknowledging the way in which individuals, teams and corporate culture can interfere with the worker's learning and potential expression of excellence."
|"Salespeople, in general, ride emotional roller coasters. They frequently run into rejection."
That is a philosophy Gaynor takes to heart. New employees attend an intense three-week seminar, where they study the workplace culture, the complicated computer system and specific sales tactics. Common stuff, of course. Most successful companies offer training.
But then Gaynor's employees take Learning to Learn, and some time later, they move into Learning to Learn: Level Two. Mann, an instructor, explains: "We go into a more in-depth understanding of the principles of The Inner Game of Work, such as mobility, focus, redefining work, thinking like a CEO and coaching for managers."
When employees reach Level Three, they study personal and professional development. And Level Three, Mann says, "will never end."
Impressive? Or a waste of time and money? "It is an investment," argues Alessandra. "For instance, IBM has found that for every dollar they invest in training, they get $25 in return. Of course, if you're looking to save money, training is one of the first things an entrepreneur will cut."
Indeed, several months after implementing TNG's learning programs, Gaynor saw customer satisfaction rise to 90 percent. Turnover virtually stopped. And Knight talks of one training success story regarding a woman who had never touched a computer before coming to TNG. "For two weeks, she cried every day," he says. But he stuck with her and had her spend an extra week in training.
Says Gaynor, "She ended up being the first to do $1 million in sales. She's still the sales leader on the floor."
Salesman is a Dirty Word
In the early 1980s, when Gaynor opened an upscale discount beauty products and drug store, he put comment cards in each aisle so he could follow his customers' lead. Later, in 1985, he opened TNG strictly as a nail products business. But he listened again to customers--and as they demanded more, Gaynor happily obliged.
Customer service and selling may not seem simpatico, but they are to TNG's salespeople. Knight bristles at the term "salespeople." He knows all too well that used-car-salesman stereotype. Says Knight: "We call our people 'business development specialists.'"
The BDS title isn't BS. TNG's salespeople--sorry, old habits die hard--are trained to help budding entrepreneurs open salons and spas. Clearly, they want the salons and spas stocked with TNG products, but in getting that done, they'll also offer free advice and education on how to organize the layout for a salon, manage it, motivate staff and set goals.
"If you grow, then I grow," explains Knight. "If I give good customer service, then your bottom line goes up, and so does mine. I'm not viewed as a salesman, I'm [seen as] your partner. And then, while everyone else is trying to sell you something, you won't even talk to them, because you're waiting to talk to your partner. That's the strategy."
Inside The Lair
For all of its friendliness and community goodwill (the company donates $100,000 to charity annually), there's a military-style seriousness to The Nailco Group. To get into the first-floor offices, for instance, you need a special code key. And sales soldiers get pumped up by watching a video that shows the TNG Rebel mascot in an airplane dropping animated bombs on competitors.
But the real military games are just that. Drop by founder Larry Gaynor's office, and on those dark mahogany shelves you'll find special board games his crack marketing team designed especially for him. There's Nailco-opoly, Nailco Pursuit and TNG Payday, complete with play money featuring Gaynor's face splashed across the $10,000 bills.
Nailco-opoly lets you purchase Asia and Europe instead of Park Place and Boardwalk. Instead of the "Go to Jail" space, you might land on "Go to Larry Gaynor's Office."
But nothing compares to Kill the Competition: Collectors Edition, modeled after Risk. Inside the box is a stiff cardboard map of the world, complete with game pieces and cards. The premise? Rival beauty product distributors have taken over nations. The object according to the directions? To win, Nailco must "conquer whole industries, watch enemies and fortify borders adjacent to enemy territories."
Geoff Williams is happy to say that he's already read Tuesdays With Morrie, and he wrote Entrepreneur's February cover story on lessons from Harry Potter.
Contact Sources
- Tony Alessandra
(800) 222-4383
- Intrinsic Marketing
firstname.lastname@example.com, www.christineharvey.com
- The Nailco Group
23200 Haggerty Rd., Farmington Hills, MI 48335, email@example.com


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Subscribe To The Heat Will Hit Blu-ray, DVD And Digital In October Updates
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Twentieth Century Fox's The Heat did far better than expected this summer, pulling in a cool $157 million plus domestically and landing itself on our summer wrap-up winners list. Now, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment is prepping to bring the funny film into homes, putting together an October 15 Blu-ray and DVD release. Additionally, the flick will get an early Digital release beginning on October 1.
The Heat is not your typical buddy cop movie. First and foremost, it stars two incredibly prominent female actresses right now, Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock. McCarthy also broke box office expectations this year with the hit comedy Identity Thief and Bullock has the film Gravity coming up, a movie that James Cameron has touted as the best example of a space film, ever. In Paul Feig's The Heat, the actress is a little more down-to-earth, playing an uptight FBI agent to McCarthy's foul and loud Boston detective. It's a buddy comedy match made in heaven and if you haven't caught the film yet, the Digital window might be the best opportunity to do so.
For those who already fell in love with the movie, the home entertainment release looks as if it will be chock full of bonus features. Bonus features with comedies are usually excellent because they contain a multitude of improvised scenes that had to be cut for time or because one of the characters happened to say something a little bit funnier in a different take. Both deleted and alternate scenes will be available with the set, as well as a few featurettes including a making-of segment called "How The Heat Was Made." The best extra this time around might just be the audio commentary. Typically, that's not my jam, but the Mystery Science Theater 3000 guys will be on hand to chat through this set, as well as some of the cast and crew.
In addition to the listed features, below, Twentieth Century Fox is also including a "Welcome to the Bonus Features" segment. If that segment is similar to the bonus features introduction that the studio's recent release Epic employed, it's going to be an annoying voiceover that automatically plays when you pop the disc in—every time. It's basically just advertising for the bonus features, and while this might make a little bit of sense with a children's film, I'm pretty sure adults already know whether or not they plan to watch the extras, but whatever. If you are a fan of bonus features, go ahead and check out that list.
The Heat Blu-ray Bonus Features


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Restoring Our Bodies, Reclaiming Our Lives
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Full recovery from an eating disorder is possible. Despite what you may have been led to believe, most people with anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating disorder are able to completely restore their health and well-being. But how does this happen?
Author Aimee Liu has woven together dozens of first-person accounts of recovery to create a break-through roadmap for healing from an eating disorder. Restoring Our Bodies, Reclaiming Our Lives answers key questions including: How does healing begin? What does it feel like? What supports and accelerates it? Will I ever be free of worry about a relapse?
Throughout the book are informative sidebars written by leading professionals in the field, addressing essential topics such as finding the right therapist, the use of medications, exploring complementary treatments, and how family members can help.
Learn more at the author's website: www.aimeeliu.net.
"Liu puts each of these intimate letters into helpful contexts, so that current sufferers may learn from their peers. With clinical notes and information on new and unique approaches, Liu's effort offers something for everyone affected by this issue, whether personally, peripherally, or professionally. It clearly shows that relief from suffering can be found in the stories of other sufferers." —PublishersWeekly.com
"A terrific book with a compelling interplay between the perspectives of professionals and the stories of people who have successfully recovered from eating disorders. Highly informative and a great read." —B. Timothy Walsh, MD, Columbia University Medical Center
"This book establishes new ground by walking the reader through the entire recovery process, from the initial turning points at the start of the odyssey to reclaiming one's life after an eating disorder." —Judith D. Banker, former president, Academy for Eating Disorders
"I've read countless books about eating disorders, but I've never seen one like this. Combining the professional wisdom of leading experts with personal experiences from women and men all over the globe, this book fills a gap on the recovery bookshelf. Anyone who has been touched by an eating disorder needs to read this." —Jenni Schaefer, author of Life without Ed
"An honest and often painful account of how ED can rob you of yourself, with a central focus on the realistic and complex process of recovery. The reader is able to intimately delve into the mind of a person with an eating disorder and examine his/her feelings at each point of the recovery process. Liu gives the gift of feeling the feelings, sharing the thoughts, and being aware that recovery looks different for every single person. As a parent, this is invaluable. The book gives me cautious, realistic hope for my daughter." —Lauren Calig, mother of a child with an eating disorder, writing for the National Eating Disorders Association's newsletter


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November 15, 2007
Emmanuel Aouad was all smiles backstage after Wednesday night's Jazz Combo/Wamidan World Music Ensemble Fall Concert.
"That was a lot of fun," the sophomore from Terre Haute, IN said as he packed up his tenor saxophone in the green room. "I've always played in larger bands, and this was my first time performing in a smaller ensemble. A lot of fun!"
From the enthusiastic response to the concert, the audience must have felt the same way about the concert, a treat for the eyes and ears that included music and dance from East Africa and a tribute to jazz legend Miles Davis.
Click here for a photo album from the Jazz Combo performance, and here and here for Wamidan photo albums.


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Sara Peeters. Personalized Autism Infographics: A Web Development Project with and for Autistic People. Bachelor's thesis, University of Bern, April 2018. Details.
Autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition influencing a person's social interaction, communication and sensory perception. Autistic people tend to need a certain level of structure and routine and can often be overwhelmed in day-to-day situations. The fact that autistic people experience the world differently and have different needs than the non-autistic majority often leads to misunderstandings and even conflict situations. So called autism id cards aim to help in such situations, where communication between those unfamiliar with autism and autistic people fails, as well as to raise awareness in general. Their usefulness is, however, limited by the fact that the autism spectrum is rather broad, and the explanations on the cards are very general. This project wants to build on the idea of autism id cards by developing a digitalized, personalizable version of them. It consists of a web app where autistic people can click and write together one or more personalized infographics and make them available to the people they choose through an automatically generated link, or save them on their phone. The project is iteratively developed in partnership with the psychiatric department of the hospital of Frutigen, Meiringen, Interlaken. The input of autistic adults, parents of autistic children, friends and caretakers as potential users is taken into account at various stages of the development through surveys and usability testing. Through the modularity of the infographics and the free text options in each module, the possibilities for personalization are endless. At the same time the preformulated statements, and the example infographics that can be used as a starting point for customization, provide enough guidance for users not to get lost. While the end result is not yet ready for large scale public use, it is a solid proof of concept with extensive functionality.


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Ginsberg and Trungpa.
When I arrived in Boulder, Colorado in 1971 it was a small town with a big campus filled with privileged white kids. It was also home to thousands of hippies. I'd left Berkeley for Boulder drawn not by the institute of higher learning but by a desire just to get higher…literally. Convinced that a massive earthquake was imminent, I fled the Bay Area and headed for the higher ground of the Rocky Mountains. I had also been told by people I trusted that Boulder was my kind of town: Berkeley without the angst. Tibet of the West. And as a child I had lived in Boulder while my father attended the University (on the G.I. Bill) and I had distant memories of something magic about the place.
Boulder in the 70s was an easy mix of stoned and moneyed youth and rough-edged mountain Bohemia. On the fringes of the University, was a thriving arts and intellectual scene. Professors, hipsters, local poets, divinely intoxicated recalcitrant drunks and various combinations of all of the above would hang out at a downtown watering hole called Tom's Tavern. Tom's sold cheap beer, had a pool table and a jukebox stuffed with vintage rock, old standards and hillbilly music. It was the center of off-campus intellectual life in Boulder. Within the smoke stained and booze infused walls of Tom's I found my University, a joint where Jean Paul Sartre could drink Hank Williams under the existential table while Arthur Rimbaud shimmied to "Mickey's Monkey."
I had always considered alcohol the drug of choice for straight people. It was my parent's drug. Alcohol was for squares. But at Tom's you drank. And that's what I did. I started drinking. I also started getting serious about being a poet.
In 1971, Tibetan Buddhist master Chogyam Trungpa landed in Boulder and the mix of academia, back to naturists, spiritual seekers, old beatniks and young hippies was given an energizing and discombobulating dose of high-octane Crazy Wisdom.
Trungpa had developed a style of teaching meditation and Buddhist philosophy that was user-friendly for Westerners. Raised in the classic Tibetan monastic tradition as a child and later as a student at Oxford, Trungpa had the experience of ancient wisdom coupled with a modern education that allowed him to fluidly adapt to contemporary expectations and to challenge them. Unlike the kind of gurus most of us were accustomed to, Trungpa wore tailored suits, smoked menthol cigarettes, was a heavy drinker and known to have experimented with psychoactive drugs. He upended every holy man stereotype in the book. In his own sly way, Trungpa was shedding light on how superficial our ideas about "spirituality" are. As Catholics and Christians, many of us were substituting Bibles, crosses, crucifixes and rosaries for prayer beads and the Tibetan Book Of The Dead. Trungpa let it be known from the get-go that spirituality was more than just changing your costume.
Trungpa's fresh approach to Buddhist instruction and initiation included methods that were controversial and his drinking and womanizing created a lot of scandal among the more conservative and traditional Buddhists, both in America and back home in Tibet. Sometimes his methods were as radical as the old Zen master who broke his student's finger in order to bring the student into the moment. I experienced Trungpa's teachings first hand and the results were mind-altering and soul-shaking.
I was celebrating Trungpa's birthday (his 35th?) with a bunch of his students and friends at a home in the foothills above Boulder. Everybody was roaring drunk, including Trungpa. At one point, he grabbed the kitchen sink water hose and starting spraying everyone until we were all soaking wet. He then began hurling handfuls of birthday cake in all directions, landing a direct hit on my face. I grabbed some cake and threw it at him. With the speed and ferocity of a lion, Trungpa lunged forward and dragged me down to my knees by my hair, which was very long at the time. He yanked at my hair until tears flowed from eyes. After what seemed like an eternity, he let go of me and laughed. I was mortified.
Later that night I cut off all my hair. It was the first haircut I'd had in seven years. When I was 15 I had been expelled from school for being a longhair. I never went back to school and hadn't cut my hair since. Looking in the mirror, I was appalled by how I looked. My identity had been so linked to my "freak flag" that I barely recognized the nerdish fellow staring back at me. My beautiful hair was gone and so was an important symbol of my freedom…a symbol that I had relied on for years to declare my independence, my spirituality and general grooviness. I had grown so attached to my hair and what I thought it stood for that I had become lazy in developing other ways of being truly free. At least that's the conclusion I came to based on what I felt was a lesson from Trungpa.
I was certain that Trungpa's hair-pulling rage was a mystical transmission of a profound teaching, a bit of the old Crazy Wisdom. I was absolutely convinced that Trungpa's actions were much more than just a drunken reaction to my tossing cake at him. I was the recipient of something ancient and precious. This is the kind of thing that happens in a guru/student relationship. The student reads and projects a lot into whatever the guru does, whether there's anything there or not. But it doesn't matter whether or not the teacher is teaching. All that mattered to me is that I was compelled to question my identity, my ego, my reliance on exterior symbols as substitutes for real wisdom and real freedom. I was also reminded of one of the main reasons I had grown my hair long in the first place: I have big ears.
I felt so naked and uncool with short hair that I went into a self-imposed exile until it started growing back. I went so far as to stop seeing my girlfriend Mimi. So in addition to being a recluse, I was also a celibate.
The "hair teaching" was yielding all kinds of unexpected results. I was hurled into the life monastic. I was Thomas Merton with Alfred E. Neuman's ears. "What me worry?" Yes, I was worried all the time. Worried that by the time my hair grew back Mimi would find someone else. And she did. She left me for one of the biggest pot dealers in Colorado. This betrayal escalated my self-pity into self-loathing on a grand scale.
At 22 years old, I had entered my dark night of the soul over a fucking haircut. A blow to my ego and vanity exposed just how firmly strapped to the Wheel Of Samsara (illusion) I really was and the whole fucking game was blown wide open by a drunk Tibetan guy covered in birthday cake.
My hair grew back and a few years later I cut it again. This time I wore it as a Mohawk that I dyed silver. The freak flag was still flying but with a whole lot less at stake. Hair comes and goes, but the ego is forever…until it isn't.
I could write a book on what it was like being around Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche during those wild days in Boulder. He started a school (Naropa) which drew my literary and counter-culture heroes to our Colorado town. The collective energy surrounding him was madly magnificent. Poets and prophets everywhere: Allen Ginsberg, Robert Creeley, William Burroughs, Gregory Corso, Diane di Prima, Jack Collom, Timothy Leary, Amiri Baraka…the list was long and impressive. They were all coming to Boulder to study with, observe or challenge this young Tibetan sage. They would eventually pull it all together in a branch of Naropa called "The Jack Kerouac School Of Disembodied Poetics."
As the scene continued to gather momentum, I ended up managing a beautiful old hotel in Boulder where Ginsberg, Burroughs, Corso and other poets and artists took up residence for a while. I sat at Ginsberg's feet and read him my poems. He was patient. But I was a pretty boy and he enjoyed my company. I drank with Corso and listened to his high-pitched rants. Burroughs was the mystery man up on the top floor guarded by his mellow and diligent assistant James Grauerholz. I organized impromptu poetry readings in the lobby of the hotel and people would be hanging from the rafters as some of America's greatest bards proclaimed, sang and shouted at the heavens.
When I write the book, I'll recall the night my punk band performed at a Boulder nightclub with Allen Ginsberg and his mighty harmonium as our opening act. He sang from Blake's "Songs Of Innocence And Experience" and I stood offstage and watched him and realized how fucking lucky I was to be so close to someone who literally changed my life when I first heard him read "Kaddish" on a vinyl record that Carla Bombere (my beatnik girlfriend) gave me to listen to when I was 15 years old. And not far from where I was standing was another young guy taking it all in, a teenager named Eric who helped my band carry our equipment. A few short years later he'd change his name to Jello Biafra and begin his own unique bardic journey.
Chogyam Trungpa's arrival had a seismic affect on this lovely town at the foot of the Rockies. Whatever magic exists in Boulder wasn't created by Trungpa, but he was certainly a big part of activating it. And the Naropa Institute continues to sustain that magic. The last time I was there a few years ago, I noticed that Thurston Moore from Sonic Youth was walking the grounds and soaking it all in.
There are those who think of Trungpa as some kind of charlatan, an exotically charming scam artist who beguiled a bunch of gullible people into buying into a bastardized form of Buddhism. I hear it all the time. But take it from someone who was there, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche was the real deal. In asking us to look past spiritual materialism, he included himself. Look past the teacher into that formless void from which all things of the ego arise. The great teachers offer us a glimpse into nothingness and Trungpa was a great teacher. His willingness to get down in the trenches with his students is often mistaken as a weakness in his own character. Aren't gurus supposed to be above it all? Trungpa didn't give a shit about the games gurus play. Trungpa worked from the ground up, taking energy from wherever he got it and using it to set a fire under his students that would eventually burn away some of the bullshit and illuminate the illuminated. Was he a perfect teacher? Probably not. But that's what made him special. It was his humanity and accessibility that made him such an effective teacher. There's nothing remote or exotic about Buddhism. It's really rather plain and ordinary. Kind of like the nose on your face. Or in my case, the ears.
In the raw documentary Fried Shoes Cooked Diamonds , director Costanzo Allione captures some of the communal craziness and excitement that was flowing through Boulder while Trungpa was living and teaching there. It was an exhilarating time and important period in the evolution of America's Buddha nature.
Watch another fine documentary, "Crazy Wisdom," on the Naropa scene after the jump…


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According to the New York Times, we Republicans are having a debate "over how to rebuild the party in the wake of Senator Arlen Specter's departure." Just like how the Democrats had to rebuild their party after Ben Nighthorse Campbell switched parties. You remember that, don't you?
PAUL remembers: If memory serves, the Dems internalized the lesson implicit in Campbell's switch, promptly moderated all of their liberal positions, and were swept back into power as the party of moderation.


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Last fall at IFTD I was able to put hands on the soon to be released Fishpond Nimbus Guide Pack and the initial off the shelf impressions were very positive. The pack was simple, roomy, and not over designed and complicated with to many pockets and nooks. The empty weight was just a few ounces and the construction looked to be quite solid as well. In short, I wanted to take one home with me from New Orleans.
Fast forward a couple months and Fishpond graciously sent along a Nimbus Guide Pack to demo and review. I have used it for most of the winter and spring trips that I've been on which have ranged from redfish hunts to steelhead drifts to backyard warmwater fixes and have found the Nimbus Guide Pack to be well suited for the gear that I typically carry.
The exterior construction of the Nimbus Guide Pack is of lightweight nylon fabric which the Fishpond product page calls "waterproof" but I would drop that down a level and instead call it highly water resistant. Over the past few months this pack has been covered in boat spray and sat for hours in the pouring rain in a drift boat and though I was very surprised at how dry the innards were, I can't say that it's completely waterproof. This pack will take on water through the seams, zippers, and fabric if in standing water but in most conditions should keep everything dry.
In my opinion most vests or packs these days are a bit over designed and every pocket has an inner pocket or fabric dividers or more zippers and it can really get confusing where gear item are at times. This is not so with the Nimbus Guide Pack at all and is has almost 600 cubic inches of easy to access space with large pockets and the lack of any extras to get in the way. The exterior front pocket is perfect for tools and tippet spools.
The large cavernous main pocket has a thin nylon divider on the backside of the pack to tuck a few leaders or fly box and then a good sized pocket with zipper on the outside wall which is perfect for keys or a cellphone. The main pocket is large enough to hold several fly boxes, miscellaneous accessories, and a DSLR camera body too.
Also of note on the backside of this pack is that a net slot was sewn in to carry a long handle net and keep it secure against the body.
The underside of the pack has another set of straps to tuck a raincoat or other apparel item and elastic loops keep the straps from dangling when cinched down. The elastic loops are used with all the exterior straps which is a smart design idea since it's amazing how a loose strap or two can get wrapped up with fly line if they are just left hanging.
The bottle pockets on the Nimbus Guide Pack are large enough to carry liter size bottles and have also doubled to hold camera lenses housed in cases too. When not in use the bottle pockets can be cinched down with elastic cords and straps to keep them out of the way.
A genius choice by Fishpond was the use of large, and easy to open and close, zippers on the exterior of the Nimbus Guide Pack. I don't understand why large teeth zippers aren't standard on fly fishing gear these days since they certainly make accessing zipped compartments so much easier.
The Nimbus Guide Pack is priced right at just over $100 and is an excellent choice for anglers who are looking for a well thought out, yet simple in design, waist pack that can also be just as easily be worn as a gear bag as well.
Check out the Fishpond website for more information.