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Joined: Jun 2008
Location: Bethpage, New York
Oddometer: 56
Great pics and story, keep it coming...
2007 Husky TE510
dreaming adventurer
Joined: Nov 2005
Location: right here on my thermarest
Oddometer: 103,001
I love your pictures of the landscape involving water and fog...that's so beautiful to me.
Studly Adventurer
Joined: Dec 2004
Location: Santa Monica
Oddometer: 793
Another Great Report on the Trans-Lab!! As I wrote to scarysharkface the Trans-Lab is one of my dream rides. This ride has been bumped up too one of my next big rides. Thanks for the Inspiration! Fantastic photos also.
Relax Hippie it's Bio-Diesel
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Oddometer: 10
Enjoying your posts and anxiously awaiting the next installment. A friend and I are doing the Trans Labrador Highway in early August on our KLR's. Finding your posts most encouraging. Is it necessary to carry extra fuel, the KLR can easily do 400kms?
Joined: Nov 2005
Location: Where Prince Charles spent his honeymoon
Oddometer: 13,352
The road to Hell is paved...
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Beastly Adventurer
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: The Badlands (of NJ)
Oddometer: 2,545
I was getting 40mpg; if your KLR's are going to be heavily loaded, count on 50mpg. The longest distance without fuel is Goose Bay to Churchill Falls, approximately 300km = 200 miles.
The report installment on actual Trans-Lab is coming here in a few hours. Stay tuned.
Robert in Northern NJ __ '09 R12GS, '03 R1150RT, '01 F650GS
-->> James Bay & North Road Solo Blitz -->> Patagonia / Tierra del Fuego Cappuccino Tour
-->> Trans-Labrador Highway Solo Blitz --->> South African Cappuccino Tour
Always a n00b
Joined: Oct 2007
Location: Chiang Mai, Thailand at the moment
Oddometer: 3,366
Great report. I'm loving all these Labrador reports!
"We are adventure riders. The needs are pretty simple. Bring what you need, share what you've got." -cRAsH
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Beastly Adventurer
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: The Badlands (of NJ)
Oddometer: 2,545
Across interior of Labrador
Tuesday, June 17.
The annoying buzz of my alarm clock (never leave home without it; I do sleep very deep) finally got me up. I barely had any time to get ready when the intercom announced that breakfast was being served.
I joined the chow line for still more heavy-duty food.
The ferry was slowly approaching Goose Bay and I ran on the outside deck for some obligatory pictures. After all, we were nearing the pivot point of all Trans-Labrador runs, the town of Happy Valley - Goose Bay.
From here, it's downhill of sorts, no matter whether the ride is clockwise or counter-clockwise.
Yes, 'Happy Valley - Goose Bay' is the full name of the locality. Being self-employed, I always jokingly observe that the smaller the outfit, the longer the name. On one side of the spectrum, there is IBM or Agilent. On the other side, Joe Schmoe's Research and Development Laboratory for the Extraction of Gold from Oranges. I should add, my business name is long, too...
Apparently, the same rules apply to towns: just looking at the harbor, it was easy to see that Goose Bay is a rather small place.
I rode through town, looking for the reason why most of us ever heard about Goose Bay: the airbase. If you fly between the US and Europe and observe the scrolling map shown in the airplane, you will notice several points of interests that are always indicated on that display, but are almost never to be found on any other maps - like Goose Bay, Labrador or Gander, Newfoundland.
This is because the maps shown in airliners are based on aviation maps and these towns are important navigation points. They all house big airbases, dating from World War II, when they were serving as refueling stops for aircraft crossing the Atlantic. I remember reading, for example, that Gander still has one of the longest runways in the world.
Military aircraft of that era did not have the range to cross directly between lower-48 states and Europe and these intermediate landing points played a very important role.
The base at Goose Bay operates until this day. It belongs now to the Canadian Forces and is used by them and air forces of several other NATO member nations as a training facility for arctic-environment operations.
If you frequent the ADVrider forum, you surely know about Ozymandias - Clayton Schwartz. Two years ago, before entering law school, Clayton set out on an exciting journey, prepping his bike on a tight budget and laying out a route to take him from Seattle to Argentina.
It all started well; his early travel reports on ADV conveyed the wonder and exhilaration of adventure. Unfortunately, a freak collision with a donkey near Acapulco resulted in Clayton breaking his back and becoming paralyzed. Further sad news shook the ADV community when last February Ozymandias took his life.
I was impressed with Clayton and very much respected the choices he made. His life showed courage and thoughtfulness at all stages: when heading out on a big trip across two continents, when fighting powerlessness and indignity of his impairment, when making that final last decision.
Ozymandias reminded me of our fragility and of the importance of trade-offs we always make between risks and rewards. Adventure travel enriches our lives - and yet we should not take these experiences lightly. This appreciation may not change the choices I am making, but I am thinking about them much harder.
Clayton's family and friends arranged for a memorial T-shirt to be printed, with proceeds benefiting the Dana and Christopher Reeve Foundation for Stem Cell Research. I thought that it would be a fitting tribute to carry the T-shirt in my travels, where Clayton would have liked to go.
So here it is: the bike sporting Ozymandias' T-Shirt at the beginning of main section of Trans-Labrador Highway, at the entrance to Canadian Forces Base at Goose Bay.
The provincial government of Newfoundland and Labrador provides a very unusual service. Travelers venturing on the Trans-Labrador Highway between Goose Bay and Labrador West (i.e., Wabush and Lab City) can sign out a free satellite phone, courtesy of the Department of Transportation. These phones dial only '911' emergency number and can be lifesaving in case of a mishap.
I stopped by the Aurora Hotel and picked up my phone, freshly charged and housed in a Pelican case. This box is somewhat bulky; I knew about it in advance and therefore had the duffel bag strapped to pillion seat, with enough spare carrying space for the phone, drinking water bottles and other incidentals.
I also carried there a 5-liter fuel tank that would extend my range by about 50 miles if needed: the 200-mile fuel range of the R1200GS was stretched to the limits by distances between gas stations on the Trans-Lab.
I checked out the bike, made sure that everything was packed in, put on the rain gear and drove out of town.
This was it. The main section, the real Trans-Labrador Highway. Next town, next gas station 300km down the road.
On the Highway, there are no roadside services, nothing - not even a parking spot - outside of the towns: Goose Bay at one end, Churchill Falls in the middle and Labrador West (Wabush and Labrador City) at the other end.
The GPS directions were even more impressive than those on Brenda's B&B billboard the day before: left turn in 276km.
By then, it was after 10am. I was hoping to reach Wabush / Labrador City by the evening and it meant that, again, I had to put in a good pace.
This section of the Highway was also very well maintained, with only occasional loose sand or gravel patches. By now I have gotten used to riding on such surface and felt more comfortable maintaining higher speeds - although occasionally I'd be surprised be the conditions, feeling my heart rise into my throat.
The construction and maintenance season in the area is only some 3 months long. There is feverish work going on along the whole route; construction crews seemed to suddenly appear in the middle of nowhere.
The terrain immediately west of Goose Bay was fairly flat, accentuated by marshes and rivers. I stopped occasionally to enjoy the landscape, but did not linger: the flies!!
According to the official Labrador travel brochure, this was not the main black fly season. However, any time I stopped, within a few seconds the annoying buzz would surround me. There were so many of them right away that it looked as if they were laying in wait on the road, knowingly expecting me to stop. I'd like to know what these pesky critters did when there was no one around!
I made thus only very brief stops - good for average speed - and did not even have to try out the mesh hat and bug jacket that I took to protect myself from the insects.
Still, I was full of appreciation for those who were camping on their trip through the area: the application of DEET-laden repellant did not seem to do much for me.
On this section of the Highway, very appropriately, my bike 'lost its virginity'. I rolled the mileage over 36000: end of warranty!
I have been quite concerned about this while planning the tour and therefore, before departing, I bit the bullet and bought an extended-service plan. It was not cheap, but I decided that in light of final-drive issues plaguing the R1200GS line and - not as common, but still possible - high-cost ABS system repairs, it was a worthwhile investment. When the final drive on my previous K1200LT seized up while crossing Maine two years ago, I did spend a good chunk of change to have it replaced.
At one of the work sites, I came across a scene of an accident. It was a construction mishap: section of a truck collapsed, apparently striking the cab and injuring the driver. The traffic was stopped and there was a lot of activity going on; it was quite worrisome to see the driver being gently pulled out on a stretcher and loaded into the waiting ambulance. Later, I asked one of the firemen and found that the injuries were mostly bruises: a relief.
What made a big impression on me was that we were in the middle of nowhere, about a hundred kilometers east of Churchill Falls, and yet there were two fire trucks and one ambulance on the scene. That was a good feeling - the emergency services were well organized and readily available.
By early afternoon, I reached Churchill Falls. I stopped for a moment at the town limit sign and carefully parked the bike on the very soft sandy edge, to take a picture of Ozymandias' T-shirt. It took me a few attempts before the bike was securely positioned and not threatening to fall - the sand offered very little support.
The main claim to fame of this place is the Churchill Falls Generating Station. It is one of the bigger installations in the area; abundant rivers and lakes make it fairly economical to build hydropower plants. High-voltage transmission lines crisscross arctic landscapes along the Highway, delivering electricity as far down as northeastern US.
The town itself did not have much to offer: a true company town. Aside from standardized worker housing, it seemed to have only a gas station and convenience store. Just perfect for me: I had some bottled water and an ice cream cone for lunch.
The bike was getting a quite decent mileage in these conditions: about 40mpg, and I did not have to resort to using the spare tank. I gassed up and left.
Just outside of town, the road crosses what remains from Churchill Falls, after the river was diverted for the power plant. Still, the riverbed is very impressive.
The weather was very changeable, switching between rain and sun seemingly every half an hour. Just as on the other sections, the surface would dry instantly and I would raise my own dust cloud behind me.
The road continued to be covered in spots with very loose gravel. Since I don't have much off-road experience, living in an area where almost all of the roadways are completely (albeit poorly) paved, it took me quite a while to get used to the wobbly feeling of the front wheel floating over shifting surface.
Most of the gravel was collected in turns and dips of the road, pushed there by truck wheels. In general, I tried to follow tire ruts; very often there were three strips of fairly clean surface where, on occasions, I could bring the speed to quite a decent pace, if I say so myself...
There was another treacherous area: proximity to shoulders. The underlying sand was getting softer within a few feet of road's edge, ready to swallow the tire. I even saw a gigantic crane-truck platform that came too close to the side, got bogged down and was helplessly mired, stuck with right-side wheels hanging over a ditch. I have been wondering how they finally got it out: it looked like a job for several large bulldozers.
I have been trying to watch for all these obstacles; still, I had quite a few heart-stopping, sphincter-tightening moments when my front tire was beginning to do a tank slapper on the 'marbles' or when it was digging into the sand trap. I did know to gas it and power through the obstacle, but sometimes - I have to admit - I have been too shocked to do that. In particular, if that happened just after a smooth stretch, when my self-confidence was up and I stopped paying close attention to the surface. These were rude awakenings!
I did get lucky and had no mishaps on the whole stretch. It is good to remember, though, that the road is very unforgiving. When I came back home, I saw a note on ADVrider that one member, Josh ('Dusty'), who was in the area only 3 days behind me, did crash just outside of Churchill Falls.
His front tire got caught up in the sand; Dusty did an endo and rocketed down the embankment, breaking his collarbone and destroying the bike - effectively ending his adventure. Luckily, there were no serious injuries otherwise. While getting treated in Churchill Falls, Josh made acquaintance with another ADV member passing through, John 'scarysharkface', who assisted him in getting organized and in retrieving his machine. This image is linked from John's thread:
I have contacted Josh since; by then he was home, in good spirits and ready to try again next season. Trooper!
The sandy nature Trans-Labrador Highway is a challenge in itself. When wet, the hard-packed surface melts and is ready to grab tires. When the rain stops, all water immediately drains off and an immense amount of dust builds up.
All vehicles are easily noticeable from far away. It is a bit like in the Mad Max movies: a cloud of dust is moving up the road and then, only at the very last instance, a car appears over a crest.
One thing that I see and appreciate all over Canada is that they are very diligent about clearing a wide swath along roadway shoulders. This provides good visibility and an extra margin of safety in case a moose or similar animal decides to cross the roadway.
I noticed, still in Newfoundland, that the trees are not really cut, but rather ground down. It looked as if some space aliens ran a gigantic weed-whacker to clear the right of way. It was fascinating; I could not figure what method was used to accomplish that.
Finally, I have come across the clearing machine. It was already parked for the day and I still am not sure how it exactly works, but it appears that the power attachment simply chips down the still-live vegetation. What will they think of next?
As I was nearing Wabush, I encountered more and more railroad crossings. It was quite strange to be suddenly stopped behind other vehicles, waiting for a train to pass - after riding for an hour through an empty land, not seeing anyone else.
Rails are big in that area; they service the industry of the region: power generation and mining. As a matter of fact, the Trans-Labrador Highway between Labrador West and Goose Bay was completed only in 1992. It is called 'Freedom Road' by some, as it for the first time allowed interior communities road access to civilization. Before that, many areas in Labrador interior were are only accessible by rail, as they still are further north.
As the day ended, I reached Wabush. By then, I have been riding 10-1/2 hours since departing Goose Bay. A long day, but very satisfying.
Here is to Clayton, who wrote in September 2007: 'Even though my trip turned out badly, I don't regret the kind of life I chose to live. Adventure!'
I checked into the Wabush Hotel. It was after 9pm and the sun was still quite high up in the sky, lighting up the place. Great White North, eh?
Wabush Hotel was also one of the pickup/drop-off locations for the emergency satellite phones. How convenient – I did not have to run all over town to give it back.
I have been forewarned and made reservations well in advance of the trip. As soon as the roads are passable, construction season begins and accommodations are very hard to find. The hotel was filled with road crews and signs asking to remove work boots before entering completed the picture.
No complaints, though: the room was clean, water hot and plentiful, restaurant opened until late, Wi-Fi worked. A good place to sleep well, recovering from the long day, in advance of another one.
Robert in Northern NJ __ '09 R12GS, '03 R1150RT, '01 F650GS
-->> James Bay & North Road Solo Blitz -->> Patagonia / Tierra del Fuego Cappuccino Tour
-->> Trans-Labrador Highway Solo Blitz --->> South African Cappuccino Tour
rdwalker screwed with this post 07-13-2008 at 12:49 PM
In over my head
Joined: Jan 2007
Location: Moncton
Oddometer: 662
Great RR
Thanks for sharing your story!
Myself and a friend did the trans lab in the other direction during the first week of July last year. It was the trip of a lifetime for me.
When I got back from vacation, I was talking to my boss and a guy overheard that I was in Labrador.
He shared the story that he grew up in Wabush (his father worked in the mines). When the family would come to New-Brunswick every summer to visit family, they had to put their car on a train and ship it to Baie Comeau and pick it up there to finish their journey.
And to think that part of this journey will be erased/bypassed next year when the new road opens, kind of makes me sad. The Goose Bay - Cartwright ferry is the focal point of the route. You miss it... you're stuck there for a few days. hehehe.
I surely remember the marble sized rock laden road between Fire Lake and Fermont! Pucker factor galore!
Thanks for sharing!
2009 KTM 990 Adventure
Just ride!
Joined: Nov 2005
Location: Where Prince Charles spent his honeymoon
Oddometer: 13,352
I love your pictures!
The road to Hell is paved...
Save $5 on a Smugmug subscription when you use my coupon: yBr7OofIPuOP6
Joined: Mar 2008
Location: the Newfoundland
Oddometer: 92
I'm really enjoying these posts. I grew up in Lab West before leaving for University/work in the late 80's, but i'm planning a trip "home" next spring to break in my soon-to-arrive(i.e. late Spetember) F800GS.
Each picture makes me a little homesick and more determined to do the Lab Loop sooner rather than later.
Great Post, great Pics.
PS. Do you if the gas stations in Churchill and Cartwright had Supreme gas or just regular?
Beastly Adventurer
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: The Badlands (of NJ)
Oddometer: 2,545
I did not see any super gas anywhere along the Trans-Lab, only regular. Same story in northeastern Newfoundland.
I believe that last time I took super was around Corner Brook, Nfld - the next time I got it was in Baie Comeau, QC.
Robert in Northern NJ __ '09 R12GS, '03 R1150RT, '01 F650GS
-->> James Bay & North Road Solo Blitz -->> Patagonia / Tierra del Fuego Cappuccino Tour
-->> Trans-Labrador Highway Solo Blitz --->> South African Cappuccino Tour
Joined: Mar 2008
Location: the Newfoundland
Oddometer: 92
That's what I figured. I suspect they have it in Goose and Lab west but not along the coast. I ask cuz I have an 800GS on order and she requires the good stuff and I have to have the dealer change the mapping if I want to run on reg.
looking forward to the next post where I can say "hey there's my old house" :)
Beastly Adventurer
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: The Badlands (of NJ)
Oddometer: 2,545
I'll have the post out this afternoon: Wabush to Baie Comeau.
If I were you, preparing for a ride like the Trans-Lab, I would definitely remap the bike to be able to run on regular. As I said, there was no super in Labrador and in Relais Gabriel (there might have been some in Fermont, I cannot recall right now).
And, occasionally I came across small stations in New England that were out of high-test as well. Requiring only the good stuff is very limiting for an adventure bike.
Robert in Northern NJ __ '09 R12GS, '03 R1150RT, '01 F650GS
-->> James Bay & North Road Solo Blitz -->> Patagonia / Tierra del Fuego Cappuccino Tour
-->> Trans-Labrador Highway Solo Blitz --->> South African Cappuccino Tour
Beastly Adventurer
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: The Badlands (of NJ)
Oddometer: 2,545
Wabush to Baie Comeau
Wednesday, June 18.
I decided to have a late breakfast this morning, by 9am, to avoid the rush of road crews leaving Wabush Hotel for work. The planned ride for the day was longer than the previous one - about 600km, but the last third of the distance was to be on pavement. I thought, mistakenly, that it would be an easy route.
The three towns on Labrador-Quebec border are connected by a short stretch of tarmac. It was a nice change of pace to be rolling so easily.
Just to say that I was there, I got off the Highway and rode the short connector to Labrador City, to take the now-obligatory picture. The welcoming sign dispelled any doubts one could have about the industrial background of the area.
Just as in Wabush, the Labrador City skyline was dominated by tremendous strip mines.
Continuing west, I crossed the provincial border into Quebec. I left Route 500 - Trans-Labrador Highway proper and entered Quebec Route 389. From that point on, the road is called Trans-Quebec-Labrador.
I pulled into Fermont, QC, to top off the fuel tank. Needless to say, its existence is also due to the iron-mining industry (Fer-Mont, get it?) and various symbols and displays confirmed that.
I could not resist posing the bike in front of a quarry truck. Who said that the GS was a big motorcycle? Compared just to truck wheels, it looked positively svelte.
Continuing west, I re-entered the gravel road and rode past Mount Wright Mine. A whole mountain range was being cut open and strip-mined for iron ore.
There was an imposing lake on the right. I suddenly realized that it was pink in color. A big pink lake! Actually, it probably was a leaching reservoir.
In Quebec, the road became much narrower and winding. It made for much more interesting riding after the long straights of Labrador, but the risk of collision in a blind turn increased. I had at least one close call, when suddenly I faced a big rig negotiating a tight turn - and both of us were in the middle of the roadway.
The tight turns caused more loose gravel to be shifted and pushed onto long ruts. My traveling speed dropped a lot, as I had to deal with less stable surface and with the frequent railroad grade crossings.
A couple of hours after entering Quebec, I passed the Fire Lake Mine and found myself riding again on pavement for another 90km.
It was a now-abandoned commuting connection for the employees of the mine. They all lived at the other end, in the town of Gagnon; once the mine was closed, the town was picked up and removed.
Now everyone calls it 'Gagnon Ghost Town': there is a divide highway going trough its center, with curbs and openings for driveways, but nothing else is left. Quite interesting!
Below Gagnon, the landscape changed again. There were no more rolling hills and sharp curves; the road widened and straightened out, but instead started climbing through a high mountain range, where snow patches still peeked through the dense forests.
This is the first time I met another rider on the Trans-Lab. Riding his V-Strom from Pennsylvania, he was doing a much more reasonably-paced tour, often stopping to smell the roses - and to take photographs of them. We spent a while talking about conditions and places to see.
He camped along the way and was able to experience the picturesque areas north or Goose Bay and north of Cartwright. I'd like to do that myself, too - I guess, there is another trip in the cards. In particular, I was intrigued by the official Labrador travel brochure, describing endless stretches of sandy beaches along the northeastern coast, described by ancient Vikings as Wonderstrands _ wonder-beaches. Sounds beautiful. Next time, then...
Shortly thereafter, three riders went the other way, heading north. Interestingly, I met no more motorcyclists on the Highway: obviously, early season.
There were no services, no communities since leaving Fermont. Suddenly, a tiny waystation appeared between the trees: Relais Gabriel. Its only purpose is to support the Trans-Lab travelers; there is a fuel pump, a small café and a motel. I refueled and had a cup of coffee while listening to some truck drivers tying to summon help for their broken-down rig. The public phone was simply a cordless handset that the woman behind the counter was 'renting' out, checking usage time on her wristwatch.
The weather pattern of my trip did not change - I have been crossing alternating periods of sun and of rain. Actually, that was quite interesting: a long ride of that sort gave me a new perspective on how localized weather is. Since I was covering several hundreds of miles daily, I could expect that any nasty conditions would clear up in a few hours. And, of course, the opposite would hold true as well...
And so, I could enjoy the ominously looking skies. No problem, there was a rainbow somewhere on the other side!
A prominent geographical feature of the area is Manicouagan Reservoir, created by damming of the river crossing a meteor crater. The lake is immense and its characteristic shape is easily recognizable on photographs taken from space or on any maps.
This is a Google Earth view of the area north of Gulf of St. Lawrence in Quebec. The circle of Manicouagan, referred to as 'Manic' by everyone, cannot be missed.
Again, being a sucker for moody, soft perspectives, I really enjoyed the cloudy skies over the reservoir. The islands in the lake seemed to just rise up from the fog - so beautiful.
Suddenly, I came upon a stopped truck. A small bridge was being repaired and the crew put out a handwritten sign to the effect that the road was closed for 15 minutes. Sure enough, after about that time someone walked up to the closure and let us in.
The truck was very typical of the rigs on the Trans-Lab: double trailer, fully loaded, flying full speed over the gravel.
The driver waved me around him - very nice. I have to say that, as a rule, I've received the best treatment from truck drivers. Dust and gravel spray is a problem for any Trans-Labrador traveler, but a particular problem on a bike. I have to say that, among the many hundreds of trucks I encountered, there was maybe just one that did not slow down and pull to the side when passing me in either direction. Everyone else did. Royal treatment!
On the other hand, pickups and SUV's were more unpredictable. And the few passenger cars that I encountered were the worst; I swear that most of these bastards actually speed up when zipping by!
And here it was: the end of gravel road - but not of the adventure! The fun would continue for a few more days.
It was relieving, but also sad to see the yellow paint stripe on the next crest.
The transition between gravel and pavement happens next to the northernmost dam and generating station on the Manicouagan River, called Manic 5. There is a whole sequence of these power plants, starting with Manic 1 right near where the river empties into St. Lawrence in Baie Comeau. As a matter of fact, the trip up Route 389 to view Manic 2 during one of my previous rides got me hooked on the idea of doing the Trans-Lab ride.
Manic 5 is one of the largest installations of that type in the world. And indeed, the concrete dam is very much awe-inspiring.
Parking the bike next to the dam really brought in perspective the size of the immense structure. Ozymandias' T-shirt, spread out for the last shot, is just barely visible.
The little community around Manic 5 provides also the only services in the area: fuel and a small motel. I hoped to use their phone to make hotel reservation at the end of the road, in Baie Comeau. I stood in line, waiting for the few people ahead of me to tell their friend and families all the gossip they could come up with (it appeared that the motel mainly housed construction crews maintaining the power station). When it finally was my turn, it came out that the phone did not accept any of my toll-free calling cards, even the AT&T one. Bummer!
It was time to leave Manic 5 and race south: the drizzle was intensifying, it was getting darker and I was still over 200km from Baie Comeau. Pulling out of the motel lot I got distracted and hit the front brake while the wheel was turned. Damn! This time, the bike fell onto pavement, breaking a piece of the windscreen and popping the turn signal apart. I already knew the routine: removed rear top box and the accessible side case, made sure the bike was in gear and picked it up. Then, I realized that the side stand was up and I could not reach it easily. It took a bit of a contortionist exercise to get it down while leaning over the bike. I guess I have been getting tired.
It was, fitting, in a sense: I dropped the GS at the beginning and at end of the gravel stretch of the Trans-Quebec-Labrador Highway. Very appropriate.
I was really rushing now, trying to reach the southern terminus of the Highway before dark. The rain was only intermittent and the very grippy pavement allowed me to maintain a really good pace. The fact that there were no vehicles on the road helped; I could concentrate on the surface, on selecting the line and speed.
Within a couple of hours I arrived in Baie Comeau. Here I was, at the very sign that prompted the whole trip. The southern end of the Trans-Lab!
This was exciting. I've done it! The whole stretch!
This called for a special ADV salute! And big thanks to all you FF's, who helped me so much during the preparation and planning time.
I called a few places in town from a gas station (my cell phone still had no service) and found a room at the 'Grand Hôtel' in town. The owner, manning the reception desk at this late hour, guided me to the back of the building to park the GS right next to his Fat Boy.
I was completely beat by then, after riding non-stop for 11 hours, standing up on the pegs on most loose gravel sections. I did not even bother finding anything for dinner, just took a shower and crashed into the bed.
Robert in Northern NJ __ '09 R12GS, '03 R1150RT, '01 F650GS
-->> James Bay & North Road Solo Blitz -->> Patagonia / Tierra del Fuego Cappuccino Tour
-->> Trans-Labrador Highway Solo Blitz --->> South African Cappuccino Tour
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Meeting (Paperback)
|Author: Nina Kiriki Hoffman
Learn more about Meeting:
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Penguin Group USA
Sku: 216460142
Publish Date: 8/4/2011
Dimensions: (in Inches) 8H x 5L x 0.75T
Age Range: 14 to College
See more in Fantasy & Magic
|Middle-school student Maya Andersen and her family move to Oregon, where the residents of the apartment building next to them have magical powers and the basement is a portal to other worlds. Maya and her secret alien companion, Rimi, must use the portal to track down aliens who have snatched Rimi from her home planet in an attempt to rule the universe.
From the Publisher:
When Maya Andersen and her family moved to Spores Ferry, Oregon, they didnÕt know thereÕd be magic right next door. Their new neighbors in the Janus House Apartments all have unusual powers, and the basement is a Grand Central Station to other worlds. Maya and her alien companion, Rimi, are learning how to live together and how to keep their secretÑwhich becomes a lot harder as they help the Janus Housers track down the Krithi, the race who snatched Rimi from her home planet in an attempt to rule the universe.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
An Intellectual look at the Royal Rumble
by, 01-26-2012 at 06:16 PM (3694 Views)
I am a hardcore pro wrestling fan. And as a pro wrestling fan who believes he knows it all, I have certain responsibilities. I was going to save my next blog for after the Royal Rumble but decided that this was not very brave of me. No, no, no. One of my key responsibilities is to spray you all with my arrogance and start making some predictions.
The most important of these is clearly who is going to win the Royal Rumble itself. I have finally settled on a winner. Wade Barrett - and that is my final decision. The WWE will continue to push the Barrett Barrage as too much time has been invested in the angle to throw it away now.
Now lets dismiss the other contenders via a simple elimination process -
I'm aware that the WWE wish to have Chris Jericho face CM Punk in a "best in the world" match at Wrestlemania. I would hence write off Jericho as a potential winner of the Rumble. I believe the feud between Jericho and Punk would create enough interest in it's own right without having a title at stake. The claim to being "the best in the world" would be enough to get fans to shell out their hard earned readies.
Historically, it is a common occurance that the winner of the Royal Rumble does indeed to go on and lift the respective world title that they challange for at Wrestlemania. In fact, off the top of my head, I can't think of a wrestler - Outside of Alberto Del Rio, who has won the Rumble, gone to Wrestlemania and then lost. So I'm predicting the winner will indeed be the next WWE or World Champion. This theory, in my opinion, takes Sheamus out of the running. As someone who has lifted the WWE title twice already, I do not believe that the creative team will re-visit old ground and have him lift the title again. I think Sheamus will have a much more productive role in the build up to Wrestlemania as the "hard done by" babyface.
I also hear rumours of Randy Orton 'winning'. Randy Orton has suffered a recent, legitimate back injury and it's still unclear whether he will be fit to return in time for the Rumble. I do not believe that the WWE will hype a Wrestlemania main event around someone who appears currently so fragile in the injury department. So there will be no raising the vipers hand in victory this year.
I can't think of another plausable winner outside of Christian who I believe will return at the Rumble. Who knows, some surprise outside interference from Edge and he would be my dark horse pick. I know the WWE want to get Edge some TV time in the run up to his hall of fame induction and Christian may ultimately benefit from this with a long over due main event spot at Wrestlemania.
Remember folks, you heard it here first.
The undercard looks ok. I have very little interest in John Cena Vs Kane. However, as stated previously on the Rocksoc forum, if Zach Ryder were to come to ringside and Cena were to turn heel on him - then this may ultimately grab my attention.
CM Punk will retain the WWE title as Dolph Ziggler just isn't quite there yet. I do believe that CM Punk will ultimately lose the title before Wrestlemania though.
Daniel Bryan has to retain the World Title because his charecter is sooooo good at the moment and in a real key stage of development.
But remember kids, what ever the outcomes - I will still be more knowledgable than you ....... Yes, I am a model.


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School Effectiveness and Improvement Research, Policy and Practice
Challenging the Orthodoxy?
This book provides a contemporary overview of school effectiveness and improvement. It charts the development theory and research in this area and looks at the contribution made to policy and practice. It also challenges some assumptions that have become ingrained into the theoretical and...
Published December 7th 2011 by Routledge
Primer in Theory Construction
An A&B Classics Edition
A Primer in Theory Construction is for those who have already studied one or more of the social, behavioral, or natural sciences, but have no formal introduction to the way theories are constructed, stated, tested, and connected together to form a scientific body of knowledge. The author discusses...
Published April 19th 2006 by Routledge
Management of Marketing
The text provides information on the core elements of the subject of marketing without the depth that often surrounds these to ensure that the basic concepts are easily identifiable and accessible. Students on MBA courses often do not have time to read a long text as they are studying many subjects...
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Investigating Information Society
This lively and engaging text introduces students to the major debates and data on the information society, and at the same time teaches them how to research it. It gives an overview of:* theorists of the information society, particularly Manuel Castells and Daniel Bell * social research...
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Marketing Made Simple is an introductory text offering an overview of all basic marketing concepts and techniques. The book covers the latest developments in marketing thinking and practice, including hot topics such as Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and business-to-business...
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Are you about to undertake a one semester or short course in marketing? If so, 'Marketing: The One Semester Introduction' is the book for you! Written by two of the most experienced and respected authors of the subject in the UK, it is specifically designed for those wanting a rapid and thorough...
Published October 12th 2001 by Routledge


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Irish lawmakers approve EU-IMF bailout loans
DUBLIN Despite bluster from opposition parties, Irish lawmakers voted Wednesday to back the euro67.5 billion ($90 billion) international rescue for Ireland, an emergency measure designed to keep Europe's debt crisis from getting worse.
Opposition leaders had complained fiercely about the high interest rates that other European Union partners were demanding from Ireland to help the country cope with its massive bank bailout.
But Prime Minister Brian Cowen argued that Ireland had no choice but to take loans from the European Union and International Monetary Fund at interest rates averaging 5.8 percent because bond investors were demanding "far, far higher rates." His finance chief dismissed opposition claims they could have gotten a better rate as "laughable."
A motion endorsing the Nov. 28 loan accord passed on an 81-75 vote, clearing the way for the Washington-based IMF to ratify its euro22.5 billion ($30 billion) part of the aid package.
Ireland faces a 2010 deficit of 32 percent of gross domestic product, a post-war European record that includes exceptional costs of bailing out five Dublin banks. The Irish government plans to plow the first euro10 billion ($13.3 billion) from the EU-IMF fund straight into the cash reserves of those banks, all of which have been nationalized or partly acquired by the state since 2008, when Ireland's property-weighted economy took a nosedive.
Another euro50 billion ($67 billion) from the fund will be gradually tapped to cover government red ink through 2014, when Ireland hopes its deficit can be clawed back to 3 percent of GDP, the eurozone limit.
Finance Minister Brian Lenihan said the rest of the loans will be kept on hold and used to support Dublin's banks only if their writeoffs of overpriced real estate loans worsen beyond the current estimate of euro45 billion ($60 billion).
Lenihan said opposition leaders calling for substantial loan defaults were "living in fantasy land." He said Ireland would do nothing to deter the foreign investors responsible for 1,000 multinational companies employing 250,000 people in Ireland.
He said nations that have reneged on foreign loans, such as Iceland and Argentina, could do so only because they had their own currencies and domestic central banks. He said Ireland could not expect any support from the European Central Bank in Frankfurt if it failed to honor its debts, since a Dublin default would send devastating shock waves throughout the 16-nation eurozone.
Before the vote, opposition chiefs accused Cowen of striking an unnecessarily expensive bargain - and eurozone heavyweights Germany and France of seeking to profit from Ireland's misery.
The parliamentary leaders of the three opposition parties - Fine Gael's Enda Kenny, Labour's Eamon Gilmore and Sinn Fein's Caoimhghin O Caolain - accused EU partners of tacking nearly 3 percentage points of "penalty" interest on one third of the loan package.
They said the charge exceeded the EU nations' own financing costs by euro5 billion ($6.7 billion) over the life of the loan, a profit that will be funded by Irish taxpayers. Gilmore said EU nations were violating the spirit of EU treaties, which say emergency aid should be provided in "a spirit of solidarity."


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Any aliens on the closest Earth-like world to us may just be finding out that Pluto is no longer a fully fledged planet. A new analysis suggests that the nearest potentially habitable world is just 6.5 to 7 light years away, which means it should now be receiving radio broadcasts from 2006.
Last month, Courtney Dressing and David Charbonneau of the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts, announced that the nearest neighbouring Earth-like planet is probably orbiting a small, cool red dwarf star about 13 light years away.
Dressing and Charbonneau sifted through data from the planet-hunting Kepler space telescope. Kepler looks for dips in starlight as planets pass in front of their host stars, as seen from Earth. The pair found 95 dim red dwarfs that host possible planets. That included three Earth-sized worlds in the habitable zone – the region around a star in which temperatures would allow liquid water to exist.
The team then estimated how many red dwarfs should have a planet between 0.5 and 1.4 times the size of the Earth orbiting in the habitable zone. Their answer: about 15 per cent. Based on the distribution of red dwarfs in the Milky Way, that suggests a potentially habitable planet is only 13 light years away.
Getting warmer
But they used an old definition of the habitable zone, says Ravi Kopparapu of Penn State University in University Park. The zone's boundaries depend on the star's temperature and how well molecules in the planet's atmosphere absorb starlight to warm the surface. Those calculations have not been updated since 1993.
"I noticed that they were using old definitions of habitable zones, and so they did not count all the planets that should be in the habitable zone," says Kopparapu. In January, he and the lead author of the original 1993 paper updated the formulas for finding a star's habitable zone. They used newer information on how Earth's atmosphere responds to sunlight, and included new habitable zone boundaries for stars with different temperatures than the sun.
Now Kopparapu has reworked Dressing and Charbonneau's calculations to figure out how many possible Earth-like planets they missed. He found that about half of red dwarf stars should have Earth-sized planets within the habitable zone, and the average distance to one should be between 6.5 and 7 light years. "This is a good sign for detecting extraterrestrial life," he says.
Journal reference: arxiv.org/abs/1303.2649
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The 2013 TV network upfronts have come and gone, and just like last year, the deplorable NBC is once again putting forth a pathetic slew of crap save for a single promising show. This isn't it. What's most concerning is that NBC's best looking show last year, Revolution, stumbled greatly after a promising pilot episode [...]
Posts Tagged 'Revolution'
James Spader is the only standout on NBC's awful 2013 / 2014 schedulePosted: 22nd May 2013 by Storm in Television
Tags: About A Boy, Believe, Blair Underwood, Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Chris D'Elia, Crisis, Dracula, Food Fighters, Ironside, J.J. Abrams, James Spader, Jonathan Rhys Myers, Michael J. Fox, Mike O'Malley, Minnie Driver, NBC, Raymond Reddington, Revolution, Sean Hayes, Sean Saves The World, The Blacklist, The Family Guide, The Michael J. Fox Show, The Night Shift, Undateable, upfronts 2013, Welcome To The Family, Whitney
'REVOLUTION' Recap: 3 great moments from the series premierePosted: 18th September 2012 by Storm in Television
Tags: Anna Lise Phillips, Billy Burke, blackout, Eric Kripke, Giancarlo Esposito, Heroes, JJ Abrams, Jon Favreau, Miles Matheson, NBC, post-apocalyptic TV, Revolution, Revolution premiere, Supernatural, The Cape, The Event
NBC's new post-apocalyptic action-adventure series premiered last night, and based upon the network's track record when it comes to sci-fi & fantasy serialized storytelling, Revolution should be a big pile of suck. Exhibits A, B, and C. However, unlike its predecessors, Revolution has some serious behind the scenes creative firepower — the show is created by [...]
SDCC 2012: Warner Bros. Television Preview NightPosted: 12th July 2012 by Storm in Comic Con, Television
Tags: 666 Park Avenue, ABC, Arrow, Billy Burke, Comic Con 2012, Comic Con Preview Night, CW, Edgar Allen Poe, Eric Kripke, Fox, Giancarlo Esposito, Green Arrow, Hannibal Lecter, James Purefoy, JJ Abrams, Jon Favreau, Kevin Bacon, Kevin Williamson, NBC, Revolution, SDCC, Se7en, Terry O'Quinn, The Following, Tracy Spiridakos, Vanessa Williams, Warner Bros. TV


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Video game addicts...
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I'm sorta looking into SLI'ing now. For last year the cards to have were the 460, this year it's the 560's. I can get two 460's for under $400 or two 560's for just over $500. From what I've been reading the 560's are the ones to get if I want to be well ahead of the 580. But then there's cost. Do I want to spend $500 on video cards. I was originally looking to spend around $350 but since I don't flip cards like some gamers, so a faster card would pay for itself over the long run.
I did read that all of the GFX companies were behind on their schedules on Maximum PC's site. The other problem I see is that some of the cars are so new, more specifically the 570 and 560 that they haven't made it down the pipeline in large numbers yet.
I think I'm going to stick with Nvidia especially if I go SLI vs. Crossfire as their drivers are always a PITA and it seems it's more so with Crossfire.
I guess I'll wait till PAX East starts and see what is announced. Maybe by then the 560 will be available. Or else I'll just get some 460's and call it good.
I could never really master the Nvidia drivers. Different people, different experiences. Ati did many improvements to their drivers, including crossfire. Seems to scale much better with the newer cards. In addition, they don't include the crossfire profile in the driver anymore, but in a seperate file.
I don't like the idea of crossfire or SLI. Just seems wrong to me, especially to buy two cards at the same time. Maybe get a 560 now and add another one in a year or so.
How do the 560 compare with the 6950? Here they are only 10 apart.
Heck... what am I writing about graphics cards? I have an ATI 4670 in my computer.
I am also patiently waiting for Dragon Age 2...
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The present invention relates to a quick-recognition visual notification system for use in telephonic communication devices. Identification data, such as device ownership or the nature of the incoming communication, is communicated to and easily recognized by the owner or user of the device by utilizing the electronic circuitry of the device to assign distinct color-codes to identification data therein. The color-codes are then displayed on indicia, integral with the housing of the device, which indicates the nature of the identification data to the owner or user. Thus, the owner or user may quickly and easily identify their own telephonic communication device and the incoming communication, even at a distance away from the location of the device.
1. A method of categorizing incoming cellular telephone calls and visually indicating on a telephone the category of an incoming call, comprising the steps of:
a) establishing a series of distinctive incoming call categories and assigning certain incoming telephone numbers to respective categories;
b) programming the categories and incoming telephone numbers into a microprocessor that processes incoming calls to the cellular telephone, and linking each call category with a different color coded signal;
c) for certain incoming calls to the cellular telephone, recognizing the incoming phone number and identifying the category of the incoming phone number;
d) directing a distinct signal representative of the identified category to color emitting indicia associated with the telephone; and
e) actuating the color emitting indicia and producing a distinctive color coded signal that identifies the specific category of the incoming call to the cellular telephone.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the microprocessor is contained within the cellular telephone and the step of programming categories and incoming telephone numbers into the microprocessor is performed by a user.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the microprocessor is located at a base station remote from the telephone.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the color emitting indicia is disposed within the housing of the cellular telephone thereby permitting an emitted color-coded signal to be seen.
5. The method of claim 1 including continuously emitting the color-coded signal until the incoming call is answered or the caller terminates the call.
6. A telephone programmable to visually indicate the category of an incoming telephone call comprising:
a) a housing structure;
b) color-coded indicia formed in the housing structure for emitting a series of different color-coded signals;
c) a programmable microprocessor and associated memory with the programmable microprocessor being programmed to include a series of incoming call categories and an array of incoming telephone numbers with each incoming telephone number being linked to a specific category such that the microprocessor and associated memory is operative to categorize incoming telephone calls; and
d) means for detecting an incoming telephone number that corresponds to a programmed telephone number and associating that incoming telephone number with an incoming call category and directing an actuating signal corresponding to that category to the color-coded indicia so as to cause a color code to be emitted from the telephone that identifies the category of the incoming telephone call.
7. The telephone of claim 6 wherein the microprocessor and associated memory are contained within the housing of the telephone.
8. The telephone of claim 6 wherein the color-coded indicia includes a series of liquid crystal displays.
9. A method of visually indicating on a telephone categories of incoming calls comprising the steps of:
a) programming a series of distinct incoming call categories into a microprocessor associated with the telephone;
b) programming an array of incoming telephone numbers into the microprocessor and linking certain incoming telephone numbers with certain categories;
c) storing the program categories and incoming telephone numbers in a memory associated with the microprocessor;
d) assigning a specific color code to each category;
e) for each incoming call, scanning the memory to determine if the phone number of the incoming call is stored in memory;
f) when the incoming phone number is stored in memory, determining the category link with the incoming phone number; and
g) directing a signal representative of the identified category to a color-coded indicia formed on the telephone and actuating the color-coded indicia so as to emit a color code that specifically identifies the category of the incoming call.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein the microprocessor is contained within a housing of the telephone.
11. The method of claim 9 wherein the microprocessor is remotely located away from the phone at a base station.
12. A cellular telephone having a quick recognition visual notification system, comprising:
a) a housing structure;
b) a color-coded indicia formed in the telephone for emitting color-coded signals;
c) a programmable microprocessor and an associated memory for receiving programmed identification data and storing the same therein;
d) wherein the programmable microprocessor and associated memory are programmed to include a series of incoming call categories and an array of incoming telephone numbers with each incoming telephone number being linked to a specific incoming call category such that the microprocessor and associated memory are operative to identify the incoming call category corresponding to each incoming telephone call; and
e) wherein the microprocessor and associated memory are linked with the color coded indicia such that the color coded indicia upon actuation emits a color coded signal that is representative of the programmed identification data identified by the microprocessor, such that the color coded indicia emits a particular color coded signal that in-turn specifically identifies the category of the incoming call.
13. The telephone of claim 12 wherein the microprocessor and memory are operative to identify an incoming call and to cause the color-coded indicia to emit a distinct color code signal that identifies that incoming call.
The present invention relates to radiotelephones and more particularly to a quick-recognition visual notification system for use in radiotelephones which utilizes color-codes to communicate identification data to the user.
Radiotelephones are becoming increasingly prevalent in modern society. Included among the broad category of radiotelephones are mobile cellular telephones and conventional telephones with cordless handsets. One of the problems associated with the popularity of radiotelephones is that they are generally similar in color and shape. When two or more radiotelephones end up in a common place, such as a home or place of business, it may be difficult for the owners to identify their own radiotelephone without carefully scrutinizing name tag labels or display LCD's.
Another problem associated with the use of telephones in general is the identification of the nature or type of an incoming call when the user is at a distance away from the telephone. Currently, a method called "distinctive ringing" overcomes this problem by using different ringing frequencies and ringing patterns to indicate differences in incoming communications. However, as the number of categories into which the incoming communications must be distinguished increases, it becomes more difficult for the user to differentiate between the ringing frequencies and/or the ringing patterns associated with the categories of incoming communications. The aural basis of the distinctive ringing system may also make this method distracting to bystanders.
There is, of course, an advantage to the use of a color-code system to address both the problems of ownership identification and differentiation between different types of incoming communications. A color-code system is a visual method of identification which can be quickly recognized by the user, even at a distance, and is less distracting to bystanders than an aural method. Visual recognition by the user may also be further facilitated by the use of one or more sets of indicia integral with the housing of the radiotelephone which would permit viewing of the displayed color-code signals from different directions. Therefore, a color-coded visual notification system incorporated into a radiotelephone will provide a flexible and effective means for notifying the user of the nature of any identification data as well as any other events which may be amenable to such a coding scheme.
The present invention relates to a quick-recognition visual notification system for use in telephonic communication devices wherein identification data, such as device ownership, event alarms, or the nature of the incoming communication, is communicated to and easily recognized by the owner or user thereof. In its basic embodiment, the electronic circuitry of the device analyzes the identification data and assigns distinct color-codes thereto. The color-codes are then displayed on indicia, integral with the housing of the device, which indicates the nature of the identification data to the owner or user. Thus, the owner or user may quickly and easily identify their telephone, any event alarms, and the nature of any incoming communication, even at a distance from the telephone.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a radiotelephone showing indicia used to display color-codes as part of the visual notification system of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic of the components of the visual notification system of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of the system when processing incoming calls.
FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of the system when processing other data.
FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of an alternate method of implementing the visual notification system of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of still another alternate method of implementing the visual notification system of the present invention.
With further reference to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows the quick-recognition visual notification system incorporated into a radiotelephone indicated generally by the numeral 10. Radiotelephone 10 is of a conventional design but includes one or more sets of color-coded indicia 15 formed in the housing 40 of the radiotelephone. Different forms of indicia, such as LCD's or LED's, can be utilized. Typically, a set of color-coded indicia 15 would have the capability of emitting a color-coded light signal that would include a series of different color. This can be accomplished by providing a bank of LCD's with the bank divided into color segments. For example, the bank of LCD's would be capable of emitting multi-color signals, such as red, blue, yellow, and orange, in either a flashing mode or a continuous mode. Alternatively, a bank of clear lights disposed beneath colored lenses may also be used.
The set of color-coded indicia 15 can be placed at various locations in and around the radiotelephone 10. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the indicia sets 15 are disposed on the back and side panels of the radiotelephone 10. However, the indicia sets 15 may be placed in other locations, such as corners, to assure that emitted color-coded signals can be recognized from a distance irrespective of the position or orientation of the radiotelephone 10.
The quick-recognition visual notification or identification system for the radiotelephone 10 basically functions to color-code data. This data may include the identity of the owner of the radiotelephone 10, the identity of an incoming caller, reminder alarms for time or event, the presence of voice mail messages, memos, or telephone errors or diagnostics. Thus, the data is divided into separate groups and each group assigned a distinct color-code. Resulting color-codes would be communicated to the user through the indicia 15, visible externally to the radiotelephone 10, for indicating to the user the nature of any event included in the function of the radiotelephone 10.
FIG. 2 illustrates the basic color-coded signaling system of the present invention. A microprocessor 25 is centrally situated relative to an associated memory 30, the color-coded indicia 15, a keypad 20 and a receiver module 35. Microprocessor 25 is programmed to control the actuation and function of the color-coded indicia 15. In addition, data and information pertinent to the various functions of the system may be programmed into the microprocessor 25 via the keyboard 20 and this data and information may be stored in the associated memory 30. Once certain pertinent data and information is programmed into the microprocessor 25, then the microprocessor 25 can control the color-coded indicia 15 and ultimately dictate the color signals emitted by the indicia 15 for any particular mode of operation.
Keypad 20 of the radiotelephone 10 is used to program telephone numbers or other data into different groups or fields into the microprocessor 25 in accordance with the preferences of the user. Once the data is entered, either the user or the microprocessor 25 of the radiotelephone 10 assigns a distinct color-code to a field or sub-field. The data and the corresponding color-codes are then stored in the memory 30 of the radiotelephone 10. As noted above, each separate color-code may be a single color or a combination of multiple colors.
When an event such as an incoming phone call or a voice mail message occurs, the microprocessor 25 first determines the identity of the event by searching the data entered in each field or group which is stored in the memory 30. If the microprocessor 25 finds a match, then the appropriate data group or field and corresponding color-code are determined. Microprocessor 25 then actuates the indicia 15 to display the color or colors corresponding to the appropriate color-code.
As noted above, the indicia 15 may comprise a rear-lit colored lens device, a light-emitting diode (LED) device, or a liquid-crystal display (LCD) device. Again, at least one color-coded indicia 15 is used on at least one surface of the telephone 10. However, multiple color-coded indicia 15 may be used.
The visual identification system of the present invention may be used in various ways to communicate information to the user or to another person situated within eyesight of the telephone and color-coded indicia 15. In one embodiment, the visual identification systems determines a category or type of an incoming call and then communicates the type or category of that call via color-coded signals emitted by the indicia 15 (FIG. 3). In another embodiment of the present invention, the visual identification system produces color-coded signals that specifically identify a certain telephone (FIG. 4). This obviously allows a telephone owner to quickly identify his or her portable telephone among a group of like telephones. In still another embodiment, the visual identification system identifies other types of stored data or information via color-coded signals (FIG. 5).
Referring now to FIG. 3, the method for identifying incoming phone calls is shown in greater detail. Incoming calls are divided into categories such as emergency, friends, family, and work-related. A default category would include unknown callers. This step or function of determining the categories of incoming calls is shown in function block 45. These categories and the corresponding color-code for each category are then programmed into the microprocessor 25 of the radiotelephone 10 via the keypad 20 (function blocks 46,47). After each category has been defined, the user then programs the telephone numbers of expected callers under each of the defined categories (function block 48). This data is stored in the memory 30.
When an incoming call is received at the microprocessor 25 via the receiver module 35, the microprocessor 25 identifies the telephone number of the caller (function block 49). The microprocessor 25 then searches the memory 30 for a matching telephone number among the data previously programmed by the user. If a match is found, the microprocessor 25 further determines the category under which the telephone number was programmed (function block 50). Finally, the corresponding color-code is identified and a signal sent to the indicia 15 to activate that color-code (function block 51). The color-code may be displayed on the indicia 15 as a solid light, a blinking light with a variable blinking rate, or a light activated simultaneously with the ringing of the radiotelephone 10. The color-code is displayed on the indicia 15 until the user answers the phone call or the calling party terminates the attempted call (function block 52). When either event occurs, the display of the color-code on the indicia 15 ceases. The process then reiterates through the procedure as described in this paragraph for subsequent incoming calls (decision block 53). The user may, of course, also reprogram the radiotelephone 10 at any time to change the identifiable categories of calls (decision block 53).
To illustrate the process of identifying incoming calls, assume the radiotelephone 10 is equipped with an indicia 15 capable of displaying the colors blue, yellow, green, and red. The user chooses three categories of calls: friends, family, and work-related calls. The user then assigns the color blue to the friends category, the color yellow to the family category, the color green to the work-related category. The color red is assigned by the radiotelephone 10 to the default or unknown caller category. This data is programmed into the radiotelephone 10 by the user. Subsequently, the user programs numbers for friends and under the friends category, numbers for family members under the family category, and numbers for supervisor and co-workers under the work-related calls category.
Now that the radiotelephone 10 has been programmed, a telephone call from the user's spouse is received. The microprocessor 25 identifies the call as belonging to the family category and activates the color yellow on the indicia 15. Similarly, a call from a friend would result in the activation of the color blue and a call from the user's supervisor would activate the color green. If the call was from a telemarketer, the color red for unknown caller would be activated on the indicia 15 since this number was never programmed by the user. Thus, even if the user was across a room from the radiotelephone 10, the user would be able to identify the category of the caller. This feature would be very useful in helping the user to decide whether to accept the incoming phone call.
Referring now to FIG. 4, the procedure for utilizing the ownership identification feature is shown. Here, the owner identification field or group is permanently programmed into the radiotelephone 10 and assigned a default color-code. The user of the radiotelephone 10 is given the ability to change the default color-code for owner identification (function blocks 55,56). If the user places the radiotelephone among other radiotelephones on a table, the user may activate the owner identification mode either before laying down the radiotelephone 10 or when the user needs to retrieve the radiotelephone 10 from the table (function block 57). When the owner identification mode is activated, the programmed color-code is displayed on the indicia 58. The same color-code will be used for owner identification on subsequent occasions unless the radiotelephone 10 is reprogrammed by the user (decision block 59).
To continue with the above example to illustrate the owner identification process, assume the pre-programmed owner identification color-code comprises solid blue and red lights. The user of the radiotelephone 10 could reprogram this feature such that the identifying color-code would be a repeating green light/yellow light/red light sequence (like a stop light), a blinking yellow light, or a host of other combinations.
Assume further that the user attends a business meeting where the radiotelephone 10 is to be laid on a table with other similar radiotelephones. The user simply activates the owner identification function and the color-code is displayed on the indicia 15. At the close of the meeting, the user simply looks for his or her personal color-code to identify the proper radiotelephone 10. Even if the owner identification feature was not activated prior to laying down the radiotelephone 10, it would be easy for the user to identify the proper radiotelephone 10 by activating the feature on each phone and looking for the proper color-code.
Referring now to FIG. 5, the general procedure for other groups or fields of data is shown. Other fields of data may include alarms, memos, and voice mail message indicators. Once the various fields have been determined and color-codes assigned (function blocks 60,61), the user programs the fields and corresponding color-codes into the radiotelephone 10 or activates the preprogrammed fields and assigns the chosen color-codes (function blocks 62). The user then programs other data to be identified such as times and dates for alarms (function block 63). Since other fields such as memo and voice mail message indicators would be preprogrammed features in the radiotelephone 10, only the user-preferred color-codes would need to be programmed (function block 62). Once the color-codes for these fields have been programmed by the user, the microprocessor 25 displays the appropriate color-code (function block 65) on the indicia 15 when an event corresponding to one of these fields occurs (function block 64). As before, the user may reprogram these features at any time (decision block 66).
To illustrate these functions, assume the user programs an alarm to be activated at a time on a date when he or she desires to make a call. When that time and date is reached, the appropriate color-code, for example a blinking green light, will be displayed on the indicia 15 to alert the user. Similarly, if the user is not within the vicinity of the radiotelephone 10 and a caller leaves a voice mail message, the indicia 15 will display the corresponding code, for example, a repeating sequential blue and yellow light combination, to notify the user of the presence of the voice mail message.
For any of the described modes, once the appropriate color-code is determined by the microprocessor 25, it is displayed on the indicia 15 in a manner corresponding to the nature of the event. More specifically, the code could be displayed as a solid light, a flashing light with a variable blinking rate, or as a sequence of various lights both blinking and solid. The color-code would be removed from the indicia 15 after a predetermined time period also corresponding to the nature of the event. For instance, a voice mail message color-code indicator would be constantly activated until the user of the radiotelephone 10 manually erased the code or checked the voice mail. On the other hand, a color-code indicator for an incoming call would be erased either when the user answered the call or when the caller hung up and terminated the call.
FIG. 6 illustrates an alternate method of accomplishing the color-coding of the desired data fields. By this method, a base station 70, such as a phone company's switching station or the user's personal computer, may be programmed to perform the color-coding functions. As such, the various fields are established, each field assigned a particular color-code, and data then entered under each field as determined by the user at the keyboard 71 of the base station 70. Thus, for example, any incoming call would be routed through the receiver module 72 of the base station 70 and sorted by the microprocessor 73. The call would then be assigned the corresponding color-code as stored in the memory 74 prior to being transmitted, via the transmitter module 75, to the appropriate radiotelephone (R1, R2, R3, . . . ) in the network. Once received at the radiotelephone, the function of the microprocessor in the radiotelephone would be to activate the corresponding color-code on the indicia. This alternate method would have the advantage that multiple radiotelephones belonging to one user and operating on the same phone number would not need to be separately programmed. The data would only need to be programmed once and the categories would be consistent between the individual radiotelephones.
The alternate method illustrated in FIG. 6 may also be combined with the previous method of programming the radiotelephone to form a system whereby the fields and corresponding color-codes are determined at a base station. The data for each field would then be programmed into each radiotelephone by the individual user. Thus, regardless of the methodology used to accomplish the programming of the various fields and the data therein, the main advantage in the present invention is the color-coding of the data to be communicated to the user of the radiotelephone.
The present invention may, of course, be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without parting from the spirit and essential character of the invention. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.
Patent Citations
Non-Patent Citations
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June 30, 20158:35 AM ET
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece is set to become the first developed nation to not pay its debts to the International Monetary Fund on time, as the country sinks deeper into a financial emergency that has forced it put a nationwide lockdown on money withdrawals.
June 30, 20159:19 AM ET
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The latest news on Greece's financial woes on a day a big repayment to the International Monetary Fund is due and the country's bailout program with European creditors ends (all times local):
June 30, 20158:39 AM ET
MEDAN, Indonesia (AP) — An Indonesian air force transport plane plowed into a residential neighborhood in the country's third-largest city of Medan shortly after takeoff on Tuesday, killing dozens of people.
June 30, 20159:11 AM ET
Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:
June 30, 20157:19 AM ET
VIENNA (AP) — Iran's chief diplomat insisted Tuesday he had a mandate to finalize a nuclear agreement despite increased signs of backtracking by his country's supreme leader, as talks with world powers were set to blow past Tuesday's self-imposed deadline without a deal.
June 30, 20158:49 AM ET
LONDON (AP) — The Latest from Wimbledon (all times local):
June 30, 20152:40 AM ET
LONDON (AP) — The seven U.S. men in the Wimbledon main draw represent the country's smallest contingent since 1947, when only five played at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament.
June 30, 20159:05 AM ET
MONTREAL (AP) — The Germans are going to have to be vigilant about giving too much away with their on-field chatter on Tuesday night. Defender Ali Krieger will be listening.
June 30, 20152:42 AM ET
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Somewhere around the fourth inning, Cody Anderson realized he was chasing perfection.
June 30, 20153:13 AM ET
A look at what's happening all around the major leagues today:


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Fuel Rewards® is a universal loyalty currency that changes consumer behavior and delivers merchant value
98% of US consumers buy gas on a regular basis
Consumers fill up an average of 1.2 times per week
More than 68% of consumers would drive 5 minutes out of their way to save 5¢/gal
Fuel Rewards® is a national coalition program representing retailers from every spend category. The Fuel Rewards program gives brands a valuable loyalty reward to offer customers, as well as access to millions of prospective customers already shopping through the program and looking for more ways to earn rewards. Find out how we can help drive your business.Learn more
Centego, a subsidiary of Excentus, provides private-label fuel loyalty programs, products, technology and services to the grocery and convenience store industries. Let Centego help you create a proprietary program that attract new customers, maximizes promotional efficiency, incentivizes shopping frequency, boost in-store sales, increases customer loyalty and more.Learn more
The Fuel Rewards® program has grown to more than 5 million members since it launched in 2012.
The Fuel Rewards® program has helped participants save their customers more than $500M on fuel.
The average American fills up a car 4.5 times a month, a fact-of-life purchase that takes a recurring bite out of the paycheck — about $2,500 a year, on average.
About 40 million Americans fill up their gas tanks on a daily basis.
2012 NACS report
More than 2⁄3 of consumers (68%) would make a left-hand turn across a busy road to save 5¢/gal.
2012 NACS report
More than 2⁄3 of consumers (68%) would also drive 5 minutes out of their way to save 5¢/gal regardless of fluctuating market prices.
2012 NACS report
Studies find that loyal consumers tend to visit more and spend more frequently than those who are not rewards members.
Nielsen Report
Members of fuel rewards programs redeem 78% of all their issued rewards within 20 days, compared to only 35% redemption rates among overall U.S. loyalty programs.
Forrester Research Data
Nearly 3 in 4 consumers (71%) say that they consider price to be the most important factor in determining where they buy gas.
2012 NACS report
Industry research shows that 51% of consumers would drive 10 miles to save 5¢/gal, and 83% of consumers would drive 10 miles to save 25¢/gal.
84% of consumers worldwide, including 76% of Americans, are more likely to patronize retailers that offer a rewards program based on loyalty.
Nielsen Global Report of Loyalty Sentiment
Members of fuel rewards programs redeem 78% of all their issued rewards within 20 days, compared to only 35% redemption rates among overall U.S. loyalty programs.
Nielsen Global Report of Loyalty Sentiment


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Luis Suarez - Liverpool to Real Madrid
We start off with Liverpool's Uruguayan star, Luis Suarez.
The controversial forward is, on his day, unplayable and could well make a move to the Bernabeu in 2014.
If Brendan Rodgers fails to deliver Champions League football to Anfield once again this season, then there's no way that the Reds will be able to keep hold of him this time around.
It's also unlikely Liverpool will let Suarez move to one of their Premier League rivals, so the striker could well team up with Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo.


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- Blog - http://www.chelseagreen.com/blogs -
James McCommons: The Great Escape
Posted By admin On May 31, 2012 @ 9:00 am In Science, Nature & Environment,Travel | Comments Disabled
Audubon [1] magazine [1], the September-October 2010 issue. Summer is a great time to take to the rails and see the country without the stress and hassle of driving, or the extreme disconnect of rocketing 30,000 feet above the landscape in a jet. In that spirit we revisit McCommons' list of the ten best trips.originally appeared in
Traveling by train might sound old-fashioned, but it remains one of the best, most environment-friendly ways to see some of America's wildest places. Here are 10 trips of a lifetime.
There was a time when the railroad ran through most towns in America, when a trip to the seashore, mountains, or desert, even the wilderness, began aboard a train. Today trains can still take you to natural places where the wonders of a national or state park, a bike path, or a river are just steps away from the tracks.
Riding the rails and leaving your car at home is an environmental choice. Per passenger mile, trains are 24 percent more fuel efficient than automobiles, 17 percent more than airplanes. For the final leg of your trip, you may have to rent a car, or you might consider bringing a bike, using public transportation, if available, or simply walking.
Whether you hop aboard a short-distance tourist railroad, a commuter line, or Amtrak—the only intercity passenger railroad left in America—the following 10 routes cross some of the country's most iconic landscapes. On long-distance trips, reclining coach seats can be comfortable enough for sleeping, or you can pay extra for a sleeper compartment, which includes meals in the dining car. Ticket and sleeper prices vary. Best advice: Do some research online, check for discounts, and plan ahead.
Click on the thumbnail images below for a downloadable PDF of the spotting scopes guide.
The Empire Builder (Amtrak) This train runs the "Hi-Line" route, on tracks owned by BNSF Railway, across the country's northern tier between Chicago and Seattle/Portland. Passengers may glimpse pintail ducks, blue wing teal, and many grassland birds in North Dakota's prairie pothole region; pronghorn antelope on Montana's high plains; and mule deer and elk in the Cascades.
In the Rockies the train crosses the continental divide at Marias Pass and follows the southern border of Glacier National Park, where railroad history runs deep. The Great Northern Railway pushed hard for the park's establishment in 1910 and built hotels and chalets to lure tourists to what was advertised as the American Alps. Amtrak stops at East Glacier and West Glacier, where you can catch a 1930s era "Jammer" touring coach to a nearby hotel or campground. At the park's Essex Junction stop, you can stay at the Izaak Walton Inn, formerly a railroad barracks. Glacier Park is a 30-hour ride from Chicago and about 16 hours from Seattle.
For information: Amtrak [4]; Glacier National Park [5]; Izaak Walton Inn [6]
The Algoma Central Railway (Canada) Pack a canoe onto a railroad baggage car. (It's true—this train will carry snowmobiles and even boats.) Ride the rails into boreal forests of moose and muskeg, and step into the wilderness. Then, after paddling through lakes and rivers, head back to the tracks and flag down the next train. Just wave your arms for the Algoma Central Railway, which runs for 296 miles between Sault Ste. Marie and Hearst, Ontario.
Wilderness seekers head for the Chapleau Game Preserve, a 2,700-square-mile region of Crown Land (acreage owned by the British royalty and open to the public), where animals are protected from hunting and trapping. Between mileposts 184 and 245, passengers can step off directly into the preserve and embark on their backcountry trips.
Or you can get off at Fraser (Milepost 102) or Eaton (Milepost 120) to visit Lake Superior Provincial Park. If you're just looking for a day trip, take a ride to Agawa Canyon. The canyon, which formed 1.2 billion years ago, is explorable only by train and five short hiking trails.
For information: Algoma Central Railway [7]; Chapleau Game Preserve [8]
The Grand Canyon Railway (Arizona) In the early 1900s the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway built a 65-mile spur from Williams, Arizona, to the canyon and erected the El Tovar Hotel on the south rim. The spur closed in 1968 but was resurrected in the late 1980s as a tourist railway. Year-round the Grand Canyon Railway operates a daily train of vintage passenger cars.
Leaving Williams, the train mostly steers clear of the highways and runs through the Colorado Plateau's open desert, where blue-black mountain ranges serrate the horizon, and prairie dogs, pronghorn antelope, golden eagles, and red-tailed hawks abound in the scrub brush and dry grasslands. As the route climbs higher, the desert gives way to picturesque ponderosa pine forest near the canyon. The Southwest Chief, an Amtrak long-distance train, stops at Williams, so it's possible to switch to the canyon train and reach the rim by rail from Chicago (32 hours to Williams) or Los Angeles (nine hours).
For information: Grand Canyon Railway [9]; Grand Canyon National Park [10]
The Sunset Limited (Amtrak) Running just three days a week between Houston and Los Angeles, the Sunset passes through the sparsely inhabited Chihuahuan Desert and the ancient volcanic mountains of southwest Texas.
The jumping-off point is Alpine, a small town established to provide water to steam locomotives. Alpine is a 23-hour ride from Los Angeles, 16 hours from Houston. You'll need to rent a car in Alpine to go exploring because there is no public transportation to nearby parks. To the south, 98 miles away, sprawls Big Bend National Park, 800,000 acres of desert, 7,000-foot mountains, and the Rio Grande. Here's a place to see roadrunners, javelinas, jackrabbits, and kangaroo rats while hiking through rock-strewn landscapes dotted with agave. The region's diverse habitats make Big Bend a phenomenal birding destination.
Learn about the flora and fauna at the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center, 26 miles north of Alpine at Fort Davis. Continue north to 3,000-acre Davis Mountains State Park to hike backcountry trails through the Limpia Canyon Primitive Area. If you don't want to camp, stay at the park's Indian Lodge, built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps.
For more information: Big Bend National Park [11]; Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center [12]; Davis Mountains State Park [13]
Hudson River Line/Metro-North Railroad (New York) Commuter trains that carry workers into New York City on weekdays also provide doorstep access on weekends for people hiking the rocky Hudson Highlands along the Hudson River.
Hikers can board at Grand Central Terminal and disembark less than two hours later and 46 miles north at the Breakneck Ridge station. The aptly named Breakneck Ridge Trail gains 1,250 feet in less than the first mile before reaching a series of exposed summits with stunning views of the river and the surrounding plateau. The trail ends 4.6 miles later at a fire tower on South Beacon Mountain; on clear days it's possible to see the skyscrapers of Manhattan from the peak.
Weekend trains also stop at the Manitou station, just a short walk from Bear Mountain State Park. Even the regular stops of Beacon and Cold Springs provide fairly easy biking or walking access to the state parks in the highlands.
For information: MTA Metro-North Railroad [14]; Bear Mountain State Park [15]; Breakneck Ridge Trail [16]
Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) Each evening two trains run the Brunswick Line between Washington's Union Station and West Virginia. The tracks follow the Potomac River to Harpers Ferry, where John Brown's 1859 raid on the federal armory struck the spark that helped touch off the Civil War. The trip takes two and a half hours from Washington's Union Station.
The Appalachian Trail passes just 300 yards from the Harpers Ferry train station. Hikers cross a bridge to Maryland Heights and Harpers Ferry National Historic Park, where they gain extraordinary views of the river valley below. Watch for peregrine falcons; since 2001 a dozen young falcons have been released in the Heights.
Consider bringing a bike to ride the towpath along the old Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, which runs 184.5 miles from Georgetown, in Washington, D.C., through Harpers Ferry to Cumberland, Maryland. Begun in 1828 to connect the Chesapeake Bay with the Ohio River, the C&O Canal was never finished because of the coming of the railroad. Today it's a linear national historic park marked by old farms and patches of woods dotted with trillium, dogwood, serviceberry, and rhododendron.
For information: Harpers Ferry National Historic Park [17]; Maryland Transit Administration [18]
The Denali Star (Alaska) The train is a spectacular way to reach Denali National Park and Preserve. It takes about eight hours from Anchorage and four hours from Fairbanks. Running May to September, the Denali Star is popular with backpackers, rail fans, and wildlife watchers. When the weather is right, riders get impressive views of Denali (formerly Mt. McKinley) and typically see dall sheep, beaver, moose, wolves, and sometimes grizzlies. Caribou migrate across the tracks in fall. If you pay for an upgrade on the route from Anchorage to Fairbanks, you can get the GoldStar Service, with plush seating in custom-made observation cars that feature outdoor decks.
The Alaskan Railroad, owned by the state since 1985, is for more than tourists. It hauls freight and supplies to people living in roadless country. Anyone wanting to board can simply wave down the train.
For information: Alaskan Railroad [19]; Denali National Park [20]
The Adirondack (Amtrak) Running daily between New York City and Montreal, this train skirts the eastern edge of six-million-acre Adirondack Park, the largest tract of land protected by a U.S. state. The Adirondack makes six stops at communities in the park's eastern region. The trip takes about six hours from Montreal and five hours from New York.
Local transit shuttles at the Fort Edward and Westport stations run to Glens Falls, Lake George, and Lake Placid. At Port Kent passengers can board the seasonal ferry to Vermont, a passage popular with bikers along Lake Champlain. Motorcoach connections are possible at other stops, although you'll need to taxi over to the local bus station. Otherwise, you may want to consider renting a car to tour the park.
You can find cappuccino and gourmet coffee on the road, and dine at grand old hunting lodges—all the while stopping at trailheads for hikes into big tracts of roadless country. As the land has healed from logging, extirpated species, including moose, fisher, beaver, marten, osprey, and lynx, are making comebacks.
If you prefer to stay on the train and enjoy the scenery, onboard docents, working in partnership with the National Park Service, narrate the journey with tidbits about nature and the region's Revolutionary War/War of 1812 history. In the fall foliage season, Amtrak adds a vintage domed observation car, which allows passengers stunning 360-degree views.
For information: Amtrak [4]; Adirondack Park [21]
The White Pass & Yukon Route Railway (Alaska and Canada) Starting in Skagway, Alaska, at sea level, this train climbs 2,865 feet in 20 miles up steep grades to reach its high point at White Pass in the Canadian Yukon. This was the route of the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush, hailed by miners as the "last great adventure." The railroad isn't long—just 110 miles to Whitehorse—but the route leads through dense old-growth forests, glacier fields, and a colorful past. At first the miners hiked to the gold fields carrying their provisions on their backs. A railroad was needed, but such rugged country required a narrower gauge of track, tunnels, trestles, and carving the roadbed out of sheer mountains. Today the picturesque ride takes about three hours one way.
For day hikes, trekkers can get off at two locations, Laughton trailhead and Denver Glacier, where the U.S. Forest Service has renovated an old caboose into a cabin for overnight stays. Follow in the footsteps of gold rushers with a challenging hike on the 33-mile-long Chilkoot Trail, which begins near Skagway and ends up at Lake Bennett, where you can catch the train back down.
For information: White Pass & Yukon Route Railway [22]; Tongass National Forest [23]
The Cardinal (Amtrak) Three days a week the Cardinal runs a circuitous route from New York to Chicago via Washington, D.C. The train is so named because six states—Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois—it passes through have designated the Northern cardinal as their state bird.
The Cardinal is a mom-and-pop sort of train with just one sleeping car (shared with the crew) and a single server/cook in the diner. Passengers often board at unstaffed stations and buy their tickets from the conductor.
The West Virginia portion of the route runs along the New River Gorge National River, a linear national park that protects 70,000 acres of land and 53 river miles. The rugged gorge is as much as 1,000 feet deeper than the surrounding Appalachian Plateau. Hikers and birders can detrain at Hinton, Prince, and Thurmond. The latter is about a seven-hour ride from Washington. Within a short distance are primitive campgrounds, trails for hikers and bikers, and whitewater for rafters and kayakers.
For information: Amtrak [4]; New River Gorge National River [24]
James McCommons is the author of Waiting on a Train: The Embattled Future of Passenger Rail Service—A Year Spent Riding Across America [25].
Article printed from Blog: http://www.chelseagreen.com/blogs
URL to article: http://www.chelseagreen.com/blogs/james-mccommons-the-great-escape/
URLs in this post:
[1] Audubon: http://archive.audubonmagazine.org/features1009/specialpullout-greatescape.html
[2] Image: http://audubonmagazine.org/features1009/The_Great_Escape_Intro.pdf
[3] Image: http://audubonmagazine.org/features1009/The_Great_Escape_Inside.pdf
[4] Amtrak: http://www.amtrak.com/
[5] Glacier National Park: http://www.nps.gov/glac/index.htm
[6] Izaak Walton Inn: http://www.izaakwaltoninn.com/
[7] Algoma Central Railway: http://www.agawacanyontourtrain.com/
[8] Chapleau Game Preserve: http://www.chapleau.ca/portal/en/explorechapleau/gamepreserve
[9] Grand Canyon Railway: http://www.thetrain.com/
[10] Grand Canyon National Park: http://www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm
[11] Big Bend National Park: http://www.nps.gov/bibe/index.htm
[12] Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center: http://cdri.org/
[13] Davis Mountains State Park: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/davis_mountains
[14] MTA Metro-North Railroad: http://www.mta.info/mnr
[15] Bear Mountain State Park: http://nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/13/details.aspx
[16] Breakneck Ridge Trail: http://www.nynjtc.org/hike/breakneck-ridge-trail
[17] Harpers Ferry National Historic Park: http://www.nps.gov/hafe/index.htm
[18] Maryland Transit Administration: http://www.mta.maryland.gov/index.cfm
[19] Alaskan Railroad: http://www.alaskarailroad.com/
[20] Denali National Park: http://www.nps.gov/dena/index.htm
[21] Adirondack Park: http://www.apa.state.ny.us/
[22] White Pass & Yukon Route Railway: http://www.wpyr.com/
[23] Tongass National Forest: http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/tongass/cabins/juneau/denver_caboose.shtml
[24] New River Gorge National River: http://www.nps.gov/neri/index.htm
[25] Waiting on a Train: The Embattled Future of Passenger Rail Service—A Year Spent Riding Across America: http://www.chelseagreen.com/bookstore/item/waiting_on_a_train:paperback
Click here to print.


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Christian Siriano on Opening His Store, His Fall Must-Haves, and Staying BFF With Heidi Klum – Exclusive
Out of all the Project Runway winners, none have attained the celebrity — or the success — of Christian Siriano. So it makes perfect sense that he's the first to open his very own shop in the heart of New York City's ultra-hot Nolita neighborhood.
But fame hasn't changed Christian one bit: He's still the guy to talk to when it comes to of-the-moment style. Wetpaint Entertainment recently caught up with the reality star turned successful designer.
Wetpaint Entertainment: What does it mean to you to have your own store, in New York City of all places?
Christian Siriano: It is one of the most exciting accomplishments in my life. It has been a dream for a long time to have my own retail space in New York and I'm excited to be able to really give my customer's exciting new product each season.
Who is the Christian Siriano customer?
There are so many types of women who shop my brand each season, which is why I wanted the items at my new store to represent and reflect different price points and styles. We have everything from knit tops under $100 for the young working girl to bags and accessories under $150, as well as cocktail dresses and evening gowns that show on the runway.
What's influencing you these days?
For the autumn season, I was influenced and inspired by the film The Vampire Bat, so the idea of flight and movement was developed into the collection. I loved the idea of adding cape overlays in chiffon and silk crepe to represent that inspiration in dresses, jackets and tops.
What are your fall must-haves for women?
A great leather jacket in black or white, print oxford blouse, an A-line skirt, classic black blazer in tweed fabric, and a flirty circle dress in black or a print.
What does it mean to you that Heidi Klum still wears your designs and supports your label?
Heidi is such a wonderful person with such an amazing heart. When she took the time to come to my store opening a few weeks ago, I couldn't have said "thank you" enough. I love seeing her in my clothing because she is a perfect muse. She loves fashion and takes risks with what she wears, which is any designer's dream.
Fall in Like with us! For the latest from Wetpaint Entertainment, Like us on our Facebook page at Facebook.com/Wetpaint, or follow us on Twitter at Twitter.com/WetpaintTV.


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This calculator will determine monthly loan payments. Simply enter the principle amount of the loan (do not use commas or a $ sign), the number of payments, and the interest rate (do not use a % sign), then press the "Calculate" button to determine the amount of each payment.
You may also press the "Clear" button to clear all the fields and start over.


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Robin, #43, Oakland, CA
Adolescence has become ubiquitous subject matter in contemporary photography. Whether it is the awkwardness of Rineke Dijkstra's gangly prepubescents or the sexuality, malaise, and dysfunction depicted by Larry Clark, the worlds of adolescents and teenagers seem to have been exhaustively described.
While Lise Sarfati continues to mine this rich vein of subject matter, she evokes a slightly different tone. In her first book of photographs, Acta Est, she documented the dark, emotional territory of wayward youth in post-Soviet Russia. Robin, #43, Oakland, CA is from her subsequent project, titled The American Series. Published in book form as The New Life, the series comprises images of young people from Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, Oregon, and California. Directionless, dispossessed, and dejected, these young people (mainly young women) appear ghost-like and unattached to their surroundings. Sarfati's subjects transcend their social, political, or cultural categories; as carriers of individual, as well as universal, psychological states, they represent the interstitial space between inertia and movement.
In Robin, #43, Oakland, CA, the young woman gazes into a backyard hidden from view. Framed by the intersecting lines of backyard fences bathed in a saturated cyan light, Robin may sit firmly on her home soil, but she is emotionally unmoored from it.
- Artist: Lise Sarfati, French, born 1958
- Medium: Chromogenic photograph
- Dates: 2003
- Dimensions: Sheet: 16 x 21 in. (40.6 x 53.3 cm) (show scale)
- Collections:Photography
- Museum Location: This item is not on view
- Accession Number: 2006.64.2
- Edition: Edition 2 of 10
- Credit Line: Gift of Kenneth H. Schweber
- Rights Statement: © Lise Sarfati
- Caption: Lise Sarfati (French, born 1958). Robin, #43, Oakland, CA, 2003. Chromogenic photograph, Sheet: 16 x 21 in. (40.6 x 53.3 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Kenneth H. Schweber, 2006.64.2. © Lise Sarfati
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- Record Completeness: Best (83%)