text:
For the first time in a long time, Kendrick was finding that the island was too quiet for his liking. It was as though nothing was going on. The lack of dispatches and general dearth of information was somewhat perturbing. In fact, he could use the respite from business as normal. The free time should allow for him to concentrate on finding his sister, or preparing for the events of the coronation in Hebron. But alas, the problem of the Hunter girl, and it always seemed to be about a Hunter girl, was plaguing him.
In fact, the whole point of entertaining the trollop had been to coax further ire from her cousin, but it seemed that either word of her abduction had not yet reached her family, or that Taia was simply uninterested. So now what was there to do, other than to up the ante. Something he was remiss to do, however he had never been married, and nobody is ever suspicious of a man who is only a widower once. If it came to the point where she would need to be dispatched, then so be it.
Having sent Paulson to summon the girl, with a new dress in hand for good measure, Carson waited patiently at the table in the great hall. He had allowed Isabelle time to convalesce, and had made good on providing small gifts to her as a means of appeasement, but they had not spoken much since the encounter in the mural room. Silently, he wondered if she had it painted over. He would have to make a point to ask her when she arrived.
Putting the finishing touches on his letters to Greenwood and Forsette, Kendrick set the quill and vial aside, reclining himself slightly and reaching for the chilled glass of peach wine in front of him.
@Isabelle Hunter


text:
What You Should Know Before You Apply
Please note that the information on this website is not advice, legal or otherwise, and everyone considering participating in the microFIT Program is encouraged to obtain independent legal advice.
The IESO does NOT:
- charge a fee to apply to the microFIT Program
- pre-approve microFIT applications
- solicit door-to-door for its programs, and does not authorize third parties to issue approvals on its behalf
- endorse or is associated with third parties offering services in relation to microFIT projects.
- The IESO is not liable or responsible for any costs or expenses incurred by an applicant under any circumstances, including the termination of an application or contract.
Before you apply
The IESO recommends waiting until you have an approved application before investing any money in a microFIT installation.
- Program applicants should be familiar with the program requirements and information about the process available on this website.
- microFIT participants are encouraged to investigate the potential impact on their property taxes, income taxes, and insurance coverage and rates before investing in a microFIT project.
- Each application made to the IESO must be submitted by the applicant or an authorized representative. An applicant's representative may submit an application on his or her behalf only if the required document is signed by the applicant and submitted to the IESO.
- If the applicant or contract holder chooses to work with a third-party service provider, they should be aware that as the applicant or contract holder, they remain liable to the IESO for all representations, warranties, obligations, covenants and liabilities under the application and any microFIT contract arising from the application.
Read more about working with third-party service providers
- Potential applicants should be aware that participants in the microFIT Program are unlikely to be covered by consumer protection legislation in their dealings with third-party vendors of services or materials. The microFIT contract is a commercial agreement, and any agreements with third-party vendors or service providers are also considered commercial transactions, not consumer transactions.
Responsibilities of participants
If you become a participant your responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:
- understanding the microFIT rules, contract requirements and your rights
- researching available products and offers to find the best renewable energy system for you
- purchasing and installing your renewable energy system
- meeting all applicable safety standards, including arranging and paying for inspection of your project by the Electrical Safety Authority
- obtaining permits and other approvals, including municipal building permits if required
- working with your local electricity distribution company to connect your project to the electricity grid and paying for all connection-related costs
- paying your local distribution company for account charges and metering fees
- paying for any associated insurance costs, as well as professional fees for legal and tax advice.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
YMITheWayIM 36-40, M 1 Answer 0 Mar 28, 2014 in Hobbies
An ejector seat, but a hard top. ;)
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text:
The Emmy Awards have left me dreaming about red carpet fashion, but with my job, I'm not just sticking to the Emmys in my celebrity stalking.
While I did fawn over the gowns I saw at the Emmy Awards, I was left utterly envious of Sarah Jessica Parker's ravishing pumps at the Sex and the City DVD launch. Just look at their wild color!
They're beyond hot pink; those peep-toes can only be described as electric flamingo. As you can see from the gallery, SJP's taste in shoes is always flawless!
For more red carpet dresses, check out our Emmy Awards fashion coverage.
Electric Flamingo Pumps
More Stats +/-
Objectified Male Parodies
Emmy Frocks Part I
Emmy Frocks Part II
Red Carpet Atrocities
Pixelated Pocket-Sized Smart Lights


text:
The genesis of the Unzeitgemässe Betrachtungen [Untimely Meditations] is complicated, and the conception, reception, and publication history difficult to sum up briefly. Nietzsche originally planned 13 essays, but delivered only four claiming that completion of thirteen might have been more prejudicial to his health. The first was written to avenge a public humiliation of Wagner at the hands of the eminent theologian David Friedrich Strauss, best-known for his Das Leben Jesu [The Life of Jesus,1835-6], for persuading Ludwig II to sack a rival musician. The second meditation is often considered the most philosophically rewarding. The third and fourth …
Gallagher, David. "Unzeitgemässe Betrachtungen". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 29 October 2009
[https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=8568, accessed 19 February 2018.]


text:
B-240001, Feb 8, 1991, 70 Comp.Gen. 248
B-240001: Feb 8, 1991
Additional Materials:
(202) 512-4023
Office of Public Affairs
(202) 512-4800
The T-shirts are personal gifts and. As they are not essential to the accomplishment of an authorized purpose. We conclude that the expenditure is not authorized under applicable statutes and regulations. The T-shirts were distributed to Memphis Service Center employees contributing five or more dollars per pay period to the CFC. The Director of the Memphis Service Center argues that the T-shirts were properly purchased as part of IRS' Incentive Awards Program to motivate employees to support the CFC. The Director also argues that the purchase was consistent with our decision "that agencies may expend appropriated funds to support efforts to solicit contributions to the CFC from their employees." 67 Comp.Gen. 254 (1988).
B-240001, Feb 8, 1991, 70 Comp.Gen. 248
APPROPRIATIONS/FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT - Appropriation Availability - Purpose availability - Necessary expenses rule - Awards/honoraria 1. The Government Employees Incentive Awards Act, 5 U.S.C. Sec. 4501- 4514, provides no authority for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to purchase T-shirts for employees contributing certain amounts to the Combined Federal Campaign. APPROPRIATIONS/FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT - Appropriation Availability - Purpose availability - Specific purpose restrictions - Personal expenses/furnishings 2. The IRS may not use appropriated funds to purchase T-shirts for employees contributing certain amounts to the Combined Federal Campaign. The T-shirts are personal gifts and, as they are not essential to the accomplishment of an authorized purpose, the expenditure does not constitute a necessary and proper use of appropriated funds.
IRS Purchase of T-Shirts for Employees Contributing Certain Amounts to the Combined Federal Campaign:
The Fiscal Management Officer for the Southeast Region of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requests an advance decision on whether to certify for payment a voucher for $662.50 to Creative Advertising for T-shirts stamped with the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) logo. IRS purchased 150 T-shirts for distribution to employees contributing five or more dollars per pay period to the 1989 CFC. For the reasons stated below, we conclude that the expenditure is not authorized under applicable statutes and regulations.
In connection with the 1989 CFC, the Memphis Service Center of IRS purchased 150 T-shirts stamped with the CFC logo from Creative Advertising. The T-shirts were distributed to Memphis Service Center employees contributing five or more dollars per pay period to the CFC.
The Director of the Memphis Service Center argues that the T-shirts were properly purchased as part of IRS' Incentive Awards Program to motivate employees to support the CFC. The Director also argues that the purchase was consistent with our decision "that agencies may expend appropriated funds to support efforts to solicit contributions to the CFC from their employees." 67 Comp.Gen. 254 (1988).
The senior certifying officer for the Southeast Region refused to certify the voucher for payment. The certifying officer acknowledges that we have authorized agencies to spend appropriated funds to support efforts to solicit CFC contributions from employees. However, he doubts that 67 Comp.Gen. 254 authorizes IRS to spend appropriated funds to reward employees for specific pledges to the CFC.
Payment for the voucher would be made from an appropriation to IRS for fiscal year 1990 under the general heading "Processing Tax Returns," portions of which are allocated to regional offices. This appropriation was available for various enumerated expenses, one of which was for necessary expenses of IRS "not otherwise provided for." Title I of the Treasury, Postal Service, and General Government Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 1990, Pub.L. No. 101-136, 103 Stat. 783, 787 (1989).
Legality of Expenditure Under Incentive Awards Program
Generally, agency award programs are authorized by the Government Employees Incentive Awards Act ("act"), 5 U.S.C. Sec. 4501-4514 (1988). The act assigns responsibility for prescribing regulations and instructions for carrying out awards programs to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). 5 U.S.C. Sec. 4506. Under the act, agencies may provide awards /1/ to employees who perform special acts or services in the public interest in connection with or related to their official employment. 5 U.S.C. Sec. 4503. OPM's regulations provide that a "special act or service" may be a contribution or accomplishment "either within or outside of job responsibilities." However, like the act itself, the regulations require that the act or service be "connected with or related to official employment." See 5 C.F.R. Sec. 451.103 (1990). Thus, although agencies may recognize employees for acts performed outside of their job responsibilities, such acts must be connected with or related to official employment.
The act and regulations do not authorize awards to employees for their contributions to private charitable organizations through the CFC. The CFC is a government-sanctioned charitable fund-raising campaign, providing federal employees with a convenient means of contributing to a variety of recognized charitable organizations. See 67 Comp.Gen. at 256. Nevertheless, a federal employee's decision on whether to contribute to charity, like that of other individuals, is a purely personal one, and is neither related to nor connected with official employment.
Further, the act and regulations require agency officials to give "due weight" to incentive awards when considering employees for promotion. U.S.C. Sec. 3362; 5 C.F.R. Sec. 451.104(h). Also, under 5 C.F.R. Sec. 451.104(e)(3), an official at a higher level than that of the individual recommending the award must approve each incentive award. These regulations presume supervisory knowledge of the action for which the employee receives the award. To award T-shirts for contributions to the CFC under its Incentive Awards Program, IRS officials would have to obtain information on employees' contributions to make award decisions and then consider the awards when considering employees for promotions. Such practices would clearly violate statutory and regulatory provisions prohibiting employee coercion in the context of the CFC. See Title VI of the Treasury, Postal Service, and General Government Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 1988, Pub.L. No. 100-202, 101 Stat. 1329-391, 1329-423 (1987) (5 U.S.C. Sec. 1101 note); 5 C.F.R. Sec. 950.108. /2/ Since IRS' recognition of its employees' contributions to the CFC under its Incentive Awards Program is inconsistent with the act and OPM's regulations, we conclude that IRS' purchase of T-shirts for that purpose is not authorized. /3/
Legality of Expenditure Under Necessary Expense Rule
Under 31 U.S.C. Sec. 1301(a) (1988), appropriated funds may be used only for authorized purposes. However, we have long held that an appropriation made for a particular object, by implication, confers authority to incur expenses which are reasonably necessary or incident to the proper execution of the object. 66 Comp.Gen. 356 (1987); 50 Comp.Gen. 534 (1971); 29 Comp.Gen. 419 (1950). The necessary expense rule does not provide authority for expenditures that are prohibited by a provision of law or legal principle, for such expenditures do not fall within the agency's legitimate range of discretion. See 67 Comp.Gen. at 257 (holding that although IRS could spend a reasonable portion of its appropriated funds to support the solicitation of contributions to the CFC, it could not do so through inter-agency financing of a CFC coordinating organization or group when such inter agency financing was prohibited by law).
The CFC is a legitimate, government-sanctioned charitable fund raising campaign to which federal agencies may lend their support. Id. at 256. The necessary expense rule therefore permits agencies to use appropriated funds to the extent reasonably necessary to demonstrate that support. There are certain activities, such as preparing and distributing campaign materials, publicizing the campaign, and permitting federal employees to solicit and accept contributions during business hours, that are clearly integral to agency support of the CFC. In this regard, we have approved the use of appropriated funds under the necessary expense rule to support the CFC and other government-sanctioned activities for which appropriations were not expressly provided. /4/
However, we are not convinced that purchasing personal items for individual employees is an integral and necessary part of supporting the CFC. We have consistently held that, even where personal items serve a legitimate function or the agency's overall objective is laudable, personal items may not be purchased with appropriated funds unless they are essential to the achievement of an authorized purpose. 55 Comp.Gen. 346 (1975); B-195247, Aug. 29, 1979. For example, in 57 Comp.Gen. 385 (1978), we considered the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) purchase of novelty plastic garbage cans containing candy representing items of solid waste to attract people to its exhibit at an exposition on waste management. We found that the purchase was not essential to EPA achieving its authorized mission and thus was not proper.
In contrast, we held that the National Park Service was authorized to purchase and distribute lava rocks to park visitors. The Service's appropriation was expressly available for maintaining parks and conserving natural objects, and the Service found that the "gift" of lava rocks was directly connected with, and was essential to, the carrying out of the purpose of the appropriation. B-193769, Jan. 24, 1979. More recently, we found that the Army was authorized to purchase framed posters as "prizes" for the winners of drawings held at national conventions of student organizations attended by the Army. B-230062, Dec. 22, 1988. The Army was statutorily required to "conduct an intensive recruiting campaign" and received funds for that purpose. The availability of "prizes" prompted individuals attending the convention to provide recruiters with information essential to the Army's recruiting effort, i.e., name, address, and telephone number. We found that the Army's purchase of posters to use as "prizes" to facilitate its acquisition of necessary information from potential recruits was directly related to the accomplishment of its statutory mandate.
Unlike the National Park Service and the Army in the cases discussed above, federal agencies have no express statutory mandate to conduct the CFC. Rather, federal agencies are merely authorized to support the CFC. To this end, we have concluded that reasonable expenditures of appropriated funds are permissible.
The CFC is not an expressly mandated IRS program or activity. IRS was not required to ensure the success of the campaign and had no authority to generate contributions. Thus, IRS would be authorized to use its appropriated funds for gifts or promotional items only if such items were essential to supporting the CFC. While IRS has asserted that the
T-shirts were to motivate its employees to contribute to the CFC, the availability of the T-shirts was unrelated to the legitimate elements of agency support for the CFC, e.g., fostering an atmosphere conducive to convenient giving and providing employees with opportunities to contribute that were not otherwise available. Since the T-shirts were not essential to IRS' support of the CFC, we find that the necessary expense rule provides no authority for this expenditure of appropriated funds.
We find that IRS cannot justify its use of appropriated funds under its Incentive Awards Program or under the necessary expense rule. Therefore, we conclude that IRS' purchase of T-shirts for certain employees was improper. Accordingly, the voucher for $662.50 to Creative Advertising may not be certified for payment.
/1/ The applicable statutes and regulations do not expressly addres whether a T-shirt is an appropriate award under an agency's Incentive Awards Program. However, under regulations and guidance promulgated by OPM, a non-monetary award means a medal, certificate, plaque, citation, badge, or other similar item that has an award or honor connotation and can be worn or displayed. 5 C.F.R. Sec. 451.103 (1990); Federal Personnel Manual, ch. 451, Sec. 1-5 (Inst. 265, Aug. 14, 1981). Further, according to the July-August 1987 edition of OPM's Incentive Awards Notes, shirts with emblems and/or logos are appropriate non monetary awards.
/2/ E.g., IRS' compliance with regulations for incentive awards programs would require it to violate the prohibition in 5 C.F.R. Sec. 950.108(b) against supervisory inquiries about an employee's participation in and amount of contribution to the CFC.
/3/ Our conclusion does not mean that all awards relating to the CF are improper. OPM's regulations require that the Principal Combined Fund Organizations administering the local campaigns design and implement awards programs which are accessible to all employees and which reflect the government's commitment to non-coercion. 5 C.F.R. Sec. 950.105. However, such awards are paid for with the local campaigns' gross receipts rather than with appropriated funds. See 5 C.F.R. Sec. 950.106. addition, while prohibiting fund-raising activities not specifically authorized, OPM's regulations do not bar kick-offs, victory events, awards, and other non-fund-raising events to build support for the CFC. C.F.R. Sec. 950.602. Agency awards such as pen and pencil sets to employees who carry out the agency's activities in support of the CFC or plaques to offices that meet their CFC goals, which do not identify particular employees based on their contributions to the CFC and thus do not present the potential for coercion of individuals who do not contribute, are not prohibited.
/4/ See, e.g., B-225006, June 1, 1987 (permitting IRS to use appropriated funds for promotional materials for the annual United States savings bond campaign); B-155667, Jan. 21, 1965 (permitting the Post Office to display posters and offer special mail delivery for the Eleanor Roosevelt Memorial Foundation); B-154456, Aug. 11, 1964 (permitting the Department of the Navy to use appropriated funds for instructions, mailing labels, and campaign materials for the John F. Kennedy Library fund drive); B-119740, July 29, 1954 (permitting federal employees to collect for charity campaigns during business hours).
Feb 16, 2018
CSI Aviation, Inc.
We deny the protest.
Heskett and Heskett Services
We deny the protest.
Feb 15, 2018
OST, Inc.
We deny the protest.
Feb 14, 2018
Castro & Company, LLC
We sustain the protest.
SysVets, LLC
We deny the protest.
BAE Systems Technology Solutions & Services, Inc.
We sustain the protest.
Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration: 18-Month Extension of Transition Period and Delay of Applicability Dates; Best Interest Contract Exemption (PTE 2016-01); Class Exemption for Principal Transactions in Certain Assets Between Investment Advice Fiduciaries and Employee Benefit Plans and IRAs (PTE 2016-02)
Feb 13, 2018
Al Baz 2000 General Trading & Contracting Company W.L.L.
We deny the protest.
S. E. James & Company
We dismiss the protest.
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text:
There is a newish custom in thank you note-sending and it goes something like this:
The host or hostess of a bridal/baby shower hands out envelopes and pens to the attendees and asks them to address envelopes to themselves. The envelopes are then collected and a few weeks later you get it back, filled with a thank you note from the bride- or mother-to-be.
This scenario came up on my blog a few weeks ago. A reader was turned off by the practice, and was curious what others thought.
Almost everyone agreed with her — saying it is nothing more than laziness on the part of gift recipient. They pointed out that, as a guest, they invested their time and money to attend the party, so a thank you note from the guest of honor really wasn't asking too much.
I agreed.
Then another reader chimed in knocking the ticky tacky socks off of everyone else who had commented before her. She told a story of how she not only was asked to address her own envelope, but the hosts requested that she and the other guests write the name of their gift under the envelope flap.
Writing thank you notes isn't fun. In fact, it can be rather arduous. As children, we were taught to always send our thanks. Mom even had my sister and me write thank you notes to my grandpa's cousin, who sent us $1 each birthday — from her and her cats. Not doing so was seen as ungrateful, even selfish. And, really, does anyone want that scarlet label on their backs?
No matter how much we may not want to write them, we make promises and vow to hunker down with pen and paper and do what's "right." Then a new episode of "90210" comes on and those notes are forgotten. We ignore the looming task, hoping it will go away — kind of like those dust bunnies under the bed. Eventually, enough time passes and then it almost seems more awkward to send a late thank you than not send one at all.
But that's bad — really bad — perhaps even worse than addressing your own.
The missing thank you note is an issue another blog reader had. Thank you notes, you see, are a perpetual hot topic.
In the second thank you note quandary, the woman attended the wedding of her nephew five months prior and hadn't heard a thing. She wasn't the only one. Not a single guest had received a note — or e-mail or phone call — of thanks.
More than four dozen readers chimed to give this reader their take on the situation. And, while some said it's acceptable, according to various etiquette manuals, to wait up to a year to send a gift and, in turn, a thank you note, most everyone agreed that it's poor practice to delay for more than a few weeks after the honeymoon.
Sure, newlyweds are busy. No one will dispute that. But even the new bride who is a mom and working two jobs has time: She could write two or three each morning, another couple during lunch break and a few before bed. Taxing? Sure. But it's polite, and proper manners should trump our desire to kick back and relax and watch TV — at least when you're a grown-up.


text:
Greenhouse grow domeSunday, July 23rd, 2017
Why would anyone need a greenhouse in Portugal? Given adequate water and soil fertility, the climate provides more or less ideal growing conditions pretty much year round. General climatic conditions though are one thing. Specific microclimates are another. This quinta has mountain ridges to the south and west and doesn't get much heat from the sun early in the year. As a result, the clay soils are slow to warm in Spring. Any summer vegetable planted out much before May tends to stand still and then take a while to get going again once soil temperatures rise, so peppers and aubergines frequently don't get harvested until October and November. A greenhouse in the sunniest spot on the quinta would make a huge difference. I could grow plants from seed in early Spring, bring them on while the soils warm up, and overwinter those which can be effectively perennialised for an early start the following Spring.
I also wanted to experiment with aquaponics to find a way of growing vegetables intensively without the need for supplemental irrigation.
The completion of the geodesic dome greenhouse was consequently eagerly anticipated. The covers went on at the end of April. Seeds were sown and plantings made. And since then, I've been revising my ideas of how growing our food here can be achieved almost as fast as the plants themselves have been growing.


text:
Gigagalleries - A collection of free teen movie clips.
We have not had much success finding other couples who both are attractive, so we decided to go with the idea of a 3some. Of course I wanted a 3some MFF, but were difficult to get weird! We placed an advertisement in a magazine of contacts, and got a good looking guy that set the right boxes, especially to my friend L ' s! We're both pretty good looking, L has a beautiful figure with pert little round tits and shaved pussy. do not consider myself bi, but had no problems with the idea of touching another person who was not even L have all the fun ! So after a few texts and calls an arranged
date. We met at the bar of a local hotel, where our man 'S' had a room reserved. After a few drinks, it was obvious we were all fell, so he entered the room with a bottle of champagne and a few beers. The room was a suite. We sat in the lounge and opened the champagne. We had some cards with us and proposed a game of strip poker,not gigagalleries very original, but a good way to break the ice and the clothes start coming out. After a couple of laps I was losing a lot, and even my boxers, while L has nearly all his clothes on, and S had a couple of things to go. gigagalleries So if L lost the next hand decided to spice up and asked if I wanted to remove her skirt, S. The two were in S and put his arms around her to pull over, lifted her skirt to fondle first her ass, she had kissed a G -string stockings and garters, who passionately and found the zipper of S skirt and dropped to the ground. I found it incredible, stroking my gigagalleries dick through my boxers and found that I could see a big bulge in his pants. L out of her skirt, and she sat on a different side to play. SA then was lost, he asked L if she would like to help him with his boxers. He stood up and kissed me hard as a rock, looking to put his hand to take our boxers friendsd by the tail. She looked at me and said, why do not I in S gigagalleries stood behind and felt around and ran a hand in his underwear to feel his cock to join, is much thicker than it was and it felt smooth as silk. We stripped to his boxers and she returned the gigagalleries favor for me. gigagalleries In the L fell to his knees and took our cocks in her mouth again and jerk blow us like a porn star ! We stopped, so I removed the rest of his underwear, I unhooked her bra, while S of shell falling on the knees of the thong. As he did, he kissed the top of his socks and his tongue continued her shaved pussy, spreading her lips to suck their juices. I gave him a kiss while slowly masturbated me, I was very anxious not to be very excited, I did not want to strike early, so I took L to the room and laid her on the bed. S crawled into bed between her legs and began to lick. I knelt beside her head and she again took my cock in her mouth. S I saw a finger, then two workingShe gently sucked and licked and her clit. I could tell you how much I gigagalleries enjoyed his tongue through the groans around my penis off and she had a strong control on the basis of it! She was pushing her hips to help him with his free hand in the ass. His mouth and chin were covered in their juices, asked if he could put his penis in her, immediately said yes, but wanted to sit ontop of it. He lay on the bed and straddled it L. gigagalleries She grabbed the base of the tail and slowly lowered her slippery pussy naked all the way to him in a movement that began after pushing him down ride with your hands on your chest to hold on to. I was still in the forefront of the bed, unless the head was standing next to me. I took my cock in your mouth, did not hesitate and grabbed my penis and put it in your mouth. I was in heaven, watching my friend go strange cock while my first job male blow. I knew he was coming, and said, Ied to
see sperm. L went out gigagalleries and got into bed, leaned at him and was able to suck its juices at home, I could feel how tense to give him out of his mouth and pointed his dick in my pussy L ' s, as he sprayed it with a blast to come. I could not resist and get licked into her hot pussy covered my first experience, and it was ok ! I L and let the taste of your kiss my tail S came back and it was not long before I came on her breasts will be more than ever, massage of the two guys below us my semen on her breasts and body, each dip a finger in it, gigagalleries when we moved to a kiss, and that was the beginning of a very memorable and sticky night. gigagalleries
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text:
The Emirati magazine 'Buthayna' is hosting a large celebration next week in Abu Dhabi to award a number of artistz from the Arab World, namely the Syrian singer Mayada Al Hinawi, Lebanese singer Asi Hilani and Bahraini actress Zainab Al Askari.
Zainab Al Askari is thrilled with the award and said that the award is like a message of encouragement to new and rising artists.
According to the London daily Elaph, Mayada will travel to Egypt to record a new song that was composed by Walid Saed. The song is her first produced by 'Mazika' music channel, after the agreement was renewed between Mayada and Muhsin Jaber.
Mazika and Zoom channels will host concerts for Mayada in Egypt this summer season.
Mayada is also getting ready to record the song "Baghdad," composed by the Iraqi artist Kathem Al Saher.
Mayada has sung other nationalistic songs, like "Ya Sham," "Beirut" and "Sham Al Arab."
[1] http://www.albawaba.com


text:
How Proust Can Change Your Life
Alison Lurie in the New York Review of Books
15 March 2007
In the last decade he has considered—in books whose brevity and informal tone disguise the occasional gravity of their content—travel, love, literature, philosophy, and the value of reading. His best-known work, How Proust Can Change Your Life, is accurately described on its flyleaf as both a perceptive literary biography and a self-help manual. Read more
Amy Kiernan in Humanitas
Volume XI, No. 1, 1998
If you do not have time to read all the volumes of Remembrance of Things Past (or if you cannot fit it on your bookshelves), Alain de Botton's book, which highlights the best in Proust, is a good alternative. How Proust Can Change Your Life: Not A Novel provides exactly what its title promises: an insightful, concise explanation of how to live more perceptively, intensely and genuinely. Read more
Frank Gannon in the New York Times
15 June 1997
Mr. de Botton's book could have been accurately titled "Living for the Moment the Marcel Proust Way." Seen in this light, "A la Recherche du Temps Perdu" is a very unusual self-help book. Read more
Julie K.L. Dam in Time
2 June 1997
Even the most diligent of readers may be excused for falling short of conquering the Mount Everest of 20th century literature, Marcel Proust's A la Recherche du Temps Perdu (In Search of Lost Time). Considering the thousands of pages in the 13-part autobiographical novel, there should be no question where that lost time went. Read more
John Updike in the New Yorker
2 June 1997
Alain de Botton, the author of "How Proust Can Change Your Life" (Pantheon; $19.95), is described on the dust jacket as living in London and Washington, but his name and his passion for codification savor strongly of the Gallic. His curious, humorous, didactic, and dazzling book bears the subtitle "Not a Novel"; it contains, however, more human interest and play of fancy than most fiction. Read more
Christopher Lehmann-Haupt in the New York Times
22 May 1997
One doesn't usually think of Marcel Proust as the author of a great self-help book. Unless of course what you admire most about "Remembrance of Things Past" is its usefulness for killing huge amounts of time. Read more
Benito Rakower in the Washington Post Sunday
4 May 1997
Marcel Proust, a perpetual invalid who rarely left his cork-lined room, lived as no sane man could even imagine, while writing a novel that only the most determined readers have been able to finish. Some readers have felt like Mallory and Irving, 500 feet from the summit of Everest, gasping for breath in an increasingly rarefied atmosphere. Read more
Cressida Connolly in The Sunday Express
13 April 1997
All bookworms know that Proust's A la Recherché du Temps Perdu is one of the century's literary masterpieces. But recognising its importance and finishing the work do not always go hand in hand: at 1.25 million words it is the printed equivalent of the Grand National. Read more
Interview with Edmund White in the Observer
13 April 1997
Everyone has always spoken of Proust as the Great Moralist, but no-one before Botton has had the chutzpah to take the claim literally. For the first time someone has set out to isolate rules of conduct and general principles about Life that can be derived from the 2,000 pages of Remembrance of Things Past (which Botton, following Nabokov's example, more literally translates as In Search of Lost Time). Read more
Allan Massie in Daily Telegraph
12 April 1997
Neville Cardus once called on Sir Thomas Beecham in his dressing room after a performance of "Die Meister-singer". He found the great man wrapped in a towel and sipping champagne. "Wagner, " said Sir Thomas, "was the most selfish man that ever lived." Read more


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My 2 and 1-year old have flown quite a bit already. At last count, Miles, who will be 3 soon, has been on 28 flights while Violet has been on 13. Most of them have been domestic flights and none of them have been overseas. But we definitely have had time and practice for establishing a system and "best practices" for our time in airports.
Our last flight was maybe the first time I've flown with one or both of our little ones and felt like "Hey, we've got this!" Mark and the rest of us flew out on separate flights, but went to the airport together and were able to spend our pre-airport time in one of DFW's airport lounges which made the whole trip a lot more exciting and fun (even for the grownups;-)) . I am that crazy mom that never lets my kids touch the toys in the waiting area or the play area of the restaurant or whatever, but in line with my philosophy about normal household rules being suspended during air travel, I let Miles and Violet play in the kids area of the lounge and they went to town on the fun toys and cushions.
I realized it's been a long time since I've posted anything about traveling with little guys, but I feel like we do it constantly, so here's a random collboration of some of my best tips. I've also written about flying with infants here and here before, but flying with two toddlers (mostly as a solo parent), is a different ball-game, so it probably merits its own list.
I'd love to hear from you – what did I miss in this list? What is your best tip for flying (especially solo!) with little guys?
1. When traveling, I read somewhere once that the easiest way to deal with schedules and naps when traveling is to stick to a regular schedule as closely as possible and to use the time-zone of the destination.
2. So if we're flying during naptime, I plan for naps on the plane. It's a great way to kill time. The caveat is that my babies have always been pretty reasonable about falling asleep on the plane if it's near naptime or bedtime. If your toddler or baby will not nap on an airplane, then fly early enough to make naptime irrelevant or fly late enough so that they can nap before-hand.
3. Once we land, we use that time zone. So if we fly from Dallas to California and it's two hours early, bedtime is still as close to 8:00 as I can push it (even though the little guys will feel like it is 10:00). There is obviously always some flexibility here but it helps to have the new time zone as a goal-post and kids normally adjust to a new time zone very quickly. Adding an extra meal or a snack into the day sometimes helps get us to a bedtime that's later than it should be.
We have never been one of those families that buys the seat for the infant. If you are, you'll want to bring your car-seat on board instead of your stroller (see below). All of the advice below is applicable mostly if you have an infant-in-lap or an infant-in-lap and a toddler in a seat.
4. Most airlines will let you carry a dedicated bag for each child for free, plus your personal bag and/or carry-on. My advice? Don't. Unless you have one adult whose entire purpose is that of a sherpa. The last thing you need when flying with little ones is a ton of stuff to juggle. I normally carry one generously sized personal bag and put everything we need for the flight (AND ONLY THE FLIGHT) in it. Sometimes I tuck a small purse inside so that I can more easily access my wallet and personal things, sometimes not.
Less is more. Unless you are going to be on a looooong flight, be brutally realistic about how much stuff you need in that one bag.
5. Essentially, DO carry:
Enough bottles, formula, milk etc. for the actual flight time as well as the pre-boarding and luggage-waiting (and post-airport drive if that's long).
- A couple of diapers and wipes
- An extra onesie or small outfit, because they day you don't will be the day you have a disaster during take-off. Also, if you have plans immediately after landing, you can easily change their clothes and shed the airplane yuckies without digging into your luggage.
- A FEW familiar toys for the flight. Wooden bead necklaces, small board books that can be cleaned later, and our Viking vehicles are always a big hit, as well as any naptime toys or blankets that are the norm (if you want the kiddos to nap)
- Small snacks. It's easy to go over-board here. Snacks are essential but small kids eat small portions. Bring food that isn't sticky or ultra-messy. Goldfish, cheerios, pretzles, dried fruit, etc. Double points if they can hold it while they eat.
- Anti-bacterial wipes. I love these.
- Empty water containers to fill after security for the little guys. We have these toddler-size Contigo jugs for water. They never leak and even Violet, who refuses to use a straw, likes to use hers.
- A water bottle for the parent or parents.
- A phone charger.
- Your phone.
- Headphones if your kiddo will wear them.
- A trashbag (see below)
- An empty ziplock to store anything particularly soiled
- A nursing cover, blanket, or sarong for nursing babies.
6. DO NOT carry:
- An absurd number of diapers that you will never use. The likelihood is that you will not be stuck in the airport for 3 days. If you are, airport shops carry diapers. Plan accordingly.
- Tons and tons and tons of extras. The frustration of sorting through too much stuff will always outweigh the convenience of that one tiny thing that you brought just in case and actually used that one time.
- Toys that make noise.
7. The one thing I do always pack is a trashbag, because who wants to use those airport changing pads? This probably makes me the weirdest parent in the world but ohhh my gosh never. I find a dark empty airport corner, lay out a trashbag, lay the changing pad on top of it, and voila. Diaper changing station. When we're done, I just flip the trashbag inside out so that it's ready for another emergency change if one arises.
8.We normally check our carseats with our luggage. Is this remotely risky, since the airline could lose them? Sure, but they could lose them at the gat too. If we were traveling overseas, we might not do this, but for domestic flights, it has never been a problem. If the toddler (Miles is) is big enough to require a purchased seat, I just let him sit in the seat, buckled, without a carseat. If your children are the kind that will happily sit in those little stroller wheely things and you can check your stroller, or you definitely want your toddler in a car-seat, great. I always prefer to fly with my ultra-light, collapsible stroller.
9. This is where the magical carseat bags come in handy. I love 'em. I've tried a few different brands, but these bags are cheap, durable, and great. Use them a few times and then replace them. I love arriving, knowing that I'm puting my kids in clean {to them} carseats, rather than seats that have been touched by who-knows-who and placed who-knows-where. Yeck. If you are concerned about your carseat getting tossed around, just attach some packing material to it inside the bag to cushion any falls.
10. TSA will let you carry bottles through security. They get a little annoyed once you start hauling jugs of milk for toddlers through, but if you have a baby and a toddler, you can normally pull off an extra cup of milk (I like to bring my own along because it's hard to find whole milk in the airport EXCEPT at Starbucks, which always carries it). However, if you pack things in small amounts, they won't even make you open the bottles. For two toddlers, I normally take two empty water bottles/cups to be filled after security and two milk cups, which TSA check's with their little magic wand things.
11. I also never travel with my computer in my carry-on these days. 1. It's a completely useless appendage on the plane with two little ones and 2. It's another thing to pull out during security. We don't own an iPad (yet?), so the only electronic I have with us is my iPhone.
12. Go through the Global Entry process and get TSA pre-check approved. Children under 12 can fly with parents or guardians that are TSA pre-check approved
13. Make SURE that the gate agent places your pre-check approval on your boarding pass, "infant on lap" on your boarding pass if you're flying with a child sharing a seat, and "pre-check" on the boarding passes of any other children under 13. We've experienced several variations of mistakes made on this front. One of them resulted in me waiting in line at security with a toddler and a six-week-old, discovering that my infant wasn't on my boarding pass at all, and returning to the front desk after waiting for 20 minutes in a security line. NOT FUN.
But once you are TSA pre-check approved, security becomes SO much easier with little guys. You just literally walk on through. They check the liquids and the stroller. Bam. All done.
14. Buy a light stroller. We like to keep our baby equipment pretty minimal, so our main stroller is this double Zoe, which is light and easily folded and unfolded with one hand. It makes flying with two minis a cinch. If you normally use a heavier stroller, make sure you travel with one that is light. Several of the airlines have changed their stroller regulartions and will only let you take light small strollers to the gate. On our first flight with Violet, American Airlines had just changed their rules and took our stroller, leaving us to carry both kiddos through DFW.
15. If you have a toddler that can walk, use the time right before boarding to let him run, jump, spring, whatever. Burn some energy.
16. I normally change baby diapers immediately before boarding so that I can avoid an in-flight change if at all possible.
17. I also normally do a quick assessment of my bag at this point to make sure the things I need at the beginning of the flight haven't shifted into the dark depths of my bag.
18.If you have a baby, board with him or her in a carrier or wrap so that your hands are free for your toddler, stroller, bag, whatever. Our Ergo has been ridiculously valuable for this – I have used it for boarding past 1 year with both Miles and Violet. I put Violet on my back for the first time during this last trip and she loved it. If your kiddo will sit contentedly on your back, even better.
19.Miles normally sits in the stroller until the end of that boarding passageway. He has flown a ton and is super accustomed to boarding and all of that, but if you have a toddler that tends to run, this is where it's a good idea to maybe hand him off to the flight attendants while you fold up the stroller. Either way, fellow passengers are normally enormously understanding and helpful for those occassions when I've needed an extra hand.
20.Once we get to our seats, OCD parent that I am, I whip out an anti-bacterial wipe and wipe down the backs of the seats, the armrests, the window (BECAUSE THEY WILL LICK THE WINDOW) and the trays. Am I weird? Oh yes. But it gives me a slight peace of mind on the flight to know that I at least tried to clean off the millions of creepy airplane germs as Violet frantically tries to eat the armrest.
21.The airlines won't let you keep an Ergo or any kind of carrier with a clip or buckle attached during take-off. When I've had little babies, this has been an issue because sometimes they're asleep and WHY WOULD YOU WAKE UP A SLEEPING BABY AT THE BEGINNING OF A FLIGHT? If this happens, just unlatch the latch behind your neck. Your baby will think he or she is still cozy and secure and the attendants can't argue with this.
22.The beginning of the flight is the best time to nurse or give your baby a bottle if it coincides with their normal schedule. It will alleviate any ear pressure during take-off and mine normally fall asleep which is a double win.
23. Now that Violet is older and only nursing during a couple specific times of day, our system is a little different. Miles gets headphones (wireless – how cool is my 2-year-old) and my iPhone once we take off. He snuggles up with his paci and stuffed elephant and tends to be perfectly content that way for at least an hour. This is what happens when you starve your children of technology during normal days.;-)
24. Unless it's time for her mid-day nap, in which case she'll nurse and fall asleep, Violet is pretty content to play on my lap, read a book with me, sing, snack, whatever. She's 14 months though and this is honestly THE WORST age for flying. When they don't have their own seat, they want to crawl and climb, and they can't move. It's torture for everyone involved. Just keep them occupied and entertained. Snacks always help. At this age, a bottle or paci during take-off will still help with ear pressure.
25. If you can take advantage of airport lounges, do so. Depending on the individual airport USO policies, military families can often access the USO even when not flying with a military spouse. Check the benefits list on your credit card. You may be able to access one of the other airport lounges. The extra space to let little ones burn off some pre-boarding energy, the slightly-more-private space – totally worth it with kids.
26. Make flying fun! Bring snacks and juice treats that aren't usually allowed. Break the household electronics rules. Sing. Play silly games. Chances are that your little ones will love flying. It's a huge adventure for them. They love the activity, the vehicles, the novelty. Miles talked about our last flight every day for two weeks before we boarded. Just relax. Flying with kids can be stressful and it is definitely a lot of work, but with a little preparation (and a lowering of all germaphobe standards, Hi Self), it can be just another memorable experience you and your little ones get to enjoy together.
Hungry for some more ideas? Hailey writes a lot about their family's current travel project and this post about a day in Paris with a toddler is full of great general trips for traveling with toddlers while Ashley Ann's posts about traveling with her kids are just incredible, period.


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Sports and Outdoors
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Lake Info
Normal Lake Level is 322.00 feet above Mean Sea
stop MHS, 56-42
Monitor Staff Reports
MABANKA big third quarter lifted the visiting Lindale Eagles past the Mabank Panthers, 56-42, Friday.
Now 1-1 on the season, the Panthers were scheduled to host Spring Hill Monday night and Corsicana Tuesday night, as part of the Kaufman Thanksgiving Classic tournament.
Tuesday, Nov. 30, the Panthers will travel to Van for a non-district contest against the Vandals, opening with a 5 p.m. freshman contest.
Next weekend, Dec. 2-4, the Panthers will host the 12th annual Cedar Creek Lake Shoot-out tournament, and Tuesday, Dec. 7, the Panthers will host a top-10 2A club, the Sabine Cardinals.
Played early in the day, so Lindale supporters could attend the Eagles second-round playoff contest against Henderson, the contest saw Mabank falling behind in the first quarter.
Lindale took an 18-10 lead in the first quarter behind the efforts of J. Van de Kop (seven points) and W. Brumit (eight, including a trey), offsetting six points (including a trey) from Panther Jordan Allen and baskets from Ryan Walker and T.C. Greene.
Both teams played even in the second quarter, leaving the Eagles up by eight at halftime, 29-21.
In the third quarter, Lindale pulled away, outscoring Mabank 15-5, as just three players scored Van de Kop and Brumit for Lindale and David Marler for the Panthers.
Down by 18 going into the fourth quarter, the Panthers were able to cut into the margin a little by outscoring Lindale 16-12, narrowing the final margin to 14 points.
Allen finished with 16 points to lead the Panthers, who also got nine from Marler, six from Greene, four each from Walker and Jacob Ortiz and three from Brandon Hatfield.
Van der Kop led all scorers with 24 points, with Brumit adding 17.
Copyright © 2010, MediaOne, L.L.C.


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MS untraced; text is taken from Ernest Hartley Coleridge (ed.), Letters of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, 2 vols (London, 1895). Previously published: This letter exists only in a summary provided in Ernest Hartley Coleridge (ed.), Letters of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, 2 vols (London, 1895), I, p. 328 n.1.
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Starbuck, a made-in-Quebec film that found success on last year's festival circuit, has been picked up for an American remake by Steven Spielberg's DreamWorks Studios.
According to reports, producer Andre Rouleau said Spielberg was "enthralled" by the movie after seeing it last month. Production on the English-language version of the film will begin in New York this fall, and the casting process is already underway.
The film, which was a runner-up for the Audience Choice award at the Toronto International Film Festival, follows a man who unwittingly fathers over 500 children through his donations to a sperm bank. Actor Patrick Huard played the lead role of David Wozniak, who goes undercover to meet some of the 142 offspring who have filed a court order to meet him.
Screenwriters Ken Scott and Martin Petit named their film after a famed bull that fathered more than 200,000 calves during a lifespan of 19 years. Scott, who directed the original film, will also write and direct its remake.
No casting details have been released yet, but those wishing to see the original Starbuck can now pick it up on DVD.


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Delhi Police Constable Exam Answer Key, Solution Cut Off 2012
DP (Delhi Police) Constable Answer Key 2012, Expected Cut Off Marks | Delhi Police Head Constable (HC) Solutions 2012 | Delhi police Head Constable answer key 2012 | Download online Delhi police Answer key 2012
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Download link : http://www.delhipolice.nic.in/


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My three-year old whirlwind came barreling into my bathroom, panic stricken.
Mommy! Mommy! I can't find it. I can't find the wheels. I so sorry. I so sorry I broke it.
Chubby fingers revealed the broken portion of a Christmas ornament. Santa and a teddy bear in a Model-T. It was the third casualty since our tree went up the night before. I could see his remorse. But this one? This ornament?
Within its cheap plastic were twenty years of prayers for Lymel, a boy living in the New Orleans projects. A boy I met as a teen on a mission trip. I had sent him the same ornament. Mine has since hung each year in the green pine boughs of my Christmas tree, a reminder to pray for Lymel—the sweet boy from our broken world.
And now I held the broken pieces of his ornament in my hands, my last connection to the little soul with a bright smile and impoverished existence. He stopped writing back years ago.
I would like to pretend I behaved like a good Christian mother. I would like to pretend I didn't freak out. I would like to pretend those things. But I can't. I went mom-crazy. The kind of mom-crazy we never post on Facebook, because—what would the neighbors think? Who wants to display their broken to the world?
Fussing and fuming. Digging through the tree and moving couches to find the missing pieces of this ornament I treasured. My boy crying in the background. My girl frantic and helping me search. Not my proudest moment.
Resigning myself to lost pieces, I stared in the bathroom mirror, covering the blemishes and uneven places on my skin. Only then did I see the blemishes and uneven places on my heart. Really, it was just a piece of plastic. And in truth, my son later found the broken parts. It was an easy fix.
But in those quiet moments, I knew. When guilt pressed down and the deep waters rose. When my failings as a mom stared back at me in the mirror. When I realized I was just a broken mess. In those moments, I knew why Love came down.
I knew why God left the light-perfect heavens to join a dark-damaged world. Why He would choose to be born so He could one day die.
He became Emmanuel because we're all a broken, fragile mess. Christmas came for the ripped up, snapped-in-two, brokenness of the soul.
A babe was born because the hollow ache in our souls needed the grace of flesh and blood to fill the deep cracks. Because brokenness can only ever be mended with the manger and the cross—both splintered and rough, cradling and crucifying the Healer of our wounds.
The cross cannot exist without the manger. Only Love could fill both. By His stripes we're healed. And in that manger lay the hopes of every fractured soul begging to be mended. So Jesus came. Yes. Love came down because Christmas is for the broken.
Heather Iseminger, her husband Michael, and their two children live in Florida. Heather teaches high school language and composition. You can read more from Heather at her blog, PetalsofJoy.org.


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Miami Heat guard and Chicago native Dwyane Wade believes the Chicago Bulls need a healthy Derrick Rose to win a championship. In other news, the Earth is round.
Wade spoke about the team's need for their superstar during a promotional tour for his new book, "A Father First" on Wednesday.
"Every season's different," Wade said to ESPNChicago.com. "Obviously, a healthy Derrick Rose will help that… They have a good core around him of players, but they need him to be (the) Derrick Rose that he was an if he's that then they're going to be a team that you've got to continue to watch out for."
Wade seems to be stating the obvious, as the Bulls have little chance of making a playoff run without their star guard. Rose is on track to return in February or March, though team officials have openly stated that they will not rush the former MVP back from his ACL recovery.
The veteran Heat guard seems to often have input on his hometown team, despite forming somewhat of a rivalry with the Bulls since the "Big 3" joined forces on the Heat. Wade made comments last month about Rose's need to recruit stars to join the Bulls, which the all-star guard has avoided since entering the league.
Wade and the Heat are looking to build on their 2011-12 NBA Championship, and on paper seem poised to make another run at the title. While the Bulls current championship window may have closed with Rose's injury, it remains to be seen when he will return to action and how effective he will be following the long recovery.
Zach Mink covers the Chicago Bulls for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @zachmink12 for more news and analysis.


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One of the requests for the March Military Campaign that I fielded this year came from Myron Vernis, who asked if we'd yet written about the Mighty Mite. I searched our archives to find out that not only had we not written about it, but also that I was frequently confusing the Mighty Mite with the Mutt.
It's not that difficult to confuse the two. Besides the similar names, both were quarter-ton, four-wheel-drive replacements for the Jeep, the timelines for the two overlap, and both feature independent front and rear suspensions. But the differences between the two are substantial.
So let's start with the Mighty Mite, above. With a development history that dates back to 1946, it predates the Mutt by several years. Engineer Benjamin F. Gregory, to pursue his concept of an ultra-light jeep, formed the Mid-America Research Corporation (MARCO) to design and build the MM100, recruiting four of the engineers who worked on the original Bantam BRC jeep. When MARCO debuted the MM100 in 1950, it used an aluminum body, a 52hp 91.5-cu.in. Porsche flat-four and sat on a 64-1/2-inch wheelbase (the Willys MB rode a 90-inch wheelbase). The unusual independent suspension used a combination of swing arms and cantilevered quarter-elliptic springs at all four corners, aluminum differentials and inboard brakes.
It performed exceedingly well in tests run by the Marine Corps, which was looking for a jeep that was light enough to be carried by helicopters to the front lines. However, it couldn't enter production due to the foreign-sourced engine. Thus, in 1954, MARCO turned to the newly formed American Motors, which had already begun developing its own air-cooled four-cylinder engine, a 50hp 95-cu.in. V-4. AMC enlarged the engine to 108 cubic inches and in January 1960 began to fill the Marine Corps' order for the Mighty Mite, now designated the M422. Total production over the next three years – including the lengthened M422A1 – is estimated at less than 4,000; as MARCO and AMC developed the Mighty Mite, helicopters grew strong enough to lift a standard M38 or M151, thus negating the need for an ultra-light jeep.
The M151 Mutt, on the other hand, was built to replace the M38 entirely and to introduce new vehicular technologies, such as unibody construction and coil-sprung independent suspension. Ford actually began designing the Military Utility Tactical Truck in 1951, inspired by the DKW Munga, a jeep-like vehicle that used a three-cylinder two-stroke engine. Actual production didn't begin until 1959, with production contracts awarded to Ford, Kaiser and AM General. The engine, a typical water-cooled four-cylinder, came from Hercules and put out about 65hp (though Crismon does include a couple pictures of a turbine-powered version). The MUTT remained in production through 1982 through several iterations, including the M151A1, designed to increase load capacity; the M151A2, which corrected the infamous rear suspension design flaws that caused rollovers; and several ambulance, firefighting and gun-carrying versions. Its direct replacement was the AM General HMMWV.
I always thought there should have been a civilian version of the Mutt. I used to see them driving around the military bases in San Francisco by the MPs. Cutting through the presidio at night you always had to be on the lookout for an MP ready to give you a ticket. Is it true that these surplus units were never sold to the public due to the inherent handling issues from the rear suspension? I recall that they were cut into scrap after they were decomissioned by the Military.
From everything I've read, the USDOT, after learning about the rollover problems with the M151 and M151A1, decided to deny approving any M151-based vehicle – even the M151A2 versions – for use on public roads. Thus, once they were decommissioned, many were cut into scrap.
That said, I've seen several in collections and at shows, so it must be fairly easy to get your hands on one.
Johnrm A few years ago in Salt Lake City, Utah new car show there was a little company that was doing just. They would get them surpluss , rework them and sell them at $10,000.00-$12,000.00.
Does anyone in Hemmings-land know if any of the four original aluminum bodied, Porsche powered Mighty Mite prototypes still exist?
Hello Myron,
I have two of the V-4 Wisconsin powered Mighty Mites built sometime in the very early '60's. One running and the other for parts or for build project. Also two spare engines with them. I'd like to sell 'em if ya might be interested. I understand there's less than 100 known to still exist.
Hello, do you still have the Mighty Mite engines?
Do you still have your mighty mites–I would be interested in purchasing
Viet-nam vet looking for m-422 mighty mite. Any help in locating one for sale would be appreciated. Jim 832-256-9114
Sorry to be a party pooper M. Deal, but there are way more than 100 still in existence. There are quite a few in Japan and the U.K. And down here in New Zealand there are four. I brought mine in from California in 1992, and the other three followed over the next twenty years, as a result of club members falling in love with mine. Cheers.
I logged over 25K miles in the M151A1 and A2 models and I have a little heart burn with the rear suspension comment. It didn't cause rollovers as much as had little tolerance for careless drivers and allowed them to roll it over. IMO the A1 was lighter, faster and much more fun to drive than the A2.
A1 Jeep (or 'quarter ton") operators who gripped the steel rod spoked steering wheel with their thumbs wrapped around the wheel rim, were soon rewarded with broken thumbs when they engaged the front drive axle in rough terrain.
I also remember that the lightly sprung suspension didn't tolerate backseat passengers and tongue heavy trailers very well as the front end got so light that steering input at speed became little more than wishfull thinking. Finally we were ordered to turn in all quarter ton trailers and rear seat cusions to avoid further incidents.
The bodies were cut in two when scrapped and you can find many today that were welded back together. If you find one that was never torched, it was probably given to the Forest Service, or some municipality for a non-licensed fire fighting vehicle.
In the later years of NG and Reserve use, they were fitted with full roll cages and shoulder/lap belt system. These seem to be easier to locate, as the states disposed of them differently than the active army.
SFC (ret) Randy
Thanks, Randy, for your input. True, from what I've read, part of the problem came from drivers who treated the Mutt like any street-driven vehicle. It's the same case as with early Corvairs and other vehicles that don't handle exactly like the rest of the cars on the road – the drivers should take the time to acquaint themselves with those cars rather than drive them like big Buicks.
Saw a few Mutts with 105MM Recoilless Rifle mounted in the Combat Zone 1968. Couldn't find a picture on Google. Also saw some A.P.C.s with Quad 50 Cal machine guns. We called them "Dusters". That's what they did. Used them on the front line firing straight out. The enemy was dusted.
photo of Mutt w/ 105mm Recoilless Rifle http://www.warwheels.net/images/M151A1CMuttRecoillessHaugh3.JPG
I drove the M151A2 while stationed in Germany in the 1980's. It survived me learning to drive a manual transmission. Yes I remember them being prone to rollovers. I loved it and it would go most anywhere.Here's a picture of it here:
Thanks for bringing back the memories!
Bob, thanks for the comment. I sure hope you weren't one of those guys who rolled one over! BTW, is that a hardtop on the one in your photo?
No I didn't rollover though they did warn us about rollovers. We were told no sharp turns at high speeds. Which was kind of funny because top speed was about 50 mph if you were lucky. Yes that was a hardtop. I thought they were a blast to drive. Went any where in dirt and mud. The only problem I had was snow and ice. The tires were like dull ice skates. I did a couple of 360's on ice & snow.
spent 2 1/2 year driving m422 ( and many other types ) 61 – 64. love them. ( not a-1 ). interested. what u got?
More info if you have it. Drove them 64-66. Any pics or know of any fo sale
I was at Abberdeen Proving Ground in 1956 when an XM 151 was being tested. A friend,(whose name escapes me.maybe Ted Richardson) and I were driving them on the rolling course. I looked back and he had flipped one !! The Colone said go back and drive it back to the garage !!
looking for mighty mites for sale or trade
looking for mighty mite
Saw a Mighty Mite in a car museum near Tallahassee a few years ago.
The M151s (we just called them the 'Fords' or 'New Jeeps', don't remember anyone ever calling them 'MUTTs') didn't roll over any more than the M38, the difference was that when the M38 was approaching roll over, you could feel it and slow down or otherwise compensate to prevent rolling it. The M151s on the other hand gave NO warning, one minute you were driving along and the next you'd flipped her.
SSgt USMC 67-75
Motor-T Driver, Mechanic, and Licensing NCO teaching Leathernecks how to drive those M151s without rolling them over (among other things) @ Camp Schwab, Okinawa where a good road was worse than a bad road in the Tennessee Hills!
mighty mite here


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Checked Capes
By Alice Watt
Hollywood has fallen in love with lace. Thanks to a stunning re-working of the feminine fabric at the Erdem, Givenchy and Celine shows, lace dresses are the new eveningwear staple. Make like the stars and keep hemlines longer to ensure these dresses are worn as the designers intended- understated, elegant and pretty. Click through the gallery below to get your party season inspiration from our favourite red carpet looks of the weekMore
First look: Lagerfeld's Pirelli calendar


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The Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees at the University of South Carolina has approved a one-year contract extension for head baseball coach Ray Tanner. The contract extension keeps Tanner under contract through the end of the 2013 season. Coach Tanner is in his 13th year as head coach for the Gamecock baseball program.
"With Coach Tanner and the facilities we have, that's a recipe for tremendous success," said athletics director Eric Hyman. "I'm appreciative of the Board of Trustees for extending Ray's contract."
In his first 12 seasons at the helm of the Gamecock baseball program, Tanner has compiled one of the top records in all of college baseball with a 540-243 (.690) mark with the Garnet & Black. His. .690 winning percentage is second highest in SEC history behind legendary LSU coach Skip Bertman and highest among all active SEC coaches. In addition, his .584 winning percentage (209-149 record) in SEC league games is best among active SEC coaches as well.
"I am honored to be the baseball coach at the University of South Carolina," said Ray Tanner. "I am grateful to the Board of Trustees extending my contract. The commitment to our baseball program is unsurpassed, from Dr. Pastides to Eric Hyman to our dedicated and loyal Gamecock fans. I'm extremely happy to be here and I look forward to opening our new stadium as we continue our quest to compete for championships and to return to Omaha and the College World Series. "
Under Tanner's leadership, South Carolina has appeared in nine straight NCAA Regionals, the longest current consecutive streak among the 12 SEC schools. He also has led the Gamecocks to seven NCAA Super Regionals in the past nine years, making Carolina one of only five schools in the country since 2000 to accomplish the feat. Tanner and the Gamecocks have made three trips to the College World Series (2002, 2003, 2004) in that time frame in addition to two SEC Championships (2000, 2002) and the school's first SEC Tournament title (2004). Included in those journeys to Omaha was a national runner-up finish in 2002. Over the past nine years the Gamecocks own a 428-178 record, the fifth highest win total in Division I Baseball as well as an SEC-best 162-107 mark in conference match-ups.
Tanner's last nine teams have also featured 19 All-America performers including 2008 consensus first-team All-America first baseman Justin Smoak and shortstop Reese Havens.
South Carolina recorded its ninth consecutive 40-plus win season in 2008 and earned a trip to the postseason and the NCAA Raleigh Regional, where the Gamecocks finished in second place. The 2008 squad featured Smoak and Havens, who along with All-America honors, were selected in the first round of the MLB Draft. Smoak was the 11th overall pick to the Texas Rangers with Havens drafted 22nd overall to the New York Mets. The Gamecocks finished with seven players drafted. Smoak and Havens also earned All-SEC accolades along with third baseman James Darnell and designated hitter Phil Disher. Smoak was a first-team choice with Darnell, Disher and Havens named to the second-team.


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If you want to build a Mini ITX system without sacrificing expansion, flexibility, or performance, the Obsidian Series 250D is your answer. Though it's small on the outside, the 250D has room for standard components like a full-size 5.25" optical drive, a full-length GPU, a 240mm radiator, and even a full-size ATX power supply.
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Wildfire continues to threaten San Francisco's water supply and Yosemite National Park
- Photo: Sacramento Metropolitan firefighter Matt Owston works near Camp Mather, California, on August 26. (Reuters: Max Whittaker)
- Photo: Rugged terrain and the fire's remote location have made it difficult to contain. (AFP: US Forest Service)
- Photo: Firefighters have been called in from across California to try and contain the blaze. (AFP: Justin Sullivan)
- Photo: The wildfire had charred more than 60,000 hectares as of August 26. (AFP: Justin Sullivan)
- Photo: Firefighter Corey Adams sits on a tree stump and watches smoke billow from the Rim fire. (AFP: Justin Sullivan)
- Photo: A bear and cub cross the road in thick forest near the blaze. (AFP: Justin Sullivan)
- Photo: A firefighter clears branches while he and his colleagues work in Yosemite National Park. (AFP: Justin Sullivan)
- Photo: This San Diego-based firefighting crew works through the night to establish containment lines. (Reuters: Max Whittaker)
- Photo: Residents in the tiny town of Tuolumne were evacuated when the blaze spread near Buck Meadows. (Reuters: Max Whittaker)
- Photo: Firefighters battle flames in dense forest. (AFP: Justin Sullivan)
- Photo: Smoke from the fire lingers over the O'Shaughnessy Dam at Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. The dam provides most of San Francisco's drinking water. (AFP: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Firefighters dwarfed by towering flames that lit up the night sky in California have reported progress as they battled a wildfire near Yosemite National Park.
Although ash from the fire reached the reservoir that supplies San Francisco's drinking water, crews said they were confident the reservoir's infrastructure could be protected, local news reports said.
The so-called Rim Fire, the 13th largest in state history that closed the road into one of the country's top tourist destinations, is now 20 per cent contained, the Los Angeles Times reported, quoting Yosemite fire chief Kelly Martin. That was up from 7 per cent on Sunday.
The blaze has charred nearly 65,100 hectares - including about 8,498 hectares inside the park - and destroyed at least 23 structures, the California department of forestry and fire protection said.
Crews dropped flame retardants on vulnerable areas.
The fire is also threatening two groves of giant sequoias and historical structures in the park.
The Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, the main source of fresh water for 2.6 million people living in the San Francisco Bay Area, is 320 kilometres to the west.
The fire is being tackled by nearly 3,700 firefighters. Schools in several nearby areas remained closed yesterday.
Meanwhile, the park said in an update on its website that "most of Yosemite National Park is not affected by the fire and is relatively smoke-free.
"The northern part of the park ... has some smoke. Conditions may change if winds shift."
Highway 120, one of the main routes into Yosemite from the west, remained closed due to the fire.
Governor Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency for San Francisco due to the threat to its water and electricity.
The state's firefighting efforts got a boost when California received federal assistance over the weekend to help mobilise the necessary resources.
President Barack Obama spoke to California's governor on Sunday and "expressed his gratitude for the brave men and women working tirelessly to combat this devastating fire," the White House said.
"The President reiterated his commitment to providing needed federal resources to support the ongoing state and local response."
Topics: fires, disasters-and-accidents, united-states
First posted


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Update 4:42 p.m.: Late this afternoon Democractic U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington and Republican Sen. John Ensign of Nevada announced they have reached a bipartisan agreement to extend the energy tax credits. It's a $17 billion deal, so we'll have to see how it stacks up with the House's measure.
Cantwell says the yet-to-be-unveiled agreement will have "incentives benefiting consumers, credits for the wind and solar industries, and incentives to invest in clean technologies and renewables." Stay tuned. Recall that earlier this year Cantwell and Ensign ushered through a clean-energy package that garnered the support of 88 senators.
Original post: The latest energy bill ginned up in the House is expected to pass this afternoon, and it's sounds like an everything-including-the-kitchen-sink piece of legislation.
Local Reps. Jay Inslee and Rick Larsen have scheduled foners with reporters today, with Inslee saying in a press release:
While allowing some limited drilling to expand domestic supply in states that choose to "opt in," this legislation also creates permanent protections for coastlines and greatly boosts national support for renewable energy sources.
The opt-in provision is drawing considerable flak from Republicans, who point out that the bill outlaws drilling within 50 miles of the coast — which is where most of the oil is expected to be found, they say. And for drilling farther out to sea, states under the bill would have little motivation to agree to drilling because the legislation offers them no revenue-sharing.
The bill accomplishes something Inslee and enviros have been pushing for — renewing tax credits for renewables. Worth some $18 billion, the tax cuts include an eight-year investment credit on solar and fuel cells; a three-year production credit on biomass, geothermal, hydropwer and landfill gas/solid waste; and a one-year production credit for wind.
That last one, a mere 12 months for wind, is worrisome to wind advocates.
Anyone know of local companies that are closely watching this tax credits saga? I'd very much like to speak with them. if you now of someone, please post in the comments section or e-mail me at email@example.com.
At least some of that $18 billion, btw, would come from provisions seeking to recover royalties the government mistakenly forgot to charge the oil companies for offshore drilling in the 1990s.
Also yakking on the phone today were leaders of the Natural Resources Defense Council, the League of Conservation Voters and the Sierra Club, who are basically holding their nose on the pro-drilling aspects of the Democratic bill because of the push for renewables. Said NRDC President Frances Beinecke:
We need to find clean renewable energy and find solutions. . . . We know that Americans want these clean, homegrown energy solutions, because they've shown that in recent polls, consistently.
And here's something a bit unusual: A coalition of green energy advocates is being joined by the likes of Ceres, Pacific Gas & Electric, The Real Estate Roundtable, Steel Manufacturers Association, and the AFL-CIO to push for energy efficiency as a solution to our pickle. Calling themselves the Energy Future Coalition, they say investments in energy efficiency could save $100 billion a year by 2025.


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It is October 2016. This month is unusual warm and even if we are in the middle of the month there is still no snow on the ground in Lapland.
As I would like to have snow and ice I get a little anxious and impatient. But then I decide I have to settle with the situation and try to get as much good out of it as possible. So my October in Lapland has been full of interesting happenings and new experiences.
This time of the year is suitable to pick cranberries. Cranberries are naturally a bitter tasting berry, but the taste changes after a night outdoor in minus degrees or in your deepfreezer and the result is less bitterness. The cranberry is many times used as medicine for illnesses especially in the urinary bladder or in the kidneys,
I was happy to find a swamp where I could be alone and pick cranberries, because this year the cranberry is not very frequent. So I spent several hours walking around on a very wet swamp. But I was happy to return with 1,5 l of the best berries.
The autumn before the snow can also be used for hiking. The wibrant color period is in September, but as this October is extraordinary warm I decided to go for a hike last Sunday. On the map I found an interesting round suitable for one day's hike. The amount of hours with daylight is decreasing every day now, so you'd better leave early in the morning to have time enough for a hiking tour and return home before dark. The length of the day light is 9 hours these days.
My route is to be seen on this picture of the map. The area "Soppanan retkeilyalue" is in the south of Finnish Lapland. There are many hiking routes to choose between. On the area there is also a camp site in the summer time.
My hike starts very promising as I in the beginning am overwhelmed by a bunch of Bohemian waxwings. They gather together like this in the autumns here in Lapland to fly south during the winter. I like the look and the whistling voice of these birds.
Other companions on my hike were the reindeer. They are strolling around in the forests of Lapland this time of the year. I found some beautiful, white species near my hiking route. They were not used to people and would run away as they saw me.
Along the route there are two hootchies where I could stop and sit down for a while with philosophical thought about the nature around me. At the fire places my soul rests and the world around ceases to exist for a short moment. I drink some hot cups of tea together with something to eat which I bring in my backpack.
This place is near the Paasojärvi sea with a great view over the sea and a steep shore. As all leaves have fallen off the trees now, there is not much that disturbs your view. The weather was not the very most optional for a nature hike this day, but it was warm enough and no rain, so I was quite satisfied with the circumstances.
In this forest the old spruces wore a kind of "beard". On some places the "beard" was really frequent and tall. The beard is officially named Usnea, but called the old-man's beard or beard lichen. Usnea is very sensitive to air pollution. Under bad conditions they may grow no larger than a few millimetres, if they survive at all. Where the air is unpolluted, they can grow to 10–20 cm long. It can sometimes be used as a bioindicator, because it tends to only grow in those regions where the air is clean, and of high quality. Nice to know the air is unpolluted here.
One of the places I stopped for a rest is like a hut where you can sit indoor in case of rain. It is also possibly to spend the night here if you want to do that.
I found the sweetest guest book in this hut and I could read the story from a visitor a couple of weeks ago. He had spent 3 days and nights in this hut as he had been watching and photograping auroras/northern lights in the sky. During the days he had been fishing from the sea nearby. I always check for guest books in the huts and I mostly find them, too. Some guests write only short marks of their visits, but some guests really makes an effort to write an interesting story for other visitors to enjoy. The most common marks in the guest books are the weather conditions.
The hiking route lead me over swamps, up on high hills, near seas and rivers and through the forest. I was very satisfied when I returned home in the evening with one more experience in the baggage.


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Karen Putz Talks to The Celebrity Experience Author
Donna Cutting, author of The Celebrity Experience is on a Book Tour and today's stop is right here! Donna and I met at the SOBCon'08 conference. You may recall Donna from a previous post where I reviewed her book and wondered, What Would Happen if Steak 'n Shake Rolled Out the Red Carpet for Their Customers?
So today, I took the opportunity to ask Donna some more questions about how companies like Steak 'n Shake could apply the Celebrity Experience and produce positive outcomes for their company:
Donna, I know you're familiar with the Steak 'n Shake incident, when I attempted to order two milkshakes through the drive through but was denied service because I could not use the drive through speaker. I came home and blogged about the incident. The company issued an apology via email and set up a meeting to discuss the incident with three of their executives. What are some ways that Steak 'n Shake could have handled this incident differently, to produce a better outcome?
Karen, I remember you telling me about this incident when we met, and I've read a few of the many blog posts on the subject. My first impression of the event was that it could have all been avoided if the clerk in question had simply chosen his customer over his own convenience or store "policy." Driving up to the window instead ordering though the speaker is not the typical procedure, true. But honestly, disability or no disability, was it really a big deal to just serve you those milkshakes? What if a hearing individual drove by the speaker and went straight to the window by mistake. Must you really make them drive back to the speaker? What harm is it to just take the order at the window?
I wasn't there to witness the event, but based on what you have said, it seems like the better customer service choice would have been to just bend policy and serve you at the window.
Based on what you've told me, certainly the clerk could have turned the situation around by sincerely apologizing once he realized you were deaf, and served you the milkshakes.
In giving red-carpet service, you want to strive to please the customer the first time. Mistakes happen. People are human. However, good service professionals own their mistakes and strive to immediately make the wrong right.
Please note this: I have not spoken with anyone at Steak 'n Shake about this incident. I know one side of the story. So, I'm a little uncomfortable sharing what I think Steak 'n Shake could have done differently. The fact that they did contact you and set up a meeting is positive. However, considering the story has been posted on several blogs and told in a variety of media outlets, they might have done well to detail on their website and your blog exactly how they intended to address the situation. From a customer service standpoint in general, all companies should ensure their employees are well-versed in the Americans with Disabilities Act, provide ongoing training and hold employees accountable for giving ALL customers exceptional service.
What are some ways that companies today can provide their customers with the Red Carpet experience?
In my book, The Celebrity Experience: Insider Secrets to Delivering Red-Carpet Customer Service, I dedicate an entire chapter to the power of YES! The premise is to "treat your customers like Hollywood celebrities." Well, for a celebrity, whatever the question the answer is YES!
For the rest of us, we often hear "Sorry, the policy is….'
The policy is that even though we sold you a defective laptop, we will not provide you with a replacement for the two weeks we need in order to repair the one you bought from us.
The policy is that you must stay home all day waiting for a plumber who may or may not show up.
The policy is that you have to order at the speaker, and if you go to the window first we will make you drive back to the speaker.
Great service providers empower their employees to give their customers a red-carpet service. The best hotels empower their team members to make things right for guests up to a certain dollar amount. Starbucks empowers their baristas to surprise and delight customers with the occasional freebie. (Problems or no, I'm still a Starbucks fan!)
Company leaders could start the red-carpet process by empowering and encouraging employees to be flexible when a customer doesn't follow procedure. Use some creativity! Policies are in place for a reason – but it doesn't hurt to bend them to give a customer a great experience.
When a company is hit with a negative experience that is shared on the internet, what are some ways that companies can address this?
It's a new world for many companies. Rather than one person telling two friends, and they telling two friends…and so on…..disgruntled customers are telling millions of people in one fell swoop – with a blog post that travels far and wide, as yours did.
When an error has clearly been made, and it's making the rounds on the internet, the best thing company leaders can do is communicate, communicate, communicate. Act quickly to address the error. Address it with the person in question, but also on the company website, on blogs, and by any other means available. Tell the truth about what happened, clearly outline what is being done to correct the situation, and keep customers updated on the progress. The key to regaining your customer's trust is to communicate, communicate, and communicate some more.
Smart leaders are beginning to realize they too can jump on the blogging bandwagon. Zappos, Southwest, Jobing.com – they all have blogs and encourage customer participation. Through blog comments, Twitter Tweets, and other social networking strategies, customers are actually influencing the direction these companies take.
Steak 'n Shake is now facing a formal complaint filed against them for discrimination at the drive through. At this point, could Steak 'n Shake employ Red Carpet strategies to turn the situation around or is the situation past the point of no return?
Again, I don't know all sides of this story, and I'm not sure I'm qualified to speak directly to what Steak 'n Shake could do at this point to prevent further actions from being taken.
In general, a company can recover from this type of situation by:
1. Owning Up to their mistakes
2. Communicating with their customers
3. Going Above and Beyond to make things right….and then some.
4. Providing exceptional training for their employees and hold them accountable to high service standards
5. Continue to communicate, communicate, communicate…..including getting feedback from customers about what they'd like to see happen.
This interview was part of a blog tour.
Yesterday, the blog tour was conducted at these locations:
Mary Eileen Williams / Fiesty Side of Fifty
Kirsten Harrell / I Pop In
Pam Archer / I Do Weddings
Today, there are 2 other places you can read about Donna's book:
Debba Haupert / Girlfriendology
Glenda Watson Hyatt / Author of I can do it Myself – Do It Myself
And tomorrow it continues at these blogs:
Heidi Caswell / Get Your Cards Here
Jenn Givler / Create a Thriving Business
Melodiann Whitley / Wealth Together
At anytime, you can purchase Donna's book, The Celebrity Experience, Insider Secrets to Red Carpet Customer Service by going to Amazon
Donna Cutting and Stephen Hopson at the SOBCon'08