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And They Lived Fairily Ever After…
We're sure bridal dressmakers are sick of hearing brides say they want a "fairy-tale wedding." Damn, that social conditioning will get you. Disney, we're pointing the finger at YOU. This bride, like others before her, and brides to come, was decided on the theme of her wedding from the get-go. So much so that she even had fairy wings made for her. We're getting vibes of Drew Barrymore in the live adaptation of Cinderella, in Ever After. Quite the dazzling display, even the groom got on board, with some additions of his own – yeah, that's a velvet cape trailing behind him!
And here we thought only the bride was supposed to have a train! All they need now is a house that looks like a shoe and some toadstools in their garden. Naw, looks like princes and fairy princesses do still exist!
Toilet Paper the Bride!
Often the bride finds it difficult to use the restroom on her big day, with the maid of honor usually given the duty of assisting with bathroom duties. But not for these brides! They can simply lose a few inches on their dress without all the fuss! The other explanation? A bridal contest for who could craft the most creative dress out of toilet paper. To be fair, we just want to go with the first idea. While it's okay for the bride to wear all white, we're not sure how the groom would feel wearing all white on his wedding day. Maybe if it was dyed black…
Hang on a tick! Surely if there's charcoal bread these days, there's charcoal toilet paper? Clearly, we're in the wrong business, R&D for Kleenex, sign us up! We've got the ideas!
Da dum da da, da dum da da – ah yes, that one life-changing, stupidly expensive day. The wedding day. Many of us might daydream on a crowded subway about our wedding day, drool escaping from the sides of our mouths, eyes slightly glazed over…you get the picture. During said daydream, perhaps you're deciding on the floral arrangements, ice sculptures, the reception, the DJ, the four-piece string quartet, or perhaps you're sampling the flavors for the 25-tier cake you REALLY think you NEED. But there is one constant little thought bubble bouncing around in there...
For the brides to be, most of the stress isn't over the venue, nor the guest list (let's be real if your cultural background isn't 100% American, that list is definitely going to end up being organized by your ever-willing aunties) but over THE DRESS. A form-fitting sheath perhaps? A full-skirted ballgown to make you the Disney princess you always dreamt of being? Perhaps a halter neck? Maybe even a sweetheart neckline with a bodice encrusted with Swarovski crystals? Alas, our list does not cover the conventional, the chic, the elegant, nor the demure. Pretty sure the staff at Kleinfeld would be peeking through their fingers at the horror show which awaits us. You're probably thinking; it can't be THAT bad. Oh, but believe us, it is.
Talk About Anime-ted on the Big Day!
We're sure that the illustrators of anime would be rather impressed and flattered at this bold bride's choice of gown. With a shock of turquoise green hair cropped short, dark eyebrows and a deep plum shade of lipstick, she's basically a living anime character! With her colorful and artistic tattoos on either arm and a romantic gown fitted at the waist, she sure commands all the attention.
Don't forget the spattering of neon colored lace over her pretty white gown! To top it off? Grungy Doc Martens! Portland certainly isn't sleepy or boring, and it takes one look at this bride to confirm that! We're loving it!
You're on Fire! Literally!
Damn gurl. That's one hot dress. Like, really hot. Almost as if you're – ON FIRE. Oh wait, it's just some very clever dressmaking. Not sure why this bride decided to go to the altar up in flames (we're not exactly implying that the devil was holding tight onto her dress), but it's definitely a showstopper!
Whilst the flames aren't exactly well drawn in an artful way, they've definitely got a hell-raising effect. Anyway, we're sure the groom had nothing but fire in his eyes for his new bride.
Calling All Dress Train Holders!
What better way to get all hands on deck on your wedding day than to uh…get them to hold your train!? With basically the longest bridal train ever, it required literally every wedding guest's help in order for the bride to walk down the aisle.
Boy, we'd hate to be the seamstress in charge of sewing that dress. Just imagine the fabric! But hey, on a bride's special day, no request is too much.
Where Did the Bride Go?
Can anybody see the bride!? I think I see her head floating around the paddock but – oh, it's a camouflage dress! This really seems to be quite popular in our list of unique bridal gowns. With a dress and train made of a fabric with what seems to be dead foliage, we're really wondering the type of bride who would want this for her big day.
The groom is allowed to kick back in a white shirt and jeans (and a baseball cap…sheesh), but the bride here…well, nothing's really giving us a sense of a new beginning, what with the dead leaves on her dress. Sure, a couple of bright orange gerberas liven things up, but we're more disturbed than dazzled by this dress.
A Barnyard Extravaganza
Nothing like loving the country. Hang on is that, Johnny Cash we can hear now? Oh no, just the groom singing to himself "I find it very, very easy to be true…yes I'll admit that I'm a fool for you, because you're mine, I walk the line." Cuties! So to the bride's left, no no it's not the groom! Probably the flower- sheep? Looks pretty big for a sheep. Anyway, seems that the bride decided to borrow some of the wool from her bestie over here, because would you look at the bride's skirt?! Yep, that's one hundred percent sheep's wool!
This bride's going to have a woolly good time on her wedding day, that's a definite. Would we choose wool for our wedding gown? Probably not, but hey, if it makes her happy, then the groom's happy. You know what they say; happy wife, happy life!
Just Ballooning Around!
Oh, look, another balloon dress. How creative. *Snore.* It seems that balloons, somehow, still seem to be making their way onto the bodies of brides-to-be. Sure, at birthdays and parties, balloons add to the spectacle, and are obvious signs of a celebration! But here, there is such a thing as overdoing it.
With the husband's lack of pointy edges (perhaps in respect of bursting her bubble) not to mention lack of closed-in footwear, we're not sure if they're about to go for a swim or not. After all, it's usually the female that keeps a marriage… afloat! (Badum tss.)
"This is MY (bridal) swamp!"
Where other brides would take heed of Shrek's warning "this is the part, where you run away," this bride truly embraced her inner ogre, and this was reflected in her bridal attire. When an animation comes to life, it's surely something to ogle! With the possibility that the pair spent more than a few hours in the make-up chair, that's certainly commitment – not only to each other but to the theme!
This beautifully green pair is certainly beaming… no doubt walking down the aisle to wedded bliss…and maybe even a castle in Far, Far Away. But then again if they're true to their characters, the only place they can call home sweet home is Shrek's swamp in the woods!
And They Lived Fairily Ever After…
We're sure bridal dressmakers are sick of hearing brides say they want a "fairy-tale wedding." Damn, that social conditioning will get you. Disney, we're pointing the finger at YOU. This bride, like others before her, and brides to come, was decided on the theme of her wedding from the get-go. So much so that she even had fairy wings made for her. We're getting vibes of Drew Barrymore in the live adaptation of Cinderella, in Ever After. Quite the dazzling display, even the groom got on board, with some additions of his own – yeah, that's a velvet cape trailing behind him!
And here we thought only the bride was supposed to have a train! All they need now is a house that looks like a shoe and some toadstools in their garden. Naw, looks like princes and fairy princesses do still exist!
Toilet Paper the Bride!
Often the bride finds it difficult to use the restroom on her big day, with the maid of honor usually given the duty of assisting with bathroom duties. But not for these brides! They can simply lose a few inches on their dress without all the fuss! The other explanation? A bridal contest for who could craft the most creative dress out of toilet paper. To be fair, we just want to go with the first idea. While it's okay for the bride to wear all white, we're not sure how the groom would feel wearing all white on his wedding day. Maybe if it was dyed black…
Hang on a tick! Surely if there's charcoal bread these days, there's charcoal toilet paper? Clearly, we're in the wrong business, R&D for Kleenex, sign us up! We've got the ideas!
One With Nature: The Fall Bride!
No no, we don't mean literally falling. Just check out the colors on that dress! With the smell of gunpowder in the air, we feel this might even be a shotgun wedding (get it?). Or that's just her overprotective father behind her, with his gun, just in case things go pear-shaped. God bless America. Right? Anyway, it's certainly a look that's only for the most ah…discerning brides. With what looks like a print that belongs more in the military than in the altar, we're scratching our heads at what the groom could possibly be wearing.
We're hoping it's a suit made of the same fabric! The other possibility is that it's some sort of admission into some sort of autumnal cult. Why would we say such a thing? She doesn't exactly appear as the smiling bride. Well let's move on now, and let this bride...have fun?
Twilight: Whose Side Are You On?
It was a series of novels that basically captivated teenagers (and moms, dads, brothers…aunties…uncles) worldwide. A phenomenon that hadn't been seen since Harry Potter! For you Fifty Shades fans out there – did you know the inspiration for E.L James's books was actually Twilight? However, we digress, back to those dresses!
Some women were SO into the leading vampire and werewolf of the trilogy – that's Edward and Jacob to you – that they decided to dedicate their dresses to show their support for the men clearly more important than their own husbands-to-be! Awkward…
Pretty in Pink
Yeah, this isn't a picture of Molly Ringwald. But you want to stick around to really take in this wedding dress. Is it fit for a fairytale? Yes. Is it pink? Double yes. Is it borderline shocking? Certainly. We have no doubts that this bride has been called a princess all her life, so it's totally fitting that on her big day, she was treated – and dressed – like the princess she is!
Frills upon frills of marshmallow pink fabric would look amazing in a large space – but uh… looks like she may just be suffocating her groom. Does she care? No! Does he look like it's bothering him? A little. But hey, anything for his future queen.
Arrr…Captain Redbeard Has Snagged Himself a Wench for Life!
To be sure, this rowdy Captain of the seas has somehow (probably drunkenly) gotten himself married! In true themed-wedding fashion, the only acceptable way to go about it is it to go all out. And for the bride of a ship's commander? We're talking corsets, full circle skirts, boots made for swashbuckling and a secret garter with a knife attached.
Don't forget the pirate's hat! And yes, this wedding took place ashore before the pair set sail to pillage together on their sailing honeymoon!
Graffito, Graffiti, it's a Work of Art!
Derived from Italian, graffiti literally means "scratched." Certainly not the case for this funky bride! Michelle here clearly isn't afraid of color – so much so that she wanted it incorporated into her wedding dress! A showstopper that's for sure, this quirky bride is well placed for a photo amongst the colorful street art!
And what's a fun wedding dress without a touching tribute to her husband-to-be? The bride had her initials and his initials spray-painted onto the gown! Now that's pretty sweet.
Don't Be Blue on Your Wedding Day!
Well, no one wants to be down and depressed on their wedding day that's for sure. Is this bride blue? In color, yes, but we're sure she's smiling on the inside. With a regal blue skirt and matching veil, the bride opted for some bling, with a corset studded with rhinestones!
Usually, these types of dresses can backfire…unfortunately whilst the color is unique, we think this is more prom nightgown than bridal gown!
Queen Snow Bunny and Her Kittens!
Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock, oh, sorry, we aren't in Mean Girls. But can you blame us for thinking so? We're not sure if this is a bridal party or a Halloween party, but if it is the former, we are slightly worried. Also, can we just clear up the fact that, yes, the name for baby rabbits is indeed kits (short for kittens!). Now onto our er… futuristic-looking bride. Mixing fur and bling is usually something reserved for wives of Russian billionaires, albeit they'd do it more tastefully.
This bridal look really isn't getting any thumbs up from our panel, so we're going to have to say no to this rather dynamic wedding troupe. Sorry ladies, maybe book an appointment at the dressmakers?
"Look for my symbol in the skies…" - Superbride
Ah yes, the famous words of any superhero. Okay, maybe just Batman. But with this stoic pose and her head tilted toward the skies, this caped-crusader bride seems quite the force to be reckoned with. Again, we're hoping this is some sort of party costume or party trick, but hey, maybe she's just a bit of a comic geek! And we wouldn't be surprised if this superhero-twist got the groom all flustered!
The dress itself is quite gorgeous, and even the bridal mask is quite pretty. But then looking at the bright yellow utility belt and elbow length yellow gloves, we're not exactly sure how she'd save the city in an outfit so difficult to move in. Then again, if she's a superhero, she should be able to manage!
The Nightmare Before the Wedding!
Now, we already had our couple inspired by the Day of the Dead, but it looks like this is something of a trend! This couple looks slightly more Nightmare Before Christmas, but even then, Tim Burton's creations don't look nearly half as frightful as this pair. We'd say no offense, but it looks like this couple was adamant on scaring their guests! So perhaps it's a compliment!
First, can we just say the groom is quite the sight – with his orange beard tuft sticking out, it almost looks like his skull is on fire! As for the bride, well, she's as pretty as a Halloween bride can get, with those beautiful blackened eyes (ok, that sounded bad). And oh look, how quaint, she's holding a dead flower branch, which marries in perfectly with the theme!
Hungry on Your Big Day? Sorted!
We're sure a lot of brides get so caught up in the excitement of their big day that they often forget to eat! Quick pit-stops through the drive-thru on the way to the photo-taking or even the wedding reception often end badly, with In-n-out burger stains betraying the bride! But we're living in the 21st century now, and brides are a lot savvier and more willing to break convention for their special day. The next bride, Diane Nguyen, surely would've made her mandatory pit-stop at none other than Taco Bell. But why waste time waiting in the drive-thru when you can take Taco Bell with you?
Like, even into the church? Why didn't we think of this before? While others may gasp and gawk in horror at seeing a bride stride down the aisle covered in Taco Bell, we're sure there was a very appreciative bridal party. Snacks sorted!
She Has an Ace Up Her Sleeve
A little bit goth, a little bit casino, but with one of the best poker faces we've seen. This steam-punk meets roulette-table inspired wedding gown is definitely one of the more unique designs on our list. With spades, hearts, clubs, and diamonds sewn into the gown, there's no doubt that she's ready for a few games of Texas Hold'em!
The part we like best, though? The beautiful shade of antique rose pink that washes over the dress. It makes for a feminine bride, with a bit of punk attitude!
Out of This World
You spin me right round baby right round, like a record baby right round, round round – yeah, this bride's running circles around us with this dazzling dress. Made basically entirely of aluminum, and a sprinkling of rhinestones for a touch of glitz, this bride won't ever be out of the groom's sight in this dress!
So we're not sure if she's actually getting married, or if she's just posing for photographs on Rodeo Drive, but either way, this is probably one of the better dresses on our list, even if it is made of aluminum. She might seem a little out of this world, but it's totally in a good way!
She Spent HOW Much on Her Dress?!
Stand back. This may possibly be the most expensive wedding dress ever. At just 19, we're simply astonished that this young woman commanded such an expensive dress to be made for her big day! The Slovakian Evka decided to splurge on her dream dress, spending a staggering $235,000 US on a heavily embellished gold and white gown. Whilst the wedding celebrations cost a mere $40,000 US, which pales in comparison, the bride was not moving on the cost of the dress.
Labeled the ultimate "big fat gypsy wedding", the groom, Lukas, wore an equally gilded white and gold suit to match her! One thing's for certain – they may be called "gypsies" but they certainly know how to splash their cash on a big old party!
It's a Bird, It's a Plane…It's a Man, It's a Woman?
These days, women are way more independent – to the extent that they don't even need a man. They can do the job themselves! This woman? She's clearly got a very clever seamstress!
With a mind-bending half suit-half bridal gown, this woman is both bride and groom. A fashion statement for sure – we wonder what the priest said at this spliced wedding!
What Did One Autumn Leaf Say to Another? I'm Falling for You!
A list of ours is always, ALWAYS going to include dad jokes. We're pretty proud of that last one. Anyway, onto this…er…pumpkin loving bride and groom. We're willing to bet that they both share a love for the color orange! With a wedding dress that's got the most puffs and bundles of tulle on the list, with a sort of ombre look going on, ironically it isn't even the dress that we're most concerned about.
What's most concerning is the groom. With that shocking neon orange suit, we are sad that this has even seen the light of day. Can you imagine these two 10 years down the line looking at their wedding photos? Not to mention that sultry pose he's got with the sidewards angled baseball cap. Yeah, nice one bro.
A Feathery Affair
Feathers add pomp, air and well, fun to any outfit. They go well with many different styles, and just add a little pizzazz to what you're wearing. Even your bridal gown. Normally very tastefully done, this bride went a little overboard. WARNING: Graphic content ahead. With the splash of red, it almost looks like her dress resembles a chicken that's just been mauled by a fox.
Sorry for the graphic description, but once you see it, you can't un-see it. And if we're going to go down, we're taking you with us! But hey, maybe she just wanted to be a little Broadway – now that we're looking, we can see the elbow-length gloves and the walking cane. A picture of…(slightly disturbed) feathery elegance!
Who Cares About the Dress When You Can Go Undressed?!
They say less is more. But sometimes this isn't always true. For example, on your wedding day. Traditionally, brides are expected to be modest and lady-like, without showing too much flesh. But this bride certainly is not going by the book – in fact, she's thrown it right out the window! To this bride, it seems that she's more interested in showing her body art than covering it up.
Maybe she's a believer in "what you see is what you get"? Anyway, whilst the dress is uh…minimalist, and certainly not as gaudy as others, perhaps it is better suited to a nightclub than for participating in the sacrament of holy matrimony.
The Bridal Bakery
Open for business! This bride was not messing around with bridal favors. With tiers upon tiers of cupcakes lining the skirt of her dress, this woman definitely has a love for cake. The groom should certainly be a little worried – we'd bet that she'd take cake over him any day.
Let's be real ladies – cake is there for you throughout the seasons, when you're happy, sad and being unbearable. That, folks, is the ugly truth. But props for making the effort – at least they managed to dodge the costs of hiring waitstaff!
Don't Ruffle the Bride's…Ruffles?
Frills basically make everything better. Is there such a thing as too many frills? Yes. How do we know this? Just take a look at this dress. It's almost as if the bride purposely wanted to look like a giant poodle.
To be fair, the groom won't even be able to get close enough to kiss his bride what with all the frills and ruffles surrounding her. Maybe she's playing hard to get…trying to ruffle his…feathers?
In Touch With Your Inner Child
So this wedding dress might look a little like a child's 5th birthday party at the plastic ball pit, but hey, we're not hating – on her special day she can wear whatever makes her feel beautiful! With her ball-coated dress and her peroxide blonde hair, she kind of looks like a Barbie doll. Don't you think?
Embracing her inner 5-year-old, this bride will be sprinkling color and joy wherever she goes! Now we just need some plain frosted cupcakes and a few of those sprinkles.
Nothing Like a Bit of Country Charm!
Well, ain't this little doll super sweet? With the parasol and lacey boots, this young bride is a perfect picture of country charm. While the more elegant ladies of the world don sleek, minimalist designs for their big day, this bride certainly wasn't looking to them for inspiration! So the top of this dress starts off rather nicely…nice lace with a high neck. Then things start to get a little more cowgirl, as the ruffles and flounce appear.
A peek-a-boo hemline leads down to a pair of bridal cowboy boots. Don't forget the two-tone tulle. Overall, we're not too enthusiastic about the total look. She does look like one of the brides out of the comedy film, 27 Dresses, though.
Brides Gone Wild!
Rawr! I'm a – tiger? So let's start from the bottom - everything is looking pretty marital as far as we can see…and now up to the smiling fac- wait, what? Looks like the bride and groom stopped by a kid's birthday party for some face painting before they walked down the aisle. But in love, it's totally fine to embrace whatever quirks and eccentricities come along – it's a package deal of sorts!
In nature, we're pretty sure a tiger and a panda would stay well clear of one another, but not for this wild couple! They must have a lot of ah…animal magnetism…
Wigging Out!
Don't freak out, don't freak out! It's just a…wig! So there are hordes and hordes of brides who dream of walking down the aisle to their partner in the loveliest, most glamorous gown imaginable. To some brides, however, that gown isn't always white and sparkly with lots of beading. For this bride, it was, well…a giant wig. Yes, like a hair wig. But the fun doesn't stop there; this was a multicolored, tiered wig.
Starting with the mop of bright red hair on her head, the bodice was sewn together with long strands of hair, seemingly wrapped around the bride's body! Then out of nowhere, the skirt jumps out to a dark red, before cascading into a light blonde. Rather majestic, no? Also rather…bizarre. Only a hairdresser would understand this…we just hope it's not made of human hair!
For Love of Country
*Star Spangled Banner plays loudly* ah yes, here comes the bride, a true patrio-oh dear. Is that the American flag…as a bridal dress? Well. Maybe it's a little too over the top – we're wondering if this theme will extend to her bed linen and tea towels, too? Anyway, it's a bit too kitsch for our taste, but maybe she's got some back story that we're not aware of. Or she's just a good all-American girl that loves her husband-to-be as much as her country.
We're going to stick to temporary tattoos at baseball games and red, white and blue striped activewear. But if that's what this bride wants on her big day, then go for red, white and blue!
The Prickly Pear: A Love Story
Marilyn Monroe once said that "Diamonds are a girl's best friend", but do you think she considered the fact that it could possibly be cacti? Yeah, we didn't think so. How could you miss an undying love affair between a woman and a cactus?
It seems that this woman was so besotted by the plants with a prickly demeanor that the theme even extended to her wedding dress. Not sure how she moved her arms in that… and er…some advice to the groom – don't get too close buddy!
Feathers Ruffled?
Ah, Cygnus. The Greek god transformed into a swan, and there is basically no other creature quite so elegant as the bird which takes his name. With a graceful neck and the ability to glide over the water so effortlessly, the swan is a symbol befitting a lovely bride. And as such – this bride's gown was born! With the addition of feathers in a floor-sweeping white gown, this bride is pretty as a picture. Maybe in 20 years or so she'll look back and think "oh man, what was I thinking?" But then again, it's certainly one memorable wedding dress!
We're sure the prince that rescued her from turning into a swan for life was besotted by his blushing bride! (Yes, we're referencing The Swan Princess, what of it?).
Hello Kitty x Your Wedding Day: A Collab
"Hello Kitty is not a cat. She's a cartoon character. She is a little girl." Thanks for clarifying that, Sanrio. And for some people/brides-to-be, they take it a step further than anthropomorphizing a…cat. With Hello Kitty balloons and embroidery on her wedding dress, this woman clearly has a thing for the cute fictional character.
Alongside her kilt-wearing father and matronly looking mother, she does seem a little out of place! But hey, when you're part of a fandom and fully embrace it, then good for you! Always be yourself. Even if it's in Hello Kitty.
Don't Burst This Bride's Bubble!
We told you to prepare yourself for the weird, wonderful and intriguing, so here's a fine example! This bride was clearly inspired by er…something out of thin air? Made entirely of balloons, this dress is an eye-popping sight! No detail was missed, with the bride's strand of pearls actually being a row of balloons joined together! Now that's theme dedication!
Let's just hope that she doesn't float away before the vows are exchanged. One thing's for sure: she's going to be staying far away from sharp objects.
Everybody Gets Cake!
Yeah so no, this is not an episode of Oprah. But it could be. Now that her generosity has been made a meme, we think this applies very much to this bride and her peculiar dress. But for some – not so peculiar. How sweet it would be to step into a dress made entirely of cake!
At least there'd be no wastage there – no storage for 20 years either – and probably a bit cheaper than investing in a wedding dress. And with a mane of glossy red hair, it is just the cherry on top!
Superbia in Proelio
Pride in Battle, the slogan for the English football team, Manchester City. Great on the football pitch, and plastered over the walls of pubs, but on a wedding dress? Well, this bride thought "why not?"! Karen here decided to show her true love (her husband, we hope) that she's also got a love for the beautiful game.
And what better way than to have it sewn all over your wedding dress? While she might be saying yes to the dress, we're silently mouthing a "no."
Honey, You Light Up My World!
This bride will be twinkling down the aisle, that's for sure. A cute use of fairy lights, we're actually rather fond of this one. With a skirt that isn't too overdone and an elegant strapless neckline, it really is quite an inoffensive design. The lights? Potentially a fire hazard, they certainly do enhance the dress.
Not that this bride will need anything else to light her up on the day. We're sure she's lit from within what with it being her special day! Down the track, if she decides to have kids, the dress can double up as a makeshift fortress!
All's Fair in Love and Goth
Once a rocker, always a rocker. Some people just don't quite get past their teen emo rock phase, let's be real. We've got the stats to prove it – did you know MCR (My Chemical Romance) saw a resurgence on the charts just in 2019!? Yeah. Rock is still alive and well folks. This bride and groom clearly don't ever want to let it go, what with the demonic getup on the "bride" and the signature Doc Martens.
Kinda cute that they're white too. The only thing we're a little concerned about is the priest's reaction to the horns in lieu of a tiara and veil. But then again, it's fair game, when it comes to love and, love of goth.
For the Trés Chic Bride
Imagine. A slender bride, proud and beautiful, dressed in the most delicate lace dress. As your eyes start from her feet, all the way up to boat neckline and cap sleeve, you notice something's a little off. Maybe not just a little. Maybe a lot. With something that looks like it's come from the Star Wars universe or the depths of the Mariana trench, we're kind of confused with this look. It's as far away from mesh as possible, and closer to rings and rings of plastic tubing.
While this look is "runway", and might not be for everybody, surely some chic bride will buy into the designer's spiel and don it for her wedding day. Avant-garde or not, our visions of bridalwear are being challenged. To the absolute limit!
You Want a Bride Pizza?
When the moon hits your eye, like a big pizza pie that's a – the bride!? Yeah…so pretty much everybody likes pizza, but clearly not as much as this newlywed. Why stop at just eating a few slices when you can BE a slice? Exactly. We're sure there would've been a few jokes on the bride's edibility between the newlyweds on their first night together.
Regardless, we're not sure her parents would've been too thrilled on seeing their daughter walk down the aisle as a slice of Supreme pizza. Incredibly memorable though.
A Jaffa Bridal Party?
Now our friends in the Land Down Under have a particular candy called a "Jaffa." Don't scoff just yet – this small round sweet is soft and chocolatey on the inside, with a hard casing of orange flavored and colored confection! Very yummy. However, we are here to talk about brides, not sweets! The pair, perhaps going for a camouflage look, do look uncannily like jaffas.
Hey maybe it's us, but to be honest, once you've seen it…yep, that's right, you can't un-see it! And look at the bridesmaids – they're perfect little baby jaffas. Whether she was going for camo or was going for jaffa, she certainly DIDN'T go under the radar.
#unicornbride #tumblr #pastelhair #bridegoals
Oh my god. Look. At. Her – no no, not butt. Her hair! The pastel candy pink hair is really rather beautiful. With her curls of fairy floss colored strands, she's definitely going for the unicorn trend. Maybe the antlers are a little overkill though…Take away the antlers and we're digging the full sleeve tattoo and strand of pearls.
It seems like things which are traditionally opposites have come together to create something, well…magical! #bridegoals indeed!
Marriage Means… Seeing the World in Multicolor!
Ah, marriage. Holy matrimony. What a beautiful sight, seeing the bride in her white gown, the groom looking smart in his tuxedo. Oh. Wait. Wrong wedding. Now, THIS couple was clearly out to make a statement. And a coordinating statement at that. Dressed in the total opposite of white, the bride and groom decided to inject a little (read: a lot) personality into their wedding garb, with a spectacular rainbow woven throughout both the bride's dress and the groom's er…suit?
Regardless of how it may look (like they're headlining Carnivale or Mardi Gras), we're sure these two are going to have a wonderful, colorful life together!
Just Gone Bikin'!
We wouldn't exactly call this a classy get-up. No matter the length of your veil or ability to look elegant, this particular take on bridal is a no-fly zone. But would a poofy skirt and tight corset be really practical for a biker gal? Certainly not. So it makes perfect sense that the bride would opt for white shorts and a lacy camisole. Nice short veil too – wouldn't want that caught up in the wheels of your husband's Harley Davidson motorcycle!
At the end of the day, love is about being true to yourselves – so if they want to maintain their everyday attire and dress like the bikers they are, then more power to them!
It Must Be…Magic!
So this bride seems to be, um...levitating. Because there's no way that she can easily walk down the runway with her knees bound so tightly together! We're not sure which designer thought this dress was a good idea, but it kind of looks like there's another person hiding underneath that dress.
If you've ever seen Muppets From Space, or Austin Powers in Goldmember, you'll immediately wonder if there's a dwarf under there somewhere. But hey, the top half looks rather elegant. Points for trying?
It's a…Bridal Peacock?
Peacocks have some of the most spectacular plumage in the entire animal kingdom. Now, this looks like something that's been partially inspired by the majestic creature. Sadly, however, this is looking more Carnivale dancer than bride. Whilst she may have wanted to go down the aisle with a bang (which she certainly does here), we're not really feeling it. Not to mention how heavy that creation looks! Intricate detailing, hundreds, if not thousands of feathers and more gold beading than we've seen on this list (sorry Evka!), we kind of feel sorry for this bride.
There's no doubt this is a masterpiece and would've taken an unimaginable number of hours to create, but damn… wouldn't you rather be able to actually move and enjoy yourself? It is the bride's big day, after all!
2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted
Ain't nothin' but a gangsta party..you done put two of America's most wanted, in the s- ok ok, we were just throwing it down gangster style in honor of Tupac Shakur. Just like this bride and groom! Despite hip-hop/rap's culture that speaks of violence and gangs, love is pretty much always at the root of a lot of tracks. But as they say, you can take the girl out of the hood, but you can't take the hood out of the girl!
With some street art on this gangster-culture-loving couple, they're definitely in it for life, because, as Tupac rapped "wedding bands rock the heaviest metal!"
Drop Dead Gorgeous!
Okay, so despite the gloomy weather, gothic handmaiden and, um... skeleton makeup, this is actually quite a pretty gown! Holding a single red rose, this bride's look is pretty much poetry. Swathed in ivory silk with a train almost floating behind her, we're actually really digging this.
Gliding around the streets, this solemn figure is the ghost bride of any goth guy's dreams! No doubt her groom will make for a rather dapper man of the undead. Does this then mean it's un-holy matrimony?
Just a Splash of Color
So this gown makes up for something that every other conventional wedding gown lacks: color! And not just one or two colors…but basically the whole rainbow…and what better way than to attach as many colored ruffles as possible? Whilst she looks a bit like a Flamenco dancer, she looks more like a child's birthday party entertainer.
Specifically, a colorful fairy. She just needs a wand and some glitter and the little ones will go crazy! We're not feeling the bridal vibes here. Sorry, hun.
Off to the Wedding Fiesta!
So we know that wolf whistling isn't very politically correct these days, but we're sure the groom of this lovely lady would be giving a very low whistle as she walks towards him. Either that or he's breath taken by her beauty. The dress, though? Well. That's another story. Certainly, more party than matrimony, this colorful gown made of tufts of tulle screams fiesta!
Skip the church – this woman is ready for the party! Despite the flurry of color, we're actually fans of this creation! Functional, fun and fabulous!
Dia De Los Muertos: Wedding Edition
Nothing like celebrating love whilst celebrating the day of the dead. How perfectly romantic. In a weird, necrophilic, borderline scary way. Whilst it may not be for everybody, you have to love the commitment to the theme. Not to mention the fact that the bride's entire outfit was recyclable!
Yep, this eco-friendly bride's dress was made out of paper plates and cups! And for the groom? Well, he couldn't wear a regular suit, oh no – his suit was made entirely of garbage bags! So when they undress, her dress would go straight into his garbage bag? Come on! Don't say your thoughts didn't wander…
You Glow Girl!
Usually, it isn't difficult to pick out the bride in any wedding congregation, but this bride obviously had her doubts. Either that or it was an evening wedding. Now that would've been quite something to see! This particular gown is hand painted to glow beautifully in the dark.
The print we're not so sure of – yeah, those are beetles! As The Doors sang, "people are strange." At least the groom will be able to find her on the dancefloor!
En-cup-sulated by Love!
Points for trying. Like the kid that came last in the race but gets a sympathy point. That's what we're giving this dress. Made entirely of cups that look most suited to a game of King's Cup, we're unsure if this is a real bride or the result of far too many drinks being had. Whoever the creative genius behind this abomination, there's really no way this was done sober.
Though we are quite impressed at the attention to detail and just how well the dress fits! The only people who'd be happy about this dress are our green-thumb environmentalist friends. Totally recyclable, right?
An Homage to Culture
This woman from East Asia was clearly not having a bar of the all-white western attire for her wedding and went down the cultural path. We actually really love this decision of hers – classy and elegant with the regal attitude that such a colorful culture brings. With a cascade of ribboned tulle atop her head, which forms a veil of sorts, this bride is ready for love!
The romantic, tiered, waterfall-style dress in a pale, creamy yellow with a hint of gold is exotic, but feminine and pretty. We're actually saying YES to this dress!
The Wedded Patriot
Another beautiful blushing bride. And she's got more than her husband to blush at. What about that dress!? Look, lady, patriotism is great and all but, on your wedding day? Really? Maybe for a 4th of July parade, but certainly not for a wedding.
But hey, maybe patriotism looks good on her, and that's why she's literally...wearing it. To be honest, not our pick for a wedding dress, but you can't deny the work in the skirt is quite spectacular.
Jingle Brides!
Looks like some people just love Christmas a little too much. Or they wanted to literally dress up their living room for Christmas! Whatever the reason, we're trying to picture this interesting creation. Talk about multi-use – unlike the majority of dresses, where women spend thousands just for a few hours before it goes into storage!
At least you know this dress-tree will be used at least once a year! So, you practical winter-wedding lovers, this dress is for you!
Choc-loads of Fun!
This wedding is definitely going to be full of love, sweetness and… chocolate. Sorry, we were just describing the chocolate, and nothing whatsoever to do with the bride. Speaking of, she is looking rather delectable in her white chocolate gown! Yes... some chocolatier labored for hours on end to create hundreds, if not thousands of chocolate curls to adorn the wedding dress.
Not to mention the fine chocolate work on the bodice of the dress – intricate corset detail truly makes this a work of art! Seems the wedding dessert is sorted – but we still think there's magic involved for this dress to last for 12+ hours. Plus, pretty sure you can't sit down. Practicality fail, but worth it, right?
The Wonder Woman Bride?
Wonder Woman, meet balloons. Balloons, meet Wonder Woman. There really seems to be some sort of obsession with balloons with some of these brides. But this dress, unlike the others, is not rainbow colored, nor white for that matter. It's made entirely of red and gold balloons. Hence, Wonder Woman. We don't think our female superhero would walk down the aisle, but if she did, she'd sure be pleased with this creation!
Don't mind that racy slit, that's for the groom's hands (and eyes) only! DISCLAIMER: Do not try this look on your wedding day. You will not be able to sit down. We repeat, you will not be able to sit down.
Christmas Came Early!
It definitely did come early for this groom! For some reason, some genius thought it would be a great idea to fuse a wedding gown with a Christmas tree. Beats us. But clearly, there's a market for it! We're not sure they'd be jingling out the door, but perhaps some brides like the idea of being able to enhance their dresses with their favorite decorations and colors?
Not for us, but for the Christmas enthusiast, what better way to strut your stuff down the aisle than in a Christmas tree?! Certainly not for the faint-hearted.
One Woman's Trash, Another's Treasure
That tagline is certainly true for this next bride. We're kind of confused. Slightly disgusted. Our eyes are offended. But hey, that's all up to the bride, right? Dressed head to toe in what looks like junkyard scraps, there's surely a method to her madness. Surely…just give us a moment to figure out what it is exactly. Maybe she's going for boho chic, but somehow, we think she may have gone a little too far with the theme.
At least the dress is environmentally friendly, huh? Her husband-to-be doesn't seem to mind in the slightest. Probably because he's also wearing a suit made of trash. Nice.
Honestly Modestly
Back in the early 20th century, modesty was a tightly held social value. These days? Well, it's a mixed bag that's for sure. But this bride has perhaps taken the modesty thing a little too far? Not at all!
Pretty sure this blushing bride is fully covered due to her religious beliefs. And we have to say – she is perhaps the most tastefully dressed in our entire list. We're saying YES to this dress!


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Flickr Faves on Fridays
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I realized I have been neglecting my friend Flickr lately, which actually made it really fun to go back and catch up on all of the great photographs you all have been sharing in our Fresh New Spaces Group! Here is a small sample of the many that caught my eye.
This one was posted by Claudia of Twiggs Photography and it's titled "stories from lisbon: landeau chocolate. I love the way this room has combined patinaed metals and woods against the white painted brick and those enviable industrial windows. It's industrial yet warm, and the photography is stunning. In fact, at first I didn't realize this was two pictures side by side at first glance; I thought it was all one room.
This photo was posted by tiffanycsteinke and it's called "back porch furniture." I love it's retro grooviness and the way her photography has created all that white space nd light in the background. It gives her furniture an almost surreal quality. Check out her blog here.
The photo above comes to us via Rita (the busy woman and the stripy cat). There's something so wonderful about her bookshelf arrangement; it's organized yet casual and not too-too styled. This looks like a room that invites pulling a book off he shelf, putting an album on the turntable and curling up on that comfy slipcovered sofa.
This cheery dining room shot is titled "the sun was shining just right." Yes it was, and I love the way Flickr member Loup-Loup captured it, and I especially love the way she used a Mexican serape as a colorful table runner, and that she has gold bentwood chairs.
Finally, this charming tablescape is called "Blue Vintage Lamp 4: Love at first…light." was posted by Flickr member mihameeha. It's really cool; she has this lamp posted with all sorts of different backgrounds as part of different vignettes.
Have some shots of your home you'd like to share? Please add them to the Fresh New Spaces Group!

subset: commoncrawl


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5 Essential Good Manners for Pre-school Aged Kids
Sure, your preschooler is starting to get the whole idea of "please" and "thank you." But is it realistic to expect perfect decorum at the dinner table at this age? Circle of Moms members Chelsea H. thinks not: although she says she's a stickler for good manners in kids and that her daughter learned to say 'thank you' reliably by the age of one, she also believes that "You can't expect 3- to 5-year-olds to sit through a multi-course dinner or become walking Ms. Manners."
Many Circle of Moms members find that between the ages of three and five their children are receptive to learning the rules of polite conduct — in small doses. But they also say kids don't learn unless you take it upon yourself to teach them — and stick with it. Kristin G. started teaching her kids "common courtesies like 'please,' 'thank you,' and 'you're welcome' at this age, but she's found repetition to be key. As Nikki J. says, "My two-year-old is learning manners, but needs be reminded from time to time."
So what are the good manners that parents can successfully teach to kids in the pre-K years? Here, Circle of Moms members share five critical ones that most preschoolers can master.
1. Behaving Appropriately in Public
Preschoolers are smart enough to know not to throw things or to "run around like wild animals" in public, suggests Tamara W. "I am rarely one to sit and judge anyone's parenting style. Having a couple [of] high maintenance kids [myself], I know it can be tricky and things don't always appear as they seem. But I teach my toddlers not to throw things and litter and run around like wild animals. You can start to teach your kids responsibility in public places at a young age."
2. "Excuse Me"
Preschoolers can learn the concept of not bumping into others, or moving over to let others by, and saying "excuse me," suggest Circle of Moms members. "I'm a bit of a helicopter parent in public when it comes to manners," says Jenni. "I'm constantly telling my children to 'Move over to the side please and let the lady pass," or say 'excuse me' if you want to get by."
3. "Please"
A good time to teach a preschooler the concept of "please," is when they want something. Simply respond to a demand for more milk, or another book, with, "How would you ask for that nicely?" And the best way to get the habit to stick is to model it yourself. Chelsea H., whose two-year-old has learned to say 'please,' shares, "I have noticed since she started talking, my husband and I use our manners and are generally more polite than we were before, because we act the way we want our children to."
4. "Thank You"
Preschoolers can also learn how to be polite when they receive something. Alecia D.'s 17-month-old knows to say 'thanks' when she is given what she asked for, and now this mom is working on the more formal 'thank you." She believes that saying 'thank you' is very important:. "I don't think enough people say it anymore. We tend to take things for granted these days and I believe we can do something to change it around by just saying thank you and teaching our kids to say it too.
5. Getting Attention Politely
Preschoolers are notorious for wanting your attention NOW, and as Kayleigh L. bemoans, they seem to especially love to interrupt when grownups are talking. But they can learn techniques for doing this politely, like saying 'pardon me' or 'excuse me' when they are trying to get your attention, says Circle of Moms member Monique. And Karen B. shares a clever and subtle way of dealing with this: she taught her little girl to "put her hand on our arm if she needs to interrupt a conversation." In turn, she and her partner "put our hand on her's to acknowledge that she is there and [to let her know that] we will address her as soon as possible. It's worked really well."
It's not easy to teach preschoolers manners, and is often a lengthy process that requires patience. But most agree that starting early is worthwhile: "Manners are very important for us to teach our children," says April J. "The adults who aren't polite are a lost cause in my opinion. Better to teach our children now while they're young so that they learn that being polite is just a normal way to behave."
What manners do you teach your preschooler?
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, POPSUGAR.


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Warner's Focus took in $1.52 million on Monday to lead the daily box office for a fourth consecutive day. In the process the romantic heist film starring Will Smith and Margot Robbie surpassed the $20 million mark on Monday. Focus was down 67 percent from Sunday and has grossed $20.20 million in four days. That is slightly below pre-release expectations and places the film a lackluster 32 percent behind the $29.58 million four-day take of 2013's After Earth.
Fox's Kingsman: The Secret Service claimed second place with $0.939 million. The Matthew Vaughn directed graphic novel adaptation starring Colin Firth held up nicely on Monday as it was down 71 percent from Sunday and down 35 percent from last Monday. Kingsman has grossed a stronger than expected $86.77 million in 18 days and is currently on pace to surpass the $90 million mark on Friday.
Fifty Shades of Grey placed in third with $0.864 million. Universal's successful erotic romantic drama was down just 63 percent from Sunday, but was also down a sizable 53 percent from last Monday. While it's proving to be very front-loaded, Fifty Shades of Grey has grossed a very strong $148.26 million in 18 days. That leaves the film just $1.74 million away from reaching the $150 million mark.
It was a tight race for spots four through seven on Monday, as fourth place and seventh place were separated by just $65,789.
The Lazarus Effect finished in fourth with $0.568 million. The low-budget PG-13 rated horror film from Relativity was down 72 percent from Sunday. The Lazarus Effect has grossed $10.77 million in four days. While the film is performing slightly below expectations it is also off to a solid start with its low production budget in mind. The Lazarus Effect is running 17 percent behind the $12.95 million four-day take of last year's Oculus.
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water rounded out Monday's top five with $0.514 million. Paramount's successful 3D animated film was down 85 percent from Sunday and down a healthy 28 percent from last Monday. The SpongeBob Movie continues to exceed expectations with $140.46 million through 25 days of release.
McFarland, USA followed very closely behind in sixth place with $0.509 million. The well received sports drama starring Kevin Costner fell 77 percent from Sunday and a slim 29 percent from last Monday. McFarland, USA is displaying very solid holding power thus far and continues to perform on the very high end of expectations with $22.53 million in eleven days.
Warner's American Sniper took seventh with $0.502 million. The blockbuster Clint Eastwood directed film decreased 73 percent from Sunday and 40 percent from last Monday. American Sniper has grossed a massive $331.30 million to date and is now on the verge of surpassing the $336.74 million current total gross of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 to become the highest grossing release of 2014 domestically.


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FNFAL.com / The FAL Files is your friend when it comes to FAL's.
I recently build an AK the build went well.
Im trying to branch out now.
Ive always loved the look of an FAL; Im very interested in building one.
When I began to research how to build an AK I found movies and pages of info, however I have not been so lucky with the FAL information.
Is there a reputable source that gives detailed info as to how to build a FAL kit?
Also where can I find a reasonable kit? Receiver? And necessary parts?
Also is the barrel threaded or is it pressed in? Does it have a barrel pin?
I honestly know nothing and would like to know more.
Thank you,
The FALFiles is THE resource for building one. An FAL is pretty basic on the build, bbl install and headspace are the main operations, the rest is pretty much reassembly from a field strip. The bbl is screwed in to about the 10:30 to 11:00 position by hand, then turned in with tools to 12:00. Problem is sometimes the bbl doesn't time properly, you then have to turn down the bbl shoulder to allow it to turn farther in by hand, or use a shim washer to space it out. Once the bbl is in, you put a GO Guage in the chamber and lock the bolt in. The rear of the bolt tips down against a locking shoulder that fits in a hole in the receiver. This determines headspace, different sizes of shoulder exist to set it. A guage rod is placed in the hole, either a stepped one or a set of different sizes. Once the rod diameter that fits tightly is determined, the locking shoulder size is calculated and installed. With the GO, the bolt should close with two thumbs applying pressure, and not close on a NO-GO. If it passes, the rest is just basic reassembly.
Wow that descripiton is througho.
I also found this website Building the FAL at Home, Assembly
it seems to be a good guide.
I will read It over and get a better idea of what to do.
and RECEIVERS?
I found kits and barrels at apex.
does anyone have any experience with these kits?
are they quality?
only one thing I cant find receivers, or uppers?
anyone have any ideas?
Gun Plumber at Arizona Response Systems sell a book on assembling a FAL. He did a great job describing every detail along with pictures. This is a great reference even after you have built one.
www.arizonaresponsesystems.com is the link.
Max, it's his video at the Smartflix link. Sixteen bucks to rent the two disc set.
It's real nice. Does have bipod. I also got one of their metric barrels.
The bore on mine is very good-excellent cond., but is not contoured
for using bipod. Live and learn.
Coonan, DSA, Century carries receivers.
DSA being the best from what I have heard.
Me, I'm rewelding bits into a receiver.
You will need a receiver wrench and barrel vise.
I got mine from this guy.
You will notice that FAL kits will tend to go for big bucks on Gunbroker
or the Fal Files. A nice Austrian STG 58 might go for 750-900.
Charter member-Busted Box Club est. 2006
"I will adhere to the Patriot Act, the one signed in 1776"
- Marc Anderson
When you buy your G1 fal kit,barrel, and receiver, every thing will come to light.
Try to get one that matches. Bolt, bolt carrier, and lower unit. Than have the receiver
stamped to match the other parts.After you build it, you'll keep it for a long long time.
I'll post a few pictures on making the folding bipod work, sometimes today.
First, put the 2 bipod brackets in the barrel grove. If it line up, and you can start the screws ,your good to go. If not, than remove a small amount of metal from inside of brackets. About 1/16' on both sides. When the brackets threads lines up on the barrel, your ready to install the legs. Put on the bipod bracket on the barrel,and hold in place with a vice grip on one side. Place the spring,and keeper rod in the leg. It's easy to install the legs in the open mode.
Install the rifle slang as needed.
Last edited by jimmy t; 01-07-2011 at 02:06 PM.
Your in my Mind, and in my Sights


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Mayo joins long list of injured Patriots
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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) -- The "next man up" philosophy of the New England Patriots is getting seriously tested.
On defense, star linebacker Jerod Mayo went on season-ending injured reserve Wednesday, joining star tackle Vince Wilfork on the list. On Sunday, their best defensive back, Aqib Talib, could be sidelined after hurting his hip. And just when starting tackle Tommy Kelly returns from a knee injury is unknown.
Then there's the offense.
Wide receiver Danny Amendola and guard Dan Connolly suffered concussions last Sunday. Tight end Rob Gronkowski hasn't played all season.
Gronkowski was the only one of those seven to practice on Wednesday, and he was limited.
But the Patriots lead the AFC East by two games.
"A lot of teams face challenges. It's just really how you deal with them," Tom Brady said Wednesday. "We've lost some guys, dealt with some issues, like every other team. We're handling them OK. We're 5-1. It's a decent start."
But now four of the Patriots' best players are injured on a defense that has allowed the fourth fewest points in the NFL.
Dane Fletcher, who has started five games since joining the Patriots in 2010, could start at outside linebacker for Mayo on Sunday against the New York Jets (3-3).
"Our defense knows what we have to do," Fletcher said. "It's always next man up. It's kind of that philosophy around here and whoever it may be, it's time for them to fill those shoes."
Those shoes are pretty big.
Mayo, a two-time Pro Bowl standout, has the most tackles in the NFL since 2010 and calls the defensive signals.
Wilfork is a five-time Pro Bowler who has anchored the defensive line since 2005.
They're also leaders, the only two defensive co-captains on the team.
"I think of it as Mayo and Vince are still our captains," said safety Devin McCourty, a co-captain the past two seasons.
Mayo was injured in the fourth quarter of Sunday' 30-27 win over the New Orleans Saints when he and safety Steve Gregory tackled Darren Sproles. Mayo lay on the ground then reached for the upper right area of his chest. Mayo's agent, Mitch Frankel, did not respond to a request for comment on a report that Mayo had undergone surgery for a torn chest muscle.
"I just came down and made the hit," Gregory said. "I didn't know what the extent was."
Wilfork tore his right Achilles tendon Sept. 29 in a 30-23 win over the Atlanta Falcons then underwent surgery.
"When you lose someone like we did with Vince or Jerod, it's tough," Brady said, "but I'd say a lot of teams deal with it, too.
"As much as you hate to lose guys, there's nothing you can do about it and the season doesn't end. You have to keep fighting on, just as they would want us to, just like they did when I went out, just like they did when guys like Rodney (Harrison) went out. We've lost some pretty key, critical guys over the years. Ty Law got hurt at one point."
Brady had a season-ending knee injury in the 2008 opener and the Patriots went 11-5 with Matt Cassel at quarterback but missed the playoffs.
Harrison missed the last 13 regular-season games in 2005 and both playoff games with a knee injury.
Law played only the first seven games in 2004 before injuring his foot. The Patriots went on to win their third Super Bowl in four years.
"There are a lot of guys who have been injured," Brady said. "You just have to try to fill the spot and other guys have to pick up the slack."
One of them is outside linebacker Dont'a Hightower, who is expected to call defensive signals in place of Mayo.
"I'm looking forward to it," said Hightower, who has started since being drafted in the first round last year. "If something ever happened, I knew that I would have to step up and do it. I mean I'm not nervous about it. It's something that I've done before, maybe not in the NFL, but I've done it before."
Now he expects to do it again.
Mayo is done for the year.
"He does a lot for us on the field, off the field," coach Bill Belichick said, "but we're just going to have to move on."
NOTES: The Patriots re-signed defensive tackle Andre Neblett and signed cornerback Travis Howard to the practice squad. ... The 245-pound Fletcher played nose tackle briefly last Sunday. "It's something new, huh?" he said. "But it's fun. Any way I can get in, I'll take it."


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I just noticed that in the arcpy module (Esri) there's a sys sub-module. Does anyone know what the difference is in using one or the other? I've been looking around and can't find anyone who uses arcpy.sys, so why would it be there?
edit: I wasn't clear, but arcpy.sys seems to be exactly the same as the python built-in sys module.


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JVC to Release 6X DVD-RW Media
The DVD-RW media for data is based on the "DVD-RW Version 1.2 Option specifications, 6 X-speed DVD-RW Revision 3.0 (DVD-RW Ver.1.2/6X)" standard. The VD-W47H media is the first DVD-RW media for 6X recording. It achieves 6X recording by utilising the newly developed high-speed crystallization record film, "HS-JPC6X." Stable Jitter characteristics are achieved through the optimal setup of an initial crystallization level.
Reliability and stability are improved through the newly developed disk process "Advanced JIPS6X." Moreover, original U character type slot fabrication technology is also referred to as having been refined for 6X compatibility, having become more stable.


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Nearly six in 10 companies say that voluntary benefits are a significant part of their benefits strategy, new research shows.
MetLife discloses this finding in a summary of results from its "Study of Employee Benefits Trends." The 11th annual report describes successful tactics and strategies to increase the value of company benefits programs.
The study reveals that 58 percent of employers say that voluntary benefits are a "significant benefits strategy." The sentiment is most pronounced among businesses with more than 500 employers: Nearly three-quarters (72 percent) of these firms view voluntary benefits as important.
Among companies with 500 or fewer employees, the proportion falls to 50 percent.
More than half of the employees surveyed say that employer-paid life, dental and disability benefits influenced their decision to join their employer (51 percent) and stay with their employer (54 percent). In respect to medical benefits, the proportions are 57 and 47 percent, respectively.
The share of survey respondents who say that employee-paid voluntary benefits were key to their decision to join and stay with their companies, though generally lower by comparison, are still significant.
The survey finds that between four and five out of ten employees view voluntary life, dental and disability benefits as key to their decision to join their employer (45 percent) and stay with their employer (47 percent). In respect to voluntary supplemental health benefits, the shares are 38 percent and 42 percent, respectively.
"The weak economy has sharpened employee interest in benefits — especially for benefits that meet personal and diverse needs," the report states. "Seventy-seven percent of employees value benefits geared to their individual circumstances and voluntary products can satisfy this desire for more choice and customization in their benefits program."
The survey adds that more than six in ten (62 percent) of surveyed employees say they want employers to diversify their voluntary benefit offerings. The desire is most pronounced among young workers: 70 percent of Gen Y employees (born 1981-1994) and 67 percent of Gen X employees (1965-1980).
These shares compare to 60 percent and 44 percent, respectively, of young boomers (1956-1964) and older boomers (1946-1955).


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Once upon a time there lived a peasant named Ivan and his wife, Marya. Ivan and Marya had been married for a long time and were growing old. Their greatest delight came from spending time with the children of their village. Though they loved the neighborhood children, they still spoke of their own longing for a child.
Once upon a time there lived a peasant named Ivan and his wife, Marya. Ivan and Marya had been married for a long time and were growing old. Their greatest delight came from spending time with the children of their village. Though they loved the neighborhood children, they still spoke of their own longing for a child.
"How I wish we had a child of our own," Marya would say to her husband, and he would touch her hand and nod. Sometimes they would sit for hours, their hearts filled with sadness, for they knew the time had passed and they would never have a child.
One cold wintry day, Ivan and Marya sat inside their cottage watching the neighborhood children playing in the falling snow outside.
"Let's go out and join the children," Ivan said. "We'll build our own snowman." Filled with the spirit of the season, they ran outside and began to make a snowman.
After she had rolled a great ball of snow, Marya suddenly said, "Ivan, let's make a snow maiden. Then we'll have our own special child." Ivan at once agreed, and they set to work making a snow child.
On they worked as the snow fell and the world around them seemed to be only a swirl of bright whiteness. "It's so beautiful," Marya sang as she worked, rolling the tiny balls of snow for their snow maiden's curls. Ivan smiled as he watched their snow child grow larger and more beautiful.
"The world is indeed beautiful," Ivan said, "and our child is beautiful too." Soon the snow stopped falling. Just as Ivan added the last touch, carving out the fingers of his snow child's hand, the snow maiden moved. Ivan drew back in fright as he felt the warmth of the snow maiden's hand on his own. Marya gasped when she saw the snow maiden's eyes sparkle, and turn from small, dark holes into dazzling blue eyes. And then, as they stared, the snow child's lips turned rose-colored and broke into a lovely smile.
"What can this be?" Ivan cried. "What is happening? Is this my imagination?" In answer, the snow maiden bent her head, and all the snow fell from her hair, which turned to golden curls, haloing her beautiful face. She took a step toward Ivan and Marya, her arms outstretched.
"Ivan!" Marya cried. "Heaven has heard our prayer and sent us our own dear child." She embraced the girl, and Ivan picked her up, covering her with Marya's brightly colored shawl. Together Ivan and Marya carried their child into their house.
Before long, word spread throughout the village about the miraculous snow maiden. All the children came to meet her. In return she offered them her gentle, good-natured friendship. Soon she learned how to speak, and when she did, her voice was as lovely as the song of the larks in springtime.
Snowmaiden, for that was the name she was given, was gentle and kind. She seemed to love everyone, and everyone loved her. And most of all Snowmaiden loved her parents, Ivan and Marya.
All through that long winter, Ivan and Marya were filled with more spirit and joy than they had ever imagined possible. The children of the village thanked them for bringing them such a wonderful playmate and friend.
At long last winter came to an end. The sun began to shine more brightly. The days grew longer. The earth, warmed by the touch of the sun, began to grow warm. The ice in the lakes and streams cracked, and the water began to gurgle springtime songs. Here and there, in places where the snow had melted, the green grass peeked through.
Everyone in the village shed their winter clothes with the first signs of spring. Everyone grew happier. Everyone, that is, except Snowmaiden. She sat by the window, and her once-happy face turned sadder as the days passed.
"What is wrong, dear child?" Marya asked Snowmaiden. "Are you well?" "I'm fine, Mother," Snowmaiden said, though her voice was filled with sadness.
The snow had almost melted. Tulips and daffodils poked their heads above the ground. The birds returned and sang day and night. But Snowmaiden grew sadder still.
Sometimes she would run into the darkest corners of the forest, hiding beneath the cover of thick pines from the sun's touch. At night she grew happier, and some days, when a late winter storm raged, bringing with it the last breath of winter, Snowmaiden's spirits soared.
At last spring broke through completely. "Come with us," Snowmaiden's friends called to her. "We are going to the fields to play." Snowmaiden shook her head, hiding inside the cottage. "No, I cannot play in the fields today," she said to her friends. But Marya at last convinced her sad little daughter to run outside to play. "It will cheer you, daughter," she said.
Snowmaiden loved her mother and wished to make her happy, so she agreed at last to join her friends.
Off the children ran, into the fields to pick the first wildflowers. They danced together, and played music and sang, and told each other fanciful stories. But all day long Snowmaiden sat quietly, brushing back the tears that fell from her eyes.
As the day was coming to an end, the children gathered to make the journey home. When they called to Snowmaiden, she did not answer. They ran about the fields, searching for their friend. She was nowhere to be found.
"She must have gone home without us," one of the girls said. The children raced as fast as they could to Marya and Ivan's house.
"Is Snowmaiden home?" the children asked.
Marya shook her head. Her heart grew heavy with dread. "She was with you," Ivan said.
The entire village gathered to look for Snowmaiden. They searched through the forest. They searched in the market square. They searched every stable and barn.
Alas, Snowmaiden was gone.
Ivan and Marya wept with grief. As the months passed, they spoke of little else but their beloved Snowmaiden.
One day, Marya took her husband's hands in her own and said, "Darling Ivan, we must remember Snowmaiden came to bring us joy. We are the luckiest people in the world, for we were given a gift. We must always remember to cherish that." When they walked outside and heard the nightingale's song, Marya turned to Ivan, and they both smiled. "Do you hear her?" Marya whispered. Ivan nodded.
They could hear Snowmaiden's voice in the rush of the springtime wind, in the songs of the birds, in the rustling of the leaves. At last they knew that Snowmaiden would always be with them in spirit, and they prayed that with each winter she would come to live with them again.
"Tell Me a Story 3: Women of Wonder," the third CD in the audiobook series, is now available. Visit mythsandtales.com.


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DescriptionArmed with some good old-fashioned pesticide, you are prepared for the coming onslaught. They have come for your daisies. Shoot all the pests before they reach your precious flowers!
- Aim with your mouse and click to shoot. If you hold down your mouse button, the shot will have a larger splash effect.
- Aim ahead of the insects, as your shots are pretty slow.
- Grab all the powerups with a + by shooting them, and avoid the ones with a red minus sign on them!


text: The Demons and the Lions were able to get the first two innings of their softball game in before the storm came. In the top of the first with two outs Sammy Ellingson reached on an error, Caitlin Fishback drew a walk and Lauren Vittetoe came up with a double to score a couple of runs as the Demons led 2-0 after one. In the second, Maddie Bohr got a two out triple and she would score on a Lucy Libe come backer to make in 3-0 Demons. The Demons retired the first six batters they faced. In the top of the third a large storm cloud arrived that brought lightning and later hail prompting the umps to call it.


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|Computer Laboratory
Lecture course material 2001-02
|Computer Laboratory > Lecture course material 2001-02
Each of the courses taught by the Computer Laboratory has its own set of web pages. Each of the six classes has its own index page. Select your class from the list below.
Last year's material, 1999-2000's material, 1998-99's material and the previous years' material are also still available and there is a variety of material available on Thor.
Lecturers may find useful information here:


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Books and booklets come in many different shapes and sizes, yet they all share the same specifications of being a multipage bound production.
A popular booklet type is the 16 page A5 and 4 page cover. The finished size of this publication is 210×148.5mm (A5). This format is just perfectly suited to fit in a C5 envelope for mailing. This type of publication can be produced with different paper stocks and weights for body and cover and will require saddle stitiching binding. Matt or gloss varnish and laminates can be applied on the cover.
Please check with our customer service team for options.
At Print Bureau we can also customise your newsletters with names or graphics using the latest data merge technologies. In addition, we offer professional mailing services (fulfilment) where we can address, pack and post to a list of customers or recipients of your choosing or alternatively, door to door delivery in Dublin and Ireland nationwide.


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Support forums for and during the most difficult times of pregnancy and neonatal loss as well as loss of fertility.
Click here to donate either a smaller or larger amount. Please email us with your memorial wording. See this page for more details on adding a loved one to the gardens. View the Memorial Gardens.
Click on the title "Memorial Gardens to visit or place a memorial for your loved one. View the gardens and remember those who have lost their babies and family members.
A place of support and healing when grief is hard to shoulder alone.


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We are pleased to announce that Hugh Robinson has joined Enterprise Systems & Programming as a CourseWork Software Developer. His primary focus will be supporting and enhancing CourseWork, Stanford University's primary Learning Management System.
Hugh came from Tufts University, where he worked since 2009 as the senior web application developer. Before that he worked at Pearson Education and Co-nect, as well as a number of companies in the financial industry.
Hugh is on the second floor of Meyer Library, Room 260. Please stop by and say hi to him.
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The Edward C. Smith Civic Center was full of excitement Sunday evening as dancers took to the stage for a good cause.
The Edward C. Smith Civic Center was full of excitement Sunday evening as dancers took to the stage for a good cause.
About 900 people attended the second Dancing with the Potential Stars to see the dancers raise money for Project Potential. The nonprofit organization at Lexington Senior High School provides students with scholarships and participation in educational enrichment activities such as SAT tutoring, community service, academic/college counseling and college visits.
"Last year, (the event) exceeded my expectations, and this year it has done it again," said Cathy Coles, executive director of Project Potential. "It's just such a great opportunity to see such a cross-section of Lexington come together and be supportive of one another."
Dancing with the Potential Stars is Project Potential's only fundraising event. It raised over $30,000 at the first event in 2012, and organizers anticipated it would exceed or meet that amount this year.
This year's contestants were well-received by the audience. The paired dance couples were: Jerel Smith and Deja Spooney; Matt Huntanar and Kim Sepich; the Rev. Herbert and Veronica Miller; Darrell McNeill and Tina Royal; Dan and Laurie Briggs; Jim and JoAnn Poston Hill; Juan and Haggith Montoya; Dr. Sims Riggan and Teen Timberlake; the Rev. Lee Zehmer and the Rev. Kelley Groce; and Ryan Harman and Chevon Burton.
Timberlake was instrumental with her husband, Tim Timberlake, and former Lexington City Schools superintendent Jim Simeon in creating Project Potential in the 1990s. She and her partner, who were assisted in their dancing routine by Timberlake's son, Daniel Timberlake, received an award for receiving the most votes than any other couple on Project Potential's website. The fundraiser on the website ended at midnight Saturday and raised about $15,000 for the nonprofit. Residents could vote for their favorite dance couple since November.
Groce and Zehmer won the "People's Choice Award," which those who attended the event voted on during two intermissions. Groce's daughter, Meredith, 14, and Zehmer's daughters, Madison, 15, Kinsley, 15, and Mollie, 11, participated in the skit. Groce is the senior minister of First United Methodist Church of Lexington, and Zehmer is the pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Lexington.
The Groces and Zehmers danced to Elvis Presley's "Jailhouse Rock" and South Korea musician PSY's "Gangnam Style." Groce said she loves to dance, and several of her members are on the Project Potential board who asked her to participate in the event.
"It was awesome," she said of her part in the event. "You are just out there to have fun, raise money for the kids. It was good. We had a good time."
Zehmer joked Groce twisted his arm to dance with her.
"It was fun," Zehmer said. "All three of my girls have done youth theater plays and dancing, so the civic center is very familiar."
Teen Timberlake said Project Potential is one of the greatest things to happen in Lexington.
"I am very proud to be a part of it and enjoyed it," she said.
Riggan said it was an honor for him and Timberlake to receive the award. He is a doctor at Lexington Orthopedic Clinic.
"She and her husband, Tim, were the ones to get this project off the ground in 1996, so it was really cool to be able to participate with her," Riggan said.
Dan Briggs, the treasurer for Davidson Funeral Home and vice president of Piedmont Funeral Home, and his wife, Laurie, along with their four children, Sidney, 9, Lyndon, 7, Hadley, 4, and Jack, 2, performed a dance routine of the "Mahna Mahna" from The Muppets.
"It's such a good organization," Dan Briggs said of Project Potential.
McNeill and Royal performed a dance routine with Naquel Wood, 5, a kindergartner from South Lexington Elementary. The three danced to a hip-hop mix that caused lots of applause and cheers when Naquel took the stage and wowed the crowd with his moves.
McNeill and Royal spent hours on their routine as they rehearsed it. McNeill is the board chairman of the United Way of Davidson County, and Royal is an adult probation/parole officer in Davidson County.
"It was a blast, more fun than I ever thought it would be," McNeill said.
Rick Kriesky, superintendent of Lexington City Schools, attended the event.
"This is an amazing fundraiser that Project Potential puts on, and Project Potential does such a great job supporting our students, and to be able to connect with a community event really shines a spotlight on our students and the job that Project Potential does," Kriesky said. "We are just very proud to have Project Potential in our schools. The ladies who run this organization and the board of Project Potential do a wonderful job helping our students get into schools and furthering their education."
Project Potential was first created to provide partial scholarships to Lexington City Schools students, identified in the eighth grade, who are first-generation college candidates. More than 500 students have received scholarships to attend more than 70 different colleges and universities as part of Project Potential since 1996.
Darrick Ignasiak can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 217, or email@example.com.


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PXM International Vans Pro
ASP 3 Star WQS Men's Event
Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca Mexico
12 - 16 November 2008
Big Scores on Day 2 of PXM International Vans Pro at Puerto Escondido
Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 13 November, 2008 : - - Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca -- The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 3-Star PXM International Vans Pro continued today in pumping six foot (2 metre) surf at Puerto Escondido in Oaxaca, Mexico. Todays action saw local standout David Rutherford (Puerto Escondido, MEX), 25, earn the events first perfect 10, while Dean Brady (Noosa, AUS), 22, and Ryan Turner (Huntington Beach, CA), 29, were standouts as well.
The ASP WQS allows all competitors a chance to qualify for the coveted ASP World Tour, with the top 15 surfers at years end earning their chance to compete amongst the worlds finest competitive surfers at some of the worlds best waves.
Todays action saw local charger David Rutherford (Puerto Escondido, MEX), 25, earn the events first perfect 10-point ride in a gaping Mexican Pipeline barrel. The Puerto Escondido native claims that it was one of the best waves hes ever caught at his home break.
Ive been recovering from an injury, and I wanted to be as prepared as possible, Rutherford said. That was one of the best waves Ive ever had at my home break. It definitely ranks within the top five. Rutherford, who won an ASP WQS 1-Star event at Puerto Escondido three years ago, used his knowledge of the shifty beachbreak to pick off a wave that would offer the perfect score, proving that he is the local favorite in the event.
You can never be sure, but I can usually spot the good ones, Rutherford said. I try to line up the steepest part, where its going to pitch, and then take off behind that section. Once I was in, I said to myself, if youre going to make this heat youve got to pump it!
Brady, who is a former ASP Pro Junior competitor, happened to be in Mexico when he heard about the event and decided to enter last minute. The young Australian dropped a near perfect 9.57 out of 10 on a firing right-hand barrel to win his Round 2 heat today.
I saw it stack up outside, but it was in the rip and a little crumbly at the top so I didnt know if it was clean enough to barrel, Brady said. I thought it might clamp down at the end, but it let me in and just opened up. It was good fun for sure! Brady spends most of his time free surfing, but made it obvious that he was a strong competitor as well with todays performance.
Im just here as a free surfer, Brady said. I come here for a month every year. Ive been here for almost four weeks and was actually due to go home, but I heard about the contest and extended my stay to enter.
Ryan Turner, a Huntington Beach local, also issued an explosive performance on the thumping waves on offer in todays competition. The Californian netted the days highest heat total of 18.20 out of 20 to claim a victory in Round 2 in what he expressed was one of the best heats of his life.
It was a gem, one of my best waves ever, Turner said. I got one perfect ten in an event years ago, but this was one of the most fun heats Ive ever been in.
To find out all of your PXM International Vans Pro information log back in to aspworldtour.com or aspnorthamerica.org for a daily news update.
PXM International Vans Pro Round of 96 Results: (1st and 2nd advance)
Heat 5: Jose Ramirez (MEX) 1st, Zitlaey Calleta (MEX) 2nd, Masaijah Lani (MEX) ns, Raul Medina (MEX) ns
Heat 6: Oscar Moncada (MEX) 1st, Eric Ramirez (MEX) 2nd, Bertin Juarez (MEX) 3rd, Morgan Faulkner (HAW) 4th
Heat 7: Dean Brady (AUS) 1st, Matt Johnson (USA) 2nd, Jayson Franco (USA) 3rd, David Chiquete (MEX) 4th
Heat 8: Warren Metcalfe (USA) 1st, Martin Passeri (ARG) 2nd, Roger Ramierez (MEX) 3rd, Brian Ramierez (MEX) 4th
Heat 9: Ryan Turner (USA) 1st, Ryah Arthur (USA) 2nd, Jeremy DeLoach (USA) 3rd, Kai Ellison (USA) ns
Heat 10: Nick Suhadolnik (USA) 1st, Andrew Gahan (USA) 2nd, Golden Depesa (HAW) 3rd, Venancio Velasco (MEX) 4th
Heat 11: Eric McHenry (USA) 1st, Keetin Devin (USA) 2nd, Alex DeLaTorre (MEX) 3rd, Carlos Nogales (MEX) 4th
Heat 12: Andrew Doheny (USA) 1st, Sean Pearson (USA) 2nd, Jimmy Herrick (USA) 3rd, Checo Ramirez (MEX) 4th
Heat 13: Fisher Heverly (USA) 1st, Javier Swayne (PER) 2nd, Jose Trujillo (MEX) 3rd, Oscar Davo (MEX) 4th
Heat 14: David Rutherford (MEX) 1st, Tyler Smith (USA) 2nd, Martin Flores (MEX) 3rd, Mike Klatt (USA) 4th
Heat 15: Andre DeMarco (ARG) 1st, Diego Medina (CHL) 2nd, Justin Swartz (USA) 3rd, Nate Zoller (USA) ns
Heat 16: Fredrick Ortega (USA) 1st, Juan Berrera (ITA) 2nd, Robert Kelly (USA) ns, Eddie Guilbeau (USA) ns
PXM International Vans Pro Round of 64 Results: (1st and 2nd advance)
Heat 1: Angelo Lozano (MEX) 1st, Matt King (USA) 2nd, Christian Carzo (MEX) 3rd, Josh Loya (USA) 4th
Heat 2: Matt Mohagen (USA) 1st, Abel Estopin (MEX) 2nd, Adam DEsposito (HAW) 3rd, Heath Joske (AUS) 4th
Previous reports:
# 1 : PXM International Vans Pro revs up at Puerto Escondido
# 2 : Round 1 of PXM Int Vans Pro Puerto Escondido kicks off
# 3 : Coming soon
# 4 : Coming soon
www.aspworldtour.com What's your take on this? New Survey: Map Surfings future
Post your thoughts: SV Forum
More USA/Cen Amer. surfing news available here
Check the latest West Coast Surf Reports and Forecasts
New! B2B News ASBE-Surf | Receive News-Alerts
What's your take on this?
New Survey: Map Surfings future
ASP World Tour
Dave Prodan
ASP North America
Bobby Shadley
WQS Contests - Surfersvillage


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- 2020-01-03
Sanya in the New Year's day New Year 'tourism' in the city
- 2020-01-03
2019 tourism 'fast forward' and 'slow down'
- 2019-12-31
The change of the tourism industry in the next decade
- 2019-12-30
This year 'night economy', released new potential 'night' state
- 2019-12-29
By studying the case of web celebrity out to sea, also can make tourism industry explosion 'sea'
- 2019-12-29
Tourism consumer convenience degree index, becoming the key factor of ascension convenience degree online
- 2019-12-26
Traditional culture tour scenic spot how to take that new technology?
- 2019-12-25
The people of the 'chicken ribs' dormitory administrator, should be how to get in 2020?
- 2019-12-24
Thailand 11 historic park free of charge on December 28
- 2019-12-24
Ali cloud into the tour industry, almost out of the ecological 'buckets'


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Time to play with the Red Hot Stampers again!!
My friend, Rachel, is the one who chooses the sketches for us to do
and I was finding this one challenging because I didn't like the dead
space at the top of the card.
This is the sketch we had to work with...
So I went to work digging through my "lucky leftovers" of Designer Paper
to see if something caught my eye.
I can't say it is my favorite but I was too lazy to start over.
All in all, I think it turned out pretty nice.
SS: Apothecary Art, God's Blessings (retired), EnFrancais back ground
CS: Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, Pink Pirouette, Beau Chateau DSP
INK: Soft Suede, Versa Mark
Accessories: White EP, 1 1/2" and 1 3/4" Circle Punches, Dimensionals
Click HERE to see what the other gals did with this sketch challenge
Thanks For Stopping By!
Have A Blessed Day!!
ChristiPin It Now!


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Orbital Welding Delivers Treatment Plant on Time
Orbital Welding Delivers Treatment Plant on Time
Switching to automated orbital welding helped a major water treatment project stay on schedule in spite of a 30% increase in scope.
Switching from shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) to orbital welding was a key factor in meeting original project delivery deadlines after a 30% increase in the scope of a water treatment facility.
The $100 million Scottsdale, Ariz., Water Campus project is considered the largest ever in the United States, and it represents a departure from traditional treatment methods in the western United States. This project will pump a large portion of the treated water into the ground to recharge an aquifer rather than use it for irrigation.
New Approach to Welding
Fig. 1 - The contractor conducted a series of tests before orbital welding was approved for the project.
While orbital welding is frequently used in the semiconductor and pharmaceutical industries, this represented one of its first uses in construction of a water treatment plant. This automated method increased productivity from 3 to 4 welds per day to 13 to 16 on the 6- to 8-in. pipe used for air distribution to the microfiltration system.
Meeting Water Needs
Designed by Black & Veatch, the Water Campus is the largest U.S. facility for treatment of raw sewage to potable-quality water. In the summer months, this plant is projected to treat 12 million gallons per day of wastewater conventionally for golf course irrigation. In the winter, when irrigation requirements are lower, 10 million gallons per day of the water treated by the plant will receive advanced treatment, microfiltration and reverse osmosis to exceed potable standards. This purified water will be reinjected into local groundwater aquifers. Once completed, the Water Campus is designed to help ensure the city of Scottsdale's supply of drinking water for the next 100 years and to comply with Arizona's 1980 Groundwater Management Act, which prohibits communities from extracting more groundwater than is naturally or artificially recharged.
Process Flow at Treatment Plant
At the purifying facility, wastewater undergoes primary, secondary and tertiary treatments and advanced water treatments. The primary and secondary treatments are sedimentation basins that remove larger particles from the waste stream. The tertiary stage is a sand filter that removes finer particles. Chlorination is also performed at several stages of the treatment process. The final stage is reverse osmosis through a semipermeable membrane that raises the water to drinking quality standards. A portion of the water will then be used to recharge the aquifer in the Carefree/Cave Creek Basin. Without this recharge, concerns have been raised that with the present rate of usage this aquifer could run dry by the year 2007.
The piping contractor on the project was University Mechanical, a mechanical contractor that specializes in the installation of sophisticated process piping. High-purity piping is used in the facility for gases in the laboratory and the air distribution system that performs backwashing operations on the microfiltration system.
Laboratory Gas System
The laboratory gas distribution system involves a network of piping with many complicated twists and turns, providing a high potential for leaks. Since most of the lines are concealed in ceilings, it would be very difficult to identify and repair leaks in the fittings. It was suggested to the owner that orbital welding be used to create a completely seamless system. He purchased a Model 9-750 orbital welding head from Arc Machines, Inc., Pacoima, Calif., and used it mostly in controlled off-site conditions. When welding was completed, testing showed there were no leaks in the laboratory gas network.
The air distribution system represented one of the most challenging parts of the entire project. It consists of 6- to 8-in. headers used to reverse the flow through the system in order to remove particles from the microfiltration filters. Using traditional shielded metal arc welding would have been a very labor-intensive task and one that would have been challenging from a quality standpoint. While the company had a team of experienced welders, their productivity was limited by the tools they used. As this phase of the project neared, it was realized the scope increases would make it impossible to meet the project deadline using the methods that had originally been envisioned. The owner began investigating alternative technologies in an effort to keep the project on track.
Increasing Productivity
Fig. 2 - AMI Model 79 obital weld head that uses an adjustable clamp on the pipe.
"We have used orbital welding for a number of years on projects for semiconductor and pharmaceutical manufacturers in order to make identical highquality welds in small bore piping such as that used in the lab gas system," said Tom Gusich, project manager for University Mechanical. "But we had never tried it on anything with this large a bore in the past." A series of tests (Fig. 1) revealed each head and machine outperformed the company's best welders by a factor of 3 or 4. "The tradespeople learned the new technology very quickly and did a great job. Each welder was able to produce an average of 15 welds per day on the large bore welds in the air distribution system. Three weeks were saved on the overall schedule, and the quality of the welds on the larger bore pipes was as good as previously seen in smaller bores. As with the lab gas system, there wasn't a single leak in the air distribution system," said Gusich.
Orbital Welding Basics
Orbital welding is an automated version of the gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) process. In manual GTAW, the welder moves the welding torch and controls the welding current. In orbital GTAW, the tungsten is installed in a weld head that clamps on the tube or pipe - Fig. 2. The tube remains in place while the weld head rotor revolves around the weld joint circumference to complete the weld. Welding is done in an inert atmosphere to protect the metal from oxidation as it is heated to melting temperature.
The welding power supply controls weld parameters such as welding current, primary and background amperes, travel speed, wire feed speed, weld bead overlap, delay of rotation at the start of the weld and current downslope at the end of the weld. The enclosed weld heads used for small-diameter tubing welds provide a chamber filled with inert gas that encloses the entire joint during the weld. A timed prepurge and postpurge are usually used to time the flow of inert gas into the weld head before arc initiation and to continue the purge for a timed period after the arc has been extinguished. This allows the weld tool to cool sufficiently to prevent oxidation before the weld head is opened to remove the welded tube.
Welding Process Steps
Model 15 uses a track and Model 79 uses an adjustable type of clamp on the pipe during welding. The welder starts the operation by aligning the tungsten to the bevel in the joint, then adjusts the wire feed and centers the oscillation with the actual weld. Tabs on the welding machine hold the cable out of the way as the welding head wraps around the bore to complete the pass in about four minutes on a 7-in.-diameter pipe. The welder then removes the head. The only cleanup that is required is brushing the weld to remove any excess discoloration. The orbital welding systems used in this project provided a display for the operator to view the welding operation along with a screen that shows welding current and other programmed functions.
Will Use It Again
Orbital welding was so successful on this project that the contractor plans to use the technology in water supply and wastewater treatment projects on a regular basis. With the addition of new processes and new chemical additives, piping installation in wastewater plants is continually getting more challenging. "We intend to respond by increasing the use of orbital welding to provide the same productivity gains that we have already achieved in the semiconductor and pharmaceutical industries," said Gusich.
Reprinted from the Welding Journal, March, 2001
By Jerry Fireman, Structured Information, Arc Machines, Inc.
- Butt Welding with Filler Material
- 7 Eleven (Spanish)
- A Guide to Codes and Standards
- Angra II Nuclear Power Plant, Brazil
- Boiler Repair
- Boiler Tube Replacement
- Brewing Up Copper
- Chemical Tanker Piping System
- Christmas Tree Assemblies
- Contractor Saves $375,000
- Corrosion Resistant Materials
- Critical Hydrogen Piping Project
- Critical Metallurgical Problems
- Duplex Stainless Steel Tubing
- Effects of Sulfur
- Firewater System
- Limited Clearance
- Lockheed Martin
- Long-Length Tubing
- Methanex Plant
- Old Refinery
- Orbital Welding Delivers Treatment Plant on Time
- Practical Applications
- Pulp Mill Saves $750,000
- Replace Tubing at Generating Plant
- Small Diameter Tubing
- Speeds Riser Construction
- Stainless Steel Tubing
- Super Duplex Header
- Titanium Pipe
- Underground Pipeline
- Utility Self-Performs on Boiler Tube Replacement
- Welding Comparrison Chart
- Fixed Automation
- Narrow Groove Welding
- Socket or Fillet Welding
- Fusion Butt Welding
- Weld Overlay or Cladding
- ID Welding/Cladding
- Tube-to-Tubesheet


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Feb 23, 2020
- View Seating Chart
Online through the link above
Ticket Office
*Tickets subject to applicable fees
**Game day pricing does vary
$21.00, $24.00, $30.00, $36.00
Oshawa Generals vs. Windsor Spitfires
Your Oshawa Generals are back for the 2019-2020 season!
Fast-paced action, edge of your seat excitement! That's Oshawa Generals Hockey. It's the affordable, family-friendly way to see the best junior hockey players. Noel, MacLean, McShane, Antropov,… names that could very well join the likes of Orr, Lindros, and Tavares as Generals greats.
Be there every step of the way as this year's squad drives for an OHL title and beyond. Don't miss one minute of the action in the comforts of the state-of-the-art Tribute Communities Centre. It's great hockey, at a great venue, with great value. Oshawa Generals – sit back, relax and witness history.
Event Times
- Sunday, February 23, 2020 6:05 PM