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Last October, we were so excited to pay a visit to the set of Snow White and the Huntsman outside London. We got a sneak peek into the amazing world Kristen Stewart and her costars, including Chris Hemsworth, Sam Claflin, Charlize Theron, and more, inhabited while shooting the action-packed fairy-tale movie. We have tons to come from our day poking around the remarkable set and learning about everything from the costumes to the fight scenes. While we were there, we even got to see the aftermath of Kristen accidentally actually punching Chris Hemsworth in the face filming a scene. Check out our chat with Kristen and stay tuned for lots from the set:
Is there something you admire about Snow White?
Yes. It's strange playing a character that you actually could never truly embody. Her spirit affects people. . . I can't have Snow White's effect on people. I can't actually be completely selfless because nobody is. You can only really play a character like that in a fairy tale and play it with an awful load of integrity. She's very fully formed, but very farfetched-from-the-reality-that-we-live-in type of person. She also is strong in a very different way than you'd expect. Strength, yeah, but also gusto. I mean, she's strong. She can kick ass. It hurts very much to do so and so it's not like you're watching her go take down a kingdom. You're not watching going, "Yeah! Kill him!" Really it's more like you're watching someone having to do something that doesn't just go against your sensibilities or that you agree with. It's gutting. It's physically gutting, literally. A million reasons, but she's special.
Do you like that she's not like your prissy fairy tale?
Yeah, because that's just a very surface, though she is prissy sometimes. That's the other thing. It takes her the whole movie basically to become who I'm talking about now. I'm really sort of talking in retrospect. It's strange. It's a total identity movie. It's all about not finding yourself, but actually just being OK with who you always have been and not being ashamed of being the only one who sees the light. It's an enormous burden and she's so stunted. She was put away when she was 7 years old and your mother and your father were killed basically right in front of you. We're not doing the version of a fairy tale that wouldn't deal with all of those things, where you just sort of skim over all those things, and it's like all of these things are actually really important to the characters. She literally bleeds for her land and her people, and that's just such a cool concept for me because it's other people caring about people. It's very simple, but it's so common. Every day all the time you see people not caring about each other, and this is just about that.
She learns to be a leader or she's born a leader inside, do you think?
She's definitely a born leader. I mean, it's literally pumping through those veins, but it's been taken from her. She's been so stolen from.
To read the rest of the interview, including her thoughts on Bella vs. Snow White and what it was like to punch Chris just read more.
Is it helping you get into the character's mindset to wear those cool costumes?
Absolutely. If you look down and something doesn't feel like you would definitely be wearing it, or if you go to grab your knife and it flops around or — basically [Colleen Atwood] thinks about every detail. It's so wearable. I also have puffy sleeves. Somehow she manages to make puffy sleeves look butch. I was always expecting to personally wind up in a — basically what I'm wearing underneath it, like that little blue dress, which is just thin and wispy. I was really happy that she's got something heavy on — a bit of armor before she actually finds her own armor.
How did you feel the first time you put on the armor? Did you feel more badass?
Yeah. That's the first thing you want to [pound your chest]. Also, my armor doesn't have a huge top on it. All the guys, unfortunately, they [raise their arms] and they hit themselves in the head. I can run around in mine. Somehow the armor on the men — unless they're on horseback and they look amazing, but there's also something kind of dainty about it, too, like pointy toes. It fits a woman's body better, I feel. I don't know, the guys running around suddenly look like little toys — slightly feminine little toys.
Both Snow White and Bella had traumatizing experiences in the woods — being led out to die or have her heart broken — compare those two experiences?
Well, it's funny. I think [Snow White] genuinely lacks that innate fear of death that we all have. She's got a serious, fierce survival — not skills, but insights. But she isn't afraid of anything. What's harder is to have dreams and hopes that you lived your whole life sort of be just shattered in front of you. So I think probably it's totally impossible to compare the two. And I know that doesn't make sense, but I kind of can't compare.
Can you compare the movies in general? Are there similarities at all?
Bella and Snow White both come to find that they're leaders. I mean, that's definitely a similarity. They're different. They're very, very, very, different people. Also, I guess in a very sort of righteous way as well it's all very like — everyone's telling them "no" and both of them I guess see the light. Both of them are sort of a little more intuitive and spiritually, for whatever reason, connected and their gut is always sort of dead right.
What about working with Chris surprised you? Did you have any preconceptions of him?
Before I met him, I was like, "gosh, so charming." You know what I mean? Like he's so ridiculously, seemingly nice. Movie-star caliber nice. But he really actually just is. But then again, it's strange working — cause I mean it's not a secret. It was completely different part before. It was totally like a rethought. So when he came in it was like "Wow! This is f*cking interesting!" I mean, it was like they really elevated it. Chris is an amazing, nice guy and also [has] great instincts and he can roll with everything on set. He's really relaxed, whereas I'm always like, "oh my god!" I use my anxiety to do this and he's always sort of like — he's a good energy for me. I really like working with him.
You actually punched Chris filming a scene and gave him a black eye?
It's actually a very confidence building experience. I don't like punching anyone. So, you know, when you dream and your hand just slides right down their face, it doesn't do that in real life. It really works. God, that really made me feel horrible, though. I mean, like instantly hot tears and I was like "oops!" We were watching it. It looks — it'll be in the movie.
Favorite fairy tale as a kid?
I honestly don't — somebody asked this the other day. I wasn't here til the end of fairy tales. I really liked The Jungle Book. I was obsessed with The Jungle Book.
Chris said Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.
He is obsessed with Lord of the Rings and he was always like humming Enya as we were trudging up the mountain. I was saying basically, "You should make a remake of Lord of the Rings. Why are you doing this? . . . We're doing Snow White and the Huntsman, Chris!"


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Mary: "Are you here to see Dr. Pissy or Dr. Grumpy?"
Mr. Guy: "Sure! Which one works here?"
Mary: "They both do."
Mr. Guy: "Yeah, I'll see that one."
A Blog detailing the insanity of my medical practice and the stupidity of everyday life.
Hey! At least he's easy to please :)
Clearly, one of yours.
WV: lariete - what you use to round up the 'special' patients...
PissyGrumpy or GrumpyPissy, a two-headed monster...like a hydra. I understand his confusion.
I feel your pain, Mary! It's like having to have a conversation with a brick wall.
Hi, Dr. Grumpy--really enjoy your writing!! I wanted to see if you've seen the pictures of the men standing next to the biggest volcano as they were taken in 2009. I just learned of them through Bayourenaissanceman , i.e. his blog. I don't agree with many of his opinion but he has outstanding photography links. The volcano post this morning is from, I think, the Boston Globes' Big Picture. I gained the Astronomy picture of the day from your side bar, so thought you might enjoy the visuals. Eye popping--man in 1300 degree protection will roast if the wind shifts!!! Take care.
Did y'all flip a coin?
::nods:: How hard was it for Mary to keep him in the waiting room until the psych guys got there?
i needed that lol :)
I get phone calls like that, too. Makes me want to reach through the phone line and whack 'em sometimes...
So Mary is the secretary for both you and Dr. Pissy? Dr. Pissy doesn't have his own secretary?
Neuro triage.
If you can't remember who you are there to see or the reason for your visit you get to see the neurologist.
You don't want to bend over you get the neuro. No brainer there.... otherwise it is the Urologist. (Which I assume is Dr. Pissy's specialty based upon his moniker)
They say name recognition is very important in this business.
Little Calf Creamery. Delicious homemade ice cream and food in Thousand Oaks!

subset: commoncrawl


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Fragoria is an epic flash-based Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) set in a fantasy world. Fragoria is a beautifully designed online game with real-time combat, however because it is a browser-based game you can play it without having to download a large client beforehand. Play it on any computer with access to the Internet!
In Fragoria you will travel through a vast medieval world full of various monsters, NPCs, and other players. Here you will find a rich storyline that weaves its way through a multitude of quests, building the world around you at every turn. During your experience you will customize your character, build up your skills, trade for better equipment, and raise a pet to become to become more powerful. As you advance your character you can join a guild and even PvP against other players.
Watch a Video
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Dragon's Call, a brand new browser MMORPG has stunning graphics and a large variety of ways to play. Your character will be equipped with an variety of weapons, skills and magical abilities to help you in your journey through quests across the mysterious lands.
You will not only encounter wild animals but also PVP with real players. Your role is to defend the lands with justice. Choose your side and build alliances.
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Lords Online is an elaborate SLG game that is set in a medieval style land that is in constant conflict. It features administrative controls, alliance building and hero-nurturing systems blended with classic AD&D rules. Distinguishing itself from SLG games that have come before it, the combat in Lords Online enables players to be in command of a battle instead of placing their entire faith in the number of troops sent into battle. It also allows players to devise flexible strategies for different combat situations.
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BC Wars is the web's first gaming experience in the prehistoric world. Start out as a regular caveman who minds his own business picking berries and hunting for food. Become a legend throughout time as you battle other neanderthals, wrangle dinosaurs, and build up your cave. BC Wars is also the first browser based game to adopt a true real cash economy where users can withdraw virtual money in the game for real money with a real exchange rate that is the same both ways.
* Virtual economy backed by real world currency.
* Earn real money by just playing a game!
* Real-time Player vs. Player and dinosaur battles.
* No resets means you never lose your hard earned stats.
* You can play as little or as much as you like, it won't hurt you either way.
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Caribic Islands is a browser based game. Here, you are the sovereign of your own island.
Set up buildings, train soldiers and carry out researches to prevail in the world of Caribic Islands!
» Author: dtd. 05.01.2010
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Download-Engine © by AlexScriptEngine.de


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Organic band with solitaire claw-set gemstone, handcrafted in Sweden. A style that speaks of classical beauty, yet with the flowing, irregular shape of the band makes it so special.
- 18k gold
- Gemstone: 0.37 CT, 4,5mm
To build your customized ring:
- Choose within our 14 rings styles.
- Select your preferred metal: 18K gold, white gold or sterling silver.
- Pick the stone (see pictures below).
- Determine your size. For alternate sizes not listed, leave a note upon checkout. Additional charges may apply for beyond listed sizes.
- Write in the note at checkout the inscription you want engraved on your ring.
Your ring will be delivered within 6 weeks. We are happy to help you if you have questions, please contact us: email@example.com
If you are in Sweden you can book an appointment to visit our studio in Stockholm to try out the rings and get support from our team to create your special piece.
Book your appointment: firstname.lastname@example.com


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First Wins
A sample of racers who recently earned their first trip to victory lane.
Name: Dan HerseyTrack: Cherry (MI) SpeedwayClass: Super Street Stock
Dan Hersey started his racing career in 2000, racing in the Super StreetStock division at the 3/8-mile Cherry Speedway. In his first four yearsof racing, Dan had only moderate success and finished in the Top 15 ofthe 25-30 registered drivers in the class. The '04 season was adifferent story. Dan's persistence and determination paid off in a bigway. In that year, there were three feature wins, eight heat race wins,a B feature, and two wins in the four-car dash. While Dan does all ofthe driving, his good friend Shane Oliver is crewchief and pit crew allin one. Dan takes care of the mechanical work while Shane performs thefabricating, straightening, and chassis set-up to keep the Monte Carloout front and competitive. Dan's efforts are backed by Grand TraverseDiesel Service (where he is employed as a diesel mechanic), ShayIrrigation, Midwest Refrigeration, Union Street Station, and AdvancedCleaning Experts.
Name: Nate BostromTrack: Thunderbird (MI) Race ParkClass: Michigan Modifieds
Nate Bostrom notched his first feature win on August 7, 2004. He jumpedout front on the first lap and maintained the lead throughout the wholerace. Nate started out his racing at the age of 15 in a Bomber car. Byhis second year, Nate and his father built the Michigan Modified. The'04 season was his second year in the car. Nate is devoting his time tocollege in hopes of pursuing a career in high-performance fabricationand autobody.
Name: Garry DavisTrack: Motor Mile (VA) SpeedwayClass: Pure Stock(Note: At the time of the win, the track was known as New River Valley Speedway)
This isn't exactly a first win, but it's a first win in a while. GarryDavis started racing in the Street Stock division in the early '80s. Hisfirst race car was a Pontiac GTO that he built from scrap in hisbackyard. Over the next 10 years, he built three more Street Stocks andran at Calloway Speedway, where his best finish was a close Second. In1988, a new racetrack called Pulaski County Speedway opened, and Garrybuilt a '80 Camaro to race there. He managed many respectable Top-5finishes. The track changed names, became New River Valley Speedway, andeliminated the Street Stocks in 1990. The Street Stocks were replacedwith Pure Stocks, which suited Garry fine. He won five races that year.Shortly after that, he got out of racing because of the cost. In 2003,he decided to give it a try again. He bought a car that had won the PureStock championship two years before, secured a good sponsor, and pickedup his first win in more than 10 years.
Name: Ron JenshakTrack: Norway (MI) SpeedwayClass: Super Stock
Ron Jenshak won his first feature on June 4, 2004 in the Super Stockdivision of Norway Speedway. The first win came in the Auto Value/Bumperto Bumper Challenge, which is a big race for the division. Ron startedhis racing at the age of 40, running a Mustang in the Mini Stock class.He moved to the Super Stock class four years before his win and hasshown that he can consistently run with the best in the class. Ron haspicked up many dash wins and fast qualifying times. He has finished inthe top four in the points each season and has won trophies for MostImproved Driver, Competitive Spirit, and Sportsmanship. Ron won the '04Norway track championship at the end of the year. His whole family isinvolved in his racing with brother Mark serving as crewchief on the '85Buick Regal. His parents, his sister and her husband, and his childrenjoin in the effort.
Name: Bill GerardTrack: Sycamore (IL) SpeedwayClass: Spectator
Bill's dreams of driving came early. As a teenager, he would spend hisFriday nights in the pit area at Kankakee Speedway. Finally, in 1998, hegot his chance and it came in an exciting division. He contested theFigure 8 class and came way with a record of 9 Top-5 finishes in 30races. The next step in his career came with a move to the Spectatorclass, and the success followed. On June 11, 2004, Bill won theSpectator A main.


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What happens if you throw superheroes and supervillains into Stephen King stories? The Hulk adds a bit more literalism to The Green Mile. Harley Quinn manages to make Misery even more insane. And Deadpool? Deadpool's just having a blast.
The latest drawing challenge from Comic Book Resources' The Line It Is Drawn was to blend comic book superheroes with Stephen King stories to create pieces of spandex-filled horror. You can see all of the entries over at Comic Book Resources, but we've got a few of the particularly great ones below.
The Line it is Drawn #107 – Comic Book Characters Mashed Up with Stephen King Stories! [CBR via XombieDirge]
The Hulk in The Green Mile by Daniel Cox.
Harley Quinn and The Joker in Misery by Axel Medellin.
Deadpool in The Shining by Marco D'Alfonso.
Mouse Guard and Pet Sematary by Sean McFarland.


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Occupy the Farm Planter Box Rally 5/19/12 Photos
As soon as I arrived to the blocked entrance of the Gill Tract I noticed that some occupiers were sad, in silence, and some even in tears. What bothered the most was to see the Police on the other side of the fence mocking when I was taking their pictures. I felt reluctant to photograph them because of their actions; I yelled at them "You're not funny!" They yelled back at me something as I walked away ignoring them. I had tuned up into a different world, because I was upset that … Continued


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Accused golf pro murderer to return to Vt.
Body of Manchester golfer found in 1986
The man charged with killing a Manchester golf professional in 1986 has been ordered back to Vermont to face trial.
54-year-old David Allan Morrison is charged with first-degree aggravated murder in the death of 36-year old Sarah Hunter. Hunter went missing in September 1986 and her body, strangled and sexually assaulted, was found two months later.
Authorities announced they were going to charge Morrison in 2012 and expected him to come to Vermont within three months, but Morrison refused to sign an extradition waiver. However, a California judge granted the extradition this week.
Morrison will have 30 days to request review of the decision. Bennington County State's Attorney Erica Marthage says she might get notice Friday on how quickly Vermont can expect to take Morrison into custody.
Past coverage:
Calif. detective plays key role in Hunter case


text: Job Discussion Forums :: View topic - UK Student Loans Company Get TEFL Certified & Start Your Adventure Today! Job Discussion Forums"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!" FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Register Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in UK Student Loans Company Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Newbie Forum View previous topic :: View next topic Author Message SezJoined: 19 Mar 2003Posts: 32 Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2003 12:18 pm Post subject: UK Student Loans Company Hi, I'm looking at going to Japan early next year and am concerned as to what I should tell the Student Loans Company. I took out a loan through the Student Loans Company here in the UK (this is the company everyone in higher education gets their loan from). They say on their website that you should inform them if you go abroad so that they can deduct money from your salary whilst you are there. Otherwise, it is threatened that they will put phenominal interest and charges on top of the debt already outstanding. I wondered if anyone else in the UK can tell me what you did about your student loan - did you inform the Student Loans Company (and consequentially have to make repayments abroad), or did you just scarper the UK along with your student debt (I know this can be done - for a period at least). Any feedback would be much appreciated. Back to top dyakJoined: 25 Jun 2003Posts: 630 Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2003 10:01 pm Post subject: I'm wondering about this too; I'm about to go abroad myself, and since I won't be earning anywhere near the amount required to enforce the 'now you must pay back your loan clause' I think I'll keep them on a need to know basis. Though it depends on whether you've already started paying them off, if you have then telling them you're going abroad won't matter too much, especially as Japan is (so I've heard) lucrative enough to easily keep up the repayments. Then again, they probably have a 'hunt you down' policy and I think on the yearly deferment form you have to give your whereabouts... Cheers Back to top GlenskiJoined: 15 Jan 2003Posts: 12844Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2003 11:44 pm Post subject: dyak wrote: Quote: Japan is (so I've heard) lucrative enough to easily keep up the repayments. I can cite you figures for how much money you'll have at the end of each paycheck. To use the word "lucrative" is not doing justice to the whole scheme of things in Japan. With a bachelor's degree, you can expect to make 250,000 to 300,000 yen/month (depending on whether you get a great eikaiwa job or an average one, or if you go on the JET program). Figure on spending about 120,000 yen per month on basic necessities (this varies considerably with your location and rental agreement, of course). So, if you have an average eikaiwa job, you'll wind up with 250,000 - 120,000 = 130,000 yen each month to spend on everything else in your life: insurance medical emergencies snacks, tobacco, alcohol sightseeing travel (whatever is not covered on your employer's local reimbursement) souvenirs and gifts postage phone calls, Internet other entertainment costs (clubs, plays, concerts, official outings/parties) any reading material rental videos and movies trips back home and those student loans back home Going out drinking/clubbing twice a week will cost you 30,000 to 50,000 yen per month, for example. And, that's for a moderate drinker. Unless you are very stingy, you typically wind up with about 70,000 yen per month to use on your student loans. I have a friend who paid off his Canadian student loans in 3 years while living in Japan. He had a girlfriend here who drove him whenever they went out, but he lived very thriftily otherwise. So, it can be done, but you pay the price, so to speak. Back to top WolfJoined: 10 May 2003Posts: 1245Location: Middle Earth Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2003 2:37 am Post subject: Glenski wrote: I have a friend who paid off his Canadian student loans in 3 years while living in Japan. He had a girlfriend here who drove him whenever they went out, but he lived very thriftily otherwise. So, it can be done, but you pay the price, so to speak. I did it in two years. Mind you, I only owed about 17 000 US$ or so. I lived simply. I don't smoke or drink. No vacations, trips home, or extravagant purchases. I did move twice, sign up for national health insurance and take Japanese classes; and work a bit on the side part time. My extra costs more than ate up my paltry extra income (which varied between 263 000 - 275 000 per month) Getting out of debt was a huge priority of mine (and obsession perhaps?) insurance - National (that did get pricey) medical emergencies - none, knock on wood. One hospital trip for the flu, and a couple of trips to the dentist, but that's life. I'll add to this that I joined an (admittedly pricey) gym to keep in shape. snacks, tobacco, alcohol - few, none, none sightseeing - none til the loan was gone travel (whatever is not covered on your employer's local reimbursement) - none til the loan was gone souvenirs and gifts - none postage - email phone calls, Internet - cell phone, free at work other entertainment costs (clubs, plays, concerts, official outings/parties) - free Noh plays a couple of time a month. Free music concerts here and there (had friends in the know) Official outings were paid for my my school. any reading material - I'd spurge on books a bit, but as I began buying manga after a while (when I could read it.) Japanese textbooks were another weakness of mine rental videos and movies - maybe 2000 - 2500 a month, but I rented a lot of anime, which had a special "kids' video" price. Expect a bit more. trips back home - none and those student loans back home - managed 100 000 to 120 000 per month -after my first move five months in - with a couple of exceptions. I entertained myself by learing the language. I could have partied it up a lot more, but in retrospect I'm glad I didn't. Back to top GlenskiJoined: 15 Jan 2003Posts: 12844Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2003 3:35 am Post subject: Wolf, Thanks for that very detailed account of how you saved enough money to pay back your student loan. Much appreciated. Just one quick question, if you don't mind. Did you say that you earned 263 000 - 275 000 per month in extra income, on top of a regular salary of about the same? Just checking, because even though that's definitely the way to go, it makes a difference in how you live and how you contemplate a lifestyle before coming here. What was the extra income, anyway? Part-time job, private lessons, etc? Thanks again. Back to top WolfJoined: 10 May 2003Posts: 1245Location: Middle Earth Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2003 8:48 am Post subject: Sorry. Year 1 - Worked at NOVA. Base salry (this was 4 years ago) 263 000/month. Year 2,3 - Worked at a defunct company called Grandom (owned by a still existing publishing company called Gakuin). Year 2 salry - 273 000. Year 3 salry - 275 000. I got the odd overtime day here and there. Five or six 18 000 yen days from NOVA (thier old OT system of 2300 per lesson). I also got a couple of days from my other job, (about 12 000 per day give or take) but as we went out of business due to lack of students, you can guess that it wasn't a whole lot. What I earned in year 3 I squirrled away for my MA (saved about 70% of what I need.) This included a modest severance package from my school - which was part miracle, part union wrangling. I worked part time one day a week (at another language school) for a few months when I was at NOVA. Added 28 000/mo to my income. I had to quit this job when I left NOVA (scheduling conflict with the full time job.) Both full time jobs reimbursed commuting fees. I worked part time for GABA (the teach at your apartment thing. Full time work with them ... check the net....) Added between 20 000 and 30 000 per month to my income. I had class three mornings a week, plus the study I did on my own, so I didn't want to do much more work. So I made between 263 000 - 295 000 per month (the odd OT day might bring me to about 310 000). I lived in Nagoya, so cost of living wasn't up to Tokyo/Osaka exuberance. Finding as much part time work as I did is no sweat off anyone's back. Back to top lajzarJoined: 09 Feb 2003Posts: 647Location: Saitama-ken, Japan Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2003 10:09 am Post subject: [warning: UK specific info here] The current income threshold bfore you have to pay back the loan is GBP 1752 a month. You can of course voluntarily pay even if you are earning less than that. This is about 350,000 yen a month. As your first job in Japan, it is HIGHLY unlikely your base income will exceed this. Therefore, the best thing to do is give them full contact details, and get your employer to write the SLC a letter stating your monthly income. You should then be in the clear and not be obliged to make any payments. You can of course dissappear without a trace, which is a great idea if you have no intention of ever returning to the UK. Thanks to a mistake in which the SLC tried to take money before it was legally due, I no longer hae the direct debit thingy set up. If you don't trust them, you could cancel that before you go, although it is technically in breach of contract to do so if they haven't abused the direct debit. Back to top Mark-OJoined: 25 Jun 2003Posts: 464Location: 6000 miles from where I should be Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2003 11:44 am Post subject: The threshold varies depending on which particular year you took out your student loan. For example, I started mine in 1998 and the loan re-payment threshold for me is a lot lower than the aforementioned 1752GBP. Earlier years set a much more generous threshold (probably what the 1752GBP is referring to), but I think the government soon wised up to many students not earning that amount of money for a long time in most instances, so they lowered the threshold to start reaping their money back quicker. Buggers. Back to top dyakJoined: 25 Jun 2003Posts: 630 Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2003 6:49 pm Post subject: They did indeed... I have a few from each 'era'... so what's the answer then? Back to top minnieJoined: 22 Jun 2003Posts: 17Location: U.K Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2003 8:27 pm Post subject: Hi Sez I contacted the SLC last week to explain that I was going abroad and, although I'm not due to defer for a few month, I wanted to know what I needed to do. As I dont need to start paying it back until I'm earning 1752 pounds a month (which I definitely wont be where im going) they said it will just be defered for another yr. You have to sent 3 months wage slips or a letter from the school (or wherever) to say how much you earn and they work out how much that is in pounds and if its less then the amount you need to be earning then you dont have to start paying it off. If you've already started paying it off then you're best phoning them and asking because it might be different. Infact you might as well just phone and explain your situation to them yourself because they said it would be a good idea for me to get someone else to sort things out for me in UK while I'm away (and you need to put it in writing to them) sorry if this wasn't much help! Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Newbie Forum All times are GMT Page 1 of 1 Jump to: Select a forum Where to Begin----------------General DiscussionNewbie ForumCurrent Events ForumTechnology ForumOnline Teaching Forum Africa Forums----------------General Africa Forum Asia Forums----------------CambodiaChina (Job-related Posts Only)China (Off-Topic)Hong KongIndiaIndonesiaJapanMalaysiaPhilippinesSingaporeTaiwanThailandGeneral Asia ForumVietnam Caribbean Forums----------------General Caribbean Forum Europe Forums----------------Czech RepublicFranceGermanyGreeceItalyMacedonia and the BalkansPolandRomaniaRussia & C.I.S.SpainTurkeyUkraineUnited KingdomGeneral Europe Forum Latin America Forums----------------ArgentinaBrazilChileColombiaCosta RicaMexicoMexico (off-topic)PeruGeneral Latin America Forum The Middle East Forums----------------BahrainEgyptIsraelKuwaitOmanQatarSaudi ArabiaUnited Arab EmiratesGeneral Middle East Forum North America Forums----------------General North America Forum Oceania----------------Australia/New Zealand You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling. 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Over the last 25 years, UNIDO has established Subcontracting and Partnership Exchanges (SPXs) with the objective of helping local enterprises to successfully meet the challenges of globalization and to take advantage of the emerging opportunities that evolve from industrial subcontracting, outsourcing and supply chain opportunities.
This original network has provided an information portal for matchmaking suppliers and buyers, and has been effective in dealing with short-term buying contracts on the basis of 'requests for quotations'.
In response to the changing dynamics of international business operations, UNIDO has revised the SPX programme to augment the SPX service proposition to buyers and suppliers in the various countries and complement the matchmaking function of the programme.
The new approach involves active engagement with the procurement and local sourcing departments of large companies, identifying and mapping requirements and generating needs analysis emanating from these procurement strategies and plans.
Potential local suppliers, in turn, benefit from rigorous profiling and benchmarking assessments, both exercises based on specific UNIDO tools. Benchmarking assessment through a team of trained facilitators (to ensure uniformity and comparability) is provided to local firms as a service to help them assess their own competitive position and understand their weaknesses and gaps with respect to buyer expectations. This clear analysis can be used to develop specific upgrading and investment plans required to become competitive suppliers. The benchmarking exercise provided to a large group of local enterprises also provides a mapping of local capacities for both national development agencies and other stakeholders. Furthermore, the new generation of SPX Centres can rely on a newly established management information system which includes a comprehensive database of supplier profiles from all SPX member countries.
The value proposition of the SPX Programme to suppliers can be summed up in the following:
- SMEs receive SPX services aimed to assess their supply capacity and their upgrading prospects
- SMEs gain access to a management information system which directly links them to international buyers
On the other hand, the value proposition to buyers refers to the following:
- The SPX Office acts as a clearing house between buyers and suppliers and therefore saves buyers cost and time to maintain supplier data and in undertaking supplier audits. In addition, buyers do not need to deal with multiple institutions but can use the SPX Centre as one single point of contact for subcontracting and FDI opportunities on local and global level
- Buyers benefits from potential reductions in long-term procurement cost through collaborative supplier development partnership programmes
- Buyers can mitigate their business risk through ongoing visibility on a broad supplier base and further emphasize their role as vehicles for effective social responsibility procurement
The buyers can benefit from an SPX Centre in the following way:
- They acknowledge the major saving in the cost of maintaining supplier data and doing supplier audits
- They see the potential for a reduction in long-term procurement cost through collaborative supplier development (import substitution strategies)
- They can mitigate their business risk through ongoing visibility on a broad supplier base
- They can emphasize their role as vehicles for effective social responsibility procurement
- They do not need to deal with multiple institutions but can use the SPX Centre as one single point of contact for subcontracting and FDI opportunities on local and global level.
Depending on the institutional set up of each country, the SPX Centre is located either in a private sector association (Chamber of Commerce, Manufacturer's Association, etc.) or a public sector institution (Investment Promotion Agency, SME Development Agency, etc.).
To see UNIDO's network on Subcontracting and Partnerships Exchange throughout the world, please visit where we work


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Andrea Martin is headed to Second City's UP comedy club with her semi-autobiographical show, "Final Days! Everything Must GO!."
The former SCTV star will play UP, located in Pipers Alley at 230 W. North Ave., from May 11-13. She'll be accompanied by Seth Rudestsky, the colorful musician, Broadway fan and all-around racounteur known for his "ahmazing" hosting duties on the Broadway Channel on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio.


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I don't know why it is occuring (looking into it), but sometimes your posts are held for moderation.
When this occurs one of us approves them, and if it's me I usually also reply.
I assume your post appear for everyone after one of us approves it.
Is there any reply of mine you can point to, where your post does not appear for you?


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GM CEO Akerson Talks 20-Percent Improvement on Volt Electric Range
The next Volt should make significant improvements on the current model's 38 mile electric range.
General Motors CEO Dan Akerson's latest comments have all but confirmed rumors of improved electric range for the next-generation Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid. The 2014 Chevrolet Volt achieves an all-electric range of 38 miles according to the EPA, but, in a recent interview with Bloomberg, Akerson said GM hopes to significantly extend the electric range of the next-generation Volt by 20 percent.
Akerson mentioned numbers of up to "50 or 60 miles" in the interview in regards to electric range. He also noted GM is continuing research on battery technology for the next-generation Volt, which should arrive within the next three years.
With rumors of a new three-cylinder, turbocharged engine for the Chevrolet Volt circulating as well, the second-generation car could see improvements in overall range and efficiency as well. The 2014 Chevrolet Volt currently uses a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine as a generator for the batteries and achieves an EPA combined number of 37 mpg with the gasoline engine after the electric range has been depleted. The alleged 1.0-liter turbocharged three-cylinder, which will make its first appearance in the Opel Adam subcompact in Europe and is reportedly slated for Volt duty in the future, could improve the next Volt's fuel economy numbers as well which would make for a longer total cruising range when electric range and gasoline range are combined.
Since the Chevrolet Volt's introduction in 2011, it has seen numerous tweaks and updates, including a recent $5000 price cut for the 2014 Volt. Expect to see more of these small updates leading up to the completely redesigned Volt in 2016, when we will see if Akerson's claims come true or not.
Source: Bloomberg


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Thomas Kast
The northern lights glow over a snowy Finnish landscape in a photo taken on the night of Jan. 16-17 by Thomas Kast. Watch the time-lapse video on Vimeo.
"The Blob" from the sun has come and gone, sparking nothing more than beautiful views of the northern lights — and there could be more blobs to come.
This week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center reported that a "plasma blob" of electrically charged particles was thrown out from the sun in Earth's direction — but that the outburst, also known as a coronal mass ejection or CME, wouldn't disrupt satellite systems or electrical power grids when it swept past us on Thursday.
The blob did register on the geomagnetic scale, but well below hazardous levels, just as the center predicted. And although there were no flashy light shows reported in America's Lower 48 states, the northern lights were dancing in high-latitude regions. Thomas Kast caught his first aurora of the new year in the skies over Rokua in Finland.
Kast said the vantage point for the picture you see here is about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from his home — and the temperatures dipped down to 16 below zero Fahrenheit (-27 degrees Celsius). "I spent more than four hours at that spot," Kast said. "It takes time, but it's so rewarding."
If you like the picture above, you'll love the video version that Kast has just posted to his Vimeo gallery. To see more of Kast's photos, check out his Facebook page as well as his posting to SpaceWeather.com's aurora gallery.
Göran Strand saw this week's auroral show from the Kall area in the Swedish municipality of Åre, where the temperature was 11 below zero F (-24 degrees C). "When we arrived at the location and stepped out of the car, a moose stepped out of the forest and looked at us, and it looked a bit surprised finding us there in the middle of the night," Strand said in an email.
"It turned out to be a fantastic night with a half moon that lit up the landscape in a lovely way," Strand told SpaceWeather.com." In the background you can the mountain Åreskutan, the biggest ski resort in Sweden."
For more astrophotography from Strand, click on over to his Astrofotografen website and his Facebook page.
Goran Strand
Swedish astrophotographer Goran Strand captured this view of an aurora lighting up the night sky above a moonlit landscape. The constellation Orion, the Pleiades and the planet Jupiter also gleam in the skies above.
Stian Rekdal
The northern lights compete with the city lights of Ålesund, Norway, in a picture taken by Stian Rekdal.
Meanwhile, in Norway, Stian Rekdal lucked into a glittering photograph of natural and artificial lights.
"It was taken from the viewpoint of Fjellstua (literal translation, 'the mountain lodge'), which is approximately 400 feet above the town of Ålesund," Rekdal wrote in an email. "Aurorae are not as common here as farther north. This part of Norway is also prone to cloudy weather, further decreasing the odds of spotting them. So last night was a rare treat."
Check out more of Rekdal's aurora imagery at the 500px photo website, or the Vimeo video portal. As a bonus, you can feast your eyes on Rekdal's Vimeo video below — but be sure to watch it at full-screen and high-resolution. Then click through our slideshow of the greatest hits from the northern (and southern) lights.
LYS:Ålesund from Stian Rekdal on Vimeo.
Click through stunning images of the auroral displays created by geomagnetic storms.
The Space Weather Prediction Center says that two more coronal mass ejections are heading toward Earth — but like the earlier plasma blob, these outbursts "are not expected to be very strong." To find out where auroral displays are expected to glow, check NOAA's Ovation chart, the prediction center's website, the University of Alaska Geophysical Institute's aurora indicator or SpaceWeather.com. And if you snap a great picture of the aurora, feel free to share it via the Cosmic Log Facebook page or NBC News' FirstPerson photo upload page.
Update for 3 a.m. ET Jan. 21: Aurora photographer Chad Blakley took the stunning still imagery he captured on Jan. 19 and assembled into this must-see time-lapse video on Vimeo. "The solar blob you wrote about last week has made its way to Earth!" he wrote in an email. For more, check out Blakley's Lights Over Lapland website and Facebook page.
Powerful Auroras dancing over Abisko National Park on January 19, 2013 from Lights Over Lapland on Vimeo.
More auroral glories:
- Top spots to see the northern lights
- Video: Northern lights captured on camera
- Cosmic Log archive on auroras
Alan Boyle is NBCNews.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter and adding the Cosmic Log page to your Google+ presence. To keep up with Cosmic Log as well as NBCNews.com's other stories about science and space, sign up for the Tech & Science newsletter, delivered to your email in-box every weekday. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.


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Welcome to www.aspiengirl.com
Every Little Moment Is A Chance To Get Closer to True Source
author + reader
An enigmatic deck emerges from the Renaissance
Musings of a hard working writer.
Thought Catalog is a digital youth culture magazine dedicated to your stories and ideas.
"I dream of painting and then I paint my dream." —Vincent Van Gogh
Ruminations, ramblings, and rants about narcissism and trauma, politics, human nature, religion, pop culture, writing, and almost everything else
Divine Guidance
Finding our true selves in the people God created us to be
A Blog about the Birth of Our Civilisation and Development
A Poet's Place | Wolff Poetry Literary Magazine is Publishing Poetry Submitted by Published & Emerging Writers,
A research based blog with a personal twist exploring an amalgamation of history, culture, and literature past and present.
Exploring the Mysteries ~ Lynn Paterson
Experience. Freedom. Love.


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On Saturday, 23 April 2011, VADM Harry Harris, Commander, SIXTH Fleet, relieved the Commanding Officer and Executive Officer of USS PONCE (LPD 15). I've provided a summary of events below to make sure you have the facts behind the decisions that were made and the timeline on which the Preliminary Investigation was conducted. I fully support VADM Harris' decision – I believe he made exactly the right call.
Unfortunately, like PONCE, most of the Commanding Officers (COs) detached for cause on my watch were for personal misconduct. In every case, each Commanding Officer, whether through personal misconduct, negligence, or exceptionally poor judgment, lost the trust of their subordinates or their superiors and without that fundamental building block in place - trust - they no longer had the ability to command. Here's a summary of the ten Commanding Officer reliefs that occurred in 2010 and 2011 in U.S. Fleet Forces.
- USS THE SULLIVANS- Multiple operational incidents culminating with a buoy collision that damaged the port screw while deployed.
- USS JOHN L HALL - Collision with a pier while deployed
- USS TRUXTUN - Inappropriate relationship with a junior member of the wardroom.
- NCTS Bahrain - Inappropriate relationships with several members of the command.
- USS GUNSTON HALL - Sexual harassment, maltreatment of subordinates, assault, drunk and disorderly conduct. Command Master Chief (CMC) also relieved for failure to take appropriate action for inappropriate/unprofessional behavior.
- USS MEMPHIS - Cheating ring involving exams.
- NMCB 21 - Failure to address inappropriate/unprofessional behavior by subordinates. CMC also relieved for failure to take appropriate action for fraternization and unduly familiar relationships.
- USS ENTERPRISE - Exceptional lack of judgment while XO of ENTERPRISE.
- USS STOUT - Failure to take action to deter unprofessional behavior in overseas ports, hostile command climate. CMC also relieved for failure to correct a pervasive pattern of unprofessional behavior by the ship's crew.
- USS PONCE - Dereliction of duty, unprofessional conduct, favoritism, hostile command climate. Executive Officer (XO also relieved for being complicit by action and inaction in creating a hostile, unprofessional and unsafe environment onboard PONCE.
(1) Loyalty to the Institution. The responsibility of a CO for his/her command is absolute and COs are provided with tremendous authority to execute their responsibilities (Navy Regulations). When a CO is negligent, demonstrates personal misconduct, or routinely exhibits poor judgment that places the command at risk, the XO and CMC are faced with a hard decision - loyalty to the individual or loyalty to the institution. Although the answer is easy - loyalty to the institution - the decisions that will be required to maintain good order and discipline at the command, which includes addressing CO issues, will be hard but must be made. Problems do not fix themselves and only grow worse with time.
(2) Command Leadership Team. Commanding Officers must have the forceful backup of their XO and CMC to succeed in command. Conversely, the XO and CMC cannot cede their shared responsibility for good order and discipline to the CO. You simply cannot be a strong "Yes Man" and a good XO or CMC at the same time. Correcting the improper orders or behavior of our seniors (forceful backup) is critical to mission success and good order and discipline. Forceful backup means just that - forceful backup. The XO and CMC must have the courage to address CO issues with the CO until they are resolved. There is often no clear line of demarcation on what must be addressed - it's the ultimate gut check call based on your beliefs and your core values. I personally believe the greatest act of loyalty to a CO by any subordinate is keeping him/her from making a serious mistake. On PONCE, VADM Harris also determined that the XO failed to provide the forceful backup to the CO necessary for her to succeed. Had he done his job and provided forceful backup despite the CO's overpowering nature, there was a chance that this whole matter could have been avoided. Contrast this situation with STOUT. There, with a popular and well-liked but very hands-off CO, the CMC was the weak link and kept command issues from the CO - issues that ultimately caused his downfall. In both cases, the Command Leadership Team failed the Navy and the CO was held accountable, along with the relevant other corner of the triad.
(3) Risk Taking. Effective operations in a rapidly changing battlespace are absolutely dependent on intelligent initiative which means intelligent risk-taking. With any risk-taking, there will inevitably be mistakes. There is a big difference between mistakes in judgment that are well-intentioned, recoverable, and result from inexperience and those actions resulting from willful negligence or fatal flaws, personal or professional. I think it is clear that all of the reliefs summarized above were a result of the latter and not the former.
Command at sea is still the best job in the Navy and the highlight of any naval career. Most of our COs succeed every day in tough circumstances and successfully complete their command tours. Although CO failures are rare, they are traumatic to our Navy and to our units, which is why they garner so much attention (as they should). We must learn from these failures and move on. But the fundamental fact remains, the vast majority of our COs succeed in command.
All the best, JCHjr
Summary of USS PONCE Events:
The U.S. Fleet Forces Command Inspector General received an anonymous hotline complaint on Friday, 14 April 2011, alleging misconduct by the Commanding Officer of USS PONCE, CDR Etta Jones. PONCE was on station near the coast of Libya as part of the KEARSARGE Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) supporting Operation UNIFIED PROTECTOR. The complaint alleged administrative and operational misconduct that included creating a hostile command climate, preferential treatment, safety and navigation violations, and manipulating reports/withholding facts to preclude outside investigation.
ADM Locklear, Commander, Naval Forces Europe, and VADM Harris, Commander, SIXTH Fleet, were informed of the allegations on 15 April 2011. VADM Harris initiated a JAGMAN Preliminary Inquiry to determine the validity of the allegations, get a sense of the command climate and assess operational impacts. An investigation team embarked PONCE on 18 April 2011 and completed the Preliminary Inquiry on 22 April 2011.
Based on the findings of the Preliminary Investigation, VADM Harris held Admiral's mast on 23 April 2011 and found that CDR Jones failed to report and take proper corrective action for hazing and for poor judgment during a security drill where she endangered two Sailors with a loaded (condition 1) weapon. Upon conclusion of the Mast, VADM Harris relieved CDR Jones of her command due to loss of confidence stemming from the aforementioned Mast, unprofessional conduct, rendering her chain-of-command largely ineffective by marginalizing her senior leaders and displaying blatant favoritism to select junior officers, and for cultivating a hostile work environment permeated by verbal abuse, fear, and intimidation.
VADM Harris also relieved the Executive Officer, LCDR Kurt Boenisch, due to loss of confidence based on his failure to act as required to address the pervasive misbehavior of the Commanding Officer which perpetuated a hostile work environment, failure to thoroughly investigate allegations of misconduct and appropriately address substantiated hazing onboard PONCE, and demonstrated lack of good judgment and moral courage.
VADM Harris forwarded his endorsement of the Preliminary Investigation on 25 April 2011. The U.S. Fleet Forces Inspector General investigation into the hotline complaint remains open.


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Offer Tips
1 Type your postcode or town and select your preferred dealer
2 Click the offer and fill the form as required
3 The voucher will be emailed to you. Simply print it out or keep it on your mobile device.
4 Present it to your local Peugeot Motocycles dealer.
Speedfight 4 50/125 £200 customer saving voucher


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General Single-Trip Permits
TxDMV issues a single-trip permit for the movement of non-divisible vehicles and/or loads exceeding legal Texas size and weight limits up to 254,300 pounds. Single-trip permits may only be used for one movement, during the times specified on the permit, from a specific point of origin to a specific destination. There are special requirements for single-trip manufactured housing and portable building permits.
Vehicles and loads exceeding the following dimensions must have a Route Inspection Certification on file prior to permit issuance.
- Width – 20'
- Height – 18'11"
- Length – 125'
A Super Heavy Single-Trip Permit is available for the movement of vehicles and loads that exceed 254,300 pounds total gross weight, exceed the maximum permit weights on any axle or axle group or exceed 200,000 pounds with less than 95 feet of axle spacing.
Single-Trip Manufactured Housing Permit
Portable Building Single-Trip Permit
How to Apply
You may also:
- Download and submit Form 106, General Permit Fax Application by fax (512) 465-4248, or
- Call (800) 299-1700
Payment information must be provided with the permit application.
Applicants without access to the internet or a fax machine for permit receipt must complete Form 1700, Texas Self-Issue Application and Permit and apply by telephone.
TxPROS Information and Tutorials
Operating Authority
Prior to being issued a permit, you must comply with TxDMV Motor Carrier Registration (MCR) or Unified Carrier Registration (UCR). If not required to have TxDMV MCR or UCR, you must have a permit bond in the amount of $10,000 on file with TxDMV.
Fees & Payment
The permit fee is $60.
In addition to the permit fee, a highway maintenance fee is required for loads exceeding 80,000 pounds. Highway maintenance fees are listed in the table below:
|Gross Weight in Pounds
|Highway Maintenance Fee
|Permit Fee
|Total Fee
|80,001 - 120,000
|120,001 - 160,000
|160,001 - 200,000
|200,001 - above*
*Vehicles and loads with a combined gross vehicle weight exceeding 200,000 pounds must have at least 95 feet of total axle spacing. A vehicle supervision fee of $35 will be charged, in addition to the permit fee and highway maintenance fee, for loads exceeding 200,000 pounds.
Fees are payable by:
- MasterCard, VISA, Discover or American Express (a service charge of 25 cents per permit plus 2.25 percent will be added.)
- Funds deposited in a pre-established escrow account
- FirstPay Account established through Frost Bank San Antonio (https://www.frostbank.com/business/banking/treasury-management/firstpay)
- Automated Clearing House (ACH) – Electronic Check (only accepted when ordering online through TxPROS)
- Personal check, business check, cashier's check or money order, payable to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles
- Cash (MUST be delivered to a TxDMV Regional Service Center)
A permit fee will not be refunded after the permit number has been issued unless such refund is necessary to correct an error made by the Motor Carrier Division.
Additional Requirements
If your vehicle or vehicle combination has a combined gross weight exceeding 200,000 pounds, you must submit a certificate of weight with your permit application. The certificate may be a Form 2280, Shipper's Certificate of Weight, or a purchase order, a bill of lading, a contract to haul, or similar form provided it identifies, at a minimum the following:
- Identification and location of the transporting company and the company contracting the transport
- Description of what is being transported and its weight
Please note: If you are moving your own construction equipment, you must also complete a Shipper's Certificate of Weight and submit it with your permit application.
More Information
- General escort and equipment requirements apply to both permitted vehicles and escort vehicles.
- Hauling more than one item may not cause nor increase a dimension or weight that exceeds Texas legal size and weight limits. For example, 10' wide steel plates may be stacked provided the overall height does not exceed 14' and the weight does not exceed legal axle or gross weight limits.
- Review your permit for specific conditions that apply to your load and movement


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Even blood pressure in the lower prehypertensive range appears to confer a significant risk for stroke, a meta-analysis showed.
Compared with a blood pressure of less than 120/80 mm Hg, individuals with a prehypertensive reading of 120-139/80-89 mm Hg had a 66% greater risk of stroke during follow-up (RR 1.66, 95% CI 1.51-1.81), according to Dingli Xu, MD, of Southern Medical University in Guangzhou, China, and colleagues.
The relationship was stronger for individuals in the top half of that prehypertensive range (RR 1.95, 95% CI 1.73-2.21), but it was still significant even at in the bottom half (RR 1.44, 95% CI 1.27-1.63), the researchers reported online in Neurology.
Action Points
- Even blood pressure in the lower prehypertensive range (120-139/80-89 mm Hg) appears to confer a significant risk for stroke.
- Note that the authors recommend lifestyle interventions as the primary treatment for patients with pre-hypertension and that high-risk subpopulations with prehypertension should be selected for future trials of antihypertensive therapy.
"This is a very important article," Howard Weintraub, MD, of NYU Langone Medical Center, told MedPage Today. "It validates what had been a growing concern of the gradient of risk in hypertension."
"This should offer motivation to watch blood pressure more carefully and encourage lifestyle modification to allow patients to attain levels that are closer to 120 mm Hg, particularly in those with blood pressures that are greater than 130 mm Hg, where the risk of stroke was greatest," said Weintraub, who was not involved in the study. "However, use of medication can still be considered, especially when there are other risk factors that could amplify the possibility of stroke."
William White, MD, of the University of Connecticut School of Medicine in Farmington, cautioned against using the findings as a guide to how low blood pressure should be brought in patients with readings in the hypertensive range.
"Of course, as in any cohort/observational analysis, the fact that stroke risk increases at levels of systolic blood pressure of 120 to 139 mmHg versus less than 120 mm Hg does not mean that patients with hypertension should be treated to levels that low as there is little evidence to support doing that," said White, who is president of the American Society of Hypertension. "Hence, the general consensus that systolic blood pressures should be lowered to less than 140 mm Hg in patients with hypertension."
The concept of prehypertension has been controversial since it was introduced in 2003 by the seventh report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC 7), and the evidence regarding a relationship with stroke has been mixed.
A previous meta-analysis showed an overall association between prehypertension and a greater risk of stroke, although it appeared to be confined to blood pressure readings at the higher end of the prehypertensive range.
The new meta-analysis cast a wider net for studies, however, and the 19 total studies (with 762,393 participants) included seven that were not used in the prior meta-analysis. Most of the studies in the current analysis (13) were conducted in Asia, and the remaining six were conducted in the U.S. and Europe. The rate of prehypertension ranged from 25.2% to 54.2%.
The higher stroke risk seen across the prehypertensive range was generally consistent in various subgroups, which "[reaffirms] the importance of the definition of 'prehypertension' rather than being 'normal' for individuals with blood pressure of 120-139/80-89 mm Hg," Xu and colleagues wrote.
"Considering the high incidence of prehypertension, up to 30% to 50%, successful intervention in this large population could have a major public health impact," they wrote, noting that a prior meta-analysis showed that antihypertensive therapy decreases stroke risk in patients with prehypertension.
They added, however, that lifestyle interventions should be recommended as "the mainstay treatment" for patients with prehypertension and that high-risk subpopulations with prehypertension -- such as those with other cardiovascular risk factors -- should be selected for future trials of antihypertensive therapy.
They acknowledged some limitations of their analysis, including the lack of patient-level data, the use of a blood pressure measurement from a single day at baseline to define prehypertension in most of the studies, and the lack of an assessment of blood pressure variability.
From the American Heart Association:
- Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics â 2014 Update
- AHA/ACC/CDC Science Advisory: An Effective Approach to High Blood Pressure Control
- Primary Prevention of Stroke
Xu disclosed relationships the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, Guangdong Provincial Science and Technology projects, Guangzhou City Science and Technology projects, and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. The other study authors disclosed relevant relationships with the Health Ministry of Guangdong province, the Scientific Research Fund of Foshan, and the Cardiovascular Medicine Research Fund of Guangdong.
Primary Source
Source Reference: Huang Y, et al "Prehypertension and the risk of stroke: a meta-analysis" Neurology 2014; 82.


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This full featured reclinable seat is designed for both comfort and strength. Luxuriously wrapped in a durable automotive grade vinyl fabric, this seat also comes with an adjustable and removable head rest.
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2950.0 - Census Working Paper 94/4 - Ancestry, 1996
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 30/11/1994
|Page tools: Print Page Print All
Data analysis
Telephone follow-up
Conclusion and recommendation
Table 1 Non-response to ancestry questions in the 1986 Census and August 1993 Census Test
Table 2 Persons with Australian ancestry in the 1986 Census and August 1993 Census Test
Table 3 'Yes' responses to the August 1993 Census Test questions on ancestry
Before each Census, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) consults widely with the community and users of Census data about the topics which should be included.
In February 1993, a publication entitled 1996 Census of Population and Housing: ABS Views on Content and Procedures (2007.0) was released. It outlined ABS views on the content and procedures to be used in the 1996 Census and invited submissions about the views expressed in the publication.
In response to a number of submissions requesting the inclusion of an ethnicity topic in the Census, the ABS included the topic in a Census Test in Melbourne in August 1993. The key issue to be assessed was the extent to which the information from an additional question was compatible with, but added to the data collected in, existing questions. In particular, given the origins of this proposal, the level of compatibility with the results of the 1986 Census question was to be assessed.
This report explains why and how a Census question on ethnic origin was tested, and analyses the results obtained from the test.
The ABS assessment of the topic of ethnic origin in 1996 Census of Population and Housing: ABS Views on Content and Procedures was that the needs of most users were well met by the data available from other Census indicators of ethnicity such as birthplace, parents' birthplace, citizenship, religion and language use, and that an additional direct question on ethnic origin similar to that used in 1986 was not justified, particularly in view of the high cost of processing the question.
However, during the submission and consultation processes, it became obvious that some users wanted more comprehensive information on ethnic origin. There were representations from a range of academics, government departments and ethnic community groups supporting the inclusion of a question similar to that asked in the 1986 Census. It was also clear that the ancestry question could not replace any of the surrogate measures of ancestry which were used for service delivery, and one key issue under debate was whether the additional information from the ancestry question warranted the additional respondent load and resources needed to collect and process the question.
Two different questions on ancestry were tested in the August 1993 Census Test on two Census Test forms (referred to hereafter as Form 3 and Form 4). The forms were delivered to alternate households. Both questions attempted to collect 'additional' ancestry information to that collected in other questions but without requiring as many responses to be coded as the 1986 Census ancestry question (and therefore not being as expensive to process). At the request of the Australian Statistics Advisory Council (ASAC), the question on Form 4 (see below) was based on a 'self-identification' approach rather than the ancestry approach used in the 1986 Census.
The Form 3 question:
12 Is the person's ancestry different ( ) No
from their country of birth? ( ) Yes - please specify ancestry
∙ The person may identify with more than
one ancestry.
The Form 4 question:
11 Does the person identify with an ( ) No
ancestry different from their country ( ) Yes - please specify ancestry
of birth?
∙ The person may identify with more than
one ancestry.
The 1986 question:
15 What is each person's ancestry? Ancestry ................................
For example, Greek, English, Indian, Armenian, ................................................
Aboriginal, Chinese etc. ................................................
In order to gauge how well the ancestry questions would work, some test areas were chosen to include a relatively high proportion of overseas born persons. In addition, four Collection Districts with a high proportion of people reporting Judaism as their religion in the 1991 Census were included (since it was suggested that these persons may report 'Jewish' as an ancestry).
Analysis of the data gathered with the two questions tested and the follow-up interviews enable the following assessment of their performance to be made. Non-response poses problems for the interpretation of data obtained with both test questions.
TABLE 1: Non-response to ancestry questions in the 1986 Census and August 1993 Census Test (per cent)
August 1993
Census Test
1986 Census Form 3 Form 4
Non-response rate
All persons 6.8 7.3 12.2
Australian-born 7.0 6.3 8.7
Non-respondents by birthplace
Australian born 79.7 56.5 45.5
Overseas born 16.3 41.5 47.3
Birthplace not stated 4.0 2.1 7.2
Sub-total 100.0 100.0 100.0
Non-respondents by birthplace of parents
Both Australian-born 59.7 23.3 17.2
Both overseas-born 8.3 56.6 64.6
One born overseas 9.5 11.4 9.4
Neither stated 22.5 8.8 8.8
Sub-total 100.0 100.0 100.0
Table 1 shows that actual non-response to the question on Form 3 was 7.3 per cent which compares favourably to the non-response rate for the 1986 Census question (6.8% for Australia and 8.0% for Victoria). On the other hand, non-response to the Form 4 question was much less acceptable at 12.2 per cent. It should be noted that question response rates in tests are commonly higher than those realised in Censuses due to their voluntary nature.
Of more concern than the level of non-response is the ethnic background of those who did not respond in the test. With more than two thirds of the non-respondents to both form types having at least one overseas-born parent, it is possible that a significant number of latent 'Yes' responses have been lost. In this connection, the performance of Form 4 is worse than that of Form 3 due to a higher level of non-response (Form 3, 7.3%; Form 4, 12.2%) and a higher ratio of non-respondents with an overseas-born parent (Form 3, 68.0%; Form 4, 74.0%).
While 16.3 per cent of non-respondents to the 1986 Census question were overseas-born, 41.5 per cent of Form 3 non-respondents and 47.3 per cent of Form 4 non-respondents were overseas-born. Sixty-eight per cent of Form 3 non-respondents and 74.0 per cent of Form 4 non-respondents had at least one parent born overseas, compared to only 17.8 per cent in the 1986 Census (see Table 2).
TABLE 2: Persons with Australian ancestry in the 1986 Census and August 1993 Census Test (per cent)
August 1993
Census Test
1986 Census Form 3 Form 4
Australian born and Australian ancestry
All 25.8 72.9 74.7
Both parents born in Australia n.c. 92.6 89.0
Both parents born overseas n.c. 27.7 44.5
One parent born overseas n.c. 39.0 51.1
All persons 20.3 47.8 47.7
n.c. Not calculated
For both questions in the test, the proportion of Australian only ancestries derived (i.e. an answer of 'no' by people born in Australia) was almost 48.0 per cent compared with the 20.3 per cent of people who provided 'Australian' as their first or only response to the 1986 Census question on ancestry (Table 2). For Australian-born people with both parents born overseas the proportions of 'Australian' ancestries ranged between 27.7 per cent (on Form 3) and 44.5 per cent (on Form 4).
For Australian-born persons in the test, the proportions of 'Australian' responses were 72.9 per cent (Form 3) and 74.7 per cent (Form 4) compared with 25.8 per cent in the 1986 Census data for Australia (Table 2). For Australian born people with one parent born overseas, the proportion of Australian ancestries were 39.0 per cent and 51.1 per cent respectively.
In other words, many Australian born people who clearly have a non-Australian ancestry have not reported it (Form 3) or identified with it (Form 4).
TABLE 3: 'Yes' responses to the August 1993 Census Test questions on ancestry (per cent)
August 1993 Census Test
Form 3 Form 4
All persons 19.0 16.7
Australian born 20.8 16.7
Birthplace England 10.5 8.4
Birthplace Scotland nil (a) 12.5
Birthplace Italy 3.5 7.1
Birthplace Greece nil (b) 8.0
Birthplace New Zealand 29.2 27.6
Birthplace 'Other' 18.6 19.2
Australian born
Both parents born overseas 59.4 37.4
One parent born overseas 50.8 34.4
All persons by age
0 - 9 years 16.0 18.1
10 - 19 years 22.6 14.6
20 - 29 years 24.3 18.5
30 - 39 years 21.6 20.8
40 - 49 years 19.7 18.4
50 - 59 years 12.1 8.6
60 - 69 years 14.9 14.7
70 - 79 years 8.7 14.0
80 - 89 years 14.8 8.5
90+ years and write-in only nil (c) nil (d)
(a) Two Scottish-born persons answered 'No'.
(b) Twenty-nine persons born in Greece answered 'No' and five failed to respond.
(c) Four persons in this category failed to respond.
(d) Seven persons answered 'No' and three failed to respond.
As expected, the Form 4 question yielded a lower rate of 'yes' responses (people claiming to identify with an ancestry different from their birthplace) than the Form 3 question (people claiming to have an ancestry different from their birthplace). This was true for most categories (see Table 3).
It is unlikely that similar results obtained from the Census would be accepted by users of this data.
Follow-up telephone interviews were included in the test to explore a number of issues, including ancestry. In all, the interviews obtained information about ancestry responses for 310 people on both form types, including instances of non-response and answers of 'yes' and 'no' to the test questions. The aim was to determine what respondents understood by each of the test questions and how answers were determined in each case.
Follow-up telephone interviews were conducted as part of the evaluation of responses to the ancestry questions to determine whether or not respondents understood the question and to provide an insight into how they determined their ancestry. Interviews were conducted with a range of respondents, including persons who did not respond to the ancestry question; persons who answered 'yes' to the ancestry question; and persons who answered 'no' to the ancestry question and who were born in Australia but who had at least one parent born overseas.
In the interviews, respondents were asked what the word 'ancestry' meant to them, how the answer was determined for particular persons or why there was no answer provided, why more than one ancestry was included (if applicable) and how respondents decided which ancestries to include.
The majority of those interviewed (60.0%) considered ancestry to refer to their forebears, parents or grandparents and about 13.0 per cent thought it referred to ethnic or cultural background. About 15.0 per cent said they did not know what 'ancestry' meant and the rest (about 12.0%) gave answers that were too vague or too confused to be categorised.
Although the majority of people interviewed appeared to have an understanding of the word ancestry, not understanding the question was the most common reason given for non-response (41.0% of non-respondents interviewed). About 20.0 per cent of the non-respondents interviewed said they inadvertently missed the question. Another common reason given for non-response in Form 3 (40.0%) was not knowing how many generations to go back. Interestingly, a greater variety of reasons were given for Form 4 non-response (which, as we have already noted, was high). Some 42.0 per cent said they did not understand the question, 31.0 per cent said they 'missed' the question, 4.0 per cent were uncertain about the number of generations to go back and 23.0 per cent gave a variety of other reasons.
A common observation made in a large number of the follow-up interviews was that, while respondents felt they knew what the word ancestry meant, they were not sure how they should respond to the question in either test form. This is not surprising, considering the mixing of concepts that the questions involve. The uncertainty and confusion in respondent minds was clearly more pronounced among respondents to Form 4 where the mixture of concepts was more complex. It was also evident from some of the telephone follow-up interviews that, given another opportunity, some respondents could well have answered the question differently from the way they had responded on the test form. These changes in response might have been due to the passage of time, the result of talking to an ABS officer or simply second thoughts (or indeed a whim). This brings into question the validity of the first response, and has implications for future responses.
On the other hand, the ancestry questions appeared to have worked slightly better for persons reporting Judaism as their religion. People reporting Judaism as their religion were much more likely than persons of other religious denominations to report an ancestry different from their place of birth. This was the case for both form types, although overall, Form 3 performed better. For Form 3, 45.4 per cent of persons reporting Judaism as their religion answered that they had an ancestry different from their birthplace. This compares with 29.9 per cent of Form 4 respondents.
This additional analysis for people with Jewish religion was undertaken because it was thought that they would form a group with a reasonably strong affiliation with a non-Australian ancestry (probably Jewish). Test answers seem to bear this out in that this group provided a higher proportion of 'yes' answers to both questions. Analysis of the responses also showed a difference between the kind of answers given in Form 3 and those given in Form 4. The Form 3 question tended to elicit factual responses of ancestry (such as parent's birthplace), with a small number reporting a Jewish/other ancestry combination. In Form 4, however, respondents who answered the ancestry question appeared much more likely to 'identify' with a Jewish ancestry.
Although the question about identifying with an ancestry worked well for people of the Jewish religion, that clearly was not the case with other ethnic groups. Response rates and general respondent reaction to this question show that its intention is not easily understood by most respondents.
The test results indicate that Census data on ethnic origin would be subject to serious problems of interpretation, validity and stability.
The telephone follow-up results confirmed previously accumulated evidence that ancestry is not a concept that is clearly understood and consistently interpreted by the community. While most people feel they know what the word means, many answers about the subject in the Census Test context were ambiguous. It was also clear in some follow-up discussions that people found the combination of 'identifying' and 'ancestry' in the one question (in Form 4) particularly confusing.
Discussions also indicated that some respondents would have been happy to change their response from that shown on the test form. In some cases they had chosen between answers that appeared equally valid to them, in others they arrived at a different interpretation at the time of the follow-up. Because of this, data collected with such questions would be unlikely to be stable, and would have serious doubts over its validity.
Based on this experience, the ABS has recommended that no direct question on ethnic origin be included in the 1996 Census.
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Carrying a notebook and pen, East Meadow resident Michael Gordon has spent the past month walking door-to-door to the homes of Hurricane Sandy victims, jotting down the supplies that they need. After doing so, he makes them a promise — "I guarantee the next day I will be back to bring you your stuff," he said.
And he does.
Since Hurricane Sandy struck Long Island more than one month ago, Gordon, 28, with the members of his recently formed community organization called "Pocket Change to Make a Change," has made roughly 35 trips to Long Beach and the Rockaways — two of the hardest hit areas during the October superstorm.
What started with just three members — Gordon, his girlfriend Kathleen Bracker and his cousin Matthew Dosil — Pocket Change to Make a Change now comprises approximately 150 volunteers who have worked relentlessly to aid hurricane victims. "It's just so overwhelming to see people care about other people," said Gordon. "Because you don't see it a lot."
Pocket Change to Make a Change
Gordon, who has been an American Red Cross volunteer for eight years, created his community group in 2011, but it did not make any significant progress until recently. It all began when, after the hurricane struck, Gordon volunteered at Levittown Memorial High School, which served as a shelter in the aftermath of the wreckage.
Shortly after, he met with friend and Bellmore native, John Larocchia, whose own organization, called Laughter Saves Lives, was also in the midst of aiding hurricane victims. The two men teamed up with the Bellmore Knights of Columbus, and from there they planned their strategies — Larocchia and his group would work in local areas including Bellmore, Seaford and Lindenhurst, and Gordon would go to Long Beach. "We went to Long Beach, and I've never seen anything like it before," said Gordon. "Sand was covering everything."


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A visit to Beverley Racecourse is a seriously good day out, a fact that the people of Beverley have been quite rightly proud of for over 300 years. Set in the stunning surroundings of The Westwood, the racecourse hosts horse racing between April and September every year.
We have 19 race meetings in total, 11 of which feature extra entertainment and fun, from the family-themed May Day with a petting zoo and funfair rides to the glamour of Ladies' Day. For the racing fan, our Very British Raceday in June sees some of the country's best two-year-old horses battle it out in their preparations for Royal Ascot in a fast and furious contest up our infamous uphill 5 furlong sprint (a furlong being about 660 feet for the as-yet uninititated.)
There's always a warm welcome at Beverley, and whether you prefer to bring the family with a picnic and a rug or your friends for an afternoon of fun and catching up, you'll find lots of like-minded people enjoying the day and the excitement of watching your horse thundering home.
Tickets in advance are much the cheapest way to visit and can be bought from www.beverley-racecourse.co.uk, along with lots more information about all of our racedays. Let us show you how much fun an afternoon at the races can be!
Beverley Racecourse
The Racecourse,
York Road,
East Yorkshire,
By Road:
Follow M62 to the A164 jct. This takes you straight to Beverley.
By Public Transport:
The railway station is a 15-minute walk to the racecourse or a short taxiride.
- Disabled toilets
- Picnic site
- Accepts groups
- Children welcome
- Disabled access
- Dogs not accepted (except guidedogs)
- Wedding receptions


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A limited edition beaded bracelet that is hand made using beads of different shapes and sizes. Looks great layered or simply on its own.
Please note that because this is a handmade bracelet, the accent beads may vary slightly from the photo, but we're sure you'll love it.
This bracelet was handmade by Gina. The proceeds of this bracelet will be donated to a crisis shelter in Singapore.
Multicolour Beaded Bracelet
- Handmade item
- Materials: silk thread, crystal beads and glass beads
- Magnet closure fits wrist size of 6 inches
We accept payment via PayPal or Cash (for local purchases in Singapore only).


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TinkerTool System 1
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TinkerTool System 1 was a maintenance application targeted to the operating systems Mac OS X Jaguar, Panther, and Tiger. It could also be used on Leopard and Snow Leopard. As announced in early 2011, distribution of licenses for TinkerTool System 1 was planned to stop on October 1, 2011. Registered customers can stil receive service and support after that date.
For up-to-date operating systems, please use the product TinkerTool System Release 2 as a replacement.


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Popular Hot Rodding Mustang - Putting it to the Test
Testing PHR's Mustang at Hotchkis Trak Day Editor Race
Don't bring a knife to a gunfight. What's a more perfect place to put our ongoing Project PHR Mustang to the test than at Hotchkis On-Track Day? If it was a month later, it would be even better! But, we can't make excuses-we didn't win. Things went pretty well and we had a blast, but not getting that ATI ProCharger system on board or at least swapping out the rear end ratio for 3.73:1 gears guaranteed our honors as "First Loser" at best.
Actually, it was a well-run competition for a first try. Multiple categories were created for 24 entries, splitting the editors and their project cars into classes for front or rear-wheel drive, modified or stock, and a catchall class for exhibition vehicles (read racecars). To compete, the car had to be a true project vehicle with modifications "made on the pages" and the driver had to be an actual staffer on the book-no ringers allowed with car or driver. Though there were a few odd classifications, it was a fair shootout, and the results surprised many. The Media Day featured slalom, acceleration, braking, and road course testing to see what magazines have the fastest project cars and what editors have the best skills at the wheel. Comparisons between the sport compact cars and both the early and late street machines are often tough to make, but this would be our best shot-here, the stopwatch is god. Featuring amazing power to weight ratios and a nimble handling in a small package, these little cars are hard to beat in these scenarios. As you'll see, we hung in there pretty well. Since this editor has the most competition experience and has overseen the Mustang's buildup, I got the driver's honors. I think that's using the term "honor" quite loosely.
While you'd think that the road course category would demand the most skill from the entrants, the slalom test isn't far behind. We were given four runs down the 600ft course-two each direction-and hitting a cone added a second to your time. Experience in this category plays a big part, as those with the testing experience know how to squeeze little bits of speed out and can get the car on the edge.
I pussyfooted on the first pass, recording only a 57 mph average, but picked it up with two more runs over 60 mph for 9th overall. HOT ROD's Dave Freiburger also wimped out on the first pass, but picked it up a bit and finished just behind us-his 2001 Mustang Bullitt's best lap averaged 60.07 mph where our Mustang went 61.24 mph (Wilson's ride stormed to a 63.13 mph best!). Chevy High Performance and Car Craft's big cars weren't even close to the Ford product (likely due to stock GM steering boxes with slower response). The winning Honda recorded a 67 mph pass with a 65 mph average, to give you an idea of just how much quicker a light and nimble car is over the big domestic product.
For the acceleration tests, the Hotchkis boys used the same mile-long piece of pavement that stretches through the back of the road course for both the slalom and the 1/4 mile tests. It's fitting, actually, as many magazines are using regular pavement (not prepared drag strips) for their acceleration tests due to track rental issues. The numbers are a little less impressive, but they're very good showing at the relative difference in all these project cars. We had two tries to record our best effort, but some didn't need two runs.
This was our car's poorest finish at 10th overall, a result we predicted. With less than 270hp at the rear wheels and almost 3,600 lbs. to push, our SOHC 4.6L Mustang was no match for the project cars with more power. We recorded a 14.42-second pass at 98.31 mph with 3.27:1 gears-a shift into fourth gear would lose momentum, yet leaving it in third faced the fuel cutoff and rev limiter. Oh, well. Jeff Smith, editor of Car Craft, ran his well-sorted '65 Chevelle with its 420ci Lingenfelter small-block and a complete Global West suspension package to the front of the pack in the drag race with a 12.76-second ET at an impressive 116 mph. The next two best passes were posted by import cars, Dave Coleman's turbocharged '89 Nissan Silvia (13.14 at 108.95 mph) and Pablo Mazlumian's turbo M3 (13.26 at 112 mph). The big-time speed on these runs lead on to the limited traction.
The technology that anti-lock brakes brings to the motoring world divides the testing at Media Day into two groups-it's not that those who have it go to the front of the list, but that they don't have to work as hard to get there. For the ABS cars, ours included, the braking exercise is a no-brainer since you mash the pedal as hard as you can! Many didn't have it so easily, as cars that had been scoring well in the other exercises went to the bottom of the order with flat-spotted tires.
Our Mustang scored 6th overall in the braking exercise, with an 60-0 mph stopping distance of 119.96 feet, averaged over two runs. That's not bad for a relatively heavy car in a field loaded with lightweight stuff that should have waxed us! The best runs were less than 10 feet shorter, That Brembo Cobra R kit worked well with Hawk's HP+ pads and Yokohama's sticky rubber. We almost swapped for the Hawk "Blue" pads that are designed for track day activities, but without a chance to build temperature, we wouldn't have done as well.
All of the other events created interesting numbers over which to ponder, but it was the road course activities that had everyone excited. That's where a mix of courage, skills, car prep, and engineering could combine (or collide) to show off each magazine's true merit. The other three events took much longer than anyone figured so actual track time was quite short, involving a quick lead and follow to learn the driving line, a short practice session, and the actual timed session. Hotchkis sent us out four at a time in consecutive order by car number, with a rough mixing of car order to put the obviously faster cars in front (thus avoiding passing, which still occurred... ). We were allowed a warm up lap, two "flying laps" to be timed, and a cool down lap. That was it.
The first session was impressive, as Jeff Smith's Chevelle set down a stellar lap of 2:15.11 seconds around Buttonwillow. As a comparison, Freiburger, in Hot Rod's slightly hopped up Bullitt, ran 2:23.21 and 2:25.31. In bone stock trim around the same circuit (one year earlier), our Mustang went 2:26 and with race tires, we went about 2:21.00 seconds. All I knew was that we had to beat Jeff Smith. I was aware that the European Car M3 was blindingly fast and was in the session right in front of me, but the bragging rights and subsequent embarrassment of losing to that car don't cross over into our domestic performance industry. The M3 dipped into the 2:08s, but I didn't hear of it until my session was over. I drove my first lap hard but safe, as I kept telling myself, "Just post a time, then let one rip!" I had posted a 2:10.40 and was storming on the second lap until my plan failed-climbing up "Magic Mountain," I ran out of fuel! What was I thinking, trying to save 10 pounds in a 3,600-pound car? That made for an interesting exit off the hill, where the throttle needs to be fully matted for a controlled slide through the next kink! A few swerves to slosh fuel and stall or two later, I'd run 2:10.59 seconds.
Surely my second lap would have been a least a second or two quicker, but my aunt would be my uncle if she had....well, you get what I mean. We'd beat the other musclecar books in the best category, but weren't the quickest car. Dave Coleman in Sport Compact Car's Silvia replica went into the 2:07s! PHR was third on the road course and sixth overall, losing out by a hair to 5.0 Mustang's better passes in the slalom.
The formula works. For a reasonable fee, drag out your car and lap it for a day. If this sound likes fun, your common sense is showing itself. We're almost tired of telling everyone how cool Hotchkis Track Day and the similar events can be and they're only getting better.
With all of the magazine people burned out from Friday's activities, Saturday's traditional Hotchkis Day at Buttonwillow had a lighter crowd than usual. That was part of the plan, as they closed entries much earlier to ensure that each participant had his or her tongue hanging out by the third session. When the fourth came around, they'd gotten their money's worth and had to concentrate hard to keep it on the track and "bring it home" without a scratch. This driving stuff is hard work.
The turnout had plenty of trucks, including an impressive Chevy and more than a few Dakota R/Ts showing up to prove their point as Mopar's only late model V-8 product. A few C5s were in attendance, including Mark Richter's always-changing black beast and the MagnaCharger blown Centerforce ride built by RK Sport. Though there were a few Mustangs pounding around, the late-model F bodies had their numbers (and had them covered in numbers).
Are you looking for an East Coast version of this event? How about a round at Mid Ohio? We'd like to see a Track Day at the new Barber track in Alabama. Let the mail pour in! Be sure to drop us a note and visit www.hotchkis.net to let them know you want them to spread the wealth. In the meantime, check out www.nasaproracing.com or www.tracktime.com to see if there's a similar event in your area.


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Over Korpiklaani
Happy little boozers Korpiklaani evolved out of a folk act called Shamaani Duo that played traditional Nordic dance music in Finnish eating establishments, and they certainly still stand as one of the planet's few metal bands to regularly employ accordion, windwinds and the two-string Finish lyre known as a jouhikko. Inspired by guitarist/vocalist Jonne Jarvela's collaborations with fellow folk metal Finns Finntroll, Shamaani Duo spun off the band Shaman -- who played the same music, only louder. After a pair of albums, Shaman became Korpiklaani. The band's mascot (pictured on most of their CD covers) is an ancient hobbit-looking fellow with antlers, often tending to his pet wolves in the middle of the frigid Finnish woods. Though two members are alumni of the death metal gang Falchion, Korpiklaani's fallback rhythm is the polka-like humppa, and they're also fond of ripping hearts apart by swiping the melody from "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" (or whatever prehistoric public-domain dirge that carol was based on), then switching the tune to something even sadder. But more often their sound is a great sloshed swirl, and anybody who enjoys ale in wooden mugs could use some.
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