text:
Regional Productivity Differentials in Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic
AbstractThis paper starts by describing the distribution of GVA, employment and productivity growth across the regions of Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. Next, we investigate in what extent regional per capita income gaps to the European average can be attributed to differences in productivity per worker. Finally, we extend Esteban's (2000) shift-share analysis to measure how regional productivity gaps are due to differences in industrial mix as opposed to region-specific factors. The results point out the greater influence of the second element and therefore support policies benefiting homogenously all the sectors in the least developed regions.
Download InfoIf you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.
Bibliographic InfoPaper provided by EconWPA in its series Urban/Regional with number 0310004.
Date of creation: 07 Oct 2003
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:wpa:wuwpur:0310004
Note: Type of Document -
Contact details of provider:
Web page: http://188.8.131.52
Related researchKeywords: Eastern Europe; Poland; Aggregate Productivity; Shift-share; Regional Policy;
Find related papers by JEL classification:
- R - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics
This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:
- NEP-ALL-2004-05-09 (All new papers)
- NEP-EEC-2003-10-12 (European Economics)
- NEP-GEO-2004-05-09 (Economic Geography)
- NEP-TRA-2004-05-09 (Transition Economics)
ReferencesReferences listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
- Vit Sorm & Katherine Terrell, 1999.
"Sectoral Restructuring and Labor Mobility: A Comparative Look at the Czech Republic,"
William Davidson Institute Working Papers Series
273, William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan.
- Sorm, Vit & Terrell, Katherine, 2000. "Sectoral Restructuring and Labor Mobility: A Comparative Look at the Czech Republic," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 431-455, September.
- Sorm, Vit & Terrell, Katherine, 2000. "Sectoral Restructuring and Labor Mobility: A Comparative Look at the Czech Republic," IZA Discussion Papers 111, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
- Esteban-Marquillas, J. M., 1972. "I. A reinterpretation of shift-share analysis," Regional and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 2(3), pages 249-255, October.
- Campos, Nauro F., 2001. "Will the Future Be Better Tomorrow? The Growth Prospects of Transition Economies Revisited," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(4), pages 663-676, December.
- Frédéric Warzynski, 2003. "The causes and consequences of sector-level job flows in Poland ," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 11(2), pages 357-381, June.
- Dries, Liesbeth & Swinnen, Johan F. M., 2002. "Institutional Reform and Labor Reallocation During Transition: Theory Evidence From Polish Agriculture," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 457-474, March.
- Juan R. Cuadrado-Roura, 2001. "Regional convergence in the European Union: From hypothesis to the actual trends," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer, vol. 35(3), pages 333-356.
- Kocenda, Evzen, 2001. "Macroeconomic Convergence in Transition Countries," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 1-23, March.
- Esteban, J., 2000. "Regional convergence in Europe and the industry mix: a shift-share analysis," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 353-364, May.
- Kennedy, Robert E., 1997. "A tale of two economies: Economic restructuring in post-socialist Poland," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 25(6), pages 841-865, June.
- Boeri, Tito & Scarpetta, Stefano, 1996. "Regional mismatch and the transition to a market economy," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 3(3), pages 233-254, October.
- Traistaru, Iulia & Wolff, Guntram B., 2002. "Regional specialization and employment dynamics in transition countries," ZEI Working Papers B 18-2002, ZEI - Center for European Integration Studies, University of Bonn.
- Juan R. Cuadrado-Roura & TomÂs Mancha-Navarro & RubÊn Garrido-Yserte, 2000. "Regional productivity patterns in Europe: An alternative approach," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer, vol. 34(3), pages 365-384.
CitationsCitations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
Cited by:
- Chilian, Mihaela Nona, 2012. "Evolution of Regional and Sub-Regional Disparities in Romania – A Sectoral Shift-Share Analysis," Journal for Economic Forecasting, Institute for Economic Forecasting, vol. 0(1), pages 187-204, March.
- IORDAN Marioara & GRIGORESCU Adriana & CHILIAN Mihaela-Nona, 2013. "Sub-Regional Disparities In Romania - The Case Of The Centru Region," Revista Economica, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Faculty of Economic Sciences, vol. 65(5), pages 102-117.
- Mihaela-Nona Chilian, 2011. "Evolution of Regional Disparities in Romania – A Shift-share Analysis," ERSA conference papers ersa11p827, European Regional Science Association.
ListsThis item is not listed on Wikipedia, on a reading list or among the top items on IDEAS.
StatisticsAccess and download statistics
CorrectionsWhen requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wpa:wuwpur:0310004. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.
For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: (EconWPA).
If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.
If references are entirely missing, you can add them using this form.
If the full references list an item that is present in RePEc, but the system did not link to it, you can help with this form.
If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.
Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.


text:
25 April 2013 Stuff We Like
Bass Drum of Death - Shattered Me
It's been two years since the release of GB City and honestly I don't think I could have waited much longer for new Bass Drum of Death. Luckily, the boys from Mississippi have delivered with two new tracks in anticipation of their upcoming self-titled album which drops June 25th on Innovative Leisure. The a-side track "Shattered Me" encompasses everything perfect that Bass Drum of Death does. It's got their fuzzy, fast guitar, catchy melodies and overall pop-punk perfection. These two gems also come in the rare form of an 8-inch, which is not something that I can say I own. We can also look forward to bass-lines on each of the eleven tracks for the self-titled release, something not featured on their previous releases. These dudes just embarked on a small tour before the release of the album, so if they happen to come through your city I'd highly suggest checking them out. Their live show transformed me into a super-fan.
You and me, collecting shattered dreams
Now I'm not sure what I've known
I suppose it's not what's meant to be
Then take my lips and kiss my bones
– Mike Bollbach

subset: commoncrawl


text:
un.lim.ited Style
un.lim.ited Vision
un.lim.ited Creativity
a website soley celebrating the un.lim.ited possibilities of [style] interior design.architecture.fashion [vision] photography.media arts and [creativity] graphic design.fine art.
Loading tweet...
This Is The Last Night In My Body
2011. Pencil, Adobe Photoshop CS5, Adobe Illustrator CS5.
Live your art.
Dreams + work = success. Live your art and contribute to the world by living your talents. Please!?
" We can't save the world, but we can change it "
JR, a French street artist, uses his camera to show the world its true face. He makes his audacious TED Prize wish: to use art to turn the world inside out. A funny, moving talk about art and who we are. Learn more at insideoutproject.net.
Functional Optical Illusions
John Legend Photographed with Models Arlenis Sosa and Jordan Dunn
for the March Issue of Vogue by Norman Jean Roy
I love this on so many levels.
at the design bloggers conference in los angeles at the beautiful sofitel [Frother]
by ohmyfox
Please help us with our efforts to raise funds for the devastated city of Christchurch. At 1pm Tuesday, 22nd February (NZT) a 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit Christchurch, New Zealand with an epicenter just 10KM south of the city and 5KM deep. The effects were catastrophic, the city has been plunged into a disaster zone with an unconfirmed number dead.
This appeal is very important to TEC and SBA Creations' other projects such as Celebrate With Cake, Smiling Fork and Photobie because SBA Creations is based in a city in New Zealand not far from Christchurch. In fact several members of our organization have family members and friends affected.
We are in the process of setting up a donation site, but until then we're using SBA's Spreadshirt store as a way of donating. All proceeds from items purchased from the store will go towards our overall effort to help recovery.
Please purchase a t-shirt or other piece of apparel from the store to donate. While making a donation you also get the item. All prices have been lowered.
If you have any questions please ask Andrew or Jack.
How cool is this doormat? [ You can get it here: http://snipurl.com/doormats ]
Submitted and taken by myshipinabottle.


text:
Pesticide Registration Improvement Renewal Act (PRIA 2)
Fee Determination Decision Tree
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
Decision Tree Resources:
Fiscal Year 2011 & 2012
Action Code
FY11/FY12 Decision Time
|Amendment requiring data review in science divisions (e.g., changes to REI, or PPE, or PHI, or use rate, or number of applications; or add aerial application; or modify GW/SW advisory statement)
Do you plan to request either of the following types of waivers?
|50% waiver
|75% waiver
To pay the fee shown above, go to http://www.pay.gov and follow the instructions.
How to submit your application directly to EPA.
|Action Code Interpretation:
|Modification in the label of a registered product that is not substantially similar to a currently registered product and that requires risk analysis by the Agency (i.e. by the Health Effects Division (HED), the Environmental Fate and Effects Division (EFED), the Biological and Economic Analysis Division (BEAD), Alternate Risk Integration Assessment Team(ARIA) etc.) to support the change. Examples of actions in this category include: label changes to Directions for Use (including REI, PPE, PHI, application rate, application frequency, application timing, addition of aerial or chemigation application methods consistent with PR Notice 87-1 and 93-2 (PDF) (2 pp, 19K, About PDF), ground water or surface water advisory statements, etc. that require risk analysis by EPA. In some cases, the applicant might not submit new data to support the label amendment, but the Agency would need a determination of whether the existing database would support a change or modification to the amended label. EPA-initiated amendment shall not be charged fees. Label amendments submitted by notification under PR Notices, such as PR Notice 98-10(PDF) (23 pp, 243K, About PDF), continue under PR Notice timelines and are not subject to PRIA 2 fees.
|Back Go to the start of the Decision Tree


text:
Just have to pop in and tell you about a lovely new kit by LouCee Creations. Tracey has a touch of romance with it's warm colors of beige and plum.
And like most of her store, you will find this kit 50% off for a limited time.
Here are a couple of layouts that I've made using this fantastic kit. Both are linked to the gallery for full credits. This first one is of my son (the groom) and myself made on his wedding day.
And this one of him and his lovely bride.
And here is today's FREEBIE from me to you.
Comes in four colors to match the kit Tracey
And one plain for you to recolor
Download the Glitter Word Art here at 4Shared
Download the Glitter Word Art here at Mediafire
Download the Glitter Word Art here at File Savr
When you finish here hop on over to LouCee's blog here where she has a beautiful quick page to give you made from her new kit.
Have a scrap-happy day,
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
4 comments:
- CreativeBusyHands-Scrapbook Freebies Search said...
Thank you so much for this Freebie. I want to let you know that I posted a link to your blog in CBH Digital Scrapbooking Freebies, under the Page 4 post on Oct. 14, 2009. Thanks again.
- October 14, 2009 at 10:50 AM
- Digi Free said...
Thank you! Your blog post will be advertised on the DigiFree Digital Scrapbooking Freebie search engine today (look for timestamp: 14 Oct [LA 06:00pm, NY 08:00pm] - 15 Oct [UK 01:00am, OZ 11:00am] ).
- October 14, 2009 at 10:09 PM
- Anonymous said...
I have downloaded 7 of your brilliant wordart.
Thank you soo much for being very kind and allowing me to do it.
It really is much appreciated
- October 28, 2009 at 2:19 AM
- Veena said...
Now here's a layout that has a touch of romance in it.
- October 10, 2011 at 7:24 AM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
IssueExplorer hangs or crashes when you save a Word document with a name that already exists in a LAN Crypt encrypted folder.
ProductSafeGuard LAN Crypt Client version 184.108.40.206Client OSWindows XP SP2 Professional Edition
This issue has been resolved with SafeGuard LAN Crypt version 220.127.116.11. Please install "Patch 4 (18.104.22.168)" for SafeGuard LAN Crypt 3.51.x.
If you need more information or guidance, then please contact technical support.
How did the article rate?
Very poor
Did this solve your problem?
Help us improve this article
© 1997 - 2014 Sophos Ltd. All rights reserved.


text:
Open the website again
Does this code work for you?
Discount Code :
Code :
Enter the code shown :
Lifestyle & Fashion, Sports & Fitness,
Tees, Shirts, Hoodies, Sweats, Jackets, Footwear, Hats, Scarves, Gloves. Bags, Belts, Wallets, Sunsuits, Shorts, Pants, Surfboards, Skatedecks, Headphones, Keyrings, Jewellery, Stickers, Towels, Sunglasses,
Saltrock Saltrock Surfwear, Surfline Saltrock, Surfline Surfwear
Get the latest money saving voucher codes and special offers sent to your inbox
Your Email Address
Most discounts and vouchers expire within a few days.Get the best money saving offers
sent to your Inbox. It's Free, Ad Free and Spam Free!


text:
This guy was awesome. We ran into him at a viewpoint within the first three hours of our trip. We admired his trailer, so he obliged to show us all around it, tell us the story of him building it, and even posed for a few photos. Named by his wife.
Cool af


text:
Next, you'll be asked to connect with Twitter. Rest assured, we will never send a tweet from your account
without your permission.
We will send you an email with an invite soon.
East Timor Hearts Fund & Macquarie Telecom on YouTube
Hearts Pie App: At-Seat Service For Footie Fans
See what's Trending Now for @karlroe
Follow @karlroe on Twitter


text:
"Elektra" Targets Immature, Adolescent Male Audience
- Thursday, January 13, 2005
So anyway, Elektra keeps having these, like, acid flashbacks to her childhood, where her mom was killed and all. But for some reason, she doesn't have any flashbacks to the scenes in "Daredevil," where she like, fell in love with Affleck and watched her dad die. I guess director Rob Bowman ("The X-Files") forgot to add that. Oh, and the guy that killed her mom in the first movie, the Kingpen, he like totally didn't do it, after all. Only they don't explain that, so I was a little confused. Turns out it's the Hand dude that did it, not Kingpen, and Elektra's mad about that. But, for some reason, she isn't mad about the Hand – or was it the Kingpen? They keep changing on me here – killing her dad. Or herself, either, for that matter. 'Cause she died. Remember?
But, whatever! As long as I get to watch that girl fight in her skimpy red suit, I'm cool. I don't think she's actually a black belt in real life – the fight scenes are like, totally flash-edited to make 'em look real. And the scenery isn't exactly original. They go to this camp in the woods that I guess is supposed to be cool and different, but isn't. And there's like no, what's the word – coherence? – to Elektra's character, who's never friendly to anyone, but then really nice to the teenage girl, who's a total pain and who even broke in and stole the necklace Elektra's mother left her (only it's a different necklace – I wonder if Bowman couldn't find the first one?).
So, anyway. It's not, like, the greatest of films. I mean, it's probably not even as good as "Daredevil," which everybody said was, like, a total embarrassment. But what do I care? I got to watch Jennifer Garner for 97 minutes, and that's all that matters to me. So as far as I'm concerned, this film is the bomb.
AUDIENCE: (Immature) Adults only.
- Drugs/Alcohol Content: Several characters drink wine/alcohol.
- Language/Profanity: A dozen or so profanities and obscenities.
- Sexual Content/Nudity: Two women engage in lengthy kiss; female character wears provocative costumes and cleavage throughout film and, in one scene, bra and panties; character refers to "getting laid;" male and female characters kiss.
- Violence: Extreme violence with much killing, fighting, martial arts and situations where death is threatened and/or imminent; numerous deaths, many under strange, occult-like circumstances as well as numerous deaths by stabbing (onscreen) and one beheading (offscreen).
Recently on Movie Features
Editors' Picks
Have something to say about this article? Leave your comment via Facebook below!
Listen to Your Favorite Pastors
Add Crosswalk.com content to your siteBrowse available content


text: i am a social media aficionado, news junkie, community activist and smith college graduate from new orleans, la. i have 6+ years of experience working as an archivist, focusing on the collection, documentation, preservation and access to audiovisual human rights media in support of advocacy, prosecution of justice, truth-telling, and preservation of the historical record. for the majority of this time i worked in the media archive at witness but i have also worked with unicef, pacifica radio archives and the feminist archive north. in 2008, i skipped across the pond to raise both my consciousness and my carbon footprint and successfully completed a masters program at the university of leeds in activism and social change. this course was a combination of theory and praxis, where i was able to engage with new theories as well as learn practical skills for campaigning and organizing. since returning to the states, i have worked as new media manager for one nation working together- a large, coalition campaign based in washington, dc focused on building a non-partisan civic movement to elect and hold our representatives accountable to working people. i am currently conducting a communications and online advocacy consultancy with the u.s. human rights network, based in atlanta, ga.


text:
A well rounded vehicle
Many of you reading this review are no more interested in cars or buying one than you are looking forward to your next papercut. But if you're here, you probably need one and are wisely searching for pertinent info. We auto peeps sometimes forget to keep things basic as we eat, sleep and breathe cars. In fact, a world without them would have many of us sharing a box in Vancouver's downtown east side.
I will dispense with driving dynamics, acceleration and horsepower numbers and steering input and feedback and stick to what's really important for this vehicle.
For those looking for a good, safe and basic form of family transportation, you've come to the right place. The Kia Rondo may have all the answers to your requirements. In fact, the Rondo is one of the best rounded vehicles on the road today.
Let's begin with: Can it hold all your stuff and your clan? In short, the answer is yes unless you're Octomom. The Rondo's boot is capacious, offering up a volume of 898 litres behind the second row. When lowered, that number increases to 2,083 litres. That's big.
As tested, my EX was a 5-seater. A 7-seater version is available, however when in place, the 3rd row leaves only 185 litres of cargo space. This and a fairly tight bench for most human beings make the optional rearmost bench a questionable choice. If you need more room, consider a Sorento or a Sedona.
Will you and your crew be comfortable in the Rondo? Yes. Over the years, the Koreans have bettered their seats as well as the driving position. Although the steering column will not telescope, the final setup is better than decent. The second-row 60/40-split folding bench will please with generous leg and shoulder room. Three kids under 10 should sit quietly enough for at least 8 or 9 minutes...
Next, how bad is it on gas? Not that bad. My V6-equipped Rondo has some pickup and go, but unless you need to tow something over 1,500 lbs (681 kg), stick with the base 2.4L 4-cylinder engine. I averaged nearly 11 L/100 km on my week-long test. If you're not always in a rush to get where you need to be, the 4-pot should trim about 1 L/100 km off your average.
Auto journalist & Consumer Ratings
Editor's Review Highlights
2011 Kia Rondo Specifications
Kia Rondo Offers


text:
By Jim Wallace - bio | email ALBANY, GA (WALB) –The death of an Albany four month old boy two years ago inspires an Albany State Senator to propose a law in his name to protect children kept in home day care centers.
District 12 Senator Freddie Powell Sims will propose "Jace's law" Monday, in memory of four month old Jace Hester. The boy's Mother helped write the proposal.
Jace Hester's story touched State Senator Freddie Powell Sims, and led her to spend one and a half years writing a bill in his name, to protect all children in Georgia's thousands of home day care centers.
Sims said "To me it was a personal affront to the parents that the very next day the center remained open."
In February 2008 four month old Jace Hester was found not breathing at a Lee County home day care, and died later that day. The GBI autopsy ruled his death was an unexplained sudden infant death, and Investigators found no criminal negligence. But crime scene photos showed mold and dog feces in the room where Jace was kept. The State Agency that licenses day care centers reported 16 rule violations and revoked the center's registration. The home day care owner appealed, and continue to keep children in her home. Senator Sims wants to make sure those centers stay closed until the investigation is completed.
Sims said "If something happens to their children, there will be an investigation. Everything will be shut down, and evidence can not be tampered with. We want a complete investigation."
Jace's Mother, Amanda Hester, worked closely with Senator Sims to help write Jace's Law, to protect more young children who stay in home day care centers. Amanda now lives in Columbus, and has another young child.
Amanda Hester will be at the Senate Youth and Education Committee when the bill is introduced.
Barbara Ann Fuller, owner of the Lee County home day care where Jace died, plead guilty to ten counts of reckless conduct in June 2009, and was sentenced to probation, and agreed not to operate a day care during that year.
©2010 WALB News. All rights reserved. Feedback
P.O. Box 3130
Albany, GA 31706
(229) 446-1010
FCC Public File
(229) 446-4005
EEO Report
Closed Captioning


text:
Internet Download Manageron April 20, 2014 at 11:18 am
- Download Internet Download Manager Now. (Free download, 5.00 MB)
- Run idman619build6.exe
- Follow installation instructions
- Run Internet Download Manager (IDM) from your start menu
All popular browsers and applications are supported! Download Speed Acceleration. Easy downloading with one click. Simple installation wizard.Automatic Antivirus checking.Download Resume.Video grabber.Built-in Scheduler.
_____________________Click here to Download______________________


text:
Clarksville, TN (SportsNetwork.com) - Glenn Cosey scored a game-high 27 points, hitting 8-of-12 from 3-point range, and dished out nine assists as the Eastern Kentucky Colonels easily handled the Austin Peay Governors, 96-75, in an Ohio Valley Conference tilt at the Dunn Center.
Tarius Johnson netted 24 points on 7-of-9 shooting for Eastern Kentucky (19-9, 9-5 OVC). Corey Walden contributed 16 points and eight assists, and Eric Stutz chipped in with 15 points and seven rebounds. The Colonels have won two straight contests.
Travis Betran scored 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting to pace Austin Peay (11-17, 5-9). Ed Dyson added 13 points with six rebounds, and Chris Horton tallied 10 points in the loss, which was the third in a row for the Governors.
Austin Peay had the hot hand shooting in the first half, netting 53.8 percent of its field goal tries. But EKU was the team that had the edge at the intermission, 40-34, after hitting 46.4 percent of its shots, including 8- of-17 from 3-point distance, in the frame.
Austin Peay did everything it could to make a comeback in the second half, hitting 62.5 percent of its shot attempts. But the Colonels simply dominated the period, connecting on 69 percent of their shots from the field, including 9-of-15 from deep. EKU outscored the Governors, 56-41, in the second half to extend its lead.
Eastern Kentucky outscored Austin Peay from 3-point range, 51-9, and had the edge in points off turnovers, 20-12. The Governors outscored the Colonels in the paint, 42-32.
© 2012 WTVQ-TV, LLC | Site Map | Terms of Use | Privacy Statement | FCC Compliance | Employment | Advertise on ABC36 | Contact Us
WTVQ.com supports children's privacy rights. All persons under the age of 13 MUST have parental permission to use this website and direct parental supervision is strongly recommended.


text:
Book excerpt
Coming Soon
New at Macmillan
Top Sellers
New at Macmillan
Top Sellers
Macmillan Kids
Tours & Events
All Authors (A-Z)
Reading Group Gold
Newsletters & Alerts
Search for
Advanced search
The Return
Buzz Aldrin and John Barnes
"So how are you planning to top this mission? Are you sending the Pope next time?"
All the reporters laughed. Of course the question wasn't serious, but it did give me a chance to work in a sound bite that my PR coach had suggested. "Eventually, we'll send everybody. But one step at a time, please."
Outside, it was seven in the morning on the kind of pleasant, clear Wednesday in October that makes you think of football, or a long drive someplace where the leaves are turning-the sort of day that whispers "too good to waste." Inside, the press conference room was just like its equivalent at any Washington hotel-plastic "crystalware," stiffbacked chairs, lots of room down front for cameras, a long table on folding platforms with all the legs concealed by fabric velcroed to the edges. I sat at one end of the long table, answering questions before die person die reporters wanted to talk to got here.
"Mr. Blackstone," die man from CBS asked, "we all know that you originally hoped to fly civilian tourist flights yourself, as pilot. Is there any chance that you'll be doing mat any time in die next few Citizen Observer flights?"
"Of course I'd like to go," I said. "But it took some pretty generous offers to get ASU to let us put people into empty seats. My next spaceflight, pilot or passenger, is a few years away, I'm sure."
"Would you fly a shuttle again if ASU invited you to?" This reporter, for some reason, didn't seem to want to give die question up. "You've been very careful about keeping your qualification to fly a shuttle."
"I keep my pilot's license, too," I pointed out. "You really shouldn't read any more into it man that."
After that, the questions were less personal. I didn't mind die attention, particularly, but as CEO of ShareSpace, I'd rather it went to my company.
Then we went into the usual ritual questions—the reporters in die room already knew die answers, but their editors might need footage of someone saying those things.
"What kind of mission is this?"
"Like most of die ones
flies nowadays. A general, mixed-bag deal—a little science, a little tech, a little business, a little promotion. You all know I can't talk about anything classified, but sometimes they do classified work, as well, for a defense or intelligence agency."
"Do you know what factors influenced Pegasus Corporation's decision about who to send?" It was die same guy from NBC who had needled me before.
"They wanted maximum publicity, I'd guess. Hard to find a more famous person who would get more attention and be better identified with their shoes. Or maybe the Pope wasn't available." That got a laugh; I had just time to wonder if I'd crossed over one of those invisible boundaries that my PR people were always warning me about, before the next question. The reporter from the
had me explain that the seats ShareSpace was selling were available because the International Space Station (ISS) was behind schedule, and so some shuttle flights had been released to other projects.
Then the tall woman from MSNBC walked me through a detailed review of who the first two Citizen Observers had been, in case somehow anyone watching the news now, in October, had managed to miss all die news in die previous May, or October a year ago. That seemed especially silly because "well, die first one is in die room," I said. "Why don't you tell us all about it, Fred?"
Fred Gernsback had been anchor for die Federal Broadcasting Network for almost two decades, and due to his enthusiasm for die space program, his voice had become more identified with spaceflight than that of any broadcaster since Walter Cronkite. He looked around die room, smiling broadly, and I wondered if anyone ever gets tired of being made the center of attention. "Well, it's not complicated and it's not all that interesting. The way it works is mat ShareSpace is a private business, like a travel agency, except that Scott Blackstone only sells two or three tickets a year. ASU operates spacecraft, like an airline operates airplanes, because NASA got out of direct operation, for die most part, a few years ago. ASU bought
from die government, and most of die time they lease the other three shuttles. So what happened was that FBN bought my ticket from ShareSpace, which got me onto a flight on the
, operated by ASU. No different from what happens when they buy me an airline ticket from Amex Travel Services to get me onto a 747 operated by United. Dull as dishwater."
Everyone groaned and laughed; Fred's irony was even more heavy-handed than usual. For ten days in October last year, millions of people had hurried home to catch Gernsback's evening broadcast from orbit. The American public's jaundiced perception of space travel—routine as airplanes and ancient as railroads—had been flipped right back over into wide-eyed wonder by Gernsback's babbling joy about everything connected with the mission.
Gernsback went on. "And so it's the same deal with this next Citizen Observer. Pegasus wanted publicity for their shoes, so they had to get publicity for their guy, so they went to Scott, Scott sold them a ticket, ASU is honoring the ticket, and tonight we're going to witness a new space record-the tallest man ever sent into orbit. Just an ordinary business deal."
"What does a company have to do to get someone on the shuttle, Mr. Blackstone?" a tall, slim black woman asked. "Officially for the record, and also because for all I know Pacific States Network might want to do that for me."
It took me a moment to realize who it was- Nikki Earl, radio correspondent for a little shoestring net-work that mostly ran very liberal commentary and covered social welfare issues. Normally they weren't big fans of the space program, so if she was here at all, it meant either they were gunning for us, or it was a slow news day. I answered, carefully, "I hope they can afford to send you, but for die moment it's pretty expensive. It starts with a corporation becoming one of ShareSpace's corporate partners, for one million dollars—or more, if you want to be near the top of the list.
"For your million you get a nice-looking plaque inside the shuttle, plus a turn at buying a ticket. When your turn comes up, we ask you for a five-million-dollar seat charge. Once you pay that, you can send anyone who can pass a medical exam and a security clearance. Your five million dollars does include meals and clothes for the trip." There were a few chuckles at that. "There's also a required commitment to devote at least eight million dollars to publicity—primarily about the sponsor itself, of course, but it also has to be clearly tied to ShareSpace and the orbital flight. So the real price of the cheapest ticket is about fourteen million, at the moment. We hope that within a decade we can be down under a million."
Nikki Earl nodded. "So why does any corporation buy a ticket? I can understand why it was worthwhile for Fred—someone else bought his ticket, and he had a good time, and I'd go, myself, in a
, if PSN would pick up the tab—but how can that fourteen-million-dollar ticket be worthwhile for any of the corporate sponsors?"
Her tone was reasonable and friendly, so I thought chances were that she was just here because it was a slow news day, and not because PSN was out to do a hatchet job on ShareSpace. She had asked a question I'd have loved to devote a whole interview to, but she needed something a minute long at most.
I started off with the obvious. "Well, it
private money, and they have to answer to their stockholders, so mostly I can just assume they want it and let it go at that. After all, the baker doesn't care what you want his bread for, only that you'll buy it, and so far we've got eighteen buyers lined up, so we must be selling what they want.
"But if I were speculating…I guess the sponsors must figure that kids love space. Being associated with space is the best publicity there is for companies like Pegasus and Avery that are so strongly oriented toward the youth market. And just now things connected with space seem to be more popular than at any time since the late sixties, so the sponsors probably see being associated with space as a good investment in publicity, period, not just with kids. The best way to find out might be to ask them."
She nodded. "I have, and they said what you said. How about a follow-up?"
"As the parent of a ten-year-old, I can hardly miss that space is suddenly popular again. Why do you think that is?"
"Uh, I'm the parent of a ten-year-old boy myself, and I don't know that I understand it any better than you do. I can make some guesses: the millennium. The anniversaries of so many space events. The new private ventures. The new pictures from the new generation of telescopes. A couple of big realistic movies, where they got the special effects right, after all those years of pure fantasy movies. Take your pick. How does that sound?"
"Like a baker who doesn't know why he's selling more bread, but is real happy that he's selling it," Nikki Earl said, and grinned at me—
one of those media-fake smiles for the camera. Mentally I marked her down as a possible ally and someone to float a story to sometime soon. ShareSpace was riding high on a wave of good publicity right now, driven by our sending the third most recognizable name in America (after Jesus and Santa) on this mission. But I didn't want to neglect Nikki Earl—talking to her could be a chance to reach people we hadn't reached yet, and nobody in the public eye ever has enough friends or knows when they might need one more.
So far, ShareSpace had plenty of friends. We were riding the crest of a two-year wave of popularity. Fred Gernsback had just been the beginning for us; he had barely returned to Earth when we took our next step. Avery Filmworks, the dominating giant in family entertainment, had gotten their turn at a ShareSpace slot on a
flight for the following May, and they'd come up with an ingenious way to use it: they had launched
Pyramid to Space
, a competitive quiz show on the Avery Channel. The show was in the form of a tournament of space knowledge (or space trivia—I wasn't sure how much an astronaut really needed to know how much the makers of Tang paid to have it included in the early space rations). During the winter holidays, fascination with the competition grew, for the winner—if physically fit enough—would be the next Citizen Observer.
In mid-January,
Pyramid to Space
was won by David Calderon, a garage mechanic from Brownsville, Texas. He had gone into orbit aboard
last May, and if anything, he had done us even more good than Fred Gernsback had.
David could hardly have been better if Avery had created him from Central Casting—he was a good-looking twenty-five-year-old, muscular, slim, in perfect shape, a nonsmoker who drank rarely, and poised and confident as he revealed an encyclopedic knowledge of space and astronautics. When he won
, he was bombarded by congratulatory emails, phone calls, and letters, and not a few marriage proposals.
Between his victory, the MTV series that followed him through training, and his flight, he had been endlessly on camera for about six months, and during that whole time, he always enthusiastically boosted the launch, Avery Filmworks,
Pyramid to Space
, ShareSpace, the space program, and life in general. He had a knack for communicating, in ordinary language, his deep and broad knowledge of everything M connected with space, astronomy, planetary science, " and astronautics—a knowledge he had acquired from years of reading science magazines and watching space documentaries, sources available to anyone, so that even in that regard he seemed to have the common touch. He charmed Barbara Walters, and was so popular that Larry King brought him back on the show twice; for a few weeks he was on every talk show that could possibly book him.
He was especially a hit on radio and TV call-in programs, and all the calls for David Calderon were very much alike: people who just wanted to tell him that they too had applied to compete in
Pyramid to Space
, that family and friends had made fun of them, and now they felt vindicated. "You proved that ordinary people
go to space," they would say, or "This is what it's all about, that space is the future of the whole human race." Lots of people wished him luck and many suggested that if he had something else to do at the last minute, they'd be willing to take his place. He was good-humored and friendly through all of it, and every time David Calderon went on the air, we picked up more approval points, and another sponsor or two came banging on ShareSpace's door, wanting to get in on the adventure.
On his flight, Dave was enthusiastic, happy, quotable, and still a brilliant commercial for the idea that space was going to be for everyone. We had put him on the payroll, and now he was out touring the country, visiting with corporate heads where we needed to sell a sponsorship, stopping off to talk to grade school classes and civic groups, speaking at high school commencements and Scout jamborees, and generally producing about as much good will as anyone possibly could.
But although Gemsback and Calderon had been wonderful, what was about to happen would trump every bit of past publicity ShareSpace had gotten, and make all our past triumphs mere prologue. Now that I had teased the room enough, "I think the time has come to meet the crew." I nodded toward the door, and Naomi, my secretary, nodded back and pushed it open.
Seven people came into the room and joined me on the dais, but for all practical purposes, there was only one person in the room—Michael James, or MJ, as pretty much the whole planet called him.
He was over seven feet tall, and graceful, which would have been impressive even if he had been just a random stranger. Knowing his accomplishments, you felt awe—he had presence enough for some ancient king or legendary hero.
Two years earlier, when MJ had retired after more than a dozen years as the top center in the NBA, every newsmagazine had put him on the cover, and
had found an excuse to feature him twice.
After the success of the journalist in space, since we had the second Citizen Observer contract already nailed down, it was time to reach for something even bigger. I put all my effort into hustling a contact with MJ, and to persuade Pegasus—maker of the most famous athletic shoes in die world, which were die most famous largely thanks to die autograph "MJ Michael James" stamped on die side of every one—to sponsor him as the die third Citizen Observer.
He was perfect for more reasons than just his fame, or his immediate recognition. MJ was a widely admired role model for American kids, known for his polite good sportsmanship and his advocacy of excellence in all fields. He was bright, articulate, spontaneously funny, but also thoughtful and serious when die occasion called for it. Best of all he was a space enthusiast, and had been ever since he was small. (We had some wonderful footage of his modier, AnnaBeth James, reminiscing about when "Mikey" was ten, and unhappy because he was al ready too tall to be an astronaut by die NASA rules of die day.)
ShareSpace had announced MJ's selection nine days after David Calderon returned from orbit. Ever since, everything MJ had done had shown us that die idea was even more brilliant than we had thought.In die last four month, his appearances on kids' shows and news and talk shows had been die best of all possible publicity for everyone—himself, Pegasus, ShareSpace, ASU, NASA—and for that matter, me.
It was an extra hassle to fly the crew up from Canaveral die evening before, then back to Kennedy Space Center for an evening launch today, but that was another public relations maneuver that I felt was paying off pretty well. If you hold your big events at or near KSC, you get a mix of second-string reporters and older ones who want a quick trip to somewhere warm. But if you hold the same events in one of the cities where the media's first string is located, that's who covers you—and those cities, basically, are New York, Washington, or Los Angeles. Washington was the shortest flight to Florida, ShareSpace corporate headquarters was here, and best of all, Washington was die major media city with the most predictable schedule—in NY or LA you could be pushed right out of die evening news slot by any freak local story, but in DC only a war or a sex scandal could steal your coverage.
MJ made a few introductory remarks, and everyone relaxed and settled in as if the press conference had just become a group of friends sitting around die living room. "Let me introduce die rest of die crew," M J said, spreading his arms as if to embrace all of them. "This man to my far right, next to Scott Black-stone, is Billy Kingston, die commander. During die mission, he's die guy who we all have to listen to. And if any kids are watching this—"
"They better be," said Samantha Carter, who headed die special team for Nickelodeon, and everyone laughed.
"—like I said, if there's any kids watching out there, something for you to pay attention to—Billy knows what he's doing and knows how die ship works and everything else, a hundred times more than I do. He has all die knowledge and experience. Just like your mom and dad and your teachers know more than you do. So when he says to do something, I do it, and I don't give him backtalk and I do it right away. When we're up in space, my ten thousand field goals are just ten thousand of nothing compared to his knowledge and skill and experience. Listening to him and respecting his authority is part of keeping me safe and out of trouble, because there's all kinds of trouble that can happen up there. Even MJ has to do what people who know more tell him to do. It was the same way when I was little and Mama wanted me to do something."
In his deep Gulf Coast drawl, Kingston said, "Inthat case, your mission commander says to get the rest of die introductions done so we can get back to
!— you see how I did that?—now, next to Major Kingston is Wes Packard, from West Virginia by way of West Point. He's the pilot, the one who actually flies
, and the father of Kati and Mary Lou, who are watching this morning, I bet.
This guy next to me is Josh Pritkin, mission specialist in electronics—" he gestured to the tall, thin man, who nodded to die cameras "—and he also plays pretty good ragtime piano, or at least he's good enough to fool a basketball player. Lorena Charette here—" he gestured to a short, stocky black woman on his left "—is from Baltimore, is a medical doctor, is an Air Force major, and has had a much more exciting and interesting life man any professional athlete ever did, and if you media folks had any sense you'd be interviewing her instead of me."
Actually, thanks to MJ's quiet pressure, there had been a number of interviews with and features about Lorena, and she was on her way to becoming something of a celebrity in her own right.
"Now, the nervous-looking dude to Lorena's left, who is wondering what embarrassing personal facts I'm going to bring up, is Marc Clement, astronomy mission specialist and my roommate during training." MJ winked and said, "But with a nice, good-looking guy like that, all I have to do is ask what his mother would have asked—'why is he still single?' " Clement blushed, everyone laughed, and MJ added, "I've done all I can, man, now it's up to you. And, finally, not at all least, all the way to the left, our military payload specialist and our poker wizard, Damian Agustino—" he nodded to the short, square-built man "—my fellow Texan on the flight, so you know with two Texans on board, ain't nothin' to worry about."
MJ was from Dallas, a fact that you couldn't help knowing within ten minutes of meeting him. There wasn't much about him you didn't know pretty quickly. We'd vetted him thoroughly. As far as we could tell his biggest personal vice was a liking for mystery novels and his biggest problem was the difficulty of meeting women who might think about him as a serious romantic possibility, rather than as a trophy. He really
as nice as he seemed on TV—it drove the detectives crazy.
The first question was from a short, balding man, way in the back. "I just wondered if you'd like to comment on the fact that while you're doing very well, and people will spend fourteen million dollars to send you to orbit, just this morning the House chopped twenty million out of the US Department of Education."
My heart stopped. Michael was a world-class nice guy, but he had a temper, and he wasn't used to being challenged about much of anything; I'd had a run-in or three with him over various things.
He stared at the man. "Well," MJ said, finally, "you know, I'm sure, that Pegasus will spend the money to send me to orbit, but they also give around a hundred million a year to schools around the country. They
to, in a country that's too damn cheap to take care of its own schoolchildren."
, I thought to myself,
we just lost ten more friends in the House
"And of course I'm going to go if I get the chance. Any human being with a soul would want to, you know. That's part of why questions like yours…" He looked down and shook his head. "Dude, where do you come up with something that dumb? You think I don't know that we need more and better education, and hospitals, and food for the hungry and shelter for the homeless? You think that's a surprise to your viewers? You think, maybe, you're going to make me ashamed of where I came from, or ashamed to be rich from my success? I'll tell you this. I know very well that I am a very lucky man. I know that I didn't 'deserve' my chances in life. But I also tell you this. I got those chances, I took them, I'm taking them, and that's the way it is. And more than that— because I do what people dream about, I give other people the power and the right to dream. And children—and grownups—all human beings need those dreams, the way they need oxygen and food and shelter. You tell me some people are poor? That's a damn shame and I'm sorry, but I gave more to charity last year than you make in ten. You tell me my country, the best place on Earth, is robbing its own children? I'll remember that when I vote. You tell me I ought to hang my head and feel bad about the greatest moment of my life? Chump, you can go to hell."
One part of me wanted to hug him, and another part wanted to run out and issue a denial that he'd ever been in the room. Balanced between the urges, I stood there for a second, before Naomi loudly said, "Hey, he isn't wearing a press badge!"
Hotel security dosed in on the little man, who rushed out the door and down the hallway. I never heard whether they caught him or not.
After that, die questioning was a lot more routine. MJ deflected more than half of the questions directed at him to the rest of the crew, making sure that people understood that this was a team effort, and giving most of me credit to die regular astronauts. He kept die media focused on die nature of die mission and die vision of where it led in die great scheme of space exploration. "If we could afford him," I muttered to Naomi, who was handing up some papers to add to my swollen briefcase, "we'd put him on die payroll with Calderon. The two of them would get us a Mars mission set up and funded in no time."
"He might be willing to do that free, you know," she pointed out. "After he gets back, maybe you should ask."
"—and another person you should all be watching— the person who saw that there was a need for all kinds of people, and not just specialists, in space," MJ said, "Scott Blackstone. I owe a lot to his company— metaphorically speaking. Pegasus owes die money."
I waved at die reporters. MJ's re-introducing me was my cue to say that everyone needed to get back down to Florida. The seven of them posed for last-minute shots for die prescribed three minutes, and then I got them out die door while Naomi handed out duck press packets that insured that even die most unawake reporter would have something accurate to start from.
easier than the press conferences I used to have to do for die team," MJ commented, as we settled into die bus that would take us to die charter plane at Washington Reagan. "You go to one of those conferences and they only let you say two things, over and over: you think die team's going to win and you're here to play basketball. And you have to find ways to keep saying that for an hour. Here, it wasonly twenty minutes, and there was something to talk about." He leaned back and said, "Damn, though,mat first clown—die one mat wasn't even a reporter— he pissed me off."
"I wasn't happy with him myself," I observed. "I'm sorry he got through security; we're going to have to check on that and find out how he did it."
"You do that. I'd like to see a report. Because if a rude little chump can get through that easy, how do you know die next guy won't have a gun? Makes me mad, and makes me scared, and this is one day when I didn't need to be upset."
Marc Clement was turned around, looking for a way to get a word in edgewise; the two of them had really bonded, which was good for die mission, and maybe better for MJ. Now Clement said softly, "That's die problem with hotels."
"That's why you needed to hire your own," MJ said, still talking to me. "And you didn't."
"No," I said, "we didn't bring our own security, and that was a mistake. I'm sorry."
MJ blinked for a couple of moments, then extended his hand and shook mine. "It's okay, Scott. Really. I'm letting myself get more upset man it's worth Sorry." He moved forward and sat down to talk with Marc Clement. That was Michael James for you; die terrible temper faded in seconds, as if it had never been there.
I stretched out in die back seat mat I'd commandeered for myself, pulled out my cell phone, and made a call. It should be half an hour at least before Amos was due to leave for school. On the second ring, I heard, "Hello?"
"Hello, Thalia, it's Scott. Does Amos have a minute to say hello?"
My ex hesitated a moment, which told me she'd been expecting my call and wasn't happy about it. "As long as it's just a minute. I have to drop him at school early this morning, so you can't talk to him long. But he didn't want to go without getting a call from you. You could have called earlier."
"Not really," I said.
"We'll have to go soon," she said. "I can't afford to be late today. I only have an hour to get things done before I have to get on a plane."
I felt like asking her how it felt to be always running for a plane, and maybe even quoting some of the things she'd said to me about not putting my family first, but fighting with Thalia would cause her to hang up, and I really wanted to talk to Amos this morning. So I just said, "I'm sorry. I didn't have much choice in the matter, but it was inconsiderate of me."
I heard her breath hiss over the mouthpiece and thought she was going to find one more way to get on my case, but then I heard Amos, in the background, saying, "Gome on, Mom, let me talk to Dad, I've been waiting." The rustle and thud of the phone being handed over was followed by the
of her heels walking away from the phone, and then at last Amos said, "Dad?"
I swallowed hard and made my voice upbeat. "Hi, Amos! We're on our way out to the airport to get these guys into orbit, and I just wanted to squeeze in a second and say hello. How are things going?"
"School's fine, I'm going to do peewee wrestling this winter, and I got that program I was playing with to work on the computer," he said, covering all the usual bases of conversation in one sentence. "Mom works too hard and isn't home enough, and I'm looking forward to seeing you the weekend after this."
"Hmmm," I said. "You're stealing all my lines."
"Well, we do have to go soon…" he said, sounding much too mature and responsible for a ten-year-old.
Maybe it was just that tone that made me feel like I had to offer something special to him. "Why don't we spend the weekend after next at the cabin?"
"In the
?" He sounded like he thought I was crazy. "Is there anything to do? Won't it be too cold?"
"In the fall," I said, emphatically. "The cabin has a woodstove, remember? We can fire that up and be warm and comfortable. The only summer things we can't do are swim and buy cheap souvenirs. It will be sort of like camping out, but more comfortable. Probably it will be just you and me—nobody else on the beach. We can hang around and talk, you can beat me at chess, and we can build driftwood fires at night and tell ghost stories till we're both too scared to sleep. It's a nice time of year." Desperate to sell him on the idea, I pulled out a reference to one of his heroes, and to a rime of life he was already fascinated with. "Back when we were in high school and college, your uncle Nick and I used to go down there in the fall a lot, just to hang out and do guy stuff."
That clinched the deal. "Sweet, Dad. Let's do it."
"Weekend after this. What're you up to this weekend?"
"Mom'll be getting back from California late on Friday, and then she says she's going to spend the whole weekend staring at the ceiling. I don't know, probably just play with my friends and catch a movie."
"Well, let her know that if she gets trapped in California, and Mrs. Talbert can't take you on short notice, you can come over to my place. I have some boring stuff I have to do, meetings and appearances and things, but I don't plan to be away this weekend."
"Okay, I'll tell her."
"I love you, Amos."
"I love you too, Dad." I was about to say "bye" when MJ plopped down beside me. "If your son's still there, let me talk to him."
"Amos?" I said. "Hey, Amos—"
"Somebody here wants to talk to you." I handed the phone to MJ.
A few weeks before, MJ had come by my house late on a Friday to sign some papers. He arrived in a van, floating in a cloud of lawyers and assistants. The business had gotten concluded quickly, but just as MJ had been loading his entourage back into his van, Thalia had come by to drop off Amos for the weekend. While my ex and I had a nearly civil short conversation about clothing that was getting outgrown and persistent low grades in handwriting, the NBA's highest-paid player taught my son the basics of the layup and the jump shot. Afterwards, Amos was walking on air for days.
Now MJ was teasing him on die phone. "After all that work we did improving you in your b-ball, you gonna
?…Oh, well, you just have to go and be die best wrestler you can, then, don't you? Listen, just make sure you do what your coach tells you, and you always do everything one hundred per cent, 'cause that's how you get somewhere. If your dad tells me you've been slacking off, I might have to come and dribble you around that driveway a few times before I slam you through that hoop, all right?…Yeah…now, you know, in every sport, there's fundamentals, and you make sure you know them and you're good at them. First two years in any sport, make sure you get the fundamentals, try to be the best at those. Never try to get fancy till you're perfect as you can be at the basics.…All right, you do that.…What? No, I'm not scared. Maybe a little bit. But not any more than your dad was when he flew into space. This is gonna be more fun than anything I ever did before.… Yeah!…All right, Amos, talk to you later."
He clicked off and handed my phone back to me. "That's a really nice son you have."
"Thank you," I said. "You just made his year."
MJ suddenly gave me the famous big toothy grin, full of mischief. "Hey, do you know anything about wrestling?"
"Not a thing," I admitted.
"Me neither. Couldn't think of a thing to tell him to work on! That's why I said that stuff about fundamentals."
I laughed. "You could've told him anything in the world and he'd be happy. Guess I have to bone up on wrestling, so I can at least have a faint idea what my son's talking about."
MJ smiled. "I'd call that a fundamental in parenting."
The van took one of the corporate entrances into Reagan. I shook hands with the whole crew and thanked them all again. They got on the charter jet.
Back at the van, I looked at my watch; it was only nine A.M., and their liftoff was at 9:30 P.M. I had much to do in the next few hours, but I felt great. I sat back in the van and let die driver take me to the ShareSpace offices, up in Silver Spring.
It had been a long journey to this point in my life—the brink of total success—and I'd paid quite a toll for it. In a sense, my family had been paying it for decades before I was born. My great-grandfather, Peter Blackstone, the oldest of six brothers, had been a banker who loaned money to both the Wright brothers and the Curtiss family, and put some of his own money into stock with both fledgling companies. His kid brother, Henry, flew mail over the Appalachians in a Curtiss JNE, back when the best way to avoid too close a federal inspection was to be, literally, a fly-by-night operator; his three-airplane operation eventually ended up as the nucleus of die first airline on die same route.
Henry's oldest son Stephen escaped from Stanford and paid his own way to became a mechanical engineer, holding several patents on die earliest jet engines, and was a founding stockholder in Republic, which went on to buy out the Wrights and created the powerful Republic Wright aircraft company for which my older brother Nick would eventually work. His youngest brother, George, whom I remembered as Grandpa Blackstone, ran away from home before his parents could pressure him into going to Yale, thus depriving them of their other chance for a lawyer or politician in die family. Instead, George joined die Army Air Corps in die 1920s, worked as a liaison training the Nationalist Chinese Air Force in die 1930s, flew with die AVG (die Flying Tigers) during die Second World War, and finished his career as an Air Force colonel supervising training in die military test pilot program. Because that was where so many of the first generation of astronauts came from, Grandpa Blackstone used to brag that he had bawled out, insulted, and screamed at more future astronauts than any other living person.
When Dad, the older of Grandpa Blackstone's two sons, struck off on his own, he'd wanted nothing more than a quiet, settled life, one that didn't involve moving every couple of years, plane crashes, or shouting. He had found his place in the world building models for wind tunnels at Curtiss Aircraft, which was about to become Curtiss Aerospace. When I was four, his brother, my Uncle Ted, died in a T-38 crash, just after being selected for the astronaut corps.
Nick and I followed family tradition: one tycoon, one lunatic. Nick went off to engineering school, and then as fast as he could into management, and rapidly rose to corporate VP at Republic Wright. He used to enjoy telling Dad and me that he thought engineers and pilots were fine people, and he admired them so much that he wanted to own as many as he could.
I went from AFROTC to the Air Force to pilot training as fast as they'd let me, and from there into the astronaut corps. Along the way, I married Thalia
Pendergast, whose family had been friendly with mine for decades. Thalia had finished her law degree during my first years in the Air Force, coping with moving every few months and getting most of her degree work completed on-line. She was four months pregnant with Amos on the day she got her invitation to serve as clerk to die Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court.
Life became more settled once I became an astronaut and we could buy a house in Orlando; from a family perspective, being an astronaut isn't so different from working for a company that requires lots of out-of-town trips. Thalia had a good position with the Florida Attorney General's Office, and though Amos spent most of his time at day care, he seemed pretty happy.
Common sense would have kept me in the astronaut corps for a long time, and might well have kept my family together, but that itchy need to be doing something different eventually won out. After I had flown three shuttle missions, I started to be bothered by a peculiar thought: we didn't really have a space
Of course the United States had a presence in space, and we flew to Low Earth Orbit fairly often—I had been there three times myself. But no American— in fact, no human being—had gone farther than LEO since December 1972. We went to space for lots of things: commerce, navigation, communication, knowledge, military advantage. But a "program" would imply we were going somewhere, or had things to accomplish that we hadn't done yet, and I just felt that "going somewhere" was exactly what we weren't doing.
Any real space program would require getting many more people off the planet on a much more regular schedule than we had ever done before; the expression for it that emerged around 1985 was "airline-like operations." I decided I might as well learn what an airline operated like.
That entailed changing jobs and changing towns. At least Amos wasn't in school yet when we moved. Better still, since Global Airways, my new employer, was headquartered in DC, it was very little strain on Thalia—"You're moving me to lawyer heaven," she said, when I first brought the subject up.
I didn't plan to stay with Global, but it was a good place to get the knowledge and experience I needed. They were a charter airline that specialized in transporting high-income tourists to and from adventure experiences, and I was already fairly sure that high-cost adventure tourism would be the first major stepping-stone in the private-industry pathway to routine human space travel.
There was an obvious way for a highly experienced pilot to get some of the experience I needed, and that was what I applied for at Global. As a pilot, executive, and tour leader, I took planeloads of wealthy customers to Australia to snorkel die Great Barrier Reef, into and out of half die airports in East Africa and in the Cone of South America for safaris and climbing and fishing trips, and to South Pacific islands I could barely pronounce. I learned a great deal about pleasing tourists, even more about getting along with other companies (most flights were sponsored or paid for by some corporation), and far too much about international aviation law and coping with what we politely called "irregularities in the infrastructure."
You haven't really improvised until you're taking off from the boondocks of Bangladesh, you hit a water buffalo on the runway, and die plane veers into swampland and sinks to its belly—and you've got sixty Republic Wright execs, including your own hypercritical older brother, aboard, and they're all due home in forty-eight hours. I got them home, and stayed out of jail, and Global still made money—but it was a
long forty-eight hours.
Meanwhile I kept my shuttle rating. For four years I was a reserve Air Force officer, so that I could get in my monthly fifteen hours of jet time, and I got up early on many mornings so I could use the shuttle simulator at Langley AFB to do that part of maintaining qualification. As space gradually privatized throughout the nineties, and launch systems operations were moved out of NASA and turned over to the newly created private corporation ASU, Global had increasing hopes of being able to rent Columbia for a flight and have me take up a load of passengers.
On my fortieth birthday, I took stock of where I had been and what I was doing. By most people's standards, I had had four successful careers, as a military pilot, astronaut, airline pilot, and airline exec, but I felt I had just completed my training. I wanted to start doing something that actually got people into space, and I wanted to start right away.
Three days later the phone rang. The first-generation astronaut who had promoted Share-Space into being was ready to step down. He wanted someone with more of a day-to-day business-and-management perspective to take over, because with seats opening on the shuttle, the job would move from promotion to operations. "And when we started looking for a person to replace me," he said, "you seemed to have spent your life creating the perfect résumé for it."
I said I would take the job.
Four days later, I moved into my office. Three weeks after that, it was official—ShareSpace would be able to buy some seats from ASU, and plaque space on
. We were in real business, we had things to sell, and we needed to start selling them now.
I'm not proud of how I handled that at home. Thalia had just launched the Coalition for Effective Justice, a group to push her ideas for how to make the criminal justice and prison systems work more effectively, and she didn't have much time. I can't claim I didn't know it would be a hard time for her-we had discussed it for more than a year before she made her move. But instead of supplying any stability, I suddenly grabbed a new job that was just as demanding as her new job, and dumped a load of new problems, issues, and crises into her lap and expected her to help out with them.
Probably a more sensitive man—or even one who thought about human relations at all—would have realized that it wasn't a good thing to do that without at least some discussion with my wife. Whatever the reason, I just presented all the big changes to her as a.
fait accompli
, and expected that she would just adapt as she always had before.
With both of us launching new careers, the changes hit hard and fast. I had whole months living on yogurt, microwave burritos, and Big Macs, dashing out of the house early and getting home long after Amos was in bed, missing any appointment that wasn't business, skipping any chance of a normal social life. Once, for nine straight days, I got home past midnight and left the house again at six. I was living on a round of flights and phone calls, trying to make sure nothing derailed getting Fred Gernsback into orbit. Meanwhile, Thalia was struggling to get foundation funding for the Coalition, and to manage the house and be, at least, more of a mother than I was a father. I think she did better than I did at almost everything, but I truly didn't have the energy or attention to see it.
One reason why I was always so exhausted in those days was politics. I don't know anybody who genuinely does anything for a living, whether it's flying spacecraft or mopping floors, who has any use for politicians, and my first year at ShareSpace didn't make me like them any better. Probably a quarter of the Senate, and maybe as much as a third of the House, were avowedly hostile to what we were doing. I was over on Capitol Hill or at various agency headquarters almost every day, trying to make sure that all the deals stayed done. Over and over, Congressman Brian "Bingo" Rasmussen and his gang were getting on C-SPAN with speeches that rang with phrases like "completely irresponsible use of national resources," "putting civilians onto a barely controlled bomb," "wasting die taxpayer's dollar on toys for die rich," and so forth.
Like any set of lies, it was built around a core of truth. Space travel if dangerous. It takes big quantities of energy to get to LEO and that energy has to be released fairly fast, and it
get out of control, as it did on
. Space has hazards—vacuum, radiation, orbital collision—that have no equivalent on Earth. If enough heat shielding tiles were to peel off during re-entry, die shuttle could go from a billion-dollar marvel of technology to a tumbling shattered meteor before the crew could do anything to save themselves. The shuttle slams down onto die runway at a steep angle, and hits die pavement rolling about as fast as die race cars at Indy, and it lands powerless, so it can't go around for another pass if something doesn't look right.
But millions of people run risks every year, as part of daily life or even purely for recreation, that are far greater man those run by die shuttle crews. Skydivers, skiers, stock car racers, surfers, rock climbers, even just people driving on die freeway—all run bigger risks, and do it more often. I wasn't kidnapping people onto the shuttle, nor were Citizen Observers taking seats away from any other, more important, purpose-those seats would have flown empty without ShareSpace.
The high price we charged for a seat, finally, was what won enough wavering congressmen and senators to our side, and made the Clinton/Gore administrators, who didn't much like or care for anything connected with space, grudgingly accept it. ASU would get a high-paying customer—ShareSpace—and that would allow it to charge its government customer, NASA, a little less. On the whole, it looked like the taxpayers would come out ahead, and that was what mattered in the waning years of the Clinton Administration.
One day, I came out of one meeting, on my way to another three meetings, and Thalia was waiting for me. I stared at her, unsure what she could be doing here, afraid that perhaps Amos had been hurt.
She handed me a thick stack of papers, and when I looked down, I saw that she was petitioning for divorce. I looked back up at her impassive face, and couldn't think of anything to say. I finally asked if she wanted to talk about anything, and she said she thought it would be better if we just let the lawyers handle everything.
I don't know if it was better, but since she didn't want to talk, that day or later, I didn't see too many other options. I told the lawyer from Gordon and Gordon, the Blackstone family firm, to be generous and quibble about nothing. In turn, Thalia wasn't asking for much except to get this too-busy stranger out of her house, so that her life could be less chaotic.
Of course I was miserable, but the same lack of time and space in my life that led to the divorce also gave me a way to get through the bad time. ShareSpace always needed something done, all the time. A growing company isn't as warm and supportive as a family, but like a family it can consume nearly unlimited energy and much more time than you have. They say that being a workaholic is a hard addiction to shake because it's the only addiction that improves your life, and that was certainly true in my case for many months. The only time I relaxed was during my visitation times with Amos, when I more or less forced myself to park the phone somewhere else and get away completely. At least it made me look forward to visitations.
After a while, Thalia and I started speaking to each other again, almost always about Amos, and usually not very kindly or happily. It was better than the terse, sullen way we'd communicated just after I moved out, but not much better.
As the van rolled into Silver Spring, and I yawned and stretched and wondered what it was like to go to bed without setting an alarm, I realized that no matter how things went, my workaholic days were going to be numbered, and that I was coming to the end of that grimly determined part of my life. In the business community, and particularly in aerospace, Share-Space was no longer regarded as a goofy start-up project doomed to failure, but as a serious venture with a known path of expansion. We would be staffing up substantially over the next few months, and there were now routine procedures for things that, a year ago, we'd still been making up case-by-case.
Every single step was not going to require the CEO's intervention, and some time and regularity would come back into my life. I knew I wanted to spend more time with Amos, but beyond that I wasn't sure what to do with a more conventional life. Maybe I should take a long vacation, or start a hobby, or try dating someone more seriously…perhaps I'd get some thinking done while I was down at the cabin with Amos, on the beach, ten days from now. Meanwhile, there was plenty to do. I picked up my cell phone, dialed my voice mail, and was rewarded with the phrase "Nineteen new messages. You last picked up messages at 10:50 P.M." With a sigh for the clear, crisp sunny fall day rolling past the van's windows, I got to work again.
Copyright ©2000 by Buzz Aldrin and John Barnes
Dr. Buzz Aldrin
was watched by the largest television audience in history as he and Neil Armstrong became the first humans to walk on the moon. He is a graduate of MIT, a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and one of the world's best-known advocates for the exploration of outer space. He lives in Los Angeles.
John Barnes
is the acclaimed author of
Mother of Storms, A Million Open Doors, Finity,
and many other novels. He lives in Gunnison, Colorado. Aldrin and Barnes have written one other novel together,
Encounter with Tiber
Privacy Notice
Terms of Use
Site Map
Visit our Corporate Site
© 2014 Macmillan
Macmillan Speakers
Special Markets
Macmillan Distribution UK (MDL)
Alternative Format Request
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
First Second
Flatiron Books
Henry Holt & Co.
Macmillan Audio
Quick and Dirty Tips
St. Martin's Press
St. Martin's Press
Minotaur Books
Thomas Dunne Books
Palgrave Trade
Distributed Publishers
FSG Books for Young Readers
Feiwel & Friends
Holt Books for Young Readers
Roaring Brook
Priddy Books
Starscape/Tor Teen
Square Fish
Young Listeners
Macmillan Children's Publishing Group
PanMacmillan Australia
PanMacmillan UK
PanMacmillan South Africa
Fischer Verlage
Kiepenheuer & Witsch
Verlagsgruppe Droemer Knaur
Argon Verlag
Powered by
Macmillan Home Page
About Macmillan
Contact Us
Macmillan Code of Conduct
Macmillan Code of Ethics for Business Partners


text:
Garage, Utility & Maintenance
Please make your personalization selections below including entering characters (remember to scroll to ensure you are viewing all available options).
You have non valid characters in the {0} field.
The min length for the {0} field is {1}.
Please choose a {0} entry.
Personalization cost: {0}/each
View Images Item: Tell a Friend Email us your question > Live Chat true Email us your question > false true Add to wish List Additional Views Larger View Availability ADD TO CART Update Price Range: Additional Information: Zoom Viewer Close Improvements Catalog
false pdp {"scheme":"product1_cr"}
false pdp {"scheme":"product2_cr"}
Vinyl Garage Door Frame Seal-30' 1 1
The brown is more like black The brown is almost black and I could have gotten a similar product cheaper elsewhere. December 19, 2013
1-1 of 1
1 Question : 0 Answers
Ask and Answer
Get help about this item from fellow customers. Ask your questions. Share your answers.
Helpful hint: you'll find product measurements, dimensions and related information under the Specifications and Instructions tabs above.
« Back
0 answers
What type of garage door is this for?
Roll down or tilte type garage door? Ok with garage door opener?
4 months, 1 week ago
Additional information about Garage1 could not be loaded.
0out of 0found this question helpful.
Was this helpful?helpful0unhelpful0https://answers.improvementscatalog.com/answers/0048-en_us/product/450112/question/1686814/undohelpfulness.djs?format=embeddedhtml&sessionparams=__BVSESSIONPARAMS__&return=__RETURN__&innerreturn=https%3A%2F%2Fanswers.improvementscatalog.com%2Fanswers%2F0048-en_us%2Fproduct%2F450112%2Fquestions.djs%3Fformat%3Dembeddedhtml%26scrolltotop%3Dtrue%26expandquestion%3D1686814&user=__USERID__&authsourcetype=__AUTHTYPE__&submissionparams=__BVSUBMISSIONPARAMETERS__&submissionurl=__BVSUBMISSIONURL__
1 Person needs an answerI have this question too
1 of 1
1 of 1
Product:450112-Vinyl Garage Door Frame Seal-30\'


text:
Good Question: Green Cleaning the Oven
An ATLA reader asked us this heavy duty question about oven cleaning without harsh chemicals:
Howdy AT! I've got a crusty oven that needs a good cleaning, with an assortment of old and new grease stains that won't come off using soap and water. But I've recently set out to eliminate using chemical formulated household chemicals. Do you have any recommendations about removing the gunks and chunks from a well used oven without harsh chemicals?
Greasy Baked Oven
Email questions and pics with QUESTIONS in subject line to: LA(at)apartmenttherapy(dot)com)
Link To All Good Questions
Dear Greasy,
First off, we commend you on your decision to eliminate harsh chemicals in your household. Your decision will benefit both the environmental quality of your home and the planet. But back to your oven cleaning dilemma. You could first try scrubbing with a degreasing formula; the Ecover Cream Scrub.
An old fashioned scrubbing paste recipe you can make yourself includes: 5 tablespoons of baking soda, 4 tablespoons of white vinegar, 3 drops of liquid soap, and a squeeze of lemon. Mix all together into thick paste and use with sponge to remove caked on stains.
Hopefully your oven has a self-cleaning option, which can tackle those extremely caked on stains, grease and grime and turn them literally to dust. But even if you don't you can approximate the self-cleaning action with a bit more time and elbow grease. Jodi Karnick of eSSortment.com recommends the following steps:
1. Fill the sink with extra-hot, soapy water and place all oven racks and broiling racks into the water.
2. If using a cleaning product, apply the cleanser to the inside of the oven.
3. Wait. Allow at least 10-minutes for the cleanser to go to work.
4. Using a damp sponge, wipe dirt, debris and grease away.
5. Rinse. It's important to remove the cleaning solution completely from the oven. Rinse thoroughly several times.
6. Turn the oven to 200-degrees. Allow it to heat for ten minutes and then turn the oven off. This will help "burn off" any leftover cleanser odor so that it doesn't seep into your food.
7. Repeat, if necessary.
6 Comments
Hi Greasy,
In the evening, I make a paste of salt, baking soda & and water that's thick enough to stick to the inside surfaces (you will need a lot). Close the oven door and wait overnight. In the morning you can wipe it out with a damp rag. Works like magic!
I second that method! I've tried it and it worked pretty well.
I think I saw something like Button's solution posted on Martha Stewart's website too... heard it worked well. Let us know how you do!
sweet im so going to try that.
My oven is on the krust side but i can't stand the smell of chemicals ...
Using the self-cleaning element on your oven can increase its wear dramatically. This is what I've been told by several appliance techs.
I own a six-burner Kitchen Aid. (I cook for 15 people.) I would hate to shorten my oven's life-span by heating it up at the temperatures needed to self-clean.
Cleaning the carpet in your residence can be a cumbersome job and could consider some time to get done. There are a good deal of items that require to be done, like relocating the furniture, finding the right cleaning answer, and many others. It would be best to timetable it on dates when you have a long weekend or for the duration of spring cleaning, as lengthy as the moments function for you. Proper arranging also enables you to be a lot more productive in cleaning. You can take help form carpet cleaning Carlsbad.


text:
Yoga Classes in Ascot England
| Yoga Classes in Ascot
|Yoga classes
|Contact:Angie Beadle
|Phone:07867 548661
|Yoga Style: Iyengar Style
|Send Message
|I teach one2one classes and hold a number of group classes in Ascot/West Horsley I also teach mother and baby yoga and fun children's yoga. My classes are fun, challenging and you'll leave feeling stretch .. More about Yoga classes
|Update listing
|Yogi Bears
|Contact:Sophie Lou
|Cheapside Village Hall, Ascot
|Yoga Style: Children's Yoga
|Send Message
|Welcome to the world of Yogi Bears,Children's Yoga Classes for 3-10years. Sophie's background stems from the completion of her degree course in Early Childhood Studies. Following this, Sophie worked in a .. More about Yogi Bears
|Update listing
|You also might be interested in...
England Yoga Workshops
England Yoga Retreats
England Yoga Teacher Training Centres
England Yoga Advanced Training


text:
The credit reporting bureaus may be heavy handed when dinging your credit over medical debt, according to a new government study. If that's you, then you have company. Let's take a look at how big of a deal unpaid medical bills are in America.
According to NerdWallet, a finance blog, last year alone 56 million Americans under 65 had trouble paying medical bills. Hardworking people who've never accumulated debt can fall into it after getting sick and watching bills pile up. Unlike credit card debt which is most likely planned, medical debt is not. When you get sick you don't get to decide how much you can afford to pay.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recently conducted a study on how debt impacts credit scores and it found two big things: First, it shows that after medical debt is paid off, the credit reporting agencies don't bump up credit scores enough. It's over penalized. Second, it says that people with medical debt are not the same credit risk as people who have racked up credit card debt. And that should also be reflected in less of a ding to your score, but it's not.
Something called the Medical Debt Responsibility Act has been proposed for years, but goes nowhere. If it ever does, it would, in part, require that the credit bureaus remove all medical collections within 45 days of being paid off.
If you're in this jam, you are not alone. There is comfort in knowing that folks out there are thinking about how to remedy this. In the meantime, check your credit report. See if there is anything on there that you need to tend to. Don't ignore a past bill. Get on a payment plan - even if it's a little bit at a time.
Thanks for contacting FOX 5. To reach our newsroom by phone, please call (404) 898-0100.


text:
Reykjavik Apartment Rental Photos and Description
A Real Home To Make You Really Feel At Home.
The flat has all the cardinal directions with entrance facing south. On the whole, it is about 150 m². However, one of the rooms is a storage room, and another one a small office, so there are roughly 125 m² (1345 sq.ft.) at your disposal.
There are two bedrooms, one on the south side and one in the northwest part, sleeping two to four people. One of them has a Queen size bed, and the other a Double. The inner living room has a single bed, and if you need some extra sleeping space, a futon mattress can be provided.
The living/dining room is spacious and has a balcony that faces west and is well sheltered from the wind. That also makes it an ideal spot for a barbeque. It has a view to grown gardens and a studio apartment that is adjacent to the house.
The kitchen is east-facing. It's well equipped for cooking meals and perfect for having breakfast in the morning.
The bathroom has a full size bathtub and a shower, and has a window facing north, so the light is very nice.
The washing facility is in the basement and is shared with other inhabitants in the house. Should you need it, please let me know.
Internet access is free of charge.
The house has an old garden in the front.
Across the street, seen from the kitchen window, is the Klambratun Park where you'll find Kjarvalsstadir, the Reykjavik Art Museum named after the 20th century painter Johannes Kjarval. The park also has several outdoors sports facilities.
If you have a car, the street in front has enough free parking space. Public transport is regular, with a bus stop close by. It's an easy walk from the flat to the city center with all the shopping and culture it has to offer.
This is a real home for me, and I hope you will feel the same. I'm taking care of the property myself and am very much looking forward to your visit.
- Suitability:
- limited accessibility
- pets not allowed
- Long-term Renters Welcome
- non smoking only
About Soffia Lara Karlsdóttir
I was born in Reykjavik and lived here for the first 20 years of my life in a family of artists. I went abroad and lived in France for many years. I also lived in London while studying complementary medicine. I am interested in the arts, architecture, health and general well-being. I work in the field of health and preventive medicine and have been interested in it for as long as I can remember. I also teach a mind management training technique at international courses in Europe and in the US as well as in Iceland. I really like people and I am interested in life in general. If you would like to explore different viewpoints, there are books in my library about many different approaches in this field - most of them in English, and some in French.
I used to work as a travel guide and I know the country quite well. I have two grown up children. My son works as a mountain guide in Iceland and my daughter is an actor, working and living abroad. I am lucky to have two grandchildren, that are 17 and 8-years-old.
When the apartment is occupied, I will be living close by, and can be easily reached most of the time. If I am not available, there will be a reliable replacement.
I'm happy to be of help during your stay in Reykjavik.
Soffia Lara Karlsdóttir purchased this apartment in 2006
Why Soffia Lara Karlsdóttir chose Reykjavik
I chose Reykjavik because that's where my roots are. I have seen this city grow into what it is right now, a place of incredible cultural and entrepreneurial creativity.
What makes this apartment unique
The house, built in 1946, was designed by the well-known State Architect, G. Samuelson. When I first came into the house I felt that this was it. A feeling of space and harmony was the thing that really struck me. The living room had lots of space, the light was beautiful and I really wanted to live here. I had to renovate quite a bit.
What I really like about the apartment, is that it is so easy to relax there after a day of work or activities. I love the wooden oak floor that is heated, and to walk on it bare-foot is so lovely.
It's also really close to everything I need, which is great because then I can be more friendly to the environment and use the car less frequently.
The apartment is within an easy 10 minutes' walk from the BSI Central bus station where the FLYBUS from Keflavik International Airport comes in. City buses are within easy reach from the house as well as the city bus station Hlemmur, which is situated at the upper end of the main shopping street, Laugavegur. Last but not least the swimming-pool is a short walk away with a steam-bath and and an outdoor hot tub.


text:
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
That's a good point Suzaku. Hopefully they will let the the other 24 enter the raid and then re-queue the one missing person. You will of course have people leaving the raid constantly. Hopefully they will not allow people leave in the middle of boss fights. When someone leaves a 5-man group everyone in the group has to click buttons to re-queue for the missing person. Hopefully in a raid, it will automatically fill the missing spots.


text:
The "Squawk Alley" crew discuss the value in Amazon's new tablet and e-readers.» Read More
The tech giant will make 15 cents of every $100 spent, or 0.15 percent, using Apple Pay, sources said. The FT reports.
Emoticons may have just been the beginning. The loving messages of the future could be much more intimate — and much stranger.
The company that made the Master Chief a household name is introducing a new game, and they hope it will become the next billion-dollar franchise.
At a coming-out party on Sept. 9, the tech world expects Apple to show off a device with a 4.7-inch screen, and possibly one with a 5.5-inch screen.
Apple is widely believed to be launching it's new iPhone on Sept. 9, and there have been no shortage of rumors as to what the new phone will look like.
If use a Windows phone, you can finally get access to free Spotify.
EA is counting on its "Madden" football franchise to help it launch the company's boldest digital push to date.
FMHR trader Stephanie Link discusses whether the "death of the PC" was over-exaggerated. The traders take their positions in the name.
HP reported quarterly revenue that topped projections as it works through an internal overhaul aimed at cutting costs.
Apple hit $100 a share for first time since its seven-for-one split in June.
With Cisco reporting earnings after the bell Wednesday, analysts aren't expecting much good news on its Chinese business.
Sony has sold over 10 million PlayStation 4 (PS4) devices, the company said on Tuesday, landing a major blow to rival Microsoft's Xbox One.
The offer by Iliad for T-Mobile is set to be rejected by the US firm having failed to meet the value put on the business by Telekom, FT reports.
The same remote access software that allows employees to work from home opens data up to hackers, Homeland Security said. NYT reports.
After Apple reported Q3 EPS of $1.28 on revenue of $37.43 billion, Darren Chervitz of the Jacob Internet Fund, thinks this quarter is unimportant. Timothy Lesko, Granite Investment Advisors; Brian Blair, Rosenblatt Securities; and CNBC contributor Jared Bernstein, share their opinions.
Computer hardware maker Dell said that customers can now use bitcoin to make purchases on the firm's online marketplace.
Apple said on Thursday that Susan Wagner, founding partner of BlackRock, had been appointed to its board.
IBM posted second-quarter earnings, excluding items, of $4.32 on $24.36 billion in revenue.
Steve Jobs probably wouldn't have approved of the IBM deal, but get used to it—this is the new age Apple, says Michael Yoshikami.
Apple and IBM stocks stocks were up slightly after the firms announced a partnership in which IBM will create business apps for the iPhone and iPad.


text:
Machu Picchu Day Trip from Cusco
Read what other Viator.com travelers think about the Machu Picchu Day Trip from Cusco. What they loved, what they liked and what they think could be improved, it's all here to help you make the most of your next trip.
Click here for tour details, schedule and pricing
I enjoyed the tour and would definitely recommend everyone to get this tour!
Great experience.
I had a very short window to try to get to Machu Picchu while on a business trip to Lima. Found and signed up for the Viator VistaDome tour via the web. Signing up was very smooth and after calling to confirm per their instructions, eagerly anticipated the trip. Everything went as advertised. They picked me up on schedule at my hotel in Cusco and delivered me to the Vistadome train station. The train was much more comfortable than expected. They served decent food (complimentary) during the beautiful 3.5 hour train ride to Aguas Caliente. Johnny, the Viator guide was waiting for me and the other Viator participants at the train station and escorted us to the bus up the mountain to Machu Picchu. Johnny was a character. GREAT knowledge of Machu Picchu as he had been providing tours of "his office" for over 20 years. Gave incredible insights into the construction, history, and possible uses of Machu Picchu. He was entertaining, engaging and very knowledgeable. His English was not as good as some of the other guides I saw, but it was more than acceptable and his knowledge more than made up for a word or two he could not translate. We spent about 5 hours at the ruin before heading back down. Again, a very smooth trip back to Cusco with Viator agents everywhere they needed to be. THE ONLY thing to ensure if you use this package is that the return train timing is sufficient. When we arrived at Aguas Caliente, we had a return ticket for a 2:30PM train to Cusco, despite availability on much later options. Thankfully, we realized this by comparing return train times with other Viator participants and I was able to change to a 5:45 train. Given the cost and effort to get to Machu Picchu, it would have been a shame to have not maximized the time available. So, definitely check the time of your return ticket....it is arbitrarily assigned by Viator and it is definitely worth maximizing your time. Otherwise, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS TOUR.
We were a group of four and we booked the last train out of Machu Picchu to Cusco but didn't need the extra time. You get two hours which is enough since it's about 4 kms of up and down walking and you are tired after. No lunch included. The guide was really good and informative.
It was brilliant - Hector should be paid more !
The tour was very well organized. I even got to have a wake up call to get me ready for the 5 a. m. Pick up! The tour guide was very informative and friendly. Machu Picchu was beautiful!
We visited Peru, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil with tons of memorable experiences. What was the best? The trip to Machu Picchu. Incredibly beautiful, amazing, historic, and really well organized by Viator. A must do for everyone. Only caution is to be prepared for the altitude by spending a day or two in Cuzco and drinking tons of water and cacao tea, and finally being fit to walk a bunch if you want to see all that Machu Picchu has to offer. Even if you dont have the energy to walk everywhere, just making it to the place and seeing what little you can or want to, is worth it. BTW if you can, hike over to the Inca bridge which is at the tail end of the trip, cause it's worth it.
Excellent tour and incredible site. Everyone who has a chance should go.
Fabulous from beginning to end and an excellent tour guide and service!
Very well organized! The guide had a very good command of the English language and was very friendly and knowledgeable about the visited site.
Superb is the word. I fully recomend. My choice was one day trip to Machu Pichu. What i found suficient to who stay only for 3days in Cusco. I boght the travel in Viator site for 250€. They pick me in hotel at 4 am and drop me at 10 pm. The day was amazing, everything well arranged with Viator people in every travel point. The guide (mr Hector)was very kind and explained very well all the historic tour. Lots of time to see Machu, to turn around Aguas Calientes and take a beer and come back in the amazing train by night. Something to do again. In regard hotel I was in Los Aticos in center town. Very good in terms of price and simphaty.
This is a great tour. The provider is a local company called Viajes Pacifico. Really prompt hotel pick up and very well coordinated. The train ride to Machu Picchu is very scenic and Peru Rail serves a small breakfast up and a snack on the way back (I did the Vistadome train). Once at Aguas Calientes I met with my English speaking guide, Khan. We waited for another person, however after 20 minutes, they did not show. I had the guide all to myself, so it was a private tour of MP. Lucky me. The guide was very accommodating and allowed me to stop for photos, etc was liberal with his explanations and walked me at decent, but not tiring pace. After about 2 hours in the site he then escorted me back to the bus and then to the train. Overall a long but great day. Here are a couple of comments for the general traveler: Buy this tour, you will not regret it. However, be prepared for 7 hours on the train to and from Aguas Calientes from Cusco. Be prepared for lines to get on buses and to enter the site once you arrive at the top. When you get to the site entrance be prepared to walk steep inclines and stairs to the actual vista and real start of the tour. There is considerable walking up and down, sometimes steep inclines and stairs. There were a number of elderly people having difficulty. While my tour was as my own pace since I had the guide to myself, we actually were progressing faster than larger groups. So I would not say that they move you through fast. Just be aware there is moderate physical exertion required to complete the tour. Believe it or not this really is all doable in a day. Just be mindful of your return train time, have an open and adventuresome mindset, and you will have a great day with a great tour provider.
Very well organized, beautiful day. To be honest, we spent more time traveling to and from the site, then actually being in Machu Picchu. But we were glad we had the experience. Great job all around.
Everything is perfect about Viator Machu Picchu tour.I recommend everybody to see Machu Picchu .It was a dream for me,and realized by Viator.
I booked the Machu Picchu Day Trip from Cusco. I had a great Machu Picchu experience due to the highly knowledgeable guide Leslie who speaks great english. She gave me valuable insite to the ruins of Machu Picchu. They pick up and drop off form your hotel which was very helpful.


text: Last updated: November 9, 2012 10:20 a.m. School delays The Journal Gazette Several area schools are on a 2-hour delay.For a complete list of school delays, click here. © Copyright 2014 The Journal Gazette. All rights reserved. Neither this material nor its presentation may be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.