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Situation updates
(November 2012)
Maps for each of the areas described below are available in the map room
Shan State
Kayah/Karenni State
Northern Kayin/Karen areas
Central Karen/Kayin State
Southern Mon areas
Tenasserim/Tanintharyi region
Shan State
Kayah/Karenni State
Northern Kayin/Karen areas
Central Karen/Kayin State
Southern Mon areas
Tenasserim/Tanintharyi region
Shan State
A series of ceasefire agreements with various armed groups have raised hopes for peace amongst local communities in Southern Shan State. The peace initiative started in September 2011 when the Government withdrew its demand that the United Wa State Army (UWSA) and the National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA) transform into a Border Guard Force. Renewing the ceasefire agreement diffused the possibility of armed conflict, re-established liaison offices and reporting mechanisms for troop movements and opened the way for political negotiations in the future.
A similar agreement was negotiated between the Government and the Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA) at the end of January 2012. Tatmadaw offensives targeting SSPP/SSA areas had broken a 22 year old ceasefire in March 2011, and resulted in the displacement of over 30,000 civilians. However, buoyed by the release from detention of their leader General Hso Ten and other leading Shan politicians including Khun Htun Oo, the SSPP/SSA agreed to a truce when the demand to transform into a Border Guard Force under Tatmadaw command was repealed.
The Restoration Council of Shan State/ Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA) entered into a series of talks with the Government. Apart from the four basic issues included in the UWSA, NDAA and SSPP/SSA agreements, the RCSS/SSA and the Government also agreed in principle to co-operate on a range of other issues. These include the eradication of illicit drugs, economic development projects, the resettlement of RCSS/SSA families, prisoner of war release, public consultations, and access to humanitarian assistance, amongst others.
However, the RCSS/SSA and SSPP/SSA agreements appear fragile and have been broken repeatedly in subsequent months. The RCSS/SSA have reported around 30 skirmishes with Tatmadaw forces since a nominal ceasefire was agreed in principle at the beginning of December 2011. Similarly, Tatmadaw offensives continue to target SSPP/SSA bases and indiscriminate heavy artillery attacks as well as counter-insurgency strategies targeting civilians have resulted in significant displacement in Kehsi/Kyethi and Monghsu Townships during the past year. Both RCSS/SSA and SSPP/SSA have reported these violations of the ceasefire agreement to Naypidaw, but the capacity of the Government to exercise authority over the Tatmadaw appears limited.
Livelihood opportunities for ordinary villagers in Shan State remain limited. While there has been some improvement in freedom of movement in RCSS/SSA and UWSA areas, travel to fields and markets continues to be restricted by Tatmadaw operations in SSPP/SSA areas. Forced labour to carry weapons, ammunition and food for remote Tatmadaw and militia camps is an ongoing and widespread imposition. The possibility of peace is also attracting business investors and with them the threat of land confiscation by local militia or authorities.
For internally displaced persons in camps adjacent to the Thailand border, the insecurity has been exacerbated by cuts in food rations due to TBC funding shortages. Villagers attempting to supplement their diet by cultivating crops inadvertently increased tensions in May 2012 as UWSA interpreted this as RCSS/SSA attempting to gain additional territory.
[Rev: Nov12]
Kayah/Karenni State
After establishing a state-level ceasefire agreement in March 2012, the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP) submitted a 20 point position paper for the Union government's consideration. The Union Government agreed in principle to 14 of the points in May, with the remaining contentious issues primarily relating relating to the demarcation and separation of troops and large scale development projects. Nevertheless, local communities as well as other Karenni political parties have welcomed the KNPP engagement in this peace process. Promises by KNPP that it will not focus on business but rather the well-being of the Karenni people have been appreciated and liaison offices have been opened in Loikaw, Shadaw and Hpasawng.
There remain 14 Tatmadaw battalions permanently based in Kayah State, 6 roving battalions from neighbouring Shan State plus 1 special battalion for the security of Ywa-thit dam. With the cessation of hostilities, these troops have increased the frequency and duration of visits into nearby villages. Security regulations previously required off-duty soldiers remain in the barracks between 4.00pm and 9.00am, but many communities have reported soldiers now staying in villages well into the night. This interaction might help build trust, but the increased troop presence has also increased anxieties.
One of the controversial issues debated during the peace negotiations has been construction of a military training school on more than 3,000 acres which were confiscated by the Tatmadaw in Hpruso Township. A joint assessment team was formed with nine representatives from government and two KNPP members to consult with local communities. However, findings reflected the lack of balance in the survey team and were rejected by KNPP, who have proposed to form an independent group for another survey.
Construction of the Ywa Thit hydro-electric dam along the Salween River is another contentious issue that was raised during the ceasefire talks. The Government's negotiators have reassured that preliminary feasibility assessments will be followed by independent environmental and human rights impact assessments, and that KNPP can observe and inspect every step of the process. However, monitoring attempts by Karenni civil society organisations have subsequently been obstructed. Villagers have expressed concerns that land has already been appropriated to construct housing for engineers and that the Tatmadaw's LIB#423 has already deployed troops to secure the area.
Restrictions on movement remains a frustration for villagers, with 22 Tatmadaw and police checkpoints still stopping vehicles along the Loikaw-Mawchi car road. Checkpoints at all entrances into towns demand fees from arriving traffic. The Tatmadaw has directly funded the reconstruction of the Taungoo-Mawchi road and started surveying in June 2012. However, this survey is being resisted by KNPP troops who argue that the forced labour and land confiscation associated with the project will represent a greater burden than the potential benefits of trade for villagers in the areas.
The State government had planned to build a cement factory near Loikaw which would result in the confiscation of more than 7,000 acres of civilians' lands. However, after villagers protested the government committed to moving the cement factory elsewhere, even though the gravel will still be accessed from the original fields. While the threat to livelihoods remains, this is also an indicator that civil society is feeling more empowered and that local government is becoming more accountable.
The government has expanded mining concessions for ceasefire parties beyond Mawchi and into different areas of Kayah state. Since 2010, a business concession with the Kayaw ceasefire group (KNPDP) to mine for antimony in Hoya area of Pruso township has damaged about 50 acres of agricultural lands belonging to local villagers. The Kayan New Land Party (KNLP) and Karenni Nationalities Peoples' Liberation Front (KNPLF) have also expanded a concession for antimony mining in Loikaw township since 2010 which has resulted in damage to 60 acres of agricultural land.
Northern Kayin/Karen areas
The Karen National Union's (KNU's) negotiations with the Government during 2012 have included an agreement in principle to a nation-wide ceasefire and the progressive realisation of peace. A thirteen point preliminary agreement in April covered a range of political, military and human rights issues, while a Draft Code of Conduct for military personnel was also agreed in principle during September. Skirmishes have decreased significantly as a result but the area remains heavily militarised. After decades of conflict there remain significant doubts amongst the civilian population as to whether the rapid reforms will lead to a sustainable peace.
In the upland areas of northern Karen State and Eastern Bago Region, the ceasefire period has been characterised by the resupply of rations and the redeployment of troops by the Tatmadaw to frontline army camps. This has been facilitated by new reporting mechanisms for troop movements with the KNU, however it has had the unintended effect of enabling the Tatmadaw to stockpile supplies and reinforce their outposts to be stronger than ever before.
While there have not been any military offensives, skirmishes have continued on a regular basis between KNU and Government troops, including Border Guard Forces. This has primarily been the result of troop movements occurring without prior notice to the other armed group. However, upland villagers are not necessarily privy to any of this information and so remain afraid to leave their huts and travel to their fields whenever there are Tatmadaw troop movements. Apart from the fear of being caught in the crossfire, villagers habitually avoid troops whenever possible to mitigate against the possibility of extortion or the confiscation of food and property.
However, the ceasefire period has generally enabled farmers greater access to their hillside rice fields as there has been a significant decrease in roving troop patrols to search for, and destroy, civilian settlements assumed to be aiding the armed opposition. This has enabled some villagers to move closer to better agricultural land or to cultivate their crops and protect them from pests without having to run away for fear of being detected and alleged to be rebel sympathisers. Travel between lowland markets and the uplands has also become easier as there are less suspicions and interrogations at checkpoints. This has facilitated greater trade and social interaction between communities which have long been divided by conflict.
Neither upland nor lowland villagers have dared to return to live in their original village as the situation is still fragile and trust still needs to be regained. However, many upland villagers have returned to check on their fields and some have constructed small bamboo huts, while keeping their family and main shelter deeper in the forest away from harm. There have even been some household leaders who have returned from the refugee and IDP camps along the Thailand border to assess the impact of the ceasefire agreement on security conditions in their ancestral homelands.
In lowland areas where the government's administration is more established, there has not been any significant change in the frequency or severity of human rights abuses. Villagers are still subject to the usual arbitrary taxes and extortion, while forced labour continues to be used to fortify army camps and repair roads. Whenever Tatmadaw troops need to transport rations by foot to outposts, the surrounding villagers are also expected to contribute their labour. These deprivations and rampant land grabbing by small-scale mining operations have exacerbated the lack of food security and chronic poverty which is the legacy of protracted conflict.
[Rev: Nov12]
Central Karen/Kayin state
Apart from the KNU and the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), which has transformed into a Border Guard Force under Tatmadaw command, there are two smaller armed groups which also have some influence in central Karen State. While the Karen Peace Council (led by a former KNU 7th Brigade Commander) is insignificant in military terms, the Kloh Htoo Baw Karen Organisation's (formerly DKBA 5th brigade) refusal to form a Border Guard Force had previously led to an intensification of armed conflict after the 2010 elections.
Kloh Htoo Baw and the Karen Peace Council re-negotiated ceasefire agreements with the Government in December 2011 and January 2012 respectively. Both ceasefire agreements cover the government's basic ceasefire principles, while Kloh Htoo Baw has also committed to combatting the illicit drug trade and the Karen Peace Council has reportedly secured business concessions.
The Government's ceasefire agreements with KNU and Kloh Htoo Baw have led to a decrease in artillery attacks on civilians and related human rights abuses such as the destruction of property in contested areas. However, other abuses such as forced labor, land confiscation and arbitrary taxation are ongoing, especially in areas close to development projects and in contested areas where multiple armed groups claim authority over the civilian population.
Given the relative calm, approximately 27,000 civilians started trying to return to their villages in Myawaddy and Kyain Seikgyi Townships during 2012. While many of these people returned after briefly being displaced into Thailand during the post-election violence, the number of internally displaced persons in surrounding areas also decreased. However, the sustainability of this return and resettlement remains in doubt due to concerns about security and livelihood opportunities.
The government is preparing for the resettlement of displaced persons by building infrastructure such as roads, bridges, schools and clinics to establish sub-township centers in Myawaddy and Hlaingbwe Townships. Ironically, these projects have led to land confiscation and the imposition of forced labour which have undermined local livelihoods. Construction repairs and the resupply of military rations for Tatmadaw and Border Guard Force camps have fortified the Armed Forces and raised suspicions amongst local villagers.
While private land ownership is not legally recognised in Myanmar, competition for land utilisation rights has escalated in central Karen State during the current ceasefire period. An increase in the demand, demarcation and sale of vacant land has been especially significant in Hlaingbwe Township. The purchase of rights to rural lands in Karen State by urban residents from other States and Regions could lead to disputes in the future between the migrant and local populations.
There has been a concerted effort by the Government to improve access to citizenship by issuing Citizen Scrutiny Cards, which are commonly known as National Verification Cards or pink cards, to rural communities. While these pink cards confer full citizenship rights and require supporting documentation, a green card providing naturalised citizenship has been provided for civilians with only the village leader's recommendation. This distinction between documentation and status has caused some confusion for local villagers.
Southern Mon areas
The New Mon State Party (NMSP) first signed a ceasefire agreement with the Government in 1994, and tried unsuccessfully to promote constitutional and political reform through the National Convention until 2008. Communications broke down in April 2010 after the NMSP refused to transform into a Border Guard Force and forfeit their status as a political party, although the situation did not deteriorate into outright armed conflict. Negotiations during the past year led to the renewal of the ceasefire agreement at the state-level and a commitment from the Government to negotiate ceasefire agreements with all non-state armed groups before the end of 2012 so that inclusive political dialogue can commence at the Union level.
The 1994 ceasefire agreement induced the repatriation of over 10,000 refugees from Thailand into resettlement sites within the heartland of the designated NMSP ceasefire areas. However, in the absence of a political solution and human rights promotion, these refugees became internally displaced persons who could not access international protection from Thailand nor international assistance from Yangon. As abuses in government controlled areas continued, the displaced population in southern Mon ceasefire areas swelled as villagers fled to seek nominal protection by the NMSP. It is not surprising then that the renewal of the ceasefire agreement has not yet had any significant impact on the protection and livelihoods of villages in 2012.
The Tatmadaw has not separated its troops from the ceasefire areas, and is still utilising the existence of a small Mon splinter group as a justification for ongoing incursions into NMSP areas of Ye and Yebyu Townships. In turn, the fortification of outposts continues to be accompanied with forced labour to repair army barracks and extortion or confiscation of food and property to subsidise troops. Given competing claims for territory, the counter-insurgency rhetoric continues to be the rationale for restricting villagers' access to fields, plantations and markets even in NMSP ceasefire areas.
Even though the Mon are traditionally low land paddy farmers, the ceasefire areas do not provide sufficient fertile soil and so the majority of rice farmers practice shifting cultivation on hillsides. Some of the more established families have cash crops like cashew nut and betel nut palms, but these require five or six years of investment before any benefits can be accrued. Most families are dependent on seasonal labour on rubber and palm oil plantations for daily wages from businesses based in Moulmein and elsewhere in Mon State.
Tenasserim/Tanintharyi Region
After the ceasefire agreement was negotiated between the Government and the KNU in January 2012, artillery attacks on civilians in contested areas and military activities to seize control the region essentially stopped. However, the Tatmadaw did not withdraw any troops, nor abandon any outposts along the borderline. Troop rotations and the resupply of military rations to outposts along the borderline has continued.
Villagers have generally welcomed the ceasefire and political reforms. Human rights abuses targeting civilians to undermine the armed opposition, as well as the prevalence of forced labour, have generally decreased. Villagers have more freedom of movement and can travel without asking permission, or being stopped and questioned by military authorities. Civilians even appear to have more courage in submitting complaints about mismanagement by the administration. However, villagers do not generally trust the Government nor the Tatmadaw, and there is a widespread perception that the ceasefire is just a means for international legitimacy and commercial profit. Over 70,000 villagers remain internally displaced in relocation sites or hiding in remote forests at the end of 2012.
Livelihoods are still being undermined by the Tatmadaw's confiscation of property and livestock. Land is not only confiscated to subsidise the troops' rations, but also for sale to private companies connected to former and current high-ranking Tatmadaw authorities. After the ceasefire agreement, and upon the recommendation of relevant Regional authorities, the central government granted huge tracts of land for private rubber and palm plantations as well as logging and mining concessions. Many foreign companies subsequently approached KNU for permission to conduct their business even though social and environmental impact assessments had not been considered.
The business climate is not without risk however. The Ital-Thai Development (ITD) Company's plan to conduct a preliminary soil survey along the Tanintharyi River from the border in Dawei to Yebyu Township was obstructed by heavy and continuing rain. ITD have also reportedly suspended construction of the railway, oil and gas pipelines and electricity transmission tower along the Trans-Border Corridor due to finance constraints.
However, surveys for the construction of Dawei Deep Sea Port and the Industrial Estate continued in Yebyu Township. There are also plans to establish two more industrial estates in Tanintharyi Region near the border at Teekee/MinThe Mee Kee on ITD's trans-border corridor link, and at MawTaung on the road to Mergui/Myeik. These industrial estates are attracting investors from multiple sectors, although the broader impacts on the distribution of wealth remain unclear.
From this perspective, questions remain about the links between the Government's economic growth model and poverty alleviation. Access to basic public goods, such as health, education, electricity and communication remain limited. Regardless of being a resource-rich region, the majority of people in the region continue to be impoverished.


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Changes for 2014-15
- Buy your WKU Parking Permit!
- Manage Your Parking Account
- Appeal a Citation
- Pay a Citation
- NextBus Information
- Alumni Square Garage
- Enterprise Car Share
- Event Shuttle Request
- Departmental Service Request
- Advertising Opportunities
- Airport Shuttle Service
- Visitors to Campus
- Disability Parking
- Motorcycles/Scooters/Bikes
- Car Free
- PTS Staff
- Campus Services and Facilities
- 15 Passenger Van Training
2012 Summer Camp Parking Information (click here for more)
|Date: Thursday, May 31st, 2012
|Return to Archive
Parking Guides for WKU Summer Camps 2012.
No camp maps available at this time. Check back soon.
Additional parking and transportation information is available on the PTS website at: http://www.wku.edu/transportation.
Commuter Permit Holders ONLY
This week only (Sept 1-5)
Sept 3rd
Commuters - New Parking Option Available
Creason Lot will now be zoned All Permit (AP) lot.
Speed Limit Reduced on Normal and State Streets
New Yellow Line
New Purple Line Transit Service
Big discounts offered to Students, Faculty, and Staff. Visit www.InShuttle.com/wku to make your reservations! Click the headline above for more information.

subset: commoncrawl


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T-Mobile US Could Reward Shareholders With a "Jump" Over Competition
Chris is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network -- entries represent the personal opinion of the blogger and are not formally edited.
America's fourth largest wireless carrier, T-Mobile (NYSE: TMUS), is shaking up the phone industry with its new Jump device upgrade program. Company CEO John Legere sent cringes through the telecom industry with this statement:
At some point, big wireless companies made a decision for you that you should have to wait two years to get a new phone for a fair price. That's 730 days of waiting. 730 days of watching new phones come out that you can't have. Or having to live with a cracked screen or an outdated camera. We say two years is just too long to wait. Today, we're changing all that with the launch of JUMP! Now, customers never have to worry about being stuck with the wrong phone. And yes, it's really as good as it sounds.
The revolutionary plan from T-Mobile, which stands for "just upgrade my phone," is already being copied by other providers, but could be huge for the number four telecom player in the United States. For $10 a month, customers at T-Mobile can trade in their phone after six months on the plan. In fact, customers can trade in their phones four times in a 24 month time period. The $10 a month fee is a screaming bargain for customers, considering it also covers insurance for damage and protection, which already costs $8.
To go along with its new Jump program, T-Mobile has rolled out 4G LTE, new family plans, and integrated the iPhone into all stores and kiosks. The company is competing strong with its new 4G LTE program. In June, the company spent $308 million to acquire additional spectrum. The company's 4G routes cover 157 million people and are available in 116 metropolitan markets. Compare that to number three player Sprint who's 4G is available in 110 markets and covers 55 million people.
In the first quarter, T-Mobile added 579,000 net additions, including 3,000 branded customers. The increase in branded customers was the company's first in 15 months. The importance in that number is, of course, the difference in average revenue per use. Postpaid branded users have an ARPU of $54.07, compared to prepaid branded users average of $28.25.
Rival telecom leader AT&T (NYSE: T) is the first out with a full plan to compete with T-Mobile. The company's ATT Next program, which will start on July 26, was announced this week. The program is different though, as it requires 12 months worth of monthly fees before a customers can upgrade to a new phone.
ATT Next requires no down payment, no activation fee, no upgrade fee, and no financing fee. The plan, which also tries to go after the value consumer, allows low monthly installments to pay for phones and upgrades. After 12 months on the plan, customers can trade in for a new phone, as they continue to pay monthly payments on the new phone. After 20 months, no further monthly payments are due.
In the first quarter, AT&T saw revenue slide 1.5% to $31.4 billion. The company did see 1.2 million new smartphone subscriptions and now has 88% of postpaid customers on a smartphone plan. The company collects the majority of its revenue (53%) from its wireless segment. Average revenue per user was up 18% in the first quarter. A successful launch of ATT Next could help the company in its continued dominance of the United States with Verizon. The plan could also increase its average revenue per user with higher monthly fees.
Verizon (NYSE: VZ) has announced a similar plan called Verizon Edge. The plan will cost $10 a month and allow upgrades two times a year. This plan, which is very similar to T-Mobile's, is rumored to be released on August 25. Verizon's plan also drops the need for a service contract agreement. This leaves AT&T as the only new upgrade plan with a contract.
However, Verizon does have some requirements to be on the Verizon Edge plan: customers pay 24 monthly installments and users must be on a higher end shared data plan. This last requirement should boost Verizon's average revenue per user. Customers must also pay 50% of a phone's price before upgrading to a new one.
A potential winner to watch from Verizon's plan is Apple. In the most recent second quarter, the iPhone made up 51% of all of Verizon's smartphone sales. With Apple's new phone releases yearly, many customers may choose the Verizon Edge plan just so they can get the latest iPhone. This means more units sold for a company like Apple.
T-Mobile's goal is to be the United States wireless industry value leader. With the closing of the Metro PCS deal in April, T-Mobile gained millions of customers that already expect value. With new phone offerings and cheap monthly plans, T-Mobile is likely to take away market share from the leaders. I also like what AT&T did by wasting no time to introduce a new plan. Both telecom companies are buys from this news going forward.
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Chris Katje has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Is this post wrong? Click here. Think you can do better? Join us and write your own!


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Stephon Tuitt has a new leader. Same as the old leader.
With respect to classic rock band The Who ("meet the new boss/same as the old boss"), that's the story with Tuitt. The rangy defensive end from Monroe Area (6-foot-5, 252 pounds) has Georgia Tech back atop his list of schools.
If you weren't paying close attention you probably never knew the Yellow Jackets were ever out of that spot. Tuitt first mentioned them to me as his leader in an interview I had with him back in late March.
But just last week, while I was on vacation down in the Gulf, Monroe Area coach Matt Fligg sent me a message on behalf of Tuitt indicating that Tuitt had decided on a final seven from his numerous offers and he had ranked them in order. I was more than a little surprised to see that Tuitt had Miami first.
"He grew up there," Fligg explained. "Always been a big fan."
The Hurricanes were slow in recognizing Tuitt's talent. They didn't offer him until earlier this spring. Nevertheless, they sprung
Continue reading Georgia Tech camp reaffirms Jackets as leader for Stephon Tuitt (UPDATED) »


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Covers.com "The Westgate LV SuperBook released its updated list of 2014-15 NBA regular season win totals on Monday with LeBron James and his new-look Cavaliers topping the list. Here's a look at the odds for every team at the book: HAWKS 40.5 CELTICS 26.5 NETS..." October 01
In the hopes of becoming an ambidextrous player, DeRozan said he wrote the alphabet with his left hand almost everyday during the summer
Grantland "he biggest play of Kyle Lowry's life was doomed from the start. He had led the Toronto Raptors into the closing seconds of Game 7 against the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of last season's Eastern Conference playoffs. Lowry approached a moment that nearly every player covets. Toronto trailed by..." September 24
Raptors SL forward Darington Hobson, a former draftee, signs with Brasilia in Brazil. I'm told deal includes NBA & Euro outs.
Toronto Star "If there has been one point hammered home to Terrence Ross in his short NBA career, it is the importance of summer time self-improvement. All he had to do was watch the transformation and growth of teammate DeMar DeRozan, whose summer has elevated his game to unexpected heights, to see the..." September 20
The Globe and Mail "Danny Ferry thinks Luol Deng "has a little African in him." Ferry is the general manager of the Atlanta Hawks. Luol is an NBA star. That was one of the things Ferry said about Luol when he was assessing him as a potential recruit during a conference call with his ownership. As you may have..." September 12
Pro Basketball Talk "The Raptors have turned things around relatively quickly since new GM Masai Ujiri came to town, not only making the playoffs for the first time since 2008, but also playing well enough once they got there to take the Nets to seven games before being eliminated in the first round. The team had a..." September 06
One-year, $1 million deal from Greg Stiemsma in Toronto is the word
Amazing opportunity to learn from Hakeem @DR34M this week #TheDream #WeTheNorth @Raptors @NBA pic.twitter.com/j3zAyEvxV7
SB Nation "There will be more space around the basket stanchion next season because the NBA is trying to improve player safety. The NBA is attempting to improve player safety by cutting down the amount of photographers around the basket stanchion, according to a memo from Rod Thorn, the league's president..." August 26
Toronto Star "Bruno Caboclo still has that beaming smile, those shockingly long arms and more long-term promise than all but a handful of teenage basketball prodigies. His English is coming along slowly but surely, and his summer of development both personally and professionally is going according to..." August 21
Free agent Jordan Hamilton has reached an agreement on a one-year deal with the Toronto Raptors, league source tells RealGM.
CBSSports.com "The NBA announced its 2014-2015 schedule Wednesday, and for the first time in seven years, LeBron James will not feature on its opening night. The season opens Tuesday, October 28th with the defending champion San Antonio Spurs raising their fifth banner before taking on the Dallas Mavericks...." August 13
SB Nation "On Monday, we learned that the NBA fined the Raptors $25,000 due to a tampering violation by official ambassador Drake. The rapper invited Kevin Durant to join the team during his big Toronto music festival recently with the reigning MVP in attendance. Fans chanted and everything. The NBA is..." August 13
CBSSports.com "The Toronto Raptors are in talks with the Rochester RazorSharks of the Premier Basketball League about becoming their NBA D-League affiliate, according to Time Warner Cable News Rochester. The D-League has 18 teams, and 17 of them have single-affiliation relationships with NBA franchises. The..." August 13
Toronto Star "The Toronto Raptors have been fined $25,000 for comments rap star Drake made about NBA MVP Kevin Durant at last weekend's OVO Fest that the league has deemed a violation of anti-tampering rules. Drake, official global ambassador for the Raptors since last September, asked the concert crowd how..." August 11
CBSSports.com "After being selected with the 50th pick in the second round of the 2013 draft and being traded to the Miami Heat organization, James Ennis spent the 2013-14 season playing in Australia for the Perth Wildcats. He had a successful season in Perth, improved his game, and has found his way onto the..." August 09
CBSSports.com "Rapper Drake is doing his part as a fan of the Toronto Raptors. When Kevin Durant is a free agent in 2016, he'll be the most sought-after free agent on the market since LeBron James in 2010. As an up-and-coming team in a big market in North America, the Raptors could be a very attractive place for..." August 05
Raptors make signings of Lucas Nogueira and Will Cherry official
SI.com "Cobbling together mock drafts is an inexact science. For most mock drafters -- this one included -- projecting a 30-player first round requires a combination of exhaustive reporting, scouting and, frankly, guesswork. But even then, it's a challenge. Team executives are, understandably, guarded..." August 01
Former D-League Canton guard Will Cherry has agreed in principle to sign a two-year minimum deal with the Raptors, a source told Yahoo.
Wall was natural invite for USA Basketball and joins Chandler Parsons and DeMar DeRozan as additions to initial Team USA roster from January
Bloomberg "The National Basketball Association players' union spent about $5.42 million on the internal audit that resulted in the firing of Executive Director Billy Hunter, according to public records. The union spent $5,421,965 on matters pertaining to what it labeled NBPA Internal Review &..." July 23
Yahoo! Sports "The NBA warned a touring group of its stars that they could face financial fines for participating in clinics in Manila, Philippines, that include short scrimmages and games of "H-O-R-S-E," league sources told Yahoo Sports. Several NBA stars, including Blake Griffin, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard..." July 22
Raptors waive Dwight Buycks and Diante Garrett, as expected. Both non-guaranteed contracts. Roster stands at 13. Nogueira would make it 14
17 months removed from serious knee surgery, Lou Williams says he's feeling good. Close to 100%. Called last year the toughest of his career
CBSSports.com "As we've noted before, former NBA All-Star Tracy McGrady tried his hand at pitching this season for the Sugar Land Skeeters (Independent league, not affiliated with MLB). And now he's announced that he's retiring. McGrady's final outing came in the Atlantic League All-Star Game, in which he..." July 17
SB Nation "The NBA Commissioner met with reporters on Tuesday in Las Vegas to discuss potential changes to the association. Adam Silver had some bold new ideas for the crowd of reporters waiting for him on Tuesday at the Las Vegas Summer League, including one that has several scratching their heads -- a..." July 16
The Wall Street Journal "Could there be a better time for the NBA to be looking to negotiate a TV deal? The league just enjoyed a fantastic playoff season, capped off be a marquee Finals matchup. Then its biggest sports star, LeBron James, captivated millions across the globe with his intriguing free agency run that led..." July 15
TSN.ca "An impaired driving charge against Toronto Raptors centre Jonas Valanciunas has been dropped, according to CP24. Valanciunas was arrested in April in Wasaga Beach, Ont., just prior to the start of the Raptors' first round playoff series against the Brooklyn Nets and charged with having more..." July 15
FA guard Anthony Morrow still considering the Clippers, Heat, Wizards, Raptors and Suns, per source. All willing to use some portion of MLE.
Kyle Lowry: "I didn't want to wait for everyone else. I wanted to make my own decision. I made it on the first day. It was that easy."
Sportsnet.ca "James Johnson is returning for a second stint with the Toronto Raptors, the Toronto Star's Doug Smith reported Thursday morning. Johnson spent parts of two seasons with the Raptors after being acquired from the Miami Heat midway through the 2010-11 season. The six-foot-nine forward enjoyed his..." July 10
Atlanta Journal-Constitution "The NBA announced that the salary cap for the 2014-15 season will be an all-time high of $63.065 million, an increase by 7.5 percent. The tax level for the season will be $76.829 million, an increase of 7.1 percent. The minimum team salary, which is set at 90 percent of the cap, is $56.759..." July 10
Greivis Vasquez will sign a two-year, $13 million deal to stay with Toronto, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
Sources: Andray Blatche will meet with Toronto tomorrow in Vegas
As expected, the Raptors have waived guard Julyan Stone and his non-guaranteed contract. Today was the deadline to do so.
Toronto free agent Nando de Colo has turned down Raptors offer and will accept deal with CSKA-Moscow, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
Lucas Nogueira, who was traded to Toronto in the Lou Williams deal, is on Raptors Summer League roster. #ATLHawks
Raptors have until end of the day on Monday to waive G Julyan Stone or his contract ($948K) becomes fully guaranteed for 2014-15
Raptors Repbublic "The Raptors had tendered a qualifying offer of $1.8M to Nando De Colo, which you might have thought would be enough since the man is currently a borderline NBA player looking to stay on a roster. Things have shifted now that De Colo is being offered a €3 million deal by CSKA Moscow (Sonny Weems..." July 06
In addition to weighing possible trade for Lin, I'm told Bucks are pitching offer sheet to RFA Eric Bledsoe and pursuing PG Greivis Vasquez
Toronto has traded Steve Novak to the Utah Jazz, league source tells Yahoo Sports.
Patrick Patterson has signed a 3-year, $18 million deal with the Toronto Raptors, source told ESPN.
Yahoo! Sports "Free agent guard Kyle Lowry has reached agreement on a four-year, $48 million contract extension with the Toronto Raptors, league sources told Yahoo Sports. The deal has an early termination option allowing Lowry the opportunity to become a free agent after the third season. Securing Lowry,..." July 03
Toronto GM Masai Ujiri and coach Dwane Casey will meet with Kyle Lowry in Phladelphia on Tuesday, league sources tell Yahoo.
Source: Forget Kyle Lowry to Houston. Rockets wanted sign & trade but Toronto won't deal bc they want to keep Lowry
RE: rumbles Raptors already on verge of locking up Kyle Lowry ... all I can pass along is undeniable confidence from Raps about keeping him
ESPN.com "There is strong mutual interest in Vince Carter's return to the Mavericks, but several playoff teams are expected to express interest in the 37-year-old swingman. The Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers and Toronto Raptors are among the playoff teams seen as potential fits..." June 30
TheScore.com "The Toronto Raptors surely have a feel for how their own impending free agent is valued on the market, but they don't appear willing to let the market confirm it for them. That's because the Raptors' strategy for re-signing Kyle Lowry appears to be aggression out of the gate, offering the point..." June 30


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I have been hearing allot about Justin sweet recently, and i agree that he is a great artist but i noticed on his site that he rarely draws feet. Perhaps im way late to the party but i just thought it was interesting.
You can view his works here: http://www.justinsweet.com/GALLERY/I...Concepts2.html
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Last edited by Krato; September 28th, 2009 at 12:20 AM.
ya sort of true, but i dont think its fair to say "never" they are just not a priority
I've heard people say the same thing about Frazetta.
jack: ohhhhh i heard paris hilton never wears underwear....
joe: true but they are just not a priority
jimmy: and i heard people say the same thing bout lindsay lohan.
aviable for fulltime and freelance
nnnnno... not any texan greek or asian family in particular. do you have any family members
with those names . or is the " texan family" a part of a tv show your might be watching.
why ask?
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I'm trying to figure out how to give this thread negative stars.
At least Icarus tried!
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but......ehm....he DOES draw feet...seriously, I see them (they even wear shoes!!!)....is there anything I am not understanding here? Is "feet" maybe a codeword for "donkeylike monsterpenis"? Cause if it IS a codeword for "Donkeylike monsterpenis" I really really have to agree there, such a noob!
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Finally Finished
Da sketchbook
Also, while we're at it, besides a "thanks" function there should also be a "flip off" button.
It would be fun!:
Thanks: 7
Thanked 35 Times in 24 Posts
Flip offs: 19
Flipped off 13 Times in 9 Posts
Yeah, I like the idea of a sort of "groan" button. You know, and people who get too many groans would get..
hmm.. this sounds awfully familiar.
See, this is why sarcasm doesn't work on the internet.
People mostly assume the other guy is just dim or uninformed.
Right? you need to relax, i wasnt saying he was a bad artist or anything its just something that i noticed, he has many pictures -- which are great, where the upper body looks amazing, but many of his pictures he doesnt follow through with the feet. You dont need to start talking about monsterpenises just because someone gave a critique.but......ehm....he DOES draw feet...seriously, I see them (they even wear shoes!!!)....is there anything I am not understanding here? Is "feet" maybe a codeword for "donkeylike monsterpenis"? Cause if it IS a codeword for "Donkeylike monsterpenis" I really really have to agree there, such a noob!
I was actually expecting this to be an odd thread that had to do with a foot fetish. Oh how I am disappointed.
Just for ya bud.
My SketchBook http://www.conceptart.org/forums/sho...d.php?t=139784
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/sho...d.php?t=192127"Everything must serve the idea. The means used to convey the idea should be the simplest and clear. Just what is required. No extra images. To me this is a universal principle of art. Saying as much as possible with a minimum of means."-John Huston, Director
Krato... Just go back to sleep...
Fingerless Gloves
Proxzee: I'm gonna prime your canvas with my man gesso.
Justin Sweet, can't you please add a photo of your feet? I got so juiced up. I can used it as a texture to enhance my art, like coro's scanned nutsack!
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krato.. what did I tell you when you brought this up on vent ? something about not posting it in the lounge hmmm ?
Just from looking at his gallery, it's his style. He doesn't fully render the legs/feet but he does the chest/shoulders/head. My guess is that it's because the head is the focal point of the character design.
Can't really judge skill based on something like that. I don't see one painting of the back of the knee. Could say it's because he can't but probably because it's not a priority.
"Astronomy offers an aesthetic indulgence not duplicated in any other field. This is not an academic or hypothetical attraction and should require no apologies, for the beauty to be found in the skies has been universally appreciated for unrecorded centuries."
I imagine Justin Sweet's Feet smell super delicious.
I would like to touch Justin's feet. I'm thinking sole-to-sole but I would settle for toe to toe. Is this something that can be arranged?
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who cares... he's an awesome artist. No, wait a eff'ing amazing artist.I have been hearing allot about Justin sweet recently, and i agree that he is a great artist but i noticed on his site that he rarely draws feet. Perhaps im way late to the party but i just thought it was interesting.
You can view his works here: http://www.justinsweet.com/GALLERY/I...Concepts2.html
"I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain."
--- Frank Herbert, Dune - Bene Gesserit Litany Against Fear
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The Dallas Cowboys have finished the last two seasons with a perfectly mediocre record of 8-8. They haven't been to the playoffs in three years and Jerry Jones is becoming more and more determined to bring the Cowboys back to prominence.
"I didn't think I was average or I wouldn't have stepped up and bought the team," Jones said. "I never thought that average was satisfactory. Never, ever. I never thought we would be sitting here with that kind of record over the last 10 years. If we had at least one more, possibly multiple Super Bowls, to add to what we have done over the last 15 years, a lot of this would go away, and it should.
"The reality is that it isn't there. I know how to make it go away. That is to get here and have some success and compete at that level. I can't have this thing end or have a look at the total picture and have not had more success on the field. We have to do it."
When asked about all the pictures that were around, none that included current players (not even Tony Romo) only former players, Jones got defensive.
"I don't have any ones I want to take down," he said, via the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram. "Where you see those guys are at the stadium, and of course, these are memories around this room. This particular room, it has highlights. It has Aikman's hands. I don't have Romo's hands. Maybe it's not time for those Romo hands."
Reflecting for a moment Jones conceded the point.
"But you are right," he relented. "That's fair. You look around this room, and you don't have any memorabilia of a sixth Super Bowl or a team that won a sixth Super Bowl. What you've got speaks for itself."
Tags: Dallas Cowboys Jerry Jones


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text:
The "Heartbreak Kids" of Dallas have dropped eight of their last nine games in 2014. Coach Lindy Ruff's embattled skaters outplayed the competition for most of each of their three contests but secured only three of a potential six points while failing to pick up ground in the playoff race.
The Stars did end a six-game losing streak with a 5-2 triumph over visiting Edmonton on Tuesday, Jan. 14, then lost 4-2 to Boston on American Airlines Center ice on Thursday, Jan. 16, then dropped a 3-2 overtime verdict at Minnesota on Saturday, Jan. 18.
The loss in St. Paul, Minnesota followed a recently familiar plot line that belong in the category of "heart breakers" while dropping Dallas to nine points behind the Wild, the Western Division's 8th place team representing the final playoff berth.
Minnesota's Nate Prosser snapped a rebound shot past goalie Kari Lehtonen (who stopped 16 of 19 shots for the game) after narrowly escaping Stars captain Jamie Benn's desperate back check in the slot for the game-winner in overtime. In addition, Dallas defenseman Brenden Dillon had lost his stick during the scrum leading up to the goal.
The Stars, who finished the week at 21-19-8 for 50 points, earned a point after Alex Chiasson netted his 9th goal of the season on a power play midway through the 3rd period to forge a 2-2 deadlock.
"(But) it's disappointing (to lose because) this was probably one of our best games defensively as far as (allowing) scoring chances to the other team," said Chiasson, who ended a 19-game goal scoring drought when he slid a loose puck in the crease into the yawning net. "It's just a little play there, and that's tough. We battled through and it would've been nice to get a win here."
Minnesota, which has been winning despite the absence of injured stars such as Zach Parise and Mikko Koivu, scored a 1st period goal and another in the 2nd after Stars forward Ryan Garbutt had tied the score, 1-1 with his 10th marker of the year in the middle stanza.
"We outworked them, outplayed them, didn't give them a lot,'' said Ruff after Dallas outshot their hosts, 35-19. "(We ran into a) little bit of bad luck. You look at the work (you have to) put in, and you're happy with that, but you're not happy just getting the one point. I said we needed (to win) three of the next four, and that's one point we lose. We still can gain some ground in the next couple of games and get it down to five or six (behind the conference's 8th seeded team).''
The previous Thursday, the Stars and Bruins were scoreless through the first 39:56 before Boston scored with :04 remaining in the second period. Dallas forward Erik Cole tied it early in the 3rd period when he tipped home a shot by former Bruin Tyler Seguin for his 13th of the season and 2nd red light in two games. After Boston scored twice against Lehtonen (who stopped 37 shots) to take a 3-1 lead, Benn made it interesting by netting his 17th goal of the year and 2nd in two games with 1:11 remaining. But last year's Stanley Cup finalists iced the game with an empty-netter.
Lehtonen stopped 37 shots in an impressive performance. "We got the late goal in the 2nd period, but before that it seemed like it was going to be a tough night to beat him," said Bruin forward Milan Lucic, who set up Boston's first goal late in the 2nd period and netted the marker that made it 3-1 in the 3rd session. "It was tough (to beat him). Fortunately, we were able to find a way to beat him, especially when he was on his game tonight."
Forty-eight hours before, Dallas earned its first victory of 2014 and avoided a seven-game losing streak – which would've been its longest since moving to north Texas in 1993 — by scoring early and often. Cole struck just 0:14 after the game's opening faceoff with his 12th of the year when he tapped home a pass from defenseman Trevor Daley.
After the Oilers evened the score just over three minutes later, Garbutt put the home team in front to stay with his 9th goal midway through the period, and Benn added his 16th goal on a power play to make it 3-1 after one.
"We worked both (power play) units real hard," Ruff said after the Stars tallied their 7th power play goal of the season on home ice. "I thought Tyler (Seguin) made a great play and (Benn) made a great shot. We've had that same look a few times and haven't scored. Puck movement was good and hopefully that leads to better times ahead for the power play.
"Obviously if you sit there at 1-1, a lot of things can happen," Ruff added. "I thought we were on our toes, and we went right after the game. I thought the first period had three or four great opportunities, so it was nice to convert on them."
Center Cody Eakin scored for the 2nd time in three games, his 10th of the season a minute into the 2nd period for a 4-1 Dallas lead. Edmonton cut the lead to 4-2 midway through the 2nd period by solving Lehtonen, who earned the win with 31 saves. Daley finished the night's scoring with an empty net goal, his 2nd, with less than a minute remaining in regulation.
"(In the 3rd period) I think we just tried to play smart," said Ruff. "We generated some opportunities and we gave up one rush situation that we'd like to clean up. That's the one play in in the third period that we shouldn't have made."
The Stars were pleased to earn their first victory of the new year, said Garbutt. "We just have to keep it going," said the Dallas forward, who scored for the 2nd time in his last three games. "We played hard as a team. We've had some tough breaks in this little slide here but we got some breaks and some bounces tonight. We worked hard for the bounces."
Rookie sensation Valeri Nichushkin was a healthy scratch for the Boston and Minnesota games. The Stars' 1st round draft choice (10th overall) in 2013 had gone five consecutive games with no points, and Ruff had been reducing the talented forward's minutes to help him regain some confidence. "He's had a little bit of a tough ride, and he said he's felt real tired," Ruff said. "He's 18 (years old), and I think for him it's been a mental grind, so we'll try to freshen him up and get him going again."
Nichushkin is 10th among rookies with 22 points (nine goals, 13 assists) and is seventh in plus/minus at plus-11. His outstanding play – prior to the recent slump — earned him a spot on the Russian Olympic team for this year's Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.
"I think that guys pushed real hard, and in Val's case it was probably a bit of a surprise for him to make (the Olympic team)," Ruff said. "I think emotionally for him it has been the craziest ride."
Stars' Player of the Week – Ryan Garbutt
The Brown University graduate (his degree is in Sociology and Economics) continues to thrill Stars fans and the coaching staff with his speed, hustle and nose for the net. Garbutt, who is the son of former minor league goalie Gord Garbutt (circa late'1970's and early-1980's), scored two goals and added a pair of helpers in the Stars' three games this past week. He has two goals in three games three markers in the last five Dallas games.
The native of Winnipeg, Manitoba has collected 10 goals and 18 points in his first full NHL campaign, which is pretty impressive for a skater who was toiling in the CHL and ECHL just a few years ago.


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Preview: 2007 MINI Cooper
MINI redesigns its small car to be the same as before, only better.
The new MINI Cooper may look unchanged from the previous generation, but the two share no body panels at all.
So the changes for the second-generation MINI Cooper would be evolutionary—definitely not revolutionary. "From the original to the original" was the philosophy, and designers held to this mantra quite admirably. Unless the two generations are parked side by side, it's hard to tell what's new.
But the 2007 MINI Cooper is indeed all new—not a single body panel was carried over from the outgoing model. Both available engines also are new, providing more power with better fuel-efficiency. And although a bit larger than its predecessor, the new MINI remains one of the smallest cars on the road.
In addition to keeping the styling intact, the MINI had to keep its go-kart-like handling and fun-to-drive characteristics to please the base of loyal MINI fans.
New Styling—Inside and Out
Most consumers will not recognize the revised MINI at first look. Logical, since first and foremost the new model had to be easily recognized as a MINI Cooper. But there are a number of subtle changes that those "in the know" will be able to identify. The grille is now one complete unit integrated into the hood, rather than split with part of the grille on the front bumper. Turn signals are integrated into the new headlights, and the headlights themselves are turned outward slightly.
The S and standard Cooper are easily differentiated by their unique front-end styling. The Cooper features three chrome bars across the grille, and the lower air intake is a bit narrower. Meanwhile, the grille on the S is all black honeycomb, with a wider air intake below the bumper. And of course, the S features an air intake built into the hood.
Taillights have been made larger. Although the car's rear end is wider, which provides bolder shoulders, the larger taillights keep the same solid proportions.
The new MINI is almost 2.5 inches longer than its predecessor, although many consumers won't notice this since the car's overall proportions have remained the same. More than half of this increased length is in the front section. This primarily makes room for the new engine as well as fulfilling new legal regulations concerning protection of pedestrians.
And while the MINI is just a few inches longer, designers have been able to make the interior roomier. "Enhancing and upgrading the design of the car, we sought from the start to offer maximum interior space within minimum dimensions," stated MINI's Interior Designer Marc Girard. This was primarily accomplished by reducing the width of the center console which provides more legroom for front-seat passengers. Kids or people of short stature ride best in the back seat, since as legroom is quite limited if the front-seat passengers are comfortable. That said, four adults could fit in the MINI in a pinch (no pun intended).
The center console is still dominated by the large, round speedometer—now even larger than before. Audio controls are integrated into the round space, which puts them in easy reach of the drive; however, we did have difficulty finding them at first.
When the MINI is equipped with the optional navigation system, the center of the speedometer is used by the display screen while the speed is indicated on the circle surrounding the navigation screen.
The tachometer is positioned on the center console, and for those who prefer high tech, a digital readout of the speed can be shown on the trip computer (MINI calls it BC, or body computer) screen.
The toggle switches that have created part of MINI's charm continue in this new version.
More Power Under That Little Hood
Two new engines have been introduced in this next-generation MINI. Both are 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engines; however, there are differences between the two.
The standard Cooper gets the normally aspirated version which produces 118 horsepower. Peak torque of 114 lb-ft doesn't arrive until the engine is turning at 4250 rpm. So the Cooper is not going to break any acceleration records, and we found when driving it through the twisty roads in the foothills north of Scottsdale, AZ, that high rpm in 2nd gear was our only hope of keeping our speed up. This is not the case for the S.
The 1.6-liter engine in the S gets the benefit of a turbocharger that boosts horsepower to 172, with 177 lb-ft of torque that arrives at a low 1600 rpm and stays constant through 5000 rpm. Power comes on quickly, and there is virtually no turbo lag. This is partly due to what MINI calls Overboost.
When accelerating, torque is briefly increased even further to 192 lb-ft, which gives the new MINI Cooper S even more power. Overboost only affects engine torque—horsepower remains the same. This Overboost system helps MINI claims 0-60 mph in 6.7 seconds. This was evident during testing. We had no problems with lack of power when climbing through the mountains in the S.
While both engines have more power than their predecessors, the all-important fuel mileage has also been increased. MINI Cooper is rated at 32 city / 40 hwy, while the S is not much lower at 29 city / 36 hwy.
Both Cooper and Cooper S come standard with a 6-speed Getrag manual transmission, but each can be fitted with an optional 6-speed automatic transmission. When equipped with the automatic, the driver can manually shift gears via steering-column-mounted paddle shifters.
Still Fun to Drive
One of the hallmarks of the MINI Cooper has always been its fun-to-drive qualities, and the new MINI is just as agile and sporty as it has ever been. This is no surprise given that MINI's parent company BMW produces some of the best handling cars on the road.
We had the opportunity to drive both Cooper and Cooper S models with both automatic and manual transmissions on a variety of roads, including an autocross course and a road course at Firebird International Raceway in Phoenix, AZ.
With its signature short wheelbase and wheels at the corners, the MINI seems to remain stable and balanced no matter what the situation. Part of this is due to the MacPherson spring struts on the front axle that keep the steering almost entirely free of drive forces both in fast turns, when accelerating and applying the brakes. Anti-roll bars in both Coooper and Cooper S, combined with the low center of gravity, practically eliminate any leaning, or body roll, in the corners.
For a quick change to a sporty feel, the new MINI comes with a sport button. Pushing the button changes the steering and acceleration dynamics so that both become more sensitive, reacting quickly to smaller inputs. The shift points also change on vehicles equipped with the automatic transmission. Most noticeable for us was the steering—it worked quite well on twisty roads, but was too sensitive for driving on the freeway where it became more difficult to make smooth lane changes.
The Cooper S does have an edge over the Cooper on the track, and it's not just in power. Suspension has been tuned differently for the S, and the top model gets larger brakes with higher-performance tires. Both Cooper and S are available with an optional sport suspension that offers harder springs, dampers and anti-roll bars.
Most surprising was how well the automatic transmission performed. The transmission can be shifted manually, but just leaving it alone was quite effective. Shifts were very quick and smooth, and on the autocross, the transmission always kept the car in the optimal gear.
Safety Minded
Many people unfamiliar with the MINI take one look and assume that something that small could never be safe on American roads that are filled with huge SUVs and trucks. Well, it may not have the mass of most other vehicles, but it can hold its own.
As many learned in Driver's Ed, the first tenet of safe driving is to avoid an accident. In addition to the MINI's agile handling, it comes equipped with a number of acronyms to designate the myriad safety features, including ABS (anti-lock brakes), EBFD (Electronic Brake Force Distribution), and CBC (Cornering Brake Control). The Cooper S adds ASC+T (Automatic Stability Control with traction control) as well as DSC (Dynamic Stability Control).
But if the accident is unavoidable, the MINI comes standard with dual front and side airbags, as well as side-curtain airbags which protect both front and rear passengers in the event of a side impact or rollover. Reinforced door structures and large deformation zones in the engine bay help absorb the energy of a crash, keeping it away from the passenger compartment.
In a severe accident the fuel pump is automatically shut off, the doors are unlocked and the interior lights and hazard flashers turn on automatically.
Pricing and Availability
MINI Cooper starts at a base price of $18,700 (including destination charge). For that consumers get a well-equipped car with features that include variable-color ambient lighting; push-start button; leatherette upholstery; air conditioning with a pollen micro filter; a split-folding rear seat; an AM/FM/CD audio system; power windows, locks and mirrors; and 15-inch alloy wheels.
In addition to the more powerful, turbocharged engine, the Cooper S adds the signature hood scoop, rear spoiler, dual exhaust, fog lights, sport seats, aluminum foot pedals, climate-controlled glove box, and 16-inch alloy wheels with a base price of $21,850.
Assembled just north of London, England, the new Cooper and Cooper S hardtops are on sale now; however, the convertible is still on the last-generation platform. Convertibles will likely move to the new style and chassis within the next 12 months, although at post time this had not been confirmed by MINI officials.
In the market for a new car? MSN Autos is pleased to provide you with information and services designed to save you time, money and hassle. Click to research prices and specifications on any new car on the market or click to get a free price quote through MSN Autos' New-Car Buying Service.
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First Card Service introduces and provides the new card service that the Japanese can use.There are a lot of card services that have not been known in Japan yet all over the world.If the aspect is moved to foreign countries, it can begin to be easy even in the service that cannot be achieved in Japan.we will keep looking for convenient card service all over the world.
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We can introduce several payment gateway in all over the world. Please feel free to ask us who operates the credit card transaction business now or starts the credit card transaction business from now. It may be possible to make a better contract if it is a merchant which have a much card transactions in a way. We will do our best to make a better contract.
VISA DEBIT GIFT is a pre-pay type of gift card. You can use it all over the world, at any shops if they have a VISA mark or through the Internet. As it is a non personalized type of gift, you can use it and so can every one to whom you give it.
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Eau Mega Perfume
By Viktor & Rolf for Women
Eau Mega Perfume by Viktor & Rolf, This is the second perfume by avant-garde designers victor & rolf . It is a green/floral fragrance for women. Perfumer oliver polge created this scent, which is composed of eclectic accords, including notes of pear, lemon, violet leaves, peony, basil, jasmine and musk. All products are original, authentic name brands. We do not sell knockoffs or imitations. ... Read More
- G By Giorgio
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I could smell this perfume before it came out of it's box. First a fresh citrus-like hit with floral undertones and then the longer I wear it the more musky and vanilla and warm...Read complete review
I could smell this perfume before it came out of it's box. First a fresh citrus-like hit with floral undertones and then the longer I wear it the more musky and vanilla and warm it becomes. I love it! Have been looking for something away from my staple Chanel Allure..this is great! Although I think the applicator spray could be more accurate and less clumsy. The quality of material used for the seal is tacky and perhaps too big for the bottle. Otherwise I LOVE LOVE LOVE this scent. Thanks. Annie
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I only wish that this fragrance would hold a little better. I love the bottle that this fragrance is in. I think this a great fragrance to have and wear.Vicktor&Rolf make great...Read complete review
I only wish that this fragrance would hold a little better. I love the bottle that this fragrance is in. I think this a great fragrance to have and wear.Vicktor&Rolf make great great fragrance. One of my favorite fragrance.
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I love the product and the savings are huge
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The first time I smell this parfum I just felt in love with it. The word that can describe it is UNIQUE. I wish it was just a little less expensive!
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I only wish that this fragrance would hold a little better. I love the bottle that this fragrance is in. I think this a great fragrance to have and wear.Vicktor&Rolf make great great fragrance. One of my favorite fragrance.
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I first used Eau Mega three years ago when my Mom returned from a trip to Atlanta, Georgia. I bought my own, ran out, and went to a high-end retailer to buy another one. To my disbelief, they have discontinued it :-{
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text: Indulge yourselves in summer romance with a two night package that includes a candlelight dinner for 2 at a local restaurant, 2 half hour massages at nearby Moondance Massage, and a fruit and cheese plate OR champagne and chocolates. May 23- June 30 packages are $399-$599. Inn Season (July 1 – Sep. 18,) packages are $449-$689. Midweek Inn Season special rates $399-$599 (Monday – Thursday). Start dreaming!


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Tips for Parents of High School Athletes
No matter what the level of ability a high school student athlete has, parents should understand the value of getting involved in their child's program of choice as they collectively enter one of the most important chapters of their lives.
One Dead After Double Shooting In Dogtown
It happened at 5:52 this morning. According to police, one woman has been pronounced dead at the scene and a man is in critical condition.


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نيك محجبه نيك محجبه Lip Sucking Kiss - When kissing gently suck on their lower lip. Asian music most often uses the pentatonic scale. نيك محجبه Definitely a more than pleasant way to wake up! Wet Kiss - Once you have not been kissing enough that both of your lips are not wet, with your mouth barely open, gently rub back and forth, up and down, around and around.
Have your partner lay on the sofa, then slowly stick your tongue out on their navel. نيك محجبه A large diesel engine usually cannot get above 2,000 RPM, but has huge torque because of the long stroke.
نيك البليدة The driver who breaks out loses the race unless his or her opponent has committed a more serious foul, such as a red-light or crossing the centerline of the dragstrip.
His sardonic outlook and smug delivery grabbed me from the beginning. And with plenty of action, mystery, character development, bishounen angst, comedy, and tragedy there is also something for virtually everyone. نيك اول مره The grand prize winner will also receive an all expenses paid trip to Japan - home of Cosplay. نيك البليدة I never recorded them, but remembered a few jokes here and there that always made me laugh.
The National Cosplay Championship will also be officially launched in Melbourne on 27 March at the Supanova pop culture expo. During an open-mouth kiss gently suck on your partner`s tongue {not too hard because it may hurt}.


text: We specialise in allowing the interior and exterior to fuse together, creating a seamless connection between outdoors and indoors. This is Wolterinck's philosophy: ensuring that your exterior is green and inspirational the whole year round. You can also select seasonal decorations that emphasise and enhance the beauty of each specific season. You can also choose from a wide range of patio furniture by leading international brands. The landscape architects of Wolterinck work for businesses and private individuals in both the Netherlands and abroad. They always respect the original features, retaining characteristic elements whilst adding new facets to the design. The result is a unique, modern atmosphere for your garden/outdoor area.


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Rackspace adds storage features to its OpenStack distribution
Summary: The updates to Rackspace's distribution of the open source cloud management system OpenStack brings features from the latest distribution of the software to the hoster's supported distribution.
Rackspace has added advanced cloud storage features into its distribution of the OpenStack infrastructure management and orchestration software.
The new storage features include the ability to pool storage into volumes split across multiple virtualised drivers on multiple servers, saving potential spend on dedicated storage gear.
As well as the added storage features, Rackspace's private cloud distribution of Openstack also saw upgrades to its automation and systems management.
The free Rackspace Private Cloud Software, released in August, gained the new features on Thursday following the integration of technologies from the recent Folsom release of OpenStack.
"We did version one [of the Rackspace Private Cloud Software] because we recognised that unless you had an awful lot of Python skills and technical knowledge, getting Openstack up and running wasn't as easy as it could be," Nigel Beighton, international vice president of technoloogy at Rackspace Hosting, said.
Besides the help-the-developers reasoning, Beighton said Rackspace has also been building out the software so that it can get more people used to working with OpenStack. The theory is that, as more people use the software, there's a chance they will either pay Rackspace for additional support, or move some of their data into Rackspace's public cloud, which is based on the same technology.
While the software is available for free, it is limited to running across 20 servers. To scale beyond that, users will either have to switch to the main open source OpenStack distribution, or if they want to pay for support from Rackspace, pay Rackspace to up the node-limit.
OpenStack is an open source tool for managing and running private and public clouds and is designed to do for the cloud what Linux did for the server - that is, provide a credible, easy-to-use competing set of tools to those made and sold by large companies.
Rackspace co-founded the OpenStack initiative in 2010 along with NASA. Since then over a hundred IT companies have joined and contributed code to the software.
Kick off your day with ZDNet's daily email newsletter. It's the freshest tech news and opinion, served hot. Get it.


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All benefit: Clean Water Trust demands priorityProbably many among the rank and file are not even aware of the North Carolina Clean Water Management Trust Fund. Or of its vital role in ensuring the viable future of the state's economy and its natural resources. The two...
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By Gene Price
Published in Editorials on April 14, 2004 10:53 AM


text:
Your Daily Dubin.
|I live in New York City, originally from Philadelphia.
I do casting for reality TV shows.
I LOVE french fries.
I enjoy antiques or anything remotely shabby chic.
I am an animal lover.
I admit my Ipod is filled with show tunes.
I believe that gold hoop earings complete any outfit.
I am a dork at heart.
I like to think of myself as a dainty girly girl with some edge.


text:
Speakers for the 2013-2014 season
Details are correct at the time of publication; however, you may wish to check ahead of time.
In 2013 each talk will be £3 for visitors (non-members); Society annual membership will be £10.
|Mon 16th Sep
|'What did the Romans ever do for us? The Medway Valley during the Roman occupation'
Simon Elliott
|Mon 21 Oct
|'The Second World War: with special reference to the 1943 bombing raid in Ashford'
Bob Ogley
|Mon 18th Nov
|'Discoveries at the Lyminge Dig'
Alexandra Knox
|Mon 16th Dec
|'Ancient Crosses of Britain'
Andrew Wood, followed by Christmas supper
|Mon 20th Jan 2014
|'Elegy in a Country Churchyard'
Marion Pont
|Mon 17th Feb
|'The Norman Castle at Newnham'
Paula Jardine-Rose
|Sat 8th Mar
|'Industries in Kent after 1914′
Study Day at Willesborough Windmill (details TBC)
|Mon 17th Mar
|'Hadrian's Wall'
Dr David Plummer
|Mon 14th Apr
|'The Origin and Development of Christianity in Britain from the Time of Constantine to the Augustinian Mission' Christopher Sparey-Green
|Monday 19th May
|AGM and Members Night


text:
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich set up a new low in political claptrap this week by claiming his love of country forced him to seek love with women other than wives one and two and — given his history — will probably eventually lead to an end to the marriage with his current wife.
Gingrich, one of the loudest critics of President Bill Clinton for entertaining White House intern Monica Lewinsky with cigars between blow jobs, came up with one of the lamest excuses ever for screwing around.
"There's no question at times of my life, partially driven by how passionately I felt agout this country, that I worked far too hard and that things happened in my life that were not appropriate," Gingrich told CBS news.
In other words, love of country led him to seek love from any woman who was willing.
While publicly chastising Clinton for dallying with an intern, Gingrich was bedding a House Committee staffer while still married to wife number two, who he started nailing while married to wife number one — the one he served with divorce papers while she lay dying of cancer in a hospital room.
So why does Gingrich want to be President?
Because, he says, "our Judeo-Christian civilization is under attack from secular, atheist elitism."
So how is Newt the serial adulterer plan to do this. He says he wants to become a President that Americans can admire because he will "share their values."
So far, I haven't been able to find a single American man or woman who says they messed around because it was the patriotic thing to do.
Newton is not the first elected official to screw around nor will he be the last. Extra-marital activity runs rampant on Capitol Hill. Always has.
Another Clinton critic, Rep. Dan Burton of Indiana, fathered a child from one affair and put his onetime mistress on his Congressional office payroll.
Sen. John Ensign of Nevada is quitting getting caught screwing the wife of a former aide and then trying to pay them off to keep quiet.
Even former longtime Illinois Congressman Henry Hyde, who chaired the impeachment hearings against Clinton, admitted to adultery in his younger years.
But Gingrich is the first to claim that love of country led to making love to women other than his wives.
Perhaps that's why Congress is so good at screwing the country.
Screwing people over comes naturally.
Related articles
- Gingrich: 'Serving America made me screw around' (capitolhillblue.com)
- Gingrich's "passion": Can patriotism really help explain adultery? (slate.com)
- Why Did Newt Gingrich Commit Adultery? (zwingliusredivivus.wordpress.com)
- Gingrich: My patriotism made me cheat on my wives, twice (americablog.com)
- Gingrich cheated on his wives because he loves America (rt.com)
13 Responses to "Latest adultery excuse: Love of country made me do it"
I really don't care if the guy scews around, but not on my tax dime and time.
Just the fact that this example of human refuse has resurfaced forcing us to suffer his noisome presence through the primaries is enough to make me want to heave over the rail so to speak.
Enough of Gingrich…enough I say! We need to put him on ignore and relegate him to the ashbin of history where he belongs.
Newt, read my words…GET LOST…that's an order!
Carl Nemo **==
"the guy scews around"
should read: "the guy screws around"
In Newt's case accuracy is important concerning his main character flaw in addition to others no doubt that aren't disclosed of which hopefully we don't care to discover post his ascendancy to the White House.
My apologies for the error.
Carl Nemo **==
Newt Gingrich is showing off Callista. He is proud of his beautiful, young, blonde third wife. She proves he has masculine power and the boldness to lead America to greatness.
Men on top in Hollywood and in business and in government are men on top in the bedroom. Gingrich traded UP when he started his affair. The fact that he did it while condemning Clinton for doing less shows Gingrich has boldness and audacity.
National power is not served by worrying about principle. It is served by acting on self interest. Newt is proving with the non-verbal message of Callista on his arm that he would usher in a renewed mood of America first, America greatness, America in unchallenged leadership in the world. America has the Air Force and Navy to seize Nigerian oil. Or Mexico's. Why do we sit back? America could be energy independent if we simply used the open competition to make the world a better place for Americans. There would be three great powers, Europe, China, and America. And we would be first of the three.
I support Newt in his adultery because it shows he will stop at nothing to make America number one!
I love sarcasm.
Me too Woody except in Gingrich's case.
I should apologize to Mike for coming on so strong. It is also proves he's a convincing writer. Good work Mike. My problem is I'm far too serious most of the time, the sign of a cranky old guy with sore arches. : ))
For some reason Newt gives me an instant case of the ass just seeing his mug.
Carl Nemo **==
I thought he was serious at first too. I'm still not sure. I'm certain there are many who actually think that.
Yo Mike Roberts…
"Men on top in Hollywood and in business and in government are men on top in the bedroom." …extract from post
For some reason I don't see this fat, out of shape 'pig' on top of anything in the bedroom. He's also into receiving oral sex no differently than Bill Clinton which to me is one of the more demeaning ways to treat women unless it's as a function of "mutual" foreplay associated with bedroom activities. So too women that do so to a fully clothed, seated man in his office chair or self-imagined 'throne' as in Newt's case is of the same caliber as the recipient of such 'pleasure' in the aforedescribed setting. I suspect Newt hates women. This guy is an evil pig, plain and simple!
America needs to stow their obsession with being numero uno 24/7/365. Look where it's gotten this nation; ie., a broken debtor nation with our national life's blood running out on the sands of time. We're soon to become a footnote in history precisely because of interlopers such as Gingrich in high office. They use our nation so too as the women they treat so shabbily, but in our case, "Lady Liberty", which is unacceptable. : |
The most disgusting thing about this guy is that he's resurrecting himself to fail, but we must suffer his presence in the public spolight in the months prior to the primaries to which I doubt he'll make his presence.
Carl Nemo **==
I think the next lady he will screw is named Liberty. In the name of patriotism of course.
She's already been ridden hard and put away wet.
I wonder if Calista screamed out "USA! USA!" as Naughty Newtie gave her an orgasm when he has cheating on his 2nd wife!
That is assuming, of course, that Naughty Newtie possesses such skills.
You know what Lou Sarah. You're closer to the 'sick' truth than you might possibily realize.
I'm cursed in that I both know and sense the face of true evil that both men and women do. Truly corrupt, totally compromised people in spirit, do things as you so suggest; ie., they laugh upon completion of their mutual orgasm or crime linked to duplicity which is a manifestation of evil incarnate. Sick puppies indeed is all I can say. / : |
I know firsthand, the face of true evil. : (
Carl Nemo **==
So Newt wants to get into the oral office and bring the entire nation to its knees like he does his paramours. Maybe GM will revive the Hummer in honor of Newt? As far as the arm candy she has figured out the way to his heart is not through his stomach. Maybe he can hook up with Clinton some day and discuss an oral history of the presidency?
Comments are closed.


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A Month of Gorgeous Beauty Ideas
Our 28 beauty tricks are fun and simple (and, in some cases, totally free). Whether you try a few or try 'em all, they'll keep you pretty and glowing all February.
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Day 3
To make your fragrance last all day, spritz it on the insides of your elbows. Our fave new Valentine scent is Coach Love eau de parfum, $72 for 1.7 oz; macys.com.


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Friday, December 21, 2012 - 9:25pm
Busy day across the border as travelers flock the port of entries to visit family and friends in Juarez.
The "paisano's" are keeping the ports of entries busy this Friday evening, so if you are planning to cross, expect delays.
All lanes are expected to be staffed starting this weekend to help speed up traffic.
Cars with license plates mostly from California and Colorado are making their way South of the border for the holidays.
These travelers are referred to as "paisano's" because they are originally from Mexico but now reside in the United States.


text:
The Philadelphia Eagles adding former Cleveland Browns head coach Pat Shurmur to Chip Kelly's coaching staff, a person familiar with the situation confirmed on Monday.
Pat Shurmur will be hired on as the Philadelphia Eagles' new offensive coordinator stated the source, although the team has not yet made an official announcement regarding any coaching moves.
The 47-year-old Pat Shurmur is reportedly the latest addition to Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly's coaching staff. The former Oregon head coach Chip Kelly agreed to jump boat with the Philadelphia Eagles last week. Since then, he's quietly been listing down names for potential additions to his coaching staff.
Pat Shurmur was the Cleveland Browns head coach for two seasons, who was fired in the end of regular season clean sweep that also resulted in the departure of general manager Tom Heckert. The Cleveland Browns were 9-23 overall under Pat Shurmur, landing them in the fourth place in AFC North during both seasons.
Starting off as a Michigan tight ends coach for seven seasons before serving a season on Stanford's coaching staff as an offensive line coach, Pat Shurmur finally found his NFL roots in Philadelphia where he switched different roles in 10 seasons under head coach Andy Reid. From 199-2001, Pat Shurmur was the Philadelphia Eagles tight ends coach and quarterbacks coach until 2008. He left to take on an offensive coordinator job with the St. Louis Rams for two seasons before opting for a promotion with the Cleveland Browns.
Pat Shurmur's hiring by the Philadelphia Eagles is a bit curious in the sense that his West Coast offense, which places a greater emphasis on passing, clashes with Chip Kelly's up-tempo, spread offense that focuses on a mobile quarterback and encouraging a strong running game.
Moreover, Chip Kelly is expected to retain the play calling duties just as he did in Oregon. But Pat Shurmur's experience at developing quarterbacks could play up in setting up this deal.
While Pat Shurmur was still in Philadelphia, the Eagles' 2nd overall pick in the 1999 drafts Donovan McNabb made it to the Pro Bowl five times. Then Pat Shurmur helped the Philadelphia Eagles reach the playoffs in 2002 with rookie quarterback A.J. Feeley starting in place of an injured Donovan McNabb. And in 2006, the Philadelphia Eagles again made a playoffs appearance with Jeff Garcia leading the team while filling in for Donovan McNabb.
During his last season in St. Louis, Pat Shurmur set to work with rookie quarterback Sam Bradford. Although he had a breakout rookie season throwing for 3,512 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2010, the St, Louis Rams failed to reach the playoffs since didn't have many playmakers at wide receiver and faced difficulties at scoring points. Pat Shurmur also helped with the grooming of Cleveland Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden, who despite all fell far below the expectations with his rookie season.
The Philadelphia Eagles have a few unresolved issues at quarterback this season themselves. Nick Foles started the latter half of the season in place of a struggling Michael Vick. But's Nick Foles doesn't seem like a smooth fit in Chip Kelly's spread offense. Michael Vick too could be departing unless he agrees to a considerable pay cut. So, its likely Pat Shurmur will get to deal with another rookie quarterback in Philadelphia or at least any other veteran piece at the spot the next season.
Pat Shurmur to join Eagles' coaching staff
1/22/13 in NFL | BrianMaddock | 1429 respect


text:
Roslyn Station - D.C. Took about 2/Min and 15/Sec too reach the bottom. Thought I was going on another trip :) Made me dizzy.
Nikos, thanks again ! That was one crazy escalator ride :0 I had too close my eyes a couple of times :) Thanks again ! Carl :)
very nice work!!! like
Ri.Co - Was a scary escalator ride :0 My wife was hiding behind me :)) Of course, I told her it was no big deal :)) Don't tell her okay ! Have a great week ! Carl.
Hey Carl, well done, I love these b&w shots, much more expressive than the ones in color, for me:) I'm not going down there, I'll take the next one to Heaven :)) Have a cool evening!
AJ30 - Too funny :) I wish more people had a sense of humor :)) Have a pleasant weekend ! Carl :)
I'm noticing you have several kinds of transportation to Hell, Carl...what's up with that, hmmm? ;D
Diane - I really never paid much attention until now ! I think your right, that is not a good thing is it ;)) Carl.
So what I would call a really long escalator ... similar but shorter, there are in the city where I come from (Frankfurt am Main) ... Greetings from the Black Forest in Germany!
Borfel - Thanks and yes it was long ! Made me dizzy :)) I visited the black forest a while ago, loved it. I believe the lake where I was staying close to was ( Lake Titisee ) ? Lovely place ! Carl.
Yes, the Titisee lies in the Black Forest ... and still is a very popular resort ... from my house to where I need still nearly 80 minutes ... best regards and all the best
Borfel - All I remember is what a beautiful area and people ! My Father was from ( Phalz ) and Mother and two Sisters ( Vienna ). Me the boring ( USA ) :((( Carl.
Creative idea...no comments! Walera.
Horst - Next time I think I will slide down the rail :)) Not a lot of time for new or present groups but will look into it ! Promise !! Carl.
Walera - Was very nervous going down that :)) Kind of scary and I'm a Big guy :)) Don't tell ok !
Thanks very much ! Carl T :)
Excellent framing!
James - I don't know about the framing, I was very Dizzy going down on that :)) Carl.
Photo taken in North Rosslyn, Arlington, VA 22209, USA
Walter E. Washington Convention Center