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Arco Climbing Comp, the Face of 2010
The Italians, with their friendliness. The Americans, with their generosity and naivety. The Eastern Europeans with their gravity. The Germans, with their thick ankles. People with those outdoor trousers with different-colored knee patches and fit people in Lycra. Those people with white legs, swollen red faces, bad posture and hats from a previous decade. Oops! That was my reflection in the full-length mirror behind the bar.
The Arco Rockmaster is one of Europe's top competitions, a strange offshoot of our sport that bears little or no resemblance to the thing that you do, and in which you have little interest, where identically-clad youths scurry up an overhanging sheet of plywood pulling on brightly colored blobs of resin. It takes place every September in the north of Italy. The organizers of the event also pay for representatives of various magazines to appear on a jury whose mission is to decide upon the year's best sport climber and best competition climber, who will then be awarded an orb of glass. As jurors, we get fed and watered and treated like human beings for a few days, but firstly, the judging process had to be survived, and my involvement gives me an insight into all such jury votes, whether for an Oscar, a Piolet d'Or, who becomes Pope or whether we hang OJ. The underlying subtext is that who wins is fairly arbitrary, but the sooner we get this over with, the sooner we're out of here. As such, there is a strategy. Mingle beforehand to see if any of the judges actually care who wins. Of the dozen or so there, you can expect one or two to have an opinion. Find out what that opinion is and adopt it. Re-mingle and canvass for that candidate, getting everyone on side before the event, and presto!
We gathered in the jury room along with the organizers and some mayor-style character, and started to voice our opinions. It's important not to blow your cover in front of the organizers because you want to get invited back next year, so put some passion into your speech. Append it with phrases such as: This year the choice was harder than ever. Perhaps do some hand gestures, knit your forehead, then utter the name of a climber who, were he or she sitting beside you, you might not even recognize.
Still, some people couldn't help themselves from raising their hands with important points. I looked around at the other voters, journalists from the world's media, and hoped they were all in on the plan. There was Tony from South Africa whom I knew for a fact understood less about competition climbing than me. He had confided to me earlier that he was hoping to get a thing going with a local barmaid. There was Piotr, the Pole from Gory magazine. He cared a little but I also knew he had a terrific appetite, and the sooner he got to dinner the better. There was Florian from Climax magazine in Austria. Last year he had brought his mag along for everyone. It was printed in 3D and I remember the strange sight of half the jury wearing blue and red plastic specs. The blurred images left lots of members nauseous that day and Florian had been told to be on his best behavior this year. Then there was Jens from 8a.nu, the world's biggest climbing website, and first for news. It's packed with charts and rankings, and looking at it had much the same affect on me as the 3D magazine. The screen was entirely covered in vertigo-inducing numbers, so much so that the first time I saw it I thought it was a piece of machine code. It looks like the sort of website that has never had a woman's touch. Like last year, Jens had already calculated who the winners would be and he sat there, self-satisfied, twirling the ends of his mustache. Then there was Igor.
Here's a rule to live by. Never fuck with anyone called Igor. Igor Koller was a dark-horse editor and I was frightened of him. He came from one of those ex-Iron Curtain countries. I can't remember which, but one look and I could see the incredible depth of his toughness. He looked like he could happily spend two weeks freezing his nuts off on a Himalayan north face. Apparently he had done a lot in the Dolomites in the 1970s. Back then it was a real struggle to get out of Bumfuckski, but he managed the odd week away. When he did, he had to make it count. One time he arranged to hook up with a young German hotshot for a week in the Dolomites and over that week he did three major new routes including the world-famous Fish, an outstanding bold and technical climb, one of the hardest of its type in the world. After the week he went back home, primed for harder things, while the German was so spent he never climbed again.
To pass time in the jury I imagined insulting Igor and his country, and winced at the thought of how he would kill me. I imagined being on a north face with him:
Igor, did you pack the candy, because I can't find any in my bag?
Igor, you're hurting me!
I know for a fact that he is a very nice person, but such is my penchant for fantasy that I cringed every time he glanced my way.
All went well with the jury. We voted Chris Sharma and somebody else the winners and we went off for dinner and then to the comp.
I sat inside the press enclosure with my double-scoop ice cream and watched the wall for a while. People were still climbing up it, so I read my book for a while. Reaching the end of a chapter I looked up and observed the crowd. There they all were, looking, clapping, ooh-ing. Being good citizens. It was strange to see people looking at climbers climb as if it was a real sport and they were fans.
This legitimacy created a sense of celebrity around the climbers. Lots of names were there, and quite a few faces. The stars of the sport. This led me into a weird state of inverted deference toward them, and it surprised me to find myself ever so slightly starstruck.
But what would I say if I accidentally bumped into one? I might know what shoe company they are sponsored by or what position they came in, but it's hardly the basis to strike up a conversation. I mean, I can hardly step in front of lovely, bite-sized Maja Vidmar as she strolls from isolation, look her in the eye and say, I really liked the way you shook out on the yellow crimp. With that opening line you can't expect to find yourself, two hours later, in a local cafe, waxing on about what percentage of recovery she estimated she got. No chance. Eyes forward.
I once lived in a flat and got to know my downstairs neighbor. Peter was a fellow Irish and a tightrope walker in a circus, but in his time had been, among other things, a fashion make-up artist, a bus conductor and a professional figure skater. I asked him about figure skating, imagining him throwing a sequin-and-flesh-colored-stocking-clad beauty into the air to classic pop tunes.
No, that's not figure skating, that's Dancing on Ice.
He explained that in figure skating, the skater comes onto the ice and skates a figure eight. He then skates a figure eight once more following the same track, then skates off. The judges come out and analyze how much the second track deviated from the first, and the least deviant skater wins.
I gave it up in the end, Peter explained. I was always too deviant.
Figure skating struck me as the dumbest sport I had ever heard of, until I came across speed climbing.
I wandered through the competition arena with a burger and joined a crowd lingering in front of a tall vertical wall. Two identical lines of holds ran up the wall, each one looking like a large splat from a Spaceman Spiff mertilizer gun. A friend who knew something about competitions explained: The vertical hop scotch of bright jugs, shaped like oversized treats for your pet hippo, was a standard route, designed two years ago by a team of lab rats in Spain. Since then, every official speed-climbing competition takes place on this identical route, those holds in that orientation at that distance apart and in that order. This is the only route that speed climbers do. Strange, and about to get stranger.
At the base was a rigid-looking suspect in a red Russian team top staring at the climb. He looked pretty wired, with a blond combed-back Barnett, like some flickknife teddy boy from downtown Vladivostok. I watched him while his eyes ran up and down the blotches and his body started to twitch. His hands did doggy-paddle jerks while his hips and heels convulsed like someone with terminal spasms. I thought, either this guy has had Joy Division's Greatest Hits injected into his cortex or he's about to have a fit. Remembering schoolyard first aid I had started to look for something to stop him swallowing his tongue when my friend told me it was OK, he was a speed climber. Soon he was joined by a second contestant.
An official hooked a toprope up to the backs of their full-body harnesses. This was a special toprope, the last six feet being covered in rigid tubing. I reasoned that at some point in the sport's history a climber advanced up the wall faster than a belayer could take in slack and the spare coils flopped around the climber's neck like a kernmantel constrictor. When the climber fell off the route, speed climbing was left with its very own Toni Kurtz.
The DJ spun a techno tune and lyrics boomed across the stadium: My love for you is like a truck Berserker!
A stopwatch jockey revved up the monkeys:
Ready, get set, go!
Twitch and his rival scrabbled up the wall at a terrible speed, feet pedaling, arms whirling, grabbing and gobbling upwards at an unbelievable rate. It was an ugly sight, horrible to watch, searing to the eyes of a climber such as I, suffused with the poetic beauty of The Move and all the timeless love that it has inspired. It gave me the same feeling as watching a nasty and uneven outbreak of street violence, someone should stop that!
At the top, predictably, a big bright buzzer was pressed and the speedsters slouched onto the ropes. The rear attachment point left them suspended, tilting slightly forward, arms hung down, and they descended like knackered horses being lowered into the glue-pit.
It's the next big thing, my colleague informed me. If climbing gets to the Olympics, that's where the advertising is. The punter understands speed.
Oh, mother of God! Is it true? Will the world at large come to see these galloping glue ponies as the pinnacle of achievement in climbing? Will the exasperating trials of politely explaining So, what's the highest you've ever climbed? be replaced with a finger poked in the chest and the demand, So, how quick are you, buddy?
In an effort to justify my existence from a journalistic point of view, I decided I would interview the best climber in the world. Adam Ondra is only 16 years old and eats 9a (5.14d) for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This might well be all he eats, for he is tall and skinny, with gangling limbs and knucklejoint knees. With his shy loping walk, he reminds me of an hour-old foal. Chris Sharma once told me that he understands what all the top climbers in the world do, and how they do it, apart from Adam. Adam was on a different level, he assured me.
Good luck, a Spanish journalist wished me. I have tried to interview Adam now three times but he is very shy. Very shy.
I suspected this was true. Earlier Adam had been at the prize ceremony, having come third to the Austrian David Lama and the Spaniard Ramonet Julian. Adam stood on the third-place box while an amazing looking blond beauty gave him a huge bunch of flowers. He stood awkwardly, obviously not really knowing what to do. I recognized this look from my own teenage experiences, and I imagined the horror of standing there, glands pumping swampy hormones like cannons firing grapeshot, with everyone looking. Next David came out, looking cool and surly, and confident and they shook hands. Ramonet then came out (Ramonet, little Ramonet who, standing on the winner's block was still a little shorter than Adam on his third-place block), and he and David gave each other one of those cool handshakes, with different parts to it and biceps and backslaps. He turned to Adam and they exchanged one of those handshakes that you imagine English explorers gave each other at the South Pole in 1907.
I found him, and he agreed to an interview. We sat down on a bench. I set up my Dictaphone and launched off into my specially prepared questions.
What's your favorite color? Do you prefer cats? Tits or ass?
These weren't the questions I really asked, although maybe I should have. Instead I asked about 9a's and redpointing and grades. He answered politely, but quite soon a voice inside my head started to point out that this was probably the hundredth time some tedious man more than twice his age was asking him the same tedious questions. It started to dawn on me what a bore I was, and I wondered whether I had nothing better to do than ask little boys about what subjects they do at school. Pretty soon, to save both of us from further humiliation, I found myself thanking Adam effusively for a tremendous interview and scurrying off to a cafe to drown my embarrassment in some melted cheese.
After all the competitions were over and the prizes awarded and the tears shed there is always a party in the main square on Sunday night. I must admit I'm not sure who did well in the climbing but for me this is where the points are really won and lost, and you certainly don't win any points by not showing up. From this perspective, Adam Ondra, Patxi Usobiaga, Ramonet, Maja Vidmar and Angela Eiter were disqualified from the start.
The piazza is beautiful: perfectly cobbled streets, an ancient church, fine painted buildings all about. Above these you could see the cragged mountaintops that ring the village and give the town so much character. On top of the highest and most spectacular of these peaks, looming right above the town, the ancient castle was lit up in the warm darkness.
The evening was alive with happy chattering and the whine of Piaggios. I approached the bar after having had a nice dinner to find most of the competitors in an advanced state of drunkenness. I suspected that many of these youths trained hard for the Arco event, and tonight was the night they let off steam.
Kilian Fischhuber had obviously found and drank a bottle of Mix, fallen down behind the sofa, then came back up again a monster. Actually, I say a monster, but I really mean just a slightly louder version of himself. And seeing as how Kilian normally seems to be a straight forward, open and extremely polite person, what I really, really mean is he was being polite at a higher volume. He was there with his girlfriend Anna Stohr, top female boulderer. She, too, is straightforward, open and polite. I found myself talking to them and I wondered if they made the perfect couple. They were both so nice and friendly. But what if the years go by and one of them discovers tha he or she has a dark side, a side they have never explored or expressed, harboring horrors that would chill the blood, demons that would tear away their sense of the world and what is right and normal, thrusting them into a world of blackness. I kept these thoughts to myself, and asked them about the scoring system in the bouldering final.
The highlight of the evening revolved around my favorite competitor, Tom The Machine Mrazek. Tom, a burly Czech, had an old-school gnarl about him. He looks like he works out in an abattoir and chews bones for crag snacks. At the comp he always puts in a good performance and you can see how hard he is trying. The crowd loves him. As the evening wore on he joined the other competitors on the small dance floor while the DJ spoon-fed drunken youths a heady mix of 1980s power-rock and handbag cheese. They loved it, none more than Tom, looking drunk and happy in large measures, a little cheeky smile on his face that made me feel warm inside. A few of the youths had already stripped themselves to the waist and were dancing badly. A song, I can't remember which, came on and Tom threw his fists in the air in pleasure. Then, in drunken joy, he took off his competition vest, and threw it with abandon in a far corner of the room.
David Bowie sung that he's never done good things, he's never done bad things. Some actions are like this, neither good nor bad. However, Bowie also says he has never done anything out of the blue, oh-wow. But right there and then I decided that if The Machine didn't want his vest then I was going to have it as a souvenir. I scurried over to the far corner like a rat and snatched it. I took it outside and showed my friends. I was so proud. I put it on over the top of my flowery shirt to see how it felt. It was a bit tight but I liked the look, so kept it on.
So attired, the night wore on, and at one point I went in search of my South African friend Tony to show him my souvenir. Tony was standing with a downbeat Austrian and they were discussing something they had just seen.
Did you see that? The Machine just went nuts. He was leaving and he went to look for his shirt and it was gone. Then he went to look for his passport and wallet and they were gone, too. He went crazy, started shouting, I'll kill somebody! I will kill them!' and about how he has to walk home topless. On his way out of the bar he punched the cigarette machine and knocked it over and disappeared.
His wallet, his passport and his shirt, all stolen, said the Austrian.
Oh, no, his shirt wasn't stolen, I took it, I explained in a good mood, tugging at the white vest in demonstration.
The Austrian looked at me in horror and Tony started to laugh.
It's a memento, I explained. I'm a Machine fan.
The Austrian insisted that I had done a very bad thing and that I should give him the shirt right away as he was camped beside Tom, but he came on a bit heavy so I said I would find the Machine and give it to him myself. Tony, finding the whole thing quite amusing, advised me I might not want to bump into Tom right now, and we had a great laugh at what would have happened to me if Tom, instead of seeing the cigarette machine, had seen me wearing his shirt.
In the end I felt bad about the whole incident and gave the Austrian the shirt along with 50 euros dressed up as a sort of sponsorship/compensation type gesture for Tom for losing his wallet. In reality this was a bribe given in the hope that if Tom ever finds out who took the shirt and tracks me down in a dimly lit central European alleyway on a wet winter night and gets all Special Forces on my ass, then perhaps the generosity will convince him, at least, to allow me a painless death.
Niall Grimes is a Senior Contributing Editor for Rock and Ice.

subset: commoncrawl


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DENALI DM Micro Single Intensity LED Lighting Kit with Full Wiring Harness & M8 MountDon't let the small size and weight fool you, with an effective beam distance of 240 feet, these little buggers are BRIGHT! Learn More$249.99
DENALI DM Micro Single Intensity LED Lighting Kit with Full Wiring Harness & M8 Mount | Chrome
The ultra compact size of the DM light is ideal for when you want to maintain a clean inconspicuous look without sacrificing brightness. The DM is also ideal for daytime visibility as the smaller optic intensifies the brightness of light when looking at the light from the front. Consuming only 5 watts of power per lamp, the DENALI DM Lights throw a blazing beam of light 240 feet down the road in front of you. That's 85 feet further than your typical motorcycle high beam.
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Then you're a member of the Ithaca College Alumni Association!
Enrollment is automatic, and the benefits are many: having fun, networking, staying in touch with friends, taking advantage of the alumni insurance program, plus getting discounts on services like car rental and moving. Visit the Benefits page for details on the programs and services available to you.
To stay connected to IC and other alumni, you may want to serve on the alumni association board of directors. These dedicated people advise the Office of Alumni Relations on alumni issues and programming.
You might also be interested in volunteering your time and expertise in other ways. Alumni volunteers speak to IC classes, mentor students, and work with the admission office on recruiting efforts. Visit the Volunteering website to learn more about these opportunities.
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Cheapest Load Of RubbishLandscaping & Gardens Green Waste Removal
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Size: 246 sq. ft. including verandah
Location: Deck 7
Cabin Category: 5C
Amenities: A queen-size bed or two twin beds and a single convertible sofa some rooms have an upper berth pull-down bed privacy divider private verandah private split bathroom with tub and shower 22" flat-screen TV refrigerator iPod docking station ample closet space safe hairdryer phone with voicemail and individual climate control.
Please Note:
Deck 7 features staterooms in categories:


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Ikea Taps HAY and Tom Dixon for New Products
via dezeen.com
on 08 June 2016
For its latest line of collaborative products, Ikea has tapped Danish design company HAY and British designer Tom Dixon. While Dixon's contributions are currently under wraps until August 2017 (he could only confirm an aluminum-framed couch), HAY has already begun crafting tables, lamps, benches and other furniture and lighting ideas, as well as a reinterpreted version of Ikea's distinct blue and yellow Frakta shopping bag. Look for HAY's offerings to release sometime in 2017 and learn more about the collaboration at Dezeen.
Role-Reversal in Frog Mating Results in Singing
via sciencemag.org
Documented for the first time ever, the Bornean frog (scientifically known as Limnonectes palavanensis, but more commonly called the singing frog) has made a serious evolutionary change. Usually, male frogs serenade a female and she chooses the suitor of her liking to mate with, but a recent study has shown a complete role-reversal. Now, a single frog surrounded by singers is most likely to be a male being courted by females. Researchers are currently studying further to see if this is indicative of an entire sex-reversal, but say "judging by the high rate of female serenading, males may be the picky ones." Read more at Science magazine.
Photography App Predicts Where and When Natural Light Will Occur
via petapixel.com
An update to the much loved Photographer's Ephemeris sun-tracking app allows users, in essence, to watch a sunrise or sunset from the future—anywhere in the world. Known as the Photographer's Ephemeris 3D, the photographic assistance tool predicts where light will land on the ground—including shadows and other nuances—helping anyone looking to plan and prepare for a landscape photo shoot. The app breaks tracking down by the second and casts sunlight, moonlight and even starlight atop a 3D map with striking accuracy. It's currently available in the iOS app store for $20 in most nations, rolling out everywhere on 27 June. An upgrade pricing plan is also in development.
Industrial Design's Museum of Failures
via core77.com
From a rejuvenation mask that shocked the face with electric current to rental DVDs that stopped working after 48 hours and dozens of poorly conceived mobile phones, Dr Samuel West has curated quite the collection at Sweden's Museum of Failures. His goal, however, isn't to make a mockery of anyone. Rather, it's to convey lessons learned through failed product design. Big names (such as Apple and Ford) as well as many smaller design firms have stumbled and their mistakes deliver valid design information. The museum's exhibitions are presented in Swedish, English and German (soon) and West plans on hosting programs associated with failure in the near future, as well.
Urine Converted to Electricity at Glastonbury Festival
via bbc.com
Thanks to electro-active micro-organisms that feed on elements in urine and then produce electrons, bio-engineers at Bristol Robotics Lab have found a way to turn pee into electricity. A fuel cell pack developed by the scientists currently feeds on two liters of urine and, in turn, produces 30 to 40 milliwatts of power. This energy has been used to power smartphones (slowly), LCD displays and even lights. The system will be trialled at the upcoming Glastonbury Music Festival so that attendees can transform their pee to power.
Storing the World's Rarest Colors
via fastcodesign.com
When one thinks of valuable entities, commonly we lean toward precious stones, gold, or maybe even water. The Harvard pigment library, however, houses another priceless thing: rare colors, colors that people used to search the world to find. Narayan Khandekaris, the collection's custodian (and the director of the Straus Center for Conservation and Technical Studies at the Harvard Art Museum), says the work is approached similarly to that of a forensic scientist, "We examine and find out what we can about the key compounds that will tell us the material's origin." Khandekaris discussed the stories behind 10 hues—Mummy Brown, Dragon's Blood and more—with FastCo.
Art Basel's Best Instagram Moments
via observer.com
If there's one thing we've all learned from art fair attendance, it's the unending opportunity for unique Instagram images one simply won't find elsewhere. With industry-leading Art Basel's 2017 Switzerland iteration wrapped, the best way to look back might just be through what people captured on social media and the Observer has compiled a strong list. While no Anish Kapoor selfies made the cut, artist Subodh Gupta's canopy of pots and pans certainly catches the eye—as does the colorful "Bruno & Yoyo" (2015) sculptures by Urs Fischer (a regular art fair Instagram winner). From octopuses to phallic symbols, there's a lot to see—head over to the Observer for more.
Fun and Games on the SpaceX Interplanetary Travel System
via mashable.com
As SpaceX works toward launching humans into space—first with astronauts to the International Space Station in the next few years, under contract with NASA which will yield incredibly valuable information in return—founder Elon Musk's vision extends beyond cost-saving, reusable rockets. In his master plan to take people to Mars, he's recently shared with the New Science journal that he hopes for a very comfortable, engaging flight on the months-long experience. "The crew compartment or the occupant compartment is set up so that you can do zero-gravity games—you can float around," Musk wrote, observed by Mashable. Further. "There will be movies, lecture halls, cabins, and a restaurant. It will be really fun to go."
India's Dr Seuss, Anushka Ravishankar
via atlasobscura.com
Today marks the last day of Children's Literature Week and while we can easily recall the milestone books of our own developmental years, authors continue to produce prose of exceptional merit. Anushka Ravishankar, commonly referred to as India's Dr Seuss, has long been a master of silliness—from her debut "Tiger on a Tree," which was translated into eight languages and sold 50,000 copies globally to her recently released collection of nonsense in verse "Hic!" Ravishankar has produced over 25 books with international independent Indian publisher Tara Books over the last 20 years. There's nothing like discovering an author, especially one that masterfully makes the magical more real. And rather than let Children's Literature Week pass unnoticed, perhaps pick up a new book, reconnect with an old one or go grab one for a child in your life.
New Zealand's Hidden Eighth Wonder of the World
via news.nationalgeographic.com
It is commonly believed—and supported by a five-year-study—that New Zealand's naturally-forming pink and white terraces (once referred to as the eighth wonder of the world) were destroyed in 1886 when Mount Tarawera erupted. Volcanic ash filled Lake Rotomaha causing irreparable damage to silica sinter quartz formations. However, according to a recent announcement in the Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand by researchers Rex Bunn and Sascha Nolden, this might not be true. Using a field diary of cartographer Ferdinand von Hochstetter, from 1859, they've been able to more accurately place the terraces—and believe them to be 30 to 50 feet below the lake's shore. It's up to New Zealand's Tuhuourangi tribal authority to decide whether or not to excavate some.
Marijuana as a Non-Profit Industry
via fastcompany.com
No longer a question of if, it's really a matter of when the US—like Canada—will legalize recreational marijuana use. As producers in states that have already embraced the bud can attest to, a commercial endeavor in the weed industry leads to competition, marketing and more. To prevent that from getting out of hand (in Canada) medical researcher Francois Gagnon has proposed a unique idea: "delete the demand-driven profitability part of the equation by establishing a non-profit model for distribution" led by a universal agency, according to Fast Company. This solves everything from insuring standards to controlling overt advertising. You can read more of Gagnon's plan at Fast Company.
Hubble's New Galactic Finds
via huffingtonpost.com
10,000 times more luminous than our Milky Way, a series of the universe's "brightest infrared galaxies" have been captured by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. Using a natural phenomenon called gravitation lensing, the galactic imagery has been magnified to "reveal a tangled web of misshapen objects punctuated by exotic patterns, such as rings and arcs," according to NASA. What's even more curious about the shapes: speculating leads scientists to believe that may have been produced by way of an astronomical collision of massive but distant smaller galaxies. Head over to the Huffington Post to view more photos of the ultra-luminous starbursts.
A Pride Flag Incorporating LGBTQ+ People of Color
via cnn.com
First unfurled at a Pride Month launch celebration in Philadelphia, a new rainbow flag aims to recognize the POC members of the LGBTQ+ community. Part of the "More Color More Pride" campaign, the flag calls to attention—and embraces—the diversity within the already marginalized queer world. A testament to intersectionality, the pride flag's value lies in its powerful, inclusive statement. The addition of black and brown stripes above the rest of the rainbow affirms that the often overlooked people of color in the movement are represented.
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Sento Full Pressure Balancing Shower System - Shower and Handheld
Seeing beauty and unique forms in their own surroundings, GRAFF's innovative designers look to the world around them for inspiration, giving each design a unique story to tell. Established in 1992, GRAFF is a premier manufacturer of trend-setting, avante-garde bathroom faucets where cutting-edge luxury products add aesthetic verve to the most familiar moments of daily life.
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Product Description
Material: Polyester/Nylon.
Care instructions: Hand wash separately, drip dry.
Colour: Red.
Additional Information
Additional Information
Take a look at our Juicy Bits Blog for advice, tips and fun inspiration to help you get the most out of choosing and wearing lingerie and dressing up costumes.Take a look...
Our policy is to make your whole shopping experience with us a smooth and enjoyable one. We aim to provide you with the customer care you would hope for.Take a look...
We sell only genuine branded products obtained from authorised sources. We do not sell counterfeit, copies, parallel imports, seconds or shop soiled items.Take a look...
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Material: Polyester/Nylon.
Care instructions: Hand wash separately, drip dry.
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by HP
Jul 01, 2013
Did you know it takes an average of 416 days to detect a security breach? Read the 2012 HP Cyber Risk Report for information that will guide you in deploying security programs to minimize risk and protect against breaches. You'll gain insight into the top vulnerability trends, web application vulnerabilities, and mobile application security, and you?ll learn what to look for in the year ahead to keep your enterprise secure.
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cruzer wrote:
I don't understand this ... easy if it is that bad.
What they say beforehand:
tall4agirl wrote:they are saying ... almost a foot ... Woohoo!
After you see it:
tall4agirl wrote:about 3-4"
cruzer wrote:not so hot..
cruzer wrote:
ah hell....Good
Volunteer Moderator
no1 wrote:What they say beforehand:
Rotf lmao! Good one No1!
dontwantaname wrote:Rotf lmao! Good one No1!
tall4agirl wrote:I have a friend in Denton who says she got 6-7" ...!
Kerster11 wrote:.
Well said.
cruzer wrote: best is going to bed.
dontwantaname wrote:First time!
A nice NJ boy!
stlwooter wrote: I haven't I'm due.
no1 wrote:Funny, I don't remember typing this.
last post of last thread in forum:
Not too amazing. Game developers back in the day had to concentrate on the game to capture players. Now, it's usually about the quality of the graphics.
cruzer wrote:yeah, well...I have another reason in which I will not disclose.
Raining wrote about reasons I won't disclose wrote:
I'm not quite sure why you quoted this...
cruzer wrote:I can't get it...
Very sorry GF, but I couldn't resist.
geekfactor12 wrote:I'm ... the type of person ... that swallows...
no1 wrote:Very sorry GF, but I couldn't resist.
I knew something like that would come up sooner or later...
nice paraphrase no1.
no1 wrote:It's on Ms. Name.
no1 wrote:Bunny Pirate's passed [a] Tomato.... Ouch!
cruzer wrote:can't be good, I do hope.
SkekTek wrote:I love ... coming through the mouth ....
no1 wrote:I just now noticed that Josephus and jimiyo ...woot ... each other.
Not important, just a "huh" moment for me.
flamedemise wrote:... retards... hahah pinneapplebaskets...
dontwantaname wrote:No, the best one is, keep all the butts in your car and then instead of dumping them in the garbage at the gas station, just dump them out in a parking lot.
cruzer wrote:glad I could
cruzer wrote:
I'm done now...
no1 wrote:
I like sauce or juice.
Raining, who really likes cruzer wrote:nothing that made any sense
No doubt, he is my favorite person on woot.
cruzer wrote:I suggest you follow
daj59 wrote:Oh no! I have something in ... Smackie!!!
cruzer wrote: if it were possible.
cruzer wrote: very good...
FenStar wrote:Would love to talk to someone on AIM.
cruzer wrote: a bit slow
no1 wrote:
call a priest
no1 wrote: are you smoking?
cruzer wrote:good luck squeezing it in..
stlwooter wrote:last post of last thread in forum:
Not too amazing. Game developers back in the day had to concentrate on the game to capture players. Now, it's usually about the quality of the graphics.
Really thats a shame because I wasn't impressed with farcry and guess what Crysis really is... a updated farcry. LAME!
daj59 wrote:What is a BJ
no1 wrote:NSFW! NSFW! NSFW!
Bad Smackie! Bad, bad Smackie! Go to the corner!
View All →


text:
- Terror watch lists keep legitimate terror threats off of airplanes every day, all over the world.
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EoS Blog Team


text:
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Water daily through hot spells and every other day in the spring and fall if left in the original pot. As needed in the winter. A well balanced liquid fertilizer should be used monthly. Olives in general are not heavy feeders, . The local nursery should have an adequate liquid feed available.
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Corki has a win rate 49.93% for Platinum+ players whilst the very best Corki's are earning a win rate of 54.73% with the average rank of these top players being in Diamond III.
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Even in the workplace, helicopter parents hover
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|MK3 TSB, Recall & Problems Archive The place to chat about TSB and Known Issues for the 2012 Focus.
|Topic Review (Newest First)
That said, I'm not sure that I would be worried about taking the car in and telling them you JUST wanted the WW Fluid TSB done and not to mess with the tranny.
Well that explains everything. I got a Nasty surprise one day when mine ran out! No chime, no indicator, no nothing! I never knew it was a TSB....now I know that they don't perform TSBs unless you ask for them. My transmission works and doesn't grind, etc. so I don't want them touching it now.
ON SECOND THOUGHT: I just got my Criuse Control fixed....I'll survive as I always carry extra Fluid with me anyway. It seems like the taks is smaller than previous Foci. My 2007 was a bottomless pit and could take almost 2 standard jugs!
|Mine has it it is in the middle computer screen it comes on for a brief second then is in system check and it comes back on when you turn the car back on at certain times
|Moved to MK3 TSB, Recall & Problems Archive.
I had my low fluid warning fixed at my last oil change (6K miles ago). I had to tell them about the TSB but they got it done. It feels like they did the "tip in" for the throttle also because I don't have to be as careful with the clutch as I did before.
The warning comes on a few seconds after you start the car, not a dummy light. Great big message and accompanying "ding!". I got 5 or 6 windshield washes (front and back) after the warning. Never did run out before I refilled.
So, I'm not sure my dealer applied the update in the TSB or did it incorrectly. Was driving back over the long weekend here, waiting for the indicator to come on because I was using quite a bit on the bugs but never got a warning, so figured I must still have quite a bit in the reservoir.
At the service station, I filled up the gas tank, squeegeed the windshield and then was driving off to get back on the highway when I decided to give it one more spray/wipe.
No fluid and no warning. Quickly pulled over while still at the service station grounds and filled the empty reservoir.
I guess my dealer being surprised that there was an update and having to attempt programming the MFT system 3x because they said it kept rebooting was probably a sign that they were going to do it wrong.
|Some Guy From NY
First, after they installed the new rack, they messed up the alignment so a week later I had to bring it back for them to correct the alignment. They had no paperwork showing this was done.
While I was there waiting for them to printout the paperwork they did have, a woman was leaving after getting an oil change. A tech walked her to her car, then immediately came back in to talk to the service manager who was helping me. The tech says the oil the woman had brought in herself, which was a full synthetic oil was still in the car. The service manager looks at the work order which he had given the tech who did the oil change and it clearly in black marker, written almost across the entire order was USE CUSTOMER PROVIDED OIL & FILTER. But nope, apparently the tech had just put in regular(most likely syn blend) oil and not even looked at the work order. They had the woman come back in and they were going to change the oil again using her full synthetic oil.
Ford dealers here in the US I think now only use synthetic blend oil now. Weird how they still use regular and don't even carry the blend in Canada. Well in your dealership anyway.
What is wrong with the service departments?
No one gives a shit about doing their job anymore. I am so sick of dealing with these people.
Well, to be honest, I helped them out (or I should say you folks here helped me out), since I was able to spoonfeed them the TSB no.
A little concerned about this dealership since they had no indication on their system that 2 recalls and an MFT update which were applied the week before, had been done and at first implied in their tone that I was being negligent by not having them done when they were done by this dealer (and it took them 3 tries to do the mft update which I had initially told them I would do myself - I had no trouble when I did it last year)!!
When I got the TSB done, I was also changing my oil (I brought my Motorcraft syn. blend which I bought in the US because this dealership only offers reg. or full synthetic and doesn't stock syn. blend even though that's what the focus comes with from the factory) and left the jug in the front passenger foot area and the serviceperson even left a note on the work order, yet when the car was ready, the serviceperson realized that the syn. blend oil I supplied was never touched (to his credit he offered to have it drained and refilled with mine in 7 min. but understand that I'd already been waiting there for 2.5hrs to have the oil change and TSB applied even though I had an appt.).
Love the car, not so much the servicing.
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Thursday, March 17, 2011
TSA Scanner Levels 10x Higher Than Expected?
48 comments:
- Andrew MacKie-Mason said...
Wait, we know that it's not operating unsafely because there's a safety mechanism that prevents it from operating unsafely? Good logic, that.
- March 17, 2011 at 11:56 PM
- Anonymous said...
You guys can't even fill out a form but you have extralegal jurisdiction to touch our junk even when we disembark trains? I bet these are perfectly safe just like depleted uranium, right?
- March 18, 2011 at 12:18 AM
- Concerned Observer said...
Are the machines that are to be retested out of commission for the time being?
If there is any significant chance that the backscatter WBI machines are putting out an abnormal amount of radiation, I would hope that the TSA would protect frontline TSOs and shut down the units in question until proper readings are taken and proper maintenance/reparation is done.
- March 18, 2011 at 12:36 AM
- Drawicky said...
I'll ignore for the minute the fact that the TSA can't seem to design a simple enough form that its employees are capable of filling it out correctly.
The real issue here is...did you just tell us that the machines can't be operating outside of normal levels because they can't operate outside of normal levels? Do you think we're stupid?
- March 18, 2011 at 1:49 AM
- Ted said...
At some point the TSA will have to admit the x-ray scanners put out more energy than they are trying to lead everyone to believe. In this case they are not "fudging" the numbers enough to calm public outcry. Think of the exposure required for x-rays to hit a target and be strong enough to reflect back to be detected by a scintillator/imager. The public and TSA employees are at risk for long-term adverse health risks.
- March 18, 2011 at 2:11 AM
- Anonymous said...
It would make sense to take the machines offline if they were doing this retesting for the interest of public or employee safety.
Unfortunately, that's a big if.
- March 18, 2011 at 4:59 AM
- Anonymous said...
Oh, so you got the form wrong. Just the form. You never make mistakes that hurt, embarrass or inconvenience people. Just can´t happen. Because you are always right and good.
Please, look yourselves in the mirror.
- March 18, 2011 at 6:00 AM
- Bill said...
I'm going to repeat a comment because this is a bad maintenance procedure.
Why does your test require you to do 10 scans and take an average? You should do 10 scans and if any one of them fall outside of a set variance the machine should be shut down for maintenance. Average safe levels of radiation don't matter to the one person who gets a higher dose.
Of course you still shouldn't use the machines at all because they are a gross violation of the letter and spirit of the 4th amendment.
- March 18, 2011 at 7:20 AM
- Randy said...
What happens when the *safety system* fails?
Shakes Head,
Randy - andcrossesfingerswhengoingthroughait
- March 18, 2011 at 8:18 AM
- Anonymous said...
The machines are incapable of operating at those levels.
Then why do the testing in the first place? Or for that matter, why do the retesting?
Do you understand how dumb the argument you made in this post sounds?
If that is how the TSA thinks, we are in serious trouble
- March 18, 2011 at 8:48 AM
- Anonymous said...
As a (PhD) medical physicist, with over 20 years experience in radiation safety of devices used to irradiate humans, there is one immutable truth I have learned: Radiation safety is too important to be left to chance and "safety circuits."
Safety circuits fail. This is well demonstrated.
Control circuits fail. This is also well demonstrated.
Beam currents for radiation generators are very small and will not "blow the fuse" if they are too high and the safety (monitoring circuits) fail.
This is why we recommend a morning output check before such devices are used on people.
Why doesn't the TSA illuminati get this?
I don't know the technical parameters of your machines, but what I have gleaned is the energy is in the diagnostic radiology ranges, and if so, then you should be doing and recording daily output checks on these machines and you should not use them on living beings until you verify their output.
- March 18, 2011 at 9:39 AM
- RB said...
Why average the readings?
If any one reading exceeds design limits would it not be prudent to take the xray machine out of service until repairs are completed?
Why is TSA so willing to xray the public with unproven and likely unsafe devices?
- March 18, 2011 at 9:39 AM
- Anonymous said...
I don't believe you.
- March 18, 2011 at 10:43 AM
- Mike e. said...
If I was a TSO assigned to operate one of these machines, I would be asking myself why X-Ray technicians at the doctor's office always leave the room before activating the x-ray.
Then I would realize that the x-ray machine is way more powerful than anything the TSA uses.
But then I would realize I (as a TSO) probably do several hundred more scans per shift than an X-ray tech.
- March 18, 2011 at 1:00 PM
- Anonymous said...
Blogger Bob said:
"...well below national standards."
To which "national standards" are you referring, Bob?
- March 18, 2011 at 1:24 PM
- Anonymous said...
You people are horrifying. You're using dangerous equipment you don't understand. You're a menace.
- March 18, 2011 at 1:30 PM
- Anonymous said...
Sad but I don't trust the TSA with my health.
- March 18, 2011 at 3:05 PM
- Anonymous said...
The Therac-25 machines were designed with safety systems, but it was later proven (disastrously) that the safeties didn't work as intended and several people were killed by the equipment. When the testing records don't match your expectations, that is NOT the time to throw those results out.
- March 18, 2011 at 5:16 PM
- Anonymous said...
SO, Bob, why, exactly, should we trust an agency with our safety that can't even do simple math??
- March 18, 2011 at 5:21 PM
- Jim said...
There still has been no LONG-TERM testing to see if it is dangerous over time.
- March 18, 2011 at 6:17 PM
- Anonymous said...
Let's see, the TSA is willing to show us SOME information, but ONLY the information that the TSA chooses in order to attempt to prevent the WHOLE truth from being revealed. Just like the TSA's approach to complying with the Freedom of Information Act request to release the REAL images that are created by the Backscatter devices. Why does the TSA NOT want the images to be released to the public? The TSA SAYS that it is to prevent terrorists from defeating the system, but the TRUTH is that the TSA does not want the PUBLIC to become truly aware of the graphic nature of the images.
This post does NOT violate the rules of the blog and I AM posting it in another forum because I have had MANY, MANY other posts censored by the TSA.
- March 19, 2011 at 9:28 AM
- TSORon said...
Some Anonymous poster asked…
"SO, Bob, why, exactly, should we trust an agency with our safety that can't even do simple math??
Its pretty simple Anon, you didn't read the article.
"TSA requires manufacturers and/or third party maintenance providers to test each machine routinely to make sure the radiation emitted falls within applicable standards"
Pretty much that means that the TSA does not do the testing, the manufacturer or another third party contractor does.
Jim said …
There still has been no LONG-TERM testing to see if it is dangerous over time.
It's not new technology Jim, it's been around for decades. The "long-term" testing has been done and you can find the results if you take the effort to find the facts. I doubt that will happen though, the facts do not seem to matter to the posters here.
- March 19, 2011 at 10:57 AM
- Anonymous said...
From a reporting perspective, if a large error is found during testing, it is generally scrutinized and looked at by one or multiple reviewers before releasing the results. This is generally true in every org. So I find it hard to believe that this is just a "math error".
I also agree with other posters that this kind of testing with RADIATION should NOT BE AVERAGED. Any instance of error should be examined. Were scientists not consulted for maintenance procedures?
- March 19, 2011 at 3:17 PM
- SciMjr2 said...
ATTN TSO Ron ...
Here's my question and maybe you can answer it because nobody else seems able to.
Where does the TSA draw the line? When it eventually happens, and it WILL happen, and someone puts a bomb up their rear end ... then what does the TSA do? Do they start cavity searching everyone? Or do they simply turn up the radiation on those machines until they can see straight through our bodies?
How about this ... what happens when the terrorists finally realize that because the TSA is doing such a great job (LOL) they can no longer get a bomb onto an aircraft and they realize that the next best place to cause massive fatalities is at a crowed, bottle-necked security check point?
What does the TSA do then ... because profiling is politically incorrect so they can't do that! Exactly HOW FAR will the TSA degrade and demean the traveling public in the name of "security."
- March 19, 2011 at 3:54 PM
- Anonymous said...
TSORon said: "It's not new technology Jim, it's been around for decades. The "long-term" testing has been done and you can find the results if you take the effort to find the facts. I doubt that will happen though, the facts do not seem to matter to the posters here."
Ron, would you mind providing links to the long-term tests on these devices that you've referenced? I'm a bit confused as to how this data could even exist given the relatively short time that these machines have been operating, but I'm more than willing to review any information you might be willing to offer.
Also, I think it's a bit ironic that you are suggesting that the posters are the people who are ignoring the facts. As I understand the situation, the TSA is insisting that certain measurements cannot possibly be accurate because the machines are not designed to produce that level of radiation. This strikes me as an absolutely absurd line of reasoning: the entire point of the tests is to figure out whether or not the machines are exceeding these levels. Why even conduct tests if you are going to treat every anomaly as a measurement error?
This post has not violated any of your commenting rules and I would appreciate if you would post it without any undue delay.
- March 19, 2011 at 4:33 PM
- James said...
The majority of [the scanners'] energy is delivered to the skin and the underlying tissue. Thus, while the dose would be safe if it were distributed throughout the volume of the entire body, the dose to the skin may be dangerously high. The X-ray dose from these devices has often been compared in the media to the cosmic ray exposure inherent to airplane travel or that of a chest X-ray. However, this comparison is very misleading: both the air travel cosmic ray exposure and chest X- rays have much higher X-ray energies and the health consequences are appropriately understood in terms of the whole body volume dose. In contrast, these new airport scanners are largely depositing their energy into the skin and immediately adjacent tissue, and since this is such a small fraction of body weight/vol, possibly by one to two orders of magnitude, the real dose to the skin is now high.
- March 19, 2011 at 5:28 PM
- Anonymous said...
TSORon said...
Pretty much that means that the TSA does not do the testing, the manufacturer or another third party contractor does.
Fine. "SO, Bob, why, exactly, should we trust an agency with our safety that can't even hire people who can do simple math??"
- March 19, 2011 at 10:47 PM
- Anonymous said...
Why does anyone think TSA employees are capable of reading the calibration equipment when the Savannah train incident (and Bob's claims as to the cause of that incident) show us that the employees of the TSA can't even read a clock?
- March 20, 2011 at 12:36 PM
- Anonymous said...
Hey Bob -
The link to the updated test results no longer works.
- March 20, 2011 at 8:08 PM
- Anonymous said...
I find it interesting that you allow a certain TSO to represent your organization on this blog after he mocks a concerned traveller who felt she was inappropriately touched in a checkpoint here.
This attitude does not seem to reflect your published core values.
- March 21, 2011 at 8:27 AM
- Anonymous said...
I got irradiated on March 18 and still got a pat down.
So more cancer for me and I got touched by someone who makes less than half my hourly pay...
- March 21, 2011 at 12:44 PM
- Concerned Observer said...
I am disappointed, but not surprised. I can only assume that the machines in question, which may be malfunctioning, have not been taken out of use at any point because of the abnormal recorded measurements.
Hopefully this is an issue that the TSA's union will pick up and run with. Proper safety measures appear to have been, and continue to be, ignored by the TSA.
- March 21, 2011 at 11:09 PM
- Anonymous said...
It is necessary for all WBI machines to be taken offline until each machine's radiation level has been verified by independent testers. This is necessary to protect both TSOs and travelers from harmful levels of radiation.
- March 22, 2011 at 9:45 AM
- Anonymous said...
As I grew up for 22 yrs. with my late father owning a large security company with close to 200 employees at any given time, I agree with the U.S. Travel Agency asking for identity identification.
Better yet, for frequent flyers, along w/frequent business travelers, all airports in the U.S. should allow them to make an appt. in advance to show them their i.d., passport, s.s.card, etc., while having two separate lines; for them, a faster one, while showing them again, along with all pilots and stewardesses (I'm referring to the Egyptian pilot about five years ago who was flying from the East Coast to the U.K. and purposely crashed, killing everyone). Unfortunately. Of course, everyone will still have to have their carry-on's searched, and pass through a metal detector.
However, several things; the 'full body scanners' are not worth anything,and are hazardous; radiation techs do make everyone wear a very heavy lead apron before they go back into their room; a body scanner showed what looked like a long object a passenger's boot, which a cat-scan later showed was a long knife; he was allowed to pass; also, no one should have to take their shoes off, unless they look very suspicious; many young men still read the 'anarchist's cookbook'; the only thing they succeed in blowing up is themselves. Worst of all is anyone at all allowed to carry cell phones or laptops while accessing the internet while in flight-what does anyone think these idiots have been blowing up European countries with for quite some time? The only advice I can give anyone is to fly smaller commuter or Southwest airlines-they don't fly very far and carry as much jet fuel, which is very flammable, and don't do the damage these cretins would like to do.
If anyone looks a bit startled (referring to the late woman in Phoenix), perhaps they're just afraid of flying. It isn't tsa's
agents fault. They are not properly trained.
God Bless and good luck to everyone, take care~
- March 22, 2011 at 11:20 AM
- Anonymous said...
So we're trusting our safety to people who can't fill out forms correctly... I thought if government workers could do one thing well, it is paperwork.
- March 22, 2011 at 3:42 PM
- Anonymous said...
Anonymous said...
I got irradiated on March 18 and still got a pat down.
So more cancer for me and I got touched by someone who makes less than half my hourly pay...
March 21, 2011 12:44 PM
So, how much did you make while writing such a pointless post? BTW, you're COOL.
- March 22, 2011 at 5:36 PM
- SciMjr2 said...
Here's the problem I have with these machines (BackScatter & MilliMeter) is that we are unsure if they are actually safe! Look back in time and see all the things that we were told were "completely safe." Fluoroscopes, asbestos, lead paint, X-Rays when they were first developed ... etc. etc. Why do you believe that these machines won't be the cause of numerous deaths in years to come? Because the government said so? The Federal Government is self serving ... they care about themselves and that's it! If they REALLY cared about us why would they COMPLETELY ignore and constantly lie to the traveling public? Mr. Pistole has to be one of the most arrogant officials I have seen in YEARS. He claims how he went through the pat-downs and he sees nothing wrong with it. NO KIDDING! Do you HONESTLY believe that Mr. Pistole ... big boss ... HEAD of the T.S.A. got the EXACT same pat-down and attitude from the T.S.A. officers that the rest of us do??? I HIGHLY doubt it!
- March 24, 2011 at 2:02 AM
- Anonymous said...
TSORON said Pretty much that means that the TSA does not do the testing, the manufacturer or another third party contractor does.
So Ron if the testers pass the machine but two days later there is a malfunction of the machine, and no one at the TSA is qualified to detect this. Who is to blame then? I suppose it doesn't bother you to go stepping into an xray machine with unqualified personal running equipment they don't understand. I hope your not a frequent flyer Ron and you have your life insurance premium paid up.
- March 26, 2011 at 3:26 PM
- kellymae81 said...
Anon said: I got irradiated on March 18 and still got a pat down.
So more cancer for me and I got touched by someone who makes less than half my hourly pay...
I would just like to know #1, what someones pay has to do with anything and #2, do you think you are better than someone bc you make more money than that person?!!!!! Such fine logic, that is!! Someone's pay has NOTHING to do with who that person is OR the job they are trying to do.... just sayin...!!!
- March 27, 2011 at 4:31 PM
- Anonymous said...
So Bob ... I have a question. I'm seeing the equivalent of TSA "mythbusters" on the internal page of my agency's website, trying to extol the virtues of the Nude-O-Scopes. Fortunately, it's unclassified so I can mention it.
Is TSA that desperate that it's trying to get the rest of the civilian service on board with the harassment? Interestingly enough, it was a shill article. Next to nothing on the privacy angle, didn't even address the legality and effectiveness. It was just a bunch of TSA assurances.
I see enough propaganda here. I don't need to see it at work.
- March 27, 2011 at 7:42 PM
- Anonymous said...
kellymae, a lot of people have a chip on their shoulder if their situation is less than the people they "serve." I've noticed this especially with TSA. Groping and harassing travelers is a way of "sticking it to the man" because they can.
- March 27, 2011 at 7:43 PM
- RB said...
kellymae81 said...
Anon said: I got irradiated on March 18 and still got a pat down.
So more cancer for me and I got touched by someone who makes less than half my hourly pay...
I would just like to know #1, what someones pay has to do with anything and #2, do you think you are better than someone bc you make more money than that person?!!!!! Such fine logic, that is!! Someone's pay has NOTHING to do with who that person is OR the job they are trying to do.... just sayin...!!!
March 27, 2011 4:31 PM
Kellymae, your blog profile doesn't mention that you work (or did work) for TSA. In fact you were on the blog team for a short time.
Have you left TSA?
- March 27, 2011 at 9:56 PM
- Anonymous said...
kelliemae81 said:
"I would just like to know #1, what someones pay has to do with anything and #2, do you think you are better than someone bc you make more money than that person?!!!!! Such fine logic, that is!! Someone's pay has NOTHING to do with who that person is OR the job they are trying to do.... just sayin...!!!"
I didn't write the orginal post but I'll take this one on.
#1: The pay for TSOs is commensurate with level of education and training. It is inadequate to hire and retain the quality of employee needed to staff a security organization.
#2: Better in what way? More likely the original poster was pointing out that he/she is more educate and trained, likely with more experience.
You may be "just sayin" but you're not saying much; next time you need to see a doctor, I hope you'll find one that feels his/her efforts only merit minimum wage. By your logic, it has nothing to do with the quality of the doctor who is, quite possibly, a wonderful person.
The reality is that I expect to pay for quality and don't expect to get quality unless I pay for it. The TSA is an excellent example of not paying for quality and not getting it.
- March 28, 2011 at 12:52 PM
- Anonymous said...
Radiation damage accumulates over ones lifetime. IMO, there's no "safe" level when it comes to *voluntary* exposure!
My 2 cents,
- April 12, 2011 at 11:28 AM
- Anonymous said...
In addition to the radiation issue, the scanners slow down the security line and annoy already stressed out passengers. Previously, you had to take your laptop and liquids out of your bag, you now have to take off your belt, watch, and everything else in your pockets. Now instead of 10 items strewn about when you go through security, you now have 20 items scattered about. It also seems odd that I get a pat down after the scanner. That does not seem efficient to me or maybe I am cuter than I thought. When I went through security at Miami airport, the screeners were ogling pretty girls and making them go through the scanner. They were all laughing like hyenas. TSA says the images are not seen by the people doing the screens. Yeah right. Someone at TSA needs to 'man-up' and just admit the scanners don't work and get rid of them and go back to the metal detectors.
- April 15, 2011 at 2:03 PM
- Anonymous said...
so. The good news of the day - Texas may introduce legislation to make pat-downs a felony. *cheers* No more freebie cop-a-feel from the micro-nazis at TSA. I'm just wondering how long before people realize TSA never was useful.. its mostly a sinecure.
- April 29, 2011 at 10:32 PM
- Anonymous said...
I just spent a considerable amount of time reading the large number of reports posted. Not a single one shows the test results of these scanners in the past year. They do show a desperate need for retraining the technicians who are performing these tasks. Am I to believe that the those in charge of daily operation are better qualified?
I'll take the pat-down...
- May 18, 2011 at 3:47 PM
- Laurey Howell said...
You really did explain the situation of the machine very well. I hope that they can explain and show some 3d scanning software too.
- January 30, 2013 at 3:52 AM


text:
A very warm welcome from Germany!
Good to have you here.
Gassho and kind regards,
Printable View
A very warm welcome from Germany!
Good to have you here.
Gassho and kind regards,
Welcome Dan and Chris!
Dan, I live just up the road in Maryville, TN (just outside of Knoxville). I teach music at Maryville College, and I have a best friend who lives in Murfreesboro. Don't know why all that's important, but I thought I'd let you know. :)
Look forward to getting to know both of you,
?? Double post, I suppose.
Hi Chris,
Glad you are here. Welcome.
Dan & Chris,
Welcome to you both.
Greetings to all the new folks who have come aboard!!! May your stay here be fruitful.
In Gassho~
Hi everyone,
My name is Shane and Ive been a meditating person since I was 13 (thats 26 yrs you dont have to cut me in half and count the rings to tell my age just yet) but it was only about 5 months ago when I took a class in Zen meditation from Houston Zen Center (Soto School lineage) that I got introduced to Shikantaza. It really knocked my socks off and I knew this was what I had been looking for since I was 13.
I heard Jundos interview on Buddhist geeks in early January and have been reading the forum and watching the sittings since then. My grandmother was in her dying process that entire month so I wasnt much up for getting signed up and involved at Treeleaf, but life is getting back to normal now.
Im a 39 yr old gay male near Houston, Tx. The nearest Soto Zen sangha is 45 minutes away (with Houston traffic, that means 1.5 hours) and a lot of expensive gas and exhaust, so I dont get there very often. I have taken 1 class and will take another starting next week. The 1st was on zazen and this next one will be Buddhist concepts. For some reason I stayed away from Buddhism for a long time but now that I see more of what it really is, I cant believe I didnt get involved sooner, but maybe it was something I was only ready to really hear as I approach 40.
So Im a baby Buddhist or what I like to call myself..a Zenfant HA. I like reading the posts. You can be snarky with me, but keep in private mail. Im quite snarky too, but I keep it in check most of the time in mixed company.
I knew this Sangha would be a good home for me when I read Jundo talk about the metaphor of the universe as an ocean and Jundo said we could just as likely be a fart in the cosmic anus yeah baby YEAH!
Hey Shane,
Welcome to Treeleaf Zendo! I'm glad you decided to join us.
I lost my Grandmother in January as well, I'm sorry for your loss.
take care,
Hi Shane. Welcome. Very glad you're here.
Hi everybody.
Just letting you know i finally got in.
I'm a 32 years old schoolteacher currently trying to take a masters degree and at the same time being "parentfree" (being home with my kid), and working in a bookshop.
I dont really know what else to tell you, i'll just sit this one out... :wink:
May the force be with You
Welcome everyone!
The more the merrier
OOOO, I like this color thing too.
Greetings Tb (Filur).
Welcome to Treeleaf.
Welcome new people!
I have been a student of Theravadin Buddhism for perhaps five years now, but my practice of meditation has come and gone. Recently I set aside a room for an extremely simple shrine and have found that this simple change has done a great deal for my practice. While I still keep my nose in the Pali nikayas, I've begun reading a bit of Zen literature.
I am from a decently large city, but because of my strange schedule I've not been able to join any local sangha. Apparently, Tuesday and Thursday nights are the Buddhist Sunday around here. I enjoy the friendship and accountability that I have found in the few sitting groups I've been able to visit and hope that I can find something similar here.
Thank you,
Welcome Dan, Chris, Shane, Filur and Dustry.
Dusty and Filur, where abouts are you from?
Hello Sangha,
My name is Nicole and I am 32 years old. I live on O'ahu, kind of in the country. I'm studying cultural anthropology at the University of Hawai'i. I and my husband are headed to home to his native Sweden in Autumn.
I am a very beginner with shikantaza and I've been sitting all of one week now. Over the years I've been acquainted/practiced with various forms of Buddhism and have been (loosely) choosing Buddhist philosophy as a guiding teaching for my life since I was 14 years old.
My first encounter with Zen Buddhism was in a philosophy class at a city college. My next one was sitting (and walking) off and on since four years ago. When I say off and on, I really mean... maybe a total of twenty times. I haven't read many Zen books. I do have a few.... Suzuki, Beck, Hahn, Zen and the Brain... etc... right now I'm reading Katagiri and then the Treeleaf Bookclub book.
I found this Sangha in a determined Google search. I'd been Yahooing and Googling "online zendo" off an on over the years...and... look what happened!
For many reasons I've made up for myself I haven't or preferred not to go to a 3d zendo. But I've had many burning questions and wanted someone to show me good posture and breathing and just guide me in my practice.
I am a total beginner physically but also really feel like a beginner in all ways in everything. I feel a bit of relief when I take refuge in the feeling that I don't understand anything at all.
I want to build the trust it takes to ask questions authentically and be with my beginnerness in all its bumbling glory. I do worry about wasting everyone's time with silly "beginner questions" but I also trust that folks in the Sangha will not see me or the questions that way.
Practicing in earnest and sincerely asking those questions I've thought were silly is what I've wanted to do for a long time.
Hello and Welcome to all the new faces!!
Sorry for my lateness :oops:
I'm with Dirk. :oops: :) Welcome to the Leaf nikolelie, dusty, Tb, Dan_D, Chris H, and if I missed anyone.
Gassho Will
Hey, Tree-leafers. I've seen this project grow from a cool zazen timer doohickey into a -- well, is it cliche to say "vibrant community?" A healthy place to practice. So it was time to quit lurking and join.
Seems like a lot of folks here came to Zen kinda how I did: a little Goedel / Escher / Bach, a little Shunryu Suzuki, a little Chadwick, a little Joseph Campbell. Envying Zen from afar, until finally it clicked that Zen is something anyone can do. A few tentative sits in 2001. A few more. Legs starting to fold into the requested shape.
When I lived in a decidedly un-Zen town (albeit one with a Zen center), it was easy to make it down there once a month or so for group sitting. In my new home, it's feast 'n' famine: at least three Zen centers, but all heartbreakingly far away. Driving there would be a wasteful luxury, and public transit would keep me away from duties at home for too long.
So -- I'm glad you guys and gals are here at the Treeleaf. My practice grew lazy in 2007, but thanks to this place it's snapped right back. Wth the sit-alongs and the timers, it's actually easier to just do it than it is to think of excuses not to.
This group practice stuff -- I miss it. That air of ceremony or sense of occasion or whatever it is -- it's a reminder that practice is worth taking care of.
So, um, thanks.
Hi Donkey,
Welcome. As to "group practice stuff", I think we will have more in the way of retreats and such once I get back to Japan. Also, we will be studying for a Precepts ceremony (a Jukai) starting soon, including sewing a Rakusu and holding a short retreat at the end (all online... I think it will be the first online Jukai). You are welcome to participate. But, for me, the most important thing is to seek now to be a person who, as you can, does not do harm and acts in healthful, helpful ways toward ourselves and others (not two). The ceremony merely commemorates that fact,
Gassho, Jundo
Hello everyone,
My name is Charles. I'm 28 years old, I live in Southeast Michigan, and I'm very new to Zen. I've read a few books and browsed some internet sites, and I've been sitting for less than a week -- that's pretty much the whole of my experience. My intellectual background and main interest (until now, I guess) is in Western philosophy. I got interested in Zen when I started to notice that it deals with many of the specific problems I've been interested in in my study of philosophy, but in a way that's completely new to me. Its focus on ethics and action, as opposed to pure study, really appeal to me.
I'm looking forward to talking to and learning from all of you in the future.
Best wishes,
Woo hoo! I get to try out my new hazing pad... er, compassion club.
Lol. Compassion club, eh? Thanks for the welcome all.
Uh oh...what have I gotten myself into? :?Quote:
Originally Posted by Rev R
In my profession the term 'clue stick' pops up a lot...I'll try not to need that too often :D
Hey Charles. Welcome :)
You might want to check out Jundo' sitting for beginners.
I'll try to find the link or if someone else could post it in the meantime.
Gassho Will
Woops. :oops: I forgot about the sticky on the forum.
Hi Will,
I've already watched several of them, and they've been very helpful. I had a really hard time with posture until I saw it demonstrated in those videos. Though I'm sure my posture has a ways to go, I think I'm much better off now than when I started.
Thanks for the welcome!
Welcome to Treeleaf Charles, Nicolelie, and Donkey!
Hi Nicole, Donkey, and Charles -
Wow, so many new people, that's great! Welcome everyone. :D
A quick "about me". I am currently a 38 yo Chicano who has lived most of his life along the Texas-Mexico border. Since I was 17, I have been involved in the Unitarian Universalist Association with an interest in Humanism and Soto Zen. Currently, I have restarted my zazen practice, but in very limited levels. In my local UU church, a meditation group has started and am using that as my springboard to more serious zazen. Finally, I came upon your community upon joining the e-sangha group.
Erik Carlos Torén
Welcome new folks. I have been remiss in checking this thread lately. So, a batch welcome to all of the new people.
Let me introduce myself...
My name's John, I'm 35 yrs old, married with no children and I live in NJ.
I was first introduced to eastern thought and specifically Zen about 10 yrs ago by listening to the tape, Alan Watts Teaches Meditation. That tape really opened my eyes. I also became an avid reader of Cheri Huber's books.
In a nutshell, my experience with Zen over the past ten years has been basically intellectual with only rare moments of actual sitting meditation. I had the humbling realization the other day that I've been "talking the talk" all these years but I haven't been "walking the walk" when it comes to spiritual practice....so I have finally reached the point where I've begun to sit on a daily basis. Regardless of how long it's taken me to get to this point, I'm very grateful.
I'm looking forward to being a part of this community!
- John
Welcome to the family, John & Erik!
Hi Erik and John. Welcome!
A warm welcome to all of the new people! 8)


text:
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text:
Feb 22, 2013
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text:
Size: 207 sq. ft. including Balcony
Location: Deck Thirteen
Cabin Category: SU
Amenities: Two lower beds that convert to to a queen-size bed with pillow top mattress additional bedding to sleep either one or two more guests ample storage a 26" flat-screen TV private bathroom with shower and shaving bar for the ladies built-in sink and vanity a large balcony and a safe.
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Deck Thirteen features staterooms in categories: