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How to Fix
a Flat
Tire on a Bicycle
Understand the Terms. Just so we're on the same page:
The Tube is the rubber thing that's filled with air. So you see, you don't really have a flat tire, you have a flat tube.
Stop riding. Even if there's still "some" air in the tire, stop riding your bike, otherwise you'll damage the wheel rims. (Unless you don't mind buying another wheel.)
Empty the tube. If there's any air left in the tube, release it by pressing on the valve.
Remove the wheel. It's easier to take the wheel off if you turn your bike upside down first, so do so. If your wheel isn't quick release, then remove the nuts with a 15mm box wrench or a crescent wrench. You may have to release your brakes to get the wheel to move through the brake pads. (Squeeze the brakes together, then unhook the brake cable from the brake pad.) Note that it's possible to patch the tire without removing the wheel, but the hassle you save by leaving the wheel on might not match the added hassle of trying to fiddle with patching a tube that's still on the bike. Nevertheless, when you get advanced you might want to try this. This is a favorite trick of bike messengers.
Remove the tire. Use a plastic tire lever to move the lip of the tire over the rim, on one side of the wheel. (Plastic tire levers are cheap at ~$1.50, and bike shops sell a more elaborate model that hooks onto the axle for super-easy tire removal.) Slide the lever towards the left to pull the lip over the rim all the way around the tire. If tire keeps popping back into the groove, then use two levers, as shown in the last picture: Hook the tail of the first lever around a spoke, and then use the second lever to pull the tire lip over the rim.
Once you've done the whole side, you can pull the tire & tube together off the rim. Thicker tires are easier to get off and on (e.g., mountain bike tires are much easier than racing tires).
Take the tube out of the tire. Okay, you got
the wheel off the bike, and the tire off the rim. You're about to
take the tube out of the tire, but before you do, consider
something: Let's say in a minute you successfully find the hole
in the tube. You realize that the thorn or whatever that caused
the puncture might still be in the tire. How are you going to
find that place in the tire when you've already removed the tube?
So when you remove the tube from the tire, make a note of how it was
positioned. The easiest way to do this is to make a mark on the
tire where the air-inflation valve lines up.
the tire. Now that the tube is out, pump it up like a
balloon! The
air will leak out of the hole faster and you'll be
able to hear it. Don't worry, you won't pop the
tube, unless you blow it up to 3x+ the size of the
tire. It's easy to pop a tube when it's inside a tire, because the
pressure builds up. But outside the tire it's not a problem.
I couldn't get a good picture of my super-inflated tire, because the leak was so big, the air kept escaping before I could take the picture.
Patch or Replace. You can usually either replace the whole tube or patch it. If the hole is really big (blowout) or the valve is torn away from the tube (as pictured) then you have to replace the tube. Both tubes and patch kits are cheap at your local bike shop, though patch kits are a little cheaper. If you go with patches, get the regular kind (black dot with a red border), not the glueless patches, since glueless patches often don't stick well. A properly-applied regular patch will last forever. There's no limit to the number of patches you can put on a tube, though once a tube has several patches you'll probably want to replace it because with several patches it's more likely that one of them will come off. Don't try to use a bit of old tube as a patch; it's too thick and will give you a bumpy ride, if it even bonds properly at all.
If Patching...
Find the leak. Forget about putting the tube in the bathtub to find the leak. Simply pump the tube up to a slightly over-inflated size so it's bulging. You'll find the leak, and it won't permanently stretch your tube. Draw a circle and an X on the tube to mark the hole. (Submerging in water is useful only when the puncture is super-tiny, or when you suspect that you have a gazillion tiny punctures from riding through a sticker patch -- though if that's the case then you'll want to just replace the whole tube anyway instead of patching it.)
Prep the tube for patching. Release all the air again. Use the sandpaper or metal file that came with the patch kit to scrape the hole area really well. This will allow the glue to bond better.
Apply the glue. In a well-ventilated area, apply the glue to the leak area, to an area slightly larger than the patch. Wait for the glue to dry before applying the patch! (about five minutes) This may seem counter-intuitive, but you won't get a good bond if you put the patch on wet. Try not to breathe the glue vapors; it's not good for you.
Apply the patch. Don't remove the clear plastic on the patch yet. Apply the patch to the tube, and mash down really hard. You may prefer to stand on it. Apply pressure for at least 60 seconds. THEN remove the clear plastic. If the patch comes off when you remove the plastic, you need to work on your technique (better sandpapering, more glue, wait longer for glue to dry, apply pressure for longer period of time).
If Replacing the tube...
Consider using a thick thorn-resistant tube. Also, note that you can cut your old tube to make an excellent bungie cord.
Find the cause of the flat. If whatever caused your flat is still in your tire, you'll get another flat right away.
Did the tire fail? (i.e., Is there a big hole on the tire where part of it flaked off?) If so, you'll need to replace your tire. In an emergency you can place a "boot" between the tube and the tire, using a dollar bill, cut pieces of an old tube, or a special boot patch that you can buy at a bike shop.
If the tire didn't fail, find the puncture. Match the location of the leak in the tube with its sister location on the tire. If you don't find it, run your finger slowly through the inside of the tire feeling for a tiny bit of glass or wire. If you don't find anything, check the wheel itself for sharp spots or rust.
Replace the tire with an Armadillo? Switching to an Armadillo tire will help prevent future flats. (See the previous section on Preventing Flats.)
Install a tire liner or Slime? If you didn't opt for an Armadillo tire, then you might consider at least installing a tire liner and/or Slime, to prevent future flats. (See the previous section on Preventing Flats.) Note: Once a tube has been slimed, always make sure the valve is pointing down (12 o'clock position) before putting air in it. This keeps the slime from trying to get out.
Reinstall the tube. Put a little air in the tube, just enough to give it a little form, and put it into the tire.
Reinstall the tire. Stick the valve through the valve hole. With your fingers, work the lip of the tire into the wheel rim, on only one side. You may need to use a tire lever for the last bit. Once you've done one side completely, do the other side. Be careful not to pinch the tube between the tire and the rim, especially when you're using the lever. If it's too hard to get the tire on the rim, try releasing more air.
Reinstall the wheel. Put the wheel back on your bike. If your wheel uses nuts, then alternate between each side a few times as you tighten -- don't tighten one side completely before starting the other. If you have quick release, make sure you put it on tight enough. It's tight enough when the quick release lever offers some resistance and leaves a mark on your hand. After you put the wheel on, tug on it pretty hard to double-check that it's not loose. Also make sure it's on straight -- if it's rubbing on the brakes when it spins, it'll be a lot harder to pedal.
Inflate and Release. Pump up the tire, then let most of the air out again. This will help work out any kinks where the tube might have been pinched. (A pinched tube will pop as soon as you air it up all the way and sit down on the bike.) There's some debate over whether this really helps, but it certainly can't hurt.
Reinflate the tire. Inflate the tire until it's very firm. You should be able to just barely make a small dent in the tire by pressing on it with your thumb while your fingers hold the wheel under it.
Put the valve cap back on. This will help keep the air in if the valve has a slow leak.
Reconnect the brake cable. Don't forget this part!
Celebrate. At this point, all the children of the world join hands and sing together in peace and harmony.
I blew a tire (a brand new Armadillo no less) last night on my commute . I hadn't changed a bike flat in years. I found your instructions on the web, followed them and had everything up and running in about 15 minutes. I was able to ride to work again today. :-) Thanks! -- Beej, Dec. 2005
Also check out Fred Meredith's tips for having a tube-patching fiesta.
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not me.


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Best Of :: Sports & Recreation
A Carmelo-like no-brainer here: Conor Casey's 2009 season not only cemented him as the anchor of the Rapids, but he emerged as an MVP candidate, setting a club record with sixteen goals and coming one score shy of the league's goals title. The hometown fave — he graduated from South High — earned himself an all-star berth and a place on the U.S. national team, for which he netted two goals in a World Cup qualifier against Honduras. There's a Golden Boot award in Casey's future; let's just hope it happens here.
While many people would associate water or Gatorade with exercise, those people would be wrong, and the Irish Snug knows it. Every Thursday at 6:15 and 6:30 p.m., waves of runners head out from the pub, following a 5K route around Capitol Hill before returning at a sprint, walk or crawl. Why are they running? Because there is a free spaghetti dinner waiting for them. Oh, and lots of carbohydrate-rich $3 pints of beer.
Golf is big in Colorado, but it's hard to play in the winter. And sometimes, well, an air-conditioned bar full of beer and burgers beats the checkered pants off the green. In that case, Swingers' sports lounge makes for a good compromise. The upscale joint has state-of-the-art golf simulators that allow virtual duffers to play eighteen holes in under an hour — on one of more than fifty championship golf courses. Thirty bucks gets you an hour of play ($7.50 each if you've got a foursome). Call ahead to reserve a tee time.
Chatfield's off-leash area was originally intended for people who wanted to train hunting dogs in an outdoor environment. In fact, last year there was some question as to whether the dog-training space would remain open at all: Hunters and horseback riders had complained that the number of off-leash dogs was interfering with their use of the park. But right now there are no plans to close the dog-training area to any of its users, which means that you and your pooch can still enjoy acres and acres of open space, wooded coves, two lakes more than big enough to swim in and a creek running through the entire park. There are paved pathways as well as dirt trails weaving in and around the area, restrooms, bag stations for cleanup (you might want to bring some extras) and all the space that Rover needs for roaming.
Just fifty miles west and south of Denver, the Lost Creek Wilderness Area is the perfect place to get away from it all, including running water, but close enough that you don't have to go 48 hours without a shower. You can find any number of suitable campsites on the roadside, and even more just a short hike from your car. After pitching tents, hikers can take to the Colorado Trail, the Ben Tyler Trail and others; anglers can throw a line in the myriad beaver ponds dotting the creek; and loafers can drink cold beer in the sun, if they managed to pack a sixer — preferably in somebody else's pack.
Monday through Friday is the best time to head to the hills, for two reasons: Nobody's on the mountain and nobody's on I-70. The folks at Loveland Ski Area know this, which is why they offer a mid-week pass for $249 (or less, if you buy early or are a returning customer). Consider, too, that five-sevenths of the snow falls during the work week and that Loveland sometimes stays open until June. Of course, work can't be your priority if you're a mid-week skier or boarder. But maybe it shouldn't be.

subset: commoncrawl


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Looking for a summer basketball camp? You can take your kids to learn skills from Harlem Globetrotters players right here in Everett.
The famed Globetrotters will be teaching two-hour skills clinics from July 25 to 28 at 24 Hour Fitness, 11014 19th Ave. SE, Everett.
Players will coach kids ages 6 to 12 on basketball fundamentals, such as shooting, dribbling and passing. The players will lead scrimmages and games, and demonstrate ball tricks.
Each boy or girl will be given a Harlem Globetrotters nickname. Can you say Meadowlark Lemon?
No experience is necessary.
Each two-hour session costs $59 and includes a ticket voucher to see the Globetrotters live when they tour here in 2014.
Sessions go from 9 to 11 a.m., 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. or 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on all three days.
Register online at tinyurl.com/njznmof or call 24 Hour Fitness at 425-347-1077 for more information.
Herald staff


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Charlie Sheen's Big Gift to Young Girl Fighting Cancer
He must be in the holiday spirit lately because Charlie Sheen is the man behind another notable donation.
The 47-year-old actor recently gave $75,000 to a 10-year-old Hermosa Beach resident who is battling Childhood Rhabdomyosarcoma, a type of cancer that affects the muscle tissue. Charlie wrote the check after have a conversation with the girl's father, which led him to learn about her troubling condition.
In related news, after lending $100,000 to his costar Lindsay Lohan Sheen would just like a thank you.
The "Anger Management" star gave the money to the troubled starlet last month to pay her outstanding tax bill. "I'm still waiting for a text to say 'thank you. Anything, you know?" Sheen told "Entertainment Tonight."
Despite the debt, Sheen describes Lohan as a decent person. "I wish her the best. She just needs a little bit of time," he says. "People need to give her time to get her sh*t together."
Check out Charlie's comments on Lindsay Lohan in the player below!


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Message Board
Diane Farr Message Board
Talk about the novels, new and used books that Farr has written!
Author Farr's Book Reviews
Duel of Hearts
Signet, Oct 2002, 6.50, 352 pp. ISBN: 0451207203 After her mother died Lilah Chadwick and her father Sir Horace became very close having no secrets between them. She assumes she is the only �woman� for her dad until she learns he is marrying a �harpy� whom she knows obviously bullied him into wedlock. Lilah plans to stop her father from foolishly wedding this trickster in a relationship she assumes he neither needs nor wants. Earl Adam Harle...
The Fortune Hunter
Signet, Apr 2002, 5.99, 352 pp. ISBN: 0451205650 Though he knows he is not the cause of Rye Vale's ruin, George Carstairs realizes he is as responsible as the Baron and understands that an infusion of a large sum of money is needed to save the estate. Since he has none, George tried to find a wealthy social climber to marry, but his reputation as a rake left him with only rejections as he has squandered his only asset, his title. When...
Under a Lucky Star
Signet, Apr 2004, 6.99, 352 pp. ISBN: 0451211707 In 1803, a bored Derek Whittaker wanders around the theater when he meets Lady Cynthia Fitzwilliam. He rescues her from her suitor Sir James Filey and the two soon share a delightful kiss before she returns to her family's box. A few days later, Cynthia, the daughter of an Earl, snubs Derek, a landless secretary. Not long afterward her parents announce that Cynthia and James will marry. Three...
Under the Wishing Star
Signet, Sep 2003, 6.50, 352 pp. ISBN: 0451210239 In 1803, after years of running the country estate by herself, Natalie Whittaker knows her life has recently turned dismal with the arrival of the estate owner. Life as a poor relative living under the thumb of her odious nineteen-year-old half brother Hector and his repulsive pregnant wife Mabel is unpalatable. To prove her point they destroy her rose bushes that have been cared for by her for y...


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Queen Guitarist Brian May weighs in on Freddie Mercury gorilla sculpture dispute
Listen to Queen on iHeartRadio
(Yahoo!) - Talk about an 800-pound gorilla! Queen guitarist Brian May has weighed in on a dispute between Freddie Mercury's estate and the creators of a giant gorilla sculpture painted to look like the late Queen frontman.
It seems that those who run Mercury's estate took issue with the gorilla sculpture created by public art organization Wild In Art to benefit charity. The sculpture, which was on display in the city center in Norwich, England, sported Mercury's trademark mustache and a yellow military-style coat like the one the singer often wore in concert.
In a blog post May wrote for Bri's Soapbox, the famous axe man spoke out in defense of Mercury's estate, saying, "Far be it from me to make an artistic judgement on this – you can form your own opinion – but when the model was first seen, a number of people thought it was a crude and insulting effort – probably to both Freddie and the Gorilla!"
May pointed out that the Mercury Phoenix Trust asked for the gorilla to be redesigned rather than to be removed, which he thought was perfectly within their rights. "When word of this got to Freddie's estate, they asked for an approach to be made to Wild in Art, to ask them if they'd have another go at the painting of the Freddie Gorilla," May explained. "The way it was reported, it looked as if the MPT (Mercury Phoenix Trust) had 'blocked' the deployment of the statue altogether, but actually the issue had nothing to do with the MPT; plus it wasn't a block at all – simply a request for an update to the paint job, to which Wild in Art kindly agreed."
Photo Credit Getty Images


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There are so many life changes that can cause our cats to become upset and agitated on an emotional level — everything from moving to a new house, adding a new cat to the family, the arrival of a baby, or even just a thunder storm. These stresses can eventually lead to physical problems as well. What if there was a way to naturally and safely reduce your cat's stress to help them live a calmer, more balanced life? That's exactly what Spirit Essences can do for you. Without any drugs or chemicals, using just a safe, non-toxic natural remedy.
So, what are Spirit Essences exactly? They are vibrational essences, meaning they are remedies that are infused with the energy from natural elements like flowers and gem stones. You may have heard of Dr. Edward Bach who pioneered flower essence therapy in the 1930s. Spirit Essences use flower essences similar to those developed by Dr. Bach, but they also take advantage of a wide variety of other vibrational essences to create remedies specifically for treating animals.
Spirit Essences was founded by holistic veterinarian Dr. Jean Hofve in 1995. In addition to conventional veterinary training, Dr. Jean studied veterinary homeopathy, homotoxicology, Reiki, and many other facets of holistic medicine. In 2002 Dr. Jean partnered with cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy who became the President of Spirit Essences and is now the star of Animal Planet's My Cat From Hell (season 2 airs in January!), and who uses the remedies frequently in his work as a cat behavior consultant. Jackson has been using the essences for many years in his practice and has come to appreciate their power as well as their gentle, safe method of creating noticeable change for his clients.
Spirit Essences remedies are very easy to administer. You can add the essences to your cat's water or food, spray the room with a mister, or apply them directly to the cat's fur while you pet them. Most issues can usually be resolved in 2 to 6 weeks with regular application. Read all about how the essences are made and what you can expect from using them on the Spirit Essences website FAQ page.
There are a variety of Spirit Essences designed specifically for cats. There's one for separation anxiety, and another for scaredy cats. If your cat has obsessive-compulsive behavior such as over-grooming, you might need the Obsession Remedy. From Healthy Helper, to Nervous Nelly, to Bully Remedy, there's a Spirit Essence for every issue. You may be having a difficult time deciding which remedy to choose, so Jackson is going to help. Five readers are going to win a Spirit Essences remedy specific to their issue, plus Jackson will offer personalized advice for your situation.
Here's how to enter: leave a comment on this post describing the issue you are having with your cat that you think Spirit Essences might help. Jackson is going to choose five comments and he will recommend the appropriate Spirit Essences formula. Each winner will receive the Spirit Essences that Jackson recommends. We'll post the winners' entries along with Jackson's customized tips here on Moderncat for everyone to read. Please only leave one comment and try to be brief when describing your cat's issues. We will choose the winners next week and post the recommendations the following week. Comments must be submitted by December 22, 2011 in order to be eligible. This giveaway is open to readers everywhere.
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Use coupon code moderncat to get 10% off your order at SpiritEssences.com.


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text: shaken - Unregistered April 03, 2013 2:10 AM As an Irishman myself I wish Connor the very best of luck. His father (Derek the Irishman) never really set the tracks alight though. His then teammate Keke Rosberg (none other than Nico's Dad!) won the F1 drivers title with Williams. Derek made nothing of the Williams. 2 agree 0 disagree


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Our Surf Breaks and Beaches Are Being Poisoned.
We are having cyanobacteria blooms (blue-green algae) and the water is so dangerous in the estuary people are becoming sick from enteric bacteria infections. Our Health Dept, Martin County, has issued warnings to avoid contact with the water for months now (and every year during the rainy season). Residents are reporting ear infections and pink eye from the beaches adjacent to the Inlet too. FYI I am an Environmental Tech, it is my job to know the facts.
My dive video : What this poison looks like underwater (view in HD)
Join the Event on facebook:https://www.facebook.com/events/635279196497094/
Attachment 8456


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Just use the vesa driver.
Code:rm /etc/X11/xorg.conf;cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf-vesa /etc/X11/xorg.conf startx
Hello! I decided to try BT, and from using the live CD, it seems pretty awesome. After installing in safe graphics mode (any other mode gives me a black screen and a "Not Recommended Mode" on my SyncMaster) I booted to a non-graphical login prompt that was like good ol' Slackware. From there, I logged in as me, and tried starting X. Well, lo-and-behold, no X for me, I have the same problem as I did without the safe graphics mode. I checked my Xorg.conf, and, well, it's without decent information. I configured one with Xorg, (X still wouldn't work) so I modified it to specify my resolution (which didn't work either) and from there, got kind of desperate and installed fglrx (which should work with the kernel and Xorg version, methinks) and ran my aticonfig --initial to no avail. I still get a screenful of nothing when I start X and I'm not sure what to do. It worked fine in safe graphics mode. When I installed Ubuntu 8.10, I had to use safe mode, but then it worked on the first boot, and the streched, fuzzy resolution issues fixed themselves with the introduction of the fglrx driver. Why is this not working? I usually don't manually configure X or anything, so I'd appreciate help from anyone.
Just use the vesa driver.
Code:rm /etc/X11/xorg.conf;cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf-vesa /etc/X11/xorg.conf startx
How did you install the ATI driver?
Did you pay attention if there've been any issues during the installation?
Tiocfaidh ár lá
firstly, shouldn't that becat /etc/X11/xorg.conf-vesa > /etc/xorg.conf && startxI did look at the results of my proprietary driver install, but didn't save any output, just glanced at it, and didn't see anything out of the ordinary. I performed the install by terminal, because I have no X. I didn't notice anything out of order, but if this for any reason does not work, I will reinstall and 2 > to a file. I do not need the fglrx driver for the back track partition, it was just a long shot at getting the graphics to work.Code:cat /etc/X11/xorg.conf-vesa > /etc/X11/xorg.conf && startx
Thank you VERY much for responding so quickly and well. I rarely have such a good experience with forums in general. Should I have any more questions, or find other questions to answer, I'll prefer this forum over others, undoubtedly.
You know that there is the ATI driver in the repository especially created to run with BT out of the box?
A simpleshould be sufficient.Code:apt-get install ati-driver
Tiocfaidh ár lá
Really? Is that so? That'd be extremely helpful... Thanks! Vesa looks rather awful, but it works and is tolerable. I assume I'll want to use the standard Xorg.conf with this new driver?
The driver package should make all the necessary changes so that you don't have to worry about those.
Tiocfaidh ár lá
Excellent, thank you!


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Do you have favorite glazes that you use often; and what are they?| July 10,2012
Posted 10 July 2012 - 01:56 PM
I am curious to know about your glazes. If you make your own glazes, can you tell me where you found the recipes?
School, friend, book, other? How did you choose your favorites? By color/surface?
I saw John Glick in a workshop recently and he said he uses more than forty glazes. Wow! Here at the University studio we have about 20 high temperature glazes,
and about the same number of low temp glazes, but no one person uses more than a few favorites! That was the impetus for my questions--
Potters Council Board Member
Posted 10 July 2012 - 02:41 PM
Neil Estrick
Kiln Repair Tech
L&L Kilns Distributor
Owner, Neil Estrick Gallery, LLC
Posted 11 July 2012 - 06:54 AM
1. a matt glaze worked back to ^6 from ^10. It is a smooth matt texture excellent for functional work. It takes colorants well. I used it in ^6 reduction for decades and I am using it in ^6 oxidation too.
2. I was mixing a faux celadon about 10-12 years ago and made a mistake. I realized the mistake but had 10,000 grams of this glaze. It turned out to be a blue gray semi matt translucent glaze. It is a favorite for spraying over resist carved slip decoration. I added a jpg to my gallery with this glaze.
Posted 12 July 2012 - 02:15 AM
I make all my own from scratch.
The ones I like best-
A green satin Matt at cone 11-satin matts feel buttery smooth and are not shiny like gloss glazes also not dry like a true matt glaze-satins are harder to get and when they are working well they look super. Cobalt carb and green copper carb for colorants-the right talc is key for the satin matt look-satin matts are very fussy and the wrong talc will shine the matt right out. I will use serria light for this one when my-Older not produced talcs are gone they are running low like desert talk or C30 talc
I'm on my last bags of each and only use them for seafoam green The HT100 talk works but had asbestos in it and was taken off market
Mine is called seafoam green and its a modified school glaze from 35 years ago-
Another is a black that is super with a large firing range cone 8-12-Its gun metal when cool and shiny black when hot
I like it by itself with white or red on it or as an underglaze or overglaze on just about any glaze. I use it the most as an underglaze.
Its a simple simple 3 ingredient glaze, cobalt Oxide ,nepheline syenite and alberta slip (I used to use albany slip)
I got this from a friend long time ago-I call it Zacks black-its pricy to make and we use it in 15 gallon batches-lip dip and brushing
Its a solid dinnerware glaze. You will not find a better black I feel as most blacks come from over saturation of colorants which can cause problems
Heres the recipe
Alberta slip-660
Neph sy-300
Cobalt Oxide-35
total 995
My other well used is a saturated iron glaze called red/black which can go red-brown or almost black-it usually is redish brown
Its a high Iron glaze I mixed and added mels orange (high iron and high rutile)to by mistake. I like it so much I always make it that way now.
Late night and that enough for now.I have used these glazed for 35 years and know them well now.
- Carolyn Dorr likes this
Posted 13 July 2012 - 07:28 AM
Posted 21 July 2012 - 10:53 AM
Shino, tenmoku, kaki, oribe, chun, dark runny ash, light runny granite/ash, spodumene matt.
Added 2 new ones a year ago...... a dark heavily crazed celadon and a Hagi-like one. Still wondering if they'll stay.
One of my standbys is basically Hamada Shoji's nuka glaze adapted to more western available materials (except for the rice husk ash):
33.3% black rice husk ash
33.3% washed mixed hardwood wood ash
29.0% Custer feldspar
4.3% 325 mesh Flint
(Seived at 40 mesh)
John Baymore
Adjunct Professor of Ceramics; New Hampshire Insitute of Art
Former Guest Professor, Wuxi Institute of Arts and Science, Yixing, China
Former President and Past President; Potters Council
Posted 23 July 2012 - 01:36 AM
Second one is a Gun Metal Satin Matte I have used for 20 years. It contains Manganese Dioxide, so it's only for decorative surfaces. At its thickest, it is a beautiful dark grey, almost black. Brushed over a white slip or engobe it shows up as a midnight blue. Both of those are great on textured surfaces.
The third is a Satin/glossy refrigerator white which is very forgiving, and heals over wonderfully, and takes color beautifully, whether mason stains or oxices. My favorite rendition is a rutile/copper light aqua with granular ilmenite. Works well over Cushing's Lt Green
Chris Seminara Ceramics
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Customer Reviews
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- absolutely fantastic Review by ghost rider
- quailty superb, feedback great, you fellows are outstanding. i hope to do more business w/ you in the future (Posted on 3/7/2016)
- Great jacket, nice experience Review by Jack
2 emails back and forth, ordered the jacket online, posted 2 days later, received jacket 5 days later. A nice experience from start to finish. The Jacket fits very well (thanks Shaul). The material and workmanship are second to none. i'm very happy with my acquisition of this fine jacket. i see myself placing another order in the near future.
If only life could always be as pleasant as my experience with FlightJacket.com. (Posted on 10/16/2014)
- Beautiful Coat!!!! I'm VERY happy with it! Review by Ken Zee
I've wanted one of these AUTHENTIC reproduction coats since I was 16, I'm 53 now and I wish I had one much earlier. Their beautiful! Very simply made, Warm! and very functional.
Thank You...
Ken Zawitkoski,
Ft McMurray, Alberta. (Posted on 11/27/2013)
- I am actually looking forward to Canadian winter this year! Review by MJS
- The title of my review says it all. I got my RAF jacket last year and was very impressed. This fall I was happy that the temperature started dropping below freezing so i could wear it! Temperatures this week have been below -4 Fahrenheit and I am still outside walking comfortably and secretly laughing to myself at all the cold people shivering beside me. (Posted on 11/21/2013)
- RAF jackets Review by Cam S and Marc S
I wanted you to know I love my jacket so much I had one made for my brother Marc for his birthday....he loves his as well.
Thank you (Posted on 10/20/2013)
- NICE JACKET Review by DON
- THE SLEEVE OPENINGS ARE TOO WIDE.. (Posted on 9/13/2013)
- Warmest Jacket I have ever owned. Review by Richard
- First off, this jacket is absolutley the warmest jacket I have ever owned. You could use this jacket to survive in a winter blizzard and come out ok, as far as your waist and up. Not only is this jacket very warm it also looks awesome with your normal clothes as well. It comes very stiff and will take quite some time to break in, but once it does break in, it is very soft and comfortable. I have owned this R.A.F. jacket for almost 4 years now. It has always been pretty stiff but I rubbed some "Mink Oil" with a dry cloth on it and bamb! it went from stiff to super soft and supple. If you are looking for a very nice, warm, and good looking heavy winter jacket then this is it. The materials it is made from is absolutley the best of quality you can buy. (Posted on 2/8/2012)
- xtrem Review by pat
- I live in Canada. We get -40 on a regular basis (in the winter season)...and I dont care anymore!!! (Posted on 2/2/2011)
- I am most impressed Review by James E. Sparaga (January 2006)
- I received the two irvin Jackets yesterday, the one brand new, the other refitted with patches. Both are well done. I expected a mess of phone calls due to the many details I requested, but the team there followed the directions perfectly. I'm most impressed. Will be ordering another for a gift for the other brother soon... (Posted on 8/2/2010)
- Impressive quality Review by JGD
- Just a note to let you know that the Irv** jacket arrived Monday morning safe and sound. The fit is perfect and I am impressed with the quality. Thanks so much for the good service and quick turn around. (Posted on 7/27/2010)
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Check BNN and Bulbanews for up-to-date Pokémon news and discuss it on the forums or in the Bulbagarden Discord server.
Defender (Base Set 80)
Defender (Japanese: ディフェンダー Defender) is a Trainer card (Item card in Japan). It was first released in Base Set as a Trainer card.
Card text
Release information
This card was released in the English Base Set, first originating from the Japanese Expansion Pack. This card was included in the Trainer Deck A, which was given to prototype Pokémon Leagues before the Base Set's official release. All of the cards in this deck have red borders and "Trainer Deck A" printed on the backs. It was reprinted in the English Base Set 2 expansion, the Japanese Hanada, Kuchiba, Tamamushi, and Yamabuki City Gym theme decks, and the Totodile Half Deck of the Japanese Intro Pack Neo.
It was later reprinted in the English Undaunted expansion with new artwork by Ryo Ueda, originating from the Japanese Reviving Legends expansion.
Alongside Black and White, this card received an erratum to change "by an opponent's attack" to "by attacks".
Defender's Japanese name is that of the X Defend, an item in the Pokémon games. The Japanese name of the item was either used for the English card by mistake, or was intentionally used as "Defender" is inscribed on the side of the object in the card's original artwork.
|This article is part of Project TCG, a Bulbapedia project that aims to report on every aspect of the Pokémon Trading Card Game.


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Stripper Denies a Guy Sex, He Calls 911
Listen to Garage Rock Revival Radio on iHeartRadio
(NEWSER) – There are some incidents that don't warrant a 911 call. One of those is when a stripper won't turn a lap dance into sex. William McDaniel, 53, learned this Saturday night, when he paid $350 for a private dance at Sagebrush Sam's Exotic Dance Club in Butte, Montana, reports theSmoking Gun. When the stripper said no to sex, McDaniel called 911 to say he was a disappointed consumer. Unfortunately for him, it's illegal to solicit prostitution. McDaniel was arrested, went to jail, and is now facing a misdemeanor charge, KTVQ reports. He was released Sunday.
PHOTO: Shutterstock


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I went anon for this. That is probably part of the problem but i am falling apart and i dont know what to do. I have no one to talk to and i doubt i will even finish and post this. It seems there is no way to properly explain this so that i get the answers i am looking for. I want someone to tell me i am wrong. I want someone to encourage me to stick this out. I want someone to tell me that this makes sense
i am a fucked up person. I have a bad past. I have been with many men. Probably 30 or so. To be honest i dont remember. I am absolutely disgusted and ashamed of myself for this.. But looking back.. While being a whore was never my intention.. I am not sure what else i was going for.
I met my boyfriend when i was 17. He is incredibly intelligent, aware, and not like anyone i have ever known. I fell in love immediately. Nearly right away he was able to put the pieces together from my actions and see i wasnt the innocent girl he thought i would be. He asked me how many men i had been with and i lied. Our relationship was terrible. He knew i was lying about something but was never sure what. I didnt really put the pieces together and see that if i just told the truth it would fix things. He got drunk many of times and would say disgusting things to me. Call me names. There were even slightly physical nights. We broke up.. Got back together and had a very magical summer. I fessed up to a few more people but still not the whole truth. Eventually.. We broke up.
Years went by.. Throughout were nice emails.. Hurtful emails.. I never fully got over him but i completely moved on. Changed a lot. But was still a whore. Slightly different.. But.. A whore nonetheless. We get back together. A few weeks in he asks me again how many people i had been with. For some stupid reason.. Even though i should have learned my lesson.. I lied again. Then i told him mostly the truth. There was an instance or two i had skewed the facts a bit to protect.. I dont know.. Something. Things were bad. They stayed bad for a while. I got pregnant. We almost brok up when i was 5 months pregnant. He and i got an apt together and vowed to try to work things out. He still had this feeling i was lying.. And i didnt really feel like i was so i never said anything. He had asked me a question about someone who in his head the story i told him didnt make sense.. I lied again. For some reason i just cant stop lying.
When i was 8 months pregnant.. He almost killed me. He was choking me for a while, slapping me around, etc. I called the cops secretly but i couldnt breathe to say the address and they never came. Eventually he let up and i got away and slept for an hour or two in the car. Things since then have gone back and forth between okay and bad.
Now finally.. On my own time because i an such a bitch.. I actually have began to feel guilty for all the bad things i have done and want to change. I want to tell the truth. I want to be an honest person. I want to be a good role model for my daughter. He asked me a question recently about something i lied about. I told the truth this time. It then prompted me to think about anything and everything i may have lied about and i think i have told him absolutely everything i know now.
Things are BAD now. He has hit ne a few times, once when i told him i lied he slapped me. He got drunk the night i told him. He destroyed the basement and made me tell my dad i am a whore. He was violent and rough with me and accidentally hit our daughter with our ferret as he was beating me with him. Sounds kind of funny but.. Idk. Thats what he did. The other niht we got into a fight and i yelled at him and he told me i wasnt going to speak to him like that. Like an idiot.. I said 'yeah? Or what?" and he tackled me to th ground. I am not sure how but he cut my hand and hurt something inside.. Maybe a kidney.
Niw things are all fucked up. My unemployment ran out. He doesnt work. I havent found a job yet and now we have no income. He is a good poker player and i am relying on him making money to get us through..
He has made me feel so guilty.. Has said that if i loved hin i would do whatever it took to make this work. If i want this to work, i cant talk to my friends or family because that will only hinder my change. I cant change with their influence.
I am so stressed that my milk supply is being affected now. It is getting tough to care for my baby because i cant focus and am getting easily frustrated.
All that keeps coming back to my mind is to jist give up but how do i do that?? How do i treat him like shit and lie to him over and over and over and over when all he ever wanted was the truth and gave me AMPLE opportunity to just tell hin the truth and we would have moved on and been happy. I couldnt do that though. I had to lie.
I dont know what to do. I feel if i give up now i am going to regret it. No one will ever love me like he can if i change. I am afraid of what will happen in this world with the economy and i think there is going to be a war and i fear i wont be able to protect my daughter.. I need him.
I fear my daughter is going to hate me for not making things work with her father.
If i leave him.. It is just going to seal my fate that i am a bitch. This is all my fault and it didnt have to be like this. I made him into such an angry person. He never would have hit me if i never lied to him. I dont think he will hit me again. He was just trying to see if he could make me change by scaring me into it. He tried loving me into changing and telling the truth and that didnt work either.
I am so lost. I seriously could die right now. My daughter is my only will to live.
Now that i reread this.. You are all going to think he is an abusive asshole. He isnt. He really isnt. This is my fault. The right thing to do is not to leave him.. Despite how he has hurt me. I hurt him firsr and i caused this. Only a bitch would leave now. I just need some reassurance.


text:
Discussion in 'Fan Zone' started by Kilyin, Nov 18, 2012.
Slow motion:
Give Dez some credit here.
Very nice play. Well executed. Credit to both Dez and Romo on the connection. Hell of a game by Dez today. Dude can ball.
Man Romo barely escaped that pressure. The line is just scary bad.
Well, it's a perfectly placed pass.
For catching a perfectly placed ball? Dez was great today, minus where he walked out of bounds, but that play was all Romo.
Dez played outstanding today. He's made big strides.
Well he didn't drop it so I guess some credit is due.
callahan has made this line worse.
the talent sucks, but good coaching should help a little bit??
For running the right route and catching the ball. For Dez, that's progress.
Line was really abysmal today. We made Cleveland look like they had a really scary defensive front, when in reality, our OL is just horrific.
I think it is more Jason Garrett's playbook. Yes the talent is lacking but Garrett refuses to adapt his gameplan. Stop calling plays that take forever to develop and start calling more quick strike plays. He could at least attempt to disguise the main weakness of this team which everyone not named Jerry Jones knows is the offensive line.
Why is Austin even in the same area?
Good point. Entire play may have been a miscommunication, nobody is ever going to admit it though.
Callahan is a WCO guy. I am just wondering if he and JG are at odds with their philosophy on offense.
That seems to happen a lot. I commented earlier the year Romo's window to throw in is small because we always seem to have two WR in the same area bringing an extra CB with him.
Hard to see....but I thought Dez maybe got away with a pushoff.
A prerequisite of becoming Irvin 2.0


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So, you're running ifconfig or iwconfig every 1-2 minutes? It looks like you are changing it properly. I use the same syntax, but have never had a problem with it changing itself on me.
Hey guys,
first of all, thank u for helping me. Im new in Backtrack 5 3r and i already cracked my own Wlan. But i asked me, if i crack the Wlan, maybe i could read my Macadress and see who's the attacker. So i wanted to change that Wlan0 Mac Adress. I succeed but when i change the mac to 00:11:22:33:44:55 after a while (1-2 mins) the mac adress is changing by it self to a different or the old REAL mac.
Why is this happening? Could some1 help me? i dont understand that.
my steps when i change the mac adress are:
ifconfig eth0 down
ifconfig wlan0 down
macchanger -m 00:11:22:33:44:55 wlan0
ifconfig eth0 up
ifconfig wlan0 up
i have to disable eth0 too, because if i doesnt, it wont change and i get the fault "Error: cant change mac: inferace up or no permission: device or resource busy"
i use Backtrack as a live CD on my USB Stick. (could that be the reason? because its just temp? but for the session it should work, doesnt it?)
again than u for help
greetings traderchange
So, you're running ifconfig or iwconfig every 1-2 minutes? It looks like you are changing it properly. I use the same syntax, but have never had a problem with it changing itself on me.
First, please post wifi chipset and module loaded. You might be looking at a bug or an erratic/buggy/ function, but first need to post info as to wifi device.
Some modules are very stables, most of them, but not all.
Second you need to do it the correct way, If you want to change the MAC in wlan0 you do not need to bring down eth0.
Now, eth0 is wired, it is always up and with valid IP when booting in BT5, but not the wifi device.
If I want to change mac in a device I do this:
ifconfig wlan0 down
macchanger --mac 00:11:22:33:44:55 wlan0
ifconfig wlan0 up
That's all..Same thing if you want it to do it with eth0:
ifconfig eth0 down
macchanger --mac 00:11:22:33:44:55 eth0
ifconfig eth0 up
To change a mac address, interface needs to be down. Then bring it up with new mac...
As to changing mac by itself, mmmm, never had happened it to me...It can be a bug or something you are doing, but need the wifi info and see if it works properly in BT5.
Even having 2 atheros or 2 alfas, or 2 same devices, they are addressed by a logical alias (eth0, eth1, wlan0, wlan1, etc) and kernel will load modules for each one of the interfaces...
Last edited by maverik35; 12-11-2012 at 10:58 AM.


text: Belt systems in the martial arts are used to show which students have been trained longer and who has more skill when compared to other students. The concept behind being awarded belts is to give students a physical representation of how they are progressing with their training. Belt ranking systems are a Western concept, although there are some myths about early martial artists starting with a white belt that they didn't wash, one reason why the belts tend to get darker as you progress.


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PHOTOS: Taylor Swift celebrates 24th birthday with Lorde and garden party
Listen to Taylor Swift on iHeartRadio | Listen to Lorde on iHeartRadio
Taylor Swift celebrated her 24th birthday with a garden party in Melbourne.
She shared pictures from the event on Instagram.
"Thank you for all the birthday wishes!!" the singer wrote to fans.
Swift later noted, "The best birthday I've ever had."
Looks like a fun time - and Lorde was there!
Check out the photos below!


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One-year-old Jaxen Cormier is shown in his playpen in this image taken by CTV Atlantic. Lightning struck the vacation home his family was staying in along the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton on the weekend. Jaxen was unharmed.
©Photo special to The Guardian by CTV Atlantic
Some might call it a miracle.
Others may call it luck.
However one chooses to view what happened to a Summerside family on their Cape Breton vacation last weekend, the story is simply amazing.
Summerside lawyer Jeffery Cormier, his wife, Jessica, and their three children were staying at a summer tourist home in South Harbour on the Cabot Trail when it was struck by lightning.
What they did not know at that moment was that in another room of the house where their one-year-old son, Jaxen, was asleep in his playpen, lightning had wreaked havoc but miraculously left Jaxen unharmed.
The electrical energy from the lightning that struck the house knocked a telephone off of its base, fried a power bar and obliterated an Internet router, sending pieces of metal and plastic flying into the child's playpen but missing him completely.
Jessica Cormier told The Guardian that the lightning that struck the house was followed by a large clap of thunder.
Believing Jaxen would likely wake from his sleep, she went to his room.
What she found when she opened the door was frightening.
"I went in to check on him, thinking he might be awake now," Cormier said. 'When I opened the door, the room was full of smoke and I could smell burning plastic. I quickly ran to the playpen, scooped him up and ran out of the room yelling at other people to get out, that there was a fire."
They quickly checked Jaxen over to see if he was OK and he was. In fact, he had slept through the whole ordeal.
When she went back into the house some time later to check things out, what Cormier saw was hard to believe.
There were two good-sized holes in Jaxen's playpen, where it is believed the lightning hit the playpen.
Scattered inside the playpen were pieces of plastic and metal fragments from the router.
None of them had struck Jaxen.
Cormier said they kept a very close watch on Jaxen for the next 24 hours to make sure he had not suffered any ill effects from the smoke in his room or ingested any of the fragments from the router.
They were supposed to stay at their vacation rental for another two days but were concerned about the safety of the structure after the lightning strike.
"But the owner of the home was very good. He brought in an electrician who lived two hours away from us to check out the house, make any repairs and make sure it was safe."
They were eventually able to get the power restored and resumed their vacation.
Cormier said they weren't the only ones to be struck by lightning that day.
A short distance away, lightning struck another house, owned by the same family who operates the vacation home they rented.
"The lightning blew a hole in the cement foundation of that house."
No one was injured there either.
Cormier said she feels her family is incredibly lucky to have survived a lightning strike like this.
"I still can't believe with all the smoke and the router exploding that no one was hurt, and that Jaxen slept through it. It was incredible. I've never seen lightning like that before. It came right down to the ground. And the lightning that struck the summer house was so bright, it was like a blinding blue flash ... Somebody was watching over us."
Jeff Cormier, too, believes they're very lucky to have come though this without anyone being hurt.
"Mother Nature always wins and this time she did win," he says. "However, no injuries."
He said they still managed to have a great vacation.
And they'll have a vacation story worthy of being shared for years to come.


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Recognition Week Honors Public Servants
Video Length: 54 seconds
A long line of enthusiastic walkers — stretching a few city blocks — were seen on the streets and pathways of Washington, DC, May 6, 2010, as GSA employees joined together for a fitness walk to the National Mall to kick off Public Service Recognition Week.
Led by GSA Administrator Martha N. Johnson, the walkers were also joined by employees from the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the Office of Personnel Management and its director, John Berry. The three agencies participate in a shared work/life campus initiative that improves health and wellness opportunities for federal employees.
As she walked, Johnson spoke with and thanked employees for their important work and discussed some of the innovative initiatives GSA is undertaking to improve government operations. Johnson also spoke about the dedication, professionalism, and commitment of GSA's workforce.
The 30-minute fitness walk concluded on the National Mall in time for the official kickoff celebration for national Public Service Recognition Week. Johnson and Berry were joined on stage with Secretary of Energy Dr. Steven Chu; Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius; and Scott Gould, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Johnson read a letter from President Barack Obama, which said in part: "Federal, state and local government employees devote their time and energy to the American people and our country. Their dedication and expertise are vital to our Nation, and my Administration is committed to drawing the best and brightest to government service."
In her remarks, Johnson thanked all the dedicated public servants in the audience and reinforced GSA's mission to support employees as they solve our nation's biggest problems. "GSA is committed to ensuring that our public servants have the best workplace solutions to effectively serve the American people," Johnson said.
GSA and OPM are co-sponsors of this year's annual celebration along with the Partnership for Public Service, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to inspiring a new generation of civil servants.
Download above video: mp4 (3.66MB) | mp3 (2.06MB)


text:
College notes
University of South Carolina scholar named editor of Journal of Geography
Dr. Jerry T. Mitchell, a research associate professor in geography and director of the Center of Excellence for Geographic Education at the University of South Carolina, has been named editor of the Journal of Geography.
The journal is the premier scholarly publication for research on geography and education. Mitchell will take the helm of the journal in July 2010 and serve a three-year team. He is the first faculty member of the University of South Carolina to serve as the journal's editor.
Mitchell, who joined the university's faculty in 2004, conducts research through the university's Hazards and Vulnerability Research Institute. An expert in environmental hazards, tourism and geographic education, Mitchell focuses his research on the cultural responses to disaster and the use of geospatial technologies to assess vulnerability. He is conducting Hurricane Katrina field work along the Mississippi Coast. His teaching focuses on geography education, specifically the geography of South Carolina.
A graduate of Towson State University in Baltimore, Mitchell earned a bachelor's degree in history in 1991 and a master's degree in geography and environmental planning in 1993. He earned his doctorate in geography from the University of South Carolina in 1998.
University of South Carolina researcher receives $1.2 million grant for North Charleston study
A University of South Carolina researcher will use a four-year, $1.2 million grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to help residents address environmental, public health and revitalization issues in seven disadvantaged North Charleston neighborhoods.
Dr. Sacoby Wilson, a research assistant professor in the Institute for Families in Society and the Arnold School of Public Health, is principal investigator of the project that will identify air, water and soil pollutants and their impact on the neighborhoods.
Once the environmental concerns are identified and mapped, the grant will support efforts by the communities to improve residents' health and quality of life. That could include shifting traffic patterns, changing zoning and improving pollution controls on large vehicles, he said.
Sacoby is working with the Low-Country Alliance for Model Communities (LAMC), created in 2006 to combat aesthetic, social, economic and environmental issues in the neighborhoods in the city's northern perimeter, most of which are along the Cooper River.
Other Arnold School researchers on the project include state epidemiologist Dr. Erik Svendsen and Dr. Hongemei Zhang from the department of epidemiology and biostatistics and Dr. Edith Williams with the Institute for Partnerships to Eliminate Health Disparities.


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Product Reference: 40794
Pouch case with suede lining
The Wallet Case for Xperia Z2 / Z1 is a pouch case with the inside lining of the case lined with soft micro suede that is perfect for keeping the screen of your device scratch and dust free.
The case is then finished in faux leather style that gives a premier finish to the case. The outer material is durable and is complimented by the embossed "Made for Xperia" branding.
3 credit card slots
The Wallet Case feature 3 credit card slots for storing anything from your driving licence or note paper, to train tickets and receipts.
Embossed Xperia branding
The case has been embossed with the Xperia branding so you know you're getting quality. The fit has been specially designed for the Xperia Z2 / Z1, so the fit is perfect leaving you to enjoy it.
Full access to all functions and features
Despite a premier finish the case still embodies perfect functionality for you to utilise the full potential of your device. The case even has special cutouts for the camera so you never have to miss an opportunity to take memorable pictures.


text:
belton all the way!
gotta say montana ...lately this color vision shyt is sik for throw ups
Montana !
bombing - anything cheap, can control makes the piece
tagging - krylon - ultra flat black
piecing or anything with color - montana hardcore
in my opinion montana gold is overrated and overpriced, i love the pressure but the paint is too thick and doesnt take to many caps... id like to try out belton, heard theyre cheap and great paint
mint green spanish hardcore all the way.
well i use wht ever i can get my hands on bcuz im under aged and cant buy and dont drive but when i can choose rusto or any of its side company's like american accents or painters touch this is just a personal thing but fuck montana and all its hype and bull shit it should only be used 4 legal pieces or just flat out pieces not like bombs n shit i mean dont get me a wrong a nice harcore tag aint bad but its just not what its meant 4.
all they got around here that has multiple colors is krylon.. and i can only find black rusto .but theres no belton, molotow, montanas.. none of that. so i rarely ever use anything but krylon.
montana, it's one of the cheapest cans here, and it rocks, and there is a diffrence between MTN and Montana right? i use MTN, and for details Montana
Fucking Rustoleoum
i picked wal-mart its cheep as hell. and no place to get belton.. around here
Montana is nice paint and has nice colors but it's just too expensive. I like me some $2.50 Rusto tall cans very much.
im liking my mtn hardcore's at the moment
but coversall are good too
RUSTO!!! its so nice.
When the stress burns my brain just like acid raindrops mayjane is the only thing that makes my pain stop.
molotow for winter. IM AM CANADIAN
I Am Canadian Lol


text:
Moments from the weekend
Wearing green for St Patrick's Day! I'll confess this is the only thing I did to "celebrate".
Eating like a French.
Housekeeping. Giving my makeup tools a good shampoo and conditioning. Oh how soft and clean they are now!
Experimenting with a new table setting, in anticipation of a dinner party we are hosting next month. Dressing the table has become a new favorite pastime of mine. It makes me so happy.
What were some of the moments from your weekend?
27 Responses to Moments from the weekend
- Mademoiselle Poirot said...
I like those little things that make for a lovely weekend - and I like French food and soft makeup brushes ;-) Wishing you a great week xo
- March 20, 2012 at 4:25 AM
- DiamondsandTulle said...
I like the table setting! I admit the only green I wore for St. Patty's Day was green nail polish too! :)
xx Vivian @ http://diamondsandtulle.blogspot.com
- March 20, 2012 at 5:07 AM
- Mimi said...
this weekend was rainy for us too! my favorite weekend moment was just hanging out at home with a good book and chocolates. ;)
<3, Mimi
Fashion To Figure Giveaway
- March 20, 2012 at 9:38 AM
- navy and orange said...
sounds and looks lovely!
xoxo navy & orange
- March 20, 2012 at 9:52 AM
- Pinecone Camp said...
You've had a lovely weekend, by the looks of the pics. Your toes look great!
- March 20, 2012 at 10:47 AM
- nancy said...
wow, looks like a good one! pretty flower :)
- March 20, 2012 at 3:18 PM
- Sunny & Star said...
I so love your pictures. That table setting is darling. And I love your green anil polish.
- March 21, 2012 at 3:07 AM
- Leanne said...
Your weekend sounds like a good one! :) I love the table setting you've created, it's really pretty! xx
- March 21, 2012 at 3:37 AM
- sealaura said...
I only did green on my nails for St. Patty's but it was more of a minty green. Hung out at home with my husband and dogs and had green margaritas. Love your pictures, I like doing frenchy things too.
- March 21, 2012 at 4:43 AM
- M.E said...
Lovely weekend pictures!
- March 21, 2012 at 6:58 PM
- Chanpart said...
A enviable lifestyle! So beautiful and the mood!!!
---By Abercrombie Outlet UK.
- March 21, 2012 at 7:36 PM
- psychelyn said...
Rainy Days, we call it a "bed weather" for it make you feel like you wanna stay in bed the whole day and feel the warmth of blankets :)
Table setting looks nice.
- March 21, 2012 at 8:10 PM
- Mesmerize said...
great photos! I love these table setting to! thank you for visit me:)
- March 21, 2012 at 8:18 PM
- Melissah from Scrapbook said...
What a beautiful rose! Pop over to my blog when you have a spare minute & check out the new look - I'm a bit excited!
- March 21, 2012 at 9:41 PM
- NauticalWheeler said...
I love the place setting! Beautiful :)
From Brooklyn with love,
- March 21, 2012 at 10:22 PM
- Fabrizia said...
Such a great post, I really like it, these pics are so nice!
Take a look and if you want we can follow each others: Cosa mi metto???
Last day to win your favourite jewels from Les Jumelles
- March 21, 2012 at 10:38 PM
- momto8 said...
what a fun weekend!!
happy spring!
- March 22, 2012 at 1:25 AM
- Mr. Taylor and his Lady said...
that first image is just so beautiful!!!
xo TJ
- March 22, 2012 at 4:40 AM
- Julie Lan said...
ohh the food looks delicious!!
- March 22, 2012 at 5:10 AM
- The Look Lover said...
Wonderful the first photo!!! Ciao,Paolo
- March 22, 2012 at 6:16 AM
- Jayme and Mendi said...
Love seeing weekends in photos like this!! I wore green on my toes too!
Jayme @ Her Late Night Cravings
- March 22, 2012 at 7:00 AM
- oomph. said...
i've been on the lookout for some cute plates! i'm sure it's psychological, but food seems to tast better when eaten off a pretty plate :)
love your table setting!
- March 22, 2012 at 7:10 AM
- Katherine McAdoo said...
i love your green nails and that peek of your miu miu bag!
- March 22, 2012 at 7:32 AM
- Andrea said...
Hi! You have a very beautiful blog, full of lovely photos. Love your posts! And my weekend was spending my time watching series with my boyfriend! Hihi. :D
I'm following you, please follow me too. :)
Have fun! **
- March 22, 2012 at 8:06 AM
- Blytheponytailparades said...
Well your green polish is more than I did! I forgot altogether :P
- March 22, 2012 at 11:51 PM
- indie by heart said...
Really lovely photos, especially the first.. I haven't seen rain for some time, since it's still really cold and loads of snow - can you believe it! :D Well, this is northern Europe.
Thank you so much for stopping by so I could find your ADORABLE blog. :) I hope you visit me sometime again, I love making new blog friends.
Have a lovely weekend,
- Indie by Heart
Ps. My birthday Giveaway :)
- March 24, 2012 at 4:22 AM
- harbourmaster said...
Table setting is a dying art - I LOVE the clash of patterns between the placemat & plate!
- March 27, 2012 at 6:51 PM


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Pop-Culture | Posted by Shanminio D on 07/15/2010
Sparknotes Gender Test and Gender Stereotypes
Ok, the gender test on the Sparknotes website really pisses me off.
Their claim: "Guys and girls are different in ways only we realize. In fact, without asking about your clohtes, grooming, or chest, our Gender Test will predict, with 100% accuracy, whether you're a guy or a girl. This test's patented Geni-Tell technology has gotten smarter with every taker. Finally, witness the true power of the Internet."
I took the test and, apparently, I am a man:
"Well, deep down, your gender affects everything about you, from your favorite number to your views on Canada. Many men who took the test think and act just like you, as you can see from the graph above. Statistically speaking, you are a man—whether you …


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YP - The Real Yellow PagesSM - helps you find the right local businesses to meet your specific needs. Search results are sorted by a combination of factors to give you a set of choices in response to your search criteria. These factors are similar to those you might use to determine which business to select from a local Yellow Pages directory, including proximity to where you are searching, expertise in the specific services or products you need, and comprehensive business information to help evaluate a business's suitability for you. "Preferred" listings, or those with featured website buttons, indicate YP advertisers who directly provide information about their businesses to help consumers make more informed buying decisions. YP advertisers receive higher placement in the default ordering of search results and may appear in sponsored listings on the top, side, or bottom of the search results page.
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James McAvoy, Rupert Grint + More: 15 Celeb Torchbearers of the 2012 Olympics
To kick off the Olympics, here's a look at some of the celebrities and famous faces who bore the torch this year. From James McAvoy to Rupert Grint, it's a star-studded list!
-Lucia Peters
It's finally here, Bettys! The 2012 Olympic Games! Today, the Olympic torch ends its 70-day journey at the Olympic Stadium in London, kicking off the Games with a grand start. Over the course of those 70 days, 8,000 truly inspiring individuals have carried the torch all the way from Greece to the UK. We thought it might be fun to take a look at a few of the more, shall we say, familiar faces that have born it from one place to the other. Did we miss your favorite? Add on to our list in the comments!
1. James McAvoy
The X-Men: First Class star lives in London and works in Hollywood these days, but James McAvoy went back to his Scottish roots on day 21 of the relay when he carried the torch through Glasgow.
Read What's Your Lucky Charm? 12 Olympians Share Theirs!
2. Eddie Izzard
Day 60 of the relay: Comedian/actor/all-round awesome person Eddie Izzard posed in front of an instillation inspired by The Italian Job entitled "Hang On A Minute Lads" by artist Richard Wilson above the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill on Sea (and yes, I do realize that I just used a disgusting amount of prepositions in one sentence).
3. The Wanted
British boy band The Wanted carried the torch between the five of them on day 43 as the flame made its way from Great Wyrley to Wolverhampton.
Up next: The ladies of Ab Fab, Ron Weasley and more!


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NETWORX - Administrator's Statement 3/3/2005
US General Services Administration
Before the House Committee on Government Reform
March 3, 2005
Good Morning Chairman Davis and Members of the Committee. Thank you for inviting me here today to continue our discussion concerning the Networx acquisition planning activities.
Since February, a year ago, when I last appeared before you to discuss this important government-wide telecommunications program, GSA has focused attention and energy on open and candid dialogue with our customers, industry, and other stakeholders. Our aim has been to refine a program that will bring needed high quality technology and exceptional value to the government as we move into the future, while ensuring maximum participation and competition from industry. My remarks today will focus on GSA's vision for the program, a review of concerns raised by industry in response to the Networx draft RFPs, and a review of our schedule and plans for moving forward.
Tradition of Delivering Value
GSA - with support from this committee, our customers, and industry - has a tradition of delivering innovative and flexible telecommunications programs that respond to future as well as current markets, and meet the evolving needs of our individual agency customers. The Networx program will continue this tradition by providing significant value to our customers and the American taxpayer:
- First, GSA is uniquely positioned to aggregate and compete critical telecommunications service requirements on behalf of the Federal agencies on a scale that has consistently achieved preferred pricing.
- Second, our customers benefit from aggressive and responsive refreshment of services available on our contracts, enabling them to use the latest technologies to improve their operations at prices negotiated for, and available to all.
- Third, as a "shared services" telecommunications acquisition activity for all Federal agencies, we eliminate the cost and effort that would otherwise be required by each of our customer agencies to procure, support and upgrade those same services. This benefit is particularly important in today's budget-constrained environment, in which our success can allow our customers to focus their limited resources on executing their core mission requirements. In addition, GSA is able to provide leadership across the government-wide communications environment to foster the seamless, secure, efficient movement of information in the most cost-effective manner possible.
Vision to Deliver Value to Support the Networks of the Future:
The era of unprecedented change in the telecommunications industry continues, and at GSA, our need to anticipate the impact of these changes is as great as ever. We have designed the Networx program to respond to these changes while delivering our traditional value to customer agencies and meeting the demands of the future. Today, GSA's Network Services business line provides everything from common calling cards and local dial tone to Internet Protocol (IP) based services with embedded security. But, we recognize that the services we provide through our strong relationships with industry -- though necessary and essential -- must deliver even more in the future. Looking ahead, the government will require the full range of innovative emerging technologies that can support an environment where enhanced information sharing, discovery, mediation, and collaboration are essential to our national security. We desire to be bold and forward thinking; yet, we recognize that while our focus is on the future, we cannot lose sight of the present, and the many customers who depend on our current service offerings.
With a focus on today's requirements, our customer agencies, as represented by the Interagency Management Council (IMC), have formally approved the following Networx Program Goals:
- Service continuity. All services to all locations that are currently provided on the FTS2001 and Crossover contracts must be included in the Networx program.
- Highly competitive prices. Prices on the Networx program must continue to be better than prices available elsewhere in the telecommunications marketplace.
- High quality service. Service on the Networx contracts must be provided by high quality telecommunications providers. The contracts must include enforceable agreements that will ensure high quality service is delivered throughout the term of the contracts.
- Full service providers. Service providers who are awarded contracts on Networx must be capable of providing a broad array of services.
- Alternative sources. Networx must provide access to a broad spectrum of industry service providers.
- Operations support. Improve ordering, billing, and inventory management
- Transition assistance and support. The contracts must include provisions that facilitate transition coordination and support.
Performance based contracts.
The contracts must be performance based with Service Level Agreements to the extent possible. The goal of Service Continuity is at the top of the list, reflecting its importance to our customers. Yet, in building the Networx program we cannot simply build a bridge to the present – we must build a bridge to the future with our focus on enabling government to exploit the value of the next generation network environment. We know that the legacy network environment is based on a circuit-driven, cents-per-minute business model that is rapidly disappearing in the telecommunications marketplace. The future is a distance-insensitive, packet-driven, converged services model that, with the proper governance, will enable information sharing, seamlessness, and interoperability -- an environment where enhanced Government to Government, Government to Citizen and Government to Industry collaboration can co-exist. Networx builds upon the success of its predecessor program, FTS2001, but is designed to attract new entrants and new technologies to the federal telecommunications marketplace and provide pathways to the next generation network environment.
As you know, our revised strategy consists of two acquisitions. Networx Universal meets agency requirements for full service providers who can offer a broad range of services and geographic coverage. GSA anticipates that 2 awards on Universal will meet our legacy requirements. Enterprise is designed to make alternative sources available to agencies from offerors who can provide leading-edge services but do not have the ability to provide the broad services and geographic coverage required from Universal providers. GSA anticipates that 5 awardees will provide the alternative choices, leading edge services, and continuous competition desired from Enterprise during the life of the program.
Networx Universal and Networx Enterprise are two conjoined procurements that collectively satisfy today's needs while providing a path to the next generation network -- more specifically -- a path to some of the future providers of the next generation network. A central question for the Networx program is: Who will these providers be? Will they be the traditional service carriers of today? Will they be emergent new services providers? Will they be system integrators? GSA believes that it will be a combination of all of these. The Networx Program should attract all types of providers to the government telecommunications market.
Networx Enterprise has basically the same scope as Networx Universal yet there are significant differences aimed at broadening the competition. A competitor for Networx Enterprise must bid nine core services, as opposed to 37 in Universal. The core services required under Enterprise are not traditional legacy services. They are evolving IP-based services. Our acquisition strategy is designed to enable the offeror who bids Enterprise the ability to enter the Federal market with fewer mandatory offerings, yet be positioned to help carry the government forward to the next generation network environment. We would like to see all the players in the telecommunications arena compete for these services.
To further emphasize the opportunities on Networx, awardees will be able to add services beginning two years after initial contract award. This will allow awardees, particularly on Enterprise, the opportunity to grow their business with government as their capabilities evolve. And it will allow government to benefit from their capabilities as they mature.
Networx Acquisition Progress
Over the past year and a half, throughout our acquisition planning efforts, we have continued to listen carefully to your Committee's guidance and to feedback from our customers and our partners in industry. We have actively solicited comment from all stakeholders at every step of our planning process. For example:
- In October 2003, we released a Request for Information (RFI) to industry to solicit comments on the Networx program.
- We held an industry conference in February 2004 to solicit additional input from government and industry stakeholders.
- Your February 2004 hearing provided additional feedback from industry, as well as the Committee's perspectives on our strategy.
- In August 2004, we convened another public forum attended by more than 223 companies to share information on our revised strategy, technical and price requirements, program operations, and revised billing requirements.
- Your September 2004 hearing on this program provided additional feedback and perspective that we considered and incorporated prior to release of our draft RFPs.
As a result, we revised our strategy and requirements significantly. For example:
- We adjusted our schedule to conduct simultaneous acquisitions for the Networx Universal and Enterprise contracts
- We reevaluated our minimum nationwide service requirement and reduced that requirement by nearly 70%
- We reexamined our ordering and billing requirements and reduced the number of elements required by 62%. We continue to solicit ideas from industry that will enhance our capabilities and efficiencies in this challenging management area.
Two Draft RFPs, one for Universal and one for Enterprise, were released on October 29, 2004. The following week we held a third public forum to present highlights and discuss the Draft RFPs. By December 22, 2004, forty private sector companies -- telecommunications service providers, system integrators, and small businesses -- submitted more than 2500 comments in response to our Draft RFPs. Every comment has been carefully reviewed, and examined with the express intent of improving the Networx strategy.
Overview of Comments on the Draft RFPs:
As requested in your invitation, I will provide an overview of the industry comments received, discuss some of the challenges that we are working to resolve, and provide an update regarding priority items of concern raised by GAO with regard to the Networx Program.
Overall, the comments received in response to the Draft RFPs are positive and constructive. The comments reflect five categories of issues:
− technical Issues represent more than fifty percent of the responses received.
− twenty percent are Management and Operations Issues.
− pricing Issues represent just under fourteen percent of the comments received, and
− the remainder is split between Contracting Issues and Strategy Issues.
We were gratified by the many positive comments on the quality of the Draft RFPs, and the good support indicated for some key acquisition features including performance-based specifications, service level agreements, and service enabling devices.
As you can tell by the numbers, most of the comments were oriented to make the technical portions of the contract better, and we are pleased to say, approximately 40% resulted in a change to the Draft RFP. Of course, some comments submitted by industry cite issues with which we do not agree. I will review those issues and provide comments on GSA's perspective with regard to them.
Acquisition Approach
Some comments suggested that the best approach for Networx is to release a statement of objectives that would provide an umbrella contract under which contractors could propose a unique solution to meet the individual needs of each agency. While we understand this approach, our customers and GSA do not think this would allow the government to capitalize on its tremendous requirements volume to achieve best possible pricing. Furthermore, many agencies believe that this would pose a significant resource burden upon them which would also undermine the value of the program. We believe that head-to-head fixed price competition for a large volume of services is the best approach to ensure the government receives the best prices across the board. Our approach greatly reduces the time and resources each agency would need to evaluate and compete a unique agency solution. Finally, our approach introduces a level of standardization, oversight and interoperability across government that would be difficult to obtain if each agency implemented their own unique solution.
Management and Operations
GSA received comments from industry suggesting that the requirements for Management and Operations are excessive. In particular, some stated that the business opportunities on Enterprise do not justify the initial investment dictated by the Enterprise operational requirements. While GSA does not believe the requirements described in the Draft RFPs are inappropriate, we do acknowledge that they are significant. Accordingly, we reviewed Networx Universal and Enterprise Management and Operations sections carefully, in an effort to relax requirements where possible. As a result, GSA reduced the number of reports, made some reports optional at Agency request, and delayed delivery of others. In addition, we extended some provisioning intervals, revised some service level agreements, and reduced some credits based on industry comments. Nevertheless, important operational requirements that reflect the stated needs of our customers remain. For example, the Government requires that potential awardees provide assurance that they can process an order and bill for their service before receiving an order from an Agency. Eliminating this requirement would not be in the best interest of the Government and certainly would not be in the best interest of an industry service provider if agencies chose to go elsewhere because their requirements could not be met.
In addition, GSA has continued working with customers and industry to ensure that the government requirements for billing and ordering data are not excessive. As previously stated, GSA reduced government requirements by 62% and believes that the result is the minimum requirement for preserving the government's ability to validate and justify telecommunications expenditures, and to maintain required inventories.
Industry Opportunities on Enterprise
Several industry comments suggested that because the business case for competing on Enterprise is difficult to justify, minimum revenue guarantees (MRGs) should be increased. As we have indicated in past testimony, we believe that Enterprise will provide solid opportunities for business growth in the government market. IP and wireless services represent the future of the telecommunications industry, and are mandatory services on Enterprise. Companies that offer these services will be able to expand their service portfolios with new offerings. But, these are opportunities, not guarantees. Agencies, not GSA, will choose the contractors they want to provide services through the Fair Opportunity process.
While GSA strongly believes that the opportunities on Enterprise justify the initial investment, we also understand that the initial investment may discourage some companies from bidding. We desire healthy and robust competition throughout the life of the program and we know that Enterprise awardees will help make that happen. As a result of industry comments received from the draft RFPs and our further analysis, we have decided to double the Enterprise MRGs to $50M which will be divided equally among the Enterprise contract awardees. In the event of 5 Enterprise awards, each awardee would be guaranteed ten million dollars worth of business.
Price Management Mechanism
Not surprisingly, comments to the Draft RFPs indicate that the Networx price management mechanism is not popular with industry. GSA believes, however, that it is in the best interests of the government for prices on Networx to compare favorably with other prices available in the marketplace. If prices decline below Networx prices, based on changes in technology or other market forces, government prices should remain comparable with the rest of the marketplace. We believe that the process described in the RFP assures visibility into pricing, and is a fair and reasonable approach to assure desirable pricing over the life of the contracts. As such, we have elected to include a price management mechanism in the Universal and Enterprise RFPs.
Other Challenges to be Resolved
In addition to these industry concerns, the program continues to address other issues of importance to the management and long term success of Networx.
Performance Measures
GSA has developed metrics and performance measures for each of the Networx Program Goals. Success in meeting some of these goals will be measurable when the contracts are awarded, and for others, success will be measured continuously until the contract expires. GSA will continue to review and assess the effectiveness of Networx performance measures after contract award, and will add new measures as needed to assure sound performance management of the program.
Transition & Inventories
We continue to make progress on the transition planning activities that began with establishment of the IMC Transition Working Group almost two years ago. As we have previously discussed, lack of accurate inventories was an important lesson learned from the last transition and has been a subject of continuing focus on the Networx Program. Both GSA and our agency customers realize the importance of accurate inventories and are working hard to ensure that inventories are accurate and complete prior to the start of the Networx transition. In this regard, our requirements for identifying the wire centers that must be priced as part of Universal proposals has been very helpful in validating inventories. At our request, on January 21, 2005, agencies completed a validation of current FTS2001 dedicated services, providing us a core inventory of validated services to which we are adding information from FTS2001 vendors on switched services. Three agencies have already validated their complete inventories. Others depend on GSA to provide them the best information available for their review and validation. Our goal is to have complete transition-ready inventories that will allow us to move all services from the current contracts to Networx, without stranding any services, one month after the award of the Networx contracts.
Concurrent with our efforts to gather and validate inventory data, we are continuing with other transition activities. GSA and the IMC have agreed on a taxonomy document that allocates transition costs between GSA and customer agencies. We have jointly requested that each agency CIO identify a transition manager to begin planning with the Transition Working Group and within their respective agency. Agencies have begun to respond to this request, and the list of individuals who will be assigned specific duties related to the transition of agency telecommunications services is growing. On February 1, 2005, GSA awarded a transition support contract. That contractor is consolidating lessons learned documentation from GSA and agencies and incorporating them into the comprehensive Transition Strategy and Management Plan. This plan will outline the requirements for the entire transition, including timelines and responsibilities, and will include procedures and guidance to ensure we address the lessons learned from the last transition. Although not complete, an outline of this document is finished and a number of sections have been drafted and are under review. Finally, requirements have been added to the RFP to ensure that Networx awardees provide a Transition Management Plan to confirm their understanding of the transition process, to describe how they will meet the challenges of managing transition activities, and to identify the resources they will need to accomplish the task.
Our schedule for Networx is very aggressive. It must be aggressive to ensure that the contracts are awarded in sufficient time to allow agencies the time they need to transition from current contracts to Networx. We were able to release the draft RFPs a few days ahead of schedule, and we have pressed hard to complete the review and evaluation of all comments received from industry. We have completed source selection and evaluation sections of the RFPs. At this time, we have several remaining challenges that are normal to a complex procurement, but we expect to release the RFPs on or near our current schedule date, with one caveat. While the released RFPs will include all location data for Networx Universal and Networx Enterprise, they will not include specific service and demand data to be provided by GSA on a web-based pricing model. This model will allow industry to perform price modeling analysis and to make overall price determinations. This additional data will be provided in late May. The model is a complex, sophisticated software tool with stringent security requirements to support a very comprehensive program. Development is underway and upon completion, it will require a comprehensive security certification and testing. The pricing model is too important to the program to rush its implementation and risk not getting it right. Therefore, we will release everything but the pricing model on schedule and will release the pricing model as soon as it is available. Our current schedule calls for industry proposals to be submitted to the government on July 5, 2005. This will give industry a full month to utilize the pricing model prior to that date. Our goal is to remain on schedule for making awards on both contracts in April of 2006.
I want to state for the benefit of the Members of the Committee, the industry representatives, and our customer agencies, that while my GSA executive leadership team is moving forward with plans for the merger of the Federal Technology Service and the Federal Supply Service, the Networx program and the resources necessary to support the program and its schedule will continue under the new organization.
Mr. Chairman, in your opening remarks at the September 2004 hearing on Networx, you set a high bar for this program: You said "the Networx program must be crafted to become the 'best choice' for customer agencies as they design telecommunications plans to meet their diverse management challenges". We believe we have done just that: we have listened carefully to your Committee's guidance and the feedback from customers and industry. We have revised our strategy in significant ways. The Networx program is well-defined, has strong support from our agency customers, and offers significant opportunities for industry service providers. This program continues a proven legacy of achieving low cost telecommunication service while remaining agile to transport government-wide networks well into the future.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify before your Committee. I will answer any questions you may have regarding the Networx program.


text: 3/11/09 3/11/09 POPSUGAR Fashion Hermès Paris Fashion Week: Hermes Fall 2009 March 11, 2009 by coutorture 0 Shares Chat with us on Facebook Messenger. Learn what's trending across POPSUGAR. View on One Page Photo 0 of 52 Start Slideshow ADVERTISEMENT () Share This Link Copy What's Your Reaction? Thanks for your reaction Don't forget to share this with your friends! ← Use Arrows Keys → 0 Paris Fashion Week: Hermes Fall 2009 Paris 03/11/09. Photos by Chris Moore/Catwalking/Getty Images. Previous Next 2009 Fall Paris Fashion Week2009 Fall Fashion Week2009 Paris Fashion Week2009 Fashion WeekGalleryRunwayHermès