text:
Need bottled ink
or refills?
"Greetings Norman.....opened me goodies around 8pm tonight.....thank you for the extra pen as a gift!!! All of them are so nice. The Duke Golden Rings is really well balanced and writes so nice. The pearl panels looks so nice and writes well also. The jinhao General is a heavier pen but writes excellent!! The Croc outré is well made and looks really elegant. And finally the Baoer Arrow is great quality for the price...cap is a little difficult pulling off right now, but I AM sure it will wear in. I have lamy blue black in that one . The Duke, General and Croc have Sailor Jentle Blue Black in them. Pearl Panels has Quink Blue Black...Anyways, I still have about 20 more pens from you on the radar, but will have to hold off for now i think. I appreciate all your help...really have been enjoying your friendship and your website!! bye for now..God Bless..."
K. D., San Dimas, CA
"Hi Norman. Well, I used the converter that you included with the Outre and have to say that everything is working perfectly, of course. The more I use the pen, the smoother I find it. It is a lovely pen and I am very happy that I purchased it from you. Thank you for the care you take with your customers. Your pens leave your hands in prime condition and the support you offer your clients, after purchase, is exemplary. Thank you."
"Hi Norman. I never did get a chance
to write you when my Outré came in, but it is such a wonderful pen.
Writes amazingly well and is attractive and pleasing to the eye. Thanks
for another great pen! Looking forward to my next purchase!"
"Norman, I received my pens last week. I really like both the Crocodile
Outré, and the
Invincia Stealth. They write beautifully and are great to have on the
road with me. Great pens and great value. As always, thank you my
"Hi Norman,
I wanted to let you know that I received the pen.
It's a great value-looks more expensive than it is, writes well so far
with no skipping and hard-starting issues. Great job!"
S. R., Mount Olive, NC
"Hi Norm - I've never opted to comment on one of your specials, but this Outré by Crocodile is truly a gem. Being a lefthander, it writes better than my Mont Blanc and is smoother and slicker!"
B. O. B., Nutley, NJ
"Well this blows my mind! I had one of the
original MB pens exactly like this (minus the top "ruby") and liked the pen
but not the filling mechanism. So now I have the same precious resin :) pen
and a sensible filling system!...One thing I do like is that the "ruby" isn't
deep red. It actually looks more like a padparadscha sapphire, which I like
better!... I'm amazed at the careful workmanship on this, thanks!"
Yes, it's an homage to a model from that luxury German pen manufacturer , but instead of a snowcap on its pinnacle, it sports a ruby (although it's more of an orange color than a red).
This has always been a spectacular design and although Crocodile has made some obvious changes (the Outré does not have a retractable nib, for instance), they've really captured the feel of the original (at a small fraction of the price) and made it their own. I can't swear that it uses the same 'precious resin' for the barrel and cap, but the black has that same subtle red sheen when held under direct light.
A mid-sized pen, it measures 5" capped, 5-7/8" posted and 4-5/8" with cap held aside. I don't usually post caps on my pens, but as the Outré's cap screws onto both ends, it's a natural fit. Being a resin, lightweight model, it's perfectly balanced either posted or not -- and I love looking down at that large ruby while I write!
Here we have the new Amethyst version. It could also be called a light Lavender in color -- but changes its appearance quite readily, depending upon the light source. Despite the appearance of the photo above left (a trick of the light) -- the Amethyst has chromed trim and nib.
As for the Ruby version, all of the brass rings and clip are finished in rose gold-plate, which really complement the jewels on the cap top and on the clip.
Capped, there are no manufacturer markings at all. Unscrew the cap however, and three additional rings are revealed at the end of the pen's section. The larger middle one is engraved with Crocodile. Twice, in fact.
The nib is now also on display, and the rose gold coloration is continued here. The nib is engraved with Crocodile, 22KGP (for twenty-two karat gold-plate) and the wonderful Crocodile logo of...a crocodile! I'd rate the nib as a full-sized western medium.
Unscrewing the all-metal threads between the section -- again engraved twice with Crocodile and in rose gold-plate -- and barrel displays the piston converter for bottled ink. It will also take International-style cartridges, such as those from Private Reserve. As with all new pens, I recommend to run a dilute solution of dishwashing soap (two or three drops to a small bowl of water) through a new pen a few times, followed by water only. Step one is effective at removing manufacturing oils that can tend to make the ink less than enthusiastic in heading from the converter/filler to the nib, and step two removes the traces of the detergent you've used...which tends to have the opposite, diuretic effect. A gift box is included.
IMPORTANT SERVICE NOTE: Every nib that ships from His Nibs is closely examined under high magnification and tuned or adjusted if needed. About 85% of modern nibs need some adjustment out-of-the-box from the manufacturer for an optimal writing experience. Most commonly, the tines of the nib are misaligned -- which would cause scratchiness at the minimum; the slit between the tines is partially or fully closed -- which would starve the nib of ink and at best cause skipping; or the slit between the tines is too wide -- which will either again cause skipping, or conversely, flooding. There are other factors -- such as separation of the nib from the feed -- that are inspected and repaired before any pen leaves the Palace.
The only 100% guarantee of course comes when the pen is actually filled with ink and written with for the first time, but our pre-shipping inspections and tunings have eliminated 99.99999 (my finger is getting tired) of the frustrations that a customer experiences when first using a new fountain pen. Although this can be time-consuming on occasion, it affords our customers a much more pleasant experience when receiving a fountain pen from His Nibs -- and saves us the frustration of dealing with returns!
Ordering Procedures & Returns
International customers, please note, we will not falsify shipping documents
Please send your order and shipping address (along with any questions) to:
We will email you back with your order total (PA residents please add 6% sales tax)
Credit cards, for the quickest fulfillment of your order, are accepted through PayPal, a secure site allowing you to use your credit card without us even seeing the information. If you'd like to make use of this credit card service, please let us know when you email your order and address, and we'll email you the appropriate Request for Payment, and instructions for the simple payment procedure (you don't need to join PayPal to use it).
If you would like us process your credit card directly instead, then please email us:
1. Card # (dividing this number in two, between two emails, will
ensure security)
If you'd rather pay by money order or check, kindly make payable to:
His Nibs.com
We ship via
insured Priority Mail
Warranties and returns
If an item proves to be defective, in most cases the manufacturer's warranty will apply. However, please email us first so that we can determine the easiest way to resolve the problem to your satisfaction. In the case of fountain pens -- which are a bit more individualistic than other writing instruments -- what may at first appear to be a defect (hard starting or poor flow for example), can in almost all cases be resolved with a few simple 'tweaks' to the nib, which we'll be happy to guide you through or perhaps suggest returning to us for adjustment.
Should you wish to return a non-defective item within 3 days of receipt because it doesn't suit you for some reason, again please email us and we'll arrange an exchange, credit or refund (minus any shipping/insurance charges), if the item is returned in an 'as new' condition. If you've dipped a fountain pen to try its writing characteristics, kindly clean off any ink residue prior to shipping -- to save us both a nasty surprise .
We want you to be happy with your purchase from HisNibs.com and hope to have you join the ranks of our many long-term, repeat customers!
Revised: August 19th, 2023


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- Home
- Departments
- Sheriff
- Services
- Civil Process
- Sheriff's Sales
Sheriff's Sales
General Auction Information
Sheriff's sales are the means to satisfy a money judgment out of the personal or real property of the judgment debtor, to protect the value of perishable property under levy by converting it to cash, or to enforce a lien against property under foreclosure proceedings.
Prospective bidders should refer to California Code of Civil Procedure (CCP) §701.510 to 701.680 for provisions governing the terms, conditions and effect of the sale and the liability of defaulting bidders.
Date, Time, Location
The date, time and location of the Sheriff's sales will be stated on the Notice of Sale. The Notice of Sale will also contain a general description of the property to be sold. The Sheriff is selling only the right, title and interest of the judgment debtor(s) in the property. It is the responsibility of any potential buyer to conduct the appropriate research to determine what the debtor's interest is in the property being sold. Private firms, that conduct title searches for a fee, can be found in the yellow Pages to help provide a prospective buyer with full property information such as liens, unpaid taxes, and encumbrances. The Sheriff's Office makes no guarantee or warranty regarding the condition, value, or functionality of any item sold. Every item is sold as is.
Sale Notice
March 1st at 12:00pm at 1535 Airport Blvd. Napa, Ca 94558, view full public sale notice (PDF)
Sheriff Sale Terms
Sheriff's sales are made at public sale to the highest bidder for cash in lawful money of the United States. The purchaser at a sale shall pay in cash, certified check or cashier's check, made out to the Napa County Sheriff's Office. Bidders must have the cash, certified check or cashier's check with them at the time of the sale to cover the full amount of their bid or the amount of the deposit required for a credit bid pursuant to CCP §701.590.
If the highest bid for an item, group, or lot of property sold exceeds $2500, the highest bidder may elect to treat the sale as a credit transaction. The credit purchaser must deposit at least $2500 or 10% of the amount bid, whichever is greater. Within ten days after the sale, the purchaser must pay the balance due plus costs accruing with regard to the property sold (storage etc.) and interest accruing at the rate on money judgments on the balance of the amount bid from the date of sale until the date of payment.
A credit purchaser is not entitled to possession of the property sold until the amount bid, plus accruing costs and interest, has been paid. The credit bid deposit is forfeited if the balance due, plus costs and interest, is not paid within 10 day after the date of the sale.
Contact Us
It is recommended that you call the Sheriff's Civil Process Unit the day prior to the sale to confirm that the sale has not been cancelled or postponed.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Items filtered by date: September 2010
Welcome to The British Beat - Première Column!
As anyone who follows my Classic Coming Attractions column regularly will know, I do occasionally include reviews of British TV series there. They don't really fit that column so I've decided to start up The British Beat as a vehicle more appropriate to such material. This column will be a little more wide-ranging than TV series reviews, though. I'll include coverage of classic and recent movies that are quintessentially British - the Red Riding Blu-ray review in this first edition of the column is a good example. I'll also try to alert you to forthcoming British titles that seem worthy of your attention. The column will appear irregularly, at least to start, and its focus will be on North American releases.


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Difference between revisions of "X3D and Augmented Reality"
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== Meetings ==
== Meetings ==
Our twice-monthly teleconference for X3D and Augmented Reality is usually
Our twice-monthly teleconference for X3D and Augmented Reality is usually
* Main meeting (AR WG only): 10:
* Main meeting (AR WG only): 10:-11:(Central European time) / 17:-18:(Korea time) / 01:-02:(Pacific time) on 3rd Wednesday
* Follow-up meeting (together with Korea Chapter): 17:00-18:00 (Pacific time)/20:00-21:00 (Eastern time) on 1st Wednesday, which is 09:00-10:00 (Korea time) on 1st Thursday.
* Follow-up meeting (together with Korea Chapter): 17:00-18:00 (Pacific time)/20:00-21:00 (Eastern time) on 1st Wednesday, which is 09:00-10:00 (Korea time) on 1st Thursday.
Our next public teleconference meeting is
Our next public teleconference meeting is
* ()
== Events ==
== Events ==
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Current technical work within the Web3D AR WG includes harmonizing these proposals for best fitting AR capabilities into X3D scenes. This work will be formally written up as the Augmented Reality (AR) Component for the X3D Specification.
Current technical work within the Web3D AR WG includes harmonizing these proposals for best fitting AR capabilities into X3D scenes. This work will be formally written up as the Augmented Reality (AR) Component for the X3D Specification.
= Participation and Liaisons =
= Participation and Liaisons =
* Christine Perry's group on AR Standardization
* Other partnerships can also be considered as appropriate.
* Other partnerships can also be considered as appropriate.
Revision as of 16:51, 1 April 2012
- 1 Calendar: Meetings and Events
- 2 Charter
- 3 History and Background Information
- 4 Existing Proposals
- 5 Interoperability with other AR and Web Standards
- 6 Participation and Liaisons
- 7 Augmented Reality Roadmap for X3D
Calendar: Meetings and Events
Our twice-monthly teleconference for X3D and Augmented Reality is usually
- Main meeting (AR WG only): 10:30-11:30 (Central European time) / 17:30-18:30 (Korea time) / 01:30-02:30 (Pacific time) on 3rd Wednesday
- Follow-up meeting (together with Korea Chapter): 17:00-18:00 (Pacific time)/20:00-21:00 (Eastern time) on 1st Wednesday, which is 09:00-10:00 (Korea time) on 1st Thursday.
Our next public teleconference meeting is
- TBA (Tentatively scheduled for 25 Apr)
- Third International AR Standards Meeting, June 15-17, Taichung, Taiwan
- Augmented/Mixed Reality Workshop at Web3D Conference, 10:50AM-12:10PM Local Time, June 21, Paris, France
- Augmented and Mixed Reality Web3D BOF at SIGGRAPH 2011, August 2011, Vancouver, Canada
- SC24 Augmented and Mixed Reality Study Group Meeting @ SC24 Plenary and Working Group Meetings, August 21 2011, Rapid City, South Dakota, USA
- Christine Perey AR Workshop, 23-25 October 2011, Basel Switzerland
The Augmented Reality (AR) Working Group focuses on utilizing and extending X3D capabilities to support augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) applications.
Discussion. These X3D AR discussions were initially held as part of a special interest group. Now that we have determined sufficient exists to modify the X3D Specification, this effort is moving forward by forming the X3D AR Working Group.
Planned goals of AR WG include:
- Collect requirements and describe typical use cases for using X3D in AR/MR applications
- Produce and propose X3D components for AR/MR scenes and applications
- Produce sample AR/MR applications using X3D to demonstrate how this functionality can work correctly
- Investigate state-of-the-art technologies related to X3D and AR/MR to collect requirements and use cases
- Archive and distribute collected requirements and use cases through AR WG wiki page
- Hold regular meetings and workshops to motivate discussions and editing of AR/MR related X3D specification proposals
- Regular meetings will be held through teleconferencing and workshops will be planned through regular meetings
- Promote X3D in AR/MR field by developing and distributing promotional materials of AR applications based on X3D
- Promotional materials include sample applications, video clips, documents, images distributed on the web
Deliverables and Timeline
- Use cases and requirements of X3D for AR/MR application - August 2011
- Comparison of existing proposals - March 2012
- Proposed new/extended functions and nodes for X3D specification
- once use cases and requirements are stated, can compare existing and new proposals for X3D functionality
- Define specification prose for new functionality and encodings
- Sample AR/MR applications with X3D
- these will be produced in support of each proposal
- Anita Havele
- Damon Hernandez
- Don Brutzman
- Gerard J. Kim
- Gun Lee
- Len Daly, Daly Realism
- Myeongwon Lee
- Oliver Neubauer
- Timo Engelke
- Sabine Webel
- Yvonne Jung
Regular meetings are held twice-monthly through teleconference. Participation is open to everyone via the Web3D teleconference line. Non-members can request access information for this call, or Join Web3D! Meeting agenda and minutes are announced through the X3D WG mailing list.
Discussions occur on the firstname.lastname@example.com mailing list. If the email traffic becomes very busy then we can create a separate email list. Meeting minutes are also distributed on the X3D-Public mailing list and archived online.
Upcoming Meetings
- OGC TP/PC Meeting - AR Working Group - Sept 19-23, 2011, Boulder, CO
- AR Standards Community Meeting - Oct 24, 25, 2011 - Basel, Switzerland
- W3C TPAC Meeting W3C AR Community Group - Oct 31- Nov 4, Santa Clara, CA
- ISO JTC Meting - Nov 7 - 10, 2011 - San Diego, CA
History and Background Information
Web3D Consortium formed a special interest group on AR initiatives in July 2009 worked to help create the AR Technology Road Map.
Several Web3D Consortium member projects showcase the feasibility of AR in X3D, particularly X3DOM open source produced by Fraunhofer IGD.
- X3DOM can serve as an out of the box, standards-based solution for AR developers.
- X3D and X3DOM continue to improve scripting options for X3D with HTML5 and this has good promise for AR applications.
- X3DOM is being considered for potential standardization in a Mobile and/or Augmented Reality (AR) profile for X3D.
Our Web3D Korea Chapter members from ETRI are working on Mixed Reality visualization in X3D.
- The Consortium as been working closely within W3C HTML5 WG to align our standards for 3D visualization on the Web.
Additional details are available at:
Web3D Consortium is also engaged with the AR standards, OGC, Khronos and W3C organizations for applying and adapting X3D.
- Web3D Consortium will be starting an AR working group in March 2011 to develop a roadmap for AR standardization. We encourage your participation.
- The technology discussions and meetings will be conducted publicly so that the widest possible comment and reaction can be considered from the Community. Feedback from this community will help X3D quickly and stably adopt new technologies to provide ongoing archival value for all 3D graphics.
- Meanwhile Web3D Members still retain important membership rights of proposing significant new technology and considering patented technologies within a "safe haven" prior to public release.
X3D Mobile Profile slideset from last summer's Mobile X3D ISO Workshop has also been linked: how Mobile, HTML5 and possibly Augmented Reality (AR) components can be aligned together.
Many new Web3D capabilities are becoming available. There has been no better time to discuss X3D technologies and also join the Web3D Consortium. Get involved in these early discussions to create the AR Technology Road Map. We look forward to your participation.
Existing Proposals
Instant Reality
Instant Reality is a Mixed Reality framework developed and maintained by Fraunhofer IGD, which uses X3D as application description language and which thus also provides corresponding nodes and concepts for developing AR/MR applications. The full node documentation can be found on IR-Docs.
There also exist several tutorials on vision-based tracking with Instant Reality, which e.g. describe specific nodes like the IOSensor node for retrieving the camera streams and the tracking results of the vision subsystem, or which discuss the new PolygonBackground node for displaying the camera images behind the virtual objects as well as some useful camera extensions to the X3D Viewpoint node, etc.: Tracking-Tutorial.
In addition, some papers on AR and MR visualization already were pubished at the Web3D conferences. Here, e.g. occlusions, shadows and lighting in MR scenes were discussed in the context of X3D:
There are moreover some more ideas on realistic MR rendering in X3D outlined in chapter 6 (p. 163 ff.), and especially in section 6.4, in the following PhD thesis (by Y. Jung): PDF.
The screenshots below show several issues in MR visualization. From top left to bottom right: (a) real image of a room; (b) real scene augmented with virtual character (note that the character appears to be before the table); (c) augmentation with additional occlusion handling (note that the character still seems to float on the floor); (d) augmentation with occlusion and shadows (applied via differential rendering).
In the following, an example for achieving occlusion effects between real and virtual objects in AR/MR scenes is shown, given that the (real) 3D object, for which occlusions should be handled, already exist as 3D model (given as Shape in this example). Here, the invisible ghosting objects (denoting real scene geometry) are simply created by rendering them before the virtual objects (by setting the Appearance node's "sortKey" field to '-1') without writing any color values to the framebuffer (via the ColorMaskMode node) to initially stamp out the depth buffer.
<Shape> <Appearance sortKey='-1'> <ColorMaskMode maskR='false' maskG='false' maskB='false' maskA='false'/> </Appearance> ... </Shape>
To set the camera's image in the background we use the aforementioned PolygonBackground node. By setting its field "fixedImageSize" the aspect ratio of the image can be defined. Depending on how you want the background image fit into the window, you need to set the mode field to 'VERTICAL' or 'HORIZONTAL'.
<PolygonBackground fixedImageSize='640,480' mode='VERTICAL'> <Appearance> <PixelTexture2D DEF='tex'/> </Appearance> </PolygonBackground>
As mentioned above, more on that can be found in the corresponding tutorials, e.g. here.
Korean Chapter
The Korea chapter has been keenly interested in the standardization of augmented reality in many aspects including the AR based contents. This is especially due to the recent world-wide appearances of mobile AR services and realization (from both academia and industry) of the definite need for exchanging service contents on different platforms.
Three main proposals have been made within the Korean chapter, by: (1) Gerard Kim from Korea University (also representing KIST), (2) Gun A. Lee (formerly with ETRI, now with HITLabNZ), and (3) Woontack Woo of Gwangju Inst. of Science and Tech.
Here, we briefly describe each proposal and provide links to documents with more detailed descriptions. These short summararies also try to highlight their distinctions with regards to other proposals, but not in the critical sense, but as a way to suggest alternatives.
(1) Gerry Kim's proposal can be highlighted by the following features:
- Extension of existing X3D "sensors" and formalisms to represent physical objects serving as proxies for virtual objects
- The physical objects and virtual objects are tied using the "routes" (e.g. virtual objects' parent coordinate system being set to that of the corresponding physical object).
- Below shows an example construct which is a simple extension of the "VisibilitySensor" attached to a marker. The rough semantic would be to attach a sphere to a marker when visible. The visibilty would be determined by the browser using a particular tracker. In this simple case, a simple marke description is given through the "marker" node.
<Scene> <Group> <Marker DEF = "HIRO" enable "TRUE" filename="C:\hiro.patt"/> <VisibilitySensor DEF='Visibility' description='activate if seen' enabled="TRUE"/> <Transform DEF='BALL'> <Shape> <Appearance> <Material/> </Appearance> <Sphere/> </Shape> </Transform> </Group> <ROUTE fromNode='Vsibility' fromField='visible' toNode='BALL' toField='visible' /> </Scene>
- Different types of sensors can be newly defined or old ones extended to describe various AR contents. These include proximity sensors, range sensors, etc.
- Different physical object description will be needed at the right level of abstraction (such as the "marker" node in the above example). These include those for image patch, 3D object, GPS location, natural features (e.g. points, lines), and etc.
(2) Gun Lee's proposal
- Extension of the TextureBackground and Movie texture node to handle video background for video see-through AR implementation.
- Introduction of a node called "LiveCam" representing the video capture or vision based sensing in a video see-through AR implementation.
- The video background would be routed from the "LiveCam" node and be supplied with the video image and/or camera parameters.
- Extension of the virtual view point to accomodate more detailed camera parameters and to be set according to the parameters of the "LiveCam".
Slides from Web3D Tech Talk at SIGGRAPH Asia 2010
(3) Woo's proposal
- Woo proposes to use XML, as meta descriptors, with existing standards (e.g. X3D, Collada, etc.) for describing the augmentation information themselves.
- As for the context (condition) for augmentation, a clear specification of "5W" approach is proposed: namely who, when, where, what and how.
- "who" part specifies the owner/author of the contents.
- "when" part specifies content creation time.
- "where" part specifies the location of the physical object to which an augmentation is attached.
- "what" part specifies the what is to be augmented content (augmentation information).
- "how" part specifies dynamic part (behavior) of the content.
Developing X3D AR Specification
The working group has reviewed the existing proposals and have summarized in Comparison of X3D AR Proposals.
Based on this comparison, the working group is now preparing Plans for Merging X3D AR Proposals.
X3D Earth Working Group
The X3D Earth Working Group has expanded and refined a proposal by Dr. Myeong Won Lee for a new GpsSensor node. Due to several overlapping technical issues, the group has asked to collaborate with the Augmented Reality group on final design for this node.
Interoperability with other AR and Web Standards
Several discussions at the Web3D Conference, SIGGRAPH and ISO-SC24 meeting about the recent AR Standards developments continue to improve and refine our strategy on interoperability with other standards.
Establishing common implementations and examples is important to demonstrate successful interoperable capabilities for the spec. Continued collaboration and reaching out to other AR standards groups is essential. Our common goal remains maximum interoperability with all Web standards.
- W3C Augmented Reality Community Group
- AR Standards Group
The recent work in the Web3D AR WG and the realization that the Current status of AR content models is not comprehensive, the ISO Standards Committee - SC24, which administers X3D review as an ISO standard has established a new Working Group for Augmented and Mixed Reality.
This Group conducted a survey of the current state of the art in AR/MR standardization, Here is a summary of the main findings.
- A need for making clear and precise definition of terms
- A need for a reference architecture with the following feature
- Separation of the content and browser/player/application
- Extendible and general enough to accommodate new future technologies (e.g. display devices, tracking algorithms, sensors, etc.)
- Defined at the right abstraction level to be platform/vendor independent
- Clear interface definition among the subsystems
- A proposal to develop a protocol between AR/MR engine and the object tracking/recognition subsystem independently from the algorithms used
Reusing of existing standards as much as possible (see below)
- A content model based on the underlying reference architecture that is
Comprehensive (e.g. scene/world model, interaction, rich augmentation methods and styling options, representation of extensive types of physical real world objects)
- A need for rich and sophisticated scene/world model
X3D-based approach seems promising for providing a sophisticated world model (scene graph structure) and many media objects for augmentation. A proposal to extend X3D standards
- A need for representation of sensors and physical objects
- A proposal for a merged abstraction of physical objects and separate sensors as "objects with virtual sensors" and extend virtual sensors of X3D
- A need for sophisticated representation of "places of interests (POI)"
- A proposal to use and extend OGC/KML standards
- A need for extensive styling for 2D/3D information
- A proposal to use and extend HTML 5
- A need to abstract AR/MR interaction behaviors
Complicated behaviors to be handled by scripts and DOM like approach
- A proposal to extend X3DOM for this purpose
- Needs other supporting functionalities
- Inclusion and specification of real world capture camera/sensors
- Moving texture/background functionality for video see through AR
Handling of depth data and occlusion effects Specification of virtual/real light sources and rendering methods Based on these findings the group proposes to derive a AR content model as an extension of a virtual world with provisions for representing the physically-sensed objects. The provisions refer to ways to specify the physical augmentation "targets" without specific sensor information and ways to (intuitively) tie or associate them to their virtual counterparts. This will result in vendor independence, use convenience and support for extensibility.
The ISO AR standardization proposal recommends
Merging HTML and X3D (X3dom (Declarative 3D) for abstract content components for 2D and 3D Augmentation. The OGC and K-Mart for describing POIs and sensed physical objects. The Scripting approach for non-standard complex content behaviors and the use of remote cloud services. Current technical work within the Web3D AR WG includes harmonizing these proposals for best fitting AR capabilities into X3D scenes. This work will be formally written up as the Augmented Reality (AR) Component for the X3D Specification.
Participation and Liaisons
- Christine Perry's group on AR Standardization
- Other partnerships can also be considered as appropriate.
Of interest is that Web3D Consortium Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Policy insists on open, royalty free (RF) specifications. These coexist effectively with the Web Architecture and many different business models.
Augmented Reality Roadmap for X3D
The Augmented Reality Roadmap for X3D is a description document charting shared strategies and our way forward. Currently under discussion.


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WWN EXCLUSIVE: Dr. Barry Leed, the author of Going Mutant, is interviewed about the starting life of Bat Boy!
Dr. Barry Leed, who has a Ph.D. in Mutant Bat Studies, talks to award-winning journalist Nancy Waite in a rare interview about the best-selling novel, Going Mutant, which chronicles Bat Boy's life and adventures.
Dr. Leed used unproven and highly dangers methods to collect data on Bat Boy, especially how Dr. Leed gained entrance to Bat Boy's cave. Dr. Leed has dedicated his life to the pursuit of Bat Boy and is generous in sharing his work with Waite.
Going Mutant has become a New York Times bestseller already and is rising on the Amazon charts. You can PURCHASE GOING MUTANT HERE. Get it while it's still in stock!
Bat Boy is not pleased about the book, as you can tell in this interview.
Watch the full interview here:


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Professor Gabriel Sawma
The political history of Palestine, including the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, has produced a particular set of laws and jurisdictions since the beginning of the twentieth century. Until World War I, laws in Palestine were passed and courts established by the Ottoman Empire authorities, then came the British Mandate authorities, then the Jordanian government in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and the Egyptian administration in the Gaza Strip; then the Israeli occupation authorities and, finally, the Palestinian Authority.
After the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, the West Bank was annexed by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, which embarked on unifying the laws on the East and West Banks. Under the Jordanian law, the family law for the Muslims is governed by the system of Islamic Shari'a courts that have jurisdiction on the family law, known as the Jordanian Personal Status Law (JPST). This law, which governs the Muslims of Jordan and West bank in the marriage, divorce, custody of children, and inheritance, is based on Islamic Shari'a.
In terms of substantive law, and until 2001, the West Bank courts applied the Jordanian Personal Status Law of 1976, which was replaced by Law of 36, 2010. This article covers the law of divorce by men in the West Bank.
2-Divorce in the Jordanian Personal Status Law
Islamic marriage is presented by the Jordanian law as a contract giving rise to rights and duties specific to each spouse; the husband must pay dower and maintenance to his wife, treat her well and provide a home for her. The marriage can be dissolved extra-judicially by the unilateral repudiation of the husband; by court decision on specific grounds presented by the wife or if the marriage has been concluded irregularly; or by mutual consent involving a final Talaq (termination of the marriage) by the husband in exchange for a financial consideration by the wife (khul').
In Arabic, the term talaq means termination of the marriage by the husband. Islamic divorce may be given either in the present time, or may be referred to a time in future. It may be pronounced before or after consummation. It may be given by writing as well as verbally, and in Arabic or in a different language.
A divorce pronounced by writing, should be accompanied by the 'intent' to divorce. In other words, it must be clear that the husband's intention is to divorce his wife.
The husband may delegate a third person to divorce his wife, and he may give the wife authority to divorce herself. In the event the wife is given authority by her husband to divorce herself, such a divorce will be considered "ba'in" (irrevocable.) A divorce by the inebriated, astounded, coerced, imbecile and unconscious [man] does not take effect. Each divorce is considered recoverable, except for the one that complements the three pronouncements, as well as the divorce that precedes the consummation of marriage.
Article 2 of the Constitution of Jordan states that "Islam is the religion of the Jordan and Arabic is its official language." This requires discussion of what constitutes a legal divorce from the view point of the Jordanian law.
Talaq (divorce, repudiation) means dissolution of marriage by the husband. It has to be expressed clearly, ( talaq sarih,) whereby a husband delivers the sentence in direct and simple terms, as if he were to say, "I have divorced you," or "you are divorce," or "I divorce my wife".
Under Islamic law, a husband may delegate his unilateral right to talaq to his wife. This is known as Talaq al-Tafweed (divorce by delegation). He still retains his right of talaq but he also permits his wife to pronounce divorce upon herself. He can also delegate a third person to initiate divorce on his behalf.
The divorce initiated by the husband is effective if he is of sound understanding, and mature age. A divorce by a husband who is under the influence of alcohol, astounded, coerced, imbecile and unconscious shall not take effect. The astounded is the man who lost his discretion due to anger or infatuation or else whereby he does not know what he says.
The divorce that is associated with a number either by utterance or by sign and the divorce that is repeated in a single council shall not effect but one pronouncement of divorce. This means a divorce by husband pronounced three consecutive times in one session, will be considered one divorce only, not three.
4-Recognition of Islamic Palestinian Divorce Obtained from the West Bank
A divorce decree obtained in a foreign jurisdiction by resident of the United States is entitled to recognition under the principle of comity, unless the decree offends public policy of the state in whose jurisdiction recognition is sought. The court who issued the foreign divorce judgment must have jurisdiction over the divorce. The courts in the United States will generally accord recognition to the judgments of divorce rendered in a foreign country under the doctrine of comity, which is the equivalent of full faith and credit given by the courts to judgments of a sister state.
Comity means courtesy, respect, or mutual accommodation; in practical terms, it means that each state can decide for itself which foreign country judgment it will recognize and which it won't. According to this doctrine, a U.S. court has the inherent power to recognize and enforce a foreign judgment of divorce unless there is some defect of jurisdiction shown to be against the public policy of the state. Absent some showing of fraud in the procurement of the foreign country judgment, or that recognition of the judgment would violate a strong public policy of the state, the court may recognize a foreign divorce judgment.
In considering whether public policy of the state is violated, the court should consider the validity of the foreign court's jurisdiction over the parties and the similarity of the grounds for divorce with those which would be permitted in that state. And, if not, whether the grounds for divorce are repugnant to public policy of the state or not.
As Expert Consultant on Islamic divorce obtained from the Middle East, Central Asia and other Islamic nations, this author has been privileged to have been able to defend clients, successfully, by submitting legal opinions and affidavits in their support on issues related to Islamic divorce to State and Federal Courts and to Immigration Boards in the United States. Some of these cases have been reported by major U.S. law journals.
Following is a landmark case at New York Supreme Court of Westchester County, in which this author submitted an affidavit on behalf of a client. The honorable Court agreed with our argument and granted the client recognition of a divorce decree obtained in Abu Dhabi, including custody of children and a mahr of $250,000. You may read the judgment of the Supreme Court on the following link:
DISCLAIMER: While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this publication, it is not intended to provide legal advice as individual situations will differ and should be discussed with an expert and/or lawyer. For specific or legal advice on the information provided and related topics, please contact the author.
Gabriel Sawma is a lawyer with Middle East Background, and a recognized authority on Islamic law of marriage, divorce, and custody of children. Professor of Middle East Constitutional Law and Islamic law. Expert Consultant on Islamic divorce in U.S. Courts and Canada. Admitted to the Lebanese Bar Association. Former Associate Member of the New York Bar Association and the American Bar Association.
Professor Sawma's experience in Islamic and Middle East laws comes from his study and practice of law in the Middle East. Islamic family law is part of the curriculum at the Lebanese University School of Law from which he graduated with honor.
Prof. Sawma lectured at the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) in New York State and universities in the U.S., Europe and the Middle East. He wrote affidavits in connection with Islamic divorce to immigration authorities, Federal Courts and State Family Courts throughout the United States. Travelled extensively to Saudi Arabia and the Arabian Gulf region and other countries in the Middle East, and wrote numerous articles on Islamic divorce in USA and abroad. He speaks, reads and writes Arabic, French, English, and few other languages spoken in the Middle East.
Interviewed by:
BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8608878.stm
CNN: http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/11/11/egypt.divorce/index.html
CBN: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdwReohaIcs
Other news organizations in the U.S., the Middle East and Europe.
Taught Islamic Finance at the University of Liverpool and lectured on Islamic Sharia at Fairleigh Dickinson University: http://view.fdu.edu/default.aspx?id=7899 and abroad.
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If you love good food and wine (and who doesn't) this one is for you. The Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival is coming up and the stylish Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach has just the package for you! Mark it down in your calendars – December 10 – December 13, 2015!
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The Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival is in its ninth year and this year's line up includes such kitchen royalties as Daniel Boulud, Robert Irvine, Marc Murphy, Christina Tosi, Jeff Mauro and Ken Oringer, Hugh Acheson, Gavin Kaysen, Dena Marino, Michael Ruhlman, Brad Kilgore and Beau MacMillan. Events at the festival include Get Served!, the annual chef volleyball battle, an evening of cocktails and karaoke hosted by Jeff Mauro of the Food Network, cooking classes for children, and culinary panels offering compelling insights from the country's most inspiring foodies. The festival ends with a dramatic street food competition where NYC-based chefs take on five of Palm Beach's culinary stars.
And of course, you will get to enjoy year-round great weather, stunning ocean views, and Palm Beach's most beautiful beach!
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2011 Mazda 6
The Mazda6 is one of the most appealing midsize sedans on the market, particularly to drivers who enjoy spirited handling and performance. It looks great, with sporty styling suggestive of a coupe. Inside is a nice cabin with lots of convenience features. There's plenty of room for four adults, and it seats five. And despite the swoopy looks, its has a big trunk. It checks all the boxes as a practical midsize sedan.
But what we like most about the Mazda 6 is its driving dynamics. Underway, it delivers sparkling performance, offering a terrific driving experience among the midsize sedans. The Mazda6 delivers good fuel economy, which has been further improved for 2011. It's also attractively priced.
The 2011 Mazda 6 brings styling revisions and interior upgrades. Changes to the Mazda6 for 2011 include new headlights and fog lights, new folding mirrors with turn signals, new cloth upholstery material, a new steering wheel, and new 17-inch alloy wheels. The Mazda6 Touring model gets Bluetooth, and the Mazda6 Grand Touring gets a multi-information display with rearview camera. Navigation with voice activation has been upgraded for 2011, with a 7-inch touch-screen and rearview camera available for the Mazda6 Grand Touring model.
The 2011 Mazda6 gets better fuel economy from both of its available engines than the 2010 versions did. The Mazda6 was completely redesigned and re-engineered for the 2009 model year. Mazda 6i models come with 2.5-liter four-cylinder engines, Mazda 6s versions get the 3.7-liter V6.
The 2.5-liter four-cylinder has 170 horsepower and 167 pound-feet of torque and is EPA-rated at 21 mpg City, 30 mpg Highway with the 6-speed manual transmission, 22/31 mpg with the 5-speed automatic. That's an increase of 1 mpg over 2010.
The 3.7-liter V6 makes 272 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque, delivers extraordinary performance, and is EPA-rated at 18/27 mpg, a 1.5-mpg increase over 2010. We found it a delight to drive, with a 6-speed automatic mated to the most powerful V6 in the class.
Mazda6 competes against an impressive group of midsize sedans. Among them: Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Chevrolet Malibu, Nissan Altima, Volkswagen Jetta, Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima. Those who fully enjoy and appreciate the driving experience may find the Mazda6 the most compelling. Competitive pricing may seal the deal.
Model Lineup
Mazda 6i Sport ($19,990) comes with cloth upholstery, air conditioning, power windows/locks/mirrors, tilt/telescope steering wheel, 60/40 folding rear seat, six-speaker sound system, keyless remote entry, cruise control, and steering wheel mounted controls. The 6-speed manual gearbox that comes standard is a close-ratio, new for 2011. A 5-speed automatic ($20,990) is also available.
Mazda 6i Touring ($22,635) comes only with the automatic transmission, and adds 17-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, eight-way power driver's seat, leather-trimmed steering wheel and shift knob, center console sliding armrest, trip computer, in-dash 6CD changer, premium trim, and Bluetooth. The Mazda 6i Touring Plus ($24,240) adds a power moonroof, ground illumination, electroluminescent gauges, anti-theft system, and Blind Spot Monitoring System.
Mazda 6i Grand Touring ($26,820) upgrades with leather seats (heated in front), dual-zone climate control, welcome lighting, Bose sound system, and multi-information display with rearview camera. Options for Grand Touring include a navigation system ($2,000), and the Technology Package ($1,785), which adds automatic headlamps, advanced keyless entry, push-button start, auto-dimming and heated exterior mirrors, auto-dimming interior mirror, Homelink universal garage-door opener, Sirius Satellite Radio, Multi-information Display, xenon headlamps, LED rear combination lights, driver's-seat memory, power passenger seat, and rain-sensing wipers.
Mazda 6s has the 3.7-liter V6 engine, a 6-speed automatic transmission, and chrome dual-exhaust outlets. It's available with the Touring Plus or Grand Touring trim levels, which are equipped similarly to the i models, although the s Grand Touring gets 18-inch alloy wheels.
Safety features include front, front-side and side-curtain airbags, electronic stability control, traction control and ABS. The Blind Spot Monitoring System is standard on Touring Plus and Grand Touring models.
If you were to stretch the shape of the Mazda6, you'd find the influence of the RX-8 sports car in numerous places. This is a distinctive car, and if you like modern design, you'll like the Mazda6.
The Mazda6 does not look like a big car. With its flowing roofline, wraparound overhangs that appear shorter than they are, classy grille and front fascia, and sleek lines overall, the Mazda6 comes across as a smaller, trimmer, tidier car than some of its competitors.
The new headlights are housed in sleek and stylishly shaped housings, each headlamp like a squeezed trapezoid or pea pod with pointy ends, inlaid on the graceful front fenders. An upper body crease that would normally go to the front wheel stops just shy of the fenders, and the rear wheel arches have double creases to mirror the front.
The Mazda6 five-sided grille has a deep V-shape to it and it's all body-colored, except for the chrome winged Mazda logo. The new fog lights are set in horizontal openings surrounded by some light gray plastic and horizontal character lines in the airdam. At the rear, the horizontal taillamps wrap around the sides, and our four-cylinder had neat twin pipes coming out the right rear, connected to a twin-outlet muffler. The 17-inch alloy wheels on our Mazda 6i Grand Touring were beautiful, and bore Michelin P215/55R tires.
Interior Features
The Mazda6 cabin uses contemporary materials, with metallic-finish surfaces rather than phony wood trim. The exception is the console trim that slashes across the passenger's dash which, on some models, appears a cross between silver-veined black granite and ash-black burnt wood with wide rings in it. It's a look we've not run across recently. We especially liked the brushed aluminum look of the rings around the instruments on our car.
The seats are cloth on the Sport, Touring, and Touring Plus, and have good support and comfort. It's a new cloth for 2011, sporty and rugged like the previous material. Mazda has long been a leader in cloth upholstery. Our Mazda 6i Grand Touring had perforated black leather and was beautiful.
The seats are comfortable front and rear, regardless of upholstery. There is generous room inside, so even six-foot-plus bodies can sit in front and then jump in back without moving the front seat, even on cars with the moonroof. The rear seat offers plenty of room, a center armrest (no pass-through), and a 60/40 split seatback that's easy to fold.
Visibility is good in all directions. The hood slopes out of sight, common in this aerodynamic era. The roof pillars are not so wide that they obstruct vision; the outside mirrors are fairly low and so is the dashboard, all adding up to a good view out. Xenon headlights are included with the Grand Touring Technology Package. Dash and cabin lighting are more than adequate with either set of gauges.
Instruments are laid out with fuel and tachometer to the left, speed and coolant temperature to the right. Between the two are the odometers, outside temperature. When shifting an automatic manually the gear selected is shown above the odometers.
At top center of the dash is a deep red digital display for climate, radio and clock that's easily read by anyone in the car. Below it are center vents, the audio system or navigation if so equipped, and basic three-ring climate controls. Big omnidirectional round vents are on each end of the dash for ventilation. Lights and wipers are on stalks. Some secondary controls are to the left of the steering wheel next to a small storage tray. Redundant audio, telephony and cruise controls are on the steering wheel.
All the systems are simple to use. Our biggest complaint is the beep that accompanies every volume adjustment made by the steering wheel toggle. But this is probably one of the 24 adjustments, including door lock programming, turn signal click volume, and blind spot monitor, the dealer can alter for you.
The navigation system worked without error, and gave good voice responses. The standard Bose sound system with 10 speakers including a 9-inch subwoofer sounded good.
Good storage space can be found in the center console, doors, and glovebox.
A Blind Spot Monitoring System comes on Touring Plus and Grand Touring models, though we have noted no significant blind spots on the Mazda6. At speeds greater than 20 mph the system senses vehicles adjacent; it casts an orange image onto the exterior mirror if it senses your car going where another car is, and makes a noise if you signal while it senses a vehicle in the way. It can be a very helpful feature. We found it worked better on the Mazda6 and caused fewer false alarms than similar systems we've tried on some other brands.
Cargo space is one of the strong suits of the Mazda6. With 16.6 cubic feet of volume, the Mazda6 is at or near the top of the class in cargo space. It also boasts a low liftover height: One needs to lift cargo only to the top of the bumper and slide it in, the car's sweeping roofline making the vertical opening much larger than the depth aspect. There are no hinges or trunk arms within the opening nor cargo shelf impediments, and the rear seatbacks can be released from the trunk.
The chassis structure is very stiff, which is a good thing. Chassis rigidity is a key element in allowing a smooth ride and sharp handling. We noted no creaks or squeaks from the Mazda6 while entering steep driveways or taking angled traverses of sharp bumps.
Driving Impressions
Mazda's renowned zoom-zoom driving enjoyment comes with this refined Mazda6. Purists might complain about the lack of availability of a manual transmission with the V6 engine, but the sequential automatic does have a manual mode. And besides, there's nothing wrong with the four-cylinder Mazda 6i Sport.
Automatic and manual transmissions have well-spaced gears to make the best of the four-cylinder's output. The shift and clutch action on the close-ratio 6-speed manual show Mazda's sports car abilities without any sports car compromises.
The 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, with 170 horsepower, gets the job done just fine, with the best coming on as the rev counter swings through the 4500-4800 rpm range and keeps pulling to near redline. It's plenty to get the Mazda6 around town or up a hill and cruises on the highway effortlessly at less than 3000 rpm, regardless of transmission. We never wish we had another hundred horsepower when driving it.
The 3.7-liter V6, with 272 horsepower, has loads of mid-range torque and delivers better acceleration than the 2.5. In fact this engine is larger and more powerful than its competitors. And it delivers good, if not class-leading fuel economy: 18/27 mpg for the 2011 Mazda6, increased from 17/25 for the 2010 model.
Each Mazda6 model has its own calibrations for the same suspension system, and they tend to feel more buttoned down as price and engine size increase. But a lot of this can be traced to tires, and a four-cylinder car with the 17-inch wheels is arguably the most fun on a winding road because it's a couple of hundred pounds lighter than the V6 models. But the standard 17-inch wheels only come with the automatic transmission; if you want the full sporty effect, with the 6-speed gearbox, you'd have to order the i sport and then get aftermarket wheels and tires, because the 17-inch alloy wheels aren't a stand-alone option.
At the top extreme, a V6 on 18-inch wheels has plenty of grip and surprisingly good sharp-impact rejection (think lane-divider dots) but it is on the firm side, not recommended for lousy infrastructure, and some road noise seeps in to the cabin. All the models have stability control, but it doesn't engage easily, suggesting there's a lot of stability inherent in the handling.
The closest competitors in the grip and ride components would be the Malibu V6 for ride, Altima V6 for fun, four-cylinder Accord for fun, Camry for commuting comfort, and Jetta for interior design. The Mazda6 leans toward the fun end of the spectrum, while maintaining a good ride quality.
The 2010 Mazda6 is a terrific entrant in the midsize class, with lots of room and refinement. It is definitely in the mainstream of midsize sedans, yet Mazda has maintained the exceptional driving characteristics for which the brand is well-known, a trait that should prove popular with those who enjoy driving and don't consider a car mere transportation.
NewCarTestDrive.com correspondent G.R. Whale reported from Los Angeles, with Sam Moses reporting from Washington state's Columbia River Gorge.
|Model Line Overview
|Model lineup:
|Mazda6 i Sport ($19,990), automatic ($20,990); Mazda6 i Touring ($22,635); Mazda6 i Touring Plus ($24,240); Mazda6 i Grand Touring ($26,820); Mazda6 s Touring Plus ($27,080); Mazda6 s Grand Touring ($29,320)
|170-hp 2.5-liter I4; 272-hp 3.7-liter V6
|6-speed manual; 5-speed automatic; 6-speed automatic
|Safety equipment (standard):
|dual frontal airbags, front side airbags, side-curtain airbags; electronic stability control, traction control, ABS, EBD
|Safety equipment (optional):
|Blind Spot Monitoring System
|Basic warranty:
|3 years/36,000 miles
|Assembled in:
|Flat Rock, Michigan
|Specifications As Tested
|Model tested (MSPR):
|Mazda6 i Grand Touring ($26,820)
|Standard equipment:
|leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control, power heated front seats, power windows/locks/heated auto-dimming mirrors, blind spot monitor, cruise control, trip computer, fog lamps, alloy wheels, split-fold rear seat, moonroof, Bluetooth, Bose sound system, multi-information display with rearview camera
|Options as tested (MSPR):
|Navigation ($2,000); Technology Package ($1,785) includes auto on-off headlights, advanced keyless entry, push-button start, auto-dimming and heated exterior mirrors, auto-dimming interior mirror, Homelink, Sirius Satellite Radio, Multi-information Display, xenon headlights, LED rear combination lamps, driver's-seat memory, power passenger seat, rain-sensing wipers; PZEV emissions rating ($100)
|Destination charge:
|Gas guzzler tax:
|Price as tested (MSPR):
|front-wheel drive
|2.5-liter dohc 16v I4
|Horsepower (lb.-ft @ rpm):
|170 @ 6000
|Torque (lb.-ft @ rpm):
|167 @ 4000
|5-speed automatic
|EPA fuel economy, city/hwy:
|22/31 mpg
|109.8 in.
|193.7/72.4/57.9 in.
|Track, f/r:
|62.8/62.8 in.
|Turning circle:
|35.4 ft.
|Seating Capacity:
|Head/hip/leg room, f:
|38.1/55.1/42.5 in.
|Head/hip/leg room, m:
|Head/hip/leg room, r:
|37.3/55.9/38.00 in.
|Cargo volume:
|16.6 cu. ft.
|Towing capacity:
|Suspension, f:
|independent, double wishbone, coil springs, stabilizer bar
|Suspension, r:
|independent, multi-link, coil springs, stabilizer bar
|Ground clearance:
|5.1 in.
|Curb weigth:
|3329 lbs.
|Brakes, f/r:
|vented disc/disc with ABS, EBD
|Fuel capacity:
|18.5 gal.
|Unless otherwise indicated, specifications refer to test vehicle. All prices are manufacturer's suggested retail prices (MSPR) effective as of February 11, 2011.Prices do not include manufacturer's destination and delivery charges. N/A: Information not available or not applicable. Manufacturer Info Sources: 800-222-5500 - www.mazdausa.com
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Tough Health Insurance Choices 10/2/11
Jaci Herschfeld says she found shopping for health insurance a real chore. Jaci Herschfeld, "A lot of health insurance had holes. I wasn't going to get exactly what I wanted. A lot of it was very, very expensive." Consumer Reports analyzed 830 health-care plans ranked by an independent, nonprofit organization called the National Committee for Quality Assurance. "There's differences in how well these plans perform managing chronic conditions, like asthma or heart disease, and also how well they perform on delivering preventive care like cancer screenings or immunizations."2303518
Like Jaci, many people have the option of choosing an HMO or a PPO. Nancy Metcalf, "PPOs typically cost a bit more and have higher deductibles. HMOs have low or often no deductibles. However you are usually limited to the hospitals and doctors within the HMO's network." Another decision these days some people face is whether to opt for a plan with a high deductible, often paired with a health savings account. Nancy Metcalf, "With these plans, there's a trade-off. The premiums are lower, but the deductibles can be as high as five-thousand dollars or even ten-thousand dollars if you're buying a plan on your own." As for Jaci, after much research, she decided to go with an HMO. Jaci Herschfeld, "No health-care plan out there is perfect. You just got to weigh the pros and the cons and make sure that you're going with the one that fits your needs best." And keep smaller insurers in mind. In Consumer Reports' analysis, some of the top-ranked plans were with smaller companies. ."


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Monday, May 13, 2013
Rathskeller Rye and Old Bernheim
The old Bernheim Distillery in Louisville was not one of the more treasured distilleries of its time. Operated by the Schenley company after prohibition, it was the home to IW Harper and Old Charter bourbons until it was torn down in 1991 to make way for the new Bernheim distillery which is now Heaven Hill.
The Bernheim distillery also made rye, which is popularly referred to as Cream of Kentucky rye, though it was a very limited release and most of the rye they made went into various blends (Schenley was one of the largest whiskey companies of the time).
Midway through the first decade of the twenty-first century, a number of Kentucky Bourbon Distillers independently bottled ryes distilled in the mid-1980s started appearing on the scene and making waves. There were Willett bottles by Doug Phillips, the Velvet Glove and Iron Fist Willetts that are still available in DC, the Red Hook Rye bottled for LeNells in Brooklyn and Rathskeller Rye, bottled exclusively for the Seelbach Hotel in Louisville. These were huge, spicy, cask strength ryes. They are without a doubt, some of the best ryes I've tasted.
Eventually, it came out that many and possibly all of these whiskeys had their origination at the Old Bernheim distillery. What they were doing to the rye at Old Bernheim in the 1980s, I don't know, but it was something amazing.
Today, I'll taste the Rathskeller rye, but you can see my previous notes for LeNells Red Hook Rye Barrel 3 and Barrel 4, the Willett Iron Fist and one of the Doug Phillips Willett Ryes on the LA Whiskey Society site.
Rathskeller Rye, 23 years old, distilled 1983, 68% abv
This has a really concentrated nose of sandalwood, molasses and brown sugar. It starts spicy and goes sweet. On the palate it's thick and syrupy with sandalwood, plenty of wood and sweet wine.
The finish has mulled wine spices and cloves.
This is really amazing stuff. It has a lot in common with the old Pennsylvania ryes I've tried, particularly the sandalwood notes. Unfortunately, the days of these ryes are numbered. Other than the Seelbach, there are bottles of this at a few prominent DC bars, including the Acadiana, Jack Rose and Bourbon DC, though it will cost you from $60 to $70 per glass. Still, one of those bars is your best bet, since it's pretty much impossible to buy a bottle.
Thanks to Jason Beatty for the sample and photo.
16 comments:
Thanks for the timely heads up, Sku. I'm staying at the Seelbach next week!!
- May 13, 2013 at 10:42 AM
- Adam D. said...
Thanks for the review--sounds tasty! When you say the Iron Fist and Velvet Glove are still available in DC, did you mean at bars or stores? I'd sure love to score a bottle of those! Thanks for any advice you might have.
- May 13, 2013 at 5:23 PM
- sku said...
Adam, I meant bars, specifically Jack Rose and Bourbon DC in DC. I don't think you can find them in stores.
- May 13, 2013 at 5:54 PM
A fine gentleman from Texas generously shared a full bottle of his at the gazebo table during the Bardstown Ky Sampler weekend. The first night I though it was overly woody but the second night I fell in love.
- May 13, 2013 at 7:00 PM
- Adam D. said...
Thanks for the info!
- May 14, 2013 at 6:39 AM
SKU, quick question, was the Rathskellar bottled at different ages or in different batches? I distinctly recall that the bottle I drank from at Bourbon in Adams-Morgan was a 14 year, but I have consistently seen it referred to as a 23 year old. Have there been multiple batches?
- May 14, 2013 at 9:06 AM
Had a pour of this at the Seelbach when I was in Louisville last summer, and yeah, it's an absolute stunner.
- May 14, 2013 at 11:45 AM
Had the same pour Friday night Thad. Very woody. Didnt try it Saturday night, now I regret it. I did try the Hirsch blue though.
- May 14, 2013 at 2:44 PM
- sku said...
Anon @ 9:06, as far as I know the 23 year old is the only version of this, but I don't know for certain. Anyone who knows otherwise, please chime in.
- May 14, 2013 at 3:13 PM
Dare I say that Cream of Kentucky rye is one component of the Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye, a product for which I am very fond.
- May 14, 2013 at 3:39 PM
- Michael T said...
Great review! First trip to the Seelbach Bar last night, asked for something rare. Hmmm, guess about as rare as it gets. Incredible stuff! Will be back for more this weekend.
- June 26, 2013 at 6:55 AM
What about Sazerac 18?
- November 19, 2013 at 3:48 PM
- sku said...
I've heard various theories about Saz 18. I believe BT says it is their distillate.
- November 19, 2013 at 3:53 PM
Do you happen to know the distillation date on the Rathskeller?
I see it is 1983 but wondered if its 5/10/1983.
- April 10, 2014 at 10:58 AM
- sku said...
It was distilled on April 29, 1983.
- April 10, 2014 at 11:02 AM
Awesome to see these comments now ten years later . Little did as konthese guys know they were Drinking one in of the rarest most expensive ryes in history
- March 7, 2023 at 12:45 PM


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Posted May 12, 2014, 3:27 PM by Shasta Brander
Sales Outlook for 2014 for Mountain Brook Upper Bracket Homes Looks Good
Huge gain in upper end house sales in Mountain Brook in 2013 should make the market in 2014 spectacular.In 2012 in the over $900,000 category 34 houses SOLD (December=2).In 2013 in the over $900,000 category 52 houses SOLD (December=8). The average price was $1,418,722, with days on the market at 157 or a little over 5 mos.The increase in sales from 2012 to 2013 for higher end homes indicates an acceleration in this market segment which will most likely continue through the spring.At year end 2013 there were 93 total active listings in Mt. Brook of which 26 (28%) were listed over $900,000. This high percentage of upper priced ...
Posted Jan 29, 2014, 1:45 PM by Shasta Brander
Birmingham is #8 of ten hottest housing markets
CNN/Money predicts the ten major metro areas expected to see the greatest increase in home prices in 2014.http://money.cnn.com/gallery/real_estate/2014/01/23/hottest-housing-markets/
Posted Jan 29, 2014, 12:02 PM by Shasta Brander
Posted Nov 4, 2013, 7:50 AM by Shasta Brander


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Story highlights
NEW: "I shall be a president for everyone in Chile," says Bachelet
She was Chile's president from 2006 to 2010
With more than 93% of ballots counted, Bachelet wins 62.3% of votes
Evelyn Matthei garners 37.7% of votes, election officials say
She's back.
Socialist Michelle Bachelet, who was Chile's president from 2006 to 2010, cruised to victory in Sunday's presidential runoff.
With more than 93% of votes counted, she won 62.3% of votes, election officials said. Evelyn Matthei of the conservative Independent Democratic Union party garnered 37.7% of votes and conceded the election.
"I shall be a president for everyone in Chile," Bachelet said during a congratulatory phone call from President Sebastian Pinera.
She will take over from him in March.
In her victory speech, Bachelet promised to improve education and work for equality. She thanked her supporters.
"Thanks to the millions of people who, today, have demonstrated with their vote that they believe in me – just like I believe in you," she said.
Bachelet was the first female president of Chile and left office with high approval ratings.
In 2010, she was tapped to head U.N. Women, a United Nations agency created to promote gender equality around the world.
Chilean voters first cast ballots last month, but no candidate secured enough votes then to declare victory.
The South American country's constitution requires a presidential candidate to garner more than 50% of votes to win. Presidents are prohibited from seeking immediate re-election.
CNN's Radina Gigova contributed to this report.


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A flash memory working group announced a new interface specification on Tuesday that could speed up data transfers from flash storage products such as solid-state drives inside computers and consumer electronics.
The Open NAND Flash Interface (ONFI) Working Group released the ONFI 3.0 controller specification, which allows for transfer of data at 400 megabytes per second. That is double the speed of the previous ONFI standard, ONFI 2.3, which was released last August.
The ONFI specification is a chip-level controller interface that defines how data is written, read and erased on flash memory. ONFI has also defined a physical connector specification for NAND flash, similar to the DRAM DIMMs used to attach memory.
The ONFI working group was created in 2006 to establish a standard interface so NAND flash can be easily integrated into host devices such as consumer electronics and computers. The founding members included Hynix Semiconductor, Intel, Micron Technology and Sony. Today, ONFI has more than 100 members, including SanDisk, and flash components from companies such as Intel support the ONFI interface.
The use of flash storage in handheld devices and PCs is growing as the storage medium becomes cheaper. Server makers are also embedding solid-state storage on motherboards to provide faster data access for I/O-intensive applications. SSDs offer faster read and write capabilities than hard drives. When placed close to a CPU, NAND flash can help systems process and transfer data faster.
The new specification includes improved error-correction capabilities and is more power-efficient than earlier standards, ONFI said in a statement.
ONFI 3.0 uses fewer channels than did previous specifications, which results in both cost and space savings, which are key requirements for SSD design, Micron said in a statement.
"Intel supports the new specification, which will enable a new class of high-performance SSDs," the chipmaker said in a blog entry on Tuesday.


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by K.J. Lincoln
A family out egg hunting last spring near their village of Kasigluk came upon an incredible sight – a large, dark, hairy creature walking upright was heading towards them.
They – two teenaged brothers and their mom – were on the outskirts of the village riding their 4-wheeler when they saw it. It was approximately around 3pm, and the weather was beautiful, although slightly cloudy. School was out for the summer and the date was May 29th, 2012.
Could it have been the elusive Bigfoot?
"We came across it by the lagoon here in Kasigluk," said one the eyewitnesses. "It was back there southeast of Fox Lake."
While they were out that day, the three family members saw other people who coming home from egg hunting. So at first they thought the creature was a person.
"After it passed, we looked at each other and thought, 'we just saw Bigfoot'," the eyewitness said.
The creature was very tall and dark. Its long arms hung below its knees. It was approximately 75 yards away. The family watched it for about 2 minutes.
"It was walking towards us and then once it saw us it turned and started going to the other side of the hill," said the witness.
When it disappeared into the bushes, the family headed towards where they last saw it but it was nowhere to be seen.
They didn't hear about anyone else seeing the mysterious creature.
The following is the firsthand account about the sighting written by the mother of the two boys, one of the eyewitnesses.
"I wanted to go egg hunting, but didn't want to go alone so I had my two sons follow me since I didn't want to go alone. My oldest son said he knew of a place where we could go check so off we went towards the lagoon where there is flat land to the east.
"Upon reaching the lagoon my older son got off the four wheeler and ran off to see if anybody was in that area. He ran to the edge of the hill and soon ran back saying that somebody was already there. So we decided to go check somewhere else when that "somebody" started running at an incredible amount of speed. No human person would have gone from down there by that flat land to already towards us up the hill.
"That "somebody" was all black from top to bottom, kind of hunchbacked, like it had no neck and its head was cone-shaped. Its long arms went past its knees and it was incredibly tall.
"At first we all asked each other, "Who is that?" Then after about 10 seconds as it was walking with long strides it would occasionally look towards us. The way it walked was fast and no human could cover that amount of tundra in the same amount of time.
I asked, "WHAT is that?"
"All that time we were awestruck and dumbfounded to what we were witnessing. Then as it was going to disappear from our view finally I said, "I think we just saw Bigfoot!" As it passed in our full view it had covered the whole entire hill in a matter of about a minute. It seemed to be just walking but with big strides.
"We went up to the top of the hill but we didn't see it anywhere so we went straight home feeling kind of excited.
"That's my account. It looked exactly like the Patterson footage of Bigfoot if you've ever seen it."
Big Foot or Hairy Man sightings are not unheard of in the Yukon Kuskokwim delta region. Last summer there were reports of a number of sightings in the Johnson River area and other locations.


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Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, commonly referred to as MRSA, is a type of staph that causes infections resistant to a class of common antibiotics that includes methicillin, penicillin, amoxicillin and oxacillin. While MRSA infections were traditionally associated with extended hospital stays, they are now becoming more common in everyday life. In fact, this newer form of MRSA known as community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) can affect otherwise healthy individuals without any recent healthcare-related issues – raising fears that the infection can strike anyone, anywhere or anytime.
Now, dermatologists are finding that MRSA infections have become increasingly common among people participating in sports, including high school and college athletes. In the report entitled, "Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and athletes," published online in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, dermatologist Brian B. Adams, MD, MPH, FAAD, associate professor of dermatology at the University of Cincinnati and director of dermatology at the Veterans Administration Medical Center, in Cincinnati, addressed the occurrence of MRSA in athletes and recommendations for preventing the further spread of the infection.
"Our review found that physical contact, shared facilities and equipment, and poor hygiene all contribute to MRSA among athletes," said Dr. Adams. "With slight modifications in these areas, individuals participating in contact and non-contact sports can reduce their risk of contracting MRSA."
Dr. Adams noted that CA-MRSA most frequently appears as an infection of the skin and underlying tissues, and looks like a pimple, boil or abscess, sometimes with draining fluid or pus. These lesions may be red, swollen, warm and tender to touch. The most widely reported contact sport linking MRSA infections to athletes is football. In fact, football players experience a variety of factors predisposing them to MRSA infections. These include skin injuries that can occur during play, turf burns from artificial turf that can exacerbate skin trauma, and even an athlete's ingrown toenail can lead to a MRSA infection.
One prominent study conducted during the 2003 football season of members of the St. Louis Rams professional football team found eight occurrences of MRSA infection among five of the 58 Rams players – or 9 percent of the team. Dr. Adams pointed out that all of the lesions occurred on areas of the skin not covered by clothing or equipment where players had suffered turf burns. The players that experienced the infections were more likely to have a higher body mass index and play the lineman or linebacker position.
"Considering all factors, the authors of the St. Louis Rams study concluded that frequent antibiotic use, compromised skin barriers, skin contact between players, close proximity of teammates, and inadequate hand and personal hygiene by trainers and athletes may have contributed to the team's MRSA outbreak," said Dr. Adams. "In addition, infections found in players from an opposing team suggested that transmission may have occurred during play."
Other studies of high school and college football players concluded that shared facilities were likely responsible for MRSA transmission. In each instance, the main risk factor included more than 10 cuts, abrasions or turf burns. One study found that whirlpool use greater than or equal to two times per week increased the risk of MRSA infection in players with covered lesions; in another study a member of the high school dance team developed MRSA infection – with the only link to the football team involving the use of a shared weight room where the dance team changed into their uniforms before football games.
Rugby is another sport that also involves intense physical contact and could potentially expose players to risk factors for contracting MRSA. For example, Dr. Adams explained that the limited use of padded equipment in rugby creates the potential for more skin-to-skin contact but also reduces the risks associated with abrasive, shared or unclean equipment. "One report from the United Kingdom found that five members of a rugby team developed large abscesses on the upper areas of their arms, back, neck and face," said Dr. Adams. "Because the MRSA infections developed only in forward players, the investigators concluded that the outbreak probably resulted from sustained physical contact rather than from transmission through shared facilities or equipment."
In addition, studies show that wrestlers, who often engage in prolonged physical contact and experience frequent mat burns, also may be prone to MRSA infections. In a statewide survey of high school athletic trainers, the Texas Department of Health noted six MRSA infections involving wrestlers; another report issued by the Indiana Department of Health identified two high school wrestlers infected with MRSA.
"In this latter study, the two affected teammates had never wrestled each other because they competed in different weight classes," said Dr. Adams. "Therefore, transmission of MRSA may have occurred through the use of shared items instead of personal contact – although the high level of person-to-person contact in wrestling remains a potentially significant means of transmitting the infection."
Dr. Adams noted that additional studies among athletes point to shared personal items as contributing factors for MRSA transmission. Two separate outbreaks involving college athletes in Pennsylvania and California resulted in multiple football players requiring hospitalization due to MRSA infections. The reporting health departments in each instance recognized the sharing of unwashed bath towels, balms and lubricants as possible modes of transmission of the infection.
While numerous studies have identified potential risk factors for MRSA infection among athletes, few studies have examined the effect of preventive hygienic practices. In an investigation conducted by the University of Southern California over the course of three football seasons from 2002 to 2004, the number of MRSA infections among the same college players declined over the three-year period when preventive hygienic measures were implemented.
These interventions included covering wounds, using hexachlorophene 3% (an antibacterial skin cleanser), prohibiting multiuse pump lotions or other topical massage products, and educating players and trainers about hygiene and the importance of not sharing equipment, towels or other personal items.
"It appears that the primary mode of MRSA transmission involves person-to-person contact, but the significance of this risk factor varies among different sports," added Dr. Adams. "Even in largely non-contact sports such as soccer, volleyball, cross-country, fencing and weight lifting, outbreaks of MRSA infections have been reported – suggesting that shared facilities or shared personal items were the likely culprit.
At a minimum, Dr. Adams recommends that all those involved in athletics follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) measures for preventing MRSA infections among sports participants, which includes:
Dr. Adams recommends seeing a dermatologist if you notice any unusual symptoms that could indicate a skin infection.
Story Source:
Materials provided by American Academy of Dermatology. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
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(visited by Ron Reijnders, Danny van den Branden and Arthur van de Velde)
24-Mar-2004 -- Whilst travelling in a group, we visited the point during lunch-break. We left the group that halted near a well about 2.7 kilometres southeast. It took about 20 minutes to get to the confluence point.
It's a barren area. I took pictures in the four directions (N, E, S and W), starting to the North. The picture with our cars is to the South.My GPS (Geko 301) has WAAS capability and indicated that WAAS was active. Sadly enough I have no picture of the page displaying this.
This was virtually the only day during our 8 days' stay in the Sahara when the sun was shining. We had pouring rain almost every day, encountered some flooded areas and had several gales. These conditions prevented me from visiting the two other points (33N 10E and 34N 10E) I intended to visit on our trip.


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(The Root) — Ye krik! Ye krak! Each time I hear those four words, I get goose bumps. To this day, that strikingly evocative French Creole refrain haunts me. Popularized by its use in a sadly much-neglected and long-forgotten foreign film with subtitles, the call-and-response exchange between a little black boy and an old black man is to this day the greeting of choice between my best friend and me — not as pretentious as it sounds, mind you, given that we are both ardent Francophiles, both speak French Creole and both have strong links to the Caribbean.
This month marks the 30th anniversary of the release of one of the most dazzlingly beautiful, exquisitely lyrical and profoundly moving films of all time. I refer, of course, to Rue Cases-Nègres (Black Shack Alley), the by turns elegiac, uplifting and gorgeously poetic 1983 film by director Euzhan Palcy, based on the novel of the same name by the Martinican author Joseph Zobel (1950).
Winner of the Silver Lion award at the 1983 Venice Film Festival and a handful of César Awards (the French equivalent of the Academy Awards) at the time, despite its cult status in Martinique and the Creole-speaking Diaspora, Rue Cases-Nègres is scarcely known in the Anglophone cinematic world.
The film tells the story of orphan José, a young black boy growing up with his grandmother on a plantation in 1930s Martinique, and of his ardent determination to escape a life in the cane fields and better himself through education, despite numerous hardships, not to mention French colonial racism.
It also charts the development of José's abiding friendship with an older man on the plantation, Monsieur Medouze, who becomes his spiritual father and mentors him in the ways of the world, not least in the importance of knowing his history, understanding that there is more to life than the plantation and moreover being fiercely proud of his African roots.
The film's beautifully told central leitmotif is one of liberation through education. At school, José is made to learn the phrase "L' instruction set la clef qui oeuvre la deuxième porte de notre liberté" ("Education is that key that opens the second door to our freedom"). In Martinique, the first door to liberty was the abolition of slavery, which occurred there in 1848. However, 80 years later the black people of Martinique were practically still enslaved on the same plantations; education was the only way out for a better and more prosperous future.
After passing a tough entrance exam, José duly wins a partial scholarship to the best school in the capital, Fort-de-France, where his classmates are from a much higher social background. Amantine, José's loving but draconian grandmother, is the epitome of matriarchal self-sacrifice, moving with José to a shack on the outskirts of Fort-de-France so that he can attend school, and ironing clothes on top of her daily domestic chores to earn the money to pay the rest of his school fees. The depictions of the tiring extra manual labor she undertakes so that her grandson can have the educational opportunities she never had are beyond poignant.
Thus it is all the more harrowing when José is accused of cheating on his first composition assignment, since the teacher cannot believe that José's essay can be as good as it is, without having been copied.
Combining a trenchant critique of French colonialism, a fervent pride in Martinique's African heritage and pointing up the painful idiosyncracies of what it means to be black and French, Rue Cases-Nègres is tender, life-affirming and devastatingly sad in equal measure.
The indelible scars of slavery run deep, and its vestiges can be seen throughout the film. The film also skillfully depicts the full gamut of 1930s Martinican society with disturbing realism — from rich white men with their beautiful Creole mistresses to self-hating black gigolos pleasuring white women (and, in so doing, playing up to nefarious and debilitating racial stereotypes), mixed-race children, maids, domestics and illiterate field laborers, perennially drunk and placated on rum, not to mention the racial discrimination that tacitly operates on the island — one of the more pernicious legacies of French colonialism.
Rue Cases-Nègres is a gloriously life-enhancing and potentially life-changing classic, but sadly an underappreciated gem. For me, this is exactly the type of film that we should be showing our young people to instill pride, self-worth, dignity, knowledge of self and a hard work ethic of sacrifice and betterment — all the while promoting the myriad benefits of education. We should be screening films like Rue Cases-Nègres regularly in schools, youth clubs, community centers and, dare I say it, prisons. While not overtly political, it is a highly moral film, yet not so consciously didactic as to obscure the consummate artistry with which it is written, shot and directed.
At the end of the film, José as narrator tells us: "I will take my black shack alley with me," reminding us to remember where we come from, no matter where we end up in life. He exhorts us to spare a thought for "all the black shack alleys all over the world," to think of the marginalized, the ostracized and the oppressed wherever they may be, those whom society has cast out and unfairly discarded, often the global black poor. Rue Cases-Nègres implores us, by appealing to our humanity and compassion, to be our brother's keeper.
So let's take this occasion to remember, celebrate and salute this beautiful cinematic gem. Ye krik! Ye krak! I promise you that those words will stay with you forever.
Lindsay Johns is a London-based writer and broadcaster. He currently blogs on current affairs and culture for the Daily Mail online.
Lindsay Johns is a London-based writer and broadcaster.


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5th Annual Field of Valor
Tuesday, September 11 2018
Honoring the sacrifice of the all fallen Florida military members who served in Iraq and Afghanistan since September 11, 2001. A portion of the proceeds will be presented to your local Fisher House in support of our wonderful mission. Volunteer a little time today. Volunteers are needed to staff the information tables and welcome visitors to the field.
12:00pm - 2:00pm
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4:00pm - 6:00pm
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6:00pm - 8:00pm
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Contact the event organizer, Mia Hughes
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Bailey Ferguson ~ Senior Spokesmodel ~ Grayson High School {Senior Portrait Photographer} ~ Part 3March 27, 2012
So here we are – Bailey Ferguson's final appearance on the blog. You may know her for playing defense on the Grayson High School Girls Varsity Lacrosse team, but I like to call her "goat whisperer." Ok, ok, that may sound a little dramatic, but it's really true!
Let me back up a bit. When I first started looking for locations for Bailey's session, I remembered some pictures she had posted to Facebook. They had some old buildings in the background and I asked her where the location was. Lucky for me, it was the property of one her friends. Bailey got us permission to photograph there and we met a few weeks later so I could check out the place.
The owner told me that we could jump the fence to get to the older buildings. When Bailey and I got there, we had a choice, jump the fence or stand on the other side and not get to explore. If you know me, I don't jump fences and I have never been on the same side of a fence as any farm animals. Without hesitation, over the fence Bailey went. A gaggle of goats headed her way and I held my breath, because I wasn't sure what was about to happen. Some of the larger goats approached Bailey first, and they simply walked up to her and let her pet them. It was so cool! At this point, I realized how lame I was on the other side of the fence and I took my little girly self and over the fence I went too. I gotta say, goats are cute, really darn cute! Who knew!
Fast forward to the day of our session and we find ourselves with the goats again. This time though, there were 3-4 baby goats. Oh My Goodness! All of them loved Bailey…especially, one little girl goat. Everywhere Bailey went, the goat followed, saying "baaa" the whole way.
Now, baby goats are cute, but watch out, because what I didn't know, they like to nibble things (like Bailey's toes) and they eat things when they are unsupervised. I had set down a notebook with 4 sheets of paper sticking out of it. We couldn't have been away from the notebook more than 5 minutes, I'm not kidding! When we got back to the notebook – all of the sheets of paper were gone! They literally ate the papers! Lesson learned, watch your paper products around goats. ;)
The Mahaffey Goats:
Let's get back to Bailey now…
I love this one. Bailey, you are simply stunning!!
And this one – Wow!
awww…back to our little goat friend. I have to admit, this is a bit deceiving. The little girl goat was so rambunctious, so catching her still was quite a task. Bailey withstood a lot of nibbling to get these shots, but I love them, so I'm happy that she didn't mind.
With graduation approaching, what will Bailey miss most?
"The thing that I'll miss most is probably going to be being so close with the people that are my friends now…I'll miss just being able to hang out with them whenever I want & I know that our friendships will change when we all separate for college which makes me sad. Also, FOOTBALL GAMES! They were so much fun and painting up with everyone to cheer on my friends every Friday is definitely something I'll miss."
Bailey, it really has been great getting to know you over the past few months. I know you feel indecisive now, but don't worry. When you go off to Georgia Southern in a few months, I'm sure you will excel. You have such a great, positive attitude and that will get you far!
Thanks to the Mahaffey's for allowing us to shoot on their property! We had such a blast!
If you have missed Bailey on the blog, you can check out Part one HERE and Part two HERE. Come back soon, because Bailey will be the featured video on the home page!
Interested in your own senior session and you know Bailey personally? Ask her about the special discount that she has to offer as a {Twelve}12 Senior Spokesmodel.
I'm still looking for Spokesmodels for both Class of 2012 and Class of 2013. Please contact me very soon if you are interested or click HERE to apply now.
If you want to stay up to date with all the most recent sessions, click HERE and "LIKE."


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The Catholic Academy for Life Leadership > Presenters > Monica Jordan
Special Thanks to the Chaste Living Education Committee (2010-2011) which provided the initial vision for The Catholic Academy for Life Leadership.
Thanks also go to those engaged in Seminar Development and Review:
Nikolas T. Nikas, Bioethics Defense Fund; Katrina Zeno; Cindy Leonard; LeeAnne Abel; Kay Allen; Lisa Clouse McDaniel, P.A.; Dr. William Chavira, Ob\Gyn
This program is directed by the Department of Marriage and Respect Life of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix.
Copyright ©℗ 2023 - 2024, The Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix. All rights reserved.


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We've been here before. The Sylvester Stallone vehicle "Bullet to the Head" concludes with an ax fight featuring Stallone against his sneering, murderous adversary, played by Jason Momoa, going at it like maniacs in the bowels of an abandoned power plant, the sort of cavernous industrial space featured in a hundred different movies starring Jean-Claude Van Damme or Jason Statham. Or Vin Diesel. I believe it was also used by Scarlett Johansson in "The Avengers."
Director Walter Hill, shooting his first theatrical feature in a decade, has been here before, and not just in spirit: "Hard Times," one of Hill's best, made in 1975, contained a scene shot in the very same beat-up and abandoned New Orleans warehouse. The world is full of such buildings. They're a cliche. As is "Bullet to the Head." It's junk, and it's excessively violent, which is a given. Approach it as a Stallone movie (which it is) or as a Hill movie (which it is), but it's more interesting as a Hill movie.
If it gets this director back into the hard-driving action game, then it will have done its duty.
Back when he was hotter, Hill made "The Long Riders" and "48 Hrs." and the undervalued "Geronimo: An American Legend," and he knows a lot about how to film and frame and deliver violence and violent stories on screen. The style here — hairline-to-chin close-ups, nervous, jacked-up editing — isn't Hill at his best. But the movie has a certain grungy panache, "panache" being a French word and "Bullet to the Head" (initially titled "Headshot") being derived from a French graphic novel titled "Du Plomb Dans La Tete." So. Voila.
The bare bones of the graphic novel remain, though a key plot element has been foregrounded. The movie wastes no time in bringing together the vicious but honorable hit man played by Stallone and the crusading police detective played by "Fast & Furious" co-star Sung Kang, who's a tad dull. Stallone is something other than dull: He's riveting in his way. His hairlike hair and facelike face certainly command attention. The part he's playing is a Stallone-y variation on Nick Nolte's cop in "48 Hrs.," the sort of lug who makes jokes about Confucius even though his wary partner in bad-guy killing, the Kang character, hails from Korea.
The plot has something to do with police corruption and skeezy development deals and an incriminating flash drive. Stallone's character, Jimmy Bobo, has a tattoo artist daughter, played by Sarah Shahi. The vibe of the movie recalls a Crown International Pictures programmer from the Reagan era, but with more confidence behind the camera. This is thanks to Hill, who can't make the material any better. But some of the less overtly gory sequences, such as a fast, brutal tangle in a men's room, work well and take you back to Hill's heyday. And before they get what's promised by the title, supporting players such as Christian Slater (amusing as a Big Easy party boy who throws an "Eyes Wide Shut"-style masked ball) and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (as Mr. Big) give their boilerplate dialogue a lift, thanks to a merrily sadistic wag of the eyebrows, or an extra spark of venality in the eyes.
'Bullet to the Head' -- 2 1/2 stars
MPAA rating: R (for strong violence, bloody images, language, some nudity and brief drug use)
Running time: 1:31
Opens: Friday