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"Serum" is somewhat of a misnomer, as the "serum" actually consists of various processes. Subjects that are considered by a enhancement true "Peak-Potential" are noted to be Captain America,[2] Isaiah Bradley,[citation needed] Josiah X,[citation needed] Protocide via an SSS variant,[citation needed] and Union Jack via a different SSS variant.[citation needed] Variations of the Super-Soldier Serum have been developed over the years which induced greater-mutations than peak human capabilities, one which even created the powerful Sentry.[citation needed] So far, it would appear that Captain America (Steve Rogers) is the "Perfect Man".[4] The more powerful variants come with strange side-effects that may also include mental deficiencies.[citation needed]
Operation: Rebirth
The first known Super-Soldier Serum was developed as part of a top secret US Government experiment called Operation: Rebirth. The creator of the Super-Soldier formula was Abraham Erskine, code-named "Professor Reinstein".[2]
The first, and arguably the most successful, recipient of the serum was Steve Rogers. Selected by General Chester Phillips of the U.S. Army to undergo testing, Rogers was at last administered the Super-Soldier serum. Given part of the compound intravenously and another part orally, Rogers was then bombarded by "vita-rays," a special combination of exotic (in 1941) wavelengths of radiation designed to accelerate and stabilize the serum's effect on his body. Steve Rogers emerged from the Vita-Ray Chamber[5] with a body as perfect as a body can be and still be human. A Nazi spy who observed the experiment murdered Dr. Erskine mere minutes after its conclusion. Erskine died without fully committing the Super-Soldier formula to paper, leaving Steve Rogers the sole beneficiary of his genius.[2]
Attempt to Reproduce Rebirth
After losing the secrets of the Super-Soldier Serum with the death of Dr. Erskine, the United States Army still wanted to produce more Super Soldiers like Steve Rogers.[2] Col. Walker Price and Dr. Wilfred Nagel forcibly recruited Isaiah and 300 other African-American solders to serve as test subjects to recreate the Super Soldier Serum. To keep the operation secret, families were sent letters informing them of the soldiers' deaths;[6] however, Faith refused to accept Isaiah's death, and continued to look for the truth.[7]
Of the 300 African-American soldiers, only a handful of men survived the gruesome process. These survivors became a covert black ops team. After only a few missions, only Isaiah, Maurice Canfield and Sgt. Luke Evans remained.[8] While waiting in Sintra, Portugal for the arrival of Captain America, Maurice discovered the truth about his parents' death. Enraged by the information, coupled with PTSD and an exaggerated thyroid gland, Maurice was led into a confrontation resulting in his death, the death of Sgt. Evans, and the severe injury of Isaiah and Pvt. Merritt.[7]
The U.S. military began experiments to duplicate Isaiah's powers. To this end, they harvested semen from Isaiah (before the Super Soldier Serum made him sterile) and eggs from Faith Bradley during her appendectomy surgery. Thirty-eight failed attempts occurred before Josiah was finally carried to term. A young African-American girl matching Faith's blood type served as a surrogate mother, but when she discovered the truth about what the child would be used for, she escaped with Josiah.[9]
Black Widow Ops Program
The Soviet Union created a program named Black Widow Ops. Natasha Romanoff was one of the infant females that received a special treatment designed by a biochemist Dr. Lyudmila Kudrin. Kudrin created the female version of Super Soldier Serum to enhanced females' immune system, lifespan, and physical attributes.[10]
German/Nazi Attempts
The German biochemist Eric Schmitt concocted a variant of the Super-Soldier Formula. Imprisoned by the Nazis and dying, Schmitt asked Brian Falsworth to keep the sample of the formula he had concealed on his person from falling into Nazi hands. Falsworth took the disguised flask, drank its contents, and was immediately physically enhanced by the formula. Falsworth escaped the prison and became a costumed fighter of Nazis within Germany itself known as the Destroyer.[11]
Master Man (Wilhelm Lohmer) was subjected to the Nazi version of the Super-Soldier Serum. Although the formula was a derivative of the original Super-Soldier serum that gave Captain America his powers, Lohmer gained abilities exceeding those of Captain America.[12]
Grand Director
In 1953 the man who would become the Grand Director flew to Germany, and examined the files of Major Kerfoot, a Nazi espionage officer in the SS. He discovered that the papers contained the original Super-Soldier formula. He revealed his discovery to certain high officials in the US government, and made a deal whereby he would become the new Captain America, and act as a symbol during the Korean War. How the original Super-Soldier formula came to be in the possession of the Nazis is unknown, especially as Erskine died without fully committing the Super-Soldier formula to paper.[13][14]
Power Man Process
Dr. Noah Burstein created the Electro-Biochemical System[15]. It was based on his father's work who was a Nazi scientist working on duplicating the Super-Soldier Serum.[16]. The Electro Bio-Chemical system was created to stimulate human cell regeneration. He created it to heal any wound, cure any disease and even halt the aging process. The project was funded by a grant from Stark Industries.[15]
His first subject was when he worked for the United States Army as a surgeon in Vietnam where his experiments produced the C.I.A. operative Warhawk. [17]
Later looking for test subjects at Seagate Prison, he recruited Carl Lucas as a volunteer for experimental cell regeneration based on a variant of the Super-Soldier process he had previously used to empower Warhawk. Dr. Burstein immersed Lucas in an electrical field conducted by an organic chemical compound; when he left Lucas unattended, prison guard Albert Rackham misused the experiment's controls, hoping to maim or kill Lucas. Lucas's treatment was accelerated past its intent, inducing body-wide enhancement that gave him superhuman strength and durability.[15]
Bushmaster kidnapped Dr Burstein.[18] Bushmaster forced Burstein to mutate him as he had Cage, but was nonetheless defeated and soon became paralyzed by the process.[19] Bushmaster later died when he was turned into a metal-like substance after his last-ditch effort to find a cure by reversing the process that gave Cage his powers failed, reverting to a permanently-immobilized statue.[20] Cruz McIver the son of Bushmaster, after he was confident that the process wouldn't kill him like the other subjects he augmented himself using his father, but his plan backfired and only granted more power to his father and used that power to kill his own son and also drain Iron Fist of his powers, except the absorption and accumulation of so much power was too great and he exploded.[21]
The Navy was attempting to make its own version of Captain America using the 'AVX' patch (Acetovaxidol). Loosely based off of the process Luke Cage underwent, it was hoped that continued applications of the patch would be a more controllable dosage and keep the subject from going rogue. Unfortunately, the process seemed to aggravate Anti-Cap's mental problems.[22]
Avengers: The Initiative
Dr. Erksine discovered similar results could be achieved with a perfect diet and an extremely specialized exercise program, which resulted in his grandson Michael van Patrick having the same peak physical condition naturally. The research was not classified or ever used by the military because they wanted a quick fix; the natural super soldier would take a lifetime of dedication to produce.[23]
After his death Dr. Blitzschlag performed cloning experiments on MVP's body, first cloning it at least four times. An Indentical clone created to replace the original,[24], the Scarlet Spiders three clones given Iron Spider Armor [25] and KIA a version given the Tactigon which went crazy and had to be put down.[26]
Patriot (Elijah Bradley) leader of the Young Avengers, was the nephew of Josiah X and grandson of Isaiah Bradley. He claimed that he received a blood transfusion from his grandfather gaining the same enhanced abilities. But in truth he was using the Mutant Growth Hormone. Soon the truth came out and he quit the team. But he came to the rescue of his friends during the subsequent battle between the Kree and the Skrull forces, the Young Avengers and the New Avengers, Patriot used himself to shield Captain America from gunfire, and was severely injured. After the battle Captain America rushed to the hospital to give Eli a blood transfusion only to discover "another Captain America", Eli's grandfather, had already given Eli his blood. Since the transfusion, Eli has gained physical attributes and powers of a real Super Soldier.[27]
Jacob Erskine
Dr. Jacob Erskine, who was the grandson of Dr. Abraham Erskine tried to use the Super-Soldier Serum to cure cancer.[28]
American Kaiju
Todd Ziller was a volunteer in the new Super-Soldier process. They could not recreate the serum so the Army used existing transformative substances. The final result included Gamma enhancements, Mutant Growth Hormone, Pym Particles and the Connors Formula. The resulting application of the serum in Ziller's body turned him into a giant reptile similar to Godzilla, for which he was given the alias of "American Kaiju."[29]
The most common power granted by the Super-Soldier Serum is that of peak human potential. This means that the individuals is capable of lifting around 800 pounds over their heads,[6][7] running at speeds up to 30 miles per hour or more,[30][6] and due to the Super-Soldier Serum's ability to counteract the lactic acids in the muscle that cause fatigue, allowing the individuals to maintain strenuous physical activity for up to 12 hours on end before tiring.[6] The serum also increases the individual's metabolism, allowing them to heal faster than normal humans, giving them enhanced durability.[citation needed] Along with increased durability, the increased metabolism Super Soldiers enjoy also grants them immunity from nearly any poison known to man, due to their body's ability to process it faster than the effects can cause harm to their body.[citation needed] This includes most known drugs and alcohol which has no effect on a SSS recipient.[citation needed]
The serum also affects the mind, allowing the individuals to retain and recall any information they take in.[citation needed] It also allows the individual's mind to react and process data faster, which improves their reflexes beyond those of a normal humans, and even the unenhanced humans who conditioned themselves to be peak humans.[citation needed] For example, Steve Rogers has stated that he can dodge bullets because he can see faster than they move.[31]
Alternate Realities
Weapon X Maverick's home world (Earth-1287)
Within this universe of its deceased David North a super soldier serum alternative had been developed by the harsh world's governmental science divisions conglomerated into a massive think tank. The item of interest was clearly a Superior product from most other timelines given that it gave vastly enhanced superpowers to anyone who ingested it, at the cost of severe physiological structural breakdown causing the taker of which to violently explode. Hence the motto many soldiers in the service of the alien incursion earth's defense forces "When it comes your time to die, sing your death song and die like a hero going home." in short it grants one phenomenal superhuman capabilities at the cost of one's life which relates to a couple of days to weeks at most. A Brazilian mutant in the reluctant service of a criminal arms dealer by the name of Volga used his powers for the theft and allocation of weapons-tech across the infinite realities on his employer's behalf. When he first presented this product to the billionaire weapons enthusiast, he couldn't help but be overeager to field test its effects to ascertain more sizable profit margins for his business, naturally doing first troubleshooting upon the latter's own family with which he forced the former's servitude. After a few years of off the record experimentation with the serum dubbed by many as the Volga Effect which weaponizes the mutant genome in order to bestow more stabilized, albeit still viciously self-destructive superpowers upon anybody who intakes it.[32]
Ultimate Universe (Earth-1610)
The Ultimate line simplifies many random elements by having many of the world's superheroes connected to Captain America's Super-Soldier Serum in some form or another. The Hulk was accidentally created while Dr. Bruce Banner was trying to recreate the serum, Norman Osborn accidentally created Spider-Man while attempting the same thing with the Oz Formula, which later mutated him into the Goblin. Weapon X and the entire mutant race were created as the Canadian response to the Serum, and so on, resulting in international supersoldier escalation and treaties being proposed to curb it. Several Spider-Man rogues were subjects of secret, illegal super soldier experiments. Captain America's illegitimate son with Gail Richards was born with the serum in his DNA. After his father's presumed death during WWII and taken from his mother, the son is raised on an army base where he appears to be a well-adjusted, physically superior and tactically brilliant young man who greatly resembles his father. However, his easy-going personality was a ruse. Around the age of seventeen, he kills over 200 men on the base and then cuts off his own face which leaves a "Red Skull" to reject his father.[33] Lieberman was another person subjected to the serum, but on a night out he was involved in a fire scene and bravely rescued fifty-seven fire victims, but after saving them, he suddenly died. His body was taken back to the Triskelion and privately examined in which the cause of his death was determined to be due to his nervous system collapsing from the strain of the super-soldier serum. However, Lieberman's ascension to become (and replace) Captain America and his sudden death wasn't the first time that S.H.I.E.L.D. had been trying to replicate super-soldiers like Captain America, and that several other candidates like Lieberman perished with similar results.[34] Furious at the invasion of Iraq by American super-soldiers, scrawny Azerbaijani teenager Abdul Al-Rahman volunteered to undergo medical treatments to gain superhuman abilities that would allow him to strike back at America. The treatments were successful, and Al-Rahman rapidly gained muscle mass and an athletic physique. He was the first person since Steve Rogers to be positively responsive to the Super-Soldier Serum.[35]
The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (Earth-8096)
In this universe Steve Rogers was recruited by Colonel Chester Phillips to join the Super Soldier Program, due to unbreakable fighting spirit and strong will. Through the Super-Soldier Serum, created by Dr. Abraham Erskine soldier Steve Rogers was transformed into Captain America.[36]
Spider-Man: The Animated Series (Earth-92131)
In this universe the super-soldier formula created Captain America and was destroyed by Nazi spies. However, other scientists were able to create an imperfect version of the serum. Thus, each of five volunteers were affected differently, with their own unique powers which were very different from Captain America's. Also, their powers weren't permanent, and they were forced to ration their powers with keys. The five volunteers and Captain America formed the Six American Warriors.[37] As a 13-year-old boy during World War II, John Hardesky was tricked by Nazis into spying on the creation of Captain America, memorizing the formula used to create him. However, he then realized that he had been tricked and refused to reveal the formula to the Red Skull, fleeing. Hardesky grew up to be the Cat, a highly experienced burglar.[38] He also fathered a daughter named Felicia. When he was caught in the midst of a jewel theft, the Cat was incarcerated in S.H.I.E.L.D., partly to protect his knowledge of the super soldier formula. Years later, he was abducted from custody by the Kingpin, who attempted to force him into revealing the formula. Hardesky did so after the crime lord kidnapped his daughter, and the recreated serum was tested out on her. As a result, Felicia became a crimefighter known as the Black Cat, and teamed up with Spider-Man to save her father, who then allowed himself to be taken back into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody to protect his knowledge.[39]
Marvel Cinematic Universe (Earth-199999)
Dr. Abraham Erskine developed his serum while working in Germany. However a Nazi General Johann Schmidt used the serum to enhance his physical & mental abilities, however the formula appears to have been either prototypical or flawed, the resulting effects heavily distorted Schmidt's facial tissue and skin complexion becoming the Red Skull. Dr. Erskine later explained that the formula amplifies a persons key traits causing Schmidt to change.
Dr. Erskine escaped to the USA, he joined the Strategic Scientific Reserve There he took part in Project Rebirth, a project to create a Super Soldier for the Allies. Using Vita-Rays to unlock the serum's potential, Dr. Erskine successfully used the serum on Steve Rogers who became the hero dubbed Captain America. Dr. Erskine was killed and the last vial of the original serum was destroyed by Heinz Kruger, one of Hydra's top agents. The last remnants of the serum now only exist in Steve Rogers blood.[40]. Despite the success in creating a super soldier, Project Rebirth was effectively a failure, the goal of the US military was to produce an "Army" of soldiers not just a single individual. With Roger's too valuable to risk in Frontline action being the only guinea pig from which valuable data could be obtained; he was used by the Army in recruitment tool, in a sense creating the very Army using regular people.
During Bucky's incarceration in a HYRDA prison, he was too injected with a serum which gave him super-enhanced physical abilities, similarly to Captain America. This allowed him to survive the fall from the Swiss Alps. Later after being discovered by HYDRA, further enhancements, rigorous training & brainwashing has transformed him into the Winter Soldier.
In 1991, Hydra Operatives have learned that Howard Stark has recreated 5 more Super Soldier Serum. Vasily Karpov dispatches Winter Soldier to retrieve the Super Soldier Serum. Barnes assassinated Howard and Maria Stark. Barnes also retrieved the 5 recreated Super Soldier Serum. Karpov recruited 5 more test subjects and injected the Super Soldier Serum.
In the 21st century, General Ross of the US Army revived the bio-tech force enhancement program, a secret project set-up after the relative failure of Project Rebirth. A failed attempt to reproduce the serum with added bouts of Gamma Radiation led to the accident that turned Bruce Banner into the Hulk. Banner was later forced to flee from Ross, who employed the British soldier Emil Blonsky to track him down. General Ross, eager to sustain Blonsky's will to fight, gave him an injection of a similar serum, which gave him abilities similar to those of Captain America. Later combination with the altered serum in Banner's blood turned Blonsky into the Abomination.[41]
As of 2013, scientists recreated a version of the serum as part of Project Centipede, which was designed to give a person superhuman abilities. This serum was a mixture of Gamma Radiation and the Extremis virus, with technology from the Chitauri.[42]
- Super-Soldiers - for a complete list
- Some ingredients may be:
- Stabilizer
- Prescribed steroids
- Focus enhancers
- Kree Plasma
- Wakanda-Herb
- Vita-Rays (acting as stabilizing force)
See Also
- 83 Appearances of Super-Soldier Serum
- 11 Minor Appearances of Super-Soldier Serum
- 120 Media Super-Soldier Serum was Mentioned in
- 1 Images featuring Super-Soldier Serum
- Item Gallery: Super-Soldier Serum
Links and References
- ↑ Wolverine Vol 3 #44
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Captain America Comics #1
- ↑ Invaders #17
- ↑ Adventures of Captain America #1
- ↑ Captain America #109
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Truth: Red, White & Black #3
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Truth: Red, White & Black #4
- ↑ Truth: Red, White & Black #3-4
- ↑ Crew #5
- ↑ Black Widow Vol 3 #5
- ↑ Invaders #18
- ↑ Giant-Size Invaders #1
- ↑ Young Men #24
- ↑ Captain America #153-156
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Hero for Hire #1
- ↑ Marvels Project #5
- ↑ Power Man and Iron Fist #83
- ↑ Power Man #48
- ↑ Power Man #49
- ↑ Power Man and Iron Fist #67-100
- ↑ Cage #12
- ↑ Captain America and The Falcon #1
- ↑ Avengers: The Initiative #1
- ↑ Avengers: The Initiative Annual #1
- ↑ Avengers: The Initiative #7
- ↑ Avengers: The Initiative #11
- ↑ Young Avengers #10-12
- ↑ Steve Rogers: Super Soldier #1
- ↑ New Avengers Vol 4 #9
- ↑ Avengers: Roll Call #1
- ↑ Captain America Vol 5 #17
- ↑ X-Force Vol 4 #5
- ↑ Ultimate Comics Avengers #2
- ↑ Ultimates Annual #1
- ↑ Ultimates Vol 2 #10
- ↑ Avengers Micro Episodes: Captain America Season 1 1
- ↑ Spider-Man: The Animated Series Season 5 4
- ↑ Spider-Man: The Animated Series Season 4 2
- ↑ Spider-Man: The Animated Series Season 4 3
- ↑ Captain America: The First Avenger
- ↑ The Incredible Hulk (2008 film)
- ↑ Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 1 1


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Annette Klerks
Top Influencer for Foreign Companies in Düsseldorf
Annette is Head of Department of International Business Service at the Office of Economic Development of the City of Düsseldorf. Among others, she and her team are in charge of supporting foreign companies in Düsseldorf.
She started her carrier with a practical training in Business Administration and Marketing at a Düsseldorf based newspaper publisher. After her studies in economic history and geography she became Area Sales Manager Germany of Oxford University Press, Academic Division.
From 2001-2007, Annette worked as Trade Officer at the headoffice of UK Trade and Invest in Germany.
In 2007, Annette joined the Office of Economic Development of the City of Düsseldorf, initially as Area Manager Europe, North America and India, since 2009 as Head of Department, International Business Service.
Düsseldorf – Your base in Europe
The City of Düsseldorf is one of the most successful business locations in Germany and Europe. Düsseldorf's economy is very international and strong in ICT, wholesale and retail, industrial production, marketing and creative industries. Companies choose Düsseldorf because of the outstanding B2B potential, the international airport, efficient infrastructure, high quality of life and attractive location costs. The Office of Economic Development is a one-stop agency supporting companies with tailored services: i.e. assisting investors with administrative procedures and permits, relocation of expats and finding office space. In our presentation, we will focus on the potential of the business region of Düsseldorf, explain its advantages to British companies and outline the support available to companies.

subset: commoncrawl


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What does everyone have planned for this weekend? The bf and I are going to be having a Harry Potter movie marathon tonight/tomorrow before we go see the last film in theatres next week (after the crowds have died down a little).
I've also begun my swatching marathon of my "untrieds" drawer (which has expanded beyond a single drawer since I last showed it to you) so I'm going to try to get through all of that swatching this weekend.
Tonight I have for you the last of my OPI Designer Series/Milani 3D Collection comparisons and this one features two pink holographic shades - OPI DS Chiffon and Milani Digital.
Keep reading for the comparison!
OPI Designer Series Chiffon, Milani Digital
OPI DS Chiffon
Milani Digital
OPI DS Chiffon, Milani Digital
OPI DS Chiffon, Milani Digital
Milani Digital, OPI DS Chiffon
Once again, we've got a close match in this series of comparisons.
The base colour of these two shades is similar with Chiffon being only slightly more yellow-toned than Digital.
The differences once again lie in the holographic effects/particles of these polishes.
The Milani 3D Holographic polishes all have bigger, chunkier pieces of silver holographic glitter pieces that the OPI DS polishes do not have, which makes the Milani polishes look a little more bling-y.
The holographic effect is evident in both shades but Digital has a much more scattered holo effect while Chiffon has a delicate but obvious linear effect.
Additionally, there is a significant price difference in these two polishes. OPI Designer Series polishes are more expensive than regular OPI polishes and will run you anywhere between $10-15. However, Chiffon has been discontinued and the few listings for this on eBay have it going for around $30.
On the other hand, the Milani 3D Holographic Collection polishes are $3.99 on the Milani website.
For me, I prefer DS Chiffon just because I generally like linear holo more than scattered. However, a choice between these will really come down to personal preference and budget. Digital is a decent alternative to OPI DS Chiffon, especially when you consider the price difference. Furthermore, some people will prefer Digital because it's got that extra bling-y quality.
Do you have either of these? Both? Which do you prefer? Is Digital similar enough to DS Chiffon for you to cross that lemming off your list and opt for the more cost efficient option?


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Last Friday night, I attended the second Out Loud! event of 2014. Our three Metro area libraries sponsor authors throughout the summer months. The events usually involve a reading and a signing afterwards. The cool part? They are free events!
The second speaker this summer was Wally Lamb. While I haven't read any of Wally's books, I have heard of him and his books are come highly recommended by lots of people.
It was great to hear Wally speak. He shared a funny story about a book signing he did at a newly opened Costco which warmed up the crowd and got us laughing. He read from his newest book, We Are Water and ended his night answering questions. One audience member asked about his connection to characters with mental illnesses. Wally shared a wonderful story about his friendship with a man who copes with mental illness. It was a touching story. Wally said mental illness is a mystery and a miracle. Since my husband dedicates his life to working with individuals who have mental and physical disabilities, Wally's story meant a lot me as I see that in my husband's life almost daily.
Here are some pictures from the event:
Coming next week!: Elizabeth Berg.


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Take advantange of our latest off and get a 20% off. Contact us even before your arival and your bicycle will wait for you in your hotel.
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Archive for July, 2009
Jeff Johnson, Dr. Harold Sox
July 17 . 2009
What goes on behind the scenes in a tattoo parlor? Tattoo artist, Jeff Johnson tells all in Tattoo Machine. Later in the hour, Dr. Harold Sox with the American College of Physicians talks about a study that he co-chaired to get the government to look into uncovering the best treatments for scores of ailments.
Stefan Lonce, Dan Quinn
July 16 . 2009
Are vanity plates protected under the First Amendment? Does that include religious and political ones also? Then later in the hour, Texas conservatives are gearing up for a battle saying that social studies classes give too much attention to civil rights leaders.
Robert Wright
July 15 . 2009
Robert Wright's, The Evolution of God will change the way you think not only about God, but about the political, social, and cultural implications of religion itself. Wright is also the editor of BloggingHeads.tv, a website for intellectual discourse.
Dave Aeikens, Estuardo Rodriguez
July 14 . 2009
Should reporters be threatened with contempt of court and possible jail time if they do not reveal their sources and unpublished works? The president of the Society of Professional Journalists thinks that there is no need for a federal shield law. Later, the Sotomayor confirmation hearings with the former president of the Hispanic Lobbyists Association.
Barbara Bradley Hagerty
July 13 . 2009
Can science explain God? Is spiritual experience real or a delusion? Are there realities that we can experience but not easily measure? In Fingerprints of God, award-winning journalist Barbara Bradley Hagerty delves into the discoveries science is making about how faith and spirituality affect us physically and emotionally.
Ellen Ruppel Shell
July 10 . 2009
Are we all too poor to even buy cheap? Ellen Ruppel Shell, is a correspondent for the Atlantic Monthly, and professor of science journalism at Boston University. Her latest book is, CHEAP: The High Cost of Discount Culture.
Robert Dallek, Robert Corn-Revere
July 9 . 2009
Noted presidential historian and professor, Robert Dallek talks about the legacy of former secretary of defense, McNamara then later attorney, Robert Corn-Revere says Arnold Schwarzenegger is trying to rewrite the First Amendment.
Dr. Warren Hern
July 8 . 2009
Since the assassination of Dr. George Tiller, there is only one other physician who performs late abortions. In a rare interview, Barry talks to the outspoken Dr. Warren Hern, director of the Boulder Abortion Clinic, who has never hidden what he does, where he is located or how he feels about the radical religious right.
Chris Arledge, Rev. Anthony Evans
July 7 . 2009
Is copyright law stifling creativity? Intellectual property attorney Chris Arledge joins us. Same sex unions are now the law in the District of Columbia and Rev. Anthony Evans, a critic of that legislation tells us why he is not happy about it.
Shannyn Moore, Wayne Ross, K. Fultz
July 6 . 2009
Why is Sarah Palin bailing out as governor of Alaska? Anchorage radio talk host, Shannyn Moore joins us. Then, why are so many people abusing prescription drugs? Pastor Wayne Ross and Kay Fultz talk about their experiences.
Recent Episodes
- Aug 29Eric Sterling, Barry Lynn
- Aug 28Kimberly Rae Miller
- Aug 27David Epstein
- Aug 26Peter Conners
- Aug 22Sarah Jones
- Aug 20Thurston Clark
Upcoming Appearances
BookPiety & Politics
BookFirst Freedom First


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Monthly Archives: February 2016
A little teaser for a couple of things to come over the next week or so. Things got a little busy for everyone, then the weather hampered outside range testing.
Pictured for upcoming testing is the KRISS Vector and the excellent HighCom Security active shooters kit plate carrier and two level 4 stand alone plates inside.
Accuracy testing for the Vector will hopefully be done this weekend for a review to be posted early next week.
Our Favorite Gun Blogs PT 1
We don't often speak about other blogs here. One reason for that is that more than a few of the bigger names have stolen some of our posts and re-posted word for word our content. But there are a few that are outstanding in my opinion, and one in particular that is so good that is is the one website I spend almost as much time at as I do our own website here.
To use the owners words to help set the tone for the website.
"WeaponsMan is a blog about weapons. Primarily ground combat weapons, primarily small arms and man-portable crew-served weapons. The site owner is a former Special Forces weapons man (MOS 18B, before the 18 series, 11B with Skill Qualification Indicator of S), and you can expect any guest columnists to be similarly qualified.
Our focus is on weapons: their history, effects and employment. This is not your go-to place for gun laws or gun politics; other people have that covered."
- The SAWs that never WAS: Intro, and XM106. This introduces the series, and the ugly duckling of the competition, a bizarre M16A1 variant with quick-change barrel, but still magazine-fed. Published 28 Oct 13.
- The SAWs that never WAS: Part 2, the XM-248′s forerunner, XM235. The Rodman Labs XM235 was a radical reconception of the light machine gun which was designed to increase accuracy and reduce unintended dispersion on target. We mention in passing its abandoned XM233 and 234 competitors, all chambered for a 6.0 x 45mm cartridge. Published 31 Oct 13.
- The SAWs that never WAS: Part 3, XM248. Rodman couldn't go to production, so the commercial makers of the XM233 and XM234, Philco and Maremont, competed for the contract. Philco (later Ford Aerospace) won, and began to make changes to the XM235, as requested by the Army, producing the XM248. Published 2 Nov 13.
- The SAWS that Never WAS, part 3b: the feed of the XM248. The ratchet-driven sprocket belt feed of the XM235/248 is examined using the patent documents as a basis. Published 4 Nov 13.
- The SAWs that never WAS: Part 4, H&K XM262. Heckler & Koch's entry was initially just a baseline for comparison of the Army's own designs, but it performed well enough to make it into the final four (with the 106, 248, and 249). Published 9 Nov 13.
- The SAWs that never WAS, Part 5, XM249. Like the H&K XM262, the XM249 was initially just entered to compare the FN light machine gun to the Army entries, but it ultimately beat them all. Published 23 Nov 13.
If you like our page, I strongly recommend WeaponsMan, it is highly addictive and always entertaining with a high does of humor mixed with technical discussion.
This is the first website to be mentioned in this series because it stands above all others that will come. It has my highest recommendation and I hope you go check it out and enjoy it as much as I do.
Making the G3 (1970)
The Jericho 941: High Quality, With Quirks
My wife has a new gun. She wanted something metal. She wanted something that would be fun to shoot. She wanted something that would be interesting. We hunted interesting down, watched some Cowboy Bebop, and hopped on the internet. The Jericho was being re-imported once again by IWI, and after discussing the particulars of the Jericho with her, she was sold. She wanted Isreali Steel. I just hoped that when we plunked down the cash, the Isreali wunder nine would function and give her enough of a smile to enjoy shooting.
Let's break it down:
The Jericho 941 is steel meets steel. It's a heavy, big service pistol. It's the type of gun you would want to hit someone with after exhausting all your ammo. Clean lines, excellent (or rather, peerless) machine work give us a pistol with incredibly smooth contours and lines. There are no machining marks, or rough edges. I am really impressed by the work in this piece. After researching the Jericho 941 and ordering sight unseen… I was a wee bit worried. Not so much anymore. The action is based on the CZ75 with an Isreali twist. It bears a familial resemblence, but the lines of the Jericho are much more industrial and flat. Like its relative, the action and slide of the Jericho sit tight inside the frame and as a side effect, reveal little of the slide itself for weapon manipulation. Unlike say, my square Glock which gives me lots of real estate for racking and manipulation, the Jericho gives much less purchase. Consider this a negative if forced to manipulate the weapon when wet or in slippery conditions. Oil carefully so that you don't coat the slide in excessive slippery oil. Overall, the slide serrations work fine and once you have a normal grip on the pice, it slides back to the rear with little effort.
Once you do get the slide back, you might also notice how smooth it is. Coming from the Tupperware generation of Glocks, I recall the first time I racked a Glock and was met by the scratchy, gritty feel of Gaston's masterpiece. Once we got the Jericho home and I racked it back, I was jealous. The slide came back so buttery smooth that I instantly realized that IWI had quality in mind with the piece. There is no grit, no chrunch, just a smooth resistance until the barrel drops, which then is increased ever so slightly as the slide pushes the hammer down into the cocked position. Fantastic quality here folks, especially at $549 dollars.
The controls are ergonomic, but not ambidextrous. We have right handed controls incorporating a slide lever and safety made for a right handed shooter. A beavertail sticks out the rear to discourage slide bite. The full size service pistol frame fits my hands well, and I am a small-medium glove wearer. Smalls feel a bit tight, mediums a bit roomy. The Jericho's controls were all reachable and capable of being activated with my hand size.
The trigger is a double / single action without a decocker. Meaning if you want this pistol in condition one, you have two options: drop the hammer with your thumb while pulling the trigger and hope you don't slip, or option two: hammer back, round in chamber, safety on. Trigger pull itself is heavy and stiff much like every other double action I owned, but since the pistol will be primarily in single action mode (I am not willing to drop that little hammer on a live round, I like having a thumb) the single action mode was good to go. Single action is light, perhaps 3-4 lbs of trigger with a very short pull distance to the wall, and a smooth pull to the rear completes the hammer drop. A short reset with a tactile snap of sear engagement rounds out the single action package. I believe this gun permits you to run it fast based on the single action trigger characteristics.
The sights are standard, front and rear driftable three dot sights. Night sights are available from Meprolight for upgrades down the road.
In action, the gun had no major concerns from me. The heavy frame kept recoil down to a minimum and my wife, a first time pistol owner, had no trouble or fear from this gun's recoil. It simply shoots without much fanfare. We cycled a 50 round box of Winchester 124 grain 9mm without issue. I was relieved that my wifes new pistol was functioning properly.
I had lots of my favorite brand of malfunctioning reloads handy, freedom munitions, to test as well. Having bought this stuff a year ago, I found that my G19 ate it like candy, while my G17 jammed like crazy with it. In my opinion, it is a weakly loaded ammo that I believe had difficulty cycling the heavier slide and new recoil spring of my G17. We threw some of this 115 grain 9mm through the Jericho and my Glock and both pistols choked at least once or twice a magazine… which gave me a chance to teach my wife how to clear malfunctions. At this time, another quirk became apparent; the flat, flush floorplate give us nothing to grab in order to strip a mag to clear a malfunction. Consider CZ75 magazine extensions to assist in clearance drills since the CZ75 and Jericho magazines are the compatible.
Past the crappy reloaded ammo, the gun started to loosen up, and was taken out again for a separate range session with one malfunction during my wife's CCW course. She stripped the magazine and cleared the pistol, and had it back online for the next target rotation without issue. This singular malfunction was with factory new Winchester 115 grain white box. The ammo breakdown was thus: 50 rounds of 124 grain ammo without malfunction. 100 rounds of underpowered reloads which choked both the IWI and my G17, 25 rounds of aluminum cased budget ammo with no malfunctions, and 100 + – rounds of new 115 grain Winchester white box with one malfunction during a CCW course.
The pistol handled well, points well, and shoots well. Thus far it slings lead with precision and ejects brass consistently to the right. I believe the malfunctions at this point are ammo related. Most problems were failure to eject, telling me that the ammo just didn't have the power to rock the slide back all the way to the rear. This gun likes ammo with a decent power factor, otherwise plinker ammo and weaker stuff is likely going to have a hard time cycling the heavy steel slide and stiff (new) recoil spring.
With a gun like the Jericho, expect less in the way of accessories than standard common sidearms, but luckily this pistol has been around for decades, and importers bring a variety of holsters and components over from Israel… but ultimately the options are somewhat limited in comparison to more common products.
Final impression: A little more testing is warranted to examine the pistol and different ammo types. Defensive quality ammo seems like it will be the hot ticket for reliability, and the overall weight and heft of this steel service pistol will keep the recoil impulse down. The controls are ergonomic for a right handed shooter, and the second stage of the trigger is light and clean. The first stage is long and hard to reach if you have small hands. The gun must be carried cocked and locked. This gun would be a excellent piece for home defense with some night sights and a light. A little big / heavy for carry (2.3 lbs) but if your a OWB carry guy / gal and want a old fashioned steel piece, give it a try. I will report back on Looserounds if the pistol has any problems past the break in period, but I will be cycling 124 grain or higher 9mm through this pistol for the foreseeable future.
Eotech At SHOT Show
FN Advert
SoldierSystems shared this pretty cool ad from FN.
Leupold MK6 with Horus H58
I had the opportunity to play around a bit with a Leupold MK6 3-18 with the Horus H58 reticle. Horus reticles tend to be a polarizing subject as people seem to either love them or hate them.
I am a big fan of the Leupold MK6 3-18. I'd take it over a S&B, Nighforce, or other high end scope as I love its compact size, layout , and features.
Other than the reticle the H58 MK5 is exactly the same as my MK6 with a TMR reticle. So to get you some size by size pictures, I mounted both optics to my Optic Test Fixture, as shown below.
At three power the thick outer bars of the TMR reticle makes it east to quickly pick up.
The H58 has two horizonal bars which are useful for indexing on a target quick at low power. They appeared to be thicker than the bars on the TMR, but just having two made me feel slower and less intuitive for lining up on a target quick at low power.
I took many pictures of the Horus reticle at 18 power and this is the only one that turned out anywhere near acceptable. It does look a good bit better in person. The horizontal lines above the center of the reticle start at 1 mil and then lower at .1 increments to aid in measuring the height of an object for ranging. The set of numbers along with those lines are for finding the movement speed of the target in MPH. Below the center of the reticle is the famous(or infamous) Horus grid.
Here is the TMR at 18 power.
The Leupold MK6 has a nice set of features including zero stops, a capped windage know with +- 5 mils of adjustment before hitting the stop, etc. I think the main benefits of this 3-18 is its large power range in a small size along with excellent glass.
So after having the chance to use the Horus 58 for a bit, I'm really not sure if I like it or not. When I have shot at paper targets at known ranges, the Horus reticle appears to be thicker than the TMR and covers more of the point of aim. The grid can cover a bullet hole in paper making it harder to spot.
The Horus starts to shine at longer distances. Shooting steel at 600 yards it was easy to see the splash in the dirt from misses and quickly adjust from it. You really benefit if you shooting a gun where you can spot your own impact and shooting in an area where you can easily see misses.
I'm not quite sure how to put it, but I wouldn't recommend the Horus reticle to someone. If you need it you would know. If you don't know if you need it or not, you don't. I don't believe it would aid or be more intuitive for a new shooter, however I don't believe a good scope with a Horus reticle would hurt a novice either. It is an interesting option, but not a necessity.
What If YouTube Gun Channels Were 100% Honest?
What If YouTube Gun Channels Were 100% Honest?
Look, as the Geico commercial reminds us, not everything you see on the internet is true. YouTube gun channels are no exception. While many are honest and forthright, many others are dishonest shills who will say anything to get more free stuff.
YouTube posters do not earn as much as you might think. The amount earned for each view varies, depending on a variety of factors such as view duration and engagement, but it looks as though most channels earn somewhere in the neighborhood of about one dollar for every thousand views. That means that, unless you have an extremely popular channel, you probably will not even recover the gas money you spend driving to the range. That's okay for many of us. We are not in it for the money. Don't get me wrong, it would be great if I was someday able to get enough from YouTube that I could buy a new gun, but for the time being, I spend more on making test videos than I get out of them and I'm fine with that.
As you can see, I get about $30 a month from YouTube and about two bucks a month from my most popular video. Not time to quit the day job yet. Some YouTube channels treat their channel as a business, though. They have invested in advertising to promote their channel and have enjoyed a significant return on their investment in subscriber count. Channels like this usually aggressively pursue manufacturers for test and evaluation samples and may even receive monetary compensation. The latter is of questionable legality under consumer protection laws. If they do receive compensation and do not disclose the fact, it is most likely a crime. On the other hand, they will shatter their illusion of impartiality if they do tell their viewers that they are promoting paid content.
In some cases, it is painfully obvious, such as TWANGnBANG's videos where he simply tells us everything that a manufacturer put out in their press release over the manufacturer's publicity photos without fact checking any of the manufacturer's claims. Other times, it is more subtle, such as MAC's pervasive use of ZQI ammunition in all his videos, right after the trip he took to their plant in Turkey that I'm sure he paid for out of pocket. Or his detour to tell us about the 3M electronic earpro in a video about a 9mm carbine.
Now, T&E samples are an important part of the gun industry. Reviewers get free samples and sometimes are allowed to keep them and we get to see new stuff. The Manufacturer gets free advertising and the YouTube channel gets a way to make content that generates revenue. There isn't necessarily anything wrong with paid advertisements, either, so long as it is clear that is what we are seeing.
The real problem comes into play when viewers believe they are watching an honest, unbiased product review when, in reality, they are watching what amounts to a paid endorsement. Even when actual cash money does not change hands, it can be difficult to maintain an entirely unbiased perspective if you are getting free stuff. Moreover, the manufacturers are not likely to give you things to review if you have a reputation for tough criticism. This pressure to be gentle is usually somewhat subtle but can occasionally be explicitly stated. Another YouTuber told me about an interaction with a manufacturer where they explicitly stated that they would not send ammunition for testing unless they could be assured that they would have the opportunity to review the video before publishing.
I know from personal experience that some manufacturers react poorly to negative reviews of their products. A while back I posted an article here that was highly critical of DRT ammunition on the grounds that it fails to meet, or even come close, to FBI penetration recommendations. I have often used DRT as an example of worthless gimmick ammunition because it is. In response, the president of DRT emailed me to invite me to shoot animals with his ammunition. I am a meat eater and I am happy to kill an animal for food. Moreover, I am confident that the animals used in his testing are not wasted, but it seems unnecessarily cruel to shoot the animals solely to determine the effects of the ammunition. I cannot rightly articulate why it rubs me wrong, it just does. Aside from the ethical consideration, the fact is that his ammunition does not meet established standards using the established method of testing. Apparently, he hoped to distract from the failure in standardized testing by subjecting animals to his idea of "testing".
He declined to answer when I asked him whether the deer would be moving rapidly, using cover, and shooting back, but the exchange went downhill from there. Shooting an unsuspecting animal in relatively controlled conditions is obviously not the same as a desperate fight with a human being who is also desperately fighting for his own life, which is why a shallowly penetrating projectile works fine for hunting, if the shot is carefully placed. When fighting a human being, though, you do not have the luxury to decide not to take a shot if you think it will not produce a humane kill. You must shoot to stop and your rounds will likely impact the torso at an angle after passing through a limb or other intervening obstacle.
It is pure speculation on my part, but in light of this interaction, and given the conversations I have had with other folks in the gun community and in the industry, this sort of "gentle" pressure is likely common. And why wouldn't manufacturers want to aggressively promote a positive image of their products?
The bottom line is that you are encouraged to exercise discretion and take YouTube reviews with a whole fistful of salt.
Editor's/Owner's note – While I have no idea how things likely work on the youtube gun community. Gun writers with few exceptions get to keep any guns for free. It is true that we are mostly offered the "writer's price" and that price is often very hard to say no to, we get no guns from any companies for free. Obviously they do send them out for demo free of charge, but they do want them back or want you to buy them. Some writers do indeed get stuff for free to keep and we all obviously know them as what they are. Shills.
As far as companies wanting to look at a review before it goes up, only one company has ever said that to me and it was KAC. And that was after I had to justify and explain in detail what I wanted to do with the gun in questions. Obviously since you have never read a review of the KAC EMC carbine on looseorunds, you know how that turned out. – Shawn
Highcom 4SAS7: a Seriously Tough Ceramic Plate at a Great Price
For a long time "ceramic" meant "expensive" when it comes to body armor. Either pay at least $500 at a minimum for a ceramic level IV plate or settle for a less expensive and less effective steel plate. As more regular folks buy armor for just in case, market pressure has forced manufacturers to adapt. Some manufacturers are producing tougher, "level III+" steel plates that can stop some of the high velocity .223/5.56mm threats that regular level III steel plates cannot. At the same time, ceramic plates have also become more affordable. Highcom Security actually offers a level IV ceramic plate at a price lower than some steel plates. It is available in a variety of sizes, curve options, and cuts, but in the 10″ x 12″ shooter's cut, single curve style that is so popular, the price is $159.
At that price, one might reasonably suspect how effective the plate is. As the sci-fi writer Robert A. Heinlein was fond of saying "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch." It is quite reasonable to be suspicious of the quality at such an attractive price, but the plate has far exceeded any reasonable expectations.
Everything done in the test above shatters expectations, if you'll pardon the pun. The hammer impact far exceeds anything you could reasonably expect to encounter in field use and the .358 Win is also something the plate was not designed to stop. Bear in mind that when this test was conducted, the plate had already stopped a 405 gr .450 Marlin at almost 2,000 fps. The plate then went on to stop a round of 7.62x51mm M61 AP.
Again, it is important to bear in mind that the plate had already sustained some ridiculous abuse before stopping the armor piercing round.
As tough as the plate is, it is also a little heavier than other plates with the same NIJ rating, but at 7.2 lbs for the 10″ x 12″ shooter's cut, the difference is not huge and still lighter than steel plates of similar dimensions, while providing a great deal more protection than steel plates.
As always, the burden is upon you to do comprehensive research and determine your own priorities before purchasing any personal protective equipment. It is likewise important to stress that training matters a great deal more than equipment. No amount of gear, no matter how cool can make up for poor training. The more you sweat in training, the less you will bleed in a fight.


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Nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Walker's Run is a beautiful vacation destination for humans of all ages. It's also home to a pack of Wahyas—an ancient species of wolf people. Although they maintain a peaceful, covert co-existence with their human neighbors, the call of the wild is never far from their hearts.
Falling in love has never been so wild!
AWAKENED BY THE WOLF (Book 1)
RESCUED BY THE WOLF (Book 2)
CHARMED BY THE WOLF (Book 3)


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A healthcare executive reveals 'insider' perspective about IT failures
Dr. Malcolm Thatcher
The biggest failing of the IT industry is the fact there's not enough focus on "people and business change," according to former interim CIO/CEO of eHealth Queensland, Dr Malcolm Thatcher.
That's one of the lessons learned by the former Queensland health executive, who's now on the other side of the fence and able to reveal insights and key learnings about his time in government and industry.
Thatcher has been in IT for 35 years, with a range of roles including chief health information officer for Queensland Health; interim CEO and CIO; as well as executive director, information and infrastructure and CIO for Mater Health Services.
Since leaving Queensland Health in February 2017, Thatcher has focused on completing a book, based on his PHD research and industry knowledge, titled Digital Governance Handbook for CEOs and Governing Boards."
"It tries to provide competencies to board members, in particular, who often don't know the questions to ask or are afraid to ask for fear of looking foolish. So it is trying to raise the competencies around digital investment, and what questions they should be asking to make sure their organisations are on track to deliver value on those investments."
He has a chapter in the book that highlights a case study on a notable IT disaster. "Funnily enough, I chose the Queensland Health payroll system for that case study. I was an expert witness at the commission inquiry so I have quite an in-depth knowledge of the inquiry process and all of the evidence," he said.
"There is nothing in that case study that is not in the public domain. But I give my own insights into what I feel contributed to the failure and how that failure could have been avoided."
He told CIO Australia the payroll failings included: "a false sense of urgency; the project was poorly scoped; there was unclear accountability and poor governance which resulted in the warning signs of pending disaster being ignored."
No doubt, the Queensland Health Payroll system debacle was widely reported on at the time and will be remembered as one of the most disastrous IT projects in Australian history.
A Royal Commission of Inquiry detailed the disaster that was the Queensland Health payroll upgrade. Essentially, the Queensland government had to pay costs to IBM Australia after failing in a bid to recoup losses from the $1.2 billion health payroll disaster.
Looking back over his time at Queensland Health and highlighting some of the failures in the industry overall, Thatcher said issues arising from a lack of focus on 'people change management' is a classic contributing factor.
"I have been in IT now for 35 years and certainly seen a lot of change. I often thought that the challenges in IT were very much around the technology and the incredible pace of technology and issues with new technologies - whether it is equipment or poor integration, poor vendor support or factory changes. But but when I reflect on those challenges, I think they will always exist, and still exist today. Not a lot has changed unfortunately.
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From Our Editors
Westerham Golf Club celebrates the sport amongst the Kentish countryside. The 6270-yard, par-72 course features USGA specification greens, woodland and water hazards, as well as views across the North Downs. The site also features a ten-acre driving range, an eight-acre short-game area and a putting green. Lessons for all abilities are taught at an indoor teaching area, while elsewhere a pro shop stocks supplies and a clubhouse serves refreshments and meals.


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Design submitted by Firdaus from Malaysia.
Inspired by Eyes of Rinnegan from Naruto and by the song Cradle of Forest from Silent Hill 4 OST, Firdaus came up with this watch design.
This watch design describes the three paths of time in analog format – left section for hours, right for minutes, and the middle section for seconds. There is an integrated button on the right side and a screw to set the time. The eyes glow in the dark but there is an added LED illumination if necessary.
Once activated, the eyes will continuously glow every single minute for 10 minutes. It also has a set of rich solar panels to support longer use.
A unique watch designed with horror, creepy, and Gothic theme.


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Maria Sudibyo
Maria Sudibyo [pearl in pig] (280883 / parist van java)
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Time: 5 to 10 minutes.What you need: Sharp scissors (such as Rickycare six-inch shears; $15, rickysnyc.com for info) and a mirror.How-to: Start with dry hair. (If your hair is wet, your bangs will wind up too short.) To ensure that you are cutting straight, look in the mirror and place the comb horizontally at the spot where you want the bottom of the bangs to be. (They should fall just above the eyebrows.) Make small snips at a vertical angle to create a soft fringe, using the point of the shears rather than chopping with the entire blade; this will give you more control. Make sure the comb remains parallel to the floor. And, finally, show restraint: Watching those cuttings raining softly into the sink can be dangerously satisfying.A pro charges: $20DIY cost: $0, after the initial $15 for scissors
Time: 5 minutes.What you need: Pliers, heel-tip replacements ($6 a pair, newheeltips.com), and a hammer.How-to: This works best when you have at least two millimeters of plastic remaining on the heel. Use the pliers to remove the old tip from the heel. Choose a tip that fits the shape of the heel (print the type chart from newheeltips.com) and insert it into the now vacant hole. Hammer the tip into the heel (or carefully bang it against a hard surface) to make sure it's secure. Repeat for the other shoe. Strut your stuff.Tip: Use a left-to-right twisting motion to remove the old tip rather than pulling it out. Cover the hammer and pliers with masking tape to avoid damaging the heel.A pro charges: $12DIY cost: $5 for heel tips
Time: 5 minutes.What you need: A magnifier or reading glasses, two pairs of flat-nose pliers ($5.50 each), a new clasp ($2.50), and jump rings if the old ones are broken ($3.75 each for silver-plated; all available at firemountaingems.com).How-to: This is so quick, you'll be sorting through your jewelry box for other pieces to repair. Work with the magnifier or reading glasses in a space with ample light.Step 1. Open the two jump rings, which link each side of the clasp to the string or chain. Each of these rings has a slit. With a pair of pliers in each hand, gently grip one of the rings on both sides of the slit, using a light touch. Push one hand away from you while pulling the other hand toward you until the opening is large enough for the clasp to slip out. (Don't pull the ring out to the sides or you'll misshape it.)Step 2. Remove the old clasp and rings if they're damaged. Slip the new rings and clasp onto the necklace or bracelet and close them gently with the pliers. You're done.A pro charges: $30DIY cost: $11 for pliers, $2.50 to $9.50 for supplies
Time: 15 minutes, plus drying time.What you need: Mighty Mendit bonding agent ($15, amazon.com). Note: Don't use this product on dry-clean-only clothing, Velcro, denier nylon (luggage fabric), vinyl, or very sheer or delicate textiles.How-to:Step 1. Determine where the fabric should fold up for a hem or where it should overlap for a split seam so that everything lies flat.Step 2. Working in one- to three-inch sections, apply Mighty Mendit adhesive in a thin, wavy line (or in zigzag dots) on one of the two sides that will be joined. Fold the fabric over for a hem or press it together for a seam. Continue working in small sections until finished.Step 3. Allow to dry for two hours. The garment can be washed after 24 hours.A pro charges: $15 to sew up one garmentDIY cost: $0, after the initial $20 for a bottle of bonding agent
Time: 45 minutes.What you need: A metal nail clipper, a disposable nail file, a buffing block ($4, probeautywarehouse.com), a foot file (preferably disposable; $11, buynail.com), a cuticle pusher ($3.50, buynail.com), a tub for soaking, foot cream, non-acetone polish remover, a foam toe separator or paper towels, and three polishes―base coat, color, and topcoat.How-to:Step 1. Trim the toenails with a clipper, then shape them with the fine-grit side of a nail file. Stroke the file in one direction; don't saw back and forth.Step 2. Buff off any remaining fragments with a buffing block.Step 3. Soak feet in warm water for 5 to 10 minutes or until the water turns cool. (Add a bath oil to the tub for extra softening.)Step 4. Exfoliate with a foot file, focusing on rough patches, like the heels and the outside edges of the big toes.Step 5. Push back cuticles using the pusher or a warm wash cloth; follow up with your favorite foot cream.Step 6. Clean the nails with polish remover and separate the toes with a foam toe separator or pieces of paper towel.Step 7. Apply a base coat. By the time you finish painting the last toe, you'll be ready for the colored polish.Step 9. Apply two coats of color, allowing each coat to dry for a few minutes. Tip: Start each nail with a dab of polish in the center, then fan out in even strokes to the right and the left. Get a salon finish by swiping the brush along the tip of each nail to round the edges.Step 10. Finish with the topcoat.A pro charges: $35DIY cost: $0, after the initial $18.50 for supplies
Time: 15 minutes.What you need: The Pinupgirl Kit ($25, amazon.com), which contains pins, elastics, and instructions for creating this and three other updos. If you need to add volume to your hair, apply a texture styling spray and curl your hair with a large-barrel curling iron.How-to:Step 1. Pull hair up into a ponytail and secure with an elastic band or a bungee (an elastic band that closes with hooks).Step 2. Place the hair-bun accessory around the base of the ponytail and fasten with large bobby pins. (If your hair is thick enough, you can skip the bun accessory.)Step 3. Flip your head over and evenly fan out the ponytail over the bun to cover it. Secure with another bungee.Step 4. Wind the remaining hair around the base of the bun so it conceals the bungee; fix in place with bobby pins.A pro charges: $40DIY cost: $0, after the initial $22 for the kit


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The Broadway Projection Master Classes were held for one day yesterday at NYU Tisch School of the Arts.
Projection technology panelists Steve Gilbard of coolux, Jeremy Kumin of Enttec, Loren Barton of TMB/Green Hippo, Ben Saltzman of A.C.T Lighting
The one-day Projection Master Classes take place today.
Arianna Knapp of Senovva and Chris Curran of TMB participated in a panel discussion on the future of projection technology.
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'Salmon Fishing in the Yemen' review: good catch
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Romance. Starring Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt. Directed by Lasse Hallström. (PG-13. 112 minutes. At Bay Area theaters.)
Fishing makes a great occasion for philosophizing. What could be more meditative - and gauzily cinematic - than the sight of calm men in gaiters contemplating the universe? If the scenery is pretty enough, and the men are handsome enough, and the script is well enough written to stave off platitudes, why, the results can be disarming.
Case in point: "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen," a gentle comic drama from Swedish director Lasse Hallström that makes use of pink-fleshed vertebrates as the inspiration for sweet romantic musings on love and life, faith and patience - and the courage to go against the flow.
Ewan McGregor plays Fred, a staid civil servant who works for the British fisheries department. Fred has several attributes that make him a prime target for narrative exploitation: He's too kind, quiet, skeptical, organized and unhappily married. So the screenplay (by "127 Hours" co-scribe Simon Beaufoy, from the novel by Paul Torday) messes with him heavily, making him the point man in 10 Downing Street's public-relations effort to score a feel-good story in a Muslim country. How? By supporting a Yemeni sheikh's lofty plan to dam, irrigate and stock his home country with 10,000 North Atlantic salmon.
The lovely Brit helping the sheikh (Amr Waked) is Harriet (played by Emily Blunt with just the right fusion of uncertainty and charm). She's so obviously made for Fred, and he's so obviously made for her, but she has a boyfriend (Tom Mison) and he has that wife (Rachael Stirling, putting the ill in pill). And the film's emotional complexities don't allow for much of the canned sentiment that normally gets dished out in romantic dramas; what emerges instead, over several reels, is endearingly tender and complicated.
Amy Biancolli is a Hearst movie writer. firstname.lastname@example.com


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Elaine Clayton
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I am a clairvoyant, clairaudient, psychic-intuitive medium and have highly cinematic visions. Mediumship is a deeply important part of this work for me. My purpose as an intuitive/psychic reader is to describe what I see for you in terms of past influences, present circumstances and creating a future you'd like to experience. I will also be focused on how the chakras or emotional centers of your body speak to you to help empower you, and to access your own intuitive intelligence. My intent is to strengthen each person who comes to me, and their connection to the Source of All Life. We are experiencing life to create and to learn through situations. I am a spiritual, figurative artist using art and visions to reach illumination. I am an author and artist of books in intuition and my readings will help you develop your intuition, my book MAKING MARKS (Simon and Schuster/Beyond Words 2014). My book ILLUMINARA INTUITIVE JOURNAL WITH CARDS was created to help others develop their intuitive intelligence and both books are excellent tools to use. I offer intuitive readings, workshops and classes (and Reiki) in CT, by phone and in NYC by appointment. Contact me at www.elaineclayton.com
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Author of books on intuition development, MAKING MARKS: Discover the Art of Intuitive Drawing/Simon and Schuster 2014 and ILLUMINARA INTUITIVE JOURNAL WITH CARDS (recently featured on Hay House Radio Show Provocative Enlightenment with Eldon Taylor). I'm a long time author/illustrator of books for children. I have done intuitive readings and dream journaling for over 30 years. I have become more dedicated to the healing arts and create art for the purpose of illuminating and strengthening myself and others. I am a Reiki Master and former teacher. I practice Reiki and readings in NYC and CT. My website is www.elaineclayton.com, and my spiritual open sketchbook blog is www.elaineclayton.com
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J/A+A/544/A18 Radio galaxies of the local universe (van Velzen+, 2012)
Radio galaxies of the local universe. All-sky catalog, luminosity functions, and clustering. van Velzen S., Falcke H., Schellart P., Nierstenhoefer N., Kampert K.-H. <Astron. Astrophys. 544, A18 (2012)> =2012A&A...544A..18V
ADC_Keywords: Galaxies, IR ; Galaxies, radio ; Redshifts ; Morphology Keywords: accretion, accretion disks - catalogs - galaxies: jets - galaxies: active - radio continuum: galaxies - methods: statistical Abstract: We present the first catalog of radio-emitting galaxies that covers the entire sky. Our catalog allows the selection of volume-limited subsamples containing all low-power radio galaxies, similar to the prototypical low-power radio galaxies Cen A or M87, within some hundred Mpc. Over 30% of the galaxies in our catalog are not contained in existing large-area extra-galactic radio samples. We find that the local galaxy density in a sphere of 2Mpc centered on the radio galaxies is 1.7 times higher than around non-radio galaxies of the same luminosity and morphology. This significant enhancement suggests a causal relation between external galaxy properties, such as environment or merger history, and the formation of powerful jets in the present universe. Since the enhancement is observed with respect to galaxies of the same luminosity and Hubble type, it is not primarily driven by black hole mass. Our automated matching procedure is found to select radio-emitting galaxies with high efficiency (99%) and purity (91%). Description: The catalog is constructed by matching radio emission of NVSS (1.4GHz, (Cat. VIII/65) ) and SUMSS (843MHz, Cat. VIII/81) to galaxies of the 2MASS Redshift Survey (2MRS, Cat. J/ApJS/199/26) using an image-level algorithm that properly treats the extended structure of radio sources. The sample contains 575 radio-emitting galaxies with a flux greater than 213 mJy at 1.4 GHz or 289 mJy at 843 MHz. Besides this master catalog, we also provide a list of all radio Gaussians that have been matched. We estimate that the expected number of background matches for extended radio sources in our catalog is 11. Most of these random matches can be removed by excluding sources with 'Unknown' morphology (ie, class≡'u'). We note that for a few galaxies that are detected in the overlap region between NVSS and SUMSS, the sum of integrated flux at 1.4GHz is too low compared to the sum of the integrated flux at 843MHz (eg, NGC 1316). This happens when the extended emission is resolved out in the NVSS images (the Fsyn column can be used to avoid this complication). File Summary:
FileName Lrecl Records Explanations
ReadMe 80 . This file master.dat 308 575 The master catalog, one entry per galaxy matches.dat 71 2009 The catalog listing each radio match per galaxy
See also: VII/233 : The 2MASS Extended sources (IPAC/UMass, 2003-2006) VIII/65 : 1.4GHz NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS) (Condon+ 1998) VIII/81 : Sydney University Molonglo Sky Survey, SUMSS V2.1 (Mauch+ 2008) J/ApJS/199/26 : The 2MASS Redshift Survey (2MRS) (Huchra+, 2012) Byte-by-byte Description of file: master.dat
Bytes Format Units Label Explanations
1- 16 A16 --- 2MASX Target name of galaxy from 2MRS, HHMMSSss+DDMMSSs 18- 40 A23 --- NEDname NED name of galaxy 42- 50 F9.5 deg RAdeg Right ascension of galaxy (J2000) 52- 60 F9.5 deg DEdeg Declination of galaxy (J2000) 62- 70 F9.5 deg GLON Galactic longitude 72- 80 F9.5 deg GLAT Galactic latitude 82- 87 F6.3 mag Kmag K-band isophotal flux in AB mag (1) 89- 94 F6.3 mag e_Kmag rms uncertainty on Kmag in AB mag(2) 96-106 F11.9 --- z Heliocentric redshift 108-118 F11.9 --- zdist Peculiar-velocity corrected redshift 120-130 F11.9 --- e_zdist Uncertainty on zdist 132-137 F6.2 Mpc Dist Mean of NED-D and Hubble dist (3) 139-144 F6.2 Mpc e_Dist Uncertainty on Dist 146-147 I2 --- TT Galaxy morphological type code (4) 149-150 I2 --- Ns Number of SUMSS sources matched (5) 152-153 I2 --- Nn Number of NVSS sources matched (5) 155-164 F10.2 mJy F1400 ?=0 Sum integrated flux at 1.4GHz (6) 166-175 F10.2 mJy e_F1400 rms uncertainty on F1400 177-186 F10.2 mJy F843 ?=0 Integrated flux at 843MHz (6) 188-197 F10.2 mJy e_F843 rms uncertainty on F843 199-208 F10.2 mJy Fsyn Synthetic flux at 1.1GHz (8)(7) 210-219 E10.3 10-7W Lsyn Synthetic luminosity, νLν, at 1.1GHz (8) 221-228 F8.6 deg Samaj Sum major axis FWHM of matches (8) 230-237 F8.6 deg Mamaj Max major axis FWHM of matched (8) 239 I1 --- l_Mamaj [0/1] Limit flag on major axis (9) 241-248 F8.6 deg dMax Maximum distance of matches to galaxy 250-257 F8.6 deg dMin Minimum distance of matches to galaxy 259-266 F8.6 deg dcont Distance of the galaxy to the second-highest radio contour (10) 268-276 F9.5 deg RAgdeg Right ascension of geometrical center (J2000) (11) 278-286 F9.5 deg DEgdeg Declination of geometrical center (J2000) (11) 288-296 F9.5 deg RAfdeg Right ascension of flux-weighted center (J2000) (11) 298-306 F9.5 deg DEfdeg Declination of flux-weighted center (J2000) (11) 308 A1 --- cl [pgju] Classification on morphology (12)
Note (1): Corrected for galactic extinction. Note (2): Uncertainties are 1-sigma (68% symmetric confidence interval). Note (3): Inverse-variance weighted mean of distance from NED-D and peculiar velocity corrected Hubble-distance (h=0.72). Note (4): Galaxy type runs from -9 to 9, encoding the Hubble sequence, or 98 if galaxy has never been examined (see Huchra et al., 2012, Cat. J/ApJS/199/26, Table A8). Note (5): We count the number of matched Gaussian after manual rejection. Note (6): Zero if no matches at this frequency. Note (7): Obtained using a fixed spectral index of alpha=-0.6. Note (8): When both NVSS and SUMSS matches are available, we the pick the largest value. Note (9): Limit flag on major axis is 1 if source is not resolved in both NVSS and SUMSS. Note (10): The distance of the galaxy to the second-highest radio contour, zero if within contour. Note (11): When both NVSS and SUMSS matches are available, we use the mean. Note (12): Classification on morphology as follows: p = Point sources g = Starforming galaxies j = Jets & lobes u = Unknown
Byte-by-byte Description of file: matches.dat
Bytes Format Units Label Explanations
1- 16 A16 --- 2MASX Target name of galaxy from 2MRS, HHMMSSss+DDMMSSs 18 A1 --- Cat [NS] Radio catalog (N=NVSS, S=SUMSS) 20- 28 F9.5 deg RAdeg Right Ascension of radio Gaussian (J2000) 30- 38 F9.5 deg DEdeg Declination of radio Gaussian (J2000) 40- 47 F8.6 deg amaj FWHM of major axis (deconvolved) 49 I1 --- f_amaj [0/1] Limit flag on major axis (1) 51- 60 F10.2 mJy F1400 ?=0 Integrated flux at 1.4GHz (2) 62- 71 F10.2 mJy F843 ?=0 Integrated flux at 843MHz (3)
Note (1): flag is zero if source is resolved Note (2): zero if Cat = 'S' Note (3): zero if Cat = 'N'
Acknowledgements: Sjoert van Velzen, s.vanvelzen (at)astro.ru.nl
(End) S. van Velzen [Radboud Univ. Nijmegen], P. Vannier [CDS] 18-Jun-2012
|The document above follows the rules of the Standard Description for Astronomical Catalogues.From this documentation it is possible to generate f77 program to load files into arrays or line by line
© Université de Strasbourg/CNRS
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Bright Sun, Great Times At LI Fall Festival/
Long Islanders News Staff
With the sun shining brightly on warm fall days, thousands of people descended on Hecksher Park in Huntington to take part in the 22nd Annual Long Island Fall Festival this weekend.
The event, billed as the largest of its kind in the Northeast, was hosted by the Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce and the Town of Huntington and included carnival rides, live music, games, food and hundreds of vendors of all stripes.
On Sunday afternoon, the sidewalks of Main Street filled up for the Long Island Columbus Day Parade, sponsored by the Order of the Sons of Italy in America and the Town of Huntington.
For red-headed siblings Ryan and Laura Sheehan, of Huntington, it was all about the rides.
"That was awesome!" cheered Laura, 6, as she exited the spinning Paratroopers ride with Ryan, 8, on Saturday.
Ditto for festival first-timer Yovanna Camargo, 35, of Huntington, who attended with sons, David, 14, and 2-year-old Nicolas.
"And the food, of course," added Camargo, as she bit into a gyro wrap while David chomped into a turkey leg and Nicolas devoured sweet corn.
As she watched her son Ben, 5, beam down the Super Slide, Kim Bode, 39, of East Northport, said has attended the festival for the past 10 years, and that her favorite parts were the vendors and how the festival brings the "community together.
Brayden Tandy, 6, and sister Brianna, 7, of Babylon, enjoyed the crafts area, taking spoons into colored sand to create their own sand art.
Mom Janet Tandy, whose family has been going to the festival "for years," said she loves "the family fun" it offers.
"I really love the music, and the food," said Kenny Weiss, 57, of Valley Stream, leaning on a wooden dock railing to watch the turtles and fish swim in the pond. "The Thompson Gunners songs that I heard were fantastic."
Weiss, a respiratory therapist, says that Long Island festivals, like the Fall Festival at Heckscher Park, are what make the Island great, and that he looks forward to them every year.
"Today is just a beautiful day here at the festival," Weiss said. "It's just a beautiful time all around."


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The BBC has scrapped its digital production system and archive plans after admitting wasting almost £100m on it.
The corporation said the Digital Media Initiative (DMI), which was intended to create a production system linked to the corporation's vast broadcasting archive, has cost £98.4m since it started in 2008 but to continue would be "throwing good money after bad".
The corporation's chief technology officer John Linwood, who earns £280,000 a year, has been suspended on full pay pending the outcome of a BBC investigation.
Director-general Tony Hall said: "The DMI project has wasted a huge amount of licence fee payers' money and I saw no reason to allow that to continue which is why I have closed it.
"I have serious concerns about how we managed this project and the review that has been set up is designed to find out what went wrong and what lessons can be learned.
"Ambitious technology projects like this always carry a risk of failure, it does not mean we should not attempt them but we have a responsibility to keep them under much greater control than we did here."
BBC Trust member Anthony Fry said the project had "generated little or no assets" for the corporation.
In a letter to Margaret Hodge MP, who chairs the Public Accounts Committee which investigated the project, he said: "This is because much of the software and hardware which has been developed could only be used by the BBC if the project were completed, a course of action which, due to technological difficulties and changes to business needs, would be, I fear, equivalent to throwing good money after bad."
He said accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers would carry out an external review "to establish what went wrong" and said the trust wanted "to understand how the reporting to the executive board, its audit committee, and the finance committee of the trust appears to have failed to give any true picture of the extent of the problems with this project until late 2012".
The contract to develop the project was initially given to Siemens but later cancelled and taken back in house when it was not delivered on time.
Matthew Sinclair, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "The BBC has squandered an exceptional amount of licence fee payers' money on this doomed project. The DMI scheme has been beset by problems from the start while value for money appears to have been of only fleeting concern to those in charge.
"It's all very well saying that actions will be taken to ensure this can't happen again but that doesn't excuse or explain how this incredible waste of money has come to pass in the first place."