text:
When I started working on It Itches, I knew next to nothing about how a book is published. After many months, I can now proudly say that I know almost next to nothing.
Recently I learned about the BLAD. To me, BLAD sounds like the name of a dashing Hungarian spy, or perhaps an onomatopoeia describing the sound of vomit. But my patient editor, Anne, explained that it stands for Book Layout And Design. The BLAD is a little sampler of the finished work that Interweave will use to mesmerize wholesale buyers into ordering hundreds of thousands of copies.
Needless to say, I support them in this mission.
So when Anne asked for an author portrait to put into the BLAD I was delighted to comply even though I am my least favorite subject. Interweave's publicity team specifically states that it does not want high school yearbook poses, and indeed my own is a perfect example (on so many levels) of What Not to Do.
(The expression on my face perfectly conveys the joy I felt at being a tuition-paying pupil of my lousy high school. I remember the photographer told me to smile and I snapped, "I am smiling.")
So I decided to create what we in the click-click biz call an "environmental portrait" of myself in my natural setting. However, there proved to be too much traffic in the ice cream aisle at the supermarket; people kept knocking over the light stands with their shopping carts. So I went with Plan B and set up a shot at my drawing board.
To get the proper angle I had to elevate the camera on a tripod about seven feet off the ground, which of course meant to reach it I had to climb up my library steps. All told, with makeup and hair styling and wardrobe consults and such it took four hours to come up with one acceptable frame.
I sent it off to Interweave, and got a sweetly apologetic e-mail response from Anne. Apparently I had misunderstood. The photograph was nice, but...given the nature of the book, they wanted a drawn portrait. How about something like that avatar I'd used on Ravelry. That sure was cute!
This is the avatar she meant.
Honestly, how is the Pulitzer committee supposed to take me seriously with an image like this?
More Portraits
I don't love taking pictures of myself, but you may have noticed I quite enjoy taking pictures of other knitters. And guess what: there are more 1,000 Knitters public shoots on the calendar.
- March 15, 2008: Yellow Dog Knitting in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Nota bene: Dixie (who I can't wait to meet) is asking folks to sign up in advance, so please check out the shop Web site for full details.
- March 18, 2008: Windy City Knitting Guild in Chicago. The meeting is open to all; sittings will be first-come, first-served and space will be limited. If you haven't checked out the Guild yet, perhaps this would be a good time to visit. The meeting runs from 6:45–8:55, but I'll begin at 4:30 and have to stop about 8:30 in order to pack up the set.*
- April 12, 2008: The Yarnery of St. Paul, MN is graciously hosting me at Yarnover from 9 am–5 pm. Yarnover is a daylong event held annually by the Minnesota Knitters Guild, with a free vendor market featuring 24 unique purveyors of fiber from across the Midwest, as well as the opportunity to register for classes with regional and national knitting teachers; for more information, visit www.knitters.org. The Yarnery will soon have model releases on hand for those who'd like to participate; they'd appreciate it if folks would sign up in advance.
- May 31, 2008: The Knitting Nest in Austin, Texas. You read it right, y'all...Texas. I can't wait. We'll be shooting from 10 am to 5 pm. Yeeeeeeehaaaaaaaw!


text:
Beauty is one of the oldest and most powerful concepts in human history—inspiring artists and lighting up cultural movements, philosophical debates, and, in modern times, curious scientific interest. Beauty is a desirable feature of the products we buy, with the power to shape consumer choices and preferences.
While the nature of beauty is still a mystery, the nature of design is unquestionably linked to the beautification of crafts throughout human history.
Designers purposely create beautiful solutions so people can enjoy solving problems, working, or pursuing goals. In recent years, concepts like visual design, aesthetics, information architecture, and usability have helped designers create more ways for people to enjoy using technology. However, when it comes to interaction design, functional beauty outweighs aesthetics—here's why:
Understanding Functional Beauty
Socrates believed that "all things are good and beautiful in relation to those purposes for which they are well adapted [and] bad and ugly in relation to those for which they are ill adapted." This view summarizes the "strong" definition of functional beauty. Another way to look at it is that if an object is well made for its purpose, but does not look good, its "fitness for function" may be underestimated and it will not be deemed "good enough."
For software engineers, this piece of philosophical truth didn't make much sense for a long time, because design hasn't always been part of the engineering process. Remember the bulky mobile phones that first came out on the market, or some of the very first operating systems? Ugly products were the first to hit the market because, although they were pushing the boundaries of technology, software engineers left important human factors outside those boundaries for a long time.
A few years later, Apple strategically refocused design thinking on user experience and innovation—a move that we now know helped make it what is widely considered one of the most valuable and admired companies in the world.
"You've got to start with the customer experience and work back toward the technology," Steve Jobs said.
It's a great piece of advice: To create functional beauty, start with customer experience. It's a more natural—although not easier—design strategy. Just like beauty, user experience is complex and subjective, but while artists and philosophers scramble to decipher beauty as a whole, UX professionals can actually create it.
Creating Functional Beauty
Designers need to understand that functional beauty is a key element of user experience design. It can be produced intentionally and it's not related to drawing skills or artistic background. Functional beauty is part of a long, well-documented process, where design thinking, not design making, leads the way from ideas to tangible products. The diagram below shows how functional beauty emerges from the following major components of a well-designed product:
It's a mind-blowing truth, but sometimes software products are successful despite their blatant ugliness. Some are so ugly, that their attempted design seems like a deliberate expression of someone trying to make software engineers look bad. Online banking applications and financial and data analysis products usually fall in this category, as does Craigslist. Despite their unappealing and rigid UIs, these products do not have serious usability issues. They are still used mostly in industries where the need for user engagement is low and the focus tends toward managing data or performing complex operations.
However, as consumers more frequently select against poorly designed, unappealing products, there's a new kind of marketplace rising, where successful products start at the high end of usability and become popular when they are truly unique and beautiful. The building blocks of great usability are: performance, seamless interaction, and familiarity.
Peak performance comes when user goals are met consistently through flawless functionality and error-free interaction. If the product breaks down, it will slow down user productivity and cause frustrating disengagements.
Seamless interaction depends on the quality of the feedback and direction designers are able to incorporate into navigation elements, warning messages, notifications, and the like. If users are left wondering what to do or believing something is not working right, they will no longer enjoy using the product.
Familiarity is a safe common ground where user's needs and usability issues can be addressed using the same language. There are plenty of examples where interaction is designed around familiar, efficient, and straightforward patterns, including the skeuomorphic approach designers love to hate. Employing a skeuomorphic approach is almost like the easy way out—creating beautiful interfaces that essentially just reproduce the visual coordinates of objects created by craftsmen and artists for a specific type of activity (like the look, sound, and "feel" of turning a page in a book).
The bottom line is, pretty useless products are a waste of time and money, for both customers and software companies. Going back to Socrates' definition beauty as "fitness for function," functional beauty should start with usability, but be refined considering the following four dimensions.
More often than not, innovative ideas sell themselves, but it's challenging to take the UX design lead because innovation does not fit the tiny box of years-old design methodologies. Ingenuity often comes at the end of a solitary journey, when designers start exploring possibilities outside any previous experience with existing products.
Ingenuity in design is a powerful emotive tool because it engages the user at a deeper level: its novelty excites and its out-of-this-world character converts early adopters into raving fans. Curiosity feeds more positive emotions than familiarity and creates new touch points that resonate with specific user needs.
Discovr is a great example of ingenuity in design: all basic user tasks are intuitively facilitated by simple gestural interaction, making buttons completely unnecessary—so simple, yet so creative. Design ingenuity can be enough to produce compelling interactions. Think about that before trying to beautify interaction by over-designing the interface or striving to create photorealistic skeuomorphic interfaces.
Appealing interfaces break the ice and tremendously increase a product's perceived value, however, visual attractiveness alone does not guarantee long-term commitment. Visually appealing interfaces can be surprisingly simple when they are built from a holistic perspective where the designer understands user needs in relation to the dominant activity pre-supposed during interaction.
For example, if reading is the dominant human activity, then a vertical composition will be more intuitive and ensure a clean composition. The Boston Globe, is a great example of a website achieving functional beauty through structure and visual hierarchy (it was the recipient for World's Best Designed News Website Award in 2011).
The design does not stand out by virtue of any visual element that can be considered conventionally beautiful, such as color palette, decorations, textures, or graphic elements. Instead, it's the clean structure and layout alone—employing responsive techniques and focusing on a dominant human activity—that make the website exceptionally well-designed with a beautiful interface. Visual hierarchy is constructed through a great use of white space and typography. Employing a vertical composition also ensures that the same visual hierarchy is preserved across all devices.
Rhythm is created through contrast, size, and shape, and is controlled using elements like type, buttons, icons, pictures, and white space. Twitter is a good example of functional beauty achieved through rhythm in design. The content flows vertically, just like an imaginary timeline, while the horizontal space is dedicated to individual events or actions. The rhythm fits perfectly with the continuous flow of conversation, while also encouraging users to focus on and explore individual events in the streamline.
There's an old saying that "A house does not make a home." Any app can look great and pass all usability tests, but there can still be a small chance that users won't connect with it. An effective way to make that connection, is to add personality to whatever you're designing.
Ravi Sawhney points out that designers can drive change, but more often than not disruptive ideas and products must have a personality that the average user can relate to. Pretty products without a personality cannot have the emotive power to cause large-scale disruptions because people are unable to relate to an underlying story. Connecting a product with the right kind of personality is best achieved by exploring users' expectations through research and user testing.
Final Words
Beauty may be fleeting and in the eye of the beholder, but functional beauty is not an elusive attribute. It comes to life through hard work and remains for the entire lifecycle of a product. Designers can produce functional beauty by creating compelling, innovative products that are aesthetically enchanting, adapted to a dominant human activity, and usable. So before you get too excited about inspiring pixel perfect designs, think about it: how much of the beautiful work you're passionately producing ties in with the function of a brilliantly designed product?
Image of celastrina ladon collecting nectar courtesy Shutterstock.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Stay Current PSA Newsroom
June 9, 2014
Bombardier Delivers First Enhanced CRJ900 NextGen Regional Jet to American Airlines
Bombardier Delivers First Enhanced CRJ900 NextGen Regional Jet to American Airlines
(See Photos of the Delivery Ceremony and video)
– First of 30 to be operated by PSA Airlines – Enhanced CRJ900 NextGen aircraft offers up to 5.5 per cent lower fuel consumption than earlier-generation CRJ900 aircraft
MONTRÉAL, QUÉBEC–(Marketwired – June 6, 2014) – Bombardier Aerospace has delivered the first of 30 enhanced CRJ900 NextGen aircraft to American Airlines Group Inc. The aircraft will be operated by American Airlines Group wholly owned subsidiary PSA Airlines, Inc. under the American Eagle brand. The purchase agreement for the aircraft, which was announced in December 2013, also included options on an additional 40 CRJ900 NextGen aircraft.
Prior to yesterday's delivery ceremony, the aircraft was unveiled to American Airlines employees and PSA Airlines employees at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and in Dayton, Ohio. Representatives of the media also had the opportunity to view the aircraft.
American Airlines is the first customer to take delivery of the enhanced CRJ900 NextGen regional jet, which provides up to 5.5 per cent fuel burn reduction over earlier-generation CRJ900 aircraft.
The delivery ceremony at Bombardier's Mirabel, Québec, facility was attended by senior executives and employees of American Airlines, PSA Airlines, Bombardier and major suppliers to the CRJ Series regional jet program.
"We look forward to integrating the enhanced CRJ900 NextGen aircraft into our fleet and to expanding service for our customers," said Keith Houk, President, PSA Airlines. "The new CRJ900 NextGen aircraft will provide us with new opportunities and signal a bright future for PSA."
"This milestone delivery of the first enhanced CRJ900 NextGen aircraft further cements our long-standing relationship with American Airlines and we are pleased to welcome PSA Airlines as the latest operator to join the CRJ900 NextGen family," said Ray Jones, Senior Vice President, Sales, Marketing and Asset Management, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. "Both airlines have been operating Bombardier aircraft for more than 10 years and have helped the CRJ family of aircraft become the benchmark in regional aviation. We look forward to the aircraft's imminent entry-into-service and congratulate American Airlines and PSA Airlines as they target their various markets with the right aircraft to meet the requirements of both business and leisure travellers."
As of March 31, 2014, Bombardier had recorded firm orders for 1,817 CRJ Series aircraft, including 343 CRJ900 and CRJ900 NextGen aircraft. Worldwide, CRJ Series aircraft are in service with more than 60 airlines and more than 30 customers operate corporate variants of the aircraft. The aircraft are operating in more than 50 countries on six continents, and on average, a CRJ aircraft takes off every 10 seconds somewhere in the world. CRJ Series aircraft have transported more than 1.4 billion passengers and have logged more than 39 million flight hours and over 32 million takeoffs and landings.
About CRJ900 NextGen aircraft
Like other members of the CRJ Series family of aircraft, the light weight and advanced aerodynamics of the CRJ900 NextGen regional jet combine to deliver improved efficiency and reduced operating costs compared to other aircraft in its class. Since the launch of the earlier-generation CRJ900 aircraft, enhancements to the CRJ900 NextGen aircraft have resulted in up to 5.5 per cent fuel burn reduction.
In addition to offering significant fuel cost savings per aircraft, as well as outstanding operational flexibility, the CRJ900 NextGen aircraft provides customers with an improved experience that includes excellent legroom, bright cabins resulting from large windows and LED lighting as well as large overhead bins.
The CRJ900 NextGen aircraft's advanced technologies include a conic-shaped exhaust nozzle that improves exhaust flow and reduces fuel consumption; various weight-saving initiatives; and a six-screen glass cockpit featuring the Rockwell Collins Pro Line IV integrated avionics suite, whose robust open architecture delivers reliable performance with growth capability to meet future communication, navigation, surveillance and air traffic management requirements.
About Bombardier
Bombardier is the world's only manufacturer of both planes and trains. Looking far ahead while delivering today, Bombardier is evolving mobility worldwide by answering the call for more efficient, sustainable and enjoyable transportation everywhere. Our vehicles, services and, most of all, our employees are what make us a global leader in transportation.
Bombardier is headquartered in Montréal, Canada. Our shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD) and we are listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America Indexes. In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013, we posted revenues of $18.2 billion. News and information are available at bombardier.com or follow us on Twitter @Bombardier.
Notes to editors
Images of CRJ900 NextGen aircraft in the livery of American Eagle is posted with this release at www.aero.bombardier.com. Additional information is available at www.crjnextgen.com.
Follow @Bombardier_Aero on Twitter to receive the latest news and updates from Bombardier Aerospace.
Bombardier, CRJ, CRJ900, NextGen and The Evolution of Mobility are trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries.
Marc Duchesne
Bombardier Commercial Aircraft


text:
What a golden opportunity to show off your cooking skills, and a flair for the dramatic; not to mention the countless innuendos and double entendres such a scene would afford. Afraid it won't turn out, and you'll completely embarrass yourself? Too bad! No guts, no glory, and by "glory" we mean…glory.
The good news is, contrary to popular belief, and many cartoons, soufflés are actually very easy to make. I hope after a few viewings of this video, and maybe a practice run or two, you'll realize just how simple this really is. Of course, to make things a little exciting you can over-fill these like I did, which can cause some wild and unpredictably shaped soufflé tops.
I think they still look super cool, but if you stop filling a 1/4-inch from the top, they generally will rise a little straighter. Having said that, anyone who'd complain about the shape of a soufflé top has some serious issues, and should probably be asked to leave immediately.
View the complete sauce recipe


text:
Pokemon Plush
Open an online account with us!
Click on 'Create an Account' to get started! Once you have your own online account, you will be able to see pricing on each item, as well as order online!
Already have an account?
Click on 'Sign-In' to get access to the whole website including seeing pricing on each item and ordering online!
Browse our extensive line of products by category.
Grosnor can be contacted from anywhere in Canada with our toll free number 1-800-268-9066
You can also call us at (416) 744-3344
Our Hours of Operation are Monday to Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
4 Lowry Drive, Brampton, Ontario L7A 1C4
tel. 416.744.3344
fax. 416.744.1973
toll free: 1.800.268.9066


text:
Legal Forms
LawGuru.com has teamed up with FindLegalForms.com to provide access to an extensive catalog of attorney-prepared legal forms at a fraction of the price an attorney would charge. The forms are available for instant download, and backed by a 100% money-back guarantee.
The forms catalog at FindLegalForms.com includes a wide range of every-day personal and business legal forms, including:
- General Power of Attorney Forms
- Prenuptial Agreement Forms
- Living Will Forms
- House Lease Agreement Forms
- Affidavit Forms
- and more
And all of the forms at FindLegalForms.com include free Electronic Signature service. Electronic Signature allows you to safely share and sign most form documents quickly and easily - no scanning, no faxing, and no waiting required. It's fast, convenient, and legally binding in all 50 states. There are no apps to download and no special software is required. All you need is a browser on a desktop, laptop, or mobile device.
Make sure you purchase legal forms that are accurate, up-to-date, and legal in your state. Visit FindLegalForms.com today!


text:
Nearly one out of every four people living in Hudson County does not have health insurance, according to a recent Robert Wood Johnson Foundation/University of Wisconsin County Health Ranking and Roadmap.
This means many of these people seek out the services of emergency rooms, statewide Charity Care, or do not seek medical assistance until their conditions are far worse than they might have been if they saw a doctor regularly.
While this 23 percent of uninsured in the county may see some relief with expanded Medicaid and other new federal programs, three Hudson County Hospitals – Bayonne Medical Center, Christ Hospital, and Hoboken University Medical Center – are taking matters into their own hands.
The network, Holdco, which bought all three entities in the last five years, is in the process of developing a healthcare system in Hudson County that will not have to rely on institutions beyond its boundaries.
They also have been operating free clinics for patients with no insurance. The patients receive free medical services and evaluations by physicians and nurse practitioners, as well as laboratory studies, imaging studies, and medications.
"While doing shifts in the Emergency Department, it was evident that many of the same patients would have repeated ER visits as well as readmissions," said Dr. Mark Spektor, an ER physician and president and CEO of Bayonne Medical Center. "We felt that these patients were at risk due to their economic and insurance status. The current Medicaid expansion will not provide illegal immigrants with coverage, and this program will be essential for those individuals to gain access to healthcare. If given access to longitudinal, rather than episodic care, we felt these patients would maintain their health better, be more productive, and would require emergency care and acute hospitalizations at a lower rate."
"The Family Health Center is a much-needed resource for the members of our community who cannot afford to pay for their healthcare needs." — Dr. Virginia Witt.
Dr. Virginia Witt is medical director of Christ Hospital Family Health Center. "The Family Health Center is a much-needed resource for the members of our community who cannot afford to pay for their healthcare needs," she said.
The hospitals plan to expand the program to other locations. "We are serious about making this significant investment in population health management," said Dr. Spektor. "We feel strongly that a healthier Hudson County will benefit everyone."
Many patients swear by the free clinics. Luzmila Navarro has been living in Jersey City for 15 years and had never heard of a free clinic. "We have been to the clinic at least three times," she said. "The staff is amazing and very courteous. The doctors are caring and take the time to listen to us. I have been telling all my neighbors who cannot afford to pay for their care to come visit this wonderful clinic."
Audre Gaskin added, "The clinic has really been a blessing to me, and the staff was unbelievable." Rogelio Bulanadi echoed that assessment, noting that the clinic had done an outstanding job of caring for his father.
Gregory Hampton sang the praises of the nurse practitioner at the clinic, while Daniel Canales was grateful that the clinic was close to his home.
"I have been to so-called free clinics before that were not free," said Alicia Toribio. "This clinic has been a blessing for me, and my diabetes is managed very well."
Patients can call (201) 418-2128 to schedule an appointment at one of the free clinics.
Future may have even more to offer
Now profitable for the first time under private ownership, these hospitals have played hardball with insurance companies to get reimbursement rates they can live with. Although the network has made some progress with a few insurance companies, its future plans include establishing its own insurance company.
Right now, the hospitals are not in network with several major insurers.
Paul Walker, executive director of Hoboken University Medical Center, said that since the network facilities are for-profit hospitals, they will rely less on public money and more on their ability to provide service.
"There are a lot of for-profit hospitals, but in an urban area, this has been unheard of," Walker said.
The old model, he said, doesn't work. When insurance companies were paying so little, and hospitals were desperate for cash to pay ongoing bills, no one was looking to the future.
The hospitals are also grooming their own network of doctors—medical-school graduates who will be part of long-term plans.
"In three to five years, we might be known as an insurance company that happens to own hospitals," said Peter Kelly, executive director of Christ Hospital in Jersey City.
Al Sullivan may be reached at email@example.com.


text:
Good morning.
Our early headlines:
-- Video Depicting Urination On Corpses Won't Derail Peace Talks, Taliban Says.
-- Judge Blocks Pardons Issued By Outgoing Mississippi Gov. Barbour.
-- Penn State Will Honor Paterno, School President Says.
-- Jobless Claims Jump Up By 24,000.
Other stories making headlines:
-- "U.S. Intelligence Report On Afghanistan Sees Stalemate." (Los Angeles Times)
-- "Adversaries of Iran Said to Be Stepping Up Covert Actions." (The New York Times)
-- "Mexican Drug War Toll: 47,500 Killed In 5 Years." (The Associated Press)
-- "Romney Readies Bain Capital Counterattack." (Politico)
-- "Homeland Security Watches Twitter, Social Media." (Reuters)
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


text:
Semih Kaplanoglu's Yusuf trilogy traces the evolution of character from middle-age to childhood.
The past is continually revisited, reviewed and reminisced upon. Through works of film, theatre, literature and art we interrogate past actions, significant and not-so-significant events, and the manner in which they have shaped our world today. Taking his cue from psychoanalysis, Semih Kaplanoğlu reduces this interrogation into the microcosm of one man and his world. The Yusuf trilogy is an intriguing feat of Turkish cinema, whereby the lead character of Yusuf is witnessed in retrograde at key moments in his life.
Over its three instalments, Yumurta, Süt and Bal, the trilogy explores the middle-age, adolescence and childhood of the central character, Yusuf. Conversely Kaplanoğlu chose to begin his trilogy at middle age, deciding to "start from the place I know best, that is the age of 40." Yumurta follows Yusuf as a failed poet, travelling from Istanbul to grieve at his mother's funeral. Returning to his small town, Yusuf revisits his old life and "goes through an internal evolution rediscovering hope and future." In reviving his relationship with his mother upon her death, Yusuf sets in motion a journey of discovery of himself and the small town from which he has come. Kaplanoğlu describes Yumurta as being about "life's continuity and rebirth" and its dual position at both the beginning and end of the trilogy enhances this double-edged sword. Süt revisits Yusuf at the beginning of his burgeoning poetry career. Already a published writer, the 18-year-old is at a cross-roads of his life between "future and now, the city and town, women and mother," as he discovers the transgressions of his mother through her secret affair. Contemplating this shift in his relationship, his academic failures and his desire to become a successful poet, Yusuf faces the loss of innocence and heightened awareness of every adolescent. He encounters both doubt and decisiveness in his actions and challenges the road ahead while coming to terms with his past. In many ways, while Yumurta is a termination, Süt is very much a point of departure.
In Kaplanoğlu's writing evolution, the narrative of Süt was where the trilogy initially started: "In late 2005, I was working on a short story about an 18-year-old aspiring poet living in the countryside and sending out his poems to literary journals. It was provisionally entitled Bright Day. Then I wondered what would have happened to the same character in his adulthood and childhood. For instance if he would be able to keep writing poems when he is 40, what would he be doing for a living? Did he deal with the issues he had with his father?" Kaplanoğlu began to question the context and motives of his character, and concocted the idea of a trilogy as a way to explore this. What is unusual about the work is its evolution backwards through time. In order to discover the context of an 18-year-old character, we are led to his childhood, but Kaplanoğlu inverts this and instead begins the journey of discovery from his adulthood. It's a novel approach, and almost as if Kaplanoğlu is writing each subsequent character imagining his future actions (because they are already committed to film) rather than those of his past. This perpetuates the underlying theme that Kaplanoğlu discusses of life's continuity.
Penning the trilogy in collaboration with co-script writer Orçun Köksal, Kaplanoğlu chose Yumurta as his somewhat macabre starting point: "After a certain age, one focuses on the past rather than the future. Maybe it's something to do with drawing close to death or because the times we have lived are more than the times we will live." By beginning at the end Kaplanoğlu has the tools to start interrogating the past by knowing what it has created, "psychoanalysis does the same thing in order to return to the past to figure out what was wrong."
Naming the installments Yumurta, Süt and Bal, Kaplanoğlu infuses the trilogy with an inherently organic quality. Literally translated as Egg, Milk and Honey, each part references the land, foods and habitat of Yusuf's upbringing in rural Turkey, as well as the giving quality of nature. While Egg clearly references the mother-son relationship and its inception before birth, Milk interprets the strengthening of this bond through infancy, and to Kaplanoğlu Honey conjures images of a child's memory and imagination – "for me a poet's childhood is like honey gathering in the beehive."
In alluding to these metaphors, Kaplanoğlu engages with the organic evolution of the human character and the importance of the past in contextualising our character today. "The whole existence and unity of the universe and of course humanity is inside this moment we are living in. I am talking not about a horizontal but a vertical concept of life, and this is what I'm trying to make my audience sense in my films." Although the past clearly influences our future experiences and informs our character, Kaplanoğlu offers an alternative view of the life lived as one single moment in time, so that everything is concurrently the past, present and future, and the narrative of existence ceases to be a simple linear progression and becomes a more complex relationship of experiences simultaneously affecting us: "When one thinks about his current being, existence and or self, one certainly thinks about one's past too. I believe that we live in a 'now' that we partake in as soon as we are born."
As the final installment, Bal has won the director attention and international acclaim, achieving the Golden Bear at Berlin International Film Festival in 2010. Coming as it does at the end of the trilogy, but chronologically at the beginning, Bal represents the full achievement of Kaplanoğlu's filmmaking. Set in the beautiful Turkish countryside, the film conjures a fairytale land of forests and beekeepers around the mysterious natural phenomenon of the bees that have become sacred to Yusuf and his family. Each day Yusuf's father, Yakup, retreats into the forest to collect the rare honey from the lofty treetops. This honey supports his family's modest requirements but the bees, through reasons left unexplored in the film, are dying out. Faced with this threat to his livelihood, Yakup is forced into taking ever-greater risks to reach ever-taller and more remote parts of the forest. His honey-collecting excursions start to take the father away for days at a time until eventually Yusuf and his mother suffer a prolonged absence when his father fails to return. In its rural setting, Bal represents a very traditional and slowly deteriorating way of life that is still being lived by thousands of Turkish people today. In this manner, it becomes an integral part, not only of Yusuf's evolution through the trilogy, but also that of millions of other rural immigrants across the world. Appearing in a mountain village, a rural town, and a city, Yusuf completes the cycle in Yumurta in his return to his hometown "and his eventual rediscovery of himself. The clash of modern and traditional was the problem of the past century. There is a new situation today that is the existence of what is modern and what is traditional side-by-side." The forest of Bal is steeped in mysticism because it jars so markedly with the easy, hectic familarity of the urban environment: "Absence of spirituality in modern man's life has led to mystification of nature, which is almost expelled from our lives." Although Kaplanoğlu easily explains this quality, it retains its resonance, and the atmosphere and the landscape becomes a primary character in the film, evocative of growth and contemplation.
In addressing the plight of the bees, Kaplanoğlu discreetly references the world outside Yusuf's rural microcosm, and provides a subtle critique on the machinations of increased industry and the environmental issues of today. The oft-discussed but rarely considered topic of the bee's decline is given a human face and a human heart in the plight of Yusuf, not through loss of livelihood, but through loss of his father, an incident that affects his later life: "The effects of the father's loss is most apparent in Süt. Adolescence is a crucial period in one's life where sexual identity, anxiety about future and many other traumatic things are experienced." Indirectly also, Yusuf's loss of his father pervades his adulthood and most notably his relationship with his mother, to an extent that the strain between the two is only fully explained on viewing Bal. Yusuf from the start of Bal is characterised as a daddy's boy. Following his father into the forest each day, practising his reading with his father each morning and discussing his dreams with him in confidence, Yusuf and his father have a bond that creates a distance with his mother. When Yakup disappears we witness the slow, quiet breakdown of Zehra, Yusuf's mother, who, though a continually supportive parent, fails to engage with Yusuf and particularly with his studies, as his father once did. In witnessing this fractured relationship, some of the film's most moving scenes are played out to the audience. There is love and affection between Yusuf and his mother, but his father also bonded them together and so at points in the film his loss is almost total. Watching Yusuf hopefully gulping down the milk that we know he detests in an attempt to raise a smile from his grieving mother is both heart-warming and futile, and it is a testament to Kaplanoğlu's slow and steady pace of filmmaking that such overlooked moments are awarded such attention.
These moments are given reverence by the remarkable abilities of the lead actors, most notably Bora Atlas who portrays the young Yusuf. His performance is astonishingly well-observed and incredibly natural, in a manner that makes the audience yearn for his happiness and for him to do well, achieving his ultimate goal of a red ribbon for reading and writing in school. On establishing the cast list Kaplanoğlu looked closely at the actors as well as his script: "I believe that everyone has a common emotional memory. I find it more genuine to bring their own experiences into life rather than imitating or acting out the emotions of the character written in the script." In his struggles at school, Yusuf is isolated and vulnerable. He suffers from a stammer that makes the other children laugh and hampers his achievements in reading and writing, making him the last child in his class to achieve the coveted red-ribbon-reward from his teacher, and while Atlas's personality "is the opposite of Yusuf in the film, very sociable, energetic, talkative," he drew on his own experiences of his father's illness, and on Kaplanoğlu's through the script, to create a diverse and complicated character for such a young boy. In casting his three Yusufs, Kaplanoğlu sought "an irrevocable expression that would interconnect all these characters" to achieve a coherence between their expressions over mere physical resemblance. Most importantly for their convincing portrayals, however, Kaplanoğlu did not allow the actors to see any of the other films from the trilogy: "Normally one always wonders what kind of person he will turn out to be, but he can never know."
Through Atlas and Kaplanoğlu, Yusuf becomes both a very unique character and a sort of "everyboy" of childhood anxieties and struggles. Kaplanoğlu describes the trilogy as having "autobiographical motifs" but it is not "thoroughly autobiographical." He adds: "I had questions about myself just like Yusuf in Yumurta. I had questions regarding my existence, regarding truth and time [and] I'd like to note that I was the last child to get that red ribbon … This trilogy came out during my search for these questions." Through these underlying links between director, landscape, script and actor, Yusuf becomes a motif for the implicit relationship between past, contemplation and growth. An atypical poet, Yusuf is naturally introverted and subdued, and the ostensibly slow pace of each film perpetuates this contemplation, creating a beautiful work of cinema based on the growth and evolution of personality, but in a retrograde manner.
Bal was released on 15 July 2011. www.kaplanfilm.com.
Ruby Beesley


text:
«Convenient search. Instant price comparison.»
«Qualified support, fast search. Helpful tips.»
«Got a dream car! Memorable drive!»
«Plenty of info. Easy instant booking. »
«Wide car range. High service standards. »
Get used to be always on top regardless of a situation? Check our luxury car hire Paris - Airport - Orly [ORY], France which is already waiting for you on CarHire24h.com!
Would you like to plunge into the world of luxury and feel yourself an owner of the car you have long dreamed of?
It all becomes a reality with our service! Just fill in our search form and you will get what you want!
Our service can offer you much more than you expect! Drivers from all around world are happy about using our service, and you can often hear reviews from them such as "This is the best car hire service I know, and I was pleasantly surprised about the prices!"
On CarHire24h.com you can get a luxury car hire Paris - Airport - Orly [ORY], France on a high professional level. Simply compare luxury car hire prices in such companies as Enterprise, AVIS, Budget, SIXT, Hertz, Thrifty, Alamo, Dollar, Fox, Payless, Ace, National, Europcar, E-Z and 800 more companies in a second using our search engine. And get the best luxury vehicles from our suppliers!
Our service has a significant advantage that you would like! We gathered the most attractive car hire dealers on our site and can offer you the best vehicle you want, whether it would luxury car hire Paris - Airport - Orly [ORY], France, sport car hire, automatic car hire or any other car type!
You can also try our full range of vehicles, which includes:
Choose one of them from our any company and get the cheapest prices! Just say us about your needs and we'll find the best you want!
CarHire24h.com offers you to make use of luxury car hire Paris - Airport - Orly [ORY], France for the best online rates available! You can choose between such models as:
After you've tried our service once, you'll want for more!


text:
Accident investigators "have received eyewitness statements that the car involved was traveling alone at a high rate of speed," the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said in a statement Monday. "No eyewitness has contacted the (department) to say there was a second vehicle."
Walker and his friend and fellow fast-car enthusiast Roger Rodas died Saturday when Rodas' 2005 Porsche Carrera GT smashed into a light pole and tree, then exploded in flames. The posted limit was 45 mph.
The two had taken what was expected to be a brief drive away from a charity fundraiser and toy drive at Rodas' custom car shop in Valencia, about 30 miles northwest of Los Angeles. Walker's publicist said the action star was the passenger.
The crash happened on a street that forms an approximately 1-mile loop amid industrial office parks. It is rimmed by hills and relatively isolated from traffic, especially on weekends when the businesses are closed.
"It's well-known out here that that's a hot spot for street racers," California Highway Patrol Sgt. Rick Miler said.
Skid marks are a testament to past antics on the loop. The sheriff's department, which polices the neighborhood, said Saturday's wreck was not the first speed-related crash there, but would not reveal specifics.
Meanwhile, investigators are consulting video from security cameras, talking to witnesses and analyzing physical evidence such as on-board computer data from the Porsche.
A steady stream of fans has flocked to the crash site to leave flowers, candles and memorabilia from the action films.
On Monday night, a private memorial for survivors and the cast and crew of the "Fast & Furious" movies was held inside a white tent erected around the crash site. When it was over, Walker's co-star Vin Diesel emerged to thank fans for paying their respect to the actor.
"Thank you for coming and showing that angel up in heaven how much you appreciated him," Diesel said to the crowd, using the bullhorn of a police cruiser.
Officials have not named either person found in the car. The bodies were so badly burned by the fire that engulfed the wreck that dental records will be needed to confirm their identities.
Walker and Rodas had bonded over their shared love of fast cars.
Rodas, 38, and Walker, 40, co-owned an auto racing team named after Rodas' shop, Always Evolving. Rodas was a financial adviser as well as a professional driver who competed in 10 Pirelli World Challenge GTS races in 2013. He finished second in rookie of the year standings, circuit spokesman Dave Drimmie said.
Walker starred in all but one of the six "Fast & Furious" blockbusters. He had been on break from shooting the latest installment; Universal Pictures has not said what it plans to do with "Fast & Furious 7," currently slated for a July release.


text:
Here are the rules
Q: What is When on Google Earth? A: It's a game for archaeologists, or anybody else willing to have a go!
Q: How do you play it? A: Simple, you try to identify the site in the picture.
Q: Who wins? A: The first person to correctly identify the site, including its major period of occupation, wins the game.
Q: What does the winner get? A: The winner gets bragging rights and the chance to host the next When on Google Earth on his/her own blog!
Be the first to correctly identify the site above and its major period of occupation in the comments below and you can host your own!


text:
Subway is apologizing that its "Footlong" sandwiches fell short of expectations.
The world's largest fast-food chain faced widespread criticism last week after a man posted a photo online showing a "Footlong" next to a tape measure that showed it to be just 11 inches.
Subway said Friday that it's redoubling efforts to "ensure consistency and correct length" in all its sandwiches.
The company had already noted last week that bread length could vary when franchisees don't bake to its exact specifications and that it would reinforce policies to ensure consistency.
In a statement Friday, Subway expressed "regret" for "any instance where we did not fully deliver on our promise to our customers."
It declined to comment on lawsuit filed this week by two New Jersey men over the subs.


text:
Columnist Robert Novak was speaking of the party that embraced the revolution of Ronald Reagan, who had hung a portrait of Calvin Coolidge in his Cabinet Room and set about cutting income tax rates to 28 percent.
But, to be historically precise, the GOP was not put here to cut taxes. From infancy in the 1850s, its mission was to halt the spread of slavery. From 1865 to 1929, it was the party of high tariffs. Mission: Build the nation and protect U.S. industry and the wages of American workers.
And if the Deity commanded the GOP to cut taxes, the party has had an uneven record. Warren Harding and Coolidge cut Woodrow Wilson's wartime tax rates by two-thirds, but Herbert Hoover nearly tripled the top rate.
Under Dwight Eisenhower, when the top tax rate was 91 percent, the GOP ratified the New Deal and provided the tax revenue to balance the budget at the elevated levels of spending 20 years of Democratic rule had established.
Richard Nixon followed suit. Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps, aid to education, the Peace Corps, the arts and humanities endowments, all of the Great Society programs grew -- with Nixon adding OSHA, EPA, the Consumer Product Safety Commission and Cancer Institute.
Reagan cut tax rates to 50-year lows, but also accepted new gasoline and payroll taxes. George H.W. Bush then raised the top rate back to 35 percent.
George W. cut tax rates, but put two wars, prescription drug benefits for seniors and No Child Left Behind on the Visa card. Speaker Boehner is about to sign on to higher tax rates.
Point of this recitation: Republicans may talk of reducing the size of government, cutting taxes and balancing budgets. But the history of the last century suggests the party has been driven into what may be described as an inexorable long retreat.
When Coolidge left the White House to "Wonder Boy," as he called Hoover, federal spending was 3 percent of gross national product.
Today, it is around 23 percent. Add state, county and municipal government spending, and we are at 38 percent. Anyone think this figure is going down in our lifetimes?
Can anyone say the GOP, if it is the party of small government and low taxes, has over the past 80 years been a successful party? Or does the America of today look more like the country Socialist Norman Thomas had in mind in 1932?
How, conceivably, can spending go down when, from 2012 to 2030, 75 million baby boomers will be retiring and going on Social Security and Medicare at a rate of 10,000 every day?
How can spending go down when a million legal immigrants arrive annually, 85 percent from the Third World, and most lacking the academic and linguistic abilities or the work skills of Americans?
These immigrants -- and, with "immigration reform," 11 million to 12 million illegals, as well -- will be eligible for welfare, earned income tax credits, food stamps, rent supplements, Medicaid, Head Start, free schooling K-12 with two or three free meals a day at school, Pell Grants and student loans at graduation, job training and unemployment checks for 99 weeks.
Under Bush and Barack Obama both, these programs have exploded. And with 40 percent of all babies now born to single moms in America, does anyone believe these programs will shrink?
When the Great Wave of immigrants came between 1890 and 1920, these programs did not exist. In the 1930s, welfare was seen even by FDR as a temporary necessity to get through the hard times.
Our gargantuan welfare state of today, however, is permanent, as are the millions of government employees who milk and manage it.
Consider our largest government expenditures.
They would be, at the national level, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, defense, homeland security and interest on the debt. At the state and local level, education, transportation -- streets, highways, subways -- and public safety.
If God put the Republican Party on this earth to cut taxes, how do we do his work in the face of these inexorable forces for increased spending? Do we ignore the surging deficits and soaring debt?
Mitt Romney said cutting tax rates would lead to a balanced budget. But when? The Bush tax cuts never did. His were the largest deficits of all, until the coming of Obama.
If we would see our future, we should look to Europe. There, the governments consume more than 40 percent of GDP and, in countries like France, almost 60 percent.
In Europe, the militaries have been hollowed out. Political parties face repudiation. Taxes in France have hit 75 percent. The wealthy flee. Pension promises are reneged upon. Government salaries are cut; employees laid off. Unemployment is astronomical for the young. The divisions deepen; the protests grow. Now, Europe's banks, fearing social unrest, have started to emulate the Fed and buy up regime debt.
Looking at the West over the last century, the arc of history bends toward socialism and insolvency.


text:
Let's face it – not everyone has a home office that inspires productivity. But if you work from home at all – and the Bureau of Labor Statistics says 24 percent of people employed outside the home do at least some of their work at home – having a comfortable, organized and appealing home office can make your job easier.
Home Business Magazine says there are around 38 million home-based businesses in the U.S., and 34.3 million to 36.6 million households with active home offices. That's a lot of home offices – and a lot of ugly desks, dim lighting and clutter, too.
Many home offices are less the product of careful planning than something that evolves from a spare bedroom, bonus room or an extra corner in the basement. Even if your home office is more of an after-thought, it's possible to make some simple improvements that will enhance its appeal – and your productivity.
Here are four improvement and design choices that can help make your home office a hub of good business:
Begin with the basics
Renovating any room should start with the simplest investment that also provides a big payoff: paint. Repainting is one of the cheapest, easiest ways to completely change the look of a room. A fresh coat of paint, no matter what color, imparts a sense of freshness and energy to a room – just the kind of effect that can enhance your productivity.
When choosing a color for your home office, keep in mind that the hue should serve as a backdrop, not a distraction. Red may be your favorite color, and one you love in your bedroom, but home workers often spend eight hours a day or more in their home offices. Will the color you choose hold up to that kind of intense togetherness?
Invest in storage
Clutter in your home can range from simply annoying to downright depressing. In your home office, it can spell disaster – in the form of lost paperwork, missing projects and even lost business.
Plenty of storage and an organizational system that makes the most of it are essential for your home office. Whether you opt for open shelving, locking file cabinets, a desk with ample drawers or a combination of storage types, it's important to find solutions that work for you and fit your home office space.
Emphasize natural light
Of course you're aware of the importance of good lighting in an office setting, but did you know that ample natural lighting can boost your productivity? The mood-boosting effects of natural light are well documented, with many studies showing that office workers exposed to daylight throughout their work day are happier, healthier and more productive than those who function only under artificial light.
In your home office, ample natural light from sources such as a skylight can help reduce Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), eyestrain and stress – all ailments that stand in the way of productivity.
"Adding a skylight to your home office can be a cost-effective way to ensure you get plenty of natural light during office hours," says Ross Vandermark of VELUX America, makers of Energy Star-qualified skylights. "What's more, a properly installed, energy-efficient skylight can help you control heating, cooling and lighting costs in your home office. If you opt for a fresh air skylight, it can also help enhance the air quality in your work space."
Even if your office is on the ground floor, you may be able to add a skylight. Products such as VELUX's Sun Tunnel tubular skylights allow you to bring natural light to virtually anywhere in your home.
Still not sure of the benefit in a home office setting? Add the latest solar powered fresh air skylight and an energy-efficient solar powered blind to your home office and the products, as well as the installation, will be eligible for a 30 percent federal tax credit as a green home improvement. That's good business! Visit www.veluxusa.com or energystar.gov to learn more about energy-efficient skylights.
Sound it out
Noise can be a huge distraction, whether you're on deadline for a major project or on a conference call with a new client. Simple soundproofing steps can help you reduce noise in your home office – without costing you a mint.
Start with a good quality, thick carpet, which will help dampen sound. Next, add thick drapes and fabric surfaces such as an upholstered chair – fabrics help reduce the movement of sound waves.
With more Americans working from home, creating an inviting, inspiring office space is more important than ever.


text:
Below you will find two images. They were both drawn by the always-awesome Mike Vilardi, with whom I've wanted to do a project for, literally, more than a decade. He did a number of pieces in the Thousand Suns rulebook and he's currently working on some pieces for upcoming supplements. One of the things he recently did was a series of sketches for pregenerated characters in an adventure for the game. I haven't yet gotten round to generating the characters, so that's when I had an idea: what if I present a couple of these sketches and ask readers to come up with descriptions of them, the two I like the best getting one of my proof copies of the game?
So, take a look at images below. Choose one (or both) and write up a brief description of the character: his or her name, occupation, personality, and background. Put your description in the comments. Don't worry about game mechanics or anything like that. I'll produce those after I've found two descriptions that I like. Remember that Thousand Suns is a science fiction RPG inspired by the imperial SF of the '50s, '60s, and '70s (and their contemporary descendants). It's neither hard sci-fi nor cartoonish space opera. Think Anderson, Chandler, and Piper, among others. You can make as many entries as you wish, but no single person will be able to win more than once.
I'll make my decision between now and February 16 based on originality, concision, and how closely the entries evoke the literary inspirations of the game. One winner will receive the hardcover and the other will receive the softcover, which being which determined by a 1D12 roll. Likewise, I'll credit the creator of the description in the upcoming adventure and send along a copy of it when it's released (probably during the summer). If anyone has any specific questions, put them in the comments, just like the descriptions. Please don't email them directly to me. I already have a backlog of emails I need to answer as it is.
Without further ado, here are the two images:
©2012 Mike Vilardi |
©2012 Mike Vilardi |


text:
Below are listed the popular destinations reachable from airports in Serbia and Montenegro. Only the cheapest flights found are shown. Use the form below to find more offers on flights from Serbia and Montenegro.
Are you looking for flights to Serbia and Montenegro? Please use our flight search form, or navigate to the guide page for the country or the city you would like to depart from.
We compare offers from all major airlines, including the budget carriers. Find always the cheapest flight.
When you find a deal you want, you are redirected to book directly with the airline or travel agent. No middlemen.
The price you see is the price on the airline's site. Remember: you are always booking directly with the airline or travel agent.
Only selected flights are shown. Find also indirect and low-cost flights from airports in Serbia and Montenegro. Please use the form above for more dates and routes.
Maplandia.com is not sponsored by or affiliated with Google.


text:
Long before the era of post-Sept. 11 security precautions in the U.S., an unknown person or group of people may have begun carrying out a series of bioterrorism attacks in California.
The target? Menthol-scented eucalyptus trees.
Before you wonder why you hadn't heard of this, it's because the story isn't necessarily true. It's a hypothesis, a theory promoted by a noted California entomologist and eucalyptus expert named Timothy Paine.
If his theory is correct, then somebody out there wants those trees dead.
Digging For Clues
Paine first noticed a problem around 1985.
"We started seeing eucalyptus trees dying," he says.
At the time, Paine's first suspect was the longhorned borer, a beetle that looks like a cockroach. But as soon as he found a natural enemy to combat the beetle, he got word of another pest.
"We were seeing insect after insect coming in," Paine says. "We started working on the longhorned borer, and then another would come in, and another one would come in."
Over the last 25 years, Paine has come across a total of 16 new insects — all of them after the eucalyptus tree.
After a while, Paine became suspicious and started digging for clues. He found that the pests didn't come to California in a steady stream, they came a few at a time, in batches from different regions.
"They would be from Queensland, or they would be from New South Wales, or South Australia," he says.
Plus, for these kinds of insects, which plaster themselves to leaves, it's not so easy to hop a flight to Los Angeles. That's when Paine thought these pests might be getting a helping hand.
"If you see something one time, you accept it. If you see another pattern, you wonder if it's a coincidence," Paine says. "If you start seeing five or six different patterns that all point in the same direction, then you start to raise questions."
Over the years, Paine has become increasingly convinced that someone or some group has brought these pests from Australia to California for the strict purpose of getting rid of California's eucalyptus trees.
"We can't imagine that it was done for any other reason," Paine says.
In other words, he believes it's a case of biological terrorism.
An Invasive Plant Itself
If you're wondering why anyone would do such a thing, here's some context.
Eucalyptus trees are not native to California. The seeds arrived from Australia in the 1850s, during California's Gold Rush days. The trees are sturdy, they grow fast, and now the state is covered with eucalyptus groves.
The red gum and blue gum eucalyptus are even categorized by some environmental groups as "invasive plants." For that reason, some Californians aren't thrilled about the eucalyptus.
"California's got a lot of fantastic and lovely native plants, and the native plant advocates argue that the trees sort of prohibit those from flourishing," says Zoe Corbyn, a freelance science journalist who recently wrote about Paine's theory of biological terrorism for Failure Magazine.
She says that if Paine is right, this might be the first documented case of an intentional introduction of a plant pest into the U.S.
No Smoking Gun
There's just one problem.
"The evidence is only circumstantial," Corbyn says. "Nobody's come forward and put their hand up and said, 'I did this.'"
In 2010, Paine published his findings in a peer-reviewed academic journal. Corbyn spoke to several of Paine's colleagues, and his theory was met with skepticism.
"There's so many more flights from Australia to L.A. than there was in the past," Corbyn says. "It's very possible that something could've come in that way. You know, crawled on board and crawled out the other side."
When confronted with other theories, Paine doesn't disagree.
"You can find alternative explanations for all of this, no question about it," he says. "This is something we think is likely to have happened, but we don't have a smoking gun."
Without that smoking gun, he's out of luck. But, Paine says, for him, it's not just about the eucalyptus. It's the possibility of biological terrorism that really scares him.
"Eucalyptus are important for this state, but they're not life or death," he says. "But if you're talking about a major food crop, or a disease organism, the prospects are very, very disturbing."
For now, Paine is moving on with his work. He's found natural enemies to fight four of the insects. The other 12 are still doing their best to annihilate the eucalyptus trees of California.
Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


text:
High performance side inlet swivel seals
Kalsi Engineering specializes in high performance side inlet swivel seals.
We provide high performance side inlet swivel seals for service across a wide range of pressures and speeds, in abrasive and non-abrasive environments.
Kalsi Seals™ are a family of patented, one-piece rotary seal designs that provide hydrodynamic lubrication to minimize seal and shaft wear, and to accommodate high differential pressure. They are used for lubricant retention and contaminant exclusion. They were originally developed for the harsh and unforgiving oilfield downhole drilling environment and provide an effective solution to the severe service conditions found in many industries.
Kalsi Seals are installed in a housing groove and are radially compressed against a shaft. They seal statically in the same manner as other interference-type seal designs, such as O-rings. The dynamic sealing lip incorporates a wavy hydrodynamic edge on the lubricant side, and a circular exclusionary edge on the environment side. When rotation occurs, a thin lubricant film is hydrodynamically wedged into the seal-to-shaft interface by the waves. This enables higher pressure and speed combinations and longer life because the lubricating film significantly reduces wear and heat associated with dry rubbing that is typical with conventional interference-type seals. When rotation stops, the hydrodynamic lubricating action stops, and static sealing is reestablished. To better understand our unique seal designs, click here for a slow motion animation of hydrodynamic seal lubrication.
Kalsi Engineering's facilities are located in Sugar Land, Texas, approximately 17 miles from downtown Houston and easily accessible from both the major airports. Click here for a map. The development of our high performance side inlet swivel seals occurs at this facility.
Kalsi Engineering is recognized worldwide for our technical excellence and development of innovative high performance side inlet swivel seals. The numerous industry milestones, guidelines, technical publications, new products, and patents that have resulted from our work continue to provide long-term benefits to our clients.
Our staff has an outstanding background and record of accomplishments in developing practical and enduring solutions to mechanical engineering problems in a wide range of applications in the oil field, petrochemical, defense, manufacturing, dredging, construction, and mining industries.
We provide custom seals for drilling tools, drilling mud motors, RCD's, rock drilling machines, coring swivels, slant hole drilling swivels, power swivels, construction swivels, oilfield vacuum truck agitators, slurry mixers, oilfield roller reamers, machine tools, hydraulic swivels, side port swivels, gun drills, high pressure washpipe assemblies, submerged dredge pumps, reverse circulation drilling machines, and more. Visit our Kalsi Seals literature page for more information about our high performance side inlet swivel seals.
Our patented rotary seal styles address a significant variety of sealing challenges for severe service applications. Through our ISO 9001:2015 quality program, we pledge to provide products that conform to specifications, meet the requirements of intended use, and provide significant performance and cost advantage in your severe service applications.
Kalsi Engineering regularly posts new blogs discussing our latest testing results and technical advancements. Our latest blogs and information on high performance side inlet swivel seals can be found on our website.
Contact our engineering staff to discuss how our high performance side inlet swivel seals can extend the life of your equipment.


text:
What they say about this article
Ooh I love this recipe! I haven't made this for a while but now I'm ready to eat my screen. Too bad I have meals planned out until next Thursday. :) Congrats on the book! Looking forward to hearing more from you on the blog.
ReplyDeleteI usually make http://shouldhavezagged.wordpress.com/2010/01/03/italian-roast-beef-sandwiches with beef + pepperoncinis but I like knowing there's a simpler version that works. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteA version of this was my son's go-to party recipe when he was in college. Still is. Big slow cooker, big chunk 'o meat, a jar of pepperocini, and maybe a jar of salsa. Served help-yourself style with hearty rolls and cheese. Fed an army of hungry men, and lasted all afternoon/evening in the pot, ready for another hunger attack. Even better the next day if anything happened to be left over. Also worked the morning after mixed into scrambled eggs.
ReplyDeleteThis is why I LOVE the slow cooker. For easy sandwiches like this! I don't even know what pepperoncini tastes like? Can't be that bad. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteMy friend told me about this and it is SO good! Like unreal good! We used big French rolls and provolone!
ReplyDeleteSteph, I've done something similar... but toss in an envelope of onion soup mix too. Mmmm, mmmm, good! :)
ReplyDeleteAdding to menu plans, Steph--thank you!!! Oh, and you totally deserve all the goodness coming your way!
ShirleyThis sounds so easy. Thank you. I can't wait to start cooking from your new book.
I bought 2 of them, one is a gift for my son's girlfriend who is working her way through your first book.I love peperoncini peppers. What a great combo! Might need to pull this one out for football game company.
ReplyDelete- Anonymous1/06/2011
Ok, ok. My hubby somehow mind-beamed this to you right? He has an obession with everything pepperoncini and this would be a dream for him! His b.day is the 22nd and I am totally going to surprise him with this for supper!
ReplyDelete Seriously! This recipe will make my hubby happy since he loves those peppers!
I have always been a fan of the crock pot, but didn't use it as much as I could.
I bought your new book last weekend while shopping in the big city. They didn't have your first book, so will have to order it on-line. I have made three crock pot meals from the second book this week and even tweaked one of my own recipes to use in the cp as well. I'm also new to the gf world, so I'm loving your recipes!!
Thank you...you ROCK!!Love this recipe... have been making it for years and some times I put a twist on it by adding a thickener to the juice along with sliced mushrooms & onions... any way you cook it, it is a winner winner dinner...
DonnaI had heard about your site and wanted to check it out for myself. I'm glad I did. I love the food and recipes you share with your readers. I'll be back to track what you've been cooking. I hope the new year brings a large measure of health and happiness your way. Have a great day. Blessings...Mary
ReplyDelete- Leilani1/06/2011
I love your blog sooo much. I browse it every day. And you often make me laugh out loud. I'll have to try this recipe for sure.
ReplyDelete We make this with a jar of jalepenos instead of pepperoncini and it's DELICIOUS even without the bread.
ReplyDeleteOh I make something like this and it is delicious! But, I call them brisket tacos!!! We serve them on tortillas. I take a brisket (3 lbs), 2 chicken bullion cubes, 1 jar of pepperocinis with juice, 1 packet of dry italian dressing seasoning, and 2 cups of water. Cook on low 6-8 hours.
ReplyDeleteYum. My husband loves (read is obsessed with) pepperoncinis and he loves steak. Win. Thanks!
ReplyDelete- Anonymous1/06/2011
I have made these a while now, one of my fav recipes. So so good!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDelete - Anonymous1/06/2011
This has been a family recipe of ours for decades! We do not include the cheese though. INSTEAD, we make a sour cream/horseradish concoction and it's fabulous!
ReplyDelete - Emily1/06/2011
Oh, I <3 this recipe!! I make a similar version of this about 2x a month. I use a can of beef broth/consumme and packet of Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix along with the peppers. It makes enough juice to dip - au jus style! DELISH!!! Thank you for posting!
ReplyDelete We've been making a version of this for years that we like to call "Spicy Beef." Instead of a jar of pepperoncini, we use a jar of giardiniera (sp?) SO yummy!
ReplyDeleteI love to add some beef broth and minced garlic to ours. We serve it on toasted rolls with melted provolone. I've served this at Superbowl for several years and it always gets rave reviews.
ReplyDeleteWe used to make Steak-Umms when i was little! hahaha Not quite up to par with these bad boys!
ReplyDelete- Jean von B1/07/2011
I've been making this for years and its awesome! I always start with frozen beef as well. The only difference between mine and the recipe listed above is that I use Giardiniera (regular - not hot) instead of the pepperoncini. Either way would be great tho!
ReplyDelete I love gluten-free tang and spice! And even green things! This looks great and I do like the idea of easy. Just did my one-click ordering at Amazon and bought your new book. God help me, I'm so addicted to Amazon.com, but your books look well worth it! By the way, I love the cover art. Can't wait to see it in real life. =)
ReplyDeleteThis is similar to a recipe I have used for a few years, but a lot simpler/healthier. Also, we loved the shredded pork recipe from a few weeks back (awesome on rolls with a little extra sauerkraut!)
ReplyDeleteI love this recipe, been making it for years. I do either cut off the stems or buy the pre-sliced peppers. Easiest recipe on the planet. We have it on GF rolls or over mashed potatoes with corn. Mmmm....
ReplyDeleteHi there, I'm just wondering if the peperoncini are the hot sour ones?
I haven't had this in years but I've never made it myself. I'd love to serve this up some night for my husband, self and kids!
Looks So YUM!- Jessica1/07/2011
I made this for dinner tonight, and I enjoyed it quite a bit! I ate a large sandwich, and gave some of it away. I liked how the peppers gave it just a bit of extra flavor, and the bite was nice. I did not cut of the stems of the peppers, but picked them out at the end of the cooking process - they just fell off the rest of the pepper.
ReplyDelete Love this! I make one similar - tri tip (or big chuck roast) dump a large can of mild green encilade sauce over it, and cook on low for 10 hours.
ReplyDeleteSteph, love your site! I also have a similar recipe with drained peperoncini and a few more ingredients (Italian dressing mix packet, beef broth, Italian herb seasoning). Though I'll have to try this one sometime. My husband is a hunter and I'm always looking for a new way to make venison - especially in a crockpot, since it keeps the meat so moist.
I discovered your site a few days ago and I am so excited to try your recipes - especially your orange chicken, Thai beef, and falafel! I love how you make ethnic recipes so easy!I'm not able to eat beef but I have some pork in my freezer that might marry well with this sammy. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteSTephanie...I made this yesterday and it is over-the-top good and is so easy! I love the taste of pepperoncinis but don't like to spend the time cutting off the stems and draining out the seeds. Once the meat was done in this recipe I just pulled the stems away from the peppers and it was like the seeds disappeared or something...no crunch!
The taste of this is marvelous and clean-up a snap since I always use crock pot liners. Thanks for the idea!- suzanne1/09/2011
I made this last night...my husband does not like different things and he loved these...did not tell him about the peppers, but the best compliment of all " you can make this again!" Loved it!.I may try this with pulled pork too!
ReplyDelete I'm not familiar with peperoncini. Can somebody describe the taste? Also, what's in the liquid? Vinegar? Salt water? Thanks.
ReplyDelete- Anonymous1/09/2011
First off, you are absolutely hilarious! This recipe looked so yummy I went out to buy the ingredients today and a smaller crockpot somehow managed to jump into my shopping basket as well ~ a family of 6 really should have at least three crockpots, right?
By the way, I discovered your blog last night in my search for a way to make yogurt without a yogurt maker ~ can't wait to try your posted recipe. My finger is one click away from ordering your books.
THANK YOU so much for sharing all of your recipes, discoveries, and humorous experiences with us! - Anonymous1/10/2011
Another gluten free idea: Shred this meat on top of (crockpot) baked sweet potatoes. That is how we are eating it this week :D This may replace our usual BBQ beef topping.
-Tiffany F. Made this yesterday. My daughter took one bite and announced she had a new birthday dinner favorite! Everyone thought this was over-the-top delicious!
GREAT recipe!- Cbuffy1/10/2011
Made this last night... YUM! We used provolone (because in my addled brain that's what I thought you said to buy...) and it was delish!
Thanks and good luck Wednesday! You'll knock 'em dead - whatever you decide to make! - Anonymous1/10/2011
I made this the other night and all I can say is..... YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!
My family LOVED these! Thank you! Had to come back and post again about how wonderful this was! We had left overs so we heated them up tonight to serve over rice.. hubby got the idea to pull out the left over Tomato Bacon soup I'd made over the weekend (my recipe is on my mostly neglected blog at http://bookladydavina.blogspot.com/2010/11/recipe-time-tomato-bacon-soup.html) and he mixed some of that in as well.. it was so good, both with and without the tomato soup, but the soup gave it a smokey smoothness and balanced the vinegar a smidge more. It was a fantastic way to use up left overs!
ReplyDeleteMade this the other night (it made a lot!) and hubby loved it then. Well, then he discovered that it makes good meat for nachos. He's asked me to make it again this weekend for he and guys when they watch football...
ReplyDeleteJust made this and it was great! I just read that M Smith used the meat for nachos, whata great idea! We will have to try that too.
ReplyDelete- Anonymous1/20/2011
So delicious and super easy to make. We ate the stems on the peperoncini no prob. Salted the top of the beef with garlic and ginger before I ran out the door for work... gave it a bit of a crust! Will definitely be making again - bf raved about it and we liked the flavors much more than pulled pork flavored with bbq sauce. Next time we'll have some better cheese to top it with (not the shredded tex mex from the night before haha).
YUM & THANK YOU FOR THE POST! - Anonymous1/20/2011
I recently found your blog, and I'm in LOVE!! This recipe is so easy and yummy. I'm a single lady that works 12 hr shifts (as a nurse), and its so nice to come home to a cooked meal!
ReplyDelete - Teresa1/21/2011
Why didn't I read this before I did the shopping? We don't have peperoncini on hand--and while there are chuck roasts in the freezer, they were ON SALE and I didn't buy more because we already had some.
Curse you, cruel fate! OMG... this was soooooooooo delicious! I made it for dinner the other night and my husband just raved about it. I served it on bolillo rolls which I cut in half, slathered with the meat mixture, then topped with provolone cheese and put them under the broiler for a few minutes. It was even better the next day. I will be making this for my Super Bowl party in a few weeks. Thanks so much for this great recipe... I really need to buy your books!
ReplyDeleteMy hubby's birthday is Sat. and this is totally cookin' away in the crockpot- he loves pulled beef sandwhiches and peperoncinis (altho he calles him those yellow pepper things). Happily, last week pot roasts were on sale (@ Publix via Southern Savers) and THIS week, peperoncinis were on sale! Woohoo! crockpot+couponing+ hubby= awesome :)
ReplyDeleteMade this for dinner tonight -- oh, YUM!!!! The family really enjoyed it! It had a bit more kick than anticipated, but it didn't stop people from having seconds. We served it up with some sweet potato french fries -- a nice sweet contrast to the beef! Thanks for sharing!!
ReplyDelete- Amy1/27/2011
My cousin sent me your blog because my son and I are gluten free too. I made this recipe with our fresh 'beefalo' chuck roast. It was fabulous. I put it on low in the slow cooker before going to bed. The next morning I pulled out the bones and fat, then let it continue to cook while at church. Came home, pulled out the peppers and chopped them returning 1/2 to the pot and put the 1/2 in a bowl to use as desired. I had mine on corn tortillas with 1/2 a slice of Swiss cheese. Fabulous!! My husband LOVED it too...just the right amount of hot! Thank you!
ReplyDelete These sandwiches are CRAZY good! Love them! I made them for my kids' family birthday party, and they were a big hit. So easy, too! Thanks! I'll be posting the recipe to my blog one of these days. Definitely want to share the love! :)
ReplyDelete- Anonymous2/01/2011
This is so yummy! We had this last week. Thanks Steph for making my life easier!
ReplyDelete Paul was all "bleh" about the idea of this, because he associates chuck roast with his mom's Sunday dinners (cooked tough + tons of onion + forced to eat it + childhood = poor memory). But then he took a bite and just about lost his mind. He ate so much he felt sick. I bought another chuck roast this week and the grocery store was ALL OUT of peperoncinis---probably because of THIS recipe!
ReplyDeleteIf you need a little more kick for this recipe, try this version.
rump roast
16 oz jar of italian giaardinera with the oil drained
1 jar of peppericinis
1 envelope of Good seasons zesty italian dressing mix
1 can of beef broth
cook over night ( yes overnight ) serve on french rolls & your favo cheese.- Shannon7/05/2011
We tried this recipe for the first time tonight and it was perfect. The peppers were sweet and added a little heat without overpowering. The meat was perfect on simple hamburger buns with a slice of Swiss cheese. Thanks for posting something so simple and delicious!
ReplyDelete Made this today. It was a welcome dinner after being out of the house all day. I used a jar of the sliced peperoncinis and just dumped them and the liquid in on top of a frozen roast. My husband was a bit skeptical, but was won over by the end result. Even my 6 year old ate his sandwich (and did not pick out the peppers!
ReplyDeleteI just did tried this recipe over the weekend and it was awesome! My son and hubs loved it and it wasn't too spicy for our younger girls. Meat is tender, juicy and flavorful!
ReplyDelete- Tanya S.9/05/2011
I just found out about your blog on fb and I love it! This is the first recipe I've made from it..made it for Sunday lunch. My son is autistic and likes what is "familiar" to him. I did not show him the peppers..only made the sandwich and gave it to him. He repeated over and over..."Can I have more? Can I eat this every day?"!! We loved it! Thanks for the recipes! Crockpots Rule!
ReplyDelete This is the easiest recipe I have tried off your blog yet! So delicious! I watch salt content and not all peperocini jars are created equal :( however the one I picked made the beef taste so yummy!
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to say that we LOVE this recipe. I haven't had a lot of success with the slow cooker but we keep trying and this recipe gets made over and over. It's great for busy gaming nights when I have friends over but don't want to stop visiting in order to prepare a meal.
Thanks!!I use a similar recipe (found on Crockin'Girls). Great if you're short on time.
1 lb deli roast beef, thin sliced
1 jar sliced peppernocci
1 c beef broth
1 pkt dry italian dressing mix
cover and cook on high 1-2 hours, until meat is hot. Serve on deli buns/rollsI know that I am a little behind on this but, I just made this recipe yesterday and loved it! I was a little doubtful because I do not particularly like peppercinis or vinegar (that they are usually packed in) But, it came out awesome! It added a nice bite to the meat and made it super tender. We had it on toasted bread with cheese melted on top. It was wonderful! I love my crockpot and two ingredient recipes. You rock!
ReplyDelete- Numama 20106/15/2012
Made this last night and it was a hit with the adults! Supper easy. I did find the meat that was not in liquid to be less moist. Maybe my crock... So next time I might try reducing cook time to 7 hours. I did remove the lid once during cooking to spoon juices over the top of the meat.
ReplyDelete I wasn't sure I'd like this, mainly because I worried that the pepper taste would be too strong, but wowza! This was sooo good, even my picky husband craves these sandwiches now. I use chuck steaks or roasts frozen, add a little garlic powder to the meat and that's it. These are probably our favorite slow-cooker recipe. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI make this recipe so much, I finally had to write about it! http://kitchen-garden-love.blogspot.com/2012/07/crockpot-shredded-peperoncini-beef.html
ReplyDeleteI was excited to try this recipe since it seems SO easy. Unfortunately, the instructions above don't say to drain the jar of peperocinis. I've never purchased peperocinis before and was unsure of what to do. It was SO SO SOOOOO SALTY. DRAIN THE PEPPERS PEOPLE! Will probably try again after awhile and promise to comment again.
ReplyDeleteHi Christy,
I'm so sorry you had this experience! I didn't drain the peppers--- the juice was poured in right along. I promise that if I ever want something drained I'll let you know.
that said, I hate it that you found this too salty. It hasn't been my experience, but I feel horrible that it was yours.
thank you for letting me/us know. oxxo- Susan9/13/2012
Hi Steph,
I really like your site and glad that I found it in the google search. I have tried lot of your recipes and everyone in the family liked it. Have a question about this recipe. Can I use chicken instead of beef, because we don't eat beef.
Susan Hi Susan,
Of course! Shred the meat completely after it's been cooked, and stir it around in the juice to keep it nice and moist for your sandwiches.
enjoy!- Susan9/14/2012
Thanks Steph will give it a try and let you know. Planning to use chicken thighs.
ReplyDelete - Anonymous10/04/2012
If you're short on time could you cook this on high? If so, how long would you cook it for??
ReplyDelete I have made this recipe for years... it's SO GREAT. The person that gave me the recipe told me to also add a packed of McCormick's au jus gravy. DELISH!
ReplyDeleteThis is one of my families favorite recipes. I often make it when I have company because I know exactly how it'll turn out. Even after all this time (been a follower since your first month posting) I look at your blog weekly for crockpot recipes.
ReplyDeleteI have made this for years, only I use a pork loin and horseradish sauce on the buns. Great go to meal. I will have to try the beef.
ReplyDelete- Speattle6/14/2017
Oh, so yummy. Here it is years past the original posting of this recipe, and I got around to trying it today. I had a slightly over 2 pound chuck roast in the freezer, and a jar of the pepper things in my pantry. I did (on the recommendation of one of the comments here), drain the juice, but replaced the volume with low sodium beef stock.
It was amazing, and will be something I make and serve again. - Anonymous1/10/2023
I cook a lunch for our work crew now and then, and this is a favorite! Always devoured! I serve with bread stadium rolls for sandwiches and offer rice for the GF folks. Easy and tasty.


text:
the Jelly Belly Candy Canes...
I made a more civilized, soothing version for my friends...
this year's Christmas gifts should be
SMOOTH sailing!
Since this post, I have experimented and tweaked the recipes
For the Colored Candy Cane Sugar Scrub
(to fill a pint jar)
2 cups granulated white sugar
1/3 cup LIGHT olive oil (or any light color oil)
1/8 cup melted coconut oil
(or more olive oil/any other oil is fine too, I just like coconut)
1/4 tsp peppermint extract or essential oil
(I have had the best luck with this)
gradually add coloring until desired color is reached
This is not an exact science! and I am not claiming to be any sort of beauty product expert :)
It is fun to experiment, add a little more sugar, a little more oil, more or less extract
until it looks, smells and feels how you would like it.
**and after numerous times testing the colored sugar...
it may color skin VERY slightly but washes off easily with soap and water**
if you are nervous about it staining skin,
I suggest doing thicker white layers and thinner red layers when you put in the jar
or try these holiday scrubs that use no dye
Wintermint and Cinnamon Sugar
Store in a cool, dry place and it will last well over a month
the colors will not run together if you pack the layers in "tightly" but once scrub is used they will blend together
and try these Spa Gifts as well:
Coconut Sugar Scrub
Sea Salt Bath Soak