text:
* Prices may differ from that shownMore Offers
My all time favourite educational toy for the girls, the leappad 2 has been passed down through both girls & then on to my son when he is old enough.
I paid £35 for the leappad 2, it is an off pink colour & has a stylus to use, however, my youngest who is 3 years old tends to just use her finger, unfortunately the screen then gets covered in whatever she has eaten, but it is a good sturdy hard screen, so I just tend to wipe with a baby wipe to clean it.
The games, I generally pay & download online as you can put on more than one machine, if you buy the cartridges you would have to buy 2 (we have a leappad ultra too).
With the leappad 2 you have to plug in to a computer or laptop to download on to the pad which is a bit of a pain. This in itself is a bit of a pain.
The camera is fun and very easy to use, she enjoys taking selfies & other pictures that store in the memory. It even has a video recorder - I love the fact that this is all in one handheld.
The stylus fits into the handheld and is connected too - thank god otherwise we would have lost it by now.
I love the fact that I can log in to see exactly what she has done & seems to make her feel very grown up having her very own handheld.
I would suggest getting a case & screen protectors too.
For christmas this year my daughters recieved the leap pad and the leap pad plus writing, there is very little difference between the two, the only difference being that the plus writing one has an attachment to turn the stylus into a pencil that writes.
The writing unit works off 4 aa sized batteries which are not included, there is a screw to stop children being able to remove the batteries which is great as a lot of toys for this age dont have the screw any more and my youngest is a nightmare for removing the batteries out of toys.
Th exterior is a nice solid plastic in blue and green that wont damage or scratch easily which is what you want with young children, there is a button you need to press to be able to open the leap pad on the side, it is a large button ideal for small fingers.
Once open it reveals the area for the books to go, these just sit in they dont need to be cliped in like the baby version so is easy for a child to do on there own.
The on off button is the only button on the machine so isnt confusing, the cartridges clip easily into the side of the machine, they are a little stiff to remove at first but get easier with time
The voice tells you what book you have in when you turn it on and reminds you to always press the green go circle with the stylus each time you change page.
The stylus is attached with a piece of wire and is a god size and shape for little fingers, it had rubber bits at the end making it easier to grip and is an ideal way for young children to learn to hold a pencil
When you run the stylus over the words on the page it tells you the word helping to learn with reading, some of the words in the books are in bold, these if you press the stylus on them once tell you the word and if pressed streight after again the meaning of the word, ie, cottage, that means a small house.
As well as this the book also has pictures where if you touch them with the stylus the characters talk to you, there is a game mode on each page which asks you to find words begining with certain letters or a number of items teaching basic reading, alphabet and maths.
The volume controls are in the book which are up and down arrows with plus and minus signs on them.
These are a realy good way of teaching at the same time as having fun, my daughters love these and have had hours of fun with them, there are loads of books available with all different themes to them so they should never get board of learning with this.
The only thing i do dislike with this is that the books i was expecting to be similar to the baby one where they were rip proof and wipeable but they are not, they crease easily and are easy to rip.
I browsed all the best toy stores to find a great present for my little nephew who was them 3 years old. I wanted something that would be educational and at the same time fun. I came across this great leappad that seemed like a good learning toy. This was available in both pink and blue colors. I picked the blue one for my nephew. I went through the entire manual and it's features. I also used it a littel to get a hang fo it before I gifted it.
The touch pad has an in built pen to allow the motor skill and writing habit to be enhanced. The electronic story book reads stories and the pad comes with a catridge and a book. Additional books and cartridges can be bought later. My bephew had loads of fun with it and the funniest part was that his parents (my sister and her husband ) enyoyed it too!!! recommended for ages between 2 and 5 years. A great toy.
Ive always been a great fan of the leappad ranges they have some really great toys, but there not just toys they help them learn at the same time as them having one which i sometimes think is key in order for them to take things in better. Its for ages roughly between 3-5 years although i think we bought my daughters when she was around 2.5 and she still loved it although obviously didnt know quite what to do at the time. The books you can buy for it are great as well and a really reasonable price. We got ours in a pink olour and also have a little bag for it to be stored in. The pen is great for their fine motor skills and helps get them used to holding pens. It helps them with reading as they scroll through the pages and it electronically reads them stories but it also has little activities on it which make it that little bit more fun. Weve now moved onto the next stage in this one although i think its a little too old for her but we also had the little buso ne as her first one which was great.
My First Leap pad
Basically it's an interactive educational toy aimed at pre-school children aged 3-5. We started with the Leap-pad-Little-touch when the Boy was smaller and moved onto this one when he was 3.
The My First Leap Pad Learning System itself is mainly blue with a few other colours here and there, like the 'magic pen', speaker, and on off button. It's quite a compact unit with a handy carry handle to one side, it's lightweight and easy to transport so a good toy for traveling in car or taking to Granny's house and the like.
How much ?
We bought ours for just over £25 online, are available from many stores Argos, Toys 'r' Us etc and not hard to find but I would recommend shopping around online for the best deals. It comes with a book and cartridge to get you started - we got "Leap's Big Day".
It takes 4xAA Batteries and you will need to unscrew the back to get them in, is a bit fiddly getting the battery cover back on due to the curved shape of the unit but you get used to it.
There are lots of different books you can buy separately some featuring well known favorites like Thomas the Tank Engine, Dora the Explorer, Disney Pixar Cars, and Spongebob Squarepants to name just a few that we have. There are also 'Girly' titles available featuring Disney Princesses and such.
Prices on the books vary from £5-£15 depending on where you shop and which book you're after, there's also books in packs of 3 available.
Definitely recommend having a look online for cheap deals and hard to find character books, I found our Spongebob Squarepants book on eBay at under £10 buy-it-now.
How it works...
Once your batteries are in you insert the plastic cartridge in the side and clip the book onto the unit. The cartridges have a picture and title to which makes it easy to for child to recognize which one goes with what book. Simply slot into the side picture-side up.
The books all have a plastic ring type bounding - a bit like a regular notebook has but much thicker - The books simply 'click' on and are easy to line up correctly as there is a book size/shape indent in the unit. It's child friendly, easy to use and well designed.
The on/off switch is a round red button on the front of the pad that also easy for child to do themselves, no fiddly switches.
Plus the 'magic pen' is easy to get in and out of its holder at the side. The pen itself is chunky and easy for little hands to master, it's attached to the leap pad with a plastic covered chunky orange wire but the pen moves around easy and freely enough...but can never get lost - good design.
All the books are double sided, one side being a story and the other more games, puzzles and activities to play. Once the Leap pad is on it will announce the book title and tell you what to do.
To get started you need to touch the green go circle with the pen, then away you go. The thing actually tells you what to press as you go along like touching buttons with pen to play different games also explains how to play and what the aim is. It is very child friendly and fantastic for independent play.
The story sides are also great as you press the touch the button it tells you whats happening on the page and if you touch a word with the pen it speaks the word, very good for helping little readers along. It gives practice at holding and using a pen, plus some of the books have tracing activities where you follow letters/shapes/numbers with the pen so some drawing and early writing practice while playing too. There are books featuring other languages as well as the usual counting, letters, reading, writing - there's so much to learn !
The volume control buttons are on the books and you adjust by touching with the pen, you'll find buttons with a plus and minus sign at the bottom of each page ( Sometimes I wish there was a separate volume switch as volume is quite loud turned up full !! ) It eve goes 'Beep' and then tells you it's batteries are running low and need replacing !!!
Of all the Learning toys we have bought or received as gifts this is the one that actually gets used and not left forgotten in a cupboard once batteries are dead. It is so easy to use and is actually fun to play. My boy loves his because its something he can work and do himself without much help from me ...though he's got so many books he sometimes needs a hand finding the right cartridge.
The range of books available for it are fantastic too, there's loads of titles to choose from and plenty of children's favorite characters to get their attention, the music and voices on the character books are same as the cartoons / films too which makes for fun play.
Boy will be 5 this year and has got alot from playing with his leap pad, I really think its helped him with learning quite a few things.
I think we may well stick with his Leap pad for another year - its lasting well with no problems even though it's been dropped a fair few times, my only suggestion is you invest in some rechargeable batteries because it's a toy that gets a lot of play-time.
Highly recommend it.
Thanks for reading
Manda. :o)
Can also be found on Ciao under the same name
(Some "My First Leap pad" book reviews coming soon...)_
~~~Why I am Doing this Review~~~
After my children owning two versions of this toy and playing with them for the past two and a half years, I decided it was time to sit down and write a review on this toy. With the time that has gone by, I can see how well they have held up and how long they held the interest of my two children. I have also had the opportunity to see how the young company that produced this toy matured, and the level of continued expansion in the range that they followed.
When they first came out, these were everywhere and heralded as one of the hottest toys in years. Fairly pricey at the original £49.95 apiece with only a sample book, and £12 apiece for the books, and yet more money for storage and carrying cases if you went that route, these toys had a lot of hype to live up to. These currently sell for about £25 however, and the books are often on BOGOF, so worth keeping an eye out for.
~~~So just what is this toy?~~~
Leap Pad is an educational toy aimed at helping children to read, and to use their reading skills to leap into other areas of learning and discovery. The books are split into levels. The first level for the Leap Pad is aimed at children 4-8, and focuses on phonics and reading practice. It has books that teach the phonetic sounds using engaging characters and child friendly storylines. These books are supported by readers featuring favourite characters such as Nemo and the Lion King.. Level 2 books are more advanced, with characters such as Scooby Doo providing stories that have longer words. There are also books for doing musical activities and to learn geography, about dinosaurs and so on.
How the toy works is that Mom or Dad place the AA batteries inside it (best get rechargeables!), and the child places a small but hardy cartridge into the slot at the side, and then places the spiral bound book into the Leap Pad reader which looks like a large lapdesk sort of affair with a recess for the open book. Turning it on, they use a pen that is attached to the reader, and press the green Go circle at the corner of the page. When the toy is turned on, it prompts t child to do this, so children quickly get the hang of this without old Mom and Dad interfering! Touching the GO circle gets the page narrated to the child,. There are also logos at the bottom of each page, which lead to a game the child can play on the page. The games are designed to not only enhance the enjoyment of the story, but to sharpen key skills such as letter and number recognition, following directions, logic, memory, and so on. These are so much fun that my children often play the games and ignore the story! If desired, the child can also read the story to themselves, and use the pen to point at a word they are unsure of to receive help from the narrator. There are also Easter eggs upon the pages; children can touch various things in the pictures, and surprise sounds will make themselves known as well as bits of dialogue directed towards the child.
The company also make a version of this called My First Leap Pad, which my younger child owns, and which is very similar, but much hardier and which is not as large, being designed for smaller hands. The books are also aimed at the younger set, focusing more on letter and number recognition, nursery rhymes, going to the shops, and other preschool type skills. The characters in the books are also aimed at the preschool market, with Thomas the Tank Engine and Dora the Explorer as well as Winnie the Pooh making an appearance.
For babies they make Little Leap, but I cannot comment as I have not had one, but admit to being tempted to get one next Christmas for our first grandchild, seeing how much fun our younger two are having with the ones they want. The youngest is ready to go up to the normal Leap Pad from the My First Leap Pad, and quite frankly, I can see we shall have to buy him one, as his sister likes to use hers at the same time, sitting in her chair with her earphones on. Having a look about, and seeing the latest generation of Leap Pads, we have hit upon the solution. We shall expand to the leap Pad Plus writing. This system is exactly like the leap pad save for one feature. It is more versatile, allowing the use of special workbooks that the child can use to write in. This means that the book can be used all the way up to age 12, and now includes practice books for maths and other subjects.
~~~So Just Who makes These?~~~
These are made by a company called Leap Frog. Leap Frog are an American company whose sole product range revolves around quality educational content delivered via technology that appeals to children. This means they use books integrated into electronic interactive readers (the Leap Pads), via gaming systems (The Fly, Leapster), interactive globes, and so on. They have won numerous awards from educators and parents groups for these toys. I should also like to note that while they are American, many of the books are in UK English if sold here. Exceptions being books such as the Lion King and Winnie the Pooh, which feature the voices of the characters as heard in the films.
~~~OK, we know you like these, but are the kids still playing?~~~
Yes, indeed! These come out of their packs at least once a week and we keep a set of rechargeable batteries ready to be inserted as they wear the batteries down. These have been a huge hit in the car especially the normal leap pad as you can use headphones with it. We made a 4 hour car trip once with just the leap pad and its books and headphones and a Viewmaster and a selection of reels and had peace all the way despite having a 4 year old and a two year old in the back seat. It was well worth the money, and every birthday and Christmas since we had requests for more books and cartridges. As I mentioned, my youngest is ready for the next level, and we plan to go to the fancier model. They have proved quite sturdy as well, having been dropped a few times onto a wooden floor.
~~~Where to Buy~~~
You can find the Leap Pad and its books at many toy and book stores. These include, but are not limited to, Woolworths, WH Smiths, Argos, Amazon.co.uk, and Littlewoods. The Leap Pad Plus Writing is currently selling for under £30 and the My First for about £25. Books with cartridges range from between £8-15 each, depending on title. I should note here that books for one type of leap pad, such as the My First, will not work with the other Leap Pad types.
~~~My verdict~~~
This is a sturdy electronic toy that delivers what it promises. My children have enjoyed the games and the stories, and learned quite a bit from them. It also got my younger son more interested in sitting at books and having a go with them himself, whereas before he was a vroom the cars round the floor and jiggle on the bed while being read to sort of child. So I have to say these have been a resounding success in this household and worth every penny the grandparents and ourselves have spent on them as the result in their expanded knowledge and love of books is absolutely priceless.
With Christmas coming up its always a time of wondering what to get the grandchildren for their presents, but this year I am already ahead of the game. I will be buying another leapfrog leap pad from the early learning centre in town, at the cost of £28.99 as they are having a sale.
I bought one of these last year for my grandsons fourth birthday and was amazed at the rate his learning came on, so much so that he was put in a higher class at school as he was ahead of the other children. When I first saw the leap pad I wasnt sure hed be able to get the grasp of it, as a you have to sit and listen to the pad talking and then respond to it.
My grandson is a highly active child and hardly ever sat down for more than three minutes at a time, even when you read him a story hes be asking questions and demanding to look at the pictures in the book. So, I wondered if this new concept of a learning pad for kids would work on him.
I didnt have to worry because two weeks after his birthday, I went to visit him and there he was, sat alone in a chair with the leap pad on his knee, talking to it and using the special pen to point to the shapes, colours and words in the book. I was amazed, it was like looking at a different child.
My daughter said he loved it and even took it to bed at night to play with for a while before going to sleep.
He was recognising shapes, colours counting better and reading the words in the book.
If I had doubts before about the suitability or price then they had just disappeared as it was worth every penny I had paid.
The leap pad itself is a bright blue plastic pad which fits little flip top books into it, you get a chip with each book which slots into the side of the pad. The pointer pen is attached by a wire so it doesnt get lost. There are lots of choices of books that you can buy separately at around £12 after the initial learning book which came with the leap pad and called Leaps big day, I have bought Thomas the Tank Engine books which my grandson loves.
The books can be bought for different age groups, from 4-5 to 8-9 year old.
Using the leap pad is easy, fit the chip into the leap pad and switch it on. It will then speak to the child and tell them they have to press the green go when they turn the page.
When they touch things on the page with the pen it says the shape, colour and sometimes makes noises, or asks them if they want to play a game, it also sings songs to them.
The memory on here is quite big and there is lots of new and exciting information for a child to discover.
When I first bought it and put in the batteries, I thought Id test it out and found it fascinating, thinking to myself that they never had toys like this when I was little. I was born to soon. My daughter even told me off as I was playing with it too much.
The leap pad is great, if the child leaves it without playing with it for a few minutes then it will turn itself off and say goodbye.
For value for money this is an excellent present for a childs Christmas gift. I have never heard a bad report about it yet and have recommended it to friends who have bought it for their children and been impressed with how interactive it has been and how much their child has played and learned with it.
I am now going out to buy my granddaughter a nice pink one for her present as I know shell have hours of fun and games on it too.
Leapfrog are an expanding company who specialise in children's learning toys from the ages of 3 months where we see the Baby Counting Pal to around the age of 8 for the Leappad Books and the cartridges for the Leapster. They seem to have an excellent idea of what makes learning fun for children between these ages and there are many more toys available from this company than a few years ago. They have a promise which reads:-
The Leapfrog promise is to create fresh, engaging, effective learning experiences that inspire and delight kids - over and over again.
It goes on to read:-
The Leapfrog way is a simple equation:
Rigorous, proven learning methodologies plus
Compelling, multi-layered content plus
Intuitive and invisible technology equals
This I feel sums up the products I have encountered perfectly.
My son loves puzzles and books so we thought that the Leappad would be the ideal gift for him on his 3rd birthday and how right we were. He had already seen the system in Woolworths and everytime we were in the shop he had us stopping to try it out so we guessed we were onto a winner.
I don't really like calling this product a toy as although it does have many hours of play, it is more of a complete learning system. It has been the BATR's (British Association of Toy Retailers) Pre-School Toy of the Year in 2002, 2003 and 2004 so has an excellent record. It is now sold in 25 countries and comes in 5 languages. It comes in blue or pink as seen in the pictures below and opens up like a book. Inside there is a place to set your book and an electronic pen which clicks in it's own little storage space when not in use. This system uses 4 AA batteries and if you use Duracell or an equivelent they will last a lot longer than what you would think. When the batteries are running low then the voice will even let you know. My son comes running to us when this happens. There is an on/off switch on the top right of the inside and the cartridge slots in at the right hand side of the unit. The system also has an energy saving function and switches itself off with a 'goodbye' if nothing is pressed for a time. This again is excellent as many children run off and forget to switch toys off so it saves your batteries' life. The unit itself is strong and hard wearing.
The initial cost of the Leappad has come down in price in recent years and we picked one up for £20 in Tesco of all places along with a couple of the up to age 5 books on sale which was a good start. In less than 6 months we can already see the difference it has made to his counting and problem solving abilities including colours and shapes as well as good stories and in learning to memorize the books he is already reading along to the words as he moves the pen over the words.
There are several different age structures up to the age of 8 so we think it is a good longterm buy as long as you upgrade the books to suit development. These usually cost around £12 but if you keep your eye open and you don't mind buying now for future years you can get them in Woolworths or Argos sales for around £5 or £6 each. The Leapfrog website www.leapfrogshop.co.uk is also a good source and they also have sales from time to time. The postage costs for this are very low too and you can sign up for information to be sent when new books or other Leapfrog products become available.
There are 2 main types of books available which come with a plug in cartridge, stories which range from Thomas the Tank Engine to the more up to date disney films such as Finding Nemo and The Incredibles and the Leappad learning books which feature a character called Leap although my son calls him Kandoo as he looks remarkably like the little frog on the advert. These set of books concentrate on phonics and maths learning and it is remarkable how quickly you can see a difference with the normal day to day learning situations such as recognising numbers while out shopping and making comments about items which are the same colour or shape.
As your child gets older they can move on to books which deal with languages, geography and music. Its great fun for us adults as well - my bloke played with it loads when we got it.
I think the best part of it though is not the stories themselves but the small games and puzzles which can be found on each page and touching different objects with the attached pen can produce different sounds or music so your child is never sure what to expect. From finding certain objects to matching words that sound alike its never boring and again the different level books make it easy for your child to progress at a pace of his or her own without being pressured as some learning systems can do.
My son's favourite book at the moment is the Lion King which has lots of games such as finding all the giraffes and playing music in the stars. He loves the familiar voices from the film and repeats everything that the characters say when touched.
There is also a couple of books available which come with a microphone cartridge so your child can record his voice with some of the activities and encourage him to sound out words or phrases as he goes through the books. For the 2 books and the microphone it costs £25 from the Leapfrog site. Another extra you can buy is headphones so that your child can block out other background noise to concentrate on the activities. I would advise this for slightly older children though as I feel that younger children get more out of this product if there is interaction from an adult.
I would thoroughly recommend this system to anyone with a child coming up for 3 or 4 and if storage is a problem you can also buy a storage system which sells for around £15 to keep the leappad safe as well as holding up to 14 books and cartridges. There is also a backpack which sells for around £10 and holds up to 4 books and cartridges as well as the Leappad too. We bought the storage system and it is great for keeping everything tidy and safe and I would recommend either of these as the books can get damaged easily as they are on ring binder clips for easy turning of pages. This of course also means that an over enthusiastic child could tear them which is another good reason for adult help with younger children.
All in all great fun and a great way to Leap Into Learning.
Well as it will soon be Xmas, here's an ideal present for your little one!
I got mine for my daughters 1st birthday! bit extreme I know but once i'd seen it on the tv and looked at the Leapfog website (www.leapfrog.com) I just had to have it. Acacia is now just turning 3 and has just started using it.
Each book has an interactive story on one side of the book which you can point the pen at each of the words which the computer repeats. On the other side you have the activity side where you can play counting games, shapes, music etc.
The leappad teaches many things, learning to recognise words, numbers, shapes, colours etc.
Acacia loves her Leappad as she has fun playing with it, and I love it as she is learning a great deal from it at the same time.
You can buy many of the books from ToyRus, Argos, Woolworths and probably a lot more places. There are lots of differnt ones available like Thomas The Tank Engine, Disney Princess and many more.
For those who are interested this is how it works. Firstly with the books you are given a cartridge which holds all the data. This just slots in the side of the LeapPad. Then you attach the book to the top on whichever side you want it (either the story side or the activity side). Then you are ready to GO. Switch the unit on, turn the page, then with the special pen which it attached to the LeapPad, you just press on the green GO sign at the top of the page. Then the child just presses on whatever they like. on each page there are educational games to play.
Leapfrog have now brought out a pink leapPad, which wasn't available when I brought Acacia's. And they also have cases that you can buy so that your LeapPad is portable.
In summary I would definatly recommended for all toddlers, its a great way to start to learn basic reading and maths skills etc.
My son got one of these for xmas and it is such a good educational toy, and he's learning without realising it, which is always a bonus.
The aim of this, is to encourage pre-school age children with fun colourful stories and activities, which introduce essential skills such as pre-reading and pre-maths.
One book comes supplied with the system. The books are just under A5 size, cardboard covered in plastic, and are spiral bound at the top, which you clip into the system. The book becomes 'active' when you run the pen (attached to the system) over the green GO button in the book. On one side of the book is a story, and you can run the pen over the words and they will be read out to you, or if you touch the pictures, they will say what the picture is off. There are also other various things you can do, such as noises the things make, a 'find the....' exercise. Then, once you finish the story, flip the book over, and on the other side are activities to do, such as numbers/colours.
The system itself comes in either blue or pink, so make sure you pick the appropriate colour for your little boy or girl! They sell them in all major toystores, and average £20 - £25. There is a largish range of books available, and will cost approx £10. In addition to these, there is also a backpack available to store the system and all your books in, this also costs approx £10.
The only downside of this toy that i have found so far, is that is seems pretty delicate (the books and the pen, that is) so personally i'm always with my son when he's playing with his cos i can't afford to buy a new one if he breaks it! The recommended ages for this system is 3-5yrs. It requires 4 AA batteries. There is also a volume control on the system.
* Before I start, the picture above is not the LeapPad, but the My First LeapPad *
Having a son, Michael, with learning difficulties presents many problems, not least deciding what to get them for Christmas presents. Age appropriate toys are too difficult, while most that are developmentally appropriate are babyish. This year all my son's relatives gave up and ended up putting money in his cards, so he had a tidy sum to spend in the new year sales.
While hunting for that elusive, suitable toy my husband happened upon a Spiderman edition LeapPad in Asdas for the very reasonable price of £20, including not one but two books, and so he had to get one.
~~~The LeapPad Range~~~
There are a number of systems in the LeapPad range including :
LeapPad Learning System - available in blue/green and pink
Spiderman LeapPad Bundle - red and blue with a Spiderman logo and extra Spiderman LeapPad book.
LeapPad Plus Writing - similar to the basic LeapPad but allows your child to practice writing as well.
My younger daughter has had the learning system for three years now, and Michael got the Spiderman version this week.
~~~What you get for your money~~~
Before buying your LeapPad Learning system, you may be wondering what you get for your money. Well with the basic system, you get the LeapPad, and one book with a cartridge to get you started.
The Spiderman version however, contains the Spiderman LeapPad, a starter book and cartridge, and a bonus Spiderman Book and cartridge and therefore works out at much better value.
Note you do not get any batteries in the pack, so you will need four AA batteries for it to work.
~~~So what's a LeapPad~~~
Basically a LeapPad is an interactive learning toy for your child. Consisting of a hard plastic shell, a little larger than A4 size, with an attached pen that allows the child to point to various parts of the page in the LeapPad books to bring them to life.
~~~The Books~~~
The LeapPad books are approximately A3 size, and spiral bound. They are also quite pricey, although if you shop round you maybe able to find them at half price. The come in three age levels, Upto 5 years old, 4-6 years old and 6-8 years old, and consist of a variety of purely educational and Disney based themes.
~~~What does it do?~~~
The LeapPad learning system is a wonderful tool, for helping your child to discover books, whether they can read, or indeed talk, or not. Each book comes supplied with a cartridge that fits into the side of the LeapPad and when you switch on, the story becomes interactive. The LeapPad can read the story to your child, either one word at a time or all at once. And when the child uses the pen on particular parts of the page, sometimes something magical can happen.
~~~Who is it aimed at??~~~
The box states that the LeapPad is suitable for children aged 4-8 years. But only take this as a guide, my daughter got one for her third birthday and was quickly able to use it independently. However, Michael has only just got one aged 6.5, and due to his learning difficulties still requires lots of support.
I would say it is suitable, if your child is able to hold a pen and make marks (however light) with it, as they will soon see the cause and effect.
~~~What will my child learn?~~~
Well, what your child will learn, depends greatly on the child. My average child takes great pleasure from reading the books, and then checking if she was right. She doesn't realise she's learning anything, and this is why it's so successful for her. Sit her down with a standard book and she'll say she doesn't know any of the words, but she can read her LeapPad books. She's constantly amazing me with things that she's discovered from the books, whether it be maths skills she's picked up, or just songs.
Michael on the other hand, is not yet ready to read, but the question is, Is he learning or just having fun? Well I'd say both, but don't tell him that. At the moment he's just getting the hang of moving the pen from left to right, which is a very important pre-reading skill.
~~~Does it eat batteries?~~~
No, not really. A new set of AA batteries will last approximately one week of extended use. By extended I mean 4-5 hours a day, so you get about 20 hours use from one set, which isn't too bad really.
~~~Will it last?~~~
The main section of the LeapPad is very durable, my daughter's is nearly three years old and still going strong. But the string connecting the pen to the LeapPad is not nearly as durable, and broke after about a year. This was due in part to misuse, but tell me what four year does not abuse their toys to some extent. The redeeming point here, is that the pen is only attached by string, not wire, and as long as we keep it safe she can still use it.
The books, however, are a different matter. They are extremely flimsy, and tend to tear along the spiral, which is not good as they are so expensive.
~~~How much does it cost?~~~
The LeapPad itself varies in price between shops, but seems to be readily available for under £25 in both colours.
ToysRus are selling the Spiderman Bundle for £39.99, but Asda has it on sale for £20 (the Spiderman book on its own costs £12) which is excellent value.
The books generally retail at £12 each, but by shopping around you can often buy them half price, for example at the time of writing Woolworth's have a selection including Spongebob Squarepants, and Bear in the Big Blue House for £6 each.
~~~Would I recommend it?~~~
Most definitely. I wouldn't have bought the second one for Michael if I hadn't thought they were a great toy. They are suitable not only for a large age range, but also for a large developmental range. Michael has spent the last hour playing with his and I can honestly say that it is his favourite toy of the moment.
I would say, that if you live near an Asda's and they are selling them for the £20 go and buy one for your child today.
Its that time of year again where you are scratching your head as to what you are going to get your little one for Christmas, we was in this predicament last year. All you see on TV day in day out at the moment is ads ads and more ads of toys and all you get is I want that in the whiny little voice, you know the one I mean when they say can I have this.
We decided that we wanted to get something fun but educational, and it was only looking through our Littlewoods catalogue, we came across this and thought it would be a good idea. My only concern at the time, it was a bit pricey and that being Ben was only four at the time would this be a good choice??
We managed to find some more information on the leapfrog website (see below for address) as to what this toy was about. The purpose of the toy is to teach your child a variety of skills form Motor skills to logical thinking and this is all done without realising as the activities are fun. It also encourages your child to learn at their own pace. I believe when they are that age it learning should be fun and it encourages good interaction and quality time, especially if you work and dont get to see them that often. We also thought this would be a good as Ben was starting in the reception class after the Christmas holidays.
On the Website itself, it tells you that there are eight core skills that they believe a child should learn:
1) Logic
2) Maths
3) Music and Creativity
4) Reading and Language
5) Science
6) Social development
7) Motor Skills
8) Social Studies
Now I know that sounds a bit harsh for a child so young but its all done in the games to make it fun, and this played a big part in our decision. As most of the time when your child is at nursery or school, because there are so many kids in a class they dont get the one to one they need at that age.
We decided to go for it and we felt that not only was it a good idea but in turn was a good investment because as your child grows and learns you can buy the relevant books to suite your childs learning needs.
We purchased ours through littlewoods and at the time it was £39.99, but you can buy it a lot cheaper now for around £25-£30. I believe you can get this from places like Argos and toys R Us.
Now being the big kid that I am, when it arrived I just had to test it to see what the fuss was about, and to make sure it was working!!! And I was pleasantly surprised. It takes four AA batteries (it doesnt come with them) which you just pop in underneath. Its easy to use all you do is just pop in the cartridge (into the side) put in the book and turn it on. The cartridge hold all the information that is in the book, its like a little memory card.
The book is a flip book so there are stories on one side of the page and if you flip the book over there are other activities on the other side.
Firstly you touch the word Go which is in a green circle and it will register what is on that particular page. If youre on the side which has the stories on it then all you have to is click on the little speech bubble and it will read the story to your little one or you can skim over the individual words and it will read them so the child can learn to read that word. The picture has many hidden sounds and phrases so for example: if you skim the pen over a picture of Leap, he will say something to you or if you put the pen on a star that will make a noise.
As I said before, this is a flip book so on the other side there are lots of games, counting, a paper piano and a game where your child can learn the names of all the body parts. There is also a music section, so that your child will learn the names of different instruments, and this is all fun. At the bottom of the page, there are a few symbols for volume control and to play additional games.
The great thing about this toy is it keeps them amused for hours and as I said before it gives you the chance to spend quality time with them, my self and my partner both work long hours, so this is the ideal toy for us.
I believe with the help of this toy, Ben has really come on a bundle in his reading and his attention span has grown instead of being that of a fly!! He wants to sit and play with this with you and also read his books from school which to me is great.
You can get a wide range of the books for the Leappad system and I picked most of them up from Woolworths and they had quite a good selection.
Just to give you an idea of the books you can get for this here is a little list for you to browse.
Thomas the Tank Engine (Youre a really useful engine)
Leaps friend A-Z
Finding Nemo
Monsters Inc
Bear in the Big blue House
Tad Goes Shopping
Scobbie Doo
Cat in The Hat
There are loads more to choose from and they are not a bad price either, which can range from £8.99 to £10
Leapfrog also offers a wide range of toys apart from this from an imagination desk to a learning ball.
Oh before I forget the website address is ..www.leapfrog.com
Now its back to picking out this years toys ..Help me!!!!!
Thanks for reading!!!
After our daughter received a Leap Pad learning system for her birthday, we were quite impressed with how she managed to work it and her little brother started showing a lot of interest. This caused a lot of problems as we do want to keep Eilidh's leap pad good so that Murray can use it when he is older and so that Eilidh can use it as she grows. My friend happened to mention that she had an unused one My First Leap Pad system as her daughter had received it as a present but was too old for it. So we borrowed it.
The My First Leap Pad is slightly bigger than A5 size. It sits sideyways for you to use. You get a free book which you use with it. There is a pen on it which is used with the leap pad. The pen is attached by a small cord. I would advise that it is better to supervise a child and try not to let them break the cord. This way you can keep it altogether as the pen is needed to use the pad and without it the pad is useless. The little books fit into 2 sort of pegs which hold the book in while you flip it over and work with it. On the bottom right is an easy push button which a little one can press with no problems. The pad overall is simple and easy to use. Just looking at it makes you realise how easy it will be to use. On the right hand side on the side is the cartridge holder. You get a book with the leap pad which works without a cartridge but every other book which is bought needs a cartridge to allow the pad to know which book it is working with and give out the correct information etc to the child. It is a good idea to keep the books and cartridges together to make sure that you don't loose them or have a spare book or cartridge lying about.
The leap pad takes 4AA batteries. I've found so far that the batteries last a fairly reasonable time. If the leap pad isn't used for a certain period of time (not sure how long as I have never timed it), the pad says goodbye and switches off hence saving you batteries if your little one forgets to switch it off.
The recommended age for this is 3+. Murray is 22 months and with supervised help enjoys having time on the Leap Pad. Having watched his big sister he has a basic knowledge of how to use the pad. I find it nice to sit down and spend time with him doing it. This way I am building on his vocabulary and helping him learn new words. Sometimes he gets annoyed when you turn a page and have to press the pen on the green circle to let the pad know you have turned over the pages. I find that Murray does sometimes get over excited about the pen and bangs it on the pad quite hard making a loud noise. He has however started to learn through continuity that when we turn the page, we have to press the green button and that is helping him recall things and using his memory.
Some people may say that 22 months is far too young for this but I believe with the correct supervision and adult interaction this can work well for many children. The books vary in what they provide, but the introduce pre-reading, where children are starting to learn basics of reading such as looking at a picture and being able to talk about what is happening in the picture. Pre-maths is done through counting, shapes and colours. They will also be improving their fine motor skills by using the pen and their hand/eye co-ordination through looking at the pictures, and then taking the pen to the correct object or picture. They will also start to use their listening skills at being able to follow simple instructions such as "find the purple square."
This leap pad will set you back approximately £25 from places like Early Learning Centre or Toys R Us. Additional books are slightly cheaper than the main leap pad books at £10. Many places sell these and sometimes if you shop around you may often find a buy one get on free offer. My friend doesn't need this back yet, but when she does, I still don't know if I could justify £25 for a small leap pad which children will out grow fairly quickly as the next leap pad starts at age 4. I would possibly look for a second hand one in this case. I do like the concept and believe that you could get 2 years out of this before a child outgrew it and needed the big one. If you can borrow one first, I would as my sister in law spent a fortune buying the pad and books only for my nephew never to look at it. So it is worth trying it out first.
My young son developed an obsession with letters and numbers long before he could speak (at least with any degree of sense). Now, at the grand old age of two, his party piece is to count incessantly until numbness sets in all round and his Tweenies display has been torn down and replaced by a huge alphabet poster. So, when we saw the My First LeapPad while Christmas shopping we knew it would be a big hit. Manufactured by Leap Frog it is a younger version of the more familiar LeapPad. The packaging stated it was intended for ages 3 to 5 and at the time our son was two and a half, but having already learnt his alphabet and numbers up to a hundred thanks to a patient mum and toys like Alfie bear, it looked like there would be nothing to baffle our little Einstein. I think I can best describe My First LeapPad as an interactive, talking book. The actual pad is made of a light but sturdy blue plastic and features a speaker and a ?magic? pen on a length of wire. The makers have obviously met many destructive children such as my son as the wire (my bet as the first part to break) has a soft plastic coating that somehow withstands all manner of abuse, such as chewing and being used as a dog-lead to drag the book about the house. The book, or flipbook as they are called, easily clips onto the base using the durable plastic spiral spine and is very easy for a toddler to do. Each book comes with a small cartridge which slots into the side of the base ? very much like a smaller version of the old Atari games that wrecked our portable TVs back in the 80s. Clip on the book, slap in the cartridge, switch on and the fun begins. The English accented voice politely instructs you to touch the green ?GO? button on each page as you go. If this isn?t done, the current page is not activated and you are disturbed
by cries of ?My LeapPad doesn?t work?! The ?touching? is done with the magic pen, which in itself will develop pen-holding skills if your child doesn?t already have them. The magic pen is then used for a variety of activities: ? touch a word and it is read out loud; ? run it along a sentence and it is read out loud; ? identify objects on the page; ? identify colours, shapes, animals etc; ? play games, usually one or two per page. Everything on the page has an element of fun to it and is fantastic at developing language and numeracy skills. The best part is that it is completely guilt free as our son has voluntarily spent at least half an hour on it every day since Christmas! Each ?flipbook? is effectively two books in one. Clip it on one way and you have a story; the other way gives you an activity book. Either way, each page is crammed with activities and fun. ?My First LeapPad? comes with a book called Leap?s Big Day. Additional books are available ? further Leap adventures, Winnie-the-Pooh and Thomas the Tank Engine. Each book has an information section for parents, telling us what skills the book develops. Such information doesn?t really interest me though ? I just want my son to enjoy the book no matter what it encourages. Two features that my wife and I LOVE are the volume control (a + and a ? on each page) and an automatic cut-off. Far too many noisy toys have one, louder than necessary volume and if left unattended will carry on repeating the last thing it said or did. Another nice albeit small feature is the carry handle, which allows our young man about town to carry round his ?work? like Daddy with his laptop! I would highly recommend the book called ?I Know My abc?. Our son learnt his alphabet in the ay, bee, see style. Unfortunately c
hildren need to learn the phonics in order to build up words, which we hadn?t foreseen. Just before Christmas we started to tell him that letters have sounds. We had two or three letters done within a week, but with ?I Know My abc? he had the whole lot mastered within a couple of days! Each letter is accompanied by a catchy tune with the words ?A sounds like a, A sounds like a, Every letter makes a sounds, A sounds like a? etc. Fantastic ? I?m now wander round the supermarket singing the song while nervous mothers clutch their offspring. My First LeapPad costs between £25-£30 (ours cost £27.50 from Toys ?R? Us) and each additional book costs about £8-£9 ? quite dear, but each gives countless hours of enjoyment. It?s quite thirsty when it comes to batteries, too. The base needs 4 AA batteries and had to be replaced after a month. I?ve outlined many of the positive features of My First LeapPad. There are a couple of niggling negatives, mind you. We think, as do a few of our friends, that the age ranges are slightly misleading. If your child is inquisitive and loves learning then they would probably really enjoy this well before turning three. The next step up (full fat LeapPad) is recommended for age 4+, but with our son already learning to put sounds together to form words, we will be picking it up for his third birthday. As Leap Frog themselves say, every child is different. I also recommend a safe place to keep the cartridges for the books ? they are small enough to get into all sorts of couch nooks and down-side-of-bed crannies. Overall, a fantastic, fun and extremely well made educational toy, which I rate at 9 frogs out of 10. B sounds like b, B sounds like b?.


text:
Prince looking for a pitch to drive, taking walks
By Gene Duffey / Special to MLB.com
HOUSTON -- Detroit's Prince Fielder saw exactly four strikes in his four plate appearances Friday night at Houston, walking three times.
Fielder entered Saturday leading the American League in walks with 24, four ahead of second-place Lance Berkman of Texas.
"I'm just trying to get a good pitch," said Fielder, showing no displeasure at how opponents are pitching around him. "It's part of the game. Its part of hitting -- walks, hits, trying to help the team. It's no different than a single."
Fielder has learned to be more selective over the years. He walked over 100 times in each of his last three years in Milwaukee, 2009-11.
"That comes from getting a little more mature, knowing yourself and knowing what you can actually hit without making an out," he said. "There's certain pitches I know I can't hit, whether it's a strike or not. I try to wait for a pitch I know I can hit hard."
Manager Jim Leyland praised Fielder for his patience at the plate.
"Most people try to get good hitters out on balls," Leyland said. "You can't lose your patience. You can expand your zone, but you can't expand it too much or you're going to make outs. You swing at strikes, you get hits, you swing at balls, you make outs. It's that simple. "[Fielder's] a very patient guy and he's done a good job of that. Very rarely does he expand to swing [at balls]. That's smart. He's got a pretty good hitter behind him."
That would be veteran designated hitter Victor Martinez.
In Thursday night's 14-inning game, Austin Jackson doubled to lead off the 14th. Torii Hunter moved him to third, and the Astros walked Miguel Cabrera intentionally to set up a double play.
That brought Fielder to the plate, but the Astros walked him, too, to load the bases. Fielder was a little surprised he was walked intentionally.
"Thankfully they did and [Don Kelly] got the job done," Fielder said of Kelly, who singled in the go-ahead run. "So it worked out."
Fielder said the walks are not part of his game plan.
"I'm not going for the walk at all," he said. "The more aggressive you are, the better you see the ball. They might throw strikes, but I'm still waiting on the strike I can hit.
"I never swung at a lot of bad pitches coming up," he said of his days in the Minors. "Pitchers didn't know me yet, so they gave me more what I wanted to swing at. When you get up to the big leagues, the pitchers are different."
Jackson returns to lineup after most of day off
HOUSTON -- Detroit's Austin Jackson was back in his familiar place for Saturday night's game at Houston, playing center field and batting leadoff. Manager Jim Leyland gave Jackson a day off Friday night. Jackson, who did enter the game as a defensive replacement in the bottom of the ninth, had started all of the Tigers' first 27 games before Friday.
"I definitely like a day off," he said. "It gives me a chance to recuperate a little bit."
Jackson has been bothered slightly by a sore left hamstring.
"You get a chance to get a full day of work on it," he said of the hamstring. "Give it a break for a day. It definitely helped. It's kind of tough to work on it when you're playing every day.
"It's not bad. It's just something that bothered me a little bit. It's fine. I have to make sure I get it loose and stretch it out."
The day off for Jackson probably came at a good time following Thursday night's 14-inning, 7-3 victory. Jackson led off the 14th with a double and scored the go-ahead run.
"Those games are tough," he said. "You get in those situations, it helps to get that win after playing that long. We've been on the other side of that as well, so it definitely helps [when you win]. You're just happy when it's over, and if you have a win, it's a plus."
Detroit is 2-3 in extra-inning games this year, with four of them lasting 12 innings or longer.
Young Astros have impressed Leyland in series
HOUSTON -- Playing the Houston Astros is no layup according to Detroit manager Jim Leyland, heading into Saturday night's game at Minute Maid Park.
The Tigers won the first two games of the four-game series. Thursday night's game went 14 innings before Detroit prevailed 7-3, and Friday night the Tigers needed a two-run homer by Alex Avila in the top of the ninth for a comeback 4-3 win.
"They're throwing pretty good pitchers at us and we're going to see another one tonight [Lucas Harrell]," Leyland said of the Astros. "They're hungry, most of them are young and they've got good pitching. That's the common denominator which changes everything."
The Tigers struck out 18 times in the 14-inning game.
With an 8-22 record, Houston doesn't look good in the standings, tied with Miami for the worst record in the Majors. The Astros are already 10 1/2 games out of first place in the American League West.
Don't think playing Houston is an easy assignment.
"It doesn't work that way," said Leyland. "People see a record and they think [they're easy]. They've played their tails off against us."
The Astros are the youngest team in the Major Leagues, with an average age of just over 27.
"Teams like this, you've got guys trying to stabilize the team a little bit and still try to hang on," Leyland said. "Then you've got the young prospects who are out to show they belong here. They'll catch up."
First baseman Carlos Pena and right fielder Rick Ankiel are the veterans on Houston. But the team features more young players, such as 23-year-old outfielder Robbie Grossman, 23-year-old third baseman Matt Dominguez and 22-year-old right-hander Jordan Lyles, who started Thursday's game.
"If anybody's got prospects who are the real deal, in time they'll catch up," Leyland said. "They'll go through some growing pains in the process. That's the way it is with everything."
Gene Duffy is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Discussion in 'General Gun Discussions' started by full metal, Jun 23, 2007.
HK P7 from Lawdawg last week.
Wanna get it hard chromed.
Ruger m77 .270 from 1974. Aftermarket black walnut stock, 95% bright blueing, total sex appeal
I've got one of them, from about 1969 or 1970. Sweet gun.
Ruger SR22, with the threaded barrel, nonetheless. I'm happy, now for that ammo.......?
I bought this Rossi M92 .357/.38 monday It runs great. Theres only one thing I can think of thats more fun than shooting this little carbine
I wish I could get a 22lr that loads through the side like that.
... the suspense is killing me, do tell!
M&P Shield 9mm
[QUOTE-Cokeman]I wish I could get a 22lr that loads through the side like that.
[/QUOTE]Doesn't work with heeled bullets, and having a loading gate snapping shut on the rimfire rim makes me pucker.
KAC SR15 IWS LPR ordered and paid for on 12/28/12. It should arrive sometime in March. Once that's paid off I'd like to get an FNX-45.
Only in my wallet.
Sig P226 Tac Ops 9mm
G19. Why did I wait so long?
Just got a Yugo M-48 Mauser "Puska" rifle.
FN Five Seven in dark earth... awesome
The last one I brought home was a Rossi 357 magnum but I have an Arsenal slr 10113 on layaway I'll be picking up in a few weeks.
Not bought per se, but laid away till next week:
Smith and Wesson Shield 9mm
My most recent purchase was this Gen3 Glock 17.
It is my first auto pistol. Actually is my first semi-auto firearm. I got it for a great price, $250 with 4 mags. I bought it just a few days before Sandy Hook.
The guy I got it from is an impulsive type. He suddenly decided to change to an M&P9. He only put 2000 rounds through it and it's in great shape; he even had it refinished by Glock.
CPO Sig P229. Wish it would stack up against my Glock 23 for EDC but sadly she's a safe queen.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk HD
M&P Shield 40
Picked this up on Jan. 29th and took it the range on my birthday Jan. 30th; I had been #2 on a waiting list since April 2012! Smith & Wesson M&P Shield 40. All I can say is: I am glad they didn't forget about me and it was a fabulous birthday. Great piece of equipment!
Yeah, they're a bit heavy, I am going to order a shoulder rig from lobo for my P229R E2 .40, once I recover from the funds for it and the P226 9mm tacops (not even a week later). That being said I found a milt sparks vm2 for under $100 on ebay, for the P226, and it carries in it quite well with a 1.5" bullhide belt, but it's on the large & heavy side too.
Somehow all my plans to carry something lighter that a Dan Wesson Valor 5" 1911, didn't quite pan out - or not by very much. So I still find myself usually carrying the j frame revolver.
Great deal with 4 mags as well..
Now get some more mags, before they're outlawed HaHa
NO pictures as yet but I got a 9mm H&K VP70Z 18 round clips for Christmas and 45acp Barretta 8045 Cougar for my Birthday. If you gotta get older at least demand a great gift.
I've read peoples' comments about the VP70 and can't agree with. Long trigger pull yes, but hard or tight? It's more like the pull on the older rifles I love so much. " After a couple of clips it leaves your trigger finger in pain " I and my son put 160 rounds through it and all we felt was we should have brought more ammo. All in all, a great pistol for the range and home deference but too big for concealed carry.
The Cougar F frame fits nicely as a concealed carry and the recoil is way less than I expected and perfectly to the rear with NO lift or side sway. It's easy to keep on target and sights line up easily.
Picked up a Springfield armory Ultra Compact in .45 it shoots fantastic! My 14 yr old daughter loves it!
Well, I went to a gun show last weekend looking for a 2nd or 3rd generation Glock 17/19. There were some there, but I wasn't interested at >$600 for used combat tupperware and obnoxious refrains of "The price is NOT negotiable!"
So, I came home with a lovely Ruger Bearcat in stainless. What a great little revolver!
Separate names with a comma.


text:
Modi Dominated Vibrant Gujarat
At the two-day Vibrant Gujarat conference, which ended Saturday, it was all about Narendra Modi, the state's ubiquitous chief minister who recently won reelection.
The event, which takes place every two years, is meant to showcase Gujarat's business chops. But it's also an opportunity for Mr. Modi, widely touted as a candidate to become India's prime minister in 2014, to burnish his image as the nation's most business-friendly chief minister.
During the conference, hoardings across the city showed Mr. Modi smiling with folded hands. A television channel called NaMo Gujarat beamed his appearances at Vibrant Gujarat events all day long. "Namo" in Sanskrit means "salute" but is also an elision of Mr. Modi's two names.
Mr. Modi dominated the event's three-hour long inaugural session and almost two-hour long closing ceremony. Other ministers from the state government played supporting roles to Mr. Modi, who was ever-present.
The heads of the many local and foreign corporations and diplomats in attendance also showered their attention chiefly on Mr Modi.
The only state government official who played a significant role was bureaucrat Maheshwar Sahu, who kicked off proceedings Friday by singing praises about Modi's dynamism.
The praises came thick and fast, with Reliance group chairman Anil Ambani even comparing Mr. Modi to Gandhi, who also hailed from Gujarat.
Even on Sunday, Mr. Modi was center stage. Hordes of people descended to celebrate a kite flying festival on the banks of a river that flows through the state capital.
Mr Modi appeared on a flower-bedecked open-top car, dressed in a crisp kurta, waving to the crowds.
Mr. Modi, in his final speech at Vibrant Gujarat, claimed the state, always a prosperous coastal region, was unknown globally until he came to power over a decade ago.
"Earlier people used to say, 'Gujarat is this state an hour's flight from Mumbai.' Today they say, 'Mumbai, it's that place near Gujarat,'" he said.
In his speech he castigated India's national leaders for failing to draw investors. "Who will make them understand?" he asked.
Some observers point out that other states, like Tamil Nadi and Maharashtra, also have economies that are growing swiftly. But for now, Mr. Modi appears to be the man of the moment.
Corrections and Amplifications: Vibrant Gujarat is a biennial event. An earlier version of this post incorrectly stated it was an annual event.
Follow India Real Time on Twitter @indiarealtime.


text:
Call stands in fifth after Blue Jays challenge
Tribe's Cabrera called safe on steal of second after tag attempt by Lawrie
By Gregor Chisholm / MLB.com
TORONTO -- Blue Jays manager John Gibbons was unsuccessful in his challenge of a stolen base by Cleveland's Asdrubal Cabrera during the fifth inning of Toronto's 15-4 loss to the Indians on Wednesday night.
With the Indians leading, 4-0, Cabrera attempted to steal second with one out in the fifth. The throw from Toronto catcher Josh Thole arrived in time, but second baseman Brett Lawrie appeared to miss the initial tag.
Gibbons came out of the dugout, and the Blue Jays decided to challenge the call because they felt Lawrie tagged Cabrera's left foot before his other leg hit the bag.
"We went off Brett's reaction, really," Gibbons said. "I was surprised by it. This is not a perfect science. … They make that call in New York."
The umpires convened, and after two minutes and 35 seconds it was ruled that the call on the field stood.
Gregor Chisholm is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, North of the Border, and follow him on Twitter @gregorMLB. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text: http://www.tennis28.com/slams/games_winpct_tournament.html I don't have many concrete opinions about this yet, but don't you think it's odd that most of the very dominating performances in terms of % of games won come 1970's and 1980's? The general difference isn't even slight; it's huge. I think these stats are for the open era only. There are other interesting stats on this page...I haven't finished looking through them yet. Thoughts? edit: Oh yeah, of course not all of these are slam victories, but many of them are.


text:
Love all these stencils, use the Dylusions ink, use Tattered Angels sprays, or use stipple brushes or sponged ink: so many ways to make fabulous backgound papers. I want all of these stencels.
I love my template, so easy to use, fun and easy to clean
Perfect border for cards or journals. Love it.


text:
Thanks for helping us sort this video!
Thanks for helping us associate the correct Pornstars to this video!
Ayúdanos: ¿Estas estrellas porno aparecen en este vídeo?
Pornstar Name:
best cumshot on the net. awesome.
naa, tremenda acabada
He must have 6 nuts to produce that much sperm.What a LOAD!!!!!!!!!
Spiderman's wife?
She's so lucky to have the warm award.
I can give you a load like this. Without a shoot in the hair.
I'm cumming as well!!!
Man that looks yummy. I am not gay, but I would love to wrap my lips around that cock. Would love to share a facial with a hot slut like that then lick each other clean.
That would be so hot and I'd love to share with you. Btw you might not be gay but you're definitely bi if you wanna suck a cock so bad,there's nothing wrong with it it's nice. Is 53 your age? I'm 19 is that ok?
Melanie, you have made me erect. 10 inches of throbbing meat ready to squirt out rope after rope of thick jizzum. Yeah, you'd be more than OK.
I walked in on my sister and her bf once,and seen the size of his dick and nuts.I had to try him,I was sucking his big hard dick and just before he came I squeezed his big balls,he shot off so much cum that I couldn't swallow it as fast as his dick shot it out.He coated my face and answered my question.
Five great creamy cumshots!!! Wow...i guess he deserved the titjob!
Wow I have never seen that much sperm come outta 1 cock like that fuck he just about drowned her
that was a fantastic cum vido..She took a uge loand..Love watching cum all over her face.....FANTASTIC.....
Exactly the same as when my new lover cums.His big cock erupts with semen,first the two little shots of precum then the grunting explosion of his thick cream.It coats my face and hair then he wipes it off with my panties.
Holy fuck what a huge load of thick spunk!!!!I love seeing a load like that which really gets me wet watching it covering that girls face.Great face bath!!!!!!
My bf has always shot a big load but thats the biggest I have ever seen.Your laying there and after the first 5 or 6 shots you think hes done then he shoots 5 or 6 more..Wow Greatest Cumshot Ever!!!
When I tit fucked my landlord,his huge cumbath in my face just about drowned me,His cock just kept shooting juice.
Holy Fuck! He missed with 4 large spurts and still left a bucket of ejaculate on her face.I want this guys Full Load!!!
What a fuckin spew!!!Where did that guy get so much cum,her face was plastered and he missed with 4 huge spurts.I'd love to have a shot at takin all that cum in my mouth...
wow, hottest cumshot on youporn!
standard to be honest. i have had a couple of times when my load has been alot bigger than that :L my girlfriend hates it which i dont like :/ i wish i could just find a girl that would like me to jizz all over her face :/ nah, my balls never hurt, when i shoot big loads like that, just after my bellend kills me... for like 30 minuets sometimes more and my balls go all cold and achey :L
WAS Fue RNE OBER GEILE DURCHFICKNUTTE
She is Xana Star! Anyone know the scene?
velvet ecstacy
who is that girl???
This is Xana Star with Dax from the scene Body Glow from VelvetEcstasy.
Very good
Glorious! She obviously loves it and really knows how to handle a face full of cum me next please
Die NEON GELBE Halskette ist geil
Wow. What a nummy load!
Nasrtfaziza Work. God be d,left o cheek mfml flavor rovb f k rock nmf. Mel mob. To k mvm,feel ,v, Michael,Ed,r mkffm,el,CB,,ke,it's,on s,or,,elk I,ld got k,v Leon,kl deck mod,,ff,ebony,kc,dock el ,,,Flf ,lvlldfl m,doc,gm e,vkv,of mgmls,v,l. Mvm Kosovo mild cg,lec,lc m,dim. Mv,ovkgm,cvm lovv,b,lfk,ovm,cflbklrd,fell,d mbk,f kxks mimgmjv h. Bk
Love to cum in girlfriends mouth, then she feeds it back to me
that made me come hard! WOW!
luv watching her
greatest moment in her life!!!!!
Needless to say she asked for it.
Beautiful girl, great cumshot!
A women never looks prettier than when she submits to having her eyes glazed shut.
my girlfriend loves it when I cum on her face just like that and it does go up her nose
Lucky man!
At least ten shots outta that cock and five or six big ones,great clip I love big cumshots on the face
best cumshot vid ever
I love this spunk faced bitch. She really knows how to accept a cumshot on her face.
Her name is Xana Star! Finally figured that out.... Like someone below me said, how many times can you fap to one video haha.
Mmmm julie lynn, id love to watch my hubby cream your face then il lick it off mmmm
Hot cum.... mmmmm I love it!
glazed donuts anyone???
Hi baby
A perfect huge cumshot - plenty of cum for her mouth, her eyes, her nose, her hair. Spunk all over this hot blonde bitch.
I'll keep coming back to this video always forever and ever!! Who is she, by the way? I've been seeing this video for years and still can't tell who she is :/
Oh would like do get his load inside my ass
and on your face?
@nluvr: do you also like less thick goo? Just like white milk washing your body?
my boyfriend doesn't shoot quite that much cum, but his goo is even thicker. when he comes in my mouth, it's like custard, and i have to chew it before i can swallow it. lumps of it get caught between my teeth, and i have to floss afterwards. it's quite a meal!
Oh my god. I love thick semen squirting on my face, and inside me like that.
Only a face a Dad could love!
She looks like Fergie from Black Eyed Peas... And I'm sure Fergie does this too...
I can always dye your hair Redkitty?
sometimes I wish I was a dishwater blonde! Lucky bitch, nice load.
@ Big D Yes, my bf also has amazing cumshots just like this and I can tell you, it does feel amazing when he cums inside me. I can feel his warm cum splashing inside me and then as it starts to drip out as he forces it out with each thurst deeper inside me. When he cums inside me, it always makes me cum too. But what feels even more amazing is after he is done, he pulls out and then goes down on me, licking up his cum and sucking on my clit until I cant stand it anymore and beg him to stop or at least take a break so that I can catch my breath.
nice !
she's a very good girl!!
Someone has to know who is she!!
Mmmm...I'd lick her face clean...
Ladies, in case you were wondering, THIS is how it's done!
nice job honey, can i lick it off ur face?
I lov cock need r\to eat
My GF says that when I shoot a load the big in her pussy,she can feel it.She doesn't like to swallow though.
want to swallow his whole load
Does anyone know what the full movie is called? Or have a link to it? Or know this chick's name?
Now that is one helluva cumshot.
Who is that
grande maiala. pompino perfetto
:58- LOVE to make out with her.
she is xana star
Nice load! I'll be next, please!
right into her nose :) nice choker too
guys look at this its a miracle called CUMSHOT
What's her name?
whats her name? It's not Xana star
Man is die geil!!!! ich komm jedes mal bei dem clip ich habe auch icq ;-)
how idlove to kiss her
i like her she seems smart
Mein Gott da hat aber einer Druck auf der Leitung gehabt!!! Echt schoener Anblick!!!
What a load I had to keep cumingand wanking watching all that hot spunk shooteverwhere
My wife wants your cum
nice facial,nice boobs 10/10
anche io faccio ingogi sotto al parcheggio del decatlhon tor vergata roma solo uomini maturi sono bisex vi aspetto oggi e domani fino a mattina presto
Nice Facial Nice Tits
i think it britney spears
the girl is xana star
I think she is a newfie
Call 911 before she drowns in all that cum!!!Holy Fuck,How long has he been saving all that nut blow??
Nice tit wank and huge cum shot
Oh my what a cumshot!!
jesus! it is always nice to see a good load in a cumshot and not some pittiful little squirt. hes got a nice descent cock too...would have been better if he made out with her while she was covered in cum
who is that girl ?
How many times can someone ejaculate watching the same video?
who is this girl
my wife wants to take that load
ax morh kariola se xinw kai ta pineis jekoliara!!!!tha se jemouniasa mwrh milfia!!!aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa pare ta xisia kai katapie ta ola!!!!!!!
When my sister in law told me she want to eat my cum,I couldn't wait.I didn't tell her that I came like a fire hydrant.When I finally ejaculated on her face all you could see was her nostrils and her eyes,I coated her pretty face from forehead to chin,after I was done she sure laughed about the massive coating she had taken.
Some errors occurred, please try again later
Sign up for a free account and make YouPorn yours!
Subscribe to your favorite pornstars, channels, and collections


text:
Long Island Student Accepted to All Eight Ivy League Schools
A 17-year-old Long Island student scored a rare academic win, his high school said, when he was accepted to all eight Ivy League schools.
Kwasi Enin of Shirley, L.I., spent hours preparing his admissions essay for 12 schools, and said he hoped that he would get into "at least one" of the Ivy League schools that he applied to. When the acceptance letters rolled in from Yale, Princeton, Harvard, Dartmouth, Brown, Columbia, Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania, he was "shocked," he said Tuesday.
"I had the passion to research all eight of them, they can all be so different," Mr. Enin said on Tuesday afternoon, during a blitz of media interviews following a Newsday profile published on Monday. "I thought I could fit in at any of them. I also thought, 'I do really want to get into at least one.'"
But Mr. Enin didn't anticipate he would be accepted into all eight. "Somebody has to reject me somewhere," he recalls thinking. "When that didn't happen, I sat back and was amazed and grateful,'" he said.
He hasn't been able to sit back for long. Since word of his achievement got out, the William Floyd School District in Mastic Beach, L.I., has fielded hundreds of emails about its star student.
William Floyd High School principal Barbara Butler has been Mr. Enin's principal for six years and said she didn't anticipate the "overwhelming" media coverage Mr. Enin's success would attract.
"It is an honor having seen him grow up over the years and how he has inspired so many other students," Ms. Butler said, calling his acceptance rate "truly a feat."
Mr. Enin's achievement is perhaps not surprising considering his academic career so far. He's excelled academically, scoring 2,250 out of 2,400 on his SAT score, and is also a musician, playing the electric bass, viola and participating in the school's orchestra and a cappella group. He's acted in several school plays since the 9th grade, participates in track, shot put and discus, and is also in the school's Youth & Government club, Ms. Butler said.
"To have been able to balance everything with such modesty and to be such an overall good citizen, that is rare," Ms. Butler said.
Mr. Enin's parents, both nurses, emigrated to the United States from Ghana in the 1980s, according to the school.
In the world of academia, Mr. Enin is a "rockstar" said Stephen Friedfeld, co-founder of AcceptU, a college admissions counseling group. "He sounds like a dream student," Mr. Friedfeld said.
Mr. Friedfeld also said it is rare for a student to get into all eight Ivy League schools and that he only knew one other person who had achieved this, a family friend. AcceptU advises students against applying to all eight Ivy League schools, rather recommending students apply to a mix of top schools as well as safety or match schools – schools a student is likely to be accepted to.
"We advise a balanced list," Mr. Friedfeld said . "Even for the most outstanding students, we wouldn't call an Ivy school a safety or match [school]."
Mr. Enin said he is leaning toward studying medicine at Yale and is hoping to celebrate his admissions success with friends by grabbing a bite to eat in New York City. He said media coverage of his success has been "crazy" but he's appreciative of the attention it's gotten his school and teachers.
"I thought this is going to be a short story in my local news," Mr. Emin said. "But it's so big. It's really a wonder."


text:
After being open for not even two years, the wildly popular Hue Oi outgrew its original Garden Grove locale. The restaurant closed at the end of last year and reopened last month in spiffy new digs in Fountain Valley.
As the name suggests, the menu celebrates the regional cuisine of Hue in central Vietnam. One of the best things to try here is the bun bo Hue, which is like a turbo-powered pho, a big bowl of rich, dark, spicy soup filled with vermicelli-style noodles and fresh herbs, plus beef shank, pork sausage balls and blood pudding.
It's also essential to try the banh beo chen: quivering, silver-dollar-size rice-flour pancakes topped with ground dried shrimp, green onion, fried shallot, fried pork skin and a blistering-hot slice of bird's eye chili. Just look around the dining room – almost every table has an order of these.
They also serve a lot of non-Hue specialties that every other Vietnamese restaurant serves, like bun tom thit nuong cha gio, which is that familiar bowl of cold noodles topped with fried spring rolls, grilled pork and shrimp, and you'll be hard-pressed to find a better version anywhere else.
Contact the writer: email@example.com


text:
Difference between revisions of "User:Ruben Alcazar"
From OpenWetWare
(→Research interests)
(→Research possibilities)
|Line 72:
|Line 72:
==Research possibilities==
==Research possibilities==
Revision as of 06:41, 23 July 2011
I am a new member of OpenWetWare!
Contact Info
- Rubén Alcázar
- Current institution:
- Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research
- Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics
- Carl-von-Linné Weg, 10 - 50829 Cologne, Germany
Scientific career
- 2012: Population and molecular genetics of plant adaptation to local environments.
- 2010, Postdoc SFB680, MPIPZ Germany. Co-evolution of plant-pathogen interactions.
- 2008, Postdoc MPIPZ Germany. Hybrid incompatibilities in Arabidopsis thaliana.
- 2006, Postdoc BP2005, MPIPZGermany. Natural variation of growth resposes to temperature.
- 2005, Postdoc EU-ROST, University of Barcelona. Polyamines in drought stress tolerance.
- 2004, PhD Plant Biology, University of Barcelona. Polyamines in abiotic stress and regulation of development.
- 1999, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Specialization in Genetic Engineering, University of Barcelona
Research interests
- Plant-Environment Interactions. I am interested in studying the adaptation of plants to local environments using population genetics. My research includes abiotic and biotic interactions from a molecular, genetic and evolutionary perspective, mainly in model species with a potential application in crops. Press release 2010
See recently published articles and reviews on this topic:
- Alcázar, R. et al. (2011) Genetic and evolutionary perspectives on the interplay between plant immunity and development. Curr.Opin.Plant Biol. in press See review
- Alcázar, R., et al. (2010) Natural variation at Strubbelig Receptor Kinase 3 drives immune-triggered incompatibilities between Arabidopsis thaliana accessions. Nat. Genet. 42, 1135-1139 See article
- Alcázar, R., et al. (2009) Incremental steps toward incompatibility revealed by Arabidopsis epistatic interactions modulating salicylic acid pathway activation. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 106, 334-339 See article
- Polyamines in stress tolerance. Polyamines are small aliphatic compounds present in all living organisms. Polyamine biosynthesis is an evolutionary conserved pathway under an apparent purifying selection. Even though their essential role in stress tolerance is genetically demonstrated, molecular and signalling mechanisms underlying cell protection are relatively obscure. I am interested in gaining insight into the role of polyamines in stress tolerance and signalling (including developmental pathways) using advanced genetic approaches and exploring direct applications of polyamine content regulation (by means of natural variation) in crop breeding.
See some of the recently published articles and reviews on this topic (see Publications for a complete list):
- Alcázar, R., et al. (2011) Integration of polyamines in the cold acclimation response. Plant Sci. 180, 31-38 See review
- Alcázar, R. et al. (2011) Polyamine metabolic canalization in response to drought stress in Arabidopsis and the resurrection plant Cratersotigma plantagineum. Plant Signal Behav. 6(2) See article
- Alcázar, R., et al. (2010) Polyamines: molecules with regulatory functions in plant abiotic stress tolerance. Planta 231, 1237-1249 See review
- Alcázar, R., et al. (2010) Putrescine accumulation confers drought tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis plants over-expressing the homologous Arginine decarboxylase 2 gene. Plant Physiol. Biochem. 48, 547-552 See article
- Alcázar, R., et al. (2006) Abscisic acid modulates polyamine metabolism under water stress in Arabidopsis thaliana. Physiol. Plant. 128, 448-455 See article
- Alcázar, R., et al. (2005) Overexpression of ADC2 in Arabidopsis induces dwarfism and late-flowering through GA deficiency. Plant J. 43, 425-436 See article
List of publications and citations
Useful links
* Institutes & Institutions on Plant Breeding and Genetics Research
- Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Köln
- Universitat de Barcelona
- Barcelona Knowledge Campus
* Projects
* Scientific databases and resources
Research possibilities
More info will become available soon.


text:
I recently got a virus/trojan. I ran about a dozen removal tools,registry cleaners and so forth and they all report my machine is clear now. However cache cleaner wont clear the windows/start/run/history until after i either click start shutdown/cancel or start shutdown/restart. The windows clear run history works immediately as it always did. Any clue what to look for why zap cache cleaner wont clear the start/run/history immediately any more?
Operating System:Windows XP Pro
Product Name:ZoneAlarm Pro


text:
Iguchi ponders signing with Rockies
Second baseman could decide as early as Monday
By Thomas Harding / MLB.com
Rocky Hall said Iguchi, who played for the White Sox and the Phillies last season, wants to take time to mull the possibilities now that the Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tenn., have been completed. Iguchi said he told Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd he could have an answer Monday or Tuesday.
The Rockies are looking at signing a second baseman for two years.
Iguchi, 33, has fielded offers to play second and third but has played strictly second since leaving Japan to join the Majors and the White Sox in 2005, when the club won the World Series. The Padres and Orioles also are pursuing Iguchi at second.
Hall said Iguchi appreciates the club's interest and the opportunity to play second, and is considering such subjects as playing in Coors Field and living in Colorado as part of the process. Any reservation Iguchi had about playing a spot vacated by Kazuo Matsui, his countryman, Hall said Friday, "was preliminary, but I don't think that's an issue now."
The Rockies agreed Friday to send veteran Jamey Carroll to the Indians for a player to be named. That clears some payroll money. Carroll is guaranteed $2.3 million this season.
If the pursuit of Iguchi is unsuccessful, David Eckstein has emerged as a candidate. Mark Loretta, whose agent talked to the Rockies throughout the Winter Meetings, is expected to accept arbitration from the Astros.
The Rockies still have a large group of in-house candidates for either the starting job or playing time behind a free-agent signee -- Clint Barmes, Omar Quintanilla, Jayson Nix and two young power hitters looking at making the conversion from corner spots in Jeff Baker and Ian Stewart.
Thomas Harding is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text: I'm of the personal belief that the standard line-up consists of a PG, 2 wings, and 2 bigs, and DeMar is a wing. I have no problem with him playing along side Ross, as long as Ross is guarding the opponent's better wing. (assuming Ross's defence checks out as being better than DeMar's)


text:
Each day, more disturbing information on Mel Gibson's alleged verbal and physical abuse of former girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva surfaces, but who is she?
The Russian born brunette is a musician and singer, who has been involved in music her entire life.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Divorce! Break-Ups! Hollywood's Most Famous Former Couples
She co-wrote and recorded a track called "Say My Name," which was included in Gibson's film, "Edge of Darkness."
She also recorded 11 tracks for the album "Beautiful Heartache," released in 2009, which was produced by Gibson. The album garnered generally good reviews, but was a commercial disaster, selling less than 200 copes.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: They Dated Who?!? Surprising Former Couples!
As a songwriter, a track she penned with Claudia Brant, "Un Dia Llegara," was performed by Josh Groban on his 2006 album "Awake."
The daughter of music professors, Grigorieva was raised in the industrial city of Saransk, Russia, where she entered a local beauty pageant as a young woman.
She reportedly married at 19, but by 20, the marriage was over and Grigorieva headed for London, England.
By most accounts, Grigorieva was a talented musician. She studied at London's Royal College of Music, had a relationship with an older man and in 1997, met and began a relationship with British actor, former James Bond star, Timothy Dalton.
The former couple has a son – Sasha – who is now 12.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Top 10 Most Expensive Celebrity Divorces
She gave birth to her daughter with Mel Gibson – Lucia – in October 2009.
Copyright 2010 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
PLAY IT NOW: Did Mel Gibson Actually Harm His Baby?
PLAY IT NOW: Is Mel Gibson A Danger To Himself?
More from Access: [ Oksana Grigorieva Celebrity ScandalsMel Gibson ]


text:
Wally time!
- Details
- Published on Monday, 01 July 2013 10:08
Wes Buckley claims 2013 NHRA King of the Track Wally. Each year, there's only one.
NORWALK, Ohio – Wes Buckley nosed his flaming 1984 Camaro up to the tree against a royalty blue, long-and-lean speed beast driven by Stephen Miglets on Saturday, June 29, 2013 at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio.
The burning issues worthy of pitting a Mr. Gasket Pro door car against an eight-second Mallory Super Pro dragster included one 2013 NHRA King of the Track Wally, the bragging rights, and the fun of it.
The winners of four classes in the Mr. Gasket $53,100 Super Series -- Mallory Super Pro, Mr. Gasket Pro, Wiseco/Cycle Tech Super Bike, and Accel Sportsman delivered on time by TFC Transportation -- raced off for the title of National Hot Rod Association King of the Track presented by Summit Racing Equipment.
Wes Buckley, 36, Rossford, Ohio claimed the whole bundle on a holeshot over young upstart Stephen Miglets, Sheffield Lake, Ohio.
"It felt like it was going to be my day," Wes Buckley said. "The week was going pretty good, and I won two tough races early in the day."
On the job, Wes Buckley drives truck for Carter Lumber, delivering merchandise to stores.
Mashing metal since 1996, Wes Buckley bagged his second Wally with this NHRA King of the Track, along with his 61st event win, including a Summit Motorsports Park track championship, three championships at another track, and a 2007 IHRA Bracket Finals.
For about four years Wes Buckley sizzled the track in the 1984 Camaro.
"I've won races in four or five different cars over the years," Wes Buckley said. "We've taught (the '84 Camaro) how to win, too.
"We've done all kinds of things to it," Wes Buckley said. "We took it apart and put it back together again. My dad does all the work on the car."
Wes's father, Tim Buckley, pilots a seven-second dragster, "Fast Buck," in Mallory Super Pro. If it weren't for Stephen Miglet's stopping Tim Buckley several rounds earlier on his march to the top of Mallory Super Pro, King of the Track could have been a Buckley-Buckley match up.
That sounds like fun!
Two other Mr. Gasket $53,100 Super Series class winners competed in the NHRA King of the Track runoff: Perry Paugh, Oakwood Village, Ohio, winner of Wiseco/Cycle Tech Super Bike on a 2007 ZX14 Kawasaki Ninja, and Joe Childs, Bellville, Ohio, winner of Accel Sportsman Delivered on Time by TFC Transportation in a snazzy red Firebird.
Joe Childs, the reigning track champion in Accel Sportsman Delivered on Time by TFC Transportation, hit a red light in the semi-final round against Wes Buckley.
Perry Paugh met Stephen Miglets in the semis, and set up an 8.99-second dial on his Kawasaki compared with the dragster's 8.54-second dial. But Stephen Miglets edged out the motorcycle for the trip to the finals.
"The last event I won here in Super Bike was in 2003," said Perry Paugh, 41. "It's been a long dry streak. I've been racing 22 years, since I was 19. It's my obsession. I don't know any other way to put it.
"I've been going to the race track since I was 12 with my uncle," said Perry Paugh. "When I could afford it, I started on my own.
"I own 12 motorcycles and five drag bikes," Perry Paugh said. "I don't have any kids. I never married."
Perry Paugh's obsession tools the track with the help of sponsors such as Dougherty's Motorcycles, Majestic Turbo, Drabik Machine, "and my crew chief and racing help from Klun Family Racing," Perry Paugh said.
A motorcycle mechanic for 20 years at Dougherty's, Perry Paugh lives his cycle obsession.
"I'm a kid in a candy store," Perry Paugh said.
Considering the climate, race day seemed less than promising.
"It started off we thought we wasted money in fuel coming out here," Perry Paugh said. "We didn't even think we would get first round in, let alone the race."
Then the sun changed everything, and win lights brightened Perry Paugh's lane.
"A little skill, a little luck, anybody here can win on any given day."
For RACE RESULTS from the NHRA King of the Track and Mr. Gasket $53,100 Super Series on June 29, 2013 at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio, click on: Go for it!
For regular Mr. Gasket $53,100 Super Series action in Mallory Super Pro, Stephen Miglets, Sheffield Lake, Ohio, mashed his dragster at the tree and sliced a little off the top to haul in the win over Mike Carroll, Olmsted Township, Ohio in a 1968 Camaro.
Wes Buckley dominated both ends of the track in Mr. Gasket Pro, leaving the tree with a 0.007-second edge over Steve Obertanec, Lodi, Ohio, and landing his 1984 Camaro on the finish-line stripe on his dial with a 0.002-second margin.
Perry J. Paugh snapped a 10-year winless draught with the help of Rick McWaters, Bucyrus, Ohio, who tripped a red light by -0.001 seconds in Wiseco/Cycle Tech Super Bike.
In Accel Sportsman delivered on time by TFC Transportation, Joe Childs, Bellville, Ohio followed a win light down the track on a red light foul by James Ring, Sandusky, Ohio.
A double breakout sifted Bryan Yaeger, Lodi, Ohio to the win in a 1976 Oldsmobile Omega over Austin Poole, Mansfield, Ohio on a 1980 400 motorcycle in Lakewood Stock.
In Bear Motorsports Junior Dragsters presented by Wiseco, Scott Chitty, Uniontown, Ohio enjoyed a red light gift in the Advanced class from Taylor Young, Amherst, Ohio.
Stephen Crowell, LaGrange, Ohio, unwrapped a final-round red-light gift win from Sadie Anderson, Norwalk, Ohio, in Bear Motorsports Intermediate Junior Dragsters preseted by Wiseco.
Then there was the mini pirate. Bryan Buchrer, West Unity, Ohio won Bear Motorsports Novice Junior Dragster presented by Wiseco on a holeshot over Allyson Downs, Mansfield, Ohio.
With a class call for adult eliminations, Jim Laney, Port Clinton, Ohio, tooled his Steel Horse Mustang to the staging lanes with his grandson, Brennen Moyer, 5, riding shotgun.
"He loves it," Jim Laney said. "He doesn't want to come out of there. Three more years he will get to try out a Junior Dragster."


text:
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
Among the first farming operations to be affected by lack of rain is livestock grazing, which is largely dependent on rainfall to grow forage for cattle and sheep, and to fill stock ponds the animals need for drinking water.
Josh Davy, livestock and range farm advisor with the University of California Cooperative Extension in Tehama, Colusa and Glenn counties, said many livestock owners are in a waiting game. They're hoping for rain but are also making plans to buy supplemental feed in case it doesn't.
Another option for some, he said, is to begin selling off animals early to reduce herd size, thereby ensuring grazing lands can sustain the animals they keep.
"People are right on the teetering edge," Davy said. "We're going to have a lot of grass start dying here if we don't start getting some kind rains."
Some stone fruit and nut crops are also at risk. With these crops, such as almonds and peaches, root growth precedes bud growth. Without soil moisture, the roots don't grow, and then the trees don't bud out. That means less fruit production, said Roger Duncan, a fruit tree advisor at the Cooperative Extension office in Stanislaus County.
"They're starting to get concerned," said Duncan. "There is no such thing as normal. But I don't remember it being quite like this. We really could use the rain."


text:
By Amanda Wicks
Katy Perry matched Beyoncé in terms of artistry when she performed her brand new single "Chained to the Rhythm" at the 2017 GRAMMYs.
Related: GRAMMY Winners 2017: See the Full List
Performing on a rotating set that went from a utopian white picket dream to a shattered dystopian nightmare, Perry wore a white suit with a black corset and an armband reading "Resist." As the song progressed, the white picket fence she stood behind–and which she references in the song–grew higher before she broke free only to discover that the world outside threatened to undo her.
The song took on a political note at the very end when Perry joined hands with Skip Marley and stood in front of a projection of the Constitution.
Her performance had extra star power at the start thanks to Little Big Town, who introduced Perry's performance by singing an a cappella snippet of her song "Teenage Dream."


text:
43.1401 Definitions.Cite as [A.S.C.A. § 43.1401]
As used in this chapter unless the context otherwise requires, the following meanings apply:
(a) "Summary proceedings" means a civil action to recover possession of premises and to obtain certain ancillary relief as provided by this chapter and by court rules adopted in connection with these proceedings.
(b) "Premises" means lands, tenements, condominium property, cooperative apartments, air rights and all manner of real property. It includes structures, fixed or mobile, temporary or permanent, vessels, mobile trailer homes and vehicles which are used or intended for use primarily as a dwelling or as a place for commercial or industrial operations or storage.
(c) "Lease", means a written or verbal lease or license agreement for use or possession of premises.History: 1984, PL 18-27 §1, 1986, PL 19-41 § 1.
Case Notes:
Enactment of summary eviction statute did not deprive the Court of its pre-existing general jurisdiction to issue injunctions and declaratory judgments and to award damages. A.S.C.A. § 43.1401 et seq. Diocese of Samoa Pago Pago v. KMST, Inc., 15 A.S.R.2d 20 (1990).
Even if the summary eviction statute was jurisdictional and the demand letter for possession or payment did not comply with the statute, the court properly exercised its general jurisdiction in the absence of prejudice. A.S.C.A. § 43.1401 et seq. Diocese of Samoa Pago Pago v. KMST, Inc., 15 A.S.R.2d 20 (1990).


text:
Nano*High: From Atoms to Electricity: An Introduction to Nuclear Power, Its Promise and Challenge
Published on
Within the nucleus of an atom resides enough energy to relieve our society's dependence on fossil fuels. It's been more than 70 years since the phenomenon of nuclear fission was first discovered to be a source of energy, but where are we with nuclear energy technology today? Professor Brian Wirth from the UC Berkeley Dept. of Nuclear Engineering presents the basics of nuclear science, and discusses the technological challenges involved in generating nuclear power and dealing safely with the by-products.
Brian D. Wirth is a Professor of Nuclear Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, as well as a materials scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Much of his work has focused on using computation and experimentation to understand the processes that degrade materials subject to the hostile conditions within a nuclear reactor. In 2003 he was a recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers for his role in promoting the safety of present and future nuclear technology.
Professor Wirth's research interests include: Developing improved understanding and models of microstructure — property relationships and microstructural evolution during processing and service in hostile environments, with an emphasis on irradiation effects on materials in current and future nuclear energy systems, using computational multiscale modeling and advanced experimental techniques.
Sponsored by
Cite this work
Researchers should cite this work as follows:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory