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Will Mercury soon be joining Plymouth and Oldsmobile?
andys120 Loudon NHPosts: 18,880I started this thing like over 3 years ago...
talk about a slow death. :sick:
2000 BMW 528i, 2001 BMW 330CiC
Mr_Shiftright Sonoma, CaliforniaPosts: 58,461And so Mercury will join the other casualties of the new century:
Will anybody on the highway notice?
Good idea or not?
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xrunner2 Posts: 3,062Ford can be like Honda and Toyota. Honda/Acura, Toyota/Lexus. Not sure why Toyota plugs along with Scion brand.
The article mentions an old movie having James Dean driving a Mercury and Five-0 tv series using big Mercury. Recall that Clint Eastwood movie "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot" had bad guys driving a Mercury.
Except for James Dean customized Mercury, which copies can still be seen at hot rod, old car shows in the summer, there has never been a notable Mercury car.
Unless there are still Mercury "only" dealerships, there is absolutely no reason for Ford to offer Mercury. It is only diverting vital resources at Ford Corp that could otherwise be used to improve and refine the gold-plated brand of Ford, and rebuild the past fine image of Lincoln.
but I think it's probably the best decision, from a business standpoint. The brand has been languishing for years now, and it's time to put it out of its misery. I think Mercury made sense at one time when it was a step-up car between a Ford and a Lincoln. But for several decades now, there has been very little to distinguish a Mercury from the Ford it was badge-engineered from.
I wonder though, if the Lincoln dealers are going to make it on reduced volume. I read elsewhere that Ford wants them to either merge with local Ford dealers, or close down entirely.
rsholland Posts: 19,788Mercury was Ford's Buick.
Interesting to see Buick get new legs, while Mercury goes into a death spiral. It's probably a sign that there's only room in the marketplace for one American brand that those 60 and over can relate to—and they will miss it dearly.
Wonder if this will hurt Mulally's (walk-on-water-do-no-wrong) image, or Ford's (Rise like a Phoenix) image when the deed is finally done?
Interesting to see Buick get new legs, while Mercury goes into a death spiral. It's probably a sign that there's only room in the marketplace for one American brand that those 60 and over can relate to—and they will miss it dearly.
I think one advantage that Buick has is that it, at least, is a step up from Chevy. Mercury really hasn't been a step up from Ford in a long time...maybe the early 1990's?
Ford never really knew what, exactly, to do with Mercury division. It came out in 1939, as a mid-priced brand. IIRC, it was situated, price-wise, a bit above the likes of Dodge and Pontiac, but below DeSoto and Oldsmobile. In some years, it was a glammed-up Ford, while in others, it was a cheapened Lincoln. In 1957-60, Mercury got its own, dedicated body (although the bigger 1958 Edsels did share it) and tried to move a bit upscale. However, that move was a failure, and from 1961 onward the car went back to being a gussied-up Ford. And, over the years, as the Fords got nicer, they started encroaching into Mercury territory. And once downsizing hit Detroit, and the Lincolns got shrunken, that put a further squeeze on Mercury.
Another blurb:
Report: Wings to Fall Off Ford's Mercury Division (AutoObserver)
"According to data from Edmunds.com, Mercury is most-often cross-shopped with Ford. In April, 46 percent of Mercury buyers cross-shopped with Ford, 23 percent cross-shopped General Motors Co.'s Chevrolet, 22 percent cross-shopped Honda and 21 percent cross-shopped Toyota."
explorerx4 Central CTPosts: 12,029but i think Ford/Lincoln can divide up some of that.
just like Ford after selling Jaguar and Volvo is in the process of moving Lincoln up market.
Ford can also use some Mercury trims on future top of the line Fords.2017 Ford Fusion SE 2014 Ford F-150 FX4
Report: Wings to Fall Off Ford's Mercury Division (AutoObserver)
craigmri Posts: 243I agree the brand engineering thing is lame. The Current Mercury offerings are all re-badged Fords so why compete with yourself? They spent the last 10 or 15 years letting the brand get stale. Who brags that they just bought a sweet Mercury anymore? It'll cost millions(hundreds of millions) to resurrect the product and lots of time(a decade) for people to come around. Letting it go is probably the most cost effective approach and apply the corporate assets on the Ford and Lincoln brands.
On an emotional side note, how cool would it be to take a Fusion, let Chip Foose work his magic and call it a Mercury Comet.....put 400hp in anything and its cool!
Oh, that thing's going to last you until the next ice age! How many miles do you have on it now? My friend with the 2004 Crown Vic has something like 180,000 miles on it and it's still running well. He had a 1995 Grand Marquis before that, which had around 175,000 on it when he traded for the Crown Vic. Admittedly, it was getting a little tired. Running rough, smoking a bit, and the check engine light was on. He got a whopping $600 in trade on it. I would've been tempted to buy it from him for that price, except that it was too new and would've needed to be inspected.
hpmctorque Posts: 4,600There was a lot of overlapping between GM's mid range brands and, to a slightly lesser extent, between Dodge and DeSoto. However - and I know we're splitting hairs here - I saw Mercury as more of a direct competitor to Pontiac and Dodge than to Olds, Buick and DeSoto.
cannon3 Posts: 296I am a Ford fan, I have blue blood Sorry Merc fans, the brand was dying. Now Ford can take this extra cash/capacity and give it to Lincoln. Lincoln is rising and with the open capacity/cash it can now make models to compete and beat BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, Acura. Cadillac is now in the same room as these top luxo brands and continues to put out great vehicles. Lincoln has the chance now to do the same.
euphonium Great Northwest, West of the Cascades.Posts: 3,425Did you ever find the secret location of the switch that lowers the top down?
I think it has about 86,561 on it as of this morning. I will be taking it to the Ford Carlisle show this weekend for the heck of it. I cleaned it up really nice this past weekend.
That top wasn't my choice but that of my wife's Aunt Sylvie who is 85 years-old! :P
tomcatt630 Posts: 124Some people claim 'I'll go elsewhere since I don't want to be seen in a Ford!'. But they forget that 90% of buyers don't care. :P The crosshop records show this.
Also, for every older buyer turned off by not getting the 'better' brand, there are much more buyers under 35 willing to buy new Fords. To them, Merc is 'my grandparent's old car'.
Here in Chicagoland, L-M dealers competed with Ford pushing Tracers, Topazes, and Sables claiming 'they are better than a Ford', even though made in same plant!! Now dealers are combining.
Anyone who thinks Ford "needs" Mercury is living in 1971. :confuse:
berri Posts: 7,963Same goes for Lincoln really. They seem to just be gussied up Ford's as well with all too often over done styling that comes off somewhat unattractive. If there are any cost savings from dumping Mercury, Ford should put all that money into improving Lincoln. I don't understand why people pay another 10 grand for essentially the same car and drive train as a Ford?
Same goes for Lincoln really. They seem to just be gussied up Ford's as well with all too often over done styling that comes off somewhat unattractive. If there are any cost savings from dumping Mercury, Ford should put all that money into improving Lincoln. I don't understand why people pay another 10 grand for essentially the same car and drive train as a Ford?
I think that's going to be a serious problem, especially with the Fords going upscale. For instance, that MK-whatever thing...the one that Volvo essentially tought them how to build...seemed like a nice car last year. When we still had that older 500/Montego-based Taurus and Sable. But the new Taurus is pretty impressive inside and out. It ain't just a generic, mass-market fleet car anymore. And, it's not particularly cheap.
Then, there's that other MK-whatever thing, the one that used to be called "Zephyr". Y'know, it would be an impressive car if there was no Fusion or Milan to compare it to. I think the interior is really sharp looking. It evokes memories of the classic early/mid-60's Continentals, while still being modern. And I even think the car looks good, with the exception of the taillights, which seem too over-sized for the car, and positioned poorly. But, for all the pleasantry, it's still just a tarted up Fusion. It's a 2010 Versailles!
Cadillac, at least, seems a bit more insulated than Lincoln, since GM has other divisions to spread the cheaper models across and that helps Cadillac to retain a bit of exlusivity. For instance, there is no other divisional equivalent to the CTS or STS (although the STS is a moot point, I guess). And while Buick does still carry the Lucerne, GM does, IMO at least, a pretty good job of differentiating it from the DTS.
Now, the pickup truck/SUV-based stuff, that's a different story. But truth be told, you can option up a Silverado or Sierra to obscene amounts of money, anyway. I think I heard somewhere that Chevrolet sells more $50K+ vehicles than any other brand in America!
However, it seems things are changing. The new SRX, IMO, is a step in the wrong direction. Sure, it's a hot seller right now, but at what ultimate cost? I mean hey, the Vega and Citation were hot sellers once upon a time. And the Cadillac Cimarron sold tolerably enough to last for most of the 80's.
And I think that new LaCrosse-based Cadillac thing is a step in the wrong direction, too. If it would be, say, a replacement for the STS and the older Seville, then yeah, go for it. But as a DTS replacement, I don't think it's worthy. To me, the DTS should compete with the likes of the Lexus LS, BMW 7-series, Audi A-8, Benz S-class, etc. Basing it on the LaCrosse, IMO, takes it down to the level of the ES350.
But it's still a no-hitter.
It's Official: Mercury Is an Ex-Brand (Edmunds Daily)
I dunno. I'd say from about 1969-1978 a Mercury could be practically a Lincoln. I had a 1989 Mercury Grand Marquis LS which seemed to be a really nice car. I called it "the poor man's Town Car." I liked it a lot better than the 2005 model I now have which seems more like a Crown Victoria with a different grille and an extra piece of red plastic between the taillights.
Mercury did have a pretty cool graphic-designy logo in it's last two decades. It looks better without the ". MERCURY . " above it.
gregg_vw Posts: 2,437Ford can be like Honda and Toyota. Honda/Acura, Toyota/Lexus. Not sure why Toyota plugs along with Scion brand.
That would be true of course if Ford was more like Toyota and Honda. The Ford brand is still transforming itself and is now making inroads, but Lincoln is neither a Lexus or an Acura competitor. Lincoln sales suck. The MKS and MKT (newest Lincolns) have failed to energize the brand. As bad as Mercury sales were (and they were bad), they still outsold Lincoln.
Other companies have several divisions and do well. VW is on its way to being #1 in a few short years, and it has VW, Audi, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Bentley, SEAT, Skoda, and now Porsche. They are buying Suzuki and will probably purchase Proton (Malaysia). Not all their brands are going full guns, but it is a business model that is presently working for the parent company. GM is another example with four divisions that are able to increase sales--no mean feat after going bankrupt. GM already outsells Ford again, and has more new models coming than Ford does. Chrysler owners also market a plethora of brands.
So two brands work, and multiple brands under one umbrella can work. The key is to provide a good core brand, and differentiation and enough flair with near luxury and luxury models that they truly are aspirational. Lincoln isn't there yet. The MKS is not superior to the Taurus in power, amenities and certainly not in styling.
Meanwhile, Ford needs to step it up with Subaru, Kia and Hyundai barking at its heels. Efforts like the Transit Connect, Fiesta and 2012 Focus are terrific. The 2011 Mustang really has the motors now. The F150 will remain competitive, especially with Ecoboost, but the 2004 body shell with 2009 mods looks less cohesive than Ram or Silverado. The 2011 Fusion still uses the same body shell introduced in 2005. The 2011 Superduty still uses the same body shell introduced in 1999. The Expedition and Navigator still use the 1997 body shell with embellishments. The 2011 Mustang body shell is from 2005. The Ranger has not been significantly restyled since the fall of 1992. Ford still seems to think it is OK to change the front clip, tail lights and interior furnishings every 3-5 years and call the model "all new." I always do hope it works, but I also hope that when Ford returns to reasonable profitability, that it will routinely restyle its new models on the outside when it modifies them underneath and within.
RIP Mercury. You could have lived if anyone at Ford had cared to do more than cynical brand engineering when Ford was flush in the early 2000s. Thank goodness for Mulally. Now, let's see that Freestyle/Flex/MKT/2012 Explorer architecture-efforts turned into something that will burn up the sales charts.
propwash49 Posts: 38I find it interesting that Ford chose to give Mercury (their middle-range brand) the axe, while Chrysler dumped Plymouth (their low-end marque.) If you compare FoMoCo brands to Mopar, you have Plymouth competing directly with Ford, Mercury against Dodge, and Chrysler against Lincoln. OK, maybe Chrysler vs. Lincoln is a little bit of a stretch, but you get my point. The only reason I can think that Chrysler dumped their bottom end brand is that the difference between Plymouth's sales and Dodge's was much smaller than the difference between Ford and Mercury. It seems to me that Dodge and Plymouth sales might have been pretty much even, where Ford outsells Mercury by a vast margin. With GM, I think that they dumped Pontiac, Olds and Saab purely due to low sales volume, plus they had such a huge overlap with seven passenger car lines and GMC, Chevy and Hummer trucks. Who knows, they might eventually decide to get rid of either GMC or Chevy trucks as well.
ronsmith38 Posts: 228I have a 2008 Mercury Sable bought new in 2008. My previous vehicle was a 2000 Oldsmobile Silhouette bought new in 1999. I sure know how to pick them!
With the announcement of their discontinuing the Oldsmobile line, they sent me a coupon that gave me $1500 credit toward a new Olds vehicle, or $1000 toward other GM vehicles.
Does anyone know if Ford has a similar program for recent new Mercury owners?
Wonder if I should run out and get a new Grand Marquis while I can still get one. I imagine these cars are going to be in great demand in the used market as there are still plenty of people who want a full-frame RWD V-8 powered car?
I find it interesting that Ford chose to give Mercury (their middle-range brand) the axe, while Chrysler dumped Plymouth (their low-end marque.)
That's due partly to Chrysler's dealer structure. Up through 1959, there were few, if any, stand-alone Plymouth dealers. They were almost always sold through Dodge, DeSoto, or Chrysler-Imperial dealers. Heck, one store local to me sold all 5 brands at one time!
However, in 1960, Chrysler changed their divisional structure. Dodge became a stand-alone division, while Plymouth and DeSoto were merged in with Chrysler-Imperial. Since Dodge dealers would no longer have Plymouths to sell, the Dart was introduced to fill that gap. This was not the compact Dart that most people think of, but a full-sized car that competed directly with Plymouth, Ford, and Chevy. Even the advertising for the Dart mentioned the Plymouth as a competitor!
Another problem with this divisional structure was that Dodge got to get almost any new model it wanted, while at Chrysler-Plymouth, if it was a cheap model, it came out as a Plymouth, while if it was a nicer model, it came out as a Chrysler. This actually worked out pretty well through the 1960's, as there was still a pretty big gap between the cheapest Chryslers and the biggest Plymouths. Competitors like Buick, Olds, and Mercury fielded compact and intermediate cars, but Mopar left those for Plymouth. Chrysler division built nothing but full-sized cars through the 1960's, and its models were larger and roomier than Plymouth's full-sized models.
However, in the 1970's, Plymouth started missing out. For example, as personal luxury coupes became all the rage, Mopar responded with the Dodge Charger S/E and the Chrysler Cordoba. No Plymouth version was offered. When more upscale compacts hit the market, again, it was the Dodge Diplomat and Chrysler LeBaron, with no Plymouth version. Now, these cars were just gussied up Volares and Aspens, and Plymouth did have a nice model called the Volare Premier. But, those LeBarons and Diplomats were definitely a step up at the time...or at least, presented the illusion of it!
For 1979, Chrysler half-heartedly downsized its full-sized cars. Dodge got the St. Regis, while Chrysler got the Newport and New Yorker, but Plymouth got nothing. Actually, for 1979, Plymouth division was essentially down to just two models, the Horizon and the Volare! And this was supposed to be Mopar's "volume" line, to compete with Ford and Chevy! The lineup was fleshed out with a few captive imports like the Plymouth Colt and Champ, and the larger Sapporo. And there were even a few Plymouth-badged trucks and vans during that timeframe. Still, Plymouth was missing out on the more profitable midsize, fullsize, and personal luxury coupe market.
Plymouth did finally get a full-sized car for 1980, the Gran Fury, but it was sold mainly to police, taxi, and other fleet buyers. And in 1980, with the second fuel crisis coming on strong, full sized cars suddenly weren't so profitable anymore.
In the 1980's, with the introduction of the K-car, we got some pretty small Chryslers, and some pretty cheap ones too, which really cut into Plymouth territory. Dodge was still usually getting a version of everything, cheap AND nice, while at C-P, Plymouth was increasingly relegated to the cheap models, while the nice and even not-so-nice models were badged as Chryslers. And this kept going on right up until the end, when the final Plymouth, a 2001 base Neon, rolled out the door and into history.
Dodge was supposed to be a "step up" division, along the lines of Pontiac or Mercury, but over the years, it increasingly became Chrysler's volume Ford/Chevy fighter. Dodge was also around long before Chrysler Corporation was even founded. In fact, the first Fords used engines manufactured by none other than the Dodge Brothers! So that might be one reason why Chrysler stuck it out with Dodge...more heritage. Plymouth was thought up after the merger of Chrysler and Dodge, a car to compete with Ford and Chevy.
A pictorial:
Farewell, Mercury
Oh wow, I never knew they did a convertible concept of the 2004 Marauder! Truthfully, I don't think that body style lends itself all that well to being a coupe or convertible, but it's still kinda cool! Wish they had made it available to the public!
This discussion has been closed.


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Editor's note: VeloPress is pleased to announce the release of the new book, Italian Racing Bicycles: The People, The Products, The Passion. VeloNews will be posting new excerpts from the book over the next five days. Check back in daily for more. Today we are presenting an excerpt from the book's introduction.
As with high fashion or sports cars, when the world speaks of racing bicycles the conversation turns to the products of Italy.
Italian bikes have a long history in the annals of racing due in no small part to the way Italy, in the 1880s, immediately embraced the nascent sport with a fervor that continues unabated to this day.
Present at the dawn of cycling, Italian bicycles made an important contribution to the basic design of the bicycle and to the sport of bicycle racing.
The story of the Italian bicycle begins at the end of the 1800s, with Turri and Porro in 1873, Monon in 1880, and Bianchi in 1885.
The new mechanical device was used for transportation, for communication, and for a host of work-related activities.
Racing at first represented only one aspect of the phenomenal popularity of the velocipede, and during the pioneering epoch of cycling, the racers made do with bicycles that most often had not been made specifically for racing.
The riders themselves made the difference with their legs and with how they responded to unexpected events along the route.
Indeed, in the days of its origins, cycling had to contend with roads that were made for the wheels of carriages and the hooves of horses.
The bicycle pioneers faced perils of every type on their routes, along with the dust that rose in blinding clouds under the sun and the mud that caked ever thicker on the wheels in the rain.
Races covered hundreds of kilometers, distances difficult to imagine even on the smooth asphalt roads of today.
Italy's bicycle manufacturers took their first steps between the end of the 1880s and the early 1990s.
Brand names that today rank among the most famous began in cramped back rooms and tiny workshops in big cities, especially Milan.
There was also activity in the provinces, primarily in Lombardy, the Veneto (a cycling stronghold to this day), Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany.
Over the years, some of these pioneer builders got lost along the way, and little remains of them today save a memory.
In some cases the name survives, although the right to use it has been acquired by another company.
Yet there are also those who made their fortunes and survived to reign as stars, quintessential Italian brands revered around the cycling globe.
Italian Racing Bicycles: The People, The Products, The Passion traces the rich history of 40 landmark Italian cycling brands that are intimately connected with racing.
Tracing their lineage back more than 100 years to the early days of the velocipede, Italian Racing Bicycles reveals how these manufacturers have evolved into the brands beloved by the world's cyclists today.
The brands: 3TTT, Alan, Ambrosio, Atala, Bianchi, Bottecchia, Campagnolo, Casati, Cinelli, Colnago, Columbus, Daccordi, Dedacciai – Deda Elementi, De Rosa, Ganna, Gios, Gipiemme, Guerciotti, Legnano, Masi, Miche, Milani, Modolo, Moser, Olmo, Olympia, Passoni, Pegoretti, Pinarello, Rossin, Scapin, Selle Italia, Selle Royal–Fi'zi:k, Selle San Marco, Somec, Tommasini, Torpado, Universal, Viner, Wilier Triestina.


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Hi everyone,
I recieved notification of an update for zone alarm and I was also offered a free system check which I thought I would try. Now I can't get ZA to open. The following message appears "The application failed to initialize properly (0xc000142). Click OK to terminate the application". Hotmail is now performing erratically as well. I have deleted zone alarm but my system is now very slow. Any suggestions?
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by Rene Ritchie, Daniel Rubino, Kevin Michaluk, Phil Nickinson
Voice, text, and face-to-face: picking the right platform for communication
It's kind of obvious for me to say this, but the best phone for mobile communicators is… a BlackBerry! Specifically the BlackBerry Q10 with its physical keyboard, because what's better than a physical keyboard?
Okay, there's no best phone. There are phones that are better for specific use cases, tastes, and budgets. That's why we have different phones to choose from. Even Apple, with their notoriously narrow iPhone product line, has offered older iPhones at a lower price point, and top-of-line iPhones with storage capacities bumping up to 64GB. There are options from BlackBerry for those who want a big screen, those who want a keyboard, and those who just don't want to pay as much.
We're all mobile communicators. If you're using your smartphone, you're almost assured to be using it for communication of some sort. There are three things that make a smartphone a great mobile communicator: great text input, great notifications, and compatibility with whatever communications services your friends, family, and colleagues use.
Truth be told, services compatibility is the most important aspect of what makes a smartphone a great communication tool. If you can't talk to your friends, it doesn't matter how good the text entry and notifications are. If all of your friends talk via iMessage, you should be considering an iPhone; if they're all on BBM, a BlackBerry will be your best bet (even with BBM going cross-platform). Google Hangouts users in your circles? Grab an Android smartphone. And if your contacts are all on Skype, take a look at going Windows Phone.
If you can't talk to your friends, it doesn't matter how good the text entry and notifications are.
Once you've got that sorted out, your options narrow a bit. Every platform but Windows Phone has gotten to a point where notifications are good (BlackBerry 10.2 has actionable toast notifications and will be rolling out to the full line-up). Android and iOS obviously have the greatest array of messaging choices if you're planning on going with a third-party messaging platform. And if you're going to be sending messages via something like Facebook or just plain text messages, any phone will do - just pick the one with the notifications and keyboard that you like.
The best phone for messaging is the phone that works.


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Last edited by ghostridery2k; 09-30-2008 at 11:12 PM.
Littering is bad, especially from 6,000 feet.
Last edited by ghostridery2k; 09-30-2008 at 11:12 PM.
Last edited by ghostridery2k; 09-30-2008 at 11:12 PM.
Last edited by ghostridery2k; 09-30-2008 at 11:12 PM.
We can meet 7am for breakfast at
Three Brothers
1220 S Eastwood Dr
Woodstock, IL 60098
(corner of Lake St. and Rt. 47, just north of US-14 and south of Rt. 120)
There's a gas station around the corner also. We fill our stomachs and gas tanks here.
We leave 8am.
I've been asked what is the riding style. Well, safety first!!
Having said that, I think we should ride in what we are comfortable with. Some like to scrape the pegs while others shy away
Everyone should have a copy of the .pdf file that I sent earlier, if you don't have it, send me an email and I'll forward one. Curt and Bruce are the only one who've got the .gdb garmin file.
If someone wishes to in a much smaller group of their own, they can ride on their own as everyone knows the route, and we can meet at the breakfast to start the ride, and meet at the end at Quincy. Or we all ride together like a one big happy family.
I, ride within my own capabilities, and do not attempt to ride very fast on curves. If it rains, bring that a notch down.
This will be a fine ride, showcasing some very pretty Illinois land in the early spring. Everyone please ride within your limits - looking forward to a great ride report!
Last edited by Beemer01; 04-25-2008 at 03:05 PM.
Hey, I'm still in.
Are we camping or going to a motel/hotel and if the latter do we need reservations and where?
Yes I have the .gbd file but I have not loaded it yet as I'm still on Long Island.
I hope to see some of you this Sunday in Pecatonica!
State park is 20 miles west of Quincy. Hotelling makes more sense. I called up to Comfort Inn, and the prevailing rates are $75/night ($$). Motel 6 ($) is available, but I didn't call. There are ($$$) hotels also.
So far, I have not made any reservations as we really don't have a real count. And after googling, I found there are plenty of hotel options, we could just do a walk-in's.
Bummber -- looks like next week May 2nd - May 4th, it is going to rain all day in Illinois and Missouri as per the weatherman.
Keep checking - anyhow occasional showers never stop intrepid Beemer riders.


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Holidays come year after year. While some look forward to digging into those stored crates of family mementos and hand-made baubles, reminders of Christmas past, others are thinking: What's new?
One way to gain inspiration is to check out the Finishing Touches Home Tour, a benefit for the Junior League of Palo Alto*Mid Peninsula that includes four homes in Atherton and Menlo Park.
Nancy Evars, an interior designer with Evars + Anderson Design, Menlo Park, will be designing holiday decor for one of the homes. Although she's done this twice before, this year she'll be doing her own home, which was completed just a year ago.
"I usually don't do conventional Christmas colors red and green. I bring in pink, purple, gold or turquoise," she said.
This year she plans to do a formal setting in her dining room, whose chairs are upholstered in Kelly green. Bloomingdale's is supplying the china, with touches of gold and purple.
"It'll be an elegant table. ... The green chairs will complement nicely," she said.
The main tree will be placed in the front window facing the street, which just happens to be in her home office. Her choice of decor is "elegant," with ornaments in gold, white, dark pink and green.
"It's nice to see the tree from outside," she said, recalling that they put it in the spacious family room last year; afterward they'll decide which they prefer.
A separate tree will be set up for her three children in the basement, which serves as a play area.
"We'll decorate with ornaments collected over the years," she said, recalling how they pull each one out and talk about where it came from. One came from their previous neighbors in their old neighborhood, who gave them one with both families' names on it. Another has a heart and was a gift when she and her husband were dating.
The kitchen will sport more organic decorations: artichokes, fruits and vegetables showcased on the kitchen table, along with branches and berries.
And outside there will be a s'mores bar set up, next to the outdoor fireplace and seating area.
Evars said one doesn't have to spend a fortune to create stunning holiday decorations. She suggests buying a lot of the same blossom three white orchid plants put in a large pot with moss, or create a tight ball of red carnations. "It looks more expensive than they really are and has more impact," she said.
One year she popped into Michael's and bought gold reindeer and white flowers, which she marched across her table. Another year she found candles in tall glasses to serve as a centerpiece all from Target.
Cathy Ettel, with her partner Laura Pohlen, of ParkGate Home, Menlo Park, will begin in a more traditional mode: First, they'll find out what's important to the client, what they want to keep and use.
"It's all about family and memories," she said. "Then, we incorporate new and fresh in with their things."
In this home there'll be two trees, one in the family room incorporating what they already own, plus children's ornaments made in school, preschool and at home.
For the living room tree, they'll go new, with lots of white, silver and blue and lots of glitter, Ettel said.
Given that the owner likes contemporary but has family antiques, Ettel will help create an "eclectic blend. ... To us it's all about maintaining what belongs to the client and making it her home, not our home. We'll reflect her style in an updated way."
That style will include incorporating some family history, her grandfather's artwork, antique pieces and her children's art, "yet with a contemporary twist: new, fresh and eclectic," she added.
Jo Ann James, of Jo Ann James Interiors, Menlo Park, also will be working with a client to decorate her home for the holidays. So far she's laid out a floor plan, color-coded, and had a meeting where they decided on using plenty of fresh greens. They'll go to the flower market to gather up an array of holiday greens, including pine cones, holly and pyracantha. "We'll decorate the house so it is fragrant, very Christmasy feeling, with some ornamentation not a lot," she said.
As part of the presentation, James is creating two easels with poster board with suggestions for docents to explain how old pieces can be integrated into a new design, she said.
James noted that old ornaments can often be reused, with a new twist. To change clear ornaments used last year, for example, one could roll up little pieces of ribbon, or break a colored ornament, then place the pieces inside. Add glue, shake up and the new bits and pieces will adhere. "There are various other ways to freshen up what you have," she said.
For the very contemporary house she's holiday-designing, James is thinking of filling the glass dome of a pedestaled cake platter with silver and gold ornaments. "It's contemporary but we'll make it interesting to do but not too traditional Christmas. We feel that we have such a wide, wonderful basket of different people from all over the world, so we don't feel it's appropriate to do a traditional Christian Christmas. We'll keep it neutral, contemporary," she said.
That means no swags or wreaths inside, but maybe some clean, square lanterns, plus a series of white wreaths that are lit, on the windows facing the street.
"It'll be cheerful and holiday-ish, but not traditional," she added.
Last year for home tour
Caitlin Hyatt and Katherine Glass are putting the "finishing touches" on organizing the sixth annual Finishing Touches Home Tour, now in its final year.
Four homes in Atherton and Menlo Park will be decked out for the holidays and shown via self-driven (with valet parking at each home) or by shuttle (leaving from the Four Seasons Hotel).
"Each home is matched with a designer, who works with the homeowners to use their decorations and bring in more. There'll be everything from a traditional family Christmas to a very modern Christmas, to just some holiday/winter/the season" decor, Hyatt said.
"It's fun to have the designer come in and see what you have, bring in a couple of new pieces to shake it up a little bit," she added.
In addition to the tour, a series of mini-events will take place at the hotel, including boutiques, a luncheon, cocktail party and a party-planning demonstration. Jeffrey Allen Marks, a Los Angeles designer and author of "The Meaning of Home," will be keynote speaker on Friday morning.
All proceeds from the event support Junior League community projects and grants, Hyatt said.
What: Finishing Touches Home Tour
When: Friday, Dec. 6, and Saturday, Dec. 7, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Where: Four homes in Atherton and Menlo Park; plus events at the Four Seasons Hotel, 2050 University Ave., East Palo Alto
Cost: Shuttle-drive tour, $40; self-driven tour, $65; luncheon and lecture on Friday (includes self-drive tour), $150; cocktail party Friday, $125; party demonstration Saturday, $45
Info: www.thejuniorleague.org/home-tour


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Alright, let's go
Yeah! Welcome to the official
Shade 45 Anger Management 3 Exclusive Mixtape (It's familiar!)
Brought to you by none other than the mother fuckin'
Notorious, infamous, DJ Clinton Sparks!
Once again it's the kid, yeah, eat a dick up
Pick up them nuts boy, lick up 'til you hiccup
Sick mo'fucka, yeah, same sick mug, it's the stick up
His middle finger and go chica-chica-chica
Hi! My name is Chica-chica-chica
Till this shit was stuck in your head
So much you were sick of I'mma teach love
In these boys say fuck a bitch say your daughter
And so we took this shit more
Choke a slut, smack a bitch whore
Beat a bitch up
Look at these kids they eat this shit up
And this was before I even knew what this shit was
It's affecting what it does
Parents come picking at us
Meanwhile ticket sales have just skyrocketed up
So shit fuck, shit fuck, shit fuck
Fuck you suck a dick slut
But I gotta go, it's time for me to go and pick up
Jessica, it's official I just broke her and Nick up
In this song, Eminem is talking about his emotions and how he is pissed off at people who take his lyrics literally. They should just enjoy the style of the world's greatest rapper!


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First my apologies if Im posting this in the wrong forum...
I was trying to download some flash video from vice.com, they do a lot of documentaries. Usually I have no problem using youtube downloader or real player to grab various flash videos.
However I've had no success getting the videos from this site.
I did some searching and the only solution I could find was this
On the "page info" popup, choose the "Media" tab. This tab shows the locations and information on any media on the page -- images, music, and video files. There should be a list of items; each of these represents one media file used on the page. You know what you're looking for-- a .swf file. Looking at the second column "Type", you can rule out any files of type "image", "background", or "audio". Look for files with the "embed" type. Flash .swf files are tagged as "embed" by your browser because they are "embed" objects in the source code of the page. Once you rule out all objects that are not tagged "embed", you can look specifically for your file by looking at the file types. You are looking for objects that are labeled "application/x-shockwave-flash". There should be only a few on these on the list.
This allowed me to download a file but that file won't play.
At this point I don't really care about the video, I just want to know how to get around this.
Any help would be much appreciated.


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So when I suggested to my girls that we use a similar phrase on their valentines this year, they loved the idea. Here's what we came up with.
I made up printables that you can use too. You'll get 4 labels on each sheet...and there are 2 versions. On the back it will either say To and From or just From. I know for my girls it's part of their homework to write out each of their classmates' names on the valentines. In other places kids may only need to sign their own names. I made both options.
You'll need:
Orange slice candy
Small candy bags (got mine at Michaels...cut or fold down tops if they're too tall)
Cardstock or printer paper and color printer
Paper cutter
(If you are required to send "unopened" packages to your child's class, you could use a real oranges or an orange sucker)
To assemble:
Print labels (download links below)
Cut labels--cut paper in half at 4.25 inches and 5.5 inches
Have your child sign the cards
Fold labels in half at 2.75 inches
Place orange slices in the bag and staple the label over the top of the bag
Click to download To and From label
Click to download From only label
And hey....thank you for being my friends :)
I have more printable Valentines too!


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Tin Man says it is world's third brewery to use new bag-in-box draft system
The head brewer says they're using an innovative draft system, just the third of its kind in the world. It's used in place of kegs, and takes up a lot less space. It also doesn't need to be refrigerated and all the materials are recyclable.
More >> WFIE.
Breweries: Tin Man Brewing Co.


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* Prices may differ from that shown
The Price
I received these XMI duo Speakers as a birthday gift from my brother who was probably sick of me saying how much I wanted a decent set lightweight speakers that I could easily connect to my laptop or iphone for listening to music or watching movies. These are currently for sale on Amazon for £19.99, Littlewoods have the duo speakers priced at £40 plus, Tesco are currently out of stock, and John Lewis have them priced at £39.95. There are a few for sale on ebay priced from £15.99, so it is worth searching around for the best price.
* Patented bass xpansion system
* Play the speakers together or separately
* In-built rechargeable battery
* 12 hours of continuous play
* Size: 52mm x 52mm x 70mm (closed resonator)
* 2 hour charge time
The Design
The two speakers are small and compact in size measuring approx 5 x 5 x 6.1 cm. The speakers have a black glossy finish and are made from hard plastic material. The small speakers have a capsule like shape and almost look like a mini webcam. The speakers have a modern stylish design that can either be used as one speaker when joined together via a magnetic strip or separately. It has a rechargeable battery that is located inside each speaker, as well as a mini USB connector and a jack for connecting to devices.
My Experience
Size & Weight
These speakers are incredibly lightweight and small in size, weighing only approx 60 grams means these speakers are ideal for what I was looking for, as they are portable the speakers are easy to move around and use with different devices without any Hassel. I often use these duo speakers with my laptop and iphone, and find that as they are so small they can be easily moved from one location to another.
They also hardly take up any room on my computer table or desk when using them with either my laptop or iphone. The speakers are hardly noticeable either as they almost disappear into the background due to their size. These would therefore be ideal for those with small computer tables or small desks and need as much room as possible for other more important things.
The Sound Experience
I was pleasantly surprised with the sound quality from these mini speakers, therefore don't be fooled by the size. The bass xpansion system is located in the centre of the speakers and is activated when the speaker is extended. It gives that extra bass sound when listening to music, and gives it that similar effect you would get from a large subwoofer. The amount of bass it produces is amazing for its size, and enables me to enjoy and experience my favourite songs to their full potential. The volume levels can also be raised to very high levels without the sounds becoming distorted or buzzing, which is excellent when watching movies on my laptop as I can put the volume high enough so I can easily hear and enjoy the sound from the other side of the room.
The sound quality is a lot better when using the speakers separately, as I feel when they are joined together the sounds are not as clear and the sounds can get a little distorted. Due to the bass expansion system the speakers tend to vibrate when the volumes are set to really high levels, therefore I tend to position them right at the back of the table and have something holding them in place, as they do tend to move forward if the volumes are really high. I can easily listen to music and listen to movie audio even when these speakers are located all they way at the other end of large room, in fact the sound can be easily heard down stairs and in other rooms when volumes are set really high, which illustrate just how good the sound quality is.
Connecting Devices
The speakers are easily connected to devices such as laptops, ipods, iphones etc using a jack connection, and the other end of the cables as a mini usb connector that is simply connected to the speakers. Once connected the speakers can be manually switched on by pressing the power button located on each speaker, giving you the option to either use one speaker or power on both at the same time. A power light will trigger on letting you know that the device is connected and the speakers are ready to use. I found the process very easy and straight forward, as there are only three wires there are no messy tangling of wires to add confusion to the set up process.
Battery Life
The batteries are located inside each speaker and are rechargeable. The batteries are charged using the USB cable provided and take approx 3 hours to fully charge, which is quite fast in my opinion. A red light will flash on the speakers to indicate that the batteries are charging.
Once charged I can use them easily for a whole week until they needed recharging, the packaging states the battery will last 11 hours and I would say this is fairly accurate. I do use these quite often, and found that over the year the battery still manages to last a good 10-11 hours, which is even more useful when using the speakers away from home and in the office, which I sometimes tend to do if I'm working weekends and the office is near deserted. They are small enough to fit in my handbag and even fit in pockets, so I can easily use them out and about when needed.
Overall these are excellent speakers that are extremely lightweight and portable, easy to set up and produce excellent quality of sound. The price for these speakers are also fairly reasonable and therefore I give these speakers a great 5/5 rating.
I was bought these speakers as a gift due to my incessant whinging about my laptop have a woefully useless sound system. I was so impressed by them upon first use i have since convinced some friends to invest in these little gems! They are easy to use and you don't need to mess around with batteries or installing of drivers, its just plug them in and away you go! The most technical thing on them is either the on/off switch or the way they almost unscrew and pop up to become full speakers!
They charge off a USB port, a full charge in about will last about 10-12 hours but to be honest i find i only charge them once ever month or so and they are the proverbial "Duracell bunny", they just go on and on.
The sound quality is awesome, especially since the speakers are so small. I have had they turned up to full blast and the bass side is full and meaty and the high notes are truly ear shattering! I have found them to look really cool and with the standard 3.5mm jack they fit most mp3 players as well as smart phones and other devices incorporating audio functions.
They are also very well made and I have even taken mine on holiday with me, from sandy beaches to wet and muddy weekends in wales camping and not once have they let me down. Now if we consider that they cost £7 (second hand on EBay), but if you bought then new they would only cost around £20-£30, they are most definitely a wise buy!
Sound beyond size
XMI has a very neat and sleek slogan:_"Sound beyond sound"_. This slogan is prefect for describing these speakers, in fact this applies to all of the XMI product i have owned. These speakers certainly are small considering the quality provided. When the bass expansion system is closed the product is 6.6cm tall and 5.3cm wide. The size is astonishing as you can take it anywhere- it will fit in a bag, a hoody pocket or you could just carry it by hand. These speakers are usually connected to my miniature iPod and the sound provided is great. These speakers are made from durable plastic and is unlikely to break if your were to sit on it.
Connecting and charging
These speakers arrive in a cylinder packaging. The packaging is clear so you able to see the amazing speakers. With the speakers you hare given an instruction manual which is not needed as it is self-explanatory and a cable to charge the speakers and use the speakers. The batteries are internal and rechargeable so it is perfect for travelling as the the product charges through a USB and therefore being in a different country would not cause issues with wrong plugs and different voltage. To be able to use the speakers you just plug in the micro USB into the speakers and then connect the mm audio jack into any device like your iPod, or laptop. When you use these speaker i recommend separating them as you will be given better quality sound. These two speakers are held together with magnets on the stand , i only recommend using this feature when either moving the speakers around or when charging the device. There is a simple on/off switch on each speaker so you are able to use one and not the other and your are able to use both at the same time for even loader music. When you turn the speakers on a blue light will blue light will appear and when charging a red light will appear. Setting up these speakers for use will take no longer than 5 seconds as you just need to insert 3 cables (2 mirco USB's into the speakers and one 3.5mm cable into your device)
Technical Details
Dimensions (LxWxH) : 65.8mm x 53.4 mm (closed resonator)
Net weight: 178g
Loudspeaker Output: 2.5w x2
Signal to noise: 80db
Distortion: -1%
Play backtime: up to 12 hours
Play backtime: up to 12 hours
Battery charge time: 5v input - 2.5 hours
The charging time on these speakers are very fast. You charge these speakers for 2 and a half hours and you will be able to use these speakers for 12 hours. This shows that these speaker are extremely efficient as they have a good battery life considering the sound quality and size.
Sound Quality
Firstly, i would highly recommend that anyone who buys this product to check the quality of their songs first. If you download illegal songs then your files will most likely have a lower bit rate, and having a lower bit rate will affect the speakers performance and will limit you to what volume you can listen to these song on. This is because these speakers have immense quality and are able to go extremely load (considering the size) therefore these lower bit rate files (50kbps-120Kbps) are likely to distort and this will ruin your experience with the speakers and you may think the speakers are to blame for the sound being distorted but it is actually the file, therefore forcing you to listen to these low quality songs at a quieter volume. However if you download all your songs of iTunes or CD's then you will have no issue as these files will have a higher bit rate (300bkbps+), therefore allowing you to use these speakers at full blast and not encounter any distortion.The sound quality of the speakers are great. They are extremely load, for example when i listen to songs in my bedroom people sitting downstairs able to hear the music very clearly. Also the bass is incredible and this is made clear as when you use these speakers at full blast then the actually speaker will begin to move. Which is why i recommend placing them either on the floor or on a non-fall surface.
Bass Xpansion SystemTM
This is basically as system that allows you to turn the speakers, and they will then open. Once open the bass dramatically improves, and the difference is clear.
I recently brought these speakers from Amazon for £30, and i thought this was a bargain, when comparing these speakers to low-mid range docking systems. Obviously you are not getting the Beats By Dre experience for £30!
When I bought the set of speakers I thought that they were going to be very good quality and the bass and audio of my tracks from my iPhone will sound great with them. This was not the case I played my songs and turned the volume onto full blast and I could immediately hear minor distortion in both of them. It sounded of very poor quality and I could also hear a hissing crackling noise. I immediately decided to try to charge them up in order to ensure they were both recieving the full charge that they require. This seemed to make a difference for a small period of time only and then I got the same distortion when putting my music on full blast. I realised that if I put the volume down to around 70%-75% then it sounded great and I did not experience any issues. Therefore this is something you will need to be aware of and you need to decide whether you feel this would not be worth it based on just that one flaw. I like the design of the speakers and the fact that it looks very sophisticated with the black and silver colours make it look modern and cool and would make it very appealing to a mass audience. It is also very hard wearing and very solid so it can withstand a good amount of pressure been applied without it deforming or damaging in any way. I also like the spring design that is on these speakers and it really helps to be able to store them in a confined space without having to worry about additional storage requirements. They can be stored with ease and take up very little room. I also like the way the LED (blue) light will come on to signal that it has been fully charged and can be taken out of the plug. This feature is especially good because it reduces the liklihood of them over charging and possibly becoming potentially dangerous in some way. I don't feel the charging facility is the greatest on this design becuase it seems no matter how much you charge it up it will still have some level of distortion, which can be heard to a certain degree. All in all I would recommend these speakers if you are looking for something very cost effective the RRP is around £25 which I feel does justify the amount of advantages this product has.
I have fallen under the same trap as many people, these are called "MAX" and people ASSUME that this means it is better that the smaller and original versions. The design is better yes, but the sound quality is no where near as good as the X-Mini 2's. There is much less bass and the build quality is much poorer. As i have had both products, both my Xmini Max's have died and both my Xmini 2's are still alive and sound so much better. You can get 2 X-Mini's 2 cheaper than the price of these. The wire fell off one of them and the other started to go crackly, then the battery died so chucked them both away. While i had all four it was asif the X-mini MAX's were the treble speakers and the X-Mini 2's were two mini subs as their bass is far superior. I have found there are no reviews comparing the two and i believe with my own experience these are a waste of money and 2 Xmini 2's which are the single model which are much better in my opinion. I think these are a gimick and were made just to make extra money, i dont understand why XMI would make these so much worse than the stand alone model, i love the x-mini 2's. BUY THEM INSTEAD!! Trust me on this.
During the past few years all my music and movies have gradually been replaced from first tapes and videos to CD's and DVD's and now I am again making the change to having my entire collection digital which means I no longer have physical copies of everything. This saves me a huge amount of space and I absolutely love being able to access everything at the touch of a button but it does mean my CD's and DVD's have become rather obsolete and are now consigned to boxes up in the attic. Another byproduct of this digital age is that my CD player has just been gathering dust and is very rarely used and I much prefer to listen to my music on the go either on my netbook or through my phone which has become my primary multi media player.
Obviously having a netbook for storing my music and films on is great and being able to listen to music and watch movies anytime I want has completely changed the way I travel meaning that long train journeys are no longer something to be dreaded but sometimes I just want to crank up the volume of my music full blast and listen to it without the need of earphones.
For this I need a set of speakers and although there are literally hundreds to choose from I wanted something sleek and minimal to go with the rest of my things.
I had an original X-mini speaker that I thought was fantastic but unfortunately broke so when I saw that they had a MKII version I bought it immediately.
~~~~~~~~~~ What is the X-mini Max MKII ~~~~~~~~~~~~
The X-mini max MKII is actually a pair of speakers as opposed to just one like the original X-mini was. They have undergone a bit of a redesign and look much sleeker and even more modern than the first version.
The speakers are really small with flat bottoms that are magnatised so that you can stick them together for easy storage. This is a really cool little feature and not only looks great and sort of like a space ship but is fantastic for people like me who tend to just fling everything in a drawer and then can't find all the parts again. They also come with a little bag that you can store all the different parts in not that there really is all that many.
Unlike the picture supplied my speakers are a metallic red colour instead of the plain black which is the same colour as my netbook and they also come in black and white so you can keep everything co-ordinated.
They are made from plastic but don't let this conjure images of them being flimsy as they feel really solid and well made in the hand and from personal experience I know just how durable they actually are.
They are designed to be portable and they most definately are as they are absolutely tiny and weigh next to nothing. If you put these in your bag you would be hard pressed to even notice them.
X-mini speakers are designed so that you can add more X-mini speakers to your one's. All of them contain a 3.5 mm jack port and in theory you can infinately join as many speakers to each other as you wish meaning that in theory you can match bigger and better sound systems.
If there is one thing I am not keen on with the speakers is that you always have to take the cables with you to use them. With the original X-mini once it was charged it has it's own 3.5 mm jack that was hidden away on the base but these are missing that feautre and it is something that I miss from my old one as I thought that this was an excellent feautre. However this is only a small complaint especially when everything else is just so good with the speakers.
~~~~~~~~~~ Setting Up ~~~~~~~~~~
Setting up the speakers is an absolute breeze. In the box there is an instruction booklet but to be honest one look at the speakers will show you what you need to do without the need to read the instructions.
There are no external batteries to faff about with and instead the speakers are charged via the USB of your computer. Once fully charged they will last about 12 hours independantly and the great thing about this is that you can actually still use them on your laptop whilst they are charging.
I've never actually measured how long it takes for them to fully charge as I usually charge them up whilst using them but 30 minutes of charging will get you a good few hours of use with them away from the USB connector.
On the speakers there are no settings to worry about just an on/off switch, the micro USB connection and a 3.5 mm jack port. All you have to do is connect the supplied micro USB cable to the speakers then plug the USB into your computer to charge, the same cable also contains the 3.5mm audio connector which you plug into your music source and hey presto you are ready to go. It is all done with minimal fuss and the whole set up takes roughly 10 seconds.
~~~~~~~~~~ The Sound ~~~~~~~~~~
These speakers are definately a case of small and mighty. For anybody who scoffs at the size of them then they will be shocked with just how loud these bad boys can go. Of course they are never going to be able to compete with the larger high speakers but they weren't designed for that, they were designed to give good sound in an ultra portable form and for this they do the job admirably. There is no volume control on the speakers so you need to adjust this on the device you have them attached to.
You twist the base of the speaker which then pops open the speaker to reveal the bass xpansion system which is a patented system that is supposed to mimic a sub woofer. When you pop the speakers open the level of sound is greatly increased and according to the manufacturors the speakers are able to create a volume and bass that is over ten times it's physical size.
Now I am no expert in sound quality and what makes perfect sound so this review is based solely on my experience and preception of the sound quality. First of all the speakers are really loud, surprisingly so given their small size. For example I can easily have them plugged into my netbook in my bedroom and hear the music clearly from the bathroom with the door closed.
The clarity is good also and although they are loud the sound of the singer or the voices comes through really clearly and the sound is absolutely never tinny.
Another thing that they are good at is the level of bass. When I feel like having my music on loud I usually want to listen to something bass heavy and these speakers do a great job at giving me that 'thump' without disorting the rest of the music.
When I first received the speakers occassionally I would notice that the sound wasn't as good as the song previous and it would sound less rich and more distorted. I went online to see if anyone else was having the same problem and I found out that a few people were but instead of it being the speakers fault the blame lay with the sound file I was playing. The lower the quality the worse it sounds with the speakers as they do show up low quality recordings.
Another thing that I use these speakers a lot for is when watching movies on my netbook. Although I love my netbook and when in bed I am happy to watch movies on it's screen the sound can be a little tinny and just not up to the job and although these speakers do an excellent job when on high volume they also perform admirably when at a lower volume.
They make the voices on the screen come through much clearer than through my netbook speaker and the background music and effects are much better. The whole experience of watching a movie is so much richer with these connected.
~~~~~~~~~~ My Recommendation ~~~~~~~~~~
I would definately receommend these little speakers to people. I personally think that they are great. They look fantastic and yes I am a sucker for design but I also want my things to perform well and these speakers do that and more.
One of the best things about them is the price. Although they look like an expensive piece of kit in the flesh they can be bought for between £20 and £30 meaning that they are in everyone's price range. The music snobs may scoff but not everyone wants to pay hundreds of pounds or even has the room for great big speakers and for the money and size these speakers more than hold their own against so called bigger and better one's.
The fact that they can be connected to any device that has a 3.5mm jack such as phones and ipods mean that they aren't just for use with laptops which in this portable age is important as we have our music on so many devices.
They are also great for those of us who don't like our technology to be too difficult to set up. I personally want things that I can just remove from their packaging and use straight away without having to go to college and do a course in how to understand the instruction book. All in all I have been really impressed with the X-mini max II speakers and I honestly believe that if you are looking for a small set of portable speakers that ae ultra stylish and perform well above their fighting weight then you will be too.


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The following commentary does not necessarily reflect the views of AgWeb or Farm Journal Media. The opinions expressed below are the author's own.
The Machinery Journal blog is your place to find the latest machinery updates, industry news, and interesting tid bits.
This parody video of the prescription medicine ads is especially timely. It could help you identify "Restless Tillage Syndrome."
While this video is focusing on no-till as the remedy to the illness…. A recent conversation with Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie has me thinking a little more broadly.
Ferrie advocates that farmers rethink their tillage system—and not limit themselves to broadly doing the same tillage practices across all their farms. In some cases, a farmer should be ready to adapt their tillage by what that field (or even zone of the field) demands and that could mean some fields are no-tilled and some are managed with tillage. The unifying concept across the fields shouldn't be the type of tillage but rather the concept of managing the soil profile for uniform density.
And Ferrie says that can be achieved with no-till, strip-till and vertical tillage practices. Learn more in this news article and this Corn College TV episode.
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text: Bailey is a special girl who has nuzzled her way into our hearts and covered our faces with puppy licks! She was rescued from South Carolina and the moment we saw her, we picked her up and never put her down! She has a loud bark for such a little girl, but she barely ever uses it. She is so mellow and cuddly- any lap will do, and she shows her gratitude with lots of warm kisses. When she decides it's playtime, she goes into the backyard and digs large holes with her tiny paws. Sometimes she even disappears into them! She also loves chewing her squeaky toy lobster, playing tug, going to the beach, and sleeping in any sunny spot she can find. Bailey has already brought so many smiles to our house, and we couldn't be happier to have found her!Add to Favorites


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Tidesports.com/Tusc News is saying Pruitt will coach at 'Bama through the bowl game in "Pruitt takes FSU position".
And Sal is going too!
I see no drop off on the field. Recruiting I'm not so sure about.
Congrats coach Pruitt!!! I remember back I the day when he was an assistant at Hoover under Rush Propst. I even know the guy back when I played football there. I'm so happy for him. Best of luck!!!
Now Coach Saban needs to bring in someone who can help Hubbard unleash his inner Upshaw.
Last edited by jthomas666; December 17th, 2012 at 08:42 PM.
I may disagree with you, but I'm pretty sure you're not Hitler.
U.S. Army Pathfinders
"First In, Last Out"
I will trust Coach Saban to make the choice. He ain't bad at these things!
"Footballs only brutal when one sides hittin' and the other'n ain't". Clem Gryska UA asst. coach, 1973
So does anyone know who we're looking at to replace CJP?
I cant really say that youre going to come in here and start. Youve got to come here and be ready to compete because the best man plays. CNS


text: Hey guys, I have asked this in another thread but I just saw a picture of him playing in a challenger he it looks to me that he is using natural gut in the mains with black code in the crosses. Can anyone confirm this? Also, if anyone knows the tension that would be great. R.W


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I've been obsessively watching Coraline lately (that movie is like candy for the right half of your brain) because I have an idea for a new story about a sort of monster that steals children. I don't mean like the Erklings that J.K. came up with, but something more sinister like the beldam in Coraline, which is apparently an actual concept.
I might just end up using a beldam for my story, but I'd like to consider all my options. Does anyone know of any myths or creatures that could fit this bill?


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Nov. 21, 2012
Here is the latest edition of Week In Review - a series of weekly messages from the Mayor and City Council to help Richardson residents and businesses keep up to date on events at City Hall. A list of links for stories in this edition is available at the bottom of the page.
Cotton Belt Rail Line Update
The City Council at its Monday meeting discussed a proposed regional plan to speed development of the Cotton Belt Rail Line, a 62-mile passenger rail corridor that would initially connect Plano to Fort Worth. The future line is expected to include two stops in Richardson near the UT Dallas campus and President George Bush Turnpike east of US-75.
Most of the rail line is owned by DART, which doesn't have the means to develop it for the next 25 years based on other capital obligations. Several cities and other agencies are hoping to work together to secure alternative funding and begin operating the rail line by 2016-2017.
The proposed plan obtains funding for the $2 billion project through tax revenue sharing, parking fees, naming rights, development value capture, loans, grants and other mechanisms. The Richardson City Council is expected to vote next week on a resolution to give the North Central Texas Council of Governments authority to take the lead in pursuing the Cotton Belt project as a public private partnership on behalf of interested partners in the region.
Watch the City Council presentation at http://bit.ly/Scw6E5.
Council Discusses Main/75 Project
The City Council on Monday discussed the results of the latest public meeting on the Main Street/Central Expressway Corridor redevelopment study. The Final Public Involvement Session for this phase of the study was held earlier this month to gather input from the community. The Council reviewed descriptions of the 11 districts proposed within the 415-acre study area, artist's renderings of possible redevelopment scenarios and feedback from the community meeting.
The City Council and City Plan Commission will hold a joint meeting Dec. 17 for a presentation wrapping up the first phase of the project and to consider the next steps.
Watch Monday's presentation at http://bit.ly/108a763.
Election Results Made Official
The City Council approved a resolution Monday to declare the official results of the Nov. 6 charter election, which amended the City Charter to provide for direct election of the mayor by Richardson voters. The amendment passed with 24,214 people voting in favor of the amendment and 8,087 voting against it.
Thanksgiving Closings and Reopenings
City Hall/Civic Center and Municipal Court will be closed Thursday and Friday for the Thanksgiving holiday and will reopen at 8 a.m. Monday. The Richardson Public Library and Animal Shelter are also closed Thursday and Friday, but will reopen for regular hours on Saturday. Recreation Centers, the Tennis Center and Senior Center are closed Thursday but will be open Friday.
The City will not collect solid waste Thursday or Friday and there will be no make-up days. Recycled materials normally picked up on Fridays will be collected Saturday.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Video Online
Last week Alamo Drafthouse Cinema held an outdoor showing of "The Burbs" at its future site in Richardson, which is expected to open next spring. The cinema-eatery held a variety of movie-themed contests before the showing, entertaining the crowd that is estimated to have reached more than a thousand people. Some of the pre-show events included a pajama fashion show and sardine-eating contest.
Providing unique experiences is part of what differentiates Alamo Drafthouse from other theaters, which is why Richardson's Economic Development Partnership with the Richardson Chamber of Commerce sought out to attract the development.
CITV caught up with Alamo Drafthouse DFW COO Bill DiGaetano, who explained why the Austin-based company chose Richardson for its first location in the Metroplex. Watch the video at http://youtu.be/55HpMhG_NHc and see why local residents are excited about Alamo coming to town.
Christmas Parade Next Weekend
The 41st annual Christmas Parade will march through west Richardson starting at 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 1. The parade will begin on Coit Road at Cherrywood Drive and continue north to J.J. Pearce High School. The theme for this year's parade is "Reindeer Games."
The parade's Award Ceremony will be held at 5 p.m. Dec. 1 at the City Hall/Civic Center Complex, just before the annual Christmas Tree Lighting and opening of Santa's Village.
For more information, visit http://www.cor.net/index.aspx?page=333.
Santa's Village Opens Next Weekend
Santa's Village will open for the season at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, and remain open from 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 1-2, 6-9 and 13-16. The Village is just north of Richardson City Hall, 411 W. Arapaho Rd.
Guests may stop by each of the 17 tiny dwellings, which feature a variety of holiday activities. Santa Claus will be on hand to visit with children, but the line will shut down before 9 p.m. each evening.
Santa's Village is free and open to the public. For more information, visit http://www.cor.net/index.aspx?page=1303.
'The Nutcracker' Comes to the Eisemann Center this Weekend
Chamberlain Performing Arts will perform 'The Nutcracker' at 7:30 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Eisemann Center, 2351 Performance Dr. Tickets cost $10-$100 and are available at www.eisemanncenter.com or by calling 972-744-4650. For more information, visit http://www.chamberlainperformingarts.com/school/perf-nut.html.
TOEFL Class Registration at Library through Dec. 15
Registration for the next session of free preparation classes for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is in progress through Dec. 15. Classes will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturdays from Jan. 12, 2013, through April 20, 2013.
To register, you must pass a Level 5 English test and purchase the textbook. Call Yolanda Medina at 972-744-4368 to register or for more information.
Richardson Animal Shelter Pet of the Week
Pluto is a neutered male, Labrador/terrier mix, about a year old, up to date on all vaccinations, very playful, strong and would be great for an active family. He's been at the shelter for several months and needs a home for the holidays! Contact the Animal Shelter (972-744-4480) about Pluto or other animals available for adoption.
For information about other animals available for adoption, visit the Animal Shelter's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/RichardsonAnimalShelter.
Related Links
City Council videos: http://bit.ly/LSHJzE
City Council agenda: http://bit.ly/QoOWF4
City Council meeting documents: http://bit.ly/OrSIQ2
Find Richardson Today on Facebook and Twitter.
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Is Manny Ramirez Among Greatest Ever ?
Manny Ramirez is gone. No more 'Manny being Manny' show. There will be no Mannywood II in Tropicana Field.
Ramirez is a retired player and as far as read and heard no missed by anyone.
Not even in St. Petersburg and Tampa they miss him. The Rays statement was simple as:
"The Tampa Bay Rays were informed today (Friday) by the Commissioner's Office that Manny Ramirez has decided to retire after being informed of an issue under the Drug Program. We are obviously surprised and disappointed by this news. We will have no further comment on this matter, and our fans and organization will carry on."
In simple words, he was caught by Major League Baseball playing with fire again and he paid for it.
Testing positive for a banned substance under major league baseball's drug policy, Ramirez retired Friday rather than face the prospect of a 100-game suspension.
No matter all the problems he had in the past he must be remember as one of the most feared right-handed hitters of all time.
There is a lot of debate about who are the best all-time right-handed and left-handed hitters in the game.
Everyone will have its own opinion. The debate is open. Here is my list of the top 10 right-handed Latino hitters of all-time.
1. Alex Rodriguez
2. Albert Pujols
3. Roberto Clemente
4. Manny Ramirez
5. Edgar Martinez
6. Vladimir Guerrero
7. Tany Perez
8. Orlando Cepeda
9. Sammy Sosa
10. Juan Gonzalez


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Our Mission
The mission of the Student Government is to ensure that UT Dallas is fully committed to serving the collective interests of the student body. In this capacity, we serve as the official student voice to UT Dallas administration, the UT System Board of Regents, and other governmental entities.
The Student Government seeks to enhance spirit, protect University traditions, and support all students and student organizations in their academic and community-directed endeavors.
Our Services
To stay up to date about what issues and projects Student Government is working on, agendas of the upcoming meeting and minutes from past meetings are available. Contact us about anything that you may have questions on.
Higher Education Act
UT Dallas encourages students to participate in federal, state and local elections. Find out more information about the Higher Education Act and how you can register to vote.
Contact Us
Student Government Office
Student Union 2nd Floor, SU 2.401
Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
[email protected]
JW Van Der Schans
SG President
Alex Holcomb
SG Vice President


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By Hayden Wright
This week, Justin Bieber enjoyed some R&R on a Makepeace Island, a private Australian isle owned by billionaire Virgin founder Richard Branson. Paparazzi with cameras camped out across the water, cramping Justin's style and snapping photos from his private getaway. The tabloid press ran with a story about Bieber's "expletive-laden abuse" at journalists, but on Instagram the singer pointed out that he was just quoting the cult Australian comedy series Summer Heights High.
"I said puck you miss!," Justin said (in character as Jonah from Tonga). "There's a difference between bullying him and joking around. I was joking around."
Related: Justin Bieber Receives Celebrity Love for 23rd Birthday
"Sorry Ben! Motherf—-r!" he added. "Sorry, ranga'. I was doing it for fun. You just didn't get that it was fun. You on your period or what miss?"
Jonah from Tonga is a wayward, misbehaving teen on the classic Aussie comedy created by Chris Lilley, who plays all primary characters including mean girl Ja'mie King and Mr. G, the school's performing arts teacher.
"I could tell him a knock knock joke and he wouldn't even think it was funny," Bieber added. "I was punting him, sir. Watch MTV for once sir."
"Expletive-laden abuse" is sort of Jonah's specialty. I guess you had to be there.
Watch Bieber's clarification here.


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The fourth-grade Durango Colts remained unbeaten, posting their fifth shutout of the season, and a pair of local middle school teams are competing for youth football championships.
Around the Youth American Football League last week, Durango went 3-2 in Week 7 to run its overall record to 20-13 this year.
The Colts improved to 7-0 with a 45-0 shutout over Ignacio.
The scoring plays:
Jordan Woolverton threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Niko Mestas. (The extra point was unsuccessful.)
Haezen Mestas rushed for a touchdown. (The extra point was unsuccessful.)
Gage Mestas rushed for a touchdown, and Woolverton threw to Kyler Reimers for the extra point.
Cal Walsh rushed for a touchdown, and Niko Martinez rushed for the extra point.
Gage Mestas returned the opening second-half kickoff for a touchdown. (The extra point was unsuccessful.)
Weston Baken rushed for a touchdown, and Niko Mestas threw to Woolverton for the extra point.
The rest of the YAFL results:
The second-grade Durango Demons lost 13-7 to the Aztec Titans. Beau Brunson for the Demons touchdown, and Tager Bardin scored the extra point.
The third-grade Durango Dolphins beat the Aztec Bulldogs 20-12. Austin Giehl rushed for two touchdowns, Douglas Malcom one, and Emmett Thompson and Cassidy Malone each rushed for an extra point.
The fifth-grade Durango Patriots lost 7-6 to Bayfield. Joe Arnwine rushed for the Patriots touchdown.
The sixth-grade Durango 49ers shut out Farmington 34-0. Dawson Marcum rushed for three touchdowns and an extra point. Gus Kidd threw a touchdown pass to Cullen Robinette, then connected for the extra point. Izzy Tenorio scored on a kick return, and Jordan Wiebe recorded a safety.
All five teams will play their regular-season finales this weekend three road games and two home games.
The second-grade Demons will play the Aztec Vipers in Farmington; the third-grade Dolphins will play Montezuma-Cortez in Cortez; and the sixth-grade 49ers will play at Pagosa Springs.
The fourth-grade Colts will try and finish their undefeated regular season against Dulce at 11 a.m. Saturday at Miller Middle School. The fifth-grade Patriots will host the Farmington Chargers at 3 p.m. Saturday at Miller.
The Escalante A youth football team lost to Bayfield in the play-in postseason game, while the Miller A team won and will play Montezuma-Cortez on Saturday in Cortez for the championship.
The Miller A teams only loss this season came at the hands of Cortez.
The undefeated Escalante B team earned the No. 1 seed in the playoffs and played Wednesday night in Cortez for a shot at Saturdays championship; the Miller B team awaits the winner.


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In my program I need the user to input a price. The purchase price must be a number.
My assignment says:
Ignore any data that may be on the life after the amount. In a non-numeric is entered for the price, issue an error message, and ask the user to input the price again.
Does anybody know how to do this? Thank you.


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Are Diesels Really More Economical?
This week's news brought an emergency airworthiness directive for Thielert's new Centurion 2.0. The AD requires a bracket to prevent cracking in a high-pressure line between the engine's injection pump and the common rail injection manifold. A little over 500 airplanes are affected.
This AD reflects one of several daunting challenges with aerodiesel engines: although they're perceived as smooth running thanks to clever engine mounts, the engines themselves vibrate more intensely than most avgas engines do. The torsionals along the crankshaft are so intense, in fact, that no one has come up with a way to mount a metal prop on these engines and have it last long enough to satisfy even minimal service expectations. The Thielert engines currently have wood/composite props, which soak up vibes and deliver satisfactory service life.
Although I'd be perfectly happy with the composite props, some would-be owners aren't and they cite this as a reason for not being interested in diesels. But as avgas approaches a $5 average, will the economy of diesels sway the market? To answer this question, I spent the last couple of weeks exhaustively researching the diesel vs. gas economy question. (The final report will appear in the April issue of The Aviation Consumer.)
In a nutshell, what I found was this: Best case, the Thielert diesels are running a fuel efficiency of about .38 BSFC, versus .39 for the very best gasoline engines�the Continental IO-520s and IO-550s. Lycoming engines aren't quite as efficient, typically running at .40 to .42, but as much as .45 BSFC in some instances.
If you run the numbers through a TBO cycle, the diesels beat the Lycomings on a cost-per-hour basis, but they run closer to equal with the Continentals. Diesels are definitely hobbled by their high overall costs. The Lycoming IO-360 used in Diamond's Star costs about $25,000 to overhaul, while the four-cylinder Thielert costs $53,000 to replace. (This figure includes mandatory replacement of key parts at 600 hour intervals.) So even though the diesel costs twice as much to overhaul, its fuel efficiency makes up for it and it's cheaper to operate.
That equation falls apart when larger displacement engines are compared. Continental's IO-550 costs about $32,000 to overhaul, versus a staggering $97,200 plus for Thielert's 350-HP Centurion 4.0. But if that engine also runs at .38 against the Continental's .39, it doesn't save enough fuel to offset the higher overhaul costs.
Of course, the real driver for diesel technology is availability of fuel first, cost of fuel second. Nonetheless, U.S. buyers are looking at diesel in both pure efficiency terms and with the hope of at least holding the cost on flying. The smaller diesels�despite their maintenance issues�seem to deliver on that promise. But the large displacement diesels aren't there yet.


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I traveled through Calgary, London and Prague airports last week and ALL my CF memory cards got corrupted!! I put them through the scanner they use on the tray with my carry-on.I never happened before. They may have some new devices installed there somewhere.Anyone has some similar experience?
How old are the cards? Maybe there is some internal insulation inside them which perhaps degrades over time
I had four cards on me. All 32 Gone Kingston about 1 year old, one Lexar about the same age and two Silicon Power I bought just 5 weeks ago.All of them worked fine before the trip and all were unreadable after arrival home. "Error reading, card is corrupted" message.Photoshop bridge, ACDSee or Windows could not recognize media.Would not read even through D300 camera. Though I could view pictures on the card through camera viewer but unable to get them off.After reformatting cards work just fine.
It is puzzling. Cards are new and variety of brands. Flying all the time and never had an issue either. They were fine before flight and corrupted right after. Never left my site. Stored in my photo hard case. Go figure.
Nope, I have never had this experience flying domestically or internationally.
I was once told by a pro photographer to ALWAYS format your cards after downloading your photos. Yes each and every time.
While it eats up battery life, did you try connecting your camera to your pc to download the images? Just a thought
I remember back in my film days, always asking fro a separate container for the TSA to use to hand scan my film, so their big Xray machine didnt damage my film. Maybe we should do that with our cards now too
Just some random thoughts from this keyboard
Oh man, that's so terrible, medea1!
Sorry to hear that.
This is the first time I've heard of airport scanners messing up memory cards. I've travelled with memory cards (SD cards, though) in my pockets already, specifically to test if the scanners would ruin them, and they got through fine.
I guess the best thing you can do now is chalk this up to a learning experience. Maybe next time take the precaution of downloading your photographs onto your laptop or upload to a server before you fly.
That's terrible indeed... Hmm
Never got any problems (yet) with scanners though, even before I went digital, with film, never had complaints.
I never format my cards after downloading the photos neither.
Can't really figure out what the problem is.
Can you download/read the files? Or is that aswel a problem?Maybe Nikon has some file restore software to repair corrupted files?
Terrible to hear about it, I was lucky so far, my cards passed the ray many times and always worked after it.
I transport my photo equipment 4-5 times each year through airport checkup and never encountered anything like this. Very, very weird, I think you should check with the airport and maybe even file a complaint.
Did you try some other card reader, or some other computer?


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KEXP Reviews
|Browse by one of the following:
- (Columbia)
The veteran singer-songwriter sounds utterly rejuvenated on his followup album to 1997's critically acclaimed Time Out Of Mind. Digging deep into the roots of American popular music, Dylan uses elements of blues, rockabilly, country, vaudeville, ragtime, Tin Pan Alley pop and more to craft a vibrant assortment of songs that flash a sly sense of absurdist humor reminiscent of the tragicomic bite of Dylan classics like Highway 61 Revisited. 9/15/2001 - Don Yates
Other Bob Dylan album reviews:
Shadows In The Night - 1/30/2015
Tempest - 9/7/2012
The Witmark Demos 1962-1964 (The Bootleg Series Vol. 9) - 10/22/2010
Together Through Life - 4/23/2009
Tell Tale Signs: The Bootleg Series Vol. 8 - 10/1/2008
Modern Times - 8/31/2006
Live 1966 - 11/15/1998
Time Out Of Mind - 10/15/1997


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Grant: After Nick Tepesch gets hit hard late, Ron Washington admits he left rookie in too long
ARLINGTON — Nick Tepesch did his best to copy Yu Darvish on Wednesday.
In other words, he tried to win without a fastball.
There were some differences, though. Mainly there was this: The Rangers on Tuesday didn't let Darvish go out for a seventh inning missing a big part of his repertoire. On Wednesday, however, the Rangers let the rookie give it a go. They will think twice next time around.
Facing the White Sox lineup a fourth-time through, Tepesch proved finally unable to get by on guile, breaking pitches and changeups. Chicago hitters pounded a pair of seventh-inning homers off of him break a 2-2 tie and take a 5-2 win.
He allowed a leadoff homer to Conor Gillaspie to start the inning and a two-out, two-run homer to Alejandro de Aza, whom he was facing for the fourth time, to top things off. The de Aza homer came with lefty Joseph Ortiz ready in the bullpen. After the game, manager Ron Washington acknowledged he should have gone to the bullpen.
"It was a bad decision on my part," Washington said. "I'll take the blame for it. I was ready to go out there and get him and I second-guessed myself. I made a bad decision. It didn't work."
Perhaps the second-guessing came from Ortiz's recent struggles. He had back-to-back rough outings in Minnesota over the weekend. That can rattle a manager's confidence.
And to Tepesch's credit, he did do a pretty fair impersonation of Darvish.
Like Darvish had the night before, Tepesch tried to establish his fastball early with poor results. Darvish struggled with a four-seam fastball; Tepesch couldn't get his sinker down in the zone. Both pitchers essentially junked their primary pitches, went to secondary pitches and were able to fool the light-hitting White Sox for six innings.
"They are aggressive and were jumping on his fastball pretty quickly," catcher Geovany Soto said. "We went to the secondary pitches, and that's how we rolled most of the night."
The difference in Darvish on Tuesday and Tepesch on Wednesday was the seventh. Tepesch, at 87 pitches, was sent back to the mound. Gillaspie led off with a homer, but Tepesch got a pair of outs around a single by Tyler Flowers. He struck out lefty Dewayne Wise to end the third trip through the lineup.
That left Washington with a decision to make. He opted not to make a move, putting a vulnerable Tepesch in a position against veteran hitters. Hitters become more comfortable with each at-bat against a pitcher, and a fourth-trip through the lineup is a place only aces go regularly. Rookies visit only with their absolute best stuff. In his short, four-start career, Tepesch had faced one batter four times in a game. He doubled. Now, hitters are 2-for-2.
Throwing sliders, curves and even a pair of sinkers, Tepesch worked the count full against de Aza. When he left a slider up, de Aza was able to drive it to the right-field corner, the shortest part of the park, for a game-breaking two run homer.
"Any time you get an opportunity, you want to take advantage of it," Tepesch said. "It shows he has trust in me. It's good to know that."
The Rangers also didn't support Tepesch the way they do Darvish. When Darvish left the game Tuesday, the Rangers responded with a six-run inning. On Wednesday, they wasted a great opportunity for a big second-inning when Soto got a bad read on Ian Kinsler's bases-loaded, laser-beam shot off the left-field wall. Soto, on second, said he thought the ball had top-spin and would die earlier, so he waited near the bag. It clogged up the bases, with Soto landing only at third. The inning fizzled there.
"It was a bad read," Soto said. "I definitely should have scored."
At that point, it was clear Tepesch wasn't getting support from his offense. As it turns out, when he needed it most, he didn't get any from his manager either.
Catch Evan Grant's Ranger Reports all season on The Ticket (KTCK-1310 AM) on Tuesdays at 9:35 a.m. with The Musers, Wednesdays at 4:15 p.m. with The Hardline and Thursdays at 2:15 p.m. with BaDD Radio.
Follow Evan Grant on Twitter @Evan_P_Grant.


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Spring 2007 Fashion Week Notebook | Y & Kei
Photo Credit: NY Metro
Key Takeaways: Y & Kei designers Hanii Yoon and Gene Kang (husband and wife) have summoned an angelic look to the Spring runways. As in previous seasons, the color white was widespread, and though most the cuts were simple, we noted hints of intricacy via ruffles, tulip shaped-skirts, and a sophisticated juxtaposition of textures.
Color Palette: White was definitely the most prevalent, but Y & Kei branched out into other neutrals and metallics: black, charcoal grey, light grey, nude, and metallic silver. Purple, a huge color for fall, also made an appearance.
Silhouettes: Tulip skirts were of note, as were narrow-legged capris and trousers. Lines were clean and crisp, especially when it came to the trousers and outerwear. Tuxedo-like coats had tulip-shaped bottoms, and capelets featured ruffles.
Accessories Report: Due to the simplicity of this line, accessories were kept to a bare minimum. The only accessories we saw were a thin black belt, a thin white one, and a black satin scarf.
What's Wearable: 99% of this line is wearable, especially if you love simplicity and the concept of "Less is More."
What's Not Wearable: Some of the ruffled pieces are over-the-top for everyday wear.
Add comment September 14th, 2006


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Happy Thanksgiving! We hope you're all sharing a wonderful day with friends and family. We believe that everyone's holiday decor looks better with some added DIY magic, so we rounded up the best Thanksgiving DIYs. See our favorites below. And don't forget to check back tomorrow for our exciting Black Friday deals!
DIY Thanksgiving Word Display by Choose To Thrive
DIY FalL Wreath by A Beautiful Mess
DIY Rustic Candlesticks by Casa Sugar
DIY Thanksgiving Table Runner by I Spy DIY
DIY Glitter Pumpkin Candle Holders by Twig & Thistle