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from The Aquarian, Summer 2001
Animals 'R Us
Directed by Jenny Stein
Tribe of Heart, 2000
Available from the filmmakers at www.tribeofheart.org
Reviewed by Syd Baumel
Judging by the shocked, wounded looks on their faces during The Witness's final scenes, you'd think most New Yorkers believe fur grows on trees. But then most people act as if it did – along with hamburgers, chili dogs, and milkshakes.
The Witness is about a man who has broken free of this mass denial of the brutal realities of commercial animal exploitation. It should be the story of all conscientious people.
Eddie Lama is a successful New York architectural contractor with a Brooklyn mean-streets background and a matching accent that says "not your stereotypical bleeding-heart animal lover." He could almost pass for a goodfella, were it not for his obvious gentleness and wouldn't-hurt-a-fly eyes.
Those stunned, tearful New Yorkers owe their rude awakenings to Lama's decision to convert one of his company's vans into a kind of moviemobile. Through an open side door, a video screen displays heartwrenching underground films of man's inhumanity to animal – of wild critters caught in leghold traps, of factory-farmed animals confined to concentration camp crates and stalls. As Lama puts it at the very beginning of this award-winning film by husband and wife director/producer team Jenny Stein and James LaVeck: "There's a school of philosophy that defines a miracle as a change in perception."
The Witness is about Eddie Lama's perceptual miracle and how he's trying to spread it around – "to reach that critical mass" – so the ultimate miracle can befall billions of defenseless animals.
Though this is a film about heartbreaking tragedy, The Witness is infused with warmth and humour. Interspersed with his surprisingly erudite (. . . for a goodfella) tutorials on animal rights issues, Lama tells a frequently comical story of his awakening. Self-deprecatingly funny, not strident, he's an irresistable ambassador. Even when he's shocking those strolling New Yorkers, it's a sympathetic, lissen up friends voice that later thanks them for watching. After all, a few years ago Lama himself thought animals were just "ambulatory organisms."
As Lama tells it, he inherited a neurotic squeamishness about "dirty" animals from his mother. It took an attractive woman's request that he babysit a cat to make the bachelor break precedent. "I figured I'll get a date out of this," Lama chuckles. To his astonishment, he wound up falling for the feline. And the next time the woman asked him to foster a stray cat, the love bug bit even harder. "Moo Moo" became as precious as if it were his own child. And so it was that one evening, as the chain-smoking contractor ignited cigarette number 35 in his smoke-filled apartment, he suddenly found himself sizing up his pint-sized companion a whole new way. Comparing their relative dimensions, Lama recalls thinking, "If I'm smoking one cigarette, he's smokin' ten." Insights followed like a line of dominoes. "This animal had no choice. He couldn't possibly get up, go to the door, turn the knob and say, 'Look Eddie, I'm gettin' outta here – it's just too much smoke here!' The sense that I was directly doing harm didn't sit well with me. . . .That, with the fact that he was sitting right there looking at me. Don't ask me if this really happened, but I could have sworn he coughed [a big laugh from Lama – one of many]. . . .I said, 'that's it,' and the cigarette was extinguished."
It was the thin edge of the consciousness-raising wedge. One by one, the veils of denial started falling. Lama abruptly stopped eating meat when he realized the chicken legs on his brother's supper table were shaped like the gams of his cat. "I just stared at the carcass – vestiges of a bird. I saw it for what it was. Plus, I had another animal I was going to go home to. How was I gonna explain to him?" Today Lama would have several animals in his home and office menagerie to explain to. And at least one employee has followed her boss into vegetarianism.
Thanks to The Witness, Eddie Lama's miracle is spreading far beyond the streets of New York. Thousands of copies have been sold, half a dozen film awards have been won, many hearts have changed, small screenings are being held all over the continent – and Stein and LaVeck still struggle to find a television network with the courage to broadcast their acclaimed hot potato to a mass audience.


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Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Corp. (PMFTC) in Philippines plans to produce cheaper cigarettes in order to compete with a local cigarettes brand, The PMFTC earlier asked the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to permit the company to come up with cheaper versions of its most popular cigarettes brand Marlboro to overtake the major competitor – local brand Mighty.
Emer Rojas, president of the New Vois Association of the Philippines told that when you permit tobacco companies to manufacture low-priced cigarettes to catch up with others, then tobacco users will just choose cheaper brands instead of quitting. As a result, fight with smoking ends up with its promotion.
To note that, in Philippines there was introduced sin tax law and its goal was to increase cigarette prices in order to discourage people from smoking and help smokers quit.
However, last month PMFTC, the joint venture of multinational Philip Morris and Lucio Tan's Fortune Tobacco in a letter to BIR asked permission to produce four variants of its Marlboro products as low-priced cigarettes.
Premium brand of Marlboro is taxed higher than Mighty, cheap cigarettes brand. PMFTC told that sales of Marlboro had dropped greatly because smokers were choosing cheaper cigarettes like Mighty.
In order to gain leadership on the tobacco market, the government of Philippines must allow the PMFTC to come up with four low-priced variants of Marlboro. Those who are against this initiative, consider that it would undermine the health and revenue objectives of the law.
If PIMFTC comes out with cheaper Marlboro types, it is possible that the people would think that the premium brand has returned to its original price and therefore smokers will continue to patronize it.
Similar Posts:
- Altria Group Inc. Earnings
- Marlboro cigarettes advertisements
- Higher cigarette prices, graphic warnings will lessen number of youth smokers

subset: commoncrawl


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Since 2014, not digital since 2016. Still teaches it though.
"Learning to print was easy, learning to paint is an ongoing process. Every piece is unique, editions are boring. Trying to capture Contemporary Streetart, if that's a thing? I've learnt a lot from my mistakes."
Blending the boundaries between Contemporary Art and Streetart.
Steve Smythe creates a range of work that explores collage, screenprinting, mixed media and unique layered images that are reminiscent of deteriorating paste-ups. Often combining iconic figures with torn text in a variety of fonts, Steve's prints and collages are rich in detail and texture. Avoiding editions and a belief in creating something unique with every piece of art.
With a library of silk screens and a tendency to get bored Steve floats between collage, screenprinting and mixed media works.
Currently a Lecturer of Visual Communications, Steve has a degree in Product Design and a teaching degree from Cambridge University.
A self-taught artist, he began creating his work in early 2013 (After several years of creating design work for other people). For Steve art gives him the freedom to work without boundaries, to do whatever he wants, no constraints, no brief, no amendments, no clients believing they know better. It's a freedom to work and explore in a manor not possible within the life design.
Inspired by Nouveau Realism, decollage, torn street posters and artists such as Jacques Villeglé and Raymond Hains, Steve's work incorporates layers of paint, mixed media, spray paint and screenprint. Steve's images explore both human and typographical forms, figuratively and in a graphical sense. He is fascinated by the deconstruction of layers and allowing the work to take its own form of visual distortion, somewhere between existence and demise.
Instagram @steve_smythe
- 2014 Affordable Art Fairs London
- 2015 Affordable Art Fairs London
- 2015 Affordable Art Fairs Hamburg
- 2016 Affordable Art Fairs London
- 2016 Stroke Art Fair Munich
- 2016 Group Exhibition - Turner Barnes Gallery
- 2016 Affordable Art Fair New York
- 2017 Affordable Art Fair Hong Kong
- 2017 Group Exhibition - Blackburn Open Walls
- 2017 Group Exhibition - Turner Barnes Gallery
- 2017 Affordable Art Fair - London
- 2017 Ink - London (Darkhouse Gallery & Duke of York Theatre)
- 2017 Group Show - Nuclear Winter Wonderland - Leontia Gallery
Artrepublic - Brighton
Lilford Gallery - Folkestone
Folly & Muse - London
Hung Up Ltd - Nottingham
Turner Barnes Gallery - Brentwood
ArtSnug - London
Lilac Gallery - New York
Monaco Art Gallery - Monaco
Brickwork Gallery - London.
Leontia Gallery - London
Instagram @steve_smythe


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Recently, Bombshell Betty launched her All Kinds of Sexy blog at allkindsofsexy.wordpress.com. As a body image activist, her aim is to help promote self-esteem, positive body image, and representations of sexiness of all kinds.
To help further those goals, Betty has developed the Everyday Bombshell Scholarship Program, which will provide "self-esteem enhancing classes, services and products at no charge to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, and women overcoming eating disorders, physical disabilities, economic disadvantages and other intense challenges to their self-esteem."
To apply for the scholarship, please send Betty an email message using the form at allkindsofsexy.wordpress.com/contact/.
The show on Tuesday will be a fundraiser for the scholarship program. It will also be Betty and Fromagique's holiday show! So join your Mistress of Ceremonies Odessa Lil for a fun show featuring a lot of the Burlesqueteers that you've enjoyed at previous shows, and a bevy of newcomers who are making their stage debuts!
The Elbo Room is located at 847 Valencia Street in San Francisco (map). The doors open at 9:00 p.m., and the show starts at 9:30. Tickets are $10, and you may also purchase a table for two for $30. To see the show, you must be 21 or older, so bring your I.D. to show the door person as you enter the club.
Bombshell Betty® and Fromagique present:
All Kinds of Sexy™ Burlesque Benefit Show!
Join us for holiday mayhem that you will never forget! We have dolls that come to life, rioting reindeer and other winter wildlife, Santa's run wild, treats for the nice AND the naughty girls and boys, and much, much more! Benefitting the Bombshell Betty® Everyday Bombshell™ Scholarship Program!
...Burlesque acts by:
Bombshell Betty!
Red Velvet!
Dangerous Delilah!
Mint Julep!
Violet Streak!
Pickles Kintaro!
Madonna-May Hemm!
Nirvannah Bliss!
Pearl E. Gates!
Summer Fling!
Carlita Cupcake!
Andi Stardust!
PLUS solo DEBUTS by the most recent Burlesquercise graduates:
Mistress Marla Spanks!
Cinnamon Stick!
Baby Blue Boom Boom!
Kinkie d'Orleans!
Pyro Pantera!
Lady Bad Habit!
Velvet Vixen!
Eve VonGelica!
PLUS burlesque debuts by:
Cookie Sycamore!
Candy Pie!
Yve Jobs!
AND a double handful of performers so new they don't even have stage names yet!
Odessa 'Lil will be our
mistress of ceremonies!
With live musical accompaniment by San Francisco's cheesiest band:
FROMAGIQUE (Bombshell Betty, Patina DeCopper, A. Randy Johnson, B.J. Johnson (no relation), Bari D. Hatchet, and Damon Hope)
* * *
Tues. Dec. 14th, 2010
@ The Elbo Room
647 Valencia St (2 blocks from 16th St. BART)
Doors @ 9PM Show 9:30PM
$10 ($30 for a cabaret table for two)
* * *
Please visit their sponsors' pages:


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Twitter Wants Rihanna To Sign Trans Model Fired From L'Oreal To Fenty Beauty
Rihanna's highly anticipated cosmetics line, Fenty Beauty, officially launched September 8 and Twitter users have an idea for who should be in the advertising campaign.
Many have suggested that Rih hire Munroe Bergdorf.
Imagine if Rihanna added Munroe Bergdorf to the #FentyBeauty campaign... pic.twitter.com/d5hAi9uYdL— Raquel Willis (@RaquelWillis_) September 1, 2017
@MunroeBergdorf for @rihanna's #FentyBeauty campaign— A Soldier of the Art (@SelinaNBrown) September 8, 2017
COME ON Twitter lets make THIS HAPPEN!!! pic.twitter.com/QFSn9qyV6L
it would be dope if @rihanna hired @MunroeBergdorf to be a face for #fentybeauty.— rock, paper, SZA. (@kingrocketz) September 8, 2017
If twitter could make a Rihanna Lupita movie happen we can do this. RT! #FentyBeauty@rihanna & @MunroeBergdorfhttps://t.co/2Dmzv69rh4?ncid=edlinkushpmg00000313— *Sookie TRAPhouse (@ThatsSoTunde) September 8, 2017
.@rihanna should hire @MunroeBergdorf to model for fenty beauty, for real, we here to see that pic.twitter.com/9e1ZZpJ1F9— normal girl (@FKAnaomi) September 3, 2017
I really want @Rihanna to Hire Munroe Bergdorf just for Fenty Beauty since L'Oréal fired her for speaking up for Black ppl.— Iridescent Queen (@EbonyBunnie) September 2, 2017
There's @Loreal's "diversity" and then there's @Rihanna. @fentybeauty, hire @MunroeBergdorf. https://t.co/fGgDR9GNYc?ncid=edlinkushpmg00000313— Raf ]]>🤷🏻


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Took part in Pudhuvai Bloggers Meet and introduced Free and open source Software to public. A special document was prepared for installing Ubuntu with Tamil interface and to get Tamil features in it. This document together with the Ubuntu Cds attracted the mass to a great extent and we have kept 50 copies being collected with much anxiety in no time.
About the meet in leading daily newspapers: http://pudhuvaitamilbloggers.org/?p=21 A little more detailed coverage in Tamil at http://amachu.net/blog/?p=141


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Lahore Board result of 2014 http://www.biselahore.com/
Sunday, March 9, 2014
BISE Lahore Result 2014 - Board of intermediate and secondary education lahore pakistan result. We are using this frame to facilitate you to see roll number slip of every program and yu can also find result of every class, 5th class result | five class result bise Lahore | Bahawalpur | bise Multan 5th class result | five class result primary result- 1st year inter 11 class Result BISE Lahore, Bahawalpur, Multan, Rawalpindi, Mardan, Peshawer, Mardan, Swat, Federal Board of Intermediate & Secondary Educatio 1. ESTABLISHMENT Since the emergence of Pakistan on the map of the world, the examinations pertaining to the Matriculation and Intermediate level were conducted under the aegis of University of the Punjab. However, through the promulgation of the Punjab University Act (Amendment) Ordinance 1954, the Board of Secondary Education, Punjab was established in the province which took from the said University control of examinations of Secondary, Intermediate and Pakistani & Classical Languages. The first-ever examination for these stages was conducted in the year 1955. 2. JURISDICTION (i) At the time of its inception in 1954, the Board inherited vast territorial jurisdictions for conducting examinations in the provinces of Punjab, Baluchistan, Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas. To accommodate overseas candidates, the Board also constituted examination centres at Kuwait and Nairobi (Kenya). (ii) Current jurisdiction of the Board of Intermediate & Secondary Education Lahore has been confined to the districts of Lahore, Kasur, Sheikhupura and Nankana Sahib. 3. NEW BOARDS Owing to tremendous increase in the candidature, two more Boards were established at Multan and Sargodha under West Pakistan Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education (Multan & Sargodha) Ordinance No.XVII of 1968. As a result of further bifurcation, Boards were also established at Rawalpindi,Gujranwala and Sahiwal. The re-construction of the Board of Intermediate & Secondary Education, Lahore has been done through the Punjab Boards of Intermediate & Secondary Education Act 1976 (lately amended by Punjab Ordinance No.XLVII), and presently in the administrative setup of the province, Nine Boards are functioning at division level. 4. ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE OF THE BOARD The Chairman exercises control over the office of the Board as its principal executive and academic officer and also presides over the meetings of the Board. He is also assisted by two officers of the Board, namely the Secretary and the Controller of Examinations, in administrative matters as well as those related to examinations, as shown in the following organizational chart: 5. VISION STATEMENT To promote the cause of education through conducting examinations in an extremely fair, unbiased, transparent & judicious environment so that our educated nationals may be able to contribute meaningfully in the competitive world. 6. CONSTITUTION OF THE BOARD According to Clause 5 of the Act, the Governing Body controlling the whole affairs of the office is called the 'Board' which consists of the following members: (i) The Chairman (ii) The Vice-Chancellor of the University, or a University Professor nominated by him; (iii) All Executive District Officers (Education) related to the area within the jurisdiction of the Board; (iv) The Director of Technical Education, Punjab, Lahore or his nominee; (v) One representative each of the Finance and Education Departments not below the rank of a Deputy Secretary; (vi) One Principal of a Degree College situated within the jurisdiction of the Board to be nominated by the Controlling Authority; (vii) One Principal of an Intermediate College situated within the jurisdiction of the Board to be nominated by the Controlling Authority; (viii) Two Headmasters and one Headmistress of Schools situated within the jurisdiction of the Board to be nominated by the Controlling Authority; and (ix) Two persons nominated by the Controlling Authority from amongst scholars and retired educationists. http://www.biselahore.com/
Posted by Hinna Khan at 9:25 AM
Post 1st Year result 2014 Bise lahore, 1st year result bise lahore, 2014 Lahore Board Result, 2nd result bise lahore bahawal pur multan
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As you may have noticed, cowl scarves have been popular for the last couple of years. As a poor law clerk I needed to find a fairly reasonably priced gift for my fashionable city friends around the holidays. I began making cowls and giving them to my friends as holiday gifts. Their friends saw the cowls and wanted one of their very own and Albertine's Creations was born. I also have a lot of fun knitting and cannot possibly use all of the lovely items that I knit, so I am making them available for other people to love.
Although I've been a voyer and buyer on etsy for several years, I am still getting used to being a seller. I spent every spare moment I had over a two week time period reading all of the storque articles and blogs that I could to learn everything I could possibly learn about being a seller before becoming a seller myself. I still have much to learn. As a part-time crafter, I intend to use this blog to chronicle the ups and downs of my shop and to track what works for me and what does not. I hope someone else can find this helpful some day!


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Startex Clothing Company is going to appoint Merchandiser. Prime precondition of Application for the applicants is Graduation from any reputed university. Graduation degree from BUTEX/ BIFT will be given preference. Age limit is minimum 26 years. Applicants must have minimum 3 years relevant experience. Applicants should have good interpersonal skill. They should have handsome knowledge on Computer as well as on Development, Costing & Consumption. They should have strong communication skill. Selected applicants will be placed in Dhaka. Salary Range is Negotiable. Applicants will be able to apply till 21 August, 2015.
Startex Clothing Company Merchandiser Job – Apply Online Now
Selected individuals will have to deal with client account from order inquiry to shipment. They have to match up with other departments to make sure on time shipment and 100% quality approval.
Interested applicants may apply online.
Applicants may send CV to: email@example.com. To See more about the circular click here.
Company Info:
Startex Clothing Company
House-365, Road-06
Baridhara DOHS, Dhaka.


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Lots of talking, a trip to the movies to see 'Burlesque' which is well worth seeing and coffee and cake at the Zoo Cafe!
The time is going so quickly....
Friday, January 21, 2011
Another day in paradise.....
Posted by Chocolate Cat at 8:00 PM
1 comment:
- Pen Pen said...
woohoo... that dessert looks like it is worth every single calorie!! Have fun!
- Sat Jan 22, 02:15:00 AM
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crittersJuly 21, 2014 at 6:50 pm | Posted in projects | Leave a comment
Tags: creatures, knitting, plushies, rat, softies, teddy bear
I have found a new obsession for the summer of 2014. Knitted animals!
I made a bear:
And I made a rat:
And now I am working on a hippo, with plans to make another bear from a different pattern, and maybe another rat from this same pattern, and I also found some interesting-looking patterns for sea creatures–a leafy sea dragon and a prawn. And also a dragonfly. And a toad. And….
There is so much knitting to be done and so little time!
Blog at WordPress.com.
Entries and comments feeds.


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Overview: Additional camera for Android phones with Android 2.1 and higher. It can handle recording quality and file formats.
Requirements: Android 1.5+
- Zoom control by Volume control buttons.
- Autoshutter can be activated by long press onScreenShutter button.
- Camera parameters control (white balance, color effects, flash modes, focus modes, ISO and etc.)
- Video quality control ( resolution, encoder, format mp4 or 3gp, bitrate, framerate).
- Audio quality control (encoder, sampling eate, bitrate).
Warning! Not all features may work on some devices.
What's in this version:
- supporting ICS added
- supporting of LG Optimus 3D (P920, Thrill 4G) added
- many bugs fixed
Download lgCameraPro v6.2 CyberAndroid
The current version of lgCameraPro 6.2 CyberAndroid Apk needs to run on Android 1.6 or later, in order to make better use of the CPU capacity, we have optimized and built three different Android GameslgCameraPro 6.2 CyberAndroid, for higher, medium and lower mobile phones. You can choose to download from your mobile browser, click the button to complete the installation, and you can also download the lgCameraPro 6.2 CyberAndroid .Apk file from PC and use the installation tool to install the lgCameraPro 6.2 CyberAndroid Apk. Enjoy Guys and Lets Begin lgCameraPro 6.2 CyberAndroid Android Games


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Dressing up for formal occasions goes back about as far as since the invention of clothing. Since then, people have worn clothes considered 'formal' by society. This was often done for respect and also for people to trust this person. (Calling all con-men) People often feel confident and well prepared if they are in formal dress.
Consequently, the needs of society in 2012 are far much more different than those back in the Stone Age. There's the invention of the Internet which has replaced actual human contact with something much, much better (huh, I really am anti-social). there is no purpose for society to approve of anyone anymore. All people really care about is having a good time.
Voluntarily choking yourself with a piece of cloth (I've always wondered about this invention) in an intricate way (hey, it's tough to tie a tie) has no use at all! Furthermore, we as a society need to realize that the best form of clothes are the ones that are casual and comfortable. People don't need to show respect to other people.
|None of these people look like they want to be here.
Perhaps they would feel better if they didn't have to dress up
In short, don't dress up. Why give in? Life is short. I work in IT and I know that wearing a Tshirt and jeans is a pretty good way to live (I also like my computer, but that's another story).


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Yummy, Yummy, Yummy!
I love fall foods, and using them in my cooking and baking! Today I used butternut squash, and this recipe is a keeper.
I used a recipe my friend send me for Spiced Butternut Squash Muffins, but decided that since I had been making so many muffins lately I would rather make a nice loaf of bread with the recipe. Since I decided to make a loaf of bread instead of muffins I went about the process a little differently, while using all the ingredients in the recipe. So here's how I made bread instead of muffins.
I started with a butternut squash.
Cut off the ends.
Sliced the squash in half lengthwise (well tried to anyway, my cutting skills aren't that accurate).
Then, I had to take out all the seeds, which was a lot like taking the guts out of a pumpkin when you carve it. I used a knife to get clean edges and then just scooped them into the garbage can. Now I'm wondering if they are like pumpkin seeds and can be dried and cooked, and fear that I missed an opportunity, but maybe next time.
Next, I needed to soften the squash, so that I could puree it, so I put it in a sauce pan, covered the squash with water and boiled it till the squash was soft enough to stick a fork into without any effort. This took me about 40 minutes. To shorten the process next time I will probably use smaller pieces, but it wasn't a problem, I got some reading for class done sitting on the kitchen floor waiting for it to be done.
I combined the other ingredients just like the recipes calls you to do.
Once the squash could be pierced with a fork I removed it from the heat to cool for about 10 minutes. Once the pieces had cooled enough to handle I used a spoon and fork to separate the squash from its skin. Since I don't have a food processor I put the squash into a blender and pureed it. WARNING: Pureed Squash looks like Baby Food! I then added the squash puree to the other ingredients as the recipe calls for. I then combined all the ingredient, and the smell was AMAZING!
I then sprayed a bread pan with cooking spray and poured the mixture into it. I baked it at 400° for 40 minutes. This took some guess work and several trips to the oven to check the progress, since the recipe was for muffins. I started checking the bread every 5 minutes after it had baked for 25 minutes and total it took about 40 minutes to….
Look this AWESOME and taste even better! This is definitely a new Fall favorite! Stay tuned for some Comfort Food!
Bon Appetit!


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The Bay Lights is the world's largest LED light sculpture, 1.8 miles wide and 500 feet high. Inspired by the Bay Bridge's 75th Anniversary, its 25,000 white LED lights are individually programmed by artist Leo Villareal to create a never repeating, dazzling display through March 2015 across the western span of the Bay Bridge, renamed Willie L. Brown Jr. Bridge in February 2014.
Download The Bay Lights Fact Sheet
Anniversary Festivities Info Sheet
Keep 'Em Lit Through 2026 Info Sheet
Over 50 million people in the Bay Area alone will see The Bay Lights shining from dusk until dawn for two years, with billions more seeing it in the media and online. It's conservatively estimated that this monumental tour de force – eight times the scale of the Eiffel Tower's 100th Anniversary lighting – will add $97 million dollars to the local economy.
A project of this scale requires teams of top talent with the ability to adapt, innovate, stimulate and create.
See the team.
Now through 2015
The Bay Lights shines dusk – dawn.
Watch the Nightly Live Stream online
March 5, 2014
The Bay Lights First Anniversary
March 5, 2013
The Bay Lights Grand Lighting
On-demand in the Video Gallery
Mid-December, 2012
First test of lights installed to date.
October 15, 2012
LED light system night installation began; 8-10 electricians worked Mondays to Fridays, 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.
September 15–October 15, 2012
Fiber and power line backbone installed. 25,000 LEDs with integrators and 48,000 Bridge Clips in production.


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I cannot believe I have no Monday pictures. I did do a little video to put up but that requires some work on putting the video together and on YouTube, so maybe tomorrow.
There is one picture from Sunday, Benjamin is playing with a bear skull. Yes, you read that correctly, a bear skull. He drove his car in between the jaw bones kind of like a garage. He really does not know that most five year olds have never seen a bear let alone a bear skull. Normal every day stuff for him.
State testing begins tomorrow for the older three so we have a break from our normal studies and then we will be in the home stretch of school work. One more unit and we will be finished with all subjects but math. Each Blessing has a different math program so their finishing times will stagger along until they complete their current program.
I see summer break on the horizon.


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'Let's play a game called Goldshlager,' she says by way of hello, and opens the bottle. 'I just made it up.'
She scrounges around the shelves for shot glasses and comes up with an egg cup and a little porceline creamer. 'These will do. Here are the rules. For every bad thing that happened this year, take a shot of goldschlager. For every good thing that happened, take a sip of water.'
****We met as flat-chested seventh grade girls who loved theater. We declared ourselves soul mates. Then came many years where we were not allowed to see each other. Someone very dark and terrifying kept us apart. It was a shame. I'm happy that person is dead.
We pour out the shots. Jobs quit, love lost and mysteries of the universe left unsolved add up; two hours and one full bottle of booze later, we're rolling around on the kitchen floor in loud, uncontrollable fits of laughter. We wake up the house. Then we're outside tumbling around in the storm with snow up our shirts. Then we fall into bed and sleep in a tangle. We're as drunk as they come.
But when morning comes we're bright and cheerful and we bounce out of bed. A whole house full of people study the empty bottles and the mess we made and scratch their heads. "How are you not dead?" They ask. We drink a cup of coffee and go walking in the woods to consider that question ourselves.
We're not dead because we drank an ounce of water for every triumph of 2012. Every dollar in the bank. Every greyhound through Montana. Every article published. Every date that ended with a man on the street corner shouting "YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL!" as you walk away.
We must have drank our body weight in water. That's the way to do it, we decide. Take the gold with the booze and the booze with the water, as we always have.


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Forgot to mention the Network Rail report on transit stations
Related to discussion about expanding Metrorail in the metropolitan area, but in DC specifically (as well as to the plans to expand Union Station in DC), what's happening in Greater London ("New places to invest in London: transport hubs on the up," Telegraph), with the London Overground--managing the railroad network serving London as a kind of frequent transit network comparable to the London Underground--adding value to proximity to transit stations ("The London Overground: a fast track to property profit," Telegraph), with London Crossrail ("House prices near Crossrail 'to rise by 40%'," Telegraph; Crossrail Property Impact Study, 2012, presentation), a report made to Network Rail (the owner of railroad infrastructure in Great Britain) about the value of investment in rail stations as an element of revitalization and economic development is worth reading as well, The Value of Station Investment: Research on Regenerative Impacts.
I will get to writing about this in the context of DC by March hopefully.
Labels: neighborhood revitalization, transit and economic development, transportation planning, urban design/placemaking, urban revitalization


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Friday Fun is a group post from the writers of the NHWN blog. Each week, we'll pose and answer a different, get-to-know-us question. We hope you'll join in by providing your answer in the comments.
QUESTION: Each year around this time, as the longer days of summer beckon with the promise of afternoons on the beach or in the hammock immersed in a good book, we start to compile our list of summer reads. Which books are on your list this year, and – for bonus points – what are the attributes of a perfect summer read?
Lisa J. Jackson: I don't have any particular books in mind to read (yet), but my idea of summer reads are those that I can devour in a couple of hours and move on to the next book. Historical romance falls into that character, or quirky fun books like Janet Evanovich's. Now having said that, I'm on vacation this week and plan to finish Idyll Threats by Stephanie Gayle and Death Troupe by Vincent H. O'Neil!
Julie Hennrikus: My summer reading list is also New England Crime Bake homework. I am going to be interviewing Elizabeth George, and need to reread her books. I am also planning on catching up on friends' mysteries. I'd love a good "can't put it down" book for vacation, and am more thank open to suggestions!
Jamie Wallace: Oh, summer! You tease me with visions of long afternoons stretched out on the beach or the deck, book in hand, mind miles away in the throes of a good tale. Lately, I've found my summers to be just as chaotic (perhaps more so) than the rest of the year, so these lovely expectations do not often come to fruition. However, a girl can dream, right? Of course! SO, with that in mind, here are a few books that are on my radar for the summer:
Because I recently read (and loved!) her most recent novel, A Darker Shade of Magic, I am really looking forward to reading Victoria Schwab's earlier work, Vicious. Hoping it'll hold me over until the second book in the Darker Shade of Magic series comes out next February. Here's the blurb for Vicious from Goodreads:
Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong. Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?
I am also excited about a book called The Grace Keepers by Kirsty Logan. I heard about this book from the lovely Jen Campbell, whose blog, This is Not the Six Word Novel, is a fabulous resource for good reads of all kinds. This sounds to me like the kind of book that will take you away to another world, but one that seems to real you end up lbelieving you could really go there. We'll see. Here's the blurb for The Grace Keepers from Goodreads:
As a Gracekeeper, Callanish administers shoreside burials, laying the dead to their final resting place deep in the depths of the ocean. Alone on her island, she has exiled herself to a life of tending watery graves as penance for a long-ago mistake that still haunts her. Meanwhile, North works as a circus performer with the Excalibur, a floating troupe of acrobats, clowns, dancers, and trainers who sail from one archipelago to the next, entertaining in exchange for sustenance.
In a world divided between those inhabiting the mainland ("landlockers") and those who float on the sea ("damplings"), loneliness has become a way of life for North and Callanish, until a sudden storm offshore brings change to both their lives–offering them a new understanding of the world they live in and the consequences of the past, while restoring hope in an unexpected future.
Inspired in part by Scottish myths and fairytales, The Gracekeepers tells a modern story of an irreparably changed world: one that harbors the same isolation and sadness, but also joys and marvels of our own age.
And, while I'm at it, Logan's collection of fairytales, The Rental Heart and Other Fairytales, also sounds fabulous.
Finally, on the nonfiction side, I'm a huge fan of Ursula K. Le Guin's novels, short stories, and essays, so I know I'm going to enjoy her collection, The Wave in the Mind: Talks & Essays on the Writer, the Reader & the Imagination. Once again, the blurb from Goodreads:
Join Ursula K. Le Guin as she explores a broad array of subjects, ranging from Tolstoy, Twain, and Tolkien to women's shoes, beauty, and family life. With her customary wit, intelligence, and literary craftsmanmship, she offers a diverse and highly engaging set of readings. The Wave in the Mindincludes some of Le Guin's finest literary criticism, rare autobiographical writings, performance art pieces, and, most centrally, her reflections on the arts of writing and reading.
I do hope this summer holds time enough to read more than three books, but these three are definitely at the top of my list. Looking forward to hearing what everyone else is reading this summer!
Diane MacKinnon: I don't have a summer reading list but I do have a stack of books in my office waiting to be read. I was lucky enough to meet Robin Cook a couple of years ago at Crime Bake, and I bought his newest book, called Nano. When I caught sight of it the other day, I immediately added it to my pile of things to take camping with me this weekend.
Deborah Lee Luskin: One of the fun things about a summer is the freedom to not know what I'll read next. That said, for work I'm reading Northern Woodlands magazine, The Mindful Carnivore and Girl Hunter. I'd welcome any suggestions for great narratives about fishing, hunting, and living in the landscape – particularly in the northeast.


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Why Ponyo Deserves a Best Picture Nomination
The Motion Picture Academy doubled its roster of Best Picture nominees, many believe, because of Wall-E and Batman Returns, which many critics felt deserved to be nominated. This next year, the pressure will be to include at least one such movie in the category.
Given the ways of the Oscar voting, UP would be the easy choice for a Best Picture nod. But UP is 20 minutes of heartbreaking perfection that makes up for 90 minutes of fluff. It's Dr. Zhivago tacked onto Star Wars.
Ponyo is the better movie by far. It is the work of a film master, loved by Hollywood and the critics but ignored by the public, and fiercely defends the hand-drawn animation form. It bears the marks of human hands in an age of soulless formulas.
The Best Feature Animation category nominees are as follows: Pixar, Disney, Dreamworks. Sometimes an outside movie gets in, like Persepolis. Pixar walks away with the Oscar. This category is handed out by sheer reflex, and many cynically suspect the category only shuffles animation into a box under the bed.
Does the Academy realize that CGI has completely taken over Hollywood? Virtually every blockbuster by the major studios today is an animated movie. But these are still regarded as "special effects," even though it's plain that the real actors are shrinking and shrinking. One day, only the actors faces will be mapped onto the computer-generated cartoon characters.
Within this storyline, and the Oscars' need to stay relevant, the two greatest animation studios in the world - Pixar and Ghibli - compete in the same year. Pixar, again, would be the easy choice, the reflexive choice that requires no thinking, while Miyazaki has already received his "one" Oscar for Spirited Away, but really his career. The Academy typically plays catch-up with their awards.
Two angles to consider: One, would the Motion Picture Academy make a statement against the ugly blockbuster cartoons by nominating a true animation film for Best Picture? Two, between Pixar and Ghibli, will the loser of the Best Animation Feature category be compensated for a Best Picture nod (or vice versa)?
This is why I insist that those in a position of influence within Hollywood needs to start making the case for Ponyo now. NOW. I've laid out a solid narrative that works. It just needs to be sold.
6 comments:
> One day, only the actors faces will be mapped onto the computer-generated cartoon characters.
Oh, like they already did with the Governator's face in the latest Ternimator movie without him even having to do any further acting? Dude, that dystopian future is here.
- August 16, 2009 5:38 AM
Well, you're right that the Academy plays catch-up (though it doesn't always work, see Peter O. Toole). Which is why Pete Docter is basically guaranteed the best Animated Feature Oscar, after MONSTERS,INC. got snubbed in favour of the ridiculously inferior SHREK. Could PONYO throw a wrench into that? Honestly, I don't think so.
If there are five nominees next year, as appears likely with the number of animated releases in 2009, I predict them to be as follows: UP, PRINCESS AND THE FROG, PONYO, CORALINE, and either NINE or FANTASTIC MR FOX, depending on critical buzz. Even if the Academy members collectively decide to honour the resurging animation techniques of hand-drawn and stop-motion, what are the chances that those "against the grain" votes will all settle on the same horse, instead of cancelling each other out and thus giving the mainstream picture (which, in this pleasantly idiosyncratic group, is UP) a clear road to victory?
No, I think Docter will get the Oscar, and in fact I do think he deserves it, if more for MONSTERS,INC. than for UP.
And while it wouldn't be unheard of nor undeserved for Miyazaki to receive a second Academy Award, honestly? PONYO is not the film he should get another one for. Because no way, no how is it on the same artistic level as CHIHIRO. I know you won't agree with me here, but I believe Miyzaki peaked with that film, and we'll now have to settle for the inferior works of a waning artist. Doesn't mean that PONYO is a bad film, but it's just not as good as it could have been.
As for a Best Picture nomination for any animated feature ever again: Never. That's the trouble with the Oscars: they're peskily democratic. That's not to say that the majority of the Oscar voters are morons, though ocassionally that has been my suspicion. But most of the Oscar voters are actors, and many actors have a knee-jerk reaction to animation (where, after all, the bulk of the acting is done by artists).
I suspect instead of animated or semi-animated (i.e., a special effects film) entries, we'll see several "smaller" movies nominated that may not per se be grand enough to be typically considered for their category, but that did offer their actors opportunities to show off their abilities. SUNSHINE CLEANING, MOON, JULIE AND JULIA, 500 DAYS OF SUMMER, those kinds of films.
- August 16, 2009 11:01 AM
- Sean L. said...
The Academy's act of doubling the roster... yeah, definitely a year too late. An innovative movie like The Dark Knight was shafted in favor of a little-praised movie like The Reader.
I don't think the critical support for Ponyo is deep enough to achieve a Best Picture nod, even with the concensus being 95% positive. But a nod for Best Animated Film is a sure thing, and certainly deserved.
- August 16, 2009 12:58 PM
- Daniel Thomas MacInnes said...
@serhei - Do you mean Ahnold's face was pasted onto his movies or the governor's mansion? Either way, ohh boo hooo waahh!!!
This reminds me of all the bad experiences I've had watching movies with University of Minnesota students. Augh! Stop laughing at the violence!
@J - Great insights, and the rational side of my brain agrees with you 100%. That's why the romantic/activist side of my brain kicked into high gear.
I used to love watching the Oscars every year, but the voting is so predictable, and spontaneity so stamped out, that any pretense of fun or drama is gone. Once you learn how the voting patters, it's all so incredibly predictable.
And the animation categories are ghettos. They don't get respect. Has Pixar ever lost? Has Dreamworks ever been snubbed? The cartoon with the tap-dancing penguin won an Oscar? I think the Academy voters treat animation as the Electric Babysitter, a simple kiddy ride at Camp Snoopy, and nothing more. Yadda yadda.
I hate the way the Oscars always play catchup. The actors and directors always get the award 20 years too late, and it's always for some minor work. And then you get the one Oscar as a thank-you to your career. Which great actor was handed the Lifetime Achievement Oscar instead of a wall of Best Actor awards? How often does that happen? Augh!
Why can't an animated film be nominated for Best Picture? Why not a documentary? The Fog of War, Touching the Void, Jesus Camp, Encounters at the End of the World, Bowling For Colombine, Fahrenheit 9/11 - these movies were great achievements or they sparked great debate in America. The movies that everybody talks about, that don't involve 1980s toys or reruns - those are the movies that should be nominated.
So, yeah, rational thought says none of these things will happen, the major awards will all be playing catch-up, the Best Picture nods will be obscure Hallmark Cards that nobody has ever seen, and the Oscars will be more boring and pointless than ever.
- August 16, 2009 1:02 PM
- Solo said...
"...because of Wall-E and Batman Returns, which many critics felt deserved to be nominated."
Dude i beleive your thinking of The Dark Knight.
- August 16, 2009 9:01 PM
- Daniel Thomas MacInnes said...
@Solo - Yeah, you're right. I got the names of the Batman movies confused. Oh, well, everybody knows the best Batman movie was the one from the '60s, hahahahaha....
- August 17, 2009 10:50 PM


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|Anna, Betsy, and Joe chillin in the office
Today, Joe decided that Betsy and I are endangered species. As all natural ladies, her an ocean eyed red head and me a blue eyed blonde, we get thoroughly burnt. What do you think about us somehow managing to get sponsored by a sunscreen company like Coppertone? We're going to start working on a video to submit, but any ideas of how we could become famous would be great!
Our facebook status said that this weekend was going to be awesome, and today it proved true. Had a beautiful sunny day today. Betsy and I brushed up on all the proper verbiage for our paddle instruction and are ready to get some more people out on the water. It may be February still, but our faces are already soaking in the sun. Come enjoy it with us!


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Believe it or not, this was my first trip out to Fort Amherst. I have looked at it
so many times from Signal Hill, always thinking I have to take a drive out
over the south side of the harbor and walk up to see the lighthouse.
It was really nice to get to see Signal Hill from Fort Amherst.......
The site is just breath-taking.
There are some homes there--right up on the hill, to your right, as
you walk up to the lighthouse. As I huffed and puffed up the steady slope to the
site, I saw a beautiful elderly lady, her husband (I assumed)
descending a very long, steep set of steps from a house.
They were getting into their vehicle as I walked by.
We chatted and I asked how long they lived there.
The lady replied that she was born there and had lived there her entire life!
I asked about the steep steps and the high winds....she laughed and said you get used to it.
Here are a couple shots of the lighthouse site from the parking area......
Once I got up to lighthouse site, it was well worth the trek.
It was a lovely fall day with a soft breeze.
Here is another shot of Cabot Tower, on Signal Hill, from Fort Amherst.
Below is a photo of the winch that was used to hoist
materials to build the lighthouse.
There was a very interesting story-board on the site as well...
It is amazing, to just turn around when you are standing on this site, to see this----the most
outer edge of St. John's harbor...


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Temperley London
Source: rackk and ruin
the accessories are by far the highlight of this collection. lovvvvveeeee so muchhhh.
the 3rd outfit is to kill for
I love the long sweater
Absolutely in love with the harnesses. Must have!
I love the semi sheer sweater, looks so comfy. and the grecian gown; to die for!
simple but great!
check out my new post at http://thetalesofselfindulgence.blogspot.com
i really like the first and last :)
The idea of that sweater through out in different forms is wonderful. I really like it.
The hoodie tunic in the first is to die for...so is the harness in the last. Amazing pieces!


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Australia is all over the place when it comes to its creatures and creepy crawlies. They've got it all here... freakishly scary, adorably cuddly, and even deadly creatures. So far, I've managed to limit my animal encounters to those of the huggable variety. And I hope to keep it that way.
However, I've recently added a new animal to my Aussie obsession list. While not exactly huggable (although I probably would cuddle the crap out of them if I thought I wouldn't peck my eyes out...), these guys are my current faves.
Meet our neighborhood kookaburras!
Tell me I'm not the only one that grew up singing the "kookaburra sits in the old gum tree..." song? Isn't that random that American kids learn that song? To be completely honest, I think for a long time I thought that song was about a made up bird. But now I have these guys in real life in my own backyard! And I'm afraid I might be turning into a crazy bird lady because of it. Oh, and also important to note- these birds really do LAUGH! Their song/call absolutely sounds like a bunch of monkeys laughing (in my opinion). In fact, they laugh their little kookaburra heads off every day- sunrise and sunset just outside our house. You can't see them in this video, but you can hear them laughing.
There are anywhere from about two to six kookaburras that like to visit our porch ledge in the late afternoon.
Imagine my excitement when I discovered that one of our neighbors feeds them each afternoon and invited me over to help one day. They are carnivores FYI, and LOVE kangaroo meat.
Said neighbor is out of town right now and has asked me to water her plants every few days. So I've taken the liberty of taking over kookaburra feeding duties at her house as well. Yep, that means I actually bought kangaroo meat. Sorry 'roos! They are so tame and will let you get within just a few inches of them. It's so cool! Definitely never thought I'd see a kookaburra in real life, much less feed them in my own backyard!
|This one was trying to impress me by fluffing up his feathers. It totally worked.
|Didn't get the best photo of it, but they have a really pretty blue stripe on their wings.
|Staring contest.
|This is a photo of what my finger looked like about 0.025 seconds before I got bit. It was totally my fault... I was too focused on taking a photo that I forgot I had food in my hand.


text: 'Synthetic Sperm' Grown From Stem Cells By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff Posted Jul 8, 2009 1:52 AM CDT 12 comments Comments A team of British researchers have created cells they say share the same biological characteristics as human sperm. (Shutter Stock) (Newser) – British scientists announced they have created synthetic human sperm for the first time, the Guardian reports. The sperm—grown in a lab from stem cells—swim, have tails, and exhibit many of the same biological characteristics of real sperm, according to researchers. They believe the breakthrough could lead to a better understanding of male infertility and its treatment. "This is an important development as it will allow researchers to study in detail how sperm forms and lead to a better understanding of infertility in men—why it happens and what is causing it," said the lead reseracher. Other scientists, however, questioned the findings, saying that they were not convinced the cells the research created could accurately be called sperm.


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Sunday, January 2, 2011
celebrity tattoos
Celebrity Tattoos The Poker Face singer is probably best known for her
Eva Longoria Parker, Celebrity Tattoos. Dan MacMedan/WireImage; Duffy-Marie
Celebs Love Their Tattoos!
The tattoo business increased with celebrity tattoos
79 people with celebrity tattoos. Some are very well done (better than the
Celebrity tattoos Stephen Baldwin
See more star-studded tatts in our guess the celeb tattoo gallery.
Celebrity tattoos search results from Google
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Fans are obsessed with celebrity tattoos. What do they say?
It's bad enough when someone gets a celebrity tattoo, but it's even worse
Celebrity Tattoos
Celeb Tattoos
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Tranquil and energizing at the same time, waterfalls are unlike anything else. Their sound will move you whether it's the shhhh of a modest cascade or the roar of a massive plunge. And they are always scenic, no matter if you're looking at a thin ribbon of a fall or at a burgeoning cascade than gets wider as it drops.
Here in America, they are so plentiful that there are probably more than a thousand locales for which you can make a list of "hikes to nearby waterfalls," but for this post I had no trouble choosing one -- the area around the close-together towns of Sylva, Bryson City, and Cherokee, in North Carolina's Smoky Mountains.
In selecting the walks themselves, my criteria were: 1) that they be easy enough for a family with kids to complete, and 2) that the drive from town to trailhead not take more than several minutes. Having said that, here they are:
Tumbling almost 90 degrees down rhododendron-studded granite, this is the most impressive waterfall I have encountered east of the
As waterfalls go, Juney Whank is not the most dramatic. But it has an undeniable calming effect and is one of my sentimental favorites because it is the first waterfall I ever hiked to, when my grandparents brought me and my cousins here in 1982. To reach it, follow the signs from Bryson City to Deep Creek Campground and drive to the end of the campground road, where you will find a parking lot on your left. The trail departs from the upper end of the lot and is clearly marked. Although it goes up and down quite a bit, it is only a third of a mile before it reaches the falls, where a log bridge offers a close-up view. From here you can backtrack to your car; or cross to the other side of the bridge and turn right on an intersecting path, then turn right on another one 25 yards later and follow it downhill to the Deep Creek Trail (described next).
Deep Creek Trail
This trail begins next to the same parking lot as the one above. Wide and level, it is actually a gravel continuation of the campground road, located beyond a metal gate that prevents cars from coming this way. It runs beside Deep Creek and after about one-fifth of a mile arrives at the spot where
This park is one of


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Today's 155km ride to Medicine Hat was pretty straightforward without any hiccups. The horizon was so flat and beneath the centre of my field of vision that I had the impression I was riding in an underwater bubble and the clouds were giant sea creatures swimming around in an uneven current. With the lack of landscape scenery to occupy my visual field, I found this illusion very engaging.
After getting lunch in Brooks at the 50km mark I noticed the rest of the ride was relatively flat so I decided to push myself on the second leg. I averaged 31.2km/hr for the last 105km which I'm pretty sure is a trip best for me.


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|Source: lopezdeheredia.com
Grapes for the estate's wines are grown in four separate vineyards, each of which is dedicated to a specific label. The particulars of the vineyards are presented in the table below.
|Lopez de Heredia Vineyards
Grapes are hand-harvested by families of harvesters from Portugal and Spain and are taken to the winery in tractor-drawn trailers. At the winery they are placed in de-stemming machines before moving to fermentation containers. The red wines ferment on the skins while the white have no skin contact. Rosés macerate but are removed from skin contact prior to fermentation. The must is fermented in large oak vats: 60 hectoliters for whites and 240 hectoliters for the reds.
Red wine fermentation at Lopez de Heredia is a two-step process. The first phase lasts for seven days and includes pumping-over. At the end of this phase the must is drained off the remaining solids. The second fermentation (5-6 months) takes place in Bordeaux-type oak barrels and has as its goal the removal of residual sugar.
After fermentation the wines are aged in 225-liter oak barrels. The wine is exposed to a slow oxygenation process, facilitated by the pores in the wood, and are racked once or twice a year during the ageing process.
The population of the Bodegas' wines are presented in the table below. Data from the most recent vintage of each label is used to present a representative picture. The table indicates that Lopez de Heredia is a producer os some significance and that the production of Viña Tondonia dwarfs that of all the other labels combined.
As Thomas Matthews stated in the Wine Spectator, "The wines of R. Lopez de Heredia define traditional Rioja and they set the standards by which the region's modern reds must be judged. The white Gran Reservas have few parallels in the world of wine ... they are unique, complex and alluring."


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Monday, May 14, 2012
Do your 12v electrical work properly.
If you're going to do your own electrical work in your car, do it properly. Use bullet connectors or crimp connectors if you're cutting and splicing wiring. They're just as easy to use as scotchlocks but they're a thousand times more reliable. You need to invest in a crimp tool - looks like a pair of pliers with notches in the jaws - because pliers won't crimp the electrical connection properly. But the end result is secure wiring that won't vibrate or pull apart and won't create electrical problems further down the line. Everything from engines that won't start, to flickering lights, to fried engine management computers to non-working instruments. I've seen all these things caused by sketchy wiring from people trying to scotchlock a new radio into their car.
5 comments:
- Paul said...
I have to laugh at this one Chris. I work for a two way radio manufacturer (public safety/utilities, not "M") and many years ago, when I was in the installation part of the business, we used to have arguments, I mean discussions, with customers as to why we used the more expensive connections (only by a few cents per connector!)instead of the push on type in your article. Some people just couldn't understand why we did.
Memories, memories :-)
Save today, pay for it tomorrow.
- May 14, 2012 at 12:13 PM
- Micah Cameron said...
Oh gosh, I could not agree with this post more. I'm a bit of an electrical guru, and I actually enjoy fixing and modifying the wiring in my cars. As the owner of an 88 Audi, I am very familiar with the headaches poor quality wiring can cause. Crimp connectors are not good enough for me. Sure, they're a million times better than the blade type, but they still expose the strands of copper wiring to air, making corrosion possible. I always, always solder and heat-shrink my wires. It takes longer, but the end result is wiring that will, in all odds, far outlast the car.
- May 14, 2012 at 7:07 PM
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- March 26, 2014 at 7:08 AM
- PJL500 said...
OK, but at least your article could have touched on the alternative to the scotchlock connector. The alternative means severing stock wiring, stripping both ends and crimping TWO sockets to the supply side of the severed wire (which may, depending on the core, require firstly crimping a pair of wires to the supply side) and then crimping a plug to the other severed line. THEN performing the actual connection you started out requiring (by crimping yet another plug to the newly added line.)
This is the actual requirement (up to 5 crimped connectors) when contemplating replacing the all-in-one scotchlock which would take all of 15 seconds to perform.
'Jus sayin'.
- June 26, 2017 at 3:39 PM
- Chris said...
@pjl500 - the whole last part of the article talks about exactly that - bullet connectors :-)
- June 26, 2017 at 3:47 PM


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That's how it was for us when we went back to Madison to sell our house. I brought the camera with plans to take lots of pictures. Since we moved away 9 months ago we've had many of the rooms painted, a new roof installed, new kitchen counters put in. Little and big changes to help move this thing along. I was so excited to see the changes.
The moment we arrived I knew a shift had happened. Pulling into the drive the way I had a million times no longer felt like coming home. I looked at the house that stood silent, no longer welcoming us in. I thought back to the day we bought it, back when it was just me and M and 2 cats. We rushed over before the chaos of the move to celebrate with a bottle of wine and had a carpet picnic in the dining room. As I nursed Sophie on the same floor (now covered with new carpet) I remembered. This was our first house. Our children were born here. We became a family here.
We had our fill of cheese curds from State Street Brats, Dorowat from Buraka, mac-n-cheese pizza from Ian's (don't knock it till you try it). We payed homage to the yellow diesel engine and stocked up on Wollersheim wine at Woodmans. We stayed overnight in a charming suite at Memorial Union overlooking Lake Mendota and the terrace where we had spent so much time enjoying WI's finest beers, Babcock ice cream and free live music.After the closing we went back to the house (this time parking on the street) to retrieve St. Joe from the front yard and say goodbye to the best neighbors we might ever have. As we drove away I wondered when exactly the shift took place, when Madison ceased being Home. It wasn't when we moved our things, that I know for sure. Home isn't just about where you put your stuff, I suppose. Its the feeling that you get when you pull in the driveway and know you belong there.


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I won't lie....the first 5 pounds were fairly easy, but every pound after that is very slow-going.
Still, the scale readout is moving in the desired direction. The main changes to my routine seem to be:
1. Still practicing basketball - if you can call it that. I spend more time running after my missed shots but even 45 minutes of that is enough to clear my head and not ruin myself for the rest of the evening. I am finding my range, slowly.
2. No more mindless ice cream - This was fairly easy to put down. I'll have the occasional sundae with the family, but I'm not just plopping on the couch with the half gallon anymore.
3. Smarter snacks - high fiber almonds, microwaved corn on the cob, excellent oranges. Find a favorite and enjoy it.
Not sprinting toward any pre-set number - just going about this with a level-head. I've survived two summer barbeques so far.
Yeah, the Miami Heat won. Congratulations. Ugh.


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I'd been really craving a Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich .. But those aren't always the greatest on the points scale, so my hubby and I made our own healthier (and cheaper on the points) version!
We started with our favorite Country Harvest whole grain flax bread, and added lean roast beef shavings, sautéed mushrooms with green onions, baby spinach, 1/4 cup of the godly Kraft light tex mex cheese mix, and finally a light touch of mustard. The cheese was the final topping to go on the bread because we wanted it to get all gooey and melted!
We placed the sandwiches face open into the oven at 350 for about ten minutes, just long enough to heat it up, then turned on the broiler to really help melt the cheese and make it that gorgeous, glistening golden color.
This sandwich was SUPER filling and unbelievably delicious. It felt like we were eating something that was horrible for our lifestyle change ... But it wasn't! Talk about a guilt-free delight!
And at only eight points for the entire sandwich, the situation was definitely win-win! Happy belly, happy thighs! :)


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HURRICANES TO SHARE AHL CLUB WITH AVALANCHEby Staff Writer / Carolina Hurricanes
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – April 18, 2006
RALEIGH, NC – Jason Karmanos, Vice President and Assistant General Manager of the National Hockey League's Carolina Hurricanes, announced today that the Hurricanes will partner with the Colorado Avalanche in 2006-07 to provide players for the roster of the Albany River Rats of the American Hockey League.
The 2006-07 season will mark the second consecutive year that Carolina and Colorado have each sent their top prospects to the same AHL club. Under the terms of the one-year agreement between the NHL franchises, each team will provide 10 players to Albany to fulfill the affiliation agreement between the Hurricanes and the River Rats. Assistant Coach Joe Sacco will once again join Head Coach/General Manager Tom Rowe behind the bench to guide the team of Carolina and Colorado prospects. Carolina's affiliation with Albany has two option years following the 2006-07 season.
The Carolina Hurricanes will face the Buffalo Sabres tonight at the RBC Center in both teams' regular-season finale (7 p.m., OLN, Hurricanes Radio Network). Following the conclusion of tonight's 10 NHL contests, the league will make available the first-round schedules for the 16 playoff-qualifying teams. Please visit www.CarolinaHurricanes.com or NHL.com for the latest information regarding the Stanley Cup playoffs. Tickets to first round Stanley Cup playoff games at the RBC Center are currently available at the RBC Center box office, all North Carolina TicketMaster locations, by calling 919-834-4000 or via CarolinaHurricanes.com. For information on Hurricanes season-ticket packages and mini-season ticket plans, please call 1-866-NHL-CANES.


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NEW YORK (CBS 2) — If you thought planning Thanksgiving at your place was hectic, wait until you meet one family we know at CBS 2HD.
Imagine 30 pounds of potatoes, 75 pounds of turkey, and two dozen pies. CBS 2HD anchor Mary Calvi reports on it firsthand, since it's her family.
In the oven are not one, not two, but three turkeys. "We've got approximately 75 pounds total," said Leonard Spano. Calvi asked if it will be enough. The answer? "It usually is, although they're a little bigger this year."
In her family, over 75 will sit down for their quaint holiday meal, and that's just the immediate family. It's an annual tradition at Calvi's in-laws.
"We usually can't all fit in pictures, since there are 16 of us plus my parents, that's 18," said Mike Spano.
All 16 children are at Thanksgiving dinner, plus spouses. Add in all of the grandkids. There are 40 grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and four of the way.
And voila, their recipe for a perfect Thanksgiving dinner, well, maybe almost perfect, as someone points out the family needs more chairs.
As soon as Thanksgiving is over, the family gets started on Christmas.
Calvi said the presents aren't just under the tree, they're piled so high they reach the ceiling.


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A little effort, that's all it took to be selected as 'best letter to santa' - a polite request and a kind thought for others... And there only being ONE other entry, well that helps!
But that's the point, if you don't even throw your hat into the ring, you have absolutely ZERO chance of a favourable result.
That brings us round to the Die Hard themed Christmas Party; a beautifully conceived audience participation event held in a 'high rise office block in LA'.
The terrorists just took over - but who will save us!??
What we knew for sure was that the film would be shown, there would be an 80's disco afterwards and the audience were invited to come in dance dress - and that there would be a prize for best costume...
A prize you say?
Related to something I do for a living?
...and one of my all time favourite films..?
Obviously I chose to go as the lead character, John McClane; bruce willis in a dirty vest... Too easy?
It's the attention to detail that I relish; me and Hans Gruber...
It's relatively easy to pick up a White vest and it's not a prize winning activity to splash a little fake blood and dirt over it... So how does one go that extra mile?
Barefoot? Yes, although there was a stipulation that the audience must wear shoes (we later found this was partly because they'd dressed the set with fake broken glass - lovely eye for detail these guys!)
Writing on his arm? Of course...
A 9mm Beretta. I don't usually 'do' guns but times, they are a-changing...
Not bad for a hunk of MDF
The skull-in-top-hat tattoo - goes unnoticed by most people...
But I told you already - I'm a fan. I've studied this before on many an occasion, for pleasure and for work.
I used to sculpt a range of collectable figurines called 'The Turds' - here's 'DRIES HARD'
And that hair is pretty iconic. For the past decade, Bruce Willis has pretty much played Bruce Willis: bald-headed tough guy. But 25 years ago he had a fantastically receding hairline with a swept-back spike.
My hairline is the exact opposite of what it needs to be. Moreover, I wasn't going to chop it back for one party as it was the 'floppy hair' that landed me the extras work on Song For Marion.
I decided to make a rubber hairpiece - that worked really well and wasn't as sweaty as you may think.
Good work starts with great reference
Needs a littlemore work!
If you look really close, you might be able to see the join
This look was complimented by my health-and-safety-compliant RUBBER FEET SHOE COVERS!
What a hit! Just a few details left - the tattoo for one... But hang on; the party starts in six hours, I'm on my own till then, I need a tattoo on my left arm... And I'm LEFT HANDED!?!
Time for a little lateral thinking...
My first thought was to cast my arm and make a rubber copy. Too long. I decided to paint layers of flesh coloured latex onto my arm, build up a thickness which I could then peel off, draw on the tattoo and reapply.
I attended the event with prop and costume maker Sean collins and had arranged to meet film maker Andrew Coates, of Duffel Films, at the event.
The setup was excellent: huge prints of the LA skyline adorned the Walls, along with fake stone and water features, all in keeping with the look in the film. The music playing was 'Ode to Joy', heard throughout the film itself and waitresses handed out champagne and party food. Nakatomi Corporation stickers and signage adorned every wall but subtly, really selling the atmosphere.
We met up with one of the organisers pretty soon after we arrived and I showed him my pics from the real 'Nakatomi Tower' in LA, the Fox Plaza building on the Avenue of the Stars. He quizzed my knowledge of the film and wished us well for the party. Lovely bloke Hal.
And then nothing happened. We stood around mingling, waiting for the film to start but there being little sign that it would... It was all a ruse to wrong-foot us, for sure enough, a bunch of 'international terrorists' burst into the room and ushered us at gunpoint into the cinema room!
We were treated to a welcome speech in the style of Alan Rickman as 'terrorists' waved plastic guns at us! (On a side note: a John McClane lookalike ducked into a side room as it all kicked off, although that 'story thread' seemed to go nowhere)
REALLY scary terrorists!
The film started and it was clear the majority of people felt comfortable enough to treat it like a screening with friends in their living room, rather that at a cinema. Silence was out. As too was sitting still.
Beer, toilet, cheers as Hans shoots the slimeball charater, beer, toilet, cheer as the baddie has his knees shot out...BEER... TOILET... AAAAAAAARGHHHHH!!!!!!!
Ok, maybe I was a little naive thinking I'd just watch the film but I didn't expect to sit on the busiest row in the house!
At the end of the film, we all sang along to 'Let it Snow' and the winner of the 'best costume' was announced...
And the winner was...
Drumroll please...
Oh it was only flipping ME!!!
Another t-shirt for my Die Hard collection
Yes! The prize was a Nakatomi Plaza tshirt but for me it wasn't about the prize - it was about the WIN!
The after-film disco was packed with 80's classics and Die Hard samples!
These guys thought of everything - they even threw out Twinkies to the crowd!
I've had a few knocks this year and I need to relish every good thing that comes my way; I'm happy to start small, every strong building relies in good foundations. I'm rebuilding my confidence; I'm getting there. Next month well find out if Distraction Jackson can beat the world, then in March my Regent Cinema film will compete against who knows what else at the RTS Awards - it's a big year ahead and I'm going into it guns blazing!
Yippee Ki-yay Mother F*ckers!!!
Merry Christmas!!!!
Here's a link to Press Play Festival website:
Here's a link to the BA Entertainment Design Crafts course at Cleveland College of Art and Design - come on board and I can teach you everything I know:
Here's a couple of links to 'Dries Hard' - I wasn't kidding about this!?!:


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Canine parvovirus THE DOG
The disease is Caused by Canine Parvovirus (CPV), Including within the family Parvoviridae. CPV is transmissible virus without an envelope, has a single-chain nucleic acid, the positive polarization and a diameter of 20-28 nm.
Disease transmission is usually played through two channels, namely the mouth, anus and the placental barrier. After experiencing some replication in primary lymphoid organs as thymus , the virus then spread to Various organs through the Bloodstream, Such as the tonsils and small intestine with great severity in the lymphoid organs.
Experiments in the laboratory, viremia can be detected on day 1 and 2 Followed by viremia after infection of day-to-3 to-5 post-infection. Virus excretion usually starts on day-3 post-infection accompanied by the appearance of antibodies on day 4 and reached a maximum concentration at day-7 post-infection. Increased serum antibody has a huge impact on the reduction of virus excretion and recovery of individual health.
Geographical Distribution
CFV infections in dogs are found in many countries in the world, since the incidence of outbreaks in Australia and the United States in mid-1978.
Modes of Transmission
Transmission through oral-anal pathway is most common, the which may be the result of contact with contaminated materials Such as cages, clothes, feces and soil. In experimental infections can also be generated through the mouth, intubation, nasal passages, blood vessels and intra-uterine.
Morbidity and Mortality
CPV enteritis Generally high morbidity but low mortality. In young dogs the mortality can reach 10-12% or 50%. In the adult dog 1-2%.
At the CPV myocarditis in the early emergence reached 50%, reduction in morbidity and mortality from CPV myocarditis Caused by high titers of antibodies in pregnant animals That may Prevent them from infection. The more the parent WHO has a high antibody titer then the fewer cases of infection arising in young dogs.
Clinical symptoms of
Clinical symptoms the the which may Arise from the disease known as dengue two types of enteritis and myocarditis nonsupuratif. Sudden death in dogs younger than 8 weeks is the most common clinical symptoms found in cases of acute nonsuppurative myocarditis. Sub-acute heart failure accompanied by respiratory problems and is Often accompanied by death within 24-48 hours can occur in dogs over the age of 8 weeks. In dogs teens and adults can occur with congestive heart failure the heart muscle damage.
Based on severity, CPV enteritis Divided into 3 types of moderate, acute and Parachute. Diarrhea and vomiting accompanied by a distinctive odor and bleeding is a symptom That Often found in most people with dogs. Other symptoms of lethargy, Decreased appetite, leucopenia, fever and dehydration.
In Patients per acute death can occur Immediately, while the case is Likely to occur within Several weeks of healing. Overall infection symptoms are similar to ataxic syndrome in cats, but it Happens very rare.
The disease is diagnosed based on clinical symptoms, pathological, identification and determination of virus-specific antibody.
In the laboratory, virus identification is Carried out through the use of existing Various methods Such as histopathology, virus isolation in cell cultures, hem agglutination tests, immune dyes, electron microscopy, ELISA test and molecular breeding.
While the serological methods used to diagnose CPV barriers include hem agglutination test, radial hemolytic, neutralization, fluorescence, radio immune, complement fixation and immune precipitation and ELISA.
Prevention and Eradication
Excessive diarrhea and vomiting is very bad for the animals affect people with CPV enteritis. Often dogs die of dehydration. Provision of physiologic saline solution and sugar will help the patient to pass through a critical period in the which usually Lasts 2-5 days.
Provision of vitamins and good nutrition, the placement of Patients in the room is warm and comfortable as well as giving antibiotics to Overcome a secondary infection is recommended.
Prevention is done through the disinfection of contaminated equipment and materials, improving the nutritional status and health of animals as well as the implementation of Immunization programs on a regular basis. The use of formaldehyde, phenol and Na-hypochlorite for Fumigation or spraying can Reduced new infections.


text:
Motorola MPx200 Smartphone
Device driver details
Manufacturer: Motorola
Caution Level: Intermediate
Operating System: Windows XP, Windows 2000, Vista
Latest Version / Release Date: 4.8.1 / 02 Aug 2005
Before you download: We recommend you scan Windows for registry errors
Windows device driver information for Motorola MPx200 Smartphone
These are drivers for a Motorola MPx200 Smartphone. They are issued with purchase of the device and can also be downloaded from the manufactures website. The user is also issued with a step by step user guide to assist them throughout the installation process. One can also contact the manufactures website for advanced and professional assistance. The phone is professionally designed to meet all communication and data transfer needs. It is fully compatible with windows mobile 2003 making it ideal for Microsoft documents viewing. The integrated lithium battery has a long operating life of more than five hours when on talk. Compared to other phones in the Motorola MPx200 Smartphone range, the phone is slightly light and with additional and unbeatable features. The phone is designed in different colors for the user to choose that which suites them and one can also personalize some of the phone features.
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The Motorola MPx200 Smartphone is compact and small in size to fit tin a trouser pocket. The flip feature safeguards the keypad giving it a long lifetime. The Motorola MPx200 Smartphone display is undisputed with a resolution of 176 x 220 pixels and display features that can be regulated by the user based on display features considered appropriate by the user. The Motorola MPx200 Smartphone keypad is designed to give total device control to the user. They comfortable fit to the users fingers and the navigation key easily enables the user to navigate the several available pages of the Motorola MPx200 Smartphone. On the upper side of the main display screen there is also a mini screen designed to alert the user of incoming calls and data services. The outer screen has a display resolution of 96 x 32 pixel for ultimate color display. It is highly recommended you run a free registry scan for and Motorola MPx200 Smartphone errors before installing any driver updates.
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The real me, naked. Well, not really naked, but you know what I mean: just bathed, no make up, tired, ready for bed. Yep, just one jacked-up-eye-brow-beauty. :)
When my dad was down here last, he joked about how I'd have my ph.d. before he would. Yeah, right, right? :) Anyway, it hit me today while driving into work and then later while at work, that my life is about deciding what kind of experiences I'd like to have.
I've been working on and off my Master's for 5 years now. 5 years is quite a bit of time. It was actually my husband who inspired me to go back to school. Right after I had met him he went back and it sparked the urge I have for learning, so, I went back as well. :)
So, yeah, I've decided, I'll go for my Ph.D. as well. And, I've also decided to get it in Early Intervention. My job title is Early Intervention Specialist. Do I feel like a specialist?? Not really, but I certainly know more than I did 5 years ago, I certainly know more than others when it comes to this field, so, therefore I feel pretty confident in my title and knowledge of early childhood, birth to three years.
Yep, thats what I'll do...Early Intervention. It's such a new field. Maybe I'll even get into some research areas. Now thats always been a pleasure of mine. :)
Anyway, I spent my lunch break with Maddie out on the playground at school. We usually just hang out inside, especially when it rains for a hundred straight years. :) It was nice being outside again and I took a quick pic of her swinging. She wasnt all excited about it. I think she's more use to the family swing we have at the house where we all sit in it and just swing. :) It's a purchase I made right after she was born so we could just sit outside and be together. I've made some create memories out there. :)


text:
Eight years ago, my new-found friend, Wayne, and I decided to embark on a mutual dream of forming an Inklings group of our own. But distance was not our friend, he being in Maryland and I being in northern New York. So rather than a weekly gathering in some local pub, we decided upon meeting for a full weekend at a locale halfway between his home and mine.
The result has been a faithful convergence on a poetic (if not sleepy) Pennsylvanian town or city for the last eight years. And what a blessing it's been for both of us. The mutual camaraderie is immeasurably valuable, as are the long talks concerning writing, plot and character development, theology, doctrines of the faith. Not to mention the verbose amount of gregarious guffawing we engage in.
And threading through it all are the continuous clicks of our laptop keys as we work on our next stories for the world to read. Wayne is working on a new supernatural thriller series called GHOST, while I'm very close to announcing the title and release date of my newest work, codenamed TSR.
Here's to Inkblots everywhere who enjoy fellowship and the pursuit of the intellectual.


text: I was wondering if some of you had experience with more growl from a stingray, using thinner gauge. Help me, so I don't have to adjust the bass for something that ain't working anyway. I play a 'ray5 with medium gauge strings (45-130 D'darrio XL). The growl I want is what comes from the bass when I play the bass hard. Hope you know what I mean. Thanks, Lars


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Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Latest on Iranian "Dirty Bomb Ship"
Thanks to Findalis of Monkey in the Middle for this heads up
Update 26 Oct 08: From J Blog Central:
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Radarsite: Latest on Iranian "Dirty Bomb Ship"Thanks to Findalis of Monkey in the Middle for this heads upReport: Hijacked Iranian Ship Contained 'Dirty Bomb' for Israelby Hana Levi JulianFrom (IsraelNN.com)Web blogs all over the Internet are continuing to buzz about an Iranian ship that was hijacked... Dateline: 2008-10-22 5:03pm PT (953 words)
Report: Hijacked Iranian Ship Contained 'Dirty Bomb' for Israel
by Hana Levi Julian
From (IsraelNN.com)
Web blogs all over the Internet are continuing to buzz about an Iranian ship that was hijacked last August by Somali pirates and which Russian sources warned contained a dirty bomb intended for Israel.
The hijacking passed largely unnoticed in the mainstream media, save a brief mention in the news on August 22 that reported that three vessels – Iranian, Japanese and German – and their 57 crew members were hijacked by pirates in the Gulf of Aden near Somalia. Several pirates died after they forced open part of the cargo.
The waterway connects the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. Somalia, host to the longest coastline in Africa (1,880 miles), is an international piracy and terrorist hotspot. Foreign vessels are often seized by pirates in the area, who hold the ships and their crews for ransom.
According to its manifest, the MV Iran Devant had departed Nanjing, China on July 28 and was headed to Rotterdam to deliver 42,500 tons of iron ore and "industrial products" to an unidentified "German client." But the Iranian bulk carrier with 29 crew members, owned and operated by the U.S.-sanctioned Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL), was apparently transporting cargo considerably more significant than the average contraband.
The 40 pirates, armed with AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) brought the ship to Eyl, a fishing village in northeastern Somalia, according to numerous bloggers. There a larger contingent of pirates took control of the vessel – 50 on board and 50 patrolling on the beach.
Initial attempts to inspect the ship's seven cargo containers failed. The pirates could not break into the holds and the crew swore they did not have access codes to the locks. The captain and engineer of the vessel evaded answering questions about the contents of the holds, despite threats by the pirates to blow up the ship. They first said the containers held crude oil, but then changed the story to say there were "minerals" in the holds.
When at last the pirates succeeded in opening one of the containers, they allegedly discovered packets of what they later reported to be "a powdery fine sandy soil." The pirates who had any exposure to the powder were reportedly struck down by illness and within days began to exhibit strange symptoms, including skin burns and hair loss. Sixteen of them died. Andrew Mwangura, director of the East African Seafarers' Assistance Program, was quoted by the South Africa Sunday Times in a September 28 interview, "There is something very wrong about that ship."
The vessel was released by the pirates on October 10, announced the IRISL public relations office, "after seven weeks of negotiations with Somali pirates." All 29 members of the crew were reported safe. Iran criticized world powers for its indifference toward the lack of security in international waters. IRISL, which is run by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, added in its statement that the vessel was sailing towards international waters and it is not clear where the ship has gone since the report.
Russian Intelligence: Ship Was a Dirty Bomb Sent to Israel
U.S. and Israeli intelligence officials maintained a tight-lipped silence on the alleged incident. However, Russian intelligence sources reportedly said the ship was "an enormous floating dirty bomb, intending to detonate after exiting the Suez Canal at the eastern end of the Mediterranean and in proximity to the coastal cities of Israel.
"The entire cargo of radioactive sand," said the Russian sources, " [was] obtained by Iran from China (the latter buys desperately needed oil from the former) and sealed in containers which, when the charges on the ship are set off after the crew took to the boats, will be blasted high into the air where prevailing winds will push the highly dangerous and radioactive cloud ashore."
Several military web blogs have noted that had the ship's crew succeeded in reaching Israel's coastal waters with their deadly cargo, it would have been quite easy to escape the vessel in small boats and then detonate explosives on the vessel. The radioactive powder, which would have been blown into the air, would have been carried by the wind straight to Israel.
'Logically Not Reliable, But Nothing Impossible in the Middle East'
Dr. Ephraim Kam, deputy director of the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), told Israel National News that the entire incident could easily have been a fiction -- or not. "Nothing is impossible in this region," said Kam, an IDF Colonel (res.) and former deputy director of the Research Division in the IDF's Military Intelligence, "but logically [the report] doesn't seem to be very reliable."
The reason, he said, is that such an attack on Israel would cost the Iranians dearly -- and he said they know it.
"First of all, because it could fail, and this would be the worst thing for them. I think that if at all, the timing is very bad for them, while they are trying to acquire their own nuclear weapons, when there is international pressure on them on that issue… It could give Israel the best excuse to attack their nuclear facilities.
"Also, if such an operation is successful, the outcome could be an Israeli strategic attack against the Iranians, which could be very costly for the Islamic Republic. Since the Iranians believe that Israel does have a nuclear arsenal, they have to take into account that Israel would respond by nuclear attack," he pointed out.
"If it is true, this incident could give Israel the best pretext to attack an Iranian nuclear site," said Kam. "Rationally, I tend to think it is no more than a good story."
Israeli government officials could not be reached for comment.
7 comments:
Didn't one of your previous commenters claim that it couldn't be radioactive material?ReplyDelete
This was a very close call. The Iranians tried to pull it off and were stopped by Somali pirates. The next one might not be against Israel, but against Great Britain or the US. The ship would just have to enter a port, then explode.
Iran has to be stopped. They aren't working with a full deck and will start a nuclear war.
You're right Findalis.ReplyDelete
I got quite a few comments basically denying the whole thing. Some made it sound laughable. The problem is -- the more we find out about it the more real it gets.
And -- a bunch of pretty serious people -- like ACT -- are taking it pretty seriously.
In our present world I for one will not dismiss reported threats out-of-hand until I know a lot about them. I think only fools do this.
So Russian issues statements, but the report may not be true????ReplyDelete
The pirates are gone...and the, possibly, radioactive cargo?????
We have no way to know the truth of this report, I guess, but we would have thought 9/11 to be laughable until 9/11.
This is a very interesting blog, but I see no supporting documentation of the 'sources'. Could you kindly provide some descriptions of the 'russian sources'? The only reference to anything here was to some blogs, maybe links to those so we can check their sources.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousOctober 22, 2008 at 8:07 PM
This story is absurd. It could have been any non-military chemical. As for the "Russian intelligence" source, how reliable do you think that is? I could just make up a source like that, and you would never know. THE ENTIRE STORY is based on that source.ReplyDelete
Well we have to take these reports seriously and continue to look for confirmation one way or another.ReplyDelete
From Ben by email -ReplyDelete
By God, Roger, you have well and truly committed wisdom to text with extreme clarity. I am surprised to find that mine is the first comment. Surely this post will ignite a firestorm of controversy.
You have not crossed the line, you are sane, sober and aware. Most neither know nor recognize the enemy; you do. All you can do is continue to sound the alarm bell; to shine the beacon of truth on the enemy and pray that the world will comprehend it.
Yesterday I posted about a comment found on an Islamic blog. Here is the quote I cited:
...Soon Barack Obama will be the historical president of United State. He pointed out in which scriptures that we believe in. and he said "which passages or scriptures will guide public policy. should we guide with leviticus which which suggest that slavery is ok and eating shell fish is an abomination? Or we can go with deutoronomy which suggests stoning of child if it strays from your faith" and surely he will implement Shariah and the AMericans will live in the way of Islam. which is the BEST WAY OF LIFE!...
That comment, from a Philippino, should boil the blood of every patriotic American who sees it. Yasmin is convinced that Obama will implement Sharia and put Allah's yoke of slavery on our necks. May God forbid it!!!
You can read that post here: http://snooper.wordpress.com/2008/10/20/the-obama-abomination/
Earlier, I uttered and published what I considered to be the ultimate condemnation of Obama: Obama: Muslim or Christian; What's the Difference?Either he is Muslim and conceals it as a Mekkan Candidate, or he is a weak kneed Christian who lacks the courage & conviction required to condemn Islam's damnable doctrines of conquest, genocide & terror. Either way, he is unsuited for high office.
The unsavory matter of Islam's war against Kuffar is outlined in another recent blog post: What's wrong with Islam/Muslims?
Islam is aggressively violent, by design; irreparably. I quote Islamic law. ...If they believe and are faithful, they obey Allah's commands by joining the Jihad, striving hard with their lives and their wealth. If not called to fight, they support Jihad with Zakat. How did the Holy Land Foundation raise $13M for Hamas?
Between those conclusions, I cite the Sharia, scripture & tradition that makes it all crystal clear.
Who has enough fortitude to read those posts and know the truth? Who has the courage to repost them and spread them throughout the country?
If not us, who? If not now, when? Strike while the iron is hot; see to it that the demon spawn is not elected in two short weeks.


text:
The TORCH™ Backup Light (TBLIR)with red/IR LED's is a low profile, Picatinny mounted, recessed pressure pad activated light ideal for Home protection or as backup to a primary illumination source. There is low output illumination for signature reduction during patrol, stealth structure search, approach to target, and breaching operations. 10 year storage lifespan, 24 hour burn time, 10 lumen output and weighing just 22 grams.
CONTAINS One red LED, and one Infrared LED for Night Vision viewing
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