text:
Difference between revisions of "Harz"
Revision as of 16:45, 22 January 2012
The Harz is a low mountain range in the Northern Uplands of Germany, famous for its historic silver mines that brought prosperity to the region and to the Kingdom of Hanover. The Harz forms part of the federal states of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia.
It lies between the river Elbe and Weser in the region of Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. It sits in a northwest to southeast positon and is 20 miles in breadth. The sixty miles of terraced plateaus are made from limestone, sandstone and slate and form many narrow deep valleys. The two highest peaks in the area are Brocken (3,747 feet) and Viktorshohe (1909 feet) both of which are granite based. The Northwestern area is known as the Oberharz and the Southeastern extensive area is known as the Unterharz.
The Oberharz plateau at 3300 feet in the west and 1600 feet in the centre suffers from a cold and damp climate even in the summer caused by its susceptibility to northerly winds. The Brocken towers over this area however it is more famous for its inclusion in local folklore and literature. These peaks tend to be bare however the lower slopes are forested and interspersed with moorland and river beds.
The Unterharz has a less harsh climate which is exploited in the agricultural areas. The area supports grain and cattle farming. The area was once abundant with wild game, lynx, bear and wolf, however they have been hunted into extinction. The area is also famous for its animal breeding, especially canaries and deer.
Between the 10th-16th century the area was developed as an area synonymous with mining and metallurgy (lead, silver, iron, zinc and copper). The easy access to water and wood helped the early settlers however dams have been introduced to control the waters to remove the possibility of flooding or shortages in the summer. These dams now create hydroelectric power as wel as drinking water for the area. On an industrial scale quarrying (marble, granite and gypsum) as well as wood processing for paper and cardboard provides sources of income. However the area is also dependant on tourism with water sports and spas being important however it is its forest scenery in the Harz National Park which attracts the majority of the tourists.
The Harz is generally divided into 2 main regions:
In addition the area around the Brocken with the highest peaks in the range is also referred to as the High Harz (Hochharz).
Other destinations
Prior to 1990, the border between Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt used to be the border between East and West Germany complete with fence and fortified frontier. The Brocken was an East German and Soviet military surveillance post used to spy on any military activity in Western Europe. From the East German side access to many villages was severely restricted. Roads and railway tracks were either closed or demolished, thus later facilitating the establishment of the Harz National Park. The division of the Harz by the Iron Curtain is still noticeable in the marketing of the Harz as a tourist destination with various sites on the old Inner German Border being preserved for historic and tourism reasons.
Tourism is the main source of income for the region. Unemployment is high, especially after the collapse of the industrial complexes in former East Germany. The number of tourists visiting a town is politically important. Goslar and sourounding villages compete against the cluster of Wernigerode, Quedlinburg and Blankenburg and the Southern Harz regions in attracting tourists. This competition is not always friendly!
It is important to note that recommendations on where to go in the region are coloured by a person's (East German or West German) origin. Each of the regions tries to pass itself of as the "ultimate Harz experience". Try to forget about the East/West rivalry as reunification is more and more a thing of the past (and a long term success) in people's minds at least, and just enjoy the wild and natural beauty of the area.
Get in
By train
The access point for the Northern part is Goslar, which can be reached from Hannover and Halle(Saale), while the southern part is reached by train from Göttingen and Erfurt.
By bus
From Berlin, BerlinLinienBus [4] runs daily to the Harz from Berlin ZOB.
By car
The A 38 runs south of the Harz from Halle to Göttingen and the A 395 connects Goslar and Bad Harzburg in the northwest with Braunschweig. The A7 connects Göttingen in the southwest and Hannover in the North as well as Brauschweig. From Hannover one can follow the A7 down to the junction "Seesen/Harz (67)" to follow the range from north to south , or to the junction "Rhüden Harz (66)" to follow to the north B82/B6 to Gosler, Bad harzburg and on to Wernigerode. The B 6 is an important connection along the northern range.
Get around
The best-known mode of transport is the historic narrow-gauge steam railway network operated by the Harz Narrow Gauge Railways (Harzer Schmalspurbahnen) or HSB. There are also other, standard gauge lines run by Deutsche Bahn, mainly around the margins of the Harz. Local buses connect towns which are not on the railway line. Having your own car is recommended if you want to travel extensively in the region. Inside the national park the only permissible ways of getting about are on the steam railway, on foot or by bike.
The Railway
The Brocken is the highest mountain in the Harz range and the highest mountain in Northern Germany. The fastest way to get to its 1,141 metre summit is by the Harz narrow gauge train. The Harzer Narrow-Gauge Railway has a long history. Built at the end of the last century, this was done in order to connect the Harzs' mineral resources, forestry and small industry to the rest of the economically rising Germany, as well as to promote the beginning of tourism. Originally there were three companies that laid the railway, opening the Harz:
• 1886 the Gernrode Harzgeroder railway AG (GHE) was formed.
• 1896 the Nordhausen-Wernigeroder-Railway (NWE) followed.
• 1897 followed the Southern-Harz Railway from Walkenried to Braunlage.
Since 1899 it has been possible for passengers to travel up to the summit. Altogether there operated a narrow guage railway net over 130 km long, The Southern-Harz Railway did not survive and the GHE and NWE were eventually taken over by the authorities of the German Democratic Republic (GDR)from 1949 to up to the fall of the Inner German Border. The main route to the Brocken starts at Wernigerode with several minor stops on the way. The two main connection stops are Drei Annen Hohne and Schierke. Be aware though, the trip up and down will take about 1¾ hours. The night train journey is most beautiful in the winter months especially when snow is on the ground.
There are several trecking routes to the summit of the Brocken, from different sides. The most common routes are:
Schierke - Brocken - Schierke, approximately 15km with a 600m height diference, the return route takes approximately 5 hours not including stopovers.
Torfhaus - Brocken - Torfhaus (Goethe Trail), approximately 17km with a 550m height diference, route takes approximately 6 hours not including stopovers.
The TV Tower
The tradition of Radio and TV engineering on the Brocken dates back to the beginning of TV broadcast. It was determined in 1929 during the first wireless television broadcasting, that the short wave used was not suitable for television. Also, very high locations were required for its transmitters to transmit the very high frequency required for TV to succeed. In 1934, the post office was given responsibility for the building of a mobile transmitter. 1935 saw the first public picture transmission. 1936 saw the live transmissions of the Olympic summer games in Berlin. From 1936 to 1937 a 52 metre high television station and hotel with 16 floors was built. With the installation of the antenna system in 1938 the television station became operational. With the beginning of the WW2, television transmissions stopped, however radio broadcast on up to 40 transmitters was carried on. Only the explanation breaking into to the fortress, let feel the mountain of the Germans also the war.
In April 1945 a bombing attack by the Americans destroyed the hotel. The transmitter however was spared to be used by the occupying forces. In 1947 the allied troops pulled out toward the west. To justify the Americans having their part of Berlin, Saxony-Anhalt was handed to the Soviets. The Americans left in a state of chaos and left the station a gutted ruin. In 1948 the TV tower was shortened by around seven floors and a flat roof was added. 1973 to 1976 saw the new landmark 152 metre high metal end transmitter masts built to enable the transmission of the East German TV channel "DDR 2". Now there is a museum [6]and restaurant, a more modern hotel and various cafes. Thew views from the summit are breathtaking and with the correct equipment and right weather conditions, some towns and refernce points can be seen up to 80km away.
The Brocken is surrounded in myths and stories of witches and broomsticks. Also known as the "Blocksberg", it is the surrounding for a very well known German childrens character called "Bibi Blocksberg", a child witch in modern times. The summit, surrounded in mist and cloud most of the time, gives lead to the many stories of witches, devils and trolls and of them flying arount the summit at night. This is also why the symbol of the harz is a witch flying on a broomstick. A Well known German writer "Goethe" was facinated by the Brocken and wrote a famous play called "Faust". Incidentally, this can be seen in the form of a rock concert in the Goethersaal (Goethe Hall) on the summit. This is a combination of a night trip on the train and concert.
The roots of the present Walpurgis Night celebrations are well documented in pre-Christian times. But it is a far cry from the Christian festival that was Walpurgis Night is always celebrated on the eve of the feast of Saint Walburga, a learned woman and abbess of a convent, whose life has no connection with witches and the devils celebrated today. Only her canonization by Pope Adrian II on a first May is the connection to today's Walpurgis Night, this due to numerous miracles which were attributed to her. She is however also the patron saint of the seafaring and against evil spirits.
According to Harz legend, the witches gather on Walpurgis Night on the Hexentanzplatz (Witches Ballroom) in Thale, in order to fly together from there to the Brocken on brooms and pitchforks with their cats, where the witches feast takes place. Supposedly they dance in a large circle with their backs to each other, around a fire and then kiss the devil's behind. The witch's apprentices can then marry the devil, whereupon the witch was given a physical mark and given full powers of witchcraft. As stated previously, this is now a well known modern festival and people can be seen on the night dressed as witches, devils and such like and a very big party atmosphere is enjoyed.
The Oker Valley can be found approximately 6km southeast of Goslar. A romantic valley with magnificent rocky scenery and the Romkerhall Falls, it is considered by nature and trekking enthusiasts as the most beautiful valley in the Harz Mountains. The River Oker runs through the this stunning valley, starting in the middle of the Harz National Park[7], at over 900m high and runs in a general northerly direction, for 105 kilometres until it joins with the River Aller at Muden Ortze near Celle. Historically, the River Oker has formed an important political boundary. It flows through deep rocky ravines and over waterfalls. This is the Oker Valley at its best. Since 1956 the Oker Valley Dam (Okertalsperre) has stopped the river from overflowing. This was an issue in the late 40's when the towns of Brunswick (Braunschweig) and Wulfenbüttel were flooded. The dam stopped this happening again. However the small hamlet of Schulenburg was destined to flood, by the dams construction. So the site was evacuated in 1954 and rebuilt above the dam. The dam provides drinking water for towns as far away as Hildesheim and Hannover, as well as being a very efficient hydro-electric site, that provides over 4 megawatts of power to the surrounding area.
The Oker Valley branches out and can accumulate up to 47 million cubic metres of water in the Oker Lake (Okerterrasse). Below the Dam, the river flows leisurely to the Raven Cliffs (Rabenklippen), so called from an old legend: A pious man was ordered by a Holy Bonifatius to return the Northern Harz to Christianity. But he was ridiculed and retreated into the Harz, where he got lost. At the site of today's Raven Cliffs he nearly dead from hunger, until a flock of Ravens saved him. They supposedly dropped a dead pigeon close to him on which he fed thus saving his life. A visit here to the Luchsgehegen (Lynx re-intergration project) is a must. This area has been made accessible to the public by stairs and railings. From here, one has a wonderful view of the Harz. The River Oker and Valley continues towards Goslar, coming next to Romkerhall, the smallest kingdom of the world ever proclaimed. This settlement consists of only a few houses and the hotel "Kingdom of Romkerhall", which resembles a fairy tale castle. The area was, in the second half of the 19th Century, the hunting grounds of King George V of Hannover. Also here, is the Romkerhall Waterfall, approximately 64 metres in height. Upstream from the waterfall the River Oker is used occasionally by canoeist. Downstream where the water flows faster, the crags left and right of the Oker are popular with climbers. Also downstream of the waterfall is "Betrothal Island" (Verlobungsinsel), which is accessible via a small bridge.
The River Oker finally arrives in the village of Oker on the outskirts of Goslar, leaving behind the beauty of the deep ravines and rocky outcrops. Instead you will find that the river has been seriously polluted from many years of metal smelting in the area.
Rübeland is part of the upper Harz Brocken community, a village of nearly 1000 inhabitants. The village is situated near the Bode river, and in the Harz mountains is best known as being an important railway station on the Rübeland Railway, originally built from 1880-1886 and previously known as the Harz Railway. The Rübeland Railway operates special festive train services at different times of the year between Blankenburg and Rübeland using old steam locomotives. The journeys take about 45 mins each way, and there is the attraction during Advent of visiting the Christmas Market in Rübeland. Information is available through the tourist information service at www.blankenburg.de Amonst the other attractions nearby is the famous scenic Outlook from the Schornsteinberg (literally chimney mountain) which is also a checkpoint (No 89) on the Harzer Wandernadel hiking network.
The Selke Valley is dominated by the river Selke with its source in the Lower Harz and a tributary of the river Bode falling over an overall height of 340 metres. The river is 64 Km in length of which 30 km flow through the mountains of the Harz and the last 34 km through the agricultural land of the Harz approaches. The river itself was often the cause of sudden floods with water bursting its banks, and as a result a number of dams were planned along its route. The most recent project is a storm water embankment near Meisdorf planned to be 12 to18 metres high. A local protest movement has claimed that the embankment would ruin the landscape, and futher arguments have been raised by inhabitants in villages up stream that not enough flood protection is available and so plans are in progress for damms at Straßbeg to protect the current storm water damm at Uhlenbach.
This striking medieval castle, high on a ridge above the Selke Valley, was built between 1120 and 1180 and since then has been used in a number of different ways. Because of its position it was never successfully captured. Today the castle is a museum and one of the most popular places to visit in the Harz Mountains. The museum is on the so called 'Romantic Road' and contains amongst other things a falconry, and a restaurant that offers a special 'Knights' Menu'. Since 2006 a European-wide singing competition has been held in the castle known as the 'Minneturnier', which refers to a singing contest in the Middle Ages, and today famous singers from Austria, Italy, France, Switzerland and Germany take part.
The castle is number 200 on the Harzer Wandernadel hiking network.
The Bode Gorge is a part of the Bode Valley (Bodetal) between Tresburg and Thale. The gorge orginates on the eastern side of the Brocken and runs from a depth of 280 metres at Thale up to 140 metres at Tresburg. The gorge is a nature reserve in its own right covering an area of just under 500 hectares and is only accesible by foot. Other forms of transport are banned, including rafting, and walking off route is forbidden, but an accesable path leads the entire 10 kilometres (6 miles) of its length. There are a large number of interesting places, along the route, many linked to old German myths and traditions and there are 4 stations that count towards the Harzer Wandernadel. The Bode Gorge is one of the most popular walking destinations in the Harz Mountains.
Stay safe
Common precautions apply.
Get out


text:
The Crimson finished the year 11-0 at home and has won seven straight (Gil Talbot).
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Harvard women's basketball team closed out the regular season in style Tuesday night, defeating Columbia 71-26 to finish unbeaten at home and reach the 20-win plateau.
Harvard's victory improves the Crimson to 20-8 overall and 11-3 in the Ivy League, marking the program's 10th 20-win season under head coach Kathy Delaney-Smith. The victory is also the Crimson's 14th straight at home, tying the team for the seventh longest home win streak in the country, and gives Harvard its first unbeaten season at home since 1997-98.
Harvard also made history at the defensive end of the court as its 26 points allowed stand as the fewest ever during Delaney-Smith's 31-year tenure, and are the fewest given up since Feb. 24, 1978 when the Crimson defeated Holy Cross, 73-19. Harvard's 45-point margin of victory is its largest since a 94-47 win at Central Connecticut State on Dec. 3, 2003.
Victoria Lippert scored a game-high 14 points to go with seven rebounds and two assists. Christine Clark chipped in 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting as Elle Hagedorn contributed a season-best 10 points and four steals. Harvard combined to shoot 49.1 percent (27-55) for the game while going 9-of-19 from deep.
Columbia (5-23, 3-11) was held to just 20.4 percent (10-49) shooting from the floor and was 2-of-10 from the charity stripe. Harvard dominated the game in the paint, outrebounding the Lions 46-25 while holding a 26-8 advantage in points in the paint. The Crimson also scored 26 points off 21 Columbia turnovers.
After a slow start to the game, Harvard exploded on a 15-0 run to take a 19-4 lead. Clark scored four straight points to begin the stretch, and was followed by back-to-back three-pointers from Erin McDonnell. A Melissa Mullins jumper made it a 16-4 game before Jasmine Evans' three capped the run off with 7:26 to play.
Miwa Tachibana cut Columbia's deficit to 11 points, 21-10, but the Crimson closed the half with a 9-3 stretch to take a 30-13 margin into the break. Evans scored five straight points during the spurt, including her second three-pointer, and Clark finished it off with a jumper in the paint.
Evans led all scorers at intermission with eight points on 3-of-3 shooting. Clark and McDonnell each added six points as Harvard combined to shoot 50.0 percent (11-22) from the field and 4-of-6 from three. The Lions were held to just 22.7 percent (5-22) shooting thanks in part to nine steals by the Crimson, with Hagedorn's three leading the way.
The teams combined for just two points through the first four-plus minutes of the second half until a Lippert jumper sparked a 14-0 run over a 2:11 span. The first 12 points of the stretch were scored by Lippert and Clark, with Hagedorn adding a layup in transition to make it a 46-13 game. Following a Taylor Ward three-pointer, Harvard scored 10 straight to push the run to 24-3 and put the lead at 40 points, 56-16.
The Crimson's lead reached as large as 46 points, 69-23, off a three-pointer from Kaitlyn Dinkins and jumper by AnnMarie Healy.
Harvard will now await its WNIT fate as the 64-team field is set to be announced Monday, March 18.
Game Notes: Harvard extended its home winning streak to 14 games, the seventh longest in the NCAA … The Crimson finished a perfect 11-0 at Lavietes Pavilion in 2012-13, its first unbeaten season at home since 1997-98 … Harvard's 45-point margin of victory is its largest since defeating Central Connecticut State by 47 points, 94-47, on Dec. 3, 2003 … The Crimson's 26 points allowed are the fewest ever under head coach Kathy Delaney-Smith and the fewest allowed since Feb. 24, 1978 when the team won at Holy Cross, 73-19 … Harvard improves to 20-8 overall with the victory, its 10th 20-win season under head coach Kathy Delaney-Smith.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Exhibit includes a concert series, children's music lessons and painted harps sent out into the community
To most listeners, the harp is an ethereal instrument, plucked by cherubs in paintings or strummed by gowned ladies in concert halls.
But few know the unusual history behind the stringed instrument that evolved from a hunter's bow in ancient times to an electrified, therapeutic tool today. A new three-part exhibit is shedding some light on the instrument at the Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad.
"The Harp: A Global Story of Man, Music and Medicine" offers a hands-on history of the instrument with 20 examples of real and replica harps, as well as a series of concerts by global harpists and harp lessons for Carlsbad grade-schoolers.
Exhibit curator Carolyn Grant said she was astonished by what she learned when she began researching the harp.
"I was surprised by how one instrument can have such different identities around the world," said Grant, the museum's executive director. "There's the stereotype that in the Western world only women play it. But in other parts of the world, it's only played by men. And while it's a concert instrument here, in South America it's a folk instrument played by cowboys out on the plains. The harp has a lot to teach us."
Humble origins
Musicologists believe the earliest harps were adapted from hunting bows.
"What if you have a stick with string across it and, when you pluck the string, it makes a sound that's interesting to you," Grant said. "What if you make it tighter, longer and add a couple more strings? There's the human spirit of curiosity that drives us on one end, and the human need to communicate through music on the other."
Primitive harplike instruments can be seen in 15,000-year-old cave paintings in France and on the walls of 5,000-year-old tombs in Egypt. In Africa, a rich tradition of harp-making took root thousands of years ago, and today there are more than 150 styles of simple hand-carved harps (known as ennanga or kundi) created from wood, animal skin and strings. Grant called these decorative harps — a few of which are included in the exhibit — as a key form of communication between villages in Africa.
"It looks like a simple instrument but it's a very intricate communication tool," she said. "The musicians who play them have the ability to combine very intricate rhythms and vocals that create a tapestry of sound that's very rich."
While the elements of African harps haven't changed much over the centuries, in the Western world they have evolved dramatically in response to the needs of the composers and performers as well as the materials available to make them.
"Every population and culture has pushed its instruments forward with the latest technology," Grant said. "What the instrument is made out of isn't as important as what the person wants when they're making the music. We will not stop until we have the tools that we need."
Making music
As part of the exhibit, Grant has programmed a series of harp concerts through the summer featuring leading international musicians. The series began last month with a performance by Yolanda Kondonassis, an American classical pedal harpist. Still to come are concerts by electric, Celtic, Paraguayan and African harpists as well as two local harpists — Elena Mashkovtseva and Kate Loughrey.
Loughrey is part of an outreach program with local children called Harps in the City. On Mondays and Fridays, she has been giving harp lessons to children from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Carlsbad. Once the classes finish up this summer, the children will perform for residents at local assisted-living centers.
Harp music has always had soothing qualities but until recently harps weren't portable enough to take to patients. Now, with portable harps, musicians can play pieces created by therapeutic composers that match the rhythm and breathing patterns of someone who is close to death, Grant said.
Grant also commissioned four local artists to paint four Harpsicles that are being rotated each month through September to different business locations around the city for the public to touch and play.
The public can also play three different harps in the museum exhibit, and hear sound recordings of all of the harps on display, including an original harp from 1776, an ancient Egyptian harp replica and a modern electric harp.
"We want people to touch and play with these instruments," she said. "And we hope if people come to the concerts, they'll say, 'Wow, I had no idea the harp could be used in so many ways.' "
"The Harp: A Global Story of Man, Music and Medicine"
When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays. Through Sept. 30.
Where: Museum of Making Music, 5790 Armada Drive, Carlsbad
Tickets: $8, general; $5, seniors, students with ID, youth ages 6 to 16; free, children 5 and under
Phone: (760) 438-5996
Harp Concert Series
April 27: Elena Mashkovtseva and Kate Loughrey. Local harpists. $20
7 p.m. June 22: Isabelle Moretti. Pedal harp classical artist. $25
7 p.m. June 26: Deborah Henson-Consant. Electric jazz harpist. $25
7 p.m. July 27: Grainne Hambly with William Jackson. Celtic/Scottish harpist. $20
7 p.m. Aug. 17: Alfredo Orlando Ortiz. Paraguayan harpist. $20
7 p.m. Sept. 14: James Makubuya. Ugandan ethnomusicologist and African harpist. $20
History of the harp
Here's how the harp has evolved through the years:
16th century: One of the replicas in the exhibit is that of a 16th century Irish harp, the metal-stringed, handheld instruments that were played by men in Celtic clans beginning in the Middle Ages. The heavy instruments produce a unique bell-like tone when played. "It was a political symbol and used for entertainment," said Carolyn Grant, the museum's executive director.
18th century: The harp evolved again in the 1700s, thanks to a resurgence in popularity led by avid player Marie Antoinette, the doomed queen of France. Instrument makers developed the pedal harp, which allowed musicians to change the strings' pitch with a foot pedal. Soon, composers, from Wagner to Ravel, were creating music specifically for the pedal harp.
19th century: The next evolution was the double-action pedal harp, developed in the 1800s, where pedals could change the strings' tone to natural, sharp and flat notes. An example of this style of harp — 81-pound, 6-feet, 2-inch Lyon & Healy — is in the exhibit.
20th century: And in the 20th century, the harp was both electrified and made portable, with low-priced, lightweight harps (like the Harpsicle brand) available for both grade-schoolers and music therapists, who take them into hospitals and nursing homes.


text:
Teacher resources and professional development across the curriculum
Teacher professional development and classroom resources across the curriculum
Elizabeth Bishop
William Carlos Williams
This remarkable New Jersey poet-physician established an American kind of poem distinct from European forms. His work
demonstrates an innovative use of common objects and experience as topics for poems as well as formal experiments with the cadences of actual American speech.
Hear Williams read "To Elsie" and find a concise Williams biography, a connection to Allen Ginsberg sites, and more at the Academy of American Poets' site on Williams.
Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library of Yale University
"I see bare branches laden with snow." For an interesting exhibition on the influence of Chinese art and poetry on Williams and other writers, visit the online version of "Petals on a Wet Black Bough: American Modernist Writers and the Orient," presented by the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library of Yale University.
The Atlantic Monthly: "Can Poetry Matter?"
"It is...time to restore a vulgar vitality to poetry...," says Dana Gioia in "Can Poetry Matter?" from The Atlantic Monthly (May 1991). Gioia says that a passage from Williams's "Asphodel, That Greeny Flower" provides a possible starting point for poets to persuade readers that poetry still matters.
© Annenberg Foundation 2017. All rights reserved. Legal Policy


text:
Our Christmas order deadline has now passed. Although we'll do our very best to get any UK Tracked or Courier orders to you in time, we can no longer guarantee it.We wish all our site visitors a very Merry Christmas and a peaceful and successful New Year.
Join in
Top hits
Member since June 30, 2013
KEEP CALM AND Blow Money Constantly


text:
You are here
The Booty-Camp Workout: Toning Exercises for Your Butt, Legs, and Thighs
Fight flab from your abs down to your calves with these proven lower-body toners.
Laura Doss
How the Workout Works
Just slim and bare it! Get miniskirt-ready fast with our last-minute lower-body rescue routine. "The secret is the right mix of targeted exercises," says trainer Rich Barretta, who perfected this supersculpting circuit working with swimsuit-model clients at his private training studio in New York City. "When you can't stand another rep, you'll switch to the next move, which works your lower half from another angle." Grab a set of 3- to 5-pound dumbbells, a step (optional), and a towel and do the circuit in order two to three times through twice a week (on nonconsecutive days). Minis, you've met your match.
Laura Doss
Lunge 101
Many exercisers miss out on much of the butt-shaping magic of lunges because of common flubs that make legs do all the work, according to trainer Rich Barretta. Use his foolproof how-to and, ahem, firm the other cheek.
- Lower straight down. "Focus on the up-and-down movement rather than the forward motion to really target the glutes," Barretta says. "Put a hand on your butt and sit down into it as a cue."
- If knee isn't behind toes, step farther.
- Land on heel. (Be able to wiggle toes.)
Laura Doss
Fly Away
Targets: Shoulders, back, abs, and butt
- Stand on a low step with feet together, hands at sides, a dumbbell in each hand. (No step? Perform move on ground.)
- Hinge forward at hips and simultaneously lift right leg straight back, squeezing glutes, as you raise extended arms in front of you until body from hands to right heel is parallel to ground. Make it easier: Keep knuckles on hips and elbows bent out to sides throughout or go without dumbbells.
- Hold 1 to 2 counts, then lower arms and right leg without touching right foot down on step.
- Keeping hips squared to front, hinge forward and lift right leg out to right side as you raise arms out to sides at shoulder level so they form a T and torso is parallel to ground. Lower arms and leg to complete 1 rep.
- Do 5 to 10 reps without touching right foot down. Switch legs; repeat.
Trainer's Tip: As you get fitter, try doing 15 reps of each of these moves. Do only as many as you can while maintaining good form.
Laura Doss
In-and-Out Lunge
Targets: Butt, inner and outer thighs, and hamstrings
- Stand with feet hip-width apart, hands on hips.
- Lunge left leg forward diagonally toward left and lower hips until left thigh is parallel to ground.
- Press through left heel to stand and repeat with right leg, lunging diagonally toward right.
- Do 10 diagonal lunges, alternating legs, then turn around to do crossover lunges back to start.
- Lunge left leg diagonally forward and across body toward right.
- Press through left heel to stand and repeat with right leg, lunging diagonally toward left.
- Do 10 crossover lunges to complete set.
Trainer's Tip: Be sure your knee always points in the same direction as your toes when you lunge.
Laura Doss
Ski Boot Sit
Targets: Butt and inner thighs
- Stand with feet hip-width apart, a dumbbell under each heel (heels rest on handles of weights), and squeeze a folded towel between knees.
- Extend arms in front of you at shoulder level, palms down, and, squeezing towel throughout move, bend knees 90 degrees to lower, as if sitting down in a chair (keep lower legs still).
- Lift halfway so knees are still slightly bent, then lower.
- Do 8 to 10 reps.
Trainer's Tip: Make sure the folded towel is about 4 inches thick to keep knees aligned with hips.
Laura Doss
Duck Squat
Targets: Butt, inner thighs, and calves
- Stand with feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes turned out 45 degrees, holding a single dumbbell with both hands in front of hips (or fold arms in front of chest without dumbbell). Make it harder: Use a 10- to 15-pound dumbbell.
- Lower into plié squat until knees are bent as far as 90 degrees, knees behind toes.
- Hold plié squat and lift heels as high as you can off ground for one count. Make it easier: Lift one heel at a time.
- Lower heels and rise halfway to standing, then lower.
- Do 8 to 10 reps.
Laura Doss
Tennis Shuffle
Targets: Butt, quads, and hamstrings
- Stand on a low step with feet together, arms extended in front of chest, palms facing each other. (If you don't have a step, perform move on ground.)
- Hop left leg out to left, placing body weight on left heel and bending left knee 90 degrees to sit into a one-legged squat.
- Quickly press through left heel to hop left leg back to start position; repeat hop with right leg to right side and sit into squat.
- Return to start to complete 1 rep.
- Do 8 to 10 reps.
Laura Doss
Side Shaper
Targets: Abs and obliques
- Lie on ground on right side, propped up on right forearm with shoulder directly over elbow, left hand on hip. (Or place left hand on ground in front of you for balance.)
- Lift hips off ground until body forms a straight line from head to feet.
- Pause, then raise left leg about 6 inches higher. Make it easier: Keep legs together.
- Lower left leg, then lower hips to ground.
- Do 5 reps; switch sides and repeat.
Trainer's Tip: Think about pulling your rib cage and lower hip together like an accordion as you lift.
Laura Doss
Crunch and Lift
Targets: Abs
- Lie faceup on ground, legs together and extended and hands lightly touching ears, elbows bent out to sides.
- Crunch up, bringing head and shoulder blades off ground, as you lift legs straight up.
- Lower legs as far as you can toward ground without arching back or touching feet to ground, then lift them again.
- Do 10 to 12 reps.
Laura Doss
Upside-Down Crunch
Targets: Abs
- Start on ground in plank position, balancing on forearms and toes, hands clasped, so body forms a straight line from head to heels.
- Tip tailbone up, arching back slightly, then tuck pelvis under, reversing arch to flatten back and pull abs tight; hold contraction for 5 counts.
- Do 8 to 10 reps.
Trainer's Tip: This is a subtle movement: Hips lift very slightly, as shown, not into a high inverted V as in downward dog.
Originally published in FITNESS magazine, July/August 2010.
Video: 10 Exercises to Tone Your Butt, Legs, and Thighs
Follow along with Nike Master Trainer Traci Copeland to tone your lower body with 10 easy exercises.


text:
The $24 million Wal-Mart Stores'Mexican affiliate allegedly paid in 2005 to win market dominance may look like a bribe to U.S. regulators but it's standard operating procedure in Mexico, according to a former government official in Mexico.
"I have no idea how Wal-Mart operates but I do know how Mexico operates," former foreign minister Jorge Castaneda told CNBC's Squawk on the StreetMonday.
The New York Times reported Sunday that a former Wal-Mart de Mexico employee had warned headquarters of the bribes but management shut down an investigation into whether the company had violated the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
Castaneda, now a New York University professor, said government on the federal level in Mexico has gotten cleaner and more transparent, but that hasn't come to the local level. Wal-Mart is "a new company in Mexico," only there 15 years, he said, and it might've made payoffs to overcome competition from local companies there 50 or 60 years.
"At the municipal level, anyone who wants to open a business, it's difficult to get all the permits you want to get without paying off low-level officials," he said. "It's pretty hard to get anything done unless you spread money around...The quicker you want to do something, you'd better do it this way."
From a market standpoint, the whole matter came as a surprise to MKM Partners senior analyst Patrick McKeever, who has covered Wal-Mart for 10 years and called the allegations "the most damaging story that I have seen."
"Wal-Mart has a squeaky clean image when it comes to this sort of thing and they make quite a big deal about corporate integrity and ethics," he told Squawk on the Street in a separate interview. "It would be disappointing if management tried to sweep [the matter] under the rug."
International expansion has been a key focus at Wal-Mart, whose Mexican unit, with 2,100 stores and more than 200,000 employees, has become the nation's biggest employer. But the scandal has pushed Wal-Mart shares down on fear the news could shake up management in Arkansas, McKeever said.
The company didn't help itself with its responseto the New York Times report, he added.
"It really didn't do the company any favors," he said of the response. "I found it fairly weak. They certainly didn't refute what had been said, and in some respects allowed for the possibility the allegations might be true."
That's what worries the U.S. Justice Department, a former SEC official told Squawk Box.
How Wal-Mart officials may have acted on the allegation is a "study in how not to conduct a corporate investigation, how not to respond to [FCPA] violations," said Jacob Frenkel. "It highlights the challenges even for what is on paper one of the best companies in America."
The Justice Department "has placed a high premium on investigating and prosecuting cases involving violations of our antibribery law," he said, and would love an investigation that creates a high-profile "perp walk" a la Enron.
As far as the U.S. government is concerned, "you benefit with U.S. laws, you have to comply with U.S. laws," and following what might be standard operating procedures by making alleged payments to expedite a business foothold won't cut it, he said.
"These allegations were not about this is the only way you can do business," he said. "This is how you can do business faster. This is about a massive coverup."
That could mean jail time for some U.S. Wal-Mart officials if they were found to have swept the alleged Mexican matter under the rug.
"Anybody who had their fingerprints on this conduct in Mexico has potential vulnerability, civilly and criminally," Frenkel said.
Questions? Comments? Email us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Questions? Comments? Email us at firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Fintech investment in Asia-Pacific has skyrocketed in 2015 — from about US$880 million in all of 2014 to nearly US$3.5 billion in just the first nine months of 2015. The largest share of 2015 Asia-Pacific fintech investment deals were in payments (40 percent) and lending (24 percent), which have traditionally been the sole domain of banks.
This new report examines current fintech investments and predicts future investment patterns.
For more information on this paper, email email@example.com


text:
Tribeca Coffee Table
Easy, hassle-free returns online and in-store for eligible items.Learn More
Earn 5% Back in rewards4 plus free standard shipping3every day when you shop with your Williams Sonoma credit card at Williams Sonoma.Apply Now Learn More
- Summary
Bold design echoes the cantilevered masterpieces of 20th-century architecture. Tribeca's distinctive open shelves bring artful organization to magazines, books and more. Offered in Polished Nickel or Brass finishes.
- Small: 52"W x 32"D x 17.5"H.
- Large: 63"W x 40"D x 17.5"H.
- Designed by Williams Sonoma.
- Four shelves of clear tempered glass create an open, airy look.
- Sturdy stainless-steel frame available in Polished Nickel or Brass finishes.
- Seamless welding gives the frame a sleek, uniform appearance.
- Base is sealed with lacquer to preserve shine and prevent tarnishing.
- Adjustable levelers to keep the table steady on uneven surfaces.
- In-home delivery with White Glove service.
- Dimensions & More Info
- Overall: 52"L x 32"W x 17.5"H.
- Frame thickness: 1" square steel tubing.
- Glass shelf (top): 58"L x 14"W.
- Glass shelf (side 2): 9"L x 30"W.
- Glass shelf (bottom): side sections: 9"L x 30"W; center section: 30"L x 30"W.
- Distance between side shelves: 6".
- Distance between top and bottom shelf: 13.25".
- Distance between legs (front): 9" side sections; 30" center section.
- Distance between legs (end): 30"
- Product weight: 125 lb.
- Overall: 63"W x 40"D x 17.5"H.
- Frame thickness: 1" square steel tubing.
- Glass shelf (top): 60.75"L x 37.75"W.
- Glass shelf (side 2): 9.75"L x 37.75"W.
- Glass shelf (bottom): side sections: 9.75"L x 37.75"W; center section: 37.75"L x 38.75"W.
- Distance between side shelves: 6".
- Distance between top and bottom shelf: 13.25".
- Distance between legs (front): 9.75" side sections; 37.75" center section.
- Distance between legs (end): 38".
Additional Information
- Base: Made in China.
- Glass: Made in Mexico.
- Use & Care
- Avoid harsh cleaners and abrasives, as they will damage the finish.
- Clean frame with a soft dry or slightly damp cloth; dry thoroughly.
- Clean glass with standard glass cleaner.
- Shipping
Shipping Information
Please allow up to 2 to 4 weeks for delivery. Item arrives fully assembled and in one piece by our in-home delivery with White Glove service. We'll call you in advance to schedule a delivery time, then bring the item into your home, unpack and inspect it, perform simple assembly and dispose of all packaging material. (Please note that outdoor grills are not unpacked and require owner assembly. Complete beds will be set up; headboards only will be unpacked, but not attached to existing bed frames.) Delivery is by appointment, Monday – Saturday; our delivery service will call to arrange a day. Available in the 48 contiguous states. Please call 888.922.4108 for additional assistance.
Shipping Rates
With Unlimited Flat Rate Furniture & Freight Delivery, an unlimited number of eligible furniture and select non-furniture items in your order can be delivered for a single flat rate. The exact shipping charges, are based on your shipping location and will be applied during checkout.
All items not shipped via unlimited flat-rate delivery fee will incur a shipping surcharge, but no additional delivery fees. View Shipping Options and Charges.
Return Policy
Our products are designed with your comfort and style in mind.
Made to Order and Final Sale Furniture items are non-returnable, and cannot be cancelled once the order is placed.
Monogrammed orders cannot be cancelled or returned.
Final sale items ending in .97 or .99 cannot be returned.
Should your item arrive damaged or with a defect, please contact us at 888.922.4108 within 7 days so that we may arrange for a replacement. Frames and springs are warranted to be free of manufacturing defects for the product's life, subject to the following conditions: warranty applies only to original owner and normal residential use. Defects resulting from negligence, abuse or use in a commercial, hospitality or other non-residential setting are not covered. For warranty service, call 888.922.4108.
All other items may be returned within 30 days of receipt for a refund of merchandise only. View Full Returns Policy.
Pairs Well With
Tribeca Side Table
Tribeca Console Table
Tribeca Bunching Table
Bunching Table
- Exclusive
- Unlimited Flat Rate Delivery


text:
Transformers Dark of the Moon vs. Green Lantern
It's 1985 and I'm in the fifth grade walking down the isle of my local Target store.
In one hand I have a Green Lantern comic, and in the other I have a new Transformers Optimus Prime action figure.
Ahhhhhhh, memories.
Needless to say I was excited to see the blockbuster movies inspire video games from two of my favorite childhood interests.
[media-credit name="" align="alignright" width="149″][/media-credit]
That being said, pitting the two games against each other isn't really a fair fight.
Transformers kills Green Lantern.
Don't get me wrong.
Green Lantern was solid…
…. And what I would have expected. A lot of detailed cut-scenes that give justice to the Marvel series. And solid, if not spectacular game play.
Not surprisingly, the game play to me seemed like a spinoff from DC Marvel Universe.
But like DC Universe, I felt it to be a bit repetitive for my tastes.
It's the DC Universe foundation that saves Green Lantern. The graphics are solid and the complexity of different attack combinations provide an entertaining variety of moves for the gamer.
Overall I'd say it is worth a go, but may not be as deep as some would like.
I was able to find a lengthy video (below) of game play to give a good idea of how it flows.
Transformers Dark of the Moon brings it on all levels.
[media-credit name="" align="alignright" width="150″][/media-credit]
I was hooked the first time I transformed in mid-fight from car to robot while never skipping a beat in my rapid-fire assault on the enemy.
The game is action, action, and then some more action, which I can't get enough of.
Throw in amazing attention to detail in relation to the movies, and you have an instant must-try.
The only downfall in my book would be it does get a tad repetitive. But that is to be expected in most movie video games.
It took some time to find, but the video below gives an good taste of the action.


text:
Fuel System - How To
This story has all the math and goodies for your next fuel-pump install so you'll do it once and get it right.
If you have been following the CC/Rambler project, you might have noticed that we've made 480 hp and run 12.06 at 112 mph using a completely original fuel system. It has the crappy stock 31/48-inch pickup in the tank with original fuel lines and a Jeep Cherokee mechanical fuel pump. It works just fine, so we are going to fix it.
The next huge step for the car has always been nitrous oxide. We geared it high so we could add 1,000 rpm in the traps and bench-built the car with 150-, 250-, and 500-shots so we could visualize the schrapnel bouncing out of the 904 transmission. Good times. We also have a gnarly Tim Hogan intake manifold that we've been trying to install on the car in between differential explosions, paint jobs, transmission deaths, and drinking beer on the couch on Sundays instead of working on the car.
Before we can plumb in the happy gas and the corresponding timers and such, we have to rig up a fuel system that will both feed the existing engine and be upgradable as we put more power to the ground. The fuel systems we are going to address in this article are for carbureted cars, because that's what we think most of you guys are using. We are also going to talk a little theory so you can apply what we've discovered here to your street machine. Check it.
Fuel PumpsThe very first thing you are going to need to know is how fast you want to go. If you don't care about going fast, you need to know how much horsepower you're making or want to make. If you don't have access to an engine dyno, you can rely on Desktop Dyno from Comp Cams or a similar program to get into the ballpark. We have, and it works.
The 370-inch V-8 in the Rambler makes 480 hp at 6,000 rpm, so we can fit that number into a handy formula, 2 (flywheel hp x brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC) / 6) = gph, to calculate the needs of the engine in gallons per hour (gph). This formula is an industry standard that takes into consideration g-loads and friction losses in the lines.
What is BSFC? A gasoline-powered, naturally aspirated engine uses roughly 0.5 pounds of fuel to make 1 hp for 1 hour at WOT. The calculation is
|= fuel lb/hr
|uncorrected brake hp
Obviously you are going to need an engine dyno with a fuel-flow meter to get both parts of the equation, or you can guess using a rule of thumb developed from thousands and thousands of previous dyno runs. For the purpose of selecting a fuel pump, the BSFC range varies from 0.38 for an extremely efficient racing engine with great cylinder heads to 0.65 for an engine with a turbo or blower. If you take the average of these two numbers, you get 0.515, which is why everyone uses 0.5 for this calculation when a dyno sheet isn't available.
We used the formula and ended up with 80 gph as the requirement for a fuel pump: 2 (480 flywheel hp x 0.5 BSFC / 6) = 80. We checked the lineup of mechanical fuel pumps from sources like Holley and found that the pump with an advertised rating of 80 gph actually flowed slightly less than 40 gph at 6,000 rpm and 4.5 psi. This is because the advertised number is based on zero-pressure free flow and, as Sesame Street taught us years ago, as pressure increases, flow decreases. Considering that a high-performance engine with a carburetor requires 6-8 psi, this is clearly not enough pump. Instead, we looked to Holley part number 12-327-13. That pump is rated at 130 gph free flow and pumps 85 gph at 4.5 psi and 6,000 rpm. We know this because these pumps are accompanied by a flow chart in the Holley catalog. Using the chart, you can see how much fuel the pump is actually capable of pumping at a certain pressure and rpm.
Mechanical Or Electric?That raises the next question. Should you use a mechanical pump or an electric one? This is a money issue first and a car-design issue second. If you are making the kind of power we are, the mechanical pump is the less expensive option. The pump mentioned earlier retails for $85.95 and, according to the math, can feed right around 500 hp. The inlet and outlet are also tapped for 31/48-inch line, so you can use your stock fuel system (unless your car is equipped with 51/416-inch stuff; then you should upgrade that anyway). There are mechanical pumps out there that will pump up to 225 gph and feed 675 hp, but you will need to buy a regulator and some AN fittings and lines, so be sure to factor those into the total cost.
There is also driver preference. Circle track guys like it when the mechanical fuel pump quits when the engine dies so that if they flip the car, the pump isn't glugging fuel all over the hot parts while they are headfirst in the clay. Street machine guys usually like to hear that pump whirring away and see the filter or the pump itself mounted next to the fuel cell. It's cool. Drag racers like to know that when the engine is on, the fuel pump is at maximum pressure and ready to go on a hard launch. Electric-pumps start at maximum pressure and flow, and flow drops as pressure increases. Mechanical pumps start at low flow and increase with rpm. Because of that, the mechanical pump uses and delivers fuel based on demand.
In our case we are going to be pumping up the horsepower to 550 or so, feeding a tunnel-ram, and eventually running a parallel nitrous system. The stock fuel tank hits the differential and leaks, so we are going to either install a fuel cell or get a replacement tank and add a sump. All of this leads us to a trunk-mounted electric pump for easy access and track maintenance. We also like the mechanical noise and the glamor.
Return or dead head?The term "dead head" simply means that the fuel in the system does not recirculate back to the gas tank from the front of the car. A return system recycles fuel back to the tank using either a bypass at the fuel pump or at the regulator.
Engines with mechanical pumps can use dead-head systems because fuel pressure only increases with rpm and the design of the pump only allows as much fuel into the pressure side of the system as is needed by the carburetor. Although there are some factory musclecar-era machines that use a return system, most do not for this reason. We ran a mechanical pump with no return line for two years and, even though we drove it to Vegas in scorching heat, never had a fuel-related problem.
When you add an electric pump to a dead-head system, fuel is constantly working against the pressure regulator or being bypassed within the fuel pump itself, causing extra heat and sometimes air to be forced into the system. The more of each you add, the closer you get to the point where the fuel becomes so hot that it turns to vapor and stops being delivered to the engine. On a car that sees the street and long road trips, the result is trouble. This situation also causes a pressure drop, as the needle and seat open to fill the bowls of the carburetor, and constant starting and stopping of fuel flow. These problems are why factory fuel-injected cars with electric pumps always use a return system.
A typical Barry Grant (BG) return system works by pumping fuel pressure to the regulator mounted downstream of the carb. Since the regulator will be set to provide 6-8 psi, the unused fuel will be sent back to the gas tank or fuel cell. This ensures that the fuel is constantly flowing and that fresh, cool fuel is always available at the carburetor. Another advantage to the return system is that the fuel pressure is the same throughout the system, eliminating pressure drops between the regulator and the carbs and ensuring that fuel-pressure settings remain constant under load.
If you are stubborn and want a dead-head-style system or are clicking off 1.20 60-foot times in a trailered race car, BG offers the BG400 pump, which has an externally adjustable bypass right at the pump that can return fuel to a rear-mounted fuel cell or tank. It's really not designed for street use, but for burger-stand guys and short trips, there is a power stepdown box that will cut the voltage to the pump so it will not overheat. A toggle switch is used to put it into street driving mode, then a throttle switch takes the system back to full voltage at WOT. Pretty neat.
If you still insist on trying a dead-head system, there is the Enduro series from BG, which allows you to run a big electric pump on the street. The trick is an internal bypass and a fuel-cooled gerotor-style motor. The King, Mighty, and Speed Enduro pumps can feed 2,000-, 750-, and 500hp engines respectively and can also be hooked to an additional aluminum heat sink if necessary for additional abuse.
RegulatorsAt the very low end of the fuel pump spectrum you can find fuel pumps that don't require a pressure regulator of any kind. They are the mechanical pumps that provide less than 110 gph free flow and don't build pressure much higher than about 8 psi, and electric pumps that provide less than 100 gph free flow and don't build pressure above 7 psi. If you need more pump, you need a regulator.
Using Holley carburetors as an example, the needle-and-seat assembly can control fuel flow up to about 8 psi. Any more than that and unregulated fuel will flood the bowl, enter the carb through the venturi as it pours out of the vent tubes, and stall the car at idle or create a huge rich condition at full throttle. The regulator simply uses spring pressure to regulate fuel pressure. There is a screw or Allen bolt on top of the regulator that when turned clockwise adds preload to the spring, increasing the amount of pressure required to unseat the regulator. A dead-head-style regulator simply stops fuel from flowing when the valve is closed. A return-style regulator allows fuel to flow back into the tank. There are several sizes available, but the basic breakdown is for either 31/48-inch or 11/42-inch fuel line. There are also four-port regulator dead heads for tunnel-rams and single-return styles for multiple carbureted street machines.
When using return-style regulators, it's important that the return line is within one size of the feed line. If the line is too small, fuel will not be able to return to the tank fast enough and you will not be able to lower the fuel pressure at the feed line no matter how many times you turn the screw.
Since every pressure regulator has fuel pressure versus spring pressure vented to atmosphere, you can run a fitting to manifold pressure. On boost, the extra atmosphere will increase fuel pressure at a 1:1 ratio. Nitrous guys should have a separate fuel system for safety reasons. If the main fuel system fails at full throttle, the nitrous will still be spraying. With a separate line you can run a safety switch that kills the nitrous when fuel pressure drops below a predetermined limit.
Fuel LinesWe've been having a small debate about the size of the feed line from the fuel tank or cell. BG recommends a -12 (31/44-inch) line for the BG-400 and even sent us a photo of a cavitated pump as proof that bigger is better. The theory is that since electric pumps are designed to push and not pull, they need all the help they can get. Yet most fuel cells come with a -8 (11/42-inch) line, and the guys at Holley saw no problem with a -8 feed. What BG and Holley agree on is that the primary line should be -8 (11/42 inch) from the pump to the regulator and at least -6 (31/48 inch) on the way back.
If you are using a factory gas tank, the return line should be as far away from the pickup as possible to prevent the returning fuel from frothing and disturbing suction. All that fuel going to the pump has to be replaced with air in the tank, so it needs a suitably sized vent with some kind of filter attached or fuel will stop flowing.
WiringThis is easy. You'll need to run a minimum 12-gauge or preferably 10-gauge wire from a battery source to the fuel pump using a relay, and then switch the relay on and off using a 12-volt source from the ignition key or, in some cases, a toggle switch. Since fuel pumps are simply electric motors, the amount of current supplied can affect the speed, and therefore the efficiency, of the pump. Ever had a low battery or a bad connection and had your starter spin really slowly, barely turning over the engine? Same thing. The minimum voltage you should deliver to the pump is 13.2 volts, but companies like Mallory advertise the maximum pump gph rating at 14 volts, so the closer you can get to the ideal between 13.5 and 14.2 volts, the better.
Just as the power wire is important, the ground wire needs to also be 12 gauge or larger and attached to a clean portion of the frame near the pump. If the pump is straining or getting hot, check the ground circuit first.
|Autogage fuel-pressure gauge
|Summit Racing
|BG 220HR fuel pump
|Jegs High Performance
|BG King Enduro fuel pump
|Jegs High Performance
|BG diaphragm bypass
|Jegs High Performance
|BG fuel-cell-to-pump kit
|Jegs High Performance
|BG pump-bypass to return-line kit
|Jegs High Performance
|BG fuel-pump-to-regulator kit
|Jegs High Performance
|BG regulator-to-dual-carb kit
|Jegs High Performance
|BG regulator-to single-carb kit
|Jegs High Performance
|Competition Engineering fuel-tank
|sump kit
|Summit Racing
|Mighty Demon TR 650 carbs, each
|Jegs High Performance
|Edelbrock mechanical fuel pump
|Summit Racing
|Edelbrock electric fuel pump
|Summit Racing
|Hogan's Racing Manifolds tunnel-ram
|Hogan's Racing
|Holley HP125 fuel pump
|Summit Racing
|Weiand tunnel-ram linkage kit
|Summit Racing
|Summit Racing aluminum fuel cell
|Summit Racing


text:
Swimming Pool Blog
CPR in a Swimming Pool Environment
by Myles McMorrow, December 13, 2009
CPR in a Swimming Pool Environment
There is no place that the skill and training of lifesaving tactics come into play more than around a swimming pool. Accidents happen all the time. Drowning, heart attacks and injuries happen every day around pools and you should be ready and trained if you own a pool, or spend more than a few hours a week around a swimming pool. Here is a guide for performing CPR, and a few other rescue tips. This article is not a substitute for professional training, and is only a guide of procedures for performing CPR. Always be sure to have a working phone at the pool, and In case of medical emergency or serious injury, call 911 immediately.
· If a person has collapsed, determine if the person is unconscious. Gently prod the victim and shout, "Are you okay?" If there is no response, shout for help. Call 911 or your local emergency number.
· If the person is not lying flat on his or her back, roll him or her over, moving the entire body at one time.
· Open the person's airway. Lift up the chin gently with one hand while pushing down on the forehead with the other to tilt the head back. (Do not try to open the airway using a jaw thrust for injured victims. Be sure to employ this head tilt-chin lift for all victims, even if the person is injured.)
· If the person may have suffered a neck injury, in a diving or automobile accident, for example, open the airway using the chin-lift without tilting the head back. If the airway remains blocked, tilt the head slowly and gently until the airway is open.
· Once the airway is open, check to see if the person is breathing.
· Take five to 10 seconds (no more than 10 seconds) to verify normal breathing in an unconscious adult, or for the existence or absence of breathing in an infant or child who is not responding.
· If opening the airway does not cause the person to begin to breathe, it is advised that you begin providing rescue breathing (or, minimally, begin providing chest compressions).
Breathing (Rescue Breathing)
Pinch the person's nose shut using your thumb and forefinger. Keep the heel of your hand on the person's forehead to maintain the head tilt. Your other hand should remain under the person's chin, lifting up.
· Inhale normally (not deeply) before giving a rescue breath to a victim.
· Immediately give two full breaths while maintaining an air-tight seal with your mouth on the person's mouth. Each breath should be one second in duration and should make the victim's chest rise. (If the chest does not rise after the first breath is delivered, perform the head tilt-chin lift a second time before administering the second breath.) Avoid giving too many breaths or breaths that are too large or forceful.
Circulation (Chest Compressions)
After giving two full breaths, immediately begin chest compressions (and cycles of compressions and rescue breaths). Do not take the time to locate the person's pulse to check for signs of blood circulation.
· Kneel at the person's side, near his or her chest.
· With the middle and forefingers of the hand nearest the legs, locate the notch where the bottom rims of the rib cage meet in the middle of the chest.
· Place the heel of the hand on the breastbone (sternum) next to the notch, which is located in the center of the chest, between the nipples. Place your other hand on top of the one that is in position. Be sure to keep your fingers up off the chest wall. You may find it easier to do this if you interlock your fingers.
· Bring your shoulders directly over the person's sternum. Press downward, keeping your arms straight. Push hard and fast. For an adult, depress the sternum about a third to a half the depth of the chest. Then, relax pressure on the sternum completely. Do not remove your hands from the person's sternum, but do allow the chest to return to its normal position between compressions. Relaxation and compression should be of equal duration. Avoid interruptions in chest compressions (to prevent stoppage of blood flow).
· Use 30 chest compressions to every two breaths (or about five cycles of 30:2 compressions and ventilations every two minutes) for all victims (excluding newborns). You must compress at the rate of about 100 times per minute. It has been said that you can use the beat of the BeeGee's song "Staying Alive" as a tempo to proper CPR rythym.
· Continue CPR until advanced life support is available.
Using an AED in conjunction with CPR:
· If using an AED in the case of a heart attack or cardiac arrest, single shocks should be followed by immediate CPR for two minutes. Heart rhythm checks should be performed every two minutes (or after giving about five cycles of CPR); the AED will provide audible prompts at the appropriate intervals.
· If using an AED on a one- to eight-year-old child, use a child-dose-reduction system if available. (However, do not use child pads or a child dose on adults in cardiac arrest because the smaller dose may not defibrillate adults properly.)
CPR for Infants (Up to One Year Old)
With infants, be careful not to tilt the head back too far. An infant's neck is so pliable that forceful backward tilting might block breathing passages instead of opening them.
Do not pinch the nose of an infant who is not breathing. Cover both the mouth and the nose with your mouth and breathe slowly (one to one and a half seconds per breath), using enough volume and pressure to make the chest rise.
With a small child, pinch the nose closed, cover the mouth with your mouth and breathe at the same rate as for an infant. Rescue breathing should be done in conjunction with chest compressions.
Chest Compressions on Infants
· If alone with an unresponsive infant, give five cycles of CPR (compressions and ventilations) for about two minutes before calling 911 or your local emergency number.
· Use only the tips of the middle and ring fingers of one hand to compress the chest at the sternum (breastbone), just below the nipple line, as described in the table below. The other hand may be slipped under the back to provide a firm support. (However, if you can encircle your hands around the chest of the infant, using the thumbs to compress the chest, this is better than using the two-finger method.)
· Depress the sternum between a third to a half the depth of the chest at a rate of at least 100 times a minute.
· Two breaths should be given during a pause after every 30 chest compressions (a 30:2 compression-to-ventilation ratio or two breaths about every two minutes) on all infants (excluding newborns).
· Continue CPR until emergency medical help arrives.
Small Children (ages one to eight)
· Give five cycles of CPR (compressions and ventilations) for about two minutes after calling 911.
· Use the heel of one or two hands, as needed, and compress on the breastbone at about the nipple line.
· Depress the sternum about a third to a half the depth of the chest, depending on the size of the child. The rate should be 100 times per minute.
· Give two breaths for every 30 chest compressions (30:2 ratio) or two breaths about every two minutes.
· Continue CPR until emergency medical help arrives.


text:
Coupon enthusiasts and rewards addicts rejoice! There is an easy way to free yourself from keychain clutter and plastic cards filling up your wallet. The Key Ring™ app streamlines the way you plan, shop and save by organizing all of your loyalty and membership cards neatly in one safe and secure place. Quickly add accounts for your favorite stores, then go shopping. Rather than fumbling with your keys at the register, simply tap the reward program icon in the Key Ring™ app and scan your phone instead.
Before you shop, Key Ring™ also lets you plan ahead by browsing sales and coupon circulars at various retailer locations, find deals nearby and even create and share shopping lists directly in the app. That's pretty cool if you ask us!
Ditch those worn-out cards and download Key Ring™ for free to start simplifying your savings!
Looking for even more ways to save? Read about other top money-saving apps here.


text:
The Watchmen is probably the best graphic novel ever made, written by the genius Alan Moore it presents an alternate reality (where Nixon has been re-elected a third time?!) The Watchmen themselves are unique and quite bizarre, and The Comedian is the most awe inspiring character, a man full of darkness, strength and mystery. He sees the world in black and white (like his fellow Watchmen 'Rorschach') and always seems to smile, even at the bad things in life. This tutorial will show you how to draw The Comedian from the 2009 film, so as always good luck and be happy.
DragoArt members upload artwork and drawing tutorials! They are also allowed to leave comments on tutorials, profiles, etc. Many more features, as well; it's way better than just being a boring guest! Register Now!


text:
POLYTOUR Strings selected as "2012 STRING OF THE YEAR"
- Date
- 29 January 2013
YONEX's POLYTOUR PRO 125 tennis strings, known for their softness, were chosen as "Poly String of the Year 2012" and pentagon-shaped POLYTOUR SPIN was chosen as "Newcomer of the Year 2012" on tennis string community site, Stringforum. (German version)
Stringforum is a famous website, especially for stringers in Germany, which introduces various tennis strings from all brands, and visitors can exchange a lot of information. In the site's 2012 String of the Year Survey, 108 people from the German site and 159 people from the English site voted for their favourite string. The POLYTOUR PRO 125 has been ranked very well in each performance category such as Power, Feel and Comfort, topping the ranking in 'Feel'. It was selected as the "Poly String of the Year 2012". Meanwhile, the POLYTOUR SPIN was selected as "Newcomer of the Year 2012" on the German site, and both got second on the English site, too.
Stringforum (German): http://www.saitenforum.de/saite2012.php
Stringforum (English): http://www.stringforum.net/string2012.php
Maria Kirilenko has been using POPLYTOUR PRO 125 strings for two years. She commented, "I just love it and I will continue to play with this one. I don't wanna change it to anything else because I feel so good".
Sabine Lisicki has just started to use POLYTOUR SPIN on tour. "I get more power and control with this new string. Even after the bounce, my shots never lose spin. I like this blue color very much and hope to play well with this string during the season."


text:
SALT LAKE CITY — IT'S hard to imagine anything more painful than going through the presidential campaign all over again with Mitt Romney.
Unless it's going through two presidential campaigns with Mitt Romney.
But, yes, that's the narrative of a new buzzed-about documentary that had its world premiere here on Friday night at the Sundance Film Festival.
Those who have seen "Mitt" — which debuts on Netflix on Friday — are agog that filmmaker Greg Whiteley has accomplished what Romney himself, the gleaming, ever-replicating Romney clan and the candidate's high-priced political strategists could not: Willard Mitt Romney seems all too human.
He wells up. He prays with his family, kneeling on the floor of hotel rooms, and plays with them in the snow. He refers to himself sardonically as "the flipping Mormon" and frets that he could become a loser like Michael Dukakis, who "can't get a job mowing lawns." He daringly steam irons the French cuffs on a formal shirt while it's on his body, just before he goes down in tails to the Al Smith dinner at the Waldorf. He stays calm when he learns Obama is winning re-election: "Wow, that's too bad," he tells an aide on the phone. "All those states, huh?"
Drawn no doubt by word of the miraculous cinematic oil can for the Tin Man, Mitt came to see "Mitt" for the first time last Friday night. Maybe Romney sees the film less as a eulogy than a prologue. There are rumors in Republican circles that he's thinking about another run.
A Republican fund-raising operative even told BuzzFeed that donors are so worried about 2016 now, many tell him, "I think we need Mitt back."
It seems preposterous that we'd go through a third Romney run, but with Chris Christie imploding and Barbara Bush denouncing dynasties and shooing Jeb out of the race, maybe the 66-year-old sees an opening. Maybe he no longer feels, as he tells his family in the film on election night in 2012, stoically writing his concession speech, "My time on the stage is over, guys."
The movie spans from Christmastime 2006, with the family gathered to make a decision on whether Mitt should run in 2008, to after the 2012 election, when he says goodbye to his Secret Service detail and returns to his empty suburban Boston home, sadly staring out the window.
I dread to think what was going through Romney's mind as he watched a movie that made him more appealing than any of his campaign ads or his own convention, even though he paid Stuart Stevens and his other 2012 advisers ridiculously more than the winning politicos who delivered a second term for Barack Obama were paid.
But Whiteley, a charming 44-year-old Mormon documentarian who brought along his adorable blond kids — 12-year-old son, Henry, and 10-year-old daughter, Scout — to his press interviews, was trying to reveal Mitt, while Romney's handlers were trying to obscure Mitt.
"Stuart Stevens's feeling was that Mitt Romney was a fish out of water," Alex Castellanos, a 2008 Romney adviser who crossed swords with Stevens in that campaign, told me. "He was a Northerner in a Southern party. He was a centrist in a conservative party. He was an elite in a rural party. Stuart didn't think he could sell Mitt Romney in the primaries.
"Stuart thought that every day spent talking about Mitt Romney was a losing day and every day spent talking about Barack Obama was a winning day. It was criminal."
Romney was able to relax around his fellow Mormon, Whiteley, enough to seem less awkward and strange, but he's still in the bubble of his faith and family, seemingly cloistered from the world of average Americans.
The film glosses over one of the turning points in the campaign, the 47 percent fiasco. "I was insecure about that," Whiteley admitted to me, noting that Romney didn't give him a more lucid explanation than he gave the press.
It also glides over the bad symbolism of building a four-car garage elevator at his La Jolla house, which Stevens told Romney would be fine.
And while Romney offers a portrait of a man reluctantly drawn into politics because he thinks it is his duty to save the nation from people like Obama, who "have not been in a setting where you're trying to make it," he never really explains how he would save it or gives any clue to the Vision Thing, except murmuring about high taxes on small businesses.
In the end, despite all the campaign artifice and the brutal process, we do get to know the candidates in some primal way.
The fact that Romney allowed his strategists to keep a fence around him and his faith, which is so central to his life, the fact that he basically had nothing to say about where he wanted to lead the country, the fact that the private equity leecher spoke so dismissively about the 47 percent of people he regarded as moochers, the fact that this supposedly top-notch businessman did not seem to realize his campaign was using 20th-century technology — all of this spoke to a certain tentativeness, obtuseness and callousness.
But there's always 2016.


text:
Neocell, Super Collagen+C, Type 1 & 3, 6,000 mg, 120 Tablets
Flash Deals are limited time, limited quantity promotions, so act fast! Limited to: 1 unit of 1 flash deal product per order. If you order more than one unit or re-order or order other flash deals, you will pay our regular low price. Flash Deals are ineligible from all other promotions.
Neocell, Super Collagen+C, Type 1 & 3, 6,000 mg, 120 Tablets
- Expiration Date: May 2021
Shipping Weight:?0.19 kgSwitch to Imperial unitsShipping WeightThe Shipping Weight includes the product, protective packaging material and the actual shipping box. In addition, the Shipping Weight may be adjusted for the Dimensional Weight (e.g. length, width & height) of a package. It is important to note that certain types of products (e.g. glass containers, liquids, fragile, refrigerated or ice packed) will often require protective packaging material. As such, these products will reflect a higher Shipping Weight compared to the unprotected product.
- Product Code: NEL-12895
- UPC Code: 016185128958
- Package Quantity: 120 Count
11.2 x 6.1 x 6.1 cm , 0.16 kgSwitch to Imperial units
Product Rank:
Featured Products
- 6,000 mg Collagen Type 1 &3
- Hair, Skin, Nails, Joints & Bones
- Clinically Tested NeoCell Collagen
- 92% had Increased Skin Hydration†
- Non-GMO + Gluten Free
- Dietary Supplement
- Healthy Joints
- Radiant Skin
- Paleo Friendly
- Healthy Bones
- Strong Hair & Nails
Collagen is a complex structural protein that maintains strength and flexibility throughout the body. As we age, collagen depletion can lead to common signs of aging in the skin, hair, nails, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones. Super Collagen contains clinically studied NeoCell Collagen which supports healthy collagen formation throughout the body. Using NeoCell's technologically advanced hydrolyzation process, large collagen molecules are enzymatically hydrolyzed into small peptides that are both bioavailable and bioactive in the body.
Clinical Results: NeoCell Collagen has been shown to increase skin hydration by an average of 21% and up to 50%, with 92% of test subjects experiencing increased skin hydration and 60% experiencing firmer, softer skin.†
†Based on NeoCell Collagen 2014 study
Suggested Use
Take six (6) tablets daily. For maximum absorption, take on an empty stomach.
Other Ingredients
May contain vegetable magnesium stearate.
Does Not Contain: soy, wheat, lactose, starch, yeast, GMOs or artificial flavors. Gluten Free.
Allergy Warning: May contain trace amounts of naturally occurring sulfite residue.
Keep out of reach of children. As with any supplement, if you are pregnant, nursing or have a medical condition, consult your doctor before using this product.
While iHerb strives to ensure the accuracy of its product images and information, some manufacturing changes to packaging and/or ingredients may be pending update on our site. Although items may occasionally ship with alternate packaging, freshness is always guaranteed. We recommend that you read labels, warnings and directions of all products before use and not rely solely on the information provided by iHerb.
|Supplement Facts
|Serving Size: 6 tablets
|Servings Per Container: 20
|Amount Per Servings
|% Daily Value**
|30 mg
|Protein (from Collagen)
|6 g
|Vitamin C (as Calcium Ascorbate)
|60 mg
|NeoCell Collagen Type 1&3
|6,000 mg
|**Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
† No Daily Values Established.


text:
Don't Have an Account? Sign Up to Save Favorite Listings, Save Searches & More...
LOT 16 - 35 Ft Build Pocket - MIKE HOLMES Approved Community CREEKSIDE RAVINE nestled near the Wedgewood Ravine. Private and exclusive, this cul de sac boasts ravine lots with the opportunity to build a CUSTOM home with the builder of your choice!! 15 acres of park with a trail system that connects you to the ravine and the RIVER VALLEY right outside your doorstep. The cul de sac itself features three rain gardens to maintain a healthy balance with the surrounding environment. Take this opportunity to live in one of the most exclusive communities in Edmonton - close to the Henday and minutes from the International Airport as well as the Currents of Windermere!!!!
Disclaimer: Data is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed accurate by the REALTORS® Association of Edmonton.
Listing information last updated on December 11th, 2019 at 5:31am CST.


text:
For many people, Converse boots, shoes and trainers are instantly identifiable and well-liked for their skateboarding-inspired aesthetic and stylish designs - always updated for the new season. Browse our collection for the latest men's, women's and kids' styles here at OFFICE or find yourself a discounted pair in our amazing Converse shoes sale.
More than a shoe designer, Converse tells the stories of legends, heroes and innovators, tied together by the love of sport. Created by Marquis M. Converse in 1908, this legendary American sportswear brand has nearly a century of authentic sports history and footwear innovation behind it, having made real contributions to the world of athletics and the evolution of certain sports. Converse has forever fused itself with the heritage and soul of American sports and the collection here at OFFICE holds all of your favourites, in classic colours and fabrics, alongside those prints, materials and shades designed specifically for the new season. The Chuck Taylor® All Star® which revolutionised basketball and is recognisable at a glance with the iconic rubber and canvas design, is loved all over the world, in both hi top and low top styles. Another classic in its own right is Jack Purcell®, a footwear icon the world over. A country club classic established in 1935 with the tell-tale Smile™ on the front, Jack Purcell shoes have gained fame well beyond that of the 1930's badminton champion himself. Shop the whole collection of trainers and sneakers at OFFICE today, featuring men's, women's and kids' season-favourite Converse styles including Double Tongue, Layer Ups and Chuck Taylor II designs.
We use cookies to improve our site and your shopping experience. By continuing to browse our site you accept our cookie policy. Find out more


text:
Remember that guy who went to a Packers practice last week and impersonated a certain No. 4 known for gunslinging photos of his dong via text? His name is Kirk Ermatinger, he's from Ripon, Wis., and a Green Bay television station has caught up with him. Yes, Ermatinger acknowledged, he looks just like Favre and gets mistaken for him all the time. Yes, Ermatinger wore a No. 4 to practice that day because ... well, it just happens to be the only Packers jersey he has, you see.
That people reacted to this? All the Internet's fault. From the NBC26 report:
Kirk Ermatinger from Ripon, [sic] says he was shocked after seeing his picture plastered all over the internet.
Yeah, because who would think a guy who looks just like Favre parading around Green Bay in a Favre jersey, apparently seen signing autographs, could draw any attention? The Internet is so stupid.


text:
Since 2013, Sport Clips has been the primary supporter of the VFW's Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship program, which provides scholarships for service members and veterans for use at post-secondary schools and trade schools. To date, we have awarded more than 1,400 scholarships totaling $6.5 million.
Our scholarship recipients come from every part of the United States, represent every branch of service and are earning a variety of degrees including engineering, computer science, business, accounting, health care and many more.
From October 14 through November 11, Veterans Day, Sport Clips loations around the country will be collecting funds in-store and 100% of donations will be given to the VFW to ensure we can continue to support the educational goals of our service members and veterans. Be sure to visit a Sport Clips over the next month, get the MVP and donate to this worthy cause. Be sure to drop in on Monday, November 11, Veterans Day, when participating locations will donate $1 from every haircut service as well as provide free haircuts for veterans. To find a Sport Clips store near you that is offering free veteran haircuts on Veterans Day, visit this page and search by zip code.
"Being chosen to receive this scholarships has been a blessing to me and my family. It has been instrumental in allowing my wife, two young children and I to spend time with each other while I attend college full-time." – Jack Raliff, U.S. Army
"The VFW and all the supporters of the VFW have been a huge blessing to myself and my family. Knowing I was chosen as a Help A Hero Scholarship recipient means more than words can express. This award will put me one step closer to achieving my dream of obtaining my master's degree as well as being a better role model for my children." – Cameron Shanks, U.S. Army Reserves
In 2018, through the generous donations from our Clients and our partners, we collected $1.35 million for the program and were able to present this record-breaking donation to the VFW at their headquarters in Kansas City.
To learn more about the VFW's "Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship" program, including details on eligibility, click here.


text:
While the Denver metro area is one of the most pet-friendly in the country, the cordiality stops when it comes to dogs who bark so much that it becomes a nuisance.
And as the urban area develops and the population grows denser, so does the problem of overly vocal canines.
Often it winds up in the hands of law enforcement officers. In Denver, for example, a dog that barks at night, or yaps continuously while the owners aren't home, can wind up in the dog pound.
So what's a responsible owner to do?
For years, one simple solution was to have a veterinarian "debark" the dog by cutting its vocal cords. The surgery is not so prevalent today, but according to a recent New York Times report, debarked dogs "can readily be found … in private homes, on the show-dog circuit, and even on the turf of drug dealers, who are said to prefer their attack dogs silent."
But on the whole, the procedure has fallen out of favor among veterinarians and animal welfare advocates, says a Denver vet familiar with the practice.
"The procedure was taught while I was still in veterinary school," said Dr. Randy McCarty of Firehouse Animal Health Center in Denver. "I graduated in 1983 and after that it became more disfavored and considered as somewhat of an inhumane procedure. The school has stopped teaching it."


text:
- (adj) tending or able to change frequently or easily; "it is difficult to comprehend the whole of this protean subject"
- (adj) able to do many different things; versatile; "Ashwin is a remarkably protean bowler"
Protean (प्रोटीअन) meaning in Hindi (English to Hindi meaning)
- बहुरूपिया, बहुमुखी,परिवर्तनशील
Protean origin
- late 16th century: from Proteus + -an.
Protean in a sentence (word usage in recent newspaper)
- Markets tend to exhibit their most protean behaviour prior to a landmark event; the budget being no exception.
- Responding to a mammoth first innings score by South Africa, Sehwag plundered the Protean bowling on a placid Chennai pitch.
- Shiamak Unwalla lists eight interesting things about the Protean.
- Suchindranath Aiyer Protean, polyglot, polymath, healer, global human, Brahmin.
- The top order used the right mix of caution and aggression and milked the Protean attack throughout their innings to post a big total.
Mnemonic trick to remember the meaning of protean
- protein khao aur protean body banao
Protean Pronunciation
John Netto, The Protean Trader, explains the Netto Number


text:
Eddie Van Halen says Nike is stepping on his toes, so he's taking them to court.
Van Halen's company ELVH accuses Nike of snatching a color pattern he copyrighted in 2001, according to Rolling Stone.
The red, black and white color design made famous by his Frankenstrat guitar was recently licensed for a line of sneakers the rocker hopes to release. But ELVH says Nike beat them to the punchh, with a pattern on the bottom of Nike's new Dunk Lows that resembles the guitar pattern too closely.
The group is demanding "the impoundment and destruction of all footwear" that uses this pattern in question.
A Nike spokesman told Rolling Stone that "Nike's Dunk shoe design is not substantially similar to any of the Van Halen designs, and Nike has not referenced the 'Van Halen' name or image as part of any marketing campaign or promotional material associated with the shoe."


text:
Scientists at the University of Colorado medical school have made a breakthrough discovery that could help treat hepatitis C.
Researchers at CU's medical campus in Aurora figured out the intimate details of how the virus takes over an invaded cell. Hepatitis C "hijacks" the cell's process for making proteins and instead uses that mechanism to make proteins for the virus, researchers said.
In the last 20 years, scientists have determined that Hep C uses an RNA molecule to take over a cell but the details have been sketchy.
One key detail is reported in a paper published in December in the journal Nature Structural and Molecular Biology. Jeffrey Kieft, an associate professor at CU medical school's department of biochemistry and molecular genetics, and his former graduate student, Megan Filbin, worked with researchers at the Tamir Gonen lab at the Janelia Farm Research Campus of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
They used ultra high-power electron microscopes to take images of RNA molecules from Hep C as they interacted with the cell's machinery.
"This points the way to developing drugs to fight hepatitis C in ways that current therapies do not," Kieft said.


text:
Can You Safely Revert to the 'Old' Facebook?
Do you hate the new Facebook?
You're not alone, but is there a safe way to roll back the latest update and use the old Facebook? And on a site with more than 175 million users, do protests from less than a million of those users really warrant any action?
Facebook started rolling out revamped homepages earlier this month. Homepage tabs were cut in favor of combined status updates and news feed activities, while "highlights" from friends' profiles were put in a separate section on the right-hand side.
Some said the changes made Facebook look more like Twitter, a notion that Facebook denied.
But is there a way back to the promise land of "old" Facebook? Amidst the grumpy status updates from angry Facebook users, blogs reports surfaced this week that with a few clicks of your mouse, new Facebook would be gone forever.
An allfacebook.com post, for example, pointed to a Facebook group called "I WILL SHOW YOU HOW TO GET THE OLD FACEBOOK BACK!" The group provided a detailed work-around that would allegedly restore the old Facebook template.
Some of the comments, however, were from 2008, suggesting that the group was actually created for the last Facebook revamp in summer 2008. Other more recent posts said they were too lazy to go through all the steps, while others wondered if the solution was simply malicious software.
Though it was available earlier this morning, it appears that that group has since been deleted. Most of the other "Give us back old Facebook"-type groups only contain petitions or requests for boycotts rather than technological solutions.
Facebook responded in an e-mail that it takes all user feedback "very seriously."
"We are listening carefully to what people are saying about the new home page through a variety of channels -- including through a popular application, built by outside developers on our platform, that allows users to vote and express their opinion," a Facebook spokeswoman said. "Also helpful have been the many comments we're reading on industry blogs, the Facebook company blog, Mark Zuckerberg's public profile, Facebook user groups, and through the link on the Facebook new home page tutorial. We encourage people to send us constructive, detailed feedback and are committed to using it to inform how we build and improve the site for everyone."
Reports surfaced yesterday that 94 percent of Facebook users were unhappy with the change. The data stemmed from a poll app created by a Facebook user that asked users to rate the changes via thumbs up or thumbs down. As of 4 P.M. Eastern time, the thumbs-down corner had 981,142 votes, while the thumbs up category had 60,363 votes.
That may be 94 percent of users who voted, but among the 175 million total Facebook users, are these people activists for the Internet age or just whiny users who can't handle change?
And what are people so worked up about? The most cited problem appears to be the revamped news feed, which users say is too confusing and omits valuable gossip.
"I miss being able to get more than status updates on the news feed," Lisa wrote.
"I liked the old home page layout. It was easier to tell the difference between types of posts. Everything was listed by time and easy to tell the difference between types (in case I wanted to skim over status updates and just read wall posts, notes, and videos)," wrote an anonymous user.
"Mixed reaction here, I like how it is easy to post web pages and easier to control some of your friends content," Mike wrote. "The bad is the stupid applications take up too much of the newsfeed."
Dissention in the ranks is nothing new when it comes to Facebook overhauls. The social networking site revamped the site last summer, introducing tabbed profiles, streamlining what people saw on the newsfeed, and integrating Wall posts, status updates, and any other activity into a single stream on peoples' pages.
For that update, Facebook did a phased transition- allowing users to retain their old profiles until September. But people were just as annoyed with the changes then as they are now, suggesting that regardless of what Facebook does, there will also be those who hate it and feel the need to join a group and vocalize their anger.
This latest change "is one step in the continued evolution of the site," the Facebook spokeswoman said.
Last time, however, users did not have the option of putting up the changes to a vote. Last month, Facebook introduced its new "democratic" process, which lets users vote on Facebook changes that have a lot of feedback from users.
If a particular topic garners more than 7,000 user comments, users will be given the opportunity to vote on the issue. A vote will be binding if more than 30 percent of all active registered users vote.
No word on whether the redesign will go up for a vote. The issue could likely gather at least 7,000 user comments, but can it get 30 percent--or 52.5 million--of its users to vote on it? Stay tuned.
Editor's Note: This story was updated Saturday at 4:30 pm Eastern time with comment from Facebook.
This post originally appeared on AppScout.


text:
A London court ruled that once a complaint has been made, Google has five weeks to remove a libelous comment or face a lawsuit.
The ruling was made about Google's Blogger platform and overturns a decision made by last year, according to The Guardian. The case was about Payam Tamiz, a former political candidate and law student who failed last year to sue Google over comments made about him being an alleged drug dealer and thief on the London Muslim blog which was created on the Blogger platform. He complained about the comments but said Google didn't promptly remove them.
It's being considered a landmark case because it's the first time a court has made Google liable for defamation for a blog on its blogging platform and has no other tie to the tech titan.
Ian de Freitas, an attorney with Berwin Leighton Paisner, said the ruling was a disappointment. "It is a blow to the technology platform providers because the court of appeal decided that Google is arguably responsible for the postings by the blogger once they have been notified of them and have failed to take them down," he told the Guardian.
The ruling, although in England, could be showing Google and the world that its privacy policies are coming under legal scrutiny -- and it's not ruling to the search titan's benefit.


text:
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
7K3 - Silver Nemesis 3
There is only one thing worse than the broadcast version of Silver Nemesis, and that is the extended version of Silver Nemesis released on VHS in 1993. That special release had extra scenes soldered into the broadcast version, sans incidental music (which some might see as an improvement), but viewers were disappointed to see that the previously deleted scenes contained no dramatic confrontations or exciting story developments. No, the only added bonus was seeing interminable dialogue scenes between Nazis in a van, ludicrous pantomime involving The Doctor and the Queen's guard, and seemingly countless extra scenes involving Lady Peinforte hitching a ride with a wealthy dowager, played by aging film icon Dolores Gray.
That so many scenes involving Gray's Mrs. Remington were scripted and shot, let alone the few that were actually included in the finished programme, is a testament to the sheer overindulgence on the part of the production team. They thought they could do no wrong when everything was going wrong. The scenes in Mrs. Remington's limousine are among the very worst ever shot for Doctor Who, and certainly the most pointless. Kevin Clarke wrote the script for this story, his first and (thankfully) last effort in Doctor Who, but producer John Nathan-Turner was keen on getting Dolores Gray into the programme. Director Chris Clough seemed to be just along for the ride. Even script editor Andrew Cartmel, who was on his way to shaping a fairly notable era in Doctor Who history, apparently suffered amnesia as the basic plot of Nemesis is the exact same as the Cartmel-commissioned Remembrance of the Daleks two stories previously. Ace even states in this story that The Doctor defeated the Cybermen "just like he nailed the Daleks"!
Everything in Silver Nemesis seems to be thrown in for either cheap laughs or cheaper thrills. Ace slaughters an entire division of Cybermen armed only with slingshot and a bag of gold coins. The Cybermen die spectacularly, frequently, and completely unrealistically. Lady Peinforte becomes increasingly deranged and useless as the story moves to its limp climax, and her only line of dialogue seems to be "All things will soon be mine!". The Nazis are stupid and ineffectual. Everything looks like a slightly higher budget fanfilm, and the script has been written to match those lofty expectations.
When I started this blog far too many years ago, I already knew that The Caves of Androzani would most likely remain my favourite story ever, and I was fairly sure that the award for my least favourite story would go unreservedly to Timelash. But this entire blog has been an eye opening experience for me, forcing me to see things in stories that I had watched dozens of times but never picked up upon until it came time to put my thoughts down in an episode review. Intended to celebrate 25 years of Doctor Who, Silver Nemesis feels nothing like Doctor Who. Despite being only three episodes long, it is remarkably padded. It's cheap, tawdry, and a slap in the face to everyone who worked on the show for the previous 25 years.
I can honestly say that my vote for not only my least favourite, but the worst classic series Doctor Who story of all time, is Silver Nemesis.
Posted by Steven at 11:40 AM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Welcome to Turtle Rock Farms
Turtle Rock Farm is a full service Hunter/Jumper boarding, training, and breeding facility. It is our mission to provide the highest quality care and instruction to our clients and their horses. Our commitment to this mission is fueled by our passion for our sport and our equine athletes.
Conveniently located in southern Wisconsin, just an hour from Miluwakee, Madison and 20 minutes from Rockford, Turtle Rock offers a broad range of services.