text:
[a project by AntiTesi (Domenico Sciajno) and U.S.O. Project in collaboration with O' and Die Schachtel]
Live!iXem is a well established event that explores the relationship among sound, music, electronic arts and new technologies. iXem is a project conceived and produced since 2003 by AntiTesi, an organization founded and directed by Domenico Sciajno based in Palermo. Center for self-documentation, research and interdisciplinary development for new forms of Arts, Antitesi focuses on contemporary arts in its diverse expressions, coordinates and organizes cultural events, festivals and exhibitions in music and art.
Festival Live!iXem in October 2010 is divided into two events, a 'preview' in Turin on October 8th, organized with Hiroshima Mon Amour, and the main festival in Milan including live performances, installations and a workshop, organized in conjunction with O' and Die Schachtel.
The field is transverse. The common denominator is not the genre but the experimentation and research to innovation, helping to explore the variety of approaches to aesthetic guidelines, tools and technological solutions adopted by selected international artists and involved in the contemporary music scene.
After the introductory event in Turin, October 8th - with Live! IXem Preview - the festival appointment in Milan will take place in the Isola area, between the spaces of O', Medionauta and VisualContainer on Friday 29th and Saturday 30th October, from morning until late at night, offering a busy schedule of events.
Among these, the workshop 'Movement of acoustic images' - whose theme is the field recording, its transformations and its reproduction in acousmatic space - will consist of three different phases: the first by a technical approach, the second one by listening to environmental sound sources chosen as points of a hypothetical ideal sound map and the third one with 'on-site' recording of sound events.
This year Live!iXem, is also characterized by a partnership with 'Ear to the Earth 2010 - Water and the World', Festival produced by Electronic Music Foundation/Joel Chadabe, which will take place simultaneously in NYC.
PARTNERS: Roland Italy, SMAP (San Marino Audio Project), MIC (Music Information Centre Norway), Sound Corporation
WHERE: O 'via Pastrengo 12; Medionauta via Confalonieri 2; VisualContainer via Confalonieri 11, Milano | Isola Passante Ferroviario/M2 Garibaldi, M3 Zara, tram 2, 4, 7, 31, bus 82, 70, 43
HOW: All events are free except for the workshop (for which there is a fee of 60 euros) - and for the evenings at Medionauta (5 euro membership card).
Antitesi www.antitesi.org
iXem www.ixem.it
Full program here: iXem Press ENG (pdf)


text:
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
INDIANAPOLIS – Josh McNary spent years training to call the shots in artillery fields at Fort Hood.
Turns out the 25-year-old Army fire direction officer really wanted a different mission.
On Tuesday, McNary took advantage of his early release from the Army after more than two years of active-duty service and officially traded his fatigues for pads and an Indianapolis Colts helmet. He hopes to catch on as a linebacker.
"Basically, I just said, 'Hi, I'm Josh McNary' and I told them a little bit about of what I did," McNary said Wednesday morning, describing the introduction to his new band of brothers. "Coach (Chuck Pagano) pretty much hit on the few topics about the translatable qualities that the Army has that also can be applied on the football field — those character traits, the accountability of yourself and holding your brothers in arms accountable. But he kept it in perspective, he acknowledged the fact that this is a game, and that's not really a game, in the Army. It was a heck of a speech."
For McNary and his family, this is a heck of a change.
McNary's father, George, was a captain in the Marines; both of McNary's grandfathers fought in wars, and McNary's uncle is a first major in the Army. So when the high school kid enrolled at West Point, his destiny seemed clear: Army officer.
But along the way, McNary developed into a top-flight football player.
Scouts remember him as the former walk-on who left Army as the school's career leader in sacks (28.0) and tackles for loss (49.0), the kid who won the Pat Tillman Award at the 2011 East-West Shrine Game and the guy who might have been drafted later that year if he wasn't staring at 24 months — or more — away from the game. Back then, the book on McNary said he was undersized at 6-feet, 230 pounds, though he compensated with quick feet, good balance and reliable tackling.
Two years of Army work turned him into a 6-foot, 251-pound ball of muscle, whose passion for the game never changed. He spent those two years watching NFL games, wondering if he couldn't be out there playing.
Colts coaches were so impressed, they signed him as a free agent in April.
"I think over the years that he was with the military, he learned a lot of command," defensive coordinator Greg Manusky said. "He was doing a lot of things. I think he's a good football player and we'll see what he can do when he gets out there."
What he brings is a wealth of real-world experience rarely seen on NFL rosters.
He worked as a graduate assistant at West Point following his playing career and mastered the art of building bonds with colleagues and teammates in stops at the U.S. Military Academy Prep School, the U.S. Military Academy and stints at Fort Sill in Oklahoma and Fort Hood in Texas. He fits in with an unusual corps of Colts rookie linebackers that includes German-born Bjoern Werner, Indy's first-round draft pick, and Daniel Adongo, an African rugby player who has never played a down of American football. The youngsters will be mentored five-time Pro Bowler Robert Mathis.
And though his family's professional choice has usually been military service, McNary acknowledges he has plenty of support on the home front.
"They recognize this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," he said. "All through college my dad's concentration was on academics and military sort of things, and he likes the fact that I'm an officer. He encouraged me to follow that, but they support me in this."
The Army is helping, too.
As of 2008, the Defense Department allows some service members who were required to serve five years of active duty to apply for an early release after two years if they were participating in pro sports. If granted, those getting the release were required to serve in the military reserves and pay back part of their education cost. McNary said he must spend six more years in the reserves though the job will not impact what he does with the Colts — if he makes the team.
When the all-clear came finally Monday, McNary wasted no time getting back to work. He arrived Monday night, passed his physical Tuesday morning and was hitting pads and players Tuesday afternoon.
All McNary has to do now is fulfill his mission by making the team.
"It means a lot not only to me and my family but to all of those who supported me and saw NFL potential early on," McNary said before noting he hasn't had time to reflect on his path to the NFL. "There's too much going on around me. Right now I'm sucking water out of a fire hose, I'm pretty preoccupied."
AP NFL site: http://pro32.ap.org/


text:
Can Microsoft Expression Web Designer Touch Dreamweaver?
- Opening an Old, Outdated, and Nonstandard Web Page
- Prepare for a New Rivalry...Maybe
- Useful Links If You Want to Learn More
Look out, Dreamweaver. Consider Microsoft Expression Web Designer as Dreamweaver's new rival. Don't look at this competition in the iPod vs. everybody way, but rather in the Dell vs. HP way.
FrontPage is out of the race. Microsoft has gotten serious about targeting creative professionals including Web designers and user interface developers, with its Expression suite—consisting of Graphic Designer, Interactive Designer, and Web Designer.
Formerly known as Acrylic, Graphic Designer is said to be a cross between rival Adobe's Photoshop and Illustrator applications. The application comes with vector- and pixel-based capabilities for creating and editing visual drawings and images. Can Graphic Designer compete with Adobe Illustrator? According to this article, the application is strong, but not quite strong enough to compete.
With Interactive Designer (previously known by its code name Sparkle), designers and developers build user interfaces for applications based on the Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) and extensible application markup language (XAML).
Web Designer, née Quartz, isn't a FrontPage upgrade with a new name, although, there won't be any more FrontPage releases. Because of FrontPage's Word-like interface, small businesses and non-Web designers used it to create their own Web sites. Such users won't find it easy to dig into Web Designer as opposed to FrontPage. More-experienced Web designers (especially those strong supporters of Web standards) might not give Web Designer a single look because of FrontPage and Microsoft's history of Web standards noncompliance.
What designers might not realize is that Microsoft finally drank the Kool-Aid. The Expression Web Designer application walks the Web standards walk. One caution: Web Designer currently only supports ASP.NET. Microsoft built the ASP.NET platform; it isn't a surprise that Expression Web Designer was designed to support that platform. This is obviously a drawback for those designers who work with PHP, JSP, and other non-ASP.NET platforms, making it difficult for Microsoft to expand its reach beyond the ASP.NET users.
Opening an Old, Outdated, and Nonstandard Web Page
I dug up a Web page I created in Dreamweaver 3.0 (around 1999 and 2000). The markup was full of font and table—passé stuff. I opened the file in Dreamweaver 8 and Expression Web Designer and proceeded to rebuild the page starting from scratch, but I then copied the content from the old file to see how the applications would handle legacy code.
Figure 1 Split code view in Expression Web Designer
Figure 2 Split code view in Adobe Dreamweaver 8
Div was harder to create and adjust in Dreamweaver. After spending the same amount of time in both applications and modifying a few things in the code, Dreamweaver didn't put the street signs on the right side, which is where they belong. Web Expression placed the image too far to the right, but its result closely resembles the original design.
Figure 3 Previewing page created with Microsoft Web Designer
The screen shot shows that Dreamweaver's preview didn't match what showed up in the browser. Expression displayed the content closer together because the page size setting was set for a narrow display. Had the setting been changed to 795 x 420, the content would have appeared very wide as it did in the browser.
Figure 4 Previewing page created with Adobe Dreamweaver 8
Web Expression points out each code error with the red squiggly line, like Microsoft Word does when it finds typos. Roll the mouse cursor over the problem code, and a description of the problem appears in a tooltip. In Dreamweaver, you must proactively run validation to find errors, although Dreamweaver occasionally highlights errors like a missing closing tag. The same applies for the spellchecker. Expression uses the familiar red squiggly lines whenever it thinks that there's a misspelled word while Dreamweaver requires executing spellchecker.
Both applications do well in catching deprecated tags and other nonstandard markup. Neither pointed out the missing doctype definition. Nasty oversight.


text:
Petunia grandiflora F1 Limbo, natural dwarf
Family: Solanaceae
Used: Outdoor containers, pot and pack, suitable for borders and beds.
Plant type: Annual
Height in pot: 10-15 cm (4-6 in.)
Garden height: 15-20 cm (5-8 in.)
Seed count: 8,000-11,000 seeds/gram (255,000-300,000 seeds/oz) Seed count varies by variety and seed lot
pH 5.9 to 6.2
Media EC 0.5-0.75
Stage 1: radicle emergence
Radicle emergence will occur in 3-4 days.
Moisture: keep media wet but not completely saturated to prevent lack of oxygen.
Covering is not necessary. Light: Petunia will germinate better in light versus in the dark.
Temperature: 22-25ºC (72-77ºF )
Stage 2: expanding stem and cotyledons
Moisture: keep media moist but not wet to allow roots to penetrate.
Temperature: 18-20ºC (65-68ºF)
To induce early flowering a day of at least 14 hrs at
3500 lux (350 foot candles) is needed.
Stage 3: development of first true leaves
Moisture: reduce moisture levels for compact sturdy growth. Allow media to dry in between watering. Temperature: 18-20ºC (65-68ºF) To reduce stretching do not use ammonium-based fertilizers but replace with calcium-based fertilizers.
Supplemental lighting up to an 16-18 days will induce early flowering.
Stage 4: finishing/holding stage
Moisture: Keep media relatively dry to prevent stretching.
Temperature: 15-18ºC (60-65ºF) Temperatures below
15ºC (60ºF) will delay flower initiation. Fertilizing and EC: see stage
Growing on:
Low boron levels may cause tip abortion and blindness. Use of calcium-based fertilizers will prevent calcium deficiency
pH: keep pH above 5.7 and below 6.4 to prevent iron deficiency.
Moisture: Allow media to dry and plants slightly to wilt between watering. Best result with growth regulators is after application of watering when foliage is dry.
Light: Most Petunias need long days (> 14 hrs ) to pro- mote early flowering. In low light areas supplemental lighting of 4,000-6,500 lux (400-650 foot candles) is advisable.
Growth regulators:
Petunia Limbo is naturally dwarf and does not need growth regulators to provide a salable plant. However, PGRs can be applied to provide extra compact plants. The plants responds to Daminozide (Dazide, B-Nine 85) at 2-3 g/litre. Stop before flower buds develop.
Control: common insecticides can be used, check for labelled products.
Pythium, Phytophthora – Damping off. Good hygiene is essential. Botrytis and Powdery mildew can also be a problem. Good hygiene is essential.
Sowing Potting Flowering
wk 6 wk 10 wk 17
wk 10 wk 14 wk 19/20
"Information copied from the breeder.
Muller will not accept any liability for failure and/or damage as a consequence of incorrect and/or inexpert cultivation by or on behalf of the Buyer."


text:
For example, here's one I'll never forget:
"Chim-pan-zees wan-na be free!"
"Chim-pan-zees wan-na be free!"
"Well, a mine is a terrible thing to waste..."ReplyDelete
Come witness the tender mercies of the Atrayan justice system.ReplyDelete
Don't be fool - give me the tortoiseReplyDelete
"Looks like he's between that rock and a bard place"
5 seconds of silence
"Because I'm a bard , get it?"
"I finally comprehend that I am dead."ReplyDelete
"I could kill it, but then what would we eat?"
Spoken by Twinderf the Halfling in the middle of a debate when we found a cow that in the entryway of a cavern complex. Someone in the party proposed we take the cow back to town, sell it, and use the cash to hit the tavern. But the party leader was sure it was trick and wanted to attack the cow--he was convinced it was polymorphed or an illusion or something.
"You don't think that thing was keeping the corpses asleep, do you?"ReplyDelete
"Which way do we go?"
"Not the way the elf died."
in bad Creole French accent: "Aun haunh haunh, I think he laaaahk youuuuu."ReplyDelete
I find your lack of faith disturbing...ReplyDelete
"Have a cookie! They're disintegrate flavour!"ReplyDelete
"Yeah she's a pretty girl. Who's all full of DEMON!"ReplyDelete
"I throw milk at the barbarian!"ReplyDelete
"So, is it time for the Poor Man's Plane Shift?"ReplyDelete
The grass wins the initiative.ReplyDelete
".38 special is not a small calibre. It's just a calibre that means you might be able recognise the guy afterwards."
"Could we just once, have a recce that doesn't turn into a full fledged assault because we were too bored to go back to base?"
[Game set in 1776: on being asked if they wished to recognise the infant United States]
"Yes, but what proof do we have that this "New World" even exists?"
A LARPer wandering around at the beginning of a game.
"Anyone seen Mr Smith, Mr Smith anyone?"
[looks at badge]
"Ah, I'm Mr Smith. Jolly good. Pleased to meet me."
"Tazrun, don't eat that! You don't know who it's been."ReplyDelete
"A wizard? I throw my drink at him!"ReplyDelete
"Are you saying that 'Facts of Life' was nothing more than unrequited lesbian love between Blair and Jo? Now you're just playing with my emotions."ReplyDelete
A what spell?! Ok, fine. So, how many inches is my beard now?ReplyDelete
"I shove my hand through his chest, grab a hold of his spine and use him like a club!"ReplyDelete
Player 1 introducing himself to an NPC in a dungeon: "I am a wealthy traveler."
Player 2 giving advice: "You shouldn't tell him that."
Player 1: "Oh. I am NOT a wealthy traveler."
"If we do this, many will die. Maybe even some of the enemy...Is good plan."ReplyDelete
"But I'm an admiral and they're just hobbits!?!"ReplyDelete
"We are simple country bandits, pay us no mind."ReplyDelete
CHICKIN BONE NUN-CHUCKS GOOOOOOO!ReplyDelete
"I rub his face with the special pants!"
(No, it wasn't lewd. The pants seemed to have a poison-resisting ability and a PC had just failed a save vs. a spitting cobra.)
"I am going to wait for something bad to happen. When it does, I will make something worse happen."ReplyDelete
To the worshipper of Olidammara: "Can't you equally worship your god by breaking into people's houses and taking their stuff?"ReplyDelete
"Can't you equally worship your god by breaking into people's houses and taking their stuff?"ReplyDelete
"We're going to need more corpses ..."
(best final words) "I raise the lantern to get a better look."
"I need you to disguise yourself as a ghost so that you can convince your friends to tell the judge that they're not dead."ReplyDelete
"I'll hold back and cast spells, as I value my testicles."ReplyDelete
"That's OK. This ain't me wipin' hand!"ReplyDelete
From Call of Cthulhu:
Keeper: A hood is put over your head.
Player: I turn on my flashlight.
"Do we have any sides of meat we could give it?"
"I know one."
"You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!"ReplyDelete
"Our reincarnations died before us!"ReplyDelete
Upon a paladin using his horse to make an impressive jump. "Hey, it's Medievel Knievel!"ReplyDelete
"If everyone's dead, then who am I still talking to?"
"I'm here to help, and I'm sorry I killed a third of your people."ReplyDelete
"Well that's one thing I can cross off my bucket list."
"Lets go ask the Space Vikings because Vikings are known to help people."
"I penetrate the hole with the Handy Penetrator(TM)"
The Handy Penetrator(TM) was once a 10 foot pole, that was reduced to a 7 foot pole, and then a 5 foot pole. The hand of a corpse was the affixed to the end of the 5 foot pole. Thus creating the Handy Penetrator(TM) -- Patent-Pending.
You fool! this dungeon wasnt built to keep you out, it was built to keep you in!ReplyDelete
"Oogaa Boogaa Jesus Loves You"
"How inconvenient Roger, a planet."
"How many toes do I have again?"
"...oh, and one more thing, your daughter is a whore."ReplyDelete
Player1: Where's Dwelver?
NPC: I do not know him
Player1: We know you work for him. Now, where is he?
NPC: Really, I do not know him
Player1: Look, we saw you talking to him.
NPC: I ... I ... REALLY do not know him
Player2: Cock-a-doodle-doo!
"Don't f-ck with the wom-wom!"ReplyDelete
"A Northman seducer? What does he do, shout 'Brace yourself, Bridget!'?"ReplyDelete
Do beachballs have tentacles?ReplyDelete
"Fuck sea dwarves!"ReplyDelete
Player 1: He'll never expect us to attack again while we're still weakened and out of spells! Only a fool would do that.
Player 2: Well, we'll show him!
Delivered in an over-the-top German accent, "Do you sink ve are maybe jumping zer flint-lock a little bit here?"ReplyDelete
"'the Problem' is instead of assassinating the shogunate you got his cat!"ReplyDelete
Player 1 to player 2.
"so, you just blew up the top of the tower with a 20 hd fireball... Yes, you killed the assassin, and all the rest of us too while you're safe on the ground"
Player 1 to DM
"is there a chance he will get hit in the head with a rock or something?"
"funny that your cleric only has one arm..."ReplyDelete
"are we fighting now? I wanna fight! I wanna gamble!"ReplyDelete
Of course I'm a monk, I went to a seminar.ReplyDelete
"I grab the paralyzed halfling by the back of his belt and use him as a shield against the ghasts!"
Halfling player, "WHAT?!?"
"Take the fish out of your ears and be nice to the mushroom people!"ReplyDelete
"Someone is holding a trap in our honor. It would be rude not to spring it."ReplyDelete
" I wish that my toe nail would turn blue"
--uttered in order to determine the properties of a magical ring.
"Soft zombie, Cold zombie,
Rotting lump of clay -
Hungry zombie, Creepy zombie,
Brains, Brains, Brains."
"Come on... what are you worried about? It's Avernus! It's only the first Hell!"ReplyDelete
A corpse is a corpse
Of course, of course
And no one can talk to a corpse of course.
But I can talk to a corpse of course
'cause I cast Speak with Dead!
"And the hellhound spews forth a gout of hellfire!"
"Wow. Must be the puppy chow."
"It's like tupperware with weapons."
"It's anti-matter. It'll hurt but, seriously, for one or two seconds tops. Then...nothing."
I'm stealing this. My group is the most trap-shy bunch. It takes half the session just to talk them into even thinking about outsmarting it.ReplyDelete
'I hit him with the gammon.'
...Not the first time a player has mistaken his tavern lunch for a rare type of pole-arm.
'I hit him with my gammon.'
...Not the first time a player has mistaken his tavern lunch for a rare type of pole-arm.
Hi Ho! Hi Ho!
It's off to work we go!
To hack and kill
Maim and steal
Hi Ho! Hi...
"Well, maybe elves aren't that bad after all..." *deathrattle*ReplyDelete
"I would like to party with this hag."
"It would be nice at some point to get armor for the back half of my body."
"Where's the magic hamburger when you need it?"
"We could make a pile of wolves."
"Skullface, I don't think we have to fight this goo!"
(out of character:) "Now that I'm more intimate with the body, do I smell anything?"
"You have two choices: sodomy or cake."ReplyDelete
This just made me laugh out loud.ReplyDelete
If you like that, you might enjoy what likely inspired it:
Eddie Izzard: Dress to Kill
(In Izzard's routine, it's "death or cake".)
"If everyone else is alive, then who they burying?"ReplyDelete
Fear us you dogs! We're here to burn, rape and pillage... in that order.ReplyDelete
Okay, who put the Death Knight in my bag of holding?ReplyDelete
"I'm sure this abduction has something to do with an evil cult. Let's check the stars for suspicious alignments!"
*A few moments later*
"The stars told me to go fishing in this river. Would you mind casting fireball? That way, we can fish AND cook all at the same time!"
"He has all the qualities of a person I would hope to one day IMMOLATE."
"Witness the destructive power of an armed and fully intoxicated Dwarven Battlerager!"
"so, we enlarge those chickens and grease em up real good. Then we bring out the catapult."ReplyDelete
"Sir, I am not a medical doctor, but it appears that you are on fire."ReplyDelete
"I can trade in my leather armor. I'm not incontinent, so it's clean."
"It's not that I'm turned on by her or anything, she's just magical!"
"I still say we should have burned the human bodies. Because they were Broken Chain, dead-re-livin' people."
"Hey! Stealing is a strong accusation word."
DM: "You see a gigantic pit filled with some kind of glowing blue-green liquid. It takes up about half of the ro--"
Player: "I jump into the pool of water."
Reminds me of this, but with an extra-cool D&D twist : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKBYLjRHa4EReplyDelete
Ok fine rub me with the special pants . . . but use the back of the KNEES.ReplyDelete
"I'm dropping my sword and grabbing my nut!"ReplyDelete
BLAM. BLAM. "Stop." BLAM. BLAM. "Police."ReplyDelete
"We are fish out of water, surrounded by sharks"ReplyDelete
"Sexually transmitted beartraps."ReplyDelete
"I ain't no flea!"


text:
I just got back home after almost two hours of Hip-Hop Dance class. I've never really listened to Hip-Hop music, I've not paid much attention (outside of some sideline, "Oh, wow look at what that person just did, so bendy!") to Hip-Hop Dance or Music videos, and I've not taken a Hip-Hop Dance class, ever, before this year.
A bit of a background: When I was five years old, my mother asked me if I'd like to take dance lessons. I said "yes". Or, I assume I did, because I was soon enrolled in them. We did Tap. I took Tap Dancing for six or seven years after that. I also began Jazz Dance lessons from about age eight. When I was eleven years old, I stopped taking dance lessons. My feet had reached size 10, and, where I lived, low-heel tap-shoes were not available in a size above 9. I was not going to Tap Dance (let alone walk) in high heels when I was eleven years old. I didn't get a pair of "heels" until I was in my twenties, for that matter.
So, I stopped dancing. I went out dancing from time to time in my late teens to early twenties, and jiggled around the dance floor a bit… but I always felt oversized and uncomfortable. When my bar-going friends mostly moved away, and I was a professional, busy working person, I stopped dancing altogether.
Last summer, I took a few African Dances classes. I liked it, I felt good after the classes, and they made me move. I still attend at least one of these classes every week. I am very comfortable with it now. I feel free and alive when I dance in that class. It is unlike Tap or Jazz Dance, but I do see some basic dance connections.
For fun, and with my friend's encouragement, we took a Hip Hop Dance class one night this January. It was… a challenge. It was so different in structure and movement from dance I've done before. Despite all that, I found it to be fun!
Now I've been back to that class about four or five times, whenever my schedule allows. It is still a big challenge, and I do admit to feeling a little frustrated with that. However, I feel physically better after having done the class, and I recognise that the mental and physical challenges of extending my own comfort zones is a real benefit to me. I am thankful that I have the opportunity to take a range of different classes at my local YMCA. I didn't have this opportunity as a child; who knows how different life would have been if I'd had a chance to dance wearing sneakers (Hip Hop) or barefoot (African Dances) !!!
It is never too late to start.
Natasha Henderson, Montreal


text:
Isidore II of Constantinople
Isidore II Xanthopoulos was Patriarch of Constantinople in mid fifteenth century, having succeeded to the patriarchal throne after Gennadius II Scholarius resigned in May 1456.
Little is known of Isidore's life before or after his ascension to the patriarchal throne. He was a hieromonk who was chosen by the local council and was acceptable to Sultan Mechmet. He was consecrated a bishop in the Church of Pammakaristos by the Metropolitan of Heraklia. Isidore remained patriarch from 1456 to 1462.
His performance while in office is not known other than his having made some decision concerning the Orthodox In Venice. A humble patriarch, he was able to fulfill his duties in a difficult time of satisfying the Turkish sultan.
He reposed on March 31, 1465 and was succeeded by Gennadius II.
Isidore II of Constantinople
|Preceded by:
Gennadius II Scholarius
|Patriarch of Constantinople
|Succeeded by:
Gennadius II Scholarius


text:
I am a Vinyl/Digital Vinyl DJ and have been DJing on radio since 2008. I have tried CDs but personally I don't get on with them - I prefer the real feel of Vinyl
I play many different styles of music from Minimal Tech to Soulful & Jackin, Trance to Hard House and Tech to Electro. I have also recently started playing Drum and Bass and you can find some Liquid DnB mixes on the mixes page.
Currently I play on the rapidly expanding internet radio station; housefreaks. I have a regular show: DJL's Deep Decks on Wednesdays 8PM-10PM*
You can find some of my mixes and past shows here
There are a lot of mis-conceptions about Digital (mp3) DJs - some of them are not always true
I also develop a lot of software. I have a separate site dedicated to this development side of myself here
If you want to SPAM me - then please send it here: email@example.com and I will gladly add you to my block list :)


text:
Constitutionalism: A Skeptical View
46 Pages Posted: 11 Dec 2010 Last revised: 5 May 2012
Date Written: May 1, 2012
This paper examines the ideology that goes by the name of "constitutionalism." The first part of the paper considers the significance of "written constitutions" The second part of the paper casts a skeptical eye at conceptions of constitutionalisim that emphasize "limited" government. Once "limited government" is contrasted carefully with "restrained government" (restraints upon specific actions by government) and with "controlled government" (e.g. insistence upon democratic control), we see that the association of constitutionalism with general limitations on the scope of government ought to make it a much more controversial ideal than the general anodyne acceptance of the term "constitutionalism" might lead us to expect. Finally, the anti-democratic implications of constitutionalism are explored. The paper argues that, by insisting on limited government, constitutionalism downplays the important role that constitutions have to perform in the modern world in establishing and securing specifically democratic authority.
Keywords: authority, constitution, constitutionalism, constitutional law, democracy, judicial review, limited government, rights, written constitution
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
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Recommended Papers
Evolution Vs. Revolution: Dueling Models of Dualism
By Rivka Weill
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Political Constitutionalism and the Judicial Role: A Response


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We call them Wisps and they sure do rock. Try putting them in a layer behind any graphic or 3D render. There are 10 images and all are around 3000px wide – 300 DPI. Commercial or Personal use ok. Please don't redistribute them.
cool stuff you guys !!!!!! Wish you the best of luck on your new venture
good work….im curious how you created these. I really dig the glow effect…its something i havent quite mastered
Very lovely. Thank you very much.
Very Cool! How did you make them?
wow .. 😛 there awesome, how would you make these .. ?
These are great visuals! Did you perhaps use "Apophysis" to create the wisp effects? Well done!
Incredible shots. Congratulations to media militia!
Great stuff, I'll sure use one of them on one project I have in mind….
love it.. thank u so much!
Gracias 😀 DD
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hello …may i know what your program to make it
Would love to work with you on some new designs for some of my clients. firstname.lastname@example.com
Really stylish – what a cool resource to give away- cheers!
Great freebie. Thanks!
hmm cool graphic….can anybody tell me, what program to create the effects above…?? thanks
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Its Amazing Creation, mediamilitia.com have a real art.
These are nothing short of amazing. I'm actually in the process of making a desktop wallpaper with one of the pictures. I was wondering if you had any pointers for removing the black background
Nevermind! I'd forgotten that with the Hue & Saturation adjustments I didn't need to cut out the background, just use the 'Hard Light' blend mode. Once again, some amazing stuff. It's great to see such great resources available for free!
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is there a tutorial on how to make these???
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It would be much more beneficial if you could show us how to create these.
I need to learn how to make it not just where to get it.
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Cool! ….kind of like "dreamy Illusions" 🙂
iv used these alot in my sigs and iv been wondering if u guys are planning to make more these are really fantastic
I like the picture.But I can't download the file on box.net . Can you give me another link? Thanks!
No lo puedo bajar, me das otro link? GRACIAS
hi can some one tell me how to install this free resources into my ps5?
Can't wait to try these. They are just what I am looking for.
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thanks for shared,even that i don't now when I'll use it,but i think i will^^
muy bueno
me encantan sus trabajos, imaginación y creatividad al maximo, gracias por compartirlo.
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super vraiment bonne continuation a vous votre travail ,et merci pour le partage , je vous embrasse amicalement Danielle
This work is genius..thank you so much for doing this
please i need tutorials on how to use these effects on photoshop


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For listeners of this show a complimentary 15 minute financial coaching and strategy session is available by calling Eric at 941.713.9307 or email at firstname.lastname@example.com - just let him know you heard about The Financial Independence Project on today's show.
The Financial Independence Project
Eric - 941.713.9307
Here is the show link for Saturday the 9th August 2014: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/matrixfile ... jerry-kirk
Archive of the show is here: http://matrixfilesradio.com/shows/9Augu ... -2014.mp3 - The song audio has been cleaned up but otherwise it is pretty poor as there is a lot of breathing (by me) heard. Very sorry about that as I had no idea that was happening. Please don't let that distract you from the info contained herein.
Today I have a new intro tune. So don't panic if the music you hear is not what you have heard in the past.
I go over the golden nuggets from last week's show then get right in to today's show with my guest Jerry F. Kirk.
The way out of the mess we find ourselves in today, a mess which is now world-wide, is for all of us to get a grounding in Law and understand what has happened to the great endevour called America. America was setup by some very courageous men with high hopes for a way to live without the tyranny of King George III. Is what we have been taught about America true or a pack of lies? We start exploring this today and start from the 1200's and maybe earlier.
Also, the word 'America' can be seen as an acronym for 'I Am Race', the 'I Am' as mentioned by Christ in the bible. But has America succumbed at last to the evil of the Caananites (those spawn of the devil - the offspring of Cain)?
I hope you can join me in a interesting show.
Nuggets of Gold
- The Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation are a total fraud on the people of America.
- The revolutionary war was also a fraud.
- From the very beginning people in America used the Geneva bible not the King James bible (KJV). The war was to do with imposing the KJV on the American peoples.
- The Geneva bible gave people the idea that they had duties and responsibilities to the father in heaven, whereas the KJ was written to say that all rights flow from the King.
- The colonies were corporations.
- Mammon is any form of man's government.
- The US was made into a different corporation in 1871 (it was another corporation before that).
- It was discovered that different parts of the country had different copies of the US Constitutions.
- Everything in America is based on fraud.
- You can grow and use tobacco to keep bugs at bay in your garden and crops.
- In the Treaty of Paris of 1783 all lands and property revert back to the British.
- By saying you receive mail, you are putting yourself under the jurisdiction of the government. Mail is armored - military jurisdiction. Zip code = Federal Jurisdiction.
- By using rectangular brackets around your zip code you are adding your zip code with emphasis.
Jerry F. Kirk, servant to:
Section 19, Township 14N., Range 17W.
Non-Resident, Non-Domestic Delivery
Searcy County, Arkansas the state
c/o HC 75, Box 267
Witts Springs, Arkansas the state


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The Top 41 Hottest Muscle Cars In Your Garages - What's In Your Garage?
We asked you to show us your rides. Here's 41 of the coolest homegrown street machines you sent us.
Related Video
Chevrolet Camaro
1971 Chevy Camaro
Kurt Bryant Morgan, UT
The number you're looking for is "11.50," as in that's how quick Kurt Bryant's '71 Camaro is in the quarter-mile—at a 4,200-foot elevation no less. So where does Kurt get enough snot to run 122 mph in the quarter at that altitude you ask? That'd be a ProCharger-blown 6.0L LS that Kurt built on a skinny nickel with a boneyard motor and scraps picked up from eBay. Heck, even the wheels were lifted from a late-model Jaguar—and, by the way, they twist the dyno rollers to the tune of 596 hp. The bargain hunting continues with re-covered seats from a Honda Prelude, pistons from a '06 GTO, and plenty of sweat equity that Kurt invested in his own garage. He even knocked out all the body and paintwork at home. Yeah, the tech sheet looks pretty sparse, but don't let that fool you—there just aren't a lot of blister-packed parts on Kurt's car.
By The Numbers
Engine: 6.0L LQ4 with L92 heads, COMP cam (232/246 duration at .050, .595/.613-inch lift), LS3 intake, 92mm throttle body, P1SC supercharger
Trans: 700-R4 four-speed automatic overdrive with 3,500-stall converter
Rearend: stock 8.2-inch 10-bolt with 3.73 gears
Suspension: stock, Summit 1-inch drop spindles, CE drag shocks
Brakes: stock
Jaguar XKR 18-inch wheels with 245/35R18 and 275/40R18 Toyo tires
1974 Chevy Camaro
Julian Johnston, Langdon, ND
By The Numbers
Engine: 350ci small-block Chevy with COMP hydraulic cam and 650-cfm Holley carb
Trans: stock Turbo 350 three-speed automatic trans
Rearend: 10-bolt with 4.10 gears
Suspension: stock front and rear suspension with Monroe gas shocks
Brakes: stock front disc and rear drum brakes
14x7 American Racing Black Modular wheels with 215/60R14 and 275/60R14 BFGoodrich Radial T/A
Cool Factoid: Julian bought his Camaro when he was 14 and has done much of the work himself, including rust repair and paint and body.
1978 Chevy Camaro
Geri Lee Reynolds, Knoxville, MD
By The Numbers
Engine: 350ci small-block Chevy with stock cast-iron heads, "off-road" camshaft, and Edelbrock Torker intake
Trans: Turbo 350 automatic three-speed with shift kit and 3,200-stall converter
Rearend: stock 10-bolt with 2.43 gears
Suspension: stock
Brakes: stock
stock 15-inch Rally wheels (powdercoated purple), 225/60R15 tires
Cool Factoid: The Camaro was a "thank you" gift from Geri's brother, Kregg, who she helped nurse back to health after a work-related train accident.
1981 Chevy Camaro Z28
Craig Barkhouse, Stellartown, Nova Scotia
By The Numbers
Engine: 502ci Chevrolet Performance ZZ502 big-block Chevy crate engine, roller cam (.527/.544 lift 224/234 duration at .050), Edelbrock intake with Holley 850-cfm carb
Trans: Turbo 400 three-speed automatic with 2,500-stall converter
Rearend: 10-bolt with Auburn limited-slip and Richmond 4.10 gears
Suspension: stock, front and rear
Brakes: stock discs and drums
15x7 and 15x10 Centerline Convo Pro wheels with 26x8.00R15 and 28x12.00 Mickey Thompson Sportsman tires
Cool Factoid: Craig bought the Z28 new and has been treating it like a prized possession, continually upgrading it ever since.
1980 Chevy Camaro Z28
Darren Wood, Barkhamsted, CT
By The Numbers
Engine: 383ci small-block Chevy with double-hump heads, Edelbrock Torker intake, and Holley 750 double-pumper carb
Trans: Turbo 350 three-speed automatic with 3,500-stall converter
Rearend: stock 10-bolt rear with 3.73 gears
Suspension: stock with 2-inch drop spindles, cut factory springs, CE traction bars and subframe connectors
Brakes: stock factory discs up front, stock factory drums in rear
stock 15x7 steel rallies with 235/60R15 BFG tires
Cool Factoid: Darren's Camaro was originally a primered basket case that would never have gotten finished without the inspiration and help from his friend Mike Farrell.
1969 Chevy Camaro
James Wheeler, Aiken, SC
By The Numbers
Engine: 350ci small-block Chevy with Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, FAST EFI, "camel back" heads, COMP camshaft
Trans: Tremec TKO 600 five-speed manual trans
Rearend: stock 10-bolt with 3.73 gears and Moser axles
Suspension: stock with 2-inch drop spindles, Global West rear control arms with drop leaf springs
Brakes: stock front disc brakes, stock rear drum
15x8 chrome rally sport wheels with 225/60R15 and 235/60R15 BFG tires
Cool Factoid: As long as the money holds out, James says he wants to update the engine to an LS, add a coilover suspension, and upgrade the wheels to a more Pro Touring look. He and his wife also did most of the work in their garage.
1977 Chevy Camaro
John Mastalerz, Niles, IL
By The Numbers
Engine: 350ci small-block Chevy with '66 vintage 327 heads, Edelbrock intake, COMP Cams 292 Magnum cam, and Holley 800-cfm double-pumper carb
Trans: Doug Nash five-speed manual trans
Rearend: 8.5-inch 10-bolt with 3.73 gears
Suspension: stock with Lakewood "slapper" bars
Brakes: stock front disc brakes, stock rear drum
Cragar SST 14x6 front and 18x8 rear wheels, 185/80R14 Pirelli and 275/60R15 M/T Drag Radial rear tires
Cool Factoid: John is the original owner of this Camaro, which he special ordered 35 years ago. With only 24K on the odometer, it's still almost new.
Chevrolet Nova
1964 Chevy Nova SS
James Burns, Kirkland, WA
After his dad died from cancer in 2004 at the age of 78, James Burns had a bit of a midlife crisis, or so that's what his wife tells him. James had been around cars for most of his life, but lacked a project to put his time, blood, sweat, and tears into. After a little eBay searching he spotted this '64 Nova down in Oakland, California, near his sister's place. He flew down to take a look, and a few hours later he was driving back to his sister's with his new money pit. The plan was to drive it home, but a large puddle of oil the next morning made that clearly a bad idea. Luckily, James has another sister not too far away who owns an automotive repair shop. A few hundred bucks later and he was on the road back to Washington. Though it was solid body wise, the Nova needed quite a bit of mechanical work, so over the next year James swapped out the entire driveline and all of the suspension for more modern components. With a background in paint and body, James was able to handle stripping, repairing, and respraying the Nova in DuPont Smooth Yellow. In the past six years James has racked up about 16,000 miles on the Nova and made tons of new friends.
By The Numbers
Engine: stock 302ci J-code small-block Ford Windsor with Edelbrock Performer intake and Holley 600-cfm carb
Trans: TCI-built C4 three-speed automatic
Rearend: 8-inch rear with 3.00 gears and Power Trax limited-slip
Suspension: stock with Shelby mod and 1-inch sway bar up front, stock with 11/16-inch sway bar in the rear
Brakes: SSBC disc brakes up front, stock drums in the rear
15-inch Boyd Coddington wheels with BFGoodrich 205/60R15 and 235/60R15 tires
Cool Factoid: This '68 was Jo's first car, and many of her dates with her future husband, Donny, consisted of them working on it together.
1969 Chevy Nova
Steve Packard Atascadero, CA
Just when Steve Packard, now 65, thought he was done with hot rods, his 24-year-old son, Jason, began rebuilding an '87 Chevy IROC Camaro—and all the old warm fuzzy hot rod feelings came flooding back. That was four years ago, at which time Steve picked up what he thought was a nearly finished driver. Although the four-banger had been replaced with an H.O. 350 crate, and the trans was already upgraded to a 700-R4 overdrive, Steve uncovered hidden rust, which triggered a full restoration by Armando's Hobby Shop in Atascadero, California. To keep the budget under control (Steve has around $20K in his Nova), he limited the mods to 11-inch disc brakes up front, Summit Legend 5 15-inch wheels, some CalTracs bars, and some spiffy Shelby Mustang seats. Steve does admit he has his eye on a 427ci stroker small-block, so we don't think he's done yet.
By The Numbers
Engine: Chevrolet Performance 350ci H.O. small-block Chevy with Vortec heads and 650 Holley carb
Trans: 700-R4 four-speed automatic overdrive with 2,200-stall converter
Rearend: 12-bolt GM posi with 3.73 gears
Suspension: stock with CPP springs and sway bar, CalTracs bars (rear)
Brakes: aftermarket 11-inch front discs, stock rear drums rears
Summit Legend 5 15-inch wheels, 225/60R15 (front) and 275/60R15 (rear) tires
1970 Chevy Nova
Rick James, Winkler, Manitoba
Cars can't talk, but their owner's sure can. In the case of this '70 Nova, owner Rick James bought it the first time in 1976. After much hell-raising in it as a young man, and after dating and marrying his girlfriend in it (now his wife of 33 years), he sold it to a gent who had an even greater penchant for automotive abuse. Living in a small town, however, it was only a matter of time before he rediscovered his old mechanical flame atop a stack of jalopies at his local junkyard, where he was scrounging for parts on an unrelated project. Fortunately for Rick, his son pestered him into buying it back from the junkyard, in spite of it being too far gone to restore. Heck, Rick figured, it couldn't hurt to have the car around the shop for his kids to bang on just for fun and learning purposes. It wasn't long afterward, however, that Rick's fondness for the Nova grew to the point where he had to restore it fully. It's now a treasured family heirloom that only gets raced on the track!
By The Numbers
Engine: 350ci small-block Chevy with 194 camel-hump heads, Edelbrock RPM Air-Gap intake, Holley 670 Street Avenger carb
Trans: Super T10 four-speed manual with heavy-duty driveshaft
Rearend: stock 10-bolt with 3.42 gears
Suspension: rebuilt stock, front and rear
Brakes: factory drums, front and rear
stock steel 14x7 rally wheels with 235/60R14 BFG tires
1967 Chevy Nova SS
Mark Profitt, Franklin, OH
By The Numbers
Engine: 350ci small-block Chevy with double-hump heads, Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, and Crane High Energy hydraulic cam
Trans: Super T10 four-speed manual
Rearend: stock 12-bolt posi with 3.55 gears
Suspension: stock
Brakes: Right Stuff power front disc conversion, front and rear
Rider Style 675 17x8 wheels
Cool Factoid: Mark tells us he thinks that the car is cursed because he had to do most of the stuff twice.
1967 Chevy Nova
Peter Curtis, North Attleboro, MA
Sometimes even the most hard-core car guys must part with prized toys in order to take care of life's more pressing matters, but there's a line that some guys just won't cross with their ultimate dream car. Such is the case for Peter Curtis' '67 Nova. "There was always one car that I wanted and sought out, one that I would hope I'd never have to sell: the '67 Chevy Nova," Peter writes. When he finally found a forlorn Chevy II on eBay that was nearby, he knew he'd found it, and set out to make it his "keeper." That didn't mean it would be easy; the little shoebox Chevy turned out to be a mechanical nightmare. When a friend printed out a picture of a horseshoe and threw it in the back seat, it was just the luck Peter needed, and within a few weeks, the Nova finally coalesced into the car of his dreams!
By The Numbers
Engine: supercharged 350ci LS1 Chevy with Edelbrock Victor Jr. intake, CSU blow-through 750-cfm carb, GM hot cam, and stock "241" heads
Trans: Tremec TKO 600 five-speed manual with Spec stage-II clutch
Rearend: 8.2-inch 10-bolt rear with Moser axles and 3.73 gears
Suspension: TCI coilover front suspension, TCI four-link coilover rear suspension
Brakes: 11-inch disc brakes, front and rear
Boss 338 18x8 wheels with 245/40R18 tires
Chevrolet Chevelle
1968 Chevy Chevelle
Dan Pagel, Stevens Point, WI
Dan has fond memories of riding around with his dad in his '70 Nova, so he always wanted to get a muscle car of his own one day. After graduating from vocational school and securing a good job, he started looking around. Rather than a Nova, it was a '68 Chevelle that caught his eye. It was red with a stock small-block, a four-speed, and a 10-bolt rearend. Nothing special, but perfect for building the car Dan wanted. Right away the drivetrain came out and the tame little 350 was replaced with a warmed-up small-block with World Products Sportsman II heads, a healthy solid roller cam from Lunati, and an Edelbrock Air-Gap intake. The 10-bolt gave way to a stronger 12-bolt, and the four-speed was swapped for a Turbo 350. Luckily for Dan, when it came time to paint the Chevelle, he had experts in the family; his cousin is an excellent bodyman and he handled all of the work to get it straight. Now the Chevelle spends a lot of time with three passengers: Dan and his two little girls. His youngest is only 2 years old and always insists on taking "daddy's blue car" instead of anything else.
By The Numbers
Engine: 355 ci with World Products Sportsman II heads, Lunati .501 lift solid-roller cam, Crower roller rockers, Edelbrock RPM Air-Gap intake, Pro Systems 780-cfm carb
Rearend: '67 12-bolt with 3.42 gears
Suspension: stock front with Bilstein shocks, adjustable upper control arms and custom lower control arms in the rear
Brakes: stock disc and drum
15x8 Rev five-spoke with Firestone Firehawks
1967 Chevy Chevelle SS
Shane Arthurs Grandora, Saskatchewan
By The Numbers
Engine: 396ci big-block Chevy with factory oval-port heads and .540 lift COMP cam, Edelbrock Air-Gap intake and Holley Street Avenger carb
Trans: Muncie M21 four-speed manual trans
Rearend: stock with 3.55 gears and Auburn limited-slip diff
Suspension: Hotchkis tubular control arms and sway bar up front, Hotchkis adjustable control arms in the rear
Brakes: stock discs and drums
GM rally with small center cap, 215/60R15 and 235/60R15 Cooper Cobra Radial GT
Cool Factoid: Shane says this is one of the straightest Chevelles he's ever seen, and judging by the reflection in the slick black paint we'd be inclined to agree.
Chevrolet 210
1956 Chevy 210
Todd Willman, Germantown, OH
By The Numbers
Engine: 350ci small-block Chevy with 202 camel-hump heads, and Edelbrock RPM Air-Gap intake
Trans: stock Turbo 350 three-speed automatic
Rearend: original rearend with 4.10 gears
Suspension: stock front with CPP drop spindles and RideTech air springs, RideTech AirOverLeaf rear
Brakes: CPP power disc front brakes, factory drums in the rear
17x8 and 18x8 Boyd Coddington Smoothie II wheels with 255/40R17 and 265/35R18 Kumho Ecsta tires
Cool Factoid: Every time Todd takes the '56 out for a cruise with his wife and daughters, he always hears stories from folks who had one just like it, and loves to hear their memories.
1957 Chevy 210
John Baila, McKeesport, PA
You get just one guess where John Baila got the inspiration for his '57 Chevy 210! "I liked the movie Hollywood Knights, and I wanted my own Project X," John writes. "I even have a '56 sedan delivery so I can have the 'pie wagon' too." The best compliment John gets is when he takes the '57 to a car show and admirers tell him his car looks like the car in "that movie." The car in "that movie," of course, is Popular Hot Rodding's own Project X—which remains with the magazine to this day. John's '57 didn't always look like Project X though. When John got it, the car needed new floors, inner and outer rocker panels, and new body mounts. And then it was time to strip the paint off and put the yellow coat on. Unlike Hollywood Knights, however, John dropped in the 468ci big-block from his drag truck instead of a blown small-block.
By The Numbers
Engine: 468ci big-block Chevy with Edelbrock intake and Lunati cam
Trans: Borg-Warner T10 four-speed manual
Rearend: stock with 3.36 gears
Suspension: stock with drop spindles and air shocks (rear)
Brakes: front and rear disc brake conversion with slotted discs
Billet Specialties Fastlane 17x8 wheels, Kumho 235/45R17 and 255/45R17 tires
Chevrolet Impala
1958 Chevy Impala
Don Jones, Prescott, AZ
By The Numbers
Engine: stock rebuilt 348ci big-block Chevy "W" series
Trans: 700-R4 four-speed automatic overdrive
Rearend: original 12-bolt with 3.08 gears and custom three-piece driveshaft
Suspension: CPP drop spindles, 1-inch CPP front sway bar, CPP 1.5-inch lowering springs in rear, 1-inch CPP sway bar in rear
Brakes: CPP power disc brake conversion in front, stock drums in rear
polished 16-inch ARE Torq-Thrust II wheels with 205/55R16 and 245/50R16 BFG G-Force T/A tires
Cool Factoid: Don has wanted a '58 Impala ever since seeing American Graffiti in 1973. He even designed and built his dream house garage for the express intention of restoring his dream car.
1962 Chevy Impala
Koby Weishaar, Minot, ND
By The Numbers
Engine: 283ci small-block Chevy with camel-hump heads, Weiand aluminum intake, and Rochester Quadrajet carb
Trans: stock Powerglide two-speed automatic
Rearend: stock rearend
Suspension: RideTech CoolRide air springs with AirPod
Brakes: CPP disc brake conversion, front and rear
14x6 GM steelies with '70s El Camino hubcaps
Cool Factoid: The trunk-mounted RideTech AirPod is covered by an era-appropriate tweed Hartmann suitcase. Koby also has a 5.7L Vortec and a 4L60E that he plans on swapping into the Impala this winter.
Chevrolet Monte Carlo
1972 Chevy Monte Carlo
John Rasmussen, Cedar Falls, IA
Having served in previous lives as both daily transportation and dragstrip terror, John Rassmussen's '72 Monte Carlo is arguably in its most important role right now: family fun machine. Purchased 12 years ago as a used-up roller with no engine or trans, John and his two daughters have lovingly nursed it back to health. Besides some fresh paint, the triple green Monte has been treated to a smoothed firewall, a hidden wiring harness, a rebuilt breathed-on 350, body-colored accents, retractable gauges, a monstrous 2,000-watt stereo, and some green neon. (We're gonna give him a pass on that one since he's got young daughters.) Some mild suspension mods and lowering springs give this ride both attitude and aptitude. Big props to John and family for building this lean clean budget machine in a two-car garage!
By The Numbers
Engine: 350ci small-block Chevy with Performer EPS intake, Edelbrock 600-cfm carb, COMP Cams .454-inch lift hydraulic cam, MagnaFlow exhaust
Trans: Turbo 350 three-speed automatic
Rearend: original 12-bolt GM posi with 2.73 gears
Suspension: stock, QA1 coilovers, Hotchkis rear control arms and .75-inch rear sway bar, Hotchkis 2-inch lowering springs
Brakes: stock front discs with cross-drilled rotors, stock rear drums rears
Cragar S/S 17x8 inch wheels, Nitto Invo 235/45R17 (front) and 255/50R17 (rear)
Chevrolet II
1963 Chevy II SS
Norm Kranz Jr. Green Bay, WI
We always love to see entries in our annual Readers' Projects issue show up later in finished form. Norm Kranz's '63 Chevy II was featured in the Aug. '10 issue with much work left to do, and now it's a stunner in a custom PPG Pearl Orange. Of course creating and spraying custom paint potions is easy for Norm since he works as a painter in a local Ford dealership. The goal was to make a fun street cruiser to take to the local spots and shows, and so far on his trips Norm has learned more about the Chevy II's history. It was a project originally started back in the '80s by a local speed shop (since closed), and eventually sold to the guy Norm purchased it from. Apparently it just sat in his garage untouched the whole time. Norm is determined that won't ever happen to the Chevy II again though; he plans to spend a lot of time on the street with it and eventually get it to the track as well.
By The Numbers
Engine: 454ci big-block Chevy with ported cast-iron heads and larger valves, COMP cam, Edelbrock RPM Air-Gap intake and Holley 770-cfm Street Avenger carb
Rearend: Ford 9-inch with Detroit Locker and 4.86 gears
Suspension: Mustang II-style front from JW Rod Shop, adjustable ladder bar rear with coilovers
Brakes: disc brakes
Wheels Tires: 15x3 and 15x15 Ansen Sprint wheels with 26x7.5 and 32x17.5 Mickey Thompson ET Street tires
Chevrolet Vega
1973 Chevy Vega
Duncan Menzies, Delta, British Columbia
By The Numbers
Engine: '86 vintage 305ci small-block Chevy (RPO L69) with worked stock heads, Edelbrock Performer intake, COMP Cams Extreme Energy 268 cam, and Edelbrock 600-cfm carb
Trans: Turbo 350 three-speed automatic
Rearend: Monza 7.5-inch posi rear with 3.73 gears
Suspension: V-8 Monza suspension, front and rear, with '72 Nova coilover rear shocks
Brakes: stock V-8 Monza
Centerline 15x3.5 and 15x8.5 Autodrag wheels, Michelin 165/60R15 and 215/60R15 tires
Cool Factoid: Until recently, Duncan's Vega was spray-bombed flat black, but a friend with a boat-painting business gave him a screaming deal on a paintjob in the off-season. It was the first car he'd ever painted!
Chevrolet Corvette
1967 Chevy Corvette
Joe Jaffoni, New York, NY
Engine: 502ci Chevrolet Performance ZZ502 big-block Chevy crate engine, roller cam (527/.544 lift 224/234 duration at .050), Edelbrock intake with Holley 850-cfm carb
Trans: Muncie M20 four-speed manual
Rearend: original IRS with 3.36 gears
Suspension: stock front with Vette brakes spring and polyurethane bushings, stock rear with seven-leaf Vette brake spring and polyurethane bushings
Brakes: stock discs
15x7 GM rally wheels with 225/60R15 BFGoodrich G-Force T/A tires
Cool Factoid: Joe's daughter has claimed this Vette as hers from day one. His son is OK with that since he gets the '69 427ci T-top Vette.
Chevrolet Bel Air
1957 Chevy Bel Air
Dominick Vendetto, Farmingville, NY
By The Numbers
Engine: stock 283ci small-block Chevy with Edelbrock Performer intake and 600-cfm Edelbrock Performer carb
Trans: stock Powerglide two-speed automatic
Rearend: original rearend with 3.36 gears
Suspension: stock front and rear with Monroe Sensa-Trac shocks
Brakes: stock drums, front and rear
15x6 Cragar SS wheels with 215/65R15 BFGoodrich Radial T/A tires
Cool Factoid: Dominick gave up muscle cars and racing when he started a family, but 16 years later when his son wanted a '69 Camaro for his first car he was inspired to get back into the hobby.
Dodge Charger
1970 Dodge Charger 500
Mark Hulan Port St. Lucie, FL
It pays to keep your eyes peeled, even when you're vacationing on foreign soil. While traveling through Puerto Rico, Mark Hulan ran across this '70 Charger, which had been on the island for the past 40 years. It needed a restoration, but was very complete and rust free. Mark had it shipped back to the States and began the build. The paint and interior went back to the stock B5 blue and white respectively, but the 318 underhood had to go. Starting with a '70 440 block, Mark used a stroker kit from Muscle Motors to take the RB Mopar Wedge up to 500 ci. Of course everything else behind it had to be beefed up to handle the new Chryco power, so both the 727 and 8.75 rear were prepped to channel the twist without fail. Though he hasn't made it out to the track yet, Mark fully intends to soon and is hoping for low 12- or high 11-second passes. He's even planning on throwing on some sticky rear tires to see just how far he can push it.
By The Numbers
Engine: 500ci "RB" Chrysler Wedge big-block stroker with Eagle crank and rods, Icon pistons, Pro Comp heads, COMP Cams .620-inch lift solid roller cam, Edelbrock dual-quad intake, and 650-cfm Carter AFB carbs
Trans: race-prepped 727 TorqueFlite three-speed automatic with 3,000-stall converter
Rearend: 8.75-inch Mopar with 3.55 gears and Strange axles
Suspension: rebuilt stock with polyurethane bushings up front, stock leafs with custom pinion snubber in the rear; drag shocks, front and rear
Brakes: PST power disc brakes front, stock drums in the rear
15x8 Magnum 500 wheels with 265/60R15 and 295/60R15 Futura Super Sport tires
Dodge Dart
1969 Dodge Dart Custom
Chris Holley Montgomery, PA
Just a few days before his 20th birthday in 1989, Chris Holley purchased his '69 Dart Custom. Originally a 318 car, a 340 had been swapped in somewhere along the way and all the A/C equipment had been removed. That suited Chris just fine since his intention was to build a drag car out of it. He started college about that time and the Dart spent most of the next few years in his parents' garage while he saved money and collected parts. By 1992 he had a stack of fiberglass parts (hood, bumpers, fenders) and enough cash to pay a friend to spray it '85 Corvette White. During the next eight years the 340 and the 904 trans were rebuilt and the suspension was gone through. By 2001, with all of Chris' college behind him, the Dart debuted on the track with an 8.18 eighth-mile run. Since then many different combos have been on the Dart in pursuit of quicker e.t. 's. In its current form the Dart weighs 2,853 pounds and is good for 7.128 at 95 in the eighth, and 11.36 in the quarter at 118.78 mph with a 1.500 60-foot time. In 2011, Chris even took home a championship in Outlaw Street at Beaver Springs Raceway.
By The Numbers
Engine: 340ci LA-series Chrysler small-block with Edelbrock heads, Edelbrock Torker II intake, and Direct Connection .557-inch lift cam
Trans: 904 TorqueFlite three-speed automatic with PTC 4,800-stall converter
Suspension: slant-six torsion bars and Competition Engineering shocks up front, CalTracs monoleaf and traction bars in the rear with Rancho nine-way shocks
Rearend: 8.75-inch rear with 4.10 Richmond gears
Brakes: Wilwood four-piston discs front, stock drum rear
Weld 15x.3.5 and 15x7 wheels with 26x3.5 and 26x9 Hoosier tires
Pontiac GTO
1971 Pontiac GTO
Douglas Fiechtner, Platteville, CO
By The Numbers
Engine: 455ci Pontiac with "197" casting H.O. heads, .577 lift COMP cam, Edelbrock dual-carb intake and twin Edelbrock carbs
Trans: Muncie M21 four-speed manual trans
Rearend: 12-bolt with 3.73 gears
Suspension: stock with PST Polygraphite bushings and traction bars in the rear
Brakes: stock discs with cross-drilled rotors up front, stock drums in the rear
15x7 and 15x8 Spyder wheels with 235/60R15 and 275/60R15 Goodyear Eagle tires
Cool Factoid: Doug has owned the GTO since he was 16 when he found it behind a local dealership and talked the owner out of it.
Pontiac LeMans
1970 Pontiac LeMans
Eighteen years is a long time to have a car, especially if you're only 34, but that's how long David Bonaskiewich and his LeMans have been together. It was his first car, and David writes, it "feels like an old friend." We're sure that has something to do with the fact the David and father did a great deal of the work on the car in the beginning, including dropping and modifying the 400ci engine pulled from a '70s Firebird. The LeMans had been painted several times, but about seven years ago David decided it was time to do it right. Since he does automotive paint for a living, he handled all of the stripping, prepping, and spraying the PPG Orbit Orange. In the process, he made sure the final finish was straight as an arrow. After that, it got a new interior and a fresh set of American Racing wheels with Nitto rubber, and the LeMans was better than ever.
By The Numbers
b 400ci Pontiac with "6X" cast-iron heads, Crane .454-inch lift hydraulic cam, Edelbrock Performer intake, and 750-cfm carb
Trans: Turbo 350 three-speed automatic with shift kit
Rearend: stock with 3.08 gears and limited slip
Suspension: KYB shocks and one coil cut on the springs, BMI 2-inch drop springs in the rear with KYB shocks
Brakes: stock drums, front and rear
American Racing VNT70 17x8 and 17x9 wheels with 235/50R17 and 275/50R17 Nitto tires
Pontiac Firebird
1968 Pontiac Firebird
Lenny Halverson, Andover, KS
By The Numbers
Engine: Pontiac 400 with Edelbrock Performer intake, AVS Endurashine 670-cfm carb, COMP Cams Magnum roller rockers, "6X" heads
Trans: Turbo 350 automatic three-speed with 2,500-stall converter
Rearend: stock 10-bolt with 2.73 gears
Suspension: 2-inch drop spindles, Global West A-arms and coilovers, stock rear leaf springs with air shocks, polyurethane body bushings
Brakes: stock discs up front, SSBC disc conversion in rear
16-inch ARE, 16x7 (front), 16x10 (rear); BFG 225/50R16 (front), 255/50R16 (rear)
Cool Factoid: Just minutes after Lenny bought the Firebird from a local shop, the owners called the shop and told them not to sell it. It had been priced too cheaply—to the tune of $24K!
1971 Pontiac Firebird
Rob Gannon, Lee's Summit, MO
By The Numbers
Engine: 350ci Pontiac with Edelbrock Performer intake, Pontiac "4C" heads, COMP cam (.488.491-inch lift, 230/236 degrees duration at .050), 600-cfm Edelbrock Performer carb
Trans: Saginaw three-speed manual trans
Rearend: 8.2-inch 10-bolt rear with 3.73 gears
Suspension: stock with Hotchkis springs
Brakes: stock
American Racing Daisy 14x8 and 15x10 wheels, 235/60R14 and 295/50R15 BFG radial T/A tires
Cool Factoid: Rob originally wanted a Camaro, but "settled" for a Firebird Esprit. Now that he's owned it three years, replaced the engine, and painted it himself in his garage (twice), he wouldn't have anything else.
Pontiac Trans Am
1977 Pontiac Trans Am
Tim E. Herrera Sr., Little Canada, MN
By The Numbers
Engine: 406ci Pontiac with Edelbrock RPM heads, COMP cam with .508/.520 lift and 244/246 duration at .050, COMP 1.52 roller rockers, 830-cfm Q-Jet carb
Rearend: 8.5-inch 10-bolt with 3.73 gears
Suspension: Global West tubular control arms up front, Global West L-3 leaf springs in the rear
Brakes: stock discs and drums
15x8 Snowflake wheels with 255/50R15 BFGoodrich Radial T/A tires
Cool Factoid: Tim's brother, Andy, bought the T/A new and sold it to him in 1986 with only 21K on it. Today it has only 41K and has gathered almost 40 trophies from cars shows.
Pontiac Ventura
1974 Pontiac Ventura
Gregory Kelp, Columbus, WI
By The Numbers
Engine: 427ci LSx with ported L92 heads, COMP cam (240/252 degrees at .050), Chevrolet Performance intake, 697hp
Trans: Turbo 400 with 2,800-stall Coan converter
Rearend: 8.5-inch 10-bolt with Moser axles and 4.11 gears
Suspension: stock with 90/10 drag shocks
Brakes: dual-piston front disc brake conversion, stock drums rear
Weld front runners front and Pontiac rally wheels rear, 215/75R15 and 9.50x28 Mickey Thompson ET Drag tires
Cool Factoid: Greg's Ventura is affectionately named "Da Grinch," due to its green color and nasty disposition. Though not technically street legal, the Ventura has laid down a best e.t. of 11.04/127. Imagine how cool that kind of power could feel on the street!
AMC Rebel Machine
1970 AMC Rebel Machine
Veronica Keip, Pardeeville, WI
The AMC Rebel Machine is one of the coolest off-the-radar muscle cars out there, and it's not because of the eye-grabbing red, white, and blue graphics package; these cars were actually performers. Veronica and her husband have taken great care to return this original Machine back to exactly stock with its original, numbers-matching drivetrain. Right off the showroom floor the Rebel Machine's 390 made 340 hp and 430 lb-ft of torque. Those burly torque numbers helped propel the Machine through the quarter-mile in 14.4 at 98 mph, according to the amazingly tech-heavy brochure for the cars. To put that in perspective, the '70 GTO was advertised with a 15.3 quarter-mile. The restoration of the Keip family's Machine took nine years since they wanted it to be as perfect as possible. That doesn't mean it's a garage dweller though; one of the family's favorite weekend activities is the two- to three-hour cruises they regularly take. There's usually no destination in particular, they're just out enjoying the ride and all the turned heads.
By The Numbers
Engine: 390ci AMC with stock spec Elgin cam and Autolite dealer-option carb
Trans: T10 Borg-Warner four-speed manual with Hurst linkage
Rearend: AMC Twin-Grip with 3.54 gears
Suspension: stock, front and rear
Brakes: stock 11-inch Bendix four-piston discs up front, stock 10-inch drums in rear
15x7 American Racing Torq-Thrust D wheels with 225/60R15 and 255/60R15 Firestone Firehawk tires
Frank Russo, Hewitt, TX
By The Numbers
Engine: 401ci AMC with Indy cylinder heads, Erson cam, Indy intake and 650-cfm Demon carb
Trans: TorqueFlite three-speed automatic with 3,500-stall converter
Rearend: stock rearend with 3.54 gears
Suspension: stock, front and rear
Brakes: stock discs and drums
Weld 15x7 and 15x10 wheels with Falken 195/60R15 front runners and Mickey Thompson 275/50R15 drag radials
Cool Factoid: Frank and his son have an ongoing challenge between their AMXs; once a year they get together and drag race them to see who's on top. So far his son has won the first two, but Frank thinks AMX Smackdown III will be his this year.
Anthony Russo, Waco, TX
By The Numbers
Engine: 461hp 360ci AMC V-8 with Edelbrock intake, .540-inch lift COMP cam, Scorpion roller rockers, custom Diamond pistons, and Holley 780 HP double-pumper carb
Trans: 727 TorqueFlite three-speed automatic
Rearend: stock rearend with 3.54 gears
Suspension: stock
Brakes: stock
Jegs five-spoke 15x6 and 15x10 wheels, 205/70R15 and 275/50R15 tires
Cool Factoid: This car was found in a field and purchased for $400. The shell had minimal rust, but needed an engine. It is the match-up to Frank Russo's '69 AMX elsewhere in the story.
Ford Mustang
1968 Ford Mustang
By The Numbers
Engine: stock 302ci J-code small-block Ford Windsor with Edelbrock Performer intake and Holley 600-cfm carb
Trans: TCI-built C4 three-speed automatic
Rearend: 8-inch rear with 3.00 gears and Power Trax limited-slip
Suspension: stock with Shelby mod and 1-inch sway bar up front, stock with 11/16-inch sway bar in the rear
Brakes: SSBC disc brakes up front, stock drums in the rear
15-inch Boyd Coddington wheels with BFGoodrich 205/60R15 and 235/60R15 tires
Cool Factoid: This '68 was Jo's first car, and many of her dates with her future husband, Donny, consisted of them working on it together.
1969 Mach I Mustang
Allan Palmer, Hampstead, MD
Longtime bracket racer Allan Palmer did pretty well for himself on the regional bracket race circuit until 2006, when a downturn in racing caused car counts—and purses—to plunge. It turned out to be the perfect opportunity to build the Pro Street cruiser he'd always wanted. After selling his bracket race Mustang, he bought another '69 to go cruising with. After a four-year stint in his one-car garage—where Allan transformed the car himself other than the engine and paintwork— it was finally ready for the cruise scene. Subsequently, Allan's been all over the East Coast with it, and he reports the 1,035hp blown and stroked small-block Windsor hasn't given him the slightest trouble. If Allan's Mach 1 looks familiar, it's because you've seen it in Billet Specialties' ad that runs right here in Popular Hot Rodding. We've admired this Mach for a long time, and now we finally know the rest of the story!
By The Numbers
Engine: 8:1 compression 427ci Windsor small-block Ford with AFR 255 heads, Hampton 8-71 blower on Hampton blower manifold, COMP cam (.680-inch lift with 258 degrees duration), dual Holley 750 blower carbs
Trans: Performance Automatics C4 three-speed automatic with TCI converter
Rearend: Strange 9-inch Ford with 4.10 gears and Detroit Locker
Brakes: Wilwood front and rear disc brakes
Billet Specialties Street Lite wheels (15x4 front, 15x15 rear), Mickey Thompson 26x5 (front) and 31x18 (rear) tires
Ford Falcon
1965 Ford Falcon Futura
Randy Wilbert, Crestview, FL
By The Numbers
Engine: stock '97 Ford Explorer 5.0L Windsor V-8
Trans: T5 five-speed manual transmission
Rearend: stock Ford Explorer 8.8-inch rear with 3.73 gears
Suspension: Total Control Products suspension with four-link rear
Brakes: '78 Ford Granada front disc brakes, '97 Ford Explorer rear disc brakes
Weld Series 90 wheels, 165/80R15 front and 265/50R15 rear tires
Cool Factoid: Randy's '65 Falcon and the '88 Mustang LX donor car were salvaged from Hurricane Katrina and had both been submerged by 15 feet of water before Randy rescued them and built one Falcon out of both of them.
Ford Galaxie
1965 Ford Galaxie 500
John Carbon Canfield, OH
This Galaxie 500 joined the Carbon family in November of 1964 when John's dad took delivery of his first brand-new car. John was 9 years old and probably even more excited than his dad when they drove away in it. From that day on, John washed and waxed the Galaxie weekly because he knew it would be his one day. Sure enough, nine years later when he graduated high school, his dad tossed him the keys for keeps. The Galaxie was in awesome shape (thanks in part to John), but wasn't a hot rod. While his family was on vacation, John dismantled the Galaxie, had it sprayed metalflake gold, and added custom wheels. His dad was less than thrilled when he saw it, but John had his custom cruiser. Marriage and family life parked the Galaxie for many years, but eventually John made the decision to rehab it completely from the ground up as a real hot rod. The first thing he decided on was the flamed paintjob, as a nod to his firefighting career.
By The Numbers
Engine: 428ci Cobra Jet Ford big-block with Edelbrock Tri-power intake, 3x2 Holley carbs, and Crane .580-inch lift cam
Trans: Top Loader four-speed manual trans
Rearend: narrowed 9-inch with 4.56 gears
Suspension: stock front suspension with cut springs, ladder bar rear with coilovers
Brakes: stock power disc up front, stock drum in the rear
15x5 and 15x15 Weld Pro Star wheels with 26x7.5 and 33x19.5 Mickey Thompson Sportsman
Ford Crown Victoria
1955 Ford Crown Victoria
Bob Bowen, Lake Havasu City, AZ
By The Numbers
Engine: stock 5.0L H.O. small-block Ford Windsor
Trans: stock Ford AOD four-speed automatic overdrive
Rearend: 8-inch Ford with 3.55 gears
Suspension: stock suspension with rack-and-pinion conversion, modified Granada spindles and cut stock coil springs, heavy-duty Ford station wagon springs in the rear
Brakes: Granada disc brakes front, Mustang drums rear
Budnik Muroc II 15x7 wheels with Pirelli 205/50R15 and 215/65R15 tires
Cool Factoid: Bob says it was the massive "Back to the '50s" car show in Minneapolis that got him into the hot rod scene. This '55 was beautifully restored with a '50s vibe when Bob found it; he only removed the side skirts and swapped the wheels and tires to suit his taste better.
Oldsmobile Cutlass
1975 Olds Cutlass
Mark Weber Sturgeon Bay, WI
I am a big fan of forgotten cars, and Mark Weber's '75 Olds Omega is the poster child for cars well off the beaten path. It's attractive and familiar looking, yet it's curiously different on closer inspection. The thing that sealed it for me is the fact that Mark has collected all four fourth-gen X-bodies; he's also got a '77 Nova, a '75 Pontiac Ventura, and a Buick Apollo. This one has the original 110hp 260ci Olds V-8, which makes it rare indeed. These cars were seldom hot rodded by the little old ladies who owned them, and can often be found in great shape for a great price; they truly make wonderful low-buck hot rods. Even after new paint and interior work, Mark says he's got less than $9K in his mint Omega. While it's not the fastest thing on the road, Mark has been able to afford collecting the entire stable of fourth-gen ('75-79) X-bodies for about the same price as a belly button '69 Camaro. And this Olds, Mark says, also sounds great and knocks down good fuel economy with its stock Rochester DualJet carburetor.
By The Numbers
Engine: stock 260ci Olds V-8 with stock manifold, heads, and Rochester DualJet carburetor
Trans: Turbo 350 three-speed automatic
Rearend: original 10-bolt rearend
Suspension: stock rebuilt suspension with heavy-duty springs and Lakewood "slapper" bars
Brakes: manual front disc brakes, rear drums
ARE Torq-Thrust with BFG radials
Cool Factoid: The first letter of all the fourth-gen X-bodies (Nova, Omega, Ventura, Apollo) spell out the word "Nova," the least expensive of the quartet
Mercury Comet
1967 Mercury Comet
Jim Lord, Dunkirk, MD
By The Numbers
Engine: Ford Racing 302 small-block Ford Windsor crate engine, World Products heads, Ford Racing "F" roller cam, Edelbrock Performer RPM intake and Holley Street Avenger carb
Trans: TCI Street/Strip C4 three-speed automatic
Rearend: 8-inch Ford with limited-slip and 3.00 gears
Suspension: stock
Brakes: disc brake conversion, front and rear
15x7 American Racing Torq-Thrust II wheels with General tires
Cool Factoid: A careless driver took out the door and front fender on Jim's Comet once, and he was forced to scavenge from one of his other project cars since good parts are hard to find for Comets.


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Food in Tuscany
Italian food with a focus on the Tuscan table. A taste from our travels though cafes, restaurants, vineyards, and weekly fresh markets in Italy's Tuscany region. Photos taken in: Montepulciano, Pienza, Montefollonico, Torrita di Siena, Manciano (Maremma),Pitigliano, Cortona, and Orvieto. Read more about best eating experiences in Tuscany.Read More


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After suddenly disappearing from the blogosphere for about two weeks, I was hoping to just move on and pretend like nothing happened. So far it seems to be working, with not one peep of protest about my irregular posting schedule, and not a single complaint about the wreckage I've created on all of my recipe pages trying to add links to printer-friendly versions to varying degrees of success. Has anyone even noticed? What seem like huge changes to me appear to hardly constitute a blip in the collective blog reader's radar. Nonetheless, I want to come clean- All of this blog neglect stems from yet another new project I've taken on, a bigger one than I was thinking of tackling any time soon. Believe it or not, I'm finally getting serious about a career, and decided to get my degree in photography.
Perhaps it was all of the back-to-school hype that finally got to me, but after researching various programs, I found online classes that seemed almost too good to be true. A flexible schedule, no set classroom hours, the ability to move at your own pace, and of course, getting to learn the technical aspects of an art form I've been trying to master merely through trial and error… It's a truly wonderful new opportunity to further my skills.
So I may be a bit short on time in the upcoming months, and for that I apologize. I'll work on keeping a steady flow of new content from here on in, but I may not be able to keep up with everyone else's blogs. I'll still be reading every last one of them though, (all 500+ that I'm subscribed to) even if I'm not commenting.
That being said, time constraints became a much bigger obstacle in complete this month's Daring Baker challenge than I had originally imagined!
The September 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Steph of A Whisk and a Spoon. She chose the French treat, Vols-au-Vent based on the Puff Pastry recipe by Michel Richard from the cookbook Baking With Julia by Dorie Greenspan.
Thrilled to tackle yet another "dream pastry challenge" on my list, I honed in on that puff pastry, determined to make it the star of the show. While the fillings typically are what make the dessert unique and bring it to life, there's simply no reason why the flaky pastry base shouldn't add just as much flavor and excitement. From the get-go, I knew I wanted to make chocolate puff pastry.
What to fill it with was another story altogether- Brainstorms ranged from luscious mousses to fresh fruit jellies, with ornate caramel decorations and perhaps a handful of chocolate caviar to top them all off. Unfortunately, those ideas came before I registered for my new classes, and failed to come to fruition. Scrambling to pull anything decent together at the last moment possible, I had no choice but to scale back on my grand plans in a big way.
Simple, but still plenty tasty, my cocoa puff pastry shells were filled to the brim with homemade lemon verbena-blueberry jam, and just a tiny dollop of my all-time favorite dessert topper, Soyatoo. After laboring for so long on the pastry, I was okay with taking the easy way out this time around, lest I run out of time to study or be forced to forfeit this month's challenge altogether. Hopefully next time around, I'll be able to dedicate more time and attention to my baking!