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What Car is Right For Me? Help Me Choose!
The remote starter is another thing that is pushing me towards the Altima. It's not just that it's standard. but it is better integrated.
On the Honda Accord, the dealer will charge about $700 installed AND it requires a separate keyfob to use it. I really don't want to carry 2 fobs for the same car in addition to all the other keys and fobs I need to carry in my pockets. One reason I want push start is so I don't have to worry about the weight of my heavy key ring on the ignition slot.
I see that the estimated 60 month retained value of a 2013 Accord is 46% of MSRP vs about 40% for the Altima. If I pay a lower percentage of MSRP for the Altima and not have to blow $700 on dealer installed remote starter it could easily be a wash or even in favor of the Altima after 7 or 8 years.
I could even get an Altima SV with convenience package and tech package to bump up the backup camera screen to a size closer to the Accord and have the price be around the same as the Accord EX which does not have available nav.
I think the Altima purchased at the right price is going to win on cost even after resale differences. I'll only get the Accord if I like it a lot better and feel like the extra cost is worth it.0
Hi folks,
I'm in a bit of an odd situation. A friend of my mom's has a 2010 Infiniti G37 Journey 4-door and her lease expires in a few weeks. Initially, I just gave her some recommendations on certain models to check out and a few good lease specials that also might interest her. But now I'm basically her 'wing man' and I hardly know her. She is a very nice, classy, attractive 60-year old...but she's also quiet, has a'dry' or 'hard-to-get-to-know' personality, which freaks me out! My mom's personality (and mine) are the polar opposite and neither of us ever meet a stranger (but my mom is a total sweetheart and I can be a real smart-@ss)...anyway, the most frustrating part is that she is IMPOSSIBLE to read based on facial expressions and body language. I feel like Agent Boothe trying to communicate with Dr. Brennan on BONES!
But she has been very open and forthcoming in answering all my questions about money and a few delicate questions about her future plans and personal life. Long story short- her husband is a jerk and she is planning to leave him by the end of the year. I needed to determine her current financial situation and how a divorce will affect her cash flow. I also had to figure out if she would be open to some upscale cars that may not have a 'premium' badge on the trunk!
She pays $497/mo for the lease on the 2010 G37. She was expecting it to stay close to same, just not over $500/mo. She cares more about the look, design and function than the brand name, which opens things up! And she drives like a librarian, so she probably has no clue what has been lingering under her left foot for the last 35 months in the G37. So less power is fine also....
Her credit score is in the 780s and she owns a Physical Therapy practice that cleared over $200k last year. So qualifying for top-tier deals should not be an issue.
I had her do some drive-bys to see several models today-
2013 KIA Optima SX-Limited
2014 KIA Sorento SX
2014 Mazda6 i Grand Touring
2014 Mazda CX-5 Touring/GT
2013 Acura TSX 4dr
2013 Acura TL 'Base'
2013 Hyundai Sonata
2013 Hyundai Azera
2013 Hyundai Santa Fe (both versions)
2013 Honda Accord EX-L V6 (killer lease deal)
2013 Volvo S60 T5
So....she completed all of her assignments except she didn't make it to the Hyundai dealership. But I was surprised (and impressed) that she took notes on all the others!
She initially loved the Optima SX-L, but the KIA logo was huge and ugly enough to be a deal-breaker! I didn't say a word to influence her opinion before-hand, but the KIA emblem is as huge as a belt-buckle and looks cheap! It ruins otherwise world-class designs...and my mom passed on the 2013 Sorento for the same exact reason, so it's not just me!
The Mazda6 was love at first sight! She liked it better than her Infiniti, any new Infiniti/Lexus/BMW or anything else. She saw it in SOUL RED and (amazingly, considering her personality) would want it in that color! If her, dare I say...enthusiasm, continues after the test drive, we have the front-runner right here! I'm curious to see what the lease payment would be for 36mos on a GT.....
The Acura TSX was acceptable to her, but she thought the TL 'Base' was as boring and ugly as the Mazda6 was gorgeous! She also threw me another shocker- she liked the TSX Wagon best of all! Again, I didn't say a word to her, but these are all my opinions as well. The TL ranges from boring to hideous depending upon trim level and I would pay MORE for the TSX before I'd drive a TL! I have a 2010 TSX V6, so I obviously love them....especially that Wagon!
Honda Accord EX-L V6- kinda plain, but still classy and upscale looking; couldn't find a single exterior color that appealed to her, but maybe she didn't see ALL of them....and for $0 due at lease signing and $380/month for 36 months with 12k miles per year, she could learn to like dishwater-dull beige!
The Volvo S60 T5 was the other near-ringer, 2nd only to the Mazda6. But all three local dealers have them in one of two configurations- Base T5 with no options in Ice White or Black Stone (the non-metallic 'free' colors) OR Premier Plus/Platinum with every option box checked and a $40k sticker price! Leather, moonroof and maybe even metallic paint would do very nicely on the base T5 and keep the price around $33k...but they don't seem to order them that way....
I still want to her to see the Hyundai models, especially the new Azera. I ended up renting one a few weeks ago and, I'm not ashamed to admit, my 38-yr old butt would join AARP right now if they'd give me one of these! Her only two complaints about the Infiniti are the (too) firm ride and low fuel economy. I was very surprised that the new Azera is NOTHING like the previous Azera! It handled somewhere between an old Buick and a parade float, even bouncing a bit after expansion joints on the freeway....the new car is very comfy, but firm and not floaty at all.
I also want her to see the entry-level Audi models, perhaps the Infiniti CUV models and (even though I'm not a Lexus fan) we'll ride thru the lot and see who falls asleep first from sheer visual boredom!
What else am I missing??? Maybe the Nissan Maxima?2015.5 Volvo S60 T6 Drive-E Platinum, 2012 Mazda CX-9 GT0
If she likes bigger cars, then the new 2013 Toyota Avalon drives like a luxury car and is much more sleekly styled than last year's design. She can even get a 40MPG hybrid model.
If she doesn't need a big car, she may like a BMW 320i or 328i or an X1.
If she really likes the Mazda 6 and is not bothered by the road noise on the highway, she could get that and save some money.
She might like the Buick Lacrosse or even a Verano is she doesn't mind smaller cars.
High trim VW Passat or Passat CC can be nice also.0
NEW Development....I'm very seriously considering buying her G37 instead of her turning it back in to the dealer!
I've never seen the car before and I just assumed it was a Journey with Premium Package, like 99% of leased G37 models. I tried not to think about why she was paying $500/month for it and a 2013 can be leased for $299/mo....but I just got the answer about an hour ago.
I had her scan and email her lease contract so I could check out the turn-in requirements and any nit-picking b.s. It stated the car's MSRP as $44,470 and a discount of $3900 for a Cap Cost of $37k and change after down payment. But the Journey with Premium Pkg MSRP shouldn't be over $38k...so she sent me a scan of the window sticker....it has EVERY freakin' option available including the SPORT Package, NAV, Tech Pkg.....
My mom had said it was Silver, but it's actually Graphite Shadow, which is a plus for me! It has Graphite Leather with Real Maple Interior Trim.
No wonder she thinks it rides too firm- it has 18" W-rated Summer Performance tires, 225/50 on front and 245/45 on rear AND a sport suspension package....duh!
It has all of the following-
Premium Package-
Power Moonroof, 10-speaker Bose Audio System, Power tilt/telescope steering wheel, 2-position memory w/ steering wheel, mirror and seat position memory, Smart Key w/ seat/mirror memory
Technology Package-
Adaptive Cruise Control
Front pre-crash Seatbelt System
Brake Assist w/ Preview
Collision Warning System
Advanced Climate Control System
Rain-sensing wipers
Navigation Package
Interior Accent Package-
Real Maple Trim on Door Panels, Dash and Console
Sport Package-
12-way Power Sport Driver's Seat
Sport-tuned steering, suspension & brakes
Solid magnesium paddle shifters
Aluminum pedal accents
Viscous Limited Slip Differential
Sport front fascia, side sills and unique sport headlights
18" Premium Alloy Wheels
P225/50WR18 Performance tires (front)
P245/45WR18 Performance tires (rear)
The dealer has an identical looking one w/o Tech Pkg or Maple Trim for $28k. Her lease-end purchase option is $20,874 per the lease contract! So I can buy it at that price....right at $22,300 with tax, tag and title. I told her I'd buy it for that and put $1k toward the down payment on her new lease!
This is so crazy! I just bought a CPO 2010 Acura TSX V6 on 4/13....two weeks ago yesterday! I love it but it doesn't have the Tech Pkg (no NAV or Premium Audio) and this G37 is beyond loaded! I was fortunate enough to pay cash for the Acura, so I'm taking it to Carmax tomorrow to see what they will give me. If nothing else, I can finance the G37 until I sell the TSX....
I'm going over to her house first thing in the morning (this morning now) to see and drive it! But I can't see any reason not to go for it! She didn't even realize how loaded it was and figured all G37s had those features...even though she didn't use or know how to use a lot of them.....wow!2015.5 Volvo S60 T6 Drive-E Platinum, 2012 Mazda CX-9 GT0
You may need to work something out with a dealer (carmax could probably do it along with buying yours) because most lease buyout are for the leasee only. So in other words SHE can buy out the lease (and pay sales tax on it or however your state works) and then sell it to you (and you pay sales tax again!). But if you work out the deal properly, you should be able to get a dealer to buy out her lease from her and sell it to you at a predetermined price and take your car in on "trade". They usually like to make a few bucks on a deal like that (i've paid $300-$500).
You should probably find out what she could get on trade for her car and make her whole on the deal. I'm guessing she's got more than $1,000 in equity if she were to trade it in on her next vehicle. Then again...she may REALLY like you and not mind taking care of her sugar baby.....ha!0
After talking with two friends in the business (one is the GM at a Toyota dealer, the other is a Used Car Mgr at a Honda dealer), I think I have it figured out.
I can add her name as co-owner to the title of my Acura. Then she can trade it in on the Infiniti and buy out the lease and have it titled in both of our names just like the trade-in.
When I get the hard copy of the Infiniti title, she and I can go down to the County Tag office and have her removed leaving my name only on the title. If we trade the Acura (which has no loan) I can cover any difference to buy out the Infiniti in cash, so there won't be a loan complicating the whole thing....
I already have 1mil/1mil/100k liability limits on my auto policy plus a $2mil umbrella on top of that. That will protect her assets during the time her name is on the title of the car I'm driving. If anyone questions any of these actions, I'll tell them she's my Cougar/Sugar Mama...until we remove her name from the title eventually, then she'll be the Cougar that chewed me up spat me out...give 'em something to gossip about!
Trading the Acura would reduce the tax on the G37 purchase by at least $1350, so I'll give the $1k plus $1350 ($2350) to put down on the new lease. If she were to decide to go with an Acura instead of the Mazda, they also have a $1500 Conquest Bonus offer that she could get with her name still being on the Infiniti title....
I talked to her just a few minutes ago and told her that it was easily worth $23,500 trade-in or more and I wanted to pay her what she would get on trade-in. But she flatly refused and told me even knowing that she could buy it and turn around and immediately trade/sell it for $3k more, she wouldn't go thru the hassle and paperwork! Did I mention that she made over $200k last year? Must be nice....
Besides, she considers my time and effort in finding her the best new car fit and getting her the best deal on it very valuabele. I really don't mind doing it at all, but she seems genuinely grateful for my help! I don't think anyone has ever done that before..... =)
So she feels that things are 100% equitable with me paying the lease buyout and no more. She says she won't accept any of the $2350 I plan to give her for down payment, but I told her that I'd be there with her and I'll hand them the certified bank check for $2350 when we walk into the F&I office!!!
Of course, it is pouring rain here in Georgia today and thunderstorms for the rest of the day....I'm still going over to look it and drive it, but won't be able to really try it out until the roads are dry....dangit...2015.5 Volvo S60 T6 Drive-E Platinum, 2012 Mazda CX-9 GT0
"Then again...she may REALLY like you and not mind taking care of her sugar baby.....ha!"
She and my mom were joking about that earlier on the phone and then mom called to give me a hard time about it.
Let's just say that there is NO chance of anything like that ever happening.
I'm trying to think of the best way to put this....
I'm 1/16th Cherokee Indian and my best friend and I went to Cherokee NC to the Casino and Reservation several years ago. I wanted to meet an Elder/Chief who could give me my 'Cherokee' name, but we got tired of waiting in line after an hour or so. We went back to the Casino and started gambling and getting hammered. Once I had a good buzz, my best friend (since 7th grade, 25+ years) christened me "Dances With Boys" and in return, I named him "Flaming Arrow"....understand?2015.5 Volvo S60 T6 Drive-E Platinum, 2012 Mazda CX-9 GT0
qbrozen Posts: 24,897LOL. I think you could have just said it bluntly, but thanks for the story.
'18 Stelvio Ti; '67 Coronet R/T; '14 Town&Country Limited; '18 BMW X2. 46-car history and counting!0
Well, you know that my people have a flair for the dramatic, so the story was the natural way to go....
I have a cousin who loves to call me a "Confirmed Bachelor" and loudly ponders my plight at family funerals and other inappropriate times...in a thick Southern accent, "Jason, son, I'm starting to worry about you! You are 38 years old and it keeps me up some nights wondering when you are finally going to meet the right girl? And it breaks my heart that instead of being happily married with a few kids and rentin' that single-wide next to ours, You are still living with your college roommate in that big old new 4-bedroom Craftsman style home inside the Atlatna city limits with all the sin and evil right in front of you every day, almost like it's in your own bedroom....But I still have faith that Jesus has one picked out there for you somewhere....y'know, that cashier at the Piggly Wiggly, the one who had to go on Workmans Comp cause she was so fat she collapsed the stool at her register, I think she's single and she's lost almost 20 pounds, only 380 more to go and she can fit in one airlplane seat..."
I kid you not, this happens out loud where others can hear it...I triple my daily Valium dosage (and chew them) during those warm family moments...;2015.5 Volvo S60 T6 Drive-E Platinum, 2012 Mazda CX-9 GT0
Short story long...haha! Most women want a friend of your persuasion...so you could still be the sugar baby...just not much sugar.
I think the title dance is a lot of work to get to the same place as a dealer just processing the paperwork for a nominal fee. I've done this numerous times and it's never been a problem.0
"Short story long...haha! Most women want a friend of your persuasion...so you could still be the sugar baby...just not much sugar."
Haha, she's very resourceful and made one of her own, it took about nine months and he is 24 now!
That is actually how she and my mom became friends. Mom was seeing a physical therapy at her practice and overheard her having a conversation with another therapist about her son, Jordan. She was very worried about him because he struggles with bi-polar depression. After mom's therapy was finished, she took her outside and gave her a big hug and they talked for over two hours. That was three years ago...
Also, I'm the very rare sub-type of gay that is not good sidekick material for most women....they didn't even know my kind existed prior to me....I am what is known as a "boring gay"....a few years ago, I attended a charity event with my best friend and a drag queen was hadning out "Most Likely Awards" to random audience members. I was named "Most Likely to Be Mistaken for A Soccer Dad!" =)2015.5 Volvo S60 T6 Drive-E Platinum, 2012 Mazda CX-9 GT0
I also looked at both cars, but from the V6 perspective, though I did test drive both in the 4cyl models as well. I thought the 4 cyl/CVT combo in the Nissan was very loud and just too busy for me. The 4cyl/CVT combo in the Accord was significantly better, but I just don't like CVT transmissions. I settled on V6 EXL Accord because the gas mileage difference was not that great when upgrading to the 6 cyl car. And i felt the Accord was a bit more upscale than the Altima is. Just my opinion and again, I don't like CVT's. I am a stickler for tracking gas mileage. I have 2,000 miles on my Accord V6 and am averaging about 23 MPG in town and on my one interstate trip of about 200 miles, I got 34.8 going about 72mph. Most 4 cyl cars are hard pressed to match that.0
Don't know if you can come in under $26k for a V6 though. I agree, Nissan CVT is really loud when it starts up; Accord is much quieter. And the gas mileage is better with CVT. After a V6 Maxima, I felt we could live with a 4cyl CVT. So far no problem.'14 Buick Encore Convenience
'17 Chevy Volt Premiere0
biker4 Posts: 746Steer her to the TSX wagon. It'll come in handy after the divorce.0
I'm not to sure about that. She owns the house and she has a prenup! =)2015.5 Volvo S60 T6 Drive-E Platinum, 2012 Mazda CX-9 GT0
The V6 gas mileage is not that bad and compares well to some 4 cylinder turbo cars with similar HP, but the 4 cylinder versions of both of these specific cars do much better with mpg. You would probably get closer to 40mpg on the same interstate trip and a few mpg more in the city with a 4 cylinder 2013 Altima or Accord.
Plus, it not just fuel costs. There is the higher purchase price, plus there may be an insurance premium jump and higher maintenance costs over time.0
I agree with you regarding cost. I did have to pay a premium for the V6 over the 4cyl, no question. And it will cost me about $150 per year in added fuel cost. These are all variables that I evaluated when making my purchase. But the added power ans smoothness is important to me. the V6 is very quick and powerful. Ans since I intend to keep the car 8 to 10 years, I felt it was worth the added cost. But again, I drove the 4 cyl and found it very competent.0
I stumbled on another car that is not meant to be a competitor to Accord and Altima, but might meet my needs for everything listed except the rear HVAC vents.
There is a redesigned Kia Soul coming out in the fall that has push start available in an option package in the mid trim Soul Plus level.
The current generaton Soul is too noisy buzzy for me, but apparently they really improved the driving refinement on the 2014s and they said it is 3db quieter than a 2013.
I will have to wait for road test reviews and my own test drive to see if it is still too loud even after the NVH improvements for 2014. I will also wait for small overlap crash testing and first owners reports on quality issues, but if everything is fine, this could be another option.0
Kirstie_H Posts: 11,081A reporter would like to speak to a recent buyer of a Ford Focus ST who considered buying a VW GTI. If this fits your description and you'd like to share your story, please send your daytime contact info to [email protected] no later
than 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET on Monday, 5/6/13.
Need help navigating? [email protected] - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
Share your vehicle reviews0
lancer12321 Posts: 2Hello,
I am in need of some advice regarding the car I should purchase. I have three choices:
1. 08 Avalon XLS 61000 Miles Certified $16500
2. 11 Hyundai Sonata SE (leather and nav) 45000 Miles Certified $17500
3. 08 Honda Accord XLE (leather and nav) 58000 miles not certified $17400
I am wanting a car that is dependable and will last. All three cars listed above are in excellent condition.
Thanks for your help
superleaf444 Posts: 1Hey everyone,
Hopefully I posted this in the right area. Sorry if I didn't.
In any case, I'm going to give you the long story of this question, so you have a better idea of everything.
Three weeks ago, I got laid off after 10 months of working at a place and moving across the country (midwest to new england) for a job. Two weeks after that, I ended up totaling my car after an encounter with some deer on the interstate. Since I got laid off, I can't finance a car even though I have stellar credit and I also don't plan on staying around here for that much longer. I'm applying to jobs all over the country, so who knows where I will end up.
With that said. I got my insurance check and a little more money, so I'm looking for a car in the 7000$ range at the highest. I can't drive a stick and I would rather have a car over a truck or anything, just because of gas. I also don't know much about cars in general. I can check the fluids and tires, but that is about it. Everything else I'm clueless about.
I've spent this entire week going from dealer to private person, test driving, carfaxing, and everything. Looking at craigslist, autotrader and cars.com about everyday.
I'm pretty open to most cars, but I keep hearing good things about Hondas, Subarus and Fords.
I had a Chevy Cobalt and I never had major issues with it and got to 120k miles, before I crashed the damn thing. I bought it new, but also financed it back in the day. This not financing thing, makes it feels like I lack options, but maybe I'm just not savvy enough at the car shopping bit.
So far, I've came across 3 maybes. (I'm not sold on them, so any other suggestions I would love to hear.) All of them are from used car dealerships, which are always shady. For whatever reason, I can't find a decent car from a private person or when I finally get ahold of them, the car is already sold, though it has been a week.
Anyway, the first car was a 2005 Ford Taurus with about 87K miles on it. The engine kinda revved up and down slightly when it was idling, but I don't know if that is normal for a ford taurus or if I was looking too much into it. It also had some weird rust spots on the under side, also I don't know what is normal vs what is bad. The dealer wanted 6200$.
The second car was a 2005 Honda Civic with 119k miles on it. The brakes where kinda bad, but other than that everything else seemed alright. The dealer wanted 6900$ for that.
The Ford and the Honda was from the same dealer, who out of all the ones I've met, has been the most helpful and "honest" guy. I don't really trust anyone selling a car, because I've just came across to much bs. But I mean, he said he wouldn't sell anything to me until he delivered me carfax reports (his computer was messing up, he showed me, seemed legit) and he also wanted to do some regular maintenance because the cars were new. Also, when I googled the shop/dealer it got stellar reviews. Not to mention, he said I should take any car I want to purchase to a mechanic of my choice. The fact that he recommended it to me, before I brought anything like that up also makes me like the guy, if that makes any sense.
The last car I've came across was a 2003 Chevy Malibu with 82K miles on it for 4200$. The car drove the best, but reeked of smoke. But I mean it didn't idle weird, fluids seemed to check out, brand new tires, overall really nice. Since I'm trying to do research before I buy anything, I told the guy I was leaving and he immediately dropped the price to 3000$. I mean, it seems like a good deal, but it also seems like TOO GOOD of a deal, if that makes sense. He was also hesitant on a car fax report, so I did my own and it was clean, but still, the dealer seemed like a regular slime ball.
So that is where I am now. Any advice? Should I continue to look? Anything else I should check out on the cars? I need a car within probably 2 weeks, because I will be moving again.
In any case, anything you will tell me will probably be helpful.
Thanks in advance!0
Civic is probably the only one I would consider. I'm not sure if that's a decent price or not but if it's super clean and brought up-to-speed on brakes/maintenance it might not be too bad. At least that one should be easy to sell down the road if you decide to get into something else. I'd probably also recommend trying to only spend $5,000ish so you have a little cushion for repairs down the road.0
I would not consider any of them. You will have much better success if you look at used cars at a new car dealership. Any car you buy should be checked out by a mechanic first. Any car that reeks of smoke will reek of smoke forever so don't buy it unless you have no sense of smell. Check out older Buicks or Pontiacs. They cost less than Japanese makes but tend to be very reliable and are cheap to repair. If you can find one a Pontiac Vibe is a good bet. And yes, don't spend more than 5k because you are not in a position to repair it since you have no income. And as the last car experience showed you, you should negotiate a user car price just as you would a new car. Owning a car is expensive though. Could you get by with public transport until you find a job? In the northeast that might be possible.'14 Buick Encore Convenience
'17 Chevy Volt Premiere0
almaiunraie22 Posts: 2Hello everyone. First I would like to say that I wish I would have known this was here years ago, probably could have saved me money long ago.
Moving on... I am looking to purchase a used car, I really want a reliable vehicle that needs minimal repairs. I have had the worst luck with cars. I now own a 2005 Chevy Equinox and have had too many issues with it and now want to get something else. I have heard a lot about Toyota, Honda, and Nissan. Everyone always says.. they last forever. What does that really mean?? How many miles is too many when you are looking to purchase a used Honda, Toyota, or Nissan?? I don't want to get a vehicle with 100,000+ miles and then have to do a bunch of repairs.
Also, of Toyota, Honda, and Nissan which is the best buy, and what models? I would like to stay with and a SUV, but can go back to a sedan. I am looking to spend $12,000 and would like to have it for at least 2 years to allow me to finish school. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated. Thank you!
If you want the most reliable used brand that would be Toyota! No question. I would suggest a sedan, the Toyota Camry, because it is better on gas. We bought a used Camry for our daughter with 90k on it and we sold it only because she no longer needed a car at 169k. You will have repairs with any used vehicle because parts wear out and have to be replaced, so put some money aside for that. Another good choice that is cheaper is a used Buick, Century or LeSabre. If you want a SUV I would suggest the RAV4 or a hatchback like the Toyota Matrix or Pontiac Vibe. Make sure an independent mechanic checks out any vehicle before you buy.'14 Buick Encore Convenience
'17 Chevy Volt Premiere0
benjaminh Posts: 4,013There are a lot of reliable makes. Honda is certainly considered one of the best.
When I was a student I wasted a lot of time and money by buying used. I wish I had just bought a new Honda to begin with and kept it longer than the used lemons I used to own. If you have $12,000 I think you should just buy a new car instead.
Why? Because used Hondas keep their value. You might pay c. $15,000 for a 4 year old Civic LX with 50,000 miles. But you can get a brand-new 2013 Civic LX for c. $16,990 in many markets. And financing is often available.
Then, rather than having a car you need to trade or repair in a few years, you can just keep it for c. 10 reliable years and save big in the long run. Or, if you need or want to sell it sooner, it will have good resale value.
My 2 cents.2018 Acura TLX 2.4 Tech 4WS (mine), 2018 Honda CR-V EX AWD (wife's)0
backy Twin CitiesPosts: 18,924Which do you like driving better? The Avalon in particular should drive differently (e.g. softer, more isolated ride) than the other two.
If that's not important to you, all of these should be pretty reliable but the Avalon has the edge I think because 2011 was the first year for that Sonata, and 2008 the first year for that Accord. If the Certified Sonata includes extending the bumper to bumper warranty to 10 years/100k miles, that could be a big factor for you. Be sure to ask the dealer about that. At the least, the powertrain warranty should be extended to 100k miles on the Sonata as a Certified vehicle and you'd still have at least two years and 15k miles left of the b2b warranty.0
I vote wholeheartedly for 2011 Sonata SE!
Did you happen to check out any CPO Hyundai Azera models? They were introduced in 2006 as a direct competitor to the Avalon....I really like them. The less expensive models have the same V6 that was optional on the Sonata during the same years. The top-end Azera Limited had a larger 3.8L v6 with more power and it is one smooth operator!2015.5 Volvo S60 T6 Drive-E Platinum, 2012 Mazda CX-9 GT0
Why not get a new or 1 year old slightly smaller version: elantra, civic, or corolla? Is there a reason you need a midsize car? For the same money you could be in a newer and even more reliable car.'14 Buick Encore Convenience
'17 Chevy Volt Premiere0
benjaminh Posts: 4,013My recommend: Get a new 2013 Accord LX. It's better, stronger, faster, safer, gets higher mpg, has blue-tooth, back up camera, alloy wheels, etc., etc. All on the base model.
Crest Honda in Nashville has one for $20,292, and Honda dealers in most major metropolitan areas will get close to that.
If you buy a new Accord, it's highly likely you'll only have to do minor maintenance (oil changes, mainly) and buy one set of tires for the next 10 years & 100,000 miles. This will simplify your life and save you a lot of time, money, and headaches. You'll save in the long run imho, and have much better resale whenever you do want to get another car.
1.9% financing for 5 years is available directly from Honda.
2013 Honda Accord LX
2013 Honda Accord Sedan
2.4L I-4 cyl
Continuously Variable
City MPG:
Hwy MPG:
Ext. Color:
Alabaster Silve
Int. Color:
Stock Number:
Crest Honda
MSRP $23,270 Dealer Discount $2,978 True Price $20,2922018 Acura TLX 2.4 Tech 4WS (mine), 2018 Honda CR-V EX AWD (wife's)0


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- Inside Athletics
- Tickets
- Fan Zone
- Media Zone
- Social
- Shop
- Donate Now
Knoxville, Tenn. (August 22, 2009) - Two goals by Tennessee senior forward Mick Imgram proved to be too much as the ETSU women's soccer team fell 2-0 to its in-state rival Saturday at the Regal Soccer Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn.
"Tonight we did what we wanted to do with our gameplan and unfortunately we came up just short," said head coach Heather Henson. "Tennessee is the defending Southeastern Conference champion and against a high caliber club like them you can't slip up any."
The Lady Vols (1-0-0, 0-0-0 SEC) opened the scoring early as sophomore forward Emily Dowd crossed a pass into the box, where sophomore midfielder Emily Shore tapped a pass around the ETSU defense to Imgram, who fired home her seasons' first goal.
ETSU's (0-1-0, 0-0-0 A-Sun) blasted four shots in the first half - two apiece by senior forward Jordan Monty (Mesquite, Texas) and junior midfielder Jessica Huntington (Newsport News, Va.) - that were all denied by Lady Vol junior keeper Molly Baird.
"I thought Jessica and Jordan did an excellent job attacking Tennessee's back defenders in the first half," said Henson. "Throughout the start of the period we stood with Tennessee with some quality attempts from both ladies. Early in the opening period I believe we had a a shot lead, however we just were a bit unlucky finding the back of the net."
As second half play got underway Tennessee fired four shots before Imgram dribbled up the attacking zone firing her matches' second goal in the 78th minute.
The Lady Vols held a 16 shot advantage over the Bucs, however only four of their attempts were on goal.
"A lot of their shots were taken from the outside of our backline defense," said Henson. "All four of our defenders played the entire match and did an outstanding job shutting down Tennessee's offensive lanes. This forced them to take long shots over our defense."
Sophomore keeper Megan Masch (Virginia Beach, Va.) led the Bucs defense with four saves, while Baird tallied three for the Orange and White.
"Overall, I couldn't be prouder of how our team fought tonight," Henson said. "The level of play was where it needed to be. Now we are going to turn our focus to Monday's training and getting ready for Western Carolina next Friday."
ETSU returns to action with its second straight road match of the season at Western Carolina Aug. 28.
"I want to thank so many of our Bucs fans for coming out tonight," said Henson. "A number of families, former players and campers came out and gave us a great fan base. It is always great when you have that type of support pulling for you on the road."
For more information on the ETSU women's soccer team please visit www.ETSUBucs.com. Also you can follow daily post and updates on the official ETSU women's soccer team Twitter page at www.twitter.com/ETSUSoccer.

subset: commoncrawl


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Review: ViewSonic 22" HD ViewDock Widescreen LCD Display VX2245wm
Company: ViewSonic
Website: www.viewsonic.com
Model: ViewDock 22"
Price: $449
Compatible: iPod 3G, 4G, 5G, mini, nano, shuffle
[Editors' Note: On November 1, 2006, iLounge published The 2007 iPod Buyers' Guide, with more than 30 brand new, capsule-sized product reviews - only for products we considered to be amongst the very best we've seen throughout the year. The short review below is excerpted and expanded from the Guide, which you can download here.]
ViewDock is a 19- or 22-inch monitor with an iPod dock, USB hub, microphone, and speakers built into the base; details are below. We're not going to tell you that ViewDocks are brilliant iPod add-ons - the reason for their only limited recommendations - as the dock is only for syncing and charging, doesn't allow straight-to-monitor playback, and benefits only mildly from the speakers. But as monitors go, ViewSonic's new offerings are well-priced, have great screens, and look nice enough on a desk to pass muster.
The 22" HD ViewDock combines a traditional 22" widescreen display (digital and analog PC/Mac standards) with a front-mounted iPod dock. With a "bring it together" theme, ViewSonic has also integrated two 2.5-watt speakers inside the display, a 3-watt "subwoofer" in the base, and a headphone port for quiet listening. There are also four powered USB ports (front and back), an 8-in-1 card reader (right), and a microphone (front). Audio, video, and power cables are included - two separate power outlets are needed for the display and base.
The display's specifications are up to modern snuff - 1680x1050 resolution, a 5-millisecond response time appropriate to high-speed game graphics, a 280 cd/m2 brightness level, and a 700:1 contrast ratio - but you can't drop an iPod in the dock and watch videos, and the manual suggests that you should load iTunes to listen to music through the integrated speaker system.
Though we found the monitor nice for use with our Mac and PC computers, and had no complaints about its performance as "just another computer monitor," ViewSonic dropped the ball on delivering what should have been a slam dunk - a monitor with the small amount of video processing hardware necessary to let you drop in your iPod and watch content without powering on your computer. Simply grafting an iPod dock onto the base of a monitor takes little effort, and produces underwhelming results, coming across as more of a marketing-driven iPod device than an engineering or customer-driven one. We're hoping for much more from future ViewDock models, assuming that there are any.
Editors' Note: iLounge only reviews products in "final" form, but many companies now change their offerings - sometimes several times - after our reviews have been published. This iLounge article provides more information on this practice, known as revving.


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Insider, The (US - BD RA)
Gabe Powers revisits Michael Mann's masterpiece (updated with screencaps)
When Dr. Jeffrey Wigand (Russell Crowe) is fired by one of the largest tobacco companies in America, he agrees to become a paid consultant for Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino), a veteran 60 Minutes producer, who is working on a story regarding the alleged unethical practices within the tobacco industry. But, what begins as a temporary alliance leads to a lengthy battle for both men to save their reputations, and much, much more. As they soon find out, Corporate America will use all legal means at its disposal to save a billion-dollar-a-year habit. And as these corporate giants soon find out, Bergman and Wigand are honorable men, driven to smoke out the evidence. (From Touchstone's official synopsis)
We all have filmmakers we don't connect with but that we still respect for their unique artistic achievements. Personally, I've always felt guilty that I'm not a bigger fan of David Lynch, especially because he had such a profound effect on many of my favourite filmmakers. I'm less bothered by my general apathy towards Michael Mann's output, but cannot realistically marginalize his skill or vision. I'll argue the lacking impact of his supposed mega-classic Heat (it's so bloated), but find plenty to enjoy about movies, like Thief and Collateral. All said, Miami Vice is the only one of his movies I've plainly not liked (never saw Public Enemies), Manhunter is my personal favourite, and The Insider is his masterpiece.
The Insider is even more interesting in the context of being the follow-up to Heat, because it's a sort of thematic opposite that takes a subtler, psychological route with otherwise similar material. Heat was a deconstructionist approach to a silver-age crime flick that approached the intersecting lives of a cop and criminal. The Insider follows two more unexpectedly similar intersecting lives, but with more human-sized stakes. Mann's films have always been textured by dramatic dynamic range, but I'd argue he never achieved the level of raw naturalism he does here without ever risking his normal sense of cool theatricality. At times, the contemplative staring off into space and melodrama sets the film off into a dizzyingly pretentious place, but the raw emotional power of the piece is never left lacking. It also doesn't hurt that Mann and his cast took such pains to capture the 'realism' of the true story they based the film upon. Eric Roth, who co-wrote the Oscar-nominated screenplay with Mann, is a particularly frustrating Hollywood screenwriter. His most successful scripts tend to be over-stuffed, turning intimate portraits into unwieldy epics like Forrest Gump and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Even his best work, like Munich and this film, tends to overstay its welcome a bit and features some awkward expositional dialogue (of which there is plenty in The Insider). The overlong problem lies at Mann's feet more than Roth's, however, since he has the ultimate editing power and has proven time and again that he has issues cutting his films down into palatable pieces. At the same time, there's no mistaking the fact that both writer and director have taken a subject that could've been very boring and turned it into a reasonably well-paced, consistently engaging thriller.
After becoming a bit of a parody of himself in real life, it's easy to remember there was a time when Russell Crowe had paid his dues and earned a place as a first-time Oscar nominee (he really had no chance against any of the other nominees, especially not the eventual winner, Kevin Spacey). Given time to re-examine the performance, Crowe really is absolutely brilliant here, though, and disappears into his role so naturally that it's honestly hard to remember the baggage he brings to a role thirteen years later. Meanwhile, Al Pacino was coming off a series of scenery-chewing performances in Scent of a Woman ('Hoo-haw!'), Glengarry Glen Ross ('#%$@!'), Carlito's Way ('I'll cut your f**ckin' liver out!', and Heat ('She's got a great ass!'). The '90s were both good and bad for him, because these roles were popular, but also sort of defined him as an unhinged goof-ball. With The Insider, he resituated himself as an actor that can ground himself in reality without chaining down his trademarked flair.
Disney's Touchstone Pictures Blu-ray releases have been a mixed bag in terms of restoration, but at worst, they've still been pretty good representations of the source material. This particular 2.40:1, 1080p transfer is among the best of the bunch, but is also the most obviously altered aspect of the source material. It's difficult even as a relative non-fan of Mann to choose any film as his most beautiful, but the extensive, diverse, and vibrant colour palette here really does sit apart from his more monochromatic features. He and cinematographer Dante Spinotti (who also shot Manhunter and Last of the Mohicans) follow through with a consistent basic colour quality, which blows out wonderfully lush greens, dynamic warm hues, and a underlying cool blue. However, if you compare this release to the DVD release, colours haven't only been richened and made more violent, but there has been substantial 'corrections' made throughout. The original image was rarely 'natural' looking – it followed the neon hue themes set by most of Mann's previous films – but this restoration has certainly taken liberties with the yellow and orange qualities of the warmer hues, especially during darker interior sequences. Flesh tones have been baked beyond what I'm assuming many fans will be comfortable with. Mann and Spinotti's names have not been used in conjunction with this particular restoration as far as I know, so this definitely raises questions pertaining to the filmmaker's 'original intent.' Beyond this, however, I'm still comfortable praising the clarity and strength of the colours during this release.
Digital noise is rarely an issue, since it's only the natural grain that appears mixed into lighter areas; something I mark in the 'favorable' category, since it means there's no excessive DNR enhancement (not that these Touchstone releases have ever really been guilty of that). Much of the film utilizes Mann's typical hand-held close-up approach, which leaves details at the mercy of camera shake and stylized focus. The image is never entirely crisp, but details are plenty sharp from front to back depending on that focus. The close-ups are particularly outstanding to the point that you can probably count the pores on the actor's faces, while the wider shots reveal a bunch of intricate patterns and textures that go missing on the old DVD version. The bulk of the film is also so consistently dark that standard definition transfers couldn't really deal with some of the fine detail. Here, the darker scenes are actually among the transfer's most stunning, thanks in no small part to some perfect black and white levels. Contrast levels are set so high that there's very little in the way of gradation between shadows and highlights. There is some minor enhancement on the harsher contrasting edges (those tiny, white golf balls, for example), but nothing really unexpected from a digitally graded 35mm source. The lack of DNR scrubbing does lead to some minor print damage artefacts as well.
* Update: I can see now that I'm able to compare these caps to the DVD that the Blu-ray is darker, featuring harsher contrast and crushed blacks.
This Blu-ray features a solid but mostly low-key DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 version of The Insider's Oscar-nominated sound design. The film opens with a brilliantly delicate credit sequence that layers montage sound and imagery in an effort to exact the feeling of Bergman's blindfolded escort through Lebanon. The mix rumbles with driving music and the rev of a moving car, but doesn't lose the elegant embellishments that sit apart from the basic ambience of the city that runs throughout the channels. Mann also creates horror movie levels of tension during some of the more paranoid moments with directionally enhanced scares. These exceptions aside, a lot of the sound does sit in the center channel throughout the film, which is fine, considering the intimate nature of the story and photography. It's also generally a pretty quiet film made up specifically of dialogue. This centered stuff is clean and relatively dynamic, but does occasionally sound a little bit compressed, forcing me to turn up the receiver a bit louder than I'm used to. The mixed style/media approach to music is problematic from an aesthetic point of view (it sounds like an anachronistic patchwork quilt that often doesn't fit the film), but works very well for this audio track.
The only extras here are a production featurette/EPK (7:10, SD) and a trailer.
The Insider is still a stunning motion picture experience and this is coming from a non-fan of most of director Michael Mann's work. This first-time Blu-ray release is disappointingly bare-bones in terms of extras, but has been distinctly restored, making for a much sharper and more vibrant experience than the older DVD release. The catch is that the people behind the restoration have employed some colour-correction practices that may bother some of the film's fans.
* Note: Thanks to Troy Anderson at andersonvision.com for the Blu-ray caps. The above images are taken from the Blu-rays and resized for the page. Full-resolution captures are available by clicking individual images, but due to .jpg compression they are not necessarily representative of the quality of the transfer.
Review by Gabriel Powers
hogaburger Contributor Join Date: April 2007 Location: United States Posts: 1,153
Anyone else been able to find this one? Seems like none of the reliable brick and mortar stores got it in today. This is what I get for not just ordering it off Amazon a week ago.
NickMichalak Member Join Date: November 2005 Location: United States Posts: 195
I am a BIG Michael Mann fan, and like you, "Manhunter" is my favorite but I do consider "The Insidr" to be his best film to date. It's a little disconcerting to hear that some color changes have taken place supposedly without Mann or Spinotti's supervision. I just hope that SOMEONE finally gives "Thief" a proper digital restoration with a beautiful HD transfer. That old laserdisc port on the DVD is not pleasing to my eyes despite how great that movie is. It's severely overdue for a fresh anamorphic transfer and clean up.
hogaburger Contributor Join Date: April 2007 Location: United States Posts: 1,153
NickMichalak wrote: I just hope that SOMEONE finally gives "Thief" a proper digital restoration with a beautiful HD transfer. That old laserdisc port on the DVD is not pleasing to my eyes despite how great that movie is. It's severely overdue for a fresh anamorphic transfer and clean up.
Can't wait for Thief on Blu-ray myself. You probably already knew this, but its on Netflix in HD. It could still look a lot better, but that's the best way to see it in the meantime.
Can't wait for Thief on Blu-ray myself. You probably already knew this, but its on Netflix in HD. It could still look a lot better, but that's the best way to see it in the meantime.
Gabe Powers Editor Join Date: September 2004 Location: United States Posts: 4,721
I've put up some smaller caps from the Blu-ray as filler. We should have some full sized caps and DVD comparison caps sooner rather than later. These colors are accurate, though.
Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian
Disc Details
Release Date: 19th February 2013
Discs: 1
Disc Type: Blu-ray Disc
RCE: No
Video: 1080p
Aspect: 2.40:1
Anamorphic: No
Colour: Yes
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 English
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Extras: Production Featurette, Trailer
Easter Egg: No
Feature Details
Director: Michael Mann
Cast: Russell Crowe, Al Pacino, Renee Olstead, Christopher Plummer, Diane Venora, Hallie Kate Eisenberg, Philip Baker Hall, Lindsay Crouse, Debi Mazar, Michael Gambon, Gina Gershon, Colm Feore
Genre: Drama and Thriller
Length: 157 minutes
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Campus Happenings
NDUS Blog
NDUS Home
12 Students Named to the 2012 All-North Dakota Academic Team
Posted on 3/6/2012
For More Information Contact:
John Irby, Public Affairs Consultant
North Dakota University System
Phone: 701.328.2962
BISMARCK, N.D. - Twelve North Dakota community college students have been named to the 2012 All-North Dakota Academic Team, which recognizes the academic achievements of community college students. They will be honored at a dinner and awards ceremony Wednesday, March 7, 2012, 6 p.m., at Dakota College at Bottineau, Centennial Alumni Center, Thatcher Hall, Bottineau, N.D.
Members of the 2012 All-North Dakota Academic Team, the colleges they attend and their hometowns are:
Craig Brown, Jr
., Cankdeska Cikana Community College, Wood Lake, N.D.
Marcial Ferreira
, Dakota College at Bottineau, Pinecrest Fla.
Katrina Jangula
, North Dakota State College of Science, Bismarck, N.D.
Brett Leben
, Lake Region State College, Devils Lake, N.D.
Tyler Loll
, North Dakota State College of Science, Wahpeton, N.D.
Keith Osgood
, Dakota College at Bottineau, Homecrest, Fla.
Lily Reese
, Lake Region State College, Warwick, N.D.
Ashley Renner
, Bismarck State College, Mandan, N.D.
Tina Ross
, Cankdeska Cikana Community College, Oberon, N.D.
Tricia Schmeichel
, Bismarck State College, McLaughlin, S.D.
Kara Swenson
, Williston State College, Arnegard, N.D.
Siera Zimmerman
, Williston State College, Williston, N.D.
"These students are outstanding examples of academic achievement and community involvement," said Bill Goetz, chancellor of the North Dakota University System. "Being named to the All-North Dakota Academic Team is a significant accomplishment, one that both the students and their colleges can be proud of. Clearly, students who attend North Dakota's community colleges are well prepared to meet the evolving demands of the workforce or continue on for additional education."
In North Dakota, the community college awards are co-sponsored by Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society and CTEC, the North Dakota University System College Technical Education Council. The academic team recognition program is active in 37 states. Students named to the state team also are nominated for the All-USA Academic Team.
Nominations are based on outstanding academic performance and service to the college and community. Each member of the North Dakota team will receive a certificate of congratulations from Gov. Dalrymple, an award certificate, a medallion and a monetary award. Each team member also is eligible for scholarships from Valley City State University, University of North Dakota, North Dakota State University, Mayville State University, Minot State University, University of Mary and Jamestown College.
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Department of Management Services
Florida Has a Right to Know
Message From Governor Rick Scott
As the Jobs Governor, I am working to make Florida the best place to work, live, and play. We are changing how Florida does business by eliminating burdensome regulation, reducing state spending, cutting taxes and holding government accountable.
My plan for accountability budgeting will help you exercise your right to hold government accountable. We will adopt transparent, outcome-based budgets so that you can measure results and hold government accountable.
As taxpayers, you have the right to know how every taxpayer dollar is spent. This new website will give you the tools you need to learn about state contracts, state employees' salaries, and regulations. I invite you to visit it often and see how we are doing.
We will be better if you hold us accountable.


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Field Sales Executives Required (Global) [URGENT]
Presupuesto $750-1500 USD
Self-employed (Excellent commission structure + Recurring payments) 1 year direct sales experience necessary for applications to be considered.
Come and work for CTSI Limited for the opportunity of UNCAPPED EARNINGS with realistic earning potential of £60-80k in year 1! CTSILimited are the largest environmental monitoring supplier in Europe, assisting small, medium and enterprise customers manage environmental fluctuations their IT systems - preventing disaster before it occurs. Join us to be a part of the journey…
The Role:
We are seeking experienced face to face B2B sales people to identify opportunities in their local area to cut costs for SME's through offering our range of industry leading environmental monitoring solutions. Our salespeople enjoy working in a tech-enabled environment with all documentation and sales visible and traceable via our online sales system!
Although there is no basic salary, as a self-employed Field Sales agent you can be entitled to:
• Daily payments
• Ongoing training and support
• Freedom and flexibility of being your own boss
• An Uncapped Earning Potential
Commissions for SME environmental systems are £65 for a single system install (base system with 2 sensors) with most clients requiring 2-3 systems per premises. Upsell our enterprise remote monitoring platform add a monthly recurring payment direct to your account at £15 per system monitored. A wide range of cross sale opportunities are available with a large IT range supporting 15+ established brands also available.
Our top sales agents generate 35+ contracts *per month* selling these products. In addition to commissions, you will qualify for recurring payments based on the amount of business your deals generate!
10 freelancers están ofertando el promedio de $1153 para este trabajo
Please see my LinkedIn profile to determine whether I'm suitably qualified: [login to view URL]
Hello Gentleman/Lady, I have more than 26 years of experience in Sales & Marketing. After working for all those years, now I have started my own business consultancy and extend my services to a lot many Indian and Int Más
I'm more than interested in working for you since I have 4-year experience in ales and IT solution selling. I've also worked for a telecom operator.


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Apevia Warlock 900W PSU Review
Apevia recently released its Warlock power supply series, which come in three flavors: 750W, 900W, and 1100W. This is Apevia's first real venture into the high-end, energy gushing, power supply market and true to the Apevia name, they dressed up the units rather extravagantly. The Warlock shines with its glossy titanium case, which is windowed - rather unusual for a power supply. To top it all off, it's excellently cooled and lit with a user-controllable tri-color 135mm fan, so it can change colors to impress friends and match a case color scheme on the fly.
Apevia is widely known for its highly successful, flashy, and windowed entry-level to mid-range cases. Unfortunately, Apevia's glitzy approach in the PSU market has long been overshadowed with poor performance and quality among the veteran overclockers around the web. I got my hands on the 900 watt model and I'm pretty excited to find out how the Apevia 900W Warlock fares. Today's ultra high-end rigs use more power than ever before and no hardcore enthusiast wants a rig with a poor performing PSU - no matter how good it looks. So, will it fall back with the rest of its pretty, but mediocre performing brothers, or actually shine and make a dent in Apevia's reputation?
Closer Look:
The box itself is pretty self-explanatory. Apevia heavily emphasizes the selectable tri-color fan including red, blue, and green.
I opened up the box and found the Warlock resting comfortably in a protective plastic bag, wedged between two pieces of foam. The packaging looks plenty good to survive the rigors of long distance shipping.
I pulled out the Warlock and also found a short manual, four thumb screws, a standard power cable and Velcro straps for cable management - a nice touch.
Now for the real fun. I was pleasantly surprised with the look of the unit in person, as the Warlock certainly does look rather sharp. The titanium mirror finish first caught my eye - extremely snazzy. As you may tell, I had great difficulty taking photos without getting a shot of myself. Now, the Warlock has a large belly mounted 135mm fan, which is nice, as larger fans are generally quieter than smaller fans, moving the same amount of air or more. The windows are on the front and sides to show off the internals, which is to be lit with the LEDs from the fan. The unit felt very solid and quite heavy - a promising sign of a good PSU.
Looks pretty wild, doesn't it? Well, after I passed the initial excitement, I unexpectedly found an imperfection in the paint. I noticed that the paint has somewhat of a rainbow type shine to it, best seen in the first image of the unit. It looks like the clear, glossy coat was applied incorrectly; however, it is only noticeable when looking at the case under a glare, up close.


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Welcome in "your" house in the heart of Florence. Our apartment, a few steps away from the Duomo and from the marvellous Piazza Santa Croce, is located in Florence's most typical area, where you'll find old artisans' boutiques, fashion stores, and local grocery (St. Ambrogio's Market) and flea market (Piazza dei Ciompi's Market).
The apartment is right beside Michelangelo's house, and amidst beautiful historic buildings.
Florence's wonders are within walking distance: in a few minutes you can reach the Duomo, Santa Croce, Ponte Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria, the Uffizi gallery, Piazza Pitti, Boboli Garden and the most famous shopping sites, such as Via Tornabuoni, Via della Vigna Nuova and Via Calzaiuoli.
Our 94sqm apartment was recently and elegantly renewed, and it's located at the 1st floor of a XV Century's building. Peace and quiet are ensured, since there are no windows facing the streets: all windows face the wonderful internal patio, a green and peaceful oasis, ideal to relax in the evenings or have breakfast in the morning. Light dominates every room of the apartment, thanks to high ceilings and bright, wide windows. We worked really hard to give you a place where you can feel the cozy and warm embrace of a real home, starting from the wide open space where a fully stocked kitchen, a comfortable dining room and a cozy living room are combined in a perfect balance, in addition to a windowed bathroom. In a little studio-area between dining room and bedroom, you will find plenty of touristic informations, maps and directions, for you to use during your stay. The bedroom is separated from the open day-time space, to ensure you intimacy and privacy., adding a romantic and classy feel to it. This room can accommodate two adults and a child (in an extra bed). Also, the bedroom has its private windowed bathroom.
Our apartment's main services are: air conditioning, wi-fi, SAT TV, Nintendo Wii, washing machine, microwave oven, ironing board and iron, hair dryier, fully stored kitchen, linens and towels.
It is a pleasure for us to meet you at the apartment at arrival, to give you all the informations you may need about the apartment and St. Ambrogio's neighbourhood. We can give you our "insider tips" and organize for you special tours in non-touristic and more typical parts of the city, or even one-day trips outside town. At arrival you will find maps and brochures, along with a mini-guide wirh our special suggestions, for you to live Florence as a real florentine. We are always give our guests our phone numbers, for any request during your stay, and a list of other useful numbers.
We put a lot of care and work into making our home welcoming, comfortable and, above all, "true" to the spirit of Florence, with great attention to the smallest detail, to offer you an unforgettable vacation in the heart of Florence.
For a brief period, our home will become your home and, as such, we are certain that you will treat with care and respect. In this way you will not only make us happy but also our next guests.
During your stay, we ask that you please refrain from smoking, keep the apartment clean and orderly, not create noises that may bother neighbors and to please turn off lights and air conditioning each time you leave the apartment.
Check-in is from 3:00PM onwards and check-out is by 10:00AM. Your promptness is appreciated!
Before checking out, please check that you have emptied the refrigerator, thrown out all rubbish and have washed plates, pots and utensils. The aforesaid rent includes the following auxiliary services: lighting of interior spaces and courtyard, winter heating, summer air-conditioning, power supply, water, gas and Wi-fi internet connection.
Animals of any sort are not allowed.
Caution money in the amount of € 200 is requested.
City tax: since October 2014 The Florentine Town Hall introduced the "City tax" that every guest has to pay to the host who transfers that amount to the public administration. The tax is € 3,00 per day, per person (city tax is charged for maximum 7 days).
After all the rules, a pleasant surprise: on arrival you will find a welcome gift awaiting you in the apartment, along with information and suggestions to help make your vacation more enjoyable..


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Ginobili leads Spurs to win over Nuggets
One night after his step-back jumper beat Milwaukee, Manu Ginobili's defense handed the San Antonio Spurs a 113-112 win over the Denver Nuggets.
Ginobili sparked the Spurs to a big fourth-quarter lead and he drew the foul that negated Carmelo Anthony's winning basket in San Antonio's escape Thursday night.
"I knew Carmelo was going to attack the rim," Ginobili said. "We were not going to let him take that open shot. Antonio (McDyess) made him a driver and I was in the right position. It's my job to be there and try to draw a charge. When he jumped I knew I was going to get it because I was right outside the circle.
"I definitely didn't want to make any doubts for the refs. A guy that explosive, it's hard to stop and pull up. I knew I was right out of the circle and he got me right in the chest."
Anthony, who led Denver with 31 points, thought he had the game-winning play, not Ginobili.
"No, obviously what I think and what they called are two different things. I thought I made a great play. I took advantage of how Richard (Jefferson) was guarding, attacked. I don't think I could've got a better look at it than that," Anthony said.
"It's tough, you know, just going out there playing as hard as we played out there and to lose the game on something like that."
The bizarre finish capped a frenetic finish in which the Nuggets erased a nine-point deficit with 6 minutes left.
The Spurs led 111-108 with 8 seconds TO GO when Anthony got behind the defense for a dunk. McDyess' inbounds pass was deflected by J.R. Smith off Ginobili's head and into the arms of Anthony, whose basket gave the Nuggets a 112-111 lead with 7.1 seconds left.
Ginobili's running bank shot at 4.2 seconds put the Spurs back on top 113-112.
After a timeout, Anthony got the inbounds pass from Ty Lawson and drove the lane past Jefferson, but Ginobili slid over and drew the foul as Anthony's shot fluttered through the net at the buzzer and the crowd went crazy.
Official Haywoode Workman waved off the basket for an offensive foul.
Nuggets coach George Karl was crestfallen over the call.
"It's a play that I think goes either way a lot," Karl said. "It seemed like the referees, they like to hit us with tough calls. It was a tough call. Good play. Good basketball. Melo made a great play. It's close. I've seen it called both ways."
But at the buzzer?
Told that TV analyst Scott Hastings said he hadn't seen that in his nearly three decades watching NBA basketball, Karl said, "I'd probably agree with Scott."
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said: "I never even saw it. I just saw Carmelo barreling to the rim and I'm thinking, 'Oh my god."'
After a review, the officials put 0.4 seconds back on the clock, and the Spurs inbounded the ball for the win.
It was the second game-winning play in two nights for Ginobili, who hit a fallaway jumper as time expired Wednesday, lifting San Antonio over Milwaukee 92-90.
"He's a stud," Popovich said. "He's been a competitor, he's won championships here and overseas and he's been MVPs of things. He scored the two free throws down the stretch, then he scored the winning bucket and then he took the charge. That pretty much says it all about what he's capable of doing."
San Antonio improved to an NBA-best 22-4 while dropping the Nuggets to just their second loss in 13 home games.
Tim Duncan had 28 points and Tony Parker added 24 for the Spurs but it was Ginobili's spurt that sparked San Antonio.
Averaging 20.2 points, Ginobili had just three points when he sliced in for a backdoor basket, hit a step-back basket – like the one he used to beat Milwaukee – and then hit a deep 3-pointer to give the Spurs a 94-88 lead early in the fourth quarter.
Until the final minute, the highlight of the game was Smith's dunk over Gary Neal with 0.6 seconds left in the first quarter. His subsequent free throw gave the Nuggets a 37-28 lead that marked the most points the Spurs had allowed in any quarter this season.
Smith took off 11 feet from the basket and slammed it through the hoop with both hands as he ran into Neal, sending him to the court. The rim-rattler drew nods of appreciation from the Nuggets bench and was posted on YouTube within minutes.
Notes: Denver PG Chauncey Billups (wrist) missed his second straight game. The Nuggets hope he can return Saturday night against Minnesota. … Spurs C DeJuan Blair returned from hyperextending his right knee Wednesday night against Milwaukee to log 14 minutes.


text:
Dear fellow forum members,
The forum spam has started to become a problem and some updates have been made to better block these spammers which cost hours and hours of time (for me, 3 hours yesterday, 5 today and the other forum mods are reporting spending a lot of time). Forum members often don't see the automated spam though the current spam methods are creating a bit of an overload.
Some security changes have been made which I hope do not affected the daily operation of this forum.
Unfortunately there tend to be "false positive" which is one of the side-effects, genuine visitors and members may accidently be pinpointed as a spammer. More often than not because they have a dynamic IP address which may have previously been used by a spammer or person with infected computer used to spam.
If you have problems:
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Please excuse the short downtime - it was part of the update and was a syntax error which I have now spotted..
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text:
|Bloomington, Minn.
|High School:
|Jefferson Senior
|Residential College:
Yale PRs
800m 1:59.56
1000m 2:41.42
1500m 3:50.96
Mile 4:17.54
3000m Steeple 9:31.82
XC 8k 24:36.45
High School PRs
400m 50.1
800m 1:54
1600m 4:12
3200m 9:16
5k (xc) 15:32
2012-2013: Fifth on the team and sixth overall at Fordham...First on the team and tenth overall at the New England Championships...Finished with the second-fastest 8k time on the team, which he ran at New Englands.
2011-2012: Improved by nearly four minutes since first collegiate meet… Second on team at Heps (25:42.7) and fourth at Regionals (10k time of 33:14.8)… Fourth-fastest freshman in the Ivy League at cross country Heps.
High School: Captain of cross country, track and nordic ski teams...Team MVP...Conference champion in 1600m and 800m...1600m state champion and 3200m state runner-up...Nike Cross National Qualifier in cross country...USATF national qualifier in 1500m.
Personal: Branford College...President of dispossessed.Records and semi-professional rapper...Avid tree hugger...World traveler.
Q: If you could backup dance for one musical artist who would it be?
A: This is a tough choice between Gaga and Ke$ha for me, but I'm going to
go Ke$ha because I think Gaga would outshine me too much. Ke$ha is one
of the greatest voices of our generation, and her music inspires the
movement of millions of people at bars, clubs and sweaty dormrooms
world wide. I just want to be a part of that.
Q: Mile Repeats or Tempos?
A: Easy. Mile Repeats. I love pushing myself over running's most
beautiful distance, while I get distracted during tempo workouts.
Q: Where was your first kiss?
A: It was outside of the sixth grade wing at my middle school right as
the bell rang on the last day of sixth grade with Natalie Lutz. I then
lost the key to my bike and my science teacher had to drive me home.
Q: Favorite youtube video?
A: Alien Prank-


text:
Mike Mckenzie - My Train of Thought (Intro) (Artist From Boston) [Unsigned Hype]
"PLEASE SUPPORT by Downloading Mike Mckenzie's
Latest Mixtape "My Train of Thought" at
http://www.mikemckenziemusic.com/ ITS FREE!
Mike Mckenzie blesses us with the first visual off his "My Train of Thought" Mixtape entitled "My Train of Thought (Intro)". Just 3 mins of straight BARS! and PUNCHLINES!
Filmed By: "Moomdaddy" of Reel Lyfe. Directed By "Mike Mckenzie" of Reel Lyfe & Edited By: "Mike Mckenzie" of Reel Lyfe
Follow on Twitter:
Mike Mckenzie - @_MikeMckenzie_ Moomdaddy - @Moomdaddy
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
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Cash Management
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Interac e-Transfer is ideal for non-frequent payments, for things like payroll for temporary staff, insurance claim payouts, company rebates and emergency fund disbursements.
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text:
- Inside Athletics
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Starter Bo Reeder (
Pete Woodworth earned the victory for
Freshman Kerry Doane (
The Eagles exploded for six runs on five hits in the first inning to take an early 6-0 lead. A two-run double by Zach Maxfield highlighted the scoring for FGCU.
Tim Roberson added a run in the second driving in Mikel Alvarez on a sacrifice fly to center to make the score 7-0.
In the third, after a Austin Gaines double, Stephen Wickens tripled to right to score Gaines to give Florida Gulf Coast a 8-0 lead.
The Bucs got on the board in the top of the fourth as Paul Hoilman (
ETSU got another run in the fifth to cut the lead to 8-2 as Chas Byrne (
A two-run double by Scruggs in the seventh cut the FGCU lead to 11-4.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Eagles scored four insurance runs on two hits and two Buccaneer errors to go in front 15-4.
Reeder came in to score on a ball hit to short by Derek Niesman (
The Bucs scored three runs in the ninth on a ball hit to short by Hoilman, a RBI single by
The Bucs are back in action Tuesday at 4 p.m. as they host UNC Asheville in a mid-week doubleheader at
FGCU 15, ETSU 8 (May 9, 2010 at
ETSU............ 000 110 213 - 8 15 4 (27-21, 14-10 A-Sun)
FGCU............ 611 030 40x - 15 16 3 (31-16, 20-4 A-Sun)
Pitchers: ETSU - Bo Reeder; Scott McNally (5); Lee Hall (7); Bo
FGCU - Pete Woodworth; Jack Wagoner (7); Craig Crumbly (8); Austin Gaines (9); Jacob Barnes (9)Win - Pete Woodworth (7-1) Loss - Bo Reeder (3-4)


text:
The National Rifle Association's response to the Sandy Hook school massacre in Newtown, Conn., generated more heat than light. Wayne LaPierre, the NRA's executive vice president, held a news conference Dec. 21. He pointed his finger at nearly every cause of mass shootings except for one — the proliferation of, access to and use of fast-shooting, high-capacity weapons.
The National Rifle Association's response to the Sandy Hook school massacre in Newtown, Conn., generated more heat than light. Wayne LaPierre, the NRA's executive vice president, held a news conference Dec. 21. He pointed his finger at nearly every cause of mass shootings except for one — the proliferation of, access to and use of fast-shooting, high-capacity weapons.
LaPierre repeatedly called for the deployment of "police officers" in every American school, as if it was a novel idea. He suggested volunteers or retired officers, although they are undesirable in most cases.
Any armed officer should be current on training and law, and be on the staff of the Sheriff's Office or a city police department.
Polk County has 44 school resource officers in its middle schools and high schools. It spends about $2 million annually on the officers and an additional $1 million on school safety, reported The Ledger's Merissa Green in an article Tuesday. Per officer, the cost is about $45,450 annually.
While it once spent an additional $800,000 for unarmed guards, the School Board scrapped that program three years ago as a budget cut.
Nonetheless, Polk law-enforcement agencies are providing an excellent service by having officers make random visits to elementary schools. The visits started when school resumed Tuesday.
The Sheriff's Office and city police departments should be lauded for making this effort at no cost to the school system. Even so, the law-enforcement visits will not be permanent. They are too costly.
The School Board has announced that it will make cuts of between $16 million and $18 million for the 2013-2014 school year, Green reported Wednesday, to cover teacher and worker raises.
There is not enough money to keep up a full teaching staff, and there might not be enough money to maintain a seven-period day in high schools. A six-period day might be substituted. Education — in a School System already ranked 59th out of 67 by the Florida Department of Education — is likely to decline, never mind anti-violence efforts.
The School Board is limited in the amount of money it can raise. Most school funding comes from the state — approved and doled out by the Legislature, and signed off by Gov. Rick Scott.
Since Scott, a Republican, took office in 2011, he and the like-minded Legislature, which is controlled by Republicans, have reduced education funding. They have talked of increases for the 2013-2014 fiscal year, but nothing on the order of the funding necessary for substantial educational improvement or additional security.
This is an opportunity for state Rep. Seth McKeel, R-Lakeland, to make a difference not only in Polk County but across the state as the newly appointed chairman of the Florida House Appropriations Committee.
With an understanding of and family background in education — and as the House budget chief — McKeel should push for funding to both improve education broadly and to improve school safety.
In his Dec. 21 talk, LaPierre ignored a primary problem: The killer could not have inflicted the carnage he did without a semi-automatic weapon and high-capacity magazines of bullets.
It took only minutes for the killer to fire 50 rounds to 100 rounds — slaughtering 20 first-graders, and six teachers and administrators who tried to protect them — before police arrived and he took his own life. Some of the victims had as many as 11 bullet wounds.
The attack should push President Barack Obama, Congress and the American people to reimpose a ban on the sale of semi-automatic weapons — and strengthen the law to close loopholes and add a ban on the sale of high-capacity magazines. Obama, with his appointment of Vice President Joe Biden to draw up such a plan, is on the right track.
The ban should include high-capacity, semi-automatic handguns, which have repeatedly been used in mass shootings, as well as assault rifles. It is necessary for the same reason that individuals aren't permitted to own machine guns, grenade launchers or heavy artillery: the obvious danger of mass killings and destruction.
A renewed assault-weapon ban is not a panacea. However, the NRA shouldn't continue to pretend that fast-firing, high-capacity assault weapons don't aid those who shoot en masse.


text:
2 U.S. Code § 26 - Roll of Representatives-elect
Before the first meeting of each Congress the Clerk of the next preceding House of Representatives shall make a roll of the Representatives-elect, and place thereon the names of those persons, and of such persons only, whose credentials show that they were regularly elected in accordance with the laws of their States respectively, or the laws of the United States. In case of a vacancy in the office of Clerk of the House of Representatives, or of the absence or inability of the Clerk to discharge the duties imposed on him by law or custom relative to the preparation of the roll of Representatives or the organization of the House, those duties shall devolve on the Sergeant at Arms of the next preceding House of Representatives.
R.S. § 31 derived from acts Feb. 21, 1867, ch. 56, § 1, 14 Stat. 397 and Mar. 3, 1863, ch. 108, 12 Stat. 804.
R.S. §§ 32 and 33 derived from act Feb. 21, 1867, ch. 56, § 2, 14 Stat. 397.
R.S. § 31 constitutes first sentence; R.S. § 32 constitutes second sentence; and R.S. § 33 constituted the third sentence, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 104–186. See 1996 Amendment note below.
1996—Pub. L. 104–186 struck out third sentence which read as follows: "In case of vacancies in the offices of both the Clerk and the Sergeant at Arms, or of the absence or inability of both to act, the duties of the Clerk relative to the preparation of the roll of the House of Representatives or the organization of the House shall be performed by the Doorkeeper of the next preceding House of Representatives." See Codification note above.
LII has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references LII.


text:
|2012-01-03, 00:07
|Link #1
Join Date: Dec 2011
My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic! Discussion
What's the deal with this show? I've had SO many people recommend the series to me, but I still can't bring myself to watch it. What on Earth could possibly make a children's animated series so popular among adults?
|2012-01-03, 00:23
|Link #2
Anime Cynic
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: USA
Age: 30
And that's what MLP is. It may be a fantastic kids' show, but it IS a kid's show and should be judged accordingly. These people simply can't do that.
|2012-01-03, 00:37
|Link #4
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Suburban DC
There is a lot of documentation on it.
You can try the wiki or better yet this is a decent article;
Read it and the follow up.
Admittedly It does nothing for me, but I can't hate on the show cause a lot of Dexter's Lab and PPG people worked on it and they generally kick ass so, they know how to make toons that appeal to wide age groups.
Also Amarok, you don't watch any shonen do you? Cause if you do you are in fact watching shit made for kids.
|2012-01-03, 00:48
|Link #5
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: NY, USA
Age: 28
Okay, so here's how it goes:
^That article pissed off a few people in /co/ (4chan's cartoon board). Because MLP was mentioned in it quite a bit, quite a number of people went to go watch the show. It just so happens that the creator of MLP is also the creator of Powerpuff Girls and Foster's Home (the former was something I watched occasionally 15 years ago or so and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends was pretty awesome).
The rest of /b/ found out eventually and by the second episode, many were hooked for different reasons, whether it be themes and characters or the bright artwork in contrast to many cartoons produced in Western media.
And being that it originated on /b/, the source of many memes and images (9gaggers, disagree all you want, but it's true), it spread rapidly, combined with the fact that Hasbro didn't really take MLP episodes which were being streamed on Youtube, down.
Eventually, there was a huge shitfest in /b/ and MLP was the center of the argument, between users who loved the show and those who didn't.
It also helps that a lot of the developers for the show have made accounts on Youtube AND 4chan/reddit (yes, including Lauren Faust; she posts on /co/) to interact with the demographics and receive feedback.
Celebrities and famous figures have also referenced the show, and that goes a long way in advertising something. Bill Clinton was asked about characters on MLP on NPR and Colbert gives a shoutout to "bronies" on a particular episode.
Long story short: Started out as a movement to prove an article wrong, then exploded into an internet trend.
Edit: What Dilla said. Fosters I was aware but don't know why I mentioned it of but PPG not so much.
Last edited by Who; 2012-01-03 at 01:08.
|2012-01-03, 00:48
|Link #6
'Sup Ballers
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: North Carolina, USA
Age: 29
Last edited by Dilla; 2012-01-03 at 00:58.
|2012-01-03, 00:57
|Link #7
Obey the Darkly Cute ...
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: On the whole, I'd rather be in Kyoto ...
Age: 61
I've watched a couple of episodes.... but I was immediately thinking "Powerpuff Girls" subversiveness with crazy colored horses before I knew the same creative talents were involved.
Powerpuff Girls was quite amusing (Panty&Stocking drew a lot of style from it). I see a few inklings but mostly it is a kid's show that isn't as utterly crappy as its competition.
|2012-01-03, 01:01
|Link #8
Blooming on the mountain
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light....
Yes - I know such things are theoretically possible, having seen similar things over what seem to me to be equally silly occasions for discussion, but still....
|2012-01-03, 03:46
|Link #10
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
very good art, animation, voice-acting ! (especially .. Fluttershy's voice _god: .. and once you realise that Pinkie and Flutters are voiced by the same VA ...........) & ofc characters
and Q-iscord !
and you know the show is for adults as well if there are The Big Lebowski references in it .. not that it matters for whom it is, if it's good I watch it
|2012-01-03, 10:22
|Link #17
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: ¯\(º_o)/¯
That moe joke I made earlier was actually semi-serious to be honest. If you were to show some magical girl shows like Pretty Cure or Shugo Chara to an average person unaware of anime and manga culture (hell you could probably extend this to include the bishoujou type shows as well), they'd straight up tell you those shows are for little girls and only little girls should be watching that (and they'd be completely right in a sense). I'm pretty sure many anime fans would even share that same viewpoint too and yet here they are with a massive male otaku following and fanbase for some strange reason.
The same thing that's happening there is pretty much happening here too with MLP imo. Same phenomena just in a different media culture.
It'd be pretty interesting to see how much overlap there is between MLP fans and anime/manga otaku fans tbh. I really do wonder how many "bronies" out have next to no knowledge of otaku culture at all.
Last edited by brocko; 2012-01-03 at 10:33.
|2012-01-03, 11:23
|Link #18
Megane girl fan
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Diagonally parked in a parallel universe.
Age: 50
That being said, my daughter, who is ~almost 5~ does have a couple My Little Pony figures, and she loves playing with them. One of them is pink, has moving wings, a unicorn horn, and wears a tiara (Can't think of the name). So as she grows older, and earns more TV time, I imagine I'll be watching a few episodes with her. From the descriptions posted here, I might not have to kill myself.
BTW - "earn TV time" means exactly that. 1 hour of reading and/or math when she comes home from school earns 1/2 hour of TV.
Endless "Not a bronie" Soul
|2012-01-03, 13:16
|Link #19
Join Date: Nov 2007
Age: 29
|2012-01-03, 13:27
|Link #20
Anime Cynic
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: USA
Age: 30
|my little pony
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