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Resilience paving the way for sustainable growth for Mercedes SA
Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) Ltd group of companies on Monday announced that its revenue for the year ended 2016 increased by 10.8%, to R73.4bn. Earnings before Interest and Tax (EBIT) of R5.6bn was achieved for the same period, an increase of 27.3%.
The figures released are unaudited and preliminary - for the 2016 financial year.
EBIT for the previous financial year, ended 31 December 2015, excludes the impact of a once-off reporting item from the sale of Atlantis Foundries, while the 2016 figure excludes the once-off impact from the sale of some of MBSA's own retail dealerships.
The revenue gains were, as in the preceding year, in large part due to higher production volume out of its East London Plant, as well as the concurrent increase in export revenue generated from that facility.
"The group of companies showed resilience in a continuously changing landscape by remaining true to the vision we have set out for ourselves. This landscape included fluctuating exchange rates; a subdued local market for both passenger and commercial vehicles; as well as increasing global uncertainty. We remain steadfast in our goal of sustainable growth through our product offensive, steadily increasing production and by collaborating with all stakeholders to actively build not only our company, but also the South African economy. And in all of this, our customers remain our top priority," says Arno van der Merwe, CEO and Executive Director Manufacturing, MBSA.
The company also continued its investment into the East London Plant with a total of R461m invested for the period. Included in this amount, was the preparation for the introduction of the C 350 e plug-in hybrid into the production line-up as well as other projects to ensure consistent quality and boost productivity.
Van der Merwe once again reiterated the group of companies' commitment as a socially responsible corporate citizen to South Africa. He announced that the East London Plant will start production of three Mercedes-AMG models in 2017 - the Mercedes-AMG C 43 4MATIC, Mercedes-AMG C 63 and the Mercedes-AMG C 63 S. Along with these AMG models, the Mercedes-Benz C 400 4MATIC will also be added for production from the plant. The total investment for these new models will be above R200 million.
Group Revenue in Rbn
Group EBIT (from on-going business) in Rbn
Mercedes-Benz South Africa East London Plant
To gear up for sustained record production and export achievements, and to ensure the East London Plant keeps abreast of global mobility solutions, significant investment was made in 2016 towards both shopfloor innovations and the introduction of new models. The total investment for the year - for various capacity projects, product investments as well as tooling and equipment, totalled R461m.
One of the major highlights of this total investment, the C 350 plug-in hybrid[1], officially rolled off the production line in September 2016. The introduction of the hybrid has expanded the Plant's technical capabilities, having added the necessary technology to the shopfloor. This in turn positioned the East London shopfloor as the most advanced in the country, setting a global benchmark in production best practice both in technology and staff excellence.
In the 2016 financial year, the Plant continued its record production excellence, which culminated in more than 114 000 passenger car units (an increase of 12% from the previous year) and more than 4 500 commercial vehicles being manufactured or assembled at the facility. Currently, the Plant exports roughly 90 percent of the passenger car units manufactured to various markets across the world.
These sustained high production numbers are in part the result of consistently excellent attendance from employees, who are guided by both a high calibre of leaders as well as by sustainable labour agreements. The East London Plant's most recent labour agreement, the Siyaphambili Agreement, which was signed in 2016, is a benchmark development in the manufacturing sector's labour market, and will ensure sustainable and stable labour relations for the next five years.
The labour agreements are informed by industry-wide policies and negotiations in which MBSA is involved. Significantly, the 2016 National Bargaining Forum (NBF) negotiations broke the trend of strike action that has been seen in recent years. They were also concluded in a manner that encourages labour stability.
As a significant investor to the economic hub of the region, MBSA understands the importance of reinvesting into both its labour catchment areas as well as the greater community. As such, the Mercedes-Benz Learning Academy (MBLA), one of the organisation's key drivers in human and community development, was officially launched in March 2016 in collaboration with National Treasury's Jobs Fund. The MBLA trains 230 shopfloor workers and around 50 artisans per year. Since training started, approximately 400 people trained have secured formal employment, with another 100 in the pipeline for employment placing.
The East London Plant, through collaborative efforts, will continue to build on its past achievements and thus contribute to skills development, job creation and economic development in the region.
Mercedes-Benz Cars leads the luxury segment at home and abroad
Despite a challenging year for the overall local passenger car market, down by -12.8%, Mercedes-Benz Cars increased its market share slightly to 7% of the total South African market, and were 1 581 units ahead of its closest premium competitor.
"We will continue our product offensive with several new additions to the model range. By 2020 we will have over 40 models. With new cars with ground-breaking designs that inspire our customers, and with new technologies, our products and services will grow even faster," says Florian Seidler, Co-CEO Mercedes-Benz South Africa and Executive Director, Mercedes-Benz Cars.
"In 2017, we will introduce a number of new and exciting products such as the new Mercedes-AMG E-Class 63 S+ sedan, the new E-Class Coupé and Cabriolet, and the new GLA that will inspire our customers even further," adds Seidler.
Mercedes-AMG continues to drive performance and 2016 saw this performance brand achieving record sales of almost 2 000 units - out-shining its closest competitor for the third consecutive year.
Mercedes-AMG is celebrating 50 Years of AMG - and what better way of celebrating than by introducing the new Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster, AMG GT R and AMG GT C Roadster. These sports models arrive mid-2017 completing the Mercedes-AMG GT roadster family.
The AMG brand stands for driving performance and with the introduction of the AMG 43 range, driving performance is now extended through the Power of 43 - performance has been given a new number - 43!
Five new AMG 43 models have been added to this performance range: the C-Class sedan, coupe and cabriolet 4MATICs; the SLC roadster; the GLC 43, GLC 43 Coupe, GLE 43 and GLE 43 Coupe from the extensive SUV range. The sporty E 43 complements the E-Class range from the second quarter.
With the new generation of the E 63 S 4MATIC+, AMG is taking the dynamic driving limits to a completely new level. The powerful 4.0 litre V8 biturbo engine achieves a new peak power of 450 kW and is the most powerful engine ever in an E Class. With an acceleration of 0 - 100 km/h in 3.4 secs, the E 63+ is the fastest executive sedan in its class.
"The launch of the GLA facelift in 2017 completes the mid-life refresh of all our compact cars. The compact car range has been immensely popular all around the word and has contributed to Mercedes-Benz taking the number one spot in the luxury market. Our compact range continues to support the rejuvenation of the Mercedes-Benz brand and consistently attracts new and trendy customers to the brand," adds Seidler.
Trends and buying habits are evolving and this is no different in the fast-changing motor industry. MBSA launched its Beautiful News partnership with News24.com on 1 November 2016 and these films have been distributed to more than 37-million unique browsers overall. MBSA is the first non-publishing brand to distribute editorial content of this nature to such a large and varied audience.
"The feedback has been phenomenal and we are proud to promote the stories of people with such a heart-warming approach. Mercedes-Benz is not all about cars, we believe in the pure goodness of people in their everyday lives," says Seidler.
The digital space is evolving and following the brand's dominance on Facebook as the first local automotive manufacturer to reach 1m fans, Mercedes-Benz Accessories recently opened an Online Store hosting a wealth of gift ideas for an ever-growing fan base. On offer is a wide range of quality lifestyle items for every motoring enthusiast.
The launch of the online shop, hosted at Shop.Mercedes-Benz.co.za, means customers can now choose a selection of high-end branded items from the comfort of their phone, tablet or laptop.
Technology and safety remains a priority and by combining these imperatives with a host of services, Mercedes-Benz Cars is now offering an incredible service to its customers - Mercedes me connect. Mercedes me connect is broken down into five areas - "move me", "connect me", "assist me", "finance me" and "inspire me" - and takes into account all product-relevant areas such as the purchasing, financing and servicing of vehicles, as well as Daimler's internationally acclaimed mobility services. In this way, "Mercedes me connect" allows all service and mobility areas to be integrated seamlessly and conveniently, thus raising the bar once again for individual customer care. (See complete release for full details)
Emission-free automobiles are the future: Mercedes-Benz Cars is consolidating all activities in connection with electric mobility under the new product brand EQ and the Concept EQ gives a clear outlook onto a completely new generation of vehicles. Globally Mercedes-Benz Cars plans to launch more than ten electric vehicles by 2025: in all segments from smart to large SUVs. Parent company Daimler expects that until 2025 the proportion of electric vehicles in total unit sales of Mercedes-Benz will be between 15 and 25 percent. This is dependent on the development of infrastructure and client preferences.
"Our hybrid offering of the Mercedes-Benz C 350 e and the S 500 e is the current e-mobility solution for our local customers due to the long-distances travelled in southern Africa. With the extension of the mileage of electric models, from 200 km - 500 km we will actively look at bringing electric vehicles to South Africa in the future. We are on board with this project, and will work with the industry to find solutions to provide charging infrastructure and battery exchange programmes," concludes Seidler.
Daimler Trucks & Buses remains market leader in a competitive environment
Daimler Trucks & Buses (DT&B) utilised 2016 as a year to cement its vision statement: "We aim to be the benchmark commercial vehicle solutions provider that makes a real difference in the lives of all our stakeholders."
The various Daimler brands (Mercedes-Benz Trucks, Western Star, Mercedes-Benz Buses and FUSO Trucks) achieved this by providing customised mobility solutions.
FUSO Trucks launched the medium to heavy-duty FJ 16-230, which proved to be the truck of choice in the southern African region. With the addition of the robust vehicle, the manufacturer offered a wide choice for various applications such as distribution, rentals, courier and small-, micro- and medium-enterprises.
Mercedes-Benz Bus & Coach continued in their pioneering ways, as the division delivered 150 dual fuel city buses - a world-first for Mercedes-Benz - to Johannesburg's MetroBus, as well as handing over 40 Compressed Natural Gas buses to the City of Tshwane.
Mercedes-Benz Trucks increased its market share by almost two percentage points last year, as a result of the continued focus on adding value to its customers. The original equipment manufacturer offers vehicles with the lowest total cost of ownership in the market and strives to increase vehicle uptime.
"A depreciating rand and harsh operating conditions did not dampen our collective spirits as DT&B in 2016. In fact, these factors pushed us to innovate through campaigns such as Total Cost of Ownership, allowing us to further prove that we always put our customers' mobility requirements first. This approach resulted in DT&B selling 4 631 trucks and buses, a figure we are proud of in such a tough economy," says Jasper Hafkamp, Executive Director, Daimler Trucks & Buses Southern Africa.
Mercedes-Benz Trucks, FUSO Trucks, Western Star and Mercedes-Benz Bus & Coach all contributed in making 2016 yet another milestone year for DT&B. One of the major reasons why the manufacturer continued to yield positive results is that it offers benchmark value chain offerings.
DT&B saw penetration of these value chain products increase across the board. CharterWay enjoyed a 39 percentage point increase on penetration for all its service contracts, due to the Integrated Service Plan. The manufacturer's driver and vehicle management system, FleetBoard, increased penetration by six percentage points, while Mercedes-Benz Financial Services increased penetration across the DT&B offering by 10 percentage points.
Forming part of the value chain is the manufacturer's pre-owned vehicles and trailers arm, TruckStore South Africa, which remains a success story with total sales growing by 8% in 2016 compared to the previous year. The outlet is the biggest and most successful single TruckStore centre outside Germany, and continues to develop the pre-owned commercial vehicle and trailer business by exploring a number of opportunities.
One of these was supplying Daimler's Regional Centre Southern Africa market with products and services that cannot be matched by any of its competitors in the region. This led to TruckStore increasing export sales into the southern African markets.
Mercedes-Benz Vans - robust sales in a challenging market
During 2016, Mercedes-Benz Vans increased its market share in South Africa by 2.8 percentage points in the large van market. For the mid-size market, the division achieved 39% growth in unit sales. These impressive numbers were due to the success of the V-Class, Vito and the class-leading Sprinter.
The division exceeded its customers' expectations by being innovative and always putting its most important stakeholder first - the customer. A case in point was how the division expanded its Sprinter product range to include a new variant with a permissible gross vehicle weight (GVW) of 5.5 tons. This represented an increase in payload of almost half-a-ton, a record level in this weight class. This allows various sectors, which require maximum payload, to master their given tasks more effectively and profitably.
Coupled with this, the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter was also the first large van to be introduced with an Integrated Service Plan in South Africa. The CharterWay Service BestBasic 5-year/105 000 km service plan assists operators to concentrate on their business' core requirements, by offering guaranteed vehicle availability and reduced administration.
Undoubtedly, the most exciting development in 2016 for Mercedes-Benz Vans was the press reveal of the most-anticipated bakkie, the Concept X-Class. With the Concept X-Class, the manufacturer aims to offer its customers a class-leading vehicle that not only matches their specific needs, but also sets new standards in a growing segment. This new model entrant is poised to make an unmistakable mark in the Southern African market once it is launched in early 2018.
"As Mercedes-Benz Vans South Africa, we made use of our strong position and we ensured that 2016 was the year of the Vans customer. All our efforts were squarely focused on ensuring that our customers' needs were met at every touchpoint - from both a sales and after-sales perspective - and that is why we had significant volume growth in the mid-size segment, where the Vito and V-Class operate. Mercedes-Benz dominates the large van market, and despite the decline in the market, we still grew our market share. That is undisputable evidence that we continue to be the leaders when it comes to all things Vans," says Nadia Trimmel, Vice-President of Mercedes-Benz Vans Southern Africa.
Mercedes-Benz Financial Services: Showing solid performance
Mercedes-Benz Financial Services (MBFS) added a total of almost R9.5bn worth of acquisitions in 2016, resulting in an all-time high portfolio of R28.6bn. This achievement was mainly attributed to the close cooperation with all MBSA passenger cars and commercial vehicle divisions.
Mercedes-Benz Cars continues to contribute the largest share in the new acquisitions. This can be attributed to the continued success of the Agility Finance Product. In 2016 Agility Finance generated 57% of acquisitions in the Mercedes-Benz passenger cars segment.
MBFS finances two out of five Mercedes-Benz passenger cars sold in South Africa. In this segment MBFS focuses on the value proposition of Agility and continued to finance most of the transactions over three years whilst the market has moved to significantly longer contracts durations (72-84 months with balloon payments) to facilitate affordability of monthly payment.
For DT&B, MBFS increased the number of vehicles financed, with particularly strong growth coming from FUSO and Mercedes-Benz vans.
MBFS ranked #1 in the Dealer Satisfaction Index (a study conducted by Nielsen), leading competing banks by a healthy margin. MBFS Passenger Cars scored 89%, 10% ahead of its closest competitor and MBFS Commercial Vehicles 85%, 16% ahead of its closest competitor. MBFS ranked #1 in the Customer Satisfaction Index, compared to competing banks.
"During 2017 MBFS will endeavour to grow our core business and increase the focus on digitalising the customer journey. We are creating fascinating new products and we will not be able to offer these without the support of our highly engaged and motivated employees. These new products will enable us to excite our customers and dealers and we are looking forward to what the future holds," says Joerg Essig, Chairman of Mercedes-Benz Financial Services.
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Materials & Tools
- Contact paper
- Paint or spray paint (two different colors)
- Silhouette Machine
- If you don't have one, you can always pick up stick on letters (follow negative stencil instructions)
- Another option is to trace the letters on the back of contact paper and cut them out
- Wood shape
- Plan out your sign. What do you want it to say? What colors do you want to use? What color do you want the letters to be? What colors do you want the background to be?
- When making a stencil on the Silhouette Machine you can either use the negative or positive of the stencil.
- I have two separate instructions for both. Sometimes you can save both stencils and make two signs.
- Measure the size of your wood shape
- Cut a peice of contact paper that same size
- Adjust the size in the silhouette software to make sure your design will fit
- Type of and format your design
- Lay down contact paper (pattern sign up!)
- For the settings:
- Speed - 8
- Thickness - 3
- Blade - 4
Negative Stencil
- Firgure out your colors. Contrasting colors work best!
- Paint the wood shape the color of your letters. (paint the entire shape)
- Once dry, stick your design to painted block. Once it is perfectly on there and the air bubbles are all pushed out.
- Take some more of the letters color and out line the design (this just makes it look nice and crisp when finished)
- Paint over the stencil with the background color and let it dry.
- Peel off all the pieces to reveal your design
- Enjoy your beautiful masterpiece!
Positive Stencil
- Figure out your colors. Keep in my these instructions are reversed from the previous instructions
- Paint the wood shape the background color, let dry
- Stick stencil onto the wood shape. Press out all of the air bubbles as best you can.
- Paint over the stencil. Use the color you want for the letters, let dry.
- Peel off the stencil to reveal you lovely design!

subset: commoncrawl


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Monday, November 19, 2007
Saturday, November 03, 2007
This temple is situated about 100 m from my house, I'm trying to figure out it's name in English. I discovered a whole series of temles along the street I live in. My street runs along the foot of a small mountain covered in temples and holy sites. Maybe it's located on some kind of ancient ley line.
Hello Eri. Yes I read your blog.
Wednesday was a day off for KICC staff. Amy, Eri and I went to Wataze Hot Springs. It's situated in the Kii mountain range about an hour drive from Shingu along the Kumano River. What a beautiful drive. The Onsen was amazing because it was outdoors and I could look up and see the mountains.
The Kii Mountain range is regarded as a special place where the gods were appeased since the mythical age. I linked up with Eri's blog. It's in Japanese but using translation software this is what I got: "Because the English conversation school with the day off, daytime and time you opened today, with ロジャー and the thornback me 3 people, it makes cross, to the hot spring. The っ whose also it is good yesterday weather to be bad, well
to take a bath open-air in the rain... the っ て thinking, the cod, you call very, weather. But the Urasima hot spring view highest what of the sea it makes cross and the hot spring is surrounded in green, is healed - it could relax. This time the kana which probably will go to the hot spring of somewhere."


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Bongs and Pipes
Bongs, or "Water Pipes" have been a favorite choice of smokers for over 2400 years! While the designs, materials, and features of today's glass bong have evolved significantly from the bongs our caveman ancestors were smoking, the ultimate purpose of the water pipe has remained the same:
Bongs provide a smooth, cooled and filtered smoke that's easy on the lungs.
While the original bongs made centuries ago were mostly of bamboo, ceramic, and later acrylic, glass bongs and glass water pipes quickly became and stayed the most popular option for smokers after their inception; and for good reason! Glass bongs are the easiest type of bong to clean, they provide excellent filtration, and if treated carefully they can last for generations. Water bongs are an improvement over traditional smoking pipes by filtering your dry herb or tobacco smoke through water; sometimes through one or more "percolators" (percs) to achieve an extra smooth and chilled smoke. Water filtration in a bong has a similar purpose and effect as the radiator in your car: cool it down! As the smoke passes through water inside your pipe, it is instantaneously chilled. Even further, a perc bong uses percolators to force the smoke through many tiny holes underwater, breaking it up into into thousands of tiny smoke bubbles. These tiny bubbles force more of the smoke's surface area to get in contact with the water, which cools the smoke very quickly to a temperature more comfortable to inhale. There are dozens if not more types of percs out there, but they all serve essentially the same purpose. Some perc bongs provide smoother hits but more drag, and others vice versa. Some water pipes, such as the tree perc bong and removable downstem bong, are super easy to clean. On the other hand, more intricate pieces, such as the fab egg or the pillar percs bong offer smoother hits but are a bit tougher to get clean.
You may be wondering what these percs look like on a bong. While we recommend heading over to the bongs collection page and taking a look at these percs, we do want to clear up some confusion that you might come across. First and foremost, certain kinds of percolators can look very similar yet have different names. Take the UFO perc, for instance. The UFO perc has a sibling that looks strikingly similar to it. This sibling is callled the showerhead percolator. The showerhead percolator is very commonly used in water pipes, which makes sense due to its thorough filtration capability. However, it is very easy to get the showerhead percolator and UFO percolator mixed up. Both of these percs are circular, and have slits going around their entire circumference. The key difference is that the showerhead perc tends to hand from above, while the UFO perc hovers in the middle of the glass it is attached to. However, there is an even more distinct way to characterize one from the other, and that is through their outline. A showerhead perc is not rounded on its edges. Rather, it has angular edges that make it look like a flattened cylinder. The UFO perc, on the other hand, looks like a frisbee disc. It has rounded edges, like that of a flying saucer.
What should I look for in a bong?
Options besides percolator type include the base type (beaker base bong vs straight tube bong), size, and features. Bong features can include removable or fixed down stems, body designs, and ice catchers. Ice catchers are a great way to cool your smoke even more for the smoothest possible hits. Water pipes are available in 10mm, 14mm, and 18mm joint sizes, so be sure to know what size your bong is when buying parts like glass bowls or accessories like ashcatchers. You'll also want to pay attention to the angle of the joint when shopping for an ashcatcher. While most beakers have 45º joints, most straight tubes and inline perc bongs will have a 90º joint angle.
Bongs and Pipes, whether they are made of scientific glass or bendy silicone, are part of many smoking setups. They're so universal that it's easy not to think about where they came from or how they got so popular. But water pipes have a long and storied history that runs its way from thousands of years ago into today's cultural mix. Bongs and Pipes have origins in various places across the world, and it's nothing if not a display of the range of human ingenuity—at least when it comes to smoking.
Where did the word bong come from?
There's contention among bong historians about where exactly usage began, even down to how the word itself originated.
There is a case that the word "bong" can be traced to the United States during the Vietnam War. Soldiers stationed at the five military bases in Thailand are said to have heard locals calling bamboo water pipes "baung"s. The anglicized version of the word made an early appearance in January of 1971 when a letter was published in a major magazine thanking a man "for the beautiful special bong he made for my pipe collection."
The findings of British paleoanthropologist Mary Leakey offered a different origin for the word. As Frederick Foote writes in "How To: Bongs," in the 1940s Leakey found a water pipe in Tanzania, a follow-up to ones used by the Liberian Bong'om tribe (who, naturally, live in a place called Bong).
Early water pipes
As for the origins of Bongs and Pipes themselves, scientists are split. In 2013, excavations in Russia turned up gold bongs used by Scythian tribal chiefs. These Bongs and Pipes were found in something called a kurgan, a mound of soil and rocks placed over a wooden burial chamber. The date on the whole site was put at 2,400 years ago,


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Mom and Daughter Make Big DiscoverybyTheBadHatter©
"Mom, do you know that Brian has a huge penis?"
I almost spit out the tea I was drinking. Cindy sat down next to me at the kitchen table.
"What?" I sputtered.
Cindy was grinning. "Yeah. He just walked by my room naked after his shower. I guess he didn't know I was in there. I didn't get a great look at it, but it looked massive."
I frowned.
"It was just flopping all around, It was freakin'-"
"Cindy, that's your brother you're talking about."
"I know, but the size of that thing. Have you seen it?"
"Cindy! Of course I haven't seen it."
"Lighten up, Mom. Was Dad big?"
"Was he?"
"Um, I think he was pretty average, I don't know."
"Brian must get it from your side of the family then."
He does, I thought. I was instantly reminded of the time I'd caught my brother Barry playing with himself when we were both teenagers. His penis looked like it was a foot long.
"Um, I don't know. So, what do you have planned for today?"
Cindy talked about how her and her college friends were getting together later that day, but her constant smile told me she was still thinking about her brother.
Late that night, I heard some noise in the hallway and got out of bed. I opened my bedroom door a crack and saw Cindy near Brian's room.
"Cindy," I whispered, stepping into the hallway. "What are you doing?"
"Um, just going to the bathroom."
"The bathroom's that way," I said pointing the opposite way.
"Oh, yeah," she said, and started walking back towards me.
"What were you really doing?"
She looked at me for a moment. "I just wanted to see it again, okay?"
"See what?"
In the dim light I saw her grin.
"Cindy, no! He's your brother!"
"I just want to see it, Mom. Just for a minute. I just wanna see if it was as big as it looked."
She walked back to Brian's room.
She looked back at me and then opened his door and went in. I quickly followed.
Brian was lying on his back, his comforter covering most of his lower half. From a couple of inadvertent glimpses of his bare butt, and one time his balls -- which, now that I thought about it were pretty big -- I knew Brian slept naked.
The street lights illuminated Cindy's wicked grin as she crept over to the side of the bed and got to her knees.
"Do you think he's wearing anything?" she asked.
I didn't say that I knew he wasn't. "Cindy, c'mon, this has gone far enough. What if he wakes up?"
Cindy scoffed. "Brian? He could sleep through an earthquake. Actually, he did sleep through an earthquake once, didn't he?"
She slowly lifted the comforter off of him, and I saw her eyes grow wide.
"Holy shit!"
She moved the comforter so he was full exposed. Good god, I thought. He does have a huge penis.
Cindy looked up at me, beaming.
"Look at the size of this thing! And it's not even hard!"
Brian's penis was at least six inches long and probably five around. It had a nice big head to match and seemed to be completely hairless. It was the first penis I'd seen in person in almost a year, and although it disgusted me a little, I could feel my panties start to moisten.
"How big do you think this monster will get?" Cindy asked.
"Cindy, c'mon, you've seen it, okay? Let's go."
"Alright." She stared at Brian's penis for another moment and then reluctantly covered him up again and followed me out of the room.
"Did you see the size of that thing, Mom? Biggest dick I've ever seen."
I watched her go back to her room. By the time got back into bed, my pussy was soaked.
It was difficult being around Brian the next day. I couldn't help but glance at his crotch, and when I did, I could see that great bulge. How had I never noticed that before? Once Cindy caught me looking and out eyes met and we had to chuckle.
The next night, I was having trouble sleeping. I refused to masturbate thinking about my son. It was just wrong.
Around midnight, I heard something in the hallway and knew what it was. I got up and opened my door a crack, just in time to see Cindy slip into Brian's room. I followed her. Just as I opened the door, I caught her wrapping her hand -- at least as much as it would go -- around Brian's penis.
"Cindy!" I whispered.
She looked up at me. "I can't help it, Mom. I have to know how big this thing is."
She started sliding her hand up and down his penis, and it slowly got bigger.
"Holy shit."
I just stood there mesmerized as my son's penis got bigger and bigger.
"Look at his balls!" Cindy said, and started fondling them with her other hand. "They're like fucking tennis balls!"
After a minute or two, it looked like she had gotten his penis to its full length.
"Gotta be 10 inches," she said. "Gotta ruler?" She giggled.
I could not stop staring at Brian's cock. A penis that big can only be called a cock. My panties were soaked again and I was worried my scent would start filling the room.
"You wanna touch it, Mom?" Cindy asked, still stroking it.
"No, no, I couldn't."
"C'mon, Mom! What's the big deal? It's just a cock. I mean, it's a big fucking cock."
I walked over and kneeled down next to Cindy. She was still stroking Brian's cock, and more than anything, I wanted to be the one doing it. But I just couldn't, could I?
"C'mon, Mom!"
She grabbed my hand and put it on his cock. God, it felt good. It was so warm and hard, but at the same time soft. I'd forgotten what it was like holding a nice thick cock, though I'd never held one nearly this big.
"Awesome, right?"
She was fondling his balls with both hands, while I stroked the shaft. I glanced at Brian, but he looked sound asleep.
"Alright," Cindy said after a minute. "My turn again."
She put her hand on mine and I reluctantly let go. She started stroking again, but suddenly she did something I wasn't prepared for and leaned forward and took Brian in her mouth.
"Cindy! That's too far now."
She bobbed her head for a moment and then took it out. "Tastes fucking awesome, Mom. Just let me do this for a while."
I seemed powerless to stop her. Here I was, in the middle of the night, watching my daughter suck my son's cock. I had to restrain myself from thrusting my hands down my panties.
"Alright, c'mon, let's go."
Cindy smiled around Brian's cock and then let it go. "You wanna turn?"
My pussy convulsed.
"I can't do that, Cindy."
"Why not? You have done it before, haven't you?"
She grinned.
"Of course I've done it before, but that's not the point. I-"
Suddenly I couldn't think of one good reason that I shouldn't suck my son's cock. I shuffled over and Cindy quickly moved out of the way. After another glance at the still sleeping Brian, I grabbed his cock and quickly shoved it in my mouth.
It had been such a long time since I had done this, but I quickly remembered how to do it. Brian's cock was so big I could only get maybe half of it in my mouth, but I went to town on it. I slurped on my son's cock and didn't care how much noise I was making. With my right hand, I started pumping it in time to my sucking.
"Uh, Mom," I heard Cindy say, but I was too far gone to care. "He's probably gonna..."
That's when I felt Brian's semen hit the back of my throat. It was a bit of a surprise, but I quickly recovered and swallowed as much as I could. I hadn't planned on making my son come, but now that it had happened, it felt great. I stroked and swallowed until it was all gone and then looked at Cindy.
"That was awesome, Mom! How does your son's spunk taste?"
Before I could say anything, she leaned forward and kissed me, sticking her tongue in my mouth. We kissed for a minute and then she backed up, licking her lips.
"Umm, yummy."
We cleaned up Brian as best we could and then left.
"God, I'm horny," Cindy said as she went back to her room.
That makes two of us, I thought. I ripped off my now completely drenched panties before getting back into bed, and rubbed myself to sleep with a few powerful orgasms.
I felt disgusted with myself for what I had done, and barely left my bedroom the next day.
Around noon, there was a knock on the door. "Mom, you okay?" It was Brian.
"Uh, yeah, Brian, just a headache. I'll be down later."
"Okay," he said, and I heard him go downstairs.
How could I ever face him again? Fortunately Brian had baseball practice that afternoon and was going out with his friends afterwards.
When I was getting ready for bed, I heard him come up the stairs and go into his room.
About an hour later, just as I was dozing off, I heard Cindy's door open. Alright, enough, I thought. I have to put an end to this.
I opened my door just in time to see her slip into Brian's room. I stepped into the hall, but hesitated. I don't think I can in go in there, I thought. I don't know what I'll do. No, I have to stop Cindy from whatever she's about to do.
But it was too late.
When I opened the door, she was fully naked, riding Brian's huge cock. She was moving kind of slowly, but her tits, which were a nice size like mine, were shaking and I couldn't help but look at them.
I was about to tell her to stop, but I found myself with my hand down my panties. My pussy was so wet, I easily slipped two fingers inside.
Cindy looked over at me and smiled, and then her concentration went back to fucking her brother. I watched as she grinded her nice plump ass on his cock, and then she uttered a small cry and I knew she had come. She stayed impaled for a minute and then slowly got off. A trail of his cum and hers leaked out of her.
"Did he...?" I asked.
Cindy smiled and nodded. "It was like a cannon went off in my pussy. Fucking awesome."
I looked at her with envy, and then at Brian's deflating cock.
"You gotta try that sometime, Mom."
What I was afraid of happening, I couldn't stop. I rushed over to the bed and engulfed my son's cock. The combination of his semen and Cindy's own fluid was pungent, but I didn't care. I needed this cock to get hard, and I needed it in me.
"Jeez, Mom, you're dirty!" Cindy said with a giggle.
I sucked for all I was worth and it wasn't long before the monster rose again. I quickly stripped and mounted him. I barely even glanced to see if he was stirring. If he awoke just then I wouldn't have stopped.
I grabbed Brian's cock and put it the entrance to my pussy. I rubbed it on my clit for a second, and then lowered myself down. It felt like I was fucking myself with a baseball bat, but it was so good.
I just stayed like that for a moment, and then started fucking my son. Cindy came over to the bed and just watched me. I wiped the side of my mouth and she asked, "How's my pussy taste?"
I smiled. "Why don't you find out?
I grabbed her and pulled her in for a kiss. Our tongues wrestled for a moment, and then I felt a hand on my right tit. I backed off.
"Naughty," I said, but Cindy didn't move her hand, nor did I push it away. With both hands, she started playing with my tits, and pulling on my nipples.
"You got great tits, Mom," she said.
That was when I came the first time. I shuddered and almost fell, but Cindy grabbed my shoulders to steady me.
"Whoa. Good orgasm?"
She resumed playing with my tits as I resumed riding my son's cock.
"Wait, I wanna try something," she said, and walked to the end of the bed.
I felt the bed compress a little as she got on it. Suddenly I felt hair on my ass.
"Cindy, what are you doing?"
"I'm licking his huge balls."
I heard her slurping for a while I continued to ride him. All of a sudden I felt Cindy's tongue on my pussy.
"Cindy, oh my god, what are you doing?"
She didn't answer and kept licking both Brian's cock and my pussy. I felt her tongue move up my ass crack and a second later she was nibbling my asshole.
That's when I came again. This time I couldn't hold it in and screamed. I came for what felt like five minutes, and when I dropped back to earth, Cindy was still licking my ass.
When I looked down, Brian's eyes were open.
He stared up at me, a confused look on his face.
"Mom? What the..."
I was too far gone and just kept fucking him. But Cindy sprung into action. She quickly removed her lips from my asshole and straddled Brian's chest.
"Hey, Bri! You don't mind us fucking you for a while, do you?"
Before he could say anything, she moved up and quickly squatted on his face. He made a muffled cry before Cindy's pussy smothered him. It didn't take him long to start eating her out.
We just stayed that way for a while, me riding his cock and Cindy riding his face. I couldn't help but watch Cindy's ass as she squirmed; Brian certainly looked like he knew what he was doing. I reached out and started squeezing her ass cheeks. Cindy looked over her shoulder and smiled.
She then leaned forward and spread her legs and I could see her asshole. It was pretty, a nice tan little pucker. Suddenly, more than anything, I wanted to taste it.
I leaned forward and tried to put my face between her ass cheeks. It was a little awkward because of our position, but Cindy quickly adjusted and my tongue found her asshole.
I'd never done anything sexual with a woman before, but licking her asshole felt like the most natural thing in the world. It was a little salty and there was definitely hints of her pussy juice as well as Brian's spunk on it, but to me, it was delicious.
And Cindy loved it. She was writhing as both Brian and I serviced her holes, and it wasn't long before she screamed as she came. A moment later, I came for the third time, and so did Brian. Cindy was right; his semen shot into me like a cannon.
I kept Brian's cock in my for a moment, and then slowly got off. Our combined fluids sloshed out of me. We all looked at each other, tired but happy expressions on our faces. I didn't know what to say. I'd just had the best sex of my life and it was with my two kids.
Finally, Cindy broke the silence.
"Hey, Brian," she said, lifting up his deflated and soggy cock. "Do you think this thing will fit in my ass?"
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- Description
A long-standing award winner, Outdoor Research Men's Crocodiles gaiters can be found deep in the backcountry and on alpine peaks all over the planet. With a fitted design and durable, waterproof fabrics, Men's Crocodiles are trustworthy companions for extreme adventures.
The leg sections of Men's Crocodiles are made of waterproof, breathable 70D Taslan Gore-Tex fabric while the workhorse boot section is constructed of 1000D Cordura with packcloth lining. The top closures employ webbing and cam buckles to secure the gaiter under the knee. Double-needle stitching on the front 2" wide hook/loop closure offers easy on/off and increases long-wear durability. A Shear tab secures the front closure at the toe of the boot and keeps it from catching on trail debris or crusty snow and ice. The triple-bar tacked, BioThane instep strap and buckle system provides adjustability so the Men's Crocodiles can be worn over hiking boots, standard mountaineering boots or plastic mountaineering boots.
Sold in pairs, Outdoor Research Men's Crocodiles are available in multiple sizes.
- GORE-TEX 3Layer, waterproof/breathable fabric
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- Webbing/cam buckle top closure
- 2" wide velcro front closure
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- Specs
Best Use Backpacking, Mountaineering Type Waterproof Leg Gaiters (Pair) Material GORE-TEX 3L, 100% Nylon 70D Upper and Cordura 1000D Inner Leg and Boot Item Weight 10.2 oz/pair (Large)
- Reviews
Real Customer Reviews
7 Items
- Be careful with sizing
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- super durable and strong
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Dislikes: STRAPS COULD BE A LITTLE MORE DURABLE
Likes: Very well made. Bought this as a Christmas gift for a friend. He loves them and has had no complaints about them.
Dislikes: Nothing at this time.
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Dislikes: Nothing
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Distilled should be lower in dissolved solids than RO. They should both work fine for any cps. Yes it is true that the purer the water the slower the buildup of minerals. You could periodically flush the plants in the sink to help get rid of some. But eventually they should be repotted.
You can collect rainwater off of roofs etc.. just wait until it has rained a little first to wash off dirt and impurities that might come out from the shingles and such.


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Nationwide Shipping. A minimum order of $45 is needed for delivery. Fast Delivery and a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee.
Red Onion
Apple Cider Vinegar
Turbinado Sugar
Dried Shiitake Mushroom
Red Pepper Flakes
Grouper Filets
Sesame Seeds
Ingredients: 1 cucumber, 1 small onion, 4 oz vinegar, 2 Tbsp granulated sugar, 2/3 cup jasmine rice, 2 cloves garlic, 8-10 brussels sprouts, 8-10 mushrooms, 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper, 2 tilapia filets, 2 Tbsp sesame seeds
1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Slice cucumber and onion as thinly as possible. Set half of onion aside for skillet and put other half in salad bowl. Place cucumber slices between a few layers of paper towels, ideally with something slightly hefty on top, to soak out some of the liquid; set aside.
3. In a small, microwave-safe bowl (or small saucepan, if no microwave is available), combine vinegar, sugar, pinch of salt and 1 Tbsp water. Microwave on high for 30 seconds or warm on stove. Stir to dissolve salt and sugar. Pour over onion slices in salad bowl and place in refrigerator to chill.
4. Prepare jasmine rice. In a small pot, combine 2/3 c jasmine rice, 1 1/3 c water, 1/2 tsp salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 18-20 min until liquid is fully absorbed.
5. Prep veggies: Peel and mince garlic cloves, and slice Brussels sprouts and mushrooms in half. (Clean mushrooms first if needed, and remove any funny-looking outer leaves from the sprouts.)
6. Heat a generous tablespoon of oil in oven-safe skillet over medium-low heat. Add reserved onion slices and garlic and saute for a minute, until onions begin to soften and garlic becomes fragrant. Push onion/garlic mixture to edges of pan and add Brussels sprouts, cut-side down, to center of pan. Add mushrooms to pan on top of sprouts. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with crushed pepper and salt to taste.
7. Lay fish over vegetables, skin side down, and sprinkle with salt, crushed pepper, sesame seeds, and a light drizzle of olive oil. Transfer skillet to oven and bake for 10 minutes, until fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. (**Note: if you do not have an oven-safe skillet, transfer vegetables to another oven-safe dish and lay fish on top before baking.)
8. Add cucumbers to salad bowl and toss with onions and dressing; allow to marinate while fish bakes. Carefully lift fish from skillet and serve with rice and vegetables. During cooking, the veggies will create a very light pan sauce that can be used to dress the rice, if desired.


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Valhalla was a ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64 adventure game published in 1983 by Legend.
The publishing house Legend had earlier published titles under the Microl label. Legend's chairman and founder was John Peel. The developers were Richard Edwards, Graham Asher, Charles Goodwin, James Learmont and Andrew Owen. The original game was released in English for the Sinclair Spectrum 48K. The Movisoft graphics engine occupied 4K of the game footprint and used machine code, the rest of the game engine and parser was written in Sinclair BASIC. After its successful launch in the UK, it was then ported to the Commodore 64, with pirate editions appearing in Spanish.
Valhalla is mostly text-based with some graphics showing the location and the characters there. It was set mainly in Asgard and Midgard, though when your character died you would reappear in Hell (Niflheim under another name) and be able to walk out.
Within its limits, the text parser would understand multi-part sentences, so long as they were written using the words it understood, which (unlike in many other games) were helpfully listed in the manual.
The aim was to collect six mythical objects, for which you needed the help of other characters, who were taken from Norse mythology and would wander around randomly. To help with this, your character had an alignment (between good and evil) that would change depending on which other characters you helped. Thus, the more you helped good characters, the more other good characters would help you.
Within the game world, characters would move about and interact independently without any action required from you. If you do nothing, the game will 'play' itself, with the characters moving about whilst you decide what to do.
Typing in a swear word would generate the message "Mary is not amused..." and a dwarf would dash onto the screen to punch the player. Mary could be found in El Vinos but killing her achieved little as she would return within a minute.
The game engine had a limit of eight objects that could be left in any one location, whether on the ground, in a chest, or in a cupboard. If the player dropped an object when the limit had been reached, a character called Klepto appeared to "Steal" the item, removing it from the game.
The cover of the game as well as the loading screen featured a drawing of a ceremonial helmet from the 7th century found in an Anglo-Saxon burial site at Sutton Hoo, Suffolk, UK.
The second quest object (a ring) was called 'Drapnir', a reference to Odin's ring Draupnir.
Source: Wikipedia, "Valhalla (video game)," available under the CC-BY-SA License.


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Network Router Guide
Network Router Functions:
This network router guide describes some of the many functions of your router:
- It serves as the local "node" for the Wide Area Network (WAN), which is generally understood as the Internet or "cloud." To do this, it connects directly to your broadband modem (usually a cable modem but it could also be a DSL modem or satellite modem, depending upon what Internet Service Provider (ISP) you have contracted with.
- It creates a Local Area Network (LAN) with all the devices connected to it.
- It provides Wifi access (In which case it is called an "Access Point" or AP) to tablets & computers in the home, allowing them to operate as if physically connected to the router.
- It serves as a "network splitter" to share the Internet connection to all the connected devices (printers, consoles, etc) on the local network. Depending upon the router, as many as five devices may be able to attach via Cat5 cable, and many more devices (often up to 50) may connect via WiFi. When connected to the router all the devices may share the Internet access and share data with the other devices on the network.
- It has a "firewall" that protects your home network from outside intruders/hackers.
- It offers a means to selectively allow/deny connections between devices on either side of the router.
One function that allows a networked device to be accessed from outside of your network is called "Port Forwarding." A second function that you can use to provide remote access to your security camera(s) is called the "De-Militarized Zone" (DMZ). Either method is relatively simple to set up. I will provide guides to these in later articles. This network router guide is meant to help you understand the general purpose and functions of the router.
Network Router Concepts:
The network router configuration depends upon a few basic concepts. They include IP address, Registered IP, Dynamic IP, Static IP, Firewall, NAT function, Private IP, MAC address, Ports, and DMZ. Unfortunately, those concepts are not well understood by ordinary users. Let me explain a bit more about each:
- IP address. It is shorthand for Internet Protocol (IP) address. Every device on every network must have an address in order to communicate to any other device. Each IP address consists of four numbers separated by three periods (called "dot"). Each number can take a value from 0 to 255. So, an example of an IP address might be something like 22.214.171.124 which would be read as "twenty-three dot fourty-five dot sixty-seven dot eighty-nine."
- Registered IP. Most IP addresses are registered and are exclusive across the world. In other words, if you have been assigned the IP address of 184.108.40.206, then no one else on earth should have that same address. These address are typically assigned to us by our Internet Service Provider (ISP).
- Dynamic IP. IP addresses are provided temporarily (called a dynamic IP address) and will likely change when re-connecting after a disconnect between the router and the ISP.
- Static IP. Static IPs are usually assigned only by paying an extra fee to the ISP.
- Firewall. Your router filters the information that computers, which are outside of your network, can access on the inside of your network. It builds a virtual wall between the computers inside and those outside of your network. Like the metal panel separating the driver from the engine compartment of a vehicle, this is called a firewall.
- NAT function. Because there are a finate number of IPs available, and because there are an almost unlimited number of devices, there are not enough numbers to go around. The fix for this is to change the numbering scheme (currently called IPv4 and will be changed to IPv6)- but that will be a while in the making. So, home routers are designed with a function called Network Address Translation (NAT) that provides "Private IP addresses" that are unique ONLY within the local network. The effect of this function is that every device on a local network can use the same registered IP address and the router will sort the packets of data going both ways to assure that each local device communicates properly. It is similar to each home having the same postal address but someone within the home will sort the mail for each occupant. (A more complete description of this function is available here.)
- Private IP address. The home router assigns private (exclusive only on the local network) addresses to each device connected to the network. These numbers are generally in the range of 192.168.xxx.xxx.
- MAC address. This is a generally a physical address that is assigned to each device that will be attached to a network. It is normally assigned by the manufacturer and cannot be (easily) changed. However, some MAC addresses may be assigned locally or even spoofed (to imitate another device). IP addresses are assigned to a device associated with a particular MAC address. One does not need an extensive understanding of MAC addressing but it is often necessary to enter the MAC address of a device into the local router to have the router associate that device with a particular local IP address. The MAC address consists of six groups of two hexadecimal digits (the numbers 0-9 plus the letters a-f), separated by colons (:) or hyphens (-). (More information about MAC addressing can be found here.)
- Port number. Port numbers are used to further separate the functions available on the Internet. Registered ports are assigned by convention to certain functions. The most common port number is 80 which is used by your browser to communicate with a remote website via HTTP (Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol). Other common ports are usually numbered 1080 or less. Ports above that are generally called dynamic or private. (For a list of the most common registered ports see this article.)
- De-Militarized Zone (DMZ). The DMZ is a simple way to allow limited access to a server (web-server, FTP server, game server, etc) from outside your network and still retain a security firewall for all other devices on your network.
Network Router Configuration:
Log in to your router's configuration page. The default URL is often 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1 (or similar). The username is often ADMIN but it may change according to the brand of the router. Some routers default to no password while others may use PASSWORD as the password. Consult your router's "Quick Start" document for the proper log in URL and credentials. If you do not have the original documents, visit the manufacturer's website to download electronic copies. Alternately, just "Google" the brand (and optionally the model number) and "configuration page."
If your router has previously been configured and you do not have the credentials to change it, you can always reset the device. Usually, there is a small hole in the router's cover that allows access to an internal monetary switch. Press a pen or paper clip in the hole to contact the switch while you power on the router. Continue holding the switch until the lights on the router all blink a couple times and then stabilize. At that point, the device should be reset to its default / factory settings and you can use the default credentials to set it up.
Most newer routers have a configuration "wizard" or some sort of automated configuration. At a minimum, you should assure that the device is set to use the WPA/WPA2 security for WiFi. Then set a password for WiFi access and another password for the system configuration.
Advanced Router Configuration is required to view your security camera(s) from outside your network. We will have a guide for that in a later article.
See the links in the "Networking" box below to visit the other articles in this series.


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Friday, April 20, 2012
Organizing Principles for My House
Three times over the last year, I have donated piles of stuff to a charity that picks up donations at our door. Mounds of things have gone. Outgrown baby clothes and baby gear, old exercise equipment, furniture - anything that we don't use.
I love the principle of "useful, beautiful or loved" - that every possession in your life should be one of those things. But the problem is that so many things are useful or loved. If I kept only those things, I would still be drowning in too much stuff.
So when I pile up the the donations and call up Vietnam Veterans to schedule a pick-up (my charity of choice), here are the principles by which I am culling the house:
1. Storage is a cost. Last year I started reading The American Frugal Housewife, and one sentence stuck in my head: "Keep a bag for odd pieces of tape and strings; they will come in use." Lydia Maria Child was dealing with a much lower level of prosperity than current Americans possess, but her principle still resonated. How many times had I wasted money buying something new when I could have saved an old thing and used it again?
So I tried it. I tried saving bits of this and that, things that might have a use in future.
It was a disaster. Not because I was saving things, but because I had too much stuff already. It does not matter if you save things if your home is so full of stuff that you cannot find the things you saved when you need them. Then, because you don't have ten hours to search through and reorganize enough to find it, you go out and buy a new thing anyway.
So here is what I learned: storage is a cost. It costs you something. It costs you time and space and potentially money. When I consider whether to save something for future use now, I will ask myself if the cost to me of storing it is worth the savings later. With something precious like books, the answer is obvious. But with other things, a more realistic answer is usually no. If no, then can someone else use it? Can it be donated? Can it be recycled?
If not, the garbage truck comes every week, and I will have learned not to buy that particular thing again the next time.
2. Everything in my closet fits. If I were in an accident tomorrow, and my husband had to bring me a change of clothes at the hospital, could he grab any random thing from my closet? Or would he unknowingly grab something from the dream-of-fitting-into-it section?
Get rid of those clothes.
Maybe you will lose or gain the weight necessary to wear them again. Maybe you will. But then won't you want the excitement of buying new things? Storage is a cost. By keeping those clothes, I am less able to manage emergencies because I have to manage my possessions.
Maybe the issue isn't size. I have t-shirts I loved when I bought them that just don't fit right anymore (this is why I'd rather buy all my shirts from thrift stores: they come already shrunk), or have had various unremovable stains installed by small, eager hands. Whatever the reason - if I don't want to wear it, then I why am I keeping it? On a day I'm behind on the laundry, I will wear the ugly shirt, and then I will wash it again and store it again, and so forth. All that effort for a shirt I hate and don't need.
3. If I don't want to wash it, then I don't want to keep it. If a dress or a sweater keeps staying on the bottom of a laundry pile because it has special laundering requirements that I don't have time or energy for, I need to rid myself of that dress or sweater.
Maybe it's not a fancy dress or sweater. Maybe it's something simple you still hate to wash. I HATE clothes with velcro, because the velcro snags everything else in the wash, so I have to be careful what I wash with it. I will no longer keep kids' hats, gloves or coats that have velcro on them. They are too disruptive to the routine of laundry. I want to respond to my life, not my possessions.
4. Buy it once. I read that bit of advice from Dave Cormier on Bonnie's recycling blog. It put succinctly something we've applied to furniture, but not always to other things.
Buying cheap and disposable creates more clutter than buying sturdy and permanent. I know this. This is why I don't even bother buying paperback picture books anymore. The children might as well eat them, as long as they last.
If something is necessary enough to buy for my home, it is necessary enough to buy carefully and well.
5. Beware of organizing products. I once went shopping with a friend who said she needed, among other things, a container for her pencils. We went to Target and she paid money for a shiny, empty metal canister that looked exactly like the shiny, empty metal canisters formerly containing high-calorie infant formula that were sitting in my house, waiting to be recycled. It was an eye-opening moment for me. And now my kids' colored pencils are gathered into a shiny metal canister I did not buy at Target.
I'm skeptical of organizing products, not just because it may be manufacturing a false need, but because it suggests a "solution" that may actually make the problem worse. I love Ikea as much as the next person. So calm! So serene! Full of the promise that you can impose order on your stuff by buying stuff to put your stuff in!
But buying more things cannot make my home contain fewer things. Simplifying my life means living more simply. There is no other way to to do it. I can't simplify my home by adding more stuff to it.
That doesn't mean organizing doodads are never useful. This week I will buy a DVD folder to put all our kid movies in so I can finally throw away the jewel cases. That seems an adequately useful product. Bookshelves are obviously a useful organizer. But I still view with skepticism most products on offer.
6. Admit the limitations of my home. I have several art nouveau prints we bought when we moved into the house, full of ambition about how to decorate. They have been in my closet for years. We have an old house with real plaster walls over two-by-fours that are actually two-by-fours. A stud-finder cannot find the studs in that 100-year-old plaster. We just have to hammer in a nail and hope we're lucky.
In other words, I cannot hang anything heavy on my walls. There is no reason to keep posters whose frames would (and have) pulled out the hooks I used to hang them. My home has limitations. I should get over it and adapt. Goodbye, art nouveau prints.
So that's it. These are the things I will keep in mind when I am scraping my way through the detritus of our home. What about you? What would you add?
6 comments:
My husband and I love to get rid of stuff. Fortunately we also love to GET stuff so we have endless bags and boxes of stuff to toss out the door.ReplyDelete
Recently we unloaded hundred and hundreds of cds and books. With cds, if we could not remember the lyrics to one song it went out the door. With books, we got rid of anything we'd not read or referenced in 10 years, were unlikely to read again or would be able to easily check out of the library.
My advice is to never tell a non-resident family member what you are getting rid of. Because they will ALWAYS know someone who might want it, or they will try and guilt you into keeping something or they will suggest some way to repurpose it. I find a firm offer to load the item into their car usually ends the conversation.
Good luck with the Great Purge of 2012.
I love how you write, with such clarity and forcefulness!ReplyDelete
Taking that into cleaning out your home will serve you well. I have gotten rid of roomfuls of stuff, and there has only been one item I wished I had kept. Honestly, I can't remember what that one item was now, only that I did have one (momentary!) regret after the fact.
Reading what you have written inspires me to do more. There is ALWAYS more to do, but it gets easier with time.
Thanks for the motivation as I tackle piles of children's toys. I'm terribly sentimental about my kids' old toys. Much more than they are, actually.ReplyDelete
"Buying more things cannot make my home contain fewer things." I love this, and I need to post it on my desk and stick it in my wallet and maybe write it on my mirror. It feels good to get something new and shiny and pretty, but then the new wears off and it becomes one more thing that needs to be laundered or dusted or put away.ReplyDelete
Great post, thank you.
Today my husband and I created the organizational mantra for our next two years: do we want to pay to ship this to Africa?ReplyDelete
Suddenly those things I was keeping "Just in case" seem less valuable.
I so need to do this. I've done some purging in bits and pieces, but not enough. Right now my house is full of so much stuff that I'm at that place where I'm overwhelmed by it all and don't know where to start. But start I must.ReplyDelete


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Patient Safety Awareness Week 2015
It's all about patient safety here at Tru-D. Our UV disinfection robot was created based on the premise of protecting patients from deadly hospital-acquired infections. After eight years on the market, Tru-D's purpose has evolved into a necessity to protect not only patients but hospital staff and visitors as well.
With 1.7 million patients infected annually, smart hospitals are realizing that human error is inevitable. That's where Tru-D steps in! Even the robot itself is very safe, including its low-pressure mercury bulbs. Overall, health care organizations are making strides toward excellent patient safety standards. The National Patient Safety Foundation even supplies information to help patients become more engaged and informed.
We're committed to being united in safety with all of our hospitals and will continue to assist health care staff by integrating Tru-D into patient safety plans. A clean room means less risk and increased safety for all patients.


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Kaka'ako/Ala Moana is Honolulu's and Hawaii's #1 shopping, dining and entertainment playground inspired by local entrepreneurial visionaries and infused with Hawaii's unique island culture & arts. It is truly a place that exemplifies the "Live, Work, Play" experience envisioned by State of Hawaii urban planners over 40-years ago. Ideally located between the financial district of Downtown Honolulu and the tourist mecca of Waikiki, and flanked along it's Southern border by Ala Moana Beach Park & Waterfront Park, Kaka'ako/Ala Moana is Hawaii's most popular neighborhood for those homeowners or investors, as well as retirement & vacation home buyers, who want the desirability & convenience of owning in the best location for a hi-rise condominium in the State of Hawaii.
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Experience the popular neighborhood of Kaka'ako, Honolulu, Hawaii with local real estate expert Tracy Yamato (RA) Certified Residential Specialist with Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties (RS-51972).


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At this weekend's NorCal Regionals in Sacramento, California, the best Street Fighter V players from around the world will be in attendance -- with one notable absence and one dive off the deep end.
NorCal Regionals is a premiere North American fighting game tournament, and just like last year, it will be a Capcom Cup Pro Tour event. This means that players who place highly will earn points to attend Capcom Cup at the end of the year. While a host of games are on display this year, from Super Smash Bros. to Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, much of the focus will be on Street Fighter.
Evolution 2016 champion, Team Razer's Seonwoo "Infiltration" Lee, will not be coming because he doesn't feel ready to attend a Pro Tour level event. This could be because of his recent character switch to Juri and Rashid away from Nash.
Unlike most tournaments, there will be a separate pool for players who didn't register on time. It's what tournament organizer John Choi calls the "death pool." All players, regardless of skill level, who register on-site will be thrown into a massive pool at random.
Last year, 60 players entered the death pool, when normal pools usually consist of around 20 entrants. Martin "MaRN" Pham, now with Rise Nation, entered the death pool and came out on winners side.
"They battled it out, people really liked it because they had exciting matches right off the bat," Choi said to ESPN.
But now that MaRN is with Rise Nation, his team was sure to register him on time. But MaRN has no intention of playing things the right way. He plans to de-register himself just so he can battle through the death pool one more time.
"I want it to do it every year to where it'll eventually be called the MaRN pool," said MaRN to ESPN. MaRN does acknowledge that by avoiding regular pools he might be making the event easier on himself. But MaRN sees it as an opportunity to play more Street Fighter, which he feels is never a bad thing.
But MaRN's rashness in jumping into the death pool could have caused him some problems. There was a rumor floating that Echo Fox's Julio Fuentes didn't register on time and too would be thrown into the death pool. This would have given MaRN an opportunity for payback after Fuentes knocked him out of the ELeague Street Fighter V Invitational.
But the rumor turned out to be false as Fuentes confirmed to ESPN that he'll only be attending NorCal Regionals as a spectator citing tendonitis. Fuentes confirmed on Twitter that he will be taking a break to help with the recovery.
Unfortunately MaRN won't be getting his rematch at NorCal Regionals. He wanted to show everyone, including Fuentes, "how lucky he got."
Even though Infiltration will not be there, it doesn't mean there won't be good competition in the main draw. The top seed in the tournament will be Team Liquid's Du "NuckleDu" Dang, who won the Capcom Cup in December and has been playing well at Eleague's Street Fighter V invitational, where he only took one loss during preliminaries.
But right at NuckleDu's heels will be Team Grapht's Tatsuya "Haitani" Haitani who currently has the most CPT points in the 2017 season. Haitani had a strong 2016, with top placings at multiple tournaments.
Other notable attendees include Echo Fox's Yusuke "Momochi" Momochi, Justin "JWong" Wong, and Hajime "Tokido" Taniguchi, Cygames' Eduardo "PR Balrog" Perez, and the legendary Daigo Umehara.


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long legs in sheer tights with ankle strap 5 inch patent high heel stiletto pumps
long legs in sheer tights with ankle strap 5 inch patent high heel stiletto pumps
sweaty stinky worn all day pantyhose feet in your face
The agency called me and stated that they had a good role but that the boss was a bit strange. I met up with the agency lady as she didn't want to talk more via email/phone. 'He's a nice chap, but he has a really strong foot fetish which is putting the girls off'. I didn't mind my feet and toes being fondled/kissed and so I said I'd go and see him for an interview. 'Wear a pair of high heels that show off your feet, and he loves red painted toe nails', the agency lady told me.
I arrived at the company and was led into the MD's office. I'd chosen to wear a shortish skirt with matching jacket, a flimsy top that showed my big tits off, a tiny g-string, sheer stockings, a pair of high-heeled mules, bright red toe nail varnish. His eyes went straight for my feet and I noticed a slight bulge in his trousers. 'Have a seat' he said, 'you look lovely, and the agency speak highly of you. Tea or coffee?' The office was fairly warm and I undid my jacket. His eyes immediately went to my tits, my nipples clearly visible.
Whilst the tea was being made I had a good look around the office and noticed piles of books mounted high on shelves, with a small ladder that ran around the edge. 'Ah' he said, 'you've noticed the ladder. Are you OK with heights?' 'Shit' I thought to myself, 'the agency didn't say anything about climbing ladders'. 'I'm fine', I said 'as long as you are there to catch me'. 'Shall we have a go?' he said. 'May as well get this bit over and done with'. I took off my jacket and his eyes nearly fell out when he saw my tits straining against the flimsy top, they bounced as I walked across to the ladder and began to step onto it. 'Will you be Ok with your heels on?', he asked. The ladder looked delicate so I took my shoes off and started to mount the ladder with my nylon feet As I got near to his head height he moved under me clearly looking up my skirt, 'lovely', he said. I started to wobble a bit and I felt his hands holding my nylon encased ankles, 'steady there', he said.' Thank you' I responded, 'I thought I was going to fall'.
I lifted my foot to the next rung and his hand stayed on my ankle and rubbed the length of my foot, stroking my toes, 'I hope you don't mind', he said, 'you have very pretty feet'. 'Thanks', I said, 'I do like them being touched'. I think that was enough for him as he took my foot and buried it into his face kissing and licking my sole and sucking my toes. I turned slowly and put my other foot into his face so that both of my feet were available to him. He grunted and reached for his trousers and pulled out his cock and started to wank himself, still licking and sucking my feet.
I moved down the ladder and started to rub his cock with my toes, gently wanking him, he groaned and reached for my tits and stated to squeeze them. He lifted my top up and started to suck and bite my nipples as I wanked him harder with my red painted toes. I felt him shudder and then he spunked over my feet, he then stopped sucking my tits and licked the spunk from my toes. 'Thank you', he said, 'when can you start?'
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If you don't want to miss another post, this is one form of stalking that won't get you arrested. Just visit The Fashion Police page on Twitter and you'll be able to follow us throughout the day, finding out what we're posting about at any given time, and maybe a bit more besides. Visit us at http://www.twitter.com/fashionpolice.
Remember, you can also stay up to date with The Fashion Police by joining our Facebook group or subscribing to our RSS Feed.
Now you'll never have to miss another fashion faux pas again.


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Easter is coming :)
I had a mini giveaway at my facebook page, congratulations Lisa Bloomberg W., I really hope you enjoyed the cookies. A big thank you to all that participated<3 . I love doing mini giveaways! Charlie did not want to take this picture, he said he is too old now…. my baby will always be… Read More Easter is coming 🙂


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"My USB thumb drive reports RAW error with 0 byte space when inserting to my PC. Is it possible to fix RAW format error on this USB thumb drive and restore all my lost data?"
"I have a USB thumb drive that contains some videos and photos, but recently the USB thumb drive became RAW file system with 0 byte space nd disabled me to access even a single file. I want to extract all those videos and photos off the RAW thumb drive, but I cannot open the thumb drive. Can anybody recommend a way to change usb raw to fat32?"
"I want to copy some data from my USB thumb drive, but I receive a message to report USB thumb drive has RAW format needs to be formatted. I also realize that the thumb drive changes to 0 byte space. What can I do to resolve this problem without touching precious data on the thumb drive? Can I restore all inaccessible data without formatting RAW USB thumb drive?"
Do you want to get back all inaccessible data when your USB thumb drive reports RAW error and has 0 byte space? Then, you had better stop using your thumb drive immediately when you get the error message. You can get back all inaccessible files as long as you can ensure that the previous data is not overwritten and the thumb drive is not physically damaged.
You need a data recovery utility to deep scan the RAW USB thumb drive so as to recover all lost data. iCare Data Recovery Pro is a data recovery tool which provides read-only solution for data recovery. This data recovery software provides a safe way to deep scan the RAW USB thumb drive to search all previous inaccessible data like videos, music, images, etc. By using this software, you can perform USB flash drive deleted files recovery within a few steps:
Step1. Download and install iCare Data Recovery on computer. Run the software and choose a proper scan mode.
Step2. Select the RAW USB thumb drive as aim disk and wait the software to scan it for lost files.
Step3. Preview found files after scanning and then save the lost data to another drive.
Your USB thumb drive says RAW error with 0 byte space? Please remember not to format the thumb drive before getting all needed data. If you mistakenly performed format to format RAW thumb drive to FAT32, you should remember not to write new data to the thumb drive.
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Street racing: a form of auto racing
Street racing is a form of auto racing which takes place on public roads. Street racing can either be spontaneous or well planned and coordinated. Spontaneous races usually occur at intersections where two cars stop at a red light before they begin racing. Well coordinated races, in comparison, are chosen before the race night and often have a staff with walkie-talkies that organize races (see participants, below). Street racing is reported to originate prior to the 1950s in some parts of the United States at http://www.ci.kent.wa.us/ & http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=55111
Opponents to street racing cite a lack of safety relative to santioned racing events, as well as legal repercussions arising from incidents, among street racing's drawbacks.
Types of racing encountered on the street:
Drag Race
Drag racing is a contest generally involving two (or more) vehicles accelerating from a stop (although less commonly, a "rolling start" from a given speed of anywhere from 5 mph or faster) until either a given distance or speed is reached, or only one party remains in the race. This differs from most sanctioned drag racing, in which events generally begin from a stop and race until a predetermined distance is reached (usually one eighth to one quarter of a mile).
Highway or road racing
Also common is a more spontaneous form of racing, in which two or more cars compete until one party remains in the race. This differs from the drag race above, in that it is generally not planned, and occurs when the racing parties encounter each other while driving. In Tokyo, highway racing is known as "Wangan" in which every friday at midnight. Racers with their highly modified cars will race on Tokyo's Shuto Expressway. A street racing team that glorified the scene was The Mid Night Club.
The export of drifting and touge racing from (primarily) Japan has led to its acceptance in other parts of the world. Touge generally refers to racing, one car at a time, through mountain passes (the definition of which varies per locale and racing organization). Examples of such roads include Del Dios Highway ( http://www.northcountycruisers.com ) in Escondido, California and Mount Haruna, on the island of Honshu, in Japan. The definition of touge implies that roads in touge conditions are too narrow to permit more than one racer in a given direction (or in total). However, street racing competition can lead to more people racing on a given road than would ordinarily be permitted (hence leading to the reputation of danger inherent).
In some places there have been legal street races known as blackraces. This is not the same as road racing (or, in some respects, traditional street racing); it is strictly an amateur sport with road legal vehicles. Usually the races are done on a closed road and run on time and not against another vehicle, the most famous of these races being the annual Silver State Classic.
Cannonball runs
Cannonball Runs are an illegal road race that involve a handful group of racers. They will race from one part of a country to the other side. Whoever makes the fastest overall time is the winner. A perfect example of an illegal road race was the original Cannonball Run that Brock Yates founed (hence the term "Cannonballing". Several years after the Cannonball, Yates created the family friendly, legal version "One Lap Of America!". While nowadays it's difficult or impossible to organize an illegal and exteremly dangerous road race, there are still a few events which glamorize illegal street racing, such as the Gumball 3000 races. The latter such racing community has even spawned celebrities such as Crazy Robhttp://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3515938088761147811 (a Porsche GT2 driver, and self-proclaimed speed law violator http://imdb.com/title/tt0472231/), and the Teckademics film series.
Variations on the above
Because of the spontaneous nature of street racing, many variations are given on any of the larger "racing" themes. An example (possibly apocryphal) variation would be the duct tape deathmatch (as described by Keiichi Tsuchiya http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTj0tkrIP_I and depicted in Initial D), in which participants race with one hand taped to the steering wheel, ostensibly using the other to shift. Drift racing could be considered a variation on the above. However, the nature of drift racing is in its origins in street racing in Japan. As such, it may be considered a technique rather than a variation to increase difficulty of the race.
:An "official" lexicon of street racing terminology is difficult to establish as terminology differs by location.
Any or all of the belowmentioned activities may be considered illegal, depending on location of the race. In addition to the people racers, there are generally observers present at organized street races. A flagger (http://www.vadriven.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-89201.html, http://www.sromagazine.com/boards/showthread.php?t=8066) starts the race, this is typically accomplished by standing fore of those racing, and making an up-down motion with the arms indicating the race should begin. There are variations on this theme, including the throwing/dropping of a handkerchief, ribbon, and so on. This act would be analogous to the tree in a typical sanctioned drag race, and has been portrayed widely in popular culture, from ZZ Top music videos to American cinema.
Race specifics
A dig may refer to all participants toeing a line, aligning the front bumper of the vehicles, after which all vehicles race from a stop to a pre-arranged point (typically a quarter mile in the United States, but may vary by locale).
A roll generally refers to a race which starts at a non-zero speed, and continues until all but one participant have stopped racing. This may be accompanied by a series of honks which would be analogous to a countdown.
The motivations for street racing are complex and manifold, typically cited reasons include http://www.popcenter.org/Problems/problem-street_racing.htm:
- Generally, street racing is not sanctioned and thus leads to a less rigorously controlled environment than sanctioned racing, to the enjoyment of some participants.
- Street racing is cited as an activity which is available to persons who are otherwise underage for entertainment at traditional venues such as bars.
- A community generally springs up around the street racing "scene", providing social interaction among the participants and cliques therein.
- The opportunity to prove the worth of one's mechanical ability (or money invested in a vehicle).
- The simple excitement of racing.
- The excitement of racing when law enforcement is certain to give chase.
- A lack of proper, sanctioned racing venues in the locale.
- Street races are sometimes wagered on, either by the participants or observers. This is the origin of the term "racing for pink slips", which in practice happens seldomly.
- The rush when a street racer has tuned his/her car to the limit and to race only to harass and outrun a police cruiser
The Kent, Washington police department lists the following consequences of street racing http://www.ci.kent.wa.us/
- Traffic collisions, including fatalities http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_H_race15.84df73...
- Trespassing on private property
- Property loss from theft and vandalism
- Auto theft rates, carjackings
- Increased gang activity
The above consequences can be distilled thusly:
Because racing occurs in areas where it is not sanctioned, extensive wear can occur to the roads (from high-powered vehicles damage the asphalt) and damage to the fences/gates closing the area off (in the case of industrial parks, etc). Further, as the street racing culture places a very high social value on a fast vehicle, people who might not otherwise be able to afford highly modifiable -- but very expensive -- vehicles such as the Acura NSX and Toyota Supra may attempt to steal them, violently or otherwise. Additionally, street racers tend to form teams which participate in racing together, the implication above is that these teams may be a form of organized crime or gang activity.
Worth noting is that the astronomical theft rate of the Acura Integra and other popular street racing cars is associated with street racing http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2006/08/22/019503.html
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/stolen_cars/, in addition to the usual claims of chop shops.
Street Racing in Japan
Street racers, known natively as hashiriya http://www.jingai.com/omoshiroi/hotrod.html, can also occur on expressways and highways, infamously in Japan, where they are known as kousoku battle or commonly known as Roulette-zoku as they drive round and round on circular expressways and frequently occur on the Shuto Expressway in Tokyo. The most notorious group to be associated with it was the Mid Night Club who gave street racing worldwide attention with its 186 mph (300 km/h) antics and was known for its high standards and organization until they were disbanded in 1999 following a fatal accident involving a group of motorcyclists.
With heavier punishments, patrolling police cars, crackdowns in meeting areas and speed cameras; expressway racing in Japan is not as common today as it was during the 80's and 90's but still occurs on a not so regular basis. Persistent racers often install electric license-plate swiveling mechanisms or picture-proof screens over their plates. In 2001, the amount of hashiriya have dropped to 4,365 last year from 9,624 in 1995 and police arrests in areas where hashiriya gather are common, where their cars are checked for illegal modification and if there is, the owners are fined and forced to remove the offending modifications. The expressway racing scene is portrayed in the manga Wangan Midnight, as well as in the biographical (Tsuchiya) Shuto Kousoku Trial.
One of the causes of street racing in Japan is, despite the numerous and famous race circuits, they can become overcrowded. Furthermore, such circuits may cost as much as 20,000 JPY to (a highway toll may cost less than 1,000 Also, with Japan's high cost of living; many young drivers prefer to put their savings into, or take out loans on their vehicles where they would usually gather with like minded people at either the Shibaura parking area, the Tatsumi parking area or the best known of the lot, Yokohama's Daikoku Futo service area.
Like in other countries, street racing also occurs on long straights in industrial areas, which are used for drag races, known natively as Zero-Yon.
In rural Japan, racers slide around the corners of remote winding mountain passes, as portrayed in Initial D.
Street Racing in Hong Kong
Street racing in Hong Kong is very similar to that in other Asian countries and tends to consist mostly of modified Japanese cars and motorcycles. The Hong Kong Police Force, responsible for road safety, are in the practice of placing roadblocks in areas where this commonly occurs.
The Hong Kong street racing scene has spawned numerous movies that have sequences of street racing.
Street Racing in Malaysia
Street racing in Malaysia is illegal, as is watching a street race; This is enforced by the Malaysian police. Many streets, roads, highways and expressways in Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru and other cities have become sites for racing. Among the participants are teenagers riding either motorcycles or driving modified cars. The motorcycle street racers in Malaysia are famously known as Mat Rempit in Malay Language. These Mat Rempit are famous for their "Superman" stunts and other feats performed on their motorcycles. They are also notorious for their "Cilok", a kind of racing in which racers weave in-between moving and stationary traffic at high-speed.
On 12 July 2006, the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link in Johor became a place of illegal racing. The Johor police and the Road Transport Department, with the highway operator PLUS Expressway, have launched major operations to crack down on illegal racing; More than 100,000 people have been arrested in these operations.
Street Racing in the United States
There is a strong racing culture in California http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_H_race15.84df73..., particularly Southern Californiahttp://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=55111. Considered to be the birthplace of North American drag racing http://www.competitionplus.com/2006_08/so_cal_strips.html. This area was covered in some depth by such as Turbo and Hi-Tech Performance and Sport Compact Car in the late
In some cases, this popularity has led to tough anti-street racing laws which give more strict punishments (including misdemeanors for attending race events) than normal traffic citations and also often involve dedicated anti-racing task forces. In 2005, a law in Tennessee was passed prohibiting cars to have nitrous oxide hooked up to, or even present inside a . Penalties include impoundment of the offending vehicle and/or the suspension or revocation of the offender's drivers license.
Some police departments in the United States have also undertaken community outreach programs to work with the racing community to educate them to the dangers of street racing, as well as to encourage them to race in sanctioned events. Kent's Beat the Heat is a typical example of this type of program. Other such alliances have been forged in southern and central California, reducing the incidence of street racing there.


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Recently, I visited Jamestown, the first English colony to survive on the North American continent. It had been several years since my last visit and very little had changed. One of the most interesting aspects wasn't a display or anything like that, but some archaeologists who were working on a dig. They took the time to talk with us. Unfortunately, we had missed their big find earlier in the week, when they had uncovered an intact horse skeleton. Also, unfortunately for them, they discovered the horse was from the 18th century and the Revolutionary War era, not the 17th century.
On my previous visit, I was most interested in the original Jamestown. Part of the original fort is already underwater, and it's said that with global warming, the rest will eventually follow suit. On this trip, my response was the same as on the previous occasion when I passed the Pocahontas statue. Let me just say, she appears to be attired more like she had belonged to a western plains Indian tribe rather than eastern woodland. But then, I believe the statue was made in the 1930s. It just seems to me a historic site could add a more accurate portrayal.
The newest exhibit was the reconstruction of Jane, the girl whose remains had been the first forensic evidence of cannibalism during the Starving Time. As I walked through many of the other exhibits, I grew saddened and disappointed. Nothing showed or explained the original colonization from the Paspahegh point of view. After all, the land belonged to them when the colonists first arrived. In fact, the exhibits seemed to go out of the way to perpetuate the myth of how primitive these people were. But then, the Paspahegh were annihilated because they had resisted English encroachment, and there are no descendants to tell their side of the story.
A few years later, paramount chief Opechancanough organized an attack against the colonists. By that time, Jamestown definitely belonged to the English. The exhibits claimed that a boy by the name of Chanco had saved Jamestown from certain annihilation. In reality, there is no historical evidence that Jamestown was ever threatened. I guess, even now, it may be too much to ask a historic site to tell both sides to a story.
Fortunately for me, my visit was to research how Jamestown had grown in the 1640s. During this time, much of the ship trade had been cut off from England due to the Civil War there. That was another fact that I didn't see mentioned, but the port remained busy because of trade from the Dutch, New England, and the West Indies. I walked the path that the colonists of the era would have walked, and it helped me see and feel what my characters in my upcoming book The Dreaming: Wind Talker would see.
Afterward, I traveled the island by car. Maybe someday I'll return and walk the island. Before leaving, I saw a large bird in a tree. Other observers said that it was a bald eagle. According to most indigenous people, the eagle is a sacred messenger spirit. In that regard, I know the Paspahegh would be pleased.
Kim Murphy


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Playa del Carmen Travel Blog
Playa del Carmen, located in Mexico's Riviera Maya, is rich with culture and adventure. Discover helpful articles within our blog to help plan your next Playa del Carmen vacation. Whether looking for a relaxing stay, a wedding destination, or an active adventure vacation we are here to help.
Two easy ways to navigate the blog
- Search most recent articles by browsing this page.
- Search by topic.
Page 2 - Additional Articles


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Groundbreaking Study: Birds -- Not Poison -- May Be the Answer to Protecting Levees From Rodent Damage
A fascinating new study out of Ventura County, California has found that wild birds -- when enticed to an area near flood structures -- offer better protection from rodent damage than rodenticides.
The groundbreaking study was conducted by the Ventura County Watershed Protection District at two sites near a levee at the Revolon Slough in Oxnard. At one site, toxic bait stations were used to control the population of ground squirrels that can cause serious damage to levees. At the other site, predatory birds like hawks were wooed to the area with the installation of a 20-foot perch, a barn box, and other items useful for nesting and hunting.
The Ventura County Star reports that the bird site saw 66 percent fewer ground squirrel burrows than the site that employed rodenticide. When they removed the poison from the control site and installed bird perches there, they witnessed 47 percent fewer burrows.
The findings were presented to the Board of Supervisors in January. The county plans to further limit its use of rodenticides as a result.
"We are in the process of removing bait stations from the dams and looking at the levees as well," said Public Works Deputy Director Karl Novak.
The findings are important because rodenticide is such a pernicious environmental toxin. The anticoagulants frequently move up the food chain and spread well beyond the intended victims, harming pets and other wildlife.


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