text:
1836 Walnut Springs Drive
Allen, TX 75013
Estimated payment ∕month**
Customize your monthly payment
Sq Ft
All the right rooms in all the right places! Fabulous family friendly, versatile floorplan with multiple living areas and entertainment spaces--just down the street from Exemplary Mary Evans Elementary. Prime location in beautiful Twin Creeks master-planned golf community with amenity center, parks, playgrounds, tennis, basketball courts, hiking and biking trails and multiple pools. Gorgeous hardwood floors, plantation shutters, stunning two-story stone fireplace, neutral color palette and expansive rooms with terrific storage. The kitchen is fully equipped with GE Monogram stainless appliances, tons of counter space and ample storage plus prep space. Private Luxury master suite with truly stunning bath, coffee bar, dressing area and enormous walk-in closet. Three spacious secondary bedrooms, game room, and large media room upstairs. Additional features include a large utility room with sink and cabinets, three-car split garage with courtyard area, carpet replaced 2016, and roof replaced 2015. You will find a nice open patio with gas stub for your grill and pool-sized backyard. A STUNNING FIND!
Jerry Welch
AssociateEbby Halliday, Realtors Rockwall/Heath/Lake Ray Hubbard Office
(972)800-3915Contact Me
Additional Property Details
Homeowners Association (HOA)
Lot & Land
*Note: All room dimensions, including square footage data, are approximate and must be verified by the buyer.
The information contained herein is furnished by the owner to the best of his/her knowledge, but is subject to verification by the purchaser, and agent assumes no responsibility for the correctness thereof. The sale offering is made subject to errors, omissions, change of price, prior sale, or withdrawal without notice. In accordance with the Law, this property is offered without respect to race, color, creed, national origin, sex, familial status or disability. This is not intended to solicit property currently listed.
**Assumes 4.25% APR, 20% down payment, and conventional 30-year fixed rate first mortgage. Rates cited are for instructional purposes only; current rates are subject to change at any time without notice. You should not make any decisions based simply on the information provided. Additional required amounts such as taxes, insurance, home owner association dues, assessments, mortgage insurance premiums, flood insurance or other such required payments should also be considered. Contact your mortgage company for current rates and additional information.Listing Agent:Cathy Browne
Broker:Ebby Halliday, Allen-Fairview-
Safety Rating
Commute to Work
School Districts
Results received from this calculator are designed for comparative purposes only, and accuracy is not guaranteed.
(972) email@example.com Visit Our Website
When you decide to buy a home or refinance your mortgage, your search should start and end here. Home Team Mortgage has been the Ebby Family Companies preferred lender for more than 20 years! We have every Conventional, FHA, VA, USDA and Jumbo loan product you could ever want, but we also offer a unique set of specialty programs exclusively for our preferred partners. We are a locally owned and operated company with over 30 offices in the DFW area to conveniently serve you. Choose a lender you can trust to find the mortgage loan that best suits your needs.
5 Beds 5.2 Baths 5,226 Sq Ft
The Butcher Group: (469)877-7587
5 Beds 5.3 Baths 5,616 Sq Ft
6 Beds 5 Baths 6,338 Sq Ft
The Browne + Douglas Group: (469)853-6072 (214)733-1555
4 Beds 3.1 Baths 3,681 Sq Ft
5 Beds 4 Baths 3,754 Sq Ft
Shone-King Group: (214) 356-4644
5 Beds 5.1 Baths 6,221 Sq Ft


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Hamsa Hand Jewelry
Antique Style Silver Hamsa Pendant & NecklaceAn antique style Hamsa Hand made of 925 Sterling Silver. The Hamsa pendant is approximately 0.5" in length. The pendant can be ordered on a leather wire necklace or a Silver necklace. The Hamsa necklace is unisex and standard length is 19". Find out more about Hamsa & Evil Eye Jewelry... Learn More$24.00
Bead Bracelet in Turquoise with Hamsa CharmA beautifully elegant handmade Turquoise beads bracelet with Sterling Silver accent beads and Hamsa Hand charm. The bead bracelet is 7" in length and is handmade by jewelry artist MIZZE - Made for Luck. Bracelet can be ordered in any size at no additional charge. Learn More$49.00
Ben Porat Yosef Hamsa NecklaceBen Porat Yosef Hamsa Hand pendant in 925 Sterling Silver. The Ben Porat Yosef blessing was said by Jacob to his son Yosef. The blessing is believed to be a remedy for the Evil Eye. It is meant to offer a blessing and provide protection. The pendant is 925 Sterling Silver and approximately 0.50" wide and 1" long. The leather chord necklace is 19" in length. It can be ordered in different sizes at no extra cost. Find out more about Hamsa & Evil Eye Jewelry... Learn More$39.00
Black Cord Bracelet with Silver Hamsa & Evil EyeThis protection bracelet is made with black cord and 925 sterling silver charms all around. Charms include Hamsa Hand, red Evil Eye, and accent beads. Size is 7 inches with 1 inch extension. Can be ordered with a longer extension. Part of the Fashion Jewelry collection by MIZZE - Made for Luck. Learn More$33.95
Braided Bracelet with Hamsa & Evil Eye CharmsBraided red leather bracelet with a spiral Hamsa Hand charm and red Evil Eye. The charms are all 925 Sterling Silver. The bracelet is a standard size 7" and can be ordered in different lengths at no additional cost. Learn More$39.00
Braided Leather Hamsa Charm BraceletThe Braided Leather Hamsa Charm Bracelet is available in multiple colors. Mix and match to create your own set and choose from 9 different colors. Each bracelet has a Hamsa charm, plated with Sterling Silver and engraved with the words, Hand Made. Evil eye is a very powerful negative force discussed in the Kabbalah. The bracelet is inspired by the idea of protection from envious eyes and looks of ill will. Part of the Jewelry collection by MIZZE - Made for Luck. Also Available in 24K Gold plated. Learn More$17.95
Braided Leather Hamsa Hand Charms BraceletThis beautiful bracelet includes a 925 Sterling Silver Hamsa Hand with the Evil Eye theme and a baby Blue Evil Eye protection charm. All charms and findings are 925 Sterling Silver. Choose between 7 (women) or 8 (men) sizes. Learn More
Regular Price: $39.00
Special Price $35.99
Carnelian Hamsa Hand and Horseshoe NecklaceThis beautiful 925 Sterling Silver necklace includes natural organic Carnelian gemstones and sterling silver Hamsa Hand and Horseshoe charms. The necklace is approximately 19.5" long. Find out more about Carnelian Stones And Carnelian Jewelry... Learn More$39.00
Coral & Turquoise Beaded Hamsa NecklaceCoral & Turquoise Beaded Hamsa Necklace. The necklace is 18" in length. Learn More$8.99
CZ Hamsa Hand NecklaceA delicate 925 Sterling Silver necklace with a hanging Hamsa pendant for good luck. The pendant is bezel set with white CZ stones and a blue against the evil eye glass. Made of 925 sterling silver and CZ stones. The necklace is 16 inches long and can be ordered with up to 1 inch extension . Part of the Fashion Jewelry collection by MIZZE - Made for Luck. Find out more about Hamsa & Evil Eye Jewelry... Learn More$49.00
Decorative Hamsa Handmade Necklace by MIZZEBeautiful 24K Gold plated intricately decorated Hamsa Eye pendant for protection and good luck, hanging on a handmade designer necklace in the color of your choice. The necklace measures approximately 30" in length. Learn More
Regular Price: $47.00
Special Price $39.99
Eastern Silver Hamsa with Red String Inside Charm BraceletThis hand woven bracelet has the authentic Red String from Rachel's tomb and a Hamsa Hand charm. The Red String is inlaid into the hand woven cotton bracelet. The Hamsa Hand is made of 925 sterling silver. The bracelet is available in 3 sizes from 7 to 9 inches for men and women. The bracelet is available in 10 cotton colors. Learn More$55.00Add to Cart

subset: commoncrawl


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text:
I Believe Ghv is a Criminal Operation
Fund: GreenHills Ventures
Posted by Anonymous on 2014-11-17
We were offered terms and rejected them. We had another meeting in NYC the same day or would not have met with them. I went through the steps to do diligence on GHV to determine whether it was a legitimate opportunity to raise money for our company and determined that it was not.
We rejected GHV terms because:
-They were asking us for money.
-They agreed to provide references, but would never provide them when pressed.
-They were not engaged enough to understand our forecasting leading us to think that they didn't care.
-They would not commit to a valuation. Their contract placed valuation at the discretion of a third party allegedly paid by GHV.
-They refused to put dates and process around the diligence process.
-I could find no record of their ownership of any of the companies they identify as portfolio companies.
-They meet in shared space in the Chrysler building. Not in itself an issue, but they have absolutely no footprint. The space appears to be rented temporarily as needed.
My gut was that Manny's real business is skimming around 15K from start-ups in a "diligence" process that never happens. I was able to confirm with the associate who made our initial contact and is no longer with the firm that in two years of working there he had seen no closed investments and thought that something illegal was happening. I reported the details of our interaction with GHV to the SEC enforcement division.PRIVATE: Members Only
Poor at Following Up
Fund: GreenHills Ventures
Posted by Anonymous on 2013-01-21
I was contacted by one of the GreenHills' analysts, Sumit. He informed me they found my company's profile on Gust and were interested because they had just made an investment in a similar space and thought there were some synergies between our companies. Initially, this confused me because after describing what their new portfolio company did, it didn't seem to be very compatible. I asked Sumit for some references, which he said he would get together over the weekend and send over a few days later. About a week later, I received a call from Manny. He told me he wasn't sure why he was calling, other than because Sumit asked him to. They didn't seem very organized. He pitched me GreenHills, I described a little of what my business does, and then I asked for a few references that I could speak with, perhaps the company they just invested in as well. Of course, I never received any contacts to reach out to or letters of reference. This firm seems to be disorganized and poor at following up on their promises. Not the type of money I would want involved in my business. I would suggest doing thorough research with any VC firm and their partners before moving the process forward or you could be strung along as in this example.PRIVATE: Members Only
Use Caution!
Fund: GreenHills Ventures
Posted by Anonymous on 2012-11-09
We were introduced to GreenHills and Manny. Despite the concerns I had from the comments posted here, we continued to have discussions with them. We eventually received a very detailed, professional term sheet which had, as expected, a commitment fee. Before signing the term sheet, we asked for references from other private companies that had actually secured investment from GreenHills. Manny supplied a couple of references for other companies that were in a similar stage as us (had secured term sheets but hadn't completed due diligence or received any actual money from them), but Manny was not able to provide any reference from any company that had actually completed a financing with them. As I pushed for real references, GreenHills then got very quiet. Surprise, surprise. We never signed the term sheet since we could not effectively reference them. I can't say whether they are a scam or not, but definitely do your homework and make sure you get real references if you decide to proceed. I would also look into a case that is being brought against GreenHills by a company called 10-Acious in Kentucky. Reading through the complaint is fascinating stuff and certainly will make you wary of GreenHills!PRIVATE: Members Only
Accepts Commitment Deposit and Then Defaults on Its Contractual Obligations
Fund: GreenHills Ventures
Posted by Anonymous on 2011-11-29
GreenHills solicited us as a potential funding candidate. GreenHills required and accepted a commitment deposit of several thousands of dollars. A long due diligence process was required which the company completed and submitted to GreenHills. GreenHills then began defaulting on its contractual obligations by not returning calls and emails and it became obvious after 15 months of not much going on that GreenHills accepted our money and basically left us holding the bag. GreenHills appears to practice this behavior on a regular basis from what we have seen posted on this site.PRIVATE: Members Only (1872 Characters)
Save Yourself 12 Months and Thousands of Dollars
Fund: GreenHills Ventures
Posted by Anonymous on 2011-10-03
It would be better to be unfunded today and know it rather than pay Green hills good money to string you along for 12 months before not funding you. Look for alternatives now.PRIVATE: Members Only
Does Any One Know of a Company that Green Hills Have Funded
Fund: GreenHills Ventures
Posted by Anonymous on 2010-01-27
Does anybody know of a company that GreenHills Ventures has funded? I have read all the comments but don't see any references to actual investments. if they are not making investments perhaps they should not be listed here and if they are it would be wise to show some examples.PRIVATE: Members Only
Same Deal as All the Rest
Fund: GreenHills Ventures
Posted by Maybe new but not stupid! on 2008-12-19
Similar Experience
Fund: GreenHills Ventures
Posted by Anonymous on 2008-09-30
I actually read all of the posts before "signing" a diligence agreement with GHV and took all the precautions we could - we got a very reduced "fee", went back and forth on the contract multiple times over legal terms, asked for precautions, talked to others, etc, all trying to hedge our bets. Manny and his team (to remain anonymous as some of them are advisors to GHV and not official employees of GHV) legitimately seemed like nice guys and seemed interested/excited in what we were doing. We entered into diligence with them, and spent the next 2 months putting together all of the information they asked for. We built up a good relationship, they asked us questions and for further information, we had lunches, drinks, etc. I believe they even put together an investment memo on our company. I was convinced that this was a fair process and that others were wrong about their previous experiences with GHV. Then, however, one day they went silent. They claimed to be drafting a SPA for us but simply stopped returning emails and phone calls. We never received a formal response one way or another. I would have been fine with them "passing" on the deal but would 1, have liked to know why and get some feedback considering we paid their fees, and 2, would have liked to have been given a response up front instead of waiting around for 2 months for them to get back to us. It was a huge waste of time, and in my mind, an example of some of the worst business etiquette I have ever experienced. Not to mention we turned away other investors because we felt bad about breaking the terms of our arrangement. I used to be on the investor side of things and we would AT THE VERY least give honest feedback even to companies we never went into any sort of process with. I legitimately enjoyed our time in working with GHV until this latest happening and thus I was giving them the benefit of the doubt before posting anything here. That said, with still no response on their end, I felt it was only duty to post about our experience. To have taken up our time, money, and our resources and not even give any official response one way or another just seems unacceptable.PRIVATE: Members Only (333 Characters)
Something Doesnt Smell Right
Fund: GreenHills Ventures
Posted by Anonymous on 2008-03-26
I was solicited by an associate of Greenhills to present to Mr. Martinez. I pitched and received 2 days later what has now become the standard MO for Greenhills. I got a consulting agreement from them requiring me to pay them $12k in return for locking me up to only taking money from their investors or having to pay a "break up fee" of a percentage of whatever I raise elsewhere.
The most troubling part is I asked them for references. This was requested 3 weeks ago and so far nothing. Wouldn't a successful firm have at its finger tips a list of people who would take a reference call"
Never a good sign. Does anyone have a positive funding experience with Greenhills that they are willing to share publicaly"PRIVATE: Members Only
Good Guys, Bad Philosophy
Fund: GreenHills Ventures
Posted by mav82 on 2008-03-12
Thank You the Funded
Fund: GreenHills Ventures
Posted by Anonymous on 2008-02-09
Green Hills Ventures, Llc and Emanuel Martinez
Fund: GreenHills Ventures
Posted by mlinderman on 2007-11-14
"On October 7, 2007 Mlinderman posted a message on this website (The October 7th Posting") concerning the Company's engagement of GreenHills Ventures, LLC and Emanuel Martinez to perform the required due diligence on the Company and to assist in identifying certain investors from GreenHillsVentures Wealth Management Group (which is a separate and distinct entity from the GHV Fund, LP, an early stage venture fund). I hereby unequivocally retract and rescind the October 7th Posting.
The Posting made reference to a $15,000 fee that was paid by the Company to GreenHills Ventures.
I think and believe that the fee received by GreenHills Ventures was used to cover only a portion of the actual out-of-pocket expenses and the Company has been advised the actual expenses incurred by GreenHills Ventures went over the fee paid for completing its due diligence and preparing a due diligence package and certain investor presentations for use by the Company. I also note that GreenHills Ventures and Emanuel Martinez succeeded in bringing an investor group to the Company with the appropriate background and expertise, but ultimately that investor and others decided not to invest in the Company.
The Company apologizes for making the Posting in haste and causing questions to be raised regarding the ethics and the good reputation of both Emanuel Martinez and the GreenHills Ventures team.
I do not and have never meant to suggest that GreenHills Ventures or Mr. Martinez acted unethically, or illegally, or improperly in connection with its agreement with the Company. Accordingly, I hereby retract the October 7th Posting in its entirety"
Don't Even Bother
Fund: GreenHills Ventures
Posted by kgone on 2007-10-11
The previous poster is dead on. We went through an initial meeting where Mr. Martinez posed as a VC, and then we got the "term sheet", which was essentially a non-refundable, no recourse consulting deal for them under the guise of "due diligence". Once I was done laughing, I got angry, and then just moved on. Don't bother making calls there or taking calls from there.PRIVATE: Members Only
Green Hills Ventures, Llc
Fund: GreenHills Ventures
Posted by mlinderman on 2007-10-07
GreenHills Ventures solicited our company to make the introductions to potential investors. Emanuel Martinez at GreenHills Ventures, LLC requested our company to pay them $15,000 upfront for introductions to potential investors. After they collected the money, they prepared the ugliest power point presentation, I have ever seen. I called them non stop for several months asking them to provide the service that we paid for. In the end of one year period Emanuel Martinez finally set up one presentation. I could tell, it was a setup to get him off the hook. As I expected, that was the end of it. They are very experienced rip off artists. Please do not let this happen to you.PRIVATE: Members Only


text:
|2004-03-17, 21:11
|Link #21
Join Date: May 2003
|2004-03-18, 21:12
|Link #23
the Iniquitous
well, the best villian i've ever seen is Maestro Delphine from last exile!
She is really cool and i usually like characters like that, but I hated her all the way through the series. All I can say is... good job making me hate you, Maestro!!!!
|2004-03-18, 21:15
|Link #24
El Diablo Blanco!
Makoto Shishio from rurouni kenshin, he's an Anarchist planning to take over Japan, now is that cool or what? Plus, he's a really awesome swordman that was burned alive, but somehow survived.
sorry if someone already said this, but i didnt really read most of the thread.
|2004-03-19, 07:30
|Link #25
Junior Member
Join Date: May 2003
Well Orochimaru is my favourite Villan. Sooo Evil it
sends chills down my spine
My second choice for Villan is not really evil.
Lina Inverse!
Think about it, for somebody who's not evil she does
more damage than ANY (almost) villan could.
Granted she has the best intentions in mind (money) but still.....
The road to hell is paved with good intentions heheh
|2004-03-19, 12:22
|Link #27
Poof... time warp
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Manila, Philippines
How about Toushin Taishi Homura from Saiyuki? I thought he was cool.
Another would have to be Soujiro Seta from RK. Totally messed up, more than Shishio who was truly evil (and was so built up that his inevitable defeat became totally lame), Soujiro killed because he thought nothing of it. There was no moral dillemma because the question doesn't exist. Gotta love that. (geez, i'm becoming an RK fanboy with all my recent posts...).
|2004-03-19, 15:00
|Link #28
Bishoujo Goodness Galore!
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Stuck Between Reality and Fantasy
uchiyamada from GTO
fear the balding, middle-aged principal with a butt-sniffing fetish!
also from GTO: Suguru Teshigawara
in the anime he's pretty watered down, but this guy is INSANE. Azusa coffee mugs, azusa collages, an azusa mouse pad, azusa PAJAMAS and more hidden cameras in azusa's house than i care to think about...plus...
|2004-03-19, 16:00
|Link #30
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Looking for his book...
I'd like to recommend Ikari Gendo from Neon Genesis Evangelion as
possibly the best villain. He's cruel, ruthless, evil and it's my opinion
that he must be a genius when it comes to strategies and planning.
Cruelity - There is no question about the unheard of levels of cruelty
he is capable of. He is a man who is willing to use and sacrifice children,
even his own, as pawns and weapons in his schemes without any
remorse. He'll knowingly and happily send them off to die or kill them
himself if it would further his goals. Should one die or fall in battle, his
response is matter of fact and emotionless "They are replaceable."
Ruthlessness - Every person, place or thing is only a mere stepping
stone to furthering his ambitions. If they don't wish to comply to his will
he will either force them/it to obey or crush them/it with the power at
his disposal. He manipulates nations, countries and people so they will
play out whatever small part they must to help him then quietly gets rid
of them once they're no longer useful. To him everything and everybody
is a tool to aid his in his ambitions.
Evil - This should be obvious, it is implied numerous times throughout the
series that he either helped make the second impact happen or knew it
would happen and did nothing to prevent it. Not even warn the other
researchers on Antarctica before leaving moments before Adam's arrival.
If he did in fact make the second impact happen, then it only compounds
the darkness of his soul for he engineered the third impact as well. I'm
sure, in the greatest sense of the word, one must be evil if they are
willing to sacrifice the lives of every single human being on the face of the
planet without any feelings of remorse over, guilt for or hatred towards
those six billion people.
Intelligence - To out-smart a council bent on divine intervention,
manipulate nations, corporations and peoples. To plot, plan and engineer
the destruction of the world almost single handedly, there can be no
doubts over his intelligence.
In the series SEELE is actually portrayed as the villain, however, as Ikari
Gendo is the one who makes it all happen (The Chairman even says their
project wouldn't have gotten off the ground if not for him) I peg him as
being the actually villain. Especially since...
Last edited by Mr_Paper; 2004-03-19 at 16:04. Reason: Damned SUBMIT button! >.<
|2004-03-19, 16:11
|Link #31
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2004
The greatest villian is King Hamdo from Now and Then, Here and There. When I think of great villian, I think of a villian I don't want this guy to win. I want him dead. I am the type of guy who goes for Darth Vader in Star Wars. I love villians. I just hated this guy. I was so happy when he finally died.
|2004-03-19, 17:01
|Link #32
Maestro Delphine is definitely one of the more unique ones out there that stand out.
Some other ones that are really designed well are Chloe from Noir and Alexander the priest from Hellsing.
Style is very important for villains, stereotypical villains are all too boring. Another quality of good villains is that they fit the anime completely. A well done seiyuu performance is really important. A really well-designed villain is one who you will never forget.
|2004-03-19, 17:27
|Link #34
Just Married, Oct. 28th!
Join Date: May 2003
Age: 40
A little tidbit for you all.
A protagonist is a character that drives the story. These are the characters that make the initial actions that get the story going, and who drive the story forward through most of it all.
An antogonist reacts to the protagonists actions. They are constantly reacting, and rarely act before the protagonist.
These days, the villains are often the protagonists, while the heros are usually dancing to the villain's beat for the majority of the story.
|2004-03-19, 23:31
|Link #37
Strange Love
Join Date: Feb 2004
When you say the best villain, do u mean a villain that you can root for? A villain that pisses off so bad, you think hell isn't enough for a payback? Or a villain that scares the crap out of you even though you took one in the morning?
The best villain in terms of someone I can actually root for is prolly Chloe (Noir). I much rather see her succeed than Kirika. Her title may soon be overtaken by Freasha though (Jubei Chan 2).
The best villain in terms of really ticking me off would be Gauron (Full Metal Panic). How dare he abuse someone as special as Theresa. A close second would be Darcia (Wolf's Rain). What he did in those last episodes really angers me, and saddens me.
A lot of villains scares me but I don't have one that really stands out yet.
|2004-03-20, 16:26
|Link #38
Gantz Survivor
|Thread Tools


text:
|2011-06-29, 13:35
|Link #221
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Shameimaru's lap
Unless there's been another change in the schedule, the nomination stage should be starting right now.
|2011-06-29, 20:35
|Link #225
The Comet has Come
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Republic of California
Age: 41
The page should (if it was like last year) have or had a time listed as to when the code would be usable. It is given in 24 hour time (and in Tokyo Standard Time), and would be viable at the :55 of a specific hour (you usually had to wait one or two hours for that time to come around.)
At which's point you refresh the page, and the code should be there.
|2011-06-29, 21:58
|Link #227
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: 42° 10' N (Latitude) 87° 33' W (Longitude)
Age: 40
|2011-06-30, 12:20
|Link #233
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Outside the Asylum
|2011-06-30, 15:16
|Link #234
Crazy One
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Crimson Demon's Realm
Age: 35
My top ten picks for JMOE2011 (hopefully at least 6 of this girls reach the final eight.)
0. Victorica (Gosick)
1. Ika-Musume (Shinryaku! Ika Musume)
2. Kuroneko, real name is Ruri Gokou (Ore no Imouto)
3. Elsie (The World God Only Knows)
4. Menma (Ano Hana)
5. Mayushii, real name is Mayuri Shiina (Steins;Gate)
6. Homura Akemi (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)
7. Charlotte Dunois (Infinite Stratos)
8. Erio (Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko)
9. Mikan Yuuki (To Love-Ru)
some of the desirable picks that didn't make my list
Madoka Kaname (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)
Tooru (A-Channel)
Misaka Mikoto (Index)
Miya Tachibana (Amagami SS)
Wendy Marvell (Fairy Tail)
|2011-06-30, 18:13
|Link #235
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Finally got around to reminding myself what aired this year. My top10 are as follows:
1. Nakano Azusa (K-ON!!)
2. Nymph (Sora no Otoshimono: forte)
3. Tachibana Miya (Amagami SS)
4. Kousaka Kirino (Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai)
5. Agnes Boulange (Shukufuku no Campanella)
6. Toudou Kasane (Hoshizora e Kakaru Hashi)
7. Yuuki Mikan (Motto To-Love-Ru)
8. Yui (Angel Beats!)
9. Kasugano Sora (Yosuga no Sora)
10. Yuno (Hidamari Sketch x ☆☆☆)
Also supporting: Shuri, Hinari and Tanpopo (Shin Koihime Musou), Koumoto Madoka (Hoshizora e Kakaru Hashi), Gokou Ruri (Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai), Flower (Kowarekake no Orgel), Yoshino Sakura (T.P. Sakura).
I'd be happy if Kasane-chan even made the main draw. Thought about putting someone other than Azunyan at #1, but I can't justify it, so she stays at the top of my list for a second straight year.
Needs more imoutos.
Last edited by Micchi; 2011-06-30 at 20:19.
|2011-06-30, 19:04
|Link #236
Kholdy's Slave
I don't really like making static lists with numbers attached to characters, but since we have nothing better to do I'll try it (going with Eastern order for my Japanese names this year to maintain consistency). I will generally support these series and most of their characters, but these girls are the ones that just stand out the most to me.
1. Matsumae Ohana (Hanasaku Iroha)
2. Misaka Mikoto (To Aru Majutsu no Index)
3. Charlotte Dunois (Infinite Stratos)
4. Eclair Martinozzi (Dog Days)
5. Elsie de Lute Irma (The World God Only Knows)
6. Kanzaki H. Aria (Hidan no Aria)
7. Yuuki Mikan (To LOVE-Ru)
8. Kasugano Sora (Yosuga no Sora)
9. Nymph (Sora no Otoshimono)
10. Kurashita Tsukimi (Kuragehime)
Honourable mentions: Gokou "Kuroneko" Ruri (OreImo), Arashiyama Hotori (Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru), Ayatsuji Tsukasa (Amagami SS), Ika-Musume (Shinryaku! Ika-Musume), Yui (Angel Beats!)
Bah. It would really work better in tiers. Also, knowing my memory, I'm very likely forgetting important characters.
|2011-06-30, 20:00
|Link #237
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: 国立音ノ木坂学院
My top 10, not necessarily in order...
0. Tachibana Kanade (Angel Beats!) <- She's my waifu, so not even belong in Top 10...
1. Gokou Ruri (Kuroneko) (Ore no Imouto)
2. Victorika (GOSICK)
3. Touwa Erio (Denpa Onna)
4. Kanzaki H. Aria (Hidan no Aria) <- aka the only reason why I haven't drop that series...
5. Hagimura Suzu (Seitokai Yakuindomo) <- People already forgot about this...sad...
6. Nakano Azusa (K-On!!) <- あすにゃんペロペロ(^ω^)
7. Charlotte Dunois (IS)
8. Akemi Homura (Madoka)
9. Haqua (Kaminomi)
10. Okami Ryoko (Okami-san) <- Since I doubt the cameo Taiga can go anywhere...
Some other: Kasugano Sora (Yosuga no Sora), Astarotte Ygvar (Astarotte no Omocha!), Shiomiya Shiori (Kaminomi), Honma Menma (Anohana), Kosaka Kirino (Ore no Imouto), Hakase (Nichijou), Akiyama Mio (K-On!!), Ika-Musume (Shinryaku! Ika-Musume), Isurugi Mio (MM!)
Sigh, too many to pick from...(And that's just from anime that I've started/watched...with numerous series that I haven't even touch...), and pretty sure I've left out girls...
Last edited by ion475; 2011-07-03 at 18:52.
|2011-06-30, 21:40
|Link #239
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
My top 10 (that have a chance at reaching the main rounds)
(1) Misaka Mikoto
(2) Gokou Ruri (Kuroneko)
(3) Akemi Homura
(4) Marry Nightmare
(5) Yuuki Mikan
(6) Charlotte Dunois
(7) Touwa Erio
(8) Yui (Angel Beats)
(9) Kanzaki H. Aria
(10) Astarotte Ygvar
|2011-06-30, 21:43
|Link #240
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: middle of nowhere, Virginia
Age: 32
|2011, moe, saimoe, tournament
|Thread Tools


text:
Hendersonville City Council voted Friday to put a bond referendum on the ballot in November to help fund $6 million in improvements at city parks.
Hendersonville City Council voted Friday to put a bond referendum on the ballot in November to help fund $6 million in improvements at city parks.
Council members also looked at ways to free up more parking spaces downtown after fielding complaints from citizens about tickets and limited parking.
More than 100 motorists returned to their cars parked in the city's Dogwood lot after a recent Saturday afternoon concert downtown to find tickets on their windshield, according to one of the ticketed, Brian Tribby. The free spaces in the lot and a few of the leased ones were converted to metered spaces last month to accommodate a growing demand for parking.
Dogwood now has a total of 153 spots, up from 18 a year ago. Stickers on the meters inform motorists that fees are charged for parking in the spaces from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. But Tribby said he and others were under the impression that the spaces, even the leased ones, were open to the public on weekends.
Another woman, who lives downtown and leases a space in the lot, told city officials that she went to her spot one recent weekend to find it occupied. Loaded down with groceries and with two kids in tow, she had to hike through the rain a longer distance to get to her home because the space she paid for was taken.
Interim City Manager A. Lee Galloway said the council discussed installing "better markings and signage in the Dogwood lot to remind motorists that the reserved spaces in the lot are reserved 24 hours a day, seven days a week."
He said the council "expressed unanimous support" for protecting the rights of those paying to lease the spaces. They also agreed the city should enforce the law that those spaces be left open for the people who lease them.
The council asked the city to notify churches and seek their help in spreading the word that those who park in leased spaces could be fined.
Galloway told the council that Anita Lockhart, the city's parking enforcement officer, now has more requests from motorists wanting to lease spaces than she has spaces to lease. Council members suggested the city refer people seeking leased parking to other private lots in town.
In another move to free up spaces, Galloway said they will ask city employees parking along Fifth Avenue East to instead park in the city's Apple parking lot. The on-street parking along Fifth Avenue appears to be closer to Main Street than the Apple lot, he said.
At least 13 new spaces will be added to the downtown area once renovations to the sixth and seventh blocks of Main Street are complete.
City Public Works Director Tom Wooten said there are 472 on-street parking spaces, including 12 reserved for the handicapped, from Seventh Avenue to Barnwell Street and from Church Street to King Street. In the city's five public lots, 93 spaces are leased, 181 are metered and 13 are for the handicapped.
Bond for parks
Plans for a nearly $5 million renovation project at Berkeley Park, in addition to $1 million in work needed at the city's other park facilities, could be paid for by bonds, if enough voters approve in November.
Plans for Berkeley Park include upgrading the old baseball field, which has been in use at the park since the 1920s, and the addition of a soccer complex, amphitheater, nature and beginning biking trails, a dog park, a grove of memorial trees and playgrounds.
Mayor Barbara Volk said April 9 that the city is also looking at installing a greenway to connect Berkeley Park to Patton Park.
The park could take 10 to 12 years to build, with the city approving funds for development in phases from its capital improvement plan, she said. With a bond referendum, however, the park could be completed in about three years.
A total of $200,000 has been earmarked for Berkeley Park improvements from current revenues for the next six years. Some of the $40,000 set aside for next fiscal year could be transferred to the city's police department to cover an additional student resource officer. Funds from the bonds will be used strictly for park improvements.
City Council agreed to hire a bond counsel to help it come up with the appropriate wording for the upcoming referendum.
Reach Weaver at firstname.lastname@example.com or 828-694-7867.


text:
Darker than Black 2: Gemini of the Meteor Info:
Plot Summary: Two years have passed since Hei and Yin escaped the Syndicate after the events of the first season. Making their way to Russia, Hei encounters a young girl named Suou Pavlichenko, whose family is gradually pulled into the war between contractors and various intelligence factions. Meanwhile, Misaki Kirihara has quit her position in Foreign Affairs to begin her own investigations into Hei, the Contractors and the Syndicate.
Genres: drama, psychological, science fiction, supernatural Themes: post-apocalyptic, superhumans, superpowers


text:
Hi All,
I am a bit new to WebUserCOntrols and I thought maybe you cna help me.
I am developing a web application where I am using WebUSerControls in it. I am trying to make all the communication between the user control and the aspx page client side (using javascript or something like that) but I didn't find a way how to do it.
I know how I can do it serverside (calling user control properties) but I thought maybe I can do it faster.
Any thoughts/examples please?
Thanks in advance


text:
Nov. 1, 2011 -- The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) and Kisatchie National Forest (KNF) today announced details for permitting that will be required for all deer hunters on KNF lands within the Catahoula, Winn and Kisatchie Ranger Districts and the Evangeline Unit of the Calcasieu Ranger District from Dec. 17 through 25, 2011.
The no cost permit required during the "with or without dogs" portion of the hunting season is available on the LDWF website. To obtain a permit, go to www.wlf.la.gov [4] and click on the link to the KNF Deer Hunting Permit.
The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC) approved "with or without dogs" dates during a special meeting in August. The special season requiring the KNF Deer Hunting Permit will be bucks only. The permitting process will enable KNF and LDWF to gather information necessary for management of hunting opportunities on KNF lands.
Every deer hunter in Kisatchie National Forest, except on the Caney Ranger District and the Vernon Unit of the Calcasieu Ranger District, during these dates, regardless of age, is required to have this permit.
Deer hunters using dogs must register an identifying mark with LDWF. Each dog must wear a collar providing the owner's name, address and phone number. To obtain a permit, the hunter must provide their name and address and the identifying mark used on dogs engaged in the hunt.
For more information on all other rules regarding hunting on the KNF, please visit: http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/kisatchie/hunting/index.html [5].
For more information on how to obtain a KNF Deer Hunting Permit, call the LDWF Pineville Field Office at 318-487-5885 or the LDWF Wildlife Division Baton Rouge office at 225-765-2346.


text:
Nathan Kurz needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 346 designs submitted by 72 freelance designers.
We're looking for a logo for our sorbet company. Similar to ice cream or gelato, sorbet is a frozen dessert made from fresh fruit. We currently sell at Farmers' Markets in the Bay Area of California, and are looking to develop a new logo before opening a store.
The logo will be used in a number of places: product packaging, business cards, letterhead, signage and banners. We want something flexible. If it helps to think of a particular use, picture it as the sign over the door of a new store you haven't seen before: what's going to make you want to come inside?
We are looking for new and exciting directions. No need to provide small variations on the same logo. And please don't copy other entries: we want lots of ideas!
- We want a logo that conveys: Gourmet, Delicious, Friendly, Pure, Local, Organic, and Intense.
- The logo should represent us as Innovative and Sophisticated. The product is original and of extremely high quality, and we want an image that conveys this.- We want a logo that includes the text "Scream". Upper case, mixed case, or lower case, whatever looks best to you. The font should be distinctive and legible, but hand drawn lettering is allowable.
- We want a logo with graphical icon that can be used independently of the text "Scream". The icon should be distinctive even when used in single-color at a small size.
- While our emphasis is on sorbet, we want a logo that can also be used other gourmet foods such as chocolate, jams, and pastries.
- Gradients. Logo can use multiple solid colors, but must be legible in single-color and two-color variations.- Ice Cream Cones. We sell our sorbet is small cups, and don't want to confuse our customers with a logo that uses cones.- Pretentiousness. We sell a top-quality product in a friendly low-key way. We want a look that matches the name "Scream".
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


text:
It is my duty pursuant to Standing Order 81(14) to inform the House that the motion to be considered on Monday during consideration of supply is as follows:
That this House acknowledge the existence of a fiscal imbalance jeopardizing the quality of social programs, such as health care and education, in Quebec and in the other provinces.
This motion, standing in the name of the hon. member for Saint-Hyacinthe--Bagot, is votable. Copies of the motion are available at the Table.


text:
|2012-02-04, 18:14
|Link #5602
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Canada, Sault Ste. Marie
|2012-02-04, 21:06
|Link #5603
Adeptus Animus
Join Date: Jan 2007
Age: 31
|2012-02-04, 22:09
|Link #5608
~Night of Gales~
Join Date: Dec 2005
Then there may be merit in bringing up more of Thoma's past to deliver hints, and build up the bridge that leads towards said developments.
Otherwise, it's just hog-washing for needless gore and overdramatisation. Force doesn't need to be Berserk.
|2012-02-04, 22:20
|Link #5609
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
If Force becomes Berserk, then it is going to be brutal. Since we already have a black knight, all we need is to put Touma through what Guts when through with Lily and the Special Force 6 as victim. Since we need a leader whom is also a friend turn enemy, maybe Hayate can substitue Griffs.
Seriously, no.
|2012-02-04, 22:28
|Link #5610
~Night of Gales~
Join Date: Dec 2005
My point was that Thoma's backstory isn't one so thoroughly complex and intertwined that it needed to be a 'Golden Age : Version Force.'
Or if I were to use Berserk in a better comparative, I would say that Gut's childhood with his adopted parents is a good example. 99% of all Gut's past remembrance are on Griffith/Casca/Band of Hawks. His moments before that, while important, were but a small, almost irrelevant part of what makes Guts whole.
Likewise with Thoma.
What defines Thoma is the 'destruction of his life' when his village was destroyed and how 'he was saved' when Subaru and co. gave him a family and place he can call home. And both of these elements were already given a decent amount of development.
We don't need 2 chapters of 'Thoma watching his parents murdered, Thoma crawling out of the debris, stabs wild animals and eating them raw because rawr I must survive for revenge!!!!' because Thoma has not become a vengeful monster, nor does present Thoma carry so much trauma that he must be shown how he obtained those trauma through his suffering.
|2012-02-04, 22:42
|Link #5611
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
I agree with you though. Amazing how he turned out despite the death of his parents and survive the destruction of his village, survive in the wild for months with a knife and yet is still a good kid.
One good thing is that he still has some reservations in becoming part of the Nakajimas as he still feels the case of his village unresolved. Also, it is shown that he still has the vengence part in him, so we will see how it goes when the real killers appear. So far, it seems that the Hukes are just being played scape goat for the case. Not that they are good person, but at least many hints show that it is not them.
|2012-02-04, 23:04
|Link #5612
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Canada, Sault Ste. Marie
We probably don't, but I wasn't talking about entire chapter's worth - that would be dumb too. Just more than not much. They haven't even shown much of his town or his parents, and they're supposed to be pretty important to him, right? Likewise, they only thing they show of him afterward is when Subaru pops up and takes him in.
Not exactly something that does its best to tug on your heartstrings.
|2012-02-04, 23:27
|Link #5613
Adeptus Animus
Join Date: Jan 2007
Age: 31
His parents are about as important as Hayate's: What they looked like and who they were is not relevant since they're dead. It can't tug our heartstrings since we don't have a bond with them, so introducing them only to kill them within a few pages won't add much. The little bits needed so show that he cared for the town he lived in were shown in chapter 5.
Thoma's loss of his hometown isn't written to make us cry, it's written to make us understand his motivation. And for that, we only need a global picture of things.
|2012-02-05, 00:23
|Link #5615
Adeptus Animus
Join Date: Jan 2007
Age: 31
Yes, and for Tohma that something is "stuck with a virus that made him kill people." Not how that part was far more emphasized in the story when it started creeping up.
I will again compare to Hayate. Hayate's sympathy factor was that she was dieing from the book. She was a kid who had lived alone for an unknown number of years, but that wasn't the focus: She got our sympathy because she was dieing. We never even got to see her parents. Heck, they were never even mentioned.
Her living alone was her motivation. That's why she wanted the Wolkenritter around, because they were her family.
Character: Tohma - Hayate
Motivation: dead town - living alone
Sympathy factor: virus - encroaching death
|2012-02-05, 01:35
|Link #5618
Burst Mode
It's not like "stuff to garner sympathy" is concretely definable anyways. Some people will look at being corrupted by magic penis worms and raped repeatedly by your step-brother and say "What a slut."
Either way it's not like Thoma has even been all "Bad stuff happened to me so you should feel for me!" Stuff happens and he deals with it.
|manga, nanoha force
|Thread Tools


text:
Vettel fastest in Friday's practice at Indian GP
GREATER NOIDA, India (AP) — Sebastian Vettel drove 35 flawless laps in the second practice session Friday to edge Red Bull teammate Mark Webber for the quickest time ahead of Sunday's Indian Grand Prix.
Vettel recorded 1 minute, 25.722 seconds on soft tires for his best lap on the Buddh International Circuit, .289 faster than Webber and almost a second quicker than his time of 1:26.683 in the first session.
Vettel, who has won both previous Indian GP races from pole, can win his fourth straight world title by placing fifth or better on Sunday.
In-form Lotus driver Romain Grosjean was third fastest with a time of 1:26.220, ahead of Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton in 1:26.399.
"I'm hopeful of another solid day tomorrow which should give us another strong qualifying position if the evidence of today is anything to go by," Grosjean said. "We'll do everything we can to take the fight to Red Bull."
Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso overcame gearbox problems in the morning session to finish the day fifth fastest, ahead of Nico Rosberg's Mercedes and teammate Felipe Massa.
The second session was marred by handling problems as most drivers came to terms with the smooth, warming track and the softer compound Pirelli tires.
Kimi Raikkonen, who finished 17th in the morning session, appeared to be fighting a losing battle for control of his Lotus and had difficulties taking the tighter turns. He improved to eighth fastest, but looked far from comfortable ahead of Friday's qualifying.
Pastor Maldonado had wheel problems again. The Williams driver who lost a wheel in practice for this month's Japanese GP was forced to park at the entrance to pit lane Friday when he lost a wheel nut and eventually punctured his front right tire after 23 laps of the second session.
Weather at the track was hot and dry, with similar conditions forecast for Sunday.
"It's hard to say how we will go tomorrow and Sunday, but hopefully we have the pace and can control the race," Webber said. "The car is very consistent, but we need to work on the tires and make sure we get the most out of them."
Tire supplier Pirelli has dropped the more durable hard compound tires for the Indian surface, instead opting for soft and medium options. While the soft tires proved to be considerably faster, drivers complained of a lack of durability.
"The soft tire is not lasting so long here, but it's Friday and the track is still rubbering in," Vettel said. "It's normally improving for Saturday, plus we haven't used this compound for a long time, so tomorrow it should be better."
Alonso had a frustrating start to the first practice, completing only six laps before being forced into the pits with a gearbox issue and ending the morning with the 12th-fastest time. Ferrari repaired the problem in time for the second session, without the need to replace the gearbox.


text:
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Please give us a few minutes of your time to respond to our survey. We really appreciate it.
This course explores the international financial architecture. It examines international banking and securities regulation, global capital rules and cross-border issues in supervision and regulation. It analyzes U.S. rules for financial firms doing business in the United States, as well as rules governing the conduct of U.S. firms abroad. Particular attention will be paid to the extraterritorial aspects of the U.S. Dodd-Frank legislation, the evolution of global financial regulation under the Basel Committee on Banking Supervison and IOSCO, and the creation of the Financial Stability Board. We will explore the roles of the G-7/8, G-20, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in global finance and its regulation, and develop an understanding of the intersection between financial regulation and global trade rules under the WTO. The course also looks at regulation of financial firms in other countries, including the UK, Europe and selected nations in the developing world, both as a comparative matter and to understand the extent to which national rules require global coordination.
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text:
PAT CAPUTO: The demise of the Detroit Red Wings has likely been greatly exaggerated
The build up to the National Hockey League's free agency signing period hit a loud crescendo on July 1 when it began.
So it should not be much of a surprise, in the aftermath of the Red Wings not signing either former Nashville Predators defenseman Ryan Suter or New Jersey Devils forward Zach Parise, there has been a classic overreaction in a place known as "HockeyTown."
But in retrospect, it may turn out to be the best thing that could have happened to the Red Wings.
Sure, they need a replacement for defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom, perhaps the greatest player to ever take his position. Suter was the best available option. But he is not Nicklas Lidstrom. He has never been a second-team NHL all-star nor a Norris Trophy finalist for best defenseman in the NHL. His plus-minus ratio is minus-4 in 39 career playoff games, and he was a minus player in last spring's playoffs, too.
And the Red Wings offered $90 million for him? They are fortunate he turned them down, getting $98 million instead from the Minnesota Wild, who paid a similar amount for Parise.
Depending on which source you believe, Lidstrom ranks with Jaromir Jagr for having earned the most money in his NHL career -- approximately $100 million. Most of Lidstrom's career was played before the hard salary cap the NHL deploys was put in place. He played 20 years, never on a team that missed the playoffs -- and won four Stanley Cup championships. He was a first-team All Star 10 times. He won the Norris Trophy seven times.
Even last season, even in his 40s, Lidstrom was considerably better player than Suter until he took a shot off his ankle which greatly hindered his play.
Honestly, two Ryan Suter's don't equal one Nicklas Lidstrom.
Parise didn't lead the Devils to the Stanley Cup finals. He had eight goals, 15 points and was minus-eight in 24 playoff games -- hardly the stuff of Wayne Gretzky.
Here's a simple question: All things equal, including salary for the coming season, would you trade Pavel Datsyuk and Niklas Kronwall for Suter and Parise?
I wouldn't -- even before salary considerations. Datsyuk ($6.7 million) and Kronwall ($3.9 million) are making less combined for this season (a reported $10.6 million) than Parise and Suter are each ($12 million apiece). Parise and Suter are younger, but that won't be true deep in the future. Thirteen years? What a ridiculous length for their contracts.
The Red Wings moves this offseason have been underwhelming. In retrospect, the rash of injuries the Red Wings suffered after the trade deadline would have made it wise for general manager Ken Holland to add more depth at the trade deadline. His one move near the deadline, trading for defenseman Kyle Quincey, didn't pan out. Quincey did not play well for the Red Wings to close the regular season nor during the playoffs.
But it is too early to dismiss this offseason, and certainly Holland as a general manager. His track record is one of the best in professional sports.
And it's too early to dismiss the Red Wings as a hockey team. They still have as good a shot as any team in the Western Conference to reach the Stanley Cup finals this coming season.
Getting Suter and Parise wasn't going to make the organization. If anything, landing just one of the two would have created a false sense of where the Red Wings actually stand.
Conversely, not landing them isn't going to break the Red Wings.
This is still not a bad hockey team, and it remains a great organization.
If there is one team in this town that has earned trust, it's the Red Wings.
Reports of their demise just because they didn't sign Zach Parise and/or Ryan Suter have been greatly exaggerated.
Pat Caputo is a senior sports reporter and a columnist for The Oakland Press. Contact him at email@example.com and read his blog at theoaklandpress.com. You can follow him on Twitter @patcaputo98


text:
A "proprietary blend" on a dietary supplement's Supplement Facts panel is a list of ingredients that are part of a product formula specific to a particular manufacturer. FDA requires manufacturers to list all of the ingredients in a product on its label, along with the amount of each (in terms of weight), unless the ingredients are part of a proprietary blend—then the specific amount of each individual ingredient in the blend does not have to be listed, only the total. So it is important to be aware that the exact amount of each ingredient in a proprietary blend (or blend or delivery system) is unknown. This is especially important when a proprietary blend contains stimulant or stimulant-like ingredients, such as caffeine, synephrine, or yohimbine. In fact, the only way to know what is in any particular dietary supplement product is through laboratory testing, which is why it is important to look for third-party certification.
Updated 17 April 2014


text:
1 lbs Udon noodle (you can use dry or pre-cooked. I used pre-cooked Udon from my friend's company)
1 yellow onion, sliced
3 stalks lemongrass, trimmed
handful kaffir lime leaves (about 6-7 leaves)
2 tbs fresh ginger, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbs fish sauce
1 tbs sugar
3 chili in oil (please adjust it to your spicy tolerance)
3-4 limes
White pepper
Bok Choy or any preferred vegetable
1/2 lb chicken breast or thighs, cut in cube or bite size
8 oz sliced white mushroom. Shitake is good too.
Grape seed oil or any high boiling point oil
- If you use dry Udon, prepare it per the package instruction. If you use pre-cooked one, spread it out so that it won't get tangled when cooked.
- Prepare all the vegetables. Pound lemongrass stalks with a knife turning it side way. Thinly sliced diagonally. Stack kaffir leaves and chiffon.
- Preheat a wok on high heat. When it's about to smoke, add oil. Swirl to coat.
- When the oil is hot, add lemongrass, kaffir leaves, and ginger.
- You will smell aromatic herb scent. When the herbs get brown, remove from a wok and set aside.
- Add more oil. Add chicken. When the chicken are getting to brown, add 1 tbs fish sauce. Add onion and garlic. Cook until the chicken cooked through and onion is translucent.
- Add cooked herbs that we set aside back to the wok.
- Add mushroom; stirring well.
- Add chili in oil. If it's too thick, add 1 tsp water.
- Add noodle in a wok, season with remaining fish sauce, sugar, white pepper. Stir fry until it's mixed.
- Add vegetable and stir fry until it's cooked.
- Correct seasonings.
- Squeeze lime over it; stirring well. Adjust seasonings.
- Serve with a wedge of lime.
|This was when I made it with Pan Mee noodle and I used chicken thighs


text:
Catherine Opie: Figure and Landscape
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art features recent work by the internationally renowned and LA-based photographer Catherine Opie. The show's primary focus is high-school football, a subject that allowed Opie to explore issues of masculinity, community, and national identity. Over the last three years, Opie photographed football games and players in seven states across America. Atmospheric cues locate each regional site, while gestures and gazes reveal the adolescent players' disparate psychologies. Looking past the clichés associated with football, Opie perceives diversity in the individuals and communities that celebrate the game. Shown in conjunction with LACMA's exhibitionManly Pursuits: The Sporting Images of Thomas Eakins, Opie's work similarly addresses and overturns conventions of idealism and realism.
This exhibition was organized by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and made possible by the Wasserman Foundation.
Image: Collection of the artist, courtesy Regen Projects
Catherine Opie
The artist talks about Football and the American landscape.
Crenshaw Comes to LACMA
In spite of the many great after-hours events that LACMA has, my homebody tendencies usually get the better of me. But tomorrow night will be the exception when the Crenshaw High School Marching Band performs on campus.
The Sporting Life
Many of our cherished memories are made from sweat and fun at some sport or another. So there's a visceral reaction to Manly Pursuits: The Sporting Images of Thomas Eakins and Catherine Opie: Figure and Landscape. And, although many of us may not have known the bullfighting sport in Picasso and la Tauromaquia, a small installation in the Ahmanson Building, it too recalls the "passion" in which these activities reside in the times, the culture, and us.


text:
How can you tell if a place just isn't right for you?
When do you decide you've had enough?
At what point do you tell yourself, I've given this a fair shake, and I don't like it, and at least now I know?
We don't like it here. We just don't. It's not the house. We love the house. It's everything else.
We're terrible homeowners. The constant deterioration of one's home and the resulting need for regular maintenance fills us with panic. We resent the weekends being used up by trips to Home Depot or the nursery.
We're farther from both our families. Our days of getting free babysitting from the grandparents are over. Henry misses them.
I never realized how much I would hate not being able to walk to something.
There's so much else. But in the end what it comes down to is: it's not Brooklyn. Which I knew, moving in! Didn't I know that? Why am I so surprised? I suppose because I lived in the suburbs growing up, and thought I knew what I was getting myself into.
We're thinking of returning to Brooklyn and renting. Finding a place we can afford in a good school district may actually be impossible for us, but we're looking into it.
I feel like a failure. We will undoubtedly take a loss on this place. All I can think is, why did we move? Why did we listen to everyone else telling us we had to leave the city, and not to ourselves?
Or are we being premature? Should we tough it out? When do you really know something isn't right?


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In the Word document "Purchase Order", you will find a template you can use for purchasing.
A Purchase Order (PO) is a commercial document that a buyer sends to a supplier to confirm the order of a specific product or service, in a determined quantity and agreed price. Besides the quantity and price, a PO should also specify the delivery method, delivery date, the terms of payment, and any other important terms and conditions.
If you are interested in optimizing your purchases, please have a look at the following article: Procurement Planning and Sourcing.
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by Lou Mancinelli
Now that 1979 Mount St. Joseph's graduate and former St. Genevieve's student Patricia Geppert Haber's four children are 16 and older, and she has helped her husband develop Classic Flooring, a successful Bridgeport carpet installation and flooring company, she has the time to do what she always wanted.
This past April, she opened Gigi's Consignment Boutique at 1511 Bethlehem Pike, down the hill in Flourtown on the left-hand side, just beyond Starbucks.
Gigi's offers brand-name high-quality second-hand dresses, blouses, slacks and more from designers like Anne Taylor, Banana Republic, Lily Pulitzer, Nicole Miller and "lots of Bloomies items" for women and juniors. And when patrons bring in clothes, items that are not accepted on a 50-50 consignment agreement can be donated, if the customer wishes, to The Women's Center of Montgomery County, an organization devoted to empowering female victims of domestic abuse.
"I've always wanted to own a boutique," said Haber, 50, a Lafayette Hill resident and LaSalle University sociology graduate who was raised in Flourtown. "I had four children and didn't have the time when I was young. Now all my kids are between 16 and 25."
Haber and her husband, Mark, founded Classic Flooring in 1981. Before that, she worked for her father's demolition company, Geppert Brothers.
In addition to aisles of clothing, jewelry, handbags and (coming soon) designer shoes at discount prices, the interior is designed like a family's home sitting room with the subtle element of a more formal living room. As many colors as a bag of M&Ms hang on the clothes racks, and the soft wall tones are garbed with old-time photos, framed in vibrant pinks, of Haber's grandmother, a 1930s' vaudeville singer who went by the stage name Giggles Regan. Regan performed in New York City and Detroit, among others, and met performers like Ethel Merman and The Three Stooges, according to Haber. (For young folks who may not know it, vaudeville was a theatrical variety show composed of unrelated acts like musicians, jugglers, comedians and acrobats on the same bill.)
"That's the most important part about this place," she said. "It's named after my grandmother." Regan lived to be 99, three months shy of 100. "She was singing and dancing until the end … She was vintage. This place is vintage, I thought, what a perfect way to name the store."
Haber decorated the store after her husband renovated the interior of the former Elfant Realtors location, a service they offer though Classic Flooring.
"Patricia called us and asked us if we could take extra clothing," said Maria Macaluso, executive director of The Women's Center of Montgomery County. "She had a great idea about donating items she couldn't sell in her store to our victims."
"I was going in a lot of different directions, and I contacted a lot of different people," explained Haber. "The clothes also go to women who work but cannot afford clothes … I think it's good to be able to do that. If you were going to get rid of it to begin with, why not pay it forward," she said, referring to the 2000 movie, "Pay it Forward," that centers on the theme of taking a good deed and spreading it to others.
"She has really given us good quality and name-brand clothes," said Macaluso. "They help maintain our stock of clothes for women and children who literally left their homes with nothing on their backs."
The Women's Center of Montgomery County provides services that include: a 24-hour domestic violence hotline; elder abuse counseling and supportive services; individualized peer and group domestic violence counseling; telephone counseling, information and referral; legal advocacy; court and hospital accompaniment; stalking prevention on college campus program; emergency relocation funding for victims of domestic violence; prevention education, and outreach to the community and schools.
Gigi's Consignment Boutique, 1511 Bethlehem Pike, Flourtown, PA, 19031. Tuesday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. 215-948-3250. firstname.lastname@example.com. For more information about The Women's Center of Montgomery County, visit www.WCMontco.org or call 215-635-7340.


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You see, when I bought Bilhuber's new book, The Way Home a few months ago, I put it under a pile of ther stuff, and completely forgot it even existed. Then, yesterday, while looking for my car keys, there it was! I started reading and came upon the photo of Trey and Jenny Laird's Manhattan brownstone:
Now, I knew I had seen the room before, as is. Couldn't figure out where though,so I started going through all the design magazine websites until ...
There you go! Same room! Featured in Elle Decor in 2004. Now, this is where they get a little iffy. While this looks like an old, layered Jeffrey Bilhuber room, I don't find it anywhere in his portfolio. The wife/homeowner is an art director, and according to the AD article, she was integral to the process of revamping the townhouse. So, let's assume that she decorated this space, along with her husband, who is one of New York City's best advertising executives creating branding for stores like Tommy Hilfiger, the Gap, and more. Then, they met Bilhuber - who decorated their beach house in the Hampton's first, and asked him to do the townhouse. Bilhuber's book shows his work looking like this:
A little bare for Bilhuber right? But this was an in-progress shot, as proven by the Architectural Digest shot that shows the beautiful after like this:
Fully mirrored from floor to ceiling all the way around the bump out, the fireplace now looks like a Bilhuber piece, and the room feels far more finished. The more I look at the curtains, I really like them too - although I think they were a prop for the shoot.
And a different view for Architectural Digest:
Glad to see that throws over the sofa are en vogue. This whole room feels so beautifully eclectic - but still glamorous - just like we're so used to from Bilhuber, right?
And a close up, from the book. Check out the patterned rug, beautiful! Now those french doors to the left of this arrangement, open up into what used to be their dining room:
But with the addition of some french doors, the room extends the living space from the living room and creates the perfect space for this office:
This photo from the book shows Bilhuber's often quirky styling. Same room below from AD article:
I think I prefer this arrangement. Overall, though, it is hard to believe that this is the after, right? The recesses on either side of the fireplace, made for the perfect place for bookcases. And the high gloss walls are a Bilhuber favorite. The room looks onto the living room, as I said - through added french doors more easily viewed in this photo from the book:
Also from the book, the office/library:
And the same view from the AD article:
The Andy Warhol 1966 Screen Print of Jackie O is no longer there, in favor of other art. Don't worry, the piece didn't move far though. It's now in the dining room.
I mean - that's quite a vivid fabric - and yet they seem to work, right? Legendary Charlotte Moss says that every room should have something that wasn't intended. Something that looks like it walked in after all was finished and made itself at home. I think these chairs fit that bill.
And here, the dining room without the Warhol. The dining room looks out onto the patio, easily seen from the book:
And just the terrace from the Architectural Digest photos:
The entire terrace is fences with mirror backed trellis work. Stunning, and a wonderful way to feel atmospheric and still be insanely private. This space is behind the house on the first floor. You see, the brownstone is 4 stories tall. On the first floor, you have the entry hall:
Which, from the photo just looks like the perfect blue room right? But in a detail shot from the book:
You can actually see that it's applied wallpaper. Gracie's Papier Chinoise, wallpaper to be exact! They get the effect by layering sheets of artists paper over one another until the entire wall is finished. This color is called Winter Sky.
From the entry way, you walk back into the kitchen, photographed by AD:
As you can see from the floor here, the black hex and dot tile extends from the entry hall all the way through to the terrace, with carpets in both the entry and the dining room. Really, quite a beautiful family space, don't you think? And a far cry from what the breakfast room looked like in their Elle Decor article:
WOW! I mean, WOW! Not only is the room stunning, can you believe the before and after? This is why this post took me so long! You had to see what a genius Bilhuber was with this house. That canopy, fully extending the ceilings which must be atleast 11' high, is made from Rogers and Goffigon, the walls are upholstered in Vervain linen ... it's spectacularly sumptuous in every way! A far cry from this:
I just had to show the before again. I'm sorry! WOW~! Moving on. The master bedroom is on the third floor, with a master bath and closet one would likely swoon over. Featured in AD like this:
Um, yes! It's that good! I think that most of the renovation of the house actually came on this floor, when the entire thing was taken over by the master bedroom and ensuites. The bathroom as photographed by AD:
Is not only stunning in every way, and clad in that same Vervain linen - it shows the furniture arrangement at the foot of the bed, which we don't see in any other photos of the house. However, I do know there is yet another fireplace in that space, thanks to this photo of the bedroom from Elle Decor in 04:
The daughter's room, with the chair covered in Kathryn Ireland's whimsical paisley. I've always loved the pairing of green and purple, and we know that Bilhuber does too!
In the son's bedroom, antique french sidetables make for interesting guitar stands and pair up with leather upholstery and ikat bed fabrics. It's simple, masculine, but chic. When I saw the photo of the family from AD:
I just didn't seem to think that the bedroom fit the boy though. I mean - do you? I suppose you can't judge a book by it's cover - but I would have thought his room would be a bit more trendy - maybe even lacquered, like the library. No matter, it's a lovely home - from floor to floor, and absolutely a departure from it's very humble decor beginnings. And just in case you were wondering, they're tried and true Bilhuberians - as I mentioned before, he also did their home in the Hampton's which you've no doubt seen a million times floating around the blog world:
Yep! Oh if I only had the time ...
So what do you think? If you had a million dollar budget and an early 1900's 4-story brownstone once owned by the grand-daughter of Teddy Roosevelt, would you hire Mr. Bilhuber? I sure would!


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Japanese Anime And Manga Fans Worried About How TPP Will Kill Important Fan Fiction
from the don't-mess-with-dojinshi dept
However, many in the fan fiction -- dojinshi -- market in Japan are now worried that the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement may now kill off that happy, mutually beneficial (even if technically infringing) setup. At issue is that the TPP may require more stringent enforcement of copyrights, even when the copyright holder has no problem with what's happening.
Usami and other creators of fan fiction, however, could face the possibility of legal prosecution as copyright violators in the future, depending on the outcome of TPP negotiations.The more cynical among you might point to the fact that the dojinshi market's proof that copyright maximalism can be counterproductive, and allowing free flowing "infringement" among fans creating derivative works, so bothers some people that they feel the need to kill off such an important counter-example to the maximalist narrative. However, those involved in the space in Japan recognize that not enforcing copyright law has been better for everyone:
Some countries are apparently demanding that Japan clamp down on knock-off and pirated works in the intellectual property arena, even if the copyright holder does not object to it.
Many experts say the Japanese anime and manga subculture has thrived due in part to a tacit understanding in society that fan fiction should be accepted to a certain extent to allow room for amateurs to shine.Some are even worried that it might extend to cracking down on cosplay:
The recent Comic Market is one indication of the level of demand for dojinshi and other works of fan fiction. A total of 520,000 visitors attended--many of them teenagers or in their 20s--while about 35,000 groups sold dojinshi and other related goods.
"The creation of derivative works has helped the expansion of the market (for anime and manga), a rich gray zone built based on a gentleman's agreement between original artists and amateur creators," [lawyer Kansaku Fukui] said.I would imagine that the various negotiators of the TPP probably aren't all that familiar with anime, manga or cosplay -- but pissing off fans of all three probably isn't particularly wise.
If the copyright law was enforced without a formal complaint, not only dojinshi, but also parodied creations of movies and literature, could be subject to a crackdown, Fukui said.
He added that even cosplayers could be a target, especially if their costumes were elaborately made and if a video of the costume play was uploaded on the Internet.
"If people think about the possibility of coming under questioning, they might cower," he said.


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NBN Co will need to dramatically ramp up construction of the National Broadband Network (NBN) in order to reach its target of passing 286,000 premises by June 2013.
According to new rollout figures released by NBN Co, the company has now passed 46,100 premises in brownfield sites and 26,300 premises in greenfield sites.
A premises has been passed once fibre cabling has been laid and customers can sign up for NBN connections.
NBN Co also revealed there are just 10,400 active NBN connections on the fibre network, with the wholesaler setting a target of 54,000 active connections by June this year.
In total there are now 34,500 users on the NBN (fibre, fixed wireless and satellite), an increase of 20,9000 from 13,600 in June 2012, with a significant number of users joining the NBN satellite network.
"The results reflect progress in the early stages of the rollout and are what we would expect given the time and work necessary to put in place the contracts and agreements needed to get to this point of execution," Mike Quigley, NBN Co CEO, said in a statement.
"As can be seen by our targets, this rollout is not a linear progression, but a rapid ramp-up. We are targeting to pass more premises in the final quarter of the financial year than we will have passed in the entire project up to the beginning of that quarter.
"Additional construction resources will be added over the coming months to help achieve these targets."
A total of 10,400 premises are connected on the fibre network, with 3300 new customers signing up to NBN plans in greenfield sites to 3800 in December 2012.
NBN Co recently announced it had achieved its target of commencing or completing construction on 758,000 premises by the end of 2012.
NBN Co classifies construction commencing on premises once it has issued instructions to its contractors for a fibre service access module, which covers around 2000 to 3000 premises.
The NBN is expected to reach a peak in 2016 when around 6000 premises will be connected to the NBN every working day.
Follow Stephanie McDonald on Twitter: @stephmcdonald0
Follow Computerworld Australia on Twitter: @ComputerworldAU


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Estelle (Feat. Nas) - Fall In Love
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Number one. Establish Flynn's value.
Let's not quibble too much over this, Flynn will be traded. Flynn wants gone, he has value, Tarvaris Jackson netted a pick fer gosh sakes. To be third string in Buffalo. Flynn is worth more than him. So, let's say he is worth a 5th (and I think that is conservative for a QB). If you don't agree, just humor me anyway. This is only an exercise!
First priority. Shore up DT. This is a must.
Sign Desmond Bryant for 4 years, 26 million, 14 guaranteed. I know some want Henry Melton, I don't, and the truth is Bryant has produced more sacks per start than Melton anyway, and he did it without defenses worrying about a linemate like Peppers. 6'6" 311, and he can collapse the pocket. 20 hurries in 350 pass rushes and 8 starts. 4 sacks. (by comparison, Jones had 10 hurries and 3 sacks). If this move is untenable, another big body is available, Terrance Knighton from the Jaguars. Knighton would be an immediate upgrade over Branch(according to PFF)
Defensive end is an even bigger concern. The Clemons injury exposed a lack of depth, with Seahawk fans wondering who the hell Chukwurah was. They still wonder who he was. I want to look at two free agents, Connor Barwin and Anthony Spencer. Barwin is a name you may recognize, he is a former tight end who then played DE at Cincy and then played rush LB at Houston. He was miscast in that role, despite his 12 sacks he rates as just plain awful as a 3-4 backer. A great athlete, he not quite the physical fit Spencer is at LEO. Barwin had a 40 inch vertical at the combine and ran a 4.66 40, with a 6.87 3 cone. That is eye popping athleticism, at a position where Pete demands athleticism. Spencer is three years older. We are just spitballing here, and neither guy has to be signed. I would prefer we sign one of these two over a linebacker, but this is just part of looking under every rock here. Playing LEO is no easy task, and until/if Clemons returns, his job may need to be done by two players. The other one we will get in the first round. I know, Irvin, but until he proves he can stop the run I am going to assume he can't.
Part of my off season plan is to also pay close attention to the tender San Diego slaps on Danario Alexander. If it is a 3rd round or higher, I grab that guy. He had 7 touchdowns in 10 games for San Diego last year, and looked good doing it. I would trade a third rounder for him right now. 6'3" 217, and I like the way he plays.
Explore signing Brad Jones, linebacker. He has the measurables, 4.54 in the 40, he has the right size at 6'3" 242. The price has to be right, and Schneider has to be convinced. Phillip Wheeler is another linebacker worthy of consideration. Either one would have to be the right price, as the latter part of this draft has some prospects. If one of those two is signed, it needs to be a team friendly deal, something like 3 years with some guaranteed money in that first year. Coverage skills are nice, but not mandatory in a free agent LB this year. All we are looking to do is create some draft freedom if things don't fall our way. Depth and competition!
There is another part to my exercise, and this is a part I am sure is being explored by John Schneider right now. There are several teams making 3-4 and 4-3 switches this year, and some of them are sure to have some scheme misfits. Those scheme misfits have to be explored before any free agents are signed. Philly, Buffalo, and the Saints are all potential trade partners. We have done business with the Bills before, and Pete has had Chip Kelly to the VMAC for a visit before. The Saints are less of a known relationship right now. Players like Greg Romeus, Martez Wilson, Mark Anderson are all players who might not really fit the schematic direction those teams are headed. Romeus in particular fascinates me, he was a 7th round pick after missing lots of time with an ACL. Think of him as the 2012 draft's Tank Carradine, except he is healthy right now. Same goes for defensive tackles on those three teams, if we see that one of them can be an adequate replacement for Alan Branch.
I clearly realize we cannot sign all these free agents, so please don't point that out. This is just spitballing. The last thing I want is to overpay and have too long of contracts with any of these players.
If I have my druthers, we will come away from free agency more fluid and agile on draft day. We will have lost a 3rd if we signed Alexander, but gained a 5th for Flynn. We will have filled at least two, if not three of our bigger needs before the draft.
What say you?


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HBO Go has been updated to version 2.0, bringing support for Apple's AirPlay feature to the app. HBO Go users can now stream video from any device running iOS 6 to any Apple TV that's been updated to software version 5.1.1 or later.
HBO Go has been a feature on Apple TV competitors, such as the Roku, for some time now. Though there have been reports that it is coming to the Apple TV, it has yet to materialize. Until that day comes, allowing customers to use AirPlay to watch HBO content is decent stopgap. Use of HBO Go requires an HBO cable subscription.
I've tried it out and it works fine. You can even use some of the interactive features for shows that support them, like Game of Thrones. Go grab the update, and tell us what you think.
- Free - Download Now
This post may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure policy for more details.


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Serbian Nole Djokovic improved to 2-5 against the World No. 1 Roger Federer after notching a 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (5) win in the Australian Open semifinals. Nole destroyed any possibility of Roger achieving a Golden Slam (all four Grand Slam titles + Beijing gold). Congrats, Nole.
In the press room after the (almost) three-hour match, Roger — teary-eyed, I read — explained away the shocking results.
"I've created a monster that I need to win every tournament — still the semifinals isn't bad."
Perhaps the monster came out of his ginormous Nike tennis bag. The delicious white duffel (with blue and grey accents) finally got its 15 minutes with the camera as Roger left the court. What do you think of the bag? Tell us!
Photos: See the bag after the cut…
>> TSF's aussie open coverage


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Carvings on stone pillars at Gȍbekli Tepe show comet hit Earth 13,000 years ago, says new study
Analysis of symbols carved onto stone pillars at Gȍbekli Tepe in southern Turkey – one of the world's most important archaeological sites – suggests that a swarm of comet fragments hit Earth around 11,000BC. They ushered in a cold climate that lasted more than 1,000 years.
|The stone carvings used in the team's research, found on pillar 43 or 'the Vulture Stone'
at Gobekli Tepe in Turkey [Credit: National Geographic/Getty Images]
Engineers studied animal carvings made on a pillar – known as the vulture stone – at the site. By interpreting the animals as astronomical symbols, and using software to match their positions to patterns of stars, researchers dated the event to 10,950BC.
|Position of the sun and stars in the 10950BC summer solstice
[Credit Martin Sweatman, Stellarium]
Significant signs
The carvings appear to have remained important to the people of Gobekli Tepe for millennia, suggesting that the event and cold climate that followed likely had a very serious impact.
Researchers from the University of Edinburgh suggest the images were intended as a record of the cataclysmic event, and that a further carving showing a headless man may indicate human disaster and extensive loss of life.
Space observatory
|Evidence from the carvings, made on a pillar known as the Vulture Stone, suggests that a swarm of
comet fragments hit the Earth in around 11000 BC. The different symbols, said to tell the story,
are labelled in the graphic above [Credit Daily Mail]
The find also supports a theory that Earth is likely to experience periods when comet strikes are more likely, owing to Earth's orbit intersecting orbiting rings of comet fragments in space.
"It appears Göbekli Tepe was, among other things, an observatory for monitoring the night sky. One of its pillars seems to have served as a memorial to this devastating event – probably the worst day in history since the end of the ice age", says lead researcher Martin Sweatman, from the University of Edinburgh's School of Engineering.
The research is published in Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry.
Source: University of Edinburgh [April 22, 2017]


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Fashion mogul Tommy Hilfiger admits that not all his bold design choices have paid off. "In the '90s, I was chasing the modern minimalist trend, so I tried to make the line more modern and sleek," he says in a candid cover story for Haute Living New York. But, "My customers completely pushed back. They really wanted to stay with preppy, colorful, cool designs. It was hard to rebound from that, but if I hadn't tried it, I would always wonder. Luckily, I got it out of my system, made the mistake, and came back to who I really am." He also recounts in the profile with his wife — the fashion designer and his muse, Dee — that a fan recently confused him with a different preppy New York icon, Ralph Lauren. "We were at Harlow restaurant recently," Hilfiger recalls, "and a guy came up to me and said, 'I just got into town, and I ran right to your store and bought a bunch of shirts — and that's all I wear. I love your shirts . . . I love the horse." Always keeping his cool, suave Hilfiger said, "I smiled politely and said, 'Oh, thank you very much.' "
Tommy's bold experiment
August 25, 2013 | 4:00am
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For extra protection and greater comfort, your carpet installation will be enhanced by adding additional jute backing between the floor pan and the molded carpet. Doubling up the jute provides a plush cushion and heightens the amount of protection from the elements such as road noise. It's also helpful in insulating the temperature to stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter.


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88 ProStar teardown
Bought my boat last year and got it running in the early summer.
(See http://mastercraft.com/teamtalk/showthread.php?t=36470z) for pitchers and engine discussion.
Decided to make some improvements this year. Wife bought me a ND tower for christmas, boat needs new carpet, and, well - there's this whole story about the prior owner and the cheap-a$$ single stage paint that he used to paint the upper third of the hull.
So let's start the story off:
Step 1, drill out the rivets, and pull the top. Stupid PO used silicone all around the hull seam, and he did a half-a$$ job of it too. Silicone sticking out, rubbed along the lower edge of the hull, looked like crap. Was even harder to get apart.
I figure splitting it in half will make it a lot easier to glass in the tower supports, plus I can do the carpet up righteous. The last carpet job was so bad, it was just hanging in the boat (see pitchers!)
Now for the fun part: the painted hull. The prior owner had painted the upper half of the boat with a single stage blue paint. Paint was in pretty shabby condition, and there was some minor hull damage as well. So... off comes the paint. I started with a DA sander at 320 grit... that was no fun. After about 2 square feet I got to some of the decals. I broke out the heat gun and discovered that it took off the decals and softened the cheap-a$$ paint to the point where i could scrape it off with a scraper.
As of this weekend, i've got the transom done, and the port side paint is completely scraped off. There are a bunch of chips in the gelcoat, which I'm noodling over how to repair, and one small impact mark where something hit the boat. I'm going to post some pictures of those bits and ask for advice - gelcoat repair is not something i've done before, but i'm willing to learn.
Anyways -back to the paint removal. After stripping the paint, I started on the transom with 400 grid wetsand, then 600, then 800, then 1000, and finally i put some 1500 unigrit on the DA and used that to do some finish sanding on the gelcoat. Tons of blue paint came with the 400 grit. Wish I hadn't tried the DA with 320 on the paint, it made a mess of the gelcoat underneath (lots of swirls). Fortunately, only a few feet of transom got the DA sander, so just a little more elbow grease to clean that up.
So after taking off just about 2 sq feet of paint, I got out the polisher and hit it with some meguires 49 to see what the finish would look like. The hull below you can see i polished from the waterline to about half way up; the other half is all scratchy (so you can see what it looked like prior to starting).
It polishes up to a nice shine, but i still have a lot of fine scratch marks in the finish - they run left to right, meaning they came from my wet sanding - either i didn't spend enough time with the finer grits, or this is something that i should deal with in the polishing phase.
Those of you familiar with wetsand-compound-polish - at what point do the sanding scratches disappear from the finish?
After scraping the rest of the transom, i took to wetsanding - things worked much better here, but i'm still getting some scratch marks. Also, now i'm finding the little chips and dings which the prior owner hid with the paint. We'll get to gelcoat repair in a few days, after the paint is all removed. I'm still hemming and hawing about pulling the engine and flipping the hull over so that I can get at the bottom of the boat - i guess i could untrailer it and crawl under too, but that sounds icky.
Also got the carpet out and cleaned up the floor so that it's clean and workable. You can see what the paint scraping looks like before i start sanding
Started sanding down the port side of the boat today. Started with 600 grit this time, since the scraping really cut down on the difficulty of working through the paint. Got down to the logo and worked that off with some WD-40.
There's some yellowing near the logo; i've sanded it fairly aggressively, but it seems to be in the gelcoat, not just on the surface. Any suggestions?
I used some PPG 2 part material to re-do the stripe (one between hull color and upper color)on mine many years ago and it is still great today--amazed me it hasn't come loose--
You can re-do the gel coat but you would need to pull engine and turn it upside down to do it right I would think. If the boat has many hours on it you might think about doing it all???? Looking at the rest do you think it was taken care of mechanically?
My 2 cents--
Mechanically - see this thread: http://mastercraft.com/teamtalk/showthread.php?t=36470
When I got it, the #1 cylinder had a cracked valve. I rebuilt the entire top end of the motor, and I also did some local homework and found the original purchaser/owner. This boat is somewhat a specialty item - it was a custom order from MC with a 454 (they made 11 boats with that engine in '88) - and it has a custom pylon for tournament pulling - I found some old photos of the ski team pulling 28 skiers for a big pyramid. The engine was completely rebuilt top to bottom at 450 hours. It has 900 now, and freshly rebuilt heads.
I spent last summer dialing in the carb and the idle, got it to the point where I could start it with the twitch of the key. I have only two mechanical complaints at this point - one is that it gets tempermental at wakeboarding speeds (engine starts to miss after about 2 minutes - i have some ideas on how to fix that, starting with a higher quality coil, and ending with me fiddling with the carb floats again). the other is a ground issue - which I think i finally found when I pulled the hull apart - my ground line had a big gash in it, which the prior owner repaired with electrical tape. I'm hoping that problem goes away with the installation of a nice shiny new 2/0 ground lead.
I enjoyed reading your rebuild of the 454. You are way more adventurous that I am! The pictures of the separated hull scared the crap out of me!
Holy ****!
1983 MasterCraft Stars and Stripes
Cream/Red Metal Flake "Powerslot"
"The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of GREED-the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress. The hate of all men will pass, and dictators die and the power they took from the people will return to the people and so long as men die Liberty will never perish."
-Charles Chaplin-
Well no one can accuse you of only doing things halfway. Like john above, separating the hull would scare the crap out of me. I'm with you on wanting to do it the right way the first time. After all this you're going to have a great boat that you won't have to wonder about. Its great to see a MC that wasn't treated well being brought back to life like this. Keep it up!
Was the hull top and bottom bonded together somehow, or just riveted together?
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