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Odd American Behavior?
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Moderators: rtella, Snowy, thx4allthefish, The Prince Of Darkness
Re: Odd American Behavior?
Those "Project Leaders" are not leaders but of name. They are just a bunch of smoke-sellers, and the most (non-Tuly) idiot the customer, the more success they have. It's just about appearance.
I was told once to reach my workplace later just because when I reached "too soon", I left "too soon". The main goal was the customer watch me working when leaving, and not if my work was good enough or if I worked the hours they contracted me for.
I left that game two hundred years ago: since my second year of dung beetle work, I told all my bosses (or future bosses in work interviews) that:
1- I don't lie: if I don't know something, I admit it (but I'm pretty good skilled at googling)
2- I don't work more than my contracted hours (but when it's truly needed, and the management has not fucked all... "my fault?" my time / "your fault?" see you tomorrow morning)
Up to now I didn't failed any interview (and I really don't know why, because people don't like to hear the truth).
Follow the Bushido, except about committing seppuky when your master acts without honour.
Tuly Idiots
Because we know we are part of the problem
Re: Odd American Behavior?
I have been working in Germany for about 4 years now and I can make the following observations
1. You will not see middle aged men in the US wearing leather pants. Out side of San Fran. You will not make it through a single day In Germany without seeing at least one middle aged German asshole wearing leather pants.
2. Every German woman over 50 is dying to have sex with me. All of them. I can see it in their eyes. This speaks volumes about just how horrible these people are.
3. Every once in a while some German asks me "You have been here for 4 years now, have you learned to speak any German?" I always say. "My grandpa died so I would not have to learn your ugly fucking language" This always changes the subject
4. The Tram stop on my way to work this morning was covered with trash. Burger wrappers and discarded curry wurst trays. When I got on the tram there were of course empty bear bottles rolling around all over the place
VLozano - All immigrants in America are Mexicans. It does not matter where they are from
In my opinion, Pepper Spray is underutilized as an effective tool for scope control
Re: Odd American Behavior?
I don't know about other countries but in England it's basically because of the social enginerring carried out by the Labour Government.
One way of controlling a population is to make it dependant on the Government. Benefits, reducing education standards, mass immigration, reducing the importance of a well balanced family etc etc etc. This results in a generation with no work ethic, low ideals, a disregard for common etiquette, a generation which thinks it's their right to receive government hand outs rather than work and many other failures.
Abap KC:http://www.richard-harper.me.uk/Kb
Re: Odd American Behavior?
Richosaur, I would agree with you except with the "Labour" word. I don't know if "Labour" means "left" or "right" in the UK, but it doesn't matter. Here in Spain (*sigh*) we had left and right governments (I'm sorry, but I cannot use a capital letter to talk about our politics) and both had used social engineering to fuck the whole country. I think your conspiracionist theory must go deeper.
Again, I don't know what happened outside my "beloved" Spain, but I can tell you what happened here: the pendulus law went too far. We had a generation (between my parents' and mine) made by a bunch of complete abnormals. I never had to raise a hand over my daughter to educate her. But she doesn't lie (I want to believe), she respects her elders and she knows she must work hard to reach her goals.
My parents slapped my face countless to put those concepts in my brain. Maybe the way was not the proper one, but the goal was. And they (more or less) succeeded.
Between my parents and me you can find a whole generation who says
You can guess how they raised their children. Now those children are the infamous "ni-ni" spanish generation ("ni-ni" means "no-no": no studies-no work). People able to raise a hand over their PARENTS when they cannot give them money to go out to have fun.
It's not about left or right, it's about common sense. And we have a sever lack of it to-day.
Tuly Idiots
Because we know we are part of the problem
Re: Odd American Behavior?
Well said, and for Labour read Communist.
And what type of Society changes the way Games are played at school because the fact of losing could affect the childs development ? (this ties in quite well with your ni-ni society) and don't get me started on Health And Safety.
Abap KC:http://www.richard-harper.me.uk/Kb
Re: Odd American Behavior?
A condemned one. A joke runs around Spaniards fakebooks about the new way to evaluate students here. We will use emoticons.
We had some "communists" who tried to ban football ("soccer", my USofAian friends) because it's a game mostly played by boys. And they thought it's some sort of discrimination around it. We had luck, and there were too many jokes around it to continue forward that imbecility.
Again, it's not about who won, but who tried better and who had fun. I can understand while they are still "puppies" (I'm used to compare humans with the rest of world mammals, mostly dogs) they must try to win "at any cost". But education's goal is to prevent that "any cost" to go too far. If you don't allow them to try hard, they will never try hard anything. But if you allow them to try too hard, they will become alfa-males when adult, and those kind of people sucks (in our softciety).
Again: we are moving around the "honour" concept. Bushido.
Tuly Idiots
Because we know we are part of the problem
Re: Odd American Behavior?
in Germany part of the problem has been in recent years the immigration policy.
The so called 'muti-culti'. Meaning leaving every immigrant in their social and ethnic realm, instead of intergrating into the German culture.
This of course goes a bit further considering the whole of the EU, which politicians made people believe it had any benefit for them, which it truth, it really hasn't. There are any number of reasons for it, one of course is having no common language.
On that debate, I am very much with those US politicians who demand English language skills in the US. I think there is a difference in supporting people by offering help in their native language vs. a kind of Gettho building. Nothing wrong if one wants to honour their heritage - plenty of reasons for it. But as one people, one language is needed.
This lack of integration is also reflected in the schools, thus the kids pick it up early and willingly or not you get this group building that is very counter productive.
But this would not quite explain the disregard of your fellow peers in the US, which has been a country of immigrants.
I for one was always of the opinion that if you decide to live in another country, you have to adopt. At a minimum behave like a guest.
So, a guest at a mall, tram, plane, etc may be a paying guest, but that doesn't mean not to respect the hosts.
Re: Odd American Behavior?
As it happens, I just learned that ALDI USA uses the same principle for the shopping carts as in Europe.
You have to put 25 cents in to get one and get the 25 cents back, when you return it.
Things can be so easy ...
Re: Odd American Behavior?
Interesting thread. And, unfortunately, it's not only an American thing.
I can tell you the story of a happy country, which during the '90s got bored of its politicians and their endless corruption.
It then fell in love with a smart guy, and rich; he was famous for his TV stations, broadcasting old American series and jolly women with big tits.
His message was easy and direct: "If I was so good with my companies, imagine what I can do managing the nation".
It is obvious now that his interest was his own, and not the good of country, but the support to the smart men is not diminished, despite all his problem with the justice.
You might think of stupidity, but it is not: the average inhabitant of this fantasy country considers the 'smart' man as a role model, and started behaving that way.
He's got women, money, and is not subjected to authority, why shouldn't I be like him?
So what's the point in returning back the trolley at the supermarket (unless they force you to do so for money), or keeping your place clean (someone else will pick up your litter)?
What's the point in paying your consultants for their job?
Let them sue you, they would spend more for lawyers than what you owe them.
Re: Odd American Behavior?
you got way off subject
Re: Odd American Behavior?
Sorry for the rant.
Just to underline that it is not an american issue, all the people are behaving like shit.
Re: Odd American Behavior?
I agree with the word with underline,we put too much hope on others,but we does't ever think about if we can do it .
Re: Odd American Behavior?
I like this new way to put advertising links... Is grigsbycathy a bot? if he is, the AI is improving a lot...
Tuly Idiots
Because we know we are part of the problem
Re: Odd American Behavior?
Hmm ...
Something else I have noticed, but that could be really a gobal thing.
When I was young, we were drilling holes with our questions into the older colleagues.
Today it seems, this doesn't happen any longer. Be it in our professional area or other wise.
Might be that people don't want to intrude privacy. Not sure what the reason is.
I was always (and am) interested in the experiences of others. How else can you advance and learn?
I don't have the expectation that everyone has to be a winner and I am with Vic:
You can't know everything, but find the answer and don't lie.
My experience using any number of IT related forums has been that answers are given, regardless if they are on the topic, correct or meaningful. Goals seems to be to mislead.
Re: Odd American Behavior?
Shark (the fish) was found traveling New York subway with a cigarette in mouth. I find that odd. Don't they normally use limos?
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Living a Positive Life
Thank you, Chancellor George, for that kind introduction.
I am most pleased today to dedicate this commencement address to two of the most wonderful people in the world - Des and Mary Ann Lee. Des and Mary Ann are the most generous people I know. Their many, many, contributions to the College of Education - nine endowed professorships and friends who endowed four others, the Des Lee Technology and Learning Center, and much more - will never be forgotten. They represent the best of the ideals I will address today.
Also, I am proud to say that my grandson, Hudson Charles, is here today and is celebrating his 6th birthday with us!
This graduation ceremony marks the end of my 40th Fall Semester on a college campus. In fact, I have experienced forty falls, 39 winters, and 39 summers, to be exact.
I am at the point in my life where it is hard to imagine missing the beginning of a new academic year or the excitement of graduation. Seeing all of you so thrilled about graduating, about advancing yourselves through your careers, or simply watching you express the sheer joy of having learned so much during your stay at the University of Missouri in St. Louis, always gives me goose bumps. And being part of this extraordinary College of Education family -- our faculty, our staff, and our students at all levels - baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral -- is among the greatest joys and pleasures of my life.
As many of you already know, I am passionate about our work, our profession, our people, and our community. The important work we engage in and the many contributions we make help the world become a better place, especially for our children. What we do, as educators, is, I believe, the most noble of all work, save for parenting. I know each of you feels the same way.
Your graduation today marks a significant accomplishment for you and those you love, and who love you. You leave here today, degree in hand, to continue down the road of life. All that you have learned will serve you well.
However, I would like to remind you, your degree might not be the most important thing you take with you when you leave this building today. Your degree is your key to open doors. But as you stand in the open doorway, you have a choice about how you will fill the room you face.
Each of you has the power to do something meaningful in affecting the lives of others - more so than most other professions. You have the power to bring goodness, justice and joy to children and families. To do these things will unquestionably bring the same to you. What a golden key you hold in your hands!
Your degree does not guarantee that you will be a success. I suggest that your success will depend on the degree of integrity with which you do your job and live your life.
In the words of Robert Kennedy, "Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope." Your most important contribution to the world might be you, and who you are as a caring, kind, civil, decent, and hopeful human being.
Just before his death a couple of months ago, my long-time friend and mentor, Dr. Don Clifton, the former CEO of the Gallup Organization, completed a book with his grandson, Tom Rath, entitled How Full is Your Bucket? The book uses the metaphor of a bucket being constantly filled or emptied, depending on what we do or say to others, or what others say or do to us. It provides insights on how we affect others, both positively and negatively, in our interactions with them.
Don was the grandfather of the Positive Psychology Movement. He spent a lifetime researching and writing about how people are energized by positive interactions with their fellow human beings. His little book is, for all intents and purposes, a summary of his findings, stated in the simplest and most heartfelt terms, and has, I think, a powerful message for all of us.
Starting today, I would very much love for each of us in our interactions with others, to openly commit ourselves to vitalizing those around us with our positive energy. Or, as Don and Tom would say, "Fill the buckets of those around you with positive drops." The worst thing we can do to another human being is to drain their buckets. We should spend our days filling people's lives, not emptying them!
In the Epilog of their book, they offered some advice based on Don, Tom, and Gallup's 50 years of research on the subject and I will share it with you now.
"Imagine what your world will be like after a year if each day you have consciously made positive contributions to others' lives. We suspect the following changes will have occurred:
- Your workplace (and your world) will be a lot more productive and fun.
- You'll have more friends.
- Your colleagues (and your friends) will be more satisfied and engaged.
- You'll enjoy closer relationships with your family and friends.
- You'll be healthier, happier, and well on your way to a longer life.
There is plenty of scientific and anecdotal evidence to demonstrate the importance of creating positive energy in those around us. Take every opportunity to increase the positive emotions of others. It will make a big difference. It may even change the world."
The Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, told us, "A man's character is his fate." Don Clifton was the essence of what Hereclitus meant - a person of profound character. Don was a great man who brought confidence, joy and goodness into the lives of everyone around him. You can do this as well.
Martin Luther King reminded us to "recognize our common humanity as our first identity; that we are first and foremost men and women in the world today, born to love and be loved - we are interconnected and we need each other." To live up to his words we must make time for each other. Let's treat each other with respect. We must, as Dr. King reminds us, "live together as brothers or perish together as fools."
Sometimes, the best things in life come when we do the simplest things. Ralph Waldo Emerson perhaps best summarizes this notion when he says: "To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know that one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of success."
Recently, I saw a wonderful movie starring St. Louisan, Kevin Kline, entitled The Emperor's Club. Towards the beginning of the movie, the Kline character, a teacher, offers the following to his classroom of students. He was reminding them of the importance of making positive contributions to the world:
"Shutruk-Nahunte (1158 B.C.) King! Sovereign of the land of Elam. Destroyer of Sippar. Behold, his accomplishments cannot be found in any history book. Why, because great ambition and conquest without contribution is without significance. What will your contribution be? How will history remember you?"
Shutruk-Nahunte has been utterly forgotten, unlike those who made lasting contributions of great significance - like Aristotle, Confucious, Susan B. Anthony, Caesar, Martin Luther King, Madame Curie, Florence Nightingale, Plato, Hypatia, Mother Theresa, Helen Keller, Jane Goodall, Socrates, Clara Barton -- and the list goes on. "Giants of history -- people of profound character -- individuals whose accomplishments surpassed their own lifetime and survive even into our own. Their story is our story."
I say to you -- their story is also your story. You must make positive contributions to the world or your life will be without significance, you will be shortly remembered and long forgotten, just like Shutruk-Nahunte.
But, your positive contributions must also be an honest reflection of your integrity and your goodness as a human being!
Stephen Carter, in his wonderful book entitled, Integrity, says that first among the virtues that make for good character is integrity. The "rest of what we think matters very little if we lack essential integrity, the courage of our convictions, the willingness to act and speak in behalf of what we know to be right."
Heraclitus, said, "You cannot step into the same river twice. In the flow of time an opportunity lost is lost forever." Don't let your opportunity slip away. Always remember, the end depends upon the beginning. Start your beginning of a good and decent life today. Do it now! Be a positive person. Fill the buckets of those around you. Do it with civility and integrity. To do less is to diminish who you are as a human being.
So, my friends, go forward from this place today, dedicated to the desire to do good deeds throughout your life - to filling the lives of all around you with things positive, committed to being a person of immense civility and integrity, and one who leads your life acting and speaking in behalf of what you know to be right. If you remember these rules of living the good and decent life, I assure you, your life will be judged to be a success.
Your contributions in this regard will most certainly be remembered. Your place in history will be assured.
Congratulations on your accomplishments. Congratulations for Living
a Positive Life.
Thank you.

subset: commoncrawl


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Fantasy Amateur Press Association
The Fantasy Amateur Press Association or FAPA was founded by Donald Wolheim in 1937. It was the first science fiction Amateur Press Association and was initially designed to be a method for distributing fanzines to as many worthy readers as possible. As it turned out, the idea changed to where most fans made different zines for FAPA and for general fandom. Early FAPAns included Rick Sneary, Forrest J. Ackerman, Harry Warner, Jr. and Jack Speer, who is still a member as of February 2007.
At times, there have been long waiting lists to join. During the peak of APAs in the 1960s, there was a two-plus year waiting list and many people dropped off the waiting list before they made it to the active roster. In recent years, membership has dropped to the point where there are less than forty members.
Many significant zines were released through FAPA, including Ah, Sweet Idiocy, Horizons, Trial & Air, and SaFari
Over the years, many significant members of science fiction fandom have been members, including Marion Zimmer Bradley, Donald Wolheim, David Kyle, Earl Kemp, Art Widner, Walter Coslet, Bruce Pelz and Jan Stinson.
Current FAPA members include Robert Lichtman, Jack Speer, Milt Stevens, Ben Indick, Chris Garcia,Laurraine Tutahasi, Robert Silverberg, Art Widner and Robert Sabella.


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Motorized Self Balancing Electric Drifting Scooter for Teenage with Remote Control and Bluetooth
Product Size
Carton Size
Base Distance(no load)
Pedal Height
Tyre Size
Product Net Weight
Product Gross Weight
Max load weight
Min load weight
Max Speed
Max Mileage with full battery (this also due to the user's weigt and the condition of the road then would be different and so on)
Max Gradient
Battery capacity
36V*4.4AH(158WH) Lithium
Battery Life
Engine(2 motors)
Charging requirement
100-240v 50 or 60hz,suitable to all around the world
Charging time
1-2 hours
Charging temperature
Operating temperature
Waterproof Level
Balance Scooter
1pcs(US/EU/UK Plug available)
Warranty Card
User Manual
Remote control
Optional function:
Remote Control
Bluetooth Speaker
rolling subtitles
Carrying Bag
LG original battery
Samsung original battery
Colors for choosing:
Black/ Carbon Fibre/ Graffiti White/ Flaming/ Hip-Hop Color
Operation Introduction:
1. Power key: Press the switch key 2s, the power turns on (In the boot state 10 minutes with no operation the host will automatically turn off the power)
0ff key: Press the switch key for 2s, the machine will be off
2. ♦ Under the ottomans of balance scooter has four sensors. When the user is stampede on ottomans, balance scooter will automatically adjusted to balanced mode
♦ When driving must ensure that the state of the ottomans in stampede. Please do not step outside the ottomans section.
♦ Portable items do not put on ottomans on, so that the fully switch will not be closed, increasing the probability of collision, which resulting in personal injury or vehicle damage.
3. ♦ Display panel intermediate portion for displaying operating information.
♦ Power display area: The green light indicates fully charging, when the green light turn to yellow light indicates electricity consumption usable is 50%, when the yellow light finally turn into a red light indicates electricity consumption usable is 20%, you need for timely charge it
♦ Action indicator: When the operator triggers a foot switch, action indicator will light up, indicating that system is running. When an error occurs action indicator will turn into red light
4. Speed:
♦ Maximum speed of balance scooter 10km / h.
♦ When the driver exceeds the maximum permitted speed, buzzer of balance scooter will sound an alarm.
♦ Smart balance Scooter at a specified speed can be well maintain balance of the driver, when driving faster than a specified speed, balance scooter will tilt upward, which make the speed limited to within safe speed.
5. Charge
♦ Please send the charger into the charging hole, and then into an AC power supply otherwise the charger will not start, it can avoid potential risks, which make charging more secure.
♦ Balance scooter is equipped with a high-powered charger, under normal circumstances need only about 130 minutes to complete charging, about 90 minutes to charge about 80% of the electricity, indicator of the charger is red indicates charging, green indicates charging is completed
♦ If not urgently, please removes the charger wait for the charging is completed , since the late charge, the battery protection board will maintain the battery voltage balance
Q: Do I need to charge the batteries before using them?
A: Yes, you should charge the batteries fully before first using them.
Q: Do I need to "brake-in" my batteries?
A: Yes, the batteries will need to have a "break-in" cycle consisting of ~ three discharge/charge cycles before they will reach optimum performance. This involves three complete discharge and three complete recharges. After this initial "break-in" cycle the batteries will have maximum possible performance and less line voltage fluctuations under load.
Q: How long will the batteries hold their charge?
A: All the batteries will self-discharge when not in use. The self-discharging rate depends on the temperature at which they are stored. Excessively cold or hot storage temperatures will drain the batteries faster than normal. Ideally the batteries should be stored at room temperature.
Q: Why should I recharge my batteries at least every 90days (Li-ion) when I'm not using them ?
A: Batteries naturally loose their charge over time. To keep the batteries in optimal condition and extend their life. It's recommended that a top-off recharge be performed at least every 90 days.
Q: What happen if I leave the power switch on longer than 5 minutes?
A: If you have left the power switch on or your product has not been charged for a long period of time, the batteries may reach a stage at which it will no longer hold a charge.
Q: Is it normal that the batteries get warm when recharging?
A: Yes,it is normal that the batteries will become warm to the touch during the recharging process. This is because the increase of the internal resistance and less energy conversion efficiency from electric energy to chemical energy.
Q: How long will my batteries last before needing replacement?
A: Average battery life depends on use and conditions. Even with proper care, rechargeable batteries does not last forever
Standing Seatless Smart Dual Wheel Electric Drifting Scooter Self Balanced Images


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Stars concerned over Amanda Seyfried's singing
The cast all wore special earpieces to help them sing in time and on key but the forgetful actress would often leave hers somewhere on set and try to sing a capella, according to the New York Daily News.
Her co-star, actor Eddie Redmayne, confesses that during one duet, her singing was terrible but he was too embarrassed to tell her.
He says, "I was doing a romantic duet with Amanda (Seyfried) and she was singing off-tune and slightly off-tempo, and I kept thinking, 'This is an interesting take on the song'. We got to the end and she admitted she didn't have her earpiece on. She was just singing along a cappella. I was too embarrassed to tell her."
Seyfried admits her castmates were so concerned with her odd performance they thought she was having a stroke as she attempted to keep in time without the earpiece.
She says, "I would leave it (the earpiece) somewhere and I wouldn't want anybody to know. I would just pretend I had it in. They all thought I was having some kind of stroke. It was kind of funny when we cut. They would be like, 'What's wrong with you?'"


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You've Never Seen a 'Beach House' Like This
A Hamptons home with unexpected formal, English-inspired style
Slide 1 Of You've Never Seen a 'Beach House' Like This
Like many regions that have a signature look, the Hamptons have homes that wear their casually polished uniform with pride. Pristine white pairs with every delightful shade of blue to echo the captivating ocean. Like bathing suit cover-ups, crisp slipcovers with preppy pleats permit residents and their guests to play outside and then come in to relax without worrying about the furniture. Often, the interior design is moored to a nautical theme with sisal rugs, weathered driftwood, and artwork hung on the walls with rope.
But the posh beach community's unspoken dress code did not persuade New York City native Gloria Kirschner to forsake her own design aesthetic. When building her home 10 years ago, she chose an English Tudor style over the region's conventional shake-shingle architecture. Inside, she opted for a more formal ambience than the usual Hamptons residence. Her home is tranquil, but the compelling palette might make visitors check a GPS to confirm they're in the Hamptons, not a cottage in an English forest.
"I had lived in a beach house before," explains Gloria. "I wanted this house to reflect my own tastes and visually nod to all times of the year, not only summer. This house embraces four seasons."
To execute a plan that satisfied Gloria's sophisticated and confident style—yet offered enough charm to serve as the setting for a laid-back weekend getaway—she hired Florida-based designer Jack Fhillips. His artistic vision, mixed with an ardent sense of -order, produced a home in updated traditional style that has its own personality yet blends well with the neighborhood.
Because the home is located just two blocks from the ocean, sand and sea would be the expected inspiration for its palette. Instead, Gloria and Fhillips took their color cues from her sylvan backyard, choosing a scheme that uses plenty of peaceful green.
"The house stands on its own architecturally and doesn't fit into what's expected in the Hamptons," says the designer. "But it's not as if we dismissed its surroundings. We just opened our eyes to the less predictable part of nature. Blue and white would have been a mistake here, since there is foliage everywhere around the house and it has so many windows."
The signature grass green that pervades most rooms of the home is a dichotomous combination of zest and serenity. In the foyer, the vibrant green offers contrast to the bright white architectural moldings outlining each space. Green-and-ivory cotton toile forms graceful panels at the windows. Both the architectural details and the toile reappear throughout the house, providing a continuity that ties Gloria's abundant collections together.
"Paring down is a state of mind and is not measurable by a defined number of things," says Fhillips. "Gloria has so many art collections, so organizing them by putting like objects together was key to creating an environment that was calm and not cluttered."
The two-story-high living room is a prime example. Its soaring architecture left ample wall space to create a gallery of artwork. But instead of an assemblage of different art mediums and forms, Fhillips selected one—oil landscapes—to enrich the room's expanded perimeters and make a memorable statement. The landscapes enhance the arrangement of antique Continental furniture on a needlepoint rug without detracting from the view of showstopping gardens on the other side of the windows.
Used not only for window panels but also to upholster the walls, the green-and-ivory toile that serves as an emblem of the house's design envelops the dining room. "Sometimes people think that repeating such a recognizable pattern from room to room is a cop-out," says Fhillips. "But here, the backgrounds needed to recede so that the collections of artwork could grab attention." Paired with an ensemble of an English walnut dining table and chairs covered in their original leather upholstery, an antique Steinway piano in the back of the room balances the substantial visual weight of the dining group. To add the distinguishing touch of glamour so welcome in a dining room, a chandelier of English Sheffield silver plate illumines the table.
With a scheme informed by photographs of a kitchen in an old English country house, Gloria's kitchen has pine cabinetry crowned with dentil molding that echoes the architectural details of the formal rooms. A mahogany table and antique painted--bamboo chairs set the scene for a cheery casual dining experience. French doors lead to a beguiling patio.
Upstairs, Fhillips eschewed the toile that was a first-floor staple, opting for a sportier look in the master bedroom, with stripes on the bed skirt and window treatments.
Now, a decade after it was built, the house has come into its own. "We didn't buy furniture at showrooms but acquired it at auction houses," says Fhillips. "That's what gives this house its unique look—Gloria's commitment to the traditional sensibilities she loves and my vision to turn them out in a way that is fresh and right now."
And for Gloria, the house is not only where she retreats for peace, but a welcoming environment for her visitors.
"The Hamptons are becoming more of a place where people want to be any time during the year," says Gloria. "There's relief in knowing that my guests feel welcome to visit for any occasion."
Photography: Robert Brantley
Slide 2 Of You've Never Seen a 'Beach House' Like This [3]
In the two-story-high living room, antique Continental furniture upholstered in a variety of cotton fabrics surrounds a 19th-century English cocktail table.
Slide 3 Of You've Never Seen a'Beach House' Like This [6]
This gorgeous mirror-doored secretary in the living room is an antique.
Slide 4 Of You've Never Seen a 'Beach House' Like This [9]
A gingham cushion on a mahogany early Empire-style settee provides a preview of the fresh updates integrated throughout the Kirschner home.
Slide 5 Of You've Never Seen a 'Beach House' Like This [12]
Faced in English pine that has been waxed to give it patina, the library's highlight is a group of English portraits. On top of a jute rug, English furniture upholstered in such hardy fabrics as cotton velvets and leathers underscores the room's cozy appeal.
Slide 6 Of You've Never Seen a'Beach House' Like This [15]
To complement the green colorings that are prominent around the house, ivy-embroidered sheers filter the light streaming in through the large window in the library.
Slide 7 Of You've Never Seen a 'Beach House' Like This [18]
With walls upholstered in green-and-ivory toile, the dining room had minimal space for artwork. A pastoral oil painting from the 1800s is displayed above the fireplace.
Slide 8 Of You've Never Seen a 'Beach House' Like This [21]
Old family silver serving pieces mix comfortably with a silver Edwardian punch bowl.
Slide 9 Of You've Never Seen a 'Beach House' Like This [24]
In a corner of the dining room, a sweet vignette made up of antiques Gloria owned.
Slide 10 Of You've Never Seen a 'Beach House' Like This [27]
In the entry hall gallery that wraps the inside perimeter of the house, an antique, carved library table is flanked by matching Chippendale chairs and guarded by a pair of ceramic Chinese Foo Dogs. Much of the furniture in the house was acquired during trips to auction houses in New York, Connecticut, and Florida. Floors throughout the gallery are antiqued limestone.
Slide 12 Of You've Never Seen a 'Beach House' Like This [30]
An antique Pembroke table at a kitchen window is a lovely spot for a morning cup of coffee and for organizing the day. The green cupboard holds some of Gloria's glass and pewter collection.
Slide 13 Of You've Never Seen a 'Beach House' Like This [33]
In the breakfast room, antique faux-bamboo chairs from England are cushioned with chair pads made of embroidered cotton that complements the green-and-ivory toile draperies.
Slide 14 Of You've Never Seen a 'Beach House' Like This [36]
Anchored by a needlepoint rug purchased at an auction, the master bedroom showcases a focal-point four-poster updated with a fresh coat of white paint. Sage green painted walls complete the look.
Slide 15 Of You've Never Seen a 'Beach House' Like This [39]
The bedside table is an antique American washstand.
Slide 16 Of You've Never Seen a 'Beach House' Like This [42]
The guest bedroom proudly wears a hand-blocked floral linen on the walls. It's a bold touch that imbues the room with vibrancy and offers a change of pace from the more soft-spoken downstairs spaces. "In this bedroom, it almost feels like you are stepping into a painting," says Fhillips. "It has a kick that departs from the rest of the softness."
Slide 17 Of You've Never Seen a 'Beach House' Like This [45]
The guest bedroom's settee and matching chairs are all upholstered in a burlap-like linen. "Even though this house is formally assembled, there are no fancy fabrics," says designer Jack Fhillips. "Everything is cotton or linen—a little bit country but without cute painted furniture and distressed finishes." A jute rug from ABC Home & Carpet softens the floor.
Slide 18 Of You've Never Seen a 'Beach House' Like This [48]
The railing of this spectacular staircase at the back of the house recalls Gothic architecture.
Slide 19 Of You've Never Seen a'Beach House' Like This [51]
And how much fun is this light-filled landing at the top of that staircase?
Slide 20 Of You've Never Seen a 'Beach House' Like This [54]
The cushion fabric shows homeowner Gloria Kirschner's love of the Hamptons' signature hydrangeas.
Slide 21 Of You've Never Seen a'Beach House' Like This [57]
The home opens to several verdant and inviting outdoor spaces.
Slide 22 Of You've Never Seen a 'Beach House' Like This [60]
The pool house, reflected in the water, features teak furniture from Indonesia.
Slide 23 Of You've Never Seen a'Beach House' Like This [63]
Interior designer Jack Fhillips.
Jack Fhillips Design, 2611 Mercer Ave., West Palm Beach, FL 33401-7415; 561/659-4459, jfhillipsdesign.com [64]
Slide 24 Of You've Never Seen a'Beach House' Like This [67]
Classic House, Great Color
See another house filled with antiques that embraces color. [68]


text:
St. Croix Rods856 4th Avenue North
PO Box 279
Park Falls, WI 54552
Factory Store
If ever you're in our neck of the woods, we'd be hurt if you didn't stop by and say hello. Besides a handshake and some good fishing karma, you will find our factory store to be a future destination stop on your way to the lake, river or cabin.
What will you find? Easy. You'll find a whole line-up of St. Croix rods to check out. A whole line-up of St. Croix reels to match. Not to mention, St. Croix clothing, gear, hats and accessories. But that's not all. Our store stocks many of the most popular lures, terminal tackle, line and accessories that any good tackle shop carries. In fact, we have a huge selection of musky lures - proven on our own homewaters by our own musky wackos.
The store is situated right next to our factory — where we have an observation window. That's right - you can watch genuine St. Croix factory people making rods right under your nose. It's really something - in case you were ever curious what handcrafted in the USA meant.
So, if you're headed up North - pull out your map and mark Park Falls in red. A little side trip would do you good. But bring your wallet - few escape without seeing something they can't live without. Who knows, you might be able to get a couple of the guys in the shop to share a local fishing spot or two. Well, OK, maybe that's pushing it.
St. Croix is located in Park Falls, Wisconsin on Highway 13, just north of Hwy. 70 between the towns of Fifield and Butternut.
Monday - Thursday: 7:00am - 6:00pm; Friday: 7:00am - 7:00pm Saturday: 7:00am - 5:00pm; Sunday: 7:00am - 4:00pm
Saturday: 7:00am - 5:00pm; Sunday: 7:00am - 4:00pm
Examine a St. Croix rod closely and you'll find a wealth of innovations and craftsmanship. But, in light of the fact you'd rather be fishing than sitting over a microscope, allow us to explain what makes a St. Croix rod so special. The journey begins in Park Falls, Wisconsin and eventually leads to Fresnillo, Mexico. It is in Park Falls that a rare combination of blazing technology and genuine handcraftsmanship come together to make incomparable fishing tools. A tradition that continues for a select series of rods in Fresnillo.
Engineering & Technology
When you set out to uncover what makes a St. Croix different from other rods, you need look no further than the engineer sitting right beside the rod designer. It's a partnership that's produced such breakthroughs as St. Croix's exclusive Integrated Poly Curve® and Advanced Reinforcing Technology.™ Rod performance is only as good as the design behind it – and rest assured, before we even think about sending a rod through for production, we make sure we spend as much time as necessary in the design department to assure that every St. Croix rod is engineered and developed to outperform all others.


text:
|System: Xbox 360, PS3
|Dev: THQ Digital Warrington
|Pub: THQ
|Release: April 6, 2011
|Players: 1-4
|Screen Resolution: 480p-1080p
by Sean Engemann
With THQ revving up for the launch of Red Faction: Armageddon at the end of May, they were kind enough to offer us an appetizer in the form of Red Faction: Battlegrounds. However, with a sparse selection of game modes and an overall lack of polish, it would be more apt to compare this game to an amuse-bouche rather than an appetizer, and not a particularly flavorful one at that.
Fans of the series shouldn't get too excited, since branding this game as a Red Faction title seems like a late addition in the development. The maps befit the Martian landscape, with areas like Parker Town paying homage to the series' first protagonist. Also, a couple of the weapon pickups are similar to those you'll find in the upcoming Red Faction: Armageddon, and there's a few references to Ultor and the EDF (Earth Defense Force), two of the evil entities in the fictional world... but that's about it. Of course, with the game's short single-player campaign, there isn't much room to fill with any kind of story.
There are sixteen missions in total, and THQ does nothing to hide the fact that they are merely training missions. Broken into four categories - Speed Trial, Shooting Range, Survival, and Annihilate - each is a race against the clock, or in Survival's case, an attempt to stay alive as long as possible. With an average target time of two minutes, you complete all the missions in under an hour. You'll receive a bronze, silver, or gold medal depending on your finish time, and could spend an extra hour or so trying to obtain gold in every mission, but the single-player experience pretty much ends there.
So, what do you do in the game? Well, if you're expecting an FPS like in Red Faction I and II, or the third-person open world style from Guerrilla and the upcoming Armageddon, you may be shocked to hear that it's neither. Instead, you'll pilot a handful of vehicles, each with a different speed, armor, and firepower rating. You'll be matched against computer-controlled bots in the single-player mode, and human-led vehicles in multiplayer, looking down at the map from an aerial view. Each map is an arena style, keeping the action focused in one area, which makes for a frantic battle experience, especially since there are few areas to hide, and unhindered you can launch your weapons from one corner of the map to the other. The action itself is actually fun, if not abrupt, as you chase down your targets or try to avoid attack by hiding behind a wall or hill. The environment itself becomes a weapon, with a slew of explosive crates, barrels, and gas tanks scattered around the playing field, making many of the would-be safe spots potential death traps.
The game is easy to pick up for gamers of every skill level, thanks to the simple control scheme. One analog stick provides movement, while the other both aims and fires from the vehicle's turret. Throw in a trigger button to spit out different mines and bombs, and there you have it. There are two things that drag down the fun factor and heighten your inevitable frustration. The first and most egregious is the camera control, or lack thereof. Based on the position of all the vehicles and/or targets in play, the fixed position camera will zoom in and out accordingly, each with its own detriments. Zooming in cuts off sections of the map, and coupled with the speed of the vehicles, it often moves you into a hazard you would have easily avoided. While zoomed out, you'll find it a struggle to pinpoint your enemy's location as well as your own, only to find yourself trying to drive through an impassable barrier. The other issue is with the response delay. Since this takes place on Mars, some could debate that the loose turns and long airtime add to the authenticity of the planet's lower gravitational pull, but in the gaming world, tight controls in a frenzied battleground should trump all.


text:
Treating its Homecoming crowd to its most prosperous all-around performance of the season thus far, the North Central College football team throttled the Illinois Wesleyan University Titans, 52-0, on Saturday at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium to post its seventh staright victory and remain unbeaten in College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) play.
The ninth-ranked Cardinals (7-1, 5-0 CCIW) posted their first shutout of the season and their second-highest single-game scoring total of the campaign. The win was also North Central's second straight shutout of the Titans (6-2, 3-2); the Cardinals posted a 24-0 win at Illinois Wesleyan last season. North Central has now won 21 straight CCIW games and the last 20 by 20 points or more.
"We've been waiting for this week, as well as next week's game against Wheaton, all year because we knew they were going to be really great teams," said the Cardinals' head coach, John Thorne. "We just had to keep going through the process to get to them and hope we stayed healthy. You could really tell this was a championship-type football game and it's time to play our best football.
"We started out lightning-fast, and hopefully that's the way we're ready to play the rest of the year. Offense, defense, and special teams, there were not a lot of mistakes."
North Central scored on each of its first six first-half possessions, needing just two plays to open the scoring on a 60-yard touchdown run by Nick Kukuc. After forcing a Titan punt, the Cardinals took over again near midfield and doubled their lead five plays later. Spencer Stanek completed an 18-yard pass to A.J. Thomas, leaving North Central a yard away from the goal line, and Jordan Tassio ran in on the next play for a 14-0 advantage with 11:06 still remaining in the opening period.
Josh Mitchell returned a short IWU punt to the Titans' 28-yard line to open North Central's third scoring drive of the first quarter, and four plays later, Kukuc took an option pitch from Tassio for a two-yard TD run.
"We stress every week to score on the first drive," said Kukuc, who ran for a season-high 131 yards on just 13 carries. "In the weeks past, we have been able to do that. You could tell on the first drive the way the offensive line got that push, it was incredible."
The Cardinals opened their longest drive of the day near the end of the first period on their own five-yard line and visited the end zone once again nine plays later. The final 55 yards were covered in two plays, as Stanek fired a 24-yard pass to Chad O'Kane bfore finding Halaiano Fuentes for a 31-yard touchdown. North Central tacked on a fifth TD of the half with 7:24 on the clock, as Stanek capped off a 12-play, 52-yard drive with a seven-yard TD toss to Peter Sorenson, and Nick Daceadded a 38-yard field goal just before time expired to send the hosts into halftime with a gargantuan 38-0 advantage.
North Central's final offensive touchdown was a two-yard pass from Stanek to Thomas late in the third period, and linebacker Joey Michals notched the game's final score, intercepting a pass from Illinois Wesleyan quarterback Tyler Hook and returning it 39 yards to the end zone. Michals also returned an interception for a touchdown in last season's game against the Titans.
"The defensive line put pressure on him and everyone else was in coverage," Michals said. "It just came to me and everyone was blocking, so getting to the end zone was easy. I owe that to my teammates and my coaches."
The Cardinals finished with a total of 477 yards while allowing only 187. Stanek completed 17 of 25 passes for 226 yards, as Chad O'Kane caught four passes for 61 yards and Ryne Rezac gained 36 yards on four grabs. Oshayne Brown, who came on in the fourth quarter in relief of Kukuc, gained 60 yards on just six carries.
North Central's defense conspired to make life miserable for Titan freshman quarterback Tyler Hook, who was making his first collegiate start. Hook completed 16 of 40 passes for 130 yards, throwing three interceptions and being sacked five times. Quinn Haas recorded six tackles and broke up three passes for the Cardinals, while Josh Beveridge registered 2.5 quarterback sacks.
"We planned all week on being dominant," Michals said. "That's our mindset going into every game. Our coaches did a great job, like they do every week, putting us in position to win and be dominant like we were today."
The Cardinals host Wheaton College (6-2, 4-1) on Saturday at 1 p.m., with Senior Day festivities to be observed prior to kickoff. North Central will have the opportunity to clinch at least a share of its seventh straight CCIW title.
"It will be a pretty huge game next Saturday," Thorne said. "We love playing Wheaton. It is always a fun, exciting atmosphere, but this one is really, really huge for us, the most important we've had."


text:
Julio Barros needed a new button or icon design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 44 designs submitted by 21 freelance designers.
Undecided. May be "CatchUp"
I'm an independent Mac OS X (and iPhone / iPad) application developer and am developing a simple, friendly, easy to use application to help you catch up and stay in touch with old friends, colleagues, co-workers, clients, etc..
Think of it as a simple friendly Customer Relationship Manager, CRM, such as Sugar, ContaxCRM, etc for regular users not just sales people. Some people have called this kind of idea a "Personal Relationship Manager" or "Family Relationship Manager".
The app will integrate with and extend the address book and users email and can be thought of as extension to or modern version of a rolodex.
App icon should be
- simple
- friendly
- allude to personal relationships and contacts
The app name may be "CatchUp" and I'm willing to play with that (ketchup) a bit (red colors?) but it is not a requirement.
Professional people for whom a full blown sales CRM is too much and too complicated. Developer's, writers, everyone needs to be reminded to reach out to old friends now and then.
Icon has to look good at sizes from 512x512 down to
Would prefer vector art (Opacity if possible) for flexibility resizing and even animating in the app itself.


text:
Not for Turning
The woman who saved Britain with a message of freedom.
In that dreary winter of 1979, the piles of uncollected trash in London's Finsbury Park seemed to stretch for miles. The garbagemen were on strike. So too, at one time or another, were hospital workers, ambulance drivers, truck drivers, railwaymen. Also gravediggers: In Liverpool, corpses had to be warehoused as they awaited burial—yet another long queue that socialist Britain had arranged for its patient masses.
This was the "Winter of Discontent," when Great Britain came about as close to economic collapse as at...


text:
Friends, the iPad just got 80% less B-list-in-a-bikini-pretty. Maxim's last HD issue, made especially for tablets, came off the digital presses in June, meaning you won't be able to fork over four bucks to read about what a guy's girl that pretty lady with two lines in that Judd Apatow movie trailer is. But! Praise and pass the crackers, the three dollar iPhone version—which, while not universal, is iPad compatible—persists, meaning that while you might have to get your jollies in a sub-optimized layout, you'll still get them, by god. You'll still get them.
Now look. Look at the pretty ladies. [AllThingsD]


text:
Friday, May 25, 2012
isn't she lovely?
20 comments:
- Dori said...
She's beautiful! They will cherish those pictures...you bring out the beautiful in everybody! A joy to look at.
- 3:35 PM, May 25, 2012
- Jacqueline said...
- 3:42 PM, May 25, 2012
- Melissa said...
Those are great pictures. You did an amazing job capturing her beauty and the family
- 3:45 PM, May 25, 2012
- Debby said...
She is so beautiful. He looks like he is so in love with her. You are talented. You must make people feel so at ease. It shows in all your photos.
- 3:47 PM, May 25, 2012
What beautiful pictures! You've done a superb job of capturing the beauty and love in this family. What a lucky little baby girl!
- 4:28 PM, May 25, 2012
- Susan said...
What a beautiful family! You captured them perfectly, Paige!
- 4:29 PM, May 25, 2012
- Rachel said...
Great photos, Paige! I keep going back and forth on whether or not I want to get maternity photos done. These make me want to say YES! If only I were in Atlanta so I could hire you!
- 6:49 PM, May 25, 2012
- Lissa said...
she's so lucky cuz you hit it outta the ballpark with this one! what a cutie pie!
- 8:31 PM, May 25, 2012
- Jeannine said...
- 9:25 PM, May 25, 2012
- Stuff and Nonsense said...
my favorite
(and it's hard to choose)
is of the couple reclining on the blanket
so sweet
wouldn't it be fun
to go back in time
and have those photos taken
of our own big belly days?
- 9:37 PM, May 25, 2012
- Susan R said...
Goregous...absolutely goregous. These are such beautiful photos and it always helps when there's a beautiful family in it.
- 10:05 PM, May 25, 2012
- Simply Me Art said...
What a Gorgeous Shoot! I just love every shot, especially the shots of her in the chair with the sun! You can see the love in all of them. Have a Wonderful Long weekend,
- 10:22 PM, May 25, 2012
- traci said...
oh paige. these are absolutely stunning. i love the second one where they are walking and the little guy is blowing the pinwheel. so sweet and the one of her in the chair with the glow of the sun. AWESOME!!
- 9:07 AM, May 26, 2012
- Jodi said...
These are fabulous pictures Paige, what a great job. I would love to have you take a photo session of my family!
Your right...when we were pregnant, these photo sessions were not the "thing". We even wore loose baggy maternity tops. I would have loved to have a photo session when I was preg. I love them!
I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
- 10:14 AM, May 26, 2012
- Between You and Me said...
Paige...these are some amazing pictures. I feel like I say that every time you post a session, but for real, these are awesome.
The color is so perfect...did you shoot these in the late afternoon?
I can't possibly pick a favorite shot, but the one with her in the chair is so sweet and the one of him rubbing her hair and her laying her head in his lap on the blanket is todiefor.
Geeeeezzzz I wish pregnancy pictures were popular when I was having babies!!! I hid from every camera in site and now I regret it soooo much!
- 7:03 PM, May 26, 2012
- Jodee said...
These pictures are fabulous! What a cute family!
- 9:40 PM, May 26, 2012
Such a pretty mama and family..Great photography shots..
- 10:15 PM, May 27, 2012
- The 5 Bickies said...
I have to agree with you...most beautiful ever!
Something about her eyes....they really sparkle and jump from the page.
New camera or old?
- 9:48 AM, May 29, 2012
- Jordan said...
these are so beautiful! what an elegant mama-to-be.
- 7:29 PM, May 30, 2012
- Alecia said...
She is absolutely STUNNING! What a beautiful little family...can't wait to see pics of the baby!! :-)
- 9:59 AM, June 06, 2012


text:
Sept. 12, 2005
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The MIT women's tennis team cruised to a 9-0 victory over NEWMAC foe Smith College in its first match of the season on Saturday. Jusleen Karve did not drop a game against the Pioneers (0-1), winning at the No. 6 singles position and the No. 3 doubles spot with Lisa Shank.
Joanna MacKay and Elaine Ni teamed up for an 8-2 victory over Francesca Albreezi and Seiko Fujii at No. 1 doubles. In the No. 2 position, Mariah Hoover and Serena Lin shutout Vida Chen and Catherine Lydecker, 8-0.
In singles play, Lin once again was victorious against Lydecker, emerging with a 6-1, 6-0 win at the No. 1 slot. Ni overpowered Fujii, 6-0, 6-0, while Hoover recorded a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Albrezzi. In her collegiate debut, Yi Wang posted a 6-0, 6-1 win against Andrea Dreskin in the No. 4 position. Jill Konowich closed out the match with a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Jennifer Cheon.
In exhibition play, Konowich and Wang combined forces for an 8-1 win in doubles action. MacKay posted a 6-2, 6-0 victory over Chen at the seventh position while Shank blanked Sager, 6-0. Karina Pikhart defeated Jackson, 6-4, 6-2, in the last exhibition match.
Smith College vs. MIT
Final Team Score: MIT 9, Smith 0
1. Joanna MacKay/Elaine Ni (M) def. Francesca Albrezzi/Seiko Fujii (S), 8-2
2. Mariah Hoover/Serena Lin (M) def. Vida Chen/Catherine Lydecker (S), 8-0
3. Lisa Shank/Jusleen Karve (M) def. Tina Jackson/Jacqui Sager (S), 8-0
4. Jill Konowich/Yi Wang (M) def. Unknown opponents (S), 8-1
1. Serena Lin (M) def. Catherine Lydecker (S), 6-1, 6-0
2. Elaine Ni (M) def. Seiko Fujii (S), 6-0, 6-0
3. Mariah Hoover (M) def. Francesca Albrezzi (S), 6-0, 6-1
4. Yi Wang (M) def. Andrea Dreskin (S), 6-0, 6-1
5. Jill Konowich (M) def. Jennifer Cheon (S), 6-0, 6-1
6. Jusleen Karve (M) def. Danielle Lee (S), 6-0, 6-0
7. Joanna MacKay (M) def. Vida Chen (S), 6-2, 6-0
8. Lisa Shank (M) def. Jacqui Sager (S), 6-0, 6-0
9. Karina Pikhart (M) def. Tina Jackson (S), 6-4, 6-2


text:
Christian Dior Vintage
round framed tinted sunglasses
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New! Order by phone
Dior has revolutionized the fashion industry with his post-war designs, whose empire is still influencing people around the world. This line is know for their youth style and pop provocations especially visible in this collection. Bronze-toned round framed tinted sunglasses from Christian Dior Vintage.
Designer colour: BRONZE
Designer Style ID: CRHI280
Farfetch ID: 12975285
Measurement Information
This item only has One Size
- Total Width:
- 15.5 cm
- Lens Diameter:
- 7 cm
- Bridge Width:
- 1 cm
- Arm Length:
- 13 cm
- Total Width:
- 6.1 in
- Lens Diameter:
- 2.8 in
- Bridge Width:
- 0.4 in
- Arm Length:
- 5.1 in
All measurements are made by Farfetch
- Composition
- Acetate 100%
- Manufacturer
- Christian Dior
One shipping fee, on multiple pieces, from multiple locations.
No matter how many items you purchase, or where in the world you order from, you will only pay one fee.
Click here to find out more about our shipping options, including Click & Collect and Same Day Delivery.
Free returns pick-up
We offer free global returns.
You have 14 days from receiving your order to return the item. We strongly recommend that you book your free returns pick-up within 7 days of receiving your order to ensure that it arrives back in time. Click here to read our full returns policy.
Import duties information
Delivery duties are included in the item price when shipping to all EU countries plus USA, Canada, China, Australia, Puerto Rico, Switzerland, Singapore, Republic Of Korea, Kuwait, Mexico, Qatar, India, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, U.A.E., Japan. This means all import duties are included in your order. The price you see is the price you pay.
Delivery duties are not included in the item price when shipping to all other countries. This means you may be liable to pay import duties on receipt of your order.
Christian Dior founded his Parisian namesake brand in 1946. The house of Dior is famous for its haute couture designs and for creating the 'New Look' that would influence the style of the fifties, and has become a leading luxury brand with a reputation for innovative style. In 1950 Jacques Rouët devised a licensing program to place the now-renowned name of "Christian Dior" visibly on a variety of luxury goods. It was placed first on neckties and soon was placed on hosiery, furs, hats, gloves, handbags, jewellery, lingerie, and scarves.


text:
Friday TV Program Features William Ruckelshaus
A leader of the University of Wyoming's Ruckelshaus Institute of Environment and Natural Resources will be interviewed Friday, Oct. 12, at 7:30 p.m. on Wyoming Public Television.
William Ruckelshaus, a key figure in breaking the Watergate scandal and a former director of the Environmental Protection Agency, will be a guest on "Wyoming Chronicle." A former acting director of the FBI, Ruckelshaus, in recent years, has devoted much of his time to the UW Ruckelshaus Institute, dedicated to research and innovation in environmental issues and promoting collaborative decision making.
Wyoming PBS can be seen over the air and via cable or satellite in communities throughout Wyoming. A complete list of channels can be found at www.wyoptv.org/channels.


text:
By Mark Patton - Senior Writer - Santa Barbara News-Press
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -
They are listed first in UCSB's basketball program. Cecil Brown is No. 1 and Josh Davis is No. 2.
They very well could become the top two Gauchos someday. But for now, they must take a number.
And that's all right with both of these highly recruited freshmen, who will play supporting roles tonight at 7 when UCSB plays host to Utah State in a Big West Conference showdown.
"I have two great players starting in my position, in Nick Jones and Branduinn Fullove," said Brown, a 6-foot-4 wing guard. "I'm learning a lot from them.
"I think it's better for them to be here than for me to just come here and be the star right away, because that would probably hamper my development. I wouldn't really learn as much if they weren't here."
Brown averaged 34.5 points, 13.3 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game at Canoga Park High School before sitting out last season as a redshirt.
Davis, a 6-5 swingman, also posted some glittery high school numbers -- 23 points, 8.3 rebounds and 5.2 assists -- which drew the attention of such Pac-10 powers as Cal and Oregon.
"I'm excited about the prospect of coaching them for the next four years," said UCSB coach Bob Williams. "They're going to be the mainstays in the program -- the Mark Hulls and Branduinn Fulloves and Nick Joneses of the future.
"You talk about the Big 3 or the Big 2 down the road? That would be Josh and Cecil."
Davis learned some Gaucho history when he asked for jersey No. 22.
"I was told that it had been retired," he said.
It had been worn by Brian Shaw, an NBA veteran who led UCSB to the 1988 NCAA Tournament. Gaucho recruiters had seen some Brian Shaw in Josh Davis while recruiting him last year out of Sacramento's Elk Grove High School: A big, versatile floor general.
Davis relishes the compliment.
"He's such a good leader for the Lakers, and knows his stuff about basketball," he said. "As of right now, I'm learning from a great leader on this team, with captain Mark Hull. Maybe one day I'll be a captain on this team."
Fullove and Hull both approach milestones tonight as they lead UCSB (9-10, 6-3 in the Big West Conference) against the league-leading Aggies (16-4, 7-2). Fullove, a junior guard, needs just two points to become the 19th Gaucho to reach 1,000 for a career. Hull, a senior forward, has 1,420 career points and is just 14 short of Doug Rex for second place on UCSB's all-time scoring list.
But both players had already scored big points with Brown and Davis.
"I was surprised, because these guys know they're the stars of the team, and yet they don't act like the typical stars," said Brown. "You don't get, �Don't talk to me, you're just a freshman.' They don't act like that.
"If I make a mistake, they come tell me what I did. And if I do something good, they acknowledge that you're doing something right. They actually do that with everybody, because they know it's going to take the whole team for us to be successful."
Davis, who had expected to play entirely on the perimeter in his first Gaucho season, also became Hull's understudy at power forward when Bray Skultety suffered a season-ending knee injury during fall drills.
"Mark has been a great leader in helping me play the 4-spot, because it's all new to me at this level," said Davis. "Sometimes he'll come over and put his arm around me and say, 'You need to do this,' or 'watch out for this situation on the court.'
"And the next time, the situation becomes a lot more clear for me."
Brown had a clouded basketball future a year ago after herniating three discs in his back before school even started. The pain made him consider quitting altogether.
"I wasn't really sure if I was going to recover from my back injury, because I was in pain for so long," he said. "For a time, people didn't know what was wrong with me."
But he was quickly reassured by another Gaucho veteran, center Adama Ndiaye, who had missed the previous season with an injury. Ndiaye told him that the redshirt season had been a blessing for his own development.
To this day, Brown says the high point of his collegiate career was "seeing Adama score 30 points against Cal Poly last year, because Adama was the closest person to me on the team."
In fact, Brown charged out of the stands at Long Beach State's Pyramid last year when Ndiaye was knocked down by the 49ers' Travis Reed.
"I really care a lot about my teammates, especially Adama, because he helped me a lot to deal with my situation last year," he said. "When I saw they were going after Adama, I just had to jump over the rails and over the benches and onto the court."
Although Brown (5.4) and Davis (3.4) rank just fifth and seventh on the team in scoring this year, they have both had big moments.
Brown has hit for eight or more points in seven of UCSB's games. Davis had a 14-point game against UC Riverside.
The two freshmen have had a more visible impact on defense for the Gauchos, who lead the Big West in field-goal percentage defense at .416.
"They're high-energy guys who make us more athletic when they're in the game," said Williams. "They're good pressure guys who can turn the heat up on someone. We're a little different when they're in the game."
Davis puts it this way: "On offense, you're going to make and miss shots, but on the other end, you can bring it every night."
And for UCSB, plenty more nights lie ahead for Cecil Brown and Josh Davis.


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You do not need to follow them as a lay person.jason c wrote:hi manas,
i was not disagreeing with the cutting back of our food intake, developing a true sense of our individual bodies needs is an important step in cultivating a meditative practice, and i personally find it very benificial. i was trying to get to the heart of the importance of the strict monastic rules, in particular the no eating after noon and seeing if in todays society it would still be deemed necessary or if it is more or less followed as a tradition. i have little interest in buddhism, i do however have a great deal of interest in the teachings of the buddha. not for the monastics but for me as a layperson. i am trying to disect the teachings to their core and find the ultimate truth. i also would like to find out if it is possible to reach the ultimate truth as a layperson or if it becomes necessary to ordain at a certain level. i have personally began a process of trying to simplify my life, cutting the unneccessary out, i am however due to past karma, a husband , a father basically a family man and i have no desire to remove this aspect from my life. i find the challenges of practicing as a layperson to be seemingly limitless, but the buddha was a begger and he advocated this particular lifestyle and i would like to find out just why this is, and if it is necessary .
any arahants out there,
there is the five precepts if you think the eight are not relevant!


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Opinion: Did ObamaCare Wreck Washington?
Editorial board member Joe Rago on the president's refusal to negotiate with Republicans on Obamacare and ending the government shutdown. Photo: Associated Press
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... I ... I ... every single democratic process all three branches of government ... although I ... it's here to stay ... the ... welcome to Opinion Journal I'd on Dan Henninger well but of course was present Obama saying that the Affordable Care Act is subtle launched on through both branches of the legislature is gone to the Supreme Court it is over get over it ... I'm here with the editorial page writer Joe rego I can show ... so the question is how settled is Obamacare is it beyond challenge by the Congress of United States ... write a mean that the president says this in every stop now you know it's gone through Congress had signed it does pass Supreme Court review ... they are not mentioning how tenuous a lot of those non ... clearances war ... but you know he's he's well within its right to say I'm not gonna change it up but he also can say ... Congress is illegitimate treated challenge ... this line you know nothing ... about the the laws immutable there and they're well within their rights as well suited to take a modal are going to pass them in laws are written by Congress ... they can be realized my Congress I was so ... it exactly ... I and you know it's it's interesting the iam the shutdown Fight The were having right now is a lot of will put in alot awaits the analog ... of them the way this bill was passed in on using the reconciliation process between the House and Senate ... for example dragging the new entitle man ... across the finish line on the straight partisan majority ... C C are really still seeing that that political resistance and that's why ... I'm there's there's really not likely to be a compromise here ... even even if present Obama tries to read ... Republicans out ... of of the political debate ... well let's talk a little bit about exit strategies show being on speaker the house John painter today aam or less went ballistic over a line in a Wall Street Journal article which the ... White House official was quoted as saying we're winning and the shutdown doesn't matter and Mr banner said ... this isn't some sort again this is serious business ... and the question is whether the White House is waning and on to the circumstances whether there is a way for the Republicans to deal with what seems that the Assembly on and on movable object ... right idea I think maximal its demands for a lot better when you're the president when you have the bully Pope that we've we've learned ... throughout the Obama presidency of going back to the Gingrich Congress ... that it's very hard to govern from from Capitol Hill so ... is the White House planning probably they're winning ... I it is and it is their way out I think there might be in if I was John banner I would try to rally the caucus around ... let's just pass a story week or month increasing the debt ceiling to ... take the threat of default off the table and can keep ... the government shutdown and negotiate from there of but but ... he's he's in he's meaning John painter is deftly and in a tricky spot but you're suggesting they kind of both turn the tables move the debt ceiling up to ... as early as possible ... past that get them on the way because that's the really serious issue here ... and then move back to the question of spending and ... the andthe right CR make it much harder for for the president to be out there and giving speeches like the one Regis was for saying ... no the Republican terrorists have taken the American people hostage and have a gun to their hadn't are preparing to burn the house down ... over their obsession with the Affordable Care Act one on ... take that threat of default take that were added ... I and and a rhetorical weapon away from them ... I in focus the issue on the on the size of the government and give themselves a little bit more space to maneuver ... provocative idea Joe I got it takes to the regatta saith the bomb is good news I've heard in the last


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This is a mistake many 'newbie' farmers make where although they know they need and should use a sound Buck, they end up investing in an inferior specimen. You need and want to get the best possible Buck (naturally within a reasonable price range) as you know that most times the kids will resemble the buck more than the doe. The Buck has the potential to easily influence the genetics of a few hundred kids before you retire him. Remember, and refer to this post,YOUR BUCK IS HALF YOUR HERD.
He should have good size and bone, be vigorous and active, and have a strong and masculine appearance, basically a very handsome bloke. He should have a broad muzzle, straight back, thick chest, and deep hindquarters. He should be standing square on all four feet, and have a healthy shiny coat.
You should purchase your Buck at least one month before breeding time. This will allow time for you to source for the right Buck and also allow him to be adjusted to your farm. This will also give you ample time to keep him quarantined from your herd just to make sure he is not carrying any contagious diseases. You will need approximately one mature Buck for 35-40 does on your farm.
In general, Bucks in temperate areas will become more active and aggressive 'in the fall' when most does are cycling. This will vary with some breeds that have the ability to breed 'out of season'. Bucks from breeds such as the Boer are likely to be able to mate all year, but will tend to be the most aggressive in the fall. Bucks born and bred in tropical climates such as here in Sarawak are able to perform all year round.
Prior to breeding you should conduct a physical examination of your Buck for breeding soundness. The examination should include palpation of the testicles and epididymis, visual and hands on checking of feet, legs, and eyes. In addition, be sure to check the body condition of the Buck.
Testicles of the Buck should be firm and be adequate in size. The size of the testicles relates to the ability of the Buck to produce larger quantities of sperm, the bigger the better. This in turn will allow the Buck to breed a larger number of does. The tail of the epididymis is located at the bottom end of the testicle. It should be slightly rounded and free from any hard knots. This is important because the tail of the epididymis is where most of the sperm is reserved for breeding of the does.
When checking the feet and legs there should not be any lameness and evidence of foot rot or foot scald. Pick up the Buck's feet and check between his toes for any sign of redness or infection. Also check the Billy's eyes for signs of anemia. The tissues near the eye should be bright pink in color. If they are gray or white in appearance, the Buck probably needs dewormed. Refer to this post 'ANEMIA'
Checking the body condition of the Buck is easily done by handling him across his top and along his ribs. The Buck should have some extra condition or fat reserves, but not be overly fat. As the breeding season progresses he can lose as much as 15% of his body weight. A too fat Buck may be lazy and not want to breed. These Buck are also more susceptible to heat stress which can decrease sperm quality. On the other hand, a thin Buck will have less energy for breeding and may have a lower sperm quality.
If you have any question of the breeding soundness of your Buck, you can ultimately check his ability to breed does through either a semen evaluation or by marking the does as they are bred. Semen evaluations can be conducted by a veterinarian or by a breeding service, which of the latter there is NONE here in East Malaysia.
You should try marking does (some water based marker will do) as they are bred to check if a Buck is successfully impregnating does. Change colors every 17 days (average length of a doe's cycle). If the Buck re-mates a large number of does after the first heat cycle, you may want to have his semen evaluated.
Taking this few minutes prior to your breeding season/program can save you a lot of headache, heartache and 'moneyache'. Keep your Buck in with the does for no more than 45 – 60 days to keep does kidding as a group. Kids born more than 45 days apart will vary in size and be more difficult to manage as you will have more than one weaning group.


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Opera is a web browser and Internet suite developed by Opera Software. The browser handles common Internet-related tasks such as displaying websites, sending and receiving e-mail messages, managing contacts, IRC online chatting, downloading files via BitTorrent, and reading web feeds.[1] Opera consumes approximately 36 MB installed on disk and is built for speed, incorporating numerous options and shortcuts to simply web tasks. :[1] "Opera_(web_browser)". Wikipedia. 19 Sep. 2010. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 22 Sep. 2010 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opera_(web_browser)>.
- 1 Installation
- 2 Plugins
- 3 Performance tweaks
- 4 Microsoft fonts and Opera
- 5 UI appearance
- 6 Private tabs
- 7 Java Support
- 8 Accessibility Tips
- 9 Troubleshooting
- 10 Additional Resources
The opera package can be found in the official repositories.
Opera can use Mozilla-based plugins; see Browser Plugins for details. The plugin path can be specified under
Settings > Preferences > Advanced > Content > Plug-in Options
64-bit Flash
Install the flashplugin package from the official repositories.
Performance tweaks
Disabling features and services
One of the keys to maximizing application performance is to disable undesired features and services through the native opera:config Preferences Editor.
- Start Opera without the default system tray icon by unchecking the following option:
opera:config#UserPrefs | ShowTrayIcon
Other commonly disabled feature sets include but are not limited to:
- BitTorrent Example Screenshot
- Geolocation
- Multimedia
- Web Server
Additional command-line options are available for further control over browser features and services:
- Start Opera without the default internal e-mail client
$ opera -nomail
- Alternatively, if you want to permanently disable the internal e-mail client without using "-nomail", you can uncheck the setting "Show E-mail Client" in opera:config
- Start Opera without an ARGB (32-bit) visual, without LIRC infrared control support and
mailto:links disabled:
$ opera -noargb -nolirc -nomaillinks
- Start Opera without the internal BitTorrent downloader: uncheck "Enable" under the BitTorrent section in opera:config
Improving Flash performance
- Set the following environment variables before starting Opera, or export the entries in xinitrc, or .bash_profile, or for system-wide changes, to
xinitrc example
#!/bin/bash # /usr/bin/urxvtd -q -f -o & export OPERAPLUGINWRAPPER_PRIORITY=0 export OPERA_KEEP_BLOCKED_PLUGIN=0 exec ck-launch-session /usr/bin/jwm
Command-line example
$ OPERAPLUGINWRAPPER_PRIORITY=0 OPERA_KEEP_BLOCKED_PLUGIN=1 opera &
- Another environment variable which may help resolve Flash issues:
See the blog article Flash problems on Linux? for additional details.
Profile in tmpfs
Relocate the browser profile to tmpfs filesystem, including
/tmp for improvements in application response as the the entire profile is now stored in RAM. Another benefit is a reduction in disk read and write operations, of which SSDs benefit the most.
Opera and Opera-beta
Use an active management script for maximal reliability and ease of use.
Refer to the Profile-sync-daemon wiki article for additional info on it.
In the case of opera-next, launch Opera with the
-pd option to set the location of the alternative Opera preferences folder:
$ opera -pd /tmp/.opera
Any number of command-line options may be included in the string:
$ opera -newprivatetab -noargb -nolirc -nomail -nomaillinks -pd /tmp/.opera
Microsoft fonts and Opera
Configure fonts under
Settings > Preferences > Advanced > Fonts. If ttf-ms-fontsAUR has been installed before running Opera for the first time, Opera will use those fonts by default, regardless of what is specified by local GTK options, GNOME, or KDE font management. To force existing installations of Opera to use the options set by your font manager:
- Close all running instances of Opera.
- Un-install the ttf-ms-fontsAUR package.
- Move the existing profile folder:
mv -i ~/.opera ~/.opera.bak
- Run an instance of Opera and verify that your font manager settings have been applied.
- Restore bookmarks and desired filter files from
~/.operaexcept for the
- Re-install the ttf-ms-fontsAUR package, if desired.
UI appearance
- To make the menus look integrated with Qt, install your preferred Qt4 theme and apply it by using
- To make Opera use KDE icons, download a native skin such as fixed_window_skin
- A nice gtk2 skin with tango icon theme can be found here. Integrates very well with Xfce4 and other gtk2 environments.
- Opera has native support for tab cascading and tiling mode. Appropriate buttons can be found by activating the "main" toolbar or by dragging and dropping the buttons anywhere desired, found in appearance (Template:Keypress) -> buttons -> browser.
Private tabs
To browse without leaving obvious traces of the Web sites you visit, you can use a private tab. When you close a private tab, the following data related to the tab is deleted:
- Cache
- Cookies
- History
- Logins
This is similar to the --incognito option in Chrome/Chromium and PrivateBrowsing in Firefox.
- Open the URL (if a URL is defined) in Opera with a private tab.
$ opera -newprivatetab
To ensure only private tabs are used throughout the duration of the browsing session:
- Set
Settings > Preferences... > General > Startup > Start without open tabs
- Clear any entries in
Settings > Preferences... > General > Home page option
- Enable
Settings > Preferences... > Advanced > Tabs > Additional tab options... > Allow windows with no tabs
Java Support
- (Recommended) Install the open source OpenJDK environment along with the IcedTea-Web browser plugin provided by these two packages: openjdk and icedtea-web.
- Alternatively, install the proprietary, closed source Java Runtime Environment from Oracle from the AUR: jreAUR
See Java#OpenJDK_JVM for additional details and references.
Accessibility Tips
Disable text selection
Grab and scroll mode
Besides setting text selection off, grab and scroll mode makes page scrolling possible with mouse dragging. It is very useful, especially when you have a touchscreen. Copy and paste the link bellow to get to the mentioned setting.
It is also possible to change this setting on the fly by dragging and dropping the appropriate Opera button anywhere desired, found in appearance (Template:Keypress) -> buttons -> browser view.
Long pressing a link opens it in a background tab (extension)
It is possible to open up any long-clicked link in a new background tab by installing this extension from myopera community.
Virtual On-Screen keyboard (extension)
There is an extension which allows the use of an on-screen virtual keyboard. Further details and installation link can be found here.
Java on Arch64
1. Add to
~/.bash_profile, or
/etc/profile to make this setting affect all logins:
# openjdk export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/lib/jvm/java-6-openjdk/jre/lib/amd64/server/ # jre export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/opt/java/jre/lib/amd64/server/
Alternatively, create a symlink to
# openjdk cd /usr/lib/jvm/java-6-openjdk/jre/lib/amd64 ln -s server/libjvm.so . # jre cd /opt/java/jre/lib/amd64 ln -s server/libjvm.so .
2. Edit the path to Java in Opera: Menu -> Tools -> Preferences -> Advanced -> Content -> Plugin-Options.
#openjdk /usr/lib/jvm/java-6-openjdk/jre/lib/amd64/ #jre /opt/java/jre/lib/amd64/
Slow scrolling on NVIDIA cards
Try running the following command:
$ nvidia-settings -a InitialPixmapPlacement=2
On some computers, http://helion.pl works extremely slow without this hack, making it a perfect site for testing.
Horizontal mouse wheel scrolling
Settings > Preferences > Advanced > Shortcuts > Mouse > Middle-Click Options... > Enable horizontal panning
- Highlight
Settings > Preferences > Advanced > Shortcuts > Mouse > Opera Standard
- Duplicate
Settings > Preferences > Advanced > Shortcuts > Mouse > Opera Standard
- Edit...
Settings > Preferences > Advanced > Shortcuts > Mouse > Copy of Opera Standard
- Search the
Backinput contexts and edit the appropriate button shortcuts to
scroll leftand
scroll right
- Rename
Settings > Preferences > Advanced > Shortcuts > Mouse > Copy of Opera Standardas desired
Launching an external browser
Opera does not display sites well at times. A workaround is to launch the currently displayed page in an external browser.
Open With menu accessed via the right mouse button.
- Set the following line under
[Site Navigation Toolbar.content]in
Button0, "Chromium"="Execute program, "chromium, "%u", , "Chromium""
- If Firefox is desired, or preferred:
Button0, "Firefox"="Execute program, "firefox", "%u", , "Firefox""
- Any number of command-line options may be included in the string:
Button0, "Chromium"="Execute program, "chromium --block-nonsandboxed-plugins --disable-java --incognito --safe-plugins --start-maximized --user-data-dir=/tmp/.chromium", "%u", , "Chromium""
Opera crashes when starting or closing with gtk2 2.24.7+
You can work around this for now by changing the DialogToolkit option to 4:
This will disable Gtk styling support and hence avoid the issue. It will probably be fixed in the next Opera release (11.60+).


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Transferring / Transferring from CALS to ABA School?« on: March 01, 2010, 11:31:28 PM »
Hi, all. I am considering a transfer from a CALS (CA Committee of Bar Examiners) approved school in NoCA to an ABA school in SoCA. So, far my grades are close to the top and I will have a transcript after the May exams. Could anyone share experiences or make suggestions as to the right approach? My school of interest in SoCA is Southwestern with specific attention to the part-time evening program and entertainment law.Thanks in advance.


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Quentin Tarantino Oscars Backstage Quotes
Quentin Tarantino Talks Django Controversy and Huge Success at Oscars
Quentin Tarantino won the Academy Award for best original screenplay at this evening's show. He seemed to be going off the cuff thanking his cast on stage during his acceptance speech, and afterward he stepped backstage to the press room to continue celebrating his win. Here are highlights:
On making movies for a global audience: "I've always prided myself on being an international filmmaker. The way I look at it is I'm not an American filmmaker. I'm an American and a filmmaker, but I make movies for the planet Earth. To me, America is just another market. I make my movies for Earth."
On the Django backlash: "I have to say, all that criticism that came out ended up being kind of a good thing. One of the things I wanted to do was I wanted to actually start a conversation about slavery. I wanted to take an audience in the 21st century and stick them in the antebellum South. That back and forth is really what I wanted for the end of the day for this movie and I hope that continues for the next few years."
On the commercial success of a movie with such an adult theme: "I go into my own little film study from time to time especially during crazy moments like this. I've been doing a lot of study on the films made in the early 1970s, the beginning of what they call 'New Hollywood.' I was doing this study for my own edification. I looked at the nine nominees and more than most other times I can think of, I recognize the spirit that was going on then. Even the commercial success, there's nothing about the subject that suggest they would be commercial or popular, but they have been. The fact that we are not making every movie for teenagers is sort of a cool thing, especially since I'm not a teenager anymore."


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2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Long-Term Report 3 of 4Posted in Vehicle Reviews on July 1, 2012
After three quarters of living with our Grand Cherokee, we have a pretty good idea of what makes our 2011 Four Wheeler of the Year tick. The WK2, as it is called internally, is a radical departure from previous Grand Cherokees, with its all-independent air suspension, simply gorgeous interior, and astute highway manners. Jeep also packed the Grand full of advanced technology that we have enjoyed getting to know.
Unlike much of the technology in competing vehicles, Jeep engineers have done a good job making the Grand's systems intuitive to operate. Our WK2 came equipped with the Advanced Warning and Active Cruise Control Group, which include Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Bind Spot Monitoring, and Rear Cross Path Detection. Other progressive technologies include Rain-Sensitive Wipers and Rain Brake Support as well as a rear view camera.
Out of the lot, our favorite and most-used feature is the Adaptive Cruise Control system. ACC utilizes a nose-mounted radar to maintain our selected speed, while keeping a safe distance from the car in front of us. The Grand will automatically control speed, acceleration, and braking, down to a speed of about 20 mph. Below that speed, the Grand hands throttle duties back to the pilot.
The ACC is great for long highway runs and is paired with FCW. FCW, whether in ACC mode or not, will detect an object that has entered your path at an unsafe distance. If someone cuts you off on the freeway and brakes, or an animal runs in front of the car, FCW will provide the driver with an audible and visual alarm and preload the brake pedal in anticipation of the driver making a panic stop. It is a great feature for those who might find themselves distracted by a carload of kids while driving and we are positive it saved the life of at least one dog.
While these technologies aren't necessary, they are nice features to have and extend the Grand's reputation as a vehicle that will gobble up endless highway miles with minimal fatigue to the driver. Add to that our test-best fuel economy of 19.6 mpg (meaning an observed range of over 450 miles) with the 360hp 5.7L V-8 and you have a powerful and competent highway ride.
Our Jeep required two service stops this quarter. One for scheduled maintenance and an upgrade to our finicky Bluetooth system under warranty and a stop to patch a rear tire that had picked up a nail. Both stops were quickly handled by the pros at Don-A-Vee Chrysler Jeep in Placentia, California.
Down to our final quarter, the Grand has proven to be a solid and popular rig so far. While it might not be the ZJ or WJ of yore, we can understand why Jeep moved this product upscale. It tries not to stray too far from the Grand Cherokee's wheeling heritage, while inviting in a new customer to the Jeep showroom with its luxurious appointments, technological features, and overall comfort.
Report: 3 OF 4
Previous reports: Nov. '11, Mar. '12
Base price: $41,910
Price as tested: $47,750
Four-wheel drive system: Full-time, two-speed
Long-Term Numbers
Miles to date: 10,895
Miles since last report: 3,404
Average mpg (this report): 14.58
Test best tank (mpg): 19.63
Test worst tank (mpg): 11.41
This period: Oil service, $26.00;Tire repair, $25.00
Problem areas: Bluetooth, repaired under warranty
What's Hot, What's Not
Hot: Technology, range, highway comfort
Not: City fuel economy, Blind Spot Monitoring can be annoying
Logbook Quotes
"Vegas to So Cal, almost 20 mpg. Impressive considering there is 360hp under foot."
"Structure is tight, but there is a rattle coming from the rear entertainment module."
"I admit it, I am a sucker for the heated and cooled front seats. Even rear passengers get seat heaters."
"I could drive all day in these seats. This is one of the best road trip vehicles I have driven."


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California Peaceniks In A Drug War Full Of 'Savages'
Both factions in Oliver Stone's new movie refer to each other, not without reason, as "savages." But this drug-war thriller is not nearly so feral as such previous Stone rampages as U-Turn and Natural Born Killers. Occasionally, it even seems righteous.
Adapted from Don Winslow's 2010 best-seller, Savages pits laid-back, hedonistic Californians against brutal, hegemonic Mexicans. The former are the happy Laguna Beach threesome of Chon, Ben and O (Taylor Kitsch, Aaron Johnson and Blake Lively); the latter are led by Tijuana-based Elena (a bewigged Salma Hayek), with Lado (a pompadoured Benicio Del Toro) as her north-of-the-border enforcer. In the middle is a doubly corrupt DEA agent (a balding John Travolta).
Elena's cartel is being squeezed in Mexico, so she's decided to hit a soft — and lucrative — target. Ben, a botanical genius with a Bono-like taste for globe-trotting altruism, cultivates "some of the best weed in the world." He doesn't like gangster tactics, but he does have muscle: His longtime pal Chon is a former Navy SEAL and Iraq war veteran. Both guys are sexually entwined with O, the dope-loving party girl who's also the film's narrator.
Ben and Chon don't want to work for Elena, and so are insufficiently deferential to her emissary (Demian Bichir, Oscar-nominated last year for A Better Life). Initially, they don't realize he's making them an offer they can't refuse.
Sponsored By
Elena, listening in on the conversation, is angered by their remarks. (Apparently unconcerned about being traced, characters in the movie regularly video-chat with each other, and even send incriminating images of their brutal murders across the Net.)
To assure the deal, Elena has O kidnapped and demands a substantial ransom. With the help of their money launderer (an Emile Hirsch cameo), Ben and Chon try to raise the cash. When that doesn't work, Chon calls his old battle comrades — and the "basically Buddhist" Ben has to determine if he loves O enough to kill to get her back. This being an Oliver Stone movie, his decision is not hard to anticipate.
One inevitable irony here: Stone, and the film, are on the Yanks' side, yet Hayek's and del Toro's performances register more strongly than do the one-dimensional turns of Lively (petulant), Johnson (cool) and Kitsch (naked).
Savages is flashy in the director's usual manner, with slow- and fast-motion footage, lurid animations and sequences in washed-out or hypersaturated color. Unlike in some of Stone's movies, however, these stylistic tics make a certain narrative sense. When the color drains from images of O, for example, that might signify her fate; early in the story, she cautions that just because she's narrating the tale doesn't necessarily mean she survives it.
This isn't one of Stone's political films, but it does offer parallels between the Iraq war and the narco one. In particular, a grisly torture scene illustrates the argument made by critics of "enhanced interrogation": People subjected to horrific pain will say whatever they think their tormentors want to hear.
Sponsored By
When not questioning the "war on terror," Stone needles another rogue American institution: the movie biz. The director furnishes Savages with multiple outcomes, as if to mock those Hollywood test-screening audiences who always seem to want a happy ending.
With a boost from Jeff Lynne's "Do Ya," the filmmaker delivers one. It's not enough to justify the movie's sadism, or its over-padded length. But the playful way Stone flips the mood demonstrates a command of the material he hasn't shown in more than a decade. Copyright 2012 National Public Radio. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.


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Daniel Bodin, a freestyle snowmobile racer from Sweden, went to St. Petersburg, Russia, last month to take a spin on the Neva River. It's cold in Russia, but not cold enough to freeze a river in August.
Bodin and crew practiced their stunt on a nearby lake a few days before the run and discovered the secrets to running a snowmobile across water: Don't. Slow. Down. Also, don't really try to turn much, or it's tuttar över rumpa as well. Thanks to the two-stroke engine in his Polaris, the unplanned submarine maneuver in practice caused no permanent damage.