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A relatively new technology introduced more than two years ago, wrinkle-free cotton slacks now account for more than 60% of the $2 billion men's cotton pants category. And that number jumps to 80% of sales in department stores alone.
As a result, the Big 3 players-Farah USA's Savane line, Haggar Apparel Co. and Levi Strauss & Co.'s Dockers-all plan to expand the wrinkle-free concept this year into shirts and shorts and offer more lively designs.
Dockers commands the largest dollar share of the men's market in better department stores at 42%, according to the NPD Group, Port Washington, N.Y. Farah ranks second with 35%, followed by Haggar at 20%. In all outlets, including mass merchandisers, Haggar and Dockers are roughly equal at about 30% each while Farah, which sells only in department stores, drops to a 10% share.
Marketers are trying to entice more male consumers with a range of technological improvements, including wrinkle-free, stain-resistant, soft-wash cotton pants from Farah that will be rolled out this summer, said Marketing Director Dirk Van Slyke.
Farah's Savane recently launched men's wrinkle-free cotton shirts. Farah posted sales of $240 million in 1994, of which 65% belonged to Savane.
Haggar had more than $491 million in sales last year; wrinkle-free clothing accounted for 34.6%.
This year, Haggar plans to boost marketing spending 40% to $35 million, with a significant portion of the budget dedicated to wrinkle-resistant products, said Alan Burks, Haggar's senior VP-marketing.
A new print, outdoor, network and cable TV ad campaign, breaking this spring from Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco, will focus on Haggar's new wrinkle-resistant shorts. More ads will follow, spotlighting wrinkle-free shirts and new patterns and colors. The campaign will run on network and cable TV and in national magazines.
Farah has budgeted $13 million for marketing this year, Mr. Van Slyke said. Starting this spring, the company will run print, TV and radio ads from GSD&M, Austin, Texas, supporting all wrinkle-resistant products including a new soft-wash, wrinkle-free pant bowing this spring.
Levi Strauss' Dockers is a relative newcomer to the category but has shot up from third place to No. 1 since bringing out its first wrinkle-resistant pants in late 1993. Levi Strauss & Co. Marketing Director Brad Williams attributes the quick rise to customer loyalty, brand recognition and aggressive marketing .
It is estimated that total Dockers' sales hit $1 billion in 1994, in part thanks to casual Fridays in the workplace. Dockers is expected to offer more products this year, including wrinkle-free dress shirts.
The company spends an estimated $25 million on advertising annually for Dockers, including the wrinkle-free products, via Foote, Cone & Belding, San Francisco. No print ads are slated for now, but plans are under way for a new multimedia campaign later this year that will incorporate all new products.


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It's not spring yet, but perhaps making spring-like things will make winter go faster. Snow was magical over the holidays, but now it just get your pant legs dirty unless you walk like Steve Urkel and tuck your pant legs inside your boots. Sexy, isn't it? So go make your own flower headband. Go Go Go!
Here Are The Steps
1. You need some fabric, thread, and a pair of sharp scissors.
2. Fold the fabric into quarters and sew them together, keep on layering them until it looks full.
3. Make a few flowers of different sizes.
4. Braid a band and sew the flowers onto it.
And you are done! If you make the band long enough it would look nice as a belt as well.
{Wearing vintage jacket, Forever 21 necklace, DIY headpiece}

subset: commoncrawl


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The most popular type of video on the television show "Candid Camera" took place in diners. Diners with tables and counter stools close to each other were ideal for enabling customers to watch each other covertly.
Capturing and video recording examples of human behavior in public was one of the benchmarks of the comedy show. Show producers set up hidden cameras before staging benign pranks to befall ordinary people. City streets, stores, parks and restaurants were all popular locations to secretly record the actions of people put in unusual situations and to capture the reactions of witnesses to the prank. Humor came from watching subjects encounter strange occurrence such as a mannequin coming to life, often looking around to see if others saw what they did.
The show creator Allen Funt is credited as being a pioneer of reality television. Funt believed pranks should be light-hearted and display the funny side of human behavior, not be a set up to make the subject look bad.
The popular television show debuted in 1948 on ABC and was among television's top ten rated shows every year 1960-1967. The show was widely syndicated, adapted into several television specials and enjoyed several revivals on broadcast and cable television.The catch phrase, "Smile! You're on Candid Camera!" encouraged good-humored participation and became widely known due to the popularity of the show.


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Now and then when I cross an abandoned building, a small turmoil takes place in my stomach. And before I even finish passing by the building, or even think of a halt, I end up weaving an entire story about the place, the people who must have lived there, spent all their lives, watched their children grow and so on. And of the situations that must have led them to hand over the place to someone else or leave or even flee. Every corner and every pillar, I can see the million handprints and the footsteps around them, become visible. I almost feel the echo of their laughter, cries, celebration come alive. The door that must have been locked and unlocked, a plenty of times, to protect, welcome, stare, leave and come back. I can imagine them following my footsteps, them staring from the balcony, keeping an eye on every move that I make. Each and every soul that was involved in the making of the building, from the designer-architecture, to the constructors, painters and the ones who carved the details on the ceilings, I cannot help but imagine their imaginary faces, their personalities and their creative process. And then when you walk away, you feel like you've left a piece behind. The feeling is no different from when shifting in or out of a place. The curious look with which you look around and inspect every corner when you shift to a new place, hoping to come across the impressions that the previous beings might have left behind. And the way you stare heavy-heartedly at the house you've lived and spent quite a deal of time, just before locking and handing over the keys to someone else. A little piece of you stays back, doesn't it?
This is dedicated to the numerous old buildings, forts, palaces and structures that were once built with a purpose and much joy, and are now nothing but a silent spectator of the present and a strong reminder on the glorious past.
Feat. ITR by Khyati Pande and The Chalk Boutique
Look 1
– Kalamkari Choga Shirt and Multilayered Pants – ITR by Khyati Pande
Golden Bead Earrings – The Chalk Boutique
Look 2
– Floral Print Blouse : Baawre via The Chalk Boutique
– Moroccan Palazzos – ITR by Khyati Pande
– Silver Jhumkas and The Tassel Earring (Used as a waist ornament) – The Chalk Boutique
Styling, Modeling, Story and Creative Direction : Ritu Arya
Photography : Praveen Achary
Post Production : Debjyoti Das | thatPhotographerwithHeadphones


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Earlier this year I visited Woodchester Mansion for a midnight tour of the building and two things happened: I had a strange experience, and I realised I had pro-paranormal tourism leanings. This was a revelation that shocked a number of people and I promised that I would write about it in more details, so here I am.
Ghost Heritage: the good and the… not so good
When you visit somewhere like Woodchester Mansion the money from your pocket goes towards the upkeep of the building which, like many historical sites across the country, is owned and cared for by charitable trusts and/or people who volunteer their time.
Places like Woodchester Mansion need to raise a certain amount of cash to keep the building open and in a good condition. Old buildings have a habit of breaking and bits fall off – Woodchester mansion, for example, have got to raise something like £2million to fix some pillars that are holding part of the chapel roof up. With this in mind I think that paying to go on a ghost event at such a location is a positive thing because it's a way in which the heritage of the building can be protected. I see it as no different than booking to go on a ghost walk or a ghost tour – many of which I've been on and enjoyed.
My experiences at places with Woodchester Mansion, Preston Manor and Longleat House are those of volunteers or staff members presenting an overview of the alleged ghost heritage of the location in a way that doesn't misrepresent anything. It's essentially tourism with the lights off.
If you're a ghost hunting group it's your choice what you spend your cash on, but personally I am 100% behind anyone who books to visit a heritage site because I know that their money is going to a good cause and good use.
As long as the person running the event doesn't promote nonsense "ghost hunting" techniques and spread misinformation then I do not see this as a problematic situation. In fact, I applaud locations like Preston Manor in Brighton who consulted with me a few years ago about how to make their ghost events ethical experiences for everybody.
On the flip side of this there is another sort of paranormal tourism where the money goes from your pocket and into someone else's pocket and, in my opinion, this is where things start to get a bit murky. Take 30 East Drive as an example here – they charge a huge amount of money to essentially visit a house that had activity in the 70s and the profit goes… where, exactly? Well, I know from experience that it goes directly into someone's bank account but after that there is no trail.
When The Good Becomes… Not So Good
There are, of course, those heritage venues that conduct ghost events in completely the wrong manner. Many will hire the venue out to third party events companies who conduct themselves in an unethical manner and promote both non-scientific methods as well as claims that are utterly nonsense and potentially harmful.
When there is a profit to be made you should always question to what extent you are being sold something.
Spreading bad and false information is bad enough, but doing so when you don't really believe in it yourself is manipulative and inexcusable. People who believe in paranormal ideas are often seen as a means of profit by these companies and it is within the best interest of the companies to create positive experiences – in their case, paranormal occurrences.
Back in 2005 I was the lead investigator of a ghost hunting group and even though the members of the group hadn't paid to visit the location I felt a certain pressure for them to be impressed. I now suspect this probably had an effect on the way in which I personally perceived things that happened during our time at a location.
Swap those team members for paying members of the public and that pressure increases. I'm not suggesting that every paranormal events company fakes activity to meet the expectations of their customers (though I know some of them do), but these events cannot be considered actual investigations because there is a certain level of bias involved in the way in which things are processed.
Odd things that have a rational explanation are more likely to be chalked up as paranormal in nature on these events to keep people happy. If you are paying to attend a ghost event overnight you are not paying to attend a ghost investigation with proper controls and methodologies in place.
Ghost Tourism vs. Ghost Investigation
Attending an event run by such a company is not at all like being involved in a paranormal investigation – yet more often than not ghost hunting events are marketed as just that.
In 2009 I ran a ghost hunting event at a Victorian theatre with the intention of showing the customers the good and bad investigative methodologies you can use when investigating paranormal claims. I wanted them to experience an actual paranormal investigation but it just didn't work because it wasn't exciting. Why? A paranormal investigation is more than just a couple of hours spent at the location – it starts with careful consideration and drawing up a list of your initial thoughts. Maybe pulling a few books off of your shelf and looking for that chapter you think will be helpful, it's talking to your peers who have experienced similar cases for advice – all before you've even stepped through the door. To try to sell such an experience to the public is impossible.
Which is why it's absurd that many people who conduct these ghost events claim to be paranormal investigators.
Paranormal Tourism clearly has its good, bad and ugly aspects but while there is scope for harm there is also the opportunity to support the trusts who look after the heritage sites of our country. If you're thinking of going on a ghost hunt I suggest working our where your money ends up and if it isn't going towards the upkeep of a heritage site why not consider an alternative ghost related event that does help?


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First Ponchielli Festival
During September/October 2012 in Cremona wil take place the First Ponchielli Festival, four concerts with music by Ponchielli (but non only), with different vocal and instrumental ensembles. More details will follow.
May 3rd 2012 - Recital
Next May 3rd, at the Music Hall of the Camera di Commercio (via Baldesio 10, Cremona), at 9 p.m. will be held a recital with music by Rossini, Donizetti, Verdi and Ponchielli followed by traditional Japanese songs.
The recital will be performed by sopranos Naoko Kinoshita, Ayaka Togashi, Tomoko Yamada, Naoko Kinoshita and the baritone Hiroki Sasaki, with the piano accompaniment of Erika Taeda and participation of Prof. Yoshinobu Sasabe.
The entrance is free and open to everybody until seats are available.
5 maggio 2011
Libreria Cremona Books (Cremona, Largo Boccaccino 12-14), ore 18: presentazione del CD "Ponchielli Chamber Songs (soprano Federica Zanello, pianista Alberto Bruni) e dell'Associazione "Centro Studi A. Ponchielli".


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Afro-Cuban Jazz Artist Yosvany Terry brings rare Arara drums, African music traditions to Harlem: Terry's Ye-de-gbe project performed on January 12 at Harlem School of the Arts. Latin Beat Magazine – April 1, 2008 Gale Reference Team
- February 26th, 2011
- Posted in Great Musicians, Past and Present
- Write comment
Afro-Cuban Jazz Artist Yosvany Terry brings rare Arara drums, African music traditions to Harlem: Terry's Ye-de-gbe project performed on January 12 at Harlem School of the Arts.
Latin Beat Magazine – April 1, 2008
Gale Reference Team
The Afro-Cuban composer and saxophonist Yosvany Terry brought the music, dance and religious traditions of the West African Arará culture–which traveled with the slaves from the Dahomey (now Benin) region of West Africa to Cuba, Haiti and Brazil hundreds of years ago and was preserved there–to Harlem. Yosvany Terry, with Ye-de-gbe and Afro-Caribbean Legacy, performed The Arará Suite, a new work of world music commissioned by the Stanford Jazz Workshop (SJW), a nonprofit organization dedicated to jazz education and appreciation, at the Harlem School of the Arts as part of its Saturdays at Noon series.
The performance gave a rare opportunity to see and hear Arará drums, and savor the authentic sound of the music, Terry was commissioned to bring to the U.S. what may be the first Arará musical exhibit of its kind to reach North American shores.
Ye-de-gbe means "with the approval of the spirits" in the West African Fon language, and it is the name of Terry's latest endeavor, a fusion of the Afro-Cuban Arará culture and North American jazz. The music is known for its distinct percussive elements: drumming, hand clapping and body percussion. While the Arará culture continues to thrive in Cuba and throughout the Caribbean, few in the U. S., and particularly in its inner cities, have been exposed to it. Terry is taking measures to keep it alive through The Arará Suite, an exploration of Terry's West African heritage. The Arará culture and traditions have traveled through the years from West Africa's Benin (formerly Dahomey) to Cuba, and now to Harlem.
In early September of 2007, Terry traveled from New York City to Matanzas, Cuba, to trace the roots of the Arará musical tradition, originally brought to the island by slaves taken from the Dahomey region in West Africa. There, he studied with Mario Rodríguez Pedroso, a master of and one of the last living drummers initiated in the Arará tradition. He also commissioned a special set of drums needed to perform the music.
Terry (who was born and raised in the Camagüey province of Cuba) realized that he was already familiarized with many of the melodies and rhythms. Growing up, he learned and practiced Vodou rituals with his family. His Haitian grandmother, Basilica León Charles, practices the religion and traces her ancestors to Dahomey. His father, Eladio "Don Pancho" Ferry, a world renowned violinist and Cuba's leading chekeré player, is also a devout practitioner. It was within this rich cultural and musical family that Yosvany Terry became a bearer of the ancient traditions.
"It is important to preserve the roots and tradition of today's music and help the new generations understand our cultural heritage," he said. "We're finding that while this is new to audiences, they can still recognize the musical traditions that are a part of their history and appreciate how they are expressed in modern music."
After receiving his first musical training with his father, Yosvany went on to study classical music, graduating from both the prestigious Escuela Nacional de Arte (ENA) and Amadeo Roldan Conservatory. He founded the influential group, Columna B, which represented the new voice of young Cuban jazz players, before immigrating to the U.S. in 1999.
The performance was made possible by a generous grant from the New York State Music Fund, established by the New York State Attorney General at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors in the wake of the payola scandals involving major recording and radio broadcasting companies. The fund is designed to benefit and expose New Yorkers to exemplary contemporary music of all genres through music education and appreciation programs.
For more information on Terry, log onto www.stanfordjazz.org/yedegbe or www.yosvanyterry.com.


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TWO men from Southport Boat Angling Club were rescued 12 miles off Ainsdale on Sunday after their boat broke down shortly before midday.
It was the first time that Southport Lifeboat have used their new state-of-the-art £132,000 vessel in a real life emergency since its delivery in May, as they made their way to the Northern Lights craft, which was full of contaminated fuel.
Both men involved were returned to the shore at Ainsdale safe and well at 1.30pm.
Southport Lifeboat's coxswain in charge, Keith Porter, told the MidweekVisiter: "It was the first launch for the new lifeboat and it was great – in fact, it was better than we expected.
"When we were towing the men back there was plenty of power available.
"The difference with this boat and the last boat is that the equipment is better set up, better design and the equipment is very user friendly."


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Aztek Airbrushes Airbrush Cleaning Station
Brand: Aztek Airbrushes
Model Number: 9315X
- Description
- Reviews (1)
- Delivery
The Aztek Airbrush Cleaning Station is the most convenient and environmentally-sound product for airbrush cleaning ever devised. An Aztek airbrush is inserted in the adjustable neck.
Solvent is then "blown through" the airbrush and trapped in the jar.
New adapter allows any manufacturers airbrush to be cleaned.
Manufacturer: Aztek
Model: 9315X Airbrush Cleaning Station
Average rating
Reviewed by Douglas Hunter
Airbrush Cleaning Station
The Aztec airbrush cleaning station is an excellent product for removing fumes while cleaning my Aztec airbrush. The adator also allows me to clean my second airbrush just as easily.
Write a review
Wonderland Models deliver throughout the UK and Overseas. We endeavour to despatch orders immediately but certainly within 48 hours of receipt. Orders will only be dispatched once payment has been received.
UK Delivery:
Order value (including postage) up to £70: First Class Royal Mail £3.95 (Delivery Within 1-5 Days)
Order value (including postage) over £70: Interlink Express £6.95 (Courier Delivery Next Working Day).
Please be sure to give us your mobile phone number when ordering as Interlink Express offer an email/text message option to enable you to receive notification of despatch and estimated delivery time. The express service requires a signature on delivery and must be ordered before 2pm for next working day delivery. The courier does not deliver on a weekend or bank holidays.
Express delivery is two days to some postcodes, and these incur a £6 surcharge. A list of applicable postcodes can be seen here.
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Delivery to Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan and the USA is by Royal Mail or FedEx courier and is calculated on an order by order basis based on weight and size. We will contact you with the shipping costs on receipt of the order.
For full shipping details please see the delivery section of our website here.


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Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Glenn the Rockster
This morning, Thomas had the day off, so he was working out downstairs when I was waking up the parrots and giving them fresh food/water. Not having the sweatshirt handy, I offered my (lightly sleeved) arm to Rocky and offered to take him downstairs. More cooperation! (He loves being downstairs!)
I'm still not sure where this is headed -- I'll have to wait and see. Will I only be able to ferry him around to places he wants to go? Will he step up from other places than from inside his cage? Will I be able to use a bare arm? Only time will tell.
When I have Rocky on my arm, I talk to him in this high voice that he seems to like (because he mimics it back to me), telling him what a good boy he is and using the nicknames we have for him.
Rocky came to us with his name and, although I never would have chosen that name for a bird, it seems to fit him. He usually calls himself Rock, but will call himself Rocky occasionally. He gets very excited when songs with the word "Rock" are played in our house (The Ramones have quite a few on their greatest hits CD). Many times in our house you will hear one of us singing, "Rock Rock Rock Rock Rock'n Roll High School!" which always results in dancing and singing from our little macaw.
We call him: Rocky, Rock, Rocket, Glenn the Rockster, and occasional terms of endearment like Sweatheart and Sweetpea (all of the birds get those). He doesn't seem to have a preference.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
My thoughts on timnehs...
When we first decided to get a parrot, about 7 years ago, we did a lot of Internet research and ended up narrowing down our choices between a mini macaw (Hahn's or Noble) and a Timneh African Grey. We were leaning towards the grey when we found a breeder with whom we clicked and that had timnehs available -- the decision was final! I sometimes wonder how our lives would be different had we gone with a macaw.
In any case, I still believe that a timneh was about the perfect choice for our personalities and lifestyle. We wanted an intelligent bird that was fun-loving and that would bond to both of us. And that's what we got with Max. That's not to say it's all been wine and roses with her. She has some feather destructive issues that I will address in a future post. She can be needy, noisy, nosy, destructive, and so much more. She is a wild animal living in our house.
My comments will mostly be based on Max, but I have dealt with probably about 10 timnehs that have been surrendered to the shelter where I volunteer over the past few years, and have found many similarities in their personalities.
Max is very much in tune with the goings-on in our house. Nothing gets by her. She follows Thomas and I around the house, commenting on our lives. These comments can be words (saying "want some" when I place my hand on the refrigerator door), noises (making a swallow sound when I take the first drink out of a glass), or movements (moving her wings and body around when I put a shirt on in the morning). Even when she looks deep in thought playing with a toy, she'll let out a kiss sound if Thomas and I hug each other, or make the squeak sound when I open a door that has long since been oiled.
Because she is so intelligent, I worry all of the time that I am not providing her with enough mental stimulation to keep her sane and happy. I am constantly searching for new ways to keep her mind and body occupied -- clicker training, foraging, flying, etc.
Max is scared of very little. I've read that many greys are afraid of new things, but that's not the case with Max. When she sees a new parrot toy, she flies over to investigate. She loves bathing and will buzz me if I turn the spray bottle to another parrot before she's done. It breaks my heart to see scared, phobic greys surrendered to the shelter because I know what their potential is. The good news is that with patience, time, love, and understanding, these greys can turn around.
Although Max does slightly prefer me, that is shown only in small instances such as when I go upstairs she flies to me unbidden, but will not follow Thomas. She is equally tame to both of us. I know that all parrots can bite (and certainly have received my share of bites from other birds, including other timnehs), but Max has never bitten anyone. We actually wonder whether she even knows how to bite (we hope that's the case!). When she gets angry, she'll stretch her body out and quickly bring her beak down (like many birds do when they bite), but she just hits my hand with a closed beak. She doesn't do this very often, though. She'll also express her anger by buzzing one of us. By "buzzing," I mean that she flies quickly at us, just over our head, and pushes off of our head with her feet. It's very strange.
Sadly, many greys are purchased by people who want a talking bird. Although most greys will say at least a few words and some have a prolific vocabulary, that is not a good reason for acquiring a new pet. You can't have meaningful conversations with them -- they aren't friend-replacers! The novelty quickly wears off, and the bird often finds himself neglected in a back room because he wasn't as entertaining as the owners had hoped. I've seen this more times that I can remember (and not just with greys).
Keeping a healthy, well-adjusted grey is hard work. The same can be said for most other species of parrot, but is particularly apt with greys. Because of their intelligence, they require tons of mental stimulation. While Max isn't as destructive as many cockatoos or macaws, she regularly goes through toys that need to be replaced. New research is showing that greys may be particularly susceptible to heart problems due to an inadequate diet and a sedentary life, so diet and exercise are also major concerns.
I go back and forth as to whether my favorite bird is the timneh or blue-and-gold macaw. This may seem surprising that I didn't put caique on the list, nor do I own a blue-and-gold macaw. I guess the edge goes to timnehs since Max is such a stellar representative and she lives with me.
Lately Max has been flying over to me while I read the paper and pushing her head into my hand so that I'll give her head pets and scratches. Thomas came home last week and interrupted one of our sessions, whereupon he commented on how disheveled she looked.
Here she is, trying to get in on the action of cooking dinner by hanging out at the sink. This morning, she was throwing the lizards' food on the ground as I was cutting the endive. She is very nosy and wants to know what going on and, more often than not, be involved in the process.
I feel like I haven't adequately described Max or what it's like living with her. Although I love her madly, there are days where she absolutely drives me nuts. For example, when she won't stay out of the garbage can or eats the seal on our freezer door (she knows she's not supposed to do these things and does so for attention -- if I don't notice her quickly enough, she starts saying "hello!" in her super cute voice). I suppose the updates I post here are also important components for getting an understanding of that.
In summary, in the right, bird-appropriate home, I think that timnehs are among the best choices. Even better would be to work with a rescue and find one that chooses you (there is one at the shelter where I volunteer right now and it is so hard to not bring him home as his personality very much reminds me of Max). But only in a home committed to providing the best care possible for the duration of the bird's life, as with any parrot.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Mostly Rocky
He has been molting lately, with the result that one feather has been turned around for most of the weekend. We keep telling him to fix himself, but he hasn't yet. Thomas and I have also both tried to turn the feather around, with no luck. We expect that it will molt out in the next few days.
One of Rocky's molted feathers ended up on our kitchen counter, which is one of Max's favorite hangout spots. She was playing with it and preening it:
By the time I got my camera out to photograph her, she had dropped it. Although I rarely stage photos, I figured that since I was merely recreating events that would have been captured had I been quicker, it was OK. Unfortunately, Max then wanted nothing to do with the feather. This isn't a great picture, but it shows off some of her personality. As I attempt to hand her the feather, she got all fluffy and posed in threatening postures. After a few more tries, I was able to take the above picture, which is what she had been doing.
In other news, we returned home on Saturday night and were taking the parrots out for a few minutes before bed. Emboldened by the wine I had finished earlier in the evening and protected by one of Thomas's sweatshirts, I decided to see if Rocky would step up out of his cage for me without attacking. I hadn't held him (except on a stick) for about 20 months. Success! He stayed calmly on my arm. The next day, alone in the house, I tried again. More success! Then, we played on the floor, with Rocky coming over and putting one foot on me before running away. No indications of any attack.
Friday, April 25, 2008
The caiques and Max
Last night, Beeps was playing with toys on the side of his cage, and I wanted to get a picture. His toys are so colorful, and he is so photogenic, that I thought it would look nice. He got wind of the camera, and turned to look at me. This was snapped about 3 seconds before his eyes started flashing, which was followed by head jerking. Had I not put the camera away, I would have had a little visitor beeping and flying towards me.
I'm sure I've mentioned before that Max and Calypso get along fairly well. The romantic in me imagines this is because he saved her life a few years back. What other explanation could there be that he gets along better with a bird from a different continent than one of his own species?
Here is Max on Calypso's cage. She spends much of her evenings here, only returning to her own cage occasionally if she wants to eat a pellet. She goes inside his cage and play with his toys (even when she has the identical toy in her cage). She drinks his water and eats his seeds. But she won't eat his pellets. I find this fascinating since his pellets are in a bowl and easily obtainable, while hers are wrapped in paper and hidden around her cage.
And Calypso doesn't seem to mind at all! If one of the other birds accidentally lands on his cage, he immediately chases them off. But Max is welcome. He'll occasionally wander over to her cage to play with her toys or eat her seeds. I find it amusing when Max is on his cage and Calypso is on hers. However, there is no physical interaction -- they keep a safe distance away from each other.
I love these finger traps that Max has in her foot. They are quite inexpensive, and every single one of my parrots loves them. Of course, what Rocky, Max, and the caiques demolish in a minute takes Daphne months! Calypso dropped his finger trap right before I took this picture, but for about 30 seconds, all 5 parrots were playing with the same toy.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Shower scenes
Thomas went for a post-work run yesterday, which meant that the parrots were treated to an evening shower. As you might imagine, this made Max, Rocky, and Beeps very happy!
Rocky in particular as he loves the shower and he loves Thomas. Putting the two together is an ideal combination! In this first video, I walked in to see and hear him fake eating. You have to concentrate a bit since the water running in the background is kind of loud. He's just about to start singing when I ask him what he's eating, and that prompts him to fake eat some more.
I walked out of the bathroom, but then heard Rocky start to make these strange sounds which reminds us of rapping sounds. He has done a better rap on occasion (especially when anything by the Beastie Boys comes on the radio!) but this is certainly passable, although somewhat difficult to hear because of the shower running.
Max and Beeps were also on the shower, but they didn't do anything interesting enough to get them included in today's entry. Notice the body wash and shampoo bottles that we have to keep up there to stop the parrots from eating the wall or irritating each other. When the bottles get low, they often just throw them off of the shower and watch as they fall, making a satisfying thud.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
What caique rapprochement?
I was secretly hoping that they would continue down this path and hopefully get to the point where they would preen each other. They just have to do a better job of removing each others' head pin feathers than me!
Another thing I should mention is that if you do an Internet search about caiques, one thing frequently mentioned is how they hop instead of walk. I have not found this to be the case with either of my caiques. In fact, both Max and Rocky hop exponentially more than the caiques.
Within the past week, the caiques have started doing something rather strange. I'm not exactly sure how to describe it, but basically Calypso starts chasing Beeps around. This chase is executed mostly with hopping, although there is a bit of flying at the end. I think it may be a form of play since Calypso could jump him if he really wanted a fight (this has happened in the past). And neither bird seems agitated while this is going on. Perhaps a friendship is forming?
This starts with Calypso hopping next to Beeps. Beeps beeps (of course!) and hops away. Calypso follows. It is fascinating and funny to watch. They look like video game characters. They'll usually hop around the two stands in the kitchen a few times, and then Beeps tires and flies off to a different stand or his cage. Calypso does not yet have enough confidence in his flying to follow, so the game ends there, to be repeated later.
I will try to get this on video, but past attempts have ended with Beeps flying at me and trying to attack the camera, which puts an end to the game.
They were playing this game this morning, when Beeps made an unexpected hop/short flight into a plant:
No sooner had I put my camera away when Calypso followed him into a neighboring plant:
They were both hanging on to their plants, beeping and calling in the way they do when they want to be rescued, so I moved them to their stand where they happily stayed for the rest of the morning.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
More secret talents
Yesterday's post got me thinking about other talents that our parrots have. Calypso is also a great weather-notifier. He has a special freak-out call that he does when there's a scary thunderstorm, extreme wind, etc. Last week he started freaking out at about 4:30 in the morning. I looked outside and didn't see any unusual weather, so I assumed that he was faking so that I'd come downstairs and comfort him. Not wanting to encourage this behavior, I went back to bed, and shortly thereafter he quieted down. I found out later that there had been an earthquake several states away at that time and he was probably feeling some sort of vibrations!
Before you think I am completely heartless, Calypso is not beyond faking in order to get attention. A few years ago, he had a leg injury and while he was healing, he couldn't put any pressure on his right leg (I actually forget which leg was injured but I'm saying right for purposes of this story). He would make his sad, injured sound while holding out his leg, and he was showered with attention. He slept in our bedroom so I could awaken if he needed me, and received other special treatment. The day I realized he was completely healed was when he was making his sad noises while holding up his left leg as though that were the injured leg! I don't want to make a habit of running downstairs in the middle of the night to comfort him if he's just faking!
Max's great talent is that of beep-intensifier. I bet you would have thought Beeps was a natural in this category, but no! Any beeping that goes on in our house -- stove timer, microwave, smoke detector, bleeped out words on TV, Thomas's pager -- is repeated, loudly, by Max. This actually comes in handy when we're baking something in the kitchen and watching TV in the living room. It's not always easy to hear that beep, but Max makes sure that our baked goods don't get too crispy! She does provide other sounds, like kissing sounds when I hug my husband or teeth-flossing sounds when I pick up the container of floss, but I have yet to find a truly useful purpose for those talents.
I'm sure there are more that I'm missing at this point, but will be sure to report them as they occur to me.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Calypso's hidden talent
So I'm forced to think of things that have happened in the past and I don't think I've ever mentioned Calypso's special talent before. He is the best scab-remover I've ever seen.
I know many birds will pick at their owners' perceived imperfections -- skin tags, moles, stray hair, etc. Calypso ignores that and focuses on scabs. He investigates my hands and fingers, preening me and searching.
When he finds a scab, he tenderly preens the area, testing to see whether it's ready to come off. When it's time, he gently pulls the scab off. There is no pain involved.
Luckily I very rarely have any scabs, but even if several months have gone by, he keeps his gentle ways about him.
If he were a person, I think he'd be a nurse
I love this picture of him. He's normally not photogenic, but I think this picture brings out his beautiful colors.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
We try to only sweep when the parrots are in their cages (I think I've mentioned before that Beeps and Rocky both hate brooms). However, the other day, Thomas decided to sweep while all 5 of them were in the kitchen with us.
As expected, Beeps got really excited. This means he starts pacing in a determined way (he starts marching), his eyes flash red, he makes beeping sounds that are sharper and louder than normal, and he starts jerking his head around. These all lead to him flying at someone and attacking (in this case, the person with the broom).
Rocky, on the other hand, is determined to get as far away from the broom as he can. On this particular day, he ran over to the other side of the kitchen and took solace in his plants.
Max, Calypso, and Daphne are not phased by the broom.
Then, Thomas took out the vacuum cleaner. We rarely use this in our house as only our stairs and upper level (where the parrots are generally not allowed) are carpeted. We never walk on our carpet with shoes, and are rarely on our upper level (basically just for sleeping) so the carpet doesn't get very dirty. Also, we are definitely not neat freaks!
Rocky was terrified. He was quite agitated and wouldn't stop screaming. I tried putting him in his cage for him to feel safe, but that didn't help as he could still see Thomas with the vacuum cleaner on the stairs. Finally, I tried putting him in the bathroom (his favorite place) and he calmed down enough even to sing as the vacuum roared in the background. Funny guy!
In other news, I have finally finished knitting this scarf. I started working on it on the plane to Madrid last February and have been slowly making progress since then. I tend to have at least 3 projects going on at once, so maybe if I were a bit more focused, things would get done sooner.
I still have to block it (I have never done this before, so it will be interesting to see how it turns out!) but am in no hurry since the weather is finally warm enough where scarves are unnecessary!
I made this with the intention of giving it to Thomas, but he thinks it's a little too skinny for his taste. I guess we'll see what happens after the blocking (the edges do tend to curl in a little), but otherwise, I'll have a new scarf that, with its color, will match just about anything!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Adding another parrot
Before I get too far in, let me restate that I certainly don't consider myself a parrot expert! Additionally, there is so much that we don't know when it comes to making these guys as happy as we could. On many topics (for example: feeding pellets, clipping vs. allowing flight, giving boxes as toys) one can make coherent arguments for both sides. My practice has been to try to gather as much information and as many opinions as I can on keeping parrots. Then, I combine that information with common sense and my own experiences when interacting with them, always reserving the right to change course when new information or experiences arise! Also, what works for one household will not necessarily work for another, and what works for one bird may not work for another birds in that same house.
About four years ago, we were living with Max and our cage-bound elderly budgie, Lenny. I don't think Max recognized Lenny as another bird (he was terrified of people and hated coming out of his cage). She certainly wasn't jealous of him as 99% of the attention was focused on her. I basically considered us a one-bird family at this point. I say this with no disrespect for Lenny. We loved him and provided him the best life we could and were devastated when he died.
Thomas and I had many discussions about whether we should add a new parrot to our house, what kind, etc. We hadn't made up our minds when a black-headed caique was surrendered to the rescue where we volunteer. His name was Calypso, and he was captivating. The first thing he did when Thomas removed him from the carrier his previous owner had transported him in to surrender him was climb up Thomas's arm and bite him on the ear. An auspicious beginning!
We'd interact with Calypso during our twice-weekly visits to the rescue. There wasn't much interest in him by potential adopters as he didn't want to come out of his cage and wasn't friendly when he was forced out. He came to like us, though, and after maybe 6 weeks of this, we decided to take him home.
A picture of Calypso from September 2007:
I was very worried about the implications of this new arrival on Max. For two years, she had us to herself. I realize that parrots are flock animals in the wild, but how exactly does that translate in an environment so different from what she would have known in Africa?
Surfing the Internet for guidance, I found this article, and it made a lasting impression on me. Concepts in this article are how we introduced Calypso, and then 5 others into our house (Ethel, Daphne, Rocky, Beeps, Jeff Saturday). They shape interactions we have with our parrots every single day.
Basically, we run our house on the concept of "First Among Equals." Our current 5 birds came into our lives in this order: Max, Calypso, Daphne, Rocky, Beeps. That's the order in which they get fed, come out of their cages, go to bed (in reverse order), do clicker training sessions.
We've found that this method helps with structure and routine (which parrots love). It also allows us to reaffirm to Max on a daily basis that she is well-loved and that no one is going to replace her in our lives.
When it's not carried out, we hear about it from the birds! A couple of examples:
I'm usually the one who distributes their seeds in the evening, and I distribute in this order: Max, Calypso, Rocky, Beeps (Daphne doesn't get additional evening seeds). A few months ago, Thomas distributed the seeds. However, Max and the caiques were in the kitchen and Rocky was on his cage making begging sounds, so Thomas gave Rocky his bowl first and then placed the seed dishes on the other 3 empty cages. The routine had been altered! The next day, when I once again fed, Rocky was making begging sounds, but I told him to wait his turn and he would get his food in 5 seconds. Because he didn't know what to expect -- he had been fed first yesterday, after all -- he started screaming when I gave Max her seeds first. It took me a week or so until he realized that the routine was back in force and that screaming wouldn't get him fed any sooner.
The second story relates to our last vacation. I had neglected to tell our friend who comes over to watch the animals when we're gone about the importance of First Among Equals. For the first part of the week, she let Max out first, and then the other birds. Then, one day, she let Rocky out first. Max refused to come out of her cage. When she finally emerged, she didn't follow our friend into the kitchen as she had on the previous days, didn't make any sounds, and was generally ill-tempered. Our friend was seriously considering taking her to the vet because of the drastic changes in her personality. The next day, Max was let out first again, and her normal demeanor returned. Upon our return, my friend asked me about this. I explained First Among Equals and apologized for forgetting to tell her about it ahead of time!
What I like about this is that everyone knows where they stand, especially where food and coming out of the cage are concerned! Max, the only one who knows what it's like to have Thomas and me to herself, still gets some special privileges. For example, after putting everyone else to bed, I take her in the bathroom with me as I brush my teeth for some final one-on-one time.
I realize this may not work for everyone, but it's what we've been doing to (more or less) successfully keep harmony in our multi-bird home!
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Laundry parrot toys
For whatever reason, my two little troublemakers decided to go over an investigate the clothes.
Thomas had planned on taking Rocky downstairs with him while he worked out (we have a parrot perch down there, of course!) When he looked for Rocky, he found him hanging out in the sleeve of his jacket. So Thomas went downstairs alone and I brought Rocky to him after Rocky tired of hanging out in clothes.
I think Max learned to do weird things with fabric from Rocky, so I wanted to get a video of that. However, the video took a different turn towards the end.
I tried to get a picture of her with the button in her mouth, but they all turned out extremely blurry, so I deleted them. I brought her downstairs so she could show Thomas what she had done to his jacket. Since he only wears it around the house, he said that was the price he had to pay for leaving it on the floor!
Monday, April 14, 2008
Weekend photos
I was home alone with the parrots Saturday night, and Max, as usual, decided to hang out in the kitchen by herself. She usually keeps to her stands, the top of the fridge, or the counter. However, this time, she decided to perch on my clean dishes that were drying!
Needless to say, the dishes were no longer clean as she lately has been hanging out in the garbage and has also been known to walk through her own poop.
And then, when I take a picture of her there, she puts her foot out for me to have her step up!
This was also when I was alone with the parrots over the weekend. Rocky's cage has this toy hanger that goes on top of his cage. He will ignore this for months at a time, and then suddenly become obsessed with hanging out on top. It's kind of hard to tell from this picture, but he has to hunch down in order to stand at the top and he is probably still brushing the ceiling.
If anyone is interested in purchasing the toy shown for their own bird, this was from the Parrot Asylum.
You can see the border in this picture. I hate it! This is how the house was decorated when we moved in a few years ago, and we haven't done anything about it. I didn't take any pictures, but Rocky chewed off a bunch of the wallpaper in the hall over the weekend.
We are lucky in that our parrots are generally not destructive. I think he just doesn't like the wallpaper as much as I do. Thomas accused us of being in cahoots as he knows I want his help in repainting the house!
Friday, April 11, 2008
In any case, we can check out DVDs for 2 weeks from the library, which means we have 2 weeks to watch 13 episodes. As Thomas has overnight call this month, this means we may have to watch several episodes in one sitting.
Wednesday night, we were wrapping up the third episode of the evening (!) when I noticed that every single parrot was grinding their beak. We had kept them up about 50 minutes past their usual bedtime. This was the first time I had ever heard Daphne grind -- usually she just goes to bed.
We looked at each other and said, "It's like we're living in The Grindhouse!" Neither one of us saw that movie, so we have no idea what it really is like, but the title sure seemed to describe what was going on in our house.
So far, we've watch 6 episodes, with 7 remaining. I think we'll be able to get through them all before it's due at the library. Now I have to hope that we can get season 2 before I forget everything that happened during season 1!
Have a great weekend!
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Happy reunion
When he returns, Rocky, Beeps, and Max are so excited to have him back. When I got home from work, he was trying to nap on the living room couch while Rocky and Beeps were hanging out on him and Max was making kissing sounds.
Here is Rocky, protecting Thomas from me as he tries to nap. I was checking on the lizards when I received this warning:
Look how big and scary he is!
I know I've been doing a lot of lizard pictures lately, but I couldn't resist this one. I think it has something to do with the way that Andreas has positioned his front feet on the wood in his enclosure.
While I was making dinner in the kitchen, I started to hear excited squeals coming from the living room and found this:
I was able to get some on video, although I didn't capture all of the fun as this was towards the end. Rocky and Thomas have such a trusting relationship. I can't even imagine trying to do this with Max! Although, from our experience volunteering at a parrot rescue, macaws tend to be much more hands-on than the other parrots who share their lives with us.
In any case, Rocky was reveling in the one-on-one attention he was receiving from his mate!
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Garbage can or foraging toy?
It's strange. Months will go by without her perching on the garbage can, and then suddenly, it's the only place she wants to be.
In this case, she had eyed a piece of wood that Calypso had floating in his water dish, and that I had subsequently discarded. Nevermind that there are bins of wood in our living room that she can access, and many pieces in and on her cage.
I had to wash and prepare the lizards' greens this morning, as I had run out the day before. The discarded chicory endive, which Max snubs when I offer it to her, suddenly became irresistible.
With another piece:She appeared to eat some, but threw most of it on the floor for me to pick up.
Here she is, cleaning her beak on the garbage can:
And looking innocent:
After I took these pictures, I removed her from the garbage. I'm really hoping she's forgotten about her fascination this evening!
She knows she's not supposed to be there, which makes the whole thing that much more frustrating. When I find her and say, "Max!" she starts acting adorable and saying, "Hello! Give me a kiss!" in the cutest possible voice. I can't resist her.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Weekend recap
He still looks really scraggly and has remnants on his skin from the colored sand he was kept on at the pet store. We've had him for 10 months now and I really thought he would have molted it all off. But we love him anyway! (And Elsa, but she's been crabby lately so no pictures!)
We had some beautiful weather over the weekend, and were able to get some hiking in on Saturday and Sunday. Since the Saturday hike was spur of the moment, I didn't have my camera with me (or suitable hiking shoes as my work shoes got full of mud!) which was too bad because we ran into a garter snake that was sunning himself. Thomas almost stepped on him -- good thing he was watching where he was going as the snake did not move out of the way. We think he wasn't quite himself due to the rather cold weather.
On Sunday, we saw a beaver swimming in the lake -- this picture isn't the best. He is the blurry spot in the middle of the picture. You can see the wake following him:
And a turtle sunning himself in the marsh:
We also saw tons of birds, but didn't get any good pictures. Unfortunately, it's raining right now, which means it will likely be muddy in the upcoming days. I can't wait for the weather to cooperate so we can do more hiking!
We were making juice over the weekend, and came across this odd-looking carrot:I'm not proud of this, but I am a major food snob in that I have trouble eating food that looks strange. There is no way I could have eaten this carrot, but we juiced it up, so I guess I am consuming it. I'm really trying to work on this! In the meantime, I spend 10 minutes picking out my 7 apples for the week at the grocery store to make sure I get perfect ones.
As I didn't want to make this a parrot-free entry, here is a picture of Beeps:
Friday, April 4, 2008
Back to normal
In any case, I am choosing to think about the positive in that they were back to normal this morning. Maybe they act out every once in a while so that I'll appreciate their normal behavior more? Could they really be using psychology on me?
I focused last night and this morning on enjoying them and therefore didn't take any pictures. But here's one of Max from a few days ago.
I'll leave this short -- yesterday's post was rather negative so I didn't want to leave that one as my last for the weekend!
It's supposed to be warm around here, so Thomas and I are planning on getting some hiking in, despite what will most likely be muddy conditions.
Hope everyone out there reading has a wonderful weekend as well!
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Wonderful evening; bad morning
Let's start with the good stuff: last night.
Apparently Rocky's not the only one interested in garlic. As soon as Beeps saw Thomas with the cloves, he flew over to Thomas's shoulder and climbed down his chest to investigate. Thomas did offer him some, but Beeps didn't want any.
We were making a vegetable soup, and Max also came over to investigate the frozen vegetables. She just looked, though, and didn't start throwing them out of the pot as I had feared.
Rocky's nails were starting to get a bit long, so we got out the Dremel tool and Thomas sanded them down. Rocky lies complacently on his lap as long as Rocky's face is covered and he can't see what's going on. We have to be careful to not trim them too short as we did that one time and I couldn't hear the clicking on the floor when he walked on it. I need warning when my stalker is near!
The evening just went so smoothly.
Then, this morning happened.
It actually started off well. One day during the work week, I don't get up and run and today was that day off for me, meaning that I got to sleep in. The parrots get up at the same time every day (give or take about 20 minutes). Usually I get up really early and run before they get up, but on my off day, I get to sleep in an extra 2 hours and the first thing I do is get them up.
Today, from the moment I showed my face, straight for about 35 minutes, Rocky screamed. He did stop for about 5 minutes when he ate his breakfast. I couldn't figure out a reason. There was at most 1 second of quiet time in between screams. He had been doing so well and had barely been screaming lately, so this was going back to behavior he had when he first came to live with us. It is not pleasant.
During this screaming session, I was refilling the parrots' water and food. As I walked by Beeps's cage carrying water dishes into the kitchen to be washed and refilled, Beeps jumped on my arm and started biting me. Startled, I dropped Max's water dish, splattering dirty water all over the living room and shattering the ceramic dish.
This prompted Beeps to go into what I call "freakout mode." I've only seen this about 4 times in our relationship. It's almost like he becomes possessed. He starts flailing around the living room, goes behind the fish tank, and acts very fearful. The first time, I chased him around until I could towel him and put him back in his cage. This seemed to cause him a lot of stress, so now I just let him freakout, avoid him as much as possible, and after 5-10 minutes, he returns to his cage and I close him in there. If I hadn't have had to go to work, I would have returned to bed.
The screaming continued, and my nerves were frazzled. I was thinking how much better my life would be if we hadn't taken Rocky or Beeps home. This was just a fleeting thought, but I had never had it before, so that was disconcerting (I no longer feel that way and am glad we have them). I decided, off day or no, I needed to do a hard workout and pound away my stress.
I put everyone in their cages and went downstairs to hear water streaming through the ceiling. Apparently Thomas had overflowed the toilet before leaving for work. I had to plunge, clean up the mess, and start a load of towels (since our bathmat had gotten wet and I used towels to mop up the water).
Needing a laugh, I put one of my favorite episodes of Arrested Development on and did a hard treadmill workout. I managed a few laughs and got out my frustration.
By the time I made it back upstairs, everyone was back in their normal good moods. Rocky didn't scream again, and Beeps was no longer freaking out or threatening to bite.
I saw Andreas, covered in seeds, and felt that all was right with the world again. It's like he knew I needed a laugh!
Completing our normal morning routine, Max and the caiques showered with me and we all shared a quick breakfast before I ran out the door and rushed to work. Late, but in a much better mood than if I hadn't been able to run.
I just hope I don't have another morning like this for a long time!
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Christmas cactus explosion
I decided to try to take a picture of Daphne perched on the plant so I could give an idea as to how large this plant is. She didn't want to perch on the plant, however, so I held her in front of it for a picture.
Daphne is pretty hard to photograph, which is part of the reason why she appears seldomly on this blog (the other reason being that she is so well-behaved, which makes for boring entries!) If I use the flash, she is whited out, and when I don't use the flash, it's dark and blurry. But I persevere!
In this picture, she was shaking herself out just as I snapped the photo, and I love the way it captured her movement!
Of course, Max was jealous and acted as though she wanted her picture taken with the plant. I was hoping she'd pose under the greenery, but she didn't want to. I hope this kind of shows the scale, though. I can't get my arms around it and it's unwieldly! Pretty soon it may require 2 people to life it!
Every month, Thomas starts a different rotation. April will not be a fun month for anyone. In addition to lots of overnight call, he is gone longer hours during the days he can come home at night. I've written before about Rocky's love of Thomas's feet. On days like this when Thomas gets home closer to his bedtime, Rocky resigns himself to his shoes.
Rocky was so adorable last night; I wish I would have gotten some of his behavior on video. He can be so flirtatious and disarming and was almost able to lure me in to his web of biting. Before I came to my senses, I was actually thinking, "How can anyone this cute and funny, who is calling my name and telling me he loves me, bite me?" In any case, he had Thomas and me laughing so hard last night our sides hurt.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Marble Max
My running partner and I were out running this morning and talking about the local elections that are taking place today. In one of the races, there is a real goofball running. I'm sure he's a nice guy, but he doesn't seem to have a firm grip on reality. I will be voting for his opponent.
As we were discussing how surprised we were to see so many signs in yards supporting him, we ran into him on the street, putting out more signs!!! We greeted each other (something that we always do when running) and he said, "Don't forget to vote today!" My partner and I just said, "Yes. Good luck!" and stifled our laughter until we were out of earshot as we certainly weren't voting for him.
In any case, we hope he didn't overhear our previous comments, although nothing we said was that bad. We were talking softly, but voices can carry in the traffic-free early morning hours. But what are the chances of (almost literally) running into him on the street as we were discussing him?


text:
Regulators: Time to crack the whip on second mortgages
Federal regulators on Wednesday called on banks to get serious about modifying second mortgages, which are proving to be a Gordian knot that has tied up modifications and other foreclosure alternatives, such as short sales. "Servicers should be required to take a meaningful write-down of any second lien if a first mortgage loan is modified or approved for a short sale," said Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairman Sheila Bair at a Senate hearing to investigate the latest round of mortgage-handling problems. For the past two years, investors in mortgage-backed securities have complained that the nation's largest banks too often consider how various modifications will affect their second liens when they service mortgages. The nation's four largest banks—Bank of America, Wells Fargo, J.P. Morgan Chase, and Citigroup—own nearly half of all outstanding second liens and also service nearly half of all first mortgages.


text:
Gift Shop
Research Request
Historical Articles
Town Histories
Town Historians
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Links we like!
Herkimer County:A Brief History
National Registerof Historic Places
Famous Murder
An American Tragedy
Places to stay
Area Attractions
Maps and Directions
E-mail Us
visit Herkimer's Historic Four Corners
Historic Four Corners is composed
of the 1884 Herkimer County Historical Society Suiter Building
Museum, the 1834 Herkimer County Jail, 1873
Herkimer County Courthouse, and the 1834 Herkimer Reformed
Church, all listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Tours of the Society's Museum are free and open to the public during open
hours of Monday-Friday, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. and during the months of
July and August on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Special tours of
the other buildings need to be arranged ahead of time. The 1834 Jail is
temporarily unavailable for touring because of restoration work.
The 1884 Suiter Building - a Queen Anne style building
located at 400 North Main Street in Herkimer. This building was a legacy
to the Herkimer County Historical Society in 1925 by Dr. A. Walter Suiter,
a prominent citizen and physician. It was named in memory of Dr. Suiter's
father, Col. James A. Suiter, a noted Civil War veteran.
The massive
doors which Dr. Suiter ordered for the entrance to his mansion were built
of mahogany. The griffin is one of two which grace the ornately carved
front doors. The interior architectural elements are fashionable for the
1880's and include decorative hinges, burl veneer door panels and rectilinear
banisters and newel posts with incised decoration.
One room in
the Suiter building depicts Dr. Suiter's library with his record books,
round oak table and other artifacts that would have been in a library
in 1884. The style of the library is Eastlake with a beautiful tiled fireplace
with etchings of Greek gods and goddesses with a mahogany mantel. An interesting
fact is that the house was never lived in. It was used by Dr. Suiter as
his doctor's office, waiting room and his library. Housed in this building
is a free exhibit designed to be self-guided or you can ask for a guided
tour. Currently the permanent exhibit is "All In A Days Work: Working
People, Working Lives." The exhibit covers four rooms and features
displays on early settlers and transportation, agriculture, industry and
domestic life in Herkimer County. The artifacts date from the 1700's to
the 1990's.
One room
on the first floor is set up for rotating exhibits. Currently, the exhibit
is a Veterans exhibit done by Historical Society President Jeff Steele.
Please stop by to check out this relatively new exhibit!
On the second
floor of the Suiter Building is the Fairfield Room featuring artifacts
and photographs from the Fairfield Seminary, Medical College and Military
School which was located in Fairfield, N.Y. Another room on the second
floor is the Daughters of the American Revolution Room with a collection
of genealogical material for the researcher to use. The books are from
Margaret McKay's own private collection.
The 1870
Eckler House is Italianate in style and is located adjacent to
the Suiter building. This is where the Society's offices are located as
well as our Resource Center/Library and Gift Shop. A nice feature in the
building is the Snell cabinet showcasing a variety of artifacts from the
Society's collection. Currently there is a display on the Mohawk Valley
Bottling Works that was in operation from 1929 to 1984 located in the
village of Herkimer.
Herkimer County Jail - This Federal style building is owned by
the Herkimer County goernment, but tours are regularly given by the Herkimer
County Historical Society. A museum display is set up on the criminal
justice system of the past, featuring the famous cases of Chester Gillette
(the "American Tragedy") and Roxalana Druse. Learn what life
was like to be in jail in the 1800's and tour the jail cell area on the
first floor.
On a lighter
note, we have the Joyce Keller doll house and miniature display of 7 houses
and 18 room boxes created from 1925-1985. A treat for young and old alike!
these displays are temporarily unavailable for touring because of restoration
work that needs to be done on the building. A new group, Friends
of Historic Herkimer County, has organized to help
save the Jail and have been doing fundraising efforts for this purpose.
For the status on their activities, you can call the Society at (315)
866-6413 or email us.
The 1873 Courthouse is still in the
property of the Herkimer County government and acts as the headquarters
for the Sheriff's Department. It is the site of the famous 1906 Gillette
trial ("Adirondack Tragedy") among the many other cases that
were heard in the court room.
The 1834
Reformed Church was the church to many early residents in Herkimer
and still continues in operation. It houses one of the last remaining
Tiffany walls that was restored several years ago.
and group tours are offered by calling Sue Perkins at (315) 866-6413.
The school tours cover the Historic Four Corners, which takes two hours.
Group tours can be shortened or lengthened depending on the desire of
the group. We also offer an architectural workshop to school groups whose
students learn about architecture in Herkimer County and become familiar
with using the library's resources to research the history of a home.
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text:
Several music websites lists current songs being played on the radio, including Billboard.com and TasteofCountry.com. Radio listeners can also check the websites of their favorite station to see what new songs are being played.
Each website focuses on specific aspects of the music industry. For example, Billboard.com lists the most popular new songs each week, based on radio airplay and audience impressions. This information is calculated by Nielsen Music and includes songs from all genres. TasteofCountry.com provides information each month about the new country songs being played on the radio.
Radio listeners may also find a list of new radio songs on their favorite station's website. For example, KISS 108 in Boston posts current playlists for listeners.


text:
Video Tutorial
Equilibrium Photoshop Action
Create nice effects from your photos with little effort at all. Make sure to watch the Equilibrium Video Tutorial on how install and how to use it.
The action will ONLY WORK IN THE ENGLISH VERSION OF PHOTOSHOP, If you are not using the English version of Photoshop, PLEASE CHANGE YOUR PHOTOSHOP TO ENGLISH VERSION follow the next steps for how change to Photoshop English Version
Package Content:
- EquilibriumAction.ATN
- Equilibrium_Shape.CSH
- Equilibrium_Pattern
- A tXt file with install instructions and links for video tutorial and download shapes
How to Install
- Open Photoshop
- Open Equilibrium Photoshop action folder
- From Equilibrium folder select Equilibrium Pattern, Equilibrium Shape and Equilibrium Action Files.
- Drag and drop this files in to anywhere photoshop workspace
Please watch the above video tutorial for a demonstration of How to install
Using The Action
- Open a photo to work with
- Review that the photo layer is locked and set as the 'Background'.
- Create a new layer above the Background layer called 'brush'. MUST be all lowercase.
- With the 'brush' layer selected, brush onto the areas of your photo that you want to apply the effect.
- Now click play on the action!
- After a few secons the action stop then you may be create any shape that you want and put this centered over your model.
- In the panel action clic in play
If You like Equilibrium Action Please Rate this Action Under Your Download Section If You Need Customization for My Action or You Need Special Action Please Contact me Via My Profile Page


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Bishop Gérald Caussé Shares Message on the Restoration
Contributed By By R. Scott Lloyd, Church News staff writer
Article Highlights
- The principle of an apostasy and a subsequent latter-day restoration of gospel truths is central to the message of the Church.
- Knowledge that God and Jesus Christ are separate and distinct and each has a body of flesh and bone is a critical doctrine of the Restoration.
- The coming forth of the Book of Mormon and the restoration of the priesthood are also key elements in the doctrine of the Church.
While the Church shares values with other Christians—such as a high regard for the family and caring for the poor and the needy—it has doctrines that are incompatible with other faiths, Bishop Gérald Caussé said.
He explained, "It is unthinkable to most people that there has not been an uninterrupted succession of authority since Jesus Christ."
Yet the principle of an apostasy and a subsequent latter-day restoration of gospel truths is central to the message of the Church, he said.
Bishop Caussé, First Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric and a member of the Missionary Executive Council, spoke January 14 at the seminar for new missionary training center presidents and visitors' center directors.
Among the critical elements of the doctrine of the Church that are an essential contribution of the Restoration are a correct knowledge of the identity of God, that God and Jesus Christ are separate and distinct, each with a body of flesh and bone, Bishop Caussé said.
Such knowledge "influences our very relationship with our Heavenly Father and with Jesus Christ," he said.
Other key elements in the doctrine of the Church are the coming forth of the Book of Mormon in the latter days and the restoration of the keys of the priesthood, he said.
"The Book of Mormon is about the doctrine of Christ," he declared.
"If we just had the Book of Mormon and no priesthood keys restored, how constraining [that would be], because we would know what we have to do, but we couldn't do it," Bishop Caussé remarked. "And this is exactly what led to Joseph Smith asking about and receiving the Aaronic Priesthood, because translating the Book of Mormon, he knew baptism was fundamental."
In response to his asking, Joseph subsequently received visits, in turn, from John the Baptist; Peter, James, and John; Moses; Elias; and Elijah, "each carrying keys that were fundamental to the Restoration," Bishop Caussé said, including keys that related to the ordinances of salvation and the turning of the hearts of fathers to their children and children to their fathers.


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There is no education like adversity.—Benjamin Disraeli
The founders of Kinkos and JetBlue, the President/COO of Goldman Sachs, the CEOs of Virgin Atlantic Airlines and Cisco all enjoy professional success, wealth, and power.
But economist Malcom Gladwell identifies another, lesser known commonality: they are dyslexic. In fact, says Gladwell, people with learning disabilities such as dyslexia comprise a disproportionately-high percentage of "highly-successful" business personalities, leading Gladwell to posit that adversity may well produce (or at least contribute to) success. People facing adversity garner a deeper sense of appreciation for opportunity and success because they have had to fight vigorously for both.
The human spirit rises in the face of adversity. When the Jewish people did battle, they were required to leave one side open to permit the enemy to retreat, should they so choose (Bamidbar 31:7 and Sifri ad loc.; see Ramban's Commandments Omitted by Rambam, No. 5). While this formation was essentially an act of mercy, it also achieved a clever military objective because a cornered and completely-surrounded enemy is likely to rise to the occasion and fight even more vigorously (see Meshech Chochma, Bamidbar 31:7). We give our enemies an "out" because we recognize that, if we don't, they will mount an even more formidable opposition.
So it is in matters of the spirit. One should be grateful for adversity because it draws one closer to G-d (Tanchuma, Ki Seitzei 2), and Torah only endures when learned and observed under difficult circumstances (Yalkut Shimoni, Koheles 968; Sota 21b). Perhaps that is why we are "to bless adversity just as [we] bless the good" (Berachos 54a; see Shabbos 13b)—because it brings out the best in us.
The robust Jewish mafia in pre-World War II Lodz was comprised of members who, by and large, were not at all observant; on the contrary, their lives were antithetical to the Torah.
When the Nazis (y"s) invaded the city, they seized Torah scrolls and unrolled them alongside an open sewage line. They rounded up some Jews and ordered them to stand on the scrolls and dig mud from the sewer onto them. Those who refused would be shot.
To break their spirit, the Nazis commanded the leader of the Jewish Mafia to grab a shovel and begin dig. The man refused.
"Do it or we will shoot you," the Nazis barked.
But the leader of the Mafia remained resolute: "there's no way I'm standing on my G-d's Torah and humiliating it like this." He opened his shirt and told the Nazis to shoot him.
And they did.
Rav Shach would marvel at this story. This man's entire life was contrary to a Torah lifestyle, but when others sought to deprive him of his tenuous connection to that Torah, he did not hesitate to sacrifice his life for it.
G-d's throws adversity our way "to afflict [us] and to challenge [us], to do good for [us]"—it serves a dual purpose: it challenges, but it also uplifts (Devarim 8:16 and Chofetz Chaim ad loc.). Difficult life tests catapult us to meet those challenges. As Albert Einstein observed, "adversity introduces a man to himself."
Jewish parents bless their sons to be like Ephraim and Menashe—not the other tribes, not like Moshe or Aharon, and not like Avraham or Yitzchak or Yaakov—because only Ephraim and Menashe grew up in the spiritually inhospitable environment of Egypt (Bereishis 41:50-52). Challenged in this exile, they did not stray—they flourished. Adversity brought out the best in them, and we wish the same for our children. Not to cower in the face of adversity. To own it. To grow from it.
Chanuka celebrates the Jewish penchant for using challenges to bring out our best.
On Chanuka, we thank G-d "for the miracles, for the redemption, for the mighty deeds, for the salvations, and for the wars." Now, it's easy to understand our appreciation for the miracles, the redemption, the mighty deeds, and the salvation. But the wars? For all the world's clamoring that Israel is an aggressor, the Jewish people are not belligerent or bloodthirsty, nor are we particularly fond of wars.
Yet it was the wars that brought out our A-game.
Under Hellenistic influence, we lost excitement for the Torah and its laws (see Bach, Orach Chaim 670); our appreciation even for the most basic commandments with which we identify—Shabbos, Bris Mila, Rosh Chodesh—had lost its luster. But then the Greeks waged war against us to abolish these and other core components of our Jewish essence. Suddenly, we had to fight for the very things we held dear but perhaps had taken for granted. It was only then that we grasped just how important these things are.
The military victory came and went, and, before long—only about 100 years later—the Maccabee-ruled state already had lost its independence to Roman hegemony. But the war had sparked the Jews to fight for those things we hold dear, and, in so doing, restored our deep appreciation for Torah and Jewish identity. In that sense, the war truly is cause for thanks (Pri Tzaddik, Chanuka).
We are no strangers to adversity, and that has kept us going even in our darkest hours.
It was Chanuka in Bergen-Belsen and, of course, there was no oil, no candle, no Menora, no nothing. But the inimitable Jews still managed to craft a makeshift Menora from a wooden clog, a thread from a concentration camp uniform, and contraband shoe polish. Chanuka would still have its light, if but for a brief moment.
The first night, the Bluzhover Rebbe lit the improvised Menora and recited the first two blessings in a festive melody tinged with sorrow and pain. But before reciting the third blessing, he paused and scanned the room. He then turned back to the Menora, and in a stronger, more purposeful voice recited the third blessing: "Blessed are You our G-d, King of the Universe, Who has kept us alive, preserved us, and allowed us to reach this occasion."
One of the assembled pushed his way to the Rebbe. "How can you thank G-d for allowing us to reach such a terrible occasion? This is 'keeping us alive'? For this you thank G-d?"
"Like you," answered the Rebbe, "I hesitated before reciting the third blessing. But then I saw throngs of my fellow Jews willing to sacrifice their meager existence to be here, their faces full of faith and devotion. And then I understood that if I am blessed to see people who maintain hope in the face of such dire circumstances, it is indeed a reason to thank G-d." As with the wars in Chanuka of old, it was an existential challenge that had brought out our best, and that was reason enough to give thanks.
The inset iconic image—a snapshot of frightening times not long ago—is a testament to that. The pictured Menora belonged to Rabbi Akiva Boruch and Rachel Posner, leaders of the Jewish community in Kiel, Germany. They never hesitated to denounce the Nazi regime, and their deliberate placement of the Menora staring down a Nazi banner was the ultimate act of defiance, as were the words Rachel inscribed on the back of the original photograph: Hanukkah, 5692. 'Judea dies,' thus says the banner. 'Judea will live forever,' thus respond the lights.
It's becoming increasingly more difficult to feel it, but we still live in times of relative peace and tranquility for the practice of Judaism.
And yet the message of Chanuka endures. Ironically, it is precisely when we can practice our religion freely that we often fail to evoke the same commitment as when we are persecuted.
Chanuka challenges us to search ourselves and find that commitment. Not the physical courage needed to overcome oppression and religious coercion as in the past, but a more subtle—though no less intense—expression of spiritual courage and resolve.


text: Hi. I'm new here, new to iPads, and I'm English. er...what else.... I bought an iPad2 after watching a vid of David Hockney using Brushes app. I wanted some of that. But my favourite app so far is Flipboard which I want to call Flipbook because I've never even seen a flipboard, and the pages turn like one of those kid's books with the stiff thick pages (actually that's called a Board-book, isn't it? you see how easily confusing it is?) Its best selling point (though it's a free app) is Flickr Interesting so I can see good photos without experiencing Flickr's bland homogenous white prescriptive clonesville site. Plus they sold out to Yahoo! I bought a stylus yesterday! But I still think finger is best (I have eight and am thinking of having another one fitted) - for true connection! I won't be happy until I can climb right into the webspace, not like Matrix and thing but for real, and fully interact. that's enough boring words for now... see you. Ian Russell


text:
#1 How to enable task manager in Windows Vista/ XP [Registry/regedit] on Sun Dec 04, 2011 3:03 pm
Board Admin
For Other Windows XP Home Version Users:
If you don't have Windows XP Professional, then you'll need to edit the registry manually.
Click Start, then click Run, type in regedit, and click on OK.
Expand these registry keys in turn:
• Software
• Microsoft
• Windows
• CurrentVersion
• Policies
• System
You should see something similar to this:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Right Click on the DisableTaskMgr item:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Click on Delete, confirm that you want to delete, and Task Manager should be available once again.
If above changes won't work, task manager might be disabled at domain level. In such a case, contact your system administrator.


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The Albuquerque independent film community in action!
Time: April 2, 2017 from 3pm to 6pm
Location: FilmMakerSpace
Street: 19B Plaza Nueva & 3 Nuevo Milenio
City/Town: Santa Fe, NM
Website or Map: https://www.google.com/webhp?…
Phone: 310-497-0597
Event Type: film, salon:, screening, and, discussion
Organized By: Shereen Noon
Latest Activity: Mar 30, 2017
Filmmakers Club will host another FILM SALON
We will be viewing and discussing Academy Award Winner Best Picture 2016 SPOTLIGHT Written by Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer Starring Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery, Brian d'Arcy James, Billy Crudup and Stanley Tucci
At least a 48 hour RSVP from members required to attend (310) 497-0597
WHERE: Elemental Films FilmMakerSpace 19-B Plaza Nueva (or Via Plaza Nueva) Santa Fe 87507 (Google "Elemental Films Santa Fe" for directions.) We're at the end of the 2nd building as you go around the one way Aldea Plaza. Look for the big Elemental Films window sign, enter the lobby, left door. For the first ½ hour, we'll get our lattes, espressos, or herbal teas at FilmMakerSpace, then at 3:30 head over to the Aldea Community/Media Center in the building on the other side of the plaza. If you're arriving after 3:20 come straight over to the Media Center.
Filmmakers Club: As a Filmmakers Club member, you're invited to participate in all our events, presentations, screenings, and trainings. We host Film Salons, screenings, presentations, and trainings -- specifically on story development, screenwriting, producing, directing, editing, distribution, and more of the technical aspects of filmmaking. During our frequent workshops, we'll get into greater detail and development of YOUR current projects.
2017 SCHEDULE usually 3:00-6pm, unless otherwise noted in the most recent newsletter.
SAVE THE DATES & BRING A FILM FRIEND! Sunday April 2 Sunday May 7 Sunday June 4 Sunday July 9 Sunday Aug 6 Sunday Sept 10 Sunday Oct 8 Sunday Nov 5 Sunday Dec 3 Filmmakers Club Membership 2017 Fees: $75 per person and $125 for couples until Dec. 31, 2017. Non-members: $10/monthly coffee or $20 to attend a training, screening, workshop, or event.
Our vision is to provide a creative, connected and supportive NM Filmmaker community where we host all kinds of informative and fun gatherings that empower each of us in our successes in 2017 and beyond. FilmMakerSpace has a first class Coffee Bar, gorgeous 360 mountain views, space for private/group meetings or presentations, a shooting location, Hi-speed Wi-Fi, workspace to develop, write, and edit your projects, story development, camera, sound, and technical support, and a place to get some real work done without interruption. To the west, our large deck has stunning sunset views and is perfect for working outside and enjoying a delicious cup of coffee.
FilmMakerSpace even has a lovely European style plaza with a gorgeous Spanish fountain and shady pergola for parties and celebrations, and we can party to live musicians! See you Sunday! Keep Telling Stories That Matter!
© 2018 Created by Carrie Wells, ABQ Film Office. Powered by


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Xerox discovers how to return the original color to black-and-white fax images
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Press release from the issuing companySCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Nov. 7, 2005 -- When a colored document is faxed on a black-and-white machine, is the color gone for good? Not necessarily, according to Karen M. Braun, a Xerox Corporation imaging scientist and co-developer of the first way to encode documents so that the colors of the original image can be recovered from a print made on a black-and-white printer, fax or copier. At the Society for Imaging Science and Technology's annual Color Imaging Conference here, Braun and Ricardo L. deQueiroz, who's on the faculty of the Universidade de Brasilia in Brazil, are describing their work in a paper called "Color to Gray and Back: Color Embedding into Textured Gray Images." The presentation is one of six being made by Xerox researchers at the conference this week. Braun and deQueiroz began with a common problem. When a color image is copied, printed or faxed on a black-and-white device, the colors are converted to shades of gray. Two different colors with the same luminance - or perceived brightness - may "map" to the same shade of gray, making it impossible to interpret the information the colors carry. When that happens on graphics like pie charts or bar charts, two colors will look the same and the chart loses its information value. While trying to figure out how to retain the information conveyed in color graphs and pictures, the researchers looked for new ways to represent color images in black-and-white. Their method turns each color into a microscopically different texture or pattern in the gray parts of an image. It makes it easy to identify colors with similar luminance value, making the pictures more pleasing and the graphs more useful. The new method also had an unexpected benefit, according to Braun. "When you map color to textures in this way, the textures can later be decoded and converted back to color," she said. Thus the recipient of a black-and-white fax could recover the colors of the original. It would also allow colors to be retrieved from a printed black-and-white hardcopy. Xerox has applied for a patent on the technology. How might the technology someday be used? In practice, the part of the algorithms that code the colors could be integrated within the software of a black-and-white printer so colors could be transformed to textured grays. The decoding part of the algorithms could be part of a multifunction system's scanner, recovering the original colors so the document could be switched back to vivid color for display or print. Braun is part of a contingent of Xerox researchers sharing their work at the annual conference for color scientists. Others presenting papers and tutorials are Raja Bala, R. Victor Klassen, Martin Maltz, Jon McElvain, and J. Michael Sanchez - a group that collectively hold 88 patents in the areas of color control, calibration, characterization and image processing.
Industry News
Copyright © 2018 WhatTheyThink. All Rights Reserved


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You have until Feb 01, 2019 to return or exchange items bought after Nov 01, 2018. All other standard return policy conditions apply.
Now Viewing:
The Kino Flo KAS-V61 Center Shipping Case is a heavy-duty reinforced plywood wheeled case with custom padding made to transport a VistaBeam 600 fluorescent fixture with center mount. The case has recessed handles and latches. It also has heavy-duty built-in wheels for easy transport..
Exterior: Vinyl clad plywood
Exterior: Reinforced edges and corners
Interior: Custom padding
|Type of Closure
|Recessed butterfly latches
|Exterior Dimensions
|41.5 x 15.5 x 44" (105.5 x 39.5 x 112cm) (LxWxH)
|Interior Dimensions
|Not Specified by Manufacturer
|Kino Flo VistaBeam 600 fixture fluorescent fixture with center mount and accessories
|Carrying/Transport Options
Recessed handles
Built-in wheels
|94 lbs (42.3kg)
|Packaging Info
|Package Weight
|103.9 lb
|Box Dimensions (LxWxH)
|44.5 x 41.5 x 16.5"


text:
1964 Chrysler Imperial Crown Custom
- Condition: Used
- Make: Chrysler
- Model: Imperial
- Type: Coupe
- Trim: Crown Custom
- Year: 1964
- Mileage: 45,600
- Color: Blue
- Engine size: 413, v/8
- Number of cylinders: 8
- Power options: Air Conditioning, Power Windows, Power Seats
- Fuel: Gasoline
- Transmission: push button
- Drive type: RWD
- Interior color: Blue
- Options: Leather Seats
- Vehicle Title: Clear Want to buy? Contact seller!
1964 Chrysler Imperial
selling my Classic, 964, hrysler Crown Custom, dr Coupe, ought new locally, n our family a long time, ave documents with thevehicle, nbsp;45k miles are original, ar is all original, aint shows wear, ut the pictures, re from yesterday, ar is tagged, nd insured,this car speaks for itself,Interior is excellent, ith factory plastic seat covers,mostly still in tact,car runsgreat, nd very fast, he drive train is all original, ush button, utomatic, 13 v/8, 40 horse power, s quiet, mooth, ven could be a lady's car,updated with new plugs, nd belts, attery, ear shocks, ront brakes,air works, nd the rear air also, actory, ilt steering wheel,a, fm. factory radio, re rareoptions, ower seat, ower antennae, arpet needs a good shampoo, nbsp;under carriage, nd trunk are in great shape, ar has no leaks, ower windows are working, low to average, he 4 door Crown Custom Coupe,s, ere very low production, ossibly under 500, ith very little remaining, o if you want a drive any where car, lace your bids, ndHappy Holidays, here ever you are,, uestions, 01-707-3314, r email, o texts please unless, ou call, r email firstOn Dec-23-15 at 23:34:09 PST, eller added the following information:
reserve is low for this car, illing to sell worldwide, ith a secure buyer


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Crystal Lumber & Hardware
Serving Iron County Since 1953
Crystal Lumber & Hardware, based in Crystal Falls, Michigan, is a family owned and operated retail building material and hardware supplier. Crystal Lumber was founded in 1953 under the name Crystal Home Improvements and is Iron County's oldest full-service, year-round Lumber, Hardware and Building Material Supply Center. In addition to building materials and hardware, Crystal Lumber offers Cabinetry, Countertops and Fixtures for Kitchens and Bathrooms as well as many other constructions related products.
Since its introduction in 1953, Crystal Lumber has contributed greatly to the community of Iron County, Michigan and surrounding area through perseverance, hard work, and many outstanding customers and employees. Crystal Lumber has assisted in the construction of hundreds of new homes, thousands of remodeling projects and as always continues to give back to many, community groups and organizations.
There are many treatment options for various health problems. In fact, online drugstores fill millions of online prescriptions daily. Kamagra is a far-famed preparation used to treat impotency. Learn more about how do you catch hepatitis c. Peradventure you know about how to get hepatitis c The most significant thing you need look for is how do you contract hepatitis c. Many perchance sure the forcefulness of Kamagra is well documented. Whereas the erectile malfunction itself isn't necessarily strong, erectile disfunction is sometimes one of the early warning signs of other underlying heartiness conditions that can be extremely strong. Other remedies may interact with this remedy, including prescription herbal products. Not all potential interactions are listed in this treatment guide. Do not get drugs like Kamagra from an online pharmacy that isn't licensed in your country or that sells medicines without prescriptions.