text: Sijun Forums :: View topic - Azureus Rising - Art & Proof of Concept shortfilm Log in to check your private messages Sijun Forums Forum Index >> Gallery/Finished Work View previous topic :: View next topic Author Topic : "Azureus Rising - Art & Proof of Concept shortfilm" HideyoshimemberMember #Joined: 08 Jun 2005Posts: 303Location: Germany Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 5:06 am Hi folks, I worked for animator David Weinstein on a proof of concept shortfilm called Azureus Rising which is finally done. There are plans to make this into a feature length CG movie in the future afaik. I was art director/prodution designer for this and created almost all the mechanical and environment designs. Character art was created by James Zhang. Have a look and please check out the final proof of concept on http://www.azureusrising.com ---- A few more sketches on my website: www.hideyoshi-ruwwe.net cheers! Back to top NaeemmemberMember #Joined: 13 Oct 2004Posts: 1222Location: USA Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 8:06 am The final result came out extremely well. The designs translated quite nicely into 3d. Congrats on a beautiful and successfully finished project. I think the scorpion bot is my fav of the designs. Cool enviros too._________________http://www.annisnaeem.blogspot.com/ Back to top HideyoshimemberMember #Joined: 08 Jun 2005Posts: 303Location: Germany Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 3:31 am Thanks a lot Annis, much appreciated! Back to top mickememberMember #Joined: 19 Jan 2000Posts: 1666Location: Oslo/Norway Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 10:21 pm Very nice! I like the ship, scorpion and the backgrounds. Back to top bryananthonydgmjunior memberMember #Joined: 08 Jul 2010Posts: 18 Posted: Sun Jul 11, 2010 6:01 am Wow ! Very futuristic ! I love the car and the drone !! Back to top Nexamjunior memberMember #Joined: 07 Dec 2009Posts: 44Location: Lyon, France Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2010 3:29 am nice work here ! Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Sijun Forums Forum Index -> Gallery/Finished Work All times are GMT - 8 Hours Page 1 of 1 Jump to: Select a forum Digital Art----------------Digital Art DiscussionWork in ProgressGallery/Finished Work Miscellaneous----------------Random MusingsArchive : Sep99 - Dec00 You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum Powered by phpBB © 2005 phpBB Group


text:
Young Jeezy - Welcome Back
Young Jeezy's latest music video for his newest single "Welcome Back", from his third major studio album The Recession in stores now!
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
lucky mananaog
- Aaron T. Won BIG $84,198.00
- William F. Won BIG £46,080.00
- William F. Won BIG £40,960.00
- Natalie C. Won BIG £36,000.00
- William G. Won BIG £31,250.00
- Neil B. Won BIG £29,850.00
- Robert D. Won BIG £27,600.00
- Petra S. Won BIG €26,625.00
- Christopher B. Won BIG £25,400.00
- William G. Won BIG £25,000.00
- Paul Julio E. Won BIG $25,000.00
- Ali K. Won BIG £24,950.00
- Ali K. Won BIG £18,400.00
- Chris T. Won BIG £17,850.00
- Arron B. Won BIG £16,960.00
- William G. Won BIG £15,600.00
- Ali K. Won BIG £14,000.00
- Ryan S. Won BIG £12,800.00
- David S. Won BIG £12,720.00
- Stanimir M. Won BIG £12,640.00
- Paul Julio E. Won BIG $12,500.00
- Karen M. Won BIG £12,500.00
- Ali K. Won BIG £12,320.00
- Ali K. Won BIG £12,100.00
- Andrew S. Won BIG £12,000.00
promosyon Kini mao ang subject sa termino ug mga kondisyon
About Jackpots Games
The Bigger the Online Jackpot Games, The Sweeter the Wins!
While it's certainly true that winning isn't everything, new UK slots with progressive jackpot games have the potential to really change your life! Imagine winning over £22,000 playing Cash Splash Online, or almost £65,000 on King Cashalot…What's the first thing you'd do? Well there's only 1 way to find out – start playing SlotJar's incredible jackpot slots for free and find out!
Although you won't be able to activate the progressive jackpot games using your free £5 casino welcome bonus, it's nevertheless a great way to get started: Discover which themes from classic fruit machines, to Batman Slots you like best, and then start wagering for real money when you're ready.
What Sets Jackpot Slots Apart from Regular Slots Online?
It's important to note that most 'regular slots' can offer up to 3 different jackpot payouts: These generally comprise of a 'base jackpot' which all real money casino players who meet the requirements (e.g 5 wild symbols on an activated payline) can win, as well as a secondary jackpot payout, and then the mother-of-all-jackpots…the Progressive! The base jackpot varies from one game to the next so using your free casino deposit bonuses to the fullest is well worth the time it takes to understand the differences between them all. For example:
- Fruit Fiesta only has a Progressive Jackpot – although matching fruit symbols on the reels will also payout substantially
- Tunzamunni can only be played for real money, but other than than the progressive win, players could hit the second highest payout of 10,000 coins x the wagered amount
- Thunderstruck II with 243 Ways to Win is not only a sensational progressive jackpot, but also has a base jackpot of 1,000 coins. Better still, is that you can play Thunderstruck Slots for free to see all the superb bonus features in the game
- The Dark Knight 5 Reel Video Slot is a Mega Progressive Jackpot with the second highest payout being a whopping 4,000,000 coins!
Playing standard slots, and even casino table games such as Baccarat and Poker will payout fixed amounts according to the pay-tables. But with Jackpot Slots, there's absolutely no limit to how much your could win.
Use Phone Deposit Methods to Play Cash Games for Massive Real Money Wins
When playing jackpot slots online, remember to check the gaming rules and/or paytables to ensure you've activated the progressive if that's what you're going for. With King Cashalot for example, players need to wager the maximum bet (45 coins) in order to activate it.
So it's a good thing that SlotJar's SMS Casino features are fully optimised for casino phone billing! Make real money casino deposits using mobile phone credit from just £10 minimum and a life-changing online jackpot win could soon be yours!


text:
Welcome To
Travel Survey Guidebook
PEOPLE'S CHOICE GUIDE CANCUN features the most Cancun Restaurants, Clubs, Bars, Accommodations, Tours and Attractions, presented along with comprehensive information, voter ratings, insightful comments and candid reviews from fellow travelers. Click here to purchase the only, all-in-one Cancun travel guide and survey.
Click here to discover exclusive CANCUN RESTAURANT DISCOUNTS and special offers from local merchants, available ONLY with PEOPLE'S CHOICE GUIDE CANCUN Travel Survey Guidebook.
Click here to visit our Accommodations Page. This is the best place to compare details, voter ratings, reviews and prices of Cancun Hotels, Time-Share Resorts and Privately Owned Condominiums.
Click here to Vote and Comment about Cancun restaurants, clubs, bars and accommodations. All participants in our online survey will receive a Contributor's Discount off the retail price of the PEOPLE'S CHOICE GUIDE CANCUN Travel Survey Guidebook.
Click here to learn about instant discounts and donations made to the Cancun based charity GIVE A TOY, GET A SMILE, with every Guidebook purchased via Buy Direct & Save on the Shop Page.
Click here to enter our weekly drawing to win a FREE PEOPLE'S CHOICE GUIDE CANCUN, the guidebook with the most Cancun Restaurants, Clubs, Bars, Hotels, Tours and Attractions.


text:
Hi all
Does anyone have a Kindle? As an avid reader I am starting to run out of space in my apartment. I can't throw any away as I have too many favorites that I go back to from time to time. So I was thinking about getting a Kindle.
Does anyone have one? What are your feelings/experiences with using one. I'm all for embracing modern technology, but I do like the feel of a book in my hands.
I would only be using it for leisure, not study.
Thanks guys
Views: 622


text:
There's been no shortage of appalling gun rampages this summer, considering the shootings at a Toronto mall or backyard BBQ, the Batman shooter in Colorado, or the racist lunatic who shot up a Sikh temple during his fucked up skinhead wet dream. If you're a legal gun owner or enthusiast you're shit out of luck when it comes to positive PR, especially when it seems like everybody with a gun and a mental illness is turning their weapons against innocent people every other day. That's why when photographer Ben Philippi published his latest book God, Guns & Guts, a visually striking celebration of proud, legal gun owners across America, we knew we had to talk to the man who spent close to four years among gun-toting patriots. What he found was a group of welcoming people who shoot magnums in their spare time instead of running model trains, and are largely misunderstood because of it.
VICE: Why the name God, Guns & Guts?
Ben Philippi: It's a saying that exists in America. I didn't make it up. It was really the suggestion of Mark Muller, who's on the cover of my book. I first saw him back in 2009 on CNN being interviewed about a promotion he was having at his car dealership in Missouri called "God, Guns, Guts and American Pickup Trucks." The name hit a note with me, but it was two years later while I was visiting him and talking about titles for the book when he was like, "You should call it God, Guns & Guts 'cause it's controversial and it's going to piss off a lot of Democrats."
This is the guy that was giving away AK-47s with every purchase of a car, right?
That promotion all came out of something I later found out that Obama said, which was something to the effect of, "Those poor people in the Midwest are clinging to their Bibles and their guns." Mark heard that and said, "You know what? Fuck that prick, I'm going to give away free guns with the purchase of a car from my dealership." He didn't just hand people a gun though. He gave them a voucher that meant they needed to have background checks before you could receive the gun at a store. The people who saw this promotion really latched onto it because to them it meant something more and had to do with how they felt about the government. Then a year after all of that, he did "Snipers for Vipers."
"Snipers for Vipers"?
Yeah, he gave away .50 caliber sniper rifles with the purchase of a viper. Those are legal weapons that can take out an airplane or hit somebody from two miles away, if you have a good shot.
So I take it Mark is one of your favorite characters you met during the completion of the book?
Definitely. I remain in personal contact with a lot of my subjects. He was my favorite though, and we've ended up becoming really good friends. Actually I just shot a teaser for a reality TV show that he's going to star in with his brother, a radio jockey in Chicago named Mancow Muller, about his crazy selling antics.
How did you actually find all of the people in this book?
While I was living in LA I started posting ads on Craigslist in the talent section saying, "Would you like to be photographed with your guns?" The only stipulation was that you had to own a real gun. The response was overwhelming, and one person led to another. Some people were hesitant because they didn't know why I wanted to do this project and thought I was out to exploit them.
Well why did you decide to do it?
Basically after 9/11 I saw that America's military was becoming the Military Industrial Complex that we all feared. I thought, this isn't good. War's not the answer, unless it's absolutely necessary. I'm a hippie libertarian in that way. But what I was really interested in was how it was also the American people who were buying more guns. There are almost enough guns in the States to arm every citizen. So I was interested to see if there was a correlation between the two; a powerful people and a powerful army. For a lot of people guns are a metaphor for freedom, independence, and being able to control your surroundings or defend yourself. All the people I met with in the book were legal gun owners, not gangsters or anything—these were legal, unashamed gun owners.
Right now people are really demonizing gun owners. In your experiences what do they actually look like in the States?
There are all kinds, really. There are people who are generally interested in them, just like somebody who's into cars or stamps. There are hunters, people who like to target shoot, and there are the people who are ultimately paranoid that the government is going to bust through their door and stick a gun in their face and arrest them for something they didn't do. There are also the people who are afraid that the economy is going to crash or there's going to be a natural disaster, and they have stockpiles of rice and guns. A good example is Hurricane Katrina, where some people were able to defend their homes after doing stuff like that. A lot of people in LA cited the LA Riots as a perfect reason to own a gun.
Would you say gun owners do separate on Republican and Democratic lines?
It's definitely a left and right thing. But there are a lot of Democrats with guns. That being said, I'd say the majority of gun owners are Republicans or Libertarians, no question about it. They're way more armed.
A lot of your photos are people with cigars, sunglasses, and cowboy hats. Was it their choice to dress themselves that way?
I think that look is how some gun owners see themselves or present themselves. I think these people are discriminated against as gun owners and want to be covert in the background, don't necessarily want to be singled out. Some thought if the government saw them in the book they could identify them so they put on more of a disguise. Keeping a low profile for them, in case shit hits the fan, was key. It's better to be unknown and fly under the radar.
Do some people just buy guns just for collecting and not necessarily for self-defense?
A good example of that is this cop named Ike who's a really cool guy, very inviting and hospitable. He took me into his house and in this room with like a sliding wall that has a collection with a hell of a lot of guns and a gun range inside. He's just a really proud gun owner who's more of a hobbyist than anything. I photographed him with a Tommy gun from the 30s that was a collector's item because it once belonged to a gangster who died with it, and there was a legitimate blood stain on the wood panelling. It was really cool, truly a beautiful thing. Anybody would look at that and be like, "This is really fucking cool."
Were there a lot of female gun owners approaching you to be photographed?
You know, women buying guns is the most emerging market in gun sales. It's huge right now, like pink guns, guns small enough to put in your purse… there was this one girl in Las Vegas named Sara Jane and she bought a gun because her house was broken into and the only thing the robber stole was all of her underwear. I mean, the strip of Las Vegas is like a giant toilet bowl in the hot sun with a lot of seedy people, so she was concerned enough to go buy a gun for her own self-defense. And she's not a violent person at all, but a hippie who goes to Burning Man every year.
What is your take on gun ownership and governmental control?
I think legal gun owners almost never are the people committing gun crime. I think as long as you're not a criminal and go through the legal steps to own a gun, you should be allowed to, and if you own one it doesn't mean you're a bad person who wants to kill people. When you buy guns in the States you have to provide a background check, but the guy in Colorado was clearly psychologically unsound and shouldn't have been allowed to, so somewhere somebody fucked up. Legal gun owners are the last people in the world who are going to hurt somebody. There are even incidents where people carrying guns can save people. I was in Bosnia in the 90s and these people were victimized by the Yugoslav Army and they desperately needed guns to fight this incredibly overpowering force. Eventually they did, and saved themselves from a potential holocaust because the UN wasn't doing shit.
How has the reception to your book been in the gun community?
A lot of gun owners in the States think it's inaccurate but I think they might be paranoid or skeptical. They think there's a prejudice against them and they think my book makes them look menacing. I just don't think they should care about what people think about them. I think this is an art book and a celebration saying there's nothing shameful about owning a gun. God Bless America.
Check out a special book preview Ben made specifically for VICE here and the Facebook group here.
Follow Ben Makuch on Twitter @BMakuch


text:
We've made complete charts of the polling results we received from around the county. Check them out to see how your town voted!
The full text of this article is only available to online subscribers.
Are you an online subscriber? Click to login.
Click here to learn more about our subscription options.
If you have a print subscription, you can now add an online subscription at no additional charge! Just email us with your name and mailing address to set it up.
Subscribe to Online Edition
Online PDF Print Edition
Copyright 2011 Addison Independent | 58 Maple Street, Middlebury, Vt. 05753 | All Rights Reserved
Site Development by Surf New Media


text:
Viruses, other threats to pollinators spur increased beekeeping
March 11, 2013
From: The Moab Times-Independent
by Steve Kadel
The number of beekeepers and bee colonies in Grand County has increased significantly in the last five years in response to growing concern about diminishing pollinators for gardens and farms, and demand for locally produced honey.
That assessment comes from Jerry Shue, the county's bee inspector, who presented a report to the Grand County Council on Tuesday, March 5.
There are now 30 beekeepers with 97 colonies in Grand County, Shue said. That's up from three beekeepers and less than 10 colonies in 2008.
"It's hard to keep bees alive," Shue said. "There are virus problems."
The biggest issue facing beekeepers comes from parasitic mites and the viruses they transmit, according to Shue's report. Other threats come from pesticides and lack of forage due to increasing development of the land.
"Honey bee colonies in Grand County are typical of those throughout the country, with evidence of Varroa mites, multiple viruses, and poor queens," Shue said in his report.
During an interview, he said people should be concerned because honey bees pollinate a wide variety of plants including apple and orange trees, various melon plants, strawberries and almonds.
"One-third of our diet depends on pollination," Shue said.
To help bolster the local bee population, Grand County beekeepers are moving toward hatching their own queen bees rather than importing them. The process involves taking eggs a queen bee has laid and putting them in a hive that does not have a queen.
The hope is that a hardier strain of bee that is better able to resist mites will result, Shue said, as well as bolstering the number of queen bees in the area. Half of the queen bees in local colonies died during the winter of 2011-2012, he said.
The mortality rate for the past winter is not known because weather hasn't allowed enough inspections, according to Shue.
He noted that Africanized honeybees have not yet been identified in Grand County. They are considered more aggressive than other bees in defending their hives, and have a larger alarm zone around the hive.
Two colonies of Africanized honeybees have been found in Bluff, in San Juan County. Shue said swarm traps have been placed throughout Grand and San Juan counties to attract, identify and destroy any advancing Africanized bees.


text:
|California Wireless Solutions employees are central to our success. They are a diverse group, but one thing they share in common is their determination to provide excellent customer service to everyone who walks in the door. We reward their hard work with terrific career opportunities and advancement from within. We're very proud of our team, and as we grow we're always in search of great new people to join it.
|- Work in a collaborative environment
- Benefit from a career that will give you the growth you've always wanted
- Receive a generous discounted wireless device and plan
- Have fun while earning
|As a partner with Sprint, our store is committed to becoming the most customer-focused company in telecom. As a part of our team, you'll work with passionate, intelligent, respected industry leaders who remain continually committed to building a powerhouse organization and reaching the top.


text:
Only hotels in 33563 zip code are listed below. Search for cheap and discount hotel rates in Plant City, FL for your upcoming leisure or conference / group travel. We list the best 33563 hotels and motels so you can review the Plant City hotel list below to find the perfect lodging. Hotels in Hillsborough county and area code 813 are also listed.
How should we direct your call?


text:
Dear Gay Best Friend,
I just read an article of yours online and felt the need to inquire more advice from you.
So, here's the deal: I met this guy 2 weeks ago at a football party. He has text me non-stop, even text good morning and good night every day. Not to mention he text as soon as we get off work. I'm pretty sure he's a player, but because I see the best in people I am not so good at being a judge of character.
Sunday Brunch at Chicago's Parrot Cage Restaurant
Ok, so he asked to come over one night but then when I told him he couldn't spend the night he changed his mind. Then he proceeded to say maybe we can do dinner and a movie one night this week. I said ok. That night came. I asked him what we were going to do and he said a lot of cuddling and kissing. I reminded him that he mentioned dinner and movie. Then he said he would cook for me. After I let him know that he had to bring whatever he was cooking he decided he wasn't about all that. So, he came over and we just hung out in my living room talking and watching TV. Then he invites me to his softball game, so I go. Then the following Friday night I finally let him sleep over. We had sex, which wasn't that great actually. Then he came over the next night to a party I was hosting. He spent the night again but we didn't have sex. The next day (Sunday) he decided that he didn't know what he wanted anymore. He went from wanting to date and possibly a relationship to not knowing. However, he says he doesn't want to end things completely. I mean seriously???? Thank you for you time – What do I do now??? – Holding Pattern
"My Boyfriend Wants Me To Add Him To My Credit Cards, But He Makes More Than Me"
Dear Ms. Holding Pattern,
I think things are pretty cut and dry. What are you missing or not clear about? I mean even Stevie Wonder can see this guy's intentions. It's not brain surgery or rocket science. He wants S-E-X!
What brain does some of you women, and men operate from? I'm certain that the brain God gave you is not being used or even considered for functional use. If someone invites themselves to your house or for a night of cuddling and kissing, then what about their intentions are you not sure or clear about?
Here's a memo for all of you out there: IF YOU MEET SOMEONE AND THEY ARE TEXTING AND CALLING YOU LIKE CRAZY AND DESPERATELY AND EAGERLY WANTS TO GET TOGETHER AND HANG OUT AT YOUR, OR THEIR HOUSE, UHM, THEY DON'T WANT ANYTHING SERIOUS WITH YOU. IT'S ALL ABOUT SEX.
And, on the topic of texting; you people and these textual relationships. Do people actually call or dial numbers to hear an actual voice any longer? How can you develop and create a relationship with someone via text? Someone please explain that to me. And, the sad part is that it's not just the younger generation, but some of you grown ass folks who are participating in this behavior. What the hell?!?!?! But, I digress.
And, another thing, when did dating become going to someone's house and knowing the both of you are horny asses, but you convince yourself that you have all this restraint and nothing is going to go down, but then guess what happens, "It just happened." SMDH! Dating is going out and observing someone's behavior in public and interacting with other people, and especially with you. It's about going to various places that the you two have in common, or exploring new adventures together. It's not going to someone's house and sitting in the living room watching TV. Especially not on the first date. Ugh! I can't with you people.
But, you obviously found something you liked about him because your dumb ass kept entertaining him and his conversation. So, ask yourself why after several conversations and him being clear about what he wanted that you let him come over, have sex with him, and then get upset when he says he doesn't know what he wants anymore, but that he doesn't want things to end between the two of you?
You left the door wide open (meaning your legs) with an invitation to your bedroom and bed, and now you want to clutch your cheap ass pearls and act like Ms. I Got Some Values And Morals And Self-Respect For Myself. LMBAO! I can't do you today. Perhaps you should call your friend and let him do you. I don't have the time or energy.
So, to answer your question of what to do now? Uhm, hmmm, do you want to be his booty call? Do you want to be his jump-off? Do you, and can you, handle a casual sexual relationship with him? You did state that his sex game was not all that, but I'm certain you can teach him and train him on how to handle you and your cooty-cat. LOL!
That man is not interested in anything more with you other than sex. He's made that painfully and abundantly clear from the beginning. But, you, and like so many others don't listen to when someone is telling you who they are and what they want. You figure if you can get them to see how holy and virtuous you are that they will succumb to your light and change their evil and trifling ways. Chile, miss me already.
He wants sex. You don't. He wants to be friends with benefits. You don't. What he's communicating and expressing is not in alignment and part of your desires. Therefore cut your losses, move on, and make a note that this was a lesson learned. Know from this point moving forward that you need to listen and hear when a man is telling you what he wants. If he keeps stressing sex, sexual encounters, sexual contact, intimacy, cuddling, hugging, lounging, caressing, massages, or anything that requires body contact, then he is not interested in being in a relationship. He wants sex. Now, get back on the saddle, and mosey along. I'm certain there is a man out there who wants a relationship and will respect you and your body. – Straight From Your Gay Best Friend
Make sure to get your copy of my new book, Mogul: A Novel (Atria Books – June 2011; $15). It is available in bookstores everywhere, and on Amazon, click HERE!
Click on the "LIKE" button of Terrance Dean's Facebook Page, click HERE!
You can follow Terrance Dean on Twitter, click HERE!
You can also visit Terrance Dean's website to find out more about him, click HERE!


text:
Jovian, Latin in full Flavius Jovianus, (born c. 331, Singidunum, Moesia Superior [now Belgrade, Serb.]—died Feb. 17, 364, Dadastana, Bithynia [in present-day Turkey]), Roman emperor from 363 to 364.
Jovian took part in the expedition of the emperor Julian against Sāsānian Persia. He held the rank of senior staff officer and was proclaimed emperor by his troops after Julian was killed on June 26, 363. To extricate his army from Persia, the new ruler immediately concluded a peace, ceding to the Persians all Roman territory east of the Tigris River, together with the cities of Singara (modern Sinjār, Iraq) and Nisibis (modern Nusaybin, Turkey). Some of Jovian's contemporaries, believing that the army could have fought its way out, considered this treaty to be dishonourable.
As a Christian, Jovian disapproved of paganism, which had been encouraged under his predecessor. Magical practices were forbidden and gifts to churches restored. While still on his way from the frontier to Constantinople he died at Dadastana on the borders of Bithynia and Galatia and was buried in the church of the Holy Apostles in the capital. He was succeeded as emperor by Valentinian I.


text:
Chris Christie's Loss is [Someone's] Gain
We asked leading conservatives from Newt Gingrich to Mary Matalin to fill in the blank.
The fallout from the George Washington Bridge traffic debacle has opened the door for what might be the largest serious Republican presidential field in two decades. And that door is wide, wide open.
Politico Magazine asked some of the smartest and most experienced Republican operatives, pundits and even a former presidential candidate to weigh in on the suddenly unsettled field of 2016 GOP presidential aspirants. Three months ago, this conversation would have sounded like the Republican version of the Hillary chatter we're hearing on the left today. Most of us would simply have cast Chris Christie as the inevitable nominee-in-waiting. No one can make that argument now, and the continued sell-off of Christie's political stock has unlocked his formerly rock-solid donor base. It clearly tempts significant players to "buy the lottery ticket," as Grover Norquist puts it.
Story Continued Below
If you ask me, Christie is almost dead but too stubborn to lie down. But not all of my Republican colleagues agree. Some of these folks are still Christie fans; some see potential in other favorites like former Florida governor Jeb Bush, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, to name a few—and weigh their various strengths, weaknesses and selling propositions. Also making the list are former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan—all with previous experience on the national stage, though with obviously mixed results. Veep wannabe Sarah Palin and MSNBC host Joe Scarborough will get a kick out of being on the list, but almost certainly won't pull on the snow boots for a trip to Iowa or New Hampshire.
The candidates who do suit up for 2016 will face a faster, wilder primary than before, with new demands of social media-driven advocacy and fundraising, of data targeting and technological leveraging. There will be the hamster wheel of always-on "earned media" challenges—i.e., free TV exposure—and of a restive, demanding Tea Party cohort that can sometimes make the best the enemy of the good. They'll face an establishment burned by 2012's billion-dollar super PAC and mega-donor flops, and by 15-minutes-of-fame candidates who were pitifully unready for prime time. Finally, they'll have to do all this in a primary schedule that is more compressed and offers fewer opportunities for a spectacular breakout.
The serious candidates will rise on the power of organization, message and ideas. Each will try to brand him or herself as the remedy to the exhaustion, stagnation and failure of the Obama years and as the one person who is really ready to take on Hillary Clinton.
Since the end of the George W. Bush administration, Republicans have been looking for better than "Mr. Right Now." They walked down the aisle with John McCain and Mitt Romney, but these were arranged marriages at best. In 2008, it was McCain's turn, and in 2012, Romney was the last dog in the fight. We went to war with the candidates we had.
This large (and largely serious) field will face a different primary audience than before. The GOP's three-legged stool of the past—social conservatives, fiscal conservatives and foreign-policy hawks—has been upended. I argue there are four factions in place today, and it makes the calculus of selecting a nominee more complex than ever. It's not a perfect typology, but it will give you an idea of the balancing test for candidates as they build a coalition with elements often in powerful opposition to one another.
The newest and biggest challenge for these candidates is to navigating the second Tea Party Primary. Tea Party folks (using broad shorthand) are deeply troubled by the radical expansion of government under Obama, hate Obamacare with the heat of a million suns, and are looking for a candidate who matches both their ideals and their combativeness. It's tough to fake, and candidates try at their peril (see Romney, Willard M.). They're driven by social media, vocal, demanding, deeply patriotic and will work themselves to death for the right champion. They've largely absorbed the fiscal conservative faction, and are deeply skeptical of a plan that starts with "spend" instead of "cut." Their distrust of the national GOP establishment and the professional political class borders on pathological. The "country cousins" cliché of the Tea Party isn't quite as bad as the Beltway crowd likes to make it, but Tea Partiers still have a strong tendency to let a single sin be a nearly eternal disqualifier (ask Rubio about the long road back after daring to tackle immigration) and to sometimes fall in and out of love with candidates quickly.
Social conservatives are still a meaningful, but frustrated factor in the party. In broad strokes, they're largely winning on abortion and losing on gay marriage, which has led to some soul searching. With the exception of Santorum and Huckabee, you likely won't see the rest of the candidates making social conservative issues a central focus of the battle. Watch to see if social conservatives make medical marijuana and decriminalization their next red-line issue.
The foreign-policy hawks have been sidelined since roughly 2006. The messy ends to Iraq and Afghanistan; the chaos in Libya, Egypt and Syria; and Iran creeping closer to nuclear capability are all troubling signs for 2016. GOP voters (like most Americans) are leery of further overseas interventions and doubtful of their lasting or positive effects. Absent some terrible externality (an Iran nuclear test, a major terrorist attack, etc.), most candidates will probably gravitate toward a vaguely isolationist peace-through-strength position. Candidates are more likely to face questions on the NSA spying operations than on whether we should put boots on the ground in Syria.
Big-government conservatives are rich, but tricky. In every election cycle, the age-old ritual of high-dollar fundraisers building a financial support network for candidates who look and smell like them is the core of the campaign. These are Chamber of Commerce Republicans, who want government to Do Things. But the rising tide of libertarian conservatism is profoundly skeptical of big money, government do-goodery and anything that smacks of crony capitalism.
Business Republicans are essential to the money equation, but 2016 will determine if we have reached a point where their support comes with a political price in a GOP primary. Tea Partiers largely (and largely correctly) blame them for a generation of compassionate conservatives who thought, "We can use the superpowers of Big Government for good, not evil" and then bought us TARP, Medicare Part D, No Child Left Behind, Common Core and other programs they despise. Immigration will be a major ideological flashpoint: Business Republicans want it, and fast. The rest of the GOP base is adamantly opposed to any immigration bill that doesn't involve moats of lava and laser cannons.
Between today and the nomination, the candidates will navigate Obamacare, Obama's legacy, immigration, foreign policy (yes, there's still a big, bad world out there), the so-called War on Women, the NSA, gay marriage, inequality, privacy, energy exploration and a host of other issues—all while trying to not let their version of a "47 percent" remark be captured for YouTube infamy.
They'll test themselves, and one another. They'll constantly be judged not only by how they're doing in the primary, but by how voters perceive they will match up against Hillary Clinton.
So which one can do it all? Who is going to not only have the right answers about world peace, but also win the swimsuit competition?
We're about to find out. — Rick Wilson, Republican message and media strategist
Newt Gingrich, former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and presidential candidate:
There is no frontrunner for the GOP nomination. There is not even a midrunner yet. There are a lot of potential starters. Senators can build notoriety because the political media is centered on Washington. Governors, however, can raise more money and have actual achievements as opposed to speeches and fights. The early field clearly has to include current and former governors Scott Walker, John Kasich, Bobby Jindal, Rick Perry, Jeb Bush, Chris Christie and Mike Huckabee. Of the senators, Rand Paul has an automatic national base, Ted Cruz has an intense following and Marco Rubio is attractive and energetic but with less of a base (and less opposition) than the other two. Oddly, no non-freshman senator seems to be in the running. Paul Ryan is the one House member who could run. A number of people may run to set the stage for future campaigns or to audition for the vice presidential nomination.
* * *
William Kristol, editor of the Weekly Standard :
Who's going to think about running? Everyone. Who's going to survive training camp, endure pre-season and do well enough in scrimmages to be on stage for the first post-Labor Day 2015 GOP presidential debate, moderated by Megyn Kelly? John Bolton, Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz, Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin, Rand Paul, Mike Pence, Joe Scarborough and Scott Walker. That will be the regular season starting nine.
* * *
Mary Matalin , Republican consultant:
Hillary Clinton's lead is ephemeral. As soon as she gets in, if she gets in, she will be challenged and it will evaporate. Just the nature of the beast. I predict she doesn't run.
On the GOP side, the question is less "who" than "what." What is 21st century conservatism? Instead of internecine sandbox games of labeling and pitting against each other the myriad factions that have always coalesced with tension (as we have been doing since 2006), conservatives should lay down as their nonnegotiable, baseline candidate requirement an outcome-based, empirically demonstrable record or a policy agenda that has succeeded historically and is tailored for 21st-century technology, domestic natural superiority (energy, innovative capacity) and global threats, which includes—indeed, arguably begins with—our own structural debt. Our bedrock must be the Constitution, with an emphasis on enumerated powers. We should eschew all identity politics and call it out for what it is: anathema to the American ideal.
Candidate skills matter—which does not mean media flash capacity; our candidate must have the fortitude born of unshakable confidence in our convictions. Campaigns matter—and that does not mean having cash-machine capacity; we have to catch up with the Democrats' technological superiority, and we have to be invigorated by belief in our philosophy.
There are more than a few candidates who fit this bill. This is going to be a rocking great primary.
* * *
Mark McKinnon, political consultant and media strategist:
How about a Clash of the Titans in 2016? Hillary Clinton vs. Jeb Bush would be a classic battle for the political ages. Of course, many would like to move beyond dynastic options, but it's hard to imagine a pair better qualified to actually manage this crazy, complicated country. Americans have likely quenched, at least for now, their thirst for fresh faces. Most have had their fill of change. What voters might be looking for in the next presidential election is experience and competence. Leaders who know how government works and have an extended network of qualified friends and allies they can seed throughout to make sure the trains run on time.
Jeb Bush is the sort of pragmatic, common-sense and compassionate conservative Republicans need to win back the White House. He'd attract Hispanics and likely win the key electoral prize of his home state, Florida. And he has a great record to run on, including some innovative, forward-thinking strategies like early childhood investment. Florida leads the country in the number of four-year olds in literacy programs—over 70 percent, and Jeb did it without increasing taxes.
His mother may be right about the appetite for another Bush in the White House. But that would certainly be balanced by the appetite for another Clinton in the White House. So, if ever there were a time for Jeb to run, it's now. He says he's thinking about it and will only take the jump if he can do so "joyfully." Which could be problematic. Pretty hard to run in a Republican primary joyfully these days.
And if Jeb doesn't, or even if he does, watch out for Scott Walker. He's the dark horse. Getting brighter every day.
* * *
Richard Perle , political adviser and former chairman of the Defense Policy Board:
Any suspense lacking in the contest for the Democratic nomination is likely to be compensated by a wide-open, wholly unpredictable scramble for the Republican ticket. Today's public opinion is worthless. Except for the professional deformity of contributors to roundups like this one, most voters are thinking about next week, not November 2016.
Hillary Clinton is a talented politician, but the country's problems are many and deep and some—the accumulated burdens of slow economic growth and mountainous debt—may be intractable. Voters may be drawn to new, younger thinkers who have defined the country's problems and opportunities and have convincing ideas about how to fix and advance them. (Hillary will not be burdened with a foreign policy to defend; neither she nor the Obama administration ever had one. But for that reason, there will be plenty of foreign and security problems facing the 2016 candidates.)
Paul Ryan is a very smart, hard-working, effective leader—young, articulate and ready to be president. I think he will connect with voters demanding change. The same can be said of Scott Walker, who whose extraordinary courage in Wisconsin has been rewarded by a record of policy success and public approbation. Jeb Bush (any Bush), like Mitt Romney, will evoke the past when Americans will be thinking about the future. And with at least two talented, attractive Republicans wanting to do, and not simply be, something, the retreads are finished.
* * *


text:
D&Z Customs Second-Gen Camaro Upps The Ante With OPTIMA Invitational Competition.
What better way to celebrate the SEMA spirit than with this 1973 Chevrolet Camaro. It's oozing with performance goodies from some of our favorite aftermarket heroes. Randy Johnson, D & Z Customs owner and builder out of Wisconsin planted this second-gen in the Auto Meter booth and we couldn't help but showcase this awesome ride. Though information on the car is limited, we were able to pull out some of the details including a go-fast goodies from Heidt's suspension for a slick stance.
The LS engine was outfitted with COMP Cams components and topped off with a FAST intake manifold. Year One supplied much of the essential body panels while PPG covered the car in an army-drab like Green. What's more, expect to see Johnson's 1973 Camaro at this year's OPTIMA invitational event, which takes place directly after SEMA at the Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch, nestled in Pahrump, Nevada. Stay tuned, there will be more to follow up on as we will be covering the OPTIMA invitational too!


text:
Schumer calls for 'limits' on First Amendment rights while pushing campaign ad disclosure bill
New York Sen. Charles Schumer claimed Monday that "there ought to be limits" on First Amendment rights, while arguing in favor of Democrat-backed legislation that would require full disclosure of big-money donors behind election campaign advertising.
Schumer, the No. 3 Senate Democrat, was pushing for lawmakers to consider the Disclose Act, which would require organizations pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into campaign ads to disclose their top donors and the amounts they spend. Opposition from Republicans, however, prevented Democrats from getting the 60 votes needed to bring the act to the Senate floor.
"I believe there ought to be limits because the First Amendment is not absolute. No amendment is absolute," Schumer said on the Senate floor.
"You can't scream 'fire' falsely in a crowded theater. We have libel laws. We have anti-pornography laws. All of those are limits on the First Amendment," he said. "Well, what could be more important than the wellspring of our democracy? And certain limits on First Amendment rights that if left unfettered, destroy the equality — any semblance of equality in our democracy — of course would be allowed by the Constitution.
"And the new theorists on the Supreme Court who don't believe that, I'm not sure where their motivation comes from, but they're just so wrong. They're just so wrong," he continued.
The Disclose Act, which would not have gone into effect until January, would have required any organization that spends $10,000 or more during an election cycle to file a report within 24 hours identifying any donors who gave $10,000 or more. Current election law requires super PACS to make periodic reports to the Federal Election Commission, but not-for-profit groups, including social welfare organizations, labor unions and trade groups, generally do not have to reveal the sources of election-related spending.
Democrats have been pushing for more disclosure since the Supreme Court's 5-4 ruling in the 2010 Citizens United case that overturned a decades-old law barring corporations, unions and other organizations from spending on advertising and other forms of political activity.
But Republicans, like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., accused Democrats of wasting time on bills "they know won't pass but which give them a chance to make a fuss about a problem that doesn't exist and blow a kiss to the unions for good measure."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.


text:
One thing that drives me crazy is the insistence that many people have to refer to mobile games as iOS versions of a game. They'll be talking about Assassin's Creed or Call of Duty and say, "there's an iOS companion app for the game as well." Yeah, there is, but it's not limited to iOS. Many times the app is available for Android and Windows Phone 7/8 as well. Heck, most times it's available for at least one other platform than iOS.
The people doing this are being irresponsible. It would be no different than a reporter mentioning that Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 was now available…for Xbox 360. Yes, it is, but it's also available for PC, PS3, and Wii U. Multiconsole development became a standard quite a while ago. Only when we have an exclusive app do we mention the platform, and mobile development should be no different.
So why is this an issue, exactly? Well, I'm very well informed when it comes to the gaming industry, but often news sources can fail us. It's impossible to get news from the original source every time, so I rely on podcasters, editors, and even word of mouth from peers. When these people are saying, "out for iOS" by default simply because they own an iPhone, they're being misleading, even if it is unintentional. As a specific example, I saw many prominent gaming media members discuss the availability of Xbox Smartglass for iOS, and I figured that the Android version must be coming lately. Finally, a few days later I decided to just search for it on the Google Play Store, and there it was.
Call them whatever you want, "mobile apps/games" or "apps for phones and tablets" or whatever you want; but please, use a term that is inclusive, not exclusive. We'll all be better informed, and we'll all be doing our job better.


text:
I enjoy using
nano as a respite from my usual GTK-based text editor. I like the simplicity of the interface, and using CTRL-K is the fastest way I know of to edit down long textfiles.
However, I have one major gripe: whenever I justify text using CTRL-J, the editor prints the smug little message
Can now UnJustify! -- yet I have not been able to find a way to unjustify text. Pressing M-U (which a Google search could reveal, M-U not being mentioned at all in the program's help files) simply seems to cause a glitch. The keyboard becomes unresponsive. Am I missing something?


text:
12 Great Movies The Critics Got Dead Wrong
If you've paid much attention to film festival coverage over the past few months, you've probably heard a thing or two about a film called The Raid (it was later given the rather silly subtitle Redemption, though I'll be damned if I recall anybody being redeemed in it). It screened at Toronto, Sundance, and SXSW, and it is a knockout — a powder keg of pure action, done with deadpan humor and hyperkinetic style. I saw it at an all-media screening at Sundance, and even among that jaded group, the audience literally gasped at loud at several points, and burst into applause at the end. It's terrific cinema.
And that's why so many people who have seen it are losing their shit over Roger Ebert's inexplicable one-star review of the movie, which went online last night. He complains about the film's "wall-to-wall violence," cracks that "if I estimated the film has 10 minutes of dialogue, that would be generous," and says that the picture is "almost brutally cynical in its approach." This coming from a guy who gave three stars to Transformers and most of the Fast/Furious franchise.
Then again, as much as we love Mr. Ebert, this isn't the first time he got a great movie dead wrong. His one-star pan of Blue Velvet is still a head-scratcher; ditto the single star he awarded Wet Hot American Summer. And don't even get us started on that two-star review of the original Die Hard. The point is, sometimes the critics just plain get it wrong. After the jump, we'll take a look at a dozen classic movies, and the scribes who blew the call on them.
"This is by no means so good as Mr. Keaton's previous efforts. Here he is more the acrobat than the clown, and his vehicle might be described as a mixture of cast iron and jelly." – Mordaunt Hall, The New York Times
"Long and tedious — the least funny thing Buster Keaton has ever done." — The New York Herald-Tribune
"[A] pretty trite and stodgy piece of screenfare, a rehash, pretentiously garnered of any old two-reel chase comedy…. The audience received The General with polite attention, occasionally a laugh, and occasionally a yawn. Disappointing." — The New York Daily Telegraph
"Slow, very slow…. [P]ull yourself together, Buster. That's all." – The New York Daily Mirror


text:
I would like to thank the countless people who have used the contact page to let me know what they think about this site. Many of those using the page have been publishers and I thank them for taking time out of their days to visit. I have answered their emails as quickly as possible and have offered to review several of their books for this site in the coming months. With that said, be on the lookout for reviews on the following books:
Mr. Lincoln's Brown Water Navy: The Mississippi Squadron by Gary Joiner, published by Rowman & Littlefield, Inc.
As If It Were Glory: Robert Beecham's Civil War from the Iron Brigade to the Black Regiments edited by Michael E. Stevens, published by Rowman & Littlefield, Inc.
The Badax Tigers: From Shiloh to the Surrender with the 18th Wisconsin Volunteersedited by Thomas P. Nanzig, published by Rowman & Littlefield, Inc.
In addition, I will be reviewing the following book for H-CivWar, part of H-Net, which I will post the link to when the review is posted:
Campaign for Corinth: Blood in Mississippiby Steven Nathaniel Dossman, published by McWhiney Foundation Press.
If you are a publisher and would like to have your Civil War products reviewed here, please use the contact page and let me know, but be aware that it may take some months for me to have your book reviewed and posted, as I do have other work to finish. In addition, if you have titles on military history or American history up through 1815, then please check out my other blogs Military History Blog and Frontier Battles (linked under Dan's Sites) and use the contact pages there to contact myself. While Amazon reviews are nice, I offer serious reviews, analyzing the book, and giving you a professional assessment of your products.
To my readers, keep your eyes out for the reviews of the books listed above. If you are interested in reviewing books and want to join the staff and do just that, then please let me know.


text: Make smart investment decisions with Star Ratings, a stock selection tool, based upon fundamental, technical and analyst recommendations. Star Ratings provides stock trading tips for State Bank of India that will help you decide whether to buy, sell or hold State Bank of India. It also provides you with switch proposals on alternative stocks, i.e., which stocks to buy against State Bank of India.


text:
Can you smell it in the air? The smell of football leather, sweat, blood and grass? Yes, it's that time football fans, time for us all to start evaluating, speculating, predicting, and well, just talking football.
After a long offseason it's finally time to get back to work. I know I've been AWOL for a bit as I've taken my own break from football blogging. I figured there hasn't been much to blog about since you guys and gals get the same news from the same news sources that I do, so no point in re-hashing old news about every charity event going on, the state of Cushing's knee, who's signed and who hasn't and, well, you get the point.
But training camp has begun! So it's time for me and my fellow bloggers to get back to work and get some honest to goodness football talk going.
Speaking of Cushing's knee, reports out of camp, ok according to Cushing himself, his knee is 100%. That is very exciting, though not surprising, news. When you're built like a Brian Cushing, and when you eat and train like a Brian Cushing, (hush you naysayers we don't want to hear about your theories), it's not surprising that someone with Cushing's determination and work ethic (and whatever theory you subscribe to) would lead to a full and complete recovery. That does wonders for the defense because as we saw last season, anyone not named Watt that played defense for the Texans last season after Cushing went out felt the blow of losing a star player like #56.
There's a lot to talk about, so again, without rehashing the same news that you guys and gals get from the same news sources I do, I'm interested to hear everyone's takes on what they think the Texans will do this season.
Will the defense improve over last season? Will Cushing's knee hold up? Will the offense improve or get worse? What's so special about the special teams?
I'm opening the floor to you guys, I'll answer as much as I can. If any of you get out to camp, I'd love to hear your personal takes on what you observed and what impressed or didn't impress you. You can email me at email@example.com and I can write about your experience, or if you're feeling wordy, you can always write up your experience in your own words and I'll put it out there.
I'm so excited! Training camp has begun!
~ Crimedog


text:
"Stand with Rand," urged placards at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, where Sen. Rand Paul won last weekend's presidential straw poll, cementing the Kentucky Republican's status as a favorite of the conservative movement.
So it's with some trepidation that I confess that I, too, Stand with Rand.
For the moment, I am Standing with Rand on one leg only; his isolationist foreign policy and his calamitous plan to eliminate federal deficits in five years make it imprudent to jump in with both feet. But consider:
On Tuesday, Paul endorsed a version of immigration reform that would allow the 11 million or so undocumented immigrants in this country to become legal.
Last week, he outlined an idea that would end government discrimination against gay marriage.
The week before, Paul defied the hawks in his party to lead a 13-hour filibuster in protest of the Obama administration's secrecy over its drone warfare program — a stance Democrats would have championed if a Republican were president.
And the week before that, he was one of only four Republicans voting to confirm Chuck Hagel as defense secretary.
Taken together, these pleasant surprises suggest that Paul is more complex than his tea-party caricature and more savvy than the libertarian gadfly his father had been. In his speech to CPAC, the younger Paul didn't even mention the Federal Reserve or the gold standard. He has spoken, instead, of reaching out to minorities, young voters and other Democratic constituencies.
"I've never met a new immigrant looking for a free lunch," he told the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, calling on his party to embrace higher levels of immigration. Paul proposed "acknowledging we aren't going to deport 12 million illegal immigrants. If you wish to work, if you wish to live and work in America, then we will find a place for you."
At CPAC, Paul told the activists: "We must stand for something so powerful and so popular that it brings together people from the left and the right and the middle. We need a Republican Party that shows up on the South Side of Chicago and shouts at the top of our lungs: 'We are the party of jobs and opportunity.' "
It would be naive to think that Paul, as he prepares for a 2016 presidential run, will pull off a mass conversion of Republicans to his libertarianism. But the senator, if he chooses, has the potential to build a force that could shake up politics — not a third party but perhaps an informal coalition that occupies a space between religious conservatives and tax-and-spend liberals.
Paul won't get far if he persists with the foreign policy he laid out earlier this year at the Heritage Foundation; he describes himself as a "realist," but his form of realism might have sounded good to Senate Republicans in the 1930s. And, like his father, he makes politically expedient exceptions to his libertarianism; last week he introduced the Life at Conception Act, which would effectively outlaw abortion.
Still, his message has the power of the early tea party's theme before the movement was hijacked by religious and corporate interests. And it is powerful enough to have Mitch McConnell, the Senate Republican leader, fearing the junior senator from his home state. "Rand reminded the world that politics isn't just about tactics," McConnell gushed at CPAC, praising the filibuster he belatedly supported. "It's about standing up for your values and your principles. It's about courage. . . . It was truly inspiring."
But will McConnell be inspired by the principles Paul advocated last week? That's when Paul told reporters, in a session hosted by National Review, that even though he supports the "historical definition" of marriage, "I'm not for limiting contracts between adults." He floated an idea "to make the tax code more neutral, where it doesn't mention the word marriage."
And will McConnell praise the courage and values Paul showed Tuesday, when he proposed legal status for illegal immigrants? Paul outlined a probationary system under which they could "get in line" for citizenship. "This is where prudence, compassion and thrift all point us toward the same goal: bringing these workers out of the shadows and into being taxpaying members of society."
Paul said that Republicans, in "our zeal for border control," have "sometimes obscured our respect and admiration for immigrants." This was similar to his CPAC speech, in which he charged that "the GOP of old has grown stale and moss-covered."
It's not yet clear how dedicated Paul really is to moss removal. But as long as he's scrubbing, I'll Stand with Rand.
Read more from Dana Milbank's archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
Read more from PostOpinions:
Sen. Rand Paul: My filibuster was just the beginning
Robert Kagan: Rand Paul's conventional dissent on foreign policy
Dana Milbank: Rand Paul is more like his father after all


text:
Developing extraordinary hope in difficult times
In difficult times, many experiences diminishing strength and hope especially when it seems God is taking His time in answering our prayers and/or we don't get what we expect. In such times, we tend to feel abandoned, confused and disappointed. Deep within, a crisis of faith brews that throws up questions like, 'Where is God?, Does He care? or Why is this happening to me?'. When care is not taken, we find ourselves stuck in one of the three phases of discouragement I highlight in my new book, Healing A Discouraged Heart: Getting Back On Track When Life Lets You Down (ISBN: 978-0-9562606-3-5), namely the 'S.A.D.', 'Dormant' and 'Hopeful' Phase. We cover up with our 'religious' masks; whilst the real state of our hearts betray us.
God Is Not The Problem!
It's a common tendency to blame God when things don't turn out the way we want. But I beg to differ. From my personal and professional experience, I believe the issue lies firmly with us. The fact is God has not changed nor has He abandoned His own. He is still in the business of answering prayers and always has a plan. One challenge we face is giving God the reigns of our lives so His will can be done. Though we pray 'let Your will be done', this is only when it suits us.
Another challenge we face is the spiritual junk (e.g. wrongful beliefs and incorrect teaching) we pick up along the way. For instance, one I hear a lot is the presupposition that bad things don't happen to Christians. Hello! Reality check here. Glance through the Bible and you will see Jesus, Paul and many others living as suffering servants. I believe we have become out of balance (if not consumed) with 'prosperity-type' messages. The fact is life happens though God remains firmly by our side always (Isaiah 43:1-4). Get this warped and you are heading for trouble.
It's Not About Getting What You Want
In my book, Healing A Discouraged Heart, I share stories of Christians facing challenges. One that always pulls my heartstrings is the case of Rachael who never thought that after fifteen years of marriage, rounds of IVF treatment, words of the prophecy, prayers, fasting and much more, she would still be childless. Yet Rachael represents many Christians experiencing various forms of barrenness, fruitless efforts and failure. She, like many others, became discouraged after waiting on God. However, as you continue to read her story, you notice a turnaround in Rachael's attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. In case you are wondering, it's not because she became pregnant. Rather, it was the fact that she allowed God access into her heart. Instead of trying to make things happen, she handed over the reigns to God. This brought about a change in her heart even whilst her present situation persisted.
Getting Back On Track
Personally, one of the lessons I felt God teach me, which I share in Healing A Discouraged Heart, is to focus on the real state of my heart. So, below are some questions to ask yourself, to help move you forward like Rachael:
- Do I really trust God like I proclaim I do?
- What's my relationship/standing with God presently?
- What beliefs/principles am I standing on – Gods word or mans wisdom/formulas?
- Am I willing to let go and let God or do I have control issues I need to work on?
- Who's running the show – my mind or the Holy Spirit?
- Have I become fixated on the facts of my situation rather than on God?
- Do I need to confront my 'what ifs' i.e. issues with fear? (Will God come through?)
- Do I only experience joy and peace when I get what I want from God and throw a tantrum at other times? (A reflection of my maturity perhaps?)
- How do I react towards God when He seems to be taking His time in coming through? (The silent treatment?)
- Are there other factors in my life making me prone to feeling down/discouraged (e.g. stress/burnout, sin, battle fatigue from previous trials, etc)?
These are just a few insightful nuggets worth reflecting on. Say the prayer David prayed in Psalm 119:29, 'Keep me from lying to myself; give me the privilege of knowing your instructions.' (NLT). Enlist Gods help so you can find your way back to a life of renewed hope, strength, peace and joy regardless of what you are going through.
Lastly, remember all trials have an expiry date. None last forever!
Get great content to profitably maximise your assets, generate multiple income and live the way your want. Sign up ==>


text:
Patrician Brothers' College, Blacktown
I explored the way I perceive myself and the world around me, my most intimate thoughts on friendship, relationships, loneliness, depression and spirituality. As my state of mind developed, so did my art-making practice. Transferring all my thoughts onto my artwork, it took on a style that is both unique and portrays various attributes of myself.


text:
Consider some $a \in \mathbb{R}$ and $x \in \mathbb{R}\backslash \mathbb{N}$.
Is there some intuition to be had for the number $a^x$?
For example the intuition of $a^2$ is obvious; it's $a*a$ which I can think about with real world objects such as apples (when $a \in \mathbb{N}$). What about $a^{1.9}$?


text:
The Gin Julep/
In the movie of my life, juleps might play the role of the piano in Shine, the spinning top in Inception, Pulp Fiction's glowing briefcase or Jerry Maguire's mission statement. They have given me pleasure personally and purpose professionally. During my lowest lows, when bartending was all I had going on and I was beginning to wonder what the hell had happened to me, I could fix a customer a damn good mint julep, watch his or her expression change for the better and know there was at least one thing I still did right enough to merit my getting out of bed. I'd also spent a birthday or two at the bar as a customer, cashing in on the staff's golden rule: You can only order a mint julep for yourself when it is the day of your birth.
Any time we were busy, a single julep order could send the bar staff (usually one bartender and one barback, but two bartenders on weekend nights) into the weeds. First ice had to be crushed with our one, hand-cranked crusher, which the back would usually do while a tender began stemming mint leaves and dropping them into a Collins glass. The leaves then needed to be muddled under a coating of mint-steeped simple syrup, after which the crushed ice would be dumped into the glass and a draw of Maker's Mark would be poured.
Now, at this point, I suspect some bartenders considered this the end of their julep-making duties -- crushed ice, check; mint, check; bourbon, check -- and would send the drink out, but I was very particular about my juleps. If there wasn't enough crushed ice in the glass to sort of create one, weighty mass, the chips toward the top of the glass would float, which would make it look like half-melted and sloppy. I also insisted upon getting the bourbon and mint flavors in a finely balanced equilibrium (I'm one of those bartenders who taste-test their creations with a quick dip of a straw) and I'd always build the drink in the glass with at least a second round of ice, syrup and bourbon. The whole thing could take three minutes, which, when you consider how long it takes to pop open a can of Old Style, might even be a loss leader. In fact, our juleps were definitely a loss leader, because inevitably while I was making one, someone seated at the bar would become fascinated by my whole, painstaking process and order one more.
Truth is, I was always happy to oblige. Julep-making was in my bones, if not my muscle memory: Pull mint container out of cooler spin drop leaves into glass spin grab mint syrup from cooler spin pour reach get muddler muddle muddle lunge pull Maker's off shelf pour bubble two three four five six. And so on.
For those of you unaware, the Kentucky Derby is on Saturday. It's an all-hands-on-deck day at The Royale. The julep making is insane (we eventually learned our lesson and pre-ordered crushed ice) and the hats are fabulous (did you know that a Derby hat is the same thing as a black lady's churchgoing Sunday-best hat?). I miss it.
I am especially missing it today, not only because today begins the blog's Three Days of Juleps, but also because today I made myself a Gin Julep. I found the recipe in the Old Mr. Boston Official Bartender's Guide that our friend Alex recently bestowed upon us, and it sounded good. Actually what it sounded like was, why don't people mix mint and gin more often? Doesn't that seem like obvious deliciousness? And it is.
What's also obvious: This is your new gin and tonic. Gin and tonics, we've no need for you any further. Summertime, in fact, will be just the same -- if not way better -- without you.
The Gin Julep
(Adapted from Old Mr. Boston Official Bartenders Guide)
About two or three ounces Marlow's London Dry Gin
About a dozen fresh mint sprigs
About two heaping tablespoons of confectioner's sugar
Crushed ice
(I've lifted these directions directly from the book.) Put 12 mint sprigs of fresh mint into a bowl and cover with powdered sugar. Add just enough water to dissolve the sugar and then muddle well. Place half the crushed mint and liquid into a Tom Collins glass. Fill glass half full of shaved ice and then add rest of crushed mint and fill the glass with shaved ice. Add Old Mr. Boston Dry Gin [Ed. note: which I did not use; does it still exist?] and place in a refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Before serving, decorate with sprigs covered with powdered sugar. Serve with a straw.
Tasting Notes:
I was originally considering using my Bulldog London Dry Gin in this recipe, but the truth is, when you're bludgeoning (albeit beautifully, traditionally and happily) a liquor with mint and sugar, you can go cheap. So Marlow's it was.
Use a little less sugar than you might think necessary to cover the mint leaves (the point is not to just snow-plow over them; you should still be able to see them a bit) and way less water than you think you'll need. A paste is better than a soup here.
I don't know why you're supposed to give it a half-hour in the fridge, but I think it's so neat to say (if only to yourself), "Oh, I'm just letting my cocktail rest a bit" that I don't care.
To do a sugar-covered mint sprig, don't try to actually cover a sprig with sugar. Instead, dip the sprig into the sugar.


text:
DHS Whistleblower Says Real Targets Are American Patriots
Julia Davis, a former Customs and Border Protections Officer, was falsely declared a domestic terrorist and subjected to retaliatory efforts against her by the Department of Homeland Security. Her home was raided by a 27 man "special response team." She was twice falsely arrested and imprisoned, but later exonerated. She is now a national security expert and has put out a historical documentary titled Top Priority: The Terror Within. She claims that the War On Terror by the Department of Homeland Security is a charade and that the agency seems to be targeting concerned American patriots.
Read more: http://freedomoutpost.com/2013/05/dhs-whistleblower-says-war-on-terror-is-a-charade-real-targets-are-american-patriots/#ixzz2SfURxAZM
We Are At The Threshold
We are at the threshold of a fundamental evolutionary change for mankind. As the articles, movies and pictures posted here have demonstrated, we have been moving towards a one world governing body referred to as The New World Order. There is a solution to the many problems our world faces. Please take the time to view this movie which addresses each of these problems individually, laying out the entire insidious plan for world domination and then reveals the solutions we can implement to change that direction and put an end to the machinations that would steal our Liberty and even our very lives.
For More Information:
The Terrorism Industry
This is pretty much how it works:
World Health Organization To Institute World Wide Tyranny??
Note: This article does not link to and does not cite many of the sources this posting is based upon. A search of this blogs earlier posts and the use of a search engine will provide more than enough information for readers to research in order to arrive at their own educated conclusions.
Contradictory reports emanating from WHO officials leave one to question the efficiency and effectiveness of these "world" organizations and agencies that governments have delegated vast powers as well as if the "conspiracy whacko" claims that such organizations and agencies were created with a secret and more nefarious intention than their openly stated purpose.
On Sunday, May 3, 09, Dr Michael Ryan, WHO Director of Global Alert and Response, was quoted as saying that there is no evidence that the swine flu virus is spreading in any sustainable way outside of the North America. In that same article Mexican Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova told the BBC that, based on samples tested, the mortality rate was comparable with that of seasonal flu.
Mexican Health Minister Cordova also stated that the Mexican authorities may, on reflection, have overestimated the danger as 43.7% of samples from suspected cases so far tested had come back positive, a total of 397. Sixteen in this group had died. "That means that apparently, the rate of attack is not as wide as was thought," he said.
Even the acting deputy director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said that although experts were concerned about the possibility of severe cases, the majority so far had been "mild, self-limited illness" and that the new virus lacked the traits that made the 1918 flu pandemic so deadly.
One day later, Monday, May 04, 2009, the Director General of WHO, Margaret Chan, indicates that WHO "is likely to raise its flu alert to the top of its six-point scale and declare a pandemic."
Reasoning that "Flu viruses are very unpredictable, very deceptive …", that "We should not be over-confident" and "not give H1N1 the opportunity to mix with other viruses," Who is ready to give declaration of a full pandemic that would send a signal to governments worldwide to institute their pandemic response plans, which may include measures affecting hospitals, schools or public events.
The question that people should be asking, specially here in the U.S. is: "What is the "Pandemic Response Plan?" Each of the U.S. States has a Pandemic Plan in place. You can download a .pdf copy of the Pandemic Plan for your state here.
In addition to enforcing isolation and quarantine measure, mass vaccinations are an important aspect of this plan. In the Indiana plan, the ISDH Protocol for Mass Prophylaxis will be followed. Hmm… maybe Indianians should do a little research on this ISDH Protocol.
These measures are not just for those that test positive but also for those designated as "an individual or group with "potential" or actual exposure." And just how will you know the truth of any statement that you may have been "exposed" to the flu?? These people will go about their business of quarantine, forced vaccinations with suspect and unknown medicines as well as the confiscation of property and absolute loss of our freedoms because the claim – whether truthfully or not – that there has been "exposure" to the virus within our community.
And all of this, brought to you by a "world" organization that not only contradicts itself but initiates actions contradictory to the evidence.
An epidemic (from the Greek: epi upon; demos, people) is usually defined as a large-scale, temporary increase in the occurrence of a disease in a community or region which is clearly in excess of normal expectancy, whereas a pandemic (pan, all) is the occurrence of a disease which is clearly in excess of normal expectancy and is spread over a whole geographical area, usually crossing national boundaries.
At the other end of the scale are outbreaks and sporadic cases. A general outbreak involves two or more persons who are associated in time and location. A sporadic case refers to a person whose illness is not apparently connected with similar illnesses in any other persons.
Although the term 'epidemic' is used widely to describe clusters of disease in general, and even in a non-medical sense (e.g. an epidemic of road rage), it has traditionally been used when infection strikes a population. This often occurs when there is crowding together of humans (or, for that matter, animals, fish, or birds), as this provides the necessary conditions to allow microorganisms to multiply and spread.
There are three main patterns of epidemic, determined by the mode of transmission of the microorganism.
Firstly, the explosive epidemic. This is characterized by the occurrence of many cases in a relatively short period; there is a sharp rise and fall in the number of infected persons, since the usual cause of such an event is a common source of infection. This type of epidemic is thus also frequently termed a common source epidemic or a point source epidemic. This pattern of infection often occurs when water or food becomes contaminated, although other vehicles of infection can also be responsible.
Secondly, person-to-person spread. These epidemics usually have a more protracted course, taking longer than explosive epidemics to build up and subside. An infective agent may be passed from person to person by a variety of routes (e.g. respiratory or gastrointestinal). Diseases such as influenza or chickenpox often follow this pattern.
Thirdly — a combination of the two — an explosive epidemic with subsequent person-to-person spread. This pattern is apparent when there is contamination of a common water or food source and the initial cases then infect their contacts. Although this type of epidemic starts in the same way as an explosive incident, there is a slower decline.
Disease and epidemics occur as a result of the interaction of three factors, agent, host, and environment. Agents cause the disease, hosts are susceptible to it, and environmental conditions permit host exposure to the agent. An understanding of the interaction between agent, host, and environment is crucial for the selection of the best approach to prevent or control the continuing spread of an epidemic.
For infectious diseases, epidemics can occur when large numbers of susceptible persons are exposed to infectious agents in settings or under circumstances that permit the spread of the agent. Spread of an infectious disease depends primarily on the chain of transmission of an agent: a source of the agent, a route of exit from the host, a suitable mode of transmission between the susceptible host and the source, and a route of entry into another susceptible host. Modes of spread may involve direct physical contact between the infected host and the new host, or airborne spread, such as coughing or sneezing. Indirect transmission takes place through vehicles such as contaminated water, food, or intravenous fluids; inanimate objects such as bedding, clothes, or surgical instruments; or a biological vector such as a mosquito or flea.
Where is the evidence of an "epidemic" … let alone a "pandemic" in regards to this virus? Is it possible that the WHO is privy to information that the Media and general populations may never access? Is it possible that the reported DHS shipping of "bird flu" was actually the shipping of the "swine flu" virus with at least one shipment known to having been directed to a water facility? Are there powers at work in the world with intentions of mass murder on a horrific world wide scale? Is this why FEMA is making preparation for Martial Law? Is this why the government has built concentration camps and has thousands of plastic coffins on hand?
Is the World Health Organization the tool of unkown powers that will usher in a tyrannical New World Order??
Is the End of America nigh?
Homeland Security Issues Alert On Mandatory Quarantine Procedures
BATF and FBI to forcibly detain Americans despite only 7 confirmed swine flu deaths in Mexico
Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet.com
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
The Department of Homeland Security has sent out an alert to health care providers outlining how BATF, FBI, and U.S. Marshals will be called upon to impose mandatory quarantines in the event of a widespread swine flu outbreak in the U.S.
According to the report, "DHS Assistant Secretary Bridger McGaw circulated the swine flu memo, which was obtained by CBSNews.com, on Monday night. It says: "The Department of Justice has established legal federal authorities pertaining to the implementation of a quarantine and enforcement. Under approval from HHS, the Surgeon General has the authority to issue quarantines."
he memo states, "U.S. Customs and Coast Guard Officers assist in the enforcement of quarantine orders. Other DOJ law enforcement agencies including the U.S. Marshals, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives may also enforce quarantines. Military personnel are not authorized to engage in enforcement."
However, a separate Defense Department planning document on dealing with pandemics states that the Pentagon will use the forces at its disposal to assist in "quarantining groups of people in order to minimize the spread of disease during an influenza pandemic" and aid in "efforts to restore and maintain order."
As we reported yesterday, so-called "involuntary isolation" is already being enforced in certain areas of the United States. The state's health director in North Carolina, Dr. Jeffrey Engel, said that authorities were already involuntarily isolating patients who may have the swine flu virus. He refused to divulge the location of where the victims were being quarantined.


text:
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. Still a good story! Spooky and short, it's a bit reminiscent of Poe. Action-packed and efficient. I would not have sworn I had read this before, but now I recognize that I have. What a classic. I highly recommend this as a bang-for-the buck, action-packed, early sci-fi spookster with a bit of meditation on the human condition. Not sure if I should count this for the Classics Challenge as its a re-read.
Worth Dying For by Lee Child. (audiobook) Surprisingly good as audio. I wasn't sure. I'm such a BOOK purist that audio doesn't always work for me; but it can't be argued with on a road trip. Part of what made it special, too, is that I got to share it with the Husband, who doesn't normally read. He got really into it, and we shared this suspenseful adventure together. That's priceless.
Classic Jack Reacher! He's such a Rambo. It's a bit comical in the over-the-top violence and general bad-ass-ness, but I eat it up. It's great fun. We both enjoy the slight absurdity of it, while also appreciating that we can count on this guy to get it right. And I finally begin to understand, at least a little bit, what was so frustratingly up-in-the-air at the end of 61 Hours. This may be my favorite Reacher novel yet.
The Ballad of Typhoid Mary by J.F. Federspiel. Opening quotation: "Life is strange and the world is bad." (Thomas Wolfe) This sets the tone.
This is another creepy story. It's historical fiction, and I have made a note in large letters to read up on the concept of Typhoid Mary and how much we know about her in the real world. She was a carrier of typhoid fever: she never got sick herself, but she made people around her sick, to the tune of several hundred at least. She was a cook, passionate about cooking for people, despite seeming to understand that she was killing them. She wasn't a serial killer; she didn't do it on purpose; she just didn't let it stop her. What can we expect, in an age with poor understanding of hygiene and the spreading of disease, of a poor, uneducated, abused & orphaned young woman with no opportunities who suspects she might, in some way, be responsible for all these deaths around her? This was a fascinating read, and another very short one, too.
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks.This is a collection of case studies, or short stories, or essays, by a neurologist who also fancies himself a philosopher with literary leanings. It was quite attention-grabbing, and I had to keep putting it down to tell the Husband stories. Reading about brain injuries or anomalies of the brain is infinitely more interesting to me since I had my bad wreck and experienced some brain injury and healing of my own. The most interesting thing about a number of these cases is that these patients often don't realize that anything is wrong!
Sacks's approach is to contemplate the relationship between mind, body, and soul, which perhaps too few of our hard scientists do. It still ended up a bit on the hard-science side for me, perhaps; he made a number of references (unexplained) to other hard scientists, which made it a bit less accessible to us laypersons. But I loved the stories, the concepts, possibilities, complexities of the human mind.
In the Woods by Tana French. I've been hankering for more of Tana French since reading Faithful Place. I really fell for that Frank Mackey! This one opens with immediately recognizable poetry-in-prose, stark, gritty, and strongly Irish. Then I was disappointed to recognize a familiar story: grown male detective forced to confront unsolved childhood trauma of missing friend(s). Argh! But I guess why mess with a good thing…
Oh man. I stayed up nearly all night to finish this book. (and this, in a place where I LIKE to get up to watch the sun rise!) Same story my head; it did have its plot similarities but it was so gripping and spooky, like a ghost story, except even spookier because there was nothing supernatural at all, just creepily realistic human nature. I can't wait to get the next book!
Side note: the beautiful, tragic, doomed, perfect friendship reminded me somewhat of One Day by David Nicholls, which had an entirely different tone to it.
Echo Park by Michael Connelly. (audiobook)Another highly enjoy audiobook! This one unabridged, thank goodness. (I realized AFTER we listened to Worth Dying For that it was abridged, and now have to go back and read the book.) Connelly, for all that he's sort of stark and black-and-white, also strikes me as a poet; I love that Bosch "educates" his ice with vodka. That's unique! I've read this book before, but it's been long enough that I still enjoyed the mystery. I like all the background or frame elements in Connelly, like the jazz (and I like that the Library of Congress, and some clever librarian there, make an appearance in relation to the jazz), and the audio format took advantage and gave us a few jazz riffs in the background here and there, which was a nice touch. I hadn't really thought about using music on on audiobook, and actually, there were some other snippets of music added that I didn't think worked so well; but jazz behind Connelly is a strong choice.
Whatever You Say I Am (the life and times of Eminem) by Anthony Bozza.I put this in the same category as the Hefner biography, actually. These are some highly controversial men, offensive to many if not to all, who have impacted our world; without making a value judgment, I can say I find them interesting to read about. My feelings about Eminem are complicated, just like with Hefner. (I was talking with my Pops the other night along these lines and we put Reagan in the same category but that's a whole new can of worms.) I haven't finished this book, am less than halfway through, but I can say I really enjoy the way Bozza puts his reader fully into a time and place. For example, to help place us in the year in which Eminem was working to release his first album, he gives us a full rundown of the musical hits and award winners of the year in various categories, as well as what movies and television were hot. Now, I'm not generally all that up to date on pop culture, but this worked for me; it really evoked a time in my life. I think that works for all of us, because isn't sound or music second only to smell as a mnemonic? Doesn't hearing a particular song take to you a time and place? At any rate, I'm enjoying this biographical study of a controversial figure.
And finally, By-Line: Ernest Hemingway. As I've said, I'm enjoying reading Hemingway's usual tone and style, that I know so well, used in journalism. I hadn't read any of his journalism before. I guess the nonfiction I've read would be Death in the Afternoon and A Moveable Feast, and then all that fiction that's so heavily autobiographical. Any Hemingway I can get, I like.
I'll keep you up to date on the books I still have to finish; and I have a few Maisie books waiting for me. I might finally be caught up!
Filed under: book reviews | Tagged: audio, biography, classics, classics challenge, mystery, nonfiction, Reacher, sci fi, thriller |


text:
It is important to realize that a lot of product type testing like helmet testing does not seek to precisely reproduce real life situations, rather it attempts to define a set of requirements that is analogous to the types of situations that might be encountered while engaged in a prescribed activity. Helmet tests are designed to be repeatable, measurable and include a fixed range of situations a helmet might reasonably encounter. At this point the concerns of helmet testing does not include responses of the neck or body as they react with the head during a crash. It is strictly a measurement of how a helmet reacts during an event to protect the wearer's brain. At Snell we believe that as technology continues to evolve, so should helmet design and manufacturing techniques.
The Snell Memorial Foundation has one of the most advanced and busiest helmet testing facilities in the world. Snell's California helmet testing laboratory is the one of the few in the United States accredited to ISO 17025 by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA).
Watch video "How Helmets are Tested in Snell Labs"
Before a helmet can be Snell-certified, it is tested in Snell's state-of-the-art test facility. Snell technicians conduct a variety of tests to determine the helmet's performance and ability to stay on the head in different environmental conditions - ambient, wet, heat, cold. Depending on the application and the standard, each helmet must pass all or some of the following tests.
This test involves a series of controlled impacts where a helmet is positioned on a metal head form and then dropped in a guided fall onto various steel test anvils (Flat, Hemisphere, Kurbstone, Roll bar, Edge or a Horseshoe type) which simulate different impact surfaces. The head forms are instrumented with an accelerometer to measure peak G force or acceleration which is measured in "G"ravitational units. The impact energy (drop height and mass), or how hard the helmets are impacted is unique to each standard. However, in any valid test, if the peak acceleration imparted to the head form exceeds certain threshold value (around 300 G's, depending on standard and test type), the helmet is rejected.
A head form is mounted on a stand so that it points face downward at an angle of 135 degrees. The helmet is placed on the head form and the straps and buckles adjusted to obtain a "best fit". A wire rope is hooked to the rear edge of the helmet and brought forward so that its free end runs across the helmet and downward towards the floor. The free end of the rope has a mechanical stop with a 4 kg weight resting on the stop. The weight is raised to a prescribed height and dropped onto the stop. The resulting shock places a rotational load on the helmet. The helmet may be shifted, but must not roll off the head form. Next, the head form is rotated 180 degrees, the helmet adjusted, and tested with the wire rope hooked to the front edge of the helmet and the test is repeated. As in the first case, the helmet may be shifted but must not roll off the head form.
The helmet is placed on a head form and the chin strap fastened under a device approximating the contour of the jaw. The jaw piece is loaded with a 23 kg weight for approximately one minute. The retention system is tested by simultaneously removing the 23 kg weight and applying a 38 kg mass in an abrupt guided fall. The retention system fails if it cannot support the mechanical loads or if the maximum instantaneous deflection (stretch) of the retention system exceeds 30 mm. Drop heights for the fonts 38 kg mass are different for each standard, however the mechanism and failure criteria are similar for other types of headgear.
The chin bar test applies to full face motorcycle, special application racing and kart racing helmets. The helmet is affixed to a rigid base with the chin bar facing upward. A 5 kg weight is dropped through a guided fall to strike the central portion of the chin bar. Maximum downward deflection of the chin bar must not exceed the stated distance.
The shell penetration test applies to motorcycle, special application racing, kart racing, skiing and equestrian helmets. The helmet is affixed to a rigid base. A 3 kg sharply pointed free 3d models striker is dropped in a guided fall onto the helmet from a prescribed height. The test striker must not penetrate the helmet or even achieve momentary contact with the head form.
The face shield penetration test applies to full face motorcycle, special application racing and kart racing helmets. The face shield is affixed to the helmet and shot along the center line in three separate places with an air rifle using a sharp icons soft lead pellet. Pellet speed will be approximately 500 kph. For both types of shield the pellet must not penetrate, and for the racing helmet any resulting "bump" on the inside of the shield must not exceed 2.5 mm.
The flame resistance test applies to special application racing helmets only. The test is conducted using a propane flame of approximately 790 degrees centigrade. The flame is applied to the shell, trim, chin strap and face shield for a specified number of seconds, and any resulting fire must self extinguish within a specified time after flame removal. During the whole process the temperature of the interior lining of the helmet must not exceed 70 degrees centigrade.


text:
Obviously, there's not a lot I can add to what we all witnessed at Medinah. That was just simply amazing golf: great players, hitting great shots, under incredibly great pressure. I'm disappointed for the US team and for Davis Love III but you have to think that there was a real 13th man nudging a few of those putts in for Europe. That win was for Seve and they certainly played on Sunday like he was on the bag of every European player.
There were obviously too many shots to pick any one as being critical. The easiest "A Lesson Learned" ever could be to take a page from Rory and never practice. Just show up ten minutes before your tee time and go out and shoot 32 on the front! If only it were that easy for anyone else!
One other item did stand out to me - the calmness that Martin Kaymer seemed to have about him as he lined up for what had to be the most pressure packed putts in history. Can you imagine having your teammates, your captain, the memory of Seve, the continent of Europe and the weight of one of the largest comebacks in the history of the Ryder Cup based on your ability to hit a six foot putt?
In any sport, there is a "game on the line" situation that all players practice. Is it a critical putt? A field goal to kick? A free throw to make? A tennis serve to hit?
In every scenario, the nerves are going to be there - no matter who you are, if you care about the result, you will be nervous. What makes champions who they are is the ability to overcome those nerves and perform. And to a man (or woman), it's because they have a set routine that triggers the action they need to perform.
The lesson this week is: you succumb to pressure when you do something different, something that breaks from your normal routine.
Martin Kaymer knew the situation, but he did not spend extra time on the putt. He looked at it from his two angles, made his practice strokes and then followed his set putting routine. He said he felt strangely confident, that missing was not an option in this case.
Whatever your putting routine is, know it and practice it so much that it becomes second nature. Kaymer's putt was a straight six footer, slightly uphill, a putt he might make 100 out of 100 times on the practice green. But with more pressure than most of us can possibly imagine, for many, the odds would drop down to 10%. But not for Martin, not this past Sunday.
And the next time you face a pressure putt, making it as "normal" as possible by sticking to your routine will increase your chances to make it as well.


text:
How to Use the Images Drawing 1
Drawing 1
Photo 2 shows residents Annie Hough and brother Silas standing on Main Street. The Mill is down the hill at the far end of the street. Waterford today is little changed from this 19th-century view.Questions for Photo 2 and Photo 3
1. Study both photographs. What are some of the similarities and differences between the two views?
2. What can you learn about the topography of Waterford by studying these photos?
3. Refer back to Drawing 1 and try to determine from where Photos 2 and 3 might have been taken.
4. What national event was happening in 1862?
5. Do you think it was unusual for Annie and Silas to have their picture taken at this time? Why or why not?
* The photos on this screen have a resolution of 72 dots per inch (dpi), and therefore will print poorly. You can obtain a larger version of Photo 2 and Photo 3, but be aware that each file will take as much as 60 seconds to load with a 28.8K modem.