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Bethesda® Pinball for LG Optimus 2X
- Review
- Download
- Screenshots
- Discussions
How to download free Bethesda® Pinball for LG Optimus 2X
Compatibility checkingIndicate
- Android version
- Android 9.0
- Android 9
- Android 5.0
- Android 4.4
- Android 4.3
- Android 4.2
- Android 4.1
- Android 4.0
- Android 3.2
- Android 3.1
- Android 3.0
- Android 2.3
- Android 2.2
To find Android version: go to "Settings" - "About the phone" - "Android version"
Installation options
With PC
Follow the link to Google Play and click "install"
LG Optimus 2X
Enter link in your mobile browser or scan the QR-code
Guides: «How to create a Google Play account», «How to purchase apps in Google Play»
Questions and support
Read the review Bethesda® Pinball
«Explore Skyrim, Doom and Fallout pinball style»
Author: Brandon Girod 10 May 2017
Gorgeous pinball tables, easy to understand controls, inspired by your favorite bethesda franchises
Unlocking new tables costs money or is very grindy
When I first saw the name Bethesda written next to the word "pinball," I had to do a double take. Sure Bethesda makes a lot of great games, but not pinball games. Well, that's no longer true. Bethesda Pinball for Android is a true pinball game that f...

subset: commoncrawl


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November 18-- A former resident of the Soviet Union who is now a U.S. citizen and businessman is alarmed at similarities he sees developing between his homeland and the United States.
{mosimage}Thirty-six-year old Oleg Ivutin, shown here at his company's distribtion warehouse in Mableton, addressed the Georgia Tea Party in August and will be in Vidalia Tuesday night to address Vidalia area Tea Party members and interested citizens who wish to hear his message. He will speak at 6:30 at The Captain's Corner on Stockyard Road.
The following article appeared in The Marietta Daily Journal regarding his concerns.
MARIETTA — As guest speaker at the Marietta-based Georgia Tea Party on Thursday, Oleg Ivutin of Smyrna warned of growing similarities between the U.S. and the former Soviet Union where he grew up.
The U.S. is on a "fast track" to becoming an authoritarian government like the U.S.S.R., said Ivutin, a businessman who challenged Joe Dendy as chairman of the Cobb GOP in March.
Under communist rule, the Russian police spied on people, collecting files to use against them. Neighbors were encouraged to report on neighbors. Ivutin sees similarities between what happened in Russia and what is happening here. The KGB never had it so easy, he said.
"I think with the software that's available today you can analyze people's behavior and predict where they're going to be on Tuesday at 2 a.m.," Ivutin said. "Obama's argument for all this is always, 'Well, I have this power, but we're never going to use it. And time after time again he uses it, and whatever is going to happen after Obama we don't know."
Consider, he said, the U.S. government's use of drones against civilians.
"There is always collateral damage, but it opens up the reasoning for all these wars and the military presence."
Consider how the city of Boston was placed on lockdown during the Boston Marathon bombing.
"I believe every weekend there is a teenager in Boston that's armed and dangerous, but they don't lock down the city every single weekend," he said.
Ivutin believes history will judge National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden not as a traitor, but as a whistle-blower.
He cited an organization affiliated with the Federal Bureau of Investigation called Infragard as an example of how the U.S. government already encourages private citizens to inform on their neighbors, just as the KGB encouraged Russians to inform on theirs.
"It's really an Orwellian society," he said.
A prison system that benefits the elite
Ivutin says another similarity between the Soviet Union and U.S. is the prison systems.
The Soviet Union arrested not just the criminals but political dissidents, using prisoners as slave labor to build the infrastructure and increase the wealth of the Russian elites. In the U.S., there are also those who are earning money at the expense of prisoners.
"With the drug war you have, half of all the prison population is there for drug violations," Ivutin said. "In Russia, they were benefiting from slavery when they were putting people in jails. Here, private prisons make money off of prisoners. So when prisoners go to prison the prison owner gets money, part of that is profit."
The U.S. now has a larger percentage of its population incarcerated than any country in the world.
In some cases, the states, including Georgia, have contracted with private prison companies to house prisoners.
In the Soviet Union, the government benefited from large prison populations through slave labor. Private prison companies in the U.S. benefit from a larger prison population through profits.
"There is always a benefit factor to somebody. In the Soviet Union, it was to the elite. Here it's really to the elite as well," Ivutin said.
The military-industrial complex and the debt crisis
With the Soviet Union, the lion's share of expenses went to prop up the military.
"The United States spends close to a trillion (dollars) a year on its military," he said.
That's more than the rest of the world spends on military hardware and troops, combined.
"No one is interested in looking at comparisons to see that the U.S. military is so vastly superior to every other country combined," he said.
Such overspending is bankrupting the country when tax collections come in at $2.2 trillion but spending is more than $3 trillion.
"Then you have interest on the debt that we pay on the $16 trillion portion, and in the Soviet Union it was the same exact thing," he said.
The Soviet Union had to import much of its goods, just as the U.S. imports many things from China.
But the Soviet Union lacked the revenue to pay for its imports and turned to borrowing, just as the U.S. borrows.
"So there was a lot of deficit (spending) in the Soviet Union," he said. "The United States has a lot of deficit, trade deficit, it buys a lot more than it sells, and it borrows a lot of money, so the financial pressures are exactly the same."
Fortunately, the U.S. dollar is the reserve currency of the world, but as soon as that changes, there will be a collapse, he predicted.
"Debt produces debt and there will be a point eventually where all of this is going to end, the music will stop, and there will not be enough chairs."
Republicans in name only
From Ivutin's perspective, establishment Republicans, whether it's U.S. Sen. John McCain at the federal level or Georgia House Speaker David Ralston at the state level, are not doing anything to stem the tide.
"I look at John McCain and Hillary Clinton. I don't see any differences on any issues," Ivutin said. "If you look at our state House with Ralston and everybody else, this is where all the socialists are hiding. They're all in the Georgia State House. We don't have many Republicans in there," he said.
Any bill that supports returning constitutional rights to the citizens and opposes big government is not something Ralston will support, Ivutin charges.
"I believe he's got a different agenda. They make those bills sound good. Like bills on ethics, 'Hey, we're doing something on ethics.' The original bill sounded big, but when you look at the bill that they passed, it's like, 'Woah, now they can really get away with it.'"
Ivutin called on supporters of the U.S. Constitution to draw a line in the sand.
"These people should openly admit that 'Yes, we're socialists,'" he said. "'We just pretend to be Republicans because we want to get elected in the South.' And they refuse to take that stand. This is why the tea party movement, the Ron Paul movement, the liberty movements are so popular is because everybody understands it finally. People are starting to watch what they do, not what they say they do."
Breaking away from the GOP?
Ivutin received rousing applause from the audience at Thursday's tea party meeting, among them Peter Elizalde of east Cobb, a public school social studies teacher who said he couldn't reveal where he teaches for fear that the school administration would retaliate against him because of his political beliefs.
Elizalde, who calls himself a Republican, said the time is fast approaching when the tea party movement should break away from the Republican Party, which has taken people like him for granted for too long.
The breaking point is if Republicans don't vote this November to defund Obamacare when the continuing resolution that serves as the nation's budget is approved, he said.
"To me, if we take a stand, draw a line in the sand now, and we tell (U.S. House Speaker) John Boehner and every GOP in the establishment, 'Look, we go this far. You will split the party of the conservative movement if you go along with this.' I will be perfectly OK with that. Because if anything, we will go down fighting, showing the rest of America maybe not in the next election, but in the future someone will remember that this country was made up of ideals and people who were willing to stand by them, not people who were willing to, just for political conveniences, adjust to things."
Ivutin said he hasn't given up on the U.S. yet, which remains the last hope for the world.
"The rest of the world understands what is going on in America," Ivutin said. "They know what American people are up against today. And they hope and pray that American people will win and Obama tyranny will lose because that's their lives. Because they know if nothing changes, more war comes their way."


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Hangar 9® UltraCote® is a high tech polyester covering that features a unique multi temperature-controlled adhesive and shrinkage system, making it versatile and easy to apply. A patented polymerizing process permanently fuses the color to the polyester film covering, eliminating the possibilities of color-layer separation and permits repositioning the covering on your model. UltraCote's unique ability to both shrink and stretch make it superior to other coverings for going around tight curves and wingtips.
Temp ranges are as follows:
Adhesion to wood begins at 200 to 220 degrees F.
Shrinkage onset begins at 300 degrees F.
Maximum shrinkage is at 350 degrees F.
Surface Preparation:
Pro Tip - Some professional builders "raise the grain" then sand a second time with 320 or 400 grit paper for the ultimate finish. After the model is sanded, use a damp cloth to wipe down the model. Some modelers prefer to use a fine-mist squirt bottle filled with water to dampen the surfaces to be covered. As the surface dries, imbedded wood fibers in the surface will "stand up." When dry, sand the surfaces again using 320 or 400 grit paper. Raising the grain now and sanding it off will prevent the grain from raising later under the covering, creating a bumpy finish. Vacuum the model thoroughly and avoid touching the model with oily hands.Your model is now ready for covering!
Trim Film to Size:
Pro Tip - If the iron you're using does not display the actual temperature, here is a tip that will ensure your iron is properly set.Water boils at 212°F. Allow your iron to warm up at a medium setting. When the iron reaches its stabilized temperature, carefully pour a few drops of water on the iron's surface. Adjust the temperature until the water just begins to boil off. This method is surprisingly accurate and is generally within 10° (of the exact application temperature of 220).
Tacking Covering to Spar:
Covering a Solid-Sheeted Wing:
Covering an Open-Structure Wing:
Sealing the Edges:
Wing Tip:
Pro Tip - If sealing the covering in tight areas such as corners or fillets, using the Hangar 9® ProTrim Sealing Tool is very helpful and results in a professional finish.
Covering the Top of the Wing:
Shrinking the Covering:
Pro Tip - Use heat, not pressure, to shrink the covering taught. If pressure is applied, gouges can be pressed into the wood. Let heat, not pressure, do the work.
Covering Fuselages and Other Solid Surfaces:
|Important: Even if you're experienced in applying other brands of covering, it's important to read the following instructions. UltraCote® incorporates a unique multi temperature controlled adhesive and shrinkage system that makes achieving professional covering results easy.
Multi-Temperature Control System:
|Important:Once UltraCote® is shrunk to a specific temperature, a higher temperature must be used to further shrink the covering. For example, if the covering was shrunk using 320°F and wrinkles begin to appear/reappear, it will be necessary to use over 320°F to achieve further shrinkage.
Pro Tip - Always use the minimum heat necessary to remove wrinkles when tightening the covering, thus allowing plenty of shrinkage/temperature range remaining if it's necessary to further shrink the covering.
Helpful Hints
Multiple Colors:
|Color Series:
|Covering Pattern:
|No Pattern
|2 Metres (78 in)
|.3 oz per sq ft
|60 Centimetres (23.5 in)
Warranty Period:
What this Warranty Covers:
Horizon Hobby, Inc., (Horizon) warrants to the original purchaser that the product purchased (the "Product") will be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of 1 years from the date of purchase.
Limited Warranty:
What is Not Covered
This warranty is not transferable and does not cover (i) cosmetic damage, (ii) damage due to acts of God, accident, misuse, abuse, negligence, commercial use, or due to improper use, installation, operation or maintenance, (iii) modification of or to any part of the Product, (iv) attempted service by anyone other than a Horizon Hobby authorized service center, or (v) Products not purchased from an authorized Horizon dealer.
Purchaser's Remedy
Horizon's sole obligation and purchaser's sole and exclusive remedy shall be that Horizon will, at its option, either (i) service, or (ii) replace, any Product determined by Horizon to be defective. Horizon reserves the right to inspect any and all Product(s) involved in a warranty claim. Service or replacement decisions are at the sole discretion of Horizon. Proof of purchase is required for all warranty claims. SERVICE OR REPLACEMENT AS PROVIDED UNDER THIS WARRANTY IS THE PURCHASER'S SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY.
Limitation of Liability
HORIZON SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, LOSS OF PROFITS OR PRODUCTION OR COMMERCIAL LOSS IN ANY WAY, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER SUCH CLAIM IS BASED IN CONTRACT, WARRANTY, TORT, NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY OR ANY OTHER THEORY OF LIABILITY, EVEN IF HORIZON HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. Further, in no event shall the liability of Horizon exceed the individual price of the Product on which liability is asserted. As Horizon has no control over use, setup, final assembly, modification or misuse, no liability shall be assumed nor accepted for any resulting damage or injury. By the act of use, setup or assembly, the user accepts all resulting liability. If you as the purchaser or user are not prepared to accept the liability associated with the use of the Product, purchaser is advised to return the Product immediately in new and unused condition to the place of purchase.
These terms are governed by Illinois law (without regard to conflict of law principals). This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state. Horizon reserves the right to change or modify this warranty at any time without notice.
Questions, Assistance, and Services
Your local hobby store and/or place of purchase cannot provide warranty support or service. Once assembly, setup or use of the Product has been started, you must contact your local distributor or Horizon directly. This will enable Horizon to better answer your questions and service you in the event that you may need any assistance. For questions or assistance, please fill out our inquiry form or call 877.504.0233 toll free to speak to a Product Support representative. You may also find information on our website at www.horizonhobby.com.
Inspection or Services
If this Product needs to be inspected or serviced, please use the Horizon Online Service Request submission process found on our website or call Horizon to obtain a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number. Pack the Product securely using a shipping carton. Please note that original boxes may be included, but are not designed to withstand the rigors of shipping without additional protection. Ship via a carrier that provides tracking and insurance for lost or damaged parcels, as Horizon is not responsible for merchandise until it arrives and is accepted at our facility. An Online Service Request is available at https://www.horizonhobby.com under the Support tab. If you do not have internet access, please contact Horizon Product Support to obtain a RMA number along with instructions for submitting your product for service. When calling Horizon, you will be asked to provide your complete name, street address, email address and phone number where you can be reached during business hours. When sending product into Horizon, please include your RMA number, a list of the included items, and a brief summary of the problem. A copy of your original sales receipt must be included for warranty consideration. Be sure your name, address, and RMA number are clearly written on the outside of the shipping carton.
NOTICE: Do not ship LiPo batteries to Horizon. If you have any issue with a LiPo battery, please contact the appropriate Horizon Product Support office.
Warranty Requirements
For Warranty consideration, you must include your original sales receipt verifying the proof-of-purchase date. Provided warranty conditions have been met, your Product will be serviced or replaced free of charge. Service or replacement decisions are at the sole discretion of Horizon.
Non-Warranty Service
Should your service not be covered by warranty service will be completed and payment will be required without notification or estimate of the expense unless the expense exceeds 50% of the retail purchase cost. By submitting the item for service you are agreeing to payment of the service without notification. Service estimates are available upon request. You must include this request with your item submitted for service. Non-warranty service estimates will be billed a minimum of ½ hour of labor. In addition you will be billed for return freight. Horizon accepts money orders and cashiers checks, as well as Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover cards. By submitting any item to Horizon for service, you are agreeing to Horizon's Terms and Conditions found on our website https://www.horizonhobby.com/Service/Request.
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Electronics and engines requiring inspection or repair should be shipped to the following address:
Horizon Service Center
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Horizon Product Support
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Please call 877-504-0233 or For questions or assistance, please fill out our inquiry form with any questions or concerns regarding this product or warranty.
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Horizon Hobby Limited
Units 1-4 Ployters Rd
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United Kingdom
Please call +44 (0) 1279 641 097 or e-mail us at email@example.com with any questions or concerns regarding this product or warranty.
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Please call +49 4121 46199 66 or e-mail us at
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Please call +33 (0) 1 60 47 44 70 or e-mail us at
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Technical questions about this product should be directed to Horizon Hobby:
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Mo - Fr: 2:00pm - 9:00pm (UK Time zone hours of operation)
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To contact Tech Support email us at service[at]horizonhobby.de
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text:
China Daily via Reuters
Chinese border guards help a tourist who got trapped near the beach as winds whip up waves in Taizhou, Zhejiang province on August 2, 2012.
Gales and rainstorms lashed coastal regions in east China when two typhoons made landfall in less than 10 hours from Thursday to Friday morning, forcing over 300,000 people to evacuate, Xinhua News Agency reported.
Typhoon Damrey batters China forcing more than 300,000 people to evacuate as it rips across the country ahead of Typhoon Saola moving in from Taiwan. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.
Previously on PhotoBlog: China on alert as typhoon batters Taiwan


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City of Cedar Park, TexasHome Menu
Click to view a PDF version calendar for August.
Lapsit Storytime
- Date: 06/13/2019 9:45 am - 10:15 am
- Location: Cedar Park Library Community Room
550 Discovery Blvd.
Cedar Park, Texas 78613
Return to full list >>
Lapsit Storytime is for parents/caregivers and children ages 0-15 months. Miss Jane leads the group in songs, fingerplays, and a book for the first 15 minutes. The last 15 minutes is baby social time, where babies can play and interact with each other. Call 512-401-5632 for details.
No registration is required for Library Storytimes. Please help us enhance your child's learning by silencing your cell phone and engaging with the songs and stories along with your child. We ask that you help us keep Storytime FOOD FREE.


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4x100m relay 4x400m relay 10-for-10 100m 100m dash 100m hurdles 110m high hurdles 110m hurdles 200m 200m dash 400m 400m hurdles 800m 2012 London Olympics ABL allen johnson Aries Merritt ateneo ateneo basketball league Ateneo Track & Field Athletics Barcelona basketball boxing carl lewis Celeb christophe lemaitre D2003 Daegu Darya Klishina Darya Klishina (Дарья Клишина) david oliver dayron robles derek redmond Diamond League European Championships football Helsinki henry dagmil heptathlon high jump hurdles injury Istanbul Javelin Jumps liu xiang Liu Xiang (刘翔) London Long Jump Manny Pacquiao marestella torres Moro olympics Philippines plyometrics pole vault Rene Herrera rizal Russia sprints Track & Field track beauty track beauty of the week training triple jump Tyson Gay uaap ultra Usain Bolt Verena Sailer weights World Championships World Indoor Championships Yohan Blake
Tag Archives: Nicola Sanders
London Olympics Preview: The 4x400m Relay
July 25, 2012Posted by on
The 4x400m relay has been the traditional finale of track & field meets. It is a long drawn struggle, showcasing both the raw speed of the athletes and their ability to dig deep at such a grueling event. Unlike in the shorter relay, where aggregate flat speed disadvantages are somehow nullified by faulty baton passing, the winning formula in the 4x400m is a lot simpler.
The Americans are the most dominant country in this event. The U.S. ladies have won five out the ten times the 4x400m relay has been held in the Olympics. Their last defeat came at the hands of the Unified Team in Barcelona. American women have won three World Championship titles since 2007. The disparity becomes even more glaring in the men's competition, where the U.S. have lost only five times since the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. In World Championship competition, Americans have bagged a total of nine gold medals.
Read: "American 4x400m Relay Dominance"
However, doping violations have cast a dark shadow over some of these victories, resulting into several high profile disqualifications in both Olympic and World Championship competition.
Women's 4x400m Relay
Russian women occupy five spots in the 400m dash top ten this year, with the U.S. having three. Antonina Krivoshapka Антонина Кривошапка (49.16 SB) is the world leader. Beijing 2008 silver medalist Sanya Richards-Ross and veteran Russian Yulia Gushchina Ю́лия Гу́щина are tied in second place, each having a season's best of 49.28s. Botswana's Amantle Montsho (49.54 SB), the 2011 World Champion, is in fourth. The fastest Jamaican this year is Novlene Williams-Mills (49.78 SB).
Read: "London Olympics Preview – The 400m Dash"
The versatile Allyson Felix, the 400m dash silver medallist from Daegu, will most likely reinforce Richards-Ross, Francena McCorrory, and Deedee Trotter. In fact, the same American quartet ran the fastest time in the world this year, 3:21.18, as the United States "Red" Team at the Penn Relays. Richards-Ross, McCorrory and Felix were also part of the U.S. team that won gold (3:18.09) over Jamaica (3:18.71) and Russia (3:19.36) at the Daegu World Championships last year.
The Russian women look good on paper, with the sub-50 trio of Krivoshapka, Gushchina, and Tatyana Firova Татьяна Фирова (49.72s) at the best form of their athletics careers. Similar to the core of the American pool, the Russians have been competing as a team for around half a decade.
Ukraine (Yuliya Olishevska, Olha Zemlyak, Nataliya Pyhyda, Alina Lohvynenko), France (Phara Anacharsis, Luina Guion Firmin, Marie Gayot, Floria Guei), the Czech Republic (Zuzana Hejnová, Zuzana Bergrová, Jitka Bartoničková, Denisa Rosolova) and Belarus (Hanna Tashpulatava,Yulyana Yushchanka Юльяна Юшчанка, Ilona Usovich Ілона Усовіч, Sviatlana Usovich Святлана Усовіч) are the most likely finalists in London. The Ukrainians (3:25.07) won over the French (3:25.49) and Czechs (3:26.02) at the European Championships in Helsinki last June.
In terms of the Olympic seedings, the Americans (average 3:19.63) and the Russians (average 3:20.15) are at the top. The Jamaicans are at third, with an average time of 3:20.36.
The British (Shana Cox, Nicola Sanders, Lee McConnell, Eilidh Child), however, finished outside the medals. This could change in London, in light of the increasingly strong showing of Olympic Champion Christine Ohuruogu. The sheer emotion of running in front of a home crowd might just enable athletes like McConnell and Marilyn Okoro to run the race of their lives and Nicola Sanders to rediscover the spring in her legs.
The battle for gold will be close between the Americans and the Russians, with the Jamaicans (Rosemarie Whyte, Davita Prendergast, Novlene Williams-Mills, Shericka Williams) also in contention. The U.S. ladies are the favorites, in light of their 20-year reign as Olympic Champions. The Russians, however, might just pull off a repeat of the Unified Team's performance in the Barcelona Olympics. The trump card would have to be individual experience of Richards-Ross and Felix, both multiple World Championship titlists and Olympic medalists. This puts the U.S. on a psychological and physical pedestal against the Russian and Jamaican women.
Top Three Predictions
Gold: United States
Silver: Russia
Bronze: Jamaica/Great Britain
Men's 4x400m Relay
When the North American powers do not get disqualified due to technicalities (1972 Munich), disgraced due to doping violations (1997 Athens, 2000 Sydney, 2003 Paris), or absent due to boycott (1980 Moscow), it is tremendously difficult to triumph over a team donning the Stars and Stripes in the 4x400m relay, particularly amongst the men. The prolific British quartet of Roger Black, Derek Redmond, John Regis and Kriss Akabusi were the last to pull it off at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo. In the Olympics, the Jamaican victory over the U.S. in Helskini back in 1952 was the most recent.
The Americans had winning margins of 4 seconds and 3 seconds in Athens and Beijing, respectively. The rest of the field contended for the lesser medals, with the gold safely in the bag of the dominant U.S. quartets. The 4x400m relay final in Daegu was the most exciting in recent years. With all due respect to the quarter-mile abilities of hurdlers Angelo Taylor and Bershawn Jackson, putting two non-400m specialists in the relay team could have been instrumental in leveling the playing field. Coming into the home straight, LaShawn Merritt was boxed in by the tactical running of South Africa's L.J. Van Zyl and Jamaica's Leford Green. Merritt had to do the Virginia Shuffle to storm into tape!
However, the 400m landscape in 2012 is vastly different from 2008. Four years ago, the sixteen fastest races that season were run either by Merritt or Jeremy Wariner. Taylor was the third fastest in 2008. The 2012 top list has a more international flavor, with the likes of Luguelin Santos, the Kevin and Jonathan Borlee, Kirani James, and Demetrius Pinder not far behind Merritt, the world leader at 44.12s.
Read: "London Olympics Preview – The 400m Dash"
Belgium, with the Borlee brothers in the top 10, looks good on paper. So does the Bahamas, thanks to Pinder, Ramon Miller and the experienced Chris Brown. I would love to see the South Africans reprise their sterling form in Daegu, but their season's best of 3:04.01 pales in comparison to their bronze medal winning time of 2:59.21. The relay teams of Cuba (Noel Ruíz, Raidel Acea, Orestes Rodríguez, William Collazo), Trinidad and Tobago (Renny Quow, Lalonde Gordon, Jarrin Solomon, Deon Lendore), and Japan (Kei Takase, Yuzo Kanemaru 金丸 祐三, Yusuke Ishitsuka, Hiroyuki Nakano) have also posted competitive times this year.
In terms of the Olympic seedings, the U.S. (average 2:58.97), South Africa (average 2:59.54), Jamaica (average 2:59.61), Cuba (average 2:59.93), and Russia (average 3:00.51) comprise the top five.
Despite the smaller gap in terms of flat out 400m times, the U.S. squad is still favored to win because of its depth of talent. Tony McQuay and Bryshon Nellum are ranked 3rd and 9th in the world, respectively. The experienced Wariner, despite his recent drop in form, is still a formidable relay runner. And the U.S. could always tap its intermediate hurdlers to run in the heats to save the legs of its main guns for the final.
The rest of the contenders do not have the luxury of a deep talent pool. Barring any unforseen hitches, the U.S is still the overwhelming favorite for Olympic gold.
My sentimental favorites are South Africa and the Dominican Republic, because of Oscar Pistorius and Felix Sanchez.
Top Three Predictions
Gold: United States
Silver: Belgium
Bronze: Bahamas
Helsinki European Championships: Women's 4x400m Relay
July 17, 2012Posted by on
The 4x400m relay has traditionally been the final event of athletics competitions. From low-key schools meets to the Olympics, the grueling yet exciting event has always been the curtain-ender.
The recently concluded European Championships in Helsinki were no different. With the Russian Olympic Trials being held the week after, the European athletics powerhouse opted to send its "B" team to Helsinki.
Istanbul 2012: Top Seven Performances
March 13, 2012Posted by on
Amongst the major international athletics championships, the World Indoors is the most underrated. Big name stars like Usain Bolt usually opt out of the biennial meet, especially in crucial Olympic years. Indoor athletics has a far smaller reach than its outdoor counterpart, with the smaller venues usually found in the frigid countries of the northern hemisphere.
Photo from Wikipedia
Nevertheless, it has that obscure charm. When I first saw the start lists of some events, I thought that the rest of the non-European, non-American world was underrepresented. I thought wrong. As soon as the 60m dash heats came out, a cacophony of athletes from small countries – from Mongolia in the Gobi desert to Fiji in the Pacific – competed amongst their more illustrious counterparts.
Even if I had to rely on live streaming links and my less-than-perfect internet connection to watch the World Indoors, I must say that I had a grand time. Despite the absence of most of the track & field titans, the festivities were certainly not devoid of memorable athletics moments. The three-day event has seen former World Indoor champions like Elena Isinbayeva Елена Гаджиевна Исинбаева, Justin Gatlin, and Valerie Adams re-emerge on the big stage, whilst playing host to bevy of promising talent.
One Gold, Three Silvers (Photo from Zimbio/Getty Images)
The women high jumpers deserve special mention too, as the troika of Antonietta Di Martino, Anna Chicherova Анна Владимировна Чичерова, and Ebba Jungmark shared a the second spot on the podium, behind the champion, the come-backing Chaunté Lowe (1.98m). The three athletes had equally identical sheets, with each clearing 1.95m.
The United States topped the overall standings with a staggering 18 medals, 10 of which were gold. Great Britain had 9, while African distance powerhouses Ethiopia and Kenya won 5 and 4, respectively.
The following list enumerates my favorite performances from Istanbul (aside from the 60m hurdles, of course!):


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Washington – Democratic leaders of both houses of Congress on Wednesday presented the nine principles that should guide comprehensive immigration reform they say will contribute to the economic recovery.
During a press conference in the Capitol, members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus insisted that immigration reform is cannot be postponed any longer, adding that during the 113th Congress is the perfect time to bring undocumented foreign residents out of the shadows.
An overhaul of immigration law would increase the U.S. gross domestic product by $1.5 trillion over the next decade, New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez said.
Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.), a long-time leader on the issue, said the next Congress offers "an historic opportunity to help immigrants."
"We can - and should - make history in this session of Congress by passing comprehensive immigration reform," he said.
The nine principles put forward Wednesday include the registration of the approximately 11 million undocumented immigrants; protection of immigrant families to prevent their separation; legalization of undocumented students and visas for agricultural guest workers.
To register, undocumented people would have to provide their fingerprints, pay taxes and learn English, although those who have criminal records will be subject to deportation.
When asked by Efe about why instead of principles they did not present a bill on the matter, Menendez said that they preferred to begin in "good faith" with a bipartisan process to start the debate with "an extended hand" rather than a clenched fist.
Republicans, who have opposed anything that smacks of an amnesty, now are promoting their own plan, which does not include a path to legalization.
The defeat of Mitt Romney at the polls has forced the Republican Party to redesign its immigration stance, well aware that it lost the Hispanic vote in part because it opposed immigration reform.
On Tuesday, GOP Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas and Jon Kyl of Arizona presented a bill that will permit certain undocumented students to legally remain in the United States if they enroll in a university or enlist in the Armed Forces.
That bill is a watered-down version of the DREAM Act, which was buried in the Senate in 2010.
Source: www.latino.foxnews.com


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Friday, April 20, 2018
New Trailer For Anon
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Edge Of Tomorrow is the latest film from veteran director Doug Liman , best known for The Bourne Identity series. Edge Of Tomorrow's st...
Bone Tomahawk had a limited release back in October 2015 but it deserves attention and a quick review. It's simple. A rogue tribe of ...


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Axis system devices connect and/or enhance the performance of your network solutions. They've been tested and verified to ensure a perfect match with Axis products. They're reliable, make installation and maintenance less time consuming and come with a 3-year warranty and Axis support.
Allows for migration of your analog camera system to IP video at your own pace
For accurate area detection with few false alarms
Provides Axis cameras with additional functionality
Enable efficient connection among network-based devices
For powering up your PoE device via an Ethernet cable
Solutions for your Ethernet, Fiber or Coaxial connections
Enhanced detection for motion and audio both indoors and outdoors
Enabling analog or digital monitors to connect and to display live video streaming


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The Sun Logger, a data logging device, combines several components we've used in previous Weekend Projects. You may recognize the light-sensitive photoresistor (Optical Tremolo Box) and the Arduino Uno microcontroller (Touchless 3D Tracking Interface). These parts, when combined with a 74AHC125 Level Shifter and SD card socket mounted on a homemade "shield," will record the levels of light shining down on your project box. That data, recorded every 15 seconds to the SD card, can be exported later to any popular spreadsheet software and graphed, giving you a visual representation of light changes over time. This data could aid in knowing where best to plant a garden, or simply to understand changes of light intensity throughout the seasons in your micro-climate.
And while this project is readymade for recording levels of sunlight, the Arduino has a total of six analog inputs (labeled A0 – A5) and could easily record other variables. For example temperature, motion, or barometric pressure. Makers looking for a mid-level Arduino build, or knowledgeable coders looking to solder together their first homemade shield, the Sun Logger is a great project to build!
See all of the Weekend Projects posts


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RAWA comments on the release of Sahar Gul's torturers.
Sahar Gul, who was 15 at the time her ordeal, was burned, beaten and had her fingernails pulled out by her husband and in-laws after she refused to become a prostitute in a case that shocked the world.
She was found in the basement of her husband's house in northeastern Baghlan province in late 2011, having been locked in a toilet for six months prior to her rescue by police.
Her father-in-law, mother-in-law and sister-in-law were sentenced to prison for 10 years each for torture and attempted murder, though her husband remains at large.
"But after the court reviewed their case, it found out that they were only involved in family violence," Supreme Court spokesman Abdullah Attaee told AFP.
Excuse me? "Only" family violence? What the fucking fuck can that possibly mean? Because she was sold to them in "marriage" therefore she is "family" and therefore they get to burn her, beat her, pull her fingernails out, and chain her in a toilet for months? That's "only" family violence?
Afghan rights groups expressed indignation over the early releases, calling it a step back in time for Afghanistan's women.
"This case, once heralded as a legal triumph underscoring the advances for women's rights in the past decade in Afghanistan is now a harbinger of a grim future," Women for Afghan Women, a Kabul and New York based women's rights organisation who helped Gul during the trial wrote on their website.
Violence and abuse against women continues to be a major problem in Afghanistan a decade after US-led troops brought down the notorious Taliban regime.
In May the Afghan parliament cut short a debate on a bill to protect women from violence after complaints from some traditionalist MPs that it was against Islamic teaching.
If it is against "Islamic teaching" then "Islamic teaching" is evil and monstrous. Period.


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Meet dozens of military-friendly employers face-to-face at one of the most professional career events in Virginia. Sponsored by Corporate Gray, which has a reputation for getting the best companies and the best candidates together for an efficient and effective experience, this event is especially for transitioning and former/retired military members and military spouses. Open to all branches (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard), all ranks (Enlisted Personnel and Officers), and all occupational specialties. Free and open to all candidates.
Participating Organizations: Our Military-Friendly Job Fairs typically include dozens of employers – Defense Contractors, Large Fortune 500 firms, Small Businesses, Non-Profits, and Federal, State, and Local Government Agencies. Participants continue to register until the week of the job fair, so check the website for updates: https://www.CorporateGray.com
One Employer Panel/Q&A will take place at 8 a.m. and Job Fair booths will be open from 9 a.m. until 12 Noon.


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LGL Promotes LaDuane Clifton to Chief Financial Officer
January 07, 2013
Appoints James Williams as Principal Accounting Officer
ORLANDO, FL, January 7, 2013 – The LGL Group, Inc. (NYSE MKT: LGL) today announced that R. LaDuane Clifton has been promoted to Chief Financial Officer effective December 17, 2012. Mr. Clifton, previously served as the Company's Chief Accounting Officer since March 2010, and as LGL's Corporate Controller from August 2009 to March 2010.
The Company's President and Chief Executive Officer, Greg Anderson, said "I am delighted to announce that LaDuane Clifton has been promoted to CFO. During his tenure, he has been an instrumental part of realigning our operations, significantly improving our balance sheet, bringing improved investor transparency and strengthening our finance function." LGL's Chairman of the Board, Marc Gabelli, said "LaDuane's contributions have directly led to improvements in the Company's operating leverage, and combined with his personal effectiveness and energy, support the focus of the Board of Directors and Management on growing shareholder value by expanding the potential for organic growth and by positioning for strategic investments that extend the franchise and capitalize on the LGL platform."
The Company also announced the appointment of James L. Williams to serve as LGL's Corporate Controller and Principal Accounting Officer effective January 2, 2013. Mr. Williams, is both a CPA and CIA, and brings senior-level finance experience gained from both large and small companies, including ABM Industries, one of the largest publicly-held facility management services in the U.S., Southeastern U.S. Insurance, and Georgia-Pacific Corporation, a world-leading producer of forest-based products. Mr. Gabelli said, "Today's regulatory environment has increased the complexity of operations accounting, financial reporting and tax compliance for public companies. Jim brings a wealth of experience that supports these requirements while also expanding the Company's data analysis capabilities in support of the Company's strategic growth efforts."
About The LGL Group, Inc.
The LGL Group, Inc., through its wholly-owned subsidiary MtronPTI, manufactures and markets highly-engineered electronic components used to control the frequency or timing of signals in electronic circuits. These devices are used extensively in electronic systems for military applications, avionics, earth-orbiting satellites, medical devices, instrumentation, industrial devices and global positioning systems. They are also used in infrastructure equipment for the telecommunications and network equipment industries. The Company has operations in Orlando, Florida, Yankton, South Dakota and Noida, India, and sales offices in Hong Kong and Shanghai, China.
For more information on the Company and its products and services, contact LaDuane Clifton at The LGL Group, Inc., 2525 Shader Rd., Orlando, Florida 32804, (407) 298-2000, or visit www.lglgroup.com.
###Back to Current News


text: Helicore Orchestral 1/8 Bass A String: Medium Catalog ID: STBAHEA53_1NIB Helicore Orchestral bass strings are multi-stranded steel core strings that produce a warm tone quality with excellent bow response. The core design makes for strings that are very easy to play under the left hand. Damping is optimized for arco use, but they also work well for pizzicato applications where a very warm, less-sustaining sound is desired.Scaled to fit 1/8 size bass with a playing length of 31 3/4 inches (805mm), these medium tension strings are optimized for a majority of players. Weight: 0.2 lbs Brand: Helicore Orchestral String: A String Size: 1/8 Winding Material: Nickel Core Material: Steel Gauge: Medium String End: Ball In StockOn Sale List Price: $85.75 Regular Price: $38.59 $26.82 Buy Continue Shopping


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112 Wedding Crafts
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Explore this collection of 112 wedding crafts including DIY bouquets, centerpieces, pew decorations, wedding gifts and more. Save money on your own wedding or create the perfect wedding gift with 112 wedding crafts. Find wedding crafts for every skill level.
You will find many wedding crafts to help you organize, store and present your wedding memories, including photos. Many of these wedding crafts are also appropriate for anniversary gifts.
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Bridal Party
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Food and Drink
- 3-Tiered Wedding Serving Tray
- Wedding Glass with Pearls
- Stemware Name Charms
- Wedding Place Card Holder
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Flower Girl/Ring Bearer
- Easy Flower Girl Basket
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- Wedding Flower Girl Headband
- Heartfelt Collection: Ring Bearer Pillow
- NEW! Spring Bloom Headband
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- Braided Wedding Album
- Monogrammed Newlywed Plaque
- Mr. Gift Box
- Mrs. Gift Bag
- Two-hearted Gift Bag
- Wedded Love Frame
- Wedding Attire Frame
- Wedding Cake Quilt Block
- Beautiful Peace Label
- NEW! Personalized Plaid Platter
- Garden Flowers: "Save The Date" Card
- Garden Flowers: Invitation
- Garden Flowers: RSVP Card
- Heartfelt Collection: Handmade Wedding Invitation
- Heartfelt Collection: Wedding RSVP Cards
- Wedding Save the Date Cards
- Wedding Invitation
- Wedding Shower Invitation and Gift Box
- NEW! Handmade Letterpress Wedding Invitations
Pew Decorations
- DIY Pomanders
- Heart Ribbon Pew Bow
- Feather Wedding Flower Cone
- Opulent Wedding Bells
- NEW! Bountiful Hydrangea Pomander
Table Accents
- Bunny Bride and Groom
- Wedding Cake Card Box
- Wedding Guest Book
- Turquoise and Brown Wedding Decorations
- Reader Tip for a Relaxed Wedding Reception
- Tiny Teacup Topiary
- NEW! Flower Frill Wedding Centerpiece
- Die-Cut Wedding Dress
- Paper and Bead Wedding Jewelry
- Lacy Bridal Set
- Pearl Snowflake Shoe Topper
- Double Strand Illusion Necklace and Earrings
- NEW! Bridal Buttons Barrette
Wedding Memories
- Wedding Memories Storage Box
- Garden Flowers: Scrapbook Page
- Garden Flowers: Thank You Note
- Heartfelt Collection: Thank You Cards
- Heartfelt Collection: Wedding Scrapbook Page
- I Love U Wedding Scrapbook Page
- Je T'aime Wedding Scrapbook Layout
- Mr. and Mrs. Wedding Scrapbook Layout
- Romantic Wedding Scrapbook Layout
- Dress Album
- Vintage Wedding Day Scrapbook Layout
- NEW! Memory Wedding Frame
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Colourful Granny Rainbow Crochet Baby Blanket
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It's true, just as it's tough to simultaneously enjoy outhouses and Japanese toilets, chances are that you won't dually appreciate both circuit boards and pens.
Still, we had to write (type, I should say) about the Circuit Board Pen. Not just some ballpoint coated in a cheap electronic veneer, the pen features a real circuit board painstakingly wrapped in an extremely thin layer of custom-lathed acrylic.
The result is a touchable circuit board pen that hopefully will not cut or poison you. And while its $US80 price may seem a tad steep, that's really pretty reasonable when viewed from the admittedly skewed niche of collectible pens. [Pens As Art Thanks Robert!]


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2008 Dodge Viper
The Dodge Viper ranks among the fiercest, most raw, visceral machines sold in showrooms anywhere. Only a few cars come as close as the Viper to a street-legal race car: Ferrari F430 Scuderia, Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera, Porsche 911 GT3RS, Chevrolet Corvette ZO6, Honda S2000CR. Only two of these cost less, and none come within 95 hp of the Viper.
For most automotive tasks the Viper is overkill, like using a six-pound sledgehammer to swat a fly. Ridiculously fast and able to slosh your eyeballs about in their orbit rounding a bend or under heavy braking, it didn't really need any more power. But with archrival Corvette Z06 at 505 hp, that's just what Dodge did for 2008. They made the engine just 0.1 liter bigger but added 95 horses to make a nice round 600. The fly would still be dead, but now you have a bigger hammer.
Along with the increased power, the gearbox has been strengthened, the shifter revised, the clutch tweaked for more grip on less effort, and the hood has been reshaped. Almost irrelevant are addenda like a navigation radio.
Model Lineup
The 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 is offered in two models, the convertible Roadster ($83,145) and GTS coupe ($83,895). An ACR model is due soon. The government adds a Gas Guzzler Tax to this, however.
Viper comes standard with leather/suede sport seats, air conditioning, power adjustable pedals, tilt steering column, full instrumentation, CD player, power steering, power disc brakes, power windows, power locks, power mirrors, console, composite bodywork, bi-Xenon headlamps, fog lamps, limited-slip differential, and emergency flat-tire repair kit.
The ACR model is intended for track use and includes carbon fiber front splitter with removable center section for street driving, "dive plane" front winglets, and a large fixed rear spoiler, lighter wheels with stickier tires, adjustable suspension and fewer interior amenities to save weight.
Options include a navigation system with radio ($1790); instrument bezel trim upgrade ($695); two-tone upholstery ($495); special wheels ($700); cover and mats ($450); and some metallic paint hues ($600).
Safety features include frontal airbags and antilock brakes.
From any angle, a quick glance shows the Viper means business, with a body shaped as much for function as style. It is made of composite materials over a steel frame, with aluminum sills and strengthened cowl. If a Viper is menacing, the ACR is version is downright evil incarnate.
The Viper's sharp front edges and gaping maw are Braille for "get out of my way." A deep front spoiler and sloping hood wedged between two fenders help keep it from going airborne at three-mile-a-minute speeds, as does the subtle rear wing, rear suspension belly pan and the sizable diffuser under the rear end; don't back this up anywhere near a curb.
Cooling air is funneled in through the trademark four-slot grille and exhausted through six extractor vents in the hood; when idling or moving very slowly the hot air wafting out those vents makes the forward view distorted much like the rear window glass. Even the bubble top roof serves a purpose, enabling the occupants to fit with helmets on.
The roadster's folding soft top is manually-operated and stows neatly behind the seats but you must get out of the car to complete the five-second operation. The glass rear window has a defroster so visibility equals the coupe, and headroom is similar.
Xenon headlamps are standard, finally endowing the Viper with suitable vision for night drives; the snake's head center brake light continues. And like the earliest Vipers, the exhaust pipes, even on GTS coupes, exit right under the door ahead of the rear-wheel; expect drive-through attendants to ask you to turn it off so they can hear you.
The fuel tank is a bit smaller at 16 gallons (compared with the previous 18.5), but the engine is more efficient so range isn't severely impacted. Besides, 2.5 gallons of gas is just an extra 15 pounds you don't need in a race car.
Eight color choices are offered, with five choices in stripe color to complement or counter the primary shade. There are also three choices in wheels, although none is said to be significantly lighter than the others, so choosing them is mostly a style consideration.
Interior Features
The term cockpit applies as well to a Viper as any other car. A simple push on the button release atop the door pops it open, and it's not a big opening requiring a smidge of slide and contort slightly to get in. However, once inside you will find surprising head and legroom given the car's external dimensions (less than four feet high) and the fact that you are essentially wedged between the engine/gearbox and exhaust pipes.
Although the seats sport long cushions for thigh support and big bolsters to keep you contained, you wouldn't slide far without them given the wall-size center console and door adjacent. Seat controls are manual and limited to forward and backward; there's no lumbar or cushion height adjustment, but the tilt wheel and power adjustable pedals help everyone fit. The pedals are offset to the left a bit and include a dead pedal to brace your left foot on when not shifting, but the floating gas pedal is not ideal for heel-and-toe pedaling.
Leather trims the steering wheel and shift knob, while seats have suede-like center sections with color options; the seat sides and interior are all black. It's not fancy in here, with plastic a frequent surface because it's light, inexpensive, easy to clean, and easy to cut up to add a roll cage, light and radio switching, and so forth.
Dead ahead of the driver is the tachometer, with fuel to the left and speed to the right; the Viper won't run to the top number (220 mph) but it will go well 'round. Some mental recalibration may be in order as most cars are not traveling 110 mph with the needle straight up.
Sloping down to the right of the wheel are oil pressure (closest to line of sight, where it should be), oil temperature, water temperature, and voltage. All instruments are black numbers on white faces and an easy read, although the oil pressure gauge reflects in the windshield at night. The bezels around the gauges may be optioned up in different trim.
In keeping with its strictly (go fast) business attitude, the steering wheel has just one button on it: the horn. And there are no cup holders. You might feel tempted to Zip-tie your commuter cup to a roll bar and run a hose out of it for sipping, through your helmet, of course.
Air conditioning is standard and quickly cools the tiny volume of air space inside, and in warm weather the engine and pipes surrounding you can quickly turn the cockpit into a mild oven. You can now add navigation to the electronic entertainment, but your phone should be stowed; they'd never hear you over the din.
Visibility is relatively good for a low-slung beast. The mirrors aren't filled by the fat rear fenders and although the glass backlight might distort them, sizable objects are easily detected behind. The windshield doesn't blend in to the roof as on some cars, so the forward view upward is marginal; you may need to lean forward and peer up to see traffic lights, and the rearview mirror and right front fender conspire to make a very small area to see what's up and to the right, such as sharp uphill right-handers or merging traffic.
Dodge claims trunk space of 14.6 cubic feet under the large hatch opening, but that seems optimistic; maybe they're including the rear suspension and fuel tank in that figure. That said, the GTS does have enough room for a couple of overnight bags or maybe your helmet and driving suit. There's no spare tire, instead there's a small air compressor and fix-kit; that makes sense because there'd be nowhere to put a massive, flat tire.
The roadster's trunk is notably smaller but it can still hold a wheeled suitcase and carry-on bags. If the top is up there is space behind the seats for jackets and lighter items; this space disappears with the top down but trunk space does not change.
The roadster also comes across as quieter sometimes as it's less of an echo chamber, but it is otherwise similar to the GTS and just
Driving Impressions
Rotate the key to ignition, depress the clutch, push the red Start button, and the Viper shatters Sunday morning silence with a cacophony of odd-firing sounds from its V10 engine and bellowing pipes. And you thought it only looked loud.
From here on, everything you do must give the car due consideration for its abilities, and unless you race regularly or work in automotive testing, your own lack of abilities. This is the only production 600-hp car sold in the United States that does not have all-wheel drive, electronic stability control, or both, and as such is not recommended for inflated egos or the inexperienced. The Viper is a brutally honest car and if you direct it to do something stupid, it will do something stupid.
That said, the Viper is actually quite docile trundling around town. The new twin-disc clutch takes less effort and offers smoother, more precise engagement, so you can get in motion without even using the throttle.
The fastest launches are not done with your foot on the floor as that would merely spin the back tires; on many road surfaces you'll need second gear before the Viper gains good traction and lunges toward the horizon like a greyhound with ears laid back.
When it reaches the heart of its power in second gear, you've passed the legal speed limit in most states, with four gears remaining. If you took the average interstate on-ramp as fast as possible you'd hit the highway doing somewhere north of 120 mph. Find an open track long enough, and the Viper coupe is said to top 200 mph. Our experience suggests it pulls hard at any speed. Expect no more than 20 minutes out of a tank of fuel at peak velocity.
On the other hand, you can drive around never exceeding 1500 rpm (out of 6300) and still reach 80 mph in the same time most plebian cars do. Extremely tall gearing means a Viper will idle at more than 40 mph in top gear. Its low-rpm torque and excellent tractability allows it to go uphill at 1000 rpm in fifth gear without complaint. The new shifter and gearbox are a big improvement over the old one, but they retain the irritating skip-shift function that sends the lever from first to fourth in slow-speed acceleration to help achieve a better EPA fuel-economy rating.
And despite raising horsepower by nearly 100, the car is more efficient, with EPA ratings up to 13/22 for 2008. Making the ultimate sacrifice (driving a Viper sensibly) we recorded better than 16 mpg in everyday driving. Moderate weight and tall gears have their advantages.
Five- and six-hundred horsepower cars are more common everyday, but nothing with this power level weighs as little as the Viper's 3450 pounds. Indeed, only some non-U.S. exotics and the Bugatti Veyron, at more than a million dollars for its 987 horsepower, offers a significantly better power to weight ratio.
Ride comfort is par for the course on a car that changes direction like this and can pin your own weight against the door or seatbelt. Run-flat tires are no longer employed and the foot-wide Michelin Pilot Sport 2s give superb grip without the small-bump punishment run-flats impart. Suspension bits are all aluminum and nicely calibrated for poor road compliance and razor-sharp response. Some super-serious types might like a bit more rebound control in back, easy to accomplish using aftermarket parts.
Brakes are immense and easy to modulate; a light touch of the pedal brings mild slowing, with retarding increasing directly with more pedal pressure. Fade is not an issue, the ABS is ideally tuned, and the net effect is a controlled crash with no damage.
A few cars may brake as well, generate similar lateral grip, get around a race course with similar lap times, or accelerate like this, but few can do all like a Viper, and none can do it for the money.
The Dodge Viper is the bad boy for under $100,000. Bang for your buck literally can't be matched, as you will likely spend more to better any battle of numbers bench racers are apt to argue about. It's in your face, your ears, your nose and all over the competition. If you're smart enough to show the respect it demands, it might be the race car you're looking for. And did we mention the 600 horsepower?
NewCarTestDrive.com correspondent G.R. Whale filed this report in Los Angeles.
|Model Line Overview
|Model lineup:
|Dodge Viper Roadster ($83,145); GTS coupe ($83,895); ACR coupe
|600-hp 8.4-liter V10
|6-speed manual
|Safety equipment (standard):
|frontal airbags, ABS
|Safety equipment (optional):
|Basic warranty:
|3 years/36,000 miles
|Assembled in:
|Detroit, Michigan
|Specifications As Tested
|Model tested (MSPR):
|Dodge Viper GTS ($83,895)
|Standard equipment:
|leather/suede sport seats, air conditioning, power steering, power disc brakes, power windows, power locks, console, adjustable pedals, bi-xenon headlamps, fog lamps, limited-slip differential
|Options as tested (MSPR):
|Stripes ($3000); polished Razor wheels ($700)
|Destination charge:
|Gas guzzler tax:
|Price as tested (MSPR):
|rear-wheel drive
|8.4-liter ohv 20-valve V10
|Horsepower (lb.-ft @ rpm):
|600 @ 6100
|Torque (lb.-ft @ rpm):
|560 @ 5000
|6-speed manual
|EPA fuel economy, city/hwy:
|13/22 mpg
|98.8 in.
|175.6/75.2/47.6 in.
|Track, f/r:
|61.6/60.9 in.
|Turning circle:
|40.5 ft.
|Seating Capacity:
|Head/hip/leg room, f:
|36.5/NA/42.4 in.
|Head/hip/leg room, m:
|Head/hip/leg room, r:
|Cargo volume:
|14.6 cu. ft.
|Towing capacity:
|Suspension, f:
|independent, coilovers, antiroll bar
|Suspension, r:
|independent, coilovers, antiroll bar
|Ground clearance:
|5.1 in.
|Curb weigth:
|3450 lbs.
|P275/35ZR18 front, P345/30ZR19 rear
|Brakes, f/r:
|vented disc/vented disc, ABS
|Fuel capacity:
|16.0 gal.
|Unless otherwise indicated, specifications refer to test vehicle. All prices are manufacturer's suggested retail prices (MSPR) effective as of December 20, 2007.Prices do not include manufacturer's destination and delivery charges. N/A: Information not available or not applicable. Manufacturer Info Sources: 800-4A-DODGE - www.dodge.com
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EUR/USD initiating upswing. Long!
FX:EURUSD Euro / U.S. Dollar
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NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS
The Martian moon Phobos shines faintly in a dusky sky, as seen by NASA's Curiosity rover.
A fresh picture from NASA's Curiosity rover shows the Martian moon Phobos as it's never been seen before — as a crescent shining over the Red Planet at dusk.
The image was captured by the rover's Mastcam imaging system last Friday, on the 45th Martian day of Curiosity's mission. You have to look closely to make out the faint, somewhat irregular crescent in the frame — just as you sometimes have to look closely to see our own moon's ghostly crescent in Earth's daytime skies.
We've seen other views of Phobos, the larger of Mars' two moons. But those mostly show the moon as seen by Red Planet orbiters, or as a silhouette during an eclipse. This is a rare photo (perhaps the first?) showing a crescent moon in a daylit Martian sky, as seen from the surface. It's the sort of spectacle that settlers could look forward to at sunset, decades from now.
The Planetary Society's Emily Lakdawalla provides further detail in her blog posting, plus further reflection: "Think about this for a moment — we're seeing a different moon from the surface of a different world. And this moon is weird not just for its lumpiness, but also because it orbits so close to Mars that it outpaces Mars' rotation. That means it rises in the west and sets in the east, more than twice every Martian day. Completely alien. And awesome, in the literal sense of the world."
More awesomeness may be on the way on Thursday, when NASA has scheduled a televised news conference about the latest scientific findings from the $2.5 billion Curiosity mission. There are already reports that the rover has detected concrete-like material that hints at the past presence of water. That meshes with Curiosity's mission to trace the geological history of the Red Planet, and look for chemical evidence that Mars was once potentially habitable.
What else will we find out? Stay tuned for Thursday's update. In the meantime, check out the pictures that are flooding through NASA's Mars Science Laboratory website and the MSL forum at UnmannedSpaceflight.com.
Here are a couple of nice panoramas from Ken Kremer and Marco Di Lorenzo. One image is based on colorized imagery from Sol 29 (Sept. 4), and highlights the instrument-equipped turret on the rover's robotic arm. The black-and-white photo was assembled from data collected on Sol 44-47 (Sept. 20-23). In that 360-degree photo, the rock known as Jake Matijevic is just right of center stage. An inset photo shows Curiosity placing its robotic-arm turret on the rock.
NASA / JPL-Caltech / Ken Kremer / Marco Di Lorenzo
A panoramic mosaic of Curiosity images from Sept. 4 shows the rover and its surroundings. Click on the image for a higher-resolution view.
NASA / JPL-Caltech / Ken Kremer / Marco Di Lorenzo
A 360-degree panorama, stitched together from Curiosity images, shows the rover and its surroundings in the Sept. 20-23 time frame. Curiosity conducted its first contact-science experiments on a rock designated Jake Matijevic, which was named after a recently deceased member of the rover team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The overall panorama shows the rock named Jake just right of center, and an inset photograph shows the rover's instrument turret examining the rock. Click on the image to see a higher-resolution version.
More views of Martian moons:
- Phobos bites into the sun
- Deimos makes a solar transit
- Watch an eclipse and a sunset on Mars
- Deimos passes over sun while Opportunity watches
- Martian moons seen together for first time
- Phobos takes the spotlight
Alan Boyle is NBCNews.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter and adding the Cosmic Log page to your Google+ presence. To keep up with Cosmic Log as well as NBCNews.com's other stories about science and space, sign up for the Tech & Science newsletter, delivered to your email in-box every weekday. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.


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Web Update for 2014: More SEO, Social, pinning, photos and Blogging
Moving into a new year with more and more coverage of SEO as well as blogs and conversion rates for getting your social media marketing going strong . . . follow along
* 10 questions to ask when creating a social-media marketing plan
* 5 Creative Ways to Drive More Traffic to Your Blog Posts
* 8 Landing Page Remedies to Boost Conversion Rates
* 8 SEO cleanse and recharge ideas for fall
* 3 SEO success factors for 2014
.... and the continuing online world January 10, 2014


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The news is flip flopped. The right wing news outlets are ignoring North Korea but the left wing news is all fear and doom.
Right wing radio is focused on celebrity gossip. CNN is covering the nuclear twitter feud. Because, of course, it's a nuclear twitter feud; the year is 2017!
My local right wing radio usually makes bike lanes seem like: The End of the World. But today in radioland; all is well.
Nuclear War and Anxiety
Discussion of various mental health conditions impacted by politics.
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The Future of ITBy Samuel Greengard
The Future of IT
By Samuel Greengard
The history of IT is littered with innovative and disruptive technologies. In the 1960s, mainframe computers revolutionized the way businesses managed information. By the 1980s, word processors and PCs automated office tasks, and spreadsheets yielded new insights into better business practices. Starting in the 1990s, the Internet and mobility unleashed a torrent of change that put the IT department at the center of the enterprise. Powerful and efficient enterprise systems were the order of the day.
But these developments pale in comparison to the tsunami of change washing over IT organizations today. The introduction of iPads and iPhones, social media, big data, and cloud computing have unleashed profound changes that far exceed the impact of each of these devices or systems alone. The combined impact of these technologies is redefining the way organizations and people interact. It's also revolutionizing how businesses harness data, information and knowledge and put them into play. "The IT department is undergoing a remarkable transformation," says David Nichols, Americas CIO Services Leader for consulting firm Ernst & Young.
Make no mistake, IT organizations must adapt and evolve like never before. Over the next few years, the role of IT will change further as the consumerization of IT marches forward and cloud computing provide more powerful ways to manage everything from infrastructure to enterprise applications. "The interrelationship between technologies is creating unprecedented waves of disruption," observes Bill Briggs, global lead at Deloitte Consulting. "It's forcing organizations to rethink everything and embrace a post-digital world filled with new risks and opportunities."
What will the IT organization of the future look like? What can CIOs and other senior IT executives do to prepare for fundamentally different roles? And what is required to reach the promised land of a more strategic IT department? There are no easy answers, but one thing is perfectly clear: Feel-good slogans and talk about innovation, agility and flexibility won't get the job done. CIOs must have a deeper and more intrinsic understanding of how to navigate this brave new world. It's a place where information technology touches everything and everybody all the time.
Reinventing Roles
Over the last half-century, computers have become infinitely more powerful, software has advanced and mobile devices have put information in front of customers and employees and provided them with powerful tools. The enormous popularity of iPhones, iPads and other mobile hardware and software has yanked control of IT away from enterprises and put consumers firmly in charge. The consumerization of IT and the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) movements have wrested control of IT decision-making away from CIOs and enterprises.
The ramifications are profound. "Today, non-IT people, including business executives and consumers, are either making decisions or involved in the decision-making process," says Didier Bonnet, senior vice president for Capgemini Consulting. What's more, "many of the IT systems of the past are too expensive and too cumbersome for today's business environment. IT is being forced to adopt entirely different models and play a different role as the fundamental model for IT changes."
The Future of IT
What this means for CIOs is that strategies, approaches and technologies that worked well in the past must often be tossed into the digital dustbin. Today's enterprise requires different leadership skills, openness to new ideas and innovation, and an ability to connect IT dots in fundamentally different ways. It also requires new governance methods. The task is no longer to simply align IT with the business, it's to drive integration and data sharing throughout the enterprise.
At Bank of America, Global Technologies & Operations executive Cathy Bessant is working to build the IT department of the future. Customers and employees, she says, are demanding very different tools and functionality than only a few years ago. Mobility is at the center of this trend. "People expect to accomplish tasks on their mobile devices and they respond to value-added differentiation," she explains. Moreover, "the price for not delivering a good user experience is extraordinarily high. The rise of social media has tilted the power structure distinctly toward the consumer."
Within this environment, agility is the sun around which all planets revolve. IT organizations must eliminate barriers to scale and find ways to build an infrastructure that can adapt and evolve rapidly, Bessant says. In addition, IT must find ways to connect legacy systems--including mainframes, storage arrays and databases--into an infrastructure stack that can provide the required elasticity for tablet and smartphone apps, social media analytics, location-based services, and an array of other post-PC tools and features. "IT must lay a foundation that allows brilliant and creative people to introduce innovative ideas and solutions," says Bessant.
Consequently, a growing number of organizations are looking to migrate to new IT skill sets. Some outsource infrastructure and enterprise applications to a cloud or hosted services provider that specializes in IT as well as associated security functions. It's then up to IT staff to work with business executives in order to handle strategic mapping and streamline systems and channels. At the same time, many organizations are hiring developers that specialize in app development as well as the fundamentals of social media, crowdsourcing and other emerging tools.
But the demands on IT don't stop there. Bessant says IT must be literate in advanced data-mining techniques and rapid cycle testing. "It's critical to find ways to make things work without introducing the negatives when they don't work," she explains. "It's not good enough to say that innovation is important, it's essential to take a focused approach that actually introduces innovation." At some companies, this means introducing small intrapreneurial teams that can assemble and dissemble in days or weeks. At others, it means crowdsourcing solutions and using reverse mentoring and internal social media tools to share expertise and ideas. All organizations must use metrics and analytics to "relentlessly measure and document results so they can be applied in a meaningful way," she says.
Ernest & Young's Nichols says the role of the CIO is also shifting, particularly as business executives pull the trigger on decisions about technology and purchase their own cloud services and infrastructure. By 2014, CIOs will have relinquished control of 25 percent of their organizations' IT spending, according to a 2011 Gartner report. Says Nichols, "We're beginning to see new reporting structures for the CIO. In some cases, they're unplugging from the CFO and CEO and interacting with a newly defined and elevated CTO role that provides a technology vision for the organization. CIOs must be careful that their role isn't reduced to maintenance and operations."
The Future of IT
A New Order of IT
Forrester Research predicts the IT organization of 2020 will only vaguely resemble what's in place today. Powerful and easy-to-acquire tools and technologies will usher in an era of business self-sufficiency. Tech-savvy managers will increasingly control and provision their own services and solutions. IT departments, as a result, will typically be smaller, leaner and more strategic. Deloitte's Briggs notes that as organizations turn to the cloud and adopt infrastructure-as-a-service and software-as-a-service models, project management and portfolio management will become necessary skills for senior IT executives. Ultimately, he says, "CIOs must lead the charge and become the visionary for exploiting all the disruption."
It's a concept that resonates at Cars.com, an online automobile shopping site that attracts upwards of 20 million unique visitors per month. Cars.com enterprise architect James Houska sees a new future of IT unfolding before his eyes. "End users are demanding new features and services faster," he says. This has resulted in Cars.com ramping up from approximately 30 releases and updates per year to more than 300. "There is an extreme acceleration in the business and how we leverage information technology," says Houska. "There is a greater need for automation. We're being forced to become more agile and innovative in whatever we do."
This environment, Houska says, necessitates the use of "game-changing technology" such as the cloud and outside IT services. App development is now measured in days rather than in months. Application performance management and other tools that provide metrics have emerged as a necessity. For example, Cars.com has turned to service providers such as Compuware APM and Splunk to cull vast amounts of data and ensure that Web and mobile systems are performing at optimum levels. Houska believes the future of IT is rooted in the CIO and IT department serving as thought leaders for technology. The goal should be connect data and services from different departments and systems into a unified and seamless enterprise IT strategy.
To be sure, those that cling to the command and control model of the past are destined to face severe turbulence. Today, success hinges on a lean, agile, flexible and intrapreneurial IT model that's inextricably linked to business needs. It also requires lots of experimentation, says Bonnet of Capgemini Consulting. In this upside down post-PC world, risk must be viewed as a friend and change as a potential competitive advantage. "We have entered a new phase of enterprise IT that is less dependent on technical skills than on strategic vision," says Nichols. "The IT department of the future must be equipped to function in a real-time, fast-changing environment that drives the business like never before."


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Optical Glass House by Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP
The optical glass house is designed by Hiroshi Nakamura and sited among tall buildings in downtown Hiroshima. To obtain privacy and tranquility in these surroundings, a garden and optical glass façade was placed on the street side of the house. The garden is visible from all rooms, and the serene soundless scenery of the passing cars and trams imparts richness to life in the house. Sunlight from the east, refracting through the glass, creates beautiful light patterns. Rain striking the water-basin skylight manifests water patterns on the entrance floor. Filtered light through the garden trees flickers on the living room floor. Although located downtown in a city, the house enables residents to enjoy the changing light and city moods, as the day passes, and live in awareness of the changing seasons.
Take a look at the house in the picture gallery above.
- Source: contemporist


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Alignments of the Arsenal vs FC Barcelona (Ida 1/8 Champions)
Alignments of the Arsenal vs FC Barcelona (Ida 1/8 Champions)
Published:20/02/2016 - 19:33h
The FC Barcelona will confront this Tuesday to the Arsenal in the Emirates Stadium (20.45 hours), in the corresponding party to the gone of the eighth of final of the UEFA Champions League 2015-16. Luis Enrique will range an eleven more than competitive with his best footballers
Ticket - Gone in FC Barcelona vs Arsenal - Champions
The Classical - Gone in / Ticket FC Barcelona vs Real Madrid
Ticket - Gone in for all the parties of the FC Barcelona
The Barça of Luis Enrique will do this Tuesday from the 20.45 hours all the possible for taking out a good result of the party of gone of the eighth of final of the UEFA Champions League against the Arsenal, that at present finds struggling by the title of Premier League elbow with elbow with Leicester, Tottenham and Manchester City and that, in addition to being alive also in the FA Cup, has improved ostensiblemente during the second stretch of the campaign after having suffered in the first to classify until the round of eighth of final of Champions, losing the two first parties of the phase of groups.
The culés come of cuajar varied good parties so much in League BBVA as in Glass of the King in front of teams like the Celtic of Vigo in the Camp Nou (6-1), the Valency in the same stage, the Sporting in The Molinón (1-3) or the UD The Palms in Big Canarian, and will not make grantings. This yes, does a month won by the minimum in The Rosaleda showing a very irregular game, and three weeks ago also by 2-1 against the Athletic of Madrid, doing the just for carrying the three points. In front of the Raise in the Ciutat of València also cuajaron an irregular game although they won by 0-2, and expects now the best version of the Barça in a so important party like the one of this Tuesday.
Luis Enrique, with the aim to ensure a good result, will plant on the terrain of game to all his usual headlines. In attack, the trident formed by Neymar Jr, Leo Messi and Luis Suárez will carry out the command of all the played offensives of the FC Barcelona, as of habit, whereas the centre of the field will form it Busquets, Iniesta and Rakitic.
The Asturian technician will range an eleven more than competitive to face with security the meeting. The Barça wishes that meeting follow to follow adding split to the series of 32 meetings invictos. Anyway, this is the definite alignment that will present Luis Enrique in the Emirates Stadium against the Arsenal of Arsène Wenger:
Bench: Bravo, Vidal, Sergi Roberto, Munir, Mathieu, Adriano and Vermaelen.