text:
If you've read or watched the news lately, you've probably come across some article, snippet or sound bite related to oil and oil prices. Even in your daily routines, there's a good chance of someone mentioning it. Whether it's in automotives, economics, history, geography or politics, oil has managed to filter into almost every aspect of our daily lives. It's one of the most discussed (and controversial) commodities that consumers rely on daily.
All of this talk about oil sparks continued interest in gasoline alternatives. Things like electric cars and hydrogen fuel cells are being talked about as feasible alternatives to oil. As technology improves, these concepts could become reality. But what about now?
Lost in the mix are the biofuels, fuels made from biological ingredients instead of fossil fuels. These starting ingredients can range from corn to soybeans to animal fat, depending on the type of fuel being made and the production method.
In this article, we'll take a closer look at biodiesel, one of the major biofuels. For starters, it would be a good idea to check out How Car Engines Work and How Diesel Engines Work to get some background. After that, head back over and we'll separate biodiesel fact from fiction.
Generally speaking, biodiesel is an alternative or additive to standard diesel fuel that is made from biological ingredients instead of petroleum (or crude oil). Biodiesel is usually made from plant oils or animal fat through a series of chemical reactions. It is both non-toxic and renewable. Because biodiesel essentially comes from plants and animals, the sources can be replenished through farming and recycling.
Biodiesel is safe and can be used in diesel engines with little or no modification needed. Although biodiesel can be used in its pure form, it is usually blended with standard diesel fuel. Blends are indicated by the abbreviation Bxx, where xx is the percentage of biodiesel in the mixture. For example, the most common blend is B20, or 20 percent biodiesel to 80 percent standard. So, B100 refers to pure biodiesel.
Photo courtesy U.S. Department of Energy
Biodiesel isn't just a catch-all term, however. There is also a formal, technical definition that is recognized by ASTM International (known formerly as the American Society for Testing and Materials), the organization responsible for providing industry standards. According to the National Biodiesel Board (NBB), the technical definition of biodiesel is as follows:
- a fuel comprised of mono-alkyl esters of long chain fatty acids derived from vegetable oils or animal fats, designated B100, and meeting the requirements of ASTM D 6751.
That sounds kind of rough, but it's a lot more familiar than you may think -- you encounter these fatty acids every day. We'll look at them in more detail in the next section.
Fats and Biodiesel
Photo courtesy National Biodiesel Board
Soybeans can be made into biodiesel.
Part of what makes biodiesel so appealing and interesting is that it can be made from numerous natural sources. Although animal fat can be used, plant oil is the largest source of biodiesel. You've probably used some of these in the kitchen. Scientists and engineers can use oils from familiar crops such as soybean, rapeseed, canola, palm, cottonseed, sunflower and peanut to produce biodiesel. Biodiesel can even be made from recycled cooking grease!
The common thread shared by all biodiesel sources is that they all contain fat in some form. Oils are just fats that are liquid at room temperature. These fats, or triacylglycerols (sometimes called triglycerides) are made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms bound together and arranged into a specific pattern. These triacylglycerols are pretty prevalent. In addition to household vegetable oils, they're also in common things like butter and lard. You may have seen a triglyceride count listed if you've been to a doctor and had some blood work done.
One way to visualize these triacylglycerols is to think of a capital "E." Forming the vertical backbone of this E is a molecule known as glycerol. Glycerol is a common ingredient used in making such things as soap, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. Attached to this glycerol backbone and forming the horizontal elements of the E are three long chains composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. These are called fatty acids.
\ / | \ /
| | |
\ \ \
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
So how do these triacylglycerols end up in a car, truck or boat? Biodiesel is not pure vegetable oil. Although raw vegetable oil has been used to fuel diesel engines in the past, it has usually caused problems. The raw fat or oil must first undergo a series of chemical reactions in order to become fuel. There are a few different ways to make biodiesel, but most manufacturing facilities produce industrial biodiesel through a process called transesterification. In this process, the fat or oil is first purified and then reacted with an alcohol, usually methanol (CH3OH) or ethanol (CH3CH2OH) in the presence of a catalyst such as potassium hydroxide (KOH) or sodium hydroxide (NaOH). When this happens, the triacylglycerol is transformed to form esters and glycerol. The esters that remain are what we then call biodiesel.
Is this old news? In the next section, we'll examine some of the history and motivation behind the biofuels movement.
Biofuel History
Photo courtesy Bob Allan
Current U.S. biodiesel production is primarily from oil from soybeans such as these or from recycled restaurant cooking oil.
The concept of biofuels is surprisingly old. Rudolf Diesel, whose invention now bears his name, had envisioned vegetable oil as a fuel source for his engine. In fact, much of his early work revolved around the use of biofuel. In 1900, for example, at the World Exhibition in Paris, France, Diesel demonstrated his engine by running it on peanut oil. Similarly, Henry Ford expected his Model T to run on ethanol, a corn product. Eventually, in both Diesel's and Ford's cases, petroleum entered the picture and proved to be the most logical fuel source. This was based on supply, price and efficiency, among other things. Though it wasn't common practice, vegetable oils were also used for diesel fuel during the 1930s and 1940s.
It was in the 1970s and 1980s that the idea of using biofuels was revisited in the United States. One of the most important events occurred in 1970 with the passage of the Clean Air Act by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This allowed the EPA to more closely regulate emissions standards for pollutants like sulfur dioxides, carbon monoxide, ozone and nitrogen oxides (NOx). This set the stage for developing cleaner-burning fuels. This also set standards for fuel additives.
Events overseas such as the 1973-1974 Arab oil embargo and the 1978-1979 Iranian Revolution, coupled with a decrease in domestic oil production, served to drive prices up. According to the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration, U.S. crude oil imports were cut by 30% during the embargo, and "the world price of crude oil jumped from around $14 per barrel at the beginning of 1979 to more than $35 per barrel in January 1981 before stabilizing. Prices did not drop appreciably until 1983, when the world price stabilized between $28 and $29 per barrel."
With petroleum prices increasing, researchers began to look elsewhere. In August 1982, the first International Conference on Plant and Vegetable Oils was held in Fargo, N.D. This conference dealt with matters ranging from fuel cost and the effects of vegetable oil to fuel additives and extraction methods.
In 1990, the Clean Air Act was amended and included more stringent restrictions on vehicle emissions. The amendment introduced provisions for such things as increased oxygen content in gasoline (which lowers carbon monoxide emissions) and lower sulfur content in diesel fuels.
In 1992, the EPA passed the Energy Policy Act, or EPACT. This was aimed at increasing the amount of alternative fuel used by the U.S. government transportation fleets in order to reduce dependency on foreign oil. The 1998 EPACT amendment included using biodiesel fuel in existing government diesel vehicles as an acceptable alternative to purchasing alternative fuel vehicles, or AFVs, as stipulated in the original EPACT.
With all of these rules and regulations in place, it's understandable that any viable petroleum alternative would cause a clamor. But biodiesel isn't a perfect substitute for gasoline. We'll look at its pros and cons in the next sections.
The ProsBiodiesel has several key advantages:
- Biodiesel is environmentally friendly.
- It can help reduce dependency on foreign oil.
- It helps to lubricate the engine itself, decreasing engine wear.
- It can be used in almost any diesel with little or no engine modification.
- It is safer than conventional diesel.
Emissions control is central to the biodiesel argument, especially in legislation matters. There are a few components of emissions that are especially harmful and cause concern among scientists, lawmakers, and consumers. Sulfur and its related compounds contribute to the formation of acid rain; carbon monoxide is a widely recognized toxin; and carbon dioxide contributes to the greenhouse effect. There are also some lesser known compounds that cause concern, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), ring-shaped compounds that have been linked to the formation of certain types of cancer. Particulate matter (PM) has negative health effects, and unburned hydrocarbons contribute to the formation of smog and ozone.
Biodiesel does reduce hazardous emissions. Of the current biofuels, biodiesel is the only one to have successfully completed emissions testing in accordance with the Clean Air Act.
|Average Biodiesel Emissions Compared to Conventional Diesel
|Emission Component
|Total Unburned Hydrocarbons
|Carbon Monoxide
|Particulate Matter
|Source: National Biodiesel Board
In addition, B100 can reduce CO2 emissions by 78 percent and lower the carcinogenic properties of diesel fuel by 94 percent (National Biodiesel Board, U.S. DOE Office of Transportation Technologies).
Another feature of biodiesel is that it is biodegradable, meaning that it can decompose as the result of natural agents such as bacteria. According to the EPA, biodiesel degrades at a rate four times faster than conventional diesel fuel. This way, in the event of a spill, the cleanup would be easier and the aftermath would not be as frightening. This would also hold true for biodiesel blends.
Biodiesel could also lower U.S. dependence on imported oil and increase our energy security. Most biodiesel in the U.S. is made from soybean oil, which is a major domestic crop. With U.S. petroleum demands increasing and world supply decreasing, a renewable fuel such as biodiesel, if properly implemented, could alleviate some of the U.S. energy demands.
Biodiesel also contributes to an engine's lubricity, or its ease of movement. Biodiesel acts as a solvent, which helps to loosen deposits and other gunk from the insides of an engine that could potentially cause clogs. Since pure biodiesel leaves no deposits of its own, this results in increased engine life. It is estimated that a biodiesel blend of just 1 percent could increase fuel lubricity by as much as 65 percent (U.S. DOE Office of Transportation Technology).
Biodiesel is also safer. It is non-toxic (about 10 times less toxic than table salt) and has a higher flashpoint than conventional diesel. Because it burns at a higher temperature, it is less likely to accidentally combust. This makes movement and storage regulations easier to accommodate. Next, we'll look at the cons and the future of biodiesel.
The Cons
Photo courtesy Paul Roessler
Of course, nothing is without penalty, and biodiesel does have its drawbacks. Some have to do with the fuel itself, and many have to do with the bigger picture.
One of the problems with the fuel itself is the increase in NOx in biodiesel emissions. Often, in diesel fuel manufacturing, when you decrease the amount of particulate matter in the emissions, there is a corresponding increase in nitrogen oxides, which contribute to smog formation. Though some of this can be addressed by adjusting the engine itself, that's not always feasible. There are technologies being researched to reduce NOx amounts in biodiesel emissions.
Another problem is biodiesel's behavior as a solvent. Though this property is helpful, it's kind of a double-edged sword. Some older diesel vehicles (such as cars made before 1992) may experience clogging with higher concentrations of biodiesel. Because of its ability to loosen deposits built up in the engine (which may be there from old diesel fuel), biodiesel can cause the fuel filter to become jammed with the newly freed deposits. Biodiesel manufacturers suggest changing the fuel pump shortly after switching to high-concentration biodiesel blends. Components within these older fuel systems may also become degraded. In addition to deposits within the fuel system, biodiesel also breaks down rubber components. Some parts in the older systems, such as fuel lines and fuel pump seals, may become broken down due to their rubber or rubber-like composition. This is usually remedied by replacing such components. Though many manufacturers have included biodiesel in their warranties, potential for problems could still exist. For more information on biodiesel and vehicle warranties, check out The Biodiesel Standard.
Also, in some engines, there can be slight decrease in fuel economy and power. On average, there is about a 10 percent reduction in power. In other words, it takes about 1.1 gallons of biodiesel to equal 1 gallon of standard diesel.
The major drawbacks to biodiesel are connected to the bigger picture, namely the market and associated logistics. Of these, the most important is cost. According to the EPA, pure biodiesel (B100) can cost anywhere from $1.95 to $3.00 per gallon, while B20 blends average about 30 to 40 cents more per gallon than standard diesel. This all depends on variables such as the feedstock used and market conditions.
The other, perhaps more important issue is that of amount and availability. Though biodiesel isn't necessarily produced in all 50 states, it can be made available in all of them. There are three major ways to get biodiesel, with each particular method better suited for certain types of customers. Biodiesel can be purchased directly from the supplier, from a petroleum distributor, or from public pumps. There are currently 19 NBB-members producing and marketing biodiesel in the United States. To find out how to get biodiesel, contact the National Biodiesel Board. Also, the Alternative Fuels Data Center has a search feature that allows you to locate refueling stations by city or state.
For information on locating biodiesel stations outside the U.S., contact your local biofuels agency.
So how much do we make? Given the number of different producers (i.e., federal, private, industrial) and crop sources, it's hard to attach a neat figure. Right now, the U.S. produces approximately 75 million gallons of biodiesel per year (National Biodiesel Board). This production is flexible and can be increased or decreased as needed.
Whether or not it grabs the spotlight occupied by flashier technologies, biodiesel will certainly be a constant work in progress.
Currently, the largest biodiesel market is fleet vehicles. According to the National Biodiesel Board, there are over 100 such fleets using biodiesel in the United States. These include federal and public organizations such as the U.S. Postal Service, the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, NASA, the U.S. Department of Energy, Duke Energy, and Florida Power & Light. Many public transportation services are also looking to biodiesel in order to complement petroleum usage. City buses such as Cincinnati Metro are also using biodiesel. Potential future targets include areas such as marine and agricultural applications and home heating.
As public awareness grows, biodiesel and biofuels in general could easily find their way into dinner conversations. Political support is also on the rise and, in the wake of legislation such as the 1998 EPACT amendment, alternative fuel sources will be a necessity in the not-so-distant future.
For more information on biodiesel, biofuels and related topics, check out the links on the next page.
Related Articles
- Quiz Corner: Biodiesel Quiz
- How Car Engines Work
- How Diesel Engines Work
- How Catalytic Converters Work
- How Diesel Two-Stroke Engines Work
- How Oil Refining Works
- How Electric Cars Work
- How The Hydrogen Economy Works
- How Gasoline Works
- How Hybrid Cars Work
- How Algae Biodiesel Works
More Great Links
- The National Biodiesel Board
- U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
- DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
- DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center
- DOE Energy Information Administration
- Planet Green
- TreeHugger.com


text:
Sydney may have shivered through its coolest February weekend in 19 years but it won't be long before the mercury jumps back above normal for this time of year.
The city's February's average maximum is 25.8 degrees and while temperatures over the weekend were only a couple of degrees below that mark, rain and winds made conditions feel much cooler.
The weekend was also the city's coldest in three months. Warmer conditions, though, will build up through the week, said Brett Dutschke, senior meteorologist with Weatherzone.
Saturday may see Sydney's "best chance" of temperatures above 35 degrees, with more scorching weather set for western suburbs and inland towns, he said.
A hot air mass moving in from central Australia will push temperatures in places such as Bourke in the state's north-west close to or above 40 degrees late in the week.
Fire dangers will again rise this week but are unlikely to reach the extremes of January because of the absence of strong winds, said Jane Golding, a forecaster at the Bureau of Meteorology. "It's not looking particularly bad."
The mixed start of February comes after Australia in January posted its hottest ever month in more than a century of records.
"The recent heat was notable for the extent, with records set in every state and territory, and the nationally averaged daily temperature rose to levels never previously observed, and did this for an extended period," the weather bureau said in an update to its special climate statement on the heatwave.
"A total of 44 stations with 30 years or more of data have set all-time record high maximum temperatures during this event, with a further 15 setting January records," the bureau said.
"Some stations exceeded their previous records on multiple occasions; for example, Giles surpassed its previous record (44.8 degrees) on three separate occasions during the event, peaking at 45.7 degrees 16 January."
Beyond this week, more heat can be expected with weather models point to a hotter spell by mid- to late-February, Weatherzone's Dr Dutschke said.
Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne could all see temperatures of 40 degrees from that second heatwave, he said.
In the coming week, a build-up of moisture levels will see also thunderstorms bring "a fair bit of rainfall" to large regions of southern Queensland and northern NSW, Dr Dutschke said.
"It will affect some flooded areas," he said, adding that the risk of lightning may cause concern to some areas, particulary in the north-western parts of NSW.
Meanwhile, communities along the eastern seaboard continued to mop up after major floods from the remnants of ex-tropical cyclone Oswald, particularly in the Queensland towns of Bundaberg and Rockhampton.
Weatherzone is owned by Fairfax Media, publisher of this website.
The original release of this article first appeared on the website of Hangzhou Night Net.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Prep & Landing
A high-tech team of elves from an elite unit known as Prep and Landing ensures homes around the world are prepared for Santa's visit. But an elf named Wayne is upset when he doesn't receive a promotion. Instead, he is partnered with Lanny, an idealistic rookie. During their mission, Wayne and Lanny encounter unexpected challenges that push them to their limits and threaten Christmas for children everywhere.
Up Next
Recommended Movies
A Christmas Carol
From Walt Disney Pictures comes the magical retelling of Charles Dickens' beloved tale — Disney's A Christmas Carol, the high-flying, heartwarming adventure for the whole family, starring Jim Carrey. When three ghosts take penny-pinching Scrooge on an eye-opening journey, he discovers the true meaning of Christmas -- but he must act on it before it's too late. Complete with spirited bonus features, this exhilarating and touching Disney classic is destined to be part of your holiday tradition, adding sparkle and heart to all your Christmases yet to come.
The Search for Santa Paws
When Santa loses his memory, it's up to his new best friend Paws to save St. Nick and show the world what Christmas is all about.
The Santa Clause
When a man inadvertantly knocks Santa off a roof on Christmas Eve, he finds himself magically recruited to take his place.
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Bored with his Halloween routine, Jack Skellington longs to spread Christmas joy, but his antics put Santa and the holiday in jeopardy!


text:
Mozilla recently pushed Firefox 11 out the door and onto the web, which means the Beta and Aurora channels for Firefox early adopters have also been updated.
If you'd like to try either early release, head over to the Beta download page or the Aurora download page, depending on how far out on the bleeding edge of Firefox development you want to go.
Firefox 12, currently in the beta channel, brings a handful of improvements, including some refinements for Firefox's new built-in developer tools. The beta currently offers updated versions of the new Page Inspector, the Web Console panel and the JavaScript Scratchpad.
Much of what's exciting about the Firefox roadmap is to be found in the Aurora channel, currently showcasing Firefox 13. Here you'll find support for the new SPDY protocol – a faster alternative to HTTP – enabled by default. SPDY, which began life at Google, is in the early stages of the standardization process, but when it finally arrives it should make many webpages load twice as fast as they do now over HTTP. Currently not many websites are serving pages over SPDY, though Twitter recently started doing so where possible. On the browser side, Google Chrome already offers SPDY support, as does Firefox 11, though until Firefox 13 hits prime time, SPDY support is disabled by default.
Firefox 13 will see some significant changes for Firefox on Android, with support for multitouch events and a new screen orientation API.
The biggest news in Firefox 13 for developers is that Mozilla is changing the User Agent string to report the type of device – "Mobile" or "Tablet." That means if you're relying on a device detection script (and this is a reminder of why you probably shouldn't be) it's time to update your device list.
Firefox 13 will also drop the prefix from a couple of CSS elements, namely border-radius and box-shadow. Hopefully you've been following best practices and including the non-prefixed CSS rule along with your prefixed versions, otherwise Firefox 13 will stop rendering your rounded corners and drop shadows.
For more info on everything that's coming in Firefox 13, read through the list of improvements over on the Mozilla Hacks Blog.


text:
Professional Candle Making Supplies Since 1972
1-Pound Pouring Pot
$6.00 per unit
A great value for an important piece of candle making equipment.
Product Description
This is a good low cost seamless melting pot. It has the capacity for holding close to 1 pound of wax. Made from aluminum with a pouring spout.
Shipping Information
To see shipping costs, proceed to checkout to get up-to-date rates. Orders are shipped by UPS or FedEx. View the Shipping Information page for more details.


text:
After making an offhand comment in a previous post, that only about 10% of all Canadian lawyers were in large law firms, I began to wonder if that was, you know, accurate. So I checked the statistical breakdowns available at the Federation of Law Societies of Canada website and confirmed that yes, out of 79,147 active law society members at the end of 2006, 7,282 were in law firms with 51 or more lawyers, so the actual figure turns out to be closer to 9.2%.
But then, as often happens when I come too near a demographic breakdown, I became intrigued by a related issue: this time, the relative increase or decrease in large-firm membership over time.
Obviously, in the popular imagination, the last ten years have seen massive big-firm expansion, thanks mostly to steady growth by established players like McCarthys and Gowlings or mergers of smaller regional players into megafirms like BLG or Faskens. That perception has been aided by trade magazines like Lexpert that focused on the biggest firms (and a few high-profile urban boutiques) to the exclusion of other law practices. At the other end of the spectrum, we've also heard about the challenges facing sole practitioners and lawyers in smaller centers, the difficulties competing with title insurers and paralegals, and we would tend to expect that the day of the solo is ending.
Well, I ran the numbers and came up with a few charts that might be of interest. First of all, I compared types of private law practices in 1996 and 2006:
This data is not as complete as I'd like: the '96 numbers don't have any data from the Barreau du Quebec or the Law Society of New Brunswick, and the '06 numbers are still bereft of input from the Barreau, although happily, the Chambre des Notaires is included in both sets.
What struck me first of all was the 15-point rise in sole practices as a percentage of all law practices over the past ten years. Most of that growth came at the expense of small, 2-10 lawyer partnerships, which lost about 2/3 of their numbers — half to solos, it would appear, and half through conversion to professional corporations, which came available for the first time in many provinces over the past decade.
But the really striking fact, to my mind, is that the other three groups — 11-25 lawyers, 26-50 lawyers, and 51+ lawyers — stayed virtually the same over that period as a percentage of all practices. So in big-picture terms, the only real evolution among law practice distribution from '96-'06 was a dispersal of lawyers from small firms into sole practices and a near-100% increase in the number of professional corporations nationwide.
That's all well and good, you say, but "51+ lawyers" doesn't begin to reflect the swelling ranks of the biggest firms over the past ten years. What we need to look at is the total number of lawyers in these firms, and compare them decade-to-decade. True enough:
Again with the caveats: the FLSC's statistical summaries are very good, but they didn't provide breakdowns of the number of lawyers in professional corporations in either '96 or '06, so I was obliged to omit the corporations from these charts. But since we're only looking at law firms in both years, at least it's an apples-to-apples situation. So, what have we got?
What we've got is stratification — growth at the ends of the law-firm spectrum, thinning in the middle. Solos and big firms constituted about 41.6% of the private Bar in 1996. Just ten years later, that had grown to just slightly over half — 50.1%. Again, the greatest loss was felt in the smallest non-sole practices, but all three of the median-sized law firm groupings saw an overall decline in lawyer personnel. This confirms the general impression that the biggest firms are taking a greater slice of the overall lawyer population. But it also comes as something of a surprise that in spite of the many and growing challenges of hanging and maintaining your own shingle, sole practices have risen over the last ten years. Go big or go small, it seems.
The thing is, I don't really expect either trend to continue. Solos first: according to reports by both the B.C. and Ontario law societies, an outsized number of sole practitioners in Canada are in smaller centers or rural areas, which the Census Bureau tells us are rapidly emptying out. They're also considerably older than average (
55 (edit) 51 is the mean age), and by and large, they don't have young proteges waiting in the wings to buy or inherit their practices.
Now, I don't think we're looking at the demise of the sole practitioner, by any means — in the more heavily urban future that awaits Canada, solos will retain the agility and flexibility that will come to define the post-modern law practitioner. As the Internet continues to redefine professional services and niches assume even more importance in successful practices, the solo life will in many ways become even more attractive. But I expect these two trends will balance out in the medium term, and with the number of solos figuring to decline over the next ten years, then starting to pick up again in future. Fifty years from now, in fact, I can see solos dominating the legal profession.
One of the reasons for that future dominance is that the biggest law firms are reaching a crisis point. Either you're operating on a global scale, now and in the future, or you're not. And if you're global, you need tons of cash and an international presence that approaches ubiquity. At the very least, you need to be a serious player in New York and London. Right now, Fasken Martineau is the only Canadian firm I can think of that has any kind of noticeable footprint in both these cities, and a footprint is a long way from even a foothold.
I figure that two or three — four at the very most — Canadian firms will end up competing globally, and their total lawyer complement will never dip below 1,000 lawyers each. The rest of the pack will fall back — done in by an inability to compete for the very best talent here and elsewhere, the loss of the biggest clients to the global firms, and the vicious circles that these two phenomena will create. (And that's assuming conflict-of-interest rules can somehow be finessed to allow firms to maintain any kind of large, multi-jurisdictional presence). Some of these firms will disintegrate altogether, while some will shrink down to 1980s sizes. The lawyers these dying firms emit in the process, like stars going supernova before burning out, will form constellations of boutique practices or alliances of solos, nationwide and internationally.
Really, in 20 years' time, the whole notion of "law firm sizes" may very well seem quaint. It won't be all that relevant how big your law firm is — with the exception of the global giants, size really won't matter, because the heavily niched, increasingly mobile and wired lawyers of the future won't find enough advantages to a common office space and letterhead. It may not even take that long, if the changes we can already see rippling through the profession start multiplying faster than expected.
But either way, in the long run, expect to see a whole lot of sole practitioners, a great number of smallish boutiques, a few regional alliances, and a very small number of behemoths. In the future, your law firm can be huge and powerful, or tiny and quick — there'll be very little room for anything else in between.


text:
Ischia. After traveling via train and ferry (with a stop in Naples), we finally made it to Ischia, where we stayed for the next 3 nights. The day couldn't have been better with blue skies and lots of sunshine. Our hotel (Poggio Del Sol http://www.hotelpoggiodelsole.com/) was quite a hike up the mountain, and our legs and glutes were feeling it by the end of the trip, but the view was well worth all the trips up and down the mountain. The hotel staff were wonderful and at 60 euro a night, it was a great deal. nce we got settled, we set off to explore the island. We wore ourselves out from all the walking and were disappointed to find that most of the restaurants don't open until 7pm or 8pm. Fortunately, we found a place that opened at 6:45pm and arrived with hunger-stricken faces. I finally got a real Italian meal – linguine with muscles in a light tomato and wine sauce. It was delicious. We managed to clean ourselves up and get in a nap before having a fantastic dinner at our hotel's restaurant. The mom and dad who own the place are the cooks and made the incredible dishes. Katharine had gnocchi with fresh basil and pesto from their garden and I had a whole piece of sea bass. We were in heaven and in complete relaxation….the wine probably helped as well. 1/2 carafe's of vino at 4 euro is one deal we didn't pass up.
Posts Tagged 'poggio del sole'
Girls Traveling to Ischia
Posted in getaway, holiday, hotel, ischia, lastminute, romantic, Uncategorized, tagged backpacking ischia, budget hotel, colella's family, family hotel, ischia hostel, ischia hotel, poggio del sole on February 1, 2008| 1 Comment »


text:
Add to Spiritual Diary
Gita Jayanti, also referred as Bhagawad Geetha Jayanthi, is the day when the Bhagvad Gita was rendered by Lord Krishna to Arjuna in the Kurukshetra on the first day of the famous 18-day battle in the Mahabharata. Gita Jayanthi falls on the Ekadashi day of Shukla Paksha (the bright half) of the Margashirsha month (November-December) in traditional Hindi calendar.
The greatest quality of Bhagavad Gita is that it prompts you to think, it prompts you to take decision, and it prompts you to look at life differently and refreshingly and all this without surrendering your individuality.
Bhagavad Gita adapts to the present and discusses an issue by rooting itself in the present. Every moment a confused Arjuna opens the Gita to take the advice of Krishna. And through the immortal Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna has been discussing and debating and finding solutions to the various problems faced by the confused Arjunas for centuries and will continue to do the same forever.
The day is observed all around the world with the reading of Bhagavad Gita, which is referred outside India as the Bible of the Hindus. Discussions and seminars are organized on the day.
All Hindu temples, especially those dedicated to Lord Vishnu and Lord Krishna, conduct special pujas on the day.
The ideal way to celebrate Gita Jayanti is by reading at least a stanza from the Bhagavad Gita.
.........................- ..............................- .... om om om ..............................- ..............................- ......
Latest Slideshows
Popular Articles
Related Articles
Latest Articles


text:
For Immediate Release
May 31, 2013
(Philadelphia, PA) Indie film and food will converge this summer with the launch of Film al Fresco, an outdoor film series presented by The Galleries at Moore College of Art & Design. (thegalleriesatmoore.org/filmalfresco)
The 2013 summer series will dish up independent films by Philadelphia-area filmmakers and tasty street snacks from local food trucks on the following Fridays: June 14, June 28, July 12 and July 26 at dusk (approximately 8 pm). The films will be shown on a large outdoor screen in Aviator Park, across the street from Moore, located at 1916 Race Street.
Dedicated to supporting the city's community of film and food enthusiasts, Film al Fresco is a juried competition and showcase for independent filmmakers from the Greater Philadelphia region. The series expands The Galleries' commitment to presenting the work of emerging Philadelphia-based artists and its role as a venue for exhibitions and programs that focus on innovative ideas in contemporary art and visual culture.
"By reclaiming a disappearing American cultural phenomenon and redefining the experience for a new, urban audience, the series will rekindle the spirit of community that existed around the original drive-in theaters," said Kaytie Johnson, Rochelle F. Levy Director and Chief Curator, The Galleries at Moore. "Not only will the project animate The Parkway as a cultural gathering place, it will bring exposure to the work of area filmmakers by allowing them to present their work to a broad public audience."
The Film al Fresco series is believed to be the only outdoor film series on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, and the only one focusing on independent films from Philadelphia filmmakers, Johnson said. "It's really Philly-centric."
The Galleries at Moore received a $20,000 Knight Arts Challenge Grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to establish the film series. The Galleries were among 1,267 applicants who answered the question: "What's your best idea for the arts in Philadelphia?" A diverse group, including individual artists, artist collectives, community groups, jazz and classical music organizations, theater companies and educational institutions, offered a wide array of innovative ideas but only 55 – including the Galleries – were selected as finalists.
Filmmakers who reside in the Greater Philadelphia region (Southeastern PA, including Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties), were eligible to submit a film for the film series. The 2013 film submission categories were narrative feature, documentary feature, narrative short, animated short, and documentary short.
The 2013 selection panel included Johnson; Javier Carmona, an artist and filmmaker from Chicago; Jesse Pires, program curator for International House in Philadelphia; Matthew Suib, an artist and filmmaker from Philadelphia; and Nadia Hironaka, also an artist and filmmaker from Philadelphia.
The Knight Arts Challenge Philadelphia is a three-year, $9 million initiative to draw the best and most innovative ideas out of local organizations and individuals seeking to transform the community through the arts.
The Galleries at Moore present a diverse range of exhibitions and educational programs that offer insights into the work of established and emerging regional, national, and international artists and designers. In addition, The Galleries serve as a forum for exploring contemporary issues and ideas that enrich the artistic and intellectual climate of the College, the Greater Philadelphia community, and beyond.
Moore College of Art & Design educates students for careers in art and design. Founded in 1848, Moore is the nation's first and only women's art college. Moore's student-focused environment and professionally active faculty form a dynamic community in the heart of Philadelphia's cultural district. The College offers ten bachelor of fine arts degrees for women. Coeducational graduate programs were launched in summer, 2009. In addition, Moore provides many valuable opportunities in the arts through The Galleries at Moore, continuing education programs for professional adults, the 91-year-old acclaimed Young Artists Workshop for girls and boys grades 1-12, The Art Shop and the Sculpture Park. For more information about Moore, visit www.moore.edu.
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. Knight believes that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. Now in its third year, the Knight Arts Challenge Philadelphia is a three-year, $9 million community-wide contest seeking the most innovative ideas in the arts to engage and enrich Philadelphia's communities. For more, visit www.knightfoundation.org and www.knightarts.org


text:
Well, last day of the month. Tommorow will mark the beginning of february.
Its like just yesterday I was watching the new year programme on TV..how time really flys. Anyway february will be packed with sheer goodness. Release of dante's inferno and of course the highly anticipated chinese new year!
Kind of became a lazy ass so I didnt find any work..thus no income. So this chinese new year will be a great blow to me! Considering to get demon souls, bayonetta and dark siders, weeeeee!!!
Well today was another pointless post, but better than nothing. Enjoy the last day of january.
The february to come
Well, last day of the month. Tommorow will mark the beginning of february.
greatest boss fights:isolde(mana khemia:student alliance)
wolfteam-wolf conquest mode
Today I will be continuing on the wolfteam project.
Anyway today's topic of discussion is about wolf conquest. Its a mode in wolfteam that involes wolves fighting against humans with a objective of taking 5 bases. Anway in wolf conquest there are 5 bases on the map, to end the match, one team has to take 5 bases, either that or the team with the more bases at the end of the match wins.
Well heres the gist of it, humans(red team) have insane base capturing speed. Standing next to a neutral base will make it thiers in about 2-3 seconds. Thats about 5 seconds to totally de-capture a blue team base and make it thiers.
Wolves(blue team) have slow capturing speed. Taking about double of human timing to take a base.But of course in return they have increased speed and the ability to 2( or in some cases 1) hit KO humans.
Well here are some tips and advice.
- For wolf users, use ghost/ghost 2 to sneak into enemy territory for backstabs at the start of the match. Since ghosts are fast, they can sneak in without being noticed. In paien lab and power plant watch out for turrets if one intends to use this tactic.
-For human users, always have at least one human maning the turret behind, ghosts always try to backstab, this counters it all. Also good for killing gurdians.
-For human users, always have a launcher in the ready, many noob wolf users like to use wolves with low hp,such as smart, ghost/ghost 2,ice wolf, pyscho wolf. One blast will be able to do away with these jokers.
-For human users, NEVER use a sniper in wolf conquest, besides gurdian, basic/power and berserker, you will most likely not be hitting anything most of the time.
-For wolf users, getting pissed off after being killed by a turret? when you respawn, use the berserker wolf, hold right click and let go after the flame charges. The explosion blast will most problably be powerful enough to blast the turret user to oblivion. This can be used to create an opening to attack for your mates too. A note to those who want to use this tactic, multiple berserker wolves are needed if there are multiple turrets, so take note.
-For human users, shotguns are your friend, use them as wolves will be coming up to your face all the time. Click away at thier faces.
-For human users, pyscho wolves are screwups that ruin your day. Do take note that if you get hit by one of thier pyshic balls you are screwed. They do however tend to miss, when you see one fly past you, be alert as theres one crazy pyscho out to get you. Just dodge left or right to avoid the balls, though its hard as they are very fast, practice makes perfect.
-For wolf users. There is abolutely no use for ice wolf in a wolf conqeust match. Besides geying the fk out of your enemies by tossing wanabe ice balls, you die pretty quickly. Refrain from using them too much. They can however be used as openings for your team mates to move in for kills but its still not recommended.
-For human users. Here are a list of whats good to play for maps. Power plant, bridge and paien lab. When choosing for rooms, look out for these, as theres are high chance of winning(unless of course your team sux).
-For wolf users, always take note that spamming of gurdian is a really really cheap tactic for winning. But when losing badly, dont hesitate to use it, just be prepared to be called a noob.
-For wolf users, backstabbing isnt a crime, but many people will insult you for it. Ignore them and go ahead, since going up front most of the time will end up with you winding up dead. This applies to humans too, do not hesitate to backstab.
-For BOTH human and wolf users, let me get this clarified. Humans should stick together, just in case someone gets killed the rest can shoot the killer. They can also cover each other. Wolves should stay away,since most wolves manage fine alone. 2 ghosts camping in the same spot is just plain awkward and stupid.
-For human users, when you finish a clip of ammo and start reloading, dont jus stand there! You will die before you reload completely! Take out your pistol and fire at your enemy, he will most likely die soon, cause if a wolf doesnt die after 20-30 ammo of constant firing something is wrong.(unless of course its a gurdian)
-For human users, I have said this before and I will say it again, DO NOT KNIFE A WOLF.
Okay thats it. Wow thats alot of crap I just said. Oh well peace.
the next solar maximum(darker than black review)
tekken 6 PS3
Gamespot score:8.5(great)
my score:8.4
(+)pros:-great in game HD graphics and animations,-scenario campaign provides extended gameplay,- plenty of customization options,- offers lots of offline content, -competitive leaderboards,- great with friends and family
(-)cons:-long and frequent load times,- online play lags shit
gameplay time:20-30 hours(average)
Woot, finally. This concludes the tekken 6 fest. Getting kinda bored and half-assed doing tekken 6 reviews and ONLY tekken 6 reviews. Well Im glad this is the last one. Tekken 6 for the 4th gens have been on shelves for quite a while now, and yes this is the PS3 review. Personally I find the 4th gens' tekken 6 the best among them all, well time to get on with it.
Tekken's story is kind of hard to catch up to. Since there are after all 6 games(actually 7 including tekken tag). I have been following up since tekken 3, till today's tekken 6. Well tekken 6's story, like and other tekken game, revlolves seperately among each and every of the 40 characters. Each has thier own story and part to play in the game. Well in this newest installment of the game we have the 2 main protoganists lars and alisa, our stars in the brand new scenerio campaign. Apparently lars is in a rebel group against mishama zaibatsu,which is waging war around the world. He later discovers alisa and they both go around trying to stop mishima zaibatu's chaotic spread, or something like that. Tekken hasnt been really that story driven anyway, I dont really pay attention, but thats the gist of the storyline.
Tekken 6 has great graphics and animation, better than that of street fighter 4 and soul calibur 4. They look even better than the arcade machine models. With such great graphics and special effects, such as cracking the floor when a character falls down, the red burst of energy when a character goes rage mode, its all detailed and very nice on the TV screen. The characters too, thier body strucure and muscle details and stuff look refined and very well speculated. As expected of the 4th gen consoles.
As for the game basics you have a few gameplay options. Arcade mode, which you fight through 8 battles. Ghost battle, where you fight loads and loads of enemies without taking a break. Survival, you once again fight loads and loads of enemies but this time with only 1 life bar. Time attack, a very obvious mode that I shouldnt explain as its in almost EVERY fighter today. And of course we have the new scenario campaign. Scenario campaign is just like the previous tekkens' tekken force, but more story driven, as it revolves around only 2 main characters lars and alisa. This is kinda like the game's story mode and its quite fun actually. You get to play thorugh over 30 stages of pure simple brawling, each stage with thier own boss. This mode itself can take up to 4 or 5 hours of gameplay, this extends the play value of the game itself. Also each stage you play drops items that can be equipped to your fighter for customization purposed. More on that now.
Since tekken 5, customization has beomce quite and issue. Now in tekken 6, customization is deep as ever. Customization in tekken is just to make your fighters look good in the way you want them to. Customization grants no bonus attack,defense or sutff like that. You buy these items through using fight money, obtained either by fighting enemies or by clearing a stage in scenerio campaign. Fight money comes in little by little in fighting, so saving up cash can be quite a pain. In scenerio campaign however money flows in quite quickly. This makes playing scenerio campaign is must sometimes for players who want quick and easy money. Items are not only bought, they can also be dropped my enemies in scenario campaign. Items dropped this way though grant special boosts in scenerio campaign, such as freezing effect and such, but they dont appear like that in normal fights. Customisation items as I said before do not affect normal fights.
Overall tekken 6 is a much more improved game than all of its predussecors, with flaws such as long and frequent loading times and over the top LAG during online play, they prevent tekken 6 from being a soooo much better game. Well the game alone now is already great, so I suggest fighting game lovers to get this. However if one is looking for online play, tekken 6 is just not the game for you.
Happy gaming.
Tekken 6 PSP
Gamespot score:8.0(great)
my score:7.7
(+)pros:-better gameplay experience than dark ressurection,- certain remixed soundtracks from the original and arcade tekken 6 sound great,- default gameplay is more challenging than the PS3 original,- faster load times than its console and arcade counterparts
(-)cons:- graphically inferior to tekken 5 dark resurrection,- less gameplay modes than the console brethen,- replay feature is gone!!!
gameplay time:20-30 hours(average)
Forgetful and silly me. I have been so lazy lately that I forgot to place this game under my currently playing games and forgot to remove phantasy star zero and drone tactics.... Well been kind of a fag lately, I havent been touching my handhelds and all I do is play the dam PC with private servers of online games. Ah well guess Ill update the column after this.Anyway on with the tekken 6 fest, here is tekken 6 PSP. I personally am disappointed with the game, dark resurrection was without a doubt, more enjoyable from this. A step down for the tekken franchise on the PSP indeed.
Tekken 6 PSP has the same storyline as the PS3, and I will explain it for the PS3 post. For the PSP review today I have prepared some notes I have been cocking up about this game which I have been only playing for a week. 1st, tekken 6 on the psp is smooth. The game's characters move and execute thier attacks quickly and without delay. There arent many or any framerate issues with the game. I say namco did a good job on the game. But obviously this comes at quite a price, with degraded graphics, only this becomes achievable. The screen at times has a cloak of.... foggy-ish blanket which makes the screen SLIGHTY, ONLY SLIGHTLY unclear. Im not sure if this was part of namco's idea but the character models look funny and 3rd gen-ishly weak. The new character models are really....bad, in a way. Lars, alisa, leo and others new characters look bad in weak graphics. The old characters in dark resurection look mostly the same, though some look worse.
Well take a good long look, this is as good as it gets. As you can see, graphics are really degraded in this game. Even the new environments originally designed for the 4th gen consoles look bad on the PSP. In this screenshot eddy(an old character) looks just like he was in dark resurrection, miguel looks like shiiiiit(hes a new character). The new characters are inferior in any way, hair, body strucure, clothing folds, everything, they just look bad. This game is just a tekken 5 on steroids...bad steroids.
Well they did import over the rage system and it seems to run fine in this game, so no complaints here. One thing I like to rant here. Replay is gone. Boom, smush , flushhhhhh, its 100% gone. Whenever you win a round, it just proceeds on, no replay of you stylshly beating your opponent down. SUCK.
Despite the downgraded visuals, tekken 6 PSP has the brought over soundtrack of its console counterpart, which is great. The sountrack has been modified in the PSP version, and rest assured its for the good. The new sountrack is better than before, though only a few of the music pieces have been modified(etc electric fountain, the new music when in mode select). And along with the improved sountrack comes something even better. Load times! Instead of taking near MINUTES to load a fight, this game barely takes 3 seconds to bring up a battle to the next stage. Now this definelty brings up gameplay experience.
As last words for tekken 6 PSP, it isnt a bad game. It just failed to be the great game that it could be. If they added over some gameplay modes from dark resurerection Im very VERY sure that this game would turn out better, oh yeah lets not forget the tweaked graphics.Although with load times being better, this increases the replay value, which is good. Nothing else to say here, expect the PS3 review in the coming days.
Happy gaming.
tekken 6:bloodline rebellion(arcade edition)
Gamespot score:n/a
my score:8.0
(+)pros:- best experience to get out of tekken 6 is through the arcade machine,- great visuals combined with excellent loud and booming sountrack through arcade machinge speakers,-most competitive gameplay through plenty of human challengers,- more challenging in terms of difficulty in arcade mode
(-)cons:-console users may not be used to arcade controls,- rather non- user friendly toward new comers
gameplay time:n/a for arcade games
Well as promised Ill only be doing tekken 6 reviews for the next 3 posts. Tekken 6 bloodline rebellion has been in the arcades for quite a bit now and even until today it is played by many users who visit the arcade. Its welcoming machine design, accompanied by great arcade mechanics make the game itself successful and popular among players. This is truly a game not to be trampled with, possibly the most played fighting arcade game of 2009, possibly...
Since I will explain the story in the PS3 version and that there is no core storyline provided in the arcade, I will jump straight to the gameplay. Tekken 6 as many know is a fighting game, with good gameplay mechanics and tons of moves for every character, though the arcades provides no command list in the game itself, making learning to pound up and perform combos hard for new comers. The game is best played on the arcade, with the speakes booming with impressive soundtrack and sound effects, the experience on consoles or portables hardly makes it up to the gameplay experience and standard of the arcade machine. With the big arcade screen accompanying these factors, the core gameplay rarely ever gets old in the arcade, delighting players ranging from new comers to veterans.
Tekken 6 on the arcade is well, for arcade purposes only. The game only provides its arcade mode, where one fights through 8 stages, along with one bonus stage. Thus the game is shallow, with just fighting through stage after stage with no goal set in mind. Not that its bad, since fighitng games on the arcade only provide as such. But the like any other arcade fighting game like blazblu or street fighter 4, the competitivity is extreme. Since tekken 6 has alot of players, they mostly like challenging each other, with people streaming past , you wont know wheter they will stand and watch, or put in a token in the machine and pit himself( or herself) against you. And the fun thing is, you wont know wheter hes a new comer or a veteran! This is on the disadvantage for newcomers though, since they have already difficulty pitting against the AI.
Tekken 6 bloodline rebellion is fun and prestigous, the fighting is pure beautiful on the arcade screen. Everytime you play its a different experience. With 40 characters to play from, this provides lots of fun. There are many choices offered to players, altough its just arcade mode. They can choose to master characters of thier choice, or just try out each and every of the 40 characters available. And since a full set-ed command list isnt available in game, this makes learning of moves more difficult and challenging. The AI in the default arcade mode isnt very friendly too, able to block or even pull off some of the game's most powerful combos at times, they can provide entertainment to players at times. Along with an overpowered last boss( as always) and an impossible bonus stage , this game is great on the arcade itself.
Though shallow at times, tekken 6 is a great experience for veterans of the series , or even just a newcomer wanting to try a new game, with such a great provided exprience on the arcade machine, who can say no? So, then are you ready to play?
Well, insert a coin!
Happy gaming.
Tekken 6 fest
3 Types of tekken 6s, all with different standards.
The next 3 posts Im doing will all be revolved around the same game, tekken 6. With reveiws of the arcade version, PS3 version and the PSP version, followed by a final post of the final impressions of the 3.
Tekken 6 has been on the arcade for a long time now, over a year actually. The PS3 version came out october 2009, late october. With the PSP version coming out latest, near late november 2009. All deserve scores.
Well, posts coming soon.
Issue on results
I just got my results today, and to tell the truth, I was kinda scared shitless when I was in the hall, waiting to receive my results. Well now its all over.
I get to live happily. :D
My results werent perfect, in fact, I thought that I should be doing better, but well I did better than the latter of my peers. In simpler terms, I did better than friends I knew. But obviously some of them out scored me. I wont say my results, but I would say that Im more relieved than happy.
Well my result slip stated the subject code of my desired course, and many more. Im happy that I can take the course I want. I get to relax for a few more months now, thats great. My holiday just extended april.
To all that received results today, I salute you guys. The long road of O levels is finally over, peace to all!
This is my harem!!!!(seitokai no ichizon review)
Opening songs-OP 1:treasure
genre:comedy,drama, slice of life
Another passing of a good show.... Why do many good shows end at 12/13?? Same with Chaos head and haruhi suzumiya 1, 13 eps only. What the hell man. Im very sad to part with this show, since the comedy for 1 was hilarious, the drama is real and touching at times, and it really shows how fun being in a student council with 4 girls and with you the only guy can be.
The opening song is good. No scratch that, its great. It has such a nostalgic and sad sense to it. The lyrics are sad, the song it great. Combined is a song that you wan to hear frequently, but sad feeling as you dont want to part with it....just like the show, I dont want to part with it :(. There had better be a second season, altough its very unlikely.
I love seitokai no ichizon's plot. Why? Cause its about NOTHING. Absolutely nothing. Great show here, the show is about a boy in a student council of a school beacuse he topped the school in terms of results, and hes the only boy there, with 4 other cute girls. Always saying very oftenly THIS IS MY HAREM, the show itself is hilarious, with comedy as its main genre. Bringing in other shows to boost its funniness is great. Ideas from death note, bleach and haruhi suzumiya are brought into this show to give everyone a good laugh...great indeed.
Besides comedy being the main genre, the slice of life is here too. It just shows how every day of the student council goes by, and its really good and meaningful at times.
The drama part is good too. It goes to show how a reject can become a successful person with topping results and cheerful personality and letting go of his painful past.
About how someone can achieve total courage and respect amongst friends. There are other touching moments along with the core show itself. It good.
Seitokai is your run of the mill coemdy high school show, with more stuff thrown it to make it all a great new fresh experience. A highly recommended show to all.
class of heroes
Gamespot score:n/a
my score:7.3
(+)pros:-extra lenghty gameplay with tons of quests,-tons of character customization, -lots of big and puzzling and ever chagning dungeons to explore, -interestingly programmed NPC personalities
(-)cons:-gameplay mainly consists on grinding,- extremely brutal gameplay early on, -too many in game items which makes tracking of ingredients difficult
gameplay time:50+ hours(above average)
Happy gaming.
Mana khemia:student alliance
Gamespot score:n/a
my score:8.3
(+)pros:-interesting character cast,- good storyline,- great protoganist,- boss fights are long and awesome,- no leveling up which means no grinding,- synthesis gets highly addictive,-multiple endings
(-)cons:-going back and forth from the workshop for ingredients can be real repititive, -most good and useful recipes are only found late game
gameplay time:30-40 hours(above average)
1st review of 2010. Woohoo. Anyway I have been following the atelier series for quite some time. Since atelier iris 2 actually. I really like the series, every one of its games is a masterpiece, well, with an execption of atelier iris 3, that game was only average. Well mana khemia student alliance should be named atelier iris 4 since it was released after 3, but they called it mana khemia, for what I dont know. To be fair, gamespot did review this, for the PS2, the PSP one which is this one is just a remake of the PS2 version. The score was 7.5. Not that I blame gamespot but here are reasons why this game should be so much better.
Mana khemia has quite a good storyline. In fact, its one that changes. The story line is about vayne, a quite boy living in the mountains who gets enrolled into al revis academy. He meets his 1st ever human friend jess and strangely and ironically gets put into some reject 2nd year's workshop group. The 2nd year is called flay and he calls his workshop the flay cave. Yep, a reject indeed. Anyway the story starts with vayne getting used to school life and meeting more and more friends, with them attending events such as school festivals and exams. The story starts out very mild, its like theres no major event taking place, but later on as vayne finds out what he really is the whole school starts to shun and avoid him, as well as crazy things starting to pop out and threaten the wellbeing of the school itself.
The atelier series has always been known for its 2D presentation for everything, well so is the same for this game. The field is presented in bright 2D colours. Its not exacty great, but its bearable. The field controls are simple, you get to run, jump, talk to people and cut stuff up to gather materials. Very normal and plain, the field controls are, but its just a small price to pay for its great story and impressive battle visuals. The 2D sprites on the field arent very pretty as well. Its like the sprites are all plain and well, just being plain. Well they can be funny at times during cutscenes, but thats about it, most of the time they are just bland and normal. Same goes to the environments, some of the areas look like they are repeated a few times over, although there are a load of areas to explore, which is good.
Battle visuals in this game are great, they are what shines in this game. The great 2D battle sprites show the characters at thier best. Thier battle poses, skills, facial expressions and stuff... its just so good. Even muppy the alien guy looks detailed, even though hes just a floating hairless guy in a floating space pot. One thing bad though in the battle, the weapons never change, thats all. Its not very bad actually , since the initail weapon designs are very good to begin with. The monsters themselves are very well designed too, ranging from the "cute" looking punis to the menacing looking dragons, they are all great to look at and fight as well. Beating up these guys with skills are another thing, cause the skills in this game are swweeeeet. Even though the skill usage and animation is in 2D, they are well detailed well executed.
Last thing to mention are spoils of battles and the awesome boss fights. Whenever you win battles in this game, you get AP, which is used to buy stat increases in the grow book. Thats right, you dont level up in this game, you just buy stats to make yourself stronger. Well obviously you have to get stronger to battle the many awesome boss battles in this game. This game has great out of this world boss battles. Firstly, the bosses themselves have thier own badass wicked skills to hit you with. Secondly, they are difficult. I have rarely been pushed so far in an RPG series before, not like in any FF game or any other great titles. Its so rare that I have to or want to save in a different file before a fight and fight the boss again and again. the boss battle themes are awesome, epic masterpieces great to hear when fighting bosses.
A new year
Bye bye 2009.
Here comes 2010, and as the author of a gaming blog I must say Im looking foward to 2010. Great game releases, dante's inferno,darksiders, final fantasy 13, god of war 3, kingdom hearts birth by sleep, shin megami tensei strange journey, infinite space....... so many great game releases coming up! I seriously cannot wait. And if some rumours suffice, etrian odyssey 3, persona 5 and devil may cry 5 are coming too, though they arent 100% true,well being rumours.
Also, there are many changes to my current great life here. One, my brother will be starting school soon, so no more playing left 4 dead 2 with him, which sux. The AI can be a huge pain in the ass. Two, I will be receiving my O level results soon.
This can only mean 2 things.
1. I get a good, desired grade. Then I will have an additional 3-4 months of holiday.
Wooooooohhhooooooooooooo. Then when poly starts, I'll start my game media design course. YYYEEAAAAHHHH.
2. I get a bullshit grade. My life will be destroyed, I have to take O levels again and I have to go to school AGAIN for another FRIGGIN YEAR!! This sux, I SERIOUSLY HOPE NOT TO GET THIS.
Well Im gonna go cry myself to sleep(just joking).
Intro to gamer--freakz
My ratings
9.0+=F**king amazing
Anything below 7= Crap and will not be covered
Only applies to games
About Me
- The Fool
- MSN is dead. Still 19, going 20 this year. Skype: Sincromi
Blog Archive
- ► 2016 (59)
- ► 2015 (111)
- ► 2014 (126)
- ► 2013 (153)
- ► 2012 (138)
- ► 2011 (141)
- The february to come
- greatest boss fights:isolde(mana khemia:student al...
- wolfteam-wolf conquest mode
- the next solar maximum(darker than black review)
- tekken 6 PS3
- Tekken 6 PSP
- tekken 6:bloodline rebellion(arcade edition)
- Tekken 6 fest
- Issue on results
- This is my harem!!!!(seitokai no ichizon review)
- class of heroes
- Mana khemia:student alliance
- A new year
- ▼ January (13)
Reviews Archive
Upcoming posts
Recently reviewed
Upcoming Anime reviews
- Utawarerumono:Itsuwari No Kamen
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans
- Dagashi Kashi
- Dimension W
- Shoujo-tachi Wa Kouya Wo Mezasu
- Grimgar Of Fantasy And Ash
- Musaigen No Phantom World
- Erased
- Akagami No Shirayuki S2
- Sakamoto Desu-Ga
- Hundred
- Bungo Stray Dogs
- Boku No Hero Academia
- Gakusen Asterisk Season 2
- Netoge no Yome wa Onnanoko ja Nai to Omotta
- Kabaneri Of The Iron Fortress
- Gate S2
- Tanaka-Kun Wa Itsumo Kedaruge
- Assassination Classroom S2
- Re-Zero
- Orange
- Fate Kalied Liner Prisma Illya 3rei
- Love Live Sunshine
- Alderamin On The Sky
- Masou Gakuen HxH
- Shokugeki No Soma S2
- New Game
- Taboo Tattoo
- Qualidea Code
- Danganronpa 3 (Both Sides)
- Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Part 4: Diamond Is Unbreakable
Gamer stats
Blazblue: Chrono Phantasma
-Yuki Terumi Lvl 13
League of legends
-Mid Champs: Karthus, Lissandra, Swain
-Top Champs: Pantheon, Renekton, Shen
-Junglers: Volibear, Xin Zhao, Cho Gath, Darius, Pantheon, Nautilus
-Supports: Annie, Thresh
Recommended Anime
- Angel beats
- Anohana:The flower we saw that day
- Another
- Assassination Classroom
- Baka to test to Shoukanjuu
- Baka to test to Shoukanjuu Ni!
- Black Bullet
- Code Geass
- Code Geass R2
- Daily Life Of High School Boys
- Darker than black
- Date A Live
- Durarara!
- Eureka Seven
- Fate/Zero
- Fullmetal Alchemist:Brotherhood
- Guilty Crown
- Hanamonogatari
- Hataraku Maou Sama
- Higurashi no Naku no Koro ni
- Higurashi no Naku no Koro ni Kai
- K-on!
- K-on! Season 2
- Kami Sama No Memochou
- Kill La Kill
- Kore wa zombie desuka
- Kyoukai Senjou Horizon
- Mahouka
- Mai-hime
- Mai-otome
- Mirai Nikki
- My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU
- My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU TOO
- Nichijou
- No Game No Life
- Overlord
- Parasyte -The Maxim-
- Persona 3 The Movie: The Spring Of Birth
- Psycho Pass
- School-Live!
- Shakugan no Shana
- Shakugan no Shana 2
- Shakugan no Shana 3 FINAL
- Shingeki No Kyojin
- Shirobako
- Shokugeki No Soma
- Steins;Gate
- Strike Witches/Strike Witches 2
- Sunday Without God
- Sword Art Online
- Tenchi Muyo! War On Geminar
- The Idolm@ster
- The Pet Girl Of Sakurasou
- To Aru Majutsu No Index:Endymion No Kiseki
- To aru Majutsu no Index Season 2
- Tokyo Ghoul
- Toradora!
Great anime
- Accel World
- Akame Ga Kill
- Akatsuki No Yona
- Amagi Brilliant Park
- Ao no exorcist
- Asura cryin
- Asura cryin 2
- Baccano!
- Barakamon
- Blood Blockade Battlefront
- Boku wa Tomodachi ga sukunai
- Boku Wa Tomodachi Ga Sukunai NEXT
- Btooom!
- Campione
- Classroom Crisis
- Coppelion
- Cross Ange
- D-Frag!
- Danganronpa: The Animation
- Date A Live II
- Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works
- Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works 2
- Freezing
- Gekkan Shojo Nozaki Kun
- Golden Time
- Grimgar Of Fantasy And Ash
- Hagure Yusha No Aestetica
- Hayate no gotoku season 2
- High School DxD
- High School DxD Born
- High School DxD New
- Hitsugi No Chaika
- Infinite Stratos
- Jojo's Bizarre Adventure (2012-2013)
- Jojo's Bizarre Adventure:Stardust Crusaders
- Jormungand
- Jormungand: Perfect Order
- K-on! Movie
- Kampfer
- Kokoro Connect
- Kyoukai No Kanata
- Kyoukai Senjou Horizon 2
- Kyousogiga
- Log Horizon
- Log Horizon 2
- Love Chunibyo & Other Delusions
- Love Live! School Idol Project
- Love Live! School Idol Project S2
- Lucky star
- Macademi Wasshoi
- Maji de watashi ni koi shinasai!
- Maoyu Maou Yusha
- Mikagura School Suite
- Mondaijitachi ga Isekai Kara Kuru Sou Desu Yo
- Monogatari Second Season
- Monster Musume
- Motto To Love Ru
- Nagi No Asukara
- Nanana's Buried Treasure
- Nisemonogatari
- Oda Nobuna No Yabou
- Omamori himari
- OniAi
- Oreimo
- Oreimo S2
- Oreshura
- Outbreak Company
- Persona 3 Movie 2:Midsummer Knight's Dream
- Pokemon:The Origin
- Psycho Pass II
- Rakudai Kishi No Cavalry
- Rokka No Yuusha
- Rozen maiden
- Rozen maiden traumend
- Seitokai no ichizon
- Seitokai Yakuindomo
- Seraph Of The End
- Seraph Of The End: Battle In Nagoya
- Sket Dance
- So, I Can't Play H!
- Sound! Euphonium
- Strike The Blood
- Strike Witches:The Movie
- Sword Art Online II
- The Idolm@ster: Cinderella Girls
- The World God Only Knows:Goddesses Arc
- The World Is Still Beautiful
- To Aru Kagaku no Railgun S
- To Love Ru Darkness
- To Love Ru Darkness S2
- Umineko no naku no koro ni
- Unbreakable Machine Doll
- Watamote
- Yamada-Kun And The Seven Witches
- Your Lie In April
- Yuki Yuna Is A Hero
- Yumekui Merry
- Zankyou No Terror
- Zero No Tsukaima series
Good anime
- Absolute Duo
- Akagami No Shirayuki-Hime
- Akuma No Riddle
- Aldnoah Zero
- Asobi ni Ikuyo!
- Asu no Yoichi
- Bakemonogatari
- Blood Lad
- C3: Cube x Cursed, Curious
- Chrome Shelled Regios
- Dagashi Kashi
- Darker than Black:Ryuusei no Gemini
- Day Break Illusion
- Deadman Wonderland
- Devil Survivor 2:The Animation
- Dog X Scissors
- Dragon Crisis!
- Dusk Maiden Of Amnesia
- Eureka Seven AO
- Fate Kaleid Liner Prisa Illya 2wei!
- Fate Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya
- Fate/Stay Night
- Freezing Vibration
- Gakuen Toshi Asterisk
- Galilei Donna
- Gatchaman Crowds
- Gatchaman Crowds Insight
- Gugure! Kokkuri-San
- Hatsukoi Limited!
- Hayate No Gotoku! Cuties
- High School Of The Dead
- Hitsugi No Chaika: Avenging Battle
- Hyakka Ryouran Samurai Bride
- Hyouka
- Hyperdimension Neptunia:The Animation
- Infinite Stratos 2
- Inukami!
- Invaders Of Rokujyoma
- K: Missing Kings
- Kaibutsu Oujo
- Kannagi
- Knights Of Sidonia
- Kore wa zombie desuka? Of the dead
- Koufuku Graffiti
- Love Chunibyo & Other Delusions -Heart Throb-
- Love, Election and Chocolate
- Mashiro Iro Symphony
- Mayo Chiki
- Minami-Ke Tadaima
- Minami-Ke/Okawari/Okaeri
- Needless
- Nisekoi
- Nisekoi:
- Noragami
- Okami-San And Her Seven Companions
- Owarimonogatari
- Plastic Memories
- Psycho Pass Movie
- Rental Magica
- Ro-Kyu-Bu! SS
- Rosario + Vampire/Capu2
- Rozen Maiden 2013
- Rozen Maiden:Overture
- Sabagebu
- Saekano: How To Raise A Boring Girlfriend
- Sankarea
- Seitokai No Ichizon Lv.2
- Sekirei ~Pure Engagement~
- Senki Zesshou Symphogear
- Shinmai Maou No Testament
- Tales of the Abyss
- Tears to Tiara
- The "Hentai" Prince And The Stony Cat.
- The World God Only Knows I/II
- To aru Kagaku no Railgun
- To Love Ru
- Tokyo ESP
- Tokyo Ravens
- Tsukimonogatari
- Uchouten Kazoku
- Utawarerumono: The False Faces
- Valvrave: The Liberator
- Valvrave: The Liberator S2
- Vividred Operation
- Xamd:Lost Memories
- Zettai Karen Children Unlimited-Hyoubu Kyouske
Decent Anime
- 11eyes
- Aldnoah Zero 2
- Bakuretsu Tenshi
- Beautiful Bones: Sakurako's Investigation
- Black Rock Shooter OVA
- Blade Dance Of Elementalers
- Bleach movie 4:The Hell Verse
- Dimension W
- Fate Kaleid/Liner Prisma Illya 2wei Herz!
- Girls Und Panzer
- Gj-Bu
- Hamatora
- Hayate No Gotoku:Can't Take My Eyes Off You
- Heavy Object
- Hyakka Ryouran Samurai Girls
- If Her Flag Breaks
- Kenzen Robo Daimidaler
- Kiss x Sis
- La Storia Della Arcana Familgia
- Maken-Ki! Battling Venus
- Mekakucity Actors
- Nyan Koi
- Rail Wars!
- Re-Kan!
- Re:Hamatora
- Ro-Kyu-Bu!
- Rolling Girls
- Seiken Tsukai No World Break
- Sekirei
- Senki Zesshou Symphogear G
- Senran Kagura
- Shikabane Hime Aka
- Shikabane Hime Kuro
- Shinmai Maou No Testament BURST
- Sky Wizards Academy
- Soul Eater Not!
- Stella Jo Gakuin C3-Bu
- Tamako Market
- Triage X
- Trinity Seven
- Upotte!
- Witch Craft Works
Anime NOT Recommended
Anime Talk
The fool's best(9.0 or more)
- Advance wars: Dual strike
- Bloodborne
- Cabal online
- Danganronpa:Trigger Happy Havoc
- Dark Souls
- Dark Souls 3
- Dark Souls II
- Demon's souls
- Dishonored
- Dissidia: final fantasy
- Doom 3
- Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends Of The Titan
- Fire Emblem:Awakening
- God of war
- Half minute hero
- Heartstone: Heroes Of Warcraft
- Hoshizora No Memoria
- Jubeat knit
- Kingdom hearts 2
- Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate
- Nine hours, nine persons, nine doors
- Phoenix wright:ace attorney
- Portal
- Portal 2
- Shin megami tensei:Devil survivor
- Shin megami tensei:Devil survivor 2
- Shin megami tensei:Persona 3
- Shin megami tensei:Persona 3 portable
- Shin megami tensei:Persona 4
- Tactics Orge:Let Us Cling Together
- The Last Of Us
- The world ends with you
- Undertale
- Valkyria chronicles
- Yugioh 5Ds world championship 2009
The fool's real life outings
Favourite anime characters
- 11eyes, Angel beats, Ao no exorcist
- Akame Ga Kill, Assassination Classroom, Danshi
- Akuma No Riddle, Black Bullet, Dog X Scissors
- Amaburi, Mahouka, Gatchaman Crowds
- Anohana, Dragon Crisis!, Eureka Seven
- Another, Dusk Maiden, Hyakka Ryouran
- Asobi ni Ikuyo, Chrome Shelled Regios, DRRR
- Asu no yoichi, Asura cryin', Baka test
- Baccano!, Fate/Stay night, Freezing
- Bakemonogatari, Bakuretsu tenshi, BRS OVA
- Barakamon, Btooom!, Cross Ange
- C3, Campione, Jojo
- CANAAN, Code geass, Darker than black
- Danganronpa, Kill La Kill, Log Horizon
- Date A Live, Love Live!, Mashiro Iro Symphony
- Daybreak Illusion, Kyoukai Kanata, Galilei Donna
- Deadman Wonderland, Hatsukoi limited, HNG
- Girls Und Panzer, Macademi Wasshoi, Maji De
- Golden Time, Hitsugi No Chaika, Jojo SC
- Haganai, FMA, Guilty Crown
- Hagura Yusha, Mondaiji, MM!
- Hataraku Maou Sama, Lucky Star, Maoyu
- High School DxD, HOTD, Higurashi
- Hyouka, K, Kaibutsu Oujo
- Infinite Stratos, Inukami!, Jormungand
- K-on!, Kampfer, Kami-sama no memochou
- Kore Wa Zombie, Kokoro connect, Kannagi
- Kyoukai Senjou Horizon, KissXSis, Mai-Hime
- Neptunia, Love Election and Chocolate, Mirai Nikki
- Romantic Comedy SNAFU, Chunibyo, Minami-Ke
Best game characters
- Kagura- Blazblue:Chrono Phantasma
- Sterkenberg- Atelier Arland Series
- Yamato- Shin megami tensei:Devil Survivor 2
- Jackie- The Darkness II
- Jaegar- Valkyria chronicles
- Maria- Knights in the nightmare
- Hazama- Blazblue:Continuum shift
- Ulthane- Darksiders
- Dante- Devil may cry series
- Miles edgeworth- Ace attorney series
- Rachel- Blazblue: calamity trigger portable
- Hero- Half minute hero
- Jin- Tekken series
- Naoya- Shin megami tensei:devil survivor
- Vayne- Mana khemia:student alliance
- Naoto- Shin megami tensei:persona 4
- Sho minamoto- The world ends with you
- Cloud- Final fantasy 7
Greatest boss fights
- Accelerator (Dengeki Gauen RPG:Cross Of Venus)
- Airshatter (Atelier Meruru)
- Asimov (Azure Striker Gunvolt)
- Barthandelus II (Final fantasy 13)
- Batomys (Valkyria Chronicles)
- Dante (Devil may cry 4)
- Darth moab (Prinny 2)
- Draco cantus (The world ends with you)
- Gawain/Leo (Fate/Extra)
- Golbez (Final fantasy 4)
- Golden Mage Knight (Tales Of Xillia)
- Isolde (Mana khemia:Student alliance)
- Kurt zisa (Kingdom hearts)
- Lucifer (Shin megami tensei:Devil survivor)
- Melad Margus (Knights in the nightmare)
- Tigrex (Monster hunter freedom 2)
- Unlimited Hazama (Blazblue:Continuum shift)
Top villians
- 19/02/16 (anime)
- 03/05/15 (anime)
- 15/09/14 (anime)
- 29/07/13 (anime)
- 05/12/12 (anime)
- 11/03/12 (anime)
- 17/08/11 (anime)
- 02/05/11 (anime)
- 27/11/10 (anime)
- 10/08/10 (anime)
- 12/05/10 (anime)
- 08/08/15 (gaming)
- 07/02/15 (gaming)
- 16/05/14 (gaming)
- 24/03/13 (gaming)
- 03/07/12 (gaming)
- 08/11/11 (gaming)
- 13/06/11 (gaming)
- 02/03/11 (gaming)
- 21/09/10 (gaming)
- 22/07/10 (gaming)
- 22/06/10 (gaming)
Pervertic posts
Seiyuu Power!!
Parties in RPGs
- Bravely Default (Part 2)
- Bravely Default (Part 1)
- 7th Dragon 2020 II
- Etrian Odyssey IV:Legend Of The Titan
- Atelier Meruru:The Apprentice Of Arland
- Atelier Totori:The Adventurer Of Arland
- Tales Of Graces F
- Shin Megami Tensei:Persona 4
- Unchained Blades
- Final Fantasy XIII
- Shin Megami Tensei:Persona 3
- Atelier Rorona:The Alchemist Of Arland
- Radiant Historia
- Shin Megami Tensei:Devil Survivor 2
Fighting game character impressions
- Phantom Breaker:Battle Grounds
- Under Night In Birth:Exe Late Part 2 (Hands On)
- Under Night In Birth:Exe Late Part 1 (Hands On)
- Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax (Hands On)
- Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax Part 2 (Hands Off)
- Blazblue:CP Character Impressions
- Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax (Hands Off)
- P4A Character impressions
- MVC3 Characters 1-12
- MVC3 Characters 13-24
- MVC3 Characters 25-36
- MVC3 Character Impressions (Hands Off)
Tiers in fighting games
Yugioh 2009 guide(DS)*complete*
Wolfteam freebies
Demon's souls boss profiles
Dark souls boss profiles
- Asylum demon
- Taurus demon
- Capra demon
- Bell gargoyle
- Moonlight Butterfly
- Great Grey Wolf Sif
- Gaping dragon
- Stray demon
- Chaos Witch Quelaag
- Iron Golem
- Ornstein and Smough
- Dark Sun Gwyndolin
- Crossbreed Priscillia
- Seath The Scaleless
- Pinwheel
- Gravelord Nito
- The Four Kings
- Ceaseless Discharge
- Centipede Demon
- Bed Of Chaos
- Gwyn, Lord Of Cinder
- Sanctuary Guardian
- Knight Artorias
- Black Dragon Kalameet
- Manus, Father Of The Abyss
Dark Souls II Boss Profiles
- The Last Giant
- Dragonrider/Old Dragonslayer
- Flexile Sentry/The Pursuer
- Ruin Sentinels
- The Lost Sinner
- Belfry Gargoyles
- Scorpioness Najka
- Prowling Magus & Congregation/Royal Ray Authority
- The Duke's Dear Freja
- Royal Rat Vanguard/The Rotten
- Skeleton Lords/Executioner's Chariot
- Covetus Demon/Mytha The Baneful Queen
- Smelter Demon/Old Iron King
- Dragonriders
- Looking Glass Knight/Demon Of Song
- Velstadt/Guardian Dragon
- Giant Lord/Throne Watcher & Throne Defender
- Nashandra/Aldia, Scholar Of The First Sin
- Darklurker
- Elana/Sinh/Gank Squad
- Fume Knight/Sir Alonne/Smelter Demon
- Ava, The King's Pet/Burnt Ivory King/Lud & Zallen


text:
2009 Chevrolet TrailBlazer Cold Air Intake System at Tuners Depot
K&N® Aircharger Intake System - 07-09 Chevy TrailBlazer 4.2L
There are many cold air and short ram intake companies in the market that make intake systems. Despite this, there is only one company that has become synonymous with performance filters: K&N. K&N is the premier authority on automotive filtering, whether it be for Monster Trucks, Le Mans / F1 racing, or Import Drifting... everyone knows and respects K&N as a true performance company. That's why their Aircharger intake line is one of the best possible intake systems available for your vehicle, for a surprisingly affordable price. Most intake companies use a standardized filter and mandrel bent aluminum piping for their intakes. While traditional short ram and ram air intake systems with this design usually look nice, they have blaring inherent flaws in their design. By limiting themselves to a generic cone filter and the restrictions of an aluminum pipe, they decrease the overall air flow potential for your car or truck. K&N starts all of their Aircharger intake system designs with the largest possible filter. As a veteran filter company, K&N knows that the larger the filter, the more air that can flow into your engine, which in turn, equals better performance. After that, they engineer a plastic intake tube for MAXIMUM airflow... which is why Aircharger intakes sometimes have irregular looking bulges and curves. This custom designed plastic tube not only provides more airflow than a traditional aluminum pipe intake, it also ends up running quieter than the metal pipes that can unpredictably chatter and whistle. The result is pure unadultered power that K&N backs up with actual dyno results. Also, unlike any other intake company, K&N supports all their filters and intakes with their famous "million mile warranty." So long as you run a K&N Aircharger intake on the application it was designed for, don't go off roading or racing, and properly clean the filter every 50,000 miles, they will guarantee the product for an unbelievable 1,000,000 miles. Please note that K&N Airchargers are deisgned for maximum performance and affordability, but do not meet California emission standards. Please note that K&N intakes are very vehicle specific, so if you are unsure if this intake will fit your vehicle, please double check that you have the proper engine size and visit K&N's VIN number search to ensure you get the proper intake before purchasing.
|Suggest Retail:
|Our Price:
User Rating
|Free (Continental US)


text:
GRAPT — GNU Radio based APT, LRPT and HRPT receiver.
Back in the nineties I have had a lot of fun receiving NOAA weather satellites transmitting APT on 137 MHz. Those days I was using a winradio (that I still have) and a sound card based software decoder. Since I have now started to experiment with GNU Radio and also invested in a USRP with various daughterboards, I though it would be interesting to receive NOAA APT again — this time using a decoder done at the SDR layer, i.e. without the need for a sound card decoder.
While this project may seem trivial to a DSP guru, being a newbie in the area I find the challenge to be worthy and provide a good opportunity to learn using GNU Radio and Software Defined Radios in general.
The APT Format
APT is an acronym for Automatic Picture Transmission.
To be written. Until then see the diagrams under the WX Sat category and Wikipedia entry.
The LRPT Format
To be written.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_Rate_Picture_Transmission Wikipedia] entry and LRPT spec at EUMETSAT.
The HRPT Format
To be written.
See Wikipedia entry.
System Architecture
To be written
Experiment Phases and Milestones
There are several approaches to this experiment and one of the key questions is whether I should follow the Python or C++ path. Until I figure that out, I will take it in small steps, starting with functional prototypes in python.
- Experiment 1 – RF Validation
- Using the available hardware we check that we can receive APT transmission from NOAA satellites. Experiment details and results can be found here.
Software Design
To be written


text:
Sir Isaac Pitman (January 4, 1813 – January 12, 1897), knighted in 1894, developed the most widely used system of shorthand, known now as Pitman shorthand. He first proposed this in Stenographic Soundhand in 1837. Pitman was a qualified teacher and taught at a private school he founded in Wotton-under-Edge. He was also the vice president of the Vegetarian Society.
He was born in Trowbridge, Wiltshire in England. In the 1851 census he appears in Bath aged 38, living with his wife, Mary, aged 58, born in Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire. He married Isabella Masters in 1861, and he appears in the 1871 census, aged 58, with his new wife Isabella, aged 46. In the 1881 census he is listed as Eisak Pitman - given his occupation, the phonetic spelling is interesting. In the 1891 census he is again listed as Isaac, but his birthplace has moved to Bath.
Isaac Pitman was fervently Swedenborgian. Not only did he read The Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg daily, he also devoted much time and energy to educating the world about them. He published and distributed books and tracts by and about Swedenborg.


text:
Sofia Vergara has a lot to celebrate. Fresh off a week-long vacation to fete her 40th birthday (where she reportedly became engaged to beau Nick Loeb), the "Modern Family" actress has just been named as the highest-earning actress in television.
According to Forbes, Colombian-born Vergara raked in an estimated $19 million between May 2011 and May 2012.
To determine how the annual ranking falls, Forbes considers upfront pay, residuals, endorsements and advertising work. It's the endorsements that can push a name closer to the number one spot. Vergara has appeared in campaigns for Pepsi, Burger King and CoverGirl. Kmart is backing her fashion line to the tune of $7 million in advance payments by the end of 2012.
U.S. & World
Sitting at number two on this list is Kim Kardashian with $18 million, missing the top spot by a mere $1 million. Both celebrities have major endorsements under their designer belts: Kardashian and her sisters co-front Kardashian Kollection (a clothing line available at Sears), the reality star's namesake perfume generated more than $6 million in retail sales last year and the family signed a $30 million deal with E! for three more seasons of "Keeping up with the Kardashians."
Vergara and Kardashian have been rival tabloid staples over the past twelve months, also. Kardashian followed up headlines concerning her 72-day marriage to basketballer Kris Humphries by generating even more column inches in gossip mags when she began publicly dating rapper Kanye West. Vergara's on-again, off-again relationship with Loeb kept her in the papers, culminating in the engagement reports of last week, when she was photographed wearing a large diamond engagement ring while celebrating her birthday in Mexico.
Third on the list is Eva Longoria with $15 million, despite the fact that her role on the long-running "Desperate Housewives" series is coming to an end. The show aired its finale in the spring, and at the time, Longoria was earning $375,000 per episode.
In at number four with $12 million is former "Real Housewives of New York" star Bethenny Frankel, who expanded her Skinnygirl drink line from one product to twelve, launched a daytime television talk show (produced by Ellen DeGeneres) and penned her first novel, "Skinnydipping."
Rounding out the remaining top ten are Khloe Kardashian Odom ($11 million), "30 Rock" creator Tina Fey ($11 million), "Law & Order: SVU" star Mariska Hargitay ($10 million), "New Girl" Zooey Deschanel ($9 million), "Desperate Housewife" Felicity Huffman ($9 million), Ellen Pompeo of "Grey's Anatomy" ($9 million), her former co-star Kate Walsh ($8 million) and last but by no means least Teri Hatcher, the top ten's final "Desperate Housewives" cast member with $8 million.


text:
I know several trans chicks and gay men that would absolutely beat you the fuck to death in a fight i don't care who you are, extremely tough and brutal people- Sexgun Rasputin
Only registered members are allowed to access this section.
Please login below or register an account with Something Sensitive.
Forgot your password?


text:
Pioneering Path: Audrey Leef M.S. '47 transformed her Stevens graduate education into decades of guidance for mathematics students
It has been nearly 70 years, but the day she was accepted into Stevens is still clear as day for Audrey Vincentz Leef M.S. '47.
"The way I got in was a little unusual," she says with a smile. "But I'm glad I did. It just took a little nerve."
Stevens was a return to home for Leef, who had been raised in Hoboken and graduated as valedictorian from Hoboken's A.J. Demarest High School at the age of just 16.
Encouraged by one of her high school math teachers, Leef then studied mathematics at Montclair State University (then known as Montclair State Teachers College), receiving her bachelor's degree in 1943.
She traveled to two job interviews, one each at Morristown and Millburn's respective high schools.
"Morristown offered me $1,400 a year, and Millburn offered me $1,300 a year. My mother asked me, 'which one do you like better?' I said 'Millburn'. I had walked over a little bridge from the train station to get there. She said 'Then take that one!' "
Leef did, eventually becoming department head while raising the four children she and her husband adopted.
She then entered Stevens – after being accepted in rather unconventional fashion.
Her brother Chester C. Vincentz '33, M.S. '37 had been accepted to the university under a previously existing arrangement with Demarest High School, by which each year's top three graduating high school seniors received full scholarships to Stevens if they chose to matriculate.
Leef decided to try her luck at gaining admission to pursue master's studies, despite the overwhelming majority of men then studying at the Institute. (Although women were first admitted to undergraduate programs at Stevens in 1971, they were allowed to enroll in graduate coursework — at the university's discretion — decades earlier.)
"I went to meet the Dean, and told him I was Chet Vincent's little sister and said to him, 'how about letting me in?' And he looked at me and said, 'alright,' and that's how I got in," she remembers.
The time at Stevens, she adds, was "wonderful. Everyone treated me extremely fairly."
Leef would graduate Stevens with a master's degree in mathematics in 1947. And that's not all she found here: she also meet husband George "Bob" Leef M.S. '53, who was then just beginning his own master's studies.
Their courtship, however, began somewhat more practically than romantically: Leef admits she rode the train daily with him for protection.
"Back in those days, a girl did not walk alone along River Street," she laughs. "So I guess I just chose the tallest guys in class and walked along with them to the train station.
"Bob was tall. He was living in East Orange and I got off in Millburn. That's how it all started."
The clincher?
"When he told me he had been treasurer at his Sunday school in Minnesota," she chuckles.
They later adopted four children and have been married 65 years as of spring 2012.
Returning to Montclair
Montclair State soon came calling on Leef to recruit her to join its mathematics faculty. It took time, but the university eventually secured its prize recruit.
"Once I got our fourth child, Montclair was after me pretty hard," she admits, "but I was too busy cooking for her. Five years later, they said, 'she's got to be be in Kindergarten now?' and asked me again. So I went.
She would remain from 1966 until 'retiring' in 1992, though she remains a professor emerita. During that time, she taught thousands of students and also became an expert and frequent speaker on the subject of 'math anxiety'.
"Ninety percent of math is attitude and patience," explains Leef. "So many people are petrified of mathematics, and they shouldn't be. With the proper teaching, everybody can do math. You just have to be patient. I think that was probably my strong point when teaching, everywhere that I have taught: that I have cared very much for the students.
Leef encourages women, in particular, to persist in math studies.
"Women, especially, get to calculus and they're petrified, so they stop," she says. "Or they wear themselves out trying to juggling many things — children and careers and studies. I for one can certainly understand that!
"But I also want them to know that you can do it all… if you are passionate about it all. I always tell women that if you have any leaning toward mathematics at all, pursue it now. Don't put it off. It an open door for you, if you only stick with it."
To thank her for her years of service and scholarship, Montclair awarded Leef an honorary doctorate in 2009.
Complementing math with theology
Later, Leef took up divinity studies at Drew University, something she had long been interested in pursuing.
"I've been teaching Sunday school since I was 14," she points out. "I started seminary studies — the first time — right after Bob and I married. Drew was handy to Millburn."
Raising four children and balancing her career as a professor at Montclair State with further graduate studies and professional growth — she received a doctorate in mathematics education from Rutgers in 1975 — Leef put the seminary aside for a time.
But in 1980, with her children grown and her mother having recently passed away, she made a decision to renew her studies with fresh energy.
"I said to myself, if you're ever going to do it, you had better do it now," she says.
From 1980 to 1985 she studied for and obtained a master's in divinity (magna cum laude) at Drew while continuing to teach full-time at Montclair. After being ordained as a minister, she traveled to Irvington to join the First Congregational Christian Church of Irvington as its minister.
"I worked with the youth there for five years," she recalls.
Her next stop was the campus chaplain post at Montclair.
"I had a table in the student lounge where students walked back and forth. I called it the listening post," Leef says. "We had an empty chair there. Probably many students that sat in that chair had no discussion of religion and were just there to get some help in calculus!"
Either way, however, she was happy to listen without judgment, giving counsel wherever she could.
"There were kids there who had never been away from home, and had always gone to Sunday school back home," she points out. "Finally I was able to get a facility on campus for them. It took work, because this was a state school, but it eventually happened."
After turning over the chaplainship, she later also served as pastor, and remains pastor emerita, at The Community Church of Mountain Lakes.
"I'm emerita everywhere, by now," she laughs. "It's called 'longevity.'"
Giving back, looking forward
Now 'semi-retired,' Leef has continued to give back to Stevens — the university that not only educated her and her brother, but also her nephew, Chester Vincentz Jr. '59 and even great uncle, Leon Guilloud, class of 1887.
Together with her husband, she created the Audrey J. and George R. Leef Scholarship, an annual award given to help accepted Stevens undergraduates meet tuition costs.
"I always wanted to give back, and with Bob having been an engineer, it seemed like the thing to do," she explains, adding that she hopes fellow Stevens alumni will also feel a call to contribute.
"Many times alums don't think at first about giving back," she finishes, "but all it takes is a little reminder. After all, there will always be another youngster who deserves to be helped and needs to be helped. Every year.
"And I am very happy that Bob and I have been fortunate enough to do so."


text:
Spring has Sprung! It's time to get your yard looking great and Stephen F. Austin Prograd can help! They are selling bedding flowers by the flat through Friday, March 11. They will be delivered to the Stephen F. Austin High School (3434 Pheasant Creek Drive) for pickup on March 31.
Each flat comes with 18- 4 inch flowers and are very high quality plants. The cost is $20/flat or 3 flats for $50. Choose from Begonias (mix), Dusty Miller (Silver), Dianthus (Mix), Impatient (Red, White, Pink, Violet, Mix), Marigold (Orange, Yellow, Mix), Petunia (Mix), Verbena (Mix), and Vinca (Red/Punch, Apricot, Lavender and Mix). Just complete the order form and turn it in at the Prograd meeting or have your student turn it in at lunch on March 10th or March 11th. Please forward this on to your neighbors who may be looking for a deal on flowers! Questions? Contact Cindy Villareal at 281-660-4905 or Katie Sallean at 281-565-0427.