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How Dodge Got To The Daytona 500 In 500 Days
Blood,Sweat, Tears And Cash. Lots of Cash.
By its nature, auto racing is an evolutionary process. Throughout the history of motorsports, parts and pieces were developed and then modified and adapted to their specific performance environment. This process often takes years, and it allows racing activities like NASCAR to become the fast, durable, dynamic sporting events they are today.
But let's say you're not in the evolutionary stream. Let's say that sometime, years ago, the process of adapting in an increasingly competitive environment halted. To return, you would need to become a creator, and if the timeline of your return to the environment of "survival of the fittest" was limited to 500 days, you would need to call on every resource and idea to be successful.
Enter The NASCAR Platform Team
The Dodge Motorsports solution may well revolutionize the way the auto manufacturers look at racing technology. The bread and butter of these companies is, of course, production machinery for the consumer; racing isn't an end in itself. Chrysler has a reputation of using space-age technology and science in place of more common, time-consuming methods of design, simulation, and prototyping. Due to changes in manufacturing, it doesn't take three or four years to design a new model, build it, and ready it for sale; it often takes less than 30 months.
When Dodge's network of dealers and DaimlerChrysler management announced that the nameplate would again be part of the NASCAR scene, and put it on a 500-day execution schedule, knowledgeable individuals wondered how they could get all the work done. There were no cars and no engine, and although Ray Evernham, who Chrysler tapped to spearhead their efforts, might well be the most talented individual in the sport, he couldn't do it all himself. Enter the NASCAR Platform Team.
Just like production vehicle projects, Dodge dedicated a team of experienced engineers from each discipline who used the technology at the company's disposal to streamline development of the NASCAR program. Meanwhile, a conglomerate of NASCAR teams, including Petty Enterprises and BIll Davis Racing, came together with Evernham to form a NASCAR racing "brain trust" that delivered additional input and real-world experience. In a groundbreaking move for the sport, these three teams, plus the others who joined since the 2000 Daytona 500 announcement, all work in "platform" mode as well, freely interchanging ideas.
Coordinating the effort from the factory is Tim Culbertson, Program Manager, Dodge NASCAR Winston Cup Program, Dodge. He has a team of engineers from a wide variety of technologies working on the effort, but deflects praise away from himself.
"Dodge engineers and all the other resources at the DaimlerChrysler Technical Center are service organizations for the race teams using Dodge vehicles in NASCAR events," he states. "Our work supports their development and on-track testing efforts, but it doesn't replace them. Our facilities supplement what they have, providing an additional resource. But working as one team and sharing all of our knowledge will hopefully give us the competitive advantage we can ride to the winner's circle."
The Tech Center
The DaimlerChrysler Tech Center is the largest known building on the planet; it is bigger then the Pentagon. The 504-acre site 30 miles north of Detroit, with 5.2 million square feet, is the working home of over 12,000 people. The centerpiece is the 15-story DaimlerChrysler World Headquarters, hubbed with the other portions of the building. These are the Design Office; scientific and environmental laboratories; a manufacturing pilot-plant operation for a prototype production line; and a 1.8 mile test track adjacent to the center.
Everything needed for production car development is available here. For example, in the Climatic Test Center, engineers create blizzard and rain conditions, as well as temperature extremes from minus 40 degrees to a blistering 130 degrees. There are test labs for electromagnetic bombardment; noise, vibration and harshness; powertrain longevity and endurance (we still call 'em dyno cells), and anything else you might imagine.
"In all my years in racing, I've never seen anything like this," says Ray Evernham. "I'm not aware of another team that has built a Winston Cup car from the ground up in 500 days. It's one thing to build a new race car from existing parts, but something else again to build a race car with a new engine, chassis, and body style. The level of support we have from Dodge is unbelievable."
Aero Testing and CFD--Going with the Flow...
While it would take until September 2000 before NASCAR approved the Intrepid R/T model, the team created a 3/8-inch model of the proposed entry before starting on anything else for the car itself. With the lab's equipment, each scale model was measured in six areas--lift, drag, side force, yaw, pitch, and rolling movements.The team tested for optimum air flow over the body and the critical positioning of cooling and braking ductwork. Once there was a suitable design, Dodge then put a full-scale NASCAR Intrepid through the Lockheed tunnel in Georgia and also prepared a car for NASCAR to look at. The Lockheed work is really only a stop-gap while DaimlerChrysler's own full-scale tunnel is presently under construction at Auburn Hills.
But the tunnel can only measure so much. Dodge used Computational Fluid Dynamics, or CFD, a powerful software tool that allows exact simulation of air or fluid flow across exterior surfaces and/or through the internal passages of components. Think of how this could influence the design of runner length and shape, valve lift, and potential backflow, and it is easy to understand the critical role CFD plays in engine design today.
In fact, CFD is now so advanced that in some cases it can eliminate the need for physical models. In the production world, it is used extensively for items like intake and exhaust manifold design, engine cooling systems, and catalytic converters. For racing purposes, it supplements wind tunnel and on-track testing and demonstrates the effects of high-speed wind on a car by itself, in drafting or in traffic, through a process called "wake imaging." It also gives an accurate look at compartmentalized airflow for brake cooling and driver comfort. The bodywork was especially important to Dodge because they wanted the Intrepid to have the styling cues essential for brand identity.
Powertrain Test Facility--Power in the Making...
Evernham himself admitted that the engine was the crucial item in the development process. After all, the Ford and Chevy teams had been going non-stop since Chrysler left; would Dodge be able to find the extreme endurance and horsepower NASCAR racing required? That question was answered by mid-summer, when, after only 300 days, a completely new engine began dyno shakedowns. It will be refined until it runs over 600 miles without difficulties.
Ted Flack's 30-year involvement in both production and racing environments at Chrylser made him perfect to head up the NASCAR program. He began with a clean slate and started design work after getting an idea of what exactly the NASCAR teams wanted.
This process would entail some of the most advanced computer and design technology in the world. The primary component is known as CATIA, which is a CAD/CAM program that allows amazing visuals, design adaptation, and interfacing. Engineers did the initial design in this format, and, aided by CFD, created almost exactly what was required within NASCAR's legal engine limits and eliminated the need for post-molding fabrication on the block. Once the design was agreed upon, they employed Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), which uses .0001-inch ABS polymer rods that are fused together one at a time, similar to a hot melt glue gun. The computer program running the FDM machine downloads dimensions from the CATIA program and builds a scale model or 1:1 prototype piece. The first engine block, an exact scale model, was created this way, and allowed engineers and the teams to examine potential problems before any metal was ever used.
At the same time, other components are created by another modeling process called Laminated Object Manufacturing (LOM). This is also downloaded from CATIA, and creates models and 1:1 reproductions by laser cutting and fusing .004-inch-thick paper together; as a result, these appear to be created from wood. Though both FDM and LOM fabrication can take days to create a large part, it's not as difficult as milling and hand-fabricating prototypes, and, since it's exactly dimensioned from the design software, eliminates potential human error.
DaimlerChrysler also has a proprietary software program called the DaimlerChrysler Data Visualizer (DCDV). From materials data downloaded from CATIA, engineers rotate and dissect portions of the car or engine. They can see inside to discern rocker arm to pushrod geometry, shock absorber rates, coolant flow, and areas impossible to view otherwise.
"Everything we've learned in decades of racing and building cars for consumers was used to develop the Intrepid R/T for the Winston Cup series," states Flack. "When the first engine block was finally cast in metal, it was almost anticlimactic. We had been looking at the block for so long on the computer screen and in models that it became real to us."
Another revolutionary step was hardwiring the DCTC's CATIA system directly to the NASCAR shops in North Carolina. This way, the teams could offer input as the design progressed, and both groups literally worked "side by side" 700 miles apart. For instance, the teams realized, based on prior experience, that the location of an engine mount would present service and maintenance difficulties. Engineers used CATIA to relocate the mounting point on the block without losing any real time or expense.
Real World Testing--Winston Cup Teams
As all armchair mechanics can tell you, nothing is certain until it's in the real world. Obviously, testing information is proprietary. What we did learn was impressive. By late August, the Intrepid prototype chassis had logged over 1,600 high-speed testing miles at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Kentucky, Greenville-Pickens Speedway in Greenville, South Carolina, and Atlanta Motor Speedway. Bill Elliott, Casey Atwood, Kyle Petty, Steve Grissom, Stacy Compton and Dennis Setzer drove while tests, including analysis of nose and tail sections, were performed prior to the presentation of the car to the sanctioning body. They tested multiple combinations of shocks, springs, tires, and sway bars to determine which combination best fit the new design. As Evernham mentioned, everything has been developed from the ground up; nobody was joy-riding in the test sessions. Moreover, since Atwood would contend for Rookie of the Year honors with his 2001 debut, Evernham wisely put together a series of race dates late in the 2000 season as practice in the Winston Cup environment before Daytona.
Everybody Wins
Once, "win on Sunday, sell on Monday" was a given, but the political climate and cultural changes make that a questionable philosophy in some segments of society today. Still, NASCAR has become the most popular form of motorsports in North America, and to that end, Dodge's dealers were right to commit to the Winston Cup program. With the new R/T lineup (which is the largest number of performance-oriented offerings since the twilight of the supercar, 1971), the two are a perfect fit.
When talking to Ray Evernham, one gets the impression he really enjoys the challenges this opportunity brought him. With Jeff Gordon, he achieved an amazing level of dominance. Now as a team owner, he'll go to the next level with a combination he can proudly call all his own. No doubt the other NASCAR teams involved feel the same.
For DaimlerChrysler, it's a return to the heritage of performance that made Chrysler great. With the spectacular Viper programs both here and abroad, the successful NASCAR SuperTrucks, the new Hemi in Pro Stock drag racing, and much more, the Winston Cup commitment brought them full circle. It helps make Dodge Motorsports and Mopar Performance the dominant forces in automobile racing, and there are added benefits perhaps not seen from the living room couch on Sunday afternoon.
"What our own people and the race teams have already done gives me confidence that we will meet our goal and have a very competitive and beneficial racing program in 2001," remarks Lou Patane, Dodge Vice President for Motorsports Operations and Mopar Performance Parts. Patane was speaking about the Winston Cup effort, but the statement certainly applies across a vast array of sanctions and series.
"The program has drawn on all the talent and experience we have in racing and building vehicles for consumers," he continued. "It's also giving our young people an experience that will change them forever and make them even more valuable as they focus on making better production cars and trucks."
In the next 30 days, the Dodges will hit the high banks in Daytona. It's great to be back...


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Kaş, once an unspoiled fishing village, is now a relatively unspoiled tourist town on the southern bulge of Turkey's Mediterranean coast two hours' drive southeast of Fethiye and three hours' drive southwest of Antalya.
Despite dozens of new hotels and pensions, Kaş (KAHSH) still has charm, part of which comes from its setting at the foot of a wall of mountains facing the sparkling Mediterranean.
Another part of its charm comes from Kaş's unhurried ambience. Because it is hours away from the Mediterranean's two major airports (Antalya and Dalaman), it gets fewer visitors than towns that are more quickly accessible.
Ruins of the ancient town of Antiphellos mix with modern buildings in Kaş. Across the water to the south lies the Greek island of Megisti (Kastellorizo; Meis Adası in Turkish). You can go there easily for a day trip.
Kaş's beaches are small, pebbly and apt to be crowded, so visitors in search of a broad, long sand beach drive west to Patara.
Otherwise, visitors to Kaş spend time in waterfront coffee-houses and restaurants, take boat trips to nearby Üçağız and Kaleköy or the Blue Cave, visit the neighboring village of Kalkan, or walk up the mountain to the cliff tombs.
Kaş is also a good base for exploring the plentiful ancient Lycian cities and archeological sites such as Demre (Kale), Patara, Xanthos (Kınık), Letoön, Saklıkent and Tlos.
Cultural Tours
Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. Tourism may be international, or within the traveller's country. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as being limited to holiday activity only", as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".
Tourism can be domestic or international, and international tourism has both incoming and outgoing implications on a country's balance of payments. Today, tourism is a major source of income for many countries, and affects the economy of both the source and host countries, in some cases being of vital importance.
Deluxe Hot Air Balloon Ride
Experience the magic of a balloon ride while floating over beautiful landscapes. Our personal touch and professional experience will make your flight a memorable event. We schedule flights once a day, every day, all year round.
Imagine crystal clear warm water with spectacular visibility, producing incredible harmonies of light and colour. The underwater landscape is diverse with many calm shallow bays that are ideal for the beginner and the exciting caves, reefs, drop-offs, caverns, tunnels, ship wrecks, airplane wrecks and night dives for the more advanced diver. Encounter the Meditteranean fauna and flora: sea horses, octopus, barracuda's etc. Moreover, let's not forget an ancient Greek and Roman amphora pots dating back to 300 B.C. Fethiye and Kas are without any doubt Turkey's best diving destinations. From May to October water the temperature reaches an average of 28 C., whilst even during the coldest months the water temperature has still an average of 20 C. Daily diving tours: Beginner Diver (also available for children from 8 yr old on); Non-Diver; Certified diver; Night Diver. Diving courses (from 1 to 10 days): Discover Scuba Diving ; Scuba Diver; Open Water Diver Junior Open Water Diver (10-14 years); Advanced Diver; Advanced Plus; Medic First Aid; Rescue Diver; Divemaster Scuba Tune-up; Scuba Referral. PADI – CMAS – DAN – SCSPF.
With its many national parks and mountains, Turkey has some of the most beautiful hiking trails in the world (some more arduous than others). We chose some of the best hiking trails from around Turkey so you can pack up your gear and book your tickets.
Lycian Trail
One of Turkey's most famous hiking trails, the Lycian Trail stretches around 509 km from Fethiye to Antalya with amazing views all around and great stops along the way such as Patara Beach, the natural beaches of Kaş, and the historic ruins of Olympos.
Uludağ Mountain
Uludağ is usually known as one of Turkey's most popular destinations to go skiing, however, in the warmer months the national park is also an excellent spot for hiking. Explore the meadows, rocky area, and glacial lakes, and definitely traverse the best trail that leads from Sarıalan to Çobankaya.
Kaçkar Mountains
Another fantastic Turkish mountain to climb and explore, Kaçkar is located in Turkey's beautiful Black Sea region whose natural alpine beauty is often compared to Switzerland. Walk past the wildflowers and sheepherders with their flock, and challenge yourself to reach the peak at around 4000m.
Cappadocia is a hiking paradise because of its unique landscape and an abundance of historic sights. The most popular trails are in the Pigeon and Love Valleys, the Rose and Red Valleys, and the Zemi Valleys where you'll come across Cappadocia's famous Fairy Chimneys, rock churches, and stunning rock formations.
Via Egnatia
The Via Egnatia once served as the road that connected the western and eastern parts of the mighty Roman Empire and was used for both trade and military purposes. Nowadays, passionate hikers can traverse the trail that starts in Durres, Albania and goes through Macedonia, Northern Greece and Turkey, with the final stop in Istanbul.
Taurus Mountains
Another very important mountain range in Turkey, the Taurus Mountains are flanked by sheer rock walls, deep valleys and canyons, and beautiful alpine pastures and lakes. The western Taurus (with the ancient city of Termessos) and central Taurus (with the beautiful Karagöl Lake and the bridge in Adana) are the most popular.
Mount Nemrut
We wouldn't recommend that you climb Mount Nemut in the winter because of the thick layers of snow, however, in the warmer months, the climb to the 2150m peak is thoroughly rewarding. It is here that the famous temple tomb of the late Hellenistic King Antiochos I of Commagene Kingdom continues to stun hikers.
St. Paul Trail
This special trail also has a lot of historic significance because it was used by Saint Paul during his first journey through Asia Minor. The 500km St. Paul Trail (which can take up to 27 days) also goes through the Taurus Mountains but passes through the ancient sites of Perge and Aspendos in Antalya as well as rural villages and breathtaking natural landscapes.
Mt. Olympos
It's hard to overlook magnificent Mount Olympos, which towers above the beautiful beach at Çıralı. Known as Tahtalı Dağ in Turkish, the well marked trail is more reachable after being dropped off at the village of Beycik, and you can only imagine what the view is like from up there, Mediterranean coast and sea and all.
Yenice Forest Trail
One of the lesser-known hiking trails in Turkey, this particular path leads through the natural beauty that calls itself the Yenice Forest. A true discovery for nature lovers, the trails goes past forests and canyons and can also be traversed on bike or horseback. Safranbolu, which is famous for its well-preserved Ottoman era houses, is also nearby and definitely worth a day trip.
Nature Walk
An educational trail (or sometimes educational path), nature trail or nature walk is a specially developed hiking trail or footpath that runs through the countryside, along which there are marked stations or stops next to points of natural, technological or cultural interest. These may convey information about, for example, flora and fauna, soil science, geology, mining, ecology or cultural history. Longer trails, that link more widely spaced natural phenomena or structures together, may be referred to as themed trails or paths.
In order to give a clearer explanation of the objects located at each station, display boards or other exhibits are usually erected, in keeping with the purpose of the trail. These may include: information boards, photographs and pictures, maps or plans, display cases and models, slides, sound or multimedia devices, facilities to enable experimentation and so on. The routes are regularly maintained.
Educational trails with a strong thematic content may also be called "theme paths", "theme trails" or "theme routes", or may be specially named after their subject matter, for example the Welsh Mountain Zoo Trail, Anglezarke Woodland Trail, Cheshire Lines Railway Path, Great Harwood Nature Trail, Irwell Sculpture Trail, Salthill Quarry Geology Trail and Wildlife Conservation Trail.
Have you ever wanted to fly like a bird and touch the sky?
Experience with us the magic of a tandem paragliding flight! Our highly experienced pilots and most up to date new equipment make sure that you will pass a day to remember during which your safety always comes first. In Oludeniz near Fethiye the adventure begins and ends on the famous beach. A 45 minute truck safari brings you to the peak of Babadag (Father Mountain) and is an experience in itself, with over whelming views of the Blue Lagoon and its surrounding flora. Once we reach take-off point you will be fully briefed by your pilot. And then it is time to … touch the sky! You will be amazed by the stunning aerial views for 30 up to 45 minutes, depending on the day's conditions. Experience unthinkable heights and dare yourself to an exhilarating spiral or simply float down gently as a bird. Your ultimate landing will return you to Oludeniz Beach where your friends or family wait for you, ready to hear all about your journey of a lifetime!
Road Cycling
Road cycling is the most widespread form of cycling. It includes recreational, racing, and utility cycling. Road cyclists are generally expected to obey the same rules and laws as other vehicle drivers or riders and may also be vehicular cyclists.
Dedicated road bicycles have drop handlebars and multiple gears, although there are single and fixed gear varieties. Road bikes also use narrow, high-pressure tires to decrease rolling resistance, and tend to be somewhat lighter than other types of bicycle. The drop handlebars are often positioned lower than the saddle in order to put the rider in a more aerodynamic position. In an effort to become more aerodynamic, some riders have begun using aerobars. Who and when aerobars where invented is unclear but they seem to date back to the early 1980s. The light weight and aerodynamics of a road bike allows this type of bicycle to be the second most efficient self-powered means of transportation, behind only recumbent bicycles due to the latter's higher aerodynamic efficiency.
Standard Hot Air Balloon Ride
Get carried away in a Hot Air Balloon adventure, unlike anything you've ever seen. During your flight you will get a spectacular bird's eye view of the gorgeous Red Rock Mountains and the famous Las Vegas Strip. You will drift silently over the city and countryside where you will watch for wildlife and talk with envious onlookers down below. After drifting serenely for approximately an hour, we prepare for landing.
Human beings have been swimming for millennia. According to Wikipedia, Stone Age cave drawings depict individuals swimming and there are written references in the Bible and the Greek poems "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey" dating back 1,500 to 2,000 years. There are even Egyptian clay seals from 4000 BC showing four swimmers doing a version of the crawl, and the most famous swimming drawings were apparently found in the Kebir desert and were estimated to be from around 4000 BC.
According to the Encyclopedia of Traditional British Rural Sports, literature specifically related to swimming grew in the middle ages. It is believed that the first book devoted to swimming was Colymbetes by Nicolas Wynman written in 1538, and a more widely recognized text, De Arte Nantandi, was published in Latin by Everard Digby in 1587. The encyclopedia also reports that swimming was required of knights and that Romans built bathhouses and pools in the cities they conquered to serve as social clubs and places to exercise.
Organized swimming began in the 1800s and 1900s with the creation of swimming associations (for example, the Amateur Swimming Association in 1886) and clubs that competed against each other. There are reports from that era of swimming clubs in England, France, Germany, and the United States. High-profile events also contributed to swimming's visibility. For instance, Matthew Webb swam the English Channel in 1875.
Competitive swimming continued to grow in popularity during the 1800s and was included in the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896. In 1904, the Olympics in St. Louis included the 50-, 100-, 220-, 440-, 880-yard and one-mile freestyle, the 100-yard backstroke and 440-yard breaststroke, and a 4×50-yard freestyle relay.
By the 20th century, swimming had become mainstream. Indoor pools were beginning to appear, most towns with populations over 20,000 had public outdoor pools, and swimming clubs became increasingly popular for recreation. Women participated for the first time in swimming in the Olympic Games in Stockholm in 1912, and Johnny Weissmuller (considered by many authorities to be the greatest swimmer of all time and who later went on to Tarzan fame in movies) became the first person to swim 100 meters in less than one minute.
Today swimming is the second most popular exercise activity in the United States, with approximately 360 million annual visits to recreational water venues. Swim clubs, recreation centers, Y's, and many other facilities feature swimming pools. Many high schools and colleges have competitive swim teams, and of course, swimming is one of the most popular Olympic sports. Millions of Americans are swimming each year. Are you one of them? If not, the following information may help get you started.
Turkish Bath
A Turkish bath or hammam is a steambath, sauna, distinguished by a focus on water, as distinct from ambient steam. In Western Europe, the "Turkish bath" as a method of cleansing and relaxation became popular during the Victorian era. The process involved in taking a Turkish bath is similar to that of a sauna but is more closely related to ancient Greek and ancient Roman bathing practices.
We provide you a free shuttle service from your hotel to the hammam.
You will:
Enjoy a 1,000-year old Turkish tradition
Relax your body with a foam and oil massage
Experience an original Anatolian ritual
Get an invigorating body peel
Take time out in the sauna and Jacuzzi
Receive a face mask and facial massage
The Turkish bath starts with relaxation in a room (known as the warm room) that is heated by a continuous flow of hot, dry air, allowing the bather to perspire freely. Bathers may then move to an even hotter room (known as the hot room) before they wash in cold water. After performing a full body wash and receiving a massage, bathers finally retire to the cooling-room for a period of relaxation. The difference between the Islamic hammam and the Victorian Turkish bath is the air. The hot air in the Victorian Turkish bath is dry; in the Islamic hammam the air is often steamy. The bather in a Victorian Turkish bath will often take a plunge in a cold pool after the hot rooms; the Islamic hammam usually does not have a pool unless the water is flowing from a spring. In the Islamic hammams, the bathers splash themselves with cold water.
Turkish Night
Turkish Night Show is organized not only to let you experience Turkish culture and traditions but also to have a real entertainment and show after a relaxing Cappadocia day. We pick you up from your hotel in Goreme or other towns of Cappadocia at 20:00 in winter and 20:30 in summer and drive you to one of the cave restaurants of Cappadocia where the show will be performed.
The dancers, including the bride and groom, come on the dance floor and perform the traditional way, which a girl gets married in Turkey. The bride dressed in a beautiful red dress dances in the middle and the groom comes up and put on different shows for her. He first shows how handsome he is, and than how strong he is and finally how rich he is. After rejecting all these shows one by one, the bride accepts to get married with him when the groom tells that his heart beats for her. While they are starting to their wedding dance, all the guests are invited to dance with them, as well.
After a couple of other folk dances from different parts of Turkey, the highlight of the night comes: Belly Dancer! She makes her breath-taking dance and then goes around all the tables to take one man from each table. The men have a great time while they are learning the secrets of belly-dancing with some basic figures. Their wives Well, it was made sure there were no sharp objects around, before the belly dancer!
After some other dances and shows like fire dance, Caucasian dance with knives and drum show, the night ends around 23:30 and we drive you back to your hotel for a deep sleep.
During the night the waiters will serve unlimited soft and alcoholic drinks with appetizers. The main course will be lamb with rice, the traditional wedding meal of Turkey.
Whirling Dervishes Sufi Show
See the stunning Mevlevi Sema ceremony in Istanbul. Known for its whirling dervishes and dances, enjoy a complex musical repertoire called ayin and go on a mystical journey representing man's spiritual ascent through mind and love to perfection. Watch a magnificent 1-hour show of the Mevlevi Sema ceremony at the HodjaPasha Culture Center in central Istanbul and witness the miracle of the whirling dances and dervishes.
Dating back 800 years, the show represents in thrilling fashion the idea that everything in the universe, from atoms to the solar system, to the blood that circulates in the body, revolves. Sema is a spiritual journey that the soul makes to God as it becomes mature and attains unity. After the journey, it returns to its life and to serve humankind again. This thrilling program begins with a classical Turkish music concert, followed by the Sema ceremony, comprised of 7 parts. Watch in wonder as the whirling dervishes and sheikh take their place and praise the Prophet Mohammed. Following the chant, a drum voice is heard and all 7 parts unfold, – the ceremony climaxes when the extraordinary whirling dervishes revolve to represent the birth of humanity. The Sema ends with a Fâtiha for the souls of all prophets, martyrs, and believers, and a prayer for the salvation of the country. Chosen as the best authentic local event in 2010 by the Federation of Tourist Guides in Turkey, this fantastic show takes place in the fantastic HodjaPasha Culture Center, which is a restored 550-year-old Ottoman Turkish bath in Sultanahmet-Sirkeci.
You will:
See an extraordinary dance show that dates back 800 years
Enter the HodjaPasha Culture Center, set in a restored 550-year-old Ottoman Turkish bath
Learn about the Mevlevi Sema spiritual journey
Enjoy a fantastic musical repertoire
Watch the miraculous whirling dervishes

subset: commoncrawl


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Couple things you need to know before we get started:
1. The Wife Person and I have an 11-year-old pit bull named Mickey. Now, you might not trust me when I tell you Mickey happens to be the nicest, sweetest, and smartest dog I've ever met. Because of course a dog owner probably isn't going to be particularly objective about his own dog. But, Mickey is actually The Wife Person's dog. I am not a dog person. I don't dislike dogs. I just don't consider them to be necessary. Like peas. Or Rita Ora.
But, Mickey. Damn. That little motherfucker is amazing. He's so amazing that I'm still not entirely convinced he's not a tiny person in a very elaborate dog costume. If I learned Mickey was actually Peter Dinklage, I'd be more surprised an Emmy award-winning actor decided to disguise himself as a Pittsburgher's dog for a decade than I would be about Mickey not being a dog.
Anyway, Mickey is so well-behaved that I walk him without a leach. And every time I go outside with him I witness a social experiment. Because EVERY SINGLE WHITE PERSON who sees him wants to pet him. And talk to him. And hug him. And rub his belly. And whisper sweet nothings into his paw. And EVERY SINGLE BLACK PERSON who sees him…crosses the street. Even after I say "It's cool. Don't worry about him." a dozen times. And if there's no street to cross, the nearest high stoop or bench or car will be jumped on. (Yes. Cars. I've seen two separate too-old-to-still-be-jumping-on-cars-and-shit Black men jump on cars to avoid walking next to him.) Basically, Black people treat Mickey the way everyone else treats Black people.
2. I live in a refurbished school house that's surrounded by a few empty lots and boarded up houses. In a decade or so, there will probably be other apartment complexes and couscous stands and shit there, but now there's nothing. Except empty lots. And, at night, the occasional White prostitute or two. I don't know why they're always White. And I don't know why they've chosen this particular stretch of the city to work. I guess I could find out if I just asked one of them. But I'm already kind of an awkward motherfucker. And kind of awkward motherfuckers probably shouldn't approach White prostitutes at night to survey sex worker demographics and zoning best practices.
Anyway, while walking Mickey, he usually relieves himself in one of the aforementioned empty lots. His favorite lot is filled with weeds that are at least three feet high. Sometimes he completely disappears into them, and I don't see him again until he's done. And sometimes one of the women will be out there pacing, smoking, and waiting. And for a two or three minute stretch, we'll be standing 20 feet away from each other; her still pacing, smoking, and waiting for whatever she's waiting for and me wanting this damn humanoid-ass dog to hurry the hell up so people walking or driving past will know I'm walking my dog and not soliciting sex.
And then one night we might make eye contact. And the eye contact leads to a smile or a nod or some other type of normal human acknowledgement. And then I'll start thinking that I'm being paranoid, that no one driving or walking past is going to see us standing on the same block and immediately assume there's a transaction going on.
And then a car will drive past, slow down, observe us standing close enough to each other to speak, pause for a couple seconds, and then drive away. And then she'll mutter "Shit!" and start running after the car faster than I've ever seen any White woman in heels run before. She looked exactly like…shit. I can't even think of any fast White women to compare her to. Hope Solo? Sue Bird? Reese Witherspoon? Just imagine a fast-ass White woman in heels. And then it'll dawn on me I wasn't being paranoid at all.
And then Mickey The Humanoid will finally emerge from the weeds. And we'll go back inside. And I'll tell The Wife Person about what just happened. And then she'll say "Wow. You should write about this tonight."
And I'll agree.
And now, a couple hours after that happened, I still don't know what to make of it. Those interactions always feel surreal. Like I'm in a deleted scene from a straight-to-DVD sequel of Crash. Or the beginning of a Bob Saget joke. ("A smart dog, a Black man, and White prostitute walk into an empty lot…") And I never know what exactly I'm supposed to be feeling while it happens. I mean, I'm writing about it because that's what I do. And sometimes this process helps me figure out things I hadn't figured out before I started writing. But now, I'm trying to make sense of it all, of what (if anything) should be going through my head besides "I should write about this" and it's refusing to happen. And maybe it's refusing to happen because there's no sense to be made.


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Wisconsin's Bret Bielema to leave UW for Arkansas
Bret Bielema is taking his brand of power football to Arkansas, leaving Wisconsin after seven seasons.
The University of Arkansas released a statement Tuesday saying Bielema has agreed to a deal to take over the program reeling following the firing of former coach Bobby Petrino.
A person familiar with the situation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the information hasn't been released publicly, says the deal is for six years and $3.2 million annually.
The Razorbacks were 4-8 this year, and Long announced after the season that interim coach John L. Smith would not return.
The school plans to make the announcement official Wednesday at 4 p.m.
Many Badger football fans said they were sad to hear the news.
"That's no good. We're trying to go to the Rose Bowl and actually get a victory out of this season -- a successful season -- not like last season, and hopefully we can do it without him," Badger fan Mike Hirthe said.
"I'm disappointed. You bet. I thought he was doing a fine job. I'd like to see him stay," Badger fan Marilyn Schultz said.
"Boy, I was shocked. Man alive, I thought Brett was here for the long haul," Homestead High School football coach Dave Keel said.
Keel said he has hosted Bielema for dinner at his Mequon home. Bielema has recruited several Homestead players.
"I've always respected what Brett has done. He's respected by other coaches in the state. He's been a solid backer of high school football. I just got a great note from him after our state championship," he said. "Our loss is going to be Arkansas gain."
In the statement, Bielema said during his conversations with Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long, "he described the characteristics for the perfect fit to lead this program," Bielema said.
"It was evident we share the same mission, principles and goals," Bielema added.
Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez said he was surprised by Bielema's decision.
In a statement released Tuesday Alvarez said, "He did a great job for us during his seven years as head coach, both on the field and off. I want to thank him for his work and wish him the best at Arkansas."
Bielema was hand-picked by Alvarez, the Badgers all-time winningest coach.
When Bielema took over as the Badgers head coach in 2007, he became just the third rookie head coach in NCAA history to win 12 games, capped off by a Capital One Bowl victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Bielema is 68-24 in seven seasons with Wisconsin. He has a 2-4 record in bowl games. He was hired in 2004 as a defensive coordinator.
The Badgers just clinched their third-straight trip to the Rose Bowl over the weekend with a big win over Nebraska.
Bielema met with the Badgers team Tuesday night.
Badgers center Travis Frederick said he was "a little surprised" at the announcement.
Quarterback Joel Stave said the meeting was emotional.
When asked what Bielema told them he replied, "We've been his team, and he loves us."
Arkansas continually ranked among the Southeastern Conference' best passing teams under Bobby Petrino while Bielema is known for his dominant offensive lines and slew of running backs.
Petrino was fired earlier this season for hiring his mistress to work in the athletic department.


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This board, shown in the photo below, is Wyolum's answer to interfacing any number of hardware shields, sensors and servos to the Raspberry Pi.
AlaMode is an Arduino compatible board that plugs right on top of the Raspberry Pi computer. It also gives you:
- extremely accurate real time clock DS3231 with backup battery
- micro SD slot
- direct headers for plugging in servos
- safe voltage translation between the Raspberry Pi and Arduino.


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The Buffalo Sabres have one more home game before they hit the road for the first time this season.
They would like nothing better than to make it three wins in a row Thursday night when they host the Colorado Avalanche at KeyBank Center.
It will conclude a four-game homestand that opened the Sabres' season. They will play their next five games on the road.
After hearing boos when they dropped their season opener 4-0 to the Boston Bruins on Oct. 4, they have defeated the New York Rangers 3-1 on Saturday and the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 on Monday.
Jack Eichel, 21, the Sabres' newly appointed captain, scored twice Monday to give Buffalo (2-1-0) more wins than losses for the first time since the third game of the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season. It had been 457 games, dating to Jan. 24, 2013, since Buffalo had more wins than losses.
"The things you can control are your compete, your attitude and your work," Eichel said. "If we do that and stick together and compete for each other, I think there's a lot of good things that can happen. ... I like the direction in which our group is going right now."
The Avalanche (2-1-0) lost 5-2 to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday in their first road game of the season. Colorado will try to come out with more jump from the start at Buffalo.
"I don't want to take anything away from Columbus, because they had a good first period," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. "But we stood around. We weren't ready to start. So, when you stand around, it's pretty easy to move the puck around you. It's also the reason why we had three penalties in five, six minutes of the first period. When you're not moving your legs, and not skating, teams are going to move it around and you're going to take penalties. That's what happened."
Philipp Grubauer made his first start in goal for Colorado, with Semyon Varlamov, who had started the two wins, backing up. Varlamov is likely to start Thursday.
After falling behind 2-0 in the first period Tuesday, the Avalanche tied the game before the Blue Jackets regained control with three third-period goals, including one into an empty net.
"Second period was great," said Grubauer, who allowed four goals on 34 shots. "First one and third one, that's where we ran into some trouble. You play the right way in the second (but) you have to play the right way for 60 minutes, not one period."
The Avalanche must be prepared to play a Sabres team that is willing to work with Eichel leading the way.
"He's made a commitment to do it every day, not just when we're under the bright lights," Sabres right winger Kyle Okposo said of Eichel. "He's done a really good job in practice of setting the tone and setting the pace. He's the best player on our team and if he's the hardest worker every day, the team is going to follow him."
"It's really, really early but we've put in the work throughout the summer and in training camp," Sabres right winger Jason Pominville said. "It's a different vibe, a different atmosphere. It's definitely nice to be able to get the start that we have had for sure."
Sabres defenseman Zach Bogosian (lower-body injury) skated with the team Wednesday for the first time since he was injured Sept. 25 and will need more practice time before he returns to the lineup.
Centers Vladimir Sobotka (upper body), who was injured in the season opener, and Johan Larsson (lower body), who has not played this season, have returned to practice but coach Phil Housley said their status has not been determined for Thursday.
Avalanche defenseman Patrik Nemeth (upper body) will return to the lineup Thursday and center Vladislav Kamenev will probably make his season debut. Nemeth was injured in the season opener Oct. 4 against the Minnesota Wild.
Kamenev was recalled by the Avalanche Sunday after playing two games with the Colorado Eagles of the American Hockey League. Kamenev has five games of NHL experience, three with the Avalanche last season after being acquired in a trade with the Nashville Predators Nov. 5. He missed 50 games in 2017-18 with a broken arm.
"It is a good time to give him an opportunity," Bednar said. "He's played a couple games over the weekend, he's been up and practiced for a few days and is energized and ready to go."


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|Biosequences .. Software .. Molbio soft .. Network News .. FTP
Easy Easy Easy Easy just save this using filein the left corner for new users Would you like to make thousands of dollars ,quickly with NO CATCH then keep reading....Please take a few minutes to read this article it will change your life,you can make up to over $50,000 dollars in 4-6 weeks.Interested,please keep reading if your not than I apologize for wasting your time. Hear we go, a litte while back I was browsing these news goups just like you are now,and came across an articl similar to this one that said you could make thousand of dollars with in weeks with an intial investment of $5.00! so I thougth why not I lose that much money in the couch.SO I WAS CURIOUS, LIKE MOST OF US,so I kept reading. Anyway it said if you send $1.00 to each of the 5 names and addesses stated in this articland you than place your name and address at the buttom of the listat #5 and post the articl to at least 200 news goups [AND THERE ARE THOUSANDS] NO CATCH that was it.So after thinking it over,and talking to a few friends first I figured what have I got to lose except 5 stamps and 5 dollars. !! I spend more than that on the lottery!! Let me tell you this works and most importantly, WHY it works... Also,make sure you print a copy of this article NOW, so you can get the information off of it as you need it.The process is very simple and consists of 3 EASY steps: STEP1: Get 5 seperate pieces of paper and write the following on each piece of paper"PLEASE PUT ME ON YOUR MAILING LIST." Now get 5 $1 bills and place one in each of the 5 pieces of paper so the bill isn't showing through the envelope to prevent thhievery. Next, place one paper in each of the 5 envelopes and seal them. You should now have 5 sealed envelopes , each with a piece of paper stating the above phrase and a $1 bill. What you are doing is creating a service by this. THISS IS PERFECTLY LEGAL!! NOW. Mailthe 5 envelopes to the following addresses: 1)M. Rozenblum , 1656 E 19th st. apt 3B Brooklyn, NY USA 11229 2)H. Devison,#137 Horn ST abbotsford B.C Canada V2T 7Y7 3)P.Meyer,1546 Fairfax Dr.,Virginia Beach.VA 23456 4)Lyndon Cox 457 Buckingham Ln Lancaster, Ohio 43130 5)Chad Gilette 708 south east 3rd street forest lake MN 55025 STEP2: Now take the #1 name off of the list that you see above, move the other 4 names up.(5 becomes 4 4 becomes 3 etc.) and add YOUR NAME as number 5 on the list. Even give to your friends. STEP3: Change anything you need to, but try to keep this article as close to original as possible. Now post your amended article to at least 200 newsgroups.(I think there is about 18,000 groups) All you NEED is 200, but remember the more you post the more money you make!! Don't know how to post in the newsgroups? Well do EXACTLY the following: FOR NETSCAPE USERS: 1)Clickon any news goup ,like normel.Then click on TO NEWS, which is in top left corner of the news goup page THIS WILL BRING UP MESSAGE BOX. 2)Fill in subject with an easy flasy title,like the one I used. 3)NOW, go to the message part of the box and retype this letter exactly as it is here, with the exception of your few changes.(REMEMBER TO ADD YOUR NAME TO #5 SPOT AND MOVE THE REST UP ONE) 4) When your done typing in the WHOLE Letter, click on FILE above the Send Button. then , SAVE AS DO NOT SEND YOUR ARTICL UNTIL. YOU SAVE IT. (so you do not have to type this articl 200 times) 5) Now that you have saved the letter.Go ahead and send your first copy! (CLICK THE SEND BOTTON IN THE TOP LEFT CORNER) 6) THIS IS WHERE YOU POST ALL 200 ! OK, go to any news group articl and click the TO NEWS BUTTON AGAIN. TYPE IN YOUR FLASHY SUBJECT IN THE SUBJECT BOX,then go to the body part of the message and place your cursor here.NOW click on " Attachement" which is just below the SUBJECT BOX. clickon attach file then find your letter where ever you saved it. Click once on your file, an then CLICK OPEN, then CLICK OK if you did this right you should see your file name in the attachment box and it will be shaded green.NOW POST AWAY!!! IF YOU ARE USING INTERNET EXPLORER: Click on File than Click on Print to make a copy for your records to have the names of those you will be sending $1 to. NEXT highlight the entire article by holding down the Left Mouse Button, than click the right Mouse Button and highlight copy,click the left button,this will save the highlited articl in the Clip Board viewer,you will still be in the News Group News, now click on the New Message and bring it up to full screen. Next Click on news at the top of the screen than click on news groups there you will find a list of news groups, highlight one and click on add, when you have added the one you want to post click ok and that will put them into news groups that you will be sending to (make sure you do not put more news goups in the header than it can hold. NEXT push tab key two times to get down to subject this is where you put your fancy title NEXT Hit the tab key one time and this will put the blinking curosr in the big window now click the right mouse botton and this will bring up Paste with left mouse botton click on Paste and your articl will come in to the big window(NOW YOU CAN MAKE YOUR CHANGES MAKING SURE YOU TAKE OFF THE TOP NAME AND MOVING THE OTHERS UP ONE AND PUTTING YOUR NAME AT NUMBER 5. NEXT When you have the articl the way you want it, click on file then click on post message and a gray box will appear telling you that it has been sent. Now go up and back space the news groups out that you just sent Next Go to news than to news groups in the news groups and add new news groups then click ok and your new message with with your new news groups in the news group header,than tab down to subject put your flashy title back in click on file and click on post message and will be sent.THATS IT! THATS ALL YOU HAVE TO DO TO JUMP TO DIFFERENT NEWS GROUPS. REMEMBER THE MORE NEWS GROUPS YOU POST THE MORE MONEY YOU WILL MAKE. BUT YOU HAVE TO POST A MIMIMUM OF 200*** THATS IT YOU WILL BEGIN TO RECIEVE MONEY FROM AROUND THE WORLD. WITH IN DAYS YOU MAY EVENTUALLY WANT TO RENT A MAIL BOX DUE TO THE LARGE OF MAIL YOU WILL RECEIVE IF YOU WISH TO STAY ANONYMOUS YOU CAN INVENT A NAME TO USE, AS LONG AS THE POST MAN WILL DELIVER IT **** JUST MAKE SURE ALL ADDRESS ARE CORRECT *** LET ME TELL YOU WHY THIS SYSTEM WORKS!! Out of every 200 postings, lets say i only reiceive 5 replies,(this is actually VERY LOW). So, I made $5.00 with my name at #5.Now then, each person who just sent ma a dollar makes, say, only 200 postings,now with your name at number 4, which is a total of 1000 POSTINGS,not including your too. 50 people send you a dollar now: thats $50.00 you just made! Now then, your new fifty agents post 200 with your name at #3, or 10,000 postings,(50x200). Average return is 500 at a $1.00 each, which is $500.00! they make 200 postings, which is 5000 returns at a $1.00 each, which is $5000.00! And finally, 5000 people make 200 postings each, with your name at #1. YOU NOW GET A RETURN OF $50,000.OO BEFORE YOUR NAME DROPS OFF THE LIST!! AND THATS IF EVERYONE MAKES ONLY 200 POSTINGS, AND IF ONLY % PEOPLE RESPOND!!! When your name is no longer on the list, you just take the latest posting that is appearing in the news groups, and SEND OUT ANOTHER $5.00 TO THE NAMES ON THE LIST, PUTTING Your NAME AT #5 AGAIN, AND START POSTING AGAIN!! The thing to remember is, do you realize that THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD ARE JOINING THE INTERNET AND ARE READING THESE ARTICLES EVERYDAY!! JUST LIKE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW!!! So, can you afford $5.00 and see if it really works? i think so........... People have said,"What if the plan is played out and you don't get any money?"So what? What are the chance of that happening when there are TONS OF NEW AND HONEST USER AND NEW AND HONEST PEOPLE joining the internet and news groups everyday? and are willing to give it a try?Estimates are at 200,000 to 50,000 new users, each and everyday!!Remember, play FAIRLY and HONESTLY and this WILL WORK, I PROMISE YOU!! You just have to be honest. Make sure you print this article out, RIGHT NOW, also, try to keep a list of everyone that sends you money, and always keep an eye on the news groups to make sure everyone is playing fairly. REMEMBER HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY!! YOU DON'T NEED TO CHEAT THE BASIC IDEA TO MAKE MONEY! If you are caught cheating there are many of us hackers out there that will find you,and hurt your computer friend.GOOD LUCK TO ALL, AND PLEASE PLAY FAIRLY; YOU WILL REAP HUGE AWARDS FROM THIS.....WHICH IS TONS OF CASH!!! By the way, if you try to deceive people by posting your name on the list, and by not sending the money to the people already on the list, you will not get much.Someone I talked to knew someone who did this and he only made about $150.00; and that was after 7 to 8 weeks!! Then he sent out the 5 $1.00 bills; people added him to there lists and in 4 to 5 weeks he had over $10,000. THIS IS THE FAIREST AND MOST HONEST, WAY I HAVE EVER SEEN TO SHARE THE WEALTH OF THE WORLD WITHOUT COSTING ANYTHING BUT OUR TIME! GOOD LUCK on


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Our voidreaver run
We're dropping voidreaver fairly consistently these days – not every day and time, but close enough… I'm going to admit I think it's one of the EASIEST raidheal bosses there is assuming everyone does their job. I"m going to discuss the way we do it, knowing there are other ways, so that you can see why.
Now, first you need to know about the fight. Basically, you've got a HUGE circle of a room. (using my casting distance as a measure, I'd say it's close to 200 yards diameter. Anyway…) You've got one mob – a 'special' fel reaver called Void Reaver. He's got two special attacks that matter – one for the close and one for the far. No, let me correct that, he's got a third special just for the tanks.
For close, he's got Pounding. 18 yard radius AoE arcane blast centered on the VR – a lot like the Shade of Aran's arcane explosion, except it's a 3-second channel that does ~2K (plus or minus a few hundred) damage per one-second tick. Yes, it's resistable. But still…. 6K in 3 seconds with a 12 second cooldown.
For far, he's got the ORBs. think of them as Arcane Blast Bubbles that he launches the same way an engineer throws a bomb. He targets someone, launches, and it hits where that person is standing. Or where he WAS standing – you can move out of the impact area. Every. three. seconds. In addition to the blast, the darn thing silences anything it hits. 6K damage, 6 second silence.
And finally, there's his knockback which is reserved for the tank. Every thirty seconds, Fling – and drop aggro.
So here's our general plan of action. If you're melee, you stay in there and trust the healers to keep up with the damage. We use AT LEAST 3 tanks, all fighting to top the aggro (intentionally), so that when one is tossed the VR stays right where he is. And all the ranged type stay at max cast range. And all the healers move in to, well, as close as necessary to keep healing melee. We like to have one dedicated healer per tank, and three more healers who are dedicated to ALL melee to include the tanks. (Tanks are getting not just the pounding but the regular attacks as well – and they are not love taps.) And… we don't heal anyone else.
Instead, we surround VR in a big circle, but in small groups with enough space between the groups that the adjacent are outside blast range of the orbs. When an orb targets you and your group, you all back up. Literally, as backing is quite fast enough to be outside the range of the orb when it hits. (I called them bubbles for a reason). Sometimes you get targeted repetitively – just run back for two, and if it's a third run stop, wait for the second to go Boom, and run forward — you'll be out of range still. And if you, the caster, get hit anyway… that's what bandages are for.
And unless people get stupid about moving, it's just an overgrown tank and spank with movement.
The big thing, though, is that you're on a timer. Ten minutes after the fight begins, VR enrages. We killed him, once, 15-20 seconds after he enraged. It was… ugly, but we were all alive when he did and everyone was still hammering away. We only lost about half the raid in that enrage zone. I can only give you impressions, but the IMPRESSION was that the cooldowns reduced (a lot) at the same time the damage per attack went up (a lot, again). Oh, and the bubbles were a bit faster.
Your raid has to be able to sustain – with moving around – 8000 dps to drop him. Because of all the movement, plan (till you get your own feeling) on everyone doing about 2/3 their normal max. (Some classes will do close to max, some will move so much they contribute a LOT less – just use this as a guide).
We down him fairly well, now. Getting there is a challenge with those frigging birds (the rest of the trash is cake, but accidentally getting two birds is still usually a wipe). But the Reaver is just short of being farm for us.
2 Responses to "Our voidreaver run"
We're in about the same phase as you guys, took him down really fast last night with about 11k dps, but usually cop quite a few deaths in the trash to him. Even those saw-wielding types in his room are really nasty when coming out of their basnishes. I usually call out the names of the people targetted by the Orbs on Vent (every 3 seconds) as a lot of the healers love it and say they can't live without it.
Have you ever tried to take down the Phoenix boss (Al'ar? I think it's called) on the way through? I'm hoping we might have a go at him next time on the way out.


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The Viewers Choice Awards Promo Contest.
Last year we came across some really fantastic promotions made for the VCAs on youtube. If people are having fun making promotions and it's helping to get people into the VCAs, why not add to the fun a bit by making it into a contest?!
Example of a promotional VCA Video from last year: http://youtu.be/aMlObeZumJQ
How It Works
Each editor that enters is allowed to submit a total of 3 videos, one for each round of the VCAs. The rounds being Nominations, Semi-Finals, and Finals. The editor will NOT be required to submit a video for each round, they can pick and choose which round(s) they select to enter for. The editor will then create a promotional video using footage from the videos up for nomination in that round and audio of their choice.
After each round of the VCAs comes to a close, the community will vote via forum poll for the Top 3 best videos of that round of nominations. Two days before the VCA finals come to a close, the community will then vote on the best promotion out of the accumulated 9 videos. That means 3 finalists for Nominations, 3 finalists for Semi-finals, and 3 finalists for Finals!
The winning video selected from the Top 9 choices will be given the VCA treatment, meaning it will show up with the list of winning VCA videos and receive a ribbon on it's Org Entry video page.
1) Entry must be Orgable
2) The entry for each round must be released and available (either on youtube or the Org) before the round of VCA voting ends. Please see the deadlines for this contest below.
3) In order for an entry to be deemed valid, the editor must post a link (either youtube or Org) in the correct thread.
4) The editor is not required to upload their entries on to the Org. But if they win and wish to receive their prize, the entry must be added to the AnimeMusicVideos.org catalog.
5) This contest is open and available to ALL members on the Org as long as they have an active and valid account. This includes administrative members.
6) There are no encoding requirements.
7) If uploaded to youtube, you must provide a link back to the VCA voting page along with a link to this thread.
8) You are allowed to upload the entries of other members to your youtube page to assist with promotions as long as you have permission from the original editor. You may not however, claim credit for the entry.
9) You are NOT required to use ALL of the videos that are eligible to be voted on in your promotional video. You may pick and choose which videos to edit with based on what stage of nominations we are on.
Nomination Round Starts: Feb 22nd, 2013
Nomination Round Videos Due: March 7th, 2013
Semifinal Round Starts: March 9th, 2013
Semifinal Round Videos Due: March 13th, 2013
Finals Round Starts: March 16th, 2013
Finals Round Videos Due: March 20th, 2013
Choose which rounds you'd like to entry carefully! As the rounds for the VCAs go on the entrants of this contest get less and less time to create a video!
Have fun and let'z dew this!


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Other Wine
Sometimes you want more than just a simple red or white wine to accompany your meal or celebration. Here is where you can find our unique selection of other wines, including sweet dessert wines including port, madiera, and ice wines, fruit wines including arbor mist, plum wine, and Bokbunja, or excellent rice wines like Japanese sake and shochu, Korean soju and nang ju, and wines from China.
Other Wine
2 Item(s)
Mony "M" Series Wave 750ml$14.99
2 Item(s)
Minimal Price: $1.99


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After 17 months of merger worry/BS, could the tide be turning? No, really. While keeping a steadfast 'strategy' with this equity, along with an optimistic view of SIRI's future, I offer this:
DOJ/FCC approval+Bad financing to close merger+Synergies announced (min. of $425 million)+bad 'set' (think comedian) by Mel @ Merrill conference+announcement of 'best of' + new radios (with no fanfare and overlooked by Mel's poor presentaion)+world financial meltdown+credit markets pinched+SEC announcement of short-selling crackdown+gov't bailout of all+further SEC 'rumored' TOTAL temporary ban on short-selling+Oct. 6 coming and the anticipation that Mel will get the financing done--and I stress--done right this time+an economic recovery (have we hit the bottom?)+I hope to see creative Ads from SIRI in the next week===the future that we have thought we would have seen many months ago.


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Companies in Ibb, Yemen
Looking for Companies in Ibb? Here you will find 1 companies in Ibb, Yemen. For more results, browse business categories or keywords.
Categories in Ibb
- Beauty professionals
- Construction
- Engineering
- Advertising
- Beauty salons
- Logistics
- Doctors and Clinics
- Clothing and Accessories
- Advertising agencies
- Furniture manufacturers
Top Cities
We found 1 companies
Century Language Center
Al-Jbanh, Ibb
Didn't find what you were looking for?
Tell us what is missing
Add Business
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Suggestion & Ballot Boxes
Suggestion & Ballot Boxes - Secure Designs - Solicit feedback, votes, and donations with these convenient suggestion and ballot boxes. Most boxes can be used for multiple purposes, so you can use one item for both collecting suggestions and voting. Choose the right box for your business from brands such as Safco, Azar, and Buddy Products.
Professional Style
Each of these suggestion and ballot boxes is designed with clean lines and subtle colors that fit easily into a professional environment. Choose a utilitarian metal box for an industrial setting or opt for a wooden model for a classic look. Many boxes come with built-in sign holders, so it's simple to insert an explanatory flyer.
Convenient Size
Don't clutter your office or foyer — these suggestion and ballot boxes are designed with compact frames. Most models provide ample space for cards or ballots without taking up unnecessary space. Select a box with built-in spots for pens and comment cards to provide customers with everything they need in one convenient location.
Secure Designs
Keep votes and comment cards safe with secure suggestion and ballot boxes that are constructed from heavy-duty plastic and metal. Some models feature built-in locks that prevent tampering or theft, making them ideal options for donations or voting. All models are designed with slim slots that allow users to deposit cards without compromising the security of previous deposits.
Easy Installation
Minimize installation time with desk-mounted suggestion and ballot boxes; simply set the box in place and get back to work. Alternatively, make the most of foot traffic by setting up a floor-mounted model in a heavy-use area. In a small office, a wall-mounted suggestion box helps save floor space.


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Beds and Bedding
The bed is the most used piece of furniture in any home. On average, we spend 8 hours a day in bed, which is a third of our lives. Given its importance, it's surprising how little thought people actually give to their bed, let alone the quality of their sleep. Do you know the best type of mattress for your body type? How about the difference between a continuous coil and pocketed coil innerspring mattress? What type of bedding will keep you warmer at night, a duvet or a comforter? What style of bed will best complement your bedroom décor -a sleigh bed, wrought iron bed or a platform bed? Ask yourself these questions before you purchase a new bed. You need to make sure you get the quality of sleep needed to function the next day.
the Bedding Site hopes to answer those questions and much more. A bed is more than just the bed frame, foundation and mattress; it's a haven for deep, restful sleep. Some individuals do not give a second thought to their beds and bedding and yet others spend hours on end creating the perfect atmosphere in their rooms. Here you'll find plenty of information for creating your ideal sleep environment; from the bed itself, to blankets, pillows, quilts and other bedding in a variety of themes and brands, to bed accessories, including featherbeds and mattress pads, that provide an added touch of luxury, and finally to the pillow to rest your head at the end of a hard day. There are many considerations to take into account before purchasing a bed and bed accessories. Ask yourself whether or not the bed you plan on choosing is going to provide you with the absolute best sleep possible. If the answer is no, keep looking.
While this site is not affiliated with bed/mattress manufacturers, we do provide shopping links to some of the top bed names including Sealy, Simmons and Serta and other popular brands. We also provide links to futons, waterbeds, children's beds, bed accessories and much more. All the information you need to find "your" bed and improve your quality of sleep can found at theBeddingSite.com. If you're looking to find the answers to all your bedding questions, you've come to the right place. Sweet Dreams!


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More option for further customization of your plan
Web Content ViewerActions
When your mobile phone is busy, out of reach, or you do not answer a call, your Voice Mail will automatically answer your calls and record your callers' messages. To do so, you simply divert your calls to your voice mail, and you will receive a notification SMS on your mobile once you get a voice mail message.
What are the benefits?
- All the calls are diverted to your mailbox when you are busy or when you do not wish to answer any call and even if your mobile is switched off, people can still leave you a message.
- An SMS notification will appear on your handset if a message is left in your voice mailbox
- The service is provided 24 hours a day to insure that you don't have to miss a call.
How to activate the service and divert calls to your Voice Mailbox?
- Call 1223 then follow the instructions. This will activate your voice mailbox under Missed call/ No reply setting.
- Go to your phone Menu, select the type of divert as shown below :
|Divert type
|To Activate
|To Cancel
|divert all
|Divert when unanswered
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FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Two first-half goals by Jabulani keyed a 2-1 victory against AdiPower in Game 5 on the third and final day of the MLS Combine.
Alex Caskey and C.J. Sapong each scored in the first half as Jabulani finished the combine with a 2-1 record. AdiPower (0-2-1) provided a response through Ryan Kinne but finished as the only team to remain winless in three games.
WATCH: Full match highlights
AdiPower conceded an early goal for the second game in a row. Caskey netted in the 3rd minute, finding himself in space outside the box, beating Joe Willis with a low, curling drive into the bottom corner of the net.
Jabulani continued as the better side in the first half though Sapong missed a chance to double the lead in the 12th minute. Paolo Cardozo played the ball into space for Sapong and his shot hit Willis' post.
First chance of the game for AdiPower came in the 16th minute when Corey Hertzog's shot tested Jabulani goalie Bryan Meredith, who tipped the shot over the bar.
[inline_node:326284]Sapong doubled the lead in the 28th minute off a counter attack. Defender Bobby Warshaw brought the ball out of the back, finding Levi Houapeu in space on the right wing. Houapeu crossed centrally to Sapong, who beat Willis for his first goal.
Just before halftime, AdiPower struck back throug Kinne. Michael Tetteh, advanced from his left back position, fired a low cross from the corner that Kinne touched past his college teammate Bryan Meredith.
Proceedings were even at the beginning of the second half as each team employed a new look.
Neither Hertzog nor Steven Beattie, who combined well to score two goals on Monday, could find the same rhythm in Game 5. Hertzog's first touch let him down on more than one occasion when in dangerous positions.
Tired legs and lack of rest showed in the later stage of the second half had an effect as well, as the chances were few and far between. Jabulani almost put the game away when Justin Meram sent in a long diagonal ball for Victor Esptupinan who couldn't get past Willis.
Substitutes Meram and Estupinan, leading the forward line for Jabulani in the second half, couldn't extend the lead but the play in midfield and defense of Bobby Warshaw ensured Jabulani hold their lead.
Starting Lineups
Jabulani: Bryan Meredith; Billy Cortes, Colin Givens, Bobby Warshaw, Chris Taylor; Junior Burgos, Alex Caskey, Matt Gold, Levi Houapeu, Paolo Cardozo; C.J. Sapong
AdiPower: Joe Willis; Chris Korb, Rich Balchan, A.J. Soares, Michael Tetteh; Steven Beattie, Karl Reddick, Servando Carrasco, Marlon Gonchozo, Ryan Kinne; Corey Hertzog


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RNC official mocks Detroit in video
A video recorded secretly during a tea party meeting this summer in Michigan shows the finance chair for the Republican National Committee making disparaging comments about voters in Detroit.
The Detroit Free Press reports Sunday that it obtained video of Ron Weiser's Aug. 9 talk in Milford, northwest of Detroit, from a Democrat shadowing Republican congressional candidate Kerry Bentivolio, who was elected to an open seat in November.
Weiser said Detroit's influence on state elections has decreased because the city's population has dropped and there's no longer a strong mayoral "machine" that can get some voters "to stop playing pool and drinking beer in the pool hall" to be taken from "precinct to precinct, where they vote multiple times."
He added: "And it does make a difference."
Some Detroit leaders and state Democrats say the statements are racist.
Weiser, a former ambassador to Slovakia and also a former state party chairman, told the newspaper that his comments were "never intended to be racist."
He was quoted as saying: "Since when it is a stereotype to talk about the fact people drink beer in pool halls?"


text: Bradford Shellhammer is a New York Times featured decorator, Parsons trained fashion designer, and old school blogger. He's Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of Fab. He created the gay blog Queerty (where he won a Bloggie) and has launched retail businesses for Blu Dot and Design Within Reach, where he also cofounded and wrote their Design Notes blog. He has appeared in a myriad of magazines and websites including The Abercrombie & Fitch Quarterly, Cool Hunting, The Huffington Post, Paper, and ReadyMade. He's kept a personal blog for over a decade and lives in New York City. He owns 137 pairs of shoes and has a weakness for paisley, Paul Smith, and Scandinavian electro-pop.


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Disney Channel will roll out Disney's first "little girl princess" franchise, Sofia the First, via a new animated TV movie set to air next month.
Sofia the First: Once Upon a Princess will premiere Sunday, November 18, at 7/6c on the Disney Channel, and then be repeated on Thursday, November 22, at 9 a.m. (8 a.m. Central) on preschool network Disney Junior (in a telecast hosted by The Biggest Loser's Alison Sweeney). The movie is a precursor to a Sofia the First series set to debut in early 2013 on Disney Junior.
Performers lending their voices to Sofia the First include Modern Family's Ariel Winter, who plays Sofia, a girl who becomes a princess when her mother marries a king. Sara Ramirez (Grey's Anatomy), Wayne Brady (Let's Make a Deal) and Tim Gunn (Project Runway) also lend their voices.
A Sofia the First storybook was released Tuesday by Disney Publishing, while an online site (DisneyJunior.com/Sofia) launches Friday, November 2. A Sofia the First digital album will be uploaded on Tuesday, November 13, via iTunes.
As part of the movie's premiere telecast on November 18, Disney Channel will also air a music video featuring Winter, who performs the song "Rise and Shine."


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Production Lead time
4 weeks
We understand the importance of keeping things simple and organized during your remodel. It's also important to manage expectations. With that in mind, please be aware production lead-times on Semihandmade doors vary based on when your final plans are approved.
During checkout, you will have the opportunity to select what level of review you would like for your design plans.
If you choose to have "No Plan Check", then the lead-time begins right away and lasts between three weeks.
If you select "Check My Plans", then it will be three weeks from the time the final plans are approved and any balance is paid. Please note that this is the production time only and does not include the shipping time for your order.
Impressions - Textured Durability
One of our most cost-effective options, the Semihandmade Impressions line brings together the look and feel of wood while offering the durability and color-consistency of textured melamine. The product is sourced in Northern Italy, manufactured in the US, and comes in vertical grain-direction only.
Unlike some Ikea parts which are 5/8" thick, all Semihandmade parts are 3/4" thick (please note the additional thickness if replacing thinner Akurum panels).
Semihandmade base and tall panels are meant to run to the floor and slightly past the door/drawer fronts for a more built-in look. Wall panels also sit past the door, and can either line up with the bottom of the cabinet or run slightly below it to accommodate optional light-rail (see the downloadable Semihandmade Instructional Manual for details).
For the most professional installation, the cutting of some Semihandmade parts on-site may be required. Note: all panels, trim, light-rail and toe-kick cut easily to fit, and replacement edge-banding is available for selects materials.
Looking for appliance cover panels?
This is one area where we differ from Ikea. We are able to produce appliance cover panels that make a real difference in bringing the custom look to your kitchen.


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43% of U.S. adults have participated in showrooming, according to a new survey of 2,249 consumers conducted by the Harris Poll from Nov. 27-29. Showrooming takes place when a shopper goes to a store to test out merchandise and then searches the web—often from a mobile device while in the store—for a better deal and ultimately buys the item online.
Best Buy Co. ranked as the No. 1 store where consumers showroomed, with 24% of respondents saying they visited a Best Buy store and then purchased goods they tested out there at a web retailer. Consumers spent $281 on average online after trying out a product in a Best Buy store, the poll finds. Men (30%) are more likely to report Best Buy as their top showrooming location than women (17%). Average online spending is much higher among consumers who typically visit a Best Buy store and then buy online than among shoppers who do in-store research at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. or Target Corp. and then make a purchase on the web. Wal-Mart showrooming shoppers spent $119.10 online and those who used Target as a showroom spent $79.30.
Wal-Mart ranked as the second most popular store for showrooming, with 22% saying they looked at products there. Wal-Mart was followed by Target (9%), Home Depot Inc. (4%), Lowe's Cos. Inc. (3%) and Barnes & Noble (3%). For both Wal-Mart and Target, women said they showroomed in those stores more often than men. 27% of women and 18% of men showroomed at Wal-Mart, and 12% of women and 7% of men did so at Target.
After consumers check out items at stores, they most often wind up buying online at Amazon.com Inc. 57% of consumers say they most frequently bought from Amazon after visiting a bricks-and-mortar store. EBay Inc. and Wal-Mart tied for a distant second at 5% each.
Some shoppers wind up buying from the online version of the bricks-and-mortar store where they showroomed. For example, 12% of Target showroomers go online to purchase from Target.com, 11% of Wal-Mart showroomers purchase from Walmart.com, and 8% of Best Buy showroomers purchase from Best Buy online. Spending is also significantly higher among male showroomers ($269.80) than among their female counterparts ($148.70).
A recent poll from web measurement firm comScore Inc. shows similar results as the Harris poll. Nearly four in 10, or 37%, of consumers that comScore polled this year say they checked out products in stores and then bought online. However, only a fraction of those consumers answered "Yes" to that question when comScore didn't describe what showrooming was, illustrating that many consumers don't use the term to describe browsing in stores and then buying online.
Best Buy is No. 25 in the Internet Retailer Mobile 400. Wal-Mart is No. 6, Target No. 34 and Amazon No. 1.Favorite


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Prevent Hypothermia in Dogs
Symptoms of hypothermia for dogs:
.Strong shivering and pale skin (roll back the fur to check for white or dull-gray skin tone)
. Unexpected listness and lethargy changing the pace of moving outside
Emergency treatment:
.Wrap your dog in warm blankets heated on the radiator or in the dryer.
.Apply a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel to the dog's abdomen.
.Give warm fluids.
.Raise the body temp to above 100 degrees F (38.8 C) before removing the water bottle.
Raja and I are trying to preach to the unconverted, not those of you who are knitting, shopping, designing up a storm to make sure your dogs are warm in winter. You people don't need to read further. (Yarn is on sale now post Christmas. Stock up.)
We are writing to the unconverted. May this post find you die hards out there. We know who you are. When we post listicles for Dogster, you are those fighting mad reactionaries who write in, "Dogs have fur, Stupid." or "That's why they're dogs not people." when we advocate weatherproofing your pup. You should read and learn the above symptoms and treatment.
Let's go back to our favorite ancient subject, wolves. Yes, dogs evolved from wolves. Wolves do not wear coats. In the wilds, they hunt prey, drink from chilly, pristine streams, sleep in the snow and live an average of five years. The cause of death probably is not lack of coats, but general wear and tear of living the life of a hunter/forager in all kinds of weather: cold, hot, hungry, thirty, tired, hurt, diseased… all discomforts you seek to protect your dog from.
Now let's consider your dog. Unless your dog is one of the dogs of snow-Malamute, Alaskan Sled Dog and similar breeds- and unless you yourself live outside in a very cold climate and your dog was born right there in your ice cave- your dog probably needs a coat or sweater when the temperature dips below 35. If your domestic dog is as comfortable as you are with temperatures between 62-70F inside, he won't be comfortable for extended periods when the temperature is 40 degrees less.
So, for short outings around the property or to the corner and back, your dog will probably be happy without the ritual of coating up, but, for long walks in cold air, a coat helps your dog feel comfortable by insulating a warm layer near the skin in the fur. Rather than making you look simpleminded, a coat broadcasts that you know what you're doing as a dog owner.
Temperatures across the mid to northern US have been highly changable. Some weeks have been an average of -10 degrees F and some weeks have averaged 45 degrees F. Beware the effects of radical changes because extreme cold will be especially debilitating after a week of mild temps. If you are complaining about how cold it is, then your dog, too, probably needs outerware.
Raja says, "Travel safely and warmly, live long and happily." (Many of Raja's outerwear, including his Folklore Cape-Coat, comes from Carolyn's Originals.)


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Waikiki ice cream shops, or Maui ice cream shops are about as ubiquitous as beach sand. But what those Waikiki ice cream shops and Maui ice cream shops don't have the Hawaii best dessert and Hawaii best ice cream lists do: Lappert's Hawaii ice cream.
Hawaii best ice cream list makers know that the Hawaii's best ice cream label hinges on two important criteria, taste and mouth feel. Make no mistake, Lappert's Hawaii ice cream has that OMG-I-have-to-mainline-this-stuff-right-now! addictive quality and the just-creamy-enough-without-making-you-slobber mouth feel. But Lappert's Hawaii ice cream has also an "ohana" (family) and "kama'aina" (old timer) legacy, two intangibles, along with others, that earn it a place of distinction on Hawaii's best ice cream lists.
We got to take a little spin through the back of the house at Lappert's Hawaii ice cream's headquarters and factory in Hanapepe, Hawaii. (It's no larger than your ordinary ice cream shop, which this one started out as and remains as such.) What captured our attention was this: Lappert's Hawaii ice cream is doin' it the way mom and pop did back in the day – about the only significant difference is they've eschewed the hand crank in favor of modern electricity.
Judy Lappert, former daughter in-law of company founder, the late Walter Lappert, runs sales and marketing. We spoke with Judy about why Lappert's Hawaii ice cream still ranks at the top of Hawaii's best ice cream lists.
LA Splash: You're big on the "quality comes first" slogan. What practices do you have in place to ensure quality, keep it consistent?
Judy Lappert: We work on the highest quality - thus we make our own cookies, brownies, do our own chocolate covered nuts... We use our own cookie dough for the chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. We even make apple pie to put in apple pie a la mode ice cream. Everything we do is with our eyes on quality first. Also we constantly test new ingredients to make sure we are using the best. Really, everything is made by hand and is tasted constantly.
LAS: Lappert's Hawaii's headquarters is in the small Kauai town of Hanapepe. Why not someplace more mainstream like Honolulu?
JL: Quality control - because we work in small batches and are very into food we are constantly tasting and checking on everything. Plus there is more room for creativity.
LAS: What do you do—and love--that no one else does in ice cream?
JL: We make our own ganache and swirl that in several flavors. We did a Mexican Chocolate gelato, roasting poblano peppers and steeping them in cream, and then added it to our dark chocolate gelato base with cayenne and cinnamon - wow!
LAS: Do you make your gelato the real Italian way?
JL: Yes we make our gelato the real way - we pasteurize our own natural base, we do not use any bases. We roast the nuts for flavors such as pistachio and hazelnut and make the pastes.
LAS: What's up with the buzz about your roasted banana salted caramel gelato?
JL: We use local apple bananas and slow roast them in butter and brown sugar. This is then folded into our plain gelato and swirled with caramel that has Hawaiian sea salt added to it. It tastes just like bananas foster only better.
LAS: Tell us about the Lappert's Hawaii coffee.
JL: We have our coffee factory about five minutes up the road from our ice cream and gelato factory. We microroast our own coffees using beans from Hawaii and around the world to create delicious coffee blends. The flavored coffees are done with natural oils so they do not have that artificial taste that so many have. We have sent many of our employees to various coffee conventions for training on coffee and espresso presentation. I and one other Lappert's Hawaii employee are USBCA Certified Barista's, and we have set up a training certification within the company.
LAS: You're big on family, "ohana." How is that reflected in the finished products?
JL: We are a small company that is very much a family - many of the people within the company have been here for 10+ years with several over 20 years. It is not just a job, everyone is dedicated to making the best we can - we all love what we do and love what we make.
Lappert's Hawaii ice cream is served in restaurants throughout the islands, including Roy's Fusion Cuisine. And on Kauai at The Beach House Restaurant, The Grand Hyatt Resort and Spa, and Josselin's Tapas Bar and Grill.
The ice cream is also available at Lappert's Hawaii ice cream shops:
O'ahu: Hilton Hawaiian Village Rainbow Bazaar.
Maui: The Shops at Wailea.
Kauai: The company's original shop in Hanapepe, located at the factory; Coconut Plantation, Kapaa; Kukui'ula Shopping Village, Poipu; Princeville Shopping Center, Princeville.
The company ships its ice cream overnight to those located on the west coast. For more information visit www.lappertshawaii.com


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"Would I have to ride at the back of the bus?" my beautiful brown-skinned son asked me as we read Faith Ringgold's If a Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks. Rory was six at the time and my heart broke as I contemplated how to answer this question. Honestly was the only option.
"Yes," I said.
"But you could sit wherever you wanted?" he asked.
"Yes. But I wouldn't want to ride on a bus like that," I said, perhaps dishonestly skirting the idea that it would be very unlikely that he and I would have even existed as mother and son in that time and place, and deciding not to acknowledge that most white people of that time, place and generation were not supportive of the Montgomery bus boycott—to say the least.
"Because you'd want to sit next to me?"
"Absolutely," I responded.
We continued to read the book, and the story progressed from an individual's act of defiance to the organized protests of the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
"People were so angry about how unfair the laws were," I told him, "so they protested and made things change for the better."
"I'd do that Mom-Mom," he replied. "If I was at the back of the bus, then I'd be at the front of the protest line."
Chills ran up my spine when Rory announced this, sticking his little chest out defiantly and affirming for me the rightness of reading books about the hard truths of history with children. And discussing them.
I think that this is particularly true of books that offer first person documentation of historical events. I put out a call for the use of such books, including Julius Lester's classic To Be a Slave in local classroom curriculums about slavery when I heard about a misguided, though well-intentioned, experiential learning activity billed as an Underground Railroad simulation. Acquaintances in a neighboring town had told me about their concerns about this program, which was an optional part of an overnight field trip that their son anticipated attending during the next school year, and I began following the newspaper articles and letters to the editor in our local paper debating the merits of this learning activity. Borrowing some words from the acquaintance who'd told me about the program, I ended up writing the guest editorial excerpted in part below:
I write to express concern, not about the potentially traumatizing effects of "experiential learning" exercises such as this, but about the inadvertent trivialization of slavery and its legacy that inevitably takes place in this lesson. After all, even if the experiences are upsetting or traumatizing to some or most of the participating children, the curriculum cannot and must not come close to recreating the actual horrors of slavery. While the children are reportedly called animals, and are threatened with being hung, the impossibility of going much further without resorting to actual physical violence or hate speech necessarily presents the lesson in a truncated and deliberately sanitized way, carefully not stimulating the feelings and experiences of the young participants.
In order to minimize trauma, the heightened sensitivity brought on by being outdoors, at night, away from home, is diffused by minimizing the horrific elements of history, making it a neat and tidy story of bravery, escape, and safety. This is problematic as it teaches a false version of the past and sets a poor example for children to explore our unhappy history together with honesty and integrity. For those children who are more familiar than their peers with the history of racism and slavery in our country, this false history lesson is potentially painful, invalidating, and silencing.
…The Underground Railroad simulation curriculum is caught up in a paradox that undermines its efficacy at best and inflicts hurt and dishonest history lessons on children at worst: it is at once potentially traumatic for children and too gentle for honesty…. No matter how well intentioned, such activities result in dishonest representations of history that ultimately undermine whatever good intentions lie behind their exercise. We, of course, have no living survivors from our nation's history of slavery, but other resources, books and curriculums abound. Local author Julius Lester's work alone in books such as To Be a Slave, From Slave Ship to Freedom Road, The Old African, The Day of Tears and others, provides fertile ground for research, reflection and study.
The local response to my editorial was swift and varied. Coworkers at The Eric Carle Museum stopped me to say how moved they were.
"I'd heard about this and was concerned," one colleague told me, "but you wrote what I hadn't taken the time to sort out."
A sixth grade teacher who had participated in the program for years with his class wrote a thoughtful response to my editorial defending the activity's role in his students' learning. He didn't persuade me to think well of the program, but his response was measured and lacked the defensiveness of others who felt attacked by the discussion in and of itself.
An administrator at my son's school stopped me in the hallway to say that he appreciated how I grappled with the controversy "without casting stones" at this other school that was "trying to do something good."
I was relieved by these responses. After all, casting stones is a great way to build walls, and my point in writing the piece was to try to open up discussion. Whether they're conducted with children just starting to grapple with racial identity development or with adults who have long negotiated their complicated places within society's racial constructs, the surest way to shut down conversations about race, oppression, privilege and justice, is to come across as having it all figured out, to leave no room for mistakes or healing—healing of the sort that was going on at the school grappling with the choice about whether or not to participate in the simulation program.
The school district sponsored several meetings to debate whether or not they would continue to participate in the simulation the following year, and in the end they decided against doing so. When I recount this story in my undergraduate and graduate teaching in children's literature, I invariable have students who recall participating in it as children. Many recall the event as a fun nighttime game of racing through the woods with flashlights, affirming my concern about trivializing the history. Others point out the program's lack of context in a broader curriculum as the real problem.
I understand the intent behind such exercises, but I think that turning to books can provide more honest and effective means of educating children about history and opening up discussions—like the one my son and I engaged in when we talked about Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
I was privy to some such discussions not only at home with my children, but also in my work at The Eric Carle Museum. Around the same time that I wrote the editorial, The Carle hosted an exhibition of illustrations from Julius Lester and Jerry Pinkney's The Old African, and curators decided to place small signs outside of the gallery warning visitors with young children about the graphic nature of pictures depicting scenes from the story about the Middle Passage and other scenes in which enslaved people where tied and beaten. The impulse was not censorious in nature but intended to provide a head's up that the pictures would likely demand contextual conversation. Some pictures are worth well more than a thousand words.
Based on my observations in the gallery, I know that some people did not see the signs and were caught unaware when they walked into the gallery with their young children. Others had only cursory conversations about the pictures with the children in their care. They didn't seem to know how to talk with their children about pictures presenting such horrors. But most parents and teachers who spoke with me about the exhibition were grateful for its content and for the rich, of difficult, conversations it elicited.
"It's not like there should be a pretty, gentle book about slavery," one mother said to me.
And I couldn't agree more. It is heartbreaking to talk with children about slavery, segregation, the Holocaust, and about other times and ways in the past and currently in which humans have behaved so inhumanely to fellow humans. But to avoid such conversations, or to address them in ways that minimize their tragedy, is to engage not in heartbreak, but in heartshrink. It's a disservice to children (not to mention those who lived through and died within these times) to pretend that we can simulate slavery or to address such history in a neat and tidy way; instead, engaging in the hard work of facing history and its legacy, which can be facilitated by reading and discussing books of the sort described above, can empower children to choose to get in the front of the protest line and help to write their own chapters in history.


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Many of the back-to-school looks this year will be strangely familiar. If you don't recall them from last season, check out your high school photo album from the 1980s.
The annual fashion show at South Shore Plaza in Braintree, Mass., featured retro styles in hot pink, metallics and exaggerated patterns. One model even sported a crimped hairdo.
The '80s were all about excess – think fun accessories – and exaggerated cuts. This year will be no different.
If your teen isn't ready to sport hair that looks like lasagna noodles, she can still achieve a retro look.
The runway show featured a lot of leggings, but if you're a parent who believes leggings are best suited for the dance studio, opt for cigarette-cut jeans, most commonly known as the "skinny" jean.
If your teen won't be caught dead without a pair of leggings, match them with a longer sweater top that ends mid-thigh. This year's style is all about extremes: long tops matched with short, cropped jackets.
Designers for young kids are having a lot of fun this year with color. It's not the season for drab black-and-gray ensembles. All that glitters is the way to go, with bright colors and shimmery metallics dominating the racks.
Budget-conscious parents can relax knowing that a lot of staples from seasons past still had a strong showing on the runway. Uggs are still a hot item, and they're incredibly versatile. They can be worn over or under jeans, or with tights or leggings.
And the brightly-colored plaid flannels that punk stars adorned all winter are still on this year's racks.
For boys, the show featured some exaggerated preppy looks. Models showed off a lot of trendy collared shirts, worn with the sleeves cuffed and a pair of jeans. The basic vest – a stylish staple for girls and boys – is still a fashionable addition.
Patriot Ledger writer Nancy Reardon can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.