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"Tell me about yourself" is among the most frequently asked questions in an interview, and if you don't know how to tactfully handle it, you definitely will find yourself in hot water during an interview. When asked this question, very few people are able to meet the expectations of the interviewer. This may sound strange, and you might be thinking "Who knows me better than myself?" so what can go wrong with this simple question? On the flip side, this question is considered to be one of the toughest and most stressful questions asked in an interview. Let's see what this question is actually all about.
Why it is Asked
Why would the interviewer be interested in knowing about you? Is it because the interviewer is fascinated by your life and wants to listen to your exciting life story? Or does he/she want to befriend you? It is highly unlikely; we say this because there are other strong reasons behind asking this question in an interview. This question can reveal a lot about you to your interviewer, for instance, what you deem important to share and how confident you are when talking about yourself, or how well you understand the requirements for the position you are applying for, and what is it about you that make you the best fit for this job. Moreover, the way you tackle this casual question will help the interviewer can judge how focused, organized, and creative you are.
This tricky question may unnerve many while a few may take it as a unique opportunity to take control of the interview and establish their credentials as the perfect fit for the job.
How to Answer
If you prepare properly, you can turn this question to your favor by highlighting the points that you most want the interviewer to know about you. A well prepared answer would include who you are, what you have done, and why you are here now.
Who you are
You should start by giving a brief introduction of yourself; this should be a balance of personal and professional traits. Try to be creative and keep it brief: don't get into details that are irrelevant to the job. Instead, share information that is pertinent to the job. Relevancy is critical. It is difficult to strike the right balance between your professional and personal traits, therefore you need to prepare in advance.
What you did
In this portion, highlight your expertise by focusing on your strengths and abilities. Catch the interviewer's interest by talking about your past experience and proven success. This should be designed to convince them that you have what it takes to fulfill this responsibility.
Why you're here
Conclude your introduction with a closing statement about why you want this job.
Tips You Should Know
Here are a few tips on what you should not include in your introduction. By leaving these extra details out, you can deliver the kind of introduction the employer will be glad to hear.
- Don't be conceited or too modest
You have to sell yourself and the interviewer is going to judge you based on what you say, so stay factual/ This means don't over or under state your accomplishments.
- Don't recite lines on your resume
Mention things that the interviewer can't learn about you from your resume. The interviewer already knows what is on that, so he/she is looking for something new that can be used as an extra plus for the job.
- Don't tell your life story
It's a job interview, so there is no need to slip into your life story, because it is going to be of no interest to the interviewer unless it's relevant to the job. Unnecessary personal details indicate a lack of professionalism and result in wastage of time. Remember, it's not about you, it's about them.
- Don't make a 10-minute monologue
As mentioned in the earlier sections, your introduction should be brief and to the point. If you will introduce yourself in the form of a 10-minute monologue, you will lose the interviewer's attention.
Remember, planning is the key to a praiseworthy introduction. Take your time to tailor your script according to your position, and then practice it over and over again until you feel confident about it. Below are a couple of sample answers designed to help you understand the purpose of an introduction better.
One that focuses more on academic achievement when you have less working experiences
"I have completed an Engineering, with a focus in materials and manufacturing from Yale University with a distinction average. During my four years of university, I was active in both curricular and extracurricular activities. For instance, I was an executive member of the American society of materials, and organized four events as an executive member. Being an engineer, research and analysis are among my strong suits and I believe given my technical background, I can be an asset to this company."
One that focuses on working experience
"I offer more than five years of experience as a project manager in the power sector, at Siemens. In the last two years, I have conducted fourteen outages with a team of thirty-five people, which I put together. I can handle stress well and thrive in a challenging environment so right now I am looking for an opportunity at a worthy company like yours, where I can add value by putting my problem solving and management expertise to good use."
The bottom line lies in being well prepared and coming up with a well-structured answer that you can easily give when asked, "Tell me about yourself" in an interview. Carry research about the company and the designation you have an interview for, and prepare a relevant introduction accordingly. Your introduction should focus on things the company puts a lot of value in, and how you can meet their criteria. Rest assured, practice makes a man perfect, so practice your introduction over and over until it becomes a positive and fun exercise for you. Once you have command over it, you will always be looking forward to this question from the interviewer so that you can take control and set the tone for the interview proactively.


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Two new columns to appear
- Published: Jan 12, 2013, 7 PM
Two new columns are joining the Coin World lineup beginning in this issue and the next.
Starting this week, a column titled "Spare Change" will be written by Fred L. Reed III, who has been a coin and paper money collector for more than 50 years.
The column will cover the wide realm of exonumia, which includes Hard Times tokens, early American tokens, Civil War tokens of all kinds, tradesmen's tokens, so-called dollar medals, coal tokens, political tokens, encased coins and postage stamps, modern and historic casino chips, and wooden and plastic tokens, to name a few.
Reed has collected exonumia for a half century, co-edited the Civil War Token Society's book on Patriotic Civil War Tokens, fourth edition, and has served as a contributor on tokens for auction catalogs produced by Stack's, Presidential Coin & Antique Co., and Heritage Auctions.
He is also a contributor to Russ Rulau's many token books, and serves as editor and publisher of the Token and Medal Society bimonthly TAMS Journal.
Reed previously wrote the monthly Coin World column "The Month That Was."
A lifelong journalist, his career includes six years at Coin World in the 1970s (both as a staff writer and as news editor) and 10 years as editorial director and vice president of Beckett Publications.
Currently he owns a specialty publications consulting company, enthusiast-media.com ltd, found at www.fredwritesright.com, and edits and publishes the Society of Paper Money Collectors' magazine, Paper Money.
He is author of many books, including Show Me the Money: The Standard Catalog of Motion Picture, TV, Stage and Advertising Prop Money; and Abraham Lincoln: The Image of His Greatness.
He also co-edited several editions of a book for Coin World on paper money errors.
Reed attended Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, and served three years in the United States Army as an information specialist.
New Deisher column
In the Jan. 28 issue, a new column, titled "From the Memory Bank," by former Coin World Editor Beth Deisher will make its debut.
Deisher states: "Those moments and incidents from my 35 years of reporting and writing in the numismatic realm will be the aim of this column. To borrow a phrase from Paul Harvey, it will be in the genre of 'the rest of the story,' with a definite numismatic bent."
Deisher said her intent with the column "is to bring to light some of the interesting and often humorous 'back stories' that were 'lost' as the result of lack of space (in print publications) or time to write in the face of demanding deadlines."
Deisher was editor of Coin World for 27 of the 31 years she was on the publication's staff. She retired in April 2012.
She was also the founding editor of four numismatic publications: Coin Values, Paper Money Values, WorldWide Coins and Coin World's Guide to U.S. Coins, Prices & Value Trends. She also led the editing of multiple editions of the Coin World Almanac, and wrote and edited all three editions of the Making the Grade book for Coin World.
Deisher is a member of the American Numismatic Association and a fellow of the American Numismatic Society. She was presented the Numismatic Literary Guild's Clemy award in 1995 and received F & W Publications' Burnett Anderson Memorial Award for Excellence in Numismatic Writing in 2006.
In January 2010, she was presented with the Florida United Numismatists' A.J. Vinci Memorial Award for Excellence in Numismatic Education. That same year she received the ANA's highest award, the Farran Zerbe Memorial Award.
Deisher was born and reared in North Carolina and is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
She has led a variety of journalistic trade organizations, including Ohio Professional Writers, which she served as president from 2006 to 2008.
Two existing columns, "Designs of the Times" by Brad Karoleff and "Preserving Collectibles" by Susan L. Maltby, will move to a quarterly publication cycle beginning this year. ¦
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subset: commoncrawl


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Grunkiness is basically what I'm calling how I've been feeling kinda depressed lately. For various reasons that all may just be capitalism, but let me tell you about myself this morning.
I stopped drinking disposable bottles of water a while ago. Bad for the environment, you see. I just use an old reusable water bottle and fill it from the tap. Except it's a little bit leaky when you shake it. Well, I drink Crystal Light, so when I shake it up it kinda leaks, so I usually screw the lid on tight. Anyway I screwed it on too tight and the bottle's dumb straw got dislodged and I couldn't open it and I gave up on it and chucked it in the sink and just went to lie down because I'm sick of the dang thing.
In my annoyance I forgot that I actually do have bigger packets you mix into a pitcher of water, but I usually end up not actually making some because it's such a hassle and annoying and I never feel like I have any time anyway. Except. While I was lying down I told myself that, really, it's not that big a deal to do it. And my brain responded, "yes it iiiiiis."
so anyway is that a sign of depression
That said I made myself get up to make some, told myself that when I'm out I'm going to start immediately making some, and
I feel kind of happy now??
I'll take it!


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Alberto learned the art of pigeon keeping from his father, who has since passed away. For Alberto and many Brooklyn fliers, pigeons are not just a hobby—they're a lifestyle.
For These New Yorkers, Pigeons Aren't a Hobby—They're a Lifestyle
Photographer Charlie Hamilton James takes an inside look at a community of pigeon keepers.
It's no secret that pigeons get a bad rap, especially among New Yorkers. "Rats of the sky" is not a nickname that connotes a great deal of affection.
But on the rooftops of Brooklyn's Bushwick neighborhood, photographer Charlie Hamilton James found a close-knit community of "fliers"—people who keep flocks of pigeons by the thousands.
They weren't easy to find. After their leads dried up, James and assistant photographer George McKenzie, Jr. resorted to approaching people on the street in order to gain access to the complex but cagey subculture. One suspicious stoop-dwelling flier was convinced of their good intentions only after seeing James's National Geographic business card and verified Instagram. [See James's photos of people and their pet monkeys.]
"They threw us the keys down, so we climbed up this rickety ladder through the skylight," James said. "It was like walking into another world."
A Bird's World
At street level, a pigeon flock in flight can go unnoticed. On the rooftops, though, three thousand birds make a lot of noise—and require a lot of upkeep. Fliers work daily to feed, clean, medicate, and exercise their birds, keeping them in top shape to fly them against rival flocks.
"These guys have got incredible eyesight," James said, referring to the pigeons. "You're looking out across the Manhattan skyline, and they'll just see one pigeon flying along and spring into action."
Waving a long pole topped with a banner, fliers spur their flock to take to the sky, swirling and diving over the neighborhood. It's a captivating aerial show—and a good way to lure in individual pigeons who've strayed from other flocks. [See our editors' favorite pictures of birds around the world.]
It's a point of pride to have the largest flock, so fliers tag acquired birds' legs with bands in their own identifying color (or leave the previous owner's band intact, for bragging rights). But this sport doesn't run only on ego: pigeon flying is practiced in various forms around the world, and some individual birds can sell for as much as $5,000 in venues such as affinity Facebook groups. [Go inside Scotland's quirky world of competitive pigeon seduction.]
Still, such amounts are hardly enough to offset the thousand dollars a month it takes just to feed a mid-size flock, let alone the additional cost of housing them. And many Brooklyn fliers are watching their rooftops get bought out from underneath them.
High Fliers
Though Brooklyn's pigeon flying tradition sprang from Italian enclaves, James describes how it has since crossed ethnic boundaries to become important to African American and Hispanic Brooklynites as well. These men—and while there are some female fliers, it is mostly men—learn the ropes from their fathers or grandfathers. [Learn why some pigeons wear elaborate handmade sweaters.]
"What's hilarious is that everyone does it wrong, according to the person next to them," said James. "It's not just between uncle and nephew. If they look across at another loft, it's: 'They don't know how to keep pigeons. None of these guys.'"
But the coops they've maintained for generations are being pushed out by gentrification. McKenzie estimates about 60% of Bushwick's pigeon lofts have been removed in the last decade, the birds sold or given away as buildings are bought up for condominium remodeling. [This is why birds matter, and are worth protecting.]
Some fliers rent their roof space. Alberto (pictured above in a black tank top), bought his building's roof outright to preserve his coops.
"Most of these guys, it's what they do every day: get up, wake up the birds, feed them, fly them," says McKenzie. "For those who are part of that community, it's something they're very proud of."
You can follow Charlie Hamilton James and George McKenzie on Instagram.


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|Registration Date
|12 Nov 2015
Petroleum Oils and LubricantsMotor Oil
Racing and high-performance engines are typically modified to deliver maximum horsepower and speed. Their powerful designs create shearing forces that can cause lesser oils to lose viscosity, leaving bearings, pistons and other components vulnerable to wear and failure. DOMINATOR Synthetic Racing Oil's durable formulation resists viscosity loss due to mechanical shear to maintain a strong protective oil film. It is heavily fortified with zinc and phosphorus anti-wear additives to provide additional protection against scuffing and wear in severe racing conditions The excessive friction and heat of racing robs engines of power and longevity. DOMINATOR is formulated with a proprietary friction modifier for maximum horsepower and cooler engine temperatures, promoting improved lap times and longer-lasting components. Formulated specifically for racing & high-performance engines Robust formulation resists viscosity loss Proprietary friction modifier maximizes horsepower & torque Fortified with anti-wear additives for extra protection
AMSOIL DOMINATOR® Synthetic 15W-50 Racing Oil (RD50) provides superior performance and maximum protection in high-performance and racing applications. DOMINATOR is engineered from advanced synthetic technology to better withstand the elevated rpm, high temperatures and shock-loading common to racing applications. Its robust formulation, tested and validated by championship race teams, is designed to provide maximum horsepower without sacrificing engine protection. DOMINATOR provides straight-grade protection in a multi-grade formulation.
AMSOIL, the leader in automotive synthetic lubrication, produced the world's first API-qualified synthetic motor oil in 1972. Trust the extensive experience of AMSOIL The First in Synthetics® to do the best job protecting your engine.


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If you're wondering whether it makes any difference for patients to share their stories, check out this blog by Dr. David Mayer, where he shares some reflections after reading "Collateral Damage," a book by one of our group members, Dan Walter.
Mayer, the vice president of quality and safety for MedStar Health, writes that he was particularly struck by the way Walter explained the difference between an "accomplice" and a "witness," in terms of health care providers who are aware of patient harm taking place. A witness is someone who sees something wrong and reports it. The same is not true for an accomplice. "(Walter) raises the question that if we as caregivers witness something wrong and don't report it, aren't we really accomplices to the wrong when we turn our back and walk away?"
As he read the book, Mayer, who is an anesthesiologist, said that it made him wonder if he had been an accomplice to wrongdoing.
Mayer's blog clearly shows that sharing patient stories matters, so maybe the best question is what are the best ways for patients to tell their stories? Are some approaches more effective than others? What have you seen that works, and what have you seen that does not work?


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By Chantal Bechervaise
School's out for summer! If you have teens in your household looking to make some extra cash (to pay for school or to upgrade their smartphones) and they have not found a summer job yet, don't fret. A lot of businesses are still looking to hire students in June, as a lot of earlier hires change jobs or make other plans.
What are the benefits of having a summer job?
Summer jobs teach new skills, which can be added to a resume, and look good when applying to a college or university. By having a summer job, you can show to the admission officers that you are committed and have initiative and leadership skills. Even low-skilled, entry level positions help with this. You can demonstrate the initiative that you took in finding the job, you can demonstrate commitment by sticking with the job, and you can demonstrate leadership by showing up early, staying late and by going above and beyond what is required of you.
If you pick up your job fast and are good at it, you can also demonstrate leadership skills by helping to train other new employees that start throughout the summer Having a summer job provides an edge later on in life too, when you start looking for that 'real' job.
Having previous experience shows that you are able to get along with others and have a good work ethic. A summer job can help develop the soft skills that are not always taught in schools, such as communication, problem solving, and good interpersonal skills. Plus having a good reference from a summer job is always a bonus.
Student Job Search Tips:
Take your time filling out the application forms
Most summer jobs will require a student to fill out an application form. Treat the application form like a resume. Print clearly and legibly. Take the time to make sure all the information is accurate. Have someone proof read it before handing it in. (Picking up an extra application or two is a good idea in case you make a mistake.)
Drop off the application in person rather than have mom or dad drop it off. (It shows more initiative and that the applicant is serious about finding work.) Make sure to dress appropriately too. You never know if the hiring manager is going to be on site. (I have seen some managers hold impromptu interviews.) In fact, when you drop off the application form, ask if the hiring manager is available. That way you know they got your application and you can ask about other available positions.
Clean up your online image
A lot of potential employers will 'Google' someone before hiring them. Take a look at your Facebook profile, Twitter profile, and any other social media profiles that you may have. Untag yourself from unflattering photos or ask friends to remove them. And before you post or tweet, think how a potential employer might view that comment.
Student Job Resources:
Offline Resources
- Family. If a member of the family has a business or parents of friends have family businesses, ask if they know of anyone looking to hire a student for the summer.
- Friends. if any of your friends already have a summer job, ask if their employers are looking to hire more students. A recommendation from a friend to a boss can go a long way in landing a summer job.
- Around town. Look at windows of store fronts and restaurants for help wanted signs.
- Local employment centers or student centers.
- Local papers.
Online Resources
- Online job boards / classifieds (i.e. Monster, Workopolis, Craigslist, Eluta, etc.).
- Google "Summer Jobs" in your city or town.
- Twitter accounts and hashtags (i.e. @CampLeaders @getsumcampjobs, #YoungWorkers #SummerJobs).
- Facebook groups and pages.
Industries / Businesses that hire summer students
- Farms
- Summer Camps
- Community Pools and Beaches
- Pharmacies
- Restaurants and Cafes
- Amusement and Theme Parks
- National Parks
- Campgrounds
- Retail Stores
- Museums
- Babysitting
- Pet Sitting
- Hotels and Motels
- Housesitting
Do you have additional tips for securing summer jobs for students? Please share them with us below.
Chantal is located in Ottawa, Ontario. She is passionate about everything related to the World of Work: Leadership, HR, Social Media and Technology. You can read more from Chantal at her TakeItPersonelly blog or follow her on Twitter @CBechervaise.


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Side Angle Pose is a great pose for building strength and the perfect next step after Warrior 2. Use this pose to add variety to your yoga practice with lots of levels for variation.
1. Begin in Mountain Pose. Turn to the side of your mat, extend your arms sideways to shoulder height, palms facing down. Step your feet as wide apart as your wrists.
2. Turn the forward foot outward 90 degrees so your toes point to the top of your mat. Bend your forward knee to a right angle. Make sure to align the knee over the heel. Turn your back foot slightly.. Keep your back leg straight. Mentally press down into the forward foot and the back foot evenly. Open the hips so they are parallel to the forward leg.
3. Lower your forward arms so it rests lightly on the forward thigh. Try not to put too much pressure into the leg. Keep arms and core engaged.
4. Reach the back arm up towards the ceiling.
5. For more of a challenge, move into Extended Side Angle, take the arm up and over the ear.
6. Breathe deeply as you hold the pose for 5 -10 breath cycles.
7. Coming out of the pose, straighten the forward leg and begin to turn to the back of your mat and repeat on opposite side.
Modification: Use Yoga block instead of resting arm on the leg.
Contraindications: Check with medical doctor if you have neck or shoulder injury before trying this pose.


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Scholarships In US Universities | Indian Students
High tuition fees for studying in US Universities often discourage students from exploring this option, but needless to say, US universities, as well as institutions in India, offer scholarships that make higher education in the US an affordable option. Securing such scholarships to study abroad is a subject that most students want to know more about. Prospective applicants for studying abroad, especially in the United States, are looking for answers to numerous questions, some of them being 'Where should I look for securing scholarships?', or 'Are there any organisations in India that offer grants to study abroad?'. Let us look at the frequently asked questions.
- Under what conditions could I avail the scholarships if I want to study in the US?
A. There are two types of Scholarships
1) Granted on basis of merit 2) Granted on basis of requirement of funds.You can opt for any amongst the two as per requirement.
- Can you tell me some more information about the two types?
1) The Scholarship granted on the basis of merit would have criteria of application such as the student should have secured grades above a certain number, exemplary academic/ professional performance, to name a few.
2) The Scholarship granted on the basis of requirement of funds would expect the applicants to submit documents such as tax and wage statements of self/ parents/ guardians.You might be required to submit an Essay of Purpose for your Scholarship Application, or you might be interviewed by the concerned organization, or both.Collegepond guides students in writing impressive Essays of Purpose, that could help them bag scholarships, thereby substantially cutting down tuition fees.
- What organizations in India can I contact if I want to apply for a Scholarship for studying abroad?
There are numerous institutions in India that offer scholarships for studying abroad. The most prominent are the following:
1) J N Tata Endowment for Higher Education
2) Narottam Sekhsaria Scholarship
3) C. Mahindra Education Trust Scholarship
4) Miscellaneous
5) For more details regarding the institutions in India that offer scholarships.
These organisations also offer 'loan scholarships' that grant the scholarship amount to the selected applicants on the basis of zero interest.
- What are the criteria under which I can apply for a scholarship from the US Universities?
A. For a merit-based scholarship from a University in the US, you should be selected as a Research Assistant or a Teaching Assistant in the prospective University. Only then would you be eligible for application.
For more information visit Collegepond.


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SDJ Productions
offers juried publishing and speaking opportunities, while sharing valuable business tools that provide efficient, organized solutions for those they represent.
Hello, I'm Sunny Dawn Johnston. Thank you for stopping by. Since you're here, you may have attended one of my events or workshops, read one of my books or perhaps you've been referred by someone I've had the pleasure of working with, and I'm looking forward to helping you, too.
But first, I'd like to let you know that I work with an incredible team.
It's not all me.
So many think that I am a "one woman show" and that's just not how it works.
I am truly blessed to be working with some of the most heart-centered people in the industry and they work diligently to make all we do here happen.


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For more information on our recent data notice, please click here
At roughly 1.3 billion people, India is the second most populous country in the world, but will likely surpass China as the most populous nation within six years, reaching 1.7 billion by 2050, according to United Nations estimates.
As such, experts say family planning services in India carry extra imperative. Researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine have published a rare analysis on one such program, reporting that the program's comparatively rare combination of increased male engagement and gender-equity counseling with both husband and wife improved contraceptive practices and reduced marital sexual violence among married couples in rural India. The intervention involved rural private providers partnering with the public health system to reach men as well as couples.
The findings are published in the May 11, 2016 online issue of
Roughly 153 million women in the world do not have sufficient access to family planning services. More than one in five of these women live in India, where contraception practices have tended toward female sterilization, particularly among young and rural married women, despite knowledge and access to more modern options, such as oral pills, condoms and intrauterine devices.
Previous studies have indicated Indian family planning programs often don't reach out to young wives until after they reach family size goals, that males predominantly control access to and use of contraceptives and that early, unintended pregnancies contribute to ongoing high rates of infant mortality on the subcontinent.
An international team of scientists conducted a two-armed randomized controlled trial of 1,081 couples living in rural India. Roughly half of the participants participated in CHARM, a family planning program in which both husband and wife receive counseling intervention, both as individuals and as a couple. The other half consisted of similar couples who received no family planning counseling. The study lasted 18 months, with follow-ups at the midway and end points.
The researchers found that women in the CHARM cohort were more likely to have contraceptive communication at the 9-month follow up and use modern contraceptives throughout than their control group peers. Men in the CHARM cohort were less likely than controls to report attitudes accepting of intimate partner violence and they were less likely to be sexually violent or coercive with wives. The study's first author, Anita Raj, PhD, director of the Center on Gender Equity and Health at UC San Diego School of Medicine, said it was the first study to show a significant impact on reducing risk for sexual violence in married couples. There was no significant effect on pregnancy rates in either group.
"These findings demonstrate that including men in gender equity-focused family planning counseling not only can support better contraceptive communication and use in married couples, it can support prevention of marital sexual violence," said Raj. "As the Indian government broadens it basket of contraceptive options and reach, it may benefit from gender equity and male inclusive models of family planning, such as the CHARM program, to better support its family planning goals."
Niranjan Saggurti, PhD, a study co-author and a Senior Program Officer at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, adds, "CHARM is not only a demonstration that men can be effectively engaged in family planning, it also shows that private providers can support the public health family planning system to achieve India's goals to reduce unintended pregnancy at a national scale."
Co-authors include: Donta Balaiaha and Mohan Ghule, National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, Mumbai, India; Jay Silverman, Julie Ritter, and Anindita Dasgupta, UC San Diego; Madhusudana Battala, Population Council, New Delhi, India; Velhal Gajanan, TN Medical College and BYL Nair Ch Hospital, Mumbai, India; and Saritha Nair, National Institute of Medical Statistics, New Delhi, India.
Funding for this research came, in part, from the National Institutes of Health (grant RO1HD61115) and Department of Biotechnology, Government of India (grant #BT/IN/US/01/BD/2010).


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Revelator Coffee Company began serving CBD oil-infused lattes in all four of its Birmingham locations on Monday, and has sold dozens of the drinks in the first two days.
The coffee shop charges $1 to add three drops of CBD oil to a drink. It's featured in the Golden Latte with Relyf CBD oil.
Cannabidiol, or CBD oil, which some people use as a treatment for physical ailments, is made from industrial hemp, which contains a tiny percentage of THC, the intoxicating substance found in marijuana.
CBD oil can also be derived from marijuana and the Alabama Legislature has allowed limited exceptions to the law against marijuana possession for the use of CBD oil.
The 2018 Agriculture and Nutrition Act changed the legal status of hemp from a controlled substance to an agricultural commodity.
Alabama this month approved applications by 180 farmers to grow industrial hemp for purposes including making CBD oil.
All that helped create an atmosphere conducive to CBD oil-infused coffee.
"Right now it's just in the Birmingham market, but it's at all our locations in Birmingham," said Katherine Puckett, general manager of Revelator Birmingham at 1826 Third Ave. North. "They are looking at expanding it."
Revelator has partnered with Relyf, a CBD oil company that's also based in Birmingham, she said. Relyf works with hemp farmers and extraction facilities in the Southeast.
"We just debuted it yesterday, and we already had people coming in before noon," Puckett said.
The time seemed right for CBD oil-infused lattes, she said.
"We've seen enough other CBD positive things happening," she said. "People are realizing the benefits of it and are opening up to try it now."
Revelator also sells the Relyf CBD oil at the counter by the bottle for $49.95.
C.J. Britton, marketing director for Relyf, noted that industrial hemp and marijuana are cousins but entirely different plants. "The two plants also have different types of THC in them," Britton said. "Hemp, what CBD is derived from, has THCV which has no psycho active properties - it can't get you high - whereas marijuana has THCA, which is a psychoactive. It's a common misconception that CBD oil can get you high, but is out right false. True CBD oil, made from a maturely grown hemp plant, has no psychoactive effects or properties."
In addition to the Third Avenue North location, Revelator has an Uptown location called Octane, Sweet Jon's Cafe, 2821 Central Ave. in Homewood, and Revelator Mountain Brook, 2510 Park Lane Court South, near the Grand Bohemian Hotel.
While based in Birmingham, Revelator also has coffee shops in Georgia, Massachusetts, Louisiana, South Carolina and Tennessee.


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(Greg Wolfe's mission inspires a reading of Keats' well-known poem)
This essay is adapted from a paper originally written for Dr. Lorraine Eadie's ENG 330: Restoration and Romantic British Literature.
"Beauty is truth, truth, beauty."
In his lecture "Conservatism and the Arts: A Lover's Quarrel," [Hillsdale College, October 2014] Greg Wolfe argued that in order to conserve what is good, true, and beautiful, the form of art must change so that it remains in connection with the contemporary culture. "Because we are fallen, limited creatures, beautiful styles get hackneyed," Wolfe said, and used the fragmented and modern style of T.S. Eliot's poetry as an example of how a modern style can convey conservative ideas. John Keats, in "Ode on a Grecian Urn," has a parallel intent. The forms of art at play in the poem form a striking contrast. Lyric, the (then) radical style of poetry that the Romantics favored, describes a subjective experience of viewing a Grecian urn, the quintessential example of an ancient and long admired form of art. This is imagination fully engaged by its images. That Keats chose to write about an ancient urn, which has persisted in its message for thousands of years, indicates his concern with art, its forms, its structures, and its purpose. Like Eliot, Keats uses the contemporary style of his day to describe and conserve the universal truth of the human condition that he sees in the urn. The urn, an ancient art form, has clearly not stopped portraying a truth, but if artists had only communicated via urns for thousands of years, clearly something would be wrong. It is entirely fitting to Keats' greater argument about art that he uses his modern lyric style to describe an old form of art. Forms of art may change over time, but the beauty and truth they conserve and portray does not. No matter the form, art should convey that "Beauty is truth, truth, beauty".
Keats structures the poem by introducing the urn as a true piece of art in the first stanza, examining the urn's portrayal of truths about the human condition in the middle stanzas, and concluding with his broader argument about the relationship between art and life. The poem has an inner component where Keats uses the urn to demonstrate the truth of the human condition's unfulfilled nature, fleeting passions, and troubling mysteries. There is also an outer argument, where Keats defines the urn's greater purpose as a true and beautiful piece of art and holds it forth as an example of what all art should be. The urn, which permanently portrays the fragile, the unfulfilled, and the troubled, accurately reflects the human condition. Keats argues that the urn is a true work of art because it reflects a truth and a beauty that will remain a lasting guide in a world of unknowns.
Before continuing, it is important to acknowledge and distinguish the two levels of beauty present in the urn and in the poem. The urn has a physical beauty in its images and form, and the poem certainly contains beauty in its language. However, the deeper beauty that Keats perceives in the urn concerns its portrayal of a truth about the human condition and how his experience of viewing the urn leads him to it. The elements of beauty in the urn's details about nature may provide the viewer with a guide to interpreting the beauty of both the urn and the poem. Who can deny the beauty of a tree permanently in the glory of its spring blossoms? The viewer sighs, "Ah, happy, happy boughs! That cannot shed / Your leaves, nor ever bid the spring adieu" (21–22). But because of the permanence of the urn, the spring blossoms never turn into the glory of green summer leaves; the trees, despite their physical beauty, go unfulfilled like everything else on the urn. The soft "Ah," and the inability to say goodbye create a melancholy and troubled tone; because of the inability to say adieu to springtime, nothing can change, develop, and be fulfilled. So while a superficial and earthly beauty is present, it pales in comparison to the greater, more beautiful truth that the urn portrays about the troubled and unfulfilled condition of man.
Clearly, then, within Keats' argument that art should direct people to a greater truth and beauty is the urn's portrayal of the truth of man's unfulfilled and troubled state. The urn's images, forever frozen in time and forever on display, reflect the timelessness and permanence of mankind's state in the world, with all of its passions and struggles as intricately intertwined as the carvings in the marble. For example, the famous image of the "Bold lover," paralyzed forever without having achieved his kiss with the fair maiden, evinces an aching sense of an unfulfilled love. The viewer, upon observing this, says, "Yet do not grieve; / She cannot fade, though thou has not thy bliss / For ever wilt thou love, and she be fair" (18–20). The slightly bitter tone of this speaker suggests his awareness of the fleetingness and fragility of beauty and youth in real life, which is paradoxically contrasted by the very permanence of the beauty of the figures on the urn. However, this preserved state of outward beauty has the far darker consequence of love forever unfulfilled. The bold lover will always love, but it will never be reciprocated, and the fair maiden will never be anything but pretty. Yet there is a far deeper beauty to be found in the urn because it reflects the truth of the human condition. The frozen lover on the urn demonstrates how love and life go unfulfilled, permanently and universally, and the frozen loveliness of the fair maiden, by its very permanence, makes apparent the fleetingness of outward beauty.
The paradox between the permanent and the fleeting continues in the urn's portrayal of human passions as fragile and ephemeral. Indelibly part of man's condition, they are forever preserved in the artwork on the urn. The urn inspires a series of emotions and rapid questions from the viewer. In the first stanza, the viewer asks questions using highly charged phrases such as "mad pursuit," "struggle to escape," and "wild ecstasy," which cast a tone of anxiety over the images on the urn (9–10). This anxiety, coupled with the ardent lovers in the second stanza and the passionate language in the third, makes for a wrenching representation of human emotions, which swing highly and wildly with "More happy love! More happy, happy love!" (25) before burning out and leaving "a heart high-sorrowful and cloy'd, / a burning forehead, and a parching tongue" (29–30). "Cloy'd," which means "burdened," or "surfeited" ("Cloyed"), implies that what was once enjoyed has now become excess, completely unable to provide any sort of fulfillment. The urn does not elevate the viewer's opinion of human passions or contain a glamorous beauty; rather, it causes the viewer to use the language of both thirst and a sorrowful, burdened heart to express his response. The language of this response is so searing and penetrating because the viewer has realized a truth: the passions of the human condition waver, fluctuate, and burn out. The overarching beauty of the urn stems from this truth because the urn provides the viewer with this portrayal of the human condition and the viewer's reaction and analysis of human passions demonstrates that he is using the urn as a guide to beauty and truth.
The fourth stanza enters into the realm of speculation about the urn, in which Keats addresses the overwhelming presence of mystery in life. Keats contemplates the image of the sacrifice, with a priest leading a heifer decorated with garlands to the altar. However, this sacrifice has some ambiguity and mystery around the edges because he is unable to determine anything else about the image. He is led to supplement this scene by imagining a little town on a coast or a mountain that is empty because of some religious celebration pertaining to the priest and the sacrifice. The key lines, however, come at the end: "And, little town, thy streets for evermore / will silent be; and not a soul to tell / Why thou art desolate, can e'er return" (40). "Not a soul to tell" suggests a greater, completely unknowable mystery, which will remain unknowable despite any speculations by any viewer. The streets will always remain silent because the urn is frozen in time. The way in which the urn leaves the viewer to muse upon the mysterious details of this town represents how wondering at the unknowable, going without answers, and simply not being able to know everything is an unavoidable part of the human condition. In his lecture, Wolfe too addressed this value of ambiguity in literature. "To recognize that ambiguity is the nature of our experience is to be reminded of a need for humility," he said. Mystery and ambiguity are humbling in that they make obvious the limits of human knowledge and the difficulty of putting morals into practice (Wolfe). Keats acknowledges this limit of knowledge through the use of ambiguity in the fourth stanza, and then defines the limits of knowledge more directly in the final lines of the poem, when he describes how time and mystery will humble and waste man, but knowledge of beauty and truth will remain.
From the fourth stanza to the fifth, Keats crosses over from exploring the nature of the human condition as treated by the urn to exploring the relationship between art and life, holding up the urn as an example. The way in which the urn engages its viewers in the mystery of the empty town demonstrates how art can both communicate with a part of the soul that is often unreachable and address complexities that may be far beyond one's individual perception. Keats says to the urn, "Thou silent form, dost tease us out of thought / as does eternity" (44–45). The urn, as a true piece of art, gently tugs its viewer out of a disconnected contemplation into a contemplation in communion with the piece of art, just as the thought of eternity pulls an individual out of his disconnected time and place, or even his disconnected life, and into a conception of time far more complex and profound than his individual, unfulfilled life. This sort of connected contemplation that art can create is also hinted at earlier in the poem, through the image of the musician:
Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard
Are sweeter; therefore, ye soft pipes, play on;
Not to the sensual ear, but, more endear'd,
Pipe to the spirit ditties of no tone (11–14).
The unheard melodies of the musician indicate how the urn connects directly with the mind, or rather, how it "pipes to the spirit," which connotes a more mysterious, inexplicable communication that is forged with the imagination. Keats shows through the urn that not only should art reflect the human condition, but it should also completely "endear" or captivate the spirit and imagination of its viewers, directing them to beauty and truth.
In the final five lines of the poem, Keats completes and unifies his argument, defining the end and purpose of art through the urn. Art, as a lasting guide to truth and beauty, will also remain a comfort and a trustworthy source of knowledge in a world where the unfulfilled and unexplained often leave man otherwise perplexed. Keats says to the urn, "When old age shall this generation waste, / Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe / Than ours, a friend to man" (46-48). The contrast present in the first line between the passing of time that wastes and ages and the urn that endures encompasses all that Keats saw on the urn in the previous stanzas. The permanently unfulfilled state of the images on the urn mirrors the permanently unfulfilled condition of man, and will remain a truth for generations to come when the lives of this generation have passed. In a world of "woe" that transcends all generations, the urn remains "a friend to man" and a knowledgeable and trustworthy "Sylvan historian," (3) as Keats describes in the first stanza, that comforts its viewers with its beauty and truth. Keats personifies the urn, which breaks a silence and speaks aloud its famous line, "Beauty, is truth, truth, beauty" (49), with a tone of wisdom or counsel. Keats' response to this comment, "that is all / Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know" (49–50), answers the problem of mystery present in the fourth stanza, where he demonstrated that one cannot know everything. The urn, however, suggests that beauty and truth are things that, in a world of unknowns, one has the ability to know, especially through art.
The final lines reveal the numerous levels of ideas at play in the poem, all of which point toward Keats' concern with the purpose of art in life. He uses a new form of poetry to describe an old form of art, demonstrating how they both portray and conserve beauty and truth. He uses the urn to portray the truth of the human condition, in all its unfulfilled struggle and troubled passions, with a beautiful lyric that engages the viewer and shows how the urn is a perfect example of what art should be to its viewers. He addresses two layers of beauty: that which is aesthetic and that which transcends. The urn is beautiful because it depicts the truth. In the fourth stanza, the urn engages its viewers in a mystery, and in the final stanza, Keats broadens this idea by suggesting mystery and ambiguity in art forge a connection with its viewers and thus better communicate truth and beauty as a guide in a world of unknowns.
So many critics of this poem dislike the final two lines because of their lack of clarity; however, Cleanthe Brooks' argument that they must be read in the context of the entire poem bears a great deal of weight (133). The urn says, "Beauty is truth, truth, beauty" because it is a piece of art, whose purpose is to convey these ideas in an indescribable communication with its viewers. Read in this context, Keats' line does not seem so very different from Fyodor Dostoevsky's line in The Idiot: "Beauty will save the world." As Greg Wolfe argues so eloquently in his book, titled after Dostoevsky's line, art conveys a beauty that will guide people back to truth when all else is obscured. Keats, as it seems from this poem, would agree.
Sarah Reinsel is a sophomore studying English.
Image courtesy Elena Creed.


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This product comes right on the tiptoes of Fenty's Satin lipsticks and a myriad of other brands who are straying away from the matte craze we all went through to introduce new comfortable but long-lasting formulas.
This new release from E.L.F. has blown my mind! The silky-smooth satin lipstick hugs the curves of the lips and provides the intense color payoff to rock any look.
The obsession with minimalistic/"a la KKW Beauty" packaging is echoed in this product, but at a way more affordable price of $4.
- One-swipe pigmentation
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- 10 rich colors
Buy them on E.L.F.'s website


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A few useful INSTEON products
INSTEON seems a good candidate to replace old-school technology X10. Especially, if it'll take into account compatibility between them. I see the only one disadvantage of INSTEON – it isn't adopted to European electricity standard yet. But I hope it'll be done soon. But now I'd like to introduce you three cool INSTEON devices.
INSTEON 8 Button Keypad Countdown Timer with Dimmer allows to define countdown timers to switch ON/OFF lighting. There are 8 predefined timers from 2 minutes to 4 hours and they can be applied not only lines connected to the device but to every INSTEON device in your home. Additionally, keypad can be used as a dimmer to set comfort level of the light.
INSTEON Thermostat Adapter offers a simple way to add Venstar T1700 thermostat into your INSTEON network. As advantage it might to expand 1-Day Programmable thermostat functionality by creation and storing scenarios on the central controller.
INSTEON KeypadLinc Dimmer w/ Amber LEDs combines two devices in one: In-wall controller and 400-watt dimmer. It allows to monitor and control six different devices or sets of devices and easily create whole-house lighting scenes. Mounting into Tabletop Enclosure gives you possibility to have a portable controller which can be plugged it into any indoor outlet.
Well, I really like to have European version of INSTEON devices. Especially after INSTEON interface was added into LinuxMCE.


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Yep, following the last post I have to explain what I just did for the LazyWeb (( Ironically, there doesn't appear to be an entry on Wikipedia for Lazyweb. I understand it as asking on your blog for help with answering a question ("Dear Lazyweb, …"), i.e., you're too lazy to research the topic yourself. I'm extending the concept of LazyWeb here to include the posts and forum threads that help you when you're out googling for a solution to a problem. )) . This is going to be boring and technical, folks.
If you're like me, you've exported a MySQL database as an xml file through PhpMyAdmin. In general, you shouldn't do this. You want the SQL file. I don't entirely understand it, but phpmyadmin does not import the format that it exports. If you throw away the database, you'll be stuck with an xml file that can't be easily imported. Okay, and if you already threw away the database? In my case, it's an old Texpattern db that I want to get into a WordPress db, so if I can just get it into RSS form I'm home free. Here's what you do:
- Take a look at this explanation of XSL (XML Stylesheets).
- Create an XSL stylesheet like this (name it stylesheet.xsl for this example):
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <xsl:stylesheet version="1.0" xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform"> <xsl:template match="/"> <rss version="2.0" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"> <channel> <title>Stupididea</title> <link>http://www.stupididea.com/</link> <description></description> <language>en-us</language> <xsl:for-each select="stupidid_text/textpattern"> <item> <title><xsl:value-of select="Title"/></title> <link></link> <description><xsl:value-of select="Body_html"/></description> <dc:creator><xsl:value-of select="AuthorID"/></dc:creator> <dc:date><xsl:value-of select="Posted"/></dc:date> </item> </xsl:for-each> </channel> </rss> </xsl:template> </xsl:stylesheet>
- Include a line like this at the top of the xml file you exported from phpmyadmin:
<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" href="stylesheet.xsl"?>
- Open an xsl-aware browser (most of them) and try to save the page as an rss file. Note: this was quirky for me. Sometimes the browser would just save the original file, sometimes it would save the stylesheeted output. Try with different browsers.
- (WordPress) Import the RSS file after checking that it is valid.
This is the general solution for any case where you can recover your database by transforming the phpmyadmin xml into an importable format. You'll have to play around with the options based on your use-case.


text: Located in the heart of the Aegean Sea, Mykonos is a popular holiday destination in the Cyclades group of Greek Islands. Situated north of Naxos and Paros, south of Tinos and east of Syros, Mykonos measures approximately 85 km2. Famous for its architecture, whitewashed houses, blue roof chapels and narrow alleyways, Mykonos is home to well-preserved windmills, vibrant nightlife, authentic cuisine and a cosmopolitan atmosphere. Use the Mykonos map below to explore regions of the city, or choose your accommodation with the help of our handy hotel map.


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President Muhammadu Buhari has felicitated with former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, on the occasion of his 80th birthday.
In a phone call from London, where he is convalescing, President Buhari told the former military ruler (1976 to 1979) and democratically elected president (1999 to 2007) that a time like this provides opportunity to reflect on Obasanjo's invaluable roles and contributions to the unity and cohesion of Nigeria, the brotherhood of all Africans, as well as peace and amity over the globe.
President Buhari described the former president as "a true citizen of the world."
Recalling their days in the military, President Buhari said:
"Those of us who served under you in various capacities recall a man with boundless energy, with razor sharp mind, and one who does not suffer fools gladly. Working with you was a school in itself, and the lessons learnt are worth their weight in gold."
Chief Obasanjo wished President Buhari good health, saying he stands together with him in prayers, so that he can return soon to continue the good work he is doing for the country.


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A 20-year-old college student from Tarlac remains hopeful amidst the health and economic crisis, seeing signs of better days ahead.
Category: New Normal Series
Kabuhayan ng OFWs sa Doha, Walang Katiyakan Ngayong Pandemya
Kahit ang mga expat hired ng gobyerno ng Qatar ay hindi sigurado sa kanilang trabaho dahil sa pandemya.
Stay-at-Home Parenting in the Time of COVID-19
A call for awareness and more empathy for stay-at-home parents taking on more tasks brought about by the pandemic
In Post-Lockdown France, Filipino Scientist Hopes for A 'Better Normal'
A Filipino scientist in the French Alpine City of Grenoble reflects on embracing the 'better normal' after the lockdowns.
Pangungulila at Pag-iisa sa Panahon ng Corona
'Nakita ko ang isang mukha ng bansang ito na kadalasang naikukubli ng matataas at mararangyang gusali'
New Normal in Dubai: A Test of Survival
Thousands of OFWs in the Middle East were repatriated back home but many are still in the game.
New Normal in Denmark: Breathing Through Crisis in Utopia
Denmark is the first European country to reopen schools and is regarded as an international leader in COVID-19 response.
New Normal in the Netherlands: Escaping the City and Into the Wild
Our Global Editor Hon Sophia Balod explores how the Filipinos in the Netherlands are coping with the pandemic protocols. This is the first installment of our New Normal Series.


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For Immediate Release:
Visual Artists Newfoundland and Labrador (VANL-CARFAC) is expressing concern over the recent renaming and restructuring of the department of Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development to become the department of Tourism, Industry and Innovation."VANL would like to know how this renaming and restructuring will impact visual artists and the visual arts sector of our province and, to that end, is requesting a meeting with the Honourable Christopher Mitchelmore, Minister of the Department to discuss the changes," said VANL-CARFAC board chair, Teresa Kachanoski: "We have been fielding questions from our membership and would like to know if there is a shift in priority and, if so, what this could mean for the cultural sector."
"The departmental name change has provoked a strong response from the province's visual arts community and social media campaigns are already proliferating. Artists want answers." Kachanoski said.
VANL-CARFAC will keep its membership and the public at large in communication about this issue as it evolves.
For media requests or more information, contact Tessa Graham at the VANL offices, 709-738-7303 or firstname.lastname@example.com


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The Turing Tumble game includes everything your students need to get started building computers, plus we've included some spare parts packs to ensure they can keep playing should a part get lost. The Educator Guide (English) assists educators in helping students through the first 30 puzzles.
Bundle contains:
- 1 Turing Tumble game
- 1 extra parts mini-pack
- 1 extra marbles pack
- Educator Guide PDF (English)


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Some Highlights:
- Buyers are active in the market and often competing with one another for available listings.
- Housing inventory is still under the 6-month supply found in a normal housing market.
- Homes are still selling relatively quickly, averaging 31 days on the market.
Read the Original Article Here: 4 Reasons to Sell This Fall [INFOGRAPHIC]


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Ford Mustang Pro Bullet Short Block Engine - Mods For The Masses
D.S.S. Expands Its 4.6 Short-Block Lineup With Strong, Affordable Offerings For Street And Track
Horse Sense:
After talking to D.S.S., we realized we've been running our open-track project car with the pin pulled on the grenade. After all, if the rpm drops below 5,000 or so, we downshift, and the engine has a totally stock bottom end. D.S.S. says road-racing 4.6s die horrible deaths the instant the oil level drops below 5 quarts, and the right thing to do is add a 7-quart oil pan and a high-volume pump.
Pushrods are not going the way of the flathead, but a sign of the times changing is the lowering prices on modular engine bits. Until recently a fiscal quagmire, the modular V-8 replacement and performance market is picking up rpm and apparently some economies of scale. Key examples are the three new Pro Bullet 4.6 GT short-blocks from D.S.S. This Chicago-based engine shop has been turning out the racy Super Pro Bullet at nearly $4,000 for some time, but it has now introduced $1,800-$3,000 Pro Bullet short-blocks for the rest of us.
As with the Super Pro Mod, the Pro Mod 4.6 short-blocks address the modular engine's limp-wristed piston and connecting-rod bolt issues, but they save on some of the finer machining points or unnecessary-at-this-level new parts to keep costs down. With a wide range of compression ratios available, the Pro Mod 4.6 short-blocks are ready to handle all the usual forced-induction systems, as well as spirited, naturally aspirated rpm for the street and street/strip crowd.
But before we dive into the D.S.S. engine program, a few words about the way Ford builds modulars will help.
Romeos And Windsors
If Ford would only build one version of an engine... But then, it wouldn't be Ford, would it? We're not talking about the well-known differences between the Cobra 4.6 engine-with its aluminum block, eight-bolt flywheel, and Four-Valve head-and the GT's iron block, six-bolt crankshaft flange and SOHC Two-Valve head. We're referring to the subtle differences in front cover bolt patterns and crankshaft availability among what we all thought were identical 4.6 Two-Valve GT engines.
Ford builds modular engines in two plants-Romeo, Michigan (where modular V-8 production began in 1991), and Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Apparently there have been small differences in the 4.6 engines depending on which plant built them, so engine shops such as D.S.S. have come to refer to 4.6 Two-Valve engines as either "Romeos" or "Windsors." Precisely what these differences are, and what engines they'll show up on, has evaded iron-clad explanation so far (even from the best-placed Ford sources), but in D.S.S.' experience, there are such things as eight-bolt crankshafts in 4.6 Two-Valve engines.
The Stuff That Breaks
Modular Two-Valve engines used in the Mustang GT have three known weak points. As Tom Naegele of D.S.S. points out, what "makes our phone ring" are broken pistons. Left stock, the lightly built hypereutectic Ford GT piston-and the Cobra piston for that matter-are OK. But the first time any meaningful power increase is realized, or detonation breaks loose, the pistons fail. According to Tom, the pistons break in the ring land, between the top and second ring; or occasionally the top of the piston breaks off the upper ring land.
"Usually it won't burn a big hole in the top; it'll just break the ring land," Tom says. Then that cylinder will show 30-40 psi during a compression test. Typically the engine will still run, but poorly.
Don't think these failures are exclusive to goofed-up or over-eager blower and nitrous applications either. Modular pistons are weak enough to commonly fail in not-rodded naturally aspirated applications too. It all shows just how close to the limit modern computer modeling allows Ford to build its stuff these days.
Obviously, the cure for these weak pistons is a forging, so D.S.S. has developed a line of such pistons for its 4.6 engines.
The second modular failure point is the connecting rod and rod-bolt assembly. This failure is a power-adder phenomena Tom noted, so don't expect it with natural aspiration and the stock rev limit. The simply too-weak rod bolts often snap with rpm. Under even moderate forced-induction boost, the spindly, powdered-metal connecting rods fail in midbeam. Clearly, these are signs of weak connecting rods, enough so that Ford engineers honest enough to speak their minds have confided the stock modular GT connecting rods "suck."
Tom says another way of looking at this quality issue is, "Cobra engines [the '03 version] have forged aftermarket rods in them. That tells you what you need to know if Ford is writing a check to another company... and this is with a 6-psi blower."
Bad as their reputation is, the connecting rods can be addressed with better bolts in the stock rod for naturally aspirated engines; power adders are best handled with a forged aftermarket rod.
Third on the must-improve list is the oiling. There are no worries as far as the oil galleys are concerned, but the combination of high rpm and parsimonious oil-pan capacities means an enthusiastically driven, modular V-8 will pump most of its oil to somewhere far from the oil-pump pickup. Spun rod bearings are the result.
Modular engines also use powdered-metal oil-pump gears in their gerotor oil pumps. We've heard of these gears breaking, but Tom says he's not had that problem. In his experience, the issue is simply a lack of oil capacity and flow volume at elevated engine speeds. This is rarely an issue, with brief outbursts in First and Second gear, but any modular revving to 6,800 rpm should have more oil-pump and pan capacity. It's simple physics driven by rpm, according to Tom. "If 302s went this high, they'd need [a pan and pump] too."
D.S.S. offers Canton 7-quart oil pans in either drag- or road-race configuration, along with Ford Racing Performance Parts oil pumps to address modular oiling. They also have a windage tray, which helps at higher rpm for those constantly revving their 4.6s.
The Pro Bullet Short-Block
As Tom puts it, D.S.S. has applied the same technology to its 4.6 Bullet short-blocks as it did to its popular 306 Bullet short-blocks. This has resulted in a notably more robust "stock" short-block at affordable prices-one cured of the modular weaknesses mentioned earlier. D.S.S. hopes these newly low prices will reduce the apprehension many have felt about working with the modular engine family.
D.S.S. Pro Bullet short-blocks are available in four varieties:
|4.6 Romeo Mod
|4.6 Windsor Mod
|4.6 Windsor Pro Mod
|4.6 Windsor Super Mod
These prices include the basic short-block, which is the block, crankshaft, connecting rods, pistons, pins, and rings. The oil pump, pan, front cover, water pump, flywheel, and windage tray are not included.
The headlining Windsor Super Mod has been available for some time, but the other short-blocks are new offerings. All are outright purchases; there is no core charge on any of these engines in their Two-Valve, iron-block GT applications. We're not covering the aluminum Cobra versions in this article, but they exist and are priced nearly the same, but they require the core short-block to be returned to D.S.S.
Note also the use of Romeo and Windsor names. This differentiates the block style, which differs in the way the main caps are crossbolted. D.S.S. says the Windsor block's peg and slot system is a little better than the Romeo's all-bolt version, and that accounts for some of the price jump from a Romeo to a Windsor.
Perhaps most exciting due to its wide application and reasonable pricing is the $1,799 Romeo Mod. D.S.S. builds these using seasoned-core Romeo blocks-that's a fancy way of saying a used 4.6 Mustang GT block that has taken its final thermal set. Likewise, a used crankshaft is prepped and balanced "to race specs," which is plus or minus 1 gram. The connecting rods are stockers fitted with high-strength SPS bolts, the pistons are forged, the rings are moly, and the tri-metal bearings are from Federal-Mogul. This short-block is aimed at the replacement and street-performance market where it will give reliable service in naturally aspirated form up to 7,000 rpm. The Romeo Mod may not have the sex appeal of its more extensively prepped siblings, but it's all the foundation many street-driven GT engines need. Given the low price and freedom from piston or rod breakage in less-than-power-adder service, this combination ought to prove highly popular.
For those ready to step up $400, there's the Windsor Mod. What it adds is a new Windsor block with the peg and slot main-bearing crossbolt fea-ture. D.S.S. buys these service blocks new from Ford, then machines them as necessary to arrive at perfectly flat decks; chamfered holes; and other basic, prepped block features.
To match the stronger block, a new crankshaft is used in the Windsor Mod and higher short-blocks. It is balanced to better-than-new Ford, or race specs. The rods are factory units with SPS bolts, and the forged pistons, rings, and bearings follow the Romeo Pro Bullet practice as well. The result is plenty of engine for the drive-it-like-you-hate-it, naturally aspirated crowd.
Forced induction means the stock connecting rods cannot be used, and for that sort of work, D.S.S. will step you up $800 to the $2,995 Windsor Pro Mod short-block. It too uses a new Ford Windsor service block, along with a new forged eight-bolt Cobra crankshaft and beefy D.S.S. 4340 H-beam connecting rods with ARP 2000 bolts, as detailed in the photos and captions. Furthermore, ARP main bearing studs are substituted for the stock main bolts, and the bearing package is stepped up to harder-shelled, severe-duty units. This engine will take care of all streetable boost and nitrous levels and just about any track-only tune-up as well.
Finally, D.S.S. offers the all-singing, all-dancing $3,999 Windsor Super Mod short-block as the ultimate expression of what the stock-block modular engine can take. As with the Windsor Pro Mod just described, this is an all-forged assembly with studs, heavy-duty bearings, and all the rest. What the extra $1,000 buys is a slew of D.S.S.' blueprinting trickery that's worth 30-40 hp.
As this edge-on view of the H-beam (left) and stock rod (right) shows, shape and visual mass don't suggest why the stock connecting rods are weak. The concern is how they are made-the powdered metal process. It's inexpensive and easy for Ford to build, but it yields a marginal-strength connecting rod. Run with forced induction and the stock rods often fail in midbeam!
Another issue with Ford's modular connecting rods is the cracked-cap design. This closeup of the parting line between rod and rod cap shows the design's characteristic uneven edge. This edge makes the rod unrebuildable in the conventional sense. Standard overhaul practice is to bore the rod's big end and use oversize bearings, but that is not acceptable for performance work. It's typically better to simply toss the rod and start over with something stronger. D.S.S. has found 400 hp as the limit for the stock rod and good bolts. Above that, an aftermarket rod is a must.
Hypereutectic pistons are the modular's number-one weakness. D.S.S. uses only these stout forged replacements with one of two dishes-10 cc or 18 cc-for the GT engine. Juggling the piston dish and cylinder heads (the dividing line is 1999) gives a workable range of compression ratios of typically 9.2:1, 9.8:1, and 10.8:1. Pre-'99 modulars used the 10cc dish; substituting later heads with that shallow dish gives the 10.8:1 compression, which is great for naturally aspirated engines. Forced induction engines need the 18cc dish, which can drop to 8.4:1.
What we have here are the so-called "Romeo" main bearing caps. The Windsor cap uses the barrel-like devices on the side bolts. D.S.S. says these allow more preloading of the side-bolt fasteners, and thus a bit more block and main-bearing strength.
Naturally, D.S.S. has a way to get even more strength out of the modular bottom end-its $299 MSS, or Main Support System. The MSS is a 31/44-inch-thick, 6061 T6 aluminum main stud girdle. The idea, according to D.S.S., is to dampen harmonic vibrations in the block and caps to prolong block, bearing, and especially crankshaft life (modular blocks aren't as fragile as 302s, but the cranks benefit from all the stability they can get). The MSS also allows fitment of D.S.S.' $109 windage tray (not pictured), which really helps keep the oil from roping around the crank at high, 4.6-rpm levels. That frees up horsepower and lessens oil aeration.
Machine work is where D.S.S. calls home. Here a modular block receives a 0.015-inch boring perpendicular to its already squared decks. Ultimately this will be a 0.020-inch overbored Super Pro Mod block; the final 0.005 inch of cylinder wall material will be honed out. For the Super Pro Mod short-blocks, D.S.S. uses standard 0.020-inch and 0.030-inch overbores in modular blocks. Romeo engines receive a 0.020-inch cleanup pass, the Pro mod and Windsor Pro Mod use standard bores because they are built using new blocks, and the high-zoot Super Mod engines are 0.020-0.030 inch overbored depending on the desired result. Exactly what bore size to use on such engines depends on the valve package and other tuning parameters, says D.S.S. The company's recently introduced line of forged 4.6 and 5.4 pistons has eliminated piston availa-bility as a major factor in boring decisions.
D.S.S. can really lay into its bag of machining tricks on its Super Pro Mod short-block. One of these is achieving the best-possible ring seal via cylinder honing. Derived from its Pro Stock drag experience where increasing vacuum on the intake stroke is key, D.S.S.' honing specifications require a three-step process. All honing is done with aluminum torque plates, submicron-filtered honing oil, fresh deglazed stones, and plenty of experience. Three different grits and three dif-ferent honing speeds are used. If all this sounds a bit over the top, D.S.S. simply replies that it works.
Machining the cylinder block decks parallel to the main bearing bores and equidistant from the crank centerline is the first step of squaring a block and is one of D.S.S.' Super Pro Mod blueprinting techniques. D.S.S. uses a diamond-impregnated cutter called a CBN tool bit along with attention to the feed rates and speeds to assure the desired finish. The idea is to get just the right roughness on the deck to work with the head gasket for maximum gasket retention but minimum-depth leak paths.
As expected, all D.S.S. short-blocks are carefully inspected at assembly time to ensure proper functioning and engine longevity. Here the oil clearance is being measured by finding the diameter of the main bearing bore and subtracting the crankshaft journal diameter from it.
All D.S.S. 4.6 short-blocks are electronically balanced to racing tolerances of plus or minus 1 gram. Unlike 5.0s, 4.6s are neutral-balanced, meaning there is no counterweight cast into the flywheel or balancer. This makes swapping dampers and flywheels simple, not to mention providing a more stable crankshaft at high rpm.
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Governor proposes $27 million infusion for high-tech industry (Times-Dispatch)
Budget may fund virtual training
Governor proposes $27 million infusion for high-tech industry
Gov. Mark R. Warner announced yesterday that his upcoming budget proposal will include $27 million to help expand the modeling and simulation industry that has sprung up in northern Suffolk and other parts of Hampton Roads.
In a prepared statement, the governor said modeling and simulation "has the potential to dramatically transform this region's economy by attracting more high-tech, high-wage jobs."
Warner's office said the money — part of a $550 million proposal for research and development at state colleges and universities that the governor already has announced — would be used to recruit and hire additional faculty and staff for research and training programs in modeling and simulation at Old Dominion University, Eastern Virginia Medical School and Tidewater Community College.
Regional planners estimate about 4,000 people in Hampton Roads work in the modeling and simulation industry, which offers virtual training to military officers, hospital workers and emergency service workers. Computer models can simulate everything from battles to surgeries to rioting crowds or terrorist attacks.
Much of the local modeling and simulation industry has grown up around the U.S. Joint Forces Command in northern Suffolk, near the southern terminus of the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel. The Joint Forces Command, whose mission is to train branches of the armed forces to fight together, has attracted a cluster of defense contractors to the area and helped fuel rapid growth in Suffolk.
The governor made his remarks during a visit to ODU's Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center at Tidewater Community College's campus in Portsmouth. Warner also announced the state had agreed to sell 57 acres at the community college to the city of Suffolk, which will try to attract private modeling and simulation business to the area.
Warner is traveling the state to call attention to parts of his budget package, which he will present to the General Assembly on Friday.
ODU also announced yesterday an agreement with Verizon Virginia to bring to Hampton Roads LambdaRail, a high-speed connection that enables supercomputers in different locations to work together. ODU officials said the LambdaRail eventually will connect the Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center; the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg; the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility in Newport News; NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton; and the Joint Forces Command to organizations across the country.


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I have to admit to a certain befuddlement on my part when it comes to people who claim to be for small government, but at the same time want the government to police my uterus, my bedroom, and the uteri and bedrooms of everyone in this country. AND want to subject rape victims who want an abortion to IRS audits.
I'm also befuddled by this attitude that if people enjoy sex, they should be punished, preferably by having children. Part of the reason this bugs me so much is that I firmly believe in every child being a wanted child. No child should have to grow up resented, or be considered a punishment. That's just sick, nor is it healthy for anyone involved.
Seriously, if you don't think someone is adult or intelligent enough to be able to make the decision to have sex, then what on earth makes you think they should have a child?
These are just a couple of the many cognitive dissonances living in the minds of the Right. Another is caring for the babies, wanting to save the babies, you know, the chant of the anti-choice movement, "Don't kill your baby!". Yet, they're all for cutting the very programs that keep those children alive and healthy once they're born, like WIC and public schools, school lunch programs, and after school programs. They're actually pretty much against schools, as far as I can tell. The way they've been slashing budgets for education at every chance. So, they want to save the babies from abortion, but starving them slowly to death is A-OK.
How do you live with yourself with those kinds of thoughts in your head?
No, I really want to know what sort of person spends all their time in that "I got mine, screw you!" mindset that seems so prevalent on the Right. "Hands off my Medicare!" But screw the other guy.
Every time I see the news or read news on the web, it's got yet another attempt to scale back the rights of women not only to pre-Roe-v-Wade, but earlier. And now you have legislators in Maine and Indiana trying to scale back child labor laws, and not only that, but they want to make it cheaper to hire child labor. Now what the hell do they think is going to happen with that?
The unregulated free market does not work. It does not work except for the top 2% who own the factories that mutilate the working classes. We don't need to experiment with it, we've been through it before. Been there, done that, burned the fucking t-shirt. There's a reason we have industrial regulations, OSHA and the like, because without someone forcing companies to enact safety measures, they don't.
We have to stand up to this Republican assault on labor, on women and children, because if we don't, no one else will. We can't rely on these people to do the right thing, when they are so obviously twisted that they wouldn't recognize goodness if it jumped up and bit them on the ass.
Yeah, I know this is neither a cultural narrative post, nor is it particularly focused. But it's indicative of my thought processes lately.


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Slowly, some activities from Germany in regards to autonomous vehicles are being recorded and documented. A reader sent me this image of a camouflaged vehicle with a LiDAR mounted on the roof, driving on the Autobahn A81 around Stuttgart.
The car seems to be a mapping vehicles, as there is only one L:iDAR and no other sensors visible.
Any hints are highly appreciated.
UPDATE: The vehicle seems to be a new Renault 208. Whether this is Renault operating the LiDAR-equipped vehicles is unclear.
UPDATE 2: it's a vehicle from RLE International, an engineering service provider in the automotive sector.
This article was also published in German.


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Fire dept. cited for 'serious' safety violations after LODD
The city could face fines of $1,000 per violation if it does not propose a plan to fix the violations cited by OSHA investigators
The Hartford Courant
HARTFORD, Conn. — The Hartford Fire Department has been cited for five "serious" violations by state Department of Labor officials investigating the fire that claimed the life of firefighter Kevin Bell.
The violations, issued by Conn-OSHA and obtained by The Courant through a Freedom of Information Act request, are equipment-related to individual firefighters from engine Company 16, which Bell belonged to, and that participated in trying to put out the Oct. 7 fire at a home on Blue Hills Avenue. Bell died and a second firefighter was seriously injured.
The OSHA violations include:
- The department failed to ensure that all firefighters had been fit tested for their respective self-contained breathing apparatus within the past year. "Fit testing" ensures that an individual firefighter's breathing apparatus is properly fitted to prevent poison gases from being inhaled. The test also ensures that the apparatus does not come dislodged and that the mask is clear.
- The department did not issue, and require the use of, protective fire/heat resistant hoods by firefighters responding to the blaze.
- All firefighters had not received required medical evaluations prior to annual fitness testing.
- The department failed to ensure that all self-contained breathing apparatus air cylinders were tested every five years as required by federal law.
- The department failed to ensure that firefighters wore helmets or wore equipment properly. OSHA investigators said several firefighters were not properly wearing ear flaps and chin straps at the fire scene.
City officials have been ordered to attend a conference with Conn-OSHA inspectors on April 23 to discuss the violations and present evidence to refute some of the charges. The city could face fines of $1,000 per violation, the largest allowed, if it does not propose a plan to fix the violations cited by OSHA investigators.
Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra expressed concern over the report's findings Thursday.
"This report is disturbing and raises serious questions about management and allocation of resources within the fire department, issues that the Hartford Fire Department Task Force and others are looking into," Segarra said in a statement. "For our fire department to continue to be effective to the community it serves, the safety of our men and women on the ground must be our number one priority at all times."
Hartford Fire Department spokeswoman Capt. Helene Lynch said in a release Thursday that the department planned to meet with Conn-OSHA officials April 23 "to discuss matters in dispute" related to the report's findings. Fire Chief Carlos Huertas did not respond to a request for comment.
In a hastily called press conference Thursday afternoon, Lynch said that the department expected Conn-OSHA's citations to be modified and department practices to be improved as a result of the scheduled meeting, but maintained that some of the findings remain in dispute and will be refuted.
"There are some things in [the OSHA report] that we can substantiate were done. We take exception to the report saying we are an unsafe department," Lynch said.
The violations do not name individual firefighters, but Kenneth Tucker, Conn-OSHA's director for the state Department of Labor, said Thursday that they do not pertain directly to Bell's equipment, which was seized at the hospital and sent to federal investigators.
Tucker said investigators determined that some firefighters had received fit tests and medical evaluations, while others did not. Investigators did not ask why the tests weren't done.
"Our job is to determine what was violated," Tucker said.
Tucker said that the meeting with department officials will revolve around discussing options available, including a settlement, adjusting monetary penalties and corrective action time frames and contesting the citations.
Bell, 48, was killed in a house fire at 598 Blue Hills Ave., becoming the first city firefighter to die in the line of duty in 40 years. Another firefighter, Jason Martinez, was badly burned and forced to jump from a second-story window.
A six-year veteran of the department assigned to Engine 16 at 636 Blue Hills Ave., Bell was in the burning house for less than 12 minutes before another member of the department called a mayday, according to radio transmissions,
He was discovered missing after all the firefighters were ordered out of the building for a head count and was unaccounted for in the house for more than eight minutes, records show.
When it was discovered that Bell was missing, a team from Tactical Unit 1 was sent into the burning house and found him in less than 30 seconds. Bell was found in a room on the second floor to the right of the staircase.
Bell had been in the house for less than 21 minutes, according to records. An air tank is rated for 30 minutes of air, but there are a various factors that go into how long a firefighter's air bottle lasts, including level of exertion or how much air is taken in with each breath.
Bell was responsible for carrying a hose to the second floor and putting water on the fire.
After his death, the state fire marshal's office, Conn-OSHA and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health began investigations, and the breathing apparatus that Bell was wearing was sent to its manufacturer for testing.
Two days before Bell's death, an internal fire department email revealed that an inspection of his engine company's equipment found numerous safety issues, including empty air tanks.
NIOSH's 20-page report raises questions about the conditions of the 10-year-old breathing equipment that the men wore that night. Among the conclusions were that Bell's breathing apparatus failed the "remaining service life indicator" test. Bell's cylinder had two alarm systems on it, and although the first one worked, the second alarm, which would have gone off when he had about 20 percent to 25 percent of his air left, did not pass the federal tests. Hartford fire officials said the alarm did sound, however. Hartford Fire Marshal Roger Martin would not say why Bell did not make it out of the house, saying that his death is still under investigation.
Bell's 4-year-old Scott Air Pak was in fair condition overall, the report noted, although there were numerous scratches and gouge repairs on the cylinder, and parts of it were dirty. The air cylinder worn by Martinez had not been tested in the past five years, as required by federal law. Bell's air cylinder had been pressure-tested in April 2013.
The report concluded the second breathing apparatus did not meet NIOSH's pressure tests because it "did not maintain positive pressure" throughout the 30-minute testing period.
NIOSH said that the probe of the breathing equipment has concluded and that "in light of the information obtained during this investigation, NIOSH has proposed no further action at this time." NIOSH is still investigating the circumstances of the fatal fire and how the department responded.
The fire department also formed a board of inquiry to investigate Bell's death, but that body has gone three months without a meeting, according to sources in the department.
After the fire, the mayor also formed a task force of four retired city fire chiefs and the current police chief to review the department's response and the board of inquiry's efforts. The panel has expressed frustration regarding access to information about the fire and the board of inquiry's actions to date.
Copyright 2015 The Hartford Courant
All Rights Reserved


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Taking a break from reviewing a book this week – to talk about my favourite topic outside of books.
I did something new yesterday, something a little bit nerve-wracking, but ultimately fun. It's also what stopped me from reading, at least stopped me from reading anything new – hence no review.
(I do like the word hence. Makes me feel posh)
At WHSmith, we've been working on erasing stigma around mental health. The company has done shitloads (that's the technical word) to raise awareness within the company, as well as this year doing huge amounts of fundraising for – along with Cancer Research – Mind.
As part of our activities, last year Bryony Gordon came to Swindon for a Q&A session – hosted by publicity goddess George Moore.
It went down so well, we arranged another one for Matt Haig – to coincide with the launch of his new book (How To Stop Time – read it!) and to get a male perspective on the challenges faced by those who suffer from poor mental health.
I know what you're thinking – How come he's not talking about himself yet?! Give the people what they want!
Ok, ok!
Well, guess what mug offered to step in and host the thing – with absolutely no prior experience of having done something like that?
You guessed it. This guy.
I spent the last week reminding myself of the events of How To Stop Time, I re-read Reasons to Stay Alive, and I monitored Matt's tweets closely to see if they would raise any questions I wanted to ask.
Then. I got up on the stage, sat opposite Matt – and introduced us both to what felt like an enormous crowd, but was in reality closer to 30.
How to stop time indeed.
Matt had the hard job – he had to talk for twenty seven out of the thirty minutes – I just had to sit there and listen to him, and make sure I didn't ask a question he'd just answered.
But boy was it hard – I didn't know where to look. Did I look at the audience like a loon? Matt was (NOT like a loon, I hasten to add), but then he was talking to them. I would just be grinning inanely at them.
Should I instead just ignore them? But that felt rude, and besides if I didn't look, how did I know if they were still awake – or even there?
At least I know why Graham Norton drinks now.
In the end, it went ok. Neither myself or Matt said anything stupid, I had some positive feedback from people afterwards (not that I believed them of course), and we all learnt a little bit more about mental health (and turtles) as well as hearing about a great book!
What's the point of me telling you all this? I have a new skill! I can interview people – so let me tell you now, Graham had better watch out.
He's ahead in the interviewer-skills race (for now) – but I can match him drink for drink.
A(nother) Rambling: A New String to My Bow
Taking a break from reviewing a book this week – to talk about my favourite topic outside of books.


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The Fresno State Choirs, in collaboration with the Fresno City Singers, present "Walk in Peace: A Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King and Black History Month" at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10, in the Old Administration Building Auditorium at Fresno City College.
In addition to musical selections, the program will include several relevant readings, said Dr. Cari Earnhart, director of choral activities for Fresno State.
"The program will focus on the African-American spiritual intertwined with readings of writings and speeches by great Americans such as Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, Pearl S. Buck, W. Ann Rogers, Langston Hughes and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We are excited that one of our guest readers will be Dr. DeAnna Reese, coordinator of the Fresno State Africana Studies Program.
Individual choirs will have an opportunity to perform different parts of the program, culminating in the closing pieces' combined performances featuring the Fresno State Concert Choir, Chamber Singers and the Fresno City Singers.
"At the heart of this program is the celebration of peace and unity," Earnhart said. "We believe that music can truly transcend human differences and unite singers and audience members from various cultural and religious backgrounds. We have talked a lot about singing with heart and the power we have been given to sing peace into this tattered world, one note at a time."


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Evony has made it to where if your account is banned, your cities can not be hit. Historical Cities can be hit and capped, and thats fine I agree with that. But they leave out one of the most IMPORTANT thing, Historical Heros. Unless they're in an HC, HH's cant be capped if banned players own them. I don't know if this has been asked before but i'll still bring it up once more. HH's are what make the game go round, followed by HC's. Sure HCs are important, but without HH's you wouldnt be able to cap them because of leadership and attack values. so why is it we can cap their HCs and not HHs? this needs to be fixed
I am mainly sayng this because its often on new servers, and i'm VERY displeased with it on Na55. Neymar, he got banned for selling. He has lots of HH's and majority of the good ones. So why should he keep his HH's when he's not only BANNED but he was SELLING? makes no sense. This is the major one, but there's other ones. smaller players who own them that are banned, we cant cap those either. This greatly affects all players because sure if they werent banned, we might not get those HH's, but we never know and we cant find out anyways so why let them keep their HH's but not HCs? its unfair! I have proof, screenshots, of a smaller player who has an HH but is banned. I would post Neymar's aswell but not many people want to waste cents on an HH they know they can't get
Can't send waves to his city: http://gyazo.com/a49a323a36f10df0554acb97dd25d85e
Proof his city isn't Truced or Holiday: http://gyazo.com/f8beeb25d2305b21206e595ad9cbe355
i know what people will say, maybe he's colonized. If that was the case it would say something about supression
Proof he owns the HH - Statistics: http://gyazo.com/914a7ba645aca19bd3631874e88c964e
Folk Hearsay - http://gyazo.com/d2a3af745d13e5e2c17c14f94e4b0855
I understand what evony tries to do, but this is unfair. At least make it to where we can only cap cities with HH's in them if the account is banned, or cap the HH on a "chance" of hit if we're victorious over there troops (but won't let us cap the city just kill off troops and cap HH's) or let us colonize it and only able to do Sow Discard. Would be nice to see this change.