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Iwata Confirms Japanese Wii U & 3DS Nintendo Direct
Nintendo's President & CEO Satoru Iwata has confirmed he will be hosting a Japanese Nintendo Direct that will focus on the Wii U and 3DS. Expect to hear more information on the 'Year of Luigi' titles, and new information on Wii U and 3DS games.
Nintendo will also shed more details on the Major Wii U system update, that will bring faster OS times to the Wii U. The update is scheduled for next week.
Thanks mynintendonews
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Lighting Returns Is Xenoblade Worthy of Diablo 3 PvP Canned Battle System GOTY?Playeressence Original Next Generation News All the Top Gaming News Content & Shows Central, All info here For the day here
12 Responses to Iwata Confirms Japanese Wii U & 3DS Nintendo Direct
Oh, but Nintendo has abandoned the Wii U just 4 1/2 months after it released, right?
I just got Monster Hunter yesterday (Target is having a buy one get one half off sale, I also picked up Lego City), I hope it's as good as everyone says, it will be my first Monster Hunter game. I just started Ninja Gaiden though, so it will be a while before I actually try it out.
I picked up Monster Hunter, Lego City, and Sleeping Dogs (because screw you EA….I'm not buying NFS even though I generally like Criterion) back when Target had a buy 2 get 1 free deal.
MH3U is my first MH game too. At first I was kind of "eh" about it, but then something just….clicked. Sadly it took about 9 hours to get there, but once you start actually hunting monsters and start to figure out everything, it is really addictive. The time really flies and figuring out each weapon type is actually quite fun. Hopefully Capcom keeps making them for the Wii U and not just the 3DS….I'd love a full fledged HD Monster Hunter.
Things just got crazier lol!
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Fort Morgan Beach Overview
Hours: 8am-5pm CST
Cost: vary
Dogs on a leash are allowed on beaches in the city of Fort Morgan, but must remain on the beach between the Engineer's Wharf and the Fishing Pier. Please 'Visit Website' to view a map of permitted areas. Please note that there is a fine of $500 for visiting areas outside of the permitted areas. Tip: Park at either the Fishing Pier because the fort parking can sometimes be a little busy. You'll find the dog-friendly beach runs parallel with the main road (after the gate).
Cost: vary
Coming from out of town? Get a discounted
rate on pet friendly
hotels in Gulf Shores, or call 877-411-FIDO to speak
with one of our pet travel experts!
Submit a Review
Average Rating:
Fort Morgan Beach in Gulf Shores, AL, US has an average rating of 2.7
based on 9 member reviews.
Beautiful Secluded Beaches
Jill Reed Manning
in Fort Morgan, Alabama
I think Fort Morgan has some of the most beautiful, natural beaches along the entire gulf coast. I have grown up down here all of my life and have seen lots of changes, some good, some bad... but one thing that hasn't changed is how gorgeous the beaches are! Our beaches are pet friendly (except for the State owned areas along the peninsula). Most of the gulf front homeowners do own the land into the water however the law states everyone has a right to walk the beach in front of these gulf front homes AND there are tons of public accesses along the peninsula that you can enjoy (if you aren't staying gulf front). Fort Morgan is really a great spot to vacation!
great spot and friendly people
in New York City
We stayed near Navy cove. At the end toward the fort and ferry. The beach access was very easy and we walked to reach the beach. We played ball on the beach with the leash close by. Everyone was friendly with our dog. The beach was clean and the water was clear.
in Columbus, GA
Reading about this beach here and on other sights makes it seem as if there is dog friendly access at the end of Mobile St. THERE IS NOT. If you want a good spot and you aren't staying in Fort Morgan, i would drive into the town and turn down (OUR ST.) < that is the name. There isn't a parking lot, but there is beach access and space to park along the sandy streets (traffic is low, just don't get stuck in the sand). There probably many other public streets you could turn down as well. It's a nice uncrowded place to bring some chairs and spend the day with your pet. (no facilities) Enjoy!
Great Beach!
in Biloxi ms
I have a full review here -- http://pawprintsandpaintbrushes.blogspot.com/2013/03/fort-morgan-beach.html
Basically, the only reason I didn't give it five stars is because there are some dead things on the beach, like fish bones and such. But honestly, its a great beach to take your dog too. The water was clean, it was secluded, to see more pictures and descriptions check out my blog post.
side visit
in Opelousas LA
Our original destination was the fort. Beach was a side trip just to get her some exercise. No dead fish but the largest jellyfish I ever seen. The reason I give this 3 bones is due to humans not taking care. This is more a fishing relaxing beach and not for swimming. Highly recommend the fort tour
in Fort Morgan
Contrary to popular belief, most of the beaches out Fort Morgan Hwy are PRIVATE and not public - so as you trespass on private property you and your dog may not be welcome!
You Call This a Beach
in Sioux Falls
A very I attractive beach. If I wouldn't swim there, and I wouldn't, my beloved dog isn't either. Murky looking water. Views of oil rigs. Facing Mobile Bay not the Gulf. And was charged $10 for the pleasure of being here.
The nastiest beach ever
in New Orleans, LA
The reason I give 1 bone to Fort Morgan Beach is because no bone is not an option. This beach was a huge disappointment. I do not recommend it to anyone who love their dog. This beach was covered with countless pretty big sized dead fishes. I don't know what caused their death but the water and the sand both looked polluted. The whole place smelled. It was just disgusting. Do not take your dog there! The park itself is overpriced and has short hours anyway, closing at 5 PM.
Beach Polution
in Fort Morgan
Dog owners do not respect the beach. Reasonable rules for dog and pet visits are not followed . They leave their dog droppings and polute the beach. Ask some one to restrain their dog is not going to happen. The county sheriff's office should enforce reasonable rules.
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Gulf Shores Quick Links

subset: commoncrawl


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Touro Flatbush Art Club Goes Modern
Students get a visual lesson at MoMA
November 27, 2013
LAS art club students on a recent visit to the Museum of Modern Ar
The art club at Lander College of Arts and Science recently visited the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan to view the new exhibit "American Modern: Hopper to O'Keeffe."
The exhibit featured celebrated masterworks of the museum's collection alongside pieces that have rarely been exhibited and are little known. The works depict a rapidly changing American society during the first half of the 20th century. Subjects range from urban and rural landscapes, and scenes of industry, to still life compositions and portraits. They are arranged by theme, revealing visual connections.
Students also visited other galleries including one of photographer Walker Evans' work. Some stayed until closing time to view the exhibit "Magritte: The Mystery of the Ordinary 1926 – 1938." This collect showed paintings and photographs of the surrealist painter.
Students found the MoMA visit an enlightening look at a variety of art genres. The exhibits are currently running through January 2014. The Touro art club schedules field trips to major art museums and galleries each semester. To join the art club, contact Prof. Atara Grenadir at email@example.com.


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Satoh Bull 4WD Tractor with Loader
Take a look at this Satoh Bull (630) tractor. It has 4WD, a loader, 3 pt. hitch and PTO. This would make a great little chore tractor for any size property. While not the prettiest, it does seem to be a reliable unit and starts easily. It has a diesel engine, and uses glow plugs to assist in cold weather starts. The right rear tire has weather checking (cracks) and although tires can last a long time like that, someone has filled the cracks with a rubberlike compound. It has the normal amount of small oil seeps and other used tractor normalities. The loader has the power to lift the front of the tractor, and with some minor TLC it could be a very serviceable tractor for years to come. It is a used tractor and as such will be sold as is, however you can arrange an appointment to view and operate it prior to purchase.
Click on any picture to see a larger version, then use your browser's back button to return here.
Please email us for information on this or other equipment at
Please click link below to return to the JoeTraktor home page.


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Here are the answers to some questions that have been raised concerning
the Hearts of Hope project: 1.) The pixelated heart can be any size--it
just depends on how big you make your squares.
2.) Finished
tops/quilts can also be any size but our suggested size in 40X60.
If you have a favorite heart pattern feel free to use it!
4.) If you want to make a rag quilt that is fine too.
5.) Marilyn, who has a long-arm quilting machine, has
volunteered to finish off your quilts for you--you just have to send
the quilts to her. Here is her address:
Marilyn Lewis
425 Kirby Ct
Vacaville, Ca
And here is a picture of the boy-themed heart block I made last night ;)


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Jeudi 10 mai
The training of 3 I find it hard to believe how good they are moving in my attempts to lure my wife Sue returned separately to their lifestyle attractive before, since I met Sean and Dave in the last week, were sexmovie much more sexually aware and active than at any time in the past 10 years. Damn, in fact, after David left in the back seat of our car in the parking lot of the bar, I had to rest a moment, always trying to get me to eat her pussy, playing with her tits and fuck her began to use me. True to his word and Sue went shopping bought a bunch of sexy underwear, belts, sexmovie small, transparent. Dozens of pairs of stockings, garter belts, corsets, Waspies, lacy bras, who brought up her large breasts or those who left her nipples exposed. In this was a new wardrobe full of sexy dresses and sexmovie skirts, plus some very high heels, boots, knee high boots boot and very tarty thighs are buying. So I told thto make shit Sean, when she met him tonight and told me that everything was determined to, of course I told him the idea that I was with some friends. After a few drinks, he spent the rest of the time to talk about what it feels like to have Sean 's cock in her and bigger than it looked like Dave. She said she did not care, she fucks gums all the time he was carrying. Then she told me how sexy she felt, kissed him and put his hand in public, and how wonderful it is called dirty, and how he felt, like a dog when he was sucking cock strangers. The sexmovie clothes she chose to go this night were pure black blouse, almost transparent, black skirt above the knee with buttons in the front, a black satin strap, a pair of black seamed stockings, garter belt and black a pair of heeled shoes black. I also pointed out that trim their pubic hair until it is positioned only a small portionover the opening of her wet pussy. I told him I wanted to fuck right there, but she said she saved her pussy fucked after Sean. When we arrived at the pub Sue told me that 10 minutes before they would be on the watch, and wanted to see how it will go into a bar only to someone who knew he was cursed to a meeting. I saw my wife walking to the bar only attractive to meet Sean and gave him a good 10 minutes before I entered the site I use when I was in the pub was received by my sexmovie wife sat on a table, around Sean, with mouth closed hands together and work tirelessly for each other forks. Almost everyone in the bar I saw my horny wife began to squirm, Sean was obviously the finger at a climax. You sexmovie could hear a pin drop, as they departed from him, throws his head back and moaned : 'Oh my God,' shuddered when sexmovie it reached its peak height. Looking red-faced and nervous, looked at me and gave me the sexIEST smile and a wink. Then he stood up and Sean hand and said loud enough to hear most of the bar, 'come on I need more of these. ' When he got up, I saw some of the buttons on the blouse made just below the curve of the breast and some of the buttons on the sexmovie front of the skirt again to cancel refrain, from the tip of his fancy lace stockings. Sean nearly out of the bar and the car, where he stopped to hug again, leaned back in sexmovie the hood, while he, his knee between her legs, her hand on his chest, without it nothing kissing. I heard a pop, two additional keys will be demolished sexmovie in front of the skirt so that she sometimes enough to expose the legs of the whiteness sexmovie of the top of her stockings. Only then stopped and got into the back of the car I said that being a local beauty spot, where you can go even more intimate. The road to the picnic area, where Sue was that I had to make hereng and bumpy in the rearview mirror I could see that Sean had blouse undone and Sue was thrashing breast with one hand while the other was working feverishly between her legs. Sue Hahn and Sean had published was masturbating angry, lost in the pleasure he felt between his legs, when none of them has parked the car, just to break the clinch, when we told them. Sean sat down, cracking his hand still between the legs of Sue, beating three fingers into her wet little hole in the thick, golden and juices run down her ass wet skirt. Sean told him what a beautiful woman who thought he was, and what you get to see their behavior as it was now. 'Tell me how you behave, I please,' complained Sue, Sean, 'like a cake,' said Sean, 'I want to be your cake Sean, his whore, your dirty dog. ' I was surprised to hear my wife told me these things to a man she had met only once before, but she continued to feel 'I want your cthe bottom of my pussy hole fucked me sexmovie until I cry ock, I want to use me I'm dirty as hell, 'she exclaimed, as a climax after climax tore through her. Sean took his finger and let Sue calm down a bit before telling her that he likes to make your dog and use it as a cheap whore. he said he does not disturb the car and gave her blouse or skirt, is to see anyone. Sue was out waiting for Sean to get there, got out and stood behind her, a hand grip and close the chest, tease her nipples, sliding the other side runs the front of her thong, her fingers undoubtedly soaked into his hole. borrowed again pulled him around the neck, which can be kissed, like him, to touch it again to another peak began. This time, when she arrived, he asked them what they wanted to do next, 'fuck me, please,' she said, 'what I'm going to fuck ' asked Susan, ' because I love you ' he replied, 'butWhy? ' To round pierced his body, I could not believe when I heard my wife screaming,' because the dirty cock pussy in my need, I am a bitch who get hard at this time the needs of shit, and if not then I do to find someone else. 'At the time Sean sexmovie bent Sue over the wings of the car, so that her sexmovie breasts were resting on the hood, forced her legs, lifting her skirt in the back and the tip of his swollen dick between her swollen lips. Taking his waist , put in one hand and a handful of hair with the other told him whatever he wanted to do with it now. 'Fuck me, fuck me now,' she cried, said he drove his tool incorporating hard rock, until his fist in my pussy slut wife, the cries of her when she was rarely used due to hole filling capacity, having to stretch, to those of the cock. After he was, Sue began to fuck long full, ltd coup almost completely pulling her wet pussy before dipping again. ain She kept saying, which is a bitch and a prostitute, and as he wanted because other kids to beg for a fucking clock, began loudly to this proposal hits Sue peak around and said to Sean, what a dirty bastard he was and what he loved, and talked dirty whore as she was used. Like Sean accelerated in the direction of his own climax, a car pulled into the parking lot, the lights come on briefly Sean fuck my wife on the hood. Sue shuddered when she heard the car and saw the lights, but pushing back at the waist and pulled again noted in her hair, Sean inside the bell and hit it hard until she felt his cock begin to swell and jerk as he emptied his sexmovie load in the rubber, which had in pulling his hair had sexmovie lifted his body out of the car, so that her breasts were visible, which was in the other car, holding his hand on her waist, pulled out and moved to one side, exposing her naked ass and pussy fucked her stockinged legs and recently also. released her and told her to turn around the face and the other car and her blouse and skirt, so they can see what was really a start sexmovie bit to stop doing. Surprisingly, Sue has just completed a Sean told him to take up the passage of her thong to the side and showing his ass to the occupants of another vehicle, before once again in our own. I came to the pub where we had met and left Sean, Sue back home, she slipped on a couch, I got average size cock in her little fuck hole, I could only sexmovie last a short time before filling out the elongated opening that came with mine. Sue asked me if I tell her classmates that she was a tart or a slut, I said I thought it was very cold, especially when being fucked by her lover at that time. She sexmovie told me that, although very interesting, which sexmovie is different from Hahn discovered to be fucked, he could not beat the feeling fills her pussy to get along, and then slowly drain later. in the coming weeks will follow a similar format as much as I would like Sue to take in the same pub and that either meet with Dave and Sean, a couple of drinks and have a drive sexmovie ahead of me Snog somewhere where could take, I thought this was the most public place, rather than Sue would enjoy. Sometimes I just want to let Sue in the bar and get that later, when I masturbated while driving back home and told me what a dirty bitch was fucking good lover and left her. The next step would be for me to take her to the tavern for a night and have it configured so that both boys 'accidentally' to be there and see how Sue would react to this situation. The guys I talk about who they are and how all the others who have contacted you to be prepared in the list of Sun


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Thanks MJM Magic for the consistent great service and superfast shipping. I ordered Future zone and it was at my door 2 days later. Unreal. You are...Read More ->
Let me start off by saying that I have dealt with many online Magic Supply companies, some good, some absolutely terrible. Jeff, Brandi, and everyone...Read More ->


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No, this isn't another "do you label yourself?" thread, because there are enough of those. (But feel free to start another, I need help with my labeling issue.... but anyways.....) No, this is because I was talking with a friend today, and we disagreed about some GLBT terminology. So, for my own self (and, okay, a little bit to prove my friend wrong), it'd be great if I could get some definitions from you guys. And (and this is just a strange little deformed fetal-alcohol-syndrome brain child, feel free to ignore it), I was thinking that maybe we could make a glossary of sorts as a resource to new members, up on the top along with the Coming Out, Journals, Poetry etc. tabs.
So, it'd be great if someone could define, specifically:
^those are the defs I personally want.
But then, if people like the glossary idea, define anything you can think of (and caps/bold/underline/something defined words as courtesy). And it'd be great if someone could write out the absolutely extended version of the GLBT acronym (which has a very very large amount of letters, if I'm not mistaken, and sounds like a very elaborate sandwich...)
And yes, if we end up doing this and Jeff doesn't want to do the work, I'm willing to compile a list and do the HTML for it. *sigh*
Transgender, as I understand it, is a person, say a guy, who feels that, in laymens terms, they were given the wrong body. A transgendered person is one who feels that they are a male in a female's body (ftm: female to male), or a female in a male's body (mtf: male to female).
I'm not sure about Transexual, but I'm pretty certain that it means the same thing as transgender.
I'm gonna leave the next two to someone else, cause I have no idea....
And a transvestite is also known as a cross dresser. Eddy Izzard (who effing pwns!) is a transvestite. For the uninitiated, he's an awesome comedian. He's not gay, or a queen, he just...prefers to wear women's clothes. Sometimes, either as a joke, or not, transvestite men will refer to themselves as male lesians. But yeah.
That was a pretty unhelpful answer. Sorry! :( hopefully other folks'll help.
"I prefer the term gay because, well, lesbian has three syllables!" Emily Sailers
98 percent of the teenage population will try, does, or has tried smoking pot. If you are one of the 2 percent who hasn't, copy this into your sig.
as far as I know, and this is just from comments my trans friends have made, a transexual is post-srs. And as said above, transgender is more of an umbrella term.
I think intersex is the pc term for someone who is born with both male and female reproductive organs.
And as for the damn big mass of letters, I think it's
lgbtqqastipo. *winces* Which is gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, questioning, queer, asexual, straight allied, two spirit, intersex, pansexual and omnisexual or other.
and I'd be willing to help out with the html, if needed!
official version of the LGBT* alphabet soup. Like most other things in the gay world, everyone does their own dance remix of it.
As far as needing these terms defined, I would say: Wikipedia.
"Be like a postage stamp. Stick to one thing until you get there." -- Josh Billings.
Add me on MySpace!
it is good to always take (these) definitions with a grain of salt, because there's some disagreement, and also change in the meaning (across time, and in different communities).
having said that, I'll try some basic explanations:
- people who define as neither man nor woman, people who define as "not quite a man, and not quite a woman", ... the word is sometimes used in opposition to "transsexuals" ("Transgender live beyond the binary gender system - they are both/and or neither/nor - whereas Transsexuals used to be physically one sex and transition, or want to transition to the other one"). But the word transgender can also be used to include "transsexuals" (see below) and/or "transvestites" (see below).
The borderline and difference between transgender and transexual is contested.
-most typically refers to a person who was born one sex but identifies with the other sex and (typically) seeks out to change phisical appearance and social identity to that "other" sex.
Again: The border between transgender and transexual is contested. Some people use "transgender" for people who do not undergo sex-change surgeries and "transsexuals" for people who do. But what about ftm's who have "top" surgery but not "bottom" surgery? ...
stereotypically, transsexuality is explained with reference to the common phrase "being in the wrong body". this might be true as a description for some transsexuals' feelings (before they transition), but not everybody's feelings are best described by that phrase. Some people might use the word "transgender" to make clear that they do NOT necessarily have this feeling of "being in the wrong body".
People who have mixed "male" and "female" anatomy. (typically by birth.)
kind of the same as "hermaphrodite", as far as I can judge. But I believe that many intersex people do not like the word "hermaphrodite".
I think these words are still most "in the making", of all the words you asked us to define. I don't think there is one set definition at all. If I hear the word, I would expect it to mean:
- deviating from binary gender norm. This can mean kind of the same as I described with "transgender". But I am sure there are some people who feel good with the word "genderqueer" but not "transgender". I think "transgender" seems more of a commitment than "genderqueer". maybe also some people who identify with the gender they are given by society, but "just" feel that they don't fulfill traditional gender expectations, might describe themselves as genderqueer. ... I don't know. The term might be used to include transgender and transexuals, but it might also be used in opposition to those terms.
someone who likes to dress up in ways typical of the other gender. (sometimes in a way that the "dress up as" element is obvious and visible). I think the words "drag king" and "drag queen" are more commonly identified as, nowadays, in queer communities. or "crossdresser".
I hope that helped. I usually don't like to give definitions of these sensitive identity terms because I find it too authoritarian to try to explain what exactly these things mean, when they really mean quite different things for different people. I tried to explain these different meanings a bit.
Of course not all opinions about what these words mean are correct. (So if your friend thought that all transgender people are also intersex, then you can tell him/her that that's simply wrong.) But remember that no definition is absolutely and uncontestedly correct either.
We have all been injured, profoundly. (Donna Haraway)
I Am Out, Therefore I Am. (Okay, mostly.)
Well, no, she said that transvestites were transgendered/wanted to be women. -_-'' WRONG.
Megan: "Cheers are supposed to be simple, make people feel good."
Graham: "Cheers make girls do stupid cartwheels. Orgasms make people feel good."
-But I'm a Cheerleader
He has a boy's body but loves to dress in girls' clothes even though he fully identifys as a boy. So tell your friend about my friend.
"gay: cheerful and lighthearted; merry." - The American Heritage Dictionary.
Okay, I use the whole LGBTQQI...etc. thing when I'm being really PC, but I'm not entirely sure why the I (for intersex) is included. Don't get me wrong, I've got nothing against intersexed people, but why is it lumped with the other terms? I kinda feel like we're just shoving all of the gender and sexuality issues into one pot, when really, I'm not sure if they all fit together. Maybe I'm totally missing the point, but I kinda would like it if the people who deal with gender identity had their own alphabet soup.
That really makes it sound like I think there's a clearcut line between gender identity and sexuality, and obviously there's not, but are the issues really the same?
"I prefer the term gay because, well, lesbian has three syllables!" Emily Sailers
98 percent of the teenage population will try, does, or has tried smoking pot. If you are one of the 2 percent who hasn't, copy this into your sig.
I think it should just be LGBT*
That way, anyone can feel they fall under the asterisk, if not L, G, B, or T. Because let's face it, the * are such a tiny fraction of the overall pie.
Of course, for me, the asterisk would be adding an extra character to what I use now.
"Be like a postage stamp. Stick to one thing until you get there." -- Josh Billings.
Add me on MySpace!
TRANSGENDER: someone who doesn't identify with their physical gender. This includes people who are transexual, have no gender identity, and what ever other gender identitys exsist outside of the conventional boy/girl norm.
TRANSEXUAL: someone who identifys as the opposite of their the sex they were born with. For example, someone who was born with a girl's body but identifys as a boy or someone who was born in a boy's body who identifys as a girl.
TRANSVESTITE: someone who identifys with the sex they were born with but prefers to dress in the opposite gender's clothes.
I've heard a bunch of definitions of genderqueer but for the most part it seems to be pretty much interchangable with transgender. I think of myself more as transgender if I bother trying to find a term to describe my gender or lack there of. Anyways, strange story about this that I want to share. So, I was talking to this person at camp who I'm kinda friends with and she was like, "Did you know that there are people who don't identify with the gender they were born with, like, some people don't even have a gender. Isn't that sooooo wierd?! It's like they're animals or aliens or something." I tried to tell her that I don't have a gender but either I didn't actualy get the words out or she was too into talking about how people like me are "aliens or animals" to hear me because she just kept talking as if I hadn't said a thing. I've tried not to take it personaly because she doesn't know about me but still..., how do you not get offended by something like that.
"gay: cheerful and lighthearted; merry." - The American Heritage Dictionary.
The only way stupidity can be offensive is if you aren't entirely comfortable enough yet to blow it off. I mean, if someone is running around doing things all the time and barely has a minute to themselves, and you call them lazy, do you think they'd shrink or get defensive? No, they'd realize it was a ridiculous thing to say and not think twice about it.
I don't know about aliens, but animals tend to have gender roles.
Could've used it. "I wish I had a gender, so I could be as confident about it as you." Have fun with people, that's what they're there for.
"Be like a postage stamp. Stick to one thing until you get there." -- Josh Billings.
Add me on MySpace!
some people are just so over-confident about the way they view the world, they can't even imagine someone having a different perspective...
We have all been injured, profoundly. (Donna Haraway)
I Am Out, Therefore I Am. (Okay, mostly.)


text: I just read an article on CNN Money that basically predicts that it will take another 6-10 years for our economy to get back to "normal"...whatever normal means. It points out the main reason is due to private or "consumer" debt. So my hope is that those with high debt focus on paying it off asap instead of buying "stuff" like many are conditioned to do. So whether one is wondering about the value of their home or the value of their retirement investments, neither will make strong gains until citizens de-leverage their debt. If you believe spending helps our economy, it does, but only if you're not in debt. America's own 'Lost Decade' Lost decade: Debt fuels slow economic growth, unemployment - Jun. 8, 2011 "NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- The economy is still struggling. And Americans are in for a long and painful adjustment period. One major reason: their own household debt. "I think we're in for a lot of disappointment," said Carmen Reinhart, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics and a leading expert on financial crises. "If historic norms hold, deleveraging isn't pretty, and it is not a smooth process. We're already four years into this. I don't think the next six years look great."


text: With our in-house production company, we bring national commercial TV experience and quality to you. We have the capabilities to shoot and edit television spots, web videos or long-format material. We stay up with all that is current (meaning we watch YouTube videos). So grab some popcorn and enjoy a few of our favorites.


text:
Like most websites we use 'cookies'. If you're happy with that, click 'OK' to close this banner and carry on. Or click 'Find out more'.
Help us give nature a home from £4 a month.
Birds by name
Conservation status: Green
A small olive-brown warbler which actively flits through trees and shrubs, with a distinctive tail-wagging movement. Less bright than the similar willow warbler and readily distinguished by its song, from where it gets its name. Picks insects from trees and also flies out to snap them up in flight.
Phylloscopus collybita
Warblers and allies (Sylviidae)
Lowland woodlands, parks and large gardens.
All year round, but most arrive in late March and depart in August and September.
Patrik Aberg, Xeno-canto


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Encounter an Error
Welcome to the Choose Your Own Error Adventure. This was imported from an old database that many people contributed to, and as such has some errors and sections of bad writing. If you come across these, feel free to leave a comment on the entry and an Elite Councilmember will be along to fix it... eventually.
You encounter a level 3 error.
It is a mass of color and pattern completely alien to the world. You know it for what it is: A loose thread in the fabric of reality, one that will corrupt anything it touches. If allowed to grow unchecked it could eventually consume everything. Thankfully this one is only a level 3 error, and as such is only a few feet across.
You didn't see it until you were nearly on top of it, thanks to a bend and small rise in the path you were walking. It's now within attacking distance, so you must make your choice quickly.


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Posted: Nov 14, 2012 6:08 PM by Mary Jo Perino
John Calipari's beginning to see the signs, or signed letters, as part of putting together yet another number one recruiting class. He's not finished yet. By the time it's all over, he could have one of the best classes in history.
On Wednesday, the first day of the national signing period, Cal received signed letters of intent from Marcus Lee and Bullitt East star Derek Willis. He's expecting to get one from James Young as well. The other two in the class of 2013 so far, Aaron and Andrew Harrison, have yet to sign their letters.
Earlier this week, the Harrison twins told USA Today they were going to wait until the spring to sign. The Harrison's father said today that his boys have decided not to wait, and will sign their letters in the next day or so.
Cal is still after a few other players, like Andrew Wiggins, who have not made their decision yet.


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PixelLoves iOS 8 tab bar icons & iOS 8
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Peaceful seaside photograph featuring a half circle of colorful Adirondack chairs on a white sandy beach overlooking calm blue waters and white clouds. Printed using the latest ink jet technology for a crisp, high-quality image. Perfect wall art for a beach house, or a reminder of summer in a living room, kitchen or bathroom. Orders ship from Massachusetts warehouse.
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Allison Janda has been named vice president of retail store operations at Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy.
Inside This Issue - News
BOULDER, Colo. – Allison Janda has been named vice president of retail store operations at Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy.
The regional drug chain says Janda, who has been with the company since 2006, will oversee efforts to implement its brand and values across its nearly two dozen stores in California, Colorado, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington.
"Allison has a record of leading our team members to success and implementing systems that maximize what Pharmaca has to offer," chief executive officer Mark Panzer says. "We're excited to see how she will expand her already pivotal role in streamlining store operations."
Since joining Pharmaca after stints with various other retailers, including Gap Inc. and American Eagle Outfitters Inc., Janda has been the chain's director of retail operations.
Panzer notes that in that role she has been instrumental in supporting significant growth in stores, implementing key initiatives and processes, and providing operational leadership that has produced big improvements in store execution, training, team development, cost controls and sales growth.
Early next month, Pharmaca plans to open a new store in Menlo Park, Calif. The 4,700-square-foot outlet will be the chain's ninth unit in the Bay Area and its 23rd overall.
Panzer says the store will extend Pharmaca's unique offering in the area. "Our distinctive concept provides customers an opportunity to manage their health through traditional pharmacy offerings, holistic treatment options, additional health-focused products, educational resources and a talented licensed practitioner staff," he states.


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You know that your kids have something special inside them. The Community Academy Public Charter School (CAPCS) Online of Washington DC and K¹² ignite the minds of children like yours to bring learning and innate possibility alive. Together, we are helping District students in grades K-8 reach their true, personal potential.
Why CAPCS Online?
The Community Academy Public Charter School (CAPCS) Online of Washington, D.C. and K¹² give DC kids in grades K-8 the chance to learn in the ways that are right for them. CAPCS Online offers:
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How would you explain, according to evolutionary theory, the existence of many millions of atomic decay halos found in granite that begin their decay sequence with polonium? My understanding is that polonium is not a naturally occurring element. The phenomenon of finding decay halos beginning with polonium in solid granite extending over 20 feet into the earth would be analogous to finding Alka-Selzer bubbles preserved in an slowly-frozen glass of solid ice--the granite should have taken too long to cool for there to be any polonium remaining to decay, especially in the quantities that have been found. The granite would have to have been formed instantaneously. So how did this happen?
Aah, polonium halos. Another favorite creationist argument. The halos in some rocks that supposedly arise from the rapid decay of many polonium atoms in the same place supposedly show that the rocks in which they formed had to solidify in three minutes or less, proving that the earth was created in an instant.
Well, it's not so simple as that. You can find a much more detailed explanation at the website http://jblanton.home.mindspring.com/apr1999.htm; I'll give you a brief version. Polonium is a decay product of radon, which is formed in several steps from the radioactive decay of uranium. All of these polonium halos have been found in uranium-rich rocks, so there is plenty of raw material fom making polonium available over geologic time. The key thing about radon is that it is a gas, and thus can be fairly mobile in rock. Say, for instance, that a uranium-bearing rock has a small crack in it. Over hundreds of millions of years, radon atoms that form from uranium decay diffuse to the crack, migrate along the crack, and then are trapped at the end of the crack. The radon decays to polonium, which settles out on the wall of the crack. The polonium atom then decays, leaving a trail of damage in the rock. As large numbers of polonium atoms are deposited in the same spot, the trails of radiation damage form a sphere - the "polonium halo." So it is not necessarily true that "the granite would have to have been formed instantaneously."
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Receiver tries to lock in forest vote
PUBLISHED: 24 Nov 2009 01:44:00 | UPDATED: 24 Nov 2009 08:54:19PRINT EDITION: 24 Nov 2009Grower investors in the failed Great Southern forestry schemes are not out of the woods yet.
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Vanessa Pierce Interview
Vanessa Adams Pierce is a former NPC Figure competitor and limited contest prep coach. She resides in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and infant son, with another baby due this summer.
MP: What sparked your interest in health and fitness?
VP: I was an athlete in school, mostly track and X-country. As an adult, pursuing fitness was mostly for vanity and simply feeling good.
MP: What are some of your bodybuilding accomplishments?
VP: So far as placings, when I competed in Figure I placed 2nd in the 2007 NPC NJ Gold's Classic and qualified to compete at the National level, where I placed 9th at the 2008 IFBB North Americans. Far greater than those placings were the degree to which I was able to improve my physique and the sense of accomplishment attained.
MP: As a certified personal trainer, describe the types of training and dieting philosophies you put your clients through?
VP: I don't believe in a one-size-fits-all philosophy. My clients have very varied diet plans and training routines, and they are adjusted as needed to address progress and symmetry as well as schedule and lifestyle. I am a firm believer that more is not better; better is better.
MP: Describe some inspiring accomplishments of your clients?
VP: I have had clients from all walks of life, from those looking to lose weight because it was impacting their health, wedding diets, those wanting to gain muscle... to photo shoot preps and competition preparation. It's difficult to say one person's achievement is more valuable than another. However, I have helped a women literally cut her weight in half, and every Figure client I've had has placed top 5.
MP: Describe your typical workout routine in terms of rep range, number of sets, and intensity?
VP: There is no such thing as a typical workout - I believe in periodization and employing varied rep ranges, volume, time under tension, etc. Intensity is non-negotiable, though - you must give your all to reap true benefits.
MP: Describe your diet regimen. What are some of the healthy foods you stick with? Why are they so important to you?
VP: I employ a somewhat typical high protein bodybuilding protocol and I'm a big fan of carb cycling year-round. I love red meat and am baffled as to why so many people avoid it when trying to lose fat. My favorite carbs are sweet potato and fruit; my favorite fats are avocado and peanut butter. I don't think any foods have magical fat loss properties, so I devise diets that include foods that my clients like instead of forcing them to eat things they hate. So long as caloric, macro and nutritional goals are being met, I can make a diet plan to suit just about anyone.
MP: How do you stay motivated?
VP: I really enjoy training, so the process itself is the motivation. For those that need help, I recommend setting real goals with dates in mind.
MP: What's your favorite body part to train? Why is this muscle group better than others?
VP: I love to train back - it's a large muscle group so you can move a lot of weight and there are a ton of different movements and variations that are effective.
MP: What are some things you see in the gym that gets on your nerves?
VP: There are always several pure ego lifters that use more weight than they can handle for a very limited ROM.
MP: What's your favorite motivational quote?
VP: "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit." -Aristotle
MP: What's something people may not know about you?
VP: I was born with scoliosis but most people don't know because lifting has helped to strengthen my paraspinal muscles and improve my posture.
MP: You have stated you are taking time off from competing to start a family. What has this experience been like?
VP: I think it's been healthy. Having children has placed fitness as a nice compliment to my life rather than an all-consuming priority. I enjoy having time where I'm not always worried about my meals, if I'm adding enough size offseason or if I'm on track for the next show. I do wish I had more 'me time', but it will come. I do feel that I have some unfinished business and would still like to compete in the future, most likely in Physique or Bodybuilding.
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Customizing the Estimating Worksheet
Itemized Bid Worksheets
Get Bids in Writing
Labor vs. Materials
General Conditions
Site Prep
On-Site Water & Sewerage
; Excavation
; Foundation
; Rough Framing
; Roofing
; Windows & Exterior Doors
; Exterior Finish
; Masonry & Paving
; Plumbing
; Electrical
; Heating & Air Conditioning
; Insulation & Air Sealing
; Drywall/Plaster
; Interior Finish
; Kitchen & Bath
; Porches & Decks
; Appliances View all ESTIMATING articles
Start by downloading and printing the Word version of the Estimating & Budgeting Worksheet (doc.). Next I recommend reading through the entire worksheet while reviewing your building plans. Use the main headings and line-items as a checklist to run through your entire project to see which items relate to your project and which are missing or need modification. Build the project from start to finish in your mind with the checklist as your guide.
Mark Worksheet items that aren't relevant as NA (not applicable). Add notes for items that need to be modified to better fit your project. Sometimes items can be combined because they will be handled by one vendor and one bid; some may need to be modified or broken down further to match the way you are receiving bids.
Next, download the Excel version of the Estimating & Budgeting Spreadsheet (xls). (The Excel version is much faster to use as it has the formulas built in. If you're not comfortable with Excel, you can use the MS Word version and a calculator). You can add up to four custom items at the end of each work category, by selecting the last row in the section ("Other") and the following row, then right-click and select "Unhide".
The spreadsheet will work to track estimates, actual costs, amounts paid and owed, and the variance between estimating and actual costs. As you go through the Worksheet, it's important to carefully consider every line item and either assign it a cost or mark it NA (not applicable) if it does not apply to your job.
For example, if you are getting one subcontractor bid for roofing, covering all the items listed in that category, just enter the price after the heading Roofing. You can mark all the other line items covered by the roofing bid as NA. You can hide the other other rows, using Excel's Hide function, but I recommend leaving them in place as reminders of the steps involved.
Excel Tip: To hide rows, select the first row you want to hide by clicking the row number at the far left, then hold the Shift Key and select the last row you want to hide. Now right-click and choose "Hide". To unhide, select the row above and below the hidden rows, right-click and choose "Unhide".
On the other hand, you might want to break down some categories or line-items further, such as Permits and Fees in General Conditions, or Countertops in Kitchen & Bath. I recommend tracking these cost breakdowns in individual Itemized Bid Worksheets
While you can enter bids directly into the Estimating & Budgeting Worksheet, on large, complex jobs with a lot of multiple bids, I prefer to track bids with Itemized Bid Work Sheets, at least for those work categories with a lot of competing bids. This allows you a lot of flexibility in organizing your items to match your approach to the work and bidding. See the sample Itemized Bid Worksheet for Kitchen & Bath (xls).
These worksheets allow you to break down items as much as necessary, and to compare costs from as many competing vendors as you like, by inserting new rows as needed. Once you've completed an Itemized Bid Worksheet, you can enter the winning bids back into you Estimating & Budgeting Worksheet. If you've changed items in the Bid Worksheet, you'll need to make those same changes in the Estimating & Budgeting Worksheet as the two must coordinate for the system to work.
Make sure you GET ALL BIDS IN WRITING from contractors, subs, and vendors, with a full description of the materials and labor provided. Whether it is called an estimate, bid, or proposal, make sure that it is a binding bid, guaranteeing a fixed price for a period of time. (In some cases, a contractor may provide a non-binding "estimate" of what he thinks a job might cost, but may be planning to charge on a time-and-materials basis – not what you want here.) If there are large differences between bids, make sure the two vendors or subcontractors are really bidding on the same work item and providing the same materials. Maybe one roofing estimate includes a waterproofing membrane and one doesn't. Maybe one painting bid has two topcoats applied by brush, and the other has one topcoat applied by spray. Is the painter planning to apply matching putty to the hundreds of nail holes in clear-finished woodwork? Don't make any assumptions about what is included in a bid, unless it is clearly spelled out in writing!
The estimating worksheet separates out materials and labor for all categories. Which items will be materials only, labor only, or combined will depend on how you structure the job. If labor and materials are bid together, enter one value under total. For example, the roofing subcontractor might include all materials in his estimate. In some cases the materials will come from one vendor and the labor from another. In that case, you will need to enter separate vendors for labor and materials. The best way to do this is to insert a new row for the second vendor or sub– use one row for for labor, one for materials.
If you are acting as your own contractor, many of you subs will prefer to provide their own materials, as many make part of their money by marking up materials. This is especially true of plumbers, electricians, HVAC contractors, and some specialty contractors such as kitchen and bath installers.
If you want to purchase the materials (a furnace, say from your brother in law who owns a plumbing supply house) and hire the contractor for installation only, plus incidental materials, you should discuss this with him before buying the furnace. When all is said and done, it's not clear you will save enough money to make it worth the hassle, and the contractor may refuse to warranty his installation on owner-supplied materials.
The discussion below offers tips and techniques for each main category in the Estimating & Budgeting Worksheet.
This is the first category in the estimating worksheet. These are called soft costs, but they can hit you pretty hard and are easy to overlook (I learned about the impact of "impact fees" the hard way several years ago). You can get most of these costs from your local building and planning department and from your local utilities. Don't assume you know all the required fees as cash-strapped towns and cities seem to add new ones every year. Find out if one or more surveys will be required by either the building department or lender – if not, you may want one anyway unless the corners are marked recently and reliably.
WARNING: Even if you are hiring a general contractor or buying from a developer, some of these costs will NOT be included in the price you are quoted. Be especially aware of impact fees and utility "tap" fees which can run into thousands of dollars.
Typical Building Dept. Fees for a Mid-Sized City Plan Review Fee Building Permit Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical Permits Additions to Existing Structures Alterations/Repairs to Existing Structures Change of Occupancy in Existing Building Fire Protection Systems Accessory Building & Engineering Field Inspections Pavement Cut Permit Fee Driveway/Sidewalk Research & Records Project Revision Fee Zoning Fee Re-Inspection Fee/Extra Inspections Re-Review Fees Tree Conservation Permit Special Enumerated Fees |
You or your contractor will need proper insurance to protect the building during construction, and to protect against harm to others (liability). Lenders require this, but you should definitely have it anyway.
Legal fees are easy to run up if you require easements or variances or, especially, if you are challenged by an abutter – unfortunately a common occurrence nowadays in some areas. Beware of the NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) neighbor, who wants their house to be the last one built in the neighborhood.
Engineers and consultants may be required for such things as steep slope foundations, problem soils (expansive clay, uncompacted fill, peat), complex drainage issues, unusual structural design, septic systems in environmentally sensitive areas, and so on. Sometimes a quick $200 consult is all you need, but try to anticipate and budget for it.
For more information, review the section on budgeting for site development along with the sample site development budget.
Who to Contact: Town Building and Planning Dept., Sanitation Department, banks, insurance agents, surveyor, engineers, lawyer, as needed.
The first three items listed – Demolition, Jacking & Shoring, and Dust Control are listed for remodeling projects. Conscientious contractors put a lot of effort into keeping dust and debris out of the home's living area, and spend a lot of time each day cleaning and securing the job-site.
Who to Contact: remodeling contractor for demolition, shoring and jacking, electrician and power company (temp. power), forester or logger to clear land, waste management company
Contact both your building department and utility companies to get a handle on all fees and costs involved. These costs have been rapidly increasing as towns look for new revenue sources. Find out what the town or utility provides, if anything, in exchange for their "tap" fees. You will most likely be responsible for all hard costs for trenching and backfill, wiring and plumbing, and meter installation.
WARNING: Even if you are hiring a general contractor or buying from a developer, some of these costs may NOT be included in the price you are quoted. Be especially aware of utility "tap" fees, connection fees, trenching, plumbing, and wiring fees, which can run into thousands of dollars.
Who to Contact: Town Building and Planning Department, individual utilities, excavator if needed for trenching
Typical costs for these items are shown in the sample site development budget. Many pieces of land today are sold with a septic plan in place and sometimes even a cost estimate. If so, make sure the plan is still current (many expire in two years), and reconfirm the estimate. A mound system or other alternative system may be required if the soil does not drain well, the water table is too high, or is close to a body of water. Mound systems in my area can cost over $30,000 and require pumps, monitors, and regular maintenance. See more about septic systems.
Wells are tricky to estimate since the required depth of the well is unknown. Talk to local well drillers – they know typical depths and flow rates of area wells. Some will give a fixed bid or will guaranty a certain flow rate. Find out what the well driller will provide in his bid and what you will need to provide to get the water from the well bottom to your home. This includes pump and wiring, trenching to the house, underground plumbing, pressure tank, and possibly water treatment for hard, acidic, or poor tasting water. See more about water wells.
Who to Contact: town sanitation department, septic system designers, septic system installers, well drillers, plumbers
These costs can vary greatly depending on site conditions: steep, wet, or rocky sites can add significant costs to development. So will sites with problem soils such as expansive clay, uncompacted fill, or toxic materials in the soil. In some cases, soil testing by a civil, geotechnical, or soils engineer is advisable to help formulate a workable plan.
Steep sites may need retaining walls or other approaches to soil stabilization. Wet sites may require extensive work on the surface and below to divert and drain water away from your foundation.
The highest cost items in this section, potentially, are Blasting and Remove/Add Fill — also called "cut and fill." Cut and fill is needed to level a sloped site – soil is "cut" from one area and use to "fill" the other. Often, however, additional fill needs to be purchased and trucked in to level the lot or elevate the house for improved drainage. You may also need granular fill (gravel or crushed stone) for improved drainage under and around the house or for curtain drains to control subsurface water.
The cost of fill varies greatly with local availability, but can run into the thousands of dollars. Make sure your contract covers all these costs. If you are the contractor, get written estimates beforehand from a local excavation firm.
Who to Contact: Excavator, blasting company if needed, sand and gravel suppliers, landscaping contractor, geotech engineer, if needed.
Foundation costs will vary a lot depending on the soil type, slope, drainage problems, and type of foundation. In many southern regions, chemical treatment of the soil, or alternative treatments, are required by code for termite control. In general, crawlspaces are the least expensive, followed by slabs-on-grade, followed by full basements. If you're considering a slab-on-grade foundation in a cold climate where you have to excavate deeply anyway, I'd suggest also pricing a full basement, which can provide you with ample utility and recreational space for a modest upcharge. Damproofing slows the movement of moisture though your foundation walls, but will not stop water from leaking in. Full waterproofing of foundations is more expensive, but worth considering depending on the soil characteristics and how you plan to use the space. People don't like to invest a lot of money below grade where they can't see it, but investing in good waterproofing and drainage controls will pay years of dividends in terms of warm, dry living or storage space in the basement.
Who to Contact: Foundation contractor, concrete ready-mix company, dampproofing/waterproofing contractor, pest control operator
Your framing crew is critical to the success of your house. Framing that is sloppy, or undersized, or uses substandard lumber will result in sags, cracks, nail pops, out-of-square rooms, and bouncy floors later on. So hire a reputable crew. Your lumberyard will usually be happy to provide you with a lumber list and material bid, and may also be able to properly size any large support beams. Newer materials such as LVL and Glulams have made steel beams less common on residential building sites.
Who to contact: Lumberyards, framing contractors
Roofing is pretty straightforward, and is bid quickly by the "square," equal to 100 sq. ft. of roof surface. In cold climates, remember to use a membrane flashing along the eaves and around skylights to prevent roof leaks from snow and ice buildup. On low-slope roofs, it's often worthwhile to run membrane under the entire roof. Avoid single- or double-coverage roll roofing as the stuff made nowadays can fail within a few years. Options include: asphalt/vinyl shingles, composite shingles, metal, wood, clay tile, concrete and composite tile. For low-slope roofs, single-ply membranes are the best choice, most commonly EPDM.
Who to contact: Roofing contractors
Windows and exterior doors are often installed by the framing crew, but I'd prefer to have them installed by a finish carpenter or door and window specialist. In either case, make sure they closely follow proper installation procedures for insulating, sealing, flashing around openings (a common place for leaks).
Windows are a big-ticket item with a wide range of costs. You can't beat a well-made solid vinyl unit for economy, durability, and low maintenance, but you may not like the appearance (also check out the screens, which are often useless on "builder's grade" windows). While solid vinyl now dominates the low end and middle of the market, consider upgrading to a solid fiberglass window or a wood window with vinyl or aluminum cladding. Whatever you decide, make sure you see sample windows in a showroom and operate the sash and screens on a display unit before ordering. You can negotiate significant contractor discounts on large window orders so shop around.
Who to contact: Framing crew, finish carpenters, lumberyards, window wholesalers
There are many choices for exterior finishes and trims. Key factors to consider are aesthetics, durability, maintenance, and cost. The cheapest way to go is vinyl siding, with aluminum or vinyl fascia and soffit. If you want low maintenance, but higher quality and better performance, consider fiber-cement siding and trim such as Hardie Board, or cellular PVC trim products such as Azek. This work can be performed by either rough (framing), finish carpenters, or siding installers. If you have complex exterior details, a finish carpenter would be a better choice for the trim work.
Who to contact: Framing contractors, finish carpenters, siding contractors, masons (for stucco, or brick or stone veneer)
MASONRY and PAVING
This covers anything made of masonry block, stone, brick, or other masonry materials, other than the foundation or siding. Examples include fireplaces, patios, exterior stairs, and walkways/driveways.
Who to contact: Masonry contractors, masonry suppliers, pavers
Hookup costs and fees, including trenching, are covered under Utilities, but it doesn't hurt to confirm your water and sewage plan with your plumber. Make sure all costs are covered for fees, pumps, trenching, plumbing, wiring, pressure tank, water treatment, and whatever else is required.
Plumbers often want to buy their own bathroom fixtures and mark them up (they get a significant discount from suppliers). But don't be shy about visiting showrooms or home centers to see and price out fixtures. Avoid low-end "builder's grade" fiberglass tubs and shower stalls. I've seen too many problems with cracks and chips over the years. Choose better quality fiberglass or, if it's in the budget, acrylic fixtures. Don't be shy about getting into tubs and showers in the showroom to check out the elbow and leg room.
There are many options for water heaters. Consider integrating the water heater with your boiler if you have hydronic heat. Choose a high-efficiency unit large enough to meet your family's needs.
Who to contact: Utilities, plumbers, plumbing showrooms, home centers
Hookup costs and fees, including trenching, are covered under Utilities. Coordinate with your electrician regarding new or upgraded electrical service. Carefully plan all electrical circuits so you don't need to pull wires after the walls and ceiling are up. Now is the time to run any special cables for phone, TV, internet, intercoms, and home entertainment, as well as exhaust fans, bath fans, doorbells, and security systems.
Also go on a shopping spree to lighting showrooms. Technology is rapidly changing with compact fluorescents, LEDs, and other low-energy lighting systems. Negotiate for a discount – or take your business elsewhere. Home centers have good prices, but not always the best quality in fixtures.
Regarding kitchen and bath vents, these are often installed by electricians, but must be ducted properly to work well. Ductwork that is two small, too long, or has too many turns will prevent the exhaust fan from working properly.
Who to contact: Electricians, lighting showrooms, local telecom company, home entertainment specialists, home security company
In general, the more you spend up front for high-efficiency heating, cooling, and water heating equipment, the less you will pay over time in fuel bills. A well designed system will also provide greater comfort. The biggest energy savings will occur when upgrading heating and cooling equipment in an older, poorly insulated house, since you are starting with such a high fuel bills and, therefore, have a lot to save.
In a new, tightly built, energy-efficient home, a mid-efficiency heating/cooling system is often the most cost-effective. In hot, humid areas, pay special attention to humidity control as some of the high-efficiency cooling systems sacrifice latent cooling (dehumidification) for higher efficiency. Get bids on both mid- and high-efficiency units as well as an estimate of annual energy bills from your HVAC subcontractor.
Plumbers and HVAC contractors get substantial discounts on equipment, but it is difficult for homeowners to get these discounts from suppliers. If you are acting as an owner-builder, it's worth trying to negotiate for a contractor's discount from the plumbing supply house.
A for whole-house ventilation, in a very tight house, a stand-alone HRV or ERV is the best and most expensive system. But an experienced HVAC contractor or HRV installer can integrate ventilation with your forced-air heating system for substantially less. On a smaller house, one or two quiet bath fans with a timed controller can provide adequate ventilation very economically.
Who to contact: HVAC contractors, plumbing contractors (for hydronic heating), HRV specialist
Typical insulation contractors aren't known for their precision, so if energy savings are important to you, look for a quality-minded contractor, up on the latest in energy efficiency. A sloppy installation will compromise performance. You'll find up-to-date guidelines for insulating new homes and retrofits at the Energy Star website, or contact your state's energy office.
In general, fiberglass insulation or cellulose are the least expensive insulation products. Consider adding a layer of foam on the interior or exterior of your outside walls for enhanced performance.
Air-sealing is also very important for energy efficiency and comfort. It is best handled by a contractor who specializes in energy-efficient homes, or by an energy or weatherization specialist. For optimal results, a blower door is used to help find leaks and measure the effects of air-sealing. Some energy specialists will provide a written guarantee for specific levels of energy savings. You can locate energy specialists in your area using the RESNET website.
Who to contact: Insulation contractors, weatherization contractors, energy specialists
Half-inch drywall is the standard interior treatment for walls and ceilings. For improved soundproofing (for example between a bathroom and bedroom) use two layers of ½-inch drywall, with the second layer glued on with no nails or screws, and a layer of fiberglass insulation in the wall.
Skim-coat plaster is a nice upgrade from drywall and costs only a little more in some areas. The finish is harder and flatter, and less prone to nail pops. It's worth getting a quote.
Who to contact: Drywall contractors, plastering contractors
The interior finish is what you see the most, so you want skilled craftsmen doing the trim work. One good trim carpenter, and perhaps one helper, is all you need. Get a bid for all moldings, built-ins, closet trim, and interior doors. Your finish carpenter may also be able to install kitchen and bath cabinets and countertops.
Wood flooring is generally done faster and cheaper by a specialist. There are many wood flooring choices in terms of thickness, species, solid vs. veneer, and pre-finished vs. finished in place. While I like a traditional hardwood floor, sanded and finished in place, I've had very good look recently with pre-finished solid-hardwood with "micro-bevels." It looks good and you can get super-hard factory finishes. Like traditional flooring, it can be sanded and refinished multiple times.
Stairs can be built on-site by a good finish carpenter, but you will probably do much better with a stair company that fabricates the stairs off-site and delivers and installs the whole unit.
For carpeting, vinyl, and tile, many product suppliers also have installation crews or can recommend independent contractors. Closet interiors can also be handled by specialty contractors or your finish carpenter.
NOTE: Ceramic tile and stone are found in the K&B section below since that is there most common location. However, many flooring retailers carry tile and stone, as well as other flooring types.
Who to contact: Finish carpenters, flooring retailers, wood flooring contractors, carpeting contractors, stair fabricators, closet contractors
There are countless kitchen and bath contractors, many of whom sell and install cabinets, as well as design kitchen layouts. Most large home centers will do the layout work for you as well, at no charge, and will sell and install the cabinets and countertops. Alternately, your finish carpenter can install the cabinets and countertops, if you already have a design worked out and plan to buy the cabinets yourself. It's tough to compete with home centers for price, but I can't vouch for the quality of their installations. As with most jobs, get a few bids and compare (I've had mixed luck with carpeting and flooring installed by home centers).
Cabinets have a broad price range. As you go up in price, you are generally getting stronger cabinet construction with more solid hardwood and plywood, and less veneer-covered particleboard. Also drawers are built better, and slides, hinges, and other hardware are sturdier and smoother. Over time, cheap wall cabinets will tend to sag in the middle, especially wide ones. This can be avoided to some extent by adding more screws and braces during installation.
You may have a wholesale countertop fabricator in the area where you can get contractor prices on laminate, solid-surface, synthetic stone, and solid stone countertops. These are also available at home centers – compare prices. For granite and other stone materials, you should also call around to local stone fabricators who often have good prices on remnants from larger jobs. You'll see an amazing variety of stone colors and patterns. The fabricators may also be able to install the product or recommend installers.
If you are installing ceramic or stone tile, I highly recommend using a professional tile setter, not a carpenter who sets the occasional tile floor. Tile work has changed a great deal over the past few decades and is still changing with new substrates, membranes, grouts, and adhesives. To get a job that's waterproof, crack-free, and properly laid out and detailed (symmetrical and balanced, without little slivers of tile), go with a pro.
Who to contact: Finish carpenters, kitchen and bath showrooms, kitchen and bath contractors, countertop fabricators, stone fabricators, home centers, ceramic tile retailers, ceramic tile installers.
These are items you can add to your home later if you need to save money now. If you want them included in your main carpentry bid, solicit bids as a separate line item. That way you can get competing bids from deck specialists for comparison, or hold off on the project for a later date. Most deck builders also build screen porches, pergolas, and other outdoor living spaces. If you are installing an attached deck, pay special attention to how the deck attaches to the house – this area most be properly flashed and securely fastened to prevent problems.
The trend in recent years has been toward synthetic and composite decking materials, rather than pressure-treated lumber. In general, the composite decking materials work well, but some hold up better than others. Another high-end option that provides a long-lasting, low-maintenance deck is tropical hardwood decking such as Ipe.
Who to contact: Finish carpenters, deck builders
Negotiate for a contractor's discount if you buy all your appliances from one vendor. Large home centers generally offer free delivery, but may charge for set-up. Installation issues include vents for dryers, vents and ductwork for downdraft ranges, plumbing hookups for refrigerator ice makers. Any appliance that vents to the outdoors will need a through-the-wall vent cap. Downdraft ranges have special venting requirements that must be closely followed for proper performance. In very tight new houses, downdraft ranges can cause backdrafting of furnace or water heater flues, so it's best to avoid them.
In preparation for these appliances, make sure your electrician provides the necessary current and outlets: 220V for electric dryers and ranges.


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The Letter LyricsArtist: One Dollar ShortAlbum: Eight Days Away You told me that you had written me a letter To expect it any day now I ask you for all the clues You told me I'd have to wait and see For delivery of your words to me Today is letter day / Paper and a postage stamp Takes my gray skies away You ask me if I still feel the same way / as yesterday If I cut your name in to my arm with broken glass would that be proof enough? I'll miss you befor I finish writing the next line Why does there have to be this distance between us? You're so far way / Forever lives in everyday It's a test of strength / I believe in my heart If it's truly meant to be / nothing will keep as apart [x2] Today is letter day / Paper and a postage stamp Takes my gray skies away Today is letter day
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