text:
When last we featured Rich and Barb Lagasse's '63 Sting Ray Coupe, it was to tell the world the definition of "Pro Classic." That was in our February issue ("Pro Classic, Defined," Page 46), and it wrapped up the series of articles CF brought you on this special split-window's construction. We called them recently to see what's happened since then, and to get an update on their experiences with this very special Corvette.
Since completing the car, "Split Personality" has hit the show scene, garnering praise from show-goers while scoring a trophy haul that includes multiple Best in Show trophies, along with more than a few Outstanding awards for paint, chassis, body detail and display, as well as First Place trophies for its class wins. (Editor's Note: While you might expect that a car such as this would place very well at Corvette specific events, it is interesting to note the intense competition at the events where the car is now being shown includes all types, makes, models and year vehicles and yet the car continues to be well recognized.)
One of the interesting aspects for the Lagasse's since they have been traveling around the country to all these great shows has been the fact that many of the spectators came to the shows specifically to see the car in person having seen it in the project series right here in Corvette Fever. Other spectators unaware that the car was in attendance immediately recognized the car from the magazine and were very happy to see it up close and personal for the first time.
Does he expect to get a trophy every time they show off their vivid red '63? Far from it.
"We go to these shows to enjoy ourselves, meet the people, see the cars from different areas of the country and have a mini-vacation" says Rich. "We go in expecting nothing, and we're happy with whatever we get. The judges at these shows know their stuff and we know they do their best at what is a difficult job. We go for the experience, and for meeting the nice people (both car owners and spectators), and not for the hardware. That said, it's nice to have something that shows the recognition and appreciation of what we've built having put so much of ourselves into the project. Our best memories though are from talking to all of the people that we meet and the new friends we make."
Rich also says that he believes that show awards should be spread around, as most shows have enough Class, Outstanding, Best and Sweepstakes awards to cover a good number of the cars in the show. "For example, if you're fortunate enough to win a Best in Show that pretty much says it all," he says. "If there are separate awards for paint, undercarriage, engine, interior, etc, the car owners who have scored well in those areas should receive those awards to recognize their hard work. Many shows do that and we feel it makes the show a better experience for everyone."
But it's the comments and good words from show-goers that the Lagasses remember the best. As Rich says, "By the end of each day, we've spoken to so many people--which we both enjoy--that our voices are almost shot!" He adds that because show-goers like to see things that they haven't seen before, or at least what they can't see at their regular cruise nights, that leads to the positive attention they--and "Split Personality"--get. Anyone who has had the chance to talk to Barb at the shows has to be impressed by her knowledge of the car as well as her enthusiasm in pointing out all the details. Having lived through the project she really knows all the details. They appreciate the level of innovation, the ideas that have been incorporated, and how they've been incorporated," Rich notes. "With everything we do, we try to tie into the car's original design concept--exterior, interior or whatever--so that it looks like we have a common theme, and we stick to that theme. Every modification that we make fits into that original design concept."


text:
Knowing software applications is the number one computer skill businesses ask graduates to possess. You can learn new skills,
or update your current knowledge.
Software classes are offered at the beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels. Students can learn the application at their
own pace in a variety of teaching and learning formats.
Please contact a faculty member for help in selecting classes that are
right for you.
Click on the course title to view the course description and class schedule for the current quarter.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Wood, the pastor at
He also spoke Sunday night at
During an interview with The News Herald Wood recalled a thriving local African-American community with businessmen and women owning grocery stores, flower shops and beauty salons along
"We had a strong sense of community and that's traced all the way back to
"In many instances we called (neighbors) uncles and aunts because it was like a family, a lot of the times they weren't kin to us … that was the respect we had for them because it felt like they were family."
Wood said self-identity plays a major factor in the development of the local
On Jan. 5, the NAACP of
The event featured games, prizes, a guest speaker and an educational session.
According to Wood, to his dismay, when the children were asked to name the president who freed the slaves, "Martin Luther King" rang out from the group.
"It broke my heart," he said.
"There's no living memory of slavery nor segregation; these kids don't know the story," he added, suggesting that African-American history should be taught beginning at African continental history.
"Our ancestors were kings and queens, our ancestors built the pyramids … they need to know that to build their self-esteem," he added.
Born and raised at
But there was more to the Civil Right's movement than just working for equality and a chance at the
"We all know Dr. King was a civil rights activist, a social educator – because he educated
The significant civil rights achievements of King, of course, could not be understated.
Many attendants of Sunday's sermon were of the age to remember the turbulent days of separate water fountains, doctors office waiting rooms and bathrooms, segregated into "colored's" and "white's" in Bay County, Wood reflected.
"On one hand we have made significant progress," Wood said. "On the other hand there is still a lot of work that needs to be done."
Monday's celebrations will start as a celebration of King and will include a celebration of Obama's second inauguration.
"Without MLK, there would be no Barack Obama," Wood said. "It's inseperable, because he made it possible."
Wood continued, "without the sacrifice of King and Rosa Parks, he would not be in that seat," he said.
"We have not made it to the promise land yet," Wood said. "The mere fact that we have an African American president suggests we have come along way and made advancements."
August of 2013 marks the 50th Anniversary of King's iconic "I have a dream" speech and of the March for Jobs and Freedom on
"In 50 years we have truly come a long way," Wood said. "Even in
Wood called upon local residents to "learn to live together as brothers and sisters or perish as fools," quoting King.
"I think the greatest tribute we can give," he said, "is whatever act of service we can do on Dr. King's birthday."
-What: Martin Luther King Jr. Day Festival
-When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday
-Why: To commemorate MLK Day
-Details: 276-1097
-Web: Find an article about Monday's festival at newsherald.com


text: Research at UMass Lowell aims to develop innovative solutions and technologies to tackle the world's toughest challenges. From focusing on today's demands for clean, sustainable energy to fueling major medical breakthroughs, the University's research happens through creative collaborations—in academic departments, through 34 interdisciplinary research groups, by graduate and undergraduate students, and with corporate sponsorship and leading national research institutes. Linked here is a list of the UMass Lowell research, engagement centers, institutes and labs where cutting-edge research is taking place:


text:
Rowan University Libraries
Rowan University Libraries
Information Centers for any Scholar
Rowan University Libraries provides the Rowan community with access to an extensive range of resources and services, which are accessible through four physical libraries and through the Library website. Subscriptions to more than 55,000 online journals and thousands of other e-resources are available 24/7 through the Library website.
The Keith & Shirley Campbell Library
Keith & Shirley Campbell Library houses nearly 400,000 books and multimedia materials. Campbell Library is home to a selective Government Documents Depository, the Rowan University Archives, Special Collections, and the RCA Heritage Museum.
RowanSOM Health Sciences Library
The Health Sciences Library is located in the Academic Center on the Stratford campus. It serves all students, faculty, and staff of the Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, students of the GSBS program, and all other members of the Rowan University community.
The CMSRU Library
The CMSRU Library serves the faculty, staff, and students of Cooper Medical School at Rowan University in Camden, NJ; the staff at Cooper University Health Care; and members of the Rowan University community. The bulk of the collection is comprised of electronic books, journals, databases, and related specialty collections.
The Music Library
The Music Library, located at the Glassboro campus in Wilson Hall, offers resources and services that meet the unique needs of the music students and staff. The Music Library houses music scores, sound recordings, music reference books, and DVDs.


text:
Events Calendar
May 2013
NIFA Halo Tournament
Sunday, May 19 - 6:00PM
On April 19 the USU NIFA team will be holding a Halo 4 tournament fundraiser! We will have multiple consoles and TVs with Halo with a full bracket-style competition. Registration is $5 for individuals, and $15 for a team of four. That includes entry into the tournament, as well as additional games available while you wait for your game to start. There are open, free-to-play games that will be available for anyone to play. Food and drink will be available. And bring your own controller if you have one. You will pay the fee at the door.
Student Involvement (ASUSU)
Open To:
Students Alumni Faculty Staff Public
Admission Info:
$5 per person / $15 for a team of 4
DJ Flaherty


text:
The patience of Mississippi State quarterback Tyler Russell has been rewarded.
After being heavily recruited out of Meridian High School, there was a tremendous amount of pressure on the Bulldog coaching staff and head coach Dan Mullen to play Russell early.
Russell came in as a Parade Magazine All-American, the Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Mississippi and was ranked as the No. 12 pro-style quarterback in the country by Scout.com.
He had the look of a quarterback and proved in high school that he could throw the football with 3,284 yards passing and 40 touchdowns as a senior in leading Meridian to the Class 5A State Championship.
With all of those numbers, Russell was expected to contribute significantly right away at MSU.
When that didn't immediately happen, there was a little bit of nervousness in the fanbase.
Russell ended up having to wait his turn with the Bulldogs behind Tyson Lee and Chris Relf.
Although it had to be difficult to stand on the sideline and hold a clipboard longer than he wanted, Russell's time has come.
As Mississippi State continues fall camp, Russell appears to be the solid No. 1 quarterback.
While speaking at the school's preseason media day on Tuesday, Russell realizes that the waiting was all a part of the plan.
"Everybody made it a big deal when I didn't play right away," Russell said. "I had to learn how to be patient. I learned from Chris, Tyson and coach (Dan) Mullen. I've matured over the years and I'm very comfortable with this offense."
The coaching staff has done a good job of easing Russell into the gameplan.
After redshirting in 2009, Russell played in nine games as a freshman behind Lee and Relf. He completed 39-of-65 pass attempts for 635 yards with five touchdowns and six interceptions.
Russell played a little bit more last season and started four games and his statistics improved slightly. He completed 69-of-129 pass attempts for 1,034 yards with eight touchdowns and only four interceptions.
It's hard to predict exactly what kind of season Russell will have as a junior now that he's not having to play behind someone. There's going to be a different kind of pressure on him as the starter.
Just as Russell has been the last two years, the backup quarterback on the depth chart this season is Dak Prescott.
Mullen founds ways to get Relf and Russell into the game to spell Lee and Russell last year to give Relf a breather. Now it's Prescott looking to get some time on the field and Mullen will find a way to get that done.
If something were to happen to Russell and he had to come out of a game because of an injury, Prescott needs to gain some experience so he won't be overwhelmed by a situation.
Prescott is more of an athletic signal caller who can make plays with his feet so it will be interesting to see what ways the offensive coaches use his talents in games.
Russell wants to help Prescott any way he can and said it's working both ways.
"He's kind of in the same position I was a few years ago, being an older guy in front of you," Russell said. "I tell him if he's doing something wrong and he does me when I do something. We help each other out. It's about competition, but also about getting better."
As fall camp continues, it will be important for Russell and Prescott to get enough reps to provide MSU the best possible situation at quarterback this season.
Danny P. Smith is sports editor and columnist for the Starkville Daily News. The opinions in this column are his and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Daily News or its staff.
[1] http://www.starkvilledailynews.com/sites/default/files/Russell px 8.JPG
[2] mailto:email@example.com


text:
- arthur mitsias
- Streamwood, IL
- United States
This conversation is closed.
Has technology accelerated human evolution?
my question is based on my observations of events that have happened in my own lifetime,we went from conventional warfare to atomic bombs ,we went from party line telephones to blue tooth, we went from the encyclopedia to ipads,we went from maps to gps,we went from libraries to kindle,we went from Sunday dinner to Mc Donalds,we went from radio to 50"flat screen 3d television,skype,electric cars,and we put a man on the moon.All of this in one life time.what use to take millions of years to happen,. is now happening in generations.I watch little kids walking towards doors they dont stop because they know its going to open,young children using computers to write and draw.I guess my question is,am I right in thinking that human evolution is accelerating.
paul Ashton
Jul 23 2012: I'm a elementary teacher and a physics buff as it relates to both the big and small. Feedback is the mechanism that perpetuates the development of all systems from the atomic level to the cosmological level. Evolution is the result of genetic feedback through the turning on and off of genes through the generations in an adaptive cycle related to the
- +4
epi-genome. The epi-genome is the interface of the environment with our already inherited genome and has been shown to manifest bi-generationally. The more change a system experiences the more feedback gets produced and the faster that system, or more robustly, that system will "evolve". Like the ripples created by many pebbles as opposed to one, so to the pool of human evolution becomes more wavy. Not only does more input yield more change but also like the ripples coalescing forming troughs and peaks inputted information feeds back off each other thereby further increasing system changes. I am witness to human evolution every day in my classroom as an effect of technology. The learning process is accelerating due to the instant feedback students experience and creativity and social collaboration afforded by new technologies. I imagine if it were studied the curve of learning acceleration would appear much as the one depicting Mr. Ray Kerzwiel's exponential singularity eventualities. Maybe behind a little since many teachers are still so slow to get with the times. It drives me nuts. Feedback is the chariot of the wheel of time and it is now a sports car.
Steve C
Jul 24 2012: Objects do tend to accelerate prior to impact!
- +2
Jul 24 2012: Also a good point...............Jul 24 2012: A very good point !!!!!Jul 24 2012: sometimes it can move at a snails pace but the impact is inevitable
Jul 24 2012: It doesn't mean that there is no impact ;Objects tend to accelerate in 'anticipation' of an impact, as if the impact has already occurred.
Gord G
Jul 22 2012: That's impossible. Evolution doesn't have a predetermined speed. Your question is an uncomfortable mix of Darwinism and metaphysics. :-)
- +2
Max Gutapfel
Jul 20 2012: No i dont think so as long as there isnt an increase in smart people mating ... then its no. The concept of evolution is simple: You make children your genes are partly given on to the next generation.
- +2
I cant doubt that evolution is speeding up. But human evolution is something diffrent then technical evolution.
Human evolution might currently lead to an increase in thrust because were getting more and more dependant on devices and concepts which we ourselves dont understand.
Human evolution is being accelerated by 2 things: Number of children per person AND amount of genetic mutations (which seems to be on the rise after fukushima and the like).
I cant argue against an increase in economical and technological evolution ... where the first frightens me a little.
Jul 21 2012: I see it a little different Max,the fact is that people are smarter today,not that intelligence has increased,knowledge has increased,some one in one of the replies stated that I.Q tests have had to be elevated from the first ones that were used,the fact is that I,Q tests are used to measure knowledge as well as intellect,as far as the size of the family,the family use to consist of an average of six members at the turn of the century today it is four members,not only that,the female because she is only bearing two children on average and is not worn down as badly as the women who are bearing twice as many,will nurture the fetus much better.As to mutations to our genetic make-up Fukushima is too soon to have an impact on us yet,what should be bothersome are the atomic and hydrogen bombs that were used and tested over sixty years ago,they were very dirty bombs and their effect may still be waiting for us down the road
Jul 21 2012: Well ofcourse IQ can be increased by evolution. However IQ is more or less an ability we can "learn" the more we get into contact with complexity the more need we have to disentangle this complexity inorder to get to understandable results.
As the world we live in changes ofcourse the requirements to survive and reproduce changes thus yes
an increased iq is definately helpfull and thus its what evolution will lead to.
However i wouldnt say that evolution speeds up by anymeans ... it just changes priorities over and over again, and currently someone had the "stupid" idea to measure it in IQ.
Our brain is capable of learning a LOT if its used for this specific task, with all the technologie around it is required to be able to abstract and we learn it from beginning on + we have the technology to access knowledge in the blink of an eye which i think will lead to people having less and less "static memory" and more and more "understanding memory" (excuse my poor word inventions).
So theres also drawbacks and id say evolution doesnt speed up :P
ps.: I said fukushima "and the like" those tests were somewhat included even tho i didnt think of them specifically.
Have a nice day :o) I appreciate those discussions.Jul 19 2012: Can we call it development rather than evolution because with regard to biological mechanisms evolution has a specific meaning which I don't think you are talking about?
Cognitive development is certainly accelerated by exposure to much more mental stimulation from many more sources. I would suggest the trade off is a general loss of gross-motor skills. We may well all end up highly intelligent but overweight un unco-ordinated. It will make sport funny though!
Jul 22 2012: You seem to have found the balance for yourself, haven't you ? :)
Hyun Kim
Jul 18 2012: Human evolution has stopped since the moment we used tools(technology) outside of our own physical capabilities to hunt. This isn't a bad thing, it's just that there's only so much that natural selection is able to do in a given timeframe, but if technology can overcome that speed, then natural selection stops.
- +2
Evolution is defined by changing necessary bodily functions to adapt to the surrounding environments. This is how from single atoms, we have evolved into the complex, multicellular organisms that we are today. The moment that we fashioned rocks into tools of hunting was when humans stopped being influenced by natural selection, stopped evolving, but in turn came up with something even greater, technology.
Technology and tools are technically one and the same. An arrowhead is technology, so is pencil and paper. A computer is a much more advanced form of technology, but could not have been conceived without previous advancements in technology, including but not limited to such things as semiconductors, electricity, and even plastic.
Humans are not evolving. They have stopped evolving since the first homo sapien used a sharpened rock to do what his own physical body limited him from doing. Technology is continuously improving, and at the same rate the knowledge available to humans is growing. If humans were to evolve, if it got cold in the winter, we'd start growing fur, and lose it in the summer. That's not how humans work, instead, we use technology, such as a wool sweater or jacket to stay warm in the winter, and loose clothes in the summer. That is technology, and that is human progress.
Jul 19 2012: i agree with you , physically we have not changed ,in fact we are not half the person we used to be, we have lost the prowess,the strong sense for self preservation,even our need to procreate,but i think in the long run the trade off is working.Jul 20 2012: It didnt stop it just got overshadowed.
Hyun Kim
Jul 20 2012: What proof is there that it hasn't stopped? How has natural selection influenced humans once we discovered medicine and technology?
- 0
Jul 23 2012: I'm curious as to what makes some people think that evolution has stopped, or that it can stop? Why would evolution stop? Our environment doesn't stop changing, whether naturally or by our own innovations in technology. Evolution takes a very very long time. Longer than a few generations. Were humans 1000 years ago biologically different from us? The "evolution" of technology is not evolution of the species.
paul Ashton
Jul 25 2012: Who says that technological advancement is not a natural extension of evolution. I believe it's possible that we are one iteration of a repeating "natural" evolutionary process. In fact, and physics backs me up on this, we may be a reflection or simulation of a singularity actualized society seeking experience through separateness in an ancestry program. It might not be pretty but that does not make it unnatural.
- +1
Erin Klein
Jul 24 2012: Our perceptions of "good" and "bad" are far too simple and limited to define evolution as one or the other. The point is that the organism is changing to adapt. The problem in the question is the relationship between the cause and effect. Is technology inspiring evolution, or is it merely the consequence of the evolving brain? Most likely we're seeing a combination of both, a select group within the species is evolving at a more exponential rate and the rest of the population is adapting to the new frameworks the first group is establishing. Technology itself is evolving at a more exponential rate because we are becoming more familiar with it, children are learning about it at younger ages and thus more apt to understand and manipulate it later in life. The perception of acceleration is also contextually based.Jul 23 2012: Has technology accelerated human evolution?
- +1
Have humans evolved yet? Evolution of different kinds, well, evolve, but what about the evolution of our spirit, humanity, understanding, compassion, love and most importantly, fear?
No, we haven't and human evolution in that regard has not sped up either.
I don't believe humans have evolved into civilization, or being civilized yet. So, technology certainly hasn't affected that at all, as far as I can see.
The degradation of love, compassion, kindness, and our humanity, with greater understanding, has occurred.
And our fear has grown almost exponentially. We are like vessels that are almost filled to the top and are ready to overflow and our fear is closer and closer to pouring out. It should, and we should direct it into action to change completely into loving, compassionate, kind, humane, understanding people who don't say they care but actually do it against all odds and in spite of our "self-importance".
The only way to live that way, is to live that way. The only way to make the change is to make the change.
Let go of all, old ideas, absolutely so that something better can fill the terrible fear-void and the day-mares most are used to. Becoming used to them is a sign of mental illness, not a sign of being well-adjusted.
David Matta
Jul 22 2012: Humans can measure the evolution of everything except their own. In a moving car, the driver does not perceive the passenger moving, nor himself, whereas everything outside "seems" moving. We know that nothing is moving outside except the car we are in.
- +1
Therefore, to correct the statement above, "Humans measure the evolution of everything based on their own."
Jul 22 2012: Agreed, but the question arises : how can we measure the ' process ' being the part of the process ? What is the frame of reference ? I think we can't measure anything, because WE ARE THE PROCESS of change, we can experience change ; 'evolution' is just a term we use to create a 'map' of reality,it is the point of judgement if you like, not measurement.
I could be wrong here , of course :)
Jul 23 2012: It still has an empirical component, regardless of how abstract the reasons that cause the process are, correct? There are certainly metrics you could use to measure such a thing, and indeed it would be a complex equation if you wanted it to be fully descriptive enough to get an accurate measurement of how it is changing. That is all assuming a fixed time rate though. Given now that we are also increasing the amount we can accomplish in each day (in terms of all components of life: learning, social interaction, productivity, etc), measuring a change by a fixed time scale seems silly, so perhaps the issue of time makes your position that we can't really measure such a change correct. It's less than we can't measure it though, and more that such a measurement would have no meaningful significance, because 24 hours in 2050 will be nothing like 24 hours today, just as 24 hours in 1800 are nothing like 24 hours today.
I think the specifics of evolutionary measurement are less important than coming to grips with the fact that the world is becoming a much more dynamic place to live, where major changes can happen in a short period of time. The idea of anything being constant and timeless is quickly disappearing. I like what you said below "the very process of becoming aware is speeding up". Being aware of what's going on around you, the changing and expanding framework of reality you're living in, and the influences you exert and are effected by seems to be an effective way to take control of your own personal evolution, and thus, your participation in the evolution of all life.
Jul 23 2012: Patrick ,
I agree, the scale of observation creates the phenomenon. If ' evolution' means increasing in complexity, without judgemental sentiment ( it's neither good nor bad , higher/lower in development ), yes it seems to be obvious. Don't you think, that entropy and complexity is the same thing ? In attempt to organise entropy we make our life, relationships ... tools more and more complex, don't we ? It's a chicken egg issue. So, the 'Almighty' arrow of time is in place and conducts the show :) What is ' awareness' that is speeding up, alongside with everything else ? I guess , it's the desire to get out of the loop. How ? I don't know, but I've come up with simple ( not easy to implement, though ! ) solution: try to live in accordance with a golden rule. Old age wisdom : don't do to others... love your neighbour...dethrone yourself from the center of your world and you'll transcend yourself... Even the intent to practice it , brings clarity in thoughts and somehow reorganises life. Am I preaching ? : ) Sorry, I didn't mean to , i am not religious even, just a bit of experience .
Thanks for responding !Jul 22 2012: Technology is a product of human mind and can't be separated from our mind that creates it. They grow together, it's concrescence. What we see around, the problem we face is also a part of the picture and we don't like what we see, we call it crisis. But there is a bright side of it, we become conscious that the world we created is dis balanced, too top headed, we need to catch up with wisdom, spirituality. And technology is very helpful, it connects us, it connects information; the very process of becoming aware is speeding up.
Tanka Poudel
Jul 21 2012: IN MY VIEW: the question itself isn't clear in defining the relationship between evolution and technology so a clear answer doesn't seem possible. evolution refers to change that will exist generation after generation once it has happened. the action or inaction whatsoever which caused such evolution is not required once evolution has happened. technology in other hand is simply a tool which assists in performing certain action and their presence is required always. technology can not be eternal or ever existing they always change along with human consciousness. hence the possibility I see in regard to the question is; human have the capacity to evolve technology and technology to be a part of human experience.Jul 21 2012: Technology for Me, increased Dependence....We are So much Dependent to technology these days, that i wonder, how HUMANS will Evolve further........???
- +1
Jul 22 2012: Maybe we can, and in a way we should.
I don't remember who said this : " We can't stop our development in a half way between apes and angels "
It is not that romantic as it sounds it's actually the 'practical pattern' for survival. At least i see it this way :)
Dan Geurin
Jul 20 2012: YES! The fact that TED exists is proof of an acceleration of evolution. Smart people are finding each other all over the world. They are creating communities online and they are collaborating and even (gasp) procreating. A race of super geniuses will inhabit the earth in 50-60 years tops. I can't wait!
- +1
Jul 21 2012: plan to be here do ya.
Peter Law
Jul 19 2012: Doesn't it seem strange that we appeared out of Africa using bows & arrows about 1.8 million years ago & in the past century have gone from bows & arrows to intergalactic flight ? There are of course still plenty of folks in Africa with bows & arrows that are indisquinguishable from the rest of us. Seems to me that there is no biological reason why hunter gatherers should not build spacecraft, it's just a matter of learning from experience. So just what has evolution achieved in 1.8 million years ?
- +1
Jul 19 2012: humans haven't been around for 1.8 million years. Homo erectus was probably alive 1.8 million years ago. Homo sapiens are roughly 150,000 years old. And it's easy to see why Africans can't build spacecrafts, have they got the industry? The money? The natural resources? No.
What caused major change in humanity was the development of societies established in towns and cities.
Jul 20 2012: You cant draw a line when one species turns into another ... heck id even be happy with 3500000000 years.
Jul 20 2012: 3.5 billion years? How so. And that's one of the beauties of evolution that change is gradual unless punctuated equilibrium has any merit but I haven't read up on it.
But we can draw lines from past species and current species etc etc, if we had every single fossil ever it would be impossible to categorize them all into groups.
edward long
Jul 19 2012: In order to do a comparative analysis of the rate of human evolution it is necessary to observe those effects attributable to evolution. I am told those effects require eons of time to happen, which pretty much rules out scientific observation except by examination of fossil evidence. Millions of years from now our fossilized remains might show any change in the rate of human evolution.Also, there is the problem of establishing a baseline rate to use for comparison. For example, how many millions on years did it take for a eukaryote to evolve into a homo sapien? I think your question is unanswerable.
- +1
Jul 21 2012: Oh evolution happens from one generation to another you could potentially test it at home within 3 - 4 years.
Play "Evolution": Get a bunch of organisms which reproduce fast (labrats are quite common) then go ahead and think of some standards which your organisms should meet inorder for you to allow them to reproduce (for example: i want only those whose feet are larger then x.
Then go ahead feed those who dont meet the requirements to your cat/snake/dog ... or just put them into a diffrent cage :P
You should have a population of large feeted organisms(labrats) quite fast :o)
-Alternatively look at the website of the first pigeon breeder you can google for some examples.
Jul 21 2012: Controlled breeding for characteristics is not Evolution. A big-footed lab rat is genetically identical to a small- footed lab rat. No speciation means no Darwinian Evolution. Charles said you need millions of years for speciation to occur.
Zach Bundy
Jul 18 2012: It's actually true! The average humans of today are much smarter than the average humans of yesteryear. In rural communities in the earlier parts of the 1900's (when the IQ test was first invented) the average person scored so low, that today's terms, we would have considered them as borderline mentally retarded. Today, we see the same gains in developing countries which are starting to get access to modern education and technology. Here's an article explaining it if you want to take a reading break:
- +1
In addition, at the beginning of his book, "The Shallows", Nicholas Carr provides a great narrative of scientific discoveries regarding the way our minds work with new objects. Basically, our brains treat new tools just as if they were functioning limbs. This means that a keyboard, a pencil, a hammer, etc., are all parts of our mind. Extending this argument you could say that as we get more technology and get access to new tools, our brains evolve.
Jul 19 2012: first i have to say that we already knew all of these tools that you used to demonstrate the theory of how our brains are able to grasp there use ,the newest of which was the keyboard,which in one form or another, has been around for over a hundred years the thing about our brain is that it does not take to change easily, when innovations come along they are just that innovations,something that improves something that already exists,something that sits in our comfort zone,i am sure that through history right up to the present there are tools,concepts,inventions,that could maybe make our lives better,physically and spiritually,but our brains work like a large ship at sea it takes a lot of steps to get it to change course,its not that we don't have the intelligence to grasp these things,it was one of us that figured it out after all, but in us we still carry"the fear factor" that thing that makes us fear the dark,and even though over time we have pushed it further to the back of our brain it still exist,think about name brands,yes we have come all long way,but some things still linger from our past that still give us comfort,i guess that's why some people call their home a caveJul 19 2012: Do you think maybe the IQ thing is actually because IQ tests tend toward types of thinking that were of limited use in that setting. Maybe if the IQ test of the time included how quickly you can stack a cord of wood the results would have been higher.
Zach Bundy
Jul 20 2012: In a way, that's true. You didn't need to be smart back then. But how much of your brain is actually used when doing menial labor? At first glance, who would you guess was smarter? The farmer who didn't finish school, or a cosmopolitan writer?
- +1
Even with comparing society in the 50's with today, you need to take on a lot more education even to be able to be successful in most cases.
Today's technology allows us to articulate more of our thoughts and develop our brains, as well as expand our capabilities as humans.
Jul 22 2012: You're born with a brain with a certain amount of potential. Today we develop that potential in ways that are tested in IQ tests. If you seperate twins at birth, one works as a farm hand and the other lives with an academic family, the farm hand twin will have a lower IQ but the other twin won't be able to ride a horse like a pro. Your brain adapts to be good at what ever you use it for.Jul 24 2012: Peter,you used the example of twins being separated at birth ,one to rural life the other to a life of access to limitless knowledge,but the fact is if they are identical in every way and nurtured in the same way as to their physical and spiritual needs,why would their intelligence be different? And if one was handed everything on a silver platter, and the other had to work for everything he had,and they both found success in their choices, which is the better?
Jul 24 2012: Their overall intelligence would be the same but IQ tests only test specific parts of your intellect. Have you ever done an IQ test with a section for kinesthetic intelligence?
Comment deleted
Jul 22 2012: Hi, Ed !
Would you agree that humanity IS the process of experiencing truth and it is speeding up.
What is the nature of arrow of time ? Maybe it is a composition of two opposites ? One, as thermodynamics states, leads to entropy, hence distraction, as you put it, another creates highly organised complexity and it is unfolding ! We have a lot of information at once, we can see the connections or even more: we can see that the picture is One as if everything tells the same story with different languages. For us time is speeding up, because it is crammed with information; it's almost palpable Would a buddhist monk say that time is speeding up ?.I guess, not . We can experience truth being mentally still or moving very very fast. Maybe it is the meeting place of East and West , two different paths to the truth.
Maybe :)
Comment deleted
Jul 23 2012: Hi, Ed !
What is going on here on the page ? Time is speeding up and space starts to multiply your posts to catch up with time :) There are 3 of those !
Re ..where/when there is a rise in consciousness there is an equally strong "drawing down" by the resisting elemental.
Is it what i think it is ? We are not talking about anything external here, it's individual own 'elemental' which is resisting , right ?
Any alive system tend to stabilise itself, does it mean that with raise of consciousness polarity increases ? Do we became more and more dual creatures ?
Actually it's one process ; external is the reflection of the internal and vice verse.
What do ' Attained ones' say on this ? I don't know who they are, those individuals you are talking about. Please don't forget you are dealing with an ignorant person, but I would like to know :)
Thank you and have a nice day !
Comment deleted
Jul 24 2012: I remember an Orthodox priest once told me , that Saints are those who tempted the most. I didn't understand him back then, but now it seems to me I do .
It's about balance , what demons haunted them ...occasionally ?
Thanks !
Comment deleted
Jul 24 2012: In Hebrew there is an expression : LAMA KAKHA . The simple answer to "lama" ( why ? ) is "kakha".( because ) The literal meaning is "just so", but it is exactly as answering "because." when asked "why?". There is even a phrase that comes after this answer, "kakha zo lo tshuva", which means "because is not ( there is no ) a [proper] answer".
I guess, ' why ?' is an 'event horizon' it is not intelligible. Just love it !
Nice ! I love it ! :)
Debra Smith
Jul 18 2012: i think this is undeniably true. The advent of computers alone is apparently doubling our knowledge every 18 months or so. Knowlege is power they say and humanity is good at capitalizing upon it. In the past. everyone was just guessing at what would cause the best outcome. Now we may still be guessing but it is at a far smaller range of likely causes and it is all still being studied and reported by interested lay people and professional researchers. Additionally, we have more minds cooperating and they are more diverse - read here more widely reaching -in their understanding because computers take the need for much math literacy and other literacy upon themselves and pure creativity and openness can arrive at the discussion table.
- +1
pat gilbert
Jul 18 2012: I think that the video by Matt Ridley is germane to this conversation.
- +1
Matt talks about how this phenomenon can also regress. Either way the cause is communication or the lack of communication. He makes a statement that he is not as concerned about IQ (he is from Oxford) as with the ability to communicate. Maybe the most brilliant talk on TED.
Also note that the materials are also evolving.Jul 18 2012: It's hard to know what you mean with human evolution, since technology has always been part of human evolution. Homo Sapiens as you know it is evolved to eat cooked food, to hunt with weapons and to sleep in shelters.
A long time ago, there was a strong evolutionnary pressure towards tool use, so our hands and brains are derived from that time. The thing about technology today is that it's great enough and fast enough to accomodate itself AROUND our biological selves, which need a hell of a lot more time to evolve. So whatever piece of technology comes out, you can be pretty sure it'll be adapted to a hunter-gatherer homo sapiens. And it's not the other way around. We're not changing much, and haven't changed much since stone age. Why should we? Our children are all adapted. Even severe disabilities don't prevent people from reproducing. If anything, technology has stopped human evolution...
... until now. We're entering a new era, that of genetic knowledge. This will indeed accelerate our evolution, since we'll be able to chose and even design features and make it happen over a single generation.
Jul 18 2012: I do not know if technology has been with us all through our evolution ,we went for millions of years in ascent to where we stand today on the food chain with nothing but our instinct and wit our first encounter with technology was probably the club which we realized we could hold and defend ourselves,then over several more thousands of years we realized that fire could be used to also benefit our lives,I am sure by that time we started using caves or some other form of shelter, and all of these discoveries helped to increase our mortality,we started growing things to eat,we became the hunter instead of the hunted,we created a form of communication that was more exact in its ability to inform the ones around and the ones to come about what was needed to survive,we started leaving records that are still with us and though the people that created these cave wall drawings did not see,could not see that they were making a statement"we are here"from that first endeavor to chisel and stone,to a sharpened feather and papaya to printing press took tens of thousands of years,then to go from caves to village to city and everything that that involved,but these things took a long time to happen.As far as human evolution is concerned, the first true homo sapiens probably stood about three feet tall and weighed about thirty pounds at best and had a life expectancy of about fifteen years the same as any mammal at that time, until about one hundred ago the average height of humans was five feet seven inches and weighed about one hundred ten pounds with a life expectancy of sixty years,the generation that is being born now will average three inches in height,thirty pounds in weight,and live seventeen years longer all due to the technology of nutrition and medicine.Jul 25 2012: My iPad is pretty!
Josh Lee
Jul 24 2012: If anything, I believe technology has taken any kind of natural selection away from humanity. Other animals are subject to environmental strains while we are doing whatever we please. Our society is so saturated with resources that we have no need for direct competition. What's more abhorring is that humans are actually changing the environment to suit its purpose, which is going against natural selection in its entirety.
- 0
That is not to say that humans have stopped evolving. Our society has been putting social stress on its members to become more motivated to make money, adapt to technology, and to be sensitive to social situations. These kinds of stress come from media, technology and our peers. You are totally right about kids becoming more adapted to the environment that we live in. It is because kids have the highest mental capacity to learn and are willing to change/try new things. I am fairly confident in saying that within two generations, our children will be very much different from our parents, as we are completely different from our grandparents.Jul 24 2012: Is this question a joke? If not then your an alien who has just landed in the past hour and have not yet taped our communication system.Jul 24 2012: I rather think that technology has slowed human evolution. We now carry our brain in our hands. Our memory has been outsourced to the clouds. We should not confuse ease of access to information and wonderful electronic toys with human evolution - by which I believe you mean the constant forward progression of the human organism.
Jul 24 2012: evolution is not always progressive and can be affected by events that we may not consider a part of the evolution plan,but it is ,it's called adapting,as the history of this planet has shown organism either adapt or perish and it all becomes part of evolution,you are right,what happens to knowledge when the battery dies,are we destined to be sitting around a fire telling the next generation about this place that was called "ATLANTIS"Jul 24 2012: I understand that evolution has a positive sense, it means to change from one determined state to a better one qualitatively speaking. It is true that today humans enjoy more efficient technological devices, technology that has affected the way they think, behave and live; however, the effects are not necessarily good. No evolution involves the destruction of a species' environment, no evolution involves the drive for a species to kill each other, no evolution involves the improvement of means to keep amassing fortunes, keep getting power and keep controling society at the expense of others of their own kind's suffering and death. That is involution.
Jul 24 2012: no victor that is evolutionJul 24 2012: I believe your observations are absolutely right and is something that continue to be true. Technology IMHO is developed exponentially, now that we have a mostly free world with intelligent minds and the ability to communicate findings and quickly and easily. Allowing people in different places to work together and discuss findings through our newly discovered advanced communication network (internet) we will continue to advance at a rate never seen before. We how have 14 year old kids developing nuclear reactors in their parents basements. In closing, I 100 percent agree with you, it is going to continue to do so, and in the next 30 years we are going to see dramatic changes in our lifestyles and our gadgets!
Jul 24 2012: God willingJul 23 2012: Yes. But it is not technology. It is the demands technological development or technology mastering place upon those who either use or develop it which causes intellectual capacity to grow. A hoe or shovel will not change its user that much because they are limited tools. But a computer or digital media device is a different proposition--it's users don't possess the capacity to master their use but instead grow that capacity as they acclimate to a problem-solving environment. This means that there are great gulfs between person in the world these days--some folks are super-developed and super capable while others not so. I can't say if or how much tis effects evolution of the species, but it does represent evolution of civilization. We need to embrace and maximize this but aren't doing so because we have a persisting errant belief that intelligence is a matter of pre-determination and "study". It is not. It is a matter of neuroplastic dynamism and we can see that being proved through history whenever circumstances have called upon humans to solve lots of problems in a short time. We went from flying a "gas can" across the Atlantic Ocean to going to the moon and back in 41 years. If we understood neuroplasticity, we could probably have halfed that time.
Jul 24 2012: James I think you are wrong about the hoe and the shovel they have been apart of our progress to where we are on this road,these tools in one form or an other,have been around for tens of thousands of years,they helped to make us growers instead of hunters,they helped in the creation of villages,they were used to create irrigation systems to nurture the crops they helped build homes, dig a fire pit,with out the creation of these tools we would not be talking about how far we have come,oh by the way James, have you ever used a hoe or shovel? it's very rewarding
Jul 24 2012: Yes I have used a hoe and a shovel. You miss--greatly miss the nuance of my distinction, misjudge, and disrespect with sarcasm. There is a difference--a big difference between a hand implement which is obvious in its purpose and function like a shovel, a hammer, a baseball bat et al and a device that falls into the hands of the common person which has virtually unlimited applications none of which are obvious merely by looking at the device. This phenomenon--the technology phenomenon which has been ongoing since the PC made its way into ubiquity--has acted as a stimulus which has required millions upon millions of people to engage in many kinds and volumes of deductive reasoning which their brains respond to neuroplastically with the growth of new interconnections (dendrites) daily. You may not be up on that--most people aren't. I am. And I have done professional writing over many years on this leap in nature of what we call "tools". Asking me if I have used a shovel is obnoxiously snarky and perhaps you don't belong on TED is that's how you react to things outside of your experience or grasp.
Both kinds of tools--the hand implement for obvious purpose, and the digital device for "virtual" purpose--cause the user to deduce what is achievable with them. But there is a ceiling on the items used for physical objectives compared to virtual. I stated very clearly that I can't say if or how much this effects evolution of our species but I can with no reservation say it is impacting the evolution of our culture. Unfortunately not enough people are maximizing the potential this offers and are not attempting to change the culture by design--culture is changing merely by default. But neuroplastic dynamism is at work in every person every day and the more one ventures into creating or understanding the capacities of digital technology the more capable they become of advancing to next steps--whatever those are. IMO this must and will eventually be a central ed reform criterion.Jul 23 2012: The whole "cyborg" movement I think plays a huge part in this discussion. A human with a pacemaker i believe is no longer is definitely an evolved human in the least. Even though it is not a naturally evolved part of the body it was still developed an implanted by our species.
Jul 24 2012: hips,knees,shoulders,teeth,trans planted organs,we're just not the humans we use to beJul 23 2012: It seems to me that the question posed is about the advancement of technology and not evolution of the species. No matter how fast technology changes, evolution still takes much much longer to be noticeable.


text:
At Sarah Lawrence College, the study of philosophy retains a centrality, helping students synthesize their educational experience with the discipline's many connections to other humanities and to social science. Through conference work, students also find numerous ways to connect the study of philosophy with their interests in the arts and natural sciences. Stressing the great tradition of classical and contemporary philosophy, the College offers three types of philosophy courses: those organized around thematic topics, such as Philosophy of Science, Aesthetics, and Philosophy and Literature; those organized historically, such as Moral Philosophy, Political Philosophy, and 20th-Century Philosophy; and those that study the "systems" of philosophers such as Kant, Nietzsche, and Wittgenstein. Philosophy faculty use the latest technology in their teaching, including Web boards for posting course material and promoting discussion. Yearlong courses make extensive textual work possible, enabling students to establish in-depth relationships with the thought of the great philosophers and to "do philosophy" to some degree—particularly valuable to students preparing for graduate work in philosophy. Conference work often consists of students thinking through and writing on single philosophic and literary works, ranging from Greek tragedy, comedy, or epic to Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Machiavelli, Descartes, Shakespeare, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Hume, Kant, Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, or Heidegger.
Philosophy courses
- Ancient Philosophy
- Critique of Pure Reason
- First-Year Studies: From Animal Farm to the Republic
- Issues in 19th-Century German Philosophy
- Knowledge and Power
- Modern Philosophy (Machiavelli)
- The Discovery of Being in Pre-Socratic Philosophy
- The Philosophy of Tragedy
- The Recovery of Being in Nietzsche and Heidegger
- What is Virtue? An Introduction to Philosophy


text:
|Thread Tools
|Search this Thread
|Display Modes
Gnarly Adventurer
Joined: Nov 2009
Location: Bucharest
Oddometer: 232
Across Americas - Discovering the New World on a motorcycle
The notes are written more than 1 week ago, but the time to put them all together eluded me somehow. Now, it is time to start this. So... what is this all about?
- 7 months away from work, a supportive wife who wants to come along, a motorcycle, a tent, 2 sleeping bags, some money set aside and a dream: to Travel into the New World, from East to West and then as far South we can make it! That is it. Simple.
Fingers stop for a split second, before hitting the keyboard. Never thought the time to open a thread here would come. This is Advrider Ride Reports, the place where I've spent so many nights reading wonderful tales from far away corners of the Earth.
And now, our flight departs in 4 hours. We am in Munich waiting for the connection flight to Montreal. Come with us and discover The New World along side two Romanians!
Gnarly Adventurer
Joined: Nov 2009
Location: Bucharest
Oddometer: 232
OK, so I do have a few posts already lined up to catch up to speed since last week so the first 2 or 3 should come rather quickly :)
Did it ever happened to you, when you were little, to not being able to sleep before the beginning of a field trip? Or maybe a trip with the class? I was like that, back in the days.
Now, even though I am not a young kid anymore, seems like the old habit came back in full speed. True, this trip will probably be a little bigger than my average out-with-the-class-trip from my youth days.But still, what is with all the ruckus? These are not just random worries, these are well rooted thoughts, all aligned and ready to pass thorough and not let me sleep.
Most of them are general ones: will we make it? Will the trip be what we were hopping for? Will it be even better? But I also have very specific ones:
Hmm OK, so first of all, do you have all the paperwork? Yes, checked. All the cables, charges, photo camera, action camera? Yeah, I got too many of those, some of them should have been left at home. Clothes? Yes, checked. And now, I am not going to check that again. GPS? Yes, I have a great GPS without any North or South America map loaded. Great well see how we solve that as well
Mmm but still, do you have all the paperwork ready and placed in the hand luggage? Yes. Weve been past this already. Well when do you know if youve checked and double-checked enough? Probably, when you are stuck at a border crossing. Or when you return home without any problems.
It is 1:10 AM. In 2 hours I need to get up and I am still not even asleep. Andrea has decided that she will not even try to go to bed anymore. She is making the final preparations.
There is no need for the alarm to go off. Andreea wakes me up. Come on, it is 3:40 AM (yeah, Ante Meridian). Lets go!
I pull some clothes on me, going more on auto-pilot, and I feel like smiling. Man, it is THAT day! That MOMENT, that youve been preparing for for more than 1 year. And strangely enough, the moment seems to lack any greatness. What greatness could you find in waking at 3:40 AM to go to the airport and catch a Munich Flight. Ive seen this movie. For more than 1 year I was doing the same thing, hurrying to the airport to hop on the Lufthansa flight to Munich with my corporate carry-on after me.
Yeah, but you see, it is not the same thing. Now you have a motorcycle helmet on your shoulder, not a laptop rucksack, a motorcycle soft luggage instead of the carry-on Samsonite. And you are not wondering if you will be in time in the office but instead you are thinking how easy it would be to take your motorcycle from Canadian customs (I am afraid of this step).
So yeah, it is not exactly the same. It is something different, something that I cannot fully comprehend yet. But now, my mind is not even concentrating on that. But rather it is fixed on the last few days. I am not at all a soft guy. Some would say even that I am quite the opposite. But I cannot help to think again and again at all the messages, all the smiles, all the help we received in our preparations. People from Canada, the US, Mexico, which we havent even met yet, encouraging us or offering a place to stay, or a piece of advice, or even wanting to come with us, at least for a part of the journey. All our friends back home, our family providing so much help and support!
Yes, this is something else!
We are in the car, driving to the airport. Andreea is quiet. She is sleepy. But it is not only that. She is also a little bit nervous. For so many times she was in the same car, but only dropping me at the airport. This time we will not part at security. We will continue, together the journey.
We are on the hallway which takes us to the gateways. We left our family waving near security checkpoint. After months of preparations, we walk into the first real day of this journey. Side by side, two people, a little sleepy and a little nervous, but holding with confidence their motorcycle helmets in their hands. The helmets are the only things that differentiate us from the from the typical season crowds, fleeing to the sea-side.
I do not know how our trip will unfold. I do not know if we will make it to the far South, or if we will reach our intended destination. But this is not even so important. We hope that we will enjoy it. And we hope that all of you will enjoy it with us!
//Created in Munchen Airport, after 2 almost sleepless nights, while waiting for our flight to Montreal.
Gnarly Adventurer
Joined: Nov 2009
Location: Bucharest
Oddometer: 232
The New World I.3 - Welcome to Canada
After many hours spent in Lufthansas Airbus A330 with high speed air conditioning we land in Montreal. We are dizzy partly because of the AC and also because of the time zone changes. Welcome to Canada! Hmm lets see how welcomed we are. We have to show some passports with visas on them first.
Customs officers: Good day, what is the purpose of your travel in Canada and how long are you staying? (proudly pronouncing Canada)
Me: We are tourists and we would like to visit your country by motorcycle for about 2 months.
The guy gets curious (what, they didnt come visit their relatives?). He carefully checks again our visa in passport. And again. He asks What do you do for a living? I answer: Im an IT consultant with Accenture (long live the multinational company, probably known also in Canada). I almost answered for Andreea but I realized it might sound odd. So I try to encourage her visually. So my dear Andreea answers confidently yeah and I am working at some company in Romania. Super! I was already imagining endless follow up questions to clarify her answer. Luckily, the customs officer was satisfied with the very vague answer. Stamps on the passports and thats it, welcome in Canada.
Catalin was waiting for as at arrivals wearing a T-Shirt with Romania just for easy recognition. And yes, we felt right at home during all our time spent in Montreal, and this was all because of the wonderful people weve met there. It is true though that at home had slightly taller buildings that we were used to
Next day, a new task was at hand: to take the motorcycle out of customs. That means several hours of zig-zaging to different offices. And one would think that the Customs Office for example (which checks and approves all the packages) would have its office somewhere in the airport (where all the planes land, right?). But no, the office is some 40 minutes ride with bus 209. Then you get off at a junction and continue on foot 10-15 minutes. Of course, with a car, the trip would have been much shorter. But riding the bus, I got the chance to see the beautiful houses in the neighborhood.
The good thing about customs office being so far away from the warehouse is that the guys are nice enough and usually do not insist on coming back and check the package. The officer asked some basic questions and I got the blue stamp stating that I am allowed to take out the motorcycle.
Ready to go! Only the mirrors missing!
One funny thing was when I tried to find out from the customs officer if there is a better way to get back to the airport. And she says: of course, it is very simple, you go to the end of the street and then, making a left, you will have the airport just in front of you. Oh, so you mean I can walk to the airport? Of course not, but you are not with your car? Ooo then you will have to take a taxi
Eh, or not. I fancy another ride with bus 209 through the neighborhood.
At the end of the day, I had the opportunity to ride the first kilometers in Canada, from the airport to our hosts.
We have to say that we felt, right at home in Montreal, and this is all due to our hosts, Catalin and Catalina, and Mihai and Cami
From the next day we would be on the road, for the first time, together, on the motorcycle. Toronto, here we come!
Stay tuned!
Gnarly Adventurer
Joined: Nov 2009
Location: Bucharest
Oddometer: 232
The New World I.4 From Montreal to Toronto
Its a little bit hard to part with our Montreal friends but a traveler must keep traveling and we miss riding Gunnar. So we load our bags. As we didnt have time back home to test-fit all the luggage, we werent even sure how were we going to put everything on the motorcycle. In the end, we managed that, but then, after the first few meters, the only thought was I took too much stuff. Again. (sounds familiar?) This is a feeling that it seems I get at the beginning of every motorcycle trip.
Garage doors open and we are ready to roll
And we start rolling, me being careful on how Gunnar is handling with all the load, Andreea, with the GPS in her hands, being careful to navigate us towards Montreal outskirts .
Make a right here! or not as there are road works on that street. We make our way towards West. Between Montreal and Toronto there are around 500 km. We are set to make it all the way in one day so we choose the Highway, which for a motorcyclist is not the most passionate ride. But it is OK for the first day. I have time to adjust with handling Gunnar, Andreea finds her best place in the back sit and both of us, find ourselves at the beginning of a new journey! Yeah! We rock!
Yes, maybe we rock but not as hard as others As I am still getting used with riding in Canada, I do not want to go to fast. So the trucks are passing us promptly.
Not quite an American 18 wheeler but still, quite a sensation when one of these guys passes close by.
We go on, Gunnars engine humz steady, the road is clear, the day is beautiful and slowly the feeling that we are on the road again sinks in. I am sure all of you know this feeling, at the beginning when youve just started a long journey. And you just dare to wonder, where the road will take you
But we cannot dream to long. New Continent, new country, new driving rules. So we pay attention! For example, in Canada the Highway speed limit is 100. And those are kilometers not miles! Yeap, just 100 and thats that.
They are even kind enough to remind you what could be the consequences if you are too fast:
Mix the information in the picture above with the one in the picture below
and suddenly 100 km/h is just all the speed you need
Another odd thing for us, coming from Europe, is to see here campers trailing SUVs. In Europe you see SUVs trailing a small camper. Or a Camper having a bicycle or OK, maybe a motorcycle at the back. But this
We found out that this is a common habit here. You drive your camper where you want to camp, and then you use the jeep to move around to buy stuff or to explore. Makes sense. But still, so different than in Europe!
So, even though we were on the highway, the time passed fast for us and sooner than we thought we were in Toronto, where our hosts were George and Luiza.
Next time we visit Niagara. Stay tuned!Written in Silver Maple Campground, somewhere on Trans Canadian Highway 17.
Gnarly Adventurer
Joined: Nov 2009
Location: Bucharest
Oddometer: 232
The New World I.5 Niagara
Dear friends, todays update will be short. Weve been, like all good tourists should, to visit Niagara Falls. Back in Romania, when we were planning, we were not sure if we should go or not. A small detour of 150+ kilometers to see a crowded place, packed with tourists? Not necessarily the first thing we would do. But all our friends from Canada told us that we should definitely go. And so, we did!
We reach the Niagara Falls (village?) and its like in the movies. Casinos, big commercials, lights everywhere Nice! (I wonder how Las Vegas will be?)
OK, lets look for parking. First one we find, $15/hour. No thank you. Next one, which is even further away from the falls, surprise, $20/hour. Nice. Lets see if we can find the one with $25/h? We move on and next parking was $5/hour. yey, we take it. Good. Full stop, and threading back walking to the falls.
Now, I realize that for all Americans and Canadians the site might not be so amazing. And to be honest we were also expecting NOT to be impressed. But, if you dont take into consideration all the crowds, all the commercials, all the stands and artificial places, if you pass all that and manage to see the real thing, the falls, I think it is hard not to be impressed. We for sure were in owe with all the natural beauty.
Dear New World, two Romanians salute you!
Next, we will dodge the rain and finally head out to the wild North. Stay tuned!Written from Chirstmas, Michigan, where our present from Santa was a wifi connection
... and that is it, now we are up to date. Tomorrow we will continue further North-West and back into Canada.
Gnarly Adventurer
Joined: Nov 2009
Location: Bucharest
Oddometer: 232
The New World I.6 Leaving Toronto
On our return from Niagara Falls, we stop at a Romanian place, called Campul Romanesc. Here, a lot of Romanians living in Canada have been gathering for years, in special occasions.
When we got there, Romanian Cultural Week event was in its last day. There were Romanian food and music, Romanian paintings and poetry and a lot of smiles and encouragements for us. Visiting the people there was a nice experience. We believe that they should be more encouraged in such activities that help depict a positive image of Romania and our traditions.
Leaving Campul Romanesc, we have a nice surprise: our GPS is not powering up from the power slot installed on the bike. So it goes dead just as we were leaving the alley. So we are without directions, in a foreign small village away from Toronto. It is getting dark and we know only a street name where we need to go in Toronto. Cool. What one does in such situation? Well we asked for directions of course. So, several stops later, including a police car, we manage to find our way to the city. Also the light pollution helped quite a lot as we could see clearly on the sky the direction where the city was.
Finally, we made it to the center and from there to our neighborhood.
Gerge told as we should stay for the downpour to end and if needed wait another day. How could you refuse such a generous offer, especially thinking that maybe soon enough, in Alaska, we will not have the option to stay inside when it might rain (it might, OK?)
Come Monday and this time we are going. The sky is blue, the bags are on the bike, and the GPS has juice for about 4 hours. So at least we should be able to get out of Toronto quick, heading to the North of Ontario Province.
The landscape chances rapidly from urban to rural.
We almost ran out of gas as we were used to the gas stations frequency from the Montreal-Toronto highway. But here, the situation was a little bit different. We take an exit and after some minutes (which seemed like an eternity) we found a small place which had what we so much needed for Gunnar.
We fill up and head out again. But unfortunately the weather chances again and we decide to head West towards the United States. Tomorrow we will cross the border, heading for Duluth Minnesota. But until then, we find a nice camping spot near one of the many lakes in the area.
First night spend in the tent on our trip. Sleep tight!
Distance from our last post: 423 kilometers
Total trip distance: 1208 kilometers
Written in Miami, with a view towards the train station.
Joined: Oct 2009
Location: Don't know where I am, but not lost.
Oddometer: 22
Love your pictures, and your attitude towards travel.
Keep the posts coming, and ride safe.
Gnarly Poolside Adv.
Joined: Feb 2010
Location: Darnestown, MD
Oddometer: 754
Nice pictures and commentary, I hope you both enjoy a safe and awesome journey!
Sacred Valley of the Incas
Costa Rica Solo
An Ecuador Fly-N-Ride
Gnarly Adventurer
Joined: Nov 2009
Location: Bucharest
Oddometer: 232
The New World I.7 Time for Chirstmas, in the United States
Thank you guys for the nice words. Our "motto" for this ride is "Safe travels. Beautiful world". So we do hope to enjoy all the extraordinary things Americas have to offer, all in a safe and positive manner.
You could check more details about our trip on our website, and the most up-to-date info about where we are now should be on FB
And of course, we will try and keep this thread alive with the "stories+pics". Unfortunately we are a little bit behind with the story but I am trying to catch up. So...here's the next one:
The camping site where we've spent our last night did not had internet. But it did had a nice view to the lake, lot's of trees and, electricity coming out of some of them So, here you go, a nice way to have "green" energy:
Joke aside, I've heard though that Canada produces one of the cleanest energy in the world (a lot of hydro).
Being our first night camping, we found out in the morning how long it will take us to gather all things up. The answer: too long! Close to two hourse to pack everything and be ready to roll. But it was only the first night. We should be able to decrease this time…
So, of we go. Back on the main highway, and post signs start to pass by, nothing special. Road signs, comercials to this or to that, speed limits, don't feed the bears sign, speed limit sign, next exit… Whhaaat? Rewind a little bit! What was that sign before? We do not need to turn around, the French version comes right away by us. Sounds more "poetic" in French, but still, the message is the same.
And speaking of food here, things seem to get "to the point" . The next shop was advertising the essentials: Food for you, food for your vehicle. That's it. Take it and move on.
Today we will try and cross into the United States. Which, for two nice and honest people, with valid visas, shouldn't be a problem.
Waiting in line at the border crossing, Andreea takes the above foto. A guy in a pickup truck with Ontario license plate, tells us "you might want to put the camera away. They don't like them too much". OK… bye bye pictures with the customs officer (joking of course)
We end up waiting in the slowest queue and already have all kind of ideas about our agent and wondering what are the chances of "special checks". And we do have to go inside for extra paperwork indeed but all goes OK. Typical questions about who we are, what are we doing there, where do we work (this time Andreea is much better )
Seems our answers (and our fingerprints…) are OK as we get to stamps in the passport and off you go, welcome to the "promise(d) land".
And we are full speed in Minnesota. Firt funny thing: trying to determine if we are overspeeding or not. My speedometer is only in kilometers/hour (European style), and of course, all the road signs in the USA use imperial/miles system. To make matters even more interesting, as all VStrom users know, our speedometer is off by even a much as 10 km/h. So good luck with the "translations". But not like there isn't time for all the maths you would want. The road that we are on is like this:
So, for an European, the first amazing thing is how straight the road can be.
The second amazing thing is how many kilometers (sorry, miles0 of it (road) can be in such a way. Andreeas look says it all…
But, just in case you want some more, here you go, another one:
Even this kind of roads are nice though. You don't have to accelerate, decelerate, chance gears or anything else. There is time for thoughts, while the engine hums constantly beneath you. It is a different kind of beauty. The one that maybe advocates more for a cruiser. But we go on with what we have.
When we reach the Southern shores of Lake Superior, with their twists and bends, it feels like Christmas. And, soon enough, what do you think? it WAS Christmas!
Would you pass the opportunity to stay in such a place, with a beautiful lake close by and gourges landscape? We sure didn't want to. So the riding day ended for us with Chirstmas feelings!
Written in a Manitoba farm, having by my side the map of Alaska. We are still so far away…
Distance covered since the last post: 466 kilometers
Total distance : 1674 kilometers
Gnarly Adventurer
Joined: Nov 2009
Location: Bucharest
Oddometer: 232
The New World I.8 Duluth and beyond
We leave behind the Christmas admosphere and we continue Westwards, following the lake shores. We find launch place for boats and we take the opportunity to get closer to the waters
From the picture one cannot really tell how big is Lake Superior but it is huge! We were riding along its Southern shores for 2 days now.Walking the catwalk!
With us, white clouds are traveling.
In Duluth we were expected by Sandy and Ron, two americans, now retired, who live in a small and very nice house, together with a cat named Kitty and humming birds at the windows. Kitty would sure like to get its paws on the birds but it sure would be a hard job catching them. So better to relax and check the new comers.
Sandy has been to Romania multiple times (thats how weve come to know her, via a common friend thanks Alina!) and she says she loves our country. Knowing that we are coming she even prepared a Romanian dish, ciorba. Again we feel like home, even though so far away from it. Listen to Sandy speaking about Romania, about her travels and her plans, I wish I could record her and send the CD back home. Sandy and Ron, even if they are over 60, retired and having grand-grand children, could be for us, the younger ones, a very good example of optimism and joyful life.
So we decide to stay one more day in Duluth and check out the city. Duluth is a big port, one of the furthest from the ocean. Iron ore, coal, grains, corn and all other types of items are brought here by train from all over mainland USA and Canada. Then they are loaded on ships using modern docks and they are ready to be sent by sea all over the World. Now thats global trading.
But our hosts made sure we will see other parts of the city, rather less industrial.
The Airlift bridge, said to be only two of the kind in the world (the other one is in France)
Japanese garden on the top of the hill:
The lake waters, just good for a bath:
The empty gold beach:
After one day of rest and relaxation it was time to move on. Not before having the picture in our national costumes and Lake Superior.
If at Niagra Falls we were for sure blending in with all the colorful tourists, this time, I think we were quite a site for the drivers passing by!
Eh, but until Canada there is still a lot of ground to be covered. The road is long and yeah, youve guessed it! straight.
It is a distinct feeling when you stop at a junction like this. No sings, no markings, no telegraph posts. You cut the power and the engine becomes silent. As long as your eyes can see, there are only crops. In the heat of the sun, only the crickets are making noise, down in the grass. Seems like the hole blue sky is descending on Earth.
Not much time for poetry though. Time to move on. Straight on! (I think Ill never get tired of these jokes)
Andreea was already sound asleep in the back and given the trafic conditions above, I allowed her to sleep. To pass the time, I started to pay attention to the odometer to see just how long can I go without using the steering. The answer? 62 kilometers. Thats not to bad. For curiosity Ive searched where is the longest straight road in the world. Seems that Saudi Arabia has it with more than 260 km of inline tarmac. And not only there are no curves there is also no elevation change. So at night you could see the incoming traffic from miles away. Another candidate is just in the neighbor state, North Dakota. Highway 46 with 123 miles of rightness. So compared to those roads, I was a happy slalom-er
And not too long, another attraction comes by:
Uuuh we got to stop and see the biggest river in North America. Well, Tom Sawyers waters looked like this:
You wouldnt say much about these small waters. But, by the time Mississippi reaches the Golf of Mexico some 4000+ kilometers to the South, it becomes the 4th longest river in the world and 10th largest.
We go on to another border crossing, this time without any pictures. Things went smooth enough (for 2 Europeans) and not long after we were set free to roam in Canada again.
But as evening was approaching we werent planning for much roaming during that day. So we started looking for a campground. And then, out of the sudden we found this place:
Well as weve been already in Christmas we took it as a good sign to stay for the night also in Miami. Andreea was already preparing for the beach.
But as hard as weve looked for the ocean, we could not find it We found instead a nice campground (and cheap! 5$ for tent, clean showers, electricity and water)
We leave you with some nice images of Miami, Manitoba, Canada.
End of the line for the day!
Gnarly Adventurer
Joined: Nov 2009
Location: Bucharest
Oddometer: 232
The New World I.9 Life away from the big city
The first guy we meet after leaving Miami in the morning is Ira. Riding a big japoneze cruiser, he passes buy us and then stops a few miles ahead and waits for us. When Ive noticed him I stop to ask if he is OK and he just says Yes, Im just waiting for you.
We spent a few minutes chating about hows life there, what interesting rides are in the area, motorcycles (he would like to chance his motorcycle and is quite interested in the VStrom). Ira tells me that riding a Japanese cruiser is not always easy as for example the Harley Davidson crowd do not like other bikes and do not salute or help other bikes. I cannot believe thats like this. I think that a nice rider is nice, regardless of what bike he has. At least we hope so!
He takes us a picture and since we do not have so many of the two of us on the bike, here you go. Ready to roll in Manitoba. As you might notice, Andreea insists on displaying her tan, acquired on Miami beach
We continue and as today we had few miles to cover, we have the time to stop and check the scenery.
Today we were going to stop at Bills. He is a motorcyclist and a fellow AdvRider. We actually made the first contact on advrider while I was asking some questions about the route. Since then we were just emailing eachother and now the time to finally come to meet.
For the next 3 days we were his guests at his farm and got to meet his wonderful family and see how the lives goes there. I rode the tractor.
We visited the Riding Mountain national park. Well Mountain is for the guys in Manitoba everything who is a little bit above the prairies level I do not think we got more than 900 m altitude but still the view was so wide and spectacular:
Other details from our walk in the park:
Follow me
Since we arrived in Canada, we keep seeing all kind of wildlife. This is so different from Europe, where you usually do not see them roaming free. True, our first wildlife in Canada was in fact some roadkill on the highway between Montreal and Toronto (and no, no pictures of that! ) But then we got to see so many others, even in the cities. Some were (until now) to fast for us to snap a picture of (like the humming birds or the chipmunks). But others
If you look carefully in the next picture you may see a beaver
And in the next one, you do not have to look very carefully to see a bear.
Yeap, my first real bear seen in the wilderness. My friends know that I have a special affinity for bears. This time I was in the car though so it was quite fine. Plus, the little guy was not interested in us at all, he was too busy with his ants.
Bill, Brenda and her daughter Lisa were such nice hosts and made us wanting to stay more. Sadly that was not quite possible as we had to move on.
During our last evening there, I took the quad out for some shots in the farm.
golden skies in the sunset
just another day at the office
sunset over the MurMak farm
Thank you for everything! And see you on the road!
Written in Saskatoon, while eating a Romanian dish!
Next time, we will try to cover a lot of distance but instead we end up swing dancing in Saskatoon! Stay tuned!
Gnarly Adventurer
Joined: Nov 2009
Location: Bucharest
Oddometer: 232
The New World I.10 Saskatoon
We thank again the Murrays for all their hospitality and we get ready to hit the road. Bill, who is riding a Vstrom as well, accompanies us with his bike until we reach the tarmac. That way, we can say that we rode together!
I really hope that we will have the chance to continue our ride at some point.
We part with Bill and point Gunnar Westwards towards Saskatchewan. From now on, we will be doing a lot of miles each day. Or so we thought.
Right before leaving the farm, we received a message on CouchSurfing from Iulian, a fellow Romanian who was working in Saskatton. He read about us and he was inviting us to stay with him for a night. Right, lets go!
The scenery was already typical. Few curves, crops as far as your eyes could see, some water ponds.
From time to time, we spot Orthodox churches, as a lot of Ukrainians live in this area.
Long roads and few towns. We start meeting more and more of these double trucks. They wouldnt be too handy in an urban environment, but here, on the open straight roads, they can roam at will.
The view is still very nice. I decide I like the prairies. At least during the summer.
It was evening already when we were approaching Saskatoon, in Saskatchewan province.
Shines and not so much as thick clouds were following us just as we were entering the city. We find the house of our hosts just before rain starts. Iulian from Romania, Chris from Ireland , Melisa from Australia and Mark from the Philippines, all work for the same company and they share a nice house close to the center. We feel from the beginning very good with them and it doesnt takes us long to decide we should stay another day.
We catch up on some sleeping, we put things together in our luggage and in the evening we get out for a walk.
We also get the chance to meet two fellow motorcyclists who just half a year before did the same journey as we are thinking to do: down all the way to Ushuaia, Argentina. Meeting with them was a very nice opportunity to shed some light on some aspects.
We continue our walk and we rejoin our hosts, by the river for an open air free swing dancing lesson. Who might have guessed that? Here, in the middle of Canada, we will get the chance to learn some Swing? And why not? Lets dance!
Some of our spectators are very inquisitive.
We mind our business though. Or should I say our dance?
The evening came to a close with dinner back in our house and Spanish songs played by Chris.
The next day, Iulian woke up at 5 AM just to prepare for us a traditional Romanian dish. For the road. What else could we say? Guys, you are great!
Our hosts left for work at 7:30 AM and we hurried to leave in the same time, this time determined to make good progress on the road and maybe even pass Edmonton?
Little did we know that we will not get very far, as we were to get pull over and stopped for the day, 100 kilometers before reaching Edmonton. We were going to spend our night in a totally different place than expected. But all of this, in the next post. Stay tuned!
Written from Grande Prairie, at Country Roads camping.
Gnarly Adventurer
Joined: Nov 2009
Location: Bucharest
Oddometer: 232
The New World I.11 Unexpected stop
As I was mentioning in the last post, we were very determined to make good progress the next day. So we leave the house at 7:30 in the morning but, after the gravel roads in Manitova, we needed to do two things before exiting Saskatoon: clean the bike and clean the chain. So first we look around for a car wash. Seems that here in Canada a lot of them are self service. So lets go to work!
Then we look for chain cleaner in 2 motorcycle stores. First one didnt have it. In second one they didnt know they had it. So by the time we are done with cleaning and lubing the chain its already 10. Good start for the day when we wanted to make a lot of miles.
We take the route to Edmonton and the scenery is similar with what we left behind 2 days ago: plains, crops, and some blue sky.
At some point last week Andreea made some add-ons for the moto suits, which was visible quite nice in the mirror.
When we left ther restaurant I decided to put on the winter gloves (yes, it was that cold) and I manage to forget to close the tankbag. So after a few meters on the highway, things start flying from the bike. Its a divided two way so I can not turn back. So Andreea makes a run for it and manages to save my summer gloves.
We press on and, just 60 miles short of Edomonton something strange happens. We just pass an oil truck and the guy signals us. I presume he is just saying hi so I wave back. He signals again then pass me and makes gestures for me to pull over. OK I wonder what that could be about? So I pull over. He does the same. It turns out this guy, Lucian, is a romanian living in Canada for 6 years now. He was so surprised seeing Romanian license plates that he had to stop us and ask whats that all about.
We tell him our story and we take a picture together.
He ask where are we heading today. We respond that we planned to visit a small village called Boian, where Romanian settlers came in 1898. He says Im done for today with work. Follow me to my home, Ill park my truck then Ill take you to Boian.
So we do that, meet Lucians family and we end up going together to Boian.
The story goes that Romanian settlers firt came here in 1989, when there was no Alberta yet but just Ruperts Land. Canadian government gave them land (10$ for 160 acres) and they instead dried the marshlands and started agriculture work.
We take another photo with our national costumes, in front of the old church.
It was an unexpected end of the day. We were planning to go past Edmonton but we ended up 60 miles short, but with great company and with new friends.
Thank you!
Writen from within a mosquito swarm, somewhere on Alaska highway.
Gnarly Adventurer
Joined: Jul 2012
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Oddometer: 202
I am enjoying your story, please keep it coming!
Ride safe.
Dirt Nut
Joined: Nov 2009
Location: Outhere
Oddometer: 439
awesome ride report guys thanks for sharing
|Thread Tools
|Search this Thread
|Display Modes
Linear Mode


text:
Played on Alto Sax9/26/2012 12:05am
Ive used this music sheet to play New York State of Mind on my Alto Sax. Its simple and accurate and leaves all of the improvisation stuff for the musicians experience. Despite playing sax for only couple of months Ive found this song as good song to start with. I was inspired to play this one after hearing Takatsugu Izawas version on YouTube.


text:
Page not found
We're sorry, the page you requested could not be found (error 404)
The page you are looking for might have been removed, had its name changed, or is temporarily unavailable. But we think we can help you. We suggest that you make a selection from the sitemap on the left or choose from one of the related pages below:


text:
In the pre-LS era, a typical small-block-powered street car would rev willingly to around 5,000 rpm. You could assemble a cam package for it—even using heavy components—and you probably wouldn't have any problems. With LS engines, however, the redline is in the mid-6,000-rpm range, and the mighty LS7 revs to 7,000 rpm, with some owners pushing things even higher. On top of that, valve lift is typically far greater than anything an old-school small-block would see, with upwards of 0.650-inch lift from a street-friendly hydraulic roller cam.
With engine speeds so much higher than they used to be, valvetrain stability has become a more important issue. It's all too easy to slap together an unproven package that generates instability beyond the 6,000-rpm mark, beating up valvetrain components and adversely affecting performance.
"Some people think it's all good, as long as it's not floating the valves on the chassis dyno,"says Katech's Jason Harding. "Valve float kills the power, which is pretty much a [known] fact, but it's the valve bounce that accompanies an instable setup that does the most harm. It's kind of like that adage, 'It's not the fall the kills you, it's the sudden stop at the bottom.'"
When that valve slams shut and then bounces open, sometimes numerous times, it beats up the seats and can break valves or springs.
"Some believe having a double spring makes them safer, because if the main spring breaks, the inner spring will hold the valve from dropping into the cylinder,"says Harding. "Well, how about just making a combination that doesn't break springs? That's our philosophy with the beehive springs that are carefully tested and combined with our packages."
The theory and practice of valvetrain stability are particularly relevant when it comes to the LS7, because one of the urban legends about it—that it has a tendency to drop or break the exhaust valves—has some merit. There are plenty of documented cases of the lightweight, two-piece, sodium-filled parts breaking. Typically, the valve's head separates from the stem, causing catastrophic damage.
This is an issue experienced mostly by racers and those with more-modified engines—particularly when employing a larger cam—but owners of stock, street-driven Z06s have also encountered it.
Katech engineers tell us their research has found extremely high valve-guide wear in LS7 and LS9 engines—so much so, that in some cases a valve can "wiggle"around in the guide. That, they say, is the culprit behind failures of both intake and exhaust valves, not the valves themselves. For the purposes of this article, we'll be focusing on valvetrain stability rather than valve-guide wear, which is another story entirely.
Implications of a Valve Change
Of course, an enthusiast who's going to the trouble of upgrading or rebuilding an LS7 will want to know whether replacing the stock valves is prudent. At a glance, swapping the hollow-stem, two-piece sodium valves for conventional single-piece valves seems like a no-brainer, but there are critical implications on valvetrain stability to consider, regardless of the camshaft or valve springs used.
"Since Newton's Law of Motion tells us force equals mass times acceleration, if we change either the mass of the valvetrain components, or the acceleration rates of the camshaft, we change the forces applied to the valvetrain components."says Harding. "Changing the lightweight valvesprings with heavier, solid-stem one-piece valves is going to fundamentally affect the durability of the valvetrain and, ultimately, the engine's performance."
Think of it this way: The mass of the valve and all the reciprocating components of the valvetrain affect the forces in the system. The acceleration and force of the system are dictated by the camshaft lobe profile—or the rate at which the lobe moves the hydraulic lifter—so a careful balance of component mass, stiffness, natural frequency, cam-lobe acceleration, and forces experienced in the system is critical to high-rpm valvetrain stability.
That's why simply replacing the exhaust valves with those with a different mass has significant implications on performance: It upsets the balance that was built into the system in the first place.
We recently attended a test session at Katech's Detroit-area headquarters, in which company engineers tried to definitively determine the effect on LS7 valvetrain stability that comes with changing to heavier solid-stem, stainless-steel exhaust valves.
Note that while there is much more to valvetrain stability than simply the valves—the rocker arms, springs, pushrods, and camshaft all play critical roles—for this experiment, we're focused solely on how heavier valves affect stability.
"You can test combinations endlessly,"says Harding. "Typically, taking weight out of the system can improve stability. You can try a lighter lifter—if one exists—a lighter pushrod, different spring, lighter retainer, lighter valve, and so on. You want the lightest-possible spring that can control the valve. Some try to 'over-spring' the system, thinking a stronger spring will close the valve better, but sometimes slamming it shut hard can cause it to bounce. That's why the lighter beehive springs are usually better."


text:
Big Brother Sunglasses by Look/See
$49.95Add to Wish list
- Additional Details
- Brand: Look/See
- Color: Blue
- Dimensions: Frame size: 53 mm - 18 mm - 142 mm
- Gender: Unisex
- Made In: Imported
- Made Of: Acetate
The Look/See sunglasses as seen in the Big Brother House a CBS EXCLUSIVE!Designed exclusively by Look/See for Big Brother, these Big Brother Sunglasses will keep you looking cool during the hottest summer days. They may look like another trendy pair of shades, but the high quality acetate frames will stand the test of time and the purple-hued lenses offer 100% UV protection. Make them your go-to summer accessory.
Frame size: 53 mm - 18 mm - 142 mm
Lens Material: 100% UV Protectant Polycarbonate
Lens Color: Dark grey sun lens with purple mirror coating