text:
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In our new salt-water, infinity edge pool...
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Enjoy Downtown for any special occasion!
The Radisson will make it easy to create romance.
Staying is easy at the Radisson Austin!
The Plaza Club Experience...
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text:
Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy
© International Literacy Association
Current Editors Emily Neil Skinner and Margaret Carmody Hagood
Impact Factor: 0.674
ISI Journal Citation Reports © Ranking: 2014: 123/224 (Education & Educational Research)
Online ISSN: 1936-2706
Associated Title(s): Reading Research Quarterly, The Reading Teacher
Aims and Scope
The Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy is the only literacy journal published exclusively for teachers of older learners. Each issue offers practical, classroom-tested ideas grounded in research and theory. Whether you work with new, struggling, or skilled readers, you'll find something of interest in JAAL.
Every issue includes
- Practical ideas for instruction
- Reviews of student and teacher resources, including young adult literature
- Tips on how to integrate technology, media, and popular culture in your classroom
- Reflections on current literacy trends, issues, and research
JAAL is published online and in print eight times a year: monthly from September through May, with a combined issue in December/January.
Abstracting and Indexing Information
- Academic ASAP (GALE Cengage)
- Academic OneFile (GALE Cengage)
- Academic Search Alumni Edition (EBSCO Publishing)
- Academic Search Complete (EBSCO Publishing)
- Academic Search Elite (EBSCO Publishing)
- Academic Search Premier (EBSCO Publishing)
- ArticleFirst (OCLC)
- Book Review Index Online (GALE Cengage)
- Education Full Text (HW Wilson)
- Education Index/Abstracts (EBSCO Publishing)
- Education Research Complete (EBSCO Publishing)
- Educator's Reference Complete (GALE Cengage)
- ERA: Educational Research Abstracts Online (T&F)
- ERIC: Educational Resources Information Center (CSC)
- Expanded Academic ASAP (GALE Cengage)
- Family & Society Studies Worldwide (EBSCO Publishing)
- General OneFile (GALE Cengage)
- General Reference Center (GALE Cengage)
- InfoTrac (GALE Cengage)
- InfoTrac Junior Edition (GALE Cengage)
- InfoTrac Student Edition (GALE Cengage)
- MLA International Bibliography (MLA)
- Professional Collection (GALE Cengage)
- Professional Development Collection (EBSCO Publishing)
- ProQuest Central (ProQuest)
- ProQuest Central: Professional Edition (ProQuest)
- ProQuest Education Journals (ProQuest)
- ProQuest Professional Education (ProQuest)
- ProQuest Research Library (ProQuest)
- SCOPUS (Elsevier)
- Social Sciences Citation Index (Thomson Reuters)
- Student Resources in Context (GALE Cengage)
- Studies on Women & Gender Abstracts (T&F)
- TOC Premier (EBSCO Publishing)
- Web of Science (Thomson Reuters)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
By clicking the "Submit" button, you agree to Avvo's Terms of Use. Please see our Community Guidelines and Privacy Policy for information on posting to Avvo and how we collect, use, and share information you provide to us.
5260 North Palm Avenue Suite 421Fresno, CA 93704
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text:
David Rockwell
|This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2010)
David Rockwell is an American architect and designer. He is the founder and President of Rockwell Group, a 250-person award winning, cross-disciplinary architecture and design practice based in New York City with satellite offices in Madrid and Shanghai.[1]
Early life and education[edit]
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Rockwell also spent part of his childhood in Deal, New Jersey and Guadalajara, Mexico. He was a child of the theater as his mother worked as a vaudeville dancer and choreographer. She sometimes cast him in community repertory productions.
Rockwell brought his passion for theater and an eye for the color and spectacle of Mexico to his architecture training at Syracuse University, where he received his Bachelor of Architecture. He also studied at the Architectural Association in London. These formative influences continue to shape his practice.
David founded Rockwell Group in 1984. Over the past 30 years, Rockwell Group has carved out a unique role encompassing multiple ideas, design styles, clients and project types. The firm creates a unique narrative for each project, ranging from restaurants, hotels, airport terminals, and hospitals, to festivals, museum exhibitions, and Broadway sets.[2]
David's numerous honors include the 2008 National Design Award by the Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum for outstanding achievement in Interior Design; the 2009 Pratt Legends Award; the Presidential Design Award for his renovation of the Grand Central Terminal; induction into the James Beard Foundation Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America and Interior Design magazine's Hall of Fame; inclusion in Architectural Digest's AD 100; three Tony Award nominations for Best Scenic Design; and four Drama Desk Award nominations for Outstanding Scenic Design of a Musical. Rockwell Group was twice named by Fast Company as one of the most innovative design practices in their annual World's 50 Most Innovative Companies issue.[3]
Select Design Projects[edit]
- Adour Alain Ducasse at The St. Regis
- Bar Americain
- Chefs Club by Food & Wine, New York[4]
- Gordon Ramsay's Maze (London)
- Maialino, New York[5]
- Nobu restaurants worldwide, including New York, Hong Kong, Las Vegas, Doha, Melbourne and Dubai[6]
- Aloft hotels (Starwood Hotels & Resorts)[7]
- Andaz Maui at Wailea, Hawaii[8]
- Canyon Ranch Miami Beach
- Chambers Hotel
- The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas[9]
- Nobu Hotel Caesars Palace, Las Vegas[10]
- W Hotels New York, Union Square, Vieques, Paris and Singapore
- Hall of Fragments, the entrance installation to the 2008 Venice Architecture Biennale
- The Walt Disney Family Museum, San Francisco[11]
- The Center for Civil and Human Rights, Atlanta[12]
- Elinor Bunin-Munroe Film Center, Lincoln Center[13]
- Culture Shed in collaboration with Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Hudson Yards, New York[14]
- TED Theater, Vancouver[15]
- Dolby Theatre, home of the Academy Awards ceremony (Los Angeles)
- The Marketplace at the JetBlue terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport
- NeueHouse, New York and Los Angeles[16]
- Shinola, New York[17]
- Imagination Playground[18]
- David Rockwell for Maya Romanoff, wall covering collection[19]
Set design[edit]
- Hairspray
- Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
- All Shook Up
- Legally Blonde
- Team America: World Police (2004, film)
- The 81st Annual Academy Awards (2009)[20]
- The 82nd Annual Academy Awards (2010)
- Catch Me If You Can
- Harvey
- Kinky Boots
- Lucky Guy
- You Can't Take It With You[21]
- Side Show[22]
- On The Twentieth Century[23]
- Omnia Nightclub (Las Vegas and San Diego)[24]
- Pleasure: The Architecture and Design of Rockwell Group, Universe, a division of Rizzoli Books, 2002.
- David Rockwell with Bruce Mau, Spectacle, Phaidon Press, 2006. Examines the history and public fascination with larger-than-life man-made events.
- What If...?: The Architecture and Design of David Rockwell, Metropolis Books, 2014.[25]
See also[edit]
- ^ http://www.designersandbooks.com/designer/bio/david-rockwell
- ^ http://www.designersandbooks.com/designer/bio/david-rockwell
- ^ http://www.designersandbooks.com/designer/bio/david-rockwell
- ^ http://www.rockwellgroup.com/projects/chefs-club-by-food--wine
- ^ http://www.rockwellgroup.com/projects/maialino
- ^ http://www.designersandbooks.com/designer/bio/david-rockwell
- ^ http://www.rockwellgroup.com/projects/aloft
- ^ http://www.rockwellgroup.com/projects/andaz-maui-at-wailea
- ^ "Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas Open December 2010", Cosmopolitan Website[dead link]
- ^ http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/10/07/nobu-matsuhisa-david-rockwell-restaurant-architecture/
- ^ http://www.rockwellgroup.com/projects/the-walt-disney-family-museum-
- ^ http://www.rockwellgroup.com/projects/center-for-civil-and-human-rights
- ^ http://www.rockwellgroup.com/projects/elinor-bunin-munroe-film-center
- ^ http://www.rockwellgroup.com/projects/culture-shed
- ^ http://www.fastcodesign.com/3027606/innovation-by-design/how-david-rockwell-reinvented-the-theater-for-the-ted-era
- ^ http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/07/28/neuehouse-chooses-historic-hollywood-site/?_r=0
- ^ http://www.rockwellgroup.com/projects/shinola
- ^ "Dan Ackman, "Architect Focuses on Child's Play"". The Wall Street Journal. August 5, 2008.
- ^ http://www.rockwellgroup.com/projects/david-rockwell-for-maya-romanoff-
- ^ "David Rockwell to Design Sets for 81st Academy Awards", A.M.P.A.S., 2008.
- ^ http://nymag.com/thecut/2014/10/on-the-set-of-you-cant-take-it-with-you.html
- ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater_dance/a-big-beautiful-side-show-on-broadway/2014/11/17/7b9df2ae-6e9b-11e4-a2c2-478179fd0489_story.html
- ^ http://www.roundabouttheatre.org/Shows-Events/On-the-Twentieth-Century.aspx
- ^ http://www.latimes.com/travel/lasvegas/lasvegasnow/la-tr-lvn-las-vegas-nightclubs-20150120-story.html
- ^ http://www.amazon.com/What-If-Architecture-Design-Rockwell/dp/1938922565
External links[edit]
- Rockwell Group website
- Rockwell Group LAB website
- Imagination Playground website
- Spectacle the Book website
- Rockwell Group Facebook


text:
Welcome to Masterworks of Oakville
Oakville's Premier Choral Group
We are a community-based group, dedicated to performing the great works of the Western Classical tradition, particularly sacred works for choir and orchestra.
We have a strong commitment to artistic excellence and are proud to preserve and continue a great musical tradition. Masterworks is an extraordinary community group – with a chorus of over 100 voices and a commitment to performing the most challenging choral works. Masterworks exist with the enthusiasm of its choristers and orchestra players, which is the hallmark of its performances.
Please join us for a Masterworks concert. You will enjoy a concert experience of the highest quality with compositions seldom performed outside major metropolitan centers.
To learn more about Masterworks of Oakville you can visit our About Us section of the website, sign up for our Newsletter or even follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
JOIN US FOR OUR 10th ANNIVERSARY CONCERT IN MAY
Poulenc's GLORIA
Stravinsky SYMPHONY OF PSALMS & Demuynck ALERION
Saturday, May 23 & Sunday, May 24
St. Matthew Catholic Church
1150 Monk's Passage, Oakville
Featuring soloist Tessa Laengert-Ruta, Soprano
Ms. Laengert-Ruta is originally from Oakville, and was a member of the Oakville Children's Choir under the direction of Dr. Glenda Crawford. www.tessavictoria.com
Student tickets are just $10 and children 10 and under are FREE!
Click here to purchase and print your tickets online!
What's New
Our November concert of Bach's CHRISTMAS ORATORIO was a huge success! Thank you to our audience of 800, our sponsors, donors, choristers and musicians! We are proud to have supported the Halton K9 Lions Club who served refreshments and accepted donations- Masterworks enabled them to raise hundreds of dollars to support their charitable work.
Charles Demuynck Interview with Kerry Stratton, Classical FM 96.3
Bach Christmas Oratorio November 2014
November 12 – Charles Demuynck- Masterworks of Oakville-3
Charles Demuynck Awarded Oakville Arts Award: Established Artist Prize
Congratulations to our Maestro Charles Demuynck for being awarded the ESTABLISHED ARTIST AWARD by the Oakville Arts Council on November 6, 2014. Wonderful acknowledgment of the talent and dedication that Charles brings to Masterworks and all his musical endeavours! You can follow Charles on twitter @demuynckcharles
New Members Always Welcome!
If you would like to audition for Masterworks, please contact Artistic Director Charles Demuynck at firstname.lastname@example.com
Koerner Hall Performance
On Saturday November 30th we performed Bach Magnificat and Rutter's Magnificat to a huge audience of 700 at St. Matthew Catholic Church in Glen Abbey. Then, on December 3rd we performed again to a crowd of 1100 at the beautiful Koerner Hall in Toronto.
Thank you to Salt & Light Television for inviting us to perform. We are so very proud of our wonderful achievement, and thank you to all who came to see our fall concert.
Newsletter Sign Up
Want to stay up to date on all the latest news from Masterworks of Oakville? Simply click here to Sign Up for our Newsletter.
We do not sell or share our subscribers emails to anyone.


text:
Latest news
Former bakery purchase will resolve residents' concerns
Published on Tuesday 30th June 2015
HARTLEPOOL Council has agreed to purchase a former bakery in the town after local residents expressed concerns over the future use of the building.
Launch of new football league
Published on Wednesday 1st July 2015
TEAMS are being sought to compete in a new men's football league arriving this month at Hartlepool's Brierton Community Sports Centre.
Future development of urgent care services
Published on Tuesday 30th June 2015
HARTLEPOOL'S Health and Wellbeing Board has received an update about the provision of urgent care services in the town.
Once upon a time at the Museum of Hartlepool ...
Published on Tuesday 30th June 2015
ONCE upon a time in a land far away, There was a place where you could go and play, And learn about the tales of old, Of princesses, bears, and soldiers so bold ...
Free hot drinks for bus travellers
Published on Tuesday 30th June 2015
RESIDENTS of Hartlepool are being urged to "go by bus" when travelling to and from work as part of a campaign to promote public transport.
Health event
Published on Tuesday 30th June 2015
NHS Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) would like to invite local people to contribute towards the development of health services provided in the community.
Last call for technology grant applications
Published on Tuesday 30th June 2015
A FINAL call has gone out for Hartlepool voluntary and community organisations wishing to benefit from a local technology grant scheme.
New picnic tables in time for fine weather
Published on Monday 29th June 2015
HARTLEPOOL residents may notice a new addition at a 100-acre country park in the town.
Green travel boost for town
Published on Monday 29th June 2015
A NEW green travel scheme has been launched to try to improve the health of Hartlepool residents, make the town's roads safer and boost the local economy.
Get your skates on for the Jam Fest
Published on Monday 29th June 2015
YOUNG skateboarders, inline skaters and BMX fans are invited to put their skills to the test in an exciting afternoon of competitions at a popular Hartlepool attraction.
First World War anniversary show is in the running for a top award
Published on Monday 29th June 2015
ONE of the main events organised last year by Hartlepool Council to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War and the German naval bombardment of the town is in the running for a leading award.
Explorer Bus is set to hit the road again
Published on Monday 29th June 2015
A FREE bus service will be running in Hartlepool over the school summer holidays to help locals and visitors alike get to and from the town's attractions.
Music festival tickets on sale now
Published on Friday 26th June 2015
On the 19th September 2015 Hartlepool Marina aims to host its first major music event at the Jacksons Landing site celebrating and showcasing some of the finest talent in the North East.
Statement issued by Councillor Kevin Cranney
Published on Friday 26th June 2015
I would like to apologise publicly for a comment I made to a member of the public at an Extraordinary Meeting of Hartlepool Borough Council on March 12 this year.
People are asked their views on highways and transport services
Published on Friday 26th June 2015
PEOPLE'S views on Hartlepool's Highways and Transport services will again be compared with others across England through the National Highways and Transport Public Satisfaction survey.
Sponsors sought for forest school project
Published on Thursday 25th June 2015
PUPILS are seeking sponsors for an ambitious environmental scheme in the grounds of their Hartlepool primary school.
Are you in the swim?
Published on Thursday 25th June 2015
NON-SWIMMERS or people who want to become stronger swimmers are being urged to sign up to Hartlepool Council's Learn to Swim programme.
Drop in new diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections in the North East
Published on Thursday 25th June 2015
A total of 18,971 sexually transmitted infections (STIs) were diagnosed in the North East in 2014 according to new data – down 13 per cent on the previous year's figure of 21,815.
Council in "positive" talks with new football club owners
Published on Wednesday 24th June 2015
CIVIC leaders have described their first meeting with Hartlepool United's new owners JPNG Global since they took control at Victoria Park as "extremely positive" and "an excellent start to forging a healthy working relationship".
Summer fun at Oscar's
Published on Tuesday 23rd June 2015
IF parents are concerned about how their children are going to be looked after or entertained over the Summer holiday period they need to look no further than the OSCAR (Out of school Care) programme run by Hartlepool Council.
For more news see the News Archive page.
Contact us
Email: email@example.com
Telephone: 01429 266522
Send your feedback or find key contact details.


text:
Originally written on Bloguin Best | Last updated 11/21/12
It's just about NFL Turkey time but before we look forward to stuffing our face and watching the Cowboys and Lions play its time to recap the breakout Week 11 performances. Many of these performances will push people into the fantasy football playoffs while ending other seasons wishing they hadn't faced these week 11 studs. Here are your Week 11 Rock Stars. RG3: 14/15 – 200 yards 4 TD's – 84 yards rushing – Smooth Criminal by Michael Jackson It was very close for this week's winner of top dog amongst the standings between RG3 and Matt Schaub but let's fact it Schaub played the Jags a game they were suppose to dominate so RG3 for the win. RG3 had yet another remarkable performances essentially making magic every time he had the ball in his hands. RG3 picked apart what was supposed to be a solid Philly D. RG3's strong performance probably puts him back in the lead for rookie of the year. Matt Schaub – 43/55 527 Yards – 5 TD's and Andre Johnson – 14 rec 127 yards 1 TD – Learn
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text:
Below is the poem entitled Don't Forget I'm Human which was written by poet
D'rhymez. Please feel free to comment on this poem. However, please remember, PoetrySoup is a place of encouragement and growth.
Read Poems by
Chile D'rhymez
look at my photograph
look me in the face
see through
take a second look
don't forget i'm human
feel my flesh
look me in the eyes
don't forget i'm dust
i don't wanna be that perfect guy
i'm perfect being imperfect
this is who i was meant to be
angels are perfect, so perfect
humans are imperfect, perfectly imperfect
if i had the chance to choose
i'll choose to be human
to be so imperfect
i'm forever human
and forever imperfect
i'll appreciate if you remember that.


text:
"Answer to No One" is quite the sonic mix: crunchy guitar, banjo and fiddle, the "stomp stomp clap" beat of "We Will Rock You," and lyrics that firmly assert Ford's beliefs. While the lyrics appear at first glance to be the same "god, family, and country" tropes we've heard a billion times, they are kept from tediousness by several clever turns of phrase, particularly the hook "Except for the Good Lord up above, I answer to no one." Labelmate JJ Lawhorn handles the chorus, sounding uncannily like Chris Cagle.
Jason Aldean joins in on "Drivin' Around Song," which is surprisingly unhurried and relaxed as it takes a different approach. Instead of burning rubber, this song is about the kind of casual cruisin' without worries — "circlin' the town square" or just exploring the back roads of Small Town USA. It's probably the same small town that he misses in "Back." It's a beautiful, detail-heavy ode to simpler times. Jake Owen's voice on the chorus is sincere and longing, as is Colt's recitation of little details such as an overprotective girlfriend's dad, a Texaco station that's now closed, and a skating rink. Especially effective is the last verse, in which he praises his parents and wishes that they could be around forever. The outright sincerity and rich imagery of the song easily make it one of Colt's best.
"50/50," the only song on which Colt flies solo, is yet another anthem of redneck pride. Unlike the others, it's just a little too aggressive and defensive, but at the same time, I can't help but smile at a hook about a "50/50 chance" of getting your ass whipped.
"All In" sounds outright honky-tonk, with a two-step beat, plenty of fiddle and steel, and a lively chorus from Kix Brooks. Although it doesn't say anything new, it's very tightly written and it soundslike the fun kind of party it promises. And speaking of parties, "Hugh Damn Right" is a punny title that jumped out at me. Colt and co. carry out an interesting character sketch about that kind of party animal who seems to out-drink and out-party his companions every time (think "One in Every Crowd"). Laura Bell Bundy randomly jumps in on the narrator in the last verse, adding an interesting little twist as he offers her a good time with the title phrase.
LoCash Cowboys and Redneck Social Club back the interestingly-titled "Dancin' While Intoxicated." It's easily the most mainstream on the album with its drum machines and Auto-Tuned vocals. Even as he's cleverly name-dropping country songs in the first verse, the song would not be out of place next to, say, Pitbull or Drake. But we're still in the bar. In fact, there's plenty of "Room at the Bar" for both Colt and Corey Smith. it's a very enjoyable shuffle as he promises a place to get away from the troubles of the world for everyone. This inclusionist spirit is a truly nice touch. "All of My Tomorrows" (with Russell Dickerson) further shows how much of a friendly party animal Colt really is, as he says that he will trade of all of his tomorrows just to have more fun. This song excels with its soaring, slower chorus contrasting its faster verses.
"Ain't Out of the Woods Yet" (with Montgomery Gentry) is an interesting take on the city/country dichotomy. Though he now lives in suburbia, the narrator is still shooting a bow or a gun, talking like a Southerner, and of course, partying 'til late as night. In fact, I could see this fitting on a Montgomery Gentry album, as it fits their own brand of rowdiness to a tee. Keeping once again in the "country boy" mold, "It's All" is a list song of country imagery in the form of "It's all X, It's all Y, It's all Z." Between the heavy guitar and Jeffrey Steele's raw, grainy voice on the chorus, it sounds much like Craig Morgan's "Little Bit of Life" cranked up to 11. While it may be a "list song," it's an extremely focused one with a lot of passion and energy that's hard to deny.
Songwriter Jonathan Singleton backs Colt on "Lucky." Even though it sounds great (how many other country songs use a güiro and agogô?) and has a sweet chorus of "I'd rather be lucky than good," the verses are a mess: something about a southpaw pitcher, racing a train with a truck, running a red light, talking to a hot girl. Halfway through, the song switches to a country-boy rap for a bit, then again to a power chord-laden coda in which he brags, "Colt Ford pumpin', got the girls all jumpin'." Overall, the song is so extremely unfocused that it seriously detracts from the interesting ingredients.
Wanya Morris of Boyz II Men adds a little R&B flavor on a song about the conflicting emotions of falling in love. While Morris is in fine voice, the overdubs sometimes get the best of him and make it hard to discern what he's singing. Otherwise, it's a very tuneful, soulful departure from the album. "Way Too Early" (with Darius Rucker) is at the tail end of a relationship, and comes across as a more upbeat version of Rucker's own excellent "I Got Nothin'."
Closing out the album is the nearly seven-minute "Angels & Demons," featuring a nearly haunting chorus of "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" from Lamar Williams, Jr. (Yes, he's the son of The Allman Brothers Band's Lamar Williams.) It's a surprisingly dark, honest tale of the struggle between good and evil. Particularly effective is an off-the-cuff but sincere prayer about 3/4 of the way through — especially when he points out how people are fighting wars and tend to shun God, but at the same time, he's needed more than ever. Many male artists lately tend to close with introspective and often religious themed songs, and I can believe almost all of them, but none moreso than Colt's take. I haven't heard a song that chronicles that good-and-evil struggle so effectively and tunefully since "Cain's Blood" by 4 Runner. As one of several Craig Wiseman co-writes, it more than makes up for the two clunkers ("Lucky" and "50/50″) to which Wiseman also contributed.
Colt Ford has one of the most fascinating sounds to come out of country music in recent years, and I'm glad to see him having success, even if only at an "underground" level. He may not ever find a radio hit, but his fanbase is loyal, and his artistry undeniable. Although most of his songs have "country boy" imagery (fried chicken, sweet tea, God, family, trucks, guns, hunting, etc.), he never feels pandering, clichéd, or (with one exception) overly defensive. He truly is a rough-edged but good-natured country boy who knows exactly what he's talking about, and he knows that there's more to life than partying. And just like before, he knows how to prove that country and rap are two great tastes that taste great together.
BUY: Amazon mp3 | Amazon CD | iTunes


text:
School's out for summer but Yoga Elementary is in! June 22 - 25.
Four gyms for the price of one
Summer Camp
Get your kids doing something active this summer!
Starting June 27, 2015
Refer a friend
When you get a friend to sign up for a monthly membership,
you get $5 off of your membership every month your friend stays with us!
3 Months for $99
Unlimited rock climbing & yoga! This deal lasts until June 30.
First time at Summit? Let us help you know what to expect.Click here
Love Your Gym
With three locations, Summit is the premiere climbing, yoga & fitness center in DFW. We have programs for all ages and all ability levels not to mention the great people who come to Summit.
Fully Stocked Gear Shop
It's better to buy your rock climbing gear from someone who actually knows how to use it. At Summit, we will get you in the gear that is perfect for you.Check it out
Championship Climbing Team
Team Texas is Summit's competitive rock climbing team. Team Texas has won nationals ten times and has produced more USA team members than any other team in the country.Read more
Kids Programs
Summit has youth programs for all ages. We provide a fun environment for kids to learn how to rock climb.Read more


text:
I was just wondering is the Person Margaret grabs into the TV during the anime cutscene always Chie or was it Chie because she was the one I was with when we were stuck in the cabin? I only ask because I was wondering if they made different anime cutsenes base on our choice.
Ski Trip (Spoilers?)
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text:
Hotels in Oraison, France - Hotels.com offers great last-minute Oraison hotels deals and discount room rates. Our hotels in Oraison can easily be booked online. Our fast online search facility allows you to:
- - Find and compare different hotels in Oraison by star rating, amenities, theme, or brand
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- - Receive email and text confirmations with reservation details of your online hotel booking


text:
And so it begins...
View Single Post
Zen Adventurer
Joined: Jul 2001
Location: Vancouver, BC
Oddometer: 5,421
June 24, 2012 - We left Morelia direction Puebla, with the hurdle of Mexico City to get around. Instead of battling the ever present "topez" speed bumps, we decided the toll road (cuota) really could not be that expensive. How wrong we were.
The price of riding from Morelia to Puebla was around $30, equivalent to tolls in France. In the end, even that didn't get us through Mexico City without some minor issues. Our GPSs conflict at times and depending on the situation, either one can be off. It made for some extra markets to struggle the bikes through as we got detoured and a few U turns, but in the end we got to Puebla.
In Puebla, we managed to find a hotel a lot closer to town, walking distance from the center.
At first blush, Puebla looked somewhat similar to Morelia, but we soon found out there were distinct differences.
Puebla is a lot more closely aligned with the pre-colonial inhabitants versus the distinctly Spanish character of Morelia. It also lacks the abundance of local squares where people just hang out. It had a different, harsher feel. We hit a few art galleries and museums but were sorely disappointed as to what was exhibited.
We did find a very interesting concert hall where a lone violin player was dreamily practicing a few strokes.
The outside of the cathedral in Puebla was nothing to look at, but the inside was all the more spectacular.
All in all, we didn't warm up to Puebla as we did to Morelia and after a few days we moved on.
Our next stop is Oaxaca.
Back in YVR after riding around the world for 2 years.
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DR Windshields, Deflectors, Fairings, Bugslappers
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Mambo Dave
Backyard Adventurer
Joined: Oct 2011
Location: 11 ft. AMSL
Oddometer: 5,864
I spent the time to hard-mount my Laminar wind screen two days ago. it was, up til then, moutned with the velcro tabs. They worked well for holding it on, but short-changed the design in a number of ways that didn't seem to work for the soft-fairing of the DR650SE.
I am not so sure the DR650's soft plastic fairing is up to it, but so far I have much less flexing going on at speed, and a noticeable wind-blocking effect that the Laminar should have had all along. (What I mean is that the widscreen may get pushed on more, now, but then again it may not now that I have the laminar airflow working and a lot less vacuum behind it.)
I spaced out the Laminar windscreen to allow the 'hole' to suck in air so that not as much of a vacuum would happen behind it. This is the way it was designed to be used, but at least on my application on the DR650 it wasn't really working - the hole was both too close to the stock fairing, and the windscreen would flatten out at speed making the hole close up.
So this is what I came up with. Interestingly enough, and for future reference to all of us guys who 'fix' things, some really perfectly sized rubber washers/spacers are 1955 Chevy Bel Air motor mounts... and from NAPA auto parts they are far, far cheaper than any smaller spacer I had looked at between there and two hardware stores. (The NAPA guy, who had worked at NAPA stores for decades, used the same motor mounts / rubber washers to space out and isolate his air conditioning unit from a roof of one of his houses, and has suggested them for other "spacing" projects others have needed throughout the years.)
I don't know whose theory works out better for windshields - that they should have a hole in them to allow air in that will get sped up by the suction and form an area of less turbulance, or that windscreens shouldn't have an air gap (as many of the home-made and the more race-oriented ones do) and, instead, they should be able to not bend back due to the low pressure behind them, thus being a total air block. But apparently my Laminar was made to have the air gap, and without it being accounted for - and without upper braces to hold the wind screen up (which Laminar winshields do not come with) - the windshield just flexes backward.
I haven't tested this set-up at 80 MPH or more yet, but up to 60 it is far more stable, and I can feel the breeze turbulance behind it on my chest without feeling the full wind-blast on the chest.
After reading through this thread I've come to the conclusion
that more people cruise the internet looking for reasons why
X bike won't work in Y scenario rather than actually riding
their motorcycles
Mambo Dave
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Studly Adventurer
Joined: Jun 2010
Location: Bucharest or RTW
Oddometer: 614
Excellent quotes, made our day, and so true! We learned to look back to our misadventures as The seed of adventure and some of the worst days in the trenches have sedimented as some of the best. It just says that for us the amateur adventurers, preparing for years and postponing your big adv until you're ready is not gonna improve your experience.
Speaking of which, we have been shuffling our pics and thinking how we have transitioned to lighter set-up and I uncovered - exactly 2 years from the very day - proof that my present partner "in motorcycling crime" was in the cards for me. I encountered it in the least probable place of them all. We have been sharing these memories on fb so it may be of interest to share them here as well. Look how we left from Romania in June 2011: over 250kg of bike and bulky luggage, which made my first contact with the Sahara neither easy, nor fun.
Next lesson was getting stuck on one of the most difficult stretches of Africa: Cameroon's dreaded Ekok to Mamfe. Again, the huge load and the cotton mud took their toll.
In December 2011 I was catching an up-close glimpse of her, but she belonged to another Crossing back trails of Congo together with Alper made me inevitably dream that one day I'd be riding my own 690.
This next souvenir is from the crossing of the DRC, from December 2011 to January 2012. The fact that for the following weeks we teamed up with Jacques & email@example.com allowed me to keep stripping the weight off the bike, to experiment and even fully enjoy riding on long stretches of rough terrain.
This is another key moment: close to the end of a gruesome but nevertheless exciting 2500 km stretch of DR Congo, we met these Belgian guys. By this time my bike was already lighter (thanks to Jacques & co.) and often I was having great fun riding through deep sand, mud and all the stuff the dark heart of Africa is made of. But these guys were riding on the most advanced adventure motorcycles available, that any connoisseur lusts for.
What do we have here? In the middle is the same bike used by Colebatch in his Sibirsky Extreme series. This XChallenge is nowhere near as adventurised as Walter's and is fitted with the bulky Touratech front tank. On the right is the sexy rally-raid-ready 690 Enduro which appears to be 'wearing' an early development of the ORYX Adventure kit by KTM Cape Town (note the differences in the shape of the front tanks between these ones and the production model).
After being teased with the sight of the aforementioned bikes, and after roughing it in the trenches of Africa for 55K, by the time we arrived in Sudan's Nubian desert (circa early July 2012) I was a changed man. From then on I was looking to un-load and up-power. Riding those dunes made me empirically realise that on sand a steering damper should make a huge difference.
After the journey around Africa eventually ended full circle where we had left from, it was natural that we both put our improved skills to use and evolve. So it was that by the time we hit the salt flats of Russia on our way to Central Asia, Ana was on her own bike and I was rocking this baby.
On the other hand, I think it's good that we allowed the time to mature our memories. A raw account can be great, but so can be something written on the bigger picture, if we manage not to make it preachy or boring
Studly Adventurer
Joined: Jun 2010
Location: Bucharest or RTW
Oddometer: 614
The Girl From Jupiter And The Boys From The Land of Houyhnhnms
Mongolian summers are short and brutal, like a day at Romaniacs. Since we've came, the road kept pushing us forward, the steppe unrolled its deceiving monotony, until we got lost in the guts of this endless and bottomless Mongolia. When your wheels and thoughts are stuck in mud, both me and Ana have discovered, one easily looses track of time. Similarly, when you sleep night after night with only a thin sheet of rain cover separating you from the universe, the boundaries between what's yours and the living substance from which you separated at birth become blurred. It's not always comfortable: it happens that rain drums all night, you may be cold or sun may turn your tent into a sauna. The pragmatism on which our day to day life depends makes you consider an abandon: after all, what sane person leaves home to sleep under the rain? But the process of resetting your destiny is a mischievous mechanism, that urges you to stay, and to endure. You reading this ride report, regardless if you've been in my skin hundreds of times before or if you are planning and saving towards some adventure, you know. The road between you of this particular moment and the one you aim to be goes through the Caudine Forks of those days when you are taken to your mental and physical limits, which in the end you will somehow remember as the best part of the entire thing. So it happens that the smelly damp socks, the tasteless morning porridge and the pruning bodily parts are counterbalanced by a fragrant field of wild thyme, by the crunchy carrot topping our lunch, and by the mild muscular fever that shots an electric impulse from the arms to the stern.
This sunny picnic for instance is exactly what I am talking about: we can forget about the grim morning if we've got an innocent river to pollute with our sconcsy socks mentioned before. Until the next rain, of course
Every time I'm on the road another question keeps popping into my head: why, when we are truly happy, we find it difficult to be aware of our happiness? Is it to protect our human neurones from an eventual implosion? Or is it to reveal us later, in the aftermath of the climax, when we are browsing our stills and writing our blogs, the scale of the change? Or perhaps it's just to put a satisfied smirk on our faces while people stuck together with us in rush hour traffic start wondering if we have lost it. Those people don't know that we are smirking to the memory of distant moments, when we wrestled the landscape, as one should, because you cannot make love to your motorcycle, can you, only within the hygiene of traffic rules and favourable weather.
Of course, to each their own "torture". Even if it looks like it, this is not exclusively a motorcycling report. We share our roads and trails with other travellers, who choose to ride without the aid of engine. Their fuel is food and their time takes different value. Helen Lloyd is one of those people. When we were readying to depart to Africa we followed the Brit's cycling journey across the Western half of the black continent and her Niger adventure. Since then all three of us passed the African test, she wrote her first book about Desert Snow, and we've become classmates on Jupiter. As we were not up to date with her latest adventures, we were not expecting to meet her in the middle of Mongolia!
The African route of this brave girl largely resembles our own and includes a good chunk of DRC. What we did in 9 months of riding took her over 2 years of cycling. This time around Helen is journeying our reverse route. She started on the Trans-Siberian, then crossed the scenic Tuva republic on her way to Mongolia, from where she is heading via the Altai towards the Pamir, only to return in January for an incredible winter ride in Siberia. The encounter is extremely meaningful to us. With so much to talk about, Ana forgets to take off her helmet and Helen to get off her bike. The girls encourage each other; Helen confesses that she has been longing to try a different vehicle for her trips and that she has recently passed her motorcycling license, and of course Ana urges her to try on the DRZ. Business cards and promises to keep in touch exchanged, we must go our separate ways.
Enter one of the most enjoyable stretches of Mongolia, where we all we do is ride, never stopping for photos or for talking, eyes only on the narrow dirt trails curved to vertigo. Two hours later we arrive dusty and happy on the bank of a river, not far from Jargaland. The impassable bridge is an omen. Sometime in the not so distant future, dozens of bare-boned bridges await me. As sketchy as the Jargaland structure may appear, compared to those yet to be uncovered, it's nothing but child's play.
The bridge is lit by a rainbow that almost tricks us into believing that the rain has already passed through here. Clouds rapidly advancing from where we've arrived suggest otherwise.
While we toy with our camera and lens, the promise of rain is fulfilled. Within minutes the sun dies into a dense blanket of cloud, and even if it's still daytime, it turns dark. the road is mushy, our front wheel groping in the blind, through puddles sometimes half a meter deep. The day is spent, we'll never make it across the river ahead, so I figure we should better start searching for a bivouac. I ask for some sort of direction to the hazy silhouette that I take for a woman busying around her yurt. The silhouette steps forward. Now I can see the smile lighting up her wide face, the slanted eyes and the black braids under a colourful scarf. A siren to guide us voyagers through the storm, I think. I follow her sign, but a few meters away I stop again, and Ana knows why. Have you seen the yaks and the kefir cloth, I say, I think we should go back and ask them to let us camp there. The woman cannot look happier that we've returned, and she is joined by others, waving and clapping. We throw our tent on the floor and step into the yurt to warm ourselves by the fire and socialise with our accidental friends.
Inside the nomads' home scarves fall, new wood is burnt and dinner is laid. Only now we notice that our host is pregnant. Ertin Jaaral is home alone with her two daughters, while the husband is away to the grasslands.
The yurt ceiling is decorated with drying cheese, and on the fire there's a pot with bubbling fatty liquid that Ertin turns daily into kefir, cheese, butter and other manifestations of milk.
We sample everything on two thick slices of homemade bread. After a snack of sweetened cheese crackers Ertin pulls the last trick down her sleeve. She takes a yak thigh and chops the aged meat into small pieces that are quickly sautéed; a couple of handfuls of rice, a piece of lard and a ladle of water and the food is ready. It tastes and smells incredible. Meanwhile a stream of rainwater and mud is flowing from our feet to the entrance door.
Fed and dry, we sleep like babies. We are awaken by the yaks. A cheeky beast is licking our tent; chased away, the furry creature retreats close to the dripping kefir bag and waits for the commotion to die off, so he can feed on his colleagues' milk. During the night Ertin's husband has returned home, so we are invited again to eat with the family.
A second round of yak meat with rice and fatty kefir ensues. To our dismay, Ertin pours milk directly on top of the meat. They do this to milk in Mongolia. In her book "Hearing Birds Fly – A Nomadic Year in Mongolia", Louisa Waugh gives more insight into this culinary habit. She explains that according to nomad custom, most cattle is sacrificed when summer ends. The animals spared for breeding are taken to the winter cabins, up in the highlands. Milk therefore is only available during the brief Mongolian summer, perhaps less than three months per year. Milk is used to make butter, cheese and alcohol, and the Mongols consider it an almost sacred source of nutrition. Milk is always preferred to drinking water, but water is added to the mixture, for economy. Such concoctions are called tea, but actual brew is seldom included, and drinking black tea is almost frowned upon, as a sign of poverty that must be endured only until the next season of milk begins.
Ertin's yurt suddenly feels a little too small for the crowd of neighbours and friends gathered to enjoy a breakfast with the strangers. They all wonder why we don't drink more milk.
Before we say our good-byes the kids want us to take some photos of them and their horses. Again, we are profoundly touched by how they talk and behave to their animals. Ertin's daughters, Amar Tupsin (9) and Amar Jargal (18) gently clean yak cows. A young boy, Altin-Olzii (9) says that his horse is like family.
Semi-nomadic children, brown-skinned from sunny days on the steppe: Altin-Olzii, Altin-Ondrah (15) and Atumbaatar (14). And me, the white man, on top of Altin-Olzii's houyhnhnm.
Altin-Olzii accompanies us for a while, then the boy and his horse disappear in the background. Our eyes have become a little wet, but we are surrounded by such beauty that we cannot be sad for too long. Cranes roam the steppe, a bold eagle searches for carrion and there's a whole herd of disoriented sheep by the river we've been anticipating since a day before.
I search for the shallowest way across.
While we push our motorbikes, on the other bank an eclectic audience has gathered. A man arrived on horse has joined the sheep, and he is savouring the show. After we're done, we try to mitigate the 'situation' as best as we can. Ana has stripped down earlier to spare her boots from getting wet, and now she recovers her dignity by fixing everybody tea and a snack of cheese. Whatever got wet is left to dry in the sun. And the sheep encouraged at their own crossing of the river, to where a couple of thankful lady-herders await.
Soon after we get rolling again, we encounter another broken bridge.
This time we cross without undressing: Ana climbs the bridge, I take it to the water. D
Our days on the moutain are numbered: as soon as we hit stretches of road that are under construction my eyes are on the Garmin, where altitude keeps dropping.
As we are in no rush to arrive in the city, we linger for picnics and every time I see a stream I jump on Ana's DRZ and go fetch fresh water. Even if it's severely modified to accommodate an unusually small rider like Ana, this bike is quite fun - a solid option for any off-road adventure. The interesting analysis of Colebatch grants this frisky machine its righteous place among the three bikes that have proven the strongest competitors in the light adventure class. An important and much needed shift in adventure motorcycling is intricately linked to these bikes. Walter puts it better than me: since the pioneering expeditions of the past century, the journey taken by Ewan and Charlie and onward to the Terra Circa/ Mondo Enduro collectives (not to mention Walter's own infamous rides to the depths of Siberia), things have changed quite a bit. Roads were paved, and the "grey" spots on the map are no longer tackled with a compass in hand. Cruise boats have become available for the travellers who can work their tan and snorkel while them and their vehicle are being carried across. Many 2013 adventurers appear more concerned to keep their Touratech gizmos unscratched than to allow themselves to be reshaped by the adventure. This isn't necessary a bad thing, but let's not forget that this is the art of propaganda and marketing, it severs the connection between public policy and the individual consciousness, it cancels the instinct for what's right. The proliferation of mass media and the development of infrastructure brings people closed to what they desire: the poor to the consumer goods (and only later to medical services and information), and the rich to the few places left untapped. We are contemporary with the democratisation of access: anybody to be able to go anywhere they want to go. Consequently adventure motorcycling, already a controversial concept seldom confused to touring, requires a new paradigm. I guess I'll be returning to this in a future rant…
For now I'm busy advancing together with my girl to the place where the enduro playground Mongolia is famous for relinquish power to the tarmac. Where a panorama will no longer look like this:
or like this:
It will pretty much look like this:
We are advancing to the kingdom of concrete, where Coca Cola has replaced milk. Speaking of that, I'd mention that the Mongols' passion for dairy adds to their already excessively protein-based regimen, rendering them quite vulnerable to diseases. But of course these people are crazy about yak milk, I cry a day later, if their yaks feed on edelweiss! Indeed, the hills where we bivouac are covered in flowers.
It's the first rainless day. The grass is heavy with dew, the field reverberates with yaks hoofing about. Besides frog frogging and mysterious squeezels, well, squeezeling, we also had trucks horning for lullaby. Since yesterday we are on their battleground. An enormous operation is well underway to cover Mongolia's untamed steppe under layers of sand, gravel and asphalt. But because of its seemingly intangible quietness and sheer size, the vulnerability of this mongolian landscape is hard to grasp.
The gentle tract of the road hides patches of washboard corrugations. The southern route is predominately this, and riders who choose to follow it end up hating it. In the background mountains rise to barren summits, with the White Lake a silent mirror of the sky. Mongolia's lakes and rivers reveal strange new colours, the kind that seem to exist only here, under this cold light, and if I blink or turn my eyes away, they're gone.
On the border of Terkhiin Tsagaan lake we stop to watch yak fighting for a partner, or to kill boredom.
A few adults are galloping or riding their mopeds in circles to keep the herds compact. They pay no attention to us. On the contrary, their kids run over to feature in my reportage. Here they are: Bolyn-uu (14), her brother Baah-baaatar (13) and Namuu-naah (6).
This paradise is only going to last for another day. As we are soon to be repeatedly disappointed: by the outcrops of Taikhar Chuluu, where Neolithic inscriptions have long disappeared under contemporary graffiti and where offerings to ancestors lay alongside piles of discarded packaging.
A bizarre sight: the so-called "penis rock", another omen of a certain breed of Chinese tourists we will meet a few months from now. Taking a bow in front of the penis rock some say equals to a shamanic benediction. We both refrain from following the lead of Mongol tourists, but we at least take some photos. It was not enough for the magic to work. On exiting the trail back to the main hard-packed, Ana takes the first tumble in days, and the fist to end with consequences. She hurts her right thumb tendon.
Out of tourist sites we are in search for a place where we could attempt to resuscitate our cooker. As it becomes evident that the gear must be retired, we return to our friendly spats with non-tourist Mongols. We must have gotten accustomed to their irreverence, to their lack of social skill or respect for personal propriety, because we are no longer bothered to be almost kicked off the bikes with vigorous enthusiasm. We are now worried about the citizens of the capital who have been recently our constant 'companions', their opulent cars driven carelessly across the steppe, their beer bellies proudly exposed and their newly acquired consumerist habits leaving behind a changed Mongolia.
We see from afar the first group of foreigners dumped by their tour bus in the saddle of the houyhnhnms that carry them to the temple.
After Karakorin, the former capital of Mongolia, and all the way to Ulaanbaatar the road is poorly sealed, making us curse between crunched teeth and Ana to sprinkle her right thumb. We bivouac a few kilometres shy off the highway, next to a deserted mountain cabin.
The following day is as bleak as they come; we spend it navigating through an ever dense flow of vehicles, stopping only 50 km from Ulaanbaatar, quite pissed that our Mongolian adventure is coming to its inevitable end. In less than 24 hours we will have every reason to congratulate ourselves:
We are about to discover in the capital of this extraordinary Mongolia an unexciting place of gluttony and polluting industries, with accidental urbanism and an urbanity very hard to like. But beyond all this we will also find the solution to continue our pursuit to the Far East and an unexpected resolution to a personal challenge that has been haunting me since Uzbekistan.
crazy oyibo
2011-2012 Africa Full Circle 2up on 660 Tenere
2013 Central Asia, Mongolia & the BAM on 690 Enduro R + DRZ 400
KTM 690 Adventure (re)build
www.intotheworld.eu / Facebook / Instagram
mrwwwhite screwed with this post 01-20-2014 at 06:31 AM
Beastly Adventurer
Joined: Dec 2008
Location: Behind the Redwood Curtain
Oddometer: 3,186
Awesome thread... continuously amazing photos and narrative.
"I don't really know, I've been too busy falling down."
Gnarly Poolside Adv.
Joined: Feb 2010
Location: Darnestown, MD
Oddometer: 754
This, in my opinion, is one of the best ride reports ever posted on Adv. The photography, the storyline, the ride itself... all amazing!
Thank you both for all of the work you have done to share your journey with the Adv. community.
Sacred Valley of the Incas
Costa Rica Solo
An Ecuador Fly-N-Ride
Studly Adventurer
Joined: Jun 2010
Location: Bucharest or RTW
Oddometer: 614
crazy oyibo
2011-2012 Africa Full Circle 2up on 660 Tenere
2013 Central Asia, Mongolia & the BAM on 690 Enduro R + DRZ 400
KTM 690 Adventure (re)build
www.intotheworld.eu / Facebook / Instagram
mrwwwhite screwed with this post 01-22-2014 at 12:25 AM
Joined: Jan 2014
Oddometer: 8
There must be guys out there who have taken longer journeys and tougher rides.
There are photographs and photographers that really, really blow your mind.
Surely there are superior writers, authors, reporters
Combining the three, you John and you Ana... you simply rock.
Keep it real
Studly Adventurer
Joined: Jun 2010
Location: Bucharest or RTW
Oddometer: 614
Studly Adventurer
Joined: Jun 2010
Location: Bucharest or RTW
Oddometer: 614
After advancing for 3 months across deserts, mountains and swollen rivers, the first thing we do in Ulaanbataar is to get stuck in traffic. Except for the steady flow of the pedestrian crowd which gives me a nauseating illusion of slowly rolling backwards, nothing on the street really moves. Busses clogged with everyday people occupy every inch left available by cars with their respective solitary drivers laying trapped inside. There are resigned expressions on faces, shirts rolled over sweaty bellies, newspapers spread over steering wheels, music blasting fizzy techno tunes, hands poked out of windows drumming to the beat with the longer nail of the little finger. It's definitely not an evident scene one would anticipate to encounter in world's least populous country.
Ulaanbataar looks nothing like the city of yurts glossy magazines romanticise. And no, contrary to what the participants in the Mongol Rally proclaim in their fundraising YouTube clips, before ever stepping foot into the country, camels are not used for ambulances. The only two double lane streets of the capital are clogged with the latest Infinity and Mercedes 4×4 models, and Ulaanbaatar's rather un-beautiful answer to a modern downtown is riddled with high-risers.
But this is just glitter on the face of what could go down in history as one of the worst cases of mismanagement and disinterest for the ecological footprint of a boomtown. Luxury condominiums are being built before any access road. All laws of sustainable design and liveability (natural lighting, alignment, how more cars will be absorbed by the traffic and where could these cars be parked – to name a few) are being ignored. The construction sites invade every urban space, up to the gas stations. If anything, chucking more cars into the rudimentary infrastructure of the mongol capital and allowing the urbanism to adapt organically will only make things worse. City planners should gather here from all over the world to solve the mess.
The limited charm of what tourist ads incorrectly proclaim to be "more like sophisticated European city than Asian city" is not enhanced by grey skies and smog, but by its dwellers. In the main square of the capital people gather to pose in front of the national hero. Children and mothers enjoy the only open space in town; brides, grooms and guests strut in elegant deel (silken robes) and gutal (leather boots).
Contrasting to the restraint stance of the locals, Chinese tourists do their regular victory signs and quirky poses.
The luckiest of these beautifully clad people inhabit decaying apartment buildings from the soviet era, to the north of the city. But most residents of Ulaanbaatar are still living at the fringes of empty neighbourhoods of luxury flats, in fenced yurts, with limited access to running water, no sewage and no garbage disposal system. It's a confronting image of caged steppe sitting in its own refuse, the agony of nomadism. After laying dormant for eight centuries, Mongolia is waking from reverie and the economy is expanding at an astonishing rate. Recent finds suggest that one of the largest gold mines could soon open in the Gobi desert. Never in history a discovery of such scale proved just a blessing. There is undeniable danger in taking prosperity for granted. As elsewhere, the poorest strata of this society – that happens to have been until recently one of the most isolated nations – is vulnerable to corporate neocolonialism. Few of the promises of jobs, health care and education for local communities will ever materialise and before they can be instigated to mass consumption, people need to be eased into what it means to squeeze your country dry.
Such is the heresy that torments the thoughts of Romanian motorcyclists navigating Ulaanbataar's motorized extravaganza. Clutch pulled, teeth clenched, we ride past the closed gates of the Russian embassy where we had planned to apply for a visa. As Begzuren, our Couchsurfing host is living at the city outskirts and he has no electricity and no running water in his yurt, we have resigned to seeking accommodation in a well known traveller's 'oasis'. It takes us the better half of the day to drive there.
The inevitable pit stop of those to overland in Central Asia needs little introduction. Orderly, yet somehow lacking character, well-appointed, yet somehow freedom-restrictive, furnished with yurts and staffed by Mongols, yet somehow disconnected from local realities – it's an universe folded into itself, pretty much like the Mongolian yurt. Many have arrived at its gates for a couple of days only to be swallowed for weeks into its gut. Those whom the experience awaits in the future must have already had their fair share of warnings. What the place masters is also what we came for: it connects travellers and allows them a place for exchange and vehicle rejuvenation. We wonder how this place will change in the future, as the people who have run it for 13 years have just sold it to another couple. We meet many people, each with their own unique story: the spaniard Teo aka Mr. Hicks46 who has been filming his entire journey while addressing his viewers from inside his helmet…
Tom the American, who has been living in Moscow for 10 years…
The Corsicans Jean-Cri, Aure si Emilie who are on their Piu Luntanu RTW by 950 Adventure and who surprise us with the fact that they have been following our blog since Africa…
Many others are crammed into a small yard with communal washing facilities where poor locals come to take their weekly shower. Travellers separate according to vehicle: trucks and cars keep it to their own, so do motorcyclists, with the odd cyclist trying to fit in-between. On the evening of our arrival I hear someone speaking in Romanian into a phone. Emigrated to Germany over two decades ago, Karl has arrived in Ulaanbaatar at the end of a ride across Europe, Kazakhstan, Russia and Mongolia. He is with a rat-pack of four – his son Daniel (an architect in Vienna), his son in law and his father, all on Super Tenere. As Karl is medic, he takes care of Ana's injured thumb with fatherly love.
Pics below courtesy of Daniel & Karl
Ana seeks at breakfast the advice of Dimitri, a real life explorer, a brilliant, funny and larger than life Frenchman who has been on a quest to circumnavigate the world by human power. He is one of the two people to have crossed the Bering on and through ice, on foot, swimming and pushing a sledge.
Pic below courtesy of Nexus Expeditions
If we arrived in the city hyped that we had managed to accomplish what we had set out to do, in Ulaanbaatar we are failing at everything. Leading a rookie rider across challenging tracks was a child's play compared to the task of shipping two motorbikes from Mongolia to Romania. Our initial plan was to do Central Asia, then follow the Silk Road by bicycles into China towards South-East Asia. That required sending the bikes by plane back to Bucharest and buying bicycles in Ulaanbaatar. Well, it does not prove straightforward. The black market offers no second hand bicycles, but it beats going to a museum.
After Ana returns from an attempt at jogging with the cough of a chain smoker, we decide to take a break from everything and do a museum after all. In Sukhbaatar square there is a pavilion exhibiting Mongolia's recently returned son, the T. bataar, that was the object of an unusual smuggling.
While we easily find an excellent TREK dealer, ridiculous quotes, erratic client service and dubious conditions render useless all our attempts to contract a forwarder. After a week it becomes evident that riding our motorbikes back is the sanest and most reasonable option. And also the cheapest, even if we include in the alternate costs the price of plane tickets in order to return to Asia and continue our journey as planned. In the meantime travellers keep coming and going. Every bike engine revved on departure stirs our sentiment that we are stuck in UB forever. At night, Ana confesses that Tom's exhaust reverberated across the yard like a bass guitar in a empty concert hall. That the sound made her stomach ache. That her DRZ abandoned by a tree in the garden makes her think of a chained beast, a friend condemned to oblivion after they said 'I love you'.
We are both struggling with a burning desire to go. Ana has just warmed up to biking and has itchy feet. Me, I am haunted by an idea. The idea of a place almost mythically remote. Magadan. As far away as it is, now I've gotten so much closer that I succumb to the temptation of riding there. I pitch to Ana my plan of doing a solo loop and reunite with her either in UB or in Irkutsk. Coming back from Magadan I would also have the opportunity to tackle the BAM. To me this plan feels a proper resolution to our journey so far, the right step in pushing the envelope a millimetre further. But the feeling is not mutual. I don't want to sit on my ass in UB waiting for you to come back, says Ana, and I am not keen to ride alone to Irkutsk. One afternoon, in an attempt to calm after another heated debate, I decide to ride up one hill so steep that I commemorate the 690′s safe ascent with a lap around a Buddhist cairn. From the top I gaze upon the Urga that once lured mongol hordes and Chinese worriers. Somewhere in the background the coal thermal plant spits poisoned clouds, the clouds of progress.
A love relationship put under the pressure of adventure is as competitive as it is loving; as punitive as it is accepting. In the end, Ana transitions to her normal self. I know how hard it was for you to support me through this journey, she says, and I am grateful. She knows that I need to enjoy true freedom, unencumbered by the speed of a rookie. She knows how tormented I was to watch her grow out of her own mistakes, that as she was riding on steep mountain faces and on the edge of the abyss, I was consumed by the fear that a disaster was waiting to happen. Joy was hard to distinct from relief. This is my time and I deserve it; it's the chance I must take. And while we reconcile to this decision, the arrival in UB of a French guy on a 250 TTR provides Ana with a companion for the ride up to Russia.
This brief separation will be getting both our instincts going again. For the past few years we've been spending almost every waking hour together, and for the past few months our limits have been pushed to new extremes. Ana needs this break as much as I do. Without me there for her to give a push and a shoulder to lean on, she will find the resources to push herself and to stop leaning. I know some have and will judge me for 'abandoning' my girlfriend in UB while I go chase a unicorn. Yeah, but if we are true to ourselves and take into account that Ana has shown great potential to grow from being tested, I think it's the right step forward. It's been our game to jack in everything in order to evolve, why should we concede to fear of unknown at this very moment? I say nay to the haters, we'll do what we need to be doing. This thread could have been called: "Can a rookie make it to Mongolia via the Wakhan Corridor?" The answer is clearly yes, with the right support and the right attitude they can. In our case, the rookie loved the ride just as much as the leader, if not more.
I want to share one more thing on this topic. Two months ago while sipping beers with Phil, Andrew and Jon in Uzbekistan's Bukhara, I was asked if I was really not dreaming of the BAM and Magadan. I said no, but realise today that I was. Jon's question rolled the snowball into the valley. We each have our own little reasons for braking loose from the logical, the convenient, the reasonable. It may be our biological clock, chocking in its unstopability, or perhaps the taken-for-granted slowly wearing down all that should be passionate, like a cancer. Some of us are simply harbouring something as frail as a longing, a dry hunger for a version of ourselves that was supposed to be, and yet never happened. Thrusting yourself out into the world cannot resolve such agenda. It may however equip you with the courage required to attempt a change within. A long journey allows tapping into dormant resources. Though slow changes and accruing you become aware of the infinite potency of hours and days. As a side bonus, a journey over land simulates demiurgic creation: it gives substance to the imagined, a materiality to the unknown. We depart from our cultural islands to be constantly adrift on a sea of alien and incomprehensible cultures. But even if we cannot find our way, we are not lost.
I also want to allow a few final notes about how this country impacted us. Coming after 14 months of Africa and 9 months of struggle to get back to 'normal' life, Mongolia felt like a place where everything exists within the realm of the archetype. If you ride across with that in mind, what you see takes on cosmic significance. The denizens of the lonesome yurts aren't poor drunks at the mercy of weather; they are the People of the world they inhabit, ecvestrian Heroes, almighty Mothers, resilient Angels, all masters of their domain.
The world outside their foetus of felt is something Mongols don't care much about. A sole eye opens from the inside of the home to the stars – the tunduk, and the smoke that escapes from it is the vertical of a faithfully horizontal landscape. There are rules, but they are never actually spoken because, you see, that would diminish their magical character. Only a handful of people have managed to claim their place in history. The Italians and the Spanish took the 16th century, the French and the Dutch took the 17th, the English are yet to relinquish power to the Chinese. Romanians combed by waves of nomadic, Ottoman or Russian invasions never emerged from mediocrity. In spite of the isolation of their homeland and the extremely testing weather, the Mongols made the 12th century shiver. As tamed as they've grown since then, they are no ordinary people. They have been treating us with affable hospitality, like an aristocrat who cannot let a stranger suffer outside, but who does not take interest in learning about the accidental guest. They have briefly engaged us, usually with the vodka as mediator. Out of all the countries we have visited, Mongolia remains one of the most provocative, that would require at least a second visit to understand.
crazy oyibo
2011-2012 Africa Full Circle 2up on 660 Tenere
2013 Central Asia, Mongolia & the BAM on 690 Enduro R + DRZ 400
KTM 690 Adventure (re)build
www.intotheworld.eu / Facebook / Instagram
mrwwwhite screwed with this post 01-22-2014 at 12:55 AM
Ape on wheels
Joined: Dec 2010
Location: Hanging on in a garden by the sea
Oddometer: 166
"A siren to guide us voyagers through the storm, I think. I follow her sign."
Had you a traditional navigators culture and would think differently.
"...were dangerous and beautiful creatures, portrayed as femme fatales who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island."
Happily, it didn't happen.
Guess don't need to say why appretiate and read your RR with so much pleasure.
Seems the laguiolle is perhaps lying in african soil but la Opinel keeps the job.
Thanks for showing us your world.
It's God's fault if atheism is growing
legasea screwed with this post 01-22-2014 at 05:41 AM
Wonna Be ADVrider
Joined: Mar 2010
Location: Sandia Mountains New Mexico
Oddometer: 4,045
AMA, NMOHVA & NMTA Member
Baja: http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=870197&highlight=team+magoo
Fly&Ride http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=841561
KLR-DRZ-Gas Gas-Yamaha
Gnarly Adventurer
Joined: Sep 2007
Location: Maryland
Oddometer: 400
I've been catching up with this report for days.
Just plain awesome!
Thank you for the time you've spent
to share this with us.
2008 KLR rider
Lets ride !
"The poets down here don't write nuthin' at all
They just stand back and let it all be." Springsteen
Gnarly Adventurer
Joined: Dec 2013
Location: Italy
Oddometer: 236
This is really a beautiful report!
Thank you!
Gnarly Adventurer
Joined: Sep 2007
Location: Bucharest, Romania
Oddometer: 146
Oasis Cafe is a good place. When you are there is very hard to do anything.. you only want to lay down and drink beer.
Cristian / Bob
Studly Adventurer
Joined: Jun 2010
Location: Bucharest or RTW
Oddometer: 614
Hehe, glad you ve brought this up; the image of the siren was to convey how inebriated I was with exhaustion cold and yes hunger. But indeed she proved to be a simple mortal like us, who took us in her felt womb and fed us her milk and calmed our spirits.
The laguiolle is way to precious for us as it was a gift from our French companions- so we left it at home in a box together with a leather necklace covered in the red clay that used to rub against the chest of a beautiful himba. The opinel does the job while providing countless reasons to bring our friends from Lagos (now happily relocated to Togo) into conversation. Cheers for the kind words.
Studly Adventurer
Joined: Jun 2010
Location: Bucharest or RTW
Oddometer: 614
Thanks for reading, your feedback makes it worthwhile
Cheers Cristiano!
Oasis has the unusual potential of becoming whatever u want it to be; taking on some of the traveler's mindset and feeding it back with increased energy. Cheers Bob!
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On October 3, FBI Employee l told Loewen that he had met overseas with al Qaeda, the complaint reports.
The complaint about Swift is that she only sings about high school stuff.
According to the complaint, Shanklin "did not receive payment for the continued use of his image."
late 14c., "lamentation, grief," from Old French complainte (12c.) "complaint, lament," noun use of fem. past participle of complaindre (see complain). Meaning "bodily ailment" is from 1705 (often in U.S. colloquial use generalized as complaints).


text:
Follow Chef Angus Campbell as he eats his way through Grand Rapids with a series of videos! ...more
Restaurants will offer creative 3-courses for $28 while others will offer a 2 for $28 for 3-courses Aug 12-23. ...more
The Discovery of King Tut will be at the Grand Rapids Public Museum May 16 - Jan 31. ...more
Part arts festival, part social experiment - decided solely on a public vote. Sept 23 - Oct 11, 2015 . ...more
Lonely Planet named Grand Rapids and the Lake Michigan Gold Coast the #1 place to visit in 2014! ...more
Grab your friends, sisters, mother or daughter and escape for a girls-only weekend in Grand Rapids! ...more
Experience Grand Rapids where guys can be guys. Enjoy beer and the great outdoors! ...more
Earlier this month, Experience Grand Rapids announced the names of 5 artists whose works will be featured on billboards around the state this summer. A juried panel selected their artwork from over 25...more
"The West Side is the best side," according to the residents and business owners of this venerable neighborhood, which was first connected to downtown Grand Rapids via footbridge in 1842. German, Polish, and Irish immigrants soon populated the area, establishing distinct business districts amidst tree-lined residential streets. Today, the West Side is experiencing a major revitalization, as new buildings and new businesses cater to an increasingly diverse population.
Where to Eat:
The Bitter End, voted best coffeehouse by Grand Rapids magazine readers, is located in a restored century-old bank building. Craft-roasted coffees, teas, smoothies, and more.
Blue Dog Tavern is a new eatery in a 100 year-old building with a storied restaurant past. Come for the food and drink, linger for the historic touches and neighborhood vibe.
El Granjero Mexican Grill serves delicious authentic dishes - including tacos, quesadillas, grilled cactus and wonderful desserts - with a farm-fresh focus.
Maggie's Kitchen is an unpretentious yet award-winning cafe specializing in authentic cuisine from the Michocan region of Mexico.
Mitten Brewing Co. is a vintage baseball-themed microbrewery and gourmet pizzeria located in a Victorian-era firehouse.
O'Toole's Public House is an Irish pub offering delicious, outrageously-topped gourmet burgers and sandwiches plus multiple Michigan beers on tap and daily drink specials.
Salvatore's Italian Restaurant and Pizza is a multi-generation family restaurant serving authentic old-world recipes. Winner of a People's Choice Best Pizza award.
Where to Shop:
Ball Park Floral & Gifts is your source for fresh-cut flowers, arrangements and creative gifts for every occasion. Serving Grand Rapids since 1904.
DENYM is an upscale jean shop geared to men and women seeking casual wardrobe options that fit both the office and a night out.
The Conscious Collective Consignment offers gently used men's and women's fashions, plus home decor items and new products handmade by local artisans.
Rylee's Ace Hardware stocks hard-to-find hardware items plus housewares and garden goods along with good old-fashioned neighborhood-store service.
Freewheeler Bike Shop has been supplying new bikes and excellent bike service to Grand Rapids cyclists since 1978.
What to Do:
Hit the links- the Mines Golf Club is an 18-hole course right around the corner from John Ball Zoo. Built atop old gypsum mines, the rolling terrain makes it a joy to play. One of Golf Digest's "Best New Public Courses Under $75" in 2006.
Hike, bike, or blade Kent Trails, a 15-mile paved pathway that follows abandoned rail lines through wetlands, forests, meadows and city neighborhoods. John Ball Park is an access point.
Experience the West Side-style nightlife at neighborhood bars and clubs:
What to See:
See more than 2,000 animals at John Ball Zoo, one of the nation's oldest surviving urban zoos and Michigan's fourth most popular cultural attraction. There are many rides and activities to choose from, and you can picnic in the adjacent park. (Bring bread to feed the ducks!)
Visit three majestic Catholic churches erected by the area's early immigrants. The Germans build St. Mary's, the Irish built St. James, and the Polish build St. Adalbert, all within a few blocks of each other. Another Polish church, Sacred Heart, towers over John Ball Park.
Local Favorites:
Arnie's Bakery & Restaurant is a West Side institution with roots dating back 100 years. Rebuilt after a 2009 fire, the restaurant serves hearty breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, plus swoon-worthy desserts.
Brann's Steakhouse & Sports Grille is a casual restaurant masquerading as a sports bar. Home of the "legendary sizzling steak," it boasts more TVs than just about any restaurant in town - and it's run by one of the town's favorite restaurant owners.
Hidden Gems:
Ferris Coffee and Nut has been a Grand Rapids staple since 1924, offering the very best coffee, nuts, and gourmet treats made right here.
Frank's Market and Lewandoski's Market offer a huge selection of authentic German and Polish foods, including fresh and smoked kielbasa, metwurst, German wieners and more.
Scrumptious Cupcakes and Sweetery serves up mouthwatering gourmet and cocktail cupcakes plus a variety of other goodies.
To find all of the other places to see, eat, and visit in this neighborhood, use the drop down menu below.
This family restaurant, a Michigan tradition since 1936, offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. Ohhh Boy! MORE >>
At Brann's, we've combined our legendary food with an unparalleled sports atmosphere – a combination you simply can't find anywhere else. Our menu boasts a huge selection of unique flavors while staying true to our roots and the item that made us famous, the 8oz. Sizzling Sirloin Steak. Our premiere sports bar and our dining rooms house more HDTVs and projection screen than any restaurant or even sports bar can compete with. MORE >>
The DeltaPlex Arena and Conference Center is a sports, entertainment, concert, tradeshow and convention facility conveniently located minutes from downtown Grand Rapids with ample parking adjacent to the building. MORE >>
The DeltaPlex is a comfortable venue that can accommodate a variety of events, from professional sports to major concerts to any type of private or public convention or exposition. The arena is even capable of holding a three-ring circus! Its two exhibition halls and arena provide a variety of arrangements for trade show booths. All rooms are adjoining and can be used together or separately. Ample parking is located onsite, making the DeltaPlex the perfect venue to host any event. MORE >>
El Granjero Mexican Grill serves Authentic Mexican food with fresh, local ingredients and a friendly service. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Dine-in, take-outs and catering! El Granjero Mexican Grill was established in 2007 and has received several dinning awards including "Best Mexican/Caribbean Restaurant 2012," "One of the Best Restaurants in Grand Rapids 2013" by the Grand Rapids Magazine. Proud members of the West Michigan Hispanic & the Grand Rapids Area Chambers of Commerce. MORE >>
A roaster and distributor of specialty coffees and gourmet nuts since 1924. Tours available upon request. This 62,000 square-foot facility includes production, retail shop and training center. Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Closed Saturday and Sunday. MORE >>
Local roaster and regional distributor of specialty coffees and gourmet nuts since 1924. Ferris offers educational tours showing the growing and processing of coffee and nuts. MORE >>
This functional piece of artwork, designed by the artist, Joseph Kinnebrew, provides a practical application as well as an aesthetic pleasure. Designed to allow migrating fish a means of circumventing the powerful water flow at the man-made rapids in the Grand River, this popular site allows visitors to watch fish jump up the "ladder" in a seasonal migration in the spring and late summer. MORE >>
Built along the Grand River in 1974 by artist Joseph Kinnebrew, the Fish Ladder was created to aid spawning fish in their struggle to swim upstream. MORE >>
This newly revitalized hotel features genuine hospitality with an earth friendly focus nestled in the heart of downtown. Complimentary parking and WIFI, 32" HDTV, spa-like pool/whirlpool and fitness room. Michigan Green Lodging certified. Experience our passion for service and quality at a great price! MORE >>
Just steps away from John Ball Zoo, John Ball Park includes picnic areas, playgrounds, biking, hiking/walking, access point for Kent Trails, and duck pond. Picnic area reservations can be done online www.jbzoo.org. MORE >>
Over 2,000 animals and more animal touching exhibits than any other zoo in Michigan; tigers, stingrays & sharks, 2 petting corrals, wallabies, camels and budgies. Chimpanzees - lions - grizzly bear - otters - snow leopards - Komodo dragon - and many large and small primates. Indoor and outdoor viewing. Full concessions and gift shop. Featuring 300-foot ZIPline, 4-story Ropes Adventure Course, Swan Boats and a Funicular (tram) that leads to a state-of-the-art treehouse. MORE >>
Located in the Holiday Inn Grand Rapids Downtown, the Pearl Street Express is a convenience store with "Grab and Go" items for guests & local individuals. Your fast track to fresh coffee, ice cream, cold drinks. salads, sandwiches, toiletries, and a variety of newspapers. MORE >>
Pearl Street Grill features West Michigan's most popular dishes in a casual setting with the most affordable prices. Menu selections include gourmet pizzas, steaks, delectable pastas, sandwiches, soups and fresh made salads. Featuring West Michigan Micro-brews on tap & Michigan wines. MORE >>
Presenting spectacular and educational multi-media sky shows and laser light shows for all ages in its Digistar theater. Shows change several times a year. Admission charged. MORE >>


text:
Strala Inch Lamp
by Jacob Resneck
on 20 November 2006
The Strala Inch Lamp is what Zürich-based designer T.W. Schmid calls "minimalistic ode to maximum." Stated plainly, it's a lamp with a twist. Partly inspired (ironically) by the Burmese practice of wearing neck rings to stretch the neck, it can be tilted and extended from 150 to 224 centimeters, making it a functional, spartan design that arrests a lot of attention for such a small footprint. Inch is just one of several odd-yet-intriguing products offered by Strala, Schmid's design firm that will be featured at the Blickfang design exhibition that opens in Zürich this Friday, 24 November 2006, and runs through 26 November 2006.
Design Miami/Basel 2013: Casting Light
From artificial storms to electronic innovations, five works that cleverly play with light
by David Graver
It could be argued that it doesn't matter what, or who, is in any room if the lighting isn't right. The following pieces—seen among the other wares at Design Miami/Basel—emit, warp or interact with light in exotic ways. Each piece embeds functionality...
Fiona Thomson Lights and Speaker
by Tim Yu
Fiona Thomson revisits iconic 19th century forms, adding a modern twist by using simple technologies to create and adapt products for the 21st century. Recently unveiled at the New Designers event in London, each of her works cleverly transforms...
Anglepoise Play
by Leonora Oppenheim
Among the newest, hottest creations in town at the London Design Festival this year, we happily noted that others were taking time to celebrate an old classic—albeit in new ways of course. Anglepoise, a lamp that's required little tweaking...
Form Us With Love: Ogle Pendant Lamp
by CH Contributor
by Richard Prime Stockholm-based design company Form Us With Love releases its latest design this month, produced for Swedish lighting manufacturer, Atelje Lyktan. Called Ogle, the pendant lamp mixes the functionality of a spotlight with the elegance...
One Light Art Lamps
by Bailee Wolfson
Remastering old tea sets, trumpets, helmets and more into one-of-a-kind lamps, Howard Dernberger sources treasured vintage items from the home and around town to recycle them into lamps for his line called One Light Art Lamps. Dernberger, who has...
Nonlinear Studio
Intelligent design questioning the relationship between form and function (slightly)
by Laura Neilson
A straight line between points A and B might be the fastest way to get there, but for Nonlinear Studio's founding designer Evan Clabots fixation on a predetermined end result isn't necessarily best. "The design process quickly turns into decisions...
Fragile Future Chandelier
LEDs and dandelions star in a stunning chandelier vision of our environmental fate
by Leonora Oppenheim
Among stunning 20th-century artworks from European galleries, there's always a contemporary design gem or two to be found at London's Art + Design Pavilion. In 2008 we came across rAndom International's Temporary Printing Machine at The Carpenters...
Smartphone-Powered Portable Mood Lighting with Lampp
The candle-lit votive gets a modern day makeover
by Nara Shin
If you could somehow physically inflate the flat, glass screen of your smartphone into a glowing silicon bubble, it would resemble what Barcelona-based RCA alum and product designer Jordi Canudas has created with his new Lampp. By placing the organically...
Elegant, handcrafted porcelain light fixtures that play on translucency
by David Graver
The natural ceramic elements within porcelain clay inspire the organic designs that make immerLit unique. Almost flowering downward from the base of each hanging fixture, these handmade and customizable lights are art pieces, as well as functional...
The Indoor and Outdoor FollowMe Lamp from Marset
A modern, lantern-like table lamp designed to let you roam your home
by Graham Hiemstra
Barcelona is known for its flair—in natural geography, architecture and style of the city's inhabitants. With this in mind, it's no surprise one of the most exciting companies in lighting at the moment hails from the coastal city. Though Marset...
NYC Design Week 2011: Brilliant Lighting
Eight impressive lighting options that do more than illuminate
by Karen Day
As we made the Design Week rounds recently in NYC, we found some brilliant examples of modern lighting. Below are eight lamps sure to add a flicker of stylish design to any home or office, culled from ICFF, Model Citizens, NoHo Design District and...
Alex Randall Bespoke Lighting
Chandeliers made from meat hooks and rodent lamps from a London-based sculptor
by Richard Prime
After graduating from Chelsea College of Art & Design with a sculpture degree, Alex Randall started making her wildly surreal one-off lamps in 2006—just a year later picking up Liberty's Most Promising Newcomer award. Earlier this year...
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text:
Patti LuPone Takes The Ice Bucket Challenge, Nominates Baldwin & Lange
Legendary multi-award-winning stage and screen star Patti LuPone participates in the popular ALS awareness-raising Ice Bucket Challenge as part of a new social media video now available to view.
"I just want to say: we can all relax! The Metropolitan Opera has been saved; the contracts have been settled," LuPone begins while seated in a picaresque beach scene.
Then, LuPone theatrically opens a note from Audra McDonald, which she reads before being inundated with a deluge of icy water.
Too funny - and too perfect!
Of note, LuPone was nominated to take part in The Challenge earlier this week by frequent co-star Audra McDonald.
Additionally, LuPone nominates 30 Rock co-star Alec Baldwin, American Horror Story co-star Jessica Lange and Family Guy co-star Alex Borstein.
More information on the ALS ice bucket challenge and guidelines on how to donate or participate is available at the official site here.
View the new Ice Bucket Challenge video featuring Patti LuPone below.
Photo Credit: Walter McBride
About Author
- SOUND OFF World Premiere Exclusive: Joel Grey In GEORGE M! On THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW
- SOUND OFF: Four Fabulous Features Of This Week's GLEE
- New Rehearsal Sneak Peek Of SOMETHING ROTTEN! Featuring Christian Borle
- Christian Borle & Brian D'Arcy James Talk SMASH Reunion In Rehearsal For SOMETHING ROTTEN!
- GLEE's Darren Criss & Chris Colfer Explain The Klainomenon
- SHAKESPEARE UNCOVERED: SERIES 2 DVD Out Today
- Behind The Scenes With Matthew Morrison In FINDING NEVERLAND Rehearsals
- Ultra-Glam New KINKY BOOTS Academy Awards Social Media Image
- Darren Criss Says Goodbye To GLEE With Emotional Message To Fans
- Lea Michele, Darren Criss & More In Group Photo Of Cast & Crew At GLEE Finale


text:
Stranger Gods: Salman Rushdie's Other Worlds
In Stranger Gods Roger Clark offers an ambitious and wide-ranging study of Salman Rushdie's seven published novels, with a special focus on his earliest, Grimus, and his most powerful and provocative, Midnight's Children, Shame, and The Satanic Verses. Clark shows how Rushdie employs cosmology, mythology, and mysticism to structure otherworldly dramas that are fascinating in their own right, as well as crucial to the more worldly points Rushdie makes about literary tradition, history, ethnicity, and the politics of religion. Clark's exploration of Rushdie's novels works on at least three levels. First, he clarifies and interprets Rushdie's often puzzling references to figures such as Loki and Shiva, settings such as the mountains of Qaf and Kailasa, and experiences such as the annihilation of the self and the temptations of the Muslim Devil, Iblis. Second, he demonstrates how otherworldy motifs work with or against each other, fusing or clashing with Dantean, Shakespearean, and other literary forms to create hybrid characters, plots, and themes. Finally, he argues that Rushdie's brutal assault on tradition and taboo is mitigated by his secular idealism and his subtle homage to mystical ideals of the past. This novel interpretation, which presents Rushdie's first five novels as a heterogeneous yet consistent body of work, will challenge and delight not only Rushdie scholars but anyone interested in comparative religion and mythology, iconoclasm, and the interplay of Western and Eastern literary forms.
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Tour of Scandinavia and the Baltic States
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Gravel Seeker
Joined: Apr 2002
Location: Dreary old Norway, dreaming of adventures past
Oddometer: 4,049
Sorry about the weather...
Local weather forecast here:
Just enter the place in the box "Søk etter sted" (search for location) and pick the one you're looking for.
It'll show you the forecast from both the major weather companies; YR.no is the government run site who gives your the forecast on NRK tv and Storm is a private company that has the weather for the other national broadcaster; TV2.
If both predict the same you'll know, otherwise you'll just have to choose which one to believe
Be careful in roundabouts and turns in general around gas stations, many trucks usually spill quite alot of diesel right after they've filled up and it's slippery as fuck when it rains. Also watch for buses and trucks in the hairpins and switchbacks. You'll lose. Every time.
'01 F650 Dakar - modified as best I can
2005: Australia - 8 months/ 26.000 km (anti clockwise circle)
2009: Norway - 2 weeks/ 6000 km (Lindesnes to North cape)
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It's the African ant eater ritual !
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text:
File photo of Rural Development Minister Gopinath Munde who passed away following a road accident in New Delhi on Tuesday. ( Source: PTI )
a veteran politician and a social worker. "The death of Munde is an irreparable loss in the field of social work and politics," Manjhi said.
(With PTI inputs)
Only In The Express


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Expert Service 1-877-289-7664 [Hours]
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Have a problem with your order and need to return an item? Our generous 60-day return policy allows you to return items for your money back. Should your product have a defect, we will exchange, issue store credit, or repair the product for the entire length of the warranty.Learn More
Free Lifetime Tech Support
Our knowledgeable staff of industry professionals and certified installers is ready to help you pick the right product for your needs. We will help you with the setup, installation, and use of your new products.Learn More
Returns Made Easy
We want your online shopping experience to be easy and convenient. In case you need to return an item, our customer friendly return policy makes it easy.
60-Day Money-Back Guarantee
Have a problem with your order and need to return an item? Our generous 60-day return policy allows you to return items for your money back. Should your product have a defect, we will exchange, issue store credit, or repair the product for the entire length of the warranty. Learn More
No Restocking Fees
That's right, 100% refund on complete, like new returns. Learn More
365-Day Coverage
Let's face it, electronics break. We've got you covered for a full year. Learn More
Easy Return Shipping
Request a return, use our shipping label, and ship it back. Learn More
In-House Experts
Each of our employees are true experts with real life experience and passion for the products. Our team is always committed to providing you with electronics you'll enjoy.
Always available to answer your questions
Our trained install professionals can tackle any install challenge
Research & How To
Browse our online library of educational resources to learn more about the items you are looking for. Our experts have developed many tools, written many articles, and numerous videos to help you find the best item for your needs.