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INssan Automotive FranklinRead MoreFollowing employment as the service and parts director of the Franklin, Tennessee, Infiniti dealer, Jeff Brewer founded INssan Automotive to further tap his breadth of knowledge. Here, he's accompanied by a team of technicians who are equally well versed in Infinities, Nissans, Toyotas, Hondas, Suzukis, and many other Asian vehicles. Whether through OBD-II source training or Nissan training materials, this team of import specialists stays abreast of techniques and technologies to best service and repair such vehicles. Their slew of automotive services, all of which fall under the acronym M.A.P.S: maintenance, audio, performance, and service, include tune-ups, oil changes, and numerous performance upgrades. They replace faulty components with O.E.M parts, and upgrade sound systems through their partnership with Clarion Audio, helping customers better wake their neighbors at 5 a.m.3848 South Carothers RoadFranklin, TN US


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Download a PDF of this fact sheet here
After the removal and fertilization of eggs with the use of in vitro fertilization (IVF), some women with multiple embryos (fertilized eggs) may decide to have a single embryo transferred to the womb even when multiple embryos are available (elective single embryo transfereSET). The embryo is either at the cleavage stage (usually 2-3 days after fertilization) or at the blastocyst stage (usually 5-6 days after fertilization).
The primary goal of eSET is to reduce the multiple pregnancy rate associated with IVF. Transferring more than one embryo increases the likelihood of a multiple pregnancy (twins, triplets, etc.). Approximately 30% of IVF pregnancies result in twin regnancy, and another 3% to 4% result in a triplet or a higher order (four or more implanted embryos) pregnancy in the United States.
Early in pregnancy, the number of fetuses noted on ultrasound can be decreased in order to increase the chances of having a baby or babies delivered as close to full term as possible. The procedure is called multifetal pregnancy reduction (MPR). However, MPR may not be an acceptable alternative for many couples. Even if a couple decides to undergo MPR, there are still some risks, including the possibility of losing the entire pregnancy.
The main reason that MPR should be considered is that multiple pregnancy leads to an increased risk of complications for both the fetus and the mother. It often leads to premature delivery and its accompanying problems, such as cerebral palsy, long-term lung and gastrointestinal problems, and even neonatal death.
Only women with the best prognosis for a pregnancy should be considered for eSET. Though many factors may contribute to a successful outcome, eSET is usually directed toward someone who meets the following criteria:
To transfer the highest quality embryo, the laboratory grades each embryo based on a detailed assessment of its appearance, including the number and size of the cells, their rate of development, their clarity, and the presence or absence of cell fragments. Different grading systems are used and they may differ from clinic to clinic, and also may differ depending on whether the embryo is in the cleavage or the blastocyst stage. Some programs are investigating whether embryo biopsy to determine if an embryo is genetically normal identifies better embryos for transfer before transfer. In the future, laboratory tests of embryo metabolism may identify the best embryo. The effectiveness of these investigational studies to have a positive impact on pregnancy rates remains uncertain.
In women who are considered good candidates, eSET has demonstrated excellent pregnancy rates. However, there is a small decrease in overall pregnancy rates after eSET because women who do not meet the more appropriate criteria are being offered this procedure. Despite this, many believe the long-term benefits of the use of eSET to acvhieve a singleton pregnancy are much better for the health of both the mother and baby.
Whether to use eSET is a decision each couple should make after consultation with their reproductive health professionals. The couple should discuss their concerns with the doctor and the embryology staff and then ask for clinic-specific success rates with eSET to assist in their final decision making.
Revised 2012
Elective Single Embryo Transfer (eSET)-pdf
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This semester we have a number of internationally-renowned musicians and producers visiting the conservatoire. These workshops and masterclasses present amazing opportunities for students to hear from creative music practitioners who are at the top of their game.
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Blog Posts in Category: cinnamon
November 13, 2013
Do you ever find yourself craving a little something sweet after dinner? Or lunch? Or even just because? If you answered yes, know that you are certainly not alone! In honor of national dessert month, its time to celebrate and appreciate our sweet tooth. People talk about how "bad" or "forbidden" dessert is when the reality is, dessert can be your friend, not your enemy. Yes, eating a brownie sundae with hot fudge and whipped cream every day may not be the most nutritious habit, but once in a... Read More
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Riptide is all about coaching you towards your desired outcomes for your health & fitness and making the most of the best piece of fitness equipment you can get – Your Body.
Primarily we look to strengthen, condition and improve your body's ability to complete your daily living activities or specific goals.
In short – this is fitness training for your life.
We coach with passion, experience, knowledge and enthusiasm with specifically designed sessions and some very special technical equipment to help you get the best results for you and your body from each and every session.
Start where you are today, use what you have, do what you can.
Nothing looks as good as healthy feels.
Fancy a Fun Run?
What to expect from your Riptide Fit Camp workout sessions;
- Other people, just like you, looking to get results from exercise and to enjoy working out together.
- A variety of exercises that will promote the physical changes you want and need to improve your overall fitness and feeling good about yourself.
- Coaching that motivates you, supports correct technique and your improvement.
- The right challenges you and your body need to really get the results you want, from every session.
Improving your fitness will help you improve your physical, mental and emotional condition in your daily life and your performance in activities and sport.
- feel better
- lose weight
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- stay in shape
- be more mobile
- have better tone
- improve your posture
- increase your endurance
- have a healthier lifestyle
- have a better body composition
- up your positivity and feel good about what your body can do
- work out with other people looking to achieve similar things as you
Physical activity is an essential component of a healthy lifestyle. In combination with healthy eating, it can help prevent a range of chronic diseases, including heart disease, cancer, and stroke.
Physical activity workouts at Riptide Fit Camp help control weight, build lean muscle, reduce fat, promote strong bones, muscle and joint development, and decreases the risk of obesity.
Riptide Fit Camp: group sessions.
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The sessions are designed to be fun, challenging and really effective in getting your whole body and cardio vascular fitness into great condition.
We look forward to supporting, coaching and inspiring your health and fitness lifestyle.
We are here, looking forward to seeing you very soon.
Riptide Fit Camp based at Western Esplanade, Kingsway, Hove, BN3 4GP : 01273251115
Riptide Ltd (Registered Address; 18 Hyde Gardens, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 4PT)


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Fandango.com is offering 10% off Fandango Bucks orders over $25 [Exp 6/30]. Good towards any movie ticket. You might have enough left over for a small popcorn.
Deal has expired
yes!!! small popcorn..
I was just about to buy tickets to watch the UFC this saturday and now I'm stoked that I saw this first. I'm gonna save 8 bucks due to good ole Ben.
never used it
fandango is good. if you have a visa signature you are allowed to get buy one get one ticket once per month for movies. im not sure how tho but there is a way.
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Spotlight Article:
Letters: July/August 2015
Revisiting "Revisiting Electrification" Last issue's editorial, "Revisiting Electrification" (May/June '15, p. 2), received quite a bit of feedback on Home Energy Pros. We love a good discussion, so we ...
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Conference will explore the emergence of foreign constitutional courts and their impact on American constitutionalism.
WHEN: February 27-28, 2004
WHERE: Eidman Courtroom, Connally Center for the Administration of Justice, The University of Texas at Austin School of Law
WHO: The event is free and is open to the University community and to the general public.
Live webcast available on Friday only, beginning at 9 a.m. CST at rtsp://realaudio.cc.utexas.edu/encoder/conlaw.rm.
AUSTIN, Texas—Today the Texas Law Review released its symposium schedule for "Comparative Avenues in Constitutional Law." The symposium, which will be held at The University of Texas at Austin School of Law on Feb. 27-28, 2004, will explore the emergence and impact of constitutional courts around the globe and review what new light comparative constitutional scholarship sheds on enduring problems in American constitutionalism.
Prominent constitutional law scholars including UT Law's Willy Forbath, Larry Sager, Sanford Levinson, and Ernest Young, as well as Stanford's John Ferejohn, Columbia Law School's Sam Issacharoff, Harvard Law School's Frank Michelman, and Georgetown Law Center's Mark Tushnet will address topics such as the role of courts and constitutional design in addressing ethnic, racial, and religious strife and the extent to which domestic courts should look abroad to interpret our own Constitution.
The event is free and open to the University community and to the general public.
Friday, February 27
9 a.m. Welcome (Dean Bill Powers, UT School of Law)
9:15 a.m. Introductory Remarks (Willy Forbath, UT School of Law)
9:30 to 11:00 a.m. Panel 1: Constitutional Structures and Strategies (Victor Ferreres Comella, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; John Ferejohn, Stanford University; Inga Markovits, UT School of Law)
11:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Panel 2: The Role of Courts and Constitutional Design in Addressing Ethnic, Racial, and Religious Strife (Sam Issacharoff, Columbia Law School; Ran Hirschl, University of Toronto)
2:00 to 4:30 p.m. Panel 3: Interpreting and Enforcing Rights: Judicial Supremacy and Its Alternatives (Janet Hiebert, Queen's University; Mark Tushnet, Georgetown University Law Center; Kim Lane Scheppele, University of Pennsylvania Law School; Willy Forbath, UT School of Law)
Saturday, February 28
10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Panel 4: Borrowing (Frank Michelman, Harvard Law School; Gary Jacobsohn, Williams College; Sanford Levinson, UT School of Law; Larry Sager, UT School of Law)
2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Panel 5: Transnational Law and the Domestic Constitution
(T. Alexander Aleinikoff, Georgetown University Law Center; Ernest Young, UT School of Law; Larry Sager, UT School of Law)


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Notable Words
Safety in Fluid Power Systems
As an employee at Womack for 26 years, I have had several jobs. I spent almost 10 years as an outside salesman in West Texas, working around oil field equipment and mobile units. From there, I moved to Dallas, and for three years I supervised the Publication Department and trained inside and new outside salesmen. After driving a desk for those three years, I asked the company to put me back into outside sales, and in 2001, I moved to East Texas and became an outside salesman. My customer base was steel and wood mills, foundries, and other manufacturing, which means I was selling industrial hydraulics components and systems to my customers. In 2010, after a short-term medical leave, I became the department leader for the hands-on training unit. I was given the task to expand the company's product offering, and one of the things I did was develop a one-day safety seminar for fluid power. Working on that safety seminar reminded me of my first car—a 1965 Ford Mustang.
My dad purchased the brand-new Ford Mustang in August 1964. I was only three years old at the time, but that car has been part of my family, and I still own it. When Dad purchased that car, it didn't have seat belts in the rear seat (my dad had those installed by the dealer).
Are you wondering why I'm talking about seat belts? Well, in 1964, seat belts (also called "safety belts") were not required by national law, but some state laws required them. And seat belts were not required in the rear seat. In fact, seat belts were not called "safety belts" because the automotive industry thought the name would put off the American public. Pre-1964, there was an average of 44 fatalities per 100,000 registered cars, and that number dropped after 1967 to 1972 because more states required seat belts in the cars. In 2011, that number dropped even more to 10.39 per 100,000 registered cars. Seat belts were invented in the early 19th century and have made cars and drivers safer, but the belts were not really used until 1955.
I know how it was in the early 1970s when the automotive industry started talking about air bags. My parents, like so many other people, were against them because of the extra expense and how they were viewed as dangerous. Seat belts were not any different back in the 1950s and 1960s, and the public had a hard time accepting them.
People are reluctant to change, and people also don't like to be told what to do. Today, if you go into an automotive shop, you will mostly likely see a sign that says "Safety Glasses are Required." In 1970, the Occupational Safety and Health Act was signed into law, which established the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA sets and enforces protective workplace safety and health standards, and one of those safety and health standards is to wear "Personal Protective Equipment" (PPE). OSHA tells us that PPE should be worn or used "wherever it is necessary by reason of hazards of processes or environment, chemical hazards, radiological hazards, or mechanical irritants encountered in a manner capable of causing injury or impairment in the function of any part of the body through absorption, inhalation, or physical contact." In 1985, I wish that the shop I worked for had required PPE, especially safety glasses, because my wife once had to take me to the emergency room at four a.m. to have a piece of metal removed from my eye. But even today, people are reluctant, or forget, to use safety glasses.
There were 3-million work-related injuries in 2011, and according to the Bureau of Labor Statics, there were 4,693 fatal work-related accidents. The sad part of that number is that there were 4,693 workers who didn't go home to their families. The good thing about that number is it keeps falling year after year. In fact, in the last 20 years, that number has dropped by 1,500. In 1992, there were 6,217 fatal work-related injuries. One of the reasons that number has dropped is because the work force is using safer work practices and there is more regulation by organizations like OSHA.
When I began working on the safety seminar for Womack, I found there wasn't a lot of information on safety in fluid power. There are international standards ISO 4413 and ISO 4414, the titles to which are General Rules and Safety Requirements for Hydraulic and Pneumatic Systems. But even though we have these safety standards on fluid power, do we use them?
Sometimes the reason that we don't use these standards is because we don't know about them. We never stop learning, and every day I realize how much I don't know. When I started working with fluid power, I had heard about oil injection injuries. It was always a friend's uncle who knew someone's dad who had a finger cut off by a hydraulic leak on an airplane's hydraulic system. I figured oil injection injuries were an urban legend. As I researched information for the safety seminar, I confirmed that oil injection injuries do occur. Based on the size of the orifice or the leak size and how high the system's pressure, oil could come out of the pinhole leak up to and surpassing 600 feet per second. That is the velocity of a 38 special bullet. Oil injection injuries do occur, and while they may not be very common, it is common for workers to use their hands to check for hydraulic or pneumatic leaks.
So, how are we safe around a fluid power system? Following the standards and regulations established by others is one way, but so is having the knowledge of how a system works and taking the time to make safety a number-one priority. Today's ongoing demand to get things done faster should not exclude the most important part of the job: Safety First! I urge you and your employees to be safe around fluid power equipment.
About the Author: Kent Darnell, CFPAI, CFPHS, is Hands-On Training Business Unit leader for Womack Machine Supply Co. and an Accredited Instructor for the International Fluid Power Society. This article is based on his presentation at the Fluid Power Systems Conference in November 2013. He can be reached at email@example.com.
Perfect Reliability
Is it possible, in the 21st century, to build a hydraulic system that doesn't break down? Mechanical devices will eventually wear out, of course, so by "break down" we really mean fail unexpectedly. To help us achieve this aim of perfect reliability, we now have systematic tools available, such as proactive maintenance procedures and Design For Six Sigma (DFSS).
The objective of DFSS is to design systems that have a target reliability level of at least 99.99966%, which equates to no more than 3.4 failures in every million opportunities. Proactive maintenance combines many of the techniques of preventive and predictive maintenance into a process also designed to achieve similar levels of reliability. The essence of both tools is to attempt to think of all possible failure mechanisms and then to prevent them from happening, either by design or maintenance.
However, safety experts tell us that between 80% and 85% of industrial accidents are caused by human error, so is perfect reliability already a lost cause? Fortunately, human beings are very predictable animals, so it's a fair bet that at some time during the life of a hydraulic system, someone will try to start it up with no oil in it. There's a 50:50 chance that when the electricians first wire up the electric motor, the motor (and pump) will run backwards. If there's a shut-off valve on the inlet or drain line of the pump, someone's inevitably going to start the pump up with one or both of the valves closed. If something is adjustable, then as sure as eggs is eggs, at some time or another, someone will adjust it. If there is an accumulator on the system, sooner or later someone will forget to drain it down before starting maintenance work on the system. And one thing that's 100% certain is that if there's a pressure-compensated pump on the system with a relief valve to protect it, one day the compensator will be wound up higher than the relief and the oil's going to boil.
Anyone who's worked with hydraulics for any length of time could probably come up with a whole page full of such instances. It's not that maintenance people are fools; it's just that sometimes we get tired and lose concentration, sometimes our mind is elsewhere, and sometimes we forget things. Sometimes we don't really know enough about the job we're doing, so we shouldn't really be doing it … but someone has to. So there are all sorts of reasons why people sometimes do stupid things; I've done enough myself to know.
Engineers therefore need to think about all these things that might (or rather, will) go wrong and try to design them out. Automatic drain valves for accumulators, interlock switches on shut-off valves, float switches in tanks, thermal cut-off switches, lockable adjusters, etc. I know, it all sounds very expensive, but probably not as expensive as the first breakdown, if anyone ever stops to reckon up its true cost. Not only are we talking about lost production, consequential repairs, premium labor rates and shipping costs, clear-up costs, etc., but we may also be talking about people's well being and even their lives.
To illustrate the point, in 1886 it was decided that a new bridge was required across the River Thames in London, but being downstream of what was then the biggest port in the world, it had to allow tall-masted ships to pass freely beneath it. The result was Tower Bridge, one of the best-known landmarks of the City of London with its two opening sections or "bascules". The problem was, each 162-foot long bascule weighed around 1,500 tons, and for the bridge to open, each had to tilt through almost 90 degrees in just over a minute then close again once the ship had passed through. To begin with, this would happen more than 20 times a day. The solution was eight 20-gal/rev hydraulic motors (with built-in brakes) operating via a curved rack and pinion arrangement. But being aware of the consequences of a failure of the bridge, the Victorian engineers built in numerous parallel systems and devices, and no doubt when the bridge opened in June 1894, they were confident that they had covered every eventuality.
Unfortunately they were wrong, and one sunny afternoon in July, the bridge suffered a mechanical failure and failed to close. However, this was in July 1968 and in the interim 74-year period, the bridge had hydraulically opened and closed its 1,500-ton bascules 352,713 times.
So is it possible, in the 21st century, to build a hydraulic system that doesn't break down? Maybe not, but we should be able to get pretty close if they could achieve 99.99972% reliability in the 19th century.
Steve Skinner's 46 years of experience with hydraulics was gained mainly with Vickers and subsequently Eaton in the UK. Although having roles in applications, sales, and product management, for most of his time there he was employed as European training manager. Now a freelance lecturer but still actively involved in BFPA and CETOP fluid power certifications, he will shortly be publishing a book on the history of hydraulic fluid power. Visit www.steveskinnerpresentations.co.uk.
"What a Long, Strange, Trip it's been."
In the words of one of my favorite bands, "What a Long, Strange, Trip it's been." Having been elected to serve as the 2014 president of the International Fluid Power Society (IFPS), I can pause and reflect on just how I arrived at this point. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine this day when I first heard of the organization so many years ago. This is truly an honor, and I am humbled.
There have been a lot of very smart people in this industry with whom I have had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with over the course of my career, and many of them have served a number of roles to help get me where I am today. Some of those roles were as mentors, teachers, peers, co-workers, and students. Yes, I have learned a great deal from my teaching experiences over the years, and I have had the privilege of knowing some of the legendary teachers in the industry, such as George Altland of Vickers. In fact, that is really what I want to focus my comments on—education in our industry.
I'm sure I am preaching to the choir when I say that education is extremely important in any professional field, but in some aspects, it is uniquely so in the fluid power industry because there is not a widely accepted and consistent set of standards that exist for educating students in the technologies of fluid power. Unlike ABET, which is the accreditation body for engineering and technology degree programs, there are no specific standards that are universally adopted and accepted to ensure that those working within the industry at various levels have consistent core knowledge and skill levels. The closest the fluid power industry has are the various certifications offered through the IFPS.
What is lacking is a consistent and agreed-upon set of teaching standards to ensure that everyone attains at least the same foundational levels of knowledge. A lot of different sources offer hydraulic training with a wide and varied level of instruction. There are programs that propose to teach basic hydraulics in as little as a day to well-structured associate degree programs lasting for two years. A disturbing trend over the past few years is that many of the individuals who say they are seeking knowledge aren't as concerned about the quality of the instruction and the depth as they are about the length of time they have to lose from "work" and corresponding cost to obtain a "certificate." As a result, those individuals who take the shortcuts don't possess enough knowledge to perform optimally.
Because of this, I am a firm believer in IFPS certifications. They offer the best tool currently available to evaluate and substantiate an existing knowledge and skill set. It is a shame that companies within the industry don't as a whole actively embrace and seek certification for their employees. Certification provides a mechanism of validating that those responsible for the operation, maintenance, and selection of fluid power components and systems have met at least some minimum established standard of knowledge. I encourage all professionals in the industry to take a positive step forward and attain certification at whatever level is appropriate for their job functions. This would go a long way to help improve safety, reduce energy waste, enhance productivity, and promote the professionalism of those within our industry.
By Tom Blansett, CFPAI, CFPS, CFPIHT, CFPCC, Manager of Hydraulics Training Services at Eaton Corp. and 2014 IFPS President


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Originally written on NFL Trade Rumors | Last updated 11/7/12
According to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean, Titans QB Jake Locker is expected to start on Sunday. Head Coach Mike Munchak stated that Locker would start barring any sort of ŌĆ£mental or physical setbackŌĆ£. Munchak also mentioned that Locker is ŌĆ£as healthy as heŌĆÖs going to beŌĆØ and that there would be ŌĆ£no difference in Locker physicallyŌĆØ if he were to sit out another week or two. Matt Hasselbeck had a rough game last Sunday, but that was unlikely a major contributor to the quarterback switch, considering that Munchak said that Locker would be the starter as soon as he was healthy a few weeks ago.
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Among the background checks performed by USIS were those on intelligence community contractor Edward Snowden and Navy Yard shooter Aaron Alexis.
Legislation would create a Government Transformation Board empowered to impose its will on recalcitrant agencies.
Margie Graves has been a behind-the-scenes force for DHS since 2003. Last year, however, brought newfound visibility -- not all of it welcome.
The Oklahoma Republican and federal spending critic says he will retire in early 2015.
Republicans and Democrats are creating a lot of smoke in Hill hearings about the troubled website, and experts are not adding much clarity to the fire.
Spending on cybersecurity will be dramatically higher in 2014 -- and so will reporting requirements for the agencies getting the money.
The Senate could soon send the bill, intended to tighten investigations of contractors and federal employees, to the White House for President Obama's signature.
Veterans Affairs has not fully responded to questions from Congress about data breaches dating back almost two years.
Congressional report finds department has not factored tech advances into its space needs at St. Elizabeth's campus.
Term limits and retirements will alter the lineup of committee chairs with jurisdiction over federal IT policy.
Supporters say the bill would protect individuals' personal information while opponents say the goal is to discourage people from using the site.
Legislators say they will likely miss the Jan. 15 deadline for a new appropriations package by at least a few days.
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Sean is good at forgetting about things, so caught up in his painting that the rest of the world slips away. He's pretty certain he's done it again, because his boyfriend, Dustin, is dressed to the nines and ready to take him out to dinner. Whatever important occasion he's forgotten, Sean hopes it's not going to cost him the best boyfriend he's ever had.
Kiss Me Quick is a collection of short and sweet stories from authors familiar and new, celebrating the season of love. Come and enjoy these tales of misunderstandings, lonely singles, pining lovers, and so much more! Because if there is one thing that is never in doubt, it's that LT3 knows the way to your heart, and these stories are a straight shot.
Any Day Will Do
By Sasha L. Miller
Published by Less Than Three Press
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission of the publisher, except for the purpose of reviews.
Edited by Courtney Davidson
Cover designed by Megan Derr


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The Mavericks Need Your Help
Our athletes have dedicated themselves as top flight baseball players. Our Ownership and Front Office have dedicated themselves to producing a tremendous baseball experience for our fans.
Now we need your help!
In order for the Mavericks to have a truly successful season we need the help of our community. One of the best ways to help the Mavericks this summer is to volunteer. We need your help both on and off the field to make this season run smoothly. Here are some ways in which you can volunteer:
- Fundraising
- Public relations
- Host families
- Employment for the players
- Game day responsibilities
- Baseball camps
To get involved with the Mavericks contact us at -
email@example.com or call 603 431 6700.


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*OFFICIAL* Windsor Spitfires 2012-13 Season Thread (Part 5)
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 777
vCash: 500
Originally Posted by
Having a conversation on here is like defending fighting; you try, but sometimes it's just pointless.
The team has big expectations this year, with people looking for a fourth place finish (including myself). That's what happened with the last batch, so surely that's what's supposed to happen this time. Frankly, in the junior hockey cycle, it's not unrealistic to expect it.
When a team struggles out of the gate, for whatever reason, people jump on them and find anything to criticize about. This player is having a horrible year, that powerplay is brutal, this goaltender can't stop a beach ball, that defenceman is useless, etc. It's become a never-ending "let's bash because we can" situation. Sure, other teams that should be below us are ahead of us, but it's October. Why should I freak out? What point does that possibly serve? I didn't know you could lose a title in October. If this team was winning, people would either jump on the bandwagon ("I KNEW this team had it in them") or they'd still find a reason to complain ("he scored a hat-trick? Only took him a year!"). It's the way the internet works.
I won't deny this team is inconsistent, but the talent is there and there's no reason they shouldn't do well.
Thats interesting,Sting fan here and our site was also full of negativity before the season and after the first few games.Now that we are winning,playing well,no one is even commenting on here.I was also questioning some things that were done but has also been the first to compliment the players and staff.They are just kids and will have there ups and down.Windsor still looks pretty good overall to me and i am sure they will come around.
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James' likeness to appear on Bobby Labonte's car
Updated: August 16, 2005, 11:02 PM ETBy Darren Rovell | ESPN.com
Coca-Cola will test LeBron James' crossover appeal when the company puts the Cleveland Cavaliers guard on Bobby Labonte's hood next Saturday night.
A comic book character resembling the 20-year-old NBA marketing icon will be plastered on the hood of the No. 18 car for the Sharpie 500 at the Bristol Motor Speedway to promote POWERade's new James-inspired flavor, SourMelon.
Coca-Cola officials say that recent data shows that 74 percent of all NBA fans are also NASCAR watchers.
"We're ...
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Capital STEEZ
Pro Era/Cinematic Music Group
Artist: Capital STEEZ
Song: Capital STEEZ
Self-titled songs aren't for the faint of heart. You've got to compress everything that makes you you into a few short minutes, all while providing an experience that leaves listeners craving more. On his first... More
Posted 3 years ago
Artist: Joey BadA$$
Featuring: Capital STEEZ
Song: Survival Tactics
In his classic The Origin of Species, Charles Darwin laid down the law of natural selection: "In the struggle for survival, the fittest win out at the expense of their rivals because they succeed in adapting themselves... More
Posted 3 years ago
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IMN is a Software as a Service (SaaS) provider specializing in content-driven e-communications services. IMN enables companies to communicate with their customeMore
$25 mil. - $50 mil.in Revenue
100 - 250EmployeesContact people at this company
e-communicationsloyalty driver™marketing solutionsMore
Advertising & MarketingMusic & Music Related ServicesBusiness ServicesMore
460 Totten Pond Rd. Suite #530WalthamMassachusetts01930United Statesview map
(781) 487-4600(781) 890-4701Fax
Pro2015_Iteration7.58[02] SEIDXWK-28


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South Holston River Report for
Archived South Holston River reports are here
(Click thumbs above for a South Holston River slide-show)
Doug root and his band of brothers toughing it out in a SoHo blizzard.(click it up)
Among the benefits to scheduling your fishing in January are uncrowded waters, well-rested fish to target, predictable Baetis and Midge hatches and the chance at that trophy hog. Downside? It could snow!
And snow it did, on Doug Root and his intrepid gang of anglers on January 26 and 27, 2005. Staying at the River's Way Lodge and employing Altamont Anglers guides Jake Chiles, Forrest Marshall, Joe Spencer and Teo Whitlock, Doug's crew (from the left: Doug, Craig Cortright, Todd Grow, Brad Grow, Brian Grow) spent two cold days with the entire South Holston River all to themselves, exercising and abundance 14" and 16" trout in an effort to keep themselves warm.
Jack Gravo with a beatiful South Holston River brown trout, January 3, 2015.(click it up)
Jack Gravo knows how to ring in the New year, as you can see in the photos here: He pops the cork on a bubbly bottle of South Holston River!
Jack and his fishing buddy Mark Hoffman floated with AA guide Teo Whitlock on January 3rd and 4th, and got the New Year of to a successful start.
Click the thumbs for full-size views of some nice Winter action on the South Holston River:
Joe Rose with a beatiful South Holston River brown trout, June 2014.(clicketty bigger)
Lake levels behind the dam are below normal, due to lower than average rainfall, and the TVA is keeping water releases to a minimum. This means a one-hour pulse at about 1300 cfs just once a day, usually at night. So it's a wader's opportunity for now, and you'll need the long leaders with the fine tippets, because the trout a spooky as cats in the skinny water.
Joe Rose took advantage of the mild weather and the hungry trout, floating with Altamont Anglers for two days in the first week of June. But judging by that big brown trout, Joe's leader was long and his tippet was fine enough!
Altamont Anglers guide Jake Chiles and his client Craig Cortright share the glory with the big brown Craig caught on March 29, 2014.(click image to embiggen)
Doug Root makes the call a couple of times a year to Altamont Anglers for 2-day flotillas on the South Holston River.
The South Holston produced a lot of great fishing during the Madness of March, for those willing to trade hoops for hooks.
Click the following pics for fullsize views of some of that great fishing:
Clay Gibson with healthy South Holston River rainbow trout caught on March 23, 2014.(click image to embiggen)
Clay Gibson is on a mission to raise money for River's Way, the United Way affiliated lodge on the South Holston River. To support the good work done by the folks at River's Way, Clay has booked multiple weekends at the lodge in 2014, and is wrangling his many fishing friends to combine fishing with charity in a fund-raising effort that should earn him some excellent Karma--like that lovely rainbow in the picture!
Click the following thumbs for full-size pics of some of the generous anglers who've answered Clay's call to contribute to the River's Way:
Chris Hanson with web-worthy South Holston River rainbow trout caught on March 18, 2014.(click image for full view)
It's heating up on the South Holston now (not the weather, of course: that's as miserable as it feels). It's the action that's hot, thanks to the abundance of bugs and consistent water temps (hats off to the 300' deep reservoir behind that dam).
Chris Hanson felt like he needed to increase his understanding of our premier tailwater, the South Holston River, and wisely sought the guidance of Altamont Anglers. His time in the boat with AA guide Teo Whitlock seems to have worked out well--here's Chris's feedback from the fishing
"We had great day, lots of action in the water, I caught my biggest trout so far, very exciting… Teo was very patient and instructive. I truly enjoyed the experience."
The pleasure was all ours, Chris!
Even more South Holston River stream reports can be found here. Follow the link and enjoy!
(Altamont Anglers operates on Pisgah National Forest Rivers under USDA Forest Service Permit #PIS6560)


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Island Def Jam/Goodfellas Ent.
Featuring: Jadakiss
Thanks to a certain golfer's now-legendary infidelities, sex addiction has become urban music's lyrical theme du jour. In recent months, everyone from Maino to Ludacris has celebrated his... More
Posted 5 years ago
Song: One Day on This Earth
2012 is drawing ever nearer and, as we all know, an apocalypse without a thematically appropriate r&b soundtrack is no apocalypse at all. Fortunately, Anthony, Jared, Jacob, Papa and Grady of... More
Posted 5 years ago
Featuring: Fabolous
Since '05, Def Jam has been a launching pad for "We Got Next" artists looking to become "Industry Heavyweights." In the meantime, various artists have jockeyed for position, fighting... More
Posted 6 years ago
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1844 $10 AU55 PCGS. Only 6,361 pieces were struck of the ...
2003, Orlando, FL. (FUN) Signature Sale #308
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Very Rare Choice AU 1844 Eagle1844 $10 AU55 PCGS. Only 6,361 pieces were struck of the 1844 Ten Dollar. This low mintage gives one a good indicator of its rarity, but it is only part of the reason so few high grade examples are known today. The years from 1838 through 1844 were years of unemployment and starvation. As a result, gold coins of this era were generally not set aside for long as they represented so much in terms of purchasing power at the time. The 1844 is considered "prohibitively rare" in XF by Breen. Only a couple of coins are known in mint condition and AU pieces are of the greatest rarity and importance. This piece shows bright green-gold surfaces with a slight overlay of reddish patina. Similar to the Warren Miller AU50 coin we sold more than five years ago, this piece also has planchet depressions that radiate outward from the figure of Liberty and approach stars 2 and 12. An angling mark below the eagle's beak is noteworthy for pedigree purposes. (NGC ID# 262S, PCGS# 8590)
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Tag Archives: Fishing
Bill gives Maine fishermen a break while servingMay 8, 2013
A bill in the Maine Legislature is proposing that fishermen who are called to active duty not be required to pay any fees on their fishing licenses while they are serving. Continue readingPosted in News | Tagged Fishing, Legislation, Licenses, Maine | Leave a comment
Wounded veterans enjoy day of fishing in OhioSeptember 13, 2012
The fishing excursion at the Ohio Division of Wildlife's premier 90-acre Castalia cold-water fish hatchery was the third in what has become an annual fly-fishing series for wounded war veterans. Continue readingPosted in News | Tagged Fishing, Healing waters, Injured veterans, Ohio | Leave a comment


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Women will be able to run as candidates in the municipal election and will even have a right to vote.
Like Palestinians in Israel, they continue to suffer from inequalities in municipal budgets, education, and employment.
Never mind that the vote will be in 2015 at the earliest and it will be for half a municipal body with almost no power.
1540s, from Middle French municipal, from Latin municipalis "of a citizen of a free town, of a free town," also "of a petty town, provincial," from municipium "free town, city whose citizens have the privileges of Roman citizens but are governed by their own laws," from municeps "citizen, inhabitant of a free town." Second element is root of capere "assume, take" (see capable). First element is from munus (plural munia) "service performed for the community, duty, work," also "public spectacle paid for by the magistrate, (gladiatorial) entertainment, gift," from Old Latin moenus "service, duty, burden," from PIE *moi-n-es-, generally taken as a suffixed form of root *mei- "to change, go, move" (Watkins; see mutable); but Tucker says "more probably" from the other PIE root *mei- meaning "bind," so that munia = "obligations" and communis = "bound together."


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Happy with your Rekluse?
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velvet hammer
Joined: May 2009
Location: high country desert
Oddometer: 177
Drink a few more beers and you will soon figure out perpetual motion at this rate. A good strong opinion about things you don't know is good entertainment at least.
Originally Posted by
Claiming this is a "non issue" is like saying pregnacy is a non issue.
If you plan on riding some narly tracks you will find the Rekluse amazing, however a stall during the assent of a hill will mean that 200kg will pick up alot of momentum rolling backwards with the front brake able to do very little. To say your bike will never stall......well I dont live in that world.
Like someone else said if you arent planning anything but dirt roads you dont need one anyway and it would just be a waste of money.
I have replaced my clutch lever as an additional rear brake. You will never use your clutch again anyway. (not unless you plan on racing it) Rekluse make a kit for most dirt bikes but im not sure about 990s (i made my own). You will need to modify the ABS if you have it and you should do that regardless if your going to ride mainly dirt. I can tell you how to do it if your interested.
And Im not sure of the science behind easier wheelies, is that got anything to do with global warming or just the same scientist?
All the big dogs plus a few 04' GO!!!!!!!, 9 CR500's, Husky 610, KTM550 MXC.
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"Kirkus' review of The Mill River Recluse played an important role in encouraging readers to take a chance on a first novel by an unknown author."
— Darcie Chan, independent author of The Mill River Recluse, which sold more than 500,000 copies
Journalist Mark Ribowsky (The Last Cowboy, 2013, etc.) has tackled tough subjects in the world of music before with candid, contextual biographies of The Temptations, The Supremes, Stevie Wonder and producer Phil Spector, among others. But he seems both confounded and enthralled by his latest subject, the late soul legend Otis Redding. His latest, Dreams to Remember: Otis Redding, Stax Records, and the Transformation of Southern Soul (2015), takes a deep dive not only into the life of Redding ...
One of the most refreshing and admirable qualities of Sarah Hepola's debut memoir, Blackout: Remembering The Things I Drank to Forget, is how no-bullshit it is. From first glance, the book chronicles Hepola's decadeslong relationship to alcohol and the sobriety that eventually follows. But this is not your typical recovery memoir. It's a smarter, far more sardonic approach to a life propelled and nurtured by drink, one flooded with the same mistakes, uncertainties, judgments, and imperfections that demarcate so many ...
Naming a child after a family member is a well-practiced tradition, but Emily Bingham's father was not crazy about the one she picked.
"When we named our daughter Henrietta, the look on my father's face was not a happy one," says Emily Bingham. "He said, 'Why are you doing this? I don't understand.' That's when I really realized that there were a lot of things about Henrietta that no one had bothered to tell me."
Henrietta Bingham ...
Kristen Green grew up in Virginia tobacco country in a small town called Farmville. She's too young to have been around for the civil rights movement of the 1960s, but she knew that the Prince Edward County public schools had been closed for a time during those years and that the courts were involved. She didn't know what actually happened because no one ever talked about it.
"I only knew the roughest of outlines, and I had a lot of ...
On June 16, two leading lights in the comedy world are set to release two very different books, but both are engaging in their own ways.
Aziz Ansari, the hip comedian and star of Parks and Recreation, one of the best comedies of the past decade, will publish Modern Romance, an examination of love, sex, and relationships that's much funnier—and likely more eye-opening—than your average dating book. Enlisting the help of sociologist Eric Klinenberg, Ansari delivers an "eminently readable ...
The warm reception accorded Nick Bunker's An Empire on the Edge: How Britain Came to Fight America, a history of the "tragedy of errors" leading to the Revolutionary War, belies the sometimes frosty surround in which it was written.
"My office-cum-library is in an extension of our medieval house in Lincolnshire, whoseearliest section dates from about 1150," says the London-born author, whose book was a 2015 Pulitzer Prize finalist and winner of the George Washington Prize.
"The extension ...
One clause has to do with fish traps in the Thames. Another requires that standard measures be set out for beer and wine. Another hints that royal forests might just be cut down to bring in cash for the commonwealth. Still another, unappealingly to modern eyes, gives the king the right to take over debts owed to a Jewish lender.
The Magna Carta, which King John reluctantly signed at Runnymede on June 15, 1215, mostly benefited the 1 percenters of ...
Gary Cartwright figured out the secret to writing: sit down. Spit out one sentence. Add another. Find your way forward.
It's a technique that has served him well in a 50-year career that has included sportswriting, fiction, and narrative journalism. His memoir The Best I Recall is a wild romp that opens in the Mad Men-ish '60s world of Dallas/Fort Worth journalism, stretches to '70s free-wheeling Austin where the hippies meet the rednecks and a lot ...
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YIELD: Serves 6
Fry bacon in heavy large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Transfer to paper towel to cool. Add pecans to drippings and cook until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towel to cool. Season with salt.
Blend cheddar, cream cheese, mayonnaise, hot pepper sauce and Worcestershire sauce in processor until smooth. Transfer to bowl and stir in green onions. Crumble bacon and add to mixture. Line cookie sheet with plastic, forming 8-inch strip. Freeze 20 minutes to firm slightly. Using plastic as aid, form log shape. Remove plastic; roll log in pecans to coat. Wrap and refrigerate until firm. (Can be prepared 1 week ahead.) Serve with crackers.


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- Musician's Friend Best Selection, Price & Service. Guaranteed.
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The manufacturer of this product has asked us not to publish our current selling price. Please email our customer service team for the guaranteed lowest price on this item.
A classic-looking solidbody guitar with 2 humbuckers and a combi bridge/tailpiece.
Like the 650 Dakota and 650 Sierra models, the Rickenbacker 650C Colorado Electric Guitar has a sleek, sculpted body shape with extra contouring for ultimate comfort and ease of playing. The full range of colorglo finishes available are highlighted by the all-chrome plated fittings to provide a guitar of striking appearance, incorporating all the innovative technology of the other 650 models. Includes case.
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650C Colorado Electric Guitar
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What Name did Captain Janeways Friends and Family Call Her?
View Single Post
December 8 2013, 04:13 AM
Guy Gardener
Fleet Admiral
Location: In the lap of squalor I assure you.
Re: What Name did Captain Janeways Friends and Family Call Her?
Katie, not Kathryn was her character name in the Fairhaven holonovel.
Katie O'Clare.
From Relativity
PATTERSON: You're late.
JANEWAY: Sorry, sir.
PATTERSON: What's the threshold of the H-two molecule?
JANEWAY: Fourteen point seven electron volts.
PATTERSON: Third brightest star in Orion?
JANEWAY: Viewed from where?
PATTERSON: Earth.
JANEWAY: Gamma Orionis, or Bellatrix, if you prefer the original Arabic name.
PATTERSON: Not bad. Now, give me a hug, Katie, that's an order.
JANEWAY: I wasn't expecting a pop quiz.
PATTERSON: Just wanted to make sure all those pips haven't made you forget you're a scientist first.
JANEWAY: How could they? I still have nightmares about your fractal calculus final.
Well, some Admiral no-one from her past could get away with calling her Katie.
The DaVinci hologram would have been talking in Italian unless Janeway instructed it to speak in English, but the Universal translator would have wrestled what he said into English.
Maybe her name was not translated from the original Italian?
"Glitter is the herpes of arts and craft."
Troy Yingst. My Life as Liz
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Stetson University is returning to the football field after a 57-year absence and a Starkville native will try to help get the program off the ground.
Many teenagers spend the summer by the pool, on the beach or just being lazy.
The Starkville Academy Junior Lady Volunteers are taking advantage of every opportunity possible to sharpen up their basketball skills.


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Intro to
Mozilla Navigator
Computing Resources >> Tutorials >> Internet & Security >> Intro to Mozilla Navigator
Allowing Popups for Trusted Sites
From the Popup Windows menu above, you may also instruct Mozilla to allow popup windows from certain websites.
Some websites, after all, have legitimate reasons for displaying popup windows. Your bank or your university, for example, may use popup windows to handle password authentication when you're logging into your account.
To view and maintain your list of trusted websites
Now Mozilla will only allow those listed sites to display Popups.
Here's a great shortcut. Manage popup settings for a particular site while you're surfing. This is a quick way to make an exception if you feel you've lost too much functionality at a particular site.


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Weather Forecast: Still cool with clouds
Rise and shine, Memphis.
Thursday will show increasing clouds, according to the National Weather Service, with a high near 65.
Mostly cloudy Thursday night, with a low around 46.
Friday will be mostly sunny, with a high near 72 and low near 51.
Expect sunshine and warmer temperatures for the weekend.
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CNET's Shara Tibken had on her finest '80s garb, but she didn't take into account the Apple fan fervor when she signed up to be an extra in the new Aaron Sorkin film.
The latest honorees for science gone wild include researchers who analyzed why leaning to the left makes the Eiffel Tower seem smaller.
Tired of your boring old Half Windsor? Turns out there are enough ways to tie a necktie to last more than a lifetime.
Tying your locks in a ponytail is easy, but scientists and artists have puzzled over hair for centuries. Now it's a simple equation.
Numbers nerds and superstitious folks alike celebrate the love of lucky number sequences Tuesday. Make a wish.
Finally, you can battle aliens and groom your Lego pony at the same time. The Gendered Lego Advertising Remixer lets you mix audio and video from different boys and girls' Lego ads.
Too busy to keep up with Crave this week? Well, we're here to turn your frown upside down with a wrap-up of some our top stories.
All-girl Japanese group has nearly 100 members, including one who's computer-generated; myriad otaku fans; and a new diplomatic assignment.
With the first Abu Dhabi Grand Prix minutes away, we take a look at Ferrari World, the world's largest indoor theme park currently being built right next to the track
Open-source CEOs strike me as very technology savvy. Perhaps that's one reason they make good technology?


text:
Archive for the 'Blah blah' Category
Ronalves the snake
Wanna see an animation of a mutant Cristiano Ronaldo head on a pixelly snake set to a MIDI version of "Walk of Life"? Clickity click: http://flipflopflyin.com/ronalves/index.html
I mentioned the reason for the mutant head thingy in a post earlier today, btw.
World Cup, part 5
First World Cup day without alcohol. A victory.
Saw this photo of Chicharito. Seems as if he's morphing into Sylvester Stallone:
After the Germany-Portugal game, it was nice to see someone slowing down the film of Cristiano Ronaldo making a weird face.
The proximity of Bruno Alves behind Cristiano, though, kinda made me want to do a quick Photoshop job. So I did:
Seeing Ghana's flag reminded me of a quiz drawing I did for my third book Atlas, Schmatlas (probably not available in all good book shops any more, but worth trying, I guess). Name the flags. Answers at the bottom of this post.
Inspiration for the United States of (the Part of the) America (s between Canada and Mexico)'s kit:
And that USA-Ghana game wasn't Kyle Beckerman's first appearance at this World Cup, y'know:
Flags, left to right: Senegal, Burkina Faso, Bolivia, Cameroon, Ghana, Togo, Benin, São Tomé and Principe
World Cup, part 3
There have been times when I've tried not to give a shit about England. Good players playing boring football. And it has been easy. I made a concerted effort during the 2010 World Cup. Problem was, though, as soon as the England-USA game started, I couldn't really stop myself wanting my home nation's team to win. So this time, aided by such a big Liverpool presence in the squad, I've given in and will be pro-England. Not in a UKIP way, obviously. Look:
Three two lions on a shirt:
World Cup, part 2
Day two and the time zones and game times were already taking their toll. After the opening game and beery celebrations, getting up and ready and prepared for being at a bar at 10am to stake out a decent seat for the Mexico-Cameroon game was tough. We went to a local place, arrived while they were still mopping the floor, sat down and ordered from their special World Cup special offers menu: a cubeta (that's an ice-filled bucket with six bottles of beer in it) and one kilogram of campechano (a mix of beef and chorizo with beans and onions and tortillas).
That first beer was a good hairy dog. The bar started to fill up with people in green Adidas jerseys. Mexican TV spent a lot of time focussing on the Mexican people in the stadium. Wet Mexican people in the pouring rain. Wet Mexican people with huge sombreros: check. Wet Mexican people in Mariachi costumes: check. Wet Mexican people wearing Aztec headdresses: check. Wet Mexican people in luchador masks: check.
It was fun to be in a room full of people who cared about the result of a game that I didn't care as much about. I absolutely want Mexico to do well, but I'm not Mexican, so I can't care as much as they do. And the game was kinda how I'd expected. Mexico having chances but not scoring. Eventually when they did score, people went nuts. Relief. Then it was a matter of praying that somehow Chicarito might be able to score a goal (he didn't) and Cameroon don't get an equaliser (they didn't).
On to a friend's apartment for the second and third games of the day. I have nothing against the Dutch people. I have enjoyed their football in previous championships, but I can't stand Arjen Robben. And Robin van Persie either, really. And now that their coach is gonna be the next Manutd manager, well, fuck the Dutch. But, of course, they had other ideas and made Spain look ordinary.
After that, the Chile-Australia game seemed to continue the fun for a bit, then petered out. We ate snacks, drank beer. And now, on the morning o the third day, I'm knackered, and thankful that after this afternoon's England game, there's a couple of days off the booze before Mexico-Brazil on Tuesday.
Couple of things: the goal line technology that Fifa is enjoying showing us is utterly ridiculous. They've only ever shown it for actual clear cut goals. That's not why we need technology. It's for goals like Lampard's against Germany in 2010. That's where it'd be useful, Sepp. But showing that you have the technology when it's not needed just seems a bit desperate.
I drew an England badge. It's pretty good, no?
World Cup, part 1
Yesterday – WORLD CUP DAY! – we went to see an exhibit at the Museo Nacional de Arte. It was an exhibit of male nudes. There was an early-ish Picasso, a couple of small Cezannes, and some other stuff. It was okay. But a trick was missed. They totally should've tried to get sponsorship from a gym, who could've had a stall or something next to the exit, cos, I tell ya, there's nothing like an exhibition full of male ideals to make you feel a bit not-ideal.
Art, though, of course, was just a wee snack before the main meal of the day. Brazil v Croatia. We'd given some thought to going to Zócalo, the big main plaza downtown where there's a big screen, but in the end, hunger took us to Salon Corona. Some tacos, a couple of beers, and, "shall we go elsewhere?" "no, let's stay here." Pitbull on the telly, coming out of a ball, dressed like he was on holiday in Cancún. People around us in Brazil jerseys, cos everyone loves Brazil. Even the employees had fake Brazil jerseys with "Salon Corona" printed where the Nike logo would normally be.
Like a contrary bugger, I was rooting for Croatia. We got stiffed by the waiter who definitely overcharged us. Just like Croatia with the referee. I decided that we should make a stand, and rather than make an actual stand, we actually just didn't tip him. On to El Jarrito, another bar. Yellow walls, a jukebox playing Spanish language stuff, and plastic garden chairs with Sol logos on them. Each chair was actually two chairs. Stacked. Not sure why. Girlfriend said it was because too many big dudes ended up breaking them.
Subway and a pesero microbus back to our neighbourhood. Another couple at a local bar. Some tacos at the stand across the street from the apartment. A great day. World Cup Day. And in about an hour, it'll all start again. Back to the local bar where we'll watch Mexico v Cameroon. People on the street below are in green jerseys and honking airhorns. It's not even 9am.
Let's see if I can keep this World Cup blogging up, eh?
Another of my GIFs for IBMblr
Another of the animated GIFs I did for IBMblr is up:
Links to my other stuff for them:
Golden rectangle flags
Yesterday, I did a post and wee graphic about proportions of flags, and how when designers need to use a lot of flags (like next to World Cup games and tables), the designers, understandably, standardise the flag proportions. This inevitably creates a wrong Switzerland flag.
After putting the post up, Twitter user @AMR_MN made a good point:
@flipflopflying I'm surprised none of those countries are that close to the Golden Ratio. 5:8 would be very close.
— AMR (@AMR_MN) June 11, 2014
Here's that graphic again, with the golden ratio marked as a black line:
This got me thinking. At the World Cup, the closest flag ratios to the golden ratio (1:1.618) are those of Costa Rica, England, and Germany which have a 1:1.666 ratio. The only nation's flag that has the golden 1:1.618 ratio is the flag of Togo.
So I decided to re-jig some flags to be golden rectangles. First thing to note was it was a thoroughly absorbing exercise. It's great to look at flag design and see how changing the ratio is a big step, cos you are messing with things that the original designers deemed important. So at this point I should note this is not me trying to improve on flag design. I'm just tweaking the flags so they are golden rectangles.
I didn't look at every flag. I looked at a selection that cover most of the basic flag designs. A few tribands, vertical and horizontal, a Scandanavian cross, and some others. I wanted to not just look at the easy-to-manipulate flags. In that sense, the most difficult ones were the British, Australian, and American flags. In reality, unless you've got an extensive knowledge of flags, you probably wouldn't even notice that the tweaks had occurred.
Some flags were a lot easier than others. Germany, for example, was easy. It's close already, only being 0.048 away. Sweden, too, which is 1:1.6.
Others, it was just a matter of keeping the proportions of the flag parts as close as possible. Here, the Canada flag and Mexico flags, vertical tribands with a thingy in the middle, I kept the triband proportions the same, and re-sized the centre bits so they were the same proportional size horizontally. Same with the rhombus on Brazil's flag. Israel and Switzerland were relatively simple, too: just adding space at the edges and extending the colours. The Switzerland flag now feels wrong. The Swiss flag's squareness seems such a huge part of the flag.
Portugal wasn't too hard. The green bit is two-fifths of the width in the actual flag. I kept that proportion and re-sized the coat of arms and centred it where the green and red meet. With the United States flag, there's a few more changes that are needed. The blue starry bit is two-fifths of the width and seven red and white stripes deep. Not rocket surgery, but when you do that re-jiggery, you need to re-space the stars within the blue canton. Such stuff makes me nervous. You are messing with things that people view as important. But, the US flag has changed so many times over the country's history, if such a thing as a golden rectangle re-design were to happen, it's an issue that would need addressing. So, USA, I've dang well gone and addressed it.
With flags that have diagonal elements, you have to fundamentally alter the flag. The flag of Trinidad and Tobago has a band where the top left of the band begins in the top left corner, and the bottom right edge of the band ends in the bottom right corner. The angle of the band only changes by a couple of degrees, but a couple of degrees is a couple of degrees. Flags with chevrons, like Cuba, change too. The triangle-y bit has a shorter peak bit poking out into the bands. Of all the golden triangle re-designs, this is the style of flag that suffers the most, I think.
Just a couple more, both of which feature the UK's Union Flag: the United Kingdom, obvs, and Australia. Leaving aside the discussion of whether Australia should get rid of their Britty flag and have a properly Australian one, these re-jigs were by far the trickiest. And kinda the most fun to get my head around. I don't wanna underestimate your flag knowledge, but just in case you don't know, the UK's flag is kind of a composite of three flags, an English one, a Scottish one, and a Northern Irish one. The Welsh, you ask? Well, the flag overlords of the UK deemed them fuck-off-able. Changing the British flag from a ratio of 1:2 to 1:1.618 means changing angles like with the Cuba chevron. Not too tough with the English part (the red symmetrical cross), but tougher with the Scottish (a blue and white saltire) and Northern Irish (a white and red saltire) bits. To have the Northern Irish red diagonal stripes correctly touching the corners of the flag, I had to approximate the proportions. On the real flag, the white and red diagonal parts are split into six equal imaginary stripes. In the top left quarter, for example, going from left to right, it's one-sixth white, two-sixths red, and three more sixths white. Mine isn't perfectly correct. But it's close-ish.
The Australian flag has the British flag taking up the whole of the upper hoist quarter, so that's that sorted. The rest of it messes up a bit. I kept the proportional size of the stars the same and the proportional placement the same, but their placement ends up looking different in the fly half of the flag. Because of the thinner horizontal size of the flag, those stars all look a bit more squished. I imagine, should a golden rectangle version of this flag ever be done, the size of the stars may be altered so that the relatively placement of the stars is the same as the current flag.
Anyway, that was a fun way to kill a couple of hours.
And while we're on the topic of flags, Scotland is voting on independence on September 18th this year. Should they leave the United Kingdom, I think we, the British, should have a new flag. It'd be wrong to keep the Scottish part if they are not a part of the UK. Plus, now's a good chance to give Wales some flag presence. This is what I'd do: simply swap the blue for green. It'd be fun to have a new colour in there. Plus, y'know, red, white, and blue… yawn. 26 countries have red, white, and blue flags; only nine have red, white, and green flags. Come on, Queenie, you know it makes sense. (More post-Scotland flag designs here.)
More flag factz:
88 sovereign states have flags with a 2:3 ratio. 54 states have a 1:2 ratio flags. That's 142 of the 195 countries. Kinda nuts. In my opinion, 1:2 is an ugly ratio.
Aside from Switzerland, Vatican City is the only other 1:1 flag.
Nepal's flag is bonkers. Two triangles on top of each other, with a 0.820 ratio.
The only flag with a ratio longer that 1:2 is Qatar's, a mammoth 1:2.545. Bully for them, eh? Let's hope they get stripped of their World Cup and have to take solace in having a fancy flag.
All original flags from Wikipedia.
Further flaggy reading:
Flags of the World
Flag Identifier
Group A: Brazil, Mexico, Croatia, Cameroon
Group B: Spain, Netherlands, Chile, Australia
Group C: Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, Japan, Greece
Group D: Uruguay, England, Italy, Costa Rica
Group E: France, Switzerland, Ecuador, Honduras
Group F: Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Nigeria, Iran
Group G: Germany, Portugal, Ghana, United States
Group H: Belgium, Russia, South Korea, Algeria
Round of 16:
Brazil v Netherlands
Colombia v England
Spain v Mexico
Uruguay v Côte d'Ivoire
France v Benson and Hedges
Germany v Russia
Argentina v Switzerland
Belgium v Portugal
Brazil v England
Spain v Uruguay
France v Germany
Argentina v Belgium
Brazil v Germany
Uruguay v Argentina
Brazil v Argentina
Argentina wins, Brazilian people explode.
My beautiful La La
Every morning, I wake up around dawn.
I get out of bed, go to the kitchen, fill the kettle with water and turn it on.
I get a mug out of the cupboard and put coffee in the cafetière.
I go to the bathroom and then turn on my computer and check email.
When I hear the kettle click, I go and fill the cafetière and wait for a bit.
Some times longer than other times.
I'm never really sure how long I should wait.
Normally it's two or three minutes.
I pour a cup of coffee.
And she is there.
Every morning.
She is there.
Hair pulled back into a ponytail.
White sports bra top thing (I don't know the actual word, sorry).
Grey sporty trousers.
She looks at me and melts my heart.
Every morning.
A slight smile.
She smiles while I drink coffee.
She knows I should probably go to the gym with her, but she never says anything.
She knows I like to drink coffee, stare out of the window as the sun comes up, she knows that those first couple of hours are the most creative hours I have in my day.
She's not a cow in a field.
She's not text.
She's not an illustration.
She's not an industrial farming process.
She sees me at my worst and she doesn't judge me.
Then I put her back in the fridge.
Last year, I went to this thing called the Feria de las Culturas Amigas. It was on the big main avenue in the centre of Mexico City with lots of stalls from different countries. There was food, crafts, other stuff. It was a nice way to see and taste things that you might not ever get to see or taste. This year, it was at the Zócalo—formally Plaza de la Constitución—the huge empty square downtown which has some federal buildings, the Catedral Metropolitana, and the Palacio Nacional on three of its sides. The other side has some shops and people selling stuff, and yesterday, a terrible saxophonist busking.
It was a far better location for such a thing, not having to walk along the packed pavement by a big road. Just like last year, the food was good. We had a nice wee brie sandwich from France, bacalhau from Portugal, a big fat white sausage and mustard from Switzerland (the queue for the German sausage, like last year, was big, so we gave their neighbours a go: it was tasty), mate cocido from Paraguay, and pão de queijo from Brazil.
We boycotted the Russia stand. I tried some North Korean food last time. It was greasy and grim. This year, there was no food at the North Korea stand. The USA stand sold hot dogs and popcorn. Exotic food which many Mexicans have never tried before, obviously. There were a few gringos stood chatting behind some books about jazz, comic art, and a few great novels. It was like they were a little bit too desperate for people to know that there is culture in the US. The UK stand was possibly even worse. They had a red telephone box, cutouts of the future king and his wife, and the Beatles. And you could buy Strongbow, Weetabix, and One Direction t-shirts. So proud of my home country.
At the Argentina stand, they were selling tickets for a football game. Boca Juniors vs. River Plate at Estadio Azteca. How had we not heard that this was happening? Argentina's superclásico in this city. So we bought tickets and come Saturday evening, took a couple of peseros down to the Azteca. Peseros, as I'm sure I must've mentioned before, are cheap small buses. They have about 20 seats, and with standing passengers, can easily carry double that. Mostly because they are death traps and the drivers care more about getting an extra few pesos than not killing people in a horrific accident. It's easy to joke about these buses, but, really, it's not that funny. Every time I take one, I realise that I'm in the hands of someone who isn't a good driver. But, they exist, and they cover parts of the city where taking the subway isn't possible or would be a long convoluted route.
Estadio Azteca is a wonderful place. I like stadiums in general, but this one is huge. I've been to four or five games there, and each time I'm impressed by its size. It's the seventh largest stadium in the world. But that's not the impressivest thing for me. First, there's a big Alexander Calder sculpture at the entrance. Second, it's where Maradona beat England in 1986. Every time I'm there, I look at the goal at that end of the ground and can see both goals happening in my head.
Stood around the Calder sculpture were lots of people in Boca and River jerseys singing and chanting. Touts asked if we wanted tickets and stalls sold bootleg jerseys, t-shirts, scarves, bags, pins, earrings, whatever. They had Boca stuff, River stuff, and stuff from other Argentine teams. Club America, Pumas, and Cruz Azul stuff (those are the three teams in Mexico City). World Cup jerseys from Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Germany.
Going through the turnstiles, a security guy indicated for me to turn around and hold my arms out. He frisked me. He told me I couldn't take my lighter in, so I lobbed it into a nearby bin. A few yards later, there was a line of policemen. One of them asked me to stop. He did the same frisking. We walked around the side of the stadium to the gate where we were supposed to enter. Our tickets were scanned again, and another line of coppers was frisking everyone. Up the giant concrete ramps to the top of the stadium. We looked at our tickets to see which entrance we needed and walked around to the right. Again a bunch of police there, frisking.
We went in, and realised that the section where our tickets were was right in the middle of where the hardcore fans were, behind one of the goals. When we bought the tickets, they asked if we wanted the Boca or River section, I said Boca because I'd been to see a game at their stadium in Buenos Aires. Girlfriend, who had lived in Buenos Aires for a while, confessed after we'd got the tickets that she preferred River. What we didn't bank on, though, was our tickets being right there amongst the people who were the most passionate. Jumping up and down, constantly singing, aping what happens at games in Buenos Aires. We decided to look for seats elsewhere, and one section over, there wasn't riot police around the edges of the section, and other people seemed a lot calmer.
The other end was where the River fans were. Not as many as in the Boca end. Along the sides seemed to be neutral. Down in the lower level of the stadium, the expensive seats were all wet. The roof only covers the top tier, and it was raining. Most of those seats were empty. And actually, most seats in general were empty. Of the 105,000 seats in the Azteca, according to Marca.com, only 25,000 were occupied.
The teams came out to much cheering and chanting. Then they both lined up next to each other and unfurled a banner which read "VAMOS ARGENTINA." The cheering turned to boos. The game kicked off, and to be frank, it wasn't all that much of a superclásico. River took the lead in the 36th minute. Boca equalised in the 70th. At the end of the game, because of some fake trophy being given away by the sponsors they had a penalty shootout. Boca missed their first two, and River won 4-2. So far in 2014, the two teams have played one league match and four friendlies. Four! River won the league game and the last three friendlies.
All in all, it was a tad disappointing, but then, I don't know why I expected one country's biggest game to have the same intensity as it would in their own city. It was, though, good to see them playing each other, if only for the fact that aesthetically it's one of the world's most beautiful sports fixtures. Blue with a yellow band vs white with a red sash. Magic.
(Apologies for the crappy photos. My camera is bust and I kinda have to just use my iPod, which has a shitty camera. Thanks, Apple.)
Buddha's vegetarian
In 2010, when I lived in lovely Toronto for one lovely summer, I would often walk past a restaurant called Buddha's Vegetarian. I liked that it was a statement as well as a name. Buddha is vegetarian.
I guess technically the name is Buddha's Vegetarian Restaurant, as their Web site makes a wee bit clearer. But maybe he was like Colonel Sanders. I dunno.
Purple patch
Just like a no-hitter in baseball, you don't want to mention it while it's going on. I don't even really want to acknowledge it to myself. If it is going on, I try and keep it together: like a casual glance at the Galaxian high score that you are close to beating, but not constantly checking. I can write about it now, because it's not happening anymore.
When I hit a purple patch, and I'm doing loads of drawing, (specifically drawing I'm happy with), and having new ideas, there's nothing quite like that feeling. Everything comes together nicely and the brain is skipping along the street in technicolor, while everyone else is drab bowler-hatted men walking across a black and white London Bridge.
Sometimes these spurts happen just for a few days, sometimes they can be for a sustained period. I don't really know if there's any way to prolong them. It would obviously be great to control them, but I somehow feel that's not gonna be part of the deal I've made with my brain.
I just came out of a brief one, though. A nice two-week patch of drawing, decent ideas, writing, and—somewhat importantly—feeling good about my work. It began here, actually. When I looked at stuff that I'd drawn while I was in London, wrote up some notes, filled the blog up a little bit. The London trip was average. It was nice, as always, to see friends and family. And, on the surface, it was nice to have an exhibition, but that exhibition itself wasn't really a success. It didn't get much publicity, I hardly sold anything (but, a massive heartfelt thank you to those who did buy something), and tapping numbers into a calculator of the cost of it all, there's a minus sign in front of the numbers at the bottom of the in and out columns for the trip. And when that happens, I don't feel like an artist. I feel like someone wasting money trying to be an artist. Especially when, in London, I went to see other shows by real artists who seem to have that side of their lives figured out.
That feeling, plus the inevitable post-London blues that I always seem to get when I return to Mexico, and it's amazing that this purple period happened at all. I had two weeks of good stuff. The drawings I've done have made me relatively happy. I'm not gonna say they are great, but they've at least shown me a possible way forward. I was surfing and I was upright. But I hit a rock at the weekend. And it all stopped. Which is why I can write about this now. Couldn't write about it while it was happening. When I'm in a good patch, I like to go to my Ideas and Sketches folder, a dumping ground for things to do later, and have a new look at something. The air dancer story came out of that. It was an old idea, from early in 2013. The Bill and Ted infographic, too. That's been hanging around for three or four years, just some notes and dates in an Excel document.
Hitting the rock, though, isn't often as obvious as it should seem. It happened at the weekend, but I didn't realise it until yesterday. I started working on this thing that's gonna be a short 30-second animation. I got about halfway through the drawing stage, and then yesterday morning, things just didn't happen. I looked at what I'd done and realised I don't have it in me to do it right now. I tried to continue, but it wouldn't budge. So back in the Ideas and Sketches folder it goes, waiting for a future purple patch.
But "waiting" can't happen. There will be some days of feeling a bit glum, but I will keep on drawing. Gotta work my way out of this opposite-of-a-purple-patch, which, I guess, looking at complementary colours, makes it a yellow patch.
There's the billboard poster just around the corner for some theatre thing. Two big faces and some words. But every time I walk by that poster, I can't help but wonder why Pat Butcher is performing in Mexico.
Bill and Ted
A couple of infographics today. First, one looking at the time travelling done by Bill and Ted in their Excellent Adventure. And the other one is only really of interest to me and my ego. It looks at the results of searching my name in Google Images. There are more famous Craig Robinsons than me.
Middle initials
Vivica A. Fox
Susan B. Anthony
George C. Scott
John D. Rockerfeller
Mark E. Smith
John F. Kennedy
Warren G. Harding
William H. Macy
Mary J. Blige
Philip K. Dick
Samuel L. Jackson
Charles M. Schulz
David O. Russell
Huey P. Newton
Robert Q Lewis
Edward R. Murrow
Hunter S. Thompson
Booker T. Washington
George W. Bush
David X. Cohen
So, we're missing I., N., U., V., Y., and Z.
Can you help?
Big news!
Special for the World Cup: Mexican-flag-coloured Tic Tacs! The green ones are apple flavour, the red ones are cherry flavour, and the white ones are orange flavour which doesn't make sense, but I can appreciate that mint would be kinda grim when mixed with apple and cherry.
I am, though, wondering if Tic Tac is doing this in every country? Are there black, red, and yellow Tic Tacs in Germany?
She sells sea shells
She sells sea shells on the seashore
But she didn't sell many coz you can just pick 'em up for free.
Oh Diana
You had blonde hair
But the pigeons that walk around your memorial don't care
That you died in a car in Paris
The worst place in the world
I've been saving this blog post. I wrote it today. But I've been saving writing it. I had this idea, you see, to write a blog post, but really late. And see how much I could write about something I did without it being fresh in my mind. It was something I thought about doing maybe a couple of months after the event, but it's been over two years. I went to Africam Safari on the 29th day of April, 2012. I went there with an ex-girlfriend, but that's incidental. I'm not going to mention her by name or anything, but I might use the first person plural. Just so you know, really, that I'm not using the royal we. (Here, though, I would like to plant an image in your head: Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles playing bowling on the Wii.) So, yes, it's an experiment. I've inserted photographs, but I didn't look at them before writing, cos that'd kinda defeat the object of trying to remember stuff, so I looked at them and picked a few and inserted them after doing the whole type-y typing thing.
Africam Safari is, as the name telegraphs, a safari park. It also hints at the presence of African animals, doesn't it? But, and this is the one part of the blog that I had written down in the Notes app on my iPod as a reminder to blog about it: Africam Safari is the worst place in the world.
Now, of course, that's not strictly true. Although, "worst" is a subjective word, just as "best" is when saying "Justin Bieber is the best thing ever." And while we were at the Africam Safari, I wrote in the Notes app on my iPod, "Africam Safari is the worst place in the world."
We'd gone to Puebla for the weekend. Puebla is a town not too far from Mexico City. It's quite nice. I've been several times. That trip was based around my desire to see my favourite Mexican baseball team, Diablos Rojos, playing against the Puebla team, the Pericos. We saw two games. And on our third and final day in the city, decided to get a bus to Africam Safari, which is about 15 km southeast of the city.
I don't remember a huge amount about the journey. Just that there was a VW Golf on the side of the road covered in hats. I remember that because I took a photo of it. And that the pedestrian crossing near the entrance to Africam Safari was done like a yellow-on-black zebra pattern.
There was a greenhouse thingy with lizards, spiders, and butterflies, but the main thing was that you could drive around and see the animals up close. Lots of people were doing that in their cars, but we took the small bus. We sat at the back, looking through the dirty windows at magnificent, bored animals. It was hot and dusty in there. There were patterns, like logos and stuff, on the windows. What is the point of that? I have a problem with buses having decals on windows anyway. Nobody takes a bus because it's their first choice. People take buses out of financial necessity for the most part. Why make that journey crappy by making their eyes go funny when are looking at things outside but they've got a dotty pattern that they have to look through and inadvertently keep focussing on? It seems even more stupid when the entire point of the bus, (that is, the bus at Africam Safari) is to allow punters to see things that are outside.
We moved slowly around the snaking roads. Passing zebras, parrots, gazelles, rhinos, elephants, ostriches (or maybe they were emus, I can't remember), boars, and those cows with the really point horns that look like ice cream cones. It was like being in a traffic jam. Just with extra tigers.
Halfway around, we were instructed to get out. The tour guide fella dressed it up as a drink/snack/toilet break, but really it was just so that we'd spend some time and money in the souvenir shop. A souvenir shop that had some dodgy dolls that, in a safari park in Mexico, could quite easily be taken as a bit racist. We bought ice creams.
Even though I know in my heart that zoos are kinda wrong, I still enjoy being at zoos. But not Africam Safari. That place was shit. I was in a right grumpy mood by the time we left.
I can't remember much more than that, really. Which is disappointing. As you were.