text:
Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - DeMar DeRozan scored 23 points and the Toronto
Raptors held off the Detroit Pistons, 97-91, on Wednesday.
Alan Anderson added 16 points for the Raptors, who have won four in a row
for the first time since Nov. 17-24, 2010. Jonas Valanciunas and Ed Davis
tallied 12 and 11 points, respectively.
Greg Monroe had a career-high 35 points and 10 rebounds for the Pistons, who
fell to 2-13 on the road this season. Rodney Stuckey donated 13 points.
The first half, which ended in a 49-49 tie, featured four lead changes and
nine ties. DeRozan and Monroe led the way with 12 and 11 points, respectively.
Holding a 61-60 lead with 5:55 remaining in the third quarter, Toronto put
together a 6-0 spurt. DeRozan's jumper, Jose Calderon's 3-pointer and Amir
Johnson's free throw made it a 67-60 game.
Stuckey recorded a three-point play with 45.7 seconds left to get Detroit
within two, 73-71, heading to the fourth.
The Raptors scored the first five points of the fourth period to build a 78-71
Anderson made back-to-back 3-pointers to extend Toronto's margin to 88-77 with
6:25 to play.
However, the Pistons responded with a 10-3 run to cut the gap to 91-87 on
Stuckey's free throw with 1:01 remaining.
After DeRozan missed a shot from beyond the arc, Johnson stole the ball from
Stuckey. Johnson won the ensuing jump ball to give the ball back to Toronto.
Anderson made two free throws to make it 93-87 with 25.5 seconds left. Johnson
added two more foul free throws after Charlie Villanueva missed a 3-pointer.
It remained a two-possession game the rest of the way.
Game Notes
The Pistons had won three straight against the Raptors ... Toronto went 10-
of-29 from beyond the arc and went 17-of-22 from the foul line ... Stuckey
returned to the lineup after missing Monday's loss to the Clippers ... The
Pistons have lost six in a row ... Calderon ended with seven points and 17
The Sports Network


text:
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
This In the Clinic slide set serves as an educational tool to accompany Annals' In the Clinic issue on Urinary Tract Infection. The slides are free to ACP members and individual subscribers to Annals of Internal Medicine. Others can purchase slide sets for personal education or to facilitate teaching clinical topics to others.
Each slide set contains approximately 25 slides (for use individually or as a complete set), summarizing key points from the content of the related issue, such as:
Share this


text:
When a user other then the user who created the original document goes to view the document the image is not displayed.
If the original user goes to view the document and or edit the document they can view and see all the images they added.
Public users can not view the images either ....
Images are not displayed for any other user other then the creator of the document.
any ideas how to fix this ???
Also why does firefox require a double click to add image but ie8 does not. Is there fix for that?
Release 6.0.6_GA_2324.UBUNTU8 UBUNTU8 FOSS edition.


text:
SEB is Blue
Posted 12 December 2012 - 11:12 AM
And Pete is correct, again. Personally, I think pursuing Jupiter is working. Whereas those white ovals have always been difficult if not impossible, I did hold the one south of the GRS steady for long periods. Maybe one preceding it fleetingly. The point being, they are becoming easier. That's cool.
Now, understand my girlfriend has less than 30 minutes eyepiece time, but her observation was stunning.
I asked her, "Baby, come see the Great Red Spot."
She fumbled to the eyepiece, nearly tripping and ripping my UO HD from it's socket. "Okay, relax. It's on the left. See it? Little circle?"
"Ya," she replied. After a moment, she packed it in as usual. Thank God the tripod was still upright. Whew!
Curious about her observation I asked, "Hey, what color was it?"
She said it was, "Red!"
Well, okay, I had forgotten I had asked her to observe the Great "RED" Spot. But, she saw red. Fine, it's really orange or maybe salmon, but I'll take red as an answer. After all, she only has 30 minutes eyepiece time, there's no way she would differentiate those difficult hues.
Coffee grew cold, so I went inside to heat it up and to ask her again about her observation. "So, you saw red?"
"Yes," she replied sounding a little annoyed I was interrupting her program. "Why?"
Well, "because a lot of people have trouble with it," I replied trying to avoid any indication I was talking about myself. She shot back, in her young arrogant tone, "That's because they bulog." Bulog means "blind" in Tagolog.
Okay, round one goes to her, I asked if she had seen any other colors. She immediately mentioned seeing, "Blue!" Like a double barreled potato cannon firing in rapid succession, my bowels immediately ejected two rounds of scat into my undergarments, "Where did you see blue?" Surely, with only 30 minutes observing time, she didn't see blue in the two festoons visible. Or maybe she did.
Okay, now it's sign language time because she had no idea how to describe Jupiter. Her two fingers motioned up and down, kind of along Jupiter's equator as she would have seen it. Then she placed the GRS in the middle.
Ah, okay, the SEB was blue! I chuckled to myself thinking how cute she was having only 30 minutes total astronomical experience. I went out back with a warmed cup of coffee thinking, "She's so cute."
Turns out, though, round two was her's, as well. I just didn't know it right then. What hadn't dawned on me was I spent most of the evening observing the differences in color between the NEB and the SEB.
The NEB has a strong ruddy, almost washed out hue to it. The SEB is, well, a little more difficult to explain. The SEB is definitely better defined along it's edges. And it kind of has a more pale, hue to it. It has some brown, but it's not exactly brown. Not in the same way the NEB is ruddy.
It dawned on me, "you know," I thought to myself, "I could see how someone might see that as blue." I mean, it's not really blue, not in the way a festoon is. But it does have some, well, maybe gray in it. Can't really say where, but it does give off a gray "feeling" I guess.
Now, studying it a little more, the darker, prominent features like the one riding the GRS wake's back, has a little brown hue, best I can tell, very much like the brown in the NEB that used to be there. The wake itself eats up much of the rest of the SEB, but where is the rest of the brown? There is some other color mixed in, I think maybe it's blue, er I mean gray.
Anyone else see it that way? I had noticed it before, but just thought it was the strong ruddy NEB contrasting with the SEB. But, it's time to update my sketching pallet, I think. The SEB has to become a little more gray.
Did the color change recently, or is there just always sometime new to learn about observing Jupiter?
Posted 12 December 2012 - 07:36 PM
It IS funny what other non astronomers make of it. I kind of envy the newness of the experience as they don't have the preconceived ideas and expectations as we do.
The SEB on the night I observed the wake of the GRS clearly was bitonal. The northern edge of the SEB was red brown but where it transitioned into the wake it turned a muddy grey sans the red.
Now if you want to test her perception invite her out to see the great purple spot and see what happens!
Posted 12 December 2012 - 08:01 PM
Yes, exactly, the SEB is awash with hue, especially from the wake. It does appear to sort of rain down lighter hues. But, even preceding the GRS, the belt is just different than the more rusty color of the NEB. I'm wondering if the NEB is changing color right before our eyes, making the SEB look, well, more blue-gray with brown embedded in places.
Posted 12 December 2012 - 08:52 PM
Shades of Brown
To my eyes "liver", "wenge" and even "taupe" take on decidedly bluish hues when compared to, say, "coffee", "russet" and "sepia". It's all relative. She has good eyes to pick up those differences. I know I'll be looking for it now.
Posted 12 December 2012 - 09:15 PM
I was looking in the planetary AP forum and there are a few recent pics that show the colors you and Pete mention. As new as I am to planetary I'm also observing the different hues in the bands as well as the differences between the NEB and SEB. I'm sure we notice the subtle changes as they are taking place because we are observing the same object night after night, looking for detail. A casual observer who may look at Jupiter less than a half dozen times during an apparition probably won't even realize the changes that have taken place.
Ed D
Posted 12 December 2012 - 11:45 PM
Jason, thanks for the site, lemme peruse it. Oh, if she ever rolls her eyes at me...uh ho ho ho!
Edit: wenge looks interesting. Yea, I do see some level of blue in the one's you mentioned. Makes sense, too, blue makes up those colors to some extent. Wow, interesting.
Posted 13 December 2012 - 04:17 AM
She spent a half hour at the scope with you? You have a good woman there! I doubt that I could get my wife to the EP even if there was a giant asteroid headed toward us with a big smiley face painted on it
Posted 13 December 2012 - 05:39 AM
Colour mixing at (relative) low resolution can also do this...
Posted 13 December 2012 - 05:43 AM
But that's the last time I ask her... making me look bad by making it look easy. (kidding of course)
Chris, sure, the interplay of the wake and the belt could do that. I want to look at it again. It does lack the more ruddy hue of the NEB, that could well be the reason.
Posted 13 December 2012 - 10:52 AM
A nice read.
Posted 13 December 2012 - 12:17 PM
Believe me, I'd much rather observe Jupiter than sweat off a hangover, or sleep it off than suffer it. I woke up way too early, about 10PM, and the Mak had been cooling since 6PM. A throbbing headache dominated much of that time. It still aches a little.
While reading Frank's post, she was scrubbing my back with cotton soaked in alcohol. The same one she just finished cleaning her face with. Then she'd show me how dirty I was. All I noticed was how "wenge" the cotton appeared to be. After a quick cold shower I decided to struggle out back for a quick session.
Girlfriend made some coffee and came out to observe with me. Jupiter was about CMI 040 just past the zenith. It displayed a nice lumpy rift in the NEB. Cherry, you might as well get to know her, identified the NEB rift as blue-white. She's so cute, and probably not wrong.
There was a nice, soft blue arching festoon on the meridian. Quite nice, really. The leading GRS wake could be seen clear across the northern SEB sporting some brighter, closely spaced "spots." The darker core of the SEB was back to it's normal brown . The SEBs was a little different. Maybe not so brown, but maybe a little wenge like that dirty cotton.
The GRS was still a couple hours from the following limb, a dull remnant headache prevented any wait for it. The striking difference in hue between the NEB and SEB was not so pronounced. It might have been the blue-white rift in the north that kept its hue toned down. Or it might have been the booze.
Here's a shot, should be withing a few degrees if the CM visible tonight. It was made with a 6" Mak! wow! Looks almost the same, except much cleaner and more saturated than visual.
Good night.
Posted 13 December 2012 - 07:18 PM
BTW, thanks so much for sharing with us the color of your filthy back. You're really liking that "wenge" aren't you. I planted a monster seed in that trap of yours. Sleep off the headache and give us a full color report when the transparency gives you a good look.
Posted 13 December 2012 - 08:04 PM
Anyway, check out this AP of jupiter, and this one if you haven't done so already. The GRS wake in the first one is super impressive, bigger than what I saw a few nights earlier. The pics may help you with what you observed.
Ed D
Posted 13 December 2012 - 09:23 PM
Ed, yes was looking at those. Glenn's image shows the SEB color very well. Compared with the other, there is a bit of a difference. I tend to trust Glenn's (DesertRat) ability to process an image. But, I think I was seeing brown along the back of the wake. That's interesting, need another look.
Not sure what to make of image color, though. Blues and reds can be adjusted during processing. My eye doesn't have that luxury. Maybe his color is spot on, but sometimes I don't feel comfortable comparing color in images and visual.
OH! But you know what is image shows? Some darker features jutting up the the SEBn into the EZ. I saw one of those! Man, just got the urge to cool the scope for a look-see tonight. Yea, wanna really get a good look at Jupiter tonight.
Here's one from Chris Go that shows similar colors on both belts. He images from south of us, and this was taken last night.
Posted 14 December 2012 - 04:27 AM
Ps--PBR me ASAP.
Posted 14 December 2012 - 10:57 AM
There were some surprises, really. I did note my own eyes playing tricks. But, Girlfriend was right, there is a hint of blue in the SEB, believe it or not. Visually, anyway. More on that dissertation later.
OH! But, I was beginning to wonder about Stray, but there is indeed a funky, sweet looking Festoon just preceding the GRS. You gotta check it out. It has some kind of weird C shaped wispy thing...that might be pointing in the wrong direction.
That gray/blue...kind of brown color following the GRS will require some explanation in another thread. Suffice it to say at this point, it's not the same brown as that preceding the GRS.
Attached Files
Posted 14 December 2012 - 11:59 AM


text:
(2Pac talking)
(Fuckin' in the midst of my comrades)
I send this out to that biatch
You too nigga
(Standin' in the midst of my comrades)
You fuckin' with some thug niggas
(That's right)
Believe that like you believe crack kills you stupid muthafucka
(Fuck you)
(Standin' in the midst of my comrades)
(Chorus: 2Pac)
You must be so so crazy
Bitch I'll beat yo' boy bad
Standing in the midst of my comrades
Bitches can't fade me
Plotting but they ploy's crashed
Fucking with the midst of my comrades
(Verse One: 2Pac)
Have you really thought about your part in this participation
My prediction bloody murder similar to ministration
Now in fairness to conversation
Cause it's your fate so take the time
To contemplate what you'll be facin'
Talkin' that hip-hop shit, don't get shot bitch
Cause you can tell all in your clique to eat 'Pac's dick
The clip's in, prepare for the muthafucking death blow
Cause every rapper in the industry is history it's Death Row
Not Bad Boy or So So Def
I make you bow before Tha Row like them other hoes
The intricate design of my lethal lines criminal rhymes
From the mind of a thug shaking state time
Take it to the next phase
You had your time to talk shit
Now bitchless busters getting checkmated
These days muthafuckas talk shit and turn snitch
When you see 'em they ain't talking about shit
(Chorus: 2Pac)
(Verse Two: EDI)
See by now the way this shit is situated
Niggas is getting eliminated simply for being affiliated
Clearly stated and man I know you hate it
We got a whole list to play with
And y'all niggas is at the top now let's make this happen
Fuck the rappin', let's get to scrappin'
So niggas can see what happens
When you get caught up in dirty mackin'
EDI'll send you packin', you know we love action
Sneak up on attack, pull back, let's the slugs snap in
Yo' chest section, Death has now stepped in
Bitch should have learnt your lesson
While your chance was still present
But now it's past tense, no question asking
Out West it's called mashing, bailing the corner blasting
(Chorus: 2Pac)
(Verse Three: Napoleon)
You must be so so crazy, bitch I'll beat yo' boy bad
Driving in the truck with my black MAC
Thinking about the shit I never had so I'm loading up one
And the two thing's that I cherish is money and guns
I love my ones and I'll put blood on you
Snatch money from you, leave slugs in you
Ain't no nigga breathing fucking with 'Pac
Every album that he drop nigga
Number one spot nigga, locked nigga
Let me represent for my dead ones
Eat with my loved ones, squeeze when the beef come
Chill when the freeze comes, I do that shit
You think you heavy in the game? Watch me move you, bitch
This Napoleon, why did I say I again?
You punk niggas already know I ain't for show
And I'll die for the dough, nigga that's for sho'
Never die for a ho, nigga that's a no no
(Chorus: 2Pac)
(Verse Four: Big Syke)
Who I'm gonna call when a muthafucka feeling sad?
My muthafucking comrades
Who I'm gonna call when a muthafucka doing bad?
My muthafucking comrades
And fuck yo' bitch cause you a trick anyway
Cause my comrades was raised on pistol play
And boss playerism mixed with this thugism
So ain't no love in 'em nothing but the fuckism
(Verse Five: 2Pac)
Last verse is for them trick people, this is the sequel
I'ma treat you with evil, living forever illegal
Now homicide got me preoccupied
Be a lie if I told you that I never wonder when will I die
Be assured nigga word born
Cause now it's on you can only survive if you be strong
Until I'm gone I'll bust on Bad Boy, middle finger to Da Brat
Don't get your young ass smacked
(Chorus x3)
(2Pac talking)
Look here… you muthafuckas knew when you wrote this shit
When you spoke this shit, when you smoked this shit
Uh, that you couldn't fuck around with us
Now what the hell possessed you to get on record and play yo' self like that?
Nigga is you fuckin' nuts? Do you know who the fuck we are?
Nigga, do you know who the fuck we are?
Rectify yo' silly ass you better put out an apology out nigga before I yank that ass
Out the game
Stupid muthafuckas
Don't you know I don't give a fuck I'm mad at the world
Fuck all you trick ass niggas
This Thug Life, nigga Outlaw Immortalz Westside
Thought you knew Westcoast nigga all day long
Fuck the world
You must be so so crazy, bitch I'll beat yo' boy bad
Standin' in the midst of my comrades
Ha ha ha
My muthafucking comrades


text:
Recently Opened Restaurants
by Julie Besonen, 10/09/2013
Photo: Colin Clark
- more in dining/
- recently/
521 Hicks St., 718-534-5498, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn
Brooklyn parents are grateful for Vekslers, a tavern that soothes frayed nerves (think good strong drinks and elevated comfort food) and makes them feel less guilty for allowing their children french fries and cheddar cheese "whiz" since the melted topping is homemade. Other than a bar and a row of booths, the space is unadorned; it was formerly a hydroponics shop called Brooklyn Farms. The same proprietor, Rob Veksler, is behind it; his chef is Joseph Bayley, a Chopped winner and vet of Manhattan's Boqueria. At dinner, fried brussels sprouts dressed with queso fresco, tat soi salad with toasted peanuts and shaved fennel, and braised short ribs with grilled peaches and cauliflower puree are all completely satisfying. And who can't get behind a quarter pounder with cheese, its brisket sourced from Pat LaFrieda? Brunch is also recommended—the time for short-rib hash, sloppy joes and Bloody Marys.


text:
In profile.
A while back, I have posted an opinion question about how you all create your maps; geology or higher power. Many of you answered with high-power, which is perfectly fine. But I have a situation that I thought would be perfect for a story I have been working on.
For those who loved James Cameron's Avatar, one of the things I liked about the film is the natural beauty of the film. Exotic but beautiful. I pose this question in reference to a moment within the film.
How would you draw a floating island or piece of land floating - by some unnatural/unexplained force - on a map? How would you label it as such?
I think he means from a sidelong view. a 3/4 view also works well for such things. If you are wanting to do it from top down then it will be challenging. Drop shadows are going to have to be spot on to get the point across.
Also, your labels can help. "The flying Rock", "Helium City" or some other giveaway name like that.
When its over and you look in the mirror, did you do the best that you were capable of? If so, the score does not matter. But if you find that you did your best you were capable of, you will find it to your liking. -John Wooden
* Rivengard * My Finished Maps * My Challenge Maps * My deviantArt
The other day I was looking over some ISO dungeon maps and thinking "these are pretty, but how are they even useful".... and now I see how A secondary picture is pretty much the way to go to set the tone (I play VTT so I use tone images all the time to get the idea across of a setting before loading up maps). to try and do this with JUST the map is going to be harder than that, but not impossible.
Some ideas on how to demonstrate it:
- Experimenting with the shadow. If you made the map a sunset/sunrise picture so that the light source is coming from a side on position as oppose to directly above, you can show that the shadow isn't connected to the rock at its base giving the effect that it is floating. With some long shadows from things actually on top of the landmass (rocks/trees/buildings, etc.) it will show that you do actually know that shadows should be connected, so obviously the big shadow has been disconnected for a reason!
- Have something running from one side of the landmass and underneath it, like a road or a river (something that wouldn't/shouldn't have any breaks in it). It's doing to difficult to demonstrate that the road or river goes under the landmass as opposed to around its base but might work as an added element to show the the terrain under the landmass is passable.
- Use some semi isometric perspective techniques (see BigBlueFrog's current Lite Mapping Challenge from this month) then you may be able to play with the image and give the right impression.
We had a challenge once and someone did a floating castle where it was sharp but the background was all blurred and it worked a charm. I recall a chap called Torq did a battlement map with various layers to it all blurred at different amounts and it looked great too. So thats one way to cover it. Also, you can do clouds under the castle. Tho they do have to look like real clouds in order for the effect to work else it looks like fog.
ViewingDale Map maker and VTT . Recent CG posts . Keyword Index . Intros Index . Member Locations . CWBP Place Index
I managed to figure out how to do the floating islands in CC3: a separate land sheet and special drop shadow on it.
One of the things I find fun when writing stories is to make the world I write unbelievable while making it possibly believable. After all, when writing stories that involve dwarves and other terranian species (underground folk), we have to mention their cities of stone under the mountain. Obviously, the best way to map it is to put a special icon on the map to indicate a dwarven structure. However, one of my lazy friends wants to know how to map an underground map.
What he likes to write is a two-shelled planet. Obviously, my answer was to do the maps individually. But he presents to me with the frustrating question; how can I superimpose the two maps so they look seamless?
Can I ask for common sense from this world?
Superimposed maps creates an interesting problem ...
Perhaps two versions of the map.
Map 1 clearly shows the upper 'world' with a ghost of the lower 'world' overlaid on it.
Map 2 clearly shows the lower 'world' with a ghost of the upper 'world' overlaid on it.


text:
The Forum
The Forum
The Forum is a stunning new £48 million centrepiece that has transformed the heart of the Streatham Campus.
The inspirational mix of outside and inside space includes a new Student Services Centre, refurbished library, retail and catering outlets and technology-rich learning spaces.
Visit the Forum
Features of the Forum
This video gives an overview of the fantastic features of the Forum


text:
A Crowning Moment
The first piece of the new crown atop Kauffman Stadium's CrownVision (the world's largest HD videoboard) went into place today. We were there to capture the moment. Take a look:
6 Comments
It would be great if the webcams currently worked so people could watch the progress as the crown went up.
We want to see it live!! When are the webcams going back on line?
I haven't been to Kauffman since 2001. (Snagged 19 balls in two games.) Can't wait to get back there and check out the renovations.
-Zack (aka "The Baseball Collector")
The new crown looks great!!! Looking forward to seeing the finished work!!!
Looking good! I love the good old-fashioned Royals gold! I'm glad to see the Royals stay true to thier roots. Can't wait to see the finished product, especially when it's sunny outside. These pictures are too gray.


text:
Big Mommas: Like Father Like Son
|Release Date: February 18, 2011
|Running Time: 107 mins.
|MPAA Rating: PG 13
|Box Office: $37,911,876.00
|Genre: Comedy, Crime, Sequel
Martin Lawrence
Brandon T. Jackson
Jessica Lucas
Faizon Love
All Cast & Crew >>
Summary:After stints as an undercover grandmother and an undercover nanny, FBI agent Malcolm Turner adds "undercover housemother" to his resume. Big Momma is hired to go deep undercover as the Headmistress of the Atlanta Girls' School for the Arts and he brings along his son to go undercover as a student in the school.


text:
GREENSBORO -- Police are looking for two suspects in the theft of a Chevy Camaro Friday night.
Police met with the victim just before 9:45 p.m. on Vanstory Street. He told officer he was taking a woman to the Peale Terrace area when two men approached him in his car.
The victim says one of the suspects pulled out a gun and told both people to get out of the silver, 2012 Chevy Camaro. The suspects stole the car and drove in an unknown direction, police say.
The victims were not injured in the robbery.
Police are still investigating this incident.
Anyone with information on this armed robbery is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 336-373-1000.
Greensboro Police Department


text:
Just a heads up for the admins, this commission has been taken!
Hello everyone! Im in the process of developing the setting Ill use in my upcoming novels, but while I love mapmaking, my current skills are inadequate for the task and time constraints are forcing me to focus exclusively on writing. Therefore, Id like to commission the map(s) from one of you talented individuals!
What Im looking for is a continental map, but with the amount of elements and level of details typically found in regional maps. Id like the map done in this style http://www.cartographersguild.com/at...3&d=1242254831 (with a lighter palette though), but with forests and wetlands done in this style http://dndga.me/files/NentirValePlayerMap.jpg. Whether you prefer to do it as one large map or several regional ones isnt terribly important, as long as all the elements (mountains, hills, forests, marshes, etc ) are all clearly visible. Im mostly interested in the geographic features of the map, so markers for towns, political boundaries, etc are not required, although labels for oceans, seas, gulfs and bays would be appreciated because I personally have a hard time telling those apart.
I have a rough outline of the continent done, which you can see here http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/...n/Mydresia.jpg Its currently at a scale of 580 miles/inch, but Id like the final product to be in the 300-250 miles/inch range to accommodate the level of details I had in mind. Im not overly fond of the islands I did, so feel free to replace them with some of your own. Im also open to minor tweaks being made to improve the larger landmasses. I can provide basic input regarding content (ex: this region has deserts and savannas, the continent has X number of great lakes, etc ) but esthetically speaking, Im basically giving you free range as to what goes where. I do have a couple of minor features that are essential for story purposes, but Ill discuss those further with applicants.
Im unfamiliar with how long it takes to make maps as gorgeous as those Ive seen on this site, so Im giving this commission the tentative deadline of august 31st. Payment for the map(s) will be made via Paypal. If youre interested in the project, please contact me through PM and well discuss rates and any other details.
Since my intentions are to use this for publication, I want all rights to copy and distribute the map(s) produced, either partially or in full, for commercial purposes. In return, I will give the artist the right to exhibit said map(s) as part of his/her portfolio in a non-commercial capacity.
Please feel free to comment if I failed to address anything or if you have any questions. Im looking forward to hear from you!
Last edited by torstan; 04-22-2011 at 07:12 PM.
Just a heads up for the admins, this commission has been taken!


text:
|Retread Threads secondhand store now open in Haxtun
|Written by Candie Carpenter, Haxtun Fleming Herald
A new nonprofit venture joined Haxtun's main street last week. Retread Threads opened at 122 S. Colorado Avenue on Thursday, March 7.
Retread Threads is a nonprofit secondhand store affiliated with Haxtun United Methodist Church. Business organizer Barb Westbrook said the store concept began almost five years ago when then-Pastor Keith Hudiburgh proposed the idea. At that time, a committee was formed to look into the thought, but it didn't take off the ground.
Last year, a second committee came together and put added work into the research, and Westbrook joined in the efforts in June 2012. Then, she and other committee members Diane Fryrear and Vickie Fuesz searched for the right building to house the business but didn't have any luck.
In October, a Haxtun community member purchased the building that previously housed Engine Joe's and offered it to the group for the store venture. Westbrook said they received keys to the building in November and have been busy ever since. Members of the committee and the church congregation have all volunteered time and manpower to make the grand opening possible.
Extensive remodel of the building took place over several months and now allows the display of a list of items including infant boys' and girls' clothes from 3 to 24 months, children's clothes sizes 2T to 14, women's and men's clothing, household items, kitchenware, bed and bath, shoes, books and even toys.
To help start the business, the Haxtun United Methodist Church received a grant from the Methodist Church Conference Legacy Fund for the remodel and some operating expenses. Right now, those working at the store are all volunteers, but eventually, Westbrook said, plans are to have a paid position.
"Our goal is to have a paid manager position to establish a new job within our community," Westbrook said.
Westbrook said it is important to note that Retread Threads is not a consignment store, but the entire inventory comes from donations, which are always welcome. Donations may be made at the store any time during business hours. Items not accepted include mattresses, computers, televisions, car seats and at this point, furniture.
The store is open Thursdays and Fridays from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. and Saturdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Holyoke Enterprise March 14, 2013


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RALEIGH-- The man who was operating the Vortex roller-coaster ride at the NC State Fair was arrested by Wake County Sheriff deputies on Saturday.
Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison confirmed that the Vortex ride was deliberately tampered with. Investigators said 46 year-old Timothy Dwayne Tutterrow is to blame for the accident that injured five people Thursday.
Sheriff Harrison said Tutterrow, who is from Georgia, has been charged with three felony counts of Assault with a Deadly Weapon Inflicting Serious Bodily Injury.
Five people were injured in the accident. As of Saturday, two victims were released and three remain in the hospital. They are Anthony Gorham, 29; Kisha Gorham, 39; and a 14-year-old.
According to witnesses, the ride was stopped and people were unloading when the ride started again.
"After inspection of the ride, we determined that it had been tampered with and critical safety devices were compromised," Harrison said.
The Vortex ride is still shut down and won't be a part of the final day of the fair on Sunday, Fair spokesman Brian Long said.
Sheriff Harrison said the investigation is still ongoing and more people may be arrested.


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|People take to the streets of Holyoke
|Written by April Peregoy
Mother Nature cooperated yet again this year, providing mild temperatures for the Country Christmas event that took place Monday night, Dec. 1. Holiday shoppers took full advantage of the opportunity to shop for bargains into the late evening hours, and also to enjoy the various festivities. This year's annual Country Christmas event sponsored by Holyoke Chamber of Commerce proved to be yet another successful one, as the evening kicked off the busy holiday season.
As always, the most popular activity of the evening was the Parade of Lights, which featured 14 floats this year, all decorated in conjunction with the "Looking Forward to Christmas Future" theme for the night. Regent Park and Carriage House took top honors in the parade, followed by second place float Holyoke Community Federal Credit Union, and third place went to St. Patrick's Catholic Church. Santa and Mrs. Claus (Willie Morse and Melissa Mayden) made an appearance to turn on the Christmas lights in downtown Holyoke, as well as spend some time visiting with local children.
Around 85 children gave their wish lists to Santa at the Vets Club, where the Holyoke Volunteer Firemen were serving up hot soup and chili for proceeds to benefit their Fourth of July fireworks display. The firemen had a good turnout for the evening, serving around 375 meals. A number of contests were held as part of Country Christmas festivities, including a tree decorating contest for adults and children as well as a decorative window contest for local businesses.
First Pioneer National Bank took top honors in the tree decorating, while Holyoke Community Federal Credit Union won for best creative window. Scheunemann's Department Store was named second place in the window contest. Community members participated in several other activities during the Country Christmas event, including a free movie at the Peerless Theatre, which played to a packed house of over 150 viewers. Hayrack rides were another popular activity, as scores of children and adults took in the lights and sounds of Holyoke from atop a horse-driven wagon.
Holyoke Lions Club, in traditional fashion, served up hot cider for visitors who stopped by the Lions Mini Park on the corner of Interocean and Denver. More than 50 visitors stopped by the Phillips County Museum to view special Christmas displays. Collections on display included various nativities and Christmas decorations. Each year the number of participants in the Country Christmas activities continues to grow, ensuring that the event will be a part of many future Christmas seasons to come.


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Office: 104 Manly Hall
WS 200 Introduction to Women's Studies. 3 hours.
An interdisciplinary course examining the roles of women in patriarchal society, with emphasis on how factors such as race, class, gender, and sexuality contribute to the oppression of women and ways they can be challenged through feminist critical practices.
WS 205 Women's Autobiographies. 3 hours.
Through an examination of women's autobiographical writings, the roles women have assumed in different cultures and periods are considered. Analytical techniques from the study of art, literature, and psychology are used to discover issues inherent in women's experiences.
WS 220 Mothers and Daughters. 3 hours.
Prerequisite: WS 200 or permission of the instructor.
Investigation of the institution of motherhood, the forces shaping it, and the significance of mother-daughter relationships.
WS 234 Women and Religion. 3 hours.
The role and place of women in several religious traditions, ancient and modern.
WS 240 The Culture of Southern Black Women. 3 hours.
The history and culture of black women in the South are examined through essays, creative writing, film, music, first-person narrative, and field research.
WS 300 Women in the Visual Arts. 3 hours.
Women's creative expression in fine art and domestic arts and crafts is examined from historical and contemporary perspectives; slide lectures offer examples of women's art work. Consideration is also given to professional and social roles of women artists.
WS 310 Special Topics. 3 hours.
Examination of selected issues in women's studies.
Changing topics: for example, women and work, women in the world, social inequality.
WS 330 Gender and Social Activism. 3 hours.
Examination of the social, political, and legal movements in the United States and their influences on the status of women in society. The intersection of race, ethnicity, gender, class, and sexuality is explored as a mechanism to address the struggles, experiences, and successes of women. The relationship between theory and practice is realized through gender-based action projects.
WS 340 Women and Law. 3 hours.
This seminar's major focus is the impact of law on the status and lives of women.
WS 352 Social Inequality (same as AAST 352 and SOC 352). 3 hours.
Analysis of inequities of wealth, power, and prestige; major theories of racial and cultural minorities; behavioral correlates of stratification; social mobility.
WS 402:403 Internship in Women's Studies. 3 hours.
Prerequisites: WS 200, WS 430, and permission of the chair.
An opportunity for students to gain fieldwork experience in an organization or agency that focuses on women-related issues.
WS 410 Essential Readings and Writings in Women's Studies. 3 hours.
Prerequisite: WS 200 or permission of the instructor.
Essential readings and writings for female equality. Assignments focus on the publications and activities of feminist pioneers from the Enlightenment through the suffragist/abolitionist movement and contemporary period.
WS 430 Women in Contemporary Society/Feminist Theory. 3 hours.
Prerequisite: WS 200 or permission of the instructor.
Considers major economic, sociological, psychological, and philosophical approaches to the study of women. Emphasis is on the formulation of theories.
WS 440:441 Seminar in Women's Studies. 3 hours.
Prerequisite: WS 200 or permission of the instructor.
Courses under this rubric are designed to meet a specific need and supplement regular offerings.
WS 450:451 Independent Study in Women's Studies. 1 to 6 hours.
Prerequisites: Permission of the director and arrangement in advance of the semester in which enrollment is planned.
Independent study on any subject pertaining to women, under the supervision of a professor in the chosen field and/or the program director.
WS 470 Gender, Race, and Class. 3 hours.
Prerequisite: WS 200 or permission of the instructor.
A cross-cultural approach to the study of gender, race, and class discrimination. Focuses on the mutually reinforcing forces of oppression.


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Related pages
First Plenary Meeting of IPBES
3 Oct 2011 - 7 Oct 2011The First Plenary Meeting of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) will adopt the platform's rules of procedure and modalities for participation and membership. The plenary is also set to hear offers from governments to host the platform's secretariat and is expected to decide on a detailed work programme and budget. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) will convene the meeting, working closely with the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), the UN Development Programme (UNEP) and other relevant organizations. The plenary will be in the form of an open-ended intergovernmental meeting, which is provisionally scheduled for two sessions. Two sessions of the plenary meeting are necessary to allow IPBES to become fully operationalized. At the first session, it is expected that government representatives will consider the draft principles and procedures governing the work of IPBES, its governance structure, the processes for nomination and election of officers and the nomination and selection of host institution(s) and host country for the platform. The second session will then be in a position to determine these modalities and institutional arrangements and consider the detailed draft work programme. More Information
Nairobi, Kenya
Nairobi, Kenya


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The Walking Dead
AMC Changes New Year's The Walking Dead Full Series Marathon: Now It's Just Season 3
Dammit, AMC! It's like you're jealous of #NBCFail.
This should be an exciting time for fans of The Walking Dead. Season 3 has been amazing so far and it's coming back on February 10. But instead of coasting along on buzz, AMC has made us nervous. First they announced that showrunner Glen Mazzara is leaving after Season 3, and now we see they've changed the full series marathon planned for New Year's Eve to January 2.
They announced this full series marathon during the original broadcast of Season 3, Episode 8, "Made to Suffer." It was supposed to start with the Season 1 pilot at 9 a.m. on Monday, December 31, 2012, and continue with Seasons 2 and 3 before ending on Wednesday, January 2, 2013. Instead, the new schedule is just the eight episodes of Season 3, starting with "Seed" at 9 p.m. on Monday, December 31 and ending with "Made to Suffer" at 4 a.m. on January 1. This is a disaster. We purposely didn't make any cool plans for this week, embracing the idea of an early 2013 hibernation with the zombie apocalypse.
Granted, AMC already announced that they would be airing black and white re-runs of TWD Season 1 and the first half of Season 2, starting Thursday, February 14 at 6:30 p.m. and continuing for a bunch of Thursdays after that. So it's not like Seasons 1 and 2 won't be airing, we just won't get them with the pre-announced marathon. We love the idea of Thursday being the new Sunday with re-runs, but why couldn't they do that and the original Season 1-3 marathon plan? The more Walking Dead the merrier, right?
Are you disappointed, or do you think it all balances out with the upcoming black and white episodes? (Unless they change that, too...)
Catch up on all kinds of Walking Dead recaps, spoilers, news, videos and polls at Wetpaint.com/the-walking-dead.


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The following browsers are supported by the IBM Support Portal:
- Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 7 and 8
- Mozilla Firefox versions 3.5 and 3.6
- Google Chrome 6.0
Supported browsers
regina joyce 110000J492 email@example.com Tags:  browser support_portal 879 Visits
Supported browsers
The following browsers are supported by the IBM Support Portal:
The IBM Support Portal Release 5.0 has been deployed
regina joyce 110000J492 firstname.lastname@example.com Tags:  release_notes support_portal 1,029 Visits
The IBM Support Portal Release 5.0 has been deployed.
Please visit the site at www.ibm.com/supportportal.
Some key features include:
Defects resolved in this release include:
Enhancement requests implemented in this release include:
Key feature details:
Enhanced Technical Support and My Inventory programs available in My Support Programs module for authorized users
Ability to view current orders and invoices from the Support Portal - Customer Support OnLine link
Ability to view technical support information for Power systems at the machine type and model level
Ability to view fixes for specific operating systems, versions and releases directly from the Support Portal
To align with best practices on other web sites, the Search module has been repositioned to the upper right.
Other notes:


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Cellular Shades
- #1 pick for energy efficiency
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- Pick extra cells for better temp control
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Cellular shades are best known for their energy-saving properties but also offer a wide array of customizable options. Cellular shades get their name and insulating power from their honeycomb shape that traps air between the window and the room, buffering against heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer. Double cell shades offer maximum insulation. Light filtering or blackout fabrics provide privacy and light control choices in a wide array of colors, textures and even patterns. Customize your honeycomb shade with convenient lift options including cordless, top down-bottom up, and motorized remote control.
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Ned Yost media session: September 1, 2010
Kendall out for the year
Catcher Jason Kendall is out for eight to ten months with an extensive tear in his right rotator cuff. Kendall has been playing through the pain for about six weeks. Dr. Neal Elallatrache will perform surgery on his right shoulder Friday in Los Angeles. The hope is for Kendall to be ready toward the end of Spring Training 2011.
Yost, a former catcher, says he is amazed by Kendall's toughness and that he played with the injury for an extended period of time. He talked about Kendall throwing out two baserunners on Saturday in Cleveland, though the catcher could barely raise his arm. Kendall would have played through the injury, but the training staff recommended against it.
Brayan Pena and Lucas May will both see playing time at catcher, though Yost was not ready to name a full-time backstop.
Fields ready for KC debut
Josh Fields is back with the club after rehabbing from right hip surgery. Yost will use Fields at third base but does not expect to play him at first base or in the outfield.
Meche in the pen
Gil Meche is also back with the club tonight after being activated from the D.L. Meche is set to make his first bullpen appearance since 2005. Yost said that Meche could see action tonight. He will hold the right-hander to no more than two innings and will not have Meche pitch on back-to-back days this year. Yost does not have a definite pitch count for Meche, but it will likely max out in the 40-pitch range. Meche will only be used at the start of an inning, not in situational work.


text: I need some help. I have never hunted whitetail in ID but have wanted to for years, hopefully this year. If any of you guys up north could help it would be great. Maybe some good general areas to go, hunting methods, best time of year and just what to expect. I'm not to picky about size for first hunt.


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Wanna check out all the stories that have been posted by other newlyweds and couples?
Stage of Life has a variety of resources for having a baby.
Checkout all the printable coupons and coupon codes that Stage of Life has to offer. Click a category below to see your "Rewards for Life's Journey®".
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Please read below for details on the monthly writing contest and click the blue "Enter Contest" button to submit your essay. Good luck!
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The reason that journalists and organizations ranging from TIME.com to Mint Education have featured our essays (especially our teen posts) in the national media is because our bloggers all write from the heart. Real people sharing real stories about their lives. Combine this with our position as one of the only international, non-partisan, literacy platforms in the world and you'll find Stage of Life an open environment to share your ideas.
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1940 Ford Front Wishbone - Bone Of ContentionWritten by on February 1, 2010 Using A '40 Ford Front Wishbone At The Rear
We recently received a call from Frank Aldana at Aldana Race Cars, in Orange, California, to let us know that as an aside to their usual business of building nostalgia Funny Cars, they'd recently been putting together not one but three early style hot rods, and they'd come up with a novel way to use a '40 Ford split front wishbone to locate both the rear axle and transverse spring. The main appeal of this method is its clean and simple appearance. It also has the effect of lowering a Model A chassis but, as the wheelbase is also altered, that's of little use to someone using a stock Model A body and frame unless they want the rearend 7 inches too far forward! It is of use to anyone either building a Modified or T bucket-style car, or using a Model A rear crossmember in another chassis, like a '32 for instance, where the crossmember is mounted behind the axle.
Apart from being a somewhat weak pun, the title of this feature alludes to the fact that using wishbones to locate an open-drive axle is a contentious subject. Why? Because when used in conjunction with a torque tube, which is bolted to the front of a banjo rearend and pivots about its forward-most point, there's no way the rearend can twist about its axis, but take away the torque tube and the axle wants to rotate, putting extreme stress on components that were never designed to be used in such an application. We've seen split wishbones used in this manner come apart, usually at the weld where the tube part joins the cast end, but also further forward when the thin tubing simply gives way. There are a few options to combat this, running from strengthening the 'bones or turning them into ladder bars with a second tube locating on brackets above the axle to fabricating a torque arm running forward parallel to the driveshaft, or installing a couple of upper arms in a kind of triangulated four-bar setup.
You'll see that we haven't decided which route we're taking with this yet because the chassis we used for this story will receive some serious alterations before we'll be able to make a decision based on what will work best as well as what will look right since this will end up a Modified with no rear bodywork to cover the rearend. So consider this the first installment in a Modified project, but with me having two project cars already on the go, it'll probably see sporadic progress, OK? Whatever, just be aware that if you use split 'bones on an open-drive rearend, you'll need some form of upper locator to combat torque.
By now you'll have concluded that the chassis we used is mine. Aldana Race Cars had modified the 'bones but had in-progress hot rods on both of their chassis tables and no chassis to mount the 'bones on, so I cunningly offered up a stock A chassis and '49 Merc rearend that was part of a pile of parts I'd been collecting to build a Modified for my fiancèe. I'd just hadn't been planning to start the build until I'd finished the Purple Pig. Ah well, she'll be pleased, and that's always a good thing!
More Photos From This Article View Slideshow
A belt sander made light woak of removing old paint, dressing the factory welds, and generally cleaning up the wishbones prior to modification.Before and after! With the lower yoke that originally bolted to the bottom of the I-beam removed, and the spring perch hole filled and welded, the front wishbone is almost ready to do duty on the rear.The original plan was to use readily available ladder bar brackets turned on their end, sandwiched between four tabs welded to the wishbone.With the edges radiused to make them look less like store-bought parts and the end removed to facilitate fitting them to the axle casing, this is how the brackets would have looked.Frank Aldana shows how the axle brackets were to fit. However, once we mocked up the chassis and axle, it transpired that this method would locate the rearend too far above the 'bones, resulting in minimal axle to chassis clearance.The original spring shackle bushing was pressed out of the end of the wishbone. Often these are so badly worn that they'll virtually fall out!Splitting the wishbone means the spring perches will no longer be perpendicular to the centerline of the car. The final step in prepping the 'bones was to tweak the perches to correct their angle. Using heat and a monkey wrench the perches were twisted slightly......the exact angle determined using this temporary jig Frank had constructed. Knowing the new angle between the wishbone and the centerline of the car meant he could clamp the 'bone in the jig and measure fore and aft from a straight edge placed against the perch.Whether they'd taken a hit sometime over the years or whether they came from the factory like this, who knows, but the perches weren't exactly parallel with each other, as demonstrated by clamping them in a vice and observing the different angles of the 'bones. Yes, that's the Rolling Rice Bowl dragster behind, in the shop for some remedial steering box work. Good company indeed!
While Frank applied heat, Nate pulled down on one of the 'bones until a level placed across the two of them indicated they were identical.Here's the new Speedway Motors Model A spring that we used, compared to a stock A spring. Note how the original has sagged somewhat during its 80-year lifespan. I'm hoping with two fewer leaves than the stock spring, the Speedway version will provide a softer ride, especially as the finished car will be lightweight.With the Speedway spring clamped into the rear crossmember, Nate used a leafspring spreader to spread it from 39-42 inches. This puts it under tension so once the wishbones are mounted and there's weight on the car, the shackles remain at less than a 45-degree angle. If the spring were not spread like this, and just bolted into place, when there's weight on the car, the spring would spread and the shackles would likely end up vertical, allowing the rearend to move side-to-side, requiring a Panhard rod and resulting in poor suspension action.With the spring spreader still in place (it isn't removed until the very end of the job) the wishbone was connected to the spring using early Ford rear spring shackles, which measure 2 1/4 inches wide. Unfortunately, front springs, and hence front spring hangers, such as those on the '40 'bones, measure 2 inches wide. We used washers to make up the 1/4-inch difference for now, but will machine up a 1/4-inch spacer before the car hits the road. The spring and wishbone assembly (not to mention the rear of the chassis!) was supported on blocks of wood.The front ends of the 'bones were to be mounted next. The spring dictates the height from the ground of the rear of the 'bones, and we wanted them parallel with the chassis 'rails for appearance. This meant the tie-rod ends used at the front had to be mounted in tapered holes a distance of 4 1/2 inches from the lower edge of the 'rails. This chassis will get Z'd at a later date with the 'bones mounted through the sides of the 'rails, so we were going to fabricate temporary mounts, until I remembered Jimmy White at Circle City Hot Rods had made these cool mounts for a customer's car and never used them. As luck would have it they fit our measurements, so I "borrowed" them for this story. Thanks, buddy!With the brackets clamped to the chassis to ensure they were vertical, and placed in the same position on each chassis 'rail, Nate tack-welded them in place. Note the tie-rod ends had already been adjusted identically, and diagonal measurements taken to ensure the assembly was square in the chassis, as the spring can be clamped into the crossmember crooked. Ours was 3/8-inch out of alignment until we took measurements at this stage!With the 'bones and spring located, it was time to mount the axle to the 'bones. Using a large square as shown, diagonal measurements were taken to ensure the rearend was square in the chassis. It was also measured to ensure it was central.It's difficult to see, but with everything set up to start mounting the axle, we had a rethink when we realized there was less than 2 inches between the chassis and rearend housing. Sure, it'll be a light car, but I like to see at least 4 inches of suspension travel.We mentioned that the chassis tables at Aldana Race Cars had other projects on them, and thought it'd be interesting to see one of them, especially as it also uses split front wishbones to locate the axle. This chassis uses a banjo axle with integral spring mounts, and a reverse-eye reshaped Model A spring. The 'bones don't carry the spring, and attach via four long plates sandwiching the axle bracket. The chassis is heavily Z'd and fully boxed.
We succeeded in finding the extra travel by moving the axle forward and down into the curve of the dogleg on the 'bones, leaving an 1/8-inch gap between them. Sure this will alter the wheelbase, but we'd already altered it by putting the spring behind the axle in a Model A chassis, so another inch or so made no difference. Lowering the axle will also raise the rear slightly from our planned height, but as mentioned we'll Z the chassis later anyway.Raising the axle meant taking all our measurements again, and as we weren't using a chassis table, plenty of measurements to check the chassis was level side to side, as well as the axle. The axle is level, central, and has had the pinion angle set at 5 degrees here, and the chassis is set level using adjustable jackstands. As mentioned, Aldana Race Cars' chassis tables were all in use, but I prefer doing it this way, as this is how most of you will do it too!Here's how we mounted the axle to the 'bones, using commercially available curved welding tabs fore and aft of the axle, as well as either side of the weld where the wishbone tube joins the cast-end section.While function is the primary concern when fabricating suspension parts, on an open-wheeled hot rod, form plays an important role too. Not only did we want the 'bones running parallel with the chassis when viewed from the side, but we also wanted them parallel when seen from above.Once I got the chassis home and mocked up on wheels, I got to thinking about side loads imposed on the axle mounting brackets during suspension movement. To combat any sideways loads rotating around the mounting points, as they're higher than the spring perches, I'll add a couple of tabs between the axle and wishbone as shown. I'm no engineer, and they may not be needed, but as this will be my fiancèe's car, I'll feel happier with them there.With the rearend mounted, this side shot gives a good idea of the altered wheelbase. The rearend has come forward 7 inches from the stock location directly under the rear crossmember. The chassis is mocked up here with a front axle that mounts in front of the spring, pushing the frontend out 5 inches, which almost restores the wheelbase to stock dimensions, though obviously it won't work with a stock body!


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Toni Braxton
Birth Name: Toni Michelle Braxton
Born: 1967/10/07
Birth Place: age 42), U.S.
Years Active: 1989–present
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Birth Place: age 42), U.S.
Years Active: 1989–present
Genres: R&B, Soul, Adult Contemporary
Toni Michelle Braxton (born October 7, 1967) is an American R&B singer-songwriter. Braxton has won six Grammy Awards in her career. She has a contralto vocal range. Braxton topped the Billboard 200 with her 1993 self-titled debut album. The first single, "Another Sad Love Song", peaked at number seven and number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B Singles charts respectively. The album's second single, "Breathe Again" peaked in the top five of both the Hot 100 and R&B singles charts. Braxton's debut album won her several awards, including three Grammy Awards (for Best New Artist and two consecutive awards for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 1994 and 1995). In June 1996, Braxton releas... Continue Bio >>
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Popular Movies and Television:
2012-08-29 The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure
2001-04-11 Kingdom Come
2013 Christmas in Rockefeller Center
2012 Tamar & Vince
2012 Tamar and Vince
2012 Twist of Faith
2010 Braxton Family Values
2009 2009 American Music Awards
2009 37th Annual American Music Awards
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Meet and Communicate with Fun Singles Near You on JDate
Register now to search thousands of members and post your FREE profile!
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I'm about. I am an energetic person, but also like a quiet evening at home with someone special whether it's watching a movie or cookin...
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Agents may not be as glamorous as male models or as provocatively sexy as rock stars, but they are dependable, make good money, and aren't fazed by the constant presence of A-listers. Here's a selection of some of Hollywood's pretty faces who chose an agent over a celebrity.
[Note: all photos are courtesy of WENN.]


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|Car turns in front of semi at Hwy. 6 and Tecumseh
|Written by Wauneta Breeze
|Wednesday, 25 September 2013 18:43
Ruth Crow's 2002 Mercury Sable came to rest on 346 Avenue in front of Bob's Repair. Wauneta EMS and volunteer firemen were on scene to care for those involved and to route traffic away from the accident. (Sheri Hink-Wagner | The Wauneta Breeze)
By Sheri Hink-Wagner
The Wauneta Breeze
Wauneta emergency response teams were on site of a car versus semi truck accident Wednesday morning.
Wauneta EMS and Wauneta Volunteer Fire Department volunteers were quick to arrive on the scene of the accident where a 2002 Mercury Sable driven by Ruth Crow, 77, from Wauneta's south divide was struck by a 2006 Freightliner semi truck driven by Joseph Swatzell of Monroe, Ga.
Chase County Sheriff Kevin Mueller said Swatzell indicated he and Crow were both east bound on Hwy. 6 prior to the accident.
Swatzell described the incident to Sheriff Mueller by saying Crow was in the left turning lane, waiting to turn onto Tecumseh when instead she turned right toward 346 Avenue. He stated a red pickup was behind Crow in the turning lane.
According to Swatzell, his truck struck Crow's Sable on the right rear bumper as she turned right.
When Sheriff Mueller spoke to Crow later at the hospital she told him she had been stopped at the stop sign and turned out in front of Swatzell's truck.
It will likely never be known exactly how the accident played out, however Mueller said his measurements at the scene correspond to Swatzell's account.
Sheriff Mueller estimated Swatzell's truck had $2,500 of damage and said Crow's vehicle was totaled.
Wauneta EMS transported Crow to the Chase County Community Hospital in Imperial with minor injuries. Swatzell did not sustain injuries.
Crow was back at her home Wednesday afternoon and stated her only injury was to her neck.
Sheriff Mueller said no citations were issued.
|Last Updated on Wednesday, 25 September 2013 18:44


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Minors Snapshot - Public Policy and Administration
The minor is a part of the Department of Political Science, a program within the College of Arts and Letters.
The minor in public policy and administration seeks to give students a foundation in the nature and practice of public policy and public administration. Students get exposure to the application of policy and administration by doing an internship capstone course. The minor in public policy and administration requires 20 credit hours of course work.
Offering Academic Unit: Department of Political Science
Academic Unit Website: http://www.jmu.edu/polisci/
Undergraduate Catalog Website: http://www.jmu.edu/catalog/15/programs/political-science.shtml#PUBLICPOLICYADMINISTRATIONMINOR


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Folx is a free download manager for Mac and a torrent client for Mac.
Folx is an essential 2 in 1 download tool. It is easy-to-use, not overloaded with unnecessary features and at the same time it has everything you may need for fast and convenient downloading. All you need to do to download something is click the link in an Internet browser and Folx will start downloading for you. Not only you can download any files from the web, but also you can download torrent content from various torrent trackers.
Folx is a free download manager for Mac that is fast thanks to splitting downloads into threads; it also features auto resuming in case the download was interrupted for some reason.
Folx will also make you forget about the mess in your download folder! You can assign a tag or several tags to each download task and easily find them whenever you need them even if they were downloaded long ago.
You can also set the priority for each download task and control the download and upload speed with handy sliders.
Folx is also available as PRO version. It brings such handy features as splitting the downloads in up to 10 threads which speeds up the download process; scheduling the download tasks up to your convenience; smart speed adjustment option (download speed will be adjusted automatically whenever you need to use Internet traffic in some other applications); searching the web for torrents directly from Folx; automatic download of files attached to RSS feeds and adding the downloaded videos and music directly to iTunes.
Required OS: not specified
Tags: client , torrent , mac , manager , download
24 Opinions
"From Eltima's website: "Folx Downloader is freeware software while it is beta, so it is absolutely FREE right now!"
- where did you find this sentence? I can't find it anywhere.
Ok, so. I think this is my last comment about this awful software. Unable to get it to stop intercepting my downloads, I trashed Folx. After this, Firefox was suddenly unable to download any files. It occurred to me to check FF's preferences, and sure enough, Folx had hijacked my download settings and set itself as the downloader for many different kinds of files. I had to reset them manually, as Folx did not come with an uninstaller to undo its asinine meddling.
Huge pain in the you know what. AVOID THIS SOFTWARE. This is clearly a company that doesn't know how to treat your computer with some respect.
Also: Automatically captures Firefox downloads after launching. No obvious way to make it stop doing so. Manual also does not help. Infuriating.
From Eltima's website: "Folx Downloader is freeware software while it is beta, so it is absolutely FREE right now!"
Translation: Not freeware.
Page 3 of 3. 24 entries.


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Previous years
First glimmers of hope for Scotland's capercaillies
IUCN, Gland, Switzerland, 4 February 2005. After more than 20 years of alarming decline in the closing decades of the 20th century, the results of the third national winter survey of capercaillie numbers in Scotland reveals that numbers are now stable and may have even increased. The results of the survey, published in the most recent edition of Grouse News #28, the newsletter of SSC's Grouse Specialist Group, is welcome news for one of Britain's most impressive but threatened birds. Significant conservation action (such as habitat management and fence removal) and more favourable weather conditions during the most recent breeding seasons are thought to explain this positive result. …
04 Feb 2005 | News story
Two new species of lemur discovered - one named after former Chair of the SSC's Conservation Breeding Specialist Group
IUCN, Gland, Switzerland, 14 January 2005 - Officials at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo (USA) announced the coming publication in the December 2005 issue (volume 26, no. 6) of the International Journal of Primatology the discovery of two new species of Sportive Lemur. The species are described by Dr. Edward Louis, head of the Genetics Department of the Grewcock Center for Conservation and Research Center at the zoo.
14 Jan 2005 | News story
Sad loss to SSC
IUCN, Gland, Switzerland (14 January 2005) – SSC is sad to announce that one of its most active and dedicated members, Claus Reuther, has passed away. Claus was Chair of the SSC Otter Specialist Group and dedicated his life to the protection of otters and their habitats. …
14 Jan 2005 | News story
Dr Holly T. Dublin - New Chair of the Species Survival Commission
Holly Dublin - nueva presidenta de la CSEIUCN, Gland, Switzerland 10 Dec 2004. Dr Holly T. Dublin's association with the Species Survival Commission began over 30 years ago when she became a member of her first Specialist Group. Since that time she has contributed to numerous SSC Specialist Groups, task forces and initiatives. In 1992 she became the Chair of the African Elephant SG, one of the Commission's most productive and acclaimed groups. In 1994, Holly joined the SSC Executive Committee and has been a dynamic participant ever since. …
10 Dec 2004 | News story
Global Coordinator appointed for Wetlands International / IUCN/SSC Global Freshwater Fish Specialist Group
9 December 2004 SSC is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Gordon Reid for a three year term as the Coordinator of the Global Freshwater Fish Specialist Group - a collaborative initiative between IUCN/SSC and Wetlands International. This appointment aims to resurrect the activities of the former IUCN/SSC Global Freshwater Fish Specialist Group which has been inactive since 1996. The group plans to hold its first meeting early in 2005 to discuss membership and formalise its new Terms of Reference. Plans and activities for the group will then be posted on both the Wetlands International and IUCN/SSC websites. …
09 Dec 2004 | News story
A farewell and tribute to outgoing Species Survival Commission Chair, David Brackett
Bangkok, Thailand (17.11.2004) IUCN-The World Conservation Union. David Brackett will leave Bangkok with lighter shoulders. For the past eight years he has headed IUCN's largest volunteer network, the Species Survival Commission (SSC) – a task aptly and affectionately described by some as "herding cats". …
17 Nov 2004 | News story
Announcing the first recipients of the Sir Peter Scott Fund for Conservation Action Grants
Gland, Switzerland (11.11.2004) IUCN-The World Conservation Union. The ebony forests of Mauritius, the Anegada iguana and the Endangered Przewalski's gazelle are all set to benefit from the first round of grants issued under the Sir Peter Scott Fund for Conservation Action, created by the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC). …
11 Nov 2004 | News story
Guardians of the Watershed: dragonflies and damselflies as reliable indicators of the quality of wetland habitats
Gland, Switzerland (19.10.2004) IUCN-The World Conservation Union. Earlier this year, the Species Survival Commission's Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) Specialist Group, published Guardians of the Watershed. Global status of Dragonflies: Critical Species, Threats and Conservation in the International Journal of Odonatology. It will undoubtedly be of use to all nature conservationists, including odonatologists looking for global, but concentrated, information on the threats to dragonfly survival. …
19 Oct 2004 | News story
The new Canid Action Plan - Conserving wild canids from the tiny fennec fox to the mighty grey wolf
Gland, Switzerland (11.10.2004) IUCN-The World Conservation Union. Canids, that is foxes, wolves, jackals and dogs, are found throughout most of the world, and occur on every continent except Antarctica. As carnivores, they often conflict with human interests because certain species will prey on domestic livestock. The more prolific and adaptable species, such as the red fox and coyote, have fared well despite this, but more specialist species, like the Ethiopian wolf have suffered and nine of the 36 recognized canid species are threatened with extinction. With human populations continuing to grow, the pressure on many species will undoubtedly increase. …
11 Oct 2004 | News story
Saving Europe's megafauna - European Bison Action Plan released by Bison Specialist Group
Gland, Switzerland (08.10.2004) IUCN-The World Conservation Union. The European Bison or wisent, is one of Europe's largest and most impressive mammals, symbolic of earlier times, when Europe's then primeval forests supported a variety of large herbivores, such as the aurochs (wild ox) and tarpan (wild horse). Unfortunately, these two species became extinct in historical times and the European Bison almost suffered the same fate. Formerly widespread throughout Europe until the 5th century, from the Pyrenees through to the Caucasus, it became extinct in the wild by the beginning of the 20th century, as a result of hunting and habitat loss. …
08 Oct 2004 | News story


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Many smart metering proposals threaten users' privacy by disclosing fine-grained consumption data to utilities. We have designed protocols that allow for precise billing of consumption while not revealing any consumption information to third parties. We also have developped protocols that allow for privacy-friendly real-time aggregation of smart-meter readings.
Information computed on the basis of fine-grained smart-meter readings has multiple uses within the energy industry, including billing, providing energy advice, settlement, forecasting, demand response, and fraud detection. Microsoft Research has developed technologies that allow for these computations to be executed without the need for customers to disclose raw meter readings. In brief, smart-meters transmit encrypted certified meter readings, that are processed by any customer device (smart phone, web browser, home gateway, personal computer) to compute the information required, and further provide them to authorised parties. These privacy-friendly computations can include time-of-use bills, settlement values, fraud detection flags, or usage profiles. Cryptographic mechanisms protect the privacy of the data and the correctness of the computations even when performed on customer devices.
Energy industry processes, such as settlement, monitoring, financial forecasting, transmission network development or demand response, require real-time aggregates of readings across populations of meters. Microsoft Research has developed privacy technologies that allow the direct aggregation of encrypted meter readings. The sum of readings, as well as their mean and variance, can be computed in real-time, without revealing individual meter readings.
Our protocols are generic enough to be used in other settings such as pay-as-you-drive car insurance, electronic traffic pricing and on-line services billing.
- Exec summary:
- White papers & presentations:
- Academic Publications:
- Alfredo Rial and George Danezis. Privacy-Preserving Smart Metering. Proceedings of the 2011 ACM Workshop on Privacy in the Electronic Society, WPES 2011, Chicago, USA, October 17, 2008.
- Klaus Kursawe, George Danezis, Markulf Kohlweiss: Privacy-Friendly Aggregation for the Smart-Grid. Privacy Enhancing Technologies - 11th International Symposium, PETS 2011, Waterloo, ON, Canada, July 27-29, 2011. ISBN 978-3-642-22262-7: pages 175-191.
- George Danezis, Markulf Kohlweiss, and Alfredo Rial. Differentially Private Billing with Rebates. Information Hiding, IH2011, LNCS 6958: pages 148-162.
- Technical Reports:
- Marek Jawurek, Florian Kerschbaum, and George Danezis. Privacy Technologies for Smart Grids - A Survey of Options. MSR-TR-2012-119. November 2012
- Andres Molina-Markham and George Danezis and Kevin Fu and Prashant Shenoy and David Irwin. Designing Privacy-preserving Smart Meters with Low-cost Microcontrollers. Cryptology ePrint Archive: Report 2011/544. 3 Oct 2011.
- Alfredo Rial & George Danezis. Privacy-friendly smart metering. Microsoft Research Technical Report MSR-TR-2010-150. November 19, 2010.
- George Danezis, Markulf Kohlweiss, and Alfredo Rial. Differentially Private Billing with Rebates. Microsoft Research Technical Report MSR-TR-2011-10. February 2011.
- Klaus Kursawe, Markulf Kohlweiss, George Danezis. Privacy-friendly Aggregation for the Smart-grid. Microsoft Research Tech Report, March 2011.
- Nikhil Swamy, Juan Chen, Cedric Fournet, Karthikeyan Bharagavan, and Jean Yang. Security Programming with Refinement Types and Mobile Proofs. Microsoft Research Technical Report MSR-TR-2010-149. November 2010.
For more information contact George Danezis (firstname.lastname@example.com), Markulf Kohlweiss (firstname.lastname@example.com), Cedric Fournet (email@example.com)


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Mopar Engine Challenge - Fire-Breathing Big-BlocksWritten by on August 22, 2007 Contributors: Randy Bolig, The Engine Builders A Look Inside The Most Powerful Engine And The Most Unique Engine In Our '06 Engine Challenge
Those of you who have followed our engine challenge already know the 500ci big-blocks featured this year far exceeded our expectations in terms of raw power. Even more impressive is the fact that these engines made their big numbers running on Rockett Brand's 93-octane pump gas.
This month, we'll go inside the engines of Mopar Engines West and Speed-O-Motive that placed fifth and sixth, respectively, in our challenge. Both these engines represent powerful and durable combinations, though the building techniques were somewhat different. Mopar Engines West holds the record for the most power and torque-their engine screamed to more than 761 hp and 656 lb-ft of torque. The Speed-O-Motive entry was somewhat milder, making more than 716 hp, but then proceeded to set Comp's dyno record with the use of a ZEX 300hp, nitrous-oxide kit.
Mopar Engines West, Newark, Ca
Founded in 2001 by Richard Nedbal, Newark, California's Mopar Engines West has been catering to the Mopar community since its inception. Richard began racing in 1963 and quickly learned that Mopar power wins races. He's been a fanatic ever since. While working as an integrated circuit engineer designing electronic fuel-injection systems, Richard built engines as a hobby. After selling his software company, he decided the Mopar community needed an engine shop with "high-tech" capability so he started Mopar Engines West.
In 2005, Richard merged his company with experienced engine builder and machinist David Timmon's shop, forming one of the best Mopar engine shops in the country. David's experience, matched with Richard's high-tech computer work, means that no project is too complex for Mopar Engines West. Examples such as the 8-CNC fuel-injected stack wedge in the now famous GTX-R or the 300hp fuel-injected Slant Six that we covered in Mopar Muscle demonstrate these guys are on the cutting edge of technology.
The Bottom End
Utilizing a factory block as the foundation for their build, the crew at Mopar Engines West paid attention to every detail when machining and assembling the bottom end of their engine. An Eagle 4.15-inch stroke crankshaft and factory RB length Eagle H-beam rods were utilized with SRP flat-top pistons for a final compression ratio of 12:1 with pistons installed 0.050-inch in the hole. The pistons were coated by Calico with a friction-reducing coating on the skirts and a thermal-barrier coating on the tops. Knowing that proper oil control equals free power, engine builder David Timmons spent considerable time customizing the oil system of this engine. Oil was restricted to the top end of the engine, and the valley area was sealed to keep oil from draining back over the cam and rotating assembly. He also custom built a crank scraper to work in conjunction with the Milodon windage tray and oil pan. A single-line, external pickup was utilized to direct oil to the Melling pump, which was blueprinted and modified to reduce oil pressure. Obviously building this engine for maximum power, the team at Mopar Engines West chose a rather large, solid-roller camshaft custom ground by Comp Cams. With 1.6 ratio rockers, lift numbers were in the 0.830-inch range on both the intake and exhaust valves. Duration at 0.050-inch lift measures 276-degrees intake and 278-degrees exhaust with a lobe separation of 105 degrees.
The Top End
Mopar racers and engine builders alike know that Indy heads make power. For this reason, Mopar Engines West chose Indy's 440-1 cylinder heads for their build. The long-valve design of the Indy heads means intake ports can be enlarged significantly, thereby increasing flow. Exhaust ports are also raised, and port volume of the Indy heads is significantly higher than anything produced by the factory. Ferrea valves were used with Comp 946 valvesprings and were actuated by Indy's 1.6 ratio rocker arms. The most significant modification to the cylinder heads, however, was the port work performed by engine builder David Timmon's daughter Angie, who had been to Joe Mondello's cylinder head school and spent some 40 hours hand porting not only the intake and exhaust ports, but also the combustion chambers of these heads. During the post dyno inspection it was apparent the modifications worked, as burn patterns on the piston tops and in the combustion chambers indicated a very efficient burn. The Indy 440-2 intake manifold was also ported, as well as the spacer between the carburetor and the intake. A Holley 1250-cfm race Dominator took care of the fuel-mixing duties, and an MSD distributor was modified in-house to achieve timing curves suitable to both the rpm range of our contest and the relatively high 12:1 compression of the engine. Overall, this engine impressed us with power, efficiency, and reliability, and we congratulate Mopar Engines West for their impressive performance.
Speed-O-Motive, West Covina, Ca
Speed-O-Motive, based in West Covina, California, has been involved in the automotive aftermarket since the inception of hot-rodding during the '40s. They are known for providing powerful and reliable high-performance engines, and their entry in this year's contest was no exception. The Speed-O-Motive shop is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, and they are able to handle any of their customer's needs, whether building a stock small-block or an exotic, stroked big-block.
For this year's challenge, the guys at Speed-O-Motive decided to try something a little different. As the only entry to run Brodix cylinder heads, Speed-O-Motive showed us there are many ways to attain killer power from the Mopar wedge engine. As expected, this engine ran great right out of the box with no tuning necessary.
The Bottom End
Like all of this year's competitors, Speed-O-Motive utilized a well-seasoned block for their engine challenge build. Their '74 vintage block was fully machined on Speed-O-Motive's Rottler equipment. After align-boring the block and clearancing it for the stroker crank, the cylinders were bored and honed with torque plates, and the main webbing was machined for aftermarket, Milodon main caps. A Speed-O-Motive brand, 4.15-inch stroke crankshaft was combined with I-beam rods and JE forged pistons to complete the rotating assembly. Since this engine would be using Bodix B-1 cylinder heads, the piston's valve reliefs had to be recut due to the nonstandard valve location in the B-1 heads. Total Seal gapless rings were used to seal the cylinders. Clevite bearings were coated in-house and used for both the rods and mains. A Milodon oil pan, 11/42-inch pickup, and windage tray were combined with a Melling high-volume oil pump to handle the lubrication duties. A solid-roller camshaft was custom ground to take advantage of the B-1 heads strength, airflow on the top end. While considered "top secret," we learned that duration at 0.050 for this grind is a healthy 280-degrees intake and 296-degrees exhaust. Lobe lift measured 0.500-inch intake and 0.490-inch exhaust, equating to a valve lift of 0.850- and 0.833-inch, respectively. Unfortunately, the crew at Speed-O-Motive had limited time to optimize this combination and could have shown even bigger numbers by experimenting with other cam grinds, but still managed some very respectable numbers.
The Top End
Cylinder head selection is vitally important in a performance engine, so Speed-O-Motive chose Brodix original B-1 heads for their build. These heads offer huge 2.30-inch intake valves and giant port volume, which can equate to very high flow numbers. Mark Hyla, Speed-O-Motive's cylinder head porter, ground away even more material from the heads to correct for core shift and to optimize port flow. In fact, a pound and a half of aluminum was removed from each head during porting. Comp's No. 948 valvesprings were utilized to keep everything stable at rpm. Rocker arms were 1.7 ratio roller units from Koffel's Place and were modified for a cup-style adjuster so double-ball-ended pushrods could be used. Valvetrain geometry problems dictated the rockers be shimmed 0.200 inch for reliable high-rpm use. A single-plane, 4500 flange intake manifold was placed atop the B-1 heads and topped with a 1050 three-circuit Holley Dominator. Three additional horsepower were gained by running a 6-inch-tall K&N air filter on this engine. While B-1 original heads are generally more suited to higher-compression, higher-rpm engines, we feel Speed-O-Motive did a great job adapting this head to run on pump gas at less than optimal rpm.
On The Juice
Nitrous oxide brings two thoughts to the mind of the automotive enthusiast. First, nitrous is a great way to make inexpensive power. Second, nitrous is a great way to blow up an engine. In our opinion, there's truth to both as we've seen properly tuned nitrous engines make tons of reliable power. When applied to an improperly tuned engine, however, nitrous oxide can be disastrous. So when Speed-O-Motive and ZEX teamed up to test a 300hp nitrous kit during our engine challenge, we thought it was a no-lose situation. Either we'd see big power or a big explosion, and either makes for a good story. Fortunately, thanks to a solid engine built by Speed-O-Motive, a great nitrous kit manufactured by ZEX, and a little tuning help from the guys at CFM and ProMax, the engine performed flawlessly and set Comp's "unofficial" dyno record in the process.
So what did we learn by spraying the juice to Speed-O-Motive's big-block? First, we learned properly-tuned nitrous oxide is a very cost-effective way to add power to the big-block Mopar. Second, and contrary to popular belief, we learned a factory block can withstand the strain of nitrous oxide without damage (at least for a little bit). Third? Well, third, we learned that using nitrous is just plain fun. We'd like to thank Comp, ZEX, Speed-O-Motive, and everyone in attendance for playing along.
More Photos From This Article View Slideshow
In this issue, we'll go inside the most powerful entry in our engine challenge built by Mopar Engines West (affectionately named Hound Dog-we were in Memphis after all), and we'll also show you how we tried to blow up the Speed-O-Motive entry with a little shot of nitrous oxide. Don't try this at home!Dyno operator Rich Smith was certainly impressed with the power these big-blocks made, especially the 500-inch wedge of Mopar Engines West, which roared to more than 761 pump-gas-friendly horsepower.All eyes were on Comp's dyno computer screen as the Mopar Engines West crew impressed all in attendance by tuning their wedge to contest-leading horsepower and torque.The Mopar Engines West entry was no purpose-built dyno mule-this engine is built to last with quality parts from Eagle, SRP, Comp, and Milodon. Of course, good parts only work properly when professional machining and assembly techniques are utilized, something Mopar Engines West handled with ease.Knowing that oil control frees up horsepower, the Mopar Engines West crew spent considerable time hand-fabricating a crank scraper to work in conjunction with their Milodon oil system.By blocking the oil return in the valley, oil returning from the heads is redirected toward the front of the engine where it won't adhere to the crank weights and rob power.Rod bearings were coated by Calico with a friction-reducing coating and looked like new even after multiple dyno pulls. The Mopar Engines West crew looked for fractional horsepower gains in multiple areas, and their technique paid off as they topped the second most powerful engine by nearly 20 hp.Another clever trick utilized by Mopar Engines West was to shave the fins of their water-pump impeller and to under-drive the pump, freeing up yet another incremental amount of power. These small gains may not seem like much, but when added together, equaled contest-leading power for Mopar Engines West.
While all of this year's competitors performed significant porting to the intake and exhaust ports of their cylinder heads, Mopar Engine's West took it one step further by porting the chambers of their Indy 440-1 heads to promote more efficient combustion.Combustion burn patterns in the Indy heads used by Mopar Engines West indicate a very efficient engine. Many hours were spent hand porting not only the runners in the heads, but also the combustion chambers, intake, and carb spacer.Even the spacer between the carburetor and the intake was treated to extensive hand massaging. The Mopar Engines West crew overlooked nothing when searching for horsepower.The dyno numbers backed up the fact that the port work on these heads was good for significant power gains. Exhaust ports were equally as impressive.Modification of the distributor's advance weights allowed Mopar Engines West to push compression ratio to 12:1. Even with the highest compression in the contest, this engine showed no signs of detonation during the dyno pulls.The Mopar Engines West crew loves what they do, and it paid off. Here they celebrate setting the standard in terms of power and torque after their engine made 761.6 hp and 656.4 lb-ft of torque for a contest-leading 1,418 combined points.Starting with a factory block, Speed-O-Motive used their own 4.15-inch stroke crankshaft with I-beam connecting rods and JE pistons to form a bulletproof (and nitrous-proof) bottom end.A factory 440 block-'74 vintage-was used as the basis for the Speed-O-Motive entry. Milodon main caps were added for additional strength.
Off-the-shelf JE forged pistons had to be cut for the nonstandard valve location in the B-1 cylinder heads. The pistons were then coated with both a thermal-barrier coating on the piston tops and a friction-reducing coating on the skirts.All the machine work on the block was performed by Speed-O-Motive using state-of-the-art Rottler equipment. The Rottler three-axis machine can hold amazingly tight tolerances, down to the ten-thousandth of an inch.Brodix B-1 cylinder heads offer huge ports, giant valves, and high-flow capability. With more time to experiment with cam selection, Speed-O-Motive could have certainly optimized this combination. Even so, their 717 hp and nearly 600 lb-ft of torque were good enough for a sixth place finish.The huge ports of the B-1 original heads allow the engine builder to simply look down the intake runner to check port alignment. Speed-O-Motive ground over a pound of aluminum from each head to correct core shift and optimize flow.Efficient combustion chamber design is just one of the benefits of B-1 heads. While not necessarily the perfect choice for a low-compression street engine, Speed-O-Motive adapted them well to the application.We ended up a little ahead of schedule, so the crew from Speed-O-Motive made an arrangement with ZEX to test their 300hp, perimeter-plate, nitrous-oxide system. Confident in his engine, August Cedarstrand agreed to pull the trigger, claiming we couldn't blow it up. We tried, but he was right-the engine stayed intact.With the official contest dyno pulls complete, it was time to have some fun. Since Comp's dyno team got us ahead of schedule, we decided to really test the endurance of the big-block Chrysler by hitting Speed-O-Motive's engine with a 300 shot of nitrous!
Bottle pressure was a little under the preferred 900 pounds-per-square-inch, so warm water was used to heat the nitrous bottle. Ignition timing was also backed off 2 degrees per 100 hp of nitrous, or a total of 6 degrees.When a good pull was achieved, the results were impressive. Even with a nearly empty nitrous bottle and less-than-optimal coil, the engine made nearly 985 hp and more than 800 lb-ft of torque! With a full bottle and additional tuning, 1,000 horsepower would certainly have been achievable. Even so, dyno operator Rich Smith told us these were the biggest numbers he'd seen since working at Comp.