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When I was a kid, my two older brothers were standing in the front door watching a massive electrical storm through the screen door. I was afraid to get too close to the doors or windows because of what sounded to me like earschplittenloudenboomers. Each bolt of lightning shook the house and rocked the neighborhood. They were
both leaning against the door jam with their hands resting on the aluminum weather stripping when suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck the power line in the alley behind our house. Both brothers howled like wolves and nearly jumped out of their fur. The energy of the lightning strike enveloped the house and they got a good shock. As far as we know, it wasn't severe enough to cause any damage, but they were always a bit goofy so it's hard to tell.
Can that happen if you're standing on a metal catwalk and lightning strikes the building?
That was the question on the mind of a reader, "a sound technician with over 35 years of experience, but with limited electrical engineering knowledge," who wrote: "I have a contract to provide theatrical sound, stage-lighting and video services at a university. Recently, the university allowed multiple cell phone companies to install equipment on the roof of the theatre. The cell phone tower equipment installed by one company includes a conduit from the roof
to the stage area catwalks on the inside of the building. The conduit is bonded via a decent gauge wire to the exposed steel of the building. (The cell phone company) also installed a heavy wire from inside the same conduit to the
exposed steel of the building. My concern is, what happens in the event of a lightning strike or other electrical issue from their equipment? The building's steel is exposed throughout the catwalk area above the stage and the steel most likely is also connected to our double-purchase rigging system steel. Are we at risk for a shock in this situation? Does it matter if the heavy wire is for lightning suppression versus just a heavy ground wire for their installation?"
You might want to turn off the Sponge Bob Square Pants episode and think about this. After all, the voltage between clouds and the earth can reach as high as 10 MV to 1000 MV and the current from a lightning strike can range from a few thousand amps to 200 thousand amps. Get it right and standing on the catwalk during a thunderstorm is not likely to present a problem; get it wrong and it can ruin your whole day.
The short answer to his question is that it should be safe to stand on the catwalk during a thunderstorm because the cell phone tower is bonded to the building. The reason for bonding them is to do our best to make sure all of the metal in the building structure, the cell tower, and the electrical system remain at the same voltage potential regardless of what might happen. Otherwise a lightning strike or ground fault could create a difference in potential that could be very dangerous.
Depending on how tall the cell tower is and how often lightning occurs in the area, there may or may not be a lightning protection system on the building. In either case, there is an electrical grounding system which is separate from the lightning protection system. The general idea behind both is to provide a low impedance path for fault current or lightning discharges. In the case of lightning, the low impedance path keeps the current away from non-conductive parts of the building which would sustain more damage than does the low impedance path. Without it, the lightning discharge could potentially damage materials, start a fire, and/or electrocute anyone with the misfortune of touching two objects at different potentials.
The electrical grounding system keeps all of the bonded parts at the same voltage potential during a ground fault or a lightning strike. This is what generally makes it safe by making sure that one part of the structure becomes energized
while another part doesn't. It also causes a massive amount of current to flow in the event of a ground fault, which insures that the circuit breaker will trip very quickly and remove the voltage from the grounding conductors.
Standing on the catwalk while fault current or lightning discharge current is flowing isn't enough to hurt you. Much like a bird sitting on an electrical power line that is conducting massive amounts of current, you won't be injured because there is no 0V reference relative to you. A high voltage has no significance unless it is referenced to another voltage point. That's why you can't measure any voltage with one test lead; you can only measure voltage between two points. If, on the other hand, the bird were to straddle the power line and a grounded transmission tower it would be cooked because the tower is connected to the earth, making it a solid 0V reference. Now the high voltage has real meaning.
Bonding the cell tower to the building steel is part of the NFPA 70 (normal"">National Electrical Code) requirements for radio and television equipment. Article 810.21 says that masts and structures supporting antennas have to be grounded to an electrode or other suitable grounding connection point. In many cases that means the building steel, provided it has a solid connection (meaning low impedance) to earth. Otherwise the electrode could be a water pipe within five feet of its point of entrance into the building or a grounding rod. The Code also says that the grounding conductor should be protected from physical damage (thus the conduit) and that both ends of the raceway should be bonded to the grounding conductor or to the same electrode to which the grounding conductor is connected.
If there is a lightning protection system then the game changes a bit. A lightning protection system has four main parts: (1) a system of strike termination devices (called air terminals) on the roof and other elevated locations; (2) a
system of grounding electrodes; (3) a system of conductors connecting the air terminals to the grounding electrodes; and (4) transient voltage surge suppressors (TVSS). The air terminals are mounted at the highest point on a building in intervals of no more than 20 feet. If it does its job right then the lightning protection conductors will be the preferred path for current due to lightning strikes and it will conduct it through the grounding electrodes and into the earth.
The NFPA 780-2008 Standard for the Installation of Lightning Protection Systems spells out specific requirements for lightning protection systems. One of the requirements is that the lightning protection system, electric service, communications, antenna system grounds, and underground metallic pipe systems all to be interconnected, again, so that they will all stay at the same voltage potential. NFPA 780 also requires that the building is bonded to the lightning protection system for the same reason.
Ideally, the resistance of the grounding system or lighting protection system to the earth should be 0 ohms; however, in practice that just not possible because even the largest conductors have some resistance, even if it is small. So we do the best we can to make the resistance as low as possible.
The NEC says that if the resistance to the grounding electrode is more than 25 ohms it has to be supplemented with another grounding electrode that is bonded to the first. The combination of the two will lower the resistance to ground. In many instances we try to make the resistance to ground less than 25 ohms. The NFPA and IEEE recommend a ground resistance value of 5 ohms or less.
Lightning protection systems are supposed to be inspected every year although there is no enforcement. But you can perform a visual inspection of the grounding and bonding to ease your mind. Things to check for are loose or broken connections in the lightning protection system and the electrical grounding system. Check for corrosion or burned conductors. Pull on components to make sure they are well connected and tighten clamps and splices with a wrench. Check the transient voltage surge suppression units to see if the indicator lights warn of a failure.
Also, grounding rods have a limited life due to corrosion. Moisture, salt, and high temperatures contribute to the degradation of electrodes. The life expectancy of a driven rod or a grounding plate is only five to 10 years. A concrete
encased electrode is expected to last 15 to 20 years while a building foundation electrode is expected to last 20 to 30 years. There are also specially engineered electrodes such as an advanced driven rod, which looks a bit like a masonry drill bit, and an electrolytic electrode, which is a hollow copper shaft filled with natural earth salts and desiccants to draw moisture from the air, forming an electrolytic solution that seeps into the soil and keeps it moist and conductive. The life expectancy of the advanced driven rod is 15 to 20 years and that of an electrolytic electrode is 30 to 50 years.
A formal inspection of the lightning protection system is more time consuming and involves specialized test equipment. The 3-point test requires two auxiliary grounding rods to be driven into the ground. Voltage is then applied between the grounding electrode under test and the second grounding rod. An ammeter reads the current generated between them while a volt meter reads the voltage between the electrode under test and the third grounding rod. The result is the resistance in ohms between the ground electrode and the surrounding earth.
There are also ground resistance meters, such as the Fluke 1630 Earth Ground Clamp meter. It allows you to test the integrity of a grounding electrode by clamping the meter around the electrode or grounding conductor instead of using auxiliary stakes.
The main idea behind a lightning protection system is that we want to be able to control where the current from a lightning strike is flowing and it shouldn't be through you or anyone else. If the lightning protection system, electrical
grounding system, and bond are all installed and working properly then more than likely there will be no problems.
There is a lot to know about grounding and lightning protection systems. A good book to read about grounding is called "Soares Book on Grounding and Bonding," which is published by the International Association of Electrical Inspectors. In the meanwhile, keep your eye out for air terminals (you'll see plenty of them at the highest point
in any outdoor electrical substation) and watch for ways in which electrical grounding systems and lightning protection systems are bonded to electrodes.
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Britain's first Wimbledon men's singles champion for 77 years says he has enjoyed his preparation under new coach Amelie Mauresmo.
08:26, UK, Monday 23 June 2014
Andy Murray has admitted feeling "nervous" ahead of his first round match at Wimbledon today, but says he is well prepared to defend his title.
The 27-year-old faces Belgium's David Goffin on Centre Court, one year after becoming Britain's first men's singles champion for 77 years.
The number three seed says that despite feeling some nerves, he has enjoyed his preparation under new coach Amelie Mauresmo.
"When you come back to a Grand Slam, there's always nerves and pressure there before you start the event. I feel fairly similar to last year," Murray said.
Fans began queuing outside the All England Club on Sunday morning, with many hoping to see Murray take victory in his first match.
The Scot is under pressure to lift the spirits of British sporting fans after England's miserable World Cup campaign in Brazil.
Asked whether he felt any extra pressure going into this year's tournament, Murray said: "To be honest, I don't feel too much different than I did a few days ago.
"I'm here to try and win the tournament. That's it. My focus is solely on the first match, preparing properly for that.
"I trained hard the last 10 days or so. Preparation's gone well. So it's now down to me to try and perform on the court. That's what I need to do."
Murray stars in this week's The Beano comic, in which he is shown learning how to control his emotions ahead of an upcoming tennis tournament. He also guest-edited the issue.
Forecasters say the opening day of Wimbledon could see some delays or interruptions because of rain.
Temperatures are expected to reach 24C today, but there is a 20% risk of heavy showers.
Britain's top women's hope, Heather Watson, is facing a tough opener against Croatian Ajla Tomljanovic.
But her fellow-Briton, Samantha Murray - no relation to Andy - has perhaps the most daunting match-up of the round, taking on French Open champion Maria Sharapova.
The All England Club will award a total of £25m in prize money to competitors during the fortnight.
The gentlemen's and ladies' singles champions will each receive £1.76m.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Families Enjoy Day of Sledding at Chestnut Ridge Park
Written by Your 5News Team
Last updated on January 26, 2013 @ 2:39PM
Created on January 26, 2013 @ 1:53PM
The snow and cold weather may have kept some inside, but if you have kids then the 2013 Toboggan Festival was a great place to spend your Saturday afternoon.
With a 350 foot hill and plenty of fresh snow, folks took their kids out to Chestnut Ridge Park in Morgantown for a few hours of sledding, skiing, toboggan limbo, reindeer rodeo, and pin the toboggan on the snowman. The festival was from 1 PM until 4 PM this afternoon so you needed to make your time count.
"We have three kids and there basketball games were canceled and all their teammates were coming up here so we brought them up here to go sled riding," Erik Parow told 5 News.
"This is the first time we've been here in a long time so it's nice to come out," said his wife, Leah Parow.
This sledding area is open for everyone to use as long as there is enough snow on the ground. You can bring your sleds and skis, or rent a toboggan for five dollars an hour. Chestnut Ridge was also serving hot chocolate and hot dogs to keep hundreds of people there warm.
The hill stays open until 10 pm on Fridays and Saturdays and uses overhead lights once it gets dark. During the week, the hill opens at 10 AM and closes once it gets dark.
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Football at Boise State, 10/17/14, Photos by Geoff Thurner.
Football at Boise State, 10/17/14, Photos by Geoff Thurner, Copyright 2014.
Last updated on July 15, 2014
2013 (Junior): Saw action in four games - Cal Poly, Boise State, at Idaho and vs. New Mexico ... recorded one tackle on the season at Idaho, Oct. 5.
Prior to Fresno State: Named to the California Community College Football Coaches Association 2012 All-Region I first-team ... first-team Valley All-Conference selection in the Northern California Football Association ... anchored defense that held opponents to 95.3 rushing yards per game in 2012, ranking sixth in the state ... helped lead team that collectively posted 26 sacks on the year ... recorded 28 tackles in 10 games as a sophomore with one sack and 3.5 tackles for a loss.
High School: Was an O'ahu Interscholastic Association East All-Star first-team selection as a senior.
Personal: Born in Honolulu, Hawai'i ... son of Voa'atea and Fa'afetai Sagapolu ... has four brothers and five sisters ... his cousin, Andy Jennings, was a second-team All-Mountain West selection in 2012 for the Bulldogs and started all 13 games for as a senior in 2013 ... majoring in criminology-law enforcement.
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Does your company or organization have a Facebook Page?
This group is for pros who have facebook pages. Post the link to your facebook page in the comments so that folks can like you on facebook.
Members: 124
Latest Activity: Feb 21
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Please like us at https://www.facebook.com/WalkerMillerEnergyServices
Thanks for sharing.
Hi James! Great to see you on facebook. We really enjoy your tweets too! Thanks for sharing. :)
From Mr. Tight-Watt
Adam, We like your page!
You did such a nice job with your landing page and the welcome page, it will be interesting to see what you do with the new facebook timeline design.
Gary, I've tried to do the same as well. If anyone hasn't received a "like" from me (Green Homes) please let me know!
I've taken the time to go through and "like" everyones page here. Hopefully everyone of you will do the same by "liking" Green Building Designs page. This is a great resource for all of us to utilize!
Conservation Strategies is the premiere supplier for weatherization equipment, diagnostics & supplies. We are a subsidiary of a non-profit weatherization agency formed for the specific purpose of supporting weatherization agencies, training centers and professionals. We provide everything from basic supplies to high-tech diagnostics. Our 16 years of experience in the industry have given us great insight into the unique needs of weatherization professionals.
Connect with us here!: https://www.facebook.com/conservationstrategies
Diane, they look great!
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Terry Gilliam remains one of the most original and vibrant cinematic voices of all time, a rare cinematic iconoclast, who bucks narrative convention refusing to abide by the conventions of traditional storytelling. Perhaps this is due to his beginnings as the animator during the Monty Python era and his feature directorial debut as co-director of the now classic "Monty Python and the Holy Grail".
Since then, Gilliam has carved a niche as an innovative director whose works polarize but fascinate us, from the likes of "Brazil," "12 Monkeys," "Time Bandits," "Tideland," "The Fisher King" and "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" to name a few. Yet nothing compares to his most talked about film in years, "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," starring Christopher Plummer in the titular role and his extraordinary 'Imaginarium', a travelling show where members of the audience get an irresistible opportunity to choose between light and joy or darkness and gloom.
While much has been said of this as Heath Ledger's final screen appearance, the film is far more than that and remains a defining study of mortality and age, perhaps the perfect film for Terry Gilliam who made the film during the final days of his seventh decade.
It was during the film's Toronto Film Festival premiere that an ebullient Mr Gilliam talked at length to Paul Fischer in this exclusive interview about the film's personal themes, working with mutual friend Ledger, Hollywood and of course his quixotic dream to finally make the film that has eluded him for so many years.
Question: Terry, is "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" the film that ultimately epitomises and exemplifies Terry Gilliam of this age, at this stage of his life?
Gilliam: It's not a bad version of me. It's got a lot that is autobiographical, in a sense, trying to amaze people, astound people, and people aren't being as astounded and as amazed as much as I had hoped they would be. I think there's all the mortality that's very much central to the theme. I love the idea of a 60-year-old wife giving birth to a child, and Parnassus thinks he's clever, but things just keep happening to him, making him very flawed. That's what I like about Parnassus.
Question: Do you have a lot in common with him?
Gilliam: At times. I mean, obviously, when I'm writing – to be honest, I kind of identify with all the characters in the thing, but there's a Parnassus quality. You're sitting on your friends, pretending to float in the air. [LAUGHTER] Nobody buys it. I think it's a kind of greediness. I want more people to be astonished, more people to use their imagination, more people to do what they do, and be free from the kind of closed world that the media presents as reality. I always find it's a much smaller audience than I would like and that's unfortunate, but the great thing about that smaller audience, they're passionate and they're the ones that might end up doing something more wonderful.
Question: I mean, obviously there are these two worlds that are visually created for this. The world of sort of contemporary London – dark and dour and then, of course, the world inside that magic mirror. When you write a script like this, do you see all this in your head as you're writing it? Do you visualize it? Do you storyboard? Or is it all, first of all, put on paper?
Gilliam: No, it's all happening on many different levels, all at the same time, because we didn't even have a story when we started, just a couple ideas. You know, old traveling theatre arrives in modern London. Boom. Okay. Then to save money, let's just have little bits of the big expensive fantasy sequences. [LAUGHTER] We might be able to make it with a budget that we can actually get the money for and I may actually work like that. It's kind of this combination. One, it's like, being very, very pragmatic about the realities of financing, and what you get done and the other side, wanting to fly, which is kind of how Charles and I worked.
Then little by little, there was one point I said, "Let's make it kind of a compendium of what I'm good at." So I kept thinking of "Fanny and Alexander", and "Amarcord", because those were moments when they relaxed a bit. Bergman was no longer dark and black and white and it was just wonderful, the same with Fellini. Then I remembered watching "The Seventh Seal" again. Oh, you know, that little traveling troupe there, with – kind of, Mary, Joseph, and the baby, that became Valentina and Anton, with the baby at the end. [LAUGHTER]. Then, of course, there are Python moments you want to throw in there.
Question: When you had this ready and you were ready to cast it there are only certain actors of a certain age who could pull that off.
Gilliam: It was pretty easy. There wasn't much of a choice. Christopher, having worked with him on "12 Monkeys," was great. It was funny, because I saw "The New World," the Terry Malick film and I thought, "Chris, you look just beautiful. Come on." So I wrote him a note, and he said, "Yeah, let's do it." I mean, you wanted somebody like that. You wanted a great, great actor, because I'm not convinced whether Parnassus is telling the truth, or he's just a con man. I never knew and I still don't know. So I thought Chris would give it all the gravitas that we could need, especially when I do double acts with him with Verne Troyer.
Question: Troyer had the best lines in that movie, too, I think.
Gilliam: Well, the first thing I showed him when I showed the script to Verne, and I just opened the page to when Parnassus says, "Ah, Percy, what would I ever do without you?" And Percy says, "Get a midget." So that was the first thing I showed to Verne, and said, "You like it?" "Love it." And that was it. [LAUGHTER] I mean, Verne has a tiny moment in "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas", tiny being – time, space, height, everything and I always thought Verne was an extraordinary guy. He's so smart, and he's funny, and he's got this really cool attitude, so he'd be perfect. What he was delighted about – it gave him a chance to really act, to show that he was a serious actor. I think he's beautiful in the thing, just wonderful.
Question: I'm not going to ask you about the whole Heath Ledger-post thing, but I would like to ask you about the casting of him. Now obviously, you worked with him on a less critically-acclaimed film.
Gilliam: [LAUGHTER] That's very nicely put.
Question: But, did you notice an evolution in growth in Heath as an actor, that convinced you that you would want him for this movie?
Gilliam: No, after Grimm's I would have put him in everything.
Question: Really?
Gilliam: I offered him several parts, which he turned down. [LAUGHTER] I loved Heath. I just thought he was a sensational actor and he was just getting better and better. I mean, the first time I saw him in "The Four Feathers", he just leapt off – I said, "That is a movie star. An old-fashioned one," because he's manly, and he's strong. He was like, 19 or 20 when he did that. What was he, 21? I don't know what he was, but he was a kid and I was looking at somebody who was 35 I thought.
Even when we did Grimm, there was one night I took him out to watch a Romanian gypsy music thing, because I wanted him to hear this stuff. We got there a bit early, went across the street, had a pizza, and were talking. You know, Matt was 33 and I thought Heath was the same kind of age. He said, "No, I'm 24." I said, "What? What?" [LAUGHTER] There was such an ancient wisdom about him, and an oldness, a maturity, that was amazing. So, it was funny, because after Brokeback Mountain, I offered him a couple things.
The year after "Brokeback Mountain" was a strange year for him, because he hadn't enjoyed all the publicity, and all the bullshit, hated it. So there was a year of, "What do I do? I don't want to do that. I want to go back to what I used to do," Australian films, he was going to make. So it was a difficult year and what happened with Parnassus, he was doing The Joker, he was working in London and he was working on a music video for Modest Mouse, which is now out on the web with my friend Daniel who had done the storyboards for Grimm's, and Heath had known at that point. I had put him to work in the big desk at our special effects company. I was showing my storyboards one day to the effects guys, talking about them and in the middle of this presentation, suddenly Heath sends a little note over, "Can I play Tony?" I said, "Are you serious?" He said, "Yes, I want to see this film." And that was it.
Question: Did you encourage him to improvise at all?
Gilliam: Yeah. I mean, I don't normally do that, but he was just doing things, and I was not going to limit him, when he was throwing in all sorts of new ideas, even different words. I just let it run, because it was like he was on fire. It was just going. He was flying and was enjoying this character so much, because the character is ia chameleon, so you can do everything and anything. What you don't get to see is what he was going to do on the other side of the mirror, because he had all sorts of things planned. But I just thought, "You're so good." I just didn't want to hold him back. We all used to sit – Nicola Pecorini, my cinematographer, the continuity lady – during the take – every take, and he was surprising us with new and wondrous things. I said, "Just let it ride. This is good." [LAUGHTER]
Question: I must say that the actors you selected to play his kind of alter ego of his, as it turned out, were really wonderful. I was particularly struck at – I thought Johnny [Depp] and Colin [Farrell], in particular, I loved in this. They're very funny.
Gilliam: But it's like, serious funny, is what it is. It's not jokey stuff. It's interesting. I mean, of the three of them Johnny and Colin have an energy much closer to what Heath's energy was, which is why I think you may respond to it that way. Jude's is different.
However I was only going to call friends of Heath's. I didn't want anybody else to be involved. It was just those who were close, and loved him. Colin said when he was doing his, that there were days he thought he was channeling Heath. Colin's extraordinary. This man is Johnny Depp, Heath Ledger, Robert Downey Jr., he's at that level of acting.
Question: You know, you make these films that are so visually exquisite, yet you don't seem to forget about the actors. Is it a balancing act, for you to make sure that character and visuals go hand in hand, in anything you do?
Gilliam: Yeah, I know. I mean, the visuals are there to support whatever ideas we're trying to present. They're there for a reason. They're not just pretty backgrounds. But it's the actors that it's about. I'm bored with the other stuff, I can do the other stuff in my sleep - the CGI stuff which is a pain and hard work, I can do it. The actors are where the joy of filmmaking is for me now, because they're the ones that bring it to life.
You know, we write something, and it's just a bunch of words, but the actors come in, and the character just expounds into things. I want to be surprised and I don't want them to do what I want them to do. I want them to surprise me, because the process of making films is boring. It's tedious. I mean, this is three years I've been on this film, so you've been with it every day of your life, every hour of your life and when you get on the set and the actor surprises you with something you didn't intend – I don't fight it. I love it. I mean, if it goes an area I don't think it should go, I will pull it back, but no, I want to give space for that.
Working with good actors is breathtaking, they're brave people and I think my skill is encouraging them to be bold. I'm a good audience. I laugh when they're funny, and I cry when they're tragic. And I just want to make them feel so comfortable that they will take chances they might not normally take, and trust me that I'm not going to expose them when they fall on their face.
Question: You're extraordinary in the way that you take risks, and you've never had to deal so much with the mainstream studio system. I was wondering, is your relationship with Hollywood in some ways quixotic? I mean, is it a sort of a lance-at-windmill relationship?
Gilliam: Yeah – I mean, I probably hate them more than they hate me. But the irony is, the three films I actually did in Hollywood, "The Fisher King," "Twelve Monkeys," and "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" were the easiest films I've ever done because I do control what I do. I will not let them control it. I will literally physically destroy humans if necessary. I will not let them take over the work, because it's not my work, it's the work of the collaborative group that makes it.
The actors, the writers, the tech— everybody and the suits thrive on fear. They're worried about losing their jobs, so that all their decisions and attitudes towards something are fear-based, I think, whereas what we do is positive-based. We may make huge mistakes, and we do, but I think it's coming from the right place.
Question: And talking about quixotic – will we ever see "Don Quixote"?
Gilliam: Well, I was, three weeks ago, in Spain, looking at the locations. [LAUGHTER]
Question: Oh, you were?
Gilliam: The plan is next spring.
Question: Is it going to be a very sort of strange experience, going back to that, after what had happened?
Gilliam: Well, no. Here's what's funny about it is that having waited seven or eight years to get the script back from the French legal system, and Jeremy Thomas finally wrenched it from their hands, during that period, everybody kept saying, "If you really want to make it, why don't you just rewrite the script and go," because it's public domain material, blah blah blah.
I said, "No, it's a perfect script. It's the best thing we've ever written. Seven or eight years later, we get the script back, I read it. Whoops! Whoops! We have some serious work to do here, boys and girls." But it was great. It was like what I've always wanted – it's like being a painter, where you've finished what you thought you set it aside for some period, and then there's this space. Then you come back to it, and you look at it with an objective outsider's eyes and it just wasn't good enough.
So Tony and I have rewritten it and I genuinely believe we've written a really good script, despite the fact that two-thirds of it is what was there before. Yet everything is different, in the way the characters evolve, and who the characters are, and why they do what they do. So it's fresh. Johnny [Depp] won't be in it, or Jean Rochefort. So it's kind of like a new movie.
Question: Whom are you going to cast?
Gilliam: I'm not going to tell you. [LAUGHTER]
Question: Christopher Plummer would make a perfect Don Quixote, I would have thought.
Gilliam: He could be. [LAUGHTER] But we'll see.
Question: So, you do have specific people already that you're talking to.
Gilliam: Yeah. I'm talking to one particular person at the moment. I mean, I keep having these meetings, which are the pragmatic, realistic, feet on the ground meetings, not what we really would like to world to be like. The world right now in the movie business is really bad to get money for movies.
Question: But yet, you managed to get that money. So how do you manage to do that?
Gilliam: I did it before the crunch. But right now, selling movies that have been made – at this festival right now, there are so many wonderful films that don't have buyers.
Question: I haven't heard anything about anything that's been sold, actually.
Gilliam: They're not selling. I won't even tell you the story of Parnassus, because you can't believe how difficult it has been to sell this film.
Question: You know, Europeans would love it. I mean, they would go apeshit over this movie.
Gilliam: The Americans will go apeshit over the movie. But you have to go through this gauntlet of terrified executives who have no money. The money disappeared overnight. Isn't that amazing? It's like God died. It's like, Nietzsche moment. God is dead, money's dead.
Question: But they'll pay $200 million to make Transformers.
Gilliam: Of course they will. But that was actually booked before the crunch, but will they spend the $300 million for "Pirates 4"? Or the $200 million for "The Lone Ranger"? Are they going to do it or not? I don't know.
I think what's happening in Hollywood at the moment – and it has been like this – is, you make a film for $200 million, or $2 million, and there's nothing in between. I mean, the $20 million film, it's really hard to get the money for that. I mean, ours was $25 million at the end of 2006. Or was it 2007? It all goes funny.
Anyway, what I was saying – you know, 'Brokeback' was out, Heath was the hottest thing going - everybody wanted Heath. Heath was turning everything down. Okay, we have Heath. Summer of 2008, "The Dark Knight" is coming out. Who's going to be the biggest star on the planet? Heath Ledger. I mean, this was obvious – you could see what was going on. Yet we couldn't get any money out of Hollywood. So it's a UK-Canadian co-production, European sales, all that. No American money.
Question: Is that a bad thing?
Gilliam: Yeah. [LAUGHTER] I'm going to die soon. I need to make a few more films.
Question: Altman was in his 80s when he made his last movie.
Gilliam: And he was screaming and shouting. He couldn't get money to do what he wanted either. I know. It goes on and his were cheaper than mine, I can guarantee you.
Question: Do your perceptions of humanity that you explore cinematically, do they change, the older you get? Do you think you're a quieter, gentler filmmaker now, than you were?
Gilliam: I think so. I think I'm less angry, I'm more tired, I'm more sentimental.
Question: Is that reflected in your work?
Gilliam: Yes you saw it.
Question: Right.
Gilliam: Well, that's the last thing I did. I think "Tideland" is a very sweet film. People didn't think so. [LAUGHTER] They thought it was a horror, but I think it's one of the most sweet, tender films I've ever made and people are slowly coming around to that, with "Tideland".
That's what's interesting. Every few weeks, somebody writes me something saying, "I've just seen 'Tideland'. It's beautiful" and that's not what would be the impression when it was made. So, I don't know. I mean, I hope I'm ahead of the curve all the time, which is really bad, because you don't get the money when you're ahead of the curve. You get the money when you're on the curve.
I want to be just doing things. I look at "Brazil", and I keep getting every other day somebody saying, "But it's all about now and you did it in '84." Well, it was always here. It's just – people don't see the world around them. I always said Fellini was a great fantasist. No. When I went to Rome, he was a great documentary, but people didn't see those people before, until he put them on screen. Then you see them and that's the way the world is, to be full of all these potential worlds. But it's about your perception of these potential worlds and they're out there.
I hate the word "artist," but I'll have to use it, because there's no other one. That's what an artist's job is, trying to open those windows to people and say, "Look at the world. It's out there, that world exists." That, I think, is what I wanted to do. It's just a pain, when every time I try to raise money – I go into these meetings, and they say, "God, we love your work. Oh. I mean, Time Bandits. Oh, we love those. But, now, this one, I just don't know. It doesn't seem to work." And that's my life. [LAUGHTER]
Question: Is it that naiveté or stupidity on the part of executives who really don't understand movies?
Gilliam: They don't. Why should they? They're bureaucrats caught up in a system that requires daily survival.
Question: Wouldn't you love to have been making films in the '70s? Do you think that would be a nice time for you to be a filmmaker?
Gilliam: It was a good time, because it's kind of like what I'm saying now. When will we see the the next Cleopatra? I can't wait for it. You know, Cleopatra brought – boom, the thing went down. The cracks opened in the system, and all these films came pouring through. I think it's got to happen again soon, because the system is bust it seems to me.
Question: It can't sustain all this.
Gilliam: No, it can't and I'm just waiting for the revolution. I thought maybe the big credit crunch was going to do it. I think its laid the fissures that are going to split open. It's going to take another bit of time, because nobody knows who the new fool in Hollywood is. This is my phrase. The New Fool in Hollywood. The New Fool in the '70s were the Saudis. The '80s were the Japanese. The '90s were the Germans. In the early 21st century, it was the hedge funds. That's what supported Hollywood through all those periods. Who is the new fool? I don't know, nobody knows yet.
Question: Have you thought about beyond Don Quixote? Or do you think that that will be your swan song?
Gilliam: I do one thing at a time. I'll be dead. [LAUGHTER]
Question: You will not be dead! You'll outlive me!
Gilliam: Heath had too much life, and he's dead. So – I mean, that's what worries me. That's a shock that is hard to get over, because you're dealing with somebody so full of life and it's over. Some woman journalist the other night came up to me, thinking she was being really clever. She said, "Now, but what about all the drugs he was taking?" "What the fk are you talking about? Where do you read that st?" "In the press." I said, "You're a journalist. Do you believe what the press says?" I haven't been so angry in a long time, because all of us who knew him know what was going on. I mean, I couldn't believe this woman and the problem is, there are others who think like that.
Question: Well, please continue to buck the system.
Gilliam: [LAUGHTER] Let's see who lives the longest.
Question: I'll be here with you at least in two years time, talking about Don Quixote.
Gilliam: Good. Thanks.


text:
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Date: 1920 ca.
Description: View of the Grassy Island lighthouse.
Date: 1910 ca.
Description: Green Bay and Western Railroad elevator, shops, and railroad tracks with trains.
Date: 1917 ca.
Description: Detail of the stick control mechanism on a Lawson Military Tractor 2 (MT2).
Description: Photographic postcard showing details of the pilot's seat for a Lawson Military Tractor 2 (MT2), including the Pyrene mounting.
Description: Photographic postcard of a three-quarter view from the front of the fuselage of a Lawson Military Tractor 2 (MT2) in a hangar.
Description: Left side profile view of the fuselage of a Lawson Military Tractor 2 (MT2), in a hangar.
Date: 1905 ca.
Description: View of buildings lining Washington Street with cable cars.
Description: The cabane and cowl assembly for a Lawson Military Tractor 2 (MT2).
Description: Exterior of St. Vincent's Hospital.
Description: Left side of the fuselage of a Lawson Military Tractor 2 (MT2) in a hangar. In the background are tools, parts and work benches.
Date: date unknown
Description: Aerial view of City Stadium, former home of the Green Bay Packers from 1925 to 1956. Currently it is the home of the Green Bay East High School football te...
Description: View looking down Washington Street with cable car, bicyclist and pedestrians walking along the sidewalks in downtown area.
Description: Photographic postcard of a three-quarter view from right rear of a Lawson Military Tractor 2 (MT2) in a hangar.
Date: 1890 ca.
Description: Main Street, looking east at storefronts. Booths with flags and bunting are set up on the sidewalk.
Description: Mineral Springs.
Date: 1905-11-10 ca.
Description: A motor boat, named "Quo Vadis", in the lake in front of St. Joseph's orphan asylum.
Description: View looking north at Washington Street with cable cars.
Description: Main Street on the corner of Washington Street shops.
Date: 1918 ca.
Description: Lawson Military Tractor 2 (MT2) with the propeller engaged. A man is walking near the airplane's left wing, and the propeller and man are blurred. Location...
Date: 1965 ca.
Description: The Valley Motel and Colonial Restaurant at the intersection of Highways 41 and 29. This motel's postcard boasts that it has a large lighted swimming pool...
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Twenty-three student-athletes highlight the 2015-16 Missouri Valley Football Honor Roll, as announced by the league office today. Those 23 student-athletes earned the league's highest academic achievement by capturing the Missouri Valley Football Conference President's Council Academic Excellence Award.
The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced the names on the 2017 ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame Wednesday, and Illinois State's Boomer Grigsby was among those listed for selection.
The Missouri Valley Football Conference will have more than 50 events on ESPN's networks during the 2016 season, Commissioner Patty Viverito has announced. The Conference will produce eight league games as part of its 2016 Game of the Week package, with each streaming live on "Valley Football on ESPN3."


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Devoted fans will follow Michael Muhney wherever he goes. But, other sizable chunks of the daytime audience are sure to tune in for his recorded reappearance as well. As of the moment, it appears that the majority of soap fans prefer that the decision-makers at 'General Hospital' offer the favored actor a sweet deal.
Muhney's initial addition to the cast (2009) of 'The Young and the Restless' introduced many Genoa City loyalists to a talented thespian whose work in other dramatic settings foreshadowed a lauded future. The rise of 'Adam Newman' made Muhney a noteworthy star within a genre that always needs charismatic players.
The highly-unusual nature of his announced departure in December, 2013, wasn't logical. Why would executive producer Jill Farren Phelps choose to remove her highest-cued actor from a show that was building ratings' momentum? In lieu of a full, or seemingly plausible explanation, various stories were fed to, or offered by, the viewing public.
Before Muhney's situation played out, YR previously crossed the quarter-century line as daytime's number 1 show. So, conjecture involving corporate hubris seemed possible to believe. But, removing someone who had become a top star? That simply didn't make sense, served to alienate a section of hardcore loyalists and also left a massive hole in CBS' scripted show.
TV fans know that 'General Hospital' reigned in daytime during a different era. Standing at the 3-million viewer line in 2014, ABC's surviving soap remains within distance of 'The Bold and the Beautiful', which runs approximately 500,000 paces ahead. YR still tops Nielsen's list with a most-recent 4.4 million viewers per day, while 'Days of Our Lives' is supported by approximately 2.4 respected viewers in fourth-place.
This particular scribe considers all soap opera fans to be friends, as each person firmly represents the main reason why these four shows are on the air (and can be written about). He also values the role that on-screen and off-screen talent bring to the set.
If Muhney somehow returns to YR, it's reasonable to believe that his dynamic presence could initially attract over two million viewers per day. That number was chosen due to the approximate 1.5 million sets of eyeballs that watched 'Adam's' and 'Billy Abbott's' (Billy Miller) last scenes in late-January, 2014, and accounts for additional fans (including non-traditional soap viewers) who would be drawn to the resolution to this long-running real-life story. A guess is that approximately half would stay tuned after Muhney's first day, or week, passed.
Cue the dream sequence: However, if Muhney is admitted to 'General Hospital' (in whatever role) a different dynamic would be in order. In this instance, those two-plus million engaged viewers would include current and former YR fans, along with new fans sandwiched in between.
While GH doesn't compete directly with YR on the schedule, there's no doubt a seismic viewership shift could easily take place. And with that, a new ratings' champion could surely be seen within one electric week.
Suggested Links
- Will soap opera fans continue to support their TV genre?
- Michael Muhney's social media success increases TV opportunities
- 'The Young and the Restless': Michael Muhney makes monsters cool again
- 'The Young and the Restless': All-time great characters form All-Star team
- 'The Big Bang Theory': CBS show remains old-school cool


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The Automated ScoreBook
Kent State at Northern Illinois
Apr 14, 2012 at DeKalb, Ill. (Mary M. Bell Field)
Score by Innings R H E
Kent State.......... 003 000 0 - 3 8 1
Northern Illinois... 004 030 X - 7 10 3
Umpires - HP: Victor Cena 1B: BonnieKuenster 3B: Jay Marcotullio
Start: 2:04 p.m Time: 2:05 Attendance: 145
Weather: 65 degrees, cloudy
McNeil faced 2 batters in the 5th.
The Automated ScoreBook
Kent State at Northern Illinois
Apr 14, 2012 at DeKalb, Ill. (Mary M. Bell Field)
Kent State starters: 2/rf Kirkpatrick; 1/lf Ramos; 12/c Blanton; 3/1b Laughlin;
9/ss Marcantonio; 10/2b Ledford; 23/3b Holt; 13/dh Kilbane; 28/cf Grimes; 11/p
Northern Illinois starters: 14/cf TOFFT; 21/lf PARRISH; 6/dh BARNETT; 7/ss
SHEPPARD; 8/1b MILLER; 32/c NORTON; 10/3b KOPP; 3/p HECHT; 23/rf GREMILLION;
25/2b CIPOLLONE;
Kent State 1st - Kirkpatrick grounded out to ss.
Ramos singled to shortstop. Ramos stole second. Ramos advanced to third on a
wild pitch. Blanton struck out swinging. Laughlin flied out to ss. 0
runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Northern Illinois 1st - TOFFT lined out to lf.
PARRISH hit by pitch. BARNETT singled to left field; PARRISH advanced to
second. BARRETT, Kr pinch ran for BARNETT. SHEPPARD struck out swinging. MILLER
grounded out to ss. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Kent State 2nd - Marcantonio lined out to ss.
Ledford grounded out to 3b. Holt grounded out to 1b unassisted. 0 runs, 0
hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Northern Illinois 2nd - NORTON flied out to lf. KOPP
struck out swinging. HECHT struck out looking. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors,
Kent State 3rd - Kilbane struck out swinging. Grimes
doubled to left field. Kirkpatrick tripled, scored on an error by rf, RBI;
Grimes scored. Ramos singled to left field. Ramos stole second. Blanton flied
out to 2b. Laughlin walked; Ramos advanced to third on a wild pitch, scored on
an error by c, unearned. Marcantonio walked; Laughlin advanced to second.
Ledford flied out to cf. 3 runs, 3 hits, 2 errors, 2 LOB.
Northern Illinois 3rd - GREMILLION tripled to left
center. TOFFT singled to left field, RBI; GREMILLION scored. PARRISH singled,
bunt; TOFFT advanced to second. BARNETT to dh for BARRETT, Kr. BARNETT singled
to right field, RBI; PARRISH advanced to third; TOFFT scored. BARNETT stole
second. SHEPPARD flied out to rf, SF, RBI; BARNETT advanced to third; PARRISH
scored. MILLER struck out looking; BARNETT scored on an error by c, unearned.
NORTON struck out swinging. 4 runs, 4 hits, 1 error, 0 LOB.
Kent State 4th - STURM to p for HECHT. Holt fouled
out to 1b. Kilbane singled, out at second cf to 2b. Grimes grounded out to 2b.
0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Northern Illinois 4th - KOPP struck out swinging.
STURM hit by pitch. McNeil to p for Johnson. GREMILLION reached on a fielder's
choice; STURM out at second 1b to ss. TOFFT struck out swinging. 0 runs,
0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Kent State 5th - Kirkpatrick flied out to cf. Ramos
doubled to left center. Blanton reached on a fielder's choice; Ramos out at
third ss to 3b. Laughlin grounded out to p. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1
Northern Illinois 5th - PARRISH singled to second
base. BARNETT singled to right center; PARRISH advanced to third. Abernathy to
p for McNeil. BARNETT advanced to second on an illegal pitch; PARRISH scored on
an illegal pitch. SHEPPARD flied out to cf. MILLER singled up the middle;
BARNETT advanced to third. BARRETT, Ka pinch ran for BARNETT. NORTON singled,
RBI; MILLER advanced to second; BARRETT, Ka scored. KOPP grounded out to 3b;
NORTON advanced to second; MILLER advanced to third. STURM singled, advanced to
second on the throw, RBI; NORTON advanced to third; MILLER scored. GREMILLION
flied out to 3b. 3 runs, 5 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Kent State 6th - PHELAN to rf for GREMILLION.
Marcantonio grounded out to ss. Ledford singled up the middle. Holt walked;
Ledford advanced to second. Kilbane flied out to p. Grimes lined out to 3b.
0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Northern Illinois 6th - TOFFT lined out to lf.
PARRISH grounded out to 2b. BARRETT, Ka to dh. BARRETT, Ka flied out to 3b.
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Kent State 7th - Kirkpatrick grounded out to 2b.
Ramos grounded out to 2b. Blanton singled, advanced to second on an error by
rf. Chance pinch ran for Blanton. Laughlin struck out swinging. 0 runs, 1
hit, 1 error, 1 LOB.


text:
Five of the workers injured when a pedestrian walkway under construction collapsed at the Atlanta Botanical Garden are set to be transferred to a hospital that specializes in spinal cord injuries.
Larry Bowie, a spokesman for the Shepherd Center, said five of the 10 workers still being treated at Grady Memorial Hospital would be transferred to the specialized hospital Tuesday.
The center's medical director, Donald Leslie, is set to hold a news conference to discuss the transfer at 10:30 a.m.
Grady spokeswoman Denise Simpson said Tuesday morning that 10 patients remained at the hospital, eight in fair condition and two in intensive care.
The construction accident on Friday killed one worker and sent 18 others to the hospital.


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Richard Edward Kotite
Position: TE
Height: 6-3 Weight: 233 lbs.
Born: October 13, 1942 in Brooklyn, NY
High School: Poly Prep
College: Miami (FL), Wagner
Drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the 18th round (247th overall) of the 1965 NFL Draft.
Weighted Career AV (100-95-...): 2 (11632nd overall since 1950)


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As homeowners and business owners secure their properties with sophisticated locks and security systems, area firefighters need to learn how to get inside during an emergency.
Clark County Fire & Rescue hosted a three-day forcible-entry training at their station near Dollars Corner in Battle Ground. Firefighters from stations around the Pacific Northwest — Gig Harbor, Seattle, Portland — were instructed in how to force their way into residential and commercial buildings by local training group Brothers in Battle.
Jesse Avery, a firefighter for the Vancouver Fire Department, and Cody Trestrail, a firefighter for the Portland Fire Bureau, co-founded the organization about a year ago after seeing a need for forcible-entry training. Firefighters need to know how to assess a situation and determine the best way to get inside, while doing minimal damage to the structure. It all depends on the emergency: during an active fire, a quicker entry and more damage is warranted.
At the final Thursday training, the class covered nearly every kind of door and door mechanism — glass push-bar door you'll find at a school, a reinforced metal door found on the backside of a commercial building, an ornate wrought-iron door with a dead bolt found at area residences. The piles of locks, door knobs and handles made it look as though Brothers in Battle raided Home Depot.
And they did, along with Habitat for Humanity ReStores. They also found parts at homes set to be demolished.
"For Brothers in Battle to come in with all these props, you can't beat it," said Capt. Jesse Martin of CCF&R. He said he appreciates the thought and engineering that went into building the props. "You have to take time and really study this stuff."
Sophisticated defense systems keep criminals out, but they also keep emergency responders from getting to someone who needs help. It's not like the movies; firefighters don't kick in doors. They need to figure out and finagle locking mechanisms if no one is nearby to let them in. During most house fires, Avery explained, no one is home to give them access. With simple techniques, firefighters can defeat locks using hand tools such as vice grips, a flat-headed ax and a Halligan bar.
Understanding how different locks and latches work, helps firefighters defeat them. Instead of destroying the door, they may take out the door cylinder, creating minimal damage and minimal cost for the property owner. Rather than replace the whole door, they replace the cylinder.
"This is incredible," Lt. Kym LeRoy said of the training. She carpooled down here with other firefighters from the Seattle Fire Department.
View a video of the training on The Columbian's YouTube Channel.


text:
Credit: Getty
22.07.13 Best Dressed
22.07.13 Best Dressed
Credit: Getty
For me it was one that wasn't shown: Nina Dobrev In Matthew Williamson. Perfect dress for the venue. She looked like a superheroine.
How on earth is Scarlett Johansson up for best dressed? That dress is hideous, and does nothing for her figure. And the shoes? Awful.
Probably b/c not everyone is required to share your opinion.


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Arab Spring Fails to Improve U.S. Image
Support for democracy is high throughout much of the Middle East, but the Arab Spring has not led to an improvement in America's image in the region. Instead, in key Arab nations and in other predominantly Muslim countries, views of the U.S. remain negative. On balance, extremist groups also viewed negatively, although they receive significant levels of support in some countries.
Chapter 3. Views of Democracy and the Role of Islam
Support for democracy is widespread in the predominantly Muslim countries surveyed. Majorities or pluralities in the seven nations say democracy is preferable to any other kind of government, and many increasingly believe that a democratic government, rather than a strong leader, can best solve national problems. When asked to choose between a good democracy and […]


text:
4 posts tagged with unimog.
Displaying 1 through 4 of 4. Subscribe:
"It's mission: Take his 4-year-old daughter camping."
Inventor, adventurer and filmmaker Bran Ferren has built The BEST RV EVER!(even better than his previous MAXIMOG).
The Unimog
"With the exception of a tank, this is the most capable production vehicle on the planet." [more inside]
Disgusting Trucks
Disgusting Trucks Can you identify any worse? Yeah and Yeah.
The Unimog, a converted German military vehicle manufactured by Daimler-Chrysler will be sold as a luxury vehicle in the US later this year. (This ten-foot-tall, six-ton beast dwarfs the Hummer.) According to Unimog marketing manager Bruce Barnes, "even in Scottsdale, Arizona, moms will want to take it to the grocery store. It's a head-turning vehicle." It seems to me this thing pretty much condemns itself, but here's a tree-hugging press release to chew on.
Page: 1


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I would like to thank everyone who replied about my U-110 problem. I've gotten some very good leads. Thanks again, Mike K9QHO ---- Sent via email@example.com. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe amsat-bb" to firstname.lastname@example.com
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Why A Recumbent Trike!
Recumbent cycles are clean, simple and sporty. These are preferred over traditional uprights because of its many benefits.READ MORE -
Recumbent cycles are clean, simple and sporty. These are preferred over traditional uprights because of its many benefits.READ MORE -
Sacramento California Recumbent Trike dealer, Laid Back Cycles was featured prominently in the Sacramento Bee.READ MORE -
Watch this video to understand how Laid Back Cycles Helps you. We have a large collection of video to help Trike Riders.READ MORE -
You can buy any of our trikes from our fully functional online store from the comfort of your home.READ MORE -
Several months ago, I did my research and decided I wanted to see what these recumbent trikes were all about. So, I stopped in the store and was immediately greeted by Mickey. I was given the chance to ride several models and was pretty much hooked. It was this visit that inspired my wife and I to become "Laid Backified" and now have two Terratrikes. We love them!
We purchased 2 Sportsters from Laid Back Cycles. When we came to look and test and walked away with one. I had a hip replaced and have been diagnosed with Parkinson's. My balance is too poor to ride my bike. But my husband Jerry thought I was having way too much fun with my new toy and got himself one too! We ride 3 or 4 times a week with another Parkinson's afflicted friend. Even took the trikes in our truck on an RV camping trip. You'll love yours, but your partner will need theirs too!!!
Jerry and I, 76 and 72, have been riding bikes for decades. Then recently, progressively, with not yet confirmed Parkinson's diagnosis, I got to dread getting on my bike, getting off of it, feeling like I was like an accident waiting to happen. Finally, sadly, I parked my bike on a trainer at home. But Jerry said "No way, we are not gonna quit"! He was talking recumbent. I did not think much of the idea. Right, I could see this aging lady, somewhat round and getting clumsy, reclining along the road in the sun like a sea otter on the surf. Not cool! But Jerry said "We'll just go look". I got on-line, found Laid Back Cycles practically at our door step, we went to "look" and the rest is history!
Just went out on our new TT Sportsters for a quick spin around the neighborhood. Wonderful!
Those Who Ride Together Get Healthy Together.. Have had my Rambler Base since Feb. 2012, lost 25 lbs. Have about 500 miles of local daily riding in Vacaville with Brother in law. Found alot of cool places. Everyday we get stopped and asked if we made the Trikes and people are shocked to find out that they can be bought, so we give them a Laidback cycles business card. We send everyone to Laid Back because Mickey is extremely efficient and is customer minded. Mickey makes sure the customer is completely satisfied. Been a while since we have seen him, have to make a trip up, then ride the American bike trail.
We are…..on the road again…… Jerry with a lighter pocketbook and I with a big smile on my face, all fears gone! Thanks Mickey!"I just purchased two Ramblers, 27 speed from Laid Back Cycles. Mickey was very helpful in helping me figure out what trike would best work for my wife and myself. When we picked up the trikes he and Ben spent a few hours fitting the trikes to us. The customer Service was outstanding. In the four days we have had the trikes we have rode 40 miles. Not bad for someone who has had a complete knee replacement and not ridden a bike in about twenty years. The trikes are a blast and most important for me an exercise I can do after recovering from cancer and 8 knee surgeries. Thank you Mickey.
To my way of thinking, one of the paramount considerations in buying a trike, is after sales service and support. Laid Back Cycles has been excellent in this area. Plus, they are convenient to the Bay area and the Sacramento Valley.
Thanks, Mickey for your great work. I love my new Terra Trike!
I rode 114 miles over Fri and Sat in the Agony Ride fundraiser. You were awesome to stay over so late to get the trike all put together for me and I sure appreciate it. I am sending several people your way. We had 107 riders but I was the only recumbent so it brought much attention and many asking where I got it. I wore my Laid Back Cycle T shirt to the ride.
First ride of many today on my new trike! Thanks to Mark and Mickey for getting this broke guy set up! First ride was 3.25 miles and went well..!
Customer Service
Master Technician
Fitting Specialists & Master Technicians
Come test ride a recumbent trike, 3 wheel bicycle, recumbent, tandem recumbent, three wheel bicycle, trike bicycle, recumbent bike at ourRecumbent Trikes Store in Sacramento. We offer service for Terratrike, Catrike, Greenspeed and ICE trikes.


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ACE in the US Podcasts
Featured Podcasts:
|ACE Podcast Series: How Commercial Business & Property Owners Can Best Prepare for Hurricanes
|The six new audio podcasts provide commercial property and business owners with important information to consider when preparing for a hurricane, and guidance for what to do after a storm hits. This hurricane podcast series stresses the need for pre-planning and preparation.
|Identifying Cost Effective Solutions for Public Entities with Environmental Exposures
|Managing environmental risks can be a challenge for the public entity and educational sectors especially in today's economic climate. The podcast discusses integrated and innovative coverage options that can help mitigate environmental risks for public entities based on their current risk appetite or purchasing capabilities.
|Privacy & Network Security: Understanding the Risks & Maximizing Solutions Within Public Entities
|Today, privacy and network security exposures continue to be on the rise. Organizations, especially within the public sector, need to be aware of the potential exposures. This podcast discusses some of the current exposures the public entity sector is seeing and offers potential solutions for public entities to protect against reputational, legal and operational risks that may occur in the event of a privacy or network security breach.
|Social Media: The Business Benefits May Be Enormous, But Can the Risks Be Mitigated?
|Based on an white paper of the same name, this podcast discusses the risks and benefits of companies engaging in social media as well as solutions for addressing these risks.
|M&A Risk Management: Avoiding Pitfalls, Finding Solutions
|Based on a white paper of the same name, this podcast is a roadmap to guide private equity firms and corporate M&A dealmakers through the M&A risk identification process and present insurance solutions to mitigate the exposures.
|Contractors and Consultants Face Increasingly Strict Environmental Laws
|Based on a white paper of the same name, this podcast featuring Barbara Deas, President, ACE Westchester Environmental, and William P. Hazelton, Senior Vice President, ACE Environmental Risk discusses the risk mitigation measures that contractors and consultants should consider.
|Financial Crisis: Bankruptcy Implications for D&O Insurance
|Scott Meyer, Executive Vice President, ACE Professional Risk, and Carol Zacharias, Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, North America, ACE Group, examine the implications of bankruptcy for directors and officers. The podcast highlights directors' and officers' liability and coverage concerns, and offers guidance on how to maximize quality insurance protection.
|How to Respond When Sensitive Customer and Employee Data is Breached, Stolen or Compromised
|This is the second of two podcasts focusing on the steps that organizations and their risk managers need to take in order to prepare and respond to a data breach. In this podcast, the panel moves beyond crisis management planning and looks into how companies can respond following a breach of sensitive customer, patient, student or employee information. The panel features specialists in insurance and risk management, law and cyber technology: Toby Merrill, Vice President, ACE Professional Risk; John Mullen, Attorney, Nelson, Levine, DeLuca & Horst; and Mark Greisiger, President, NetDiligence.


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(BlackDoctor.org) — 'Tis the season to be stressed, with Christmas and New Year's just days away from each other, which can put a heavy burden on your heart.
"It is not uncommon to see heavier congestion in the hospital during the Christmas and New Year's period of time. Some years that's very true, but some years it's quiet," said cardiologist Keith Churchwell, M.D., associate director of the Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute.
According to a University of California-San Diego study, a national database with detailed information on the 53 million deaths that occurred in the United States between 1973 and 2001 revealed that deaths from heart disease peak in December-January, with spikes on Christmas and New Year's Day.
Churchwell said there are several possible reasons for the spike. One is that people who are having symptoms of heart trouble prior to the holiday season tend to delay going to the doctor.
"They do so because of obligations at home, not wanting to spoil holiday fun, not wanting to deal with the possibility of going to the hospital and being taken care of over the holiday period," he said. "As a result, they are less likely to see their physicians over this period of time in order to get the acute care they may need."
In addition, some people view the holidays as a reason to take a break from their exercise and diet programs.
"Some people have spent a significant amount of time over the year trying to meet their cardiovascular goals and when the holidays arrive, they fall off their programs," Churchwell said. "There are many explanations for this. It's the holiday time, you get very busy, the amount of time you spend eating out and eating over at friend's and family becomes more than usual. Finding excuses not to stay on an exercise regimen becomes easier to do."
Know the Two M's: Moderation & Medication
It is not uncommon for people to drink more alcohol at the holidays, which can contribute to what is known as "holiday heart syndrome."
"Alcohol has a toxic effect on the heart muscle in a number of different ways but in particular it can lead to an irritation of the heart muscle, particularly the top chamber of the heart—the atrium," Churchwell said. "This can lead to atrial fibrillation—an abnormal heart rhythm that is a classic finding of holiday heart."
With the hectic nature of the holiday season, it's easy to miss medication doses, which can lead to acute coronary trouble. Churchwell emphasizes the importance of always taking medications with you, such as high blood pressure pills and blood thinners, if you travel out of town for the holidays.
He said his cardiology practice sees an increase in phone calls from patients immediately after the holidays.
"After January 1 we always get a bit of bolus of patients with additional complications who have been more naughty than nice over the holiday period," Churchwell said. "They tend to try to wait until after the holidays with all of their issues such as they're out of their medication so their blood pressure is elevated; they've been having shortness of breath or chest discomfort or swelling due to too much sodium."
Churchwell advises his patients to enjoy the holidays, but to try to integrate the heart-healthy habits they have in place with the activities of the holidays.


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Steamed crab, crab cakes, crab feasts . . . If there's one thing that Marylanders are universally proud of, it's Maryland blue crabs. The meat is sweet, tender and in abundance in Baltimore's restaurants.
Better yet, buddy up to a local and eat like family – at a casual crab shack picnic table covered in newspaper, wielding a mallet and sharp knife to crack the crab and get at its succulent meat. Or hop on a crabbing charter out of the port and do it the old-fashioned way: learn to catch those crustaceans yourself!
Baltimore has long been known for its Chesapeake inspired mouth-watering cuisine, but in recent years, Baltimore's culinary scene has emerged as a leader in new dining trends along w…Learn More
The Baltimore Visitor Center is a recently renovated, open and welcoming, state-of-the-art space where Baltimore visitors and residents may obtain information about Baltimore.…Learn More
In Baltimore, Maryland crab feasts are taken seriously – and are also serious fun.…Learn More


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Primary electric power on larger airplanes is provided as AC. What aspects of aircraft make AC a better choice than DC?
AC is easier to produce with the engines, that act as generators. The engines have a rotating shaft that it is easily equipped with magnetic dipoles all around.
Then, depending on the instrument, the current is either used directly or, by the use of converters, in DC form as not only it is easier to produce, it is also easier to convert. So electronic devices that uses 12, 5 or 3V may contain their own voltage converter (though this is less and less true with modern efficient switch-mode converters). If DC conversion was as much efficient as AC conversion, we wouldn't see high-voltage lines. Last but not least, it's easier to switch, because the current is null twice per cycle. DC must be switched at full current, which is expensive and weight costly. (thanks mins)
What the other answers have failed to note is that on a plane, its not just AC power, but 3 phase AC power.
Depending on how the plane is wired up, you will either get the benefit of reduced cable weight or higher reliability (or some blend of the two).
If the plane is wired up with a Delta transformer, then 3 wires are used to carry the electricity. However, what is crazy is that the Delta transformer (or alternator) will continue to run (albeit at a lower capacity) with one of the windings destroyed.
In a balanced wye configuration the 4 wires come from the transformer. Each of the first three wires carry current from the transformer, with the 4th as the common "return". However since each of the wires are "balanced", the actual current on the common is approximately zero (and not the 3 * current of the output). That means your 3 "live" wires only needs to be thick enough to carry the current one way. (typically with DC you would need to have wire thickness to carry the current there then back again). So in effect we can achieve the same power transmission with half the weight of a DC setup.
Since on planes, both redundancy (safety) and weight (economy) are both massive factors in cost. It is actually economical to run power on AC, and convert to DC where necessary.
The size, weight, and cost of switchgear for DC-DC conversion at any given power is much higher than AC-AC and AC-DC conversion. So whether a piece of equipment requires AC or DC, it can be converted more easily from an AC source than from a DC source - but more importantly, it can be done with less weight, volume, and cost.
It's the same reason 400Hz is used rather than 50Hz or 60Hz - weight. A generator or transformer that can handle a given load is physically smaller and lighter at higher frequencies due to issues with core saturation at lower frequencies. A smaller, lighter core can be used for higher frequencies.
While switchgear has evolved over the decades, and weight and cost aren't as big an issue as they were in the past, the generator itself still has to have a stator and windings, and these are still physically smaller and lighter for a given power output than the equivalent DC, or low frequency AC generator.
Does it have to be aircraft-specific reasons? I would imagine the reasons are not necessarily very aircraft related:
I assume that aeroplanes use both AC and DC for powering the various subsystems:
If energy has to be stored in accumulators - well, they only store DC current. But if generators are involved you won't have a chance of totally avoiding AC since a rotating movement is essentially sinusoidal:
One can now put the AC through a rectifier or use a wiper (a switch that can reverse the current and is mechanically triggered twice at every revolution of the generator). But if you rectify a sinus you still get a voltage that goes up and down, only it no more passes the zero level. This means you will sometimes draw too much energy from the generator (when the voltage is high) and at every revolution the voltage will shortly drop to zero meaning you won't be able to draw any energy at all.
If you don't constantly draw energy from a generator, the generator will vibrate. You wouldn't like that in an aeroplane but there is a remedy:
Using three-phase AC: You can generate three sine waves with the same generator using coils that are a third of a revolution apart. When the voltage from one of these coils drops, the voltage at the two other coils rises - and the power produced (which is linear to the voltages squared) will add up to a constant flow.
The next thing one has to know that if you want a constant stream of power from a motor the same reasons make you use three AC waves here, too.
Normally this AC is generated from a DC voltage, though, because you might want to adjust the frequency the motor is running at or the amount of power it provides hence you want to adjust the frequency of the voltage the motor gets.
A transformer that converts the same power on a higher frequency is much smaller and lighter.
A modern design of the compact isolating power supply (say 220 V 50 Hz to 12 V DC) would often include a frequency converter, then a high frequency transformer, then a rectifier (a big 50 Hz transformer is now uncommon). But maybe the standard has settled before this complex electronics became available, or maybe because higher frequencies may be source of interference.


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Tag Archives: College Degrees
7 College Degrees With Highest Unemployment Rates
*Not all college degrees are created equal. This is according to a recent report by Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce. The major you choose could reduce your chances of being part of the latest unemployment statistic—or make you the newest member of the club. It would be in your best interest to … Continue reading 7 College Degrees With Highest Unemployment Rates


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Recent surveys indicate that the issue of marijuana legalization across the United States is being met, mostly, with great enthusiasm. The latest poll from the folks at Huffington Post and YouGov reveals that nearly 30% of the American population would buy marijuana is it was legal -- about one in four people.
Still, regardless of the supportive pull by the green majority, there does not seem to be any shortage of opposing forces: lawmakers have banded together in a feeble attempt at extinguishing the unified spark of an inevitable flame.
Unfortunately for them, the enemy, they have become the immoral minority; a destitute administration anchored in the ways of the old, with nothing more to hold on to other than decades of brainwash tactics and dead men's signatures.
Marijuana prohibition has become a sinking ship in a very patient, but turbulent sea. Here is what our great American lawmakers were working on last week:
Arkansas: Marijuana Legalization Proposal Rejected… Again
Arkansas is back to the drawing board in their attempt to legalize marijuana.
That is because Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel has rejected yet another proposal for a ballot measure to legalize weed in the state due to discrepancies in the language used in the document.
McDaniel has proven to be a burden to state marijuana advocates, because he must first approve the wording of a proposal before supporters can begin collecting signatures to secure its place on next year's ballot. McDaniel has already rejected several versions of the proposal.
Last year, Arkansas voters came very close to legalizing medical marijuana. Supporters hope to get the measure back on the ballot in 2014.
New Hampshire: Committee Kills Marijuana Legalization Bill
Despite overwhelming public support, the New Hampshire House of Representatives Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee voted 11-7 against a bill to legalize marijuana.
A recent poll from the University of New Hampshire found that 60% of adults in the state supported the bill to regulate and tax marijuana in a similar manner as alcohol. Only 36% said they did not back the issue.
"Marijuana prohibition has been just as big of a failure as alcohol prohibition," said Matt Simon, a New Hampshire-based legislative analyst for the Marijuana Policy Project. "New Hampshire voters are clearly ready for a more sensible approach. It appears some legislators are still less evolved than their constituents on this issue."
California: Amendment Changes Could Hold Up Progress
Earlier last week, the Americans for Policy Reform -- the organization behind the Marijuana Control, Legalization and Revenue Act -- filed amendments to the proposal as suggested by public opinion and feedback from the Legislative Analyst's Office in California.
Now, the initiative isn't expected to receive approval from the Attorney General until December 23, 2013, giving proponents 150 days to acquire enough signatures to get it on the ballot in 2014.
However, that diminishing timeframe doesn't appear to bother members of the AFRP, who say they would be willing to stall their efforts yet again in exchange for creating a more unified legalization effort with the assistance of Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom and other supporters.
"Working together is the only way we can avoid splitting efforts," said supporter Bob Bowerman. "We want leaders like Rob Kampia of Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), and Dale Sky Jones of Coalition For Cannabis Policy Reform (CCPR) to unite with us to make 2014 a reality."
Recent surveys have concluded that the majority of California voters support efforts to legalize marijuana.
Maine: Marijuana Possession Could Be Legal This Week
Portland could be on its way to legalizing marijuana possession.
Voters will hit the polls on Tuesday to decide whether or not the city should legalize marijuana possession. If all goes well, adults 21 and older would be allowed to possess up to 2.5 ounces without receiving any criminal or civil penalties.
Already, several state representatives and local business owners have come forward to show their support for the initiative.
The outcome of Tuesday's election is expected to set a standard for legalization efforts across much of the East Coast.
The question of legalizing marijuana across the entire state of Maine was put to a vote during the last legislative session, but failed by four votes in the House and 17 in the Senate.
Colorado: Voters Decide on Taxes
Colorado voters will decided on Tuesday whether or not to initiate a 15% excise tax on marijuana, plus and additional 10% sales tax on recreational marijuana.
The opposition, which would like to see pot taxed in a manner similar to how the state taxes beer, is concerned that over taxation of marijuana will create an environment where pot smokers will still purchase weed from the black market.
Denver: Amends Outdoor Pot Ban
The City of Denver has made amendments to a bill that was initially set up to prohibit people from possessing marijuana in public places as well as ban them from smoking pot in their own backyard.
However, recent changes to that bill will now allow Denver residents to possess marijuana in public parks and other public places originally outlawed by the first draft of the ban.
In addition, resident will be permitted to smoke pot in their backyards without fear of receiving harsh penalties for doing so -- up to $999, according to language outlined in the previous measure.
Under the amended law, penalties for anyone caught with marijuana displayed openly downtown and in public parks will be a citation up to $100 and/or 24 hours community service.
Florida: Medical Marijuana Closer to Reality
The issue of medical marijuana could soon have its day in the Florida sun, as United for Care says the initiative has received over 200,000 signatures for their ballot measure.
In addition, the Florida Supreme Court announced plans to listen to arguments in regards to making a constitutional amendment that would put legal medical marijuana on the ballot in November 2014. That hearing is scheduled for December 5, 2013.
This is as close as Florida has ever come to legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes.
Washington State: No Marijuana in Bars and Nightclubs
Washington's Liquor Control Board announced last week that it plans to ensure people are not getting high in bars and nightclubs.
A draft rule was recently filed that strictly prohibits any business with a liquor license from allowing marijuana on the premises. The board fears that people mixing marijuana with alcohol will lead to an increase of "driving under the influence."
Washington's recreational marijuana laws already prohibit use of pot in restaurants, bars and clubs. However, some establishments have reportedly attempted to use loopholes in the verbiage to permit marijuana use in places like "private clubs."
Mike Adams writes for Playboy's The Smoking Jacket, BroBible and Hustler Magazine. Follow him: @adamssoup; facebook.com/mikeadams73.


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Saturday, November 19, 2011
6 comments:
how can i contact you?ReplyDelete
i adore your blog and would like to discuss the current trend you are talking about of "copycat" tumbling.
I was wondering. GO GET 'EM SLABBER!ReplyDelete
Sorry, I've posted some of the photos you shared on Tumbler. Usually it's not more than one every now and then. I didn't realize it was a problem. Would you like me to list them in a specific way if I do so, again?ReplyDelete
No, no, you're perfectly fine, and you're also a good guy. The problem is the blatant, wholesale rip-off of literally everything I do; it's ridiculous and intolerable with at least two guys on Tumblr. -- Thank you for asking, though.ReplyDelete
@ WildBoredom -- my contact link is contained in one section of the right-hand column -- my email address (linked there) is email@example.com -- I'd be happy to discuss this problem.ReplyDelete
The Slabber.
very handsomeReplyDelete


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Related Photo Galleries
This Modified has a much better setup and is coming into the corner fast and the car seems to be handling much better than the No. L8 Modified (shown above). The 61 car was turning better laps at this time than the L8 car. This just showed that the L8 car has some chassis work to accomplish. These pictures will help the drivers and the teams to ask better questions to help make the right adjustments.


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Memories: Jill Chauncy and her daughter, Victoria Dodge, at Throsby Park. Photo: Sahlan Hayes
Wanted: aspiring lord or lady of the manor to lease grand colonial house at Moss Vale that comes with own act of parliament. Must like the public, historic renovations and ghosts. Perfect fixer-upper for somebody with deep pockets and a big vision.
The NSW government will announce this week that it will lease Throsby Park for 40 years. It is the largest and most significant historic property to be entrusted to a member of the public in an attempt to keep the house and its history alive.
After a stint as a house museum, the grand home to six generations of Throsbies will very likely become another family's home again - other than the two days a year when it will be required to be open to the public.
Up for lease: the picturesque Throsby Park. Photo: Supplied
''We want it to be a comfortable modern home,'' Historic Houses Trust of NSW assistant director Ian Innes said.
It will take work to make the 27-roomed homestead cosy. Built in 1834, it has 3.5-metre high ceilings, many decorated with pressed Wunderlich zinc. There is no heating other than fireplaces, and the bathrooms need work. There are two kitchens, neither of which would grace a decorating magazine without substantial investment.
Jill Chauncy, nee Throsby, remembers the house as a haven for relatives and local women who did not have anywhere else to go.
Historic: The Throsby Park Estate in the Southern Highlands, NSW. Photo: Kangaroo Valley Historical Society
With its creaks and groans, Mrs Chauncy joked that the house could be haunted. Her sister Dell Throsby ran a famous horse-riding school. One cold morning in 2006, Dell was found dead in a paddock after creeping out of bed to put a rug on a horse.
The first woman to live at Throsby Park was Betsy, one of the few survivors of New Zealand's 1809 Boyd massacre when Maori warriors killed about 70 Europeans. The first Charles Throsby, a surgeon, arrived in Australia in 1802. The property includes 75 hectares plus Moss Vale's first cottage as well as a 100-page conservation plan.
After Ms Throsby's death, the National Parks and Wildlife Service turned the property into a house museum, but it did not attract enough visitors.
Back in time: Some of the rooms at Throsby Park. Photo: Supplied
''The age has passed when all fantastic properties can be house museums,'' said Grace Karskens, a board member of the Historic Houses Trust of NSW and author of The Colony: A History of Early Sydney. ''This is a wonderful practical solution to the problem of historic properties falling down around our ears.''


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AS A FRESHMAN: Made three appearances out of the bullpen... Made collegiate debut against N.C. State (3/7), throwing 2/3 of an inning, while allowing one run (earned)... Threw a season high one inning of relief against South Florida (Mar. 14)...
BEFORE UMASS: Four-year letterwinner in baseball, soccer (midfielder) and basketball (guard) at Manchester West H.S.... Captain of both the baseball and basketball teams his senior year... Baseball team MVP his senior year... Collected a career batting average of .375 and a two-year pitching record of 9-2, averaging just under two strikeouts per inning pitched over his career... Named All-State by the New Hampshire Sunday News in soccer his senior year... Named All-State in baseball by USA Today, the Boston Globe and the New Hampshire Sunday News his senior year... Earned Manchester West H.S. Outstanding Male Athlete of the Year honors his junior and senior years... Helped Manchester American Legion team to State Championship in 1996 and 1997... Named American Legion All-Tournament Team as tournament's Outstanding Pitcher in 1997, as well as New Hampshire American Legion MVP...
PERSONAL: Enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences... Born on May 13, 1980 in Manchester, N.H.
Williamson's Career Stats
Featured Links
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KIBUMBA, Congo -- Rebels seized an east Congo army base and the headquarters of a refuge housing some of the world's last mountain gorillas, in heavy fighting Sunday that sent thousands of civilians fleeing, U.N. officials and rebels said.
An unknown number of soldiers, rebels and civilians were killed in the renewed fighting in North Kivu province, according to civilians who said the onslaught began around 2 a.m.
Government troops raced down the road north from the provincial capital of Goma to reinforce a counterattack Sunday morning. One tank careened into a group of fleeing civilians and killed three teenage boys, civilians said.
Associated Press reporters who watched the fathers burying their sons in a cabbage patch outside Kibumba could hear bombing from army tanks about 12 miles (20 kilometers) from Rumangabo army camp.
Sunday's attack marked the second time rebels have seized the Rumangabo base since Aug. 28, when rebel leader Gen. Laurent Nkunda went on the offensive charging that government troops had broken a January cease-fire agreement.
More than 200,000 people have fled their homes since then, joining at least 1.2 million displaced when the conflict began in 2007, the United Nations said.
"There's heavy fighting. A lot of people have been killed -- rebels, soldiers, civilians. We're lucky we got away," says Jean-Baptiste Bushu Mbusho, a builder who works for the Italian aid agency AVSI.
U.N. peacekeepers from India who tried to investigate the accident involving the three boys were instead turned away by angry civilians hurling stones.
Such attacks have become common, with civilians accusing the U.N. peacekeeping mission -- the biggest in the world with 17,000 troops -- of not fulfilling its mandate to protect the population.
The U.N. force has failed to halt the fighting in the vast region of rural hills and forests, and both sides in the combat also accuse the United Nations of siding with the other.
On Wednesday near Kibumba, a hurled rock smashed the nose of a deputy commander in the Indian force. "He has had two major surgeries," U.N. spokeswoman Sylvie van den Wildenberg said. "He will be disfigured for the rest of his life."
The United Nations deployed a rapid reaction force on Sunday and appealed to both sides to cease fire -- at least to allow civilians to escape.
"But nobody is listening to us and they keep fighting," van den Wildenberg said.
Nkunda's fighters, who claim to be protecting the region's Tutsi minority, have occupied parts of Virunga National Park for nearly a year, but attacked the headquarters for the first time Sunday.
Park Director Emmanuel de Merode called the seizure of the headquarters "unprecedented, even in all the years of conflict in the region."
More than 50 park rangers fled into the forest and were making their way on foot to Kibumba, he said in a statement.
"The conflict on the ground is chaotic and dangerous, and we cannot allow our rangers to become targets," he said.
The park is home to 200 of the world's 700 remaining mountain gorillas, which are considered critically endangered. Ten mountain gorillas were killed last year, including two Silverbacks, causing an international outcry.
Meanwhile, many of the civilians who have been displaced are malnourished and some are dying of hunger, the U.N. World Food Program said Friday. The Geneva-based agency is seeking $46 million in donations for food aid needed to sustain refugees through March.
The fighting has also jeopardized aid deliveries, and the U.N. agency said some contractors were refusing to go to certain areas.
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Fond Memories of JediBoard (Redux) - A Dedication Memoir Thread
Where is danbeck - Daniel Beckham - when we need him?! JediBoard was one of the truly simplistic, awesome, and
uniquely conceived ip bulletin boards ever devised for multiplayer star wars gaming!
To this day I've never seen its Equal. I and a whole lot of other community
members would still be using it today if it were still around and properly maintained
and operational - too bad the Death Star blew it up by a script file error and server transfer years ago. :cry6:
I too enjoyed using the JediBoard until it stopped functioning. My clan & I used to use
it for Jedi Knight & Mysteries of the Sith until the odd hours of the morning for years.
Once it stopped working we were forced to switch to the Internet Gaming Zone.
It would be relatively painless for me to create a modern rendition of the JediBoard.
As a matter of fact, I think I'll give it a shot. Once I have the first version with basic
functionality completed I'll post an update.
Thanks for this. I too miss the good old days.
I haven't heard from the guy in years, but I raise my glass to him now!
PS: Mentat, do that and link it and you're my hero!
already (users have the ability to post the server's IP address, the map/level name & the mod name (the 1st version
may not support URLs but the 2nd version will...we'll see)). I spent a few hours typing up an outline for this project
last night. I have a ton of great ideas that will eventually result in a ton of features that take it beyond what it original
was but it will still maintain the feel of the original so that we can all feel the nostalgia. Once I get the CSS layout
coded I'll post a link here.
Try out JKLauncher. I have been developing it for the last
several years, and am currently using it every day to work out bugs and polish up the features. The project site for it
describes what is planned and what it can do. The project site links a very old version, but a new much-improved one
should be linked within the next few days.
JKLauncher (underneath the hood) uses the equivalent of an IP board, but provides so much more than an IP board
I am not implying that Mentat should stop working on an IP board, as some will probably like the IP board better
(because of ease of use or being web-based).
No offense taken. I'm actually a big fan of JK Launcher. The JediBoard was always more of an
underground group of players that avoided the larger portion of the community like the IGZ for
one reason or another. Once I get everything up & running, I'll actually be linking to your application
& recommending that users use both solutions (JediBoard & JK Launcher) when they're interested in
reaching out to more players. This would be similar to the way that JediBoard & Qtracker used to
work together.
Mentat, if you pull this off, then you truly are a Godsend from The Force.
I'm so enthralled about this potential jediBoard revival! It's been far too long. Much thanks and appreciation for this.
I didn't want anyone to think that I've forgotten about this project. I work 40-60 hours per week,
I'm helping a friend edit/type his book, some of which must be submitted to his publisher soon &
I'm a newlywed so I don't have as much time as I'd like to have. However, rest assured that I'm
dedicated to getting this project up & running & will be devoting every spare moment that I have
to this.
Here's where we're at...
Feel free to bookmark the website because it'll be updated as soon as I install a few more packages
& finish the generic CSS layout.
Here's what the JediBoard looks like at this point. The first version is very limited but it's functional.
I'll post here again once the website is active.
Cool! Can you put in the option to make the colors customizable (user defined)?
That's something that I can eventually add support for but it definitely won't be at the top of the list. I'm focusing more on functionality in the beginning & once everything is running smoothly, I'll start adding features such as the one you mentioned.
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San Francisco Beer Week is wrapping up and I've made a commitment this year to stay as local as possible during this celebration of beer. As part of that, I wanted to feature Sonoma County beer in this space to honor the space in this world I like to call Beer Country. This week's Beer of the Week is Ruth McGowan's Brewpub's Monster Brown Ale.
It's alive! Monster Brown has a soft hop aroma preceding a big, malt-chocolate finish. Free your inner beast and run with the monster.
7.6% alcohol by volume.
Monster Brown starts with a subtle hop aroma sitting on top of a roasty malt body. The pour is a clear brown with a white head. Monster Brown goes down easy with a nutty front end that finishes with a touch of sweetened coffee and bristly hops.
When I first got into beer, I was lured by the flower of the hop. As time has gone on though, I've discovered my true love to be brown ales and porters. Monster Brown provides everything I love about the style: rich malt flavors, clean body while being refreshing and satisfying. Bold enough to go with nearly any dish, I personally enjoy an American Brown Ale as an appetizer on it's own.
Look for Monster Brown throughout the North Bay and also at Oliver's Market where it will be a featured part of their upcoming in-house beer and cheese pairing.