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President Ronald Reagan has a historic opportunity to reduce the world's arsenals of strategic nuclear weapons significantly and to prevent the arms race from escalating into space. The deal that was almost struck at the 1986 superpower summit in Reykjavik is still within reach—a 50 percent reduction in offensive strategic weapons and an agreement to abide by the 1972 anti-ballistic-missile (ABM) treaty for ten years. During last December's summit meeting in Washington the two superpowers agreed, in effect, to disagree on strategic defenses. The Soviets rejected U.S. proposals to allow "testing in space as required" and to allow deployment of space weapons. The United States, in turn, rejected Soviet proposals for strict adherence to the ABM treaty. The compromise—a carefully worded statement allowing each nation to proceed "as required" on development of space weapons within the ABM treaty—merely "kicked the can down the road," as Max Kampelman, the chief U.S. arms negotiator, observed.
While the President must certainly continue to be firm in negotiations with the Soviets, he should not be crippled by the mistaken belief that we now have, or soon could have, technology capable of protecting us from nuclear missiles. If existing technology could meet this noble goal, bargaining it away in return for reductions in offensive missiles might not be wise. But independent expert opinion is nearly unanimous: at least a decade of research is required before we can know if effective missile defenses are technologically even possible. The Soviet Union and the United States could maintain the ABM treaty limitations without impairing long-term research efforts. However, instead of a deliberate, prudent research program on the feasibility of shooting down incoming nuclear warheads, the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) has become a program for building and deploying a specific weapons system within the next decade.
As a conservative southern Democrat and a combat veteran of the Second World War, I have supported increased funding for our national defense, particularly for improving our conventional forces, throughout my forty years in the House of Representatives. In these times of tight budgets, however, I believe we should not shift precious defense dollars to programs with little real military value when urgent conventional defense needs are left unfunded.
SDI ceased to be an "Initiative" and became a "system" last September, when the Department of Defense gave the go-ahead for the rapid development of Phase I of a strategic defense system," or SDS. This is not the "peace shield" that President Reagan envisioned. At best, it will be capable of stopping a small percentage of nuclear warheads. SDS Phase I will rely not on the lasers and other beam weapons depicted in the cartoon images on television but on hundreds of satellites containing small interceptor rockets known as space-based interceptors.
A significant effort is being made by a small group of Administration officials and defense contractors to institutionalize the SDS, in order to assure that the program will proceed regardless of its scientific or strategic merit. The goal is to begin "bending metal"—converting defense dollars into job-based political support—and make SDS "Congress-proof." The political-industrial complex is applying pressure to achieve a position in which there will be no turning back from what proper research may well discover to be a trillion-dollar Maginot Line. The process has occurred so rapidly and so quietly that most members of Congress and most of the American people do not yet realize what has happened.
For example, last June the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization, as the special Pentagon office in charge of SDI is known, and the Air Force Systems Command awarded contracts totaling nearly $1 billion to begin building prototype "Star Wars" weapons. Rockwell International, the nation's fourth largest defense contractor, won two contracts with a long-term value of $358 million, for planning, hardware development, and flight testing in the early 1990s of a space-based interceptor. Martin Marietta, the nation's eleventh largest defense contractor, received a $23 million contract, with options for an additional $126 million, for development and ground-testing projects in the space-based interceptor program. McDonnell Douglas, the third largest defense contractor, won a $481 million contract (later canceled) to build hardware for a key space experiment with a neutral-particle-beam weapon. These prime contracts include subcontracts for General Electric, LTV, TRW, and Boeing Aerospace.
And there is more to come. Last January, Martin Marietta grabbed a $500 million contract to design and operate a giant national complex to test SDI systems. A contractor will soon be selected to serve as the system engineer of SDS. The prize is a huge contract, worth $1.2 billion. This will be followed by further lucrative contracts for designing and, more profitably, building the thousands of weapons needed for the Phase I deployment, which the SDI Organization estimates will cost $75 billion to $150 billion. Wolfgang Demisch, a defense-market analyst, has said, "SDI is the future of the defense industry.... The traditional defense budget clearly isn't going to grow much in the near future. Every company is on notice that if they want to be a long-term player, they can't let SDI get away."
The art of turning concept into defense dollars is to redefine the requirement to fit the product. As it became clear that it will be impossible to protect the population of the United States against Soviet intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), at least in this century, the leadership of SDI restructured the program last year to redirect research from "exotic" technologies, such as lasers and other beam weapons, and toward development of more primitive rocket-powered weapons. The President's original "astrodome" vision is considered only the "ultimate" goal. The SDI Organization now says that "the phased deployment of the Strategic Defense System ... has been conceived as the most reasonable means to achieve the levels of defense contemplated by the President's 1983 direction."
The goal now is to "reduce Soviet confidence in the military utility of its ballistic missile force" and to "complicate Soviet attack plans." Specifically, "the deployment of the Phase I SDS will compel Soviet operational adjustments and compromises by reducing the confidence of Soviet planners in predicting the outcome of a ballistic missile attack." This is a long way from being able, as President Reagan promised a 1986 high school graduating class, "to put in space a shield that missiles could not penetrate—a shield that could protect us from nuclear missiles just as a roof protects a family from rain."
The shift from a "shield" to a complication in Soviet attack plans is crucial. But even proponents no longer speak of an impenetrable shield. SDI must now be judged against other systems that complicate attack plans, such as mobile ICBMs, cruise missiles, and our nearly invulnerable Trident submarines.
The main mission of SDI is to stop Soviet intercontinental ballistic missiles. An ICBM has four main phases in its flight. In the boost phase, which lasts a few minutes, the ICBM's rocket boosters propel the missile above the earth's atmosphere. In the post-boost and midcourse phases, which together last some twenty to thirty minutes, the multiple nuclear warheads of each missile are released and travel through outer space toward their separate targets. The most modern Soviet ICBMs could release ten or more warheads along with "decoys" to fool enemy defensive weaponry. In the terminal, or re-entry, phase, which lasts less than a minute, the warheads decelerate as they re-enter the earth's atmosphere, and finally they reach their targets and detonate.
The case for Star Wars begins logically: The best time to destroy a Soviet ICBM is in the boost phase. The ICBM itself has a large, fiery rocket plume, making it easy to see, and it carries large amounts of highly explosive fuel, making it potentially easy to destroy. What's more, a single U.S. shot could destroy ten Soviet bombs.
Unfortunately, the boost phase lasts a brief three to five minutes. To destroy Soviet ICBMs so quickly, the SDI Organization plans to have weapons already in space, on satellites, when the Soviet attack begins. These satellites must carry weaponry, that can aim, fire, and hit the target within a few minutes. Lieutenant General James Abrahamson, the head of the SDI Organization, told Congress last summer that the system would have only forty to a hundred seconds to decide to react after the Soviets launched their ICBMs. He maintained, nonetheless, that his research so far indicated that such a "decision timeline is feasible" and would still allow for human control over the process.
In a series of setbacks, technology after technology has been considered for this demanding mission and rejected by SDI scientists. The most significant setback concerns chemical lasers, which shoot intense beams of light traveling 186,000 miles per second. These were the most mature of all the directed-energy technologies being considered, but scientists no longer think they are promising in the near term. Nonetheless, the SDI Organization may yet propose these lasers for early deployment. Other impressive high-technology systems that once received much publicity include neutral-particle beams and the nuclear-pumped x-ray laser. However, a panel of the American Physical Society, in the most definitive study yet done on directed-energy weapons, examined all the relevant classified information and concluded unanimously:
We estimate that even in the best of circumstances, a decade or more of intensive research would be required to provide the technical knowledge needed for an informed decision about the potential effectiveness and survivability of directed energy weapon systems. In addition, the important issues of overall system integration and effectiveness depend critically upon information that, to our knowledge, does not yet exist.
The prime remaining candidate possibly available in this century for boost-phase defense is space-based chemical rockets, along the lines of the fleet of 432 rocket-launching satellites orbiting the earth proposed by the group High Frontier. However, that system was repeatedly rejected by Administration experts. In a September, 1981, memo Herbert Reynolds, then the Department of Defense's deputy director for intelligence and space policy, called the concept "one vu-graph deep" and concluded that the need to rely on "hair-trigger" computer-based reaction time "alone might be enough to reject the concept, even if the system could do the job as advertised." In 1982 Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger criticized the scheme after a thorough Department of Defense review concluded, "It is the unanimous opinion of the Air Force technical community that the High Frontier proposals are unrealistic regarding state of technology, cost and schedule." The President's Commission on Strategic Forces, known as the Scowcroft Commission, reported in April of 1983 that "applications of current technology offer no real promise of being able to defend the United States against massive nuclear attack in this century." The U.S. Air Force studied and abandoned a system of this type in the 1960s, in a project nicknamed BAMBI (for ballistic-missile boost interceptor), which called for rockets strikingly similar to those planned for the SDI system. Nonetheless, the SDI Organization has decided to work toward deploying the High Frontier defense early in the next decade.
Officially there has not yet been a decision to deploy the system. But Secretary of Defense Weinberger said in March of last year, "The basic decision that we want to deploy has been made long ago." When the SDI officials reported to Congress last year on these interceptor rockets—then known as space-based kinetic-kill vehicles, or SBKKVs—they focused on a "series of achievements in excess of what was expected" which proved that "a SBKKV system can be built" and that the "technical feasibility of a near term SBKKV [has been] established."
Congress wanted no part of that scheme, which would violate the ABM treaty. Last year both the House and the Senate voted to cut back the budget increase for SDI requested by the Administration and to require adherence to the traditional interpretation of the ABM treaty—thereby restricting Star Wars tests. Further, the House rejected an accelerated development and deployment schedule designed to make SDI operational by 1993, by an overwhelming vote (302-121). In last year's continuing resolution Congress barred any funds for the full-scale development and deployment of any space-based interceptor system during 1988.
But SDI officials forged ahead. The dispersal of $1 billion in contracts was timed nicely to precede the July meeting of the Department of Defense's Acquisition Board, at which the SDI program underwent its first formal Pentagon review. After intense debate, including charges that crucial information damaging to SDI was being withheld from the board, six key SDI projects were granted Milestone I approval. This meant that the program could move from concept research and development to hardware demonstration and concept "validation." Thanks to strong support from the White House and from Weinberger, the program's proponents were able to dodge hard questions as to how SDI should be shaped, how it should proceed, and how strategic defense should fit into the overall U.S. military force structure. This political pressure enabled SDI to circumvent the basic deliberative processes of the defense board.


text:
May 25, 2008. Posted by Joshua Jackson.Add new comment | Filed under: blues songs, death letter, Jazz Alive, Jazz Osmosis, JD Allen, Live Music, music, Remix, saxophonist, son house, Video, wbgo
"I didn't know I loved her 'til they laid her down..."
When I heard saxophonist JD Allen say those words from the stage during soundcheck today, I knew exactly what he was talking about. That's a line from "Death Letter," by Son House. It is an iconic blues song, and a favorite of mine.
The JD Allen trio played a set of music from J&R Music World, one that drew heavily from their most recent release, I Am I Am. Except for "Son House," a song the band just recorded for a future release called Shine. Check it out:
And just because you can, watch Son House perform "Death Letter:"
"I didn't know I loved her 'til they laid her down..."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Black and White Tribal
50 comments
This is super pretty. As always!ReplyDelete
But I would never get these results with freehand! Never Ever! :)
I like it. Love planks a lot.ReplyDelete
The entire color combo of this is lovely! I wish I wasn't so darn lazy so I could actually attempt this.ReplyDelete
I love all of your idea for tape manis, but today's post clearly telling me your hand is incredibly stable, even than masking tape! It's just amazing...ReplyDelete
Preeetty! I love the pattern so much!ReplyDelete
Oh my god.. mind-blowing.. :OReplyDelete
So beautyfull accent nail! Did you hand made it?ReplyDeleteReplies
gorgeous tribal print free hand! You must do a tutorial on it!ReplyDeleteReplies
Lovely, I love how detailed your accent nail looks :)ReplyDelete
So pretty, as usual. If I could freehand like that I would do it all the time too!ReplyDelete
Awesome accent nail!ReplyDelete
love this! it's the first time i see a b&w tribal.ReplyDelete
It looks so difficult, but so awesome^^ReplyDelete
Adorable!& first time I've wanted Planks A Lot.ReplyDelete
Very nice! I've been meaning to do a tribal design for ages.. I guess I should!ReplyDelete
you are so talented! i love it!ReplyDelete
loving the accent nail!ReplyDelete
Pretty ! I'm thinking of painting tribal nails too this week (I'm thinking of painting lotsa things lately lol) hopefully they would turn out as pretty as yours hahaReplyDelete
- AnonymousMay 13, 2012 at 8:11 AM
Thank you !!!ReplyDelete
uh oh, looks like the white bled a little! but still, a gorgeous tribal mani (:ReplyDeleteReplies
Haha, shhh! :-P Thank you. :-)Delete
I love black and white print :-)ReplyDelete
I love it. It is very eye-catching and I love it even more than you only did the design on the ring finger!ReplyDelete
Love this tribal design!ReplyDelete
Thank you very much for the sweet comments, girls! You're the best! :-*ReplyDelete
lovely! this is a super cute tribal maniReplyDelete
I never liked tribal before this, because it was always 'too much'. With only white and black on a accent nail, it look stunning!ReplyDelete
It's diferente and very beautiful!!ReplyDelete
I love it!
(I invite you and your friends to know my blogs).
I have always tried to have an accent nail that looks similar to the others but I am going to try this and have one that looks different. You have a really steady hand! I might try by stamping first to see how it looks.ReplyDelete
SO GORGEOUS!ReplyDelete
love it!!! I'm totally in love with tribal nails!!!!ReplyDelete
I love the detail, it looks amazing!ReplyDelete
I really love this but I can't find your tutorial!ReplyDeleteReplies
The tutorial hasn't been made yet, but it will come soon. ;-)Delete
what did you use to draw on the design?ReplyDeleteReplies
I used a striper polish. (A nail polish which comes with an extra thin brush for nail art.)Delete
- AnonymousJune 18, 2012 at 3:14 PM
Please make a tutorial for the tribal !ReplyDelete
great combination!looks great on your nails :)ReplyDelete
- NatalieAugust 17, 2012 at 2:42 PM
i looooove it! please please please do a tutorial! i so wanna try this out myself.. if only i had a steady hand, anytips? i love nail art!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousOctober 7, 2012 at 2:49 AM
Hello I am so delighted I found your blog, IReplyDelete
really found you by accident, while I was browsing on Yahoo for something else, Regardless I am here now
and would just like to say thanks for a remarkable post and a
all round enjoyable blog (I also love the theme/design), I
don't have time to read through it all at the moment but I have saved it and also added your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read a great deal more, Please do keep up the fantastic work.
Feel free to surf my web-site Joe Barry
Please do a tutorial on this with tips on how to make it so... Neat!! :)ReplyDelete
Please do a tutorial - with tips on how to make it so neat!! This is awesome :)ReplyDelete
wow I've never seen anything like this before!ReplyDelete
This is so creative and I think you've done a wonderful job creating this nail art :)
I love this manicure, your nails look soo great <3


text:
Learn more:Pakistan Flood Disaster Relief | Full Map of Flooded Areas
To date, approximately $76 million in assistance is being provided by the U.S. to flood-affected populations in Pakistan. We are also providing additional assistance through the expansion of pre-existing programs and humanitarian activities in flood-affected areas and mobilizing significant U.S. military resources to deliver supplies and rescue victims of the disaster.
There are currently 18 U.S. military and civilian aircraft in Pakistan in support of flood relief operations. U.S. helicopters have evacuated 4,613 people and delivered 515,113 pounds of relief supplies.
America's response to this tragic flood has been consistent with our humanitarian values and our deep commitment to Pakistan. Support includes both financial assistance and the immediate provision of urgently needed supplies and services, drawing on unique U.S. capabilities and resources. Learn more about the U.S. response to the flooding disaster in Pakistan here.
Working with mGive, Americans are contributing to Pakistan flood relief by texting the word "SWAT" to 50555. The text results in a donation of $10 to the UNHCR Pakistan Flood Relief Effort. Every $10 helps provide tents and emergency aid to displaced families.
The most effective way people can assist relief efforts is by making cash contributions to humanitarian organizations that are conducting relief operations. Cash donations allow aid professionals to procure the exact items needed (often in the affected region); reduce the burden on scarce resources (such as transportation routes, staff time, warehouse space, etc); can be transferred very quickly and without transportation costs; support the economy of the disaster-stricken region; and ensure culturally, dietary, and environmentally appropriate assistance.
A list of humanitarian organizations that are accepting cash donations for flood response efforts in Pakistan can be found at www.interaction.org. Information about organizations responding to the humanitarian situation in Pakistan may be available at www.reliefweb.int.
Patrick W. in Maryland writes:
Hi, My Special Friends of DipNote And Hillary.
Anyways, I thought i'd stop by and say Hi.
I have to say in my opinion, our countries Military and Civil Personnel, have been doing their best to support the people of Pakistan.
I'm really sorry to see so many people ,lose their homes and communitys to the flooding there. It's good to hear the that so many people are working together in our government, and other countries to help the people of Pakistan.__:)
Also , I liked what Hillary wrote about Afghanistan's Independence Day on August 19th. It Was very Nice. I hope they enjoy their Independence Day and the freedom's they have achieved over the 91 years.
...Happy Independence Day Afghanistan...:.)
See-Ya_ Hillary & DipNote Guys..:)


text: Professor David Schultz honoredSchool of Business professor David Schultz has been named a 2012 SuperProfessor by FacultyRow. Schultz is one of only 145 academics in the United States to receive the award in its inaugural year. "I am honored to have received this recognition," Schultz said. "But the real reward is working with students and combining the classroom experience with my research. What really makes for a SuperProfessor is a person who brings together, research, teaching, and community service. The best teachers I had in school did that and that is the model I have tried to follow in my career."SuperProfessors are a peer-reviewed group of academics that consistently demonstrate excellence, passion, and clarity, throughout their academic careers. Often, these individuals are considered academic experts. FacultyRow's website states that it is the leading social network of America's Top Faculty and researchers and its mission is to recognize and empower the leading academics in America. Currently, the network has over 91,000 members in 103 countries.For more information on the award visit Schultz's blog: Schultz's Take.


text:
Gift cards
Contact US
It begins with the first look.
Taste is just one part of your dining experience. At Gindi Thai, our dishes will wow you from the first moment you see them. Not only we pay great attention to the taste of the dishes, we care about the presentation. You are special to us, that's why we want you to enjoy the best meals at Gindi Thai.
Our bar service
From our well stocked full bar, you can enjoy an ultimate Thai dining experience with our selection of martinis, mojitos and other drinks that are chosen and designed to complement the taste of Thai dishes. Our martinis are made from premium vodka—Grey Goose, Ketel One etc.
Sushi at a Thai restaurant. We kid you not.
Gindi is all about breaking the traditions - at least the boring ones. Our fish are equal or better than any sushi restaurants in the area. Everyday, we receive more delivery from the suppliers than many of them. That means we always have fresher fish. We even use sushi-grade fish on our Thai dishes. Try our sushi and creative rolls and you will rethink the sushi scene in LA.
From wait staffs that not only know your name but also your favorite drinks, to attention to detail of our managers, we provide personalized service to our customers. Whether you are on a romantic date, a birthday party or a fun get-together party, you will receive services with our most attention.
Thai and Sushi delivered at your door.
We made your dream come true. Enjoy our food at the comfort of your home or your favorite sushi at work. Our friendly delivery service will come to your house or your office. It's just one phone call away.
Call now at 818-567-1221.
Our Catering Service
Whether you have a party at home or hosting an office lunch or dinner, we cater to you delicious Thai food, Sushi and drinks. You can mix and match to your creativity.
Download catering order form.
Not sure which to order? Call our catering manager at 818-567-1221 or email
and we will be happy to help get started.
Thai food so fresh....
We use the freshest ingredients from local markets. We constantly search for providers who grow their produce organically and sustainably because we care. You can taste it in our dishes.
Our Special dish:
Blue crab roll is made from fluffy white crab meat from the Pacific. Mixed with our secret dressing and hand rolled with rice and nutritious radish sprout into a simple roll that is packed with flavors.
Healthy and Tasty
Thai cuisine is evolved from a culture that is an explorer in terms of taste. Along with Sushi, they are among the healthest cuisines in the world. You don't have to compromise between taste and being healthy.
Pad Thai
The dish that defines Thai cuisine in terms of cuisine, nationalism and way of life. Like many aspect of Thai culture, its ingredients are so simple, yet requires a lot of skills to perfect. This traditional dish is served in every Thai restaurants in the world but you don't have to search far to know that at Gindi's Pad Thai is the favorite of Thais in LA.
©2017 Gindi Thai. ..
thai restaurant burbank
review and share your thoughts with other users. Best Thai Food in Town!! Posted by pat11 on 08/09/2006 It's hard to find
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of this review Best Thai in Burbank!!! Posted by powwla on 08/09/2006 We went to Gindi when it first opened
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los angeles few months ago. Sushi restaurant Burbank food was delicious. Sushi restaurant Burbank steak we had was superb as well as the appetizers. Sushi restaurant Burbank owners did
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of this review Just go there. Posted by sanseric on 08/08/2006 It's hard to find
thai restaurant
los angeles place that has really cool ambience with friendly service, let alone great food. This newly open Thai and Sushi hybrid manages to do it all and has become my new favorite place. Los Angeles Best Thai restaurant haven't ever ordered anything that wasn't delicious. All my friends that have gone there with me feel the same. It is in
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burbank great location that makes going out after very easy. My only word of caution is tht they don't go easy on the spice. When they say spicy, they mean it. Go there! Overall user rating: Highly Recommended Was this review helpful: Chadaka or Sushi | Request
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of this review Trendy Place, Authentic Taste Posted by petepeach on 08/08/2006 Except from the name, you would never tell that this place serves Thai food, let alone
thai restaurant
burbank very authentic tasting one. White walls with judicious shocks of green accent, linen-lined tables with sleek white chairs and tasteful oak benches, abundant with pillows lends to an open, bright inviting look. The food is good and surprisingly authentic. Served in an elegant, Western style presentation, you wouldn't expect the taste not unlike the most authentic hole-in-the-wall Thai restaurant anywhere. Sushi is fresh and original rolls with exotic ingredient
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of this review Best Thai food in near studio city Posted by weeratat on 08/07/2006 And oh man, the sushi is so good! Finally, we found
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of this review Great Thai food. Great Sushi in slick modern setting. Posted by samotang on 08/03/2006 This place is exceptional. Having experienced thai food in rundown Hollywood
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s for many years and this is perfect. Inside their slick all white room accented by natural wood trims. The menu is varied. Thai menu have authentic taste and their sushi is fresh. Los Angeles Best Thai restaurant haven't had
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text:
by Anton Shilov
Apple, a leading maker of consumer electronics and a provider of digital media services, is projected to reveal its next-generation iPhone smartphone in early October at a big media event. The device itself is expected to become available several weeks later, which points to late October or early November.
Apple is currently expected to hold its next big media event on October 4, 2011, where the tech company will unveil the highly-anticipated next iteration of its popular iPhone, according to AllThingsD, which cites industrial sources. It is expected that Timothy Cook, the new chief executive of Apple, will introduce the new iPhone. It is unknown whether legendary Steve Jobs will also participate in the event.
Not a lot is known about the next-generation iPhone. Some believe that it will be an updated version of the current-generation iPhone 4 with dual-core Apple A5 processor that sports improved graphics accelerator and some other innovations. The so-called iPhone 4S rumour is indirectly confirmed by photos of an iPhone prototype in white iPhone 4 enclosure and with A5 system-on-chip. Nonetheless, many believe that the "true" next-gen iPhone 5 will not only feature a new SoC inside, but will sport a different form-factor and a larger screen.
Apple did not comment on the news-story.


text:
Gingham Art Smock
- Overview
Encourage your child to paint and draw without worrying about the mess. Our cotton smock has a protective coating that easily wipes clean. Pockets in front hold supplies at the ready.
- 35" wide x 19" long
- Coated cotton gingham smock makes cleanup easy.
- Features two front pockets for easy access to art supplies.
- Recommended for ages 3-7.
- Spot clean.
- Imported.
- Dimensions & Care
- Wipe clean with a damp cloth.
- Shipping & Return Info
This is a general shipping item.
View Our Shipping Information
Return Policy
At Pottery Barn Kids, we take great pride in the quality and craftsmanship of our products. Attention to design, materials, safety and construction is our priority. We carefully inspect your order prior to shipment; upon receipt, please inspect your purchase and notify us of any damage. We will arrange for a prompt replacement. If, within 7 days for Quick Ship upholstery and 30 days for all other products, you are dissatisfied for any reason, you may return your purchase for a refund of the merchandise value.
If your return for Merchandise Credit Cards is greater than $10,000, we will issue $10,000 in Merchandise Credit Cards to you that day, and then mail additional Merchandise Credit Card(s) for the amount in excess of $10,000 to you.
We cannot accept returns on monogrammed, personalized, special-order items, or on items damaged through normal wear and tear. We also cannot accept returns of final-sale items, which are identified by a price that ends in $0.99.
For returns of items purchased from your Pottery Barn Kids registry, we will gladly provide a refund or exchange for the merchandise within 90 days of your event or within 90 days of purchase, whichever date is later.
For assistance, please contact Customer Service at 800.993.4923
International Returns: Online returns are available only for items that were shipped to the United States. If you would like to return items that were shipped outside the US, please see International Returns and Exceptions.


text:
Candy House "Tempting" Tower of Gourmet Chocolates
by Candy House | Item #: 705616 |
We're sorry, this item is not available in your selected Club. Check another Club
About this itemA tower of chocolates to tempt the taste buds! A nice selection of English Toffee, Cherry Cordials and a Deluxe Assortment of chocolates.
This "Tempting" Tower of chocolates from Candy House contains a delightful assortment of our best candies. You are sure to find a favorite in our Deluxe Assortment of our most popular chocolates! English Toffee from the Candy House is made with pecans, lots of butter and sugar, and is cooked till it is crunchy and toasty in flavor. Covered in gourmet milk chocolate and sprinkled with pecan meal. Biting into a Cherry Cordial reveals a cherry and sweet syrup.
Allergy statement: Manufactured in a plant that processes peanuts, tree nuts, soy, fish, wheat and milk products.
Assembled Country
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wild Up | OrnithologyPosted by s21concerts in Concert Announcement, tags: California, Charlie Parker, Chris Kallmyer, christopher rountree, Concert Announcement, Ferneyhough, Haydn, los angeles, Messiaen, Pasadena, Wild Up
8pm January 14th, 2012 at the Armory Center for the Arts in Pasadena.
The Music of: Messiaen, Haydn, Charlie Parker, Brian Ferneyhough and Andrew Bird.
What: "Ornithology" The music of Messiaen, Haydn, Charlie Parker, Brian Ferneyhough and Andrew Bird
Where: The Armory Center for the Arts, 145 North Raymond Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91103
wild Up is a 24-member experimental classical/contemporary ensemble comprised of Los Angeles musicians committed to creating visceral, thought-provoking happenings. The group, led by artistic director and conductor Christopher Rountree, unites around the belief that no music is off limits, and that a concert space should be as moving as the music heard in it: small, powerful and unlike anything else. wild Up projects bring people together, defy convention and address the need for heart-wrenching, mind-bending experiences. For free mp3 downloads: wildup.bandcamp.com.
Contact firstname.lastname@example.com
Cost: $20 at the door, $15 online pre-sale – to purchase, go to http://ornithology.eventbrite.com/


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Grassroots Boxing Neutral Corner Nov
Grass Roots Boxing Program in Colorado Springs
USA Boxing coach Brian Arrington works with dozens of athlete scholars several days each week at the Atlas Preparatory School in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He teaches boxing as part of Atlas's After School Program which provides students the opportunity to participate in numerous community, sport and enrichment activities. When Brian initially signed up for the program he believed he would coach 10 – 20 students once a week but then the school received 60 applications for the boxing after school program. Brian enlisted the help of two other area coaches, Ron Melvin and Robert Meeks to help introduce the sport of boxing to these young people. After school boxing is now in its second semester with 51 new students signed up.
USA Boxing staff was invited to attend the October 4th "Showcase" presentation of the Atlas After School Program. What a treat to see so many enthusiastic youth perform and report on their after school activities. The boxing portion provided demonstrations of Push-ups, Mitt Drills, Jump Rope, Squats and Punching Bag. The energy of these athlete scholars had the whole room buzzing! With the support of Atlas Preparatory School as well as many local partners and sponsors, Brian and his coaching staff are hopeful that they will be able to establish a new boxing club at the school in 2013. More information about the Atlas Preparatory School may be found at www.atlasprep.org.
USA Boxing is currently working to implement more school boxing programs across the U.S. We are interested in receiving information on a successful boxing program in a school near you.


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Fylde Community Safety Partnership
The Fylde Community Safety Partnership (CSP) was established in October 1998 in response to the Crime and Disorder Act of the same year. It is made up of a number of key organisation's who work together to ensure that the Borough of Fylde remains one of the country's safest places to live, work or visit.
The current membership of the Partnership is:
- Fylde Borough Council
- Lancashire County Council
- Lancashire Constabulary
- Lancashire Fire & Rescue Service
- NHS Fylde & Wyre Clinical Commissioning Group
- Lancashire Probation Trust
- Fylde & Wyre Youth Offending Team
- Voluntary, Community Faith Sector
- Lancashire Criminal Justice Board
The Partnership operates through a Strategy Group which sets the direction and a tasking and coordinating group who implement and manage projects. These groups report to the full partnership, who monitor progress against the Strategy and Partnership Plan twice a year.
Crime remains a top public concern in Britain and equally in Fylde; only the economy ranks higher. Fear of crime is not reducing as fast as actual crime rates and the 'perception gap' matters. It creates a negative cycle of low confidence in local communities, leading to fear, disengagement and a less effective response. Turning statistical improvement into real difference for people in their neighbours is key. Fylde CSP are committed to deliver on each of the 'Hallmarks of Effective Partnership'.
Annual District Strategic Assessment
Each year the Fylde Community Safety team carry out a strategic assessment to reflect on the past 18 months activities undertaken to identify the big successes and major pitfalls with the aim for continuous improvement for the partnership. The purpose of a Strategic Assessment is to move all partners to a more intelligence led approach to business planning. To do this we need to work with a range of data sources, develop expert opinion and underpin analysis with a clear understanding of community needs. Data and expert opinion have been interpreted with a clear focus on how this can help to improve the understanding of crime and disorder and substance misuse in our District and to become more responsive to identified needs. The Partnership has identified a number of key priority aims to ensure that people from across the Fylde stay safe, these are:
- Domestic Abuse
- Killed Seriously Injured
- Substance Misuse - Alcohol & Drugs
- Anti Social Behaviour
- Reducing Re offending - Adults & Young People
The further details of the Fylde District Strategic Assessment 2011/12 can be found on the download section to the right of this page.
For more information about the Community Safety Partnership, please call Fylde Borough Council, on 01253 658658 or email firstname.lastname@example.com


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High-End Heroes
October 3, 2006
High End Heroes
New NAD Masters Series redefines the brand with muscle, grace and style, says an overawed Richard Stevenson
Following a corporate shake-up and a major investment in R&D the NAD brand is back with a stunning range of AV components destined to shake-up the market. The industrial design is superb, the attention to detail faultless, the technical specifications impressive and, best of all, the price—relatively speaking—still represents the excellent value for money for which NAD has always been famed. But can the Masters Series take on the established brands when the budget is not very budget at all?
To say that the NAD Masters Series M55 is something of a departure for NAD is a big understatement. Gone is dull-as-dishwater design and drab-grey finish, gone are the budget underpinnings to hit low price points and gone is the NAD house sound—to be replaced with
The M55 is a true universal disc-spinner with full multichannel DVD-A and Super Audio CD playback, and is built solidly enough to withstand the rigours of everyday use for about two centuries. The casework is a mix of steel panels, extruded aluminium and die-cast zinc alloy sitting on vibration absorbing silicone rubber feet.
Inside is no less beautiful, with a pristine layout of high-tech glass-epoxy circuit boards and serious power supplies. The features count is not left wanting, with the full complement of Dolby and DTS modes, MP3, WMA and JPEG file support and video-scaling up to 1080i resolution. Upgradeable architecture means that 1080p scaling is only a firmware update away.
Setup is via an onscreen menu system that comes second only to Yamaha's top-flight DVD players for sheer visual splendour. The OSD is available through the HDMI output, the remote navigates smoothly through the options and there are plenty of video tweaking options.
So where's the catch? Well, the disc mechanism is a little noisy when loading... but that's about it.
The picture straight out of the crate is crisp, colourful and smooth. Motion flows like water and there is not the merest hint of player-born processing errors or artefacts even when upscaled to 1080i.
Using the HDMI and 720p scaling to an HD Ready projector gives a rich and warm balance that oozes you into the scene without sand-papering your eyeballs. Skin tones have a natural look with a healthy glow, and the high contrast gives a very good perspective of depth. This sumptuous picture can seem a little shy of impact initially, but it forgoes the overt wow-factor in favour of a well-balanced image that will keep you smiling long into an all-nighter of back-to-back Lord of the Rings. (Trust me, I tried it.). Trimming both the gamma and colour saturation controls offers a cooler look with more intense blues, but all of the picture trims suffer from controls that are simply too coarse for really fine tuning.
The digital audio feed from the M55 to a processor has to be wired in electrical or optical digital cable rather than break-out of the HDMI lead unfortunately, but I have found this is a better option acoustically anyway. Certainly fed into a handy Arcam AVR-350 the M55 proves to offer a sound just as large and as polished as the casework. Like the picture, the sound is a grower—not an immediate aural syringing but smooth, weighty and detailed with long-term appeal. The M55 and the Arcam both possess a certain laid-back charm but the combination might be just a little too refined and 'safe' for some.
Not so when the M55 is plugged into its sibling M15 processor. There is a massive synergy that seems to elicit the best of both components in a way that mixing and matching only tends to achieve on a luck basis. The sound is more immediate and crisp but loses none of its weight or authority. Even using a more modestly powered amplifier than the matching M25, the soundstage is simply huge and there is a crushing presence to soundtracks that will absolutely delight those who enjoy cinema-realistic volume levels—and I do!
The analogue outputs on the M55 offer more of the same weighty and refined sound with rock-solid bass and timing that many decent CD players would love to boast. The overall balance is not as flat-neutral or as stark with stereo music as perhaps audio purists would like, but the robust character and huge dynamic range certainly gets a thumbs up.
On the money
There is no shortage of competition at around £1300 for universal disc-spinners but the NAD M55 can hold its disc-drawer high against any contender. It is better put together than most, offers all the features you could want, and a performance that is bang on the money. Arcam, Denon, Pioneer et all, beware. The NAD Masters Series is coming to get you
The M15 is an ideal cosmetic partner for the M55 DVD player and simply exudes an air of classy, timeless design that most battleship Japanese AV amps miss completely. The heady mix of steel, aluminium and cast zinc for the chassis and casework look the business and the blue display complements the disc player in colour if not size of text, which is a little frustrating. At just under £2,000 the M15 is serious money but its substantial build and THX Ultra2 accreditation go along way to justify the price ticket.
The rear panel is awash with enough connections for the most ambitious AV system, although it only sports two-in, one-out HDMI and there is no analogue-to-digital video conversion. This means that you will need an additional analogue video cable between the M15 and the display just to set the thing up or switch non-HDMI sources—grumble, grumble. On the other hand, you get eight digital audio inputs, zone 2 AV outputs, twin sub outputs and a raft of IR repeaters and 12V triggers for those with a penchant for Blofeld-style gadgetry and automation.
Under the hood is a bespoke Holmgren transformer, a beautifully neat layout and a healthy dose of high-spec bought-in components including Silicon Image HDMI modules, twin Motorola 24-bit DSPs, Wolfson DACs, Burr-Brown chipsets and so-on. Interestingly the operation and decoding software in proprietary NAD design exclusive to the Masters Series and is, of course, fully upgradeable.
The processor is completed with a neat remote control which like the M55 remote is topped with aluminium. The wonderfully titled HTRM (Home Theater Remote Masters series) controls the M55 as well of course, lights up, is easy to handle and rather thoughtfully has little buffer bars to stop buttons being depressed when it is face down on the table. Neat.
However, there is no auto setup, no supplied mic, no RoomEQ and very few features that are often deemed essential for today's home entertainment system.
A la carte menu
Despite the M55 disc player's gorgeous and intuitive OSD, the M15's menus are seriously lacklustre. Boring monochrome block text on a black background with simple multi-page menus might be easy to use but it looks so clunky compared to everything else the Masters Series stands for—particularly as it is not even available through the HDMI output.
This niggle aside, the set-up is logical and straightforward, with little in the way of divergent tweakery to keep you away from your DVD collection. There is a handy lip-sync adjustment to 100ms, digital domain tone and dialogue tone controls and that's about it. I even had to find my yard-stick and dB meter for the speaker setup. Retro!
Thankfully the M15 cuts to the chase without recourse to bells and whistles, neatly entering auto format decoding on demand and punching out a full-bodied and robust sound. Again, the sound is a grower, starting perhaps a little laid back and dark but drawing you irrevocably into films with its subtle detail and natural dialogue. Push up the volume and there is not the ear-drilling upper treble of some of the larger AV amps, but a silky high-end sprinkled with that crafts a truly magnificent sound stage.
The balance makes the M15 very much an all-rounder, equally at home with dramas, chick flicks or all-action block busters. Hooked up to some very neutral and revealing power amps the sound is large and clean but doesn't manage the sheer emotional charge and impact that fills the room when it is attached to the matching M25 power amp.
As part of the complete Masters Series line up the M15 really shines, maximising the design synergy across the matching source and power components. From the crushing high-impact drama of Battlestar Galatica Season 2 to Pink Floyd's Pulse and on to Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were Rabbit Special Edition, the combo simply plonks you in the set of your favourite movies and doesn't let go until the credits roll.
Comparatively speaking
Interestingly, the M15 and M25 partnership works out at about £4,000—around the same ballpark price of Denon's flagship AVC-A1XVA for example. Features-wise the Denon wipes the floor with the NAD pairing but in terms of industrial design, purist simplicity and a sound that will impress all day and all night without a hint of fatigue, the NADs have it
NAD has been famed in the past for its big power amplifiers—but none have come quite as huge or as powerful as the unfortunately titled M25. Weighing in at 44kg and nearly half a metre deep, not only is this behemoth the size and weight of most Krell power amps, it is just as solidly built and just as well finished too. Thankfully the price tag is far more NAD then Krell, and at under £2000 for 160W to all seven channels the M25 offers superb material value and power per pound.
Internal design centering on a huge Holmgren toroidal transformer, power rails made from chunky copper bus bars and seven completely discrete mono power amplifiers. The spec sheet quotes a near flat response from 3Hz to 70kHz and 118dB signal to noise ratio at full power. With 160W on tap the design is certainly going to create spectacular dynamics.
Of course this is a NAD design too—company wont to add nitrous-like power boosts to its amplifiers. Evolving from the Power Envelope feature of many moons ago the M25 now sports PowerDrive. This circuit engages a second high-voltage rail that nearly doubles the continuous power on a short term dynamic basis. Mama.
The external design shares the material mix and cosmetics of the matching disc player and processor. The intense blue LEDs show all channels in operation and the back panel offers seven phono inputs and seven pairs of binding posts that clearly wouldn't baulk at zero-gauge cable. There is a 12V trigger to complete the Blofeld scenario and a switch to engage NADs old faithful 'soft clipping' feature.
Soft Clipping ensures that if you are completely barking mad and/or stone deaf and want to drive the M25 to its limits, it will fall into gentle 'peak' clipping rather than full-scale distortion. Given the M25s power and current reserves, you would probably be sonically crushed and picking bits of molten speaker driver out of the sofa first. There should be a warning the manual—if you see the soft clipping light on the front panel of the M25 illuminate, please seek urgent medical attention.
Quote, unquote
It takes about a nano-second of listening to the M25 to realise it is quite something special in terms of dynamic headroom, bass extension and sheer control over speaker drivers. The soundstage is absolutely immense, bursting from an inky silent background with frightening realism and tautness. It is as if every note, every sound and every effect is not simply hurled from the speakers but chiselled into the air with laser like precision.
Hooked up to a big set of floorstanders with decent bass extension, the M25 renders a subwoofer all but an optional extra, such is its low down drive and power. I would go so far to say that no amplifier yet to grace the Stevenson home cinema room has ever driven my big Tannoy Dimension TD system quite so hard nor kept them under such tight control – including the £20k power-amp setup currently in-situ.
Bass and snare drum attack is awesome, underpinning soundtracks with incredible low frequency definition and control. The effects extends through the entire frequency spectrum keeping a flat-neutral balance with tight control all the way from explosive LFEs up to shrill effects like shattering glass.
Dialogue is projected superbly and the M25s rendition of vocal scale gives actors with serious presence a tangible reality in your living room. This effect extends to multi-channel and stereo music too, turning decent recordings into a full emotional experience complete with foot tapping, bopping, duck-walking or air-guitaring depending on your genre penchant.
Switching back to my reference power amplifier set up, the NAD can suddenly seem a little boisterous and heavy-handed with more delicate material. Genteel female vocals lack a little of the sparkle and minutiae tonal inflections of the very best esoterica, and it is not totally character-less... but let's get real. The M25 is a sub £2,000 power amp and comprehensively eclipses every other multi-channel power amp in its class for sheer jaw-dropping performance and pretence-free home cinema enjoyment. Versatile.
For me, the M25 is the star of the Masters Series and is the most versatile, weaving its potent magic with just about any processor or source you throw at it. If you like your home entertainment big and dramatic in every conceivable sense the M25 is an absolute bargain. It both ices the cake of a Masters Series system and offers itself as a first-class upgrade to just about any AV amplifier or receiver out there.
The Masters Series not only represents a design departure for NAD it could also spell the beginning of a new world order in the serious home theatre market. For a little less than £5,300 you get AV performance that fights well above its price point and three gorgeously crafted boxes with design flair that would not look out of place on high-end esoterica.
Compare and contrast to a typical Japanese AV combo at the same price: A slab-sided integrated AV amplifier festooned with features unlikely to ever see use in anger and over a grand's worth of DVD player that, to the untrained eye, looks just like a Chinese special. If you like features aplenty and a high gadget count then the NAD Masters Series is not for you, but consider carefully just what you want an AV system for. If you come up with answers like performance, simplicity and pride of ownership—then look no further than your local NAD dealer.
The M55 universal disc player is frighteningly close to Arcam's DV-137 in design philosophy, performance and price—and gets a 5-star accolade in just the same way. In isolation the differences are miniscule. The Arcam nudges microscopically ahead of the darker sounding M15 with music while the NAD has marginally better picture contrast and so on. They both annoy by their lack of OSD to the HDMI output too, which is an amusing twist. Cosmetically, my vote goes to the NAD...
"It is simply one of the most potent, dynamic and well-controlled multi-channel power amplifiers on the market and, frankly, a 24-carat bargain"
The M15 processor is a rare beast these days in that it eschews gadgetry—almost to a fault. There is no hint of auto-set-up or room EQ, no video scaling or up-conversion to HDMI and a distinct shortage of picture tweakery. But it matters little because the M15's fundamental sound processing and picture handling is fabulous from the outset. It is also joyously simple to use and its robust and detailed sound simply immerses you into movies—whatever the genre.
The M25 power amplifier is the brightest shining star of the Masters Series, causing a stir in the chez Stevenson home cinema room the like of which has not been seen since the original Star Wars trilogy was launched on Laserdisc with AC-3 soundtrack. It is simply one of the most potent, dynamic and well-controlled multi-channel power amplifiers on the market and, frankly, a 24-carat bargain at less than £2,000.
While each individual component has much merit in its own right, the Masters Series' ultimate strength lies in its holistic design and system synergy—the system as a whole being even greater than the sum of the parts.
This is both impressive and a potential flaw in the NAD plot. You can certainly purchase the M55 disc player for its excellent audio and visual performance, the M15 processor for its smooth sound and simplicity, or the M25 power amplifier for its awesome dynamics—but unless you have all three links in the chain you will never truly capture the full magic of the NAD Masters Series at its very best. Oh, go on then, I'll have all three...
Related News and Reviews
M55 Digital Disc Player
- 2007-09-25 Editors Choice 07
- 2007-04-01 Masters Series Award
- 2007-02-27 HVT Reviews M3 and M55
- 2007-02-05 NAD Taking you Higher
- 2006-10-04 EH Product of the Year
- 2006-09-29 NAD Wins EISA Award
M15 Surround Sound Preamplifier
- 2007-09-25 Editors Choice 07
- 2007-09-20 M15 Hi-fi News Awards 2007
- 2007-04-01 Masters Series Award
- 2007-02-05 NAD Taking you Higher
- 2007-02-02 Ultimate AV Masters Review
- 2006-11-03 TPV Welcome To The Master Class
- 2006-10-04 EH Product of the Year
- 2006-09-29 NAD Wins EISA Award
- 2005-09-25 Custom Retailers Excite Awards
M25 7-Channel Amplifier
- 2011-03-28 High-end Masters Series Home Theater Review
- 2010-06-06 Home Theater Best Buy honors for Masters Series
- 2007-09-25 Editors Choice 07
- 2007-04-01 Masters Series Award
- 2007-02-22 M25 Product Of The Year
- 2007-02-21 Amp of the Year
- 2007-02-05 NAD Taking you Higher
- 2007-02-02 Ultimate AV Masters Review
- 2006-11-03 TPV Welcome To The Master Class
- 2006-10-04 EH Product of the Year
- 2006-09-29 NAD Wins EISA Award
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Kristen Stewart in @balenciaga SS13 during her live #FLORABOTANICA chat. #KSTEWLIVE twitpic.com/b5bbd9
— Courtney Justice (@courtjustice) October 18, 2012
And Florabotanica was a worldwide TT :)
YT thanks to mfoc
Kristen Stewart in @balenciaga SS13 during her live #FLORABOTANICA chat. #KSTEWLIVE twitpic.com/b5bbd9
— Courtney Justice (@courtjustice) October 18, 2012
Short is not the word for it! Tried to watch at 3:10 pm EST; took five min to load and it was over! Looking forward to when you have the video.ReplyDelete
Ok this interviewer was so unprepared and kristen was so sweet trying to answer all those sorry to say stupid questions...
all in all not an interesting interview and it was all the interviewer's fault.
kristen is beauitfulReplyDelete
The interviewer was quite bland and unintresting, and she didn't ask anything that was interesting. A few of the questions chosen almost meant the same thing but worded differently... Even though Kris was so sweet in the interview, the questions chosen and the interviewer sucked! And it only lasted like 16 minutes!ReplyDelete
I give kristen a big A+ for afford, she did great with what was given. The interview was horrible, she kept asking the same questions over and over again. Why couldnt she ask about her coperation with the fashion, or ask what kristen was wearing, or something. I can come up with 1000 of questions.
Must say kristen looked so Beutiful, love love the hair and makeup. Her hair looks like it did during twilight( always loved her hair 2008). The time rob fell in love with her, and told her he liked her hair( in that frech interview)=). Loved the shirt and bluse, so pretty( starting to like balengica, like there new collection.
Happy to see her, she looks more healty, she is doing better =)
Must go to twitter, the comments there are hilarious !!
One wrote, LOL
Q.1 Describe the perfume in 3 words. Q.2 Describe the perfume in your own words. Q.3 Describe the perfume without any of those words.
lol hahah so funny :))) and damn right the questions were so creatively chosen hahah NOT :)Delete
she got lighter hair love it :)ReplyDelete
This is the most awkward interview I have EVER seen! Poor Kristen, she tried to help the interviewer so bad... I think she felt a little uncomfortable with the stupid questions. And I never ever could imagine that it's possible to talk so much about a PERFUME! It's a scent, not a person...
And this must be the first time they had too much time. They only interviewed her for 50% of the accesssable time. Normally they run out of time too!
But Kristen look beautiful<3 Love the outfit!
Love the look especially the heels!ReplyDelete
Kristen is so beautiful, so intelligent and so authentic. I understand completely, that Rob loves her so much.ReplyDelete
u know robert and kristen deffo bk togehter its true pls reply me now thksDelete
Oh what a waste of time for Kristen! The interviewer was annoying and the questions were repetitive. There were 5000 questions to choose from and that's all they came up with? Disappointing! Kristen was sweet and she really tried to answer these idiotic questions (what kind of movie could Florabotina be? WTF??? It's a fragrance, you can smell it, what has this to do with movies???) Seriously I wouldn't have been able to answer any of these questions, so she did a good job and it was not Kristen's fault that the interview was awkward and seemed forced.ReplyDelete
Love Kristen! She did the best she could do with the questions she was given. I felt sad for her when she answered the questions about her learning French. " I'm going to learn...I've been a little preoccupied" :(ReplyDelete
You are right. I also wouldn't have been able to answer any of these stupid questions.ReplyDelete
No creo que te hubiese contestado esa pregunta!! Jaja LOLDelete
This interview reminds me a little bit of an oral exam. When you think you've already answered the question, but the examiner doesn't let go and insists on you to explain the answer or asks the same question just phrasing it slightly different. This interrogation tactic always makes me nervous and my mind goes blank. That's how Kristen must have felt.ReplyDelete
There is kissing pics of kristen and rob coming, OH MY GUD!!! Its for reallReplyDelete
What the hell?? this interview sucks!!! For the first time I ever had seen Kristen take initiative and talk about something because the interviewer didn't know what to ask her!!! she was trying to help her with her job!! The same question over and over again!! but love Kristen's outfit especially her shoes!!ReplyDelete
She looked absolutely beautiful. I love the outfit and the shoes. Hair makeup perfect. Stunning.ReplyDelete
the color in her hair love it the soud that she make with her fingers auw!ReplyDelete
She looks gorgeous love her hair and her outfit. Thanks the vid..ReplyDelete
She looks stunning,beautiful,gorgeous and lovely!!!I love her outfit it's fits her perfectly.I don't mind the interviewer I just so into kristen beautiful and happy face.I love the perfume it's smell amazing and light it's suit to my taste.I totally agree to kristen how natural the smell of frorabotanica.ReplyDelete
What a waste of time! :(..there should be more personal questions to ask, like what clothes she finds comfortable to wear in balenciaga's lines..like the leather jacket thing, she could go on asking more in that part.. why she wants to endorse not only the perfume, but also the fashion of balenciaga.. why this, why that? ..:/
Kristen did her very best in this interview. I am very surprised that Balenciaga didn't prepare this interview better. Kristen is beautiful, as always. Love her look and clothes. Kristen had to help the interviewer in the end. LOVE YOU, KRISTEN!!!ReplyDelete
I think the interviewer is french, she can't speak english flowly and does not understand many of the questions and that made her uncomfortable and kristen was struggling to answer those nonsense questions .It was a mistake to choose her as an interviewer... By the way kristen was very beautiful.
from Paris,
So so much repetition i feel so bad for her, but Kristen did exceptionally well considering! She was very honest and its was lovely to hear her talking about Nicolas, complimenting his creativity and authenticity. I can't wait to buy the fragrance!
Also, on a side note thank you to the team at Robsten Dreams i've been a lurker for a little while and really enjoy your updates! Thank you for establishing such a friendly environment and all for the work you guys do to satisfy us fans! :)
Promote what you love instead of bashing what you hate <3
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Debates of Oct. 14th, 2004
House of Commons Hansard #8 of the 38th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was servants.
- Petitions
- Questions on the Order Paper
- Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act
- Canada Education Savings Act
- Wood Tree Co-operative
- County of Wellington
- United Nations Relief and Works Agency
- Social and Community Organizations in Beauport
- Prince Edward Island Marathon
- Fisheries
- Hurricane Hazel
- 150th Anniversary of L'Épiphanie
- Hmcs
- Agriculture
- Housing
- Natural Resources
- Trade
- Children of Beslan
- Eugene Harasymiw
- Film Industry
- Chrysotile Asbestos
- Government Surplus
- Rodent Importation
- National Defence
- Taxation
- Sponsorship Program
- National Defence
- Employment Insurance
- Canadian Heritage
- Government Appointments
- CHOI-FM Radio Station
- Canada-U.S. Relations
- Noranda Inc.
- Canadian Heritage
- Broadcasting Industry
- Softwood Lumber
- Canadian Heritage
- Fisheries
- Canadian Heritage
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police
- Agriculture
- Refugees
- Louise Pargeter
- Presence in Gallery
- Points of Order
- Business of the House
- Points of Order
- Canada Education Savings Act
- Committees of the House
- Canada Education Savings Act
- Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Act
- Points of Order
- Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Act
Prince Edward Island Marathon
Statements By Members
2 p.m.
Shawn Murphy Charlottetown, PE
Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to rise in the House today to share news of the BMO Nesbitt Burns Prince Edward Island marathon which will be taking place this weekend on Prince Edward Island.
With a whole host of events planned around the full marathon, including the half-marathon, a kids' run, and my personal favourite, the kilted run, the festivities will promote the importance of physical activity and healthy living.
With over 650 runners from all across Canada and the United States expected at this weekend's event, the Prince Edward Island marathon promises to be a resounding success. It will once again showcase our beautiful province as an ideal location for conferences and events from all over the world.
I ask all members to join me in offering my congratulations to the organizers of the Prince Edward Island marathon and in wishing good luck to the runners this weekend.
Statements By Members
October 14th, 2004 / 2 p.m.
John Cummins Delta—Richmond East, BC
Mr. Speaker, this summer two million sockeye disappeared from the Fraser River between Mission and the spawning grounds. This year's escapement is the lowest on record, lower even than the escapement after the infamous rock slide at Hell's Gate blocked the Fraser Canyon in 1914.
This is the third such disaster in the last 12 years. In both 1992 and 1994 the government blamed warm water temperatures and technical difficulties for the failure. Independent inquiries rejected the government's excuses and pointed their finger directly at policy failures, inept management and lax or non-existent enforcement. They laid the blame directly on DFO and its failure to protect fish from large scale poaching.
Without the ability to subpoena witnesses and take testimony under oath, investigators were unable to identify the bureaucrats responsible. A judicial inquiry into this disaster is essential to the survival of B.C. salmon.
Hurricane Hazel
Statements By Members
2 p.m.
Alan Tonks York South—Weston, ON
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate an important event in the history of Toronto.
From 7 a.m. on October 14 to midnight on October 15, 1954, Canada's most devastating hurricane struck southern Ontario. Hurricane Hazel swept through Toronto at 110 kilometres per hour with 200 millimetres of rain in a 24 hour period. Bridges and streets were washed out and thousands were left homeless, with trailers and houses washing into Lake Ontario.
In total, 81 people were killed, 32 in the riding I represent.
On October 16, 2004, York South—Weston will be commemorating the event with a memorial following a walk organized by the Weston Historical Society. Attending will be political officials, firefighters, police, EMS and residents who survived the hurricane.
I invite the House to join me in honouring those emergency workers and ordinary citizens who served their communities so courageously during that deadly storm and remember those who lost their lives.
150th Anniversary of L'Épiphanie
Statements By Members
2 p.m.
Benoît Sauvageau Repentigny, QC
Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, October 9, I had the great pleasure of attending a period fancy dress ball to mark the 150th anniversary of the towns and parishes of L'Épiphanie. Some 200 people, dressed in their finest attire, made a room already magnificently decorated all the more stunning. This wonderful evening was the result of the hard work and creative imagination of an extraordinary team of volunteers under the direction of Donald Bricault.
This period ball ended an exceptional year of extremely successful events. We have to applaud the remarkable effort of the 150th anniversary committee and especially thank its president, Daniel Archambault.
On behalf of the community, I would like to thank all the volunteers for their involvement and dedication. You met the challenge; congratulations.
Statements By Members
2:05 p.m.
Bernard Patry Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
Mr. Speaker, the tragedy that struck the crew of HMCS Chicoutimi and the family and friends of Lieutenant Chris Saunders in particular, has touched everyone in this country.
As chair of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade, I wish to salute the courage and devotion of the crew members of HMCS Chicoutimi and assure them of my complete support and my profound gratitude for their exemplary services on behalf of all Canadians.
They are an inspiration to all of us to give the best we have in the service of our country. This House echoes all the expressions of appreciation and sympathy that have already been heard across Canada.
I also want to thank the crew members from the British Royal Navy and the United States navy who took part in the rescue and towing of HMCS Chicoutimi , and everyone at the Sligo hospital in Ireland. Their solidarity undoubtedly was of comfort to our submariners and their families. Their actions are a true sign of friendship.
Statements By Members
2:05 p.m.
Myron Thompson Wild Rose, AB
Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I would like to pay tribute to two gentlemen from my riding, Alex Baum and Dan Kroffat of Cochrane. These gentlemen presented a petition to me this morning containing over 115,000 signatures calling for the reopening of the U.S. border to live Canadian cattle.
The open border petition began on August 11 when Alex and Dan decided to challenge the government to make the border closure top priority.
The response to the petition was overwhelming, with 10% of the signatures coming from Quebec and 15% from Ontario. The petition also received signatures from hundreds of grassroots American farmers and ranchers. They wanted to show their solidarity with their Canadian counterparts who are suffering greatly.
These two businessmen deserve all the credit, not only for taking on the petition but taking the time to fly to Ottawa to urge politicians from all parties to work hard to get the border open.
Their dedication to this cause should inspire all of us to rally behind our farmers and keep the pressure on the American government until the issue is resolved.
Statements By Members
2:05 p.m.
Gurbax Malhi Bramalea—Gore—Malton, ON
Mr. Speaker, helping families out of poverty is difficult. Parents are better prepared to provide for their children if they are able to find a safe and affordable place to live.
In most communities, full time, year-round minimum wage workers cannot afford to pay fair market rent or even find a place that they can afford. Several cities in Canada, including my riding of Bramalea--Gore--Malton, are experiencing a major shortage of affordable housing.
To meet the demand for affordable housing, I invite all my colleagues to join me in supporting innovative solutions that would help the elderly, the disabled and low income working families find affordable housing.
Natural Resources
Statements By Members
2:05 p.m.
Joe Comartin Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
Mr. Speaker, negotiations between the Great Lakes states, Ontario and Quebec have resulted in the release of the Great Lakes water diversion annex.
The ultimate effect of the annex will be to allow U.S. states to unilaterally divert water from the Great Lakes without a veto by the provinces. The annex has been met with a great deal of concern and opposition by municipalities, Canadian sovereignists, environmentalists and first nations people.
The International Joint Commission has warned against any further water diversion from our Great Lakes. If this annex is ratified, the impact on the Great Lakes basin and the St. Lawrence River will be enormous, especially in light of global warming.
In spite of these concerns and outright opposition we have not heard from the federal government at all on this important issue of national sovereignty. We call upon it today to stand up for Canadians and say no more water diversions from the Great Lakes.
Statements By Members
2:05 p.m.
Belinda Stronach Newmarket—Aurora, ON
Mr. Speaker, while the Minister of International Trade was in Vancouver yesterday admitting that "Canadians are missing out on opportunities" in emerging foreign markets, a global competitiveness report released by the World Economic Forum showed that Canada dropped from 12th to 15th place in its annual ranking of global business performance.
This continues the downward spiral which began after 1998 when Canada placed sixth. Under the Liberals' watch, Canadian exports are down, border problems continue to drive up costs, and drive away investment in Canada.
Just last week the Conference Board of Canada classified our productivity performance among the entire OECD as mediocre. It is the role of government to provide the right economic environment for our tax structures by supporting education, and research and development, so that Canadian businesses and entrepreneurs can compete in this fierce global marketplace.
The Liberals need to understand that trade is not about abstract numbers but rather about quality of life. Trade is our lifeblood. The issue of competitiveness will determine the future prosperity of Canada.
Children of Beslan
Statements By Members
2:10 p.m.
Claude Bachand Saint-Jean, QC
Mr. Speaker, today in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, thousands of children from the Hautes-Rivières school board, along with their parents and teachers, marched in memory of the children of Beslan, Russia.
The Russian Vice-Consul, Mr. Valery Erofeev, and the head of Russian Humanitarian House, Ms. Lidia Porotnikova, spoke during the event. The massive turnout sent a clear message that such a drama should never have happened in our world.
By taking a stand and turning out in such large numbers today, our children give us hope that there will be a better, more egalitarian world, a world where human values triumph over barbaric acts, a world where disputes and quarrels are settled by mediation, conciliation and diplomacy, and not by bombs and weapons.
The children of Beslan must not have died in vain. We must expend all our energy to make sure such a tragedy never happens again. We send our love to the children of Beslan and their sorrowing parents.
Eugene Harasymiw
Statements By Members
2:10 p.m.
Peter Goldring Edmonton East, AB
Mr. Speaker, Eugene Harasymiw, husband to Natalie and father of sons Adrian and Andriy, passed away on October 2 in Edmonton at the age of 63. He was a devoted family man and a steadfast proponent of civil rights and liberties.
Eugene championed the politically challenged, such as Wasyl Odynsky, in a struggle for the rights of all Canadians to a fair trial in Canada and to counter a Liberal government which, behind closed cabinet doors, would strip a person of Canadian citizenship without due process.
Eugene was one of the principals responsible for a monument of great significance at Edmonton's Ukrainian Cultural Village, a monument that serves as witness and testament for the injustice of the internment of Ukrainians in Canada during World War I.
Eugene was past president of the Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Association. He was a man who truly fulfilled life's duties to his family and to his country. Vechnaya pamyat Eugene, eternal memory.
Film Industry
Statements By Members
2:10 p.m.
Anita Neville Winnipeg South Centre, MB
Mr. Speaker, Winnipeg is home to many talented young filmmakers, musicians and artists who have chosen to remain in Winnipeg and pursue their crafts. One such Winnipeg based filmmaker is Noam Gonick, and I stand today to recognize the many achievements of this innovative and creative filmmaker.
Mr. Gonick's work in film, publishing and broadcasting has challenged conventional boundaries. His first feature, Hey, Happy! , premiered at the 2001 Sundance film festival and was a critical success when released worldwide.
I particularly wish to congratulate Noam on his most recent film, Stryker , about young people in gangs in Winnipeg. This past September, Stryker premiered at the prestigious Venice international film festival, one of the two Canadian feature films selected to screen and the only Canadian drama.
Young, creative filmmakers are the future of Canadian film. On behalf of all Canadians, I congratulate Noam Gonick on his successes.
Chrysotile Asbestos
Statements By Members
2:10 p.m.
Marc Boulianne Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to thank the people of Mégantic—L'Érable for their confidence in me.
Since September, chrysotile asbestos has regained its reputation at the international level. By refusing to put chrysotile on the list of dangerous goods drafted by the parties to the Rotterdam convention, Canada has, at last, acted on the request of the Bloc Québécois. It officially recognized the safe and increased use of chrysotile fibre, as did the Quebec national government in 2002, and also the International Labour Organization.
This is a victory for Quebec's pro-chrysotile movement and for our regional economy. The communities of Thetford Mines and Asbestos are elated to see that their efforts have paid off.
Canada must now develop a true policy on the use of chrysotile, one that will be consistent with its position in Geneva, on September 18, 2004.
Government Surplus
Statements By Members
2:10 p.m.
Bev Desjarlais Churchill, MB
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister is bragging about a surplus gained from the hardship and struggle of Canadians. He brags about being out $7 billion on the government's budget. Now he is to pay down more of the debt at the expense of ordinary Canadians.
What about the government's other debts? What about the promised compensation to residential school and hepatitis C victims? It is time the government paid those debts before it is too late.
There was $1.7 billion allocated to residential school claimants. Of some 200 victims going before the adjudicator, only three have been given a hearing, this after filling out a 37 page application.
The health minister announced that a select group of hepatitis C victims might be getting compensation previously withheld from them. This compensation is not new money, just unspent, because once again the Liberals' scam compensation package was both out of reach and did not apply to many claimants.
The Liberal government continues to spend more and more money paying lawyers to prevent victims from gaining restitution. This is reprehensible. The government should follow through on its promised compensation before there are no claimants left, unless of course that was its plan after all.
Rodent Importation
Statements By Members
2:15 p.m.
Carolyn Parrish Mississauga—Erindale, ON
Mr. Speaker, I rise to protest the incredible waste of taxpayers' dollars and the harassment of a law abiding constituent.
In a nutshell, Steve Patterson, a naturalist, a teacher, and an honest man, diligently did his research and legally imported six week old Sabrina, the American flying squirrel.
Since June our government bureaucrats have harassed him, have taken him to court, and have practically bankrupted him. Steve and Sabrina won their day in Federal Court. The judge, soundly condemning the Canada Food Inspection Agency, ruled it was doubtful the government had ever shown that a serious issue existed.
That should have been the end, but it is not. The government is appealing, using unlimited resources in fear of a floodgate of 90 gram squirrels. The cost? Up to $200,000 for my constituent. The solution? Drop the case, save us money, and allow Sabrina to get her Canadian citizenship.
Flying squirrels enter Canada over the border and through treetops every night. This is one little squirrel that escaped the bush, and which we can afford to keep.


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Watch Whitney's "Polly" Video
Ahead of their forthcoming fall headline tour, Whitney have unveiled the official video for their new single, "Polly". Tokyo-based award-winning animator and illustrator Sarina Nihei directed, animated and hand-painted the entire video over the course of two months. It focuses on vices that serve as causes for broken relationships between people and also represents the… Read more »


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Chaz, if the shape of your oven rack is robbing you of critical front to back real estate, get rid of it. Angle aluminum. Cut two lengths and suspend them from shelf lip to shelf lip and rest the plate on that. Like this:http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,12692.msg126602.html#msg126602but with lightweight angle aluminum. Home depot usually has lengths stacked in a box. Angle iron would work well too, but make sure it's lightweight. The 1/8" bed frame angle iron is too big- it's thermal mass would extend your preheats and rob from the plate- it also might not fit between shelf lips.
did you flip it?
I tried it all different ways...didnt work [/quotemy rack doesn't flip either
Seemed a little sticky, but I guess this is to be expected? Below is what it looks like. Seems to be cottage cheesy to me. I didnt want to over knead it.
That's looks pretty good, Chaz, although I might take it a tiny bit further- maybe 30 more seconds of kneading. If you overknead it, it has a propensity to get a bit too chewy (for my tastes), but if you underknead, you risk the ingredients not completely mixing, which can produce wetter/more fragile areas during the stretch. You don't get much of a window. This is why I work with lower protein flours
Those are good looking pizza's Chaze...very nice.
Chaz,I pre pop cornicion bubbles and stand at the ready with a long poker during the bake if I have an aggresive ferment dough.fwiw, been seeing a few really nice looking pies recently where folks used AT/AP and BF/AP....Hmmm...
I wish I could see you going to town on the bubbles with that poker What do pizza shops do? I have seen bubbles on their pies but usually not burned like mine...lol


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Drink Trends in 2014: What's New at the Bar So Far?Monday, May 5th, 2014
Alright, What's Cooking readers. Let's take a break from the blender tongue-twisters and bad range jokes and get businesslike about what's being served at the bar. Last time we checked in, 2014 drink trend forecasts were predicting that premium alcohols, spices, infusions, cider, on-tap drinks, and mixed drinks featuring different types of alcohol would be popular this year, all with a heavy emphasis on the millennial demographic. How are the predictions measuring up so far? New drink trend results are in, so fire up your blenders and have your cocktail shakers at the ready. Here's what's going on right now behind the bar.
Savor(y) the Flavor
Restaurant research giant Technomic is reporting that savory drinks are stronger than ever—and we mean that both figuratively and literally. Micheladas are cropping up on menus nationwide and Bloody Marys are showing an 8.7% increase in menu incidences. Plus, the 3 fastest-growing flavors year-over-year in specialty drinks are chipotle, bacon, and Cajun. Likewise, an interesting savory trend in drinks is popping up due to a lime shortage. Vinegar is the "it" ingredient in cocktails according to David Flaherty for Nation's Restaurant News. Vinegar is being used as an acid component in place of lime or lemon, an (more…)


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National Fishing and Boating Week
|Tom Reed, refuge specialist at Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge in Montana, helps a proud youngster take a catfish off his line during a fishing event on the National Mall in Washington, DC. Many refuges will host youth fishing derbies for National Fishing and Boating Week in June.
|Credit: USFWS
Many refuges will host public events on or around the week of June 4 to mark this annual celebration of fishing and boating, sponsored by the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation. Some examples:
- Free Family Fishing Day
Saturday, June 4, 9 to 11 a.m. — Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge, TX
Fish free at the refuge's Champion Lake Public Use Area. This is the only day that anyone can fish or crab without a license on public waters in Texas. Fishing poles and bait are available. Experienced fishermen will help children bait hooks. Learn about Trinity River Refuge.
- Free Fishing Day
Saturday, June 4, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. — Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, TX
Have fun learning knot tying, casting and fishing rules and regulations before fishing the San Antonio Bay. Staff will be available to help. Equipment will be provided as available. Bait and food vendors will be on site. Learn about Aransas Refuge.
- Free Fishing Days
Saturday, June 4 and Saturday, June 11, 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. — Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge, MD
Fish free both days at Bogles Wharf and Ingleside at Eastern Neck Refuge and other locations in Maryland. No fishing license is required on either day. Learn about Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge.
- Youth Fishing Derby
Saturday, June 11, 9 a.m. to noon — Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge, MD
Have fun learning to fish at Headquarters Pond. Ages 5 to 15. Loaner rods and reels will be available, along with bait and food. Staff will be on hand to help. Learn about Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge.
- Youth Fishing Derby and Casting Competition
Saturday, June 4, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. — Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge, GA
Show off your fishing skills! Have fun in a fishing derby for children ages 3 –15 and a Reel Kids casting contest. Attend a knot-tying demonstration and discover which knots are best for different test lines. Find out how folks "grunt worms" for bait. Bring a plain t-shirt and get free fish art to wear home. Free refreshments will be available. Learn about Banks Lake Refuge.
- Youth Fishing Derby
Saturday, June 4, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. — Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, MD
Enjoy this annual freshwater fishing event for children 15 and under. Photos, prizes and fun will take place at Hog Range Pond. Learn about Blackwater Refuge.
- Kids Fishing Derby
Saturday, June 4 — Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge, VT
Pre-registration required. To register, call 802-868-4781. Learn about Missisquoi Refuge.
- Youth Fishing Derby
Saturday, June 4, 7:30 a.m. to noon — Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, NY
The refuge's 20th annual youth fishing derby, open to young anglers up to 17 years old, will take place at Ringneck Marsh. An awards ceremony and door prize drawing will follow. Learn about Iroquois Refuge.
- Family Fishing Day
Saturday, June 4, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. — Horicon National Wildlife Refuge, WI
Take advantage of Wisconsin's free fishing days June 4 and 5. Free demonstrations, equipment loans and give-aways. Peachy Road Fishing Access. Learn about Horicon Refuge.
- Youth Fishing Day
Saturday, June 4 — Necedah National Wildlife Refuge, WI
Take a kid fishing and learn all about the sport. The free event at Harvey's Pond includes educational programs, activities, games and derbies. Learn about Necedah Refuge.
- Youth Fishing Derby
Saturday, June 11— Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge, MD
More details will be available soon. Learn about Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge.
- Kids' Free Fishing Day
Saturday, June 11, 8 to 10 a.m. — Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge, MI
This fishing contest is for children ages 3 to 15. Bring your own fishing pole and gear to catch (and release) fish from around Ojibway Island, including the Saginaw River. Prizes will be awarded. A limited amount of free bait (worms) will be available.
Learn about Shiawassee Refuge.
- Youth Fishing Derby
Saturday, June 11—Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge, ME
Enjoy the refuge's 11th fishing derby for people under the ages of 16. Local businesses donate food, fishing poles, bait, prizes and fishing gear; the refuge buys brook trout from a local hatchery. Learn about Aroostook Refuge.
- Children's Fishing Day
Saturday, June 18, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. — Seney National Wildlife Refuge, MI
Catch the excitement! Youngsters can fish and compete for prizes. Some fishing poles are available for loan. Shore fishing is allowed in designated pools. Lead sinkers are not allowed. Family games and activities begin at noon. A complimentary fish dinner will be served to all participants and their families at 3 p.m., followed by an awards ceremony. Learn about Seney Refuge.


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"I guess an airplane is pretty decadent, right? But if anyone has a problem with that, tell them to go f--k themselves, because I will live in that trailer [I own] in Alabama before I give up that f--kin' airplane. That airplane is, hands down, the greatest luxury a human being could have. There's nothing that f--king beats it. F--k a yacht. "
Exit: Business jet or airliner?
Sophisticated software can tell you which makes the most sense on a flight-by-flight basis.
The National Business Aviation Association has reams of data proving that corporate aircraft pay off for those who use them. The association's "No Plane, No Gain" program is front and center in this advocacy effort. (This columnist's opinion: great program, terrible name.) But one of the NBAA's least-recognized products could be one its best tools—the Travel$ense software program.
The NBAA began research on this program in 1994, after being encouraged by the work of Dennis Keith, then director of aviation for Frito-Lay. Inspired by a spreadsheet developed by Brad Vineyard, chief pilot for Amoco/Houston, the association started to develop the software in the following year. The NBAA continues to refine it to this day; for example, a recent update improved the way the program retrieves fare information for comparable airline flights.
Travel$ense, which BJT has reported on in the past, calculates whether a particular trip would be more cost-effective if flown on the airlines or on a privately owned or chartered aircraft. The software is customized for the individual flight department or aircraft operator and includes up to 2,000 parameters.
It accounts for costs associated with airline flying over and above ticket prices—ground transportation to and from the large airport (compared with using a closer general-aviation field); and costs for overnight stays required to accommodate airline schedules, including hotels, meals, rental cars and entertainment. Travel$ense also factors in the most critical of all assets: executives' time. It accounts for hours lost when traveling to and from the big airports at both ends of each flight; time spent in security lines; time lost due to canceled flights (using historical data to evaluate the chances of a particular airline flight being canceled vs. the private flight); and more.
The NBAA acknowledges that most of the program's components have been incorporated into many aircraft operators' planning efforts over the years, using "calculators and yellow legal pads." But employing such old-fashioned tools means reinventing the wheel for every operator and makes it impossible to cover all the statistical parameters. "What is revolutionary [about Travel$ense]," according to the association, "is that many old issues are brought together in one place and rapidly considered in a sophisticated way for the first time."
Travel$ense relies on a user-defined and customized decision matrix that includes data on dates, times, city pairs, number of passengers and comparative costs for airline tickets and aircraft direct operating costs. The program will recommend an airline ticket over a business jet flight if it's best for the bottom line. However, reports the NBAA, "We have found that Travel$ense often confirms the hunch—on a dollars-and-cents basis—that business aircraft are a time-efficient and cost-effective way to travel."
Beyond its ability to help chief pilots and dispatchers track costs, the most important benefit of Travel$ense could be its ability to present a CFO, a board of directors, stockholders and even reporters with hard, unambiguous data that clearly show how business aviation pays off.
Mark Phelps welcomes comments and suggestions at email@example.com.
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