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by Molly Cinquemani
How do you keep business booming in the jewelry market during these difficult economic times? By going back to basics. Area jewelers are showing that high quality, solid customer service and competitive prices are trends that never go out of style.
"People will ask, 'How are you doing in this economy?' I'm doing fine," says Wren Hendrickson, co-owner of Goldworks in Chapel Hill.
"When people are hesitant to spend money, they choose to buy something that's personal and unique."
One of Goldworks' most recent best-selling items is a Pandora bracelet, which allows buyers to customize a band with their own selection of beads. The bracelets can be changed frequently as well, making them an economical jewelry purchase. Because customers choose their own bands, though, prices can range from $100 to $1,000 and up.
"People like personalizing their bracelets," Hendrickson notes. "It's unique to them."
The modern and free-form styles of Hamilton Hill Jewelry's designs also are unique, allowing customers to express themselves with distinct pieces. But unique doesn't have to mean expensive.
"Aluminum jewelry by Step by Step is big and light," says Sarah Hill, owner of the Durham jeweler.
"That's a big trend now — lower-priced, light metals that make a big splash without having to spend a lot of money."
Rose Edwards, owner of J.M. Edwards Jewelry in Cary, agrees.
"At a (recent) Las Vegas show, silver seemed to be at the front of retailers' minds to stock in their stores for the fall," she says.
"The precious-metal market has made the price of jewelry go up, so silver is more affordable," Edwards adds. "Some designers are doing sterling silver with gold overlay, which is something I haven't seen in 20 years."
Donna Hankin, co-owner of Joint Venture Estate Jewelers in Cary, also has noticed sterling silver's rise in popularity. She's also seen a lot of other trends re-emerge.
"If you look at what's hot, often what's new is old and what's old is new again," she says.
"One of the best examples of this is seen in wide-cuff bracelets and bangles, which are definitely popular today and were from Victorian and Civil War times."
All that glitters
According to Edwards and Hankin, another trend that's reappearing is yellow gold. Once dominating the jewelry market, in recent years gold has taken a back seat to silver-colored metals. Although it hasn't quite made the transition back into the bridal segment, gold is showing up on runways and on the pages of fashion magazines. For weddings, platinum and diamonds remain the most in demand.
"Couples are still getting married; they aren't going to wait out the economy," says Barak Henis, vice president of Direct Diamonds Crabtree in Raleigh.
He adds that many engaged couples are looking for ways to get more bang for their buck. White gold bands and nonbranded diamonds are another way to save money.
"Smart customers don't buy branded diamonds," Henis says. "They know that they're the same diamonds, so they save their money for the mounting."
Henis also recommends reconsidering the cut of a diamond. Round diamonds traditionally have been the most popular cut — making up 65 percent of the market — and therefore are the most expensive. Additionally, much of the diamond is lost during the cutting process, making it more valuable.
"Now, cushion-cut is as popular as round," he says. "You get more diamond for your dollar."
Marquis and pear-shaped diamonds also are making a comeback. According to Henis, these cuts haven't been popular since the 1970s and 1980s. Nontraditional looks also are popular for bridal sets.
"Customers are mixing white and yellow gold or white and pink. We're making pieces with platinum, pink diamonds and pink gold," Edwards says of J.M. Edwards' popular Rosewood line.
Hankin sees a lot of engaged couples choosing vintage rings both for practical and environmental reasons.
"There's no worries about blood diamonds or any issues that go along with that; plus, they're going green," she says.
"There's also a craftsmanship and history that goes along with these pieces," Hankin adds, noting that vintage rings also can be worn as righthand rings for married couples seeking something unusual.
A refreshing look
Avant-garde and artistic designs are in demand at Hamilton Hill. Its line of black rubber jewelry with inlayed diamonds, for instance, has become popular among customers.
"It's so cool and clean with sleek lines," Hill says.
From clean and sleek to flowing and feminine, Goldworks has seen a demand for delicate, nature-oriented jewelry with gemstones or pearls. The shop's original designs boast creativity and variety.
"It's more organic," Hendrickson says.
"People want delicate designs and individualized jewelry."
In this market, successful retailers work to meet the demands of their customers.
"One thing we're proud of is that we're able to help people make smart choices and help them pick something that will stand the test of time," Hill says.
"People are looking for nice, traditional pieces of jewelry that they feel will retain their value," Edwards notes. "Customers are thinking about their investment more than they have in previous years."
"People come into our store for the price, but they buy because of our service," Henis adds of Diamonds Direct Crabtree.
Even with the variety of jewelry stores in the Triangle, all have at least one thing in common: customers who want high-quality, unique jewelry that reflects their style. The biggest trend in jewelry doesn't seem to be a trend after all.
Molly Cinquemani is a freelance writer based in Raleigh.
by Barak Henis
When considering diamonds, most Americans think of certain icons — the blue Tiffany box, DeBeers silhouettes donning diamond jewelry or the famous "A Diamond Is Forever" slogan. However, these icons don't tell the story behind the incredible journey a diamond takes before landing on your finger. From the diamond mine to the careful science behind cutting and manufacturing diamonds, the industry is much more than clever marketing campaigns.
Most jewelers acquire diamonds from third-party wholesalers. For Diamonds Direct, the story begins in Russia, where crews work to extract rough diamonds near Siberia. Active diamond mines also can be found throughout Africa, Australia, Brazil, Canada and India.
Diamond trade is closely monitored by the Kimberly Process, which identifies the origin of each diamond and requires the industry to ship rough and polished diamonds in officially sealed packages. This regulation ensures ethical mining and selling practices.
Worldwide, it is estimated that 130 million carats of diamonds are mined annually around the world, though only about one-quarter of those diamonds are jewelry quality; the rest are used for a variety of manufacturing and industrial purposes.
The practice of cutting jewelry-quality diamonds is a 100-year tradition. Diamond cutting and manufacturing facilities can be found in Amsterdam, Antwerp, India, London, New York City and Tel Aviv, Israel, where Diamonds Direct's site is located. At these facilities, master cutters create precise angles and facets to disperse the most light and luster from each diamond.
Modern technology and traditional methods are used to analyze the natural components of each stone, which can affect the color, clarity, cut, and carat weight of the finished product. A polished diamond can weigh as little as 50 percent of the weight of a rough diamond.
Once the stones have been polished, they're either sent to the European Gemological Laboratory (EGL) or the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), independent diamond laboratories that certify the quality of each loose stone. Once certified, reports are issued to identify specific characteristics of each diamond. These key characteristics help determine fair market value and identify each diamond.
Graded stones then are sent back to the cutting facility, where they're carefully selected for inventory. At Diamonds Direct, each diamond is carefully inspected and shipped to retail stores in Raleigh, Charlotte, and Birmingham, Ala.
The next time you crave a sparkling stone, you'll know that each diamond is unique and that its history is more than simply a pretty piece of jewelry.
Barak Henis is vice president of Diamonds Direct Crabtree in Raleigh. To learn more, call (919) 571-2881 or visit www.diamondsdirectcrabtree.com.


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While you can buy Bluetooth headsets alone in a range of colours and styles, when it comes to desk sets — Bluetooth headsets designed not just for mobile use but also for connecting up to desk phones and soft phones, and for unified communication purposes — staid and steady usually rules the roost from a design perspective. Jabra's Go 6470 surprised us then, as while it's definitely a business-centric desk set solution, it's actually rather stylish.
The look of the Go 6470 gives it a great mix point between looking professional without looking too much like a staid and boring business phone set. The base has nicely rounded corners and a matte finish, which means it won't gunge up with fingerprints or dust over time. It's also nicely compact, leaving plenty of desk space for other office accoutrements.
When you first open the Go 6470 box, it's hard not to feel a little overwhelmed. There's the base station itself, a fairly standard Bluetooth headset with pre-installed ear hook, a larger headphone-style optional headset for those who prefer the call centre look, an installation manual and a fold-out installation poster plus chargers for all of the above. Annoyingly, while you've got two types of installation documentation provided, neither are terribly deep in the detail stakes where it counts.
That lack of detail is somewhat made up for by the fact that the Go 6470 ranks amongst the easiest Bluetooth desk sets we've ever had to install. A simple wizard runs you through setting up your choice of desk phone, soft phone and mobile phone on the base station's 2.4-inch QVGA screen, and once installed a very simple icon interface allows you to manage your communication needs quite simply. The Go 6470 will work with headset lifters for desk phones, although depending on the make and model you may need an adapter to get that particular function up and running.

subset: commoncrawl


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Voters with Disabilities
For most voters, it's easy as leaving the house and walking or driving to the polls to vote tomorrow. For some, getting to the precinct may take a little more effort. But they say it's worth the trip, to have their vote count.
In this country, it's a privilege for citizen's to vote and to be able to choose who they want running government offices locally and nationally. For one man, as hard as it may be, he wouldn't have it any other way than to vote on election day. This is Mark Mayfield of Alachua County. A childhood accident 25 years ago left him a quadriplegic. But he's active citizen in the community and a man who takes his rights as an american very seriously.
Mayfield would rather vote on election day because he feels like it's a tradition and the voting procedure for people with disabilities has improved.
Fred Pratt is president of the Disability Caucus for Alachua County and he offers programs over at the Center for Independent Living. Fred says," That the organization advocates for people with disabilities and we try to get people involved in the election process".
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Friday, May 6, 2011
"It's okay..."
I tell clients that it's entirely natural to say "it's okay," as we are the dogs' caregivers, we love our pets. It's natural, but it's not okay.
Redirecting a fearful response is far healthier for the pet and will stick long-term. You can do this by using the dog's favourite treat (literally: something the dog loves to snack on). When your dog is exhibiting fear or anxiety and you find yourself starting to utter "it's okay," bite your tongue (often literally), and have the dog perform a simple command like "sit" or "stay" or "heel" and reward them immediately for having completed the task. This redirects the behaviour away from a fearful one and rewards the dog, rendering the entire experience a positive and beneficial one.
This is never okay!
7 comments:
- emilene said...
Never thought of it that way! I'll certainly go to the vet armed with treats from now on - thx for that!
- May 7, 2011 at 2:27:00 AM EDT
- Rachel said...
You are a great writer and I'm sure, a great vet! It was good to meet you in Miami! Hoping that you had a great time there, and a safe, comfortable trip back home.
Rachel B.
- May 27, 2011 at 10:13:00 PM EDT
- Once Upon an Equine said...
Oh my goodness. What a coincidence I would stumble upon your blog today. I was just at the vet this morning with my dog and I was saying "It's okay, it's okay. You're alright. It's okay, girl."
Your post makes a lot of sense. Next time, I'll be careful how I console my pet. Thanks for the advice.
- May 31, 2011 at 10:05:00 PM EDT
- Tom Foolry said...
I've had to take my dogs to the vet several times before and, I confess, I would always say that! It never occurred to me that that was the case.
On a side note, what are your thoughts on a veterinary compounding pharmacy? Do you do any of it yourself?
- July 22, 2011 at 4:24:00 PM EDT
- TorontoVet said...
Like anything, compounding pharmacies may be good, or not so good. They are so important nowadays as we are using so many different types of medications, and many of these must be compounded to suit the needs of our patients.
- August 3, 2011 at 9:59:00 PM EDT
- 001mum said...
Distraction- I do it with the dogs
(it takes practice) when my kids were little and now have perfected it with an elderly parent.
It really,really works.
However I only give the (yuck) lamb lung (yuck) treats to the dogs!
- August 8, 2011 at 6:20:00 PM EDT
- Veterinarian in Bucks County said...
Northeast philly Veterinarian
this was a really quality post
- January 10, 2013 at 2:45:00 AM EST


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Prince William's wife, Kate, is days past her due date if reports are correct.
Doctors say it's not unusual for first pregnancies to go a little later.
"This is very common. It is the most frustrating part, is when you go past your due date," said Dr. Jacques Mortiz of Roosevelt Hospital.
Sarah Vazquez is also expecting the arrival of her first child any day now. The thought of delivering late doesn't concern her too much. But she is aware she could end up being induced if she goes two weeks past her due date.
"We're definitely hoping to have a natural birth," Vazquez said. "But I understand that there's definitely a possibility if you go past a certain point."
Doctors will sometimes need to induce labor the longer a pregnancy goes. The baby gets larger, which can complicate natural delivery.
But inducing labor comes with its own risks. It can diminish your baby's oxygen and lower their heart rate. It can also increase the chances of premature birth and needing a cesarean section.
"Twenty to thirty percent," Moritz said.
There are many home remedies out there to bring labor on, including eating spicy foods and taking herbal supplements. But experts say those methods are not scientifically backed.
Moritz says expecting moms should just try to relax and allow nature to take its course.
"Please be patient; it will happen. I know you are sick and tired. Be patient, it will happen naturally," Moritz advised.
And across Britain they're trying their best to wait patiently for the next royal heir to arrive.
Doctors may also induce labor if a patient's placenta starts to deteriorate or if there is any sign of infection.


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Financial news
Weak volumes see Index lower
Yesterday's trading session at the Malta Stock Exchange was particularly quiet with low volume deals being struck in a handful of equities. Slight declines in the larger capitalised companies meant that the MSE Index closed in negative territory for its fifth consecutive session, this time losing 0.34 per cent to 4,878 points.
HSBC Bank Malta was the day's biggest loser as the equity gave up more than its previous session's gain by declining 1c5 or 0.8 per cent to Lm1.90,5. The day's trading activity was limited to 4,382 shares which changed hands across seven transactions leaving, at the end of the session, 200 shares best supplied at Lm1.90,2 against supply of a further 618 shares offered at Lm1.90,5.
Two investors swapped a mere 280 shares of Bank of Valletta in a lonely transaction which was executed at the Lm3.59 level. This represents a 1c or 0.3 per cent decline when compared to Wednesday's closing price.
Elsewhere, a single transaction was also execute in Simonds Farsons Cisk with a buyer agreeing to purchase 2,000 shares from a seller who offloaded without deviating from the previous closing level of Lm1.05.
Plaza Centres consolidated at the multi-year high level of 74c, as 1,600 shares were transacted across two deals. At the end of the session 665 shares remained outstanding on the bid side at 70c while 5,000 shares were best offered at 75c.
In the fixed interest sector of the market, activity was spread across three corporate bonds and the same number of government stocks. Among corporate debt, relatively robust activity was witnessed in the 6.6 per cent Simonds Farsons Cisk 2010/12 where 8,500 nominal was swapped across four transactions at Lm103.50.
Single deals where struck in three government securities, whose maturities ranged between 2016 and 2021, with all prices moving higher by a few ticks. The sector's biggest gainer was the 6.65 per cent MGS 2016 which gained 0.4 per cent to close the session at Lm113.87.
European stocks recover from early losses
Early yesterday, European stocks fell after the euro reached its highest ever against the dollar, deepening concern that profit growth will slow because of weaker exports. However, they recovered from earlier losses as Cable & Wireless Plc and Arcelor Mittal gained. Cable & Wireless, the UK's second-biggest phone company, climbed 4.3 per cent. Arcelor Mittal, the world's biggest steelmaker, rose 3.6 per cent.
The Bank of England relaxed restrictions on the amount of money financial institutions need to hold with the central bank, encouraging them to lend more to each other as it tries to reduce overnight borrowing costs.
US stock-index futures rose on speculation that General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. may gain concessions from the United Auto Workers union.
Japanese shares moved little, after the sudden resignation of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The Nikkei 225 closed 0.2 per cent higher, while the Topix was down 0.4 per cent. Both indices fell mildly on Wednesday on news of the resignation. But the stock markets were kept stable yesterday by the absence so far of any scandal behind Mr Abe's departure. There was speculation on Wednesday that his very sudden decision was spurred by a scandal that had not yet been revealed.
The financial news was compiled by Valletta Fund Management (Tel. 8007 2344) and Bank of Valletta plc (Tel. 2131 2020). BOV and VFM are licensed by the MFSA to conduct investment services business.
See our Comments Policy Comments are submitted under the express understanding and condition that the editor may, and is authorised to, disclose any/all of the above personal information to any person or entity requesting the information for the purposes of legal action on grounds that such person or entity is aggrieved by any comment so submitted. Please allow some time for your comment to be moderated.


text: Royal Marines Battalions Napoleonic Wars The 1st battalion formed at Plymouth on 29 November 1810 under the command of Major Richard Williams. It consisted of six companies, plus an attached company of Royal Marine Artillery. It embarked, arriving in Lisbon on 8 December 1810. The battalion grew to eight companies, plus the attached artillery company. It left Portugal in February 1812, and disembarked at Portsmouth. There it remained until 6 June 1812, when it embarked aboard HMS Diadem. The battalion arrived off the coast near Santona on 15 June, and was involved in the attack on the fort at Castro-Urdiales. The fort's garrison of two companies of infantry capitulated on 8 July, the French having evacuated the town the day before. On 10 July, the battalion re-embarked, intending to go to Portugalete, but returned to Castro shortly afterwards. The French, unawares that the marines had returned, launched an unsuccessful counter-attack against the fort's Bilbao gate. Major Williams was appointed commander of the fort on 30 July.


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Opera Stars Show Lighter Side at Awards Ceremony
The seventh annual Opera News Awards took place Sunday night at the Plaza Hotel, honoring sopranos Anja Silja and Karita Mattila, baritones Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Peter Mattei and stage director Peter Sellars for their "distinguished achievements" in the world of opera.
"It's the Academy Awards for opera," one attendee told me during the event, which is organized by the magazine of the Metropolitan Opera Guild.
And, yes, the list of presenters was equally impressive. Mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe served as mistress of ceremonies and also helped bestow the awards along with composer Kaija Saariaho, legendary baritone Sherrill Milnes, conductor James Conlon and bass-baritone Eric Owens.
My goal was to find out about the artists' summer plans — both work-related projects and vacations. As it turns out, there are some who have vacation plans. For both Silja and Mattei taking time off is a must. But I found that for most artists their work is a way of life. "Music – being what it is – is exciting, inspiring and relaxing," Milnes said. "There's not a lot of time," Owens told me, "when you're not on the stage performing, you're at home learning what's next."
And so, Blythe and Hvorostovsky will each be giving recitals over the summer. Conlon will be conducting in Chicago at the Ravinia Festival. And Sellars will be happily working with composer John Adams in Los Angeles in June and Osvoldo Golijov in Madrid thereafter. Saariaho will be working from her country home in France. And if Blythe is able to find some free time, she'll be sitting on her porch enjoying a glass of wine with her husband and playing with her 12-year-old black pug, Agnes Gooch.
For this opera lover, the Opera News Awards was a chance to witness the best in the opera business honoring one another, artist to artist. In the most revealing and intimate way, it spoke to the heart of what the art form is about. As WQXR's vice president and general manager Graham Parker said, "When you're in a room with this number of brilliant people, you are reminded of just how much talent it takes to make great opera!"
Here's more about summer plans and projects from this year's honorees and other luminaries at this year's Opera News Awards:


text: Just got a 92fs and am looking for advise on changing out to night sights or instaling adjustable sights. Have not decided on either one, just looking for a little experiance on these two options. I know that I have to at least drift the factory rear sight to the left and will need a little elevation. I have done a little checking on the internet and have found options. Hope there is something out there that I didn't come across.


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WWF in Action: Kenya
Grassroots Efforts Spans 650 miles to End the Illegal Ivory Trade in Kenya
In the race to save elephants, Jim Nyamu is taking it slow.
A Kenyan native, Nyamu has dedicated his life and career to saving the dwindling elephant population from illegal poaching in Eastern Africa. He raised awareness by walking more than 650 miles from Massai Mara to Nairobi on a campaign called Ivory Belongs to Elephants.
"It's wonderful to see people stand up and take action for what they believe in," said Niall O'Connor, a WWF representative who joined the walk. "I fully support what Jim is doing. Wildlife trade is big and it is organized. We need to support the government to pass legislation that will end the [illegal wildlife] trade."
From 2004 to 2012, Nyamu worked as a research scientist and elephant specialist with the African Conservation Center. In 2012, he was awarded a grant from WWF's Russell E. Train Education for Nature Program. The program provides support for mid-career conservationists to pursue short-term, non-degree training and upgrade their knowledge and skills. These grants provide the tools necessary for professionals to advance in their careers and improve local capacity in their home countries.
Shortly after receiving the grant, Nyamu co-founded the Elephant Neighbors Centera non-governmental organization whose mission is to protect African elephants and secure landscape for the endangered species outside protected areas. He and his colleagues are working to change national policy and draw attention to the issues and dangers of wildlife poaching through grassroots efforts.
Nyamu completed the walk, but the fight to stop illegal poaching and increase efforts to protect elephants still continues. WWF works to push governments to protect threatened animal populations and reduce demand for illegal wildlife parts and products.
Nyamu is a wonderful example of how one individual can make a difference in this ongoing effort.
Photo © Johnston Mulary
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EPA's Report on the Environment
Ambient Concentrations of Ozone
Ozone is a gas found in different parts of the atmosphere. Ozone in the upper atmosphere, or stratosphere, helps protect the Earth from the sun's harmful rays. (The Stratospheric Ozone Levels indicator describes trends in stratospheric ozone levels over the U.S.) In the lowest level of the atmosphere, the troposphere, exposure to ozone also can be harmful to both human health and some plants. For this reason, ozone is often described as being "good up high and bad nearby" (U.S. EPA, 2003b). Most ground-level ozone forms in the air from chemical reactions involving nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and sunlight. Ozone levels are typically highest during the afternoon hours of the summer months, when the influence of direct sunlight is the greatest. These highest levels occur during what is known as the "ozone season," which typically occurs from April 1 to October 31 but whose time frame varies by state (U.S. EPA, 2003a).
Variations in weather conditions play an important role in determining ozone levels. Daily temperatures, relative humidity, and wind speed can affect ozone levels. In general, warm dry weather is more conducive to ozone formation than cool wet weather. Wind can affect both the location and concentration of ozone pollution. NOx and VOC emissions can travel hundreds of miles on air currents, forming ozone far from the original emissions sources. Ozone also can travel long distances, affecting areas far downwind. High winds tend to disperse pollutants and can dilute ozone concentrations. However, stagnant conditions or light winds allow pollution levels to build up and become more concentrated.
Inhalation exposure to ozone can cause many harmful health effects. Examples include respiratory effects, such as difficulty breathing, coughing, and airway inflammation. For people with lung diseases such as asthma, emphysema, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), these effects can lead to emergency room visits and hospital admissions. Ozone exposure also is likely to cause premature death from lung or heart diseases. In addition, evidence indicates that long-term ozone exposure may lead to the development of asthma and permanent lung damage (U.S. EPA, 2013). People most at risk from breathing air containing ozone include people with asthma, children, older adults, and people who are active outdoors, especially outdoor workers. In addition, people with certain genetic characteristics, and people with reduced intake of certain nutrients, such as vitamins C and E, are at greater risk from ozone exposure. Research also indicates people with certain health conditions, such as obesity or diabetes, may be at increased risk of ozone-related health effects (U.S. EPA, 2013). Elevated concentrations of ozone can also affect some vegetation and ecosystems, as the Ozone Injury to Forest Plants indicator describes further (U.S. EPA, 2006).
This indicator presents ambient ground-level ozone concentrations in parts per million (ppm) from 1978 to 2013. Data are shown for 8-hour averaging times, based on continuous ozone monitoring data and consistent with this pollutant's National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). The 8-hour standard is indicative of exposures occurring over a sustained period of time (e.g., an outdoor worker's exposure over the course of a work day). Trends for this indicator represent 149 sites in 123 counties nationwide that have data for the period of record in the State and Local Air Monitoring Stations network or by other special purpose monitors. The indicator also displays trends in ozone measurements in each EPA Region. This indicator's exhibits display the corresponding NAAQS as a point of reference, but the fact that the national or regional concentrations fall below the standard does not mean that all monitoring sites nationally or in any EPA Region also are below the standard. The indicator displays trends in the number of the 149 sites nationwide at which ozone concentrations exceeded the 8-hour standard, but this statistic is not displayed for each EPA Region.
Trends in ozone concentrations can be difficult to discern because of the year-to-year variations in the concentrations. By presenting data for rolling 3-year time periods, this indicator smoothes out the "peaks" and "valleys" in the trend, making it easier to see the long-term trend. Three years is consistent with the 3-year period used to assess compliance with the ozone standard. For the 8-hour trends in this report, a 3-year average of the fourth highest daily maximum 8-hour concentration in each year is used to be consistent with the 8-hour ozone standard.
What the Data Show
Between the 1978-1980 and 2011-2013 averaging periods, nationwide fourth highest daily maximum 8-hour ambient ozone concentrations decreased by 30 percent (Exhibit 1). The 8-hour ozone levels in 2011-2013 tied for the lowest on record and the number of trend sites measuring ozone concentrations above the level of the 8-hour NAAQS decreased by 55 percent over the time frame covered in this indicator (Exhibit 2). Among the ten EPA Regions, the most substantial declines in 8-hour levels were observed in EPA Regions that originally had the highest ozone concentrations (EPA Regions 1 and 9) (Exhibit 3). Over nearly the entire period of record, Region 10 showed the lowest Regional ozone levels.
Also shown in Exhibit 1 are the 90th and 10th percentiles based on the distribution of statistics at the monitoring sites. This provides additional graphical representation of the variability of measured concentrations across the monitoring sites for a given 3-year period. Thus, the graphic displays the concentration range where 80 percent of measured values occurred for that 3-year period.
In summary, despite reductions in ambient concentrations of ozone over the past quarter century and decreases in the emissions of ozone precursors since 1990 (the Nitrogen Oxides Emissions indicator; the VOC Emissions indicator), ozone concentrations above the health-based air quality standards remain one of the most persistent air pollution problems in many parts of the U.S.
- Because most of the monitoring sites are located in urban areas, the trends might not accurately reflect conditions outside the immediate urban monitoring areas.
- Because of the relatively small number of trend sites in some EPA Regions, the regional trends are subject to greater uncertainty than the national trends. Some EPA Regions with low average concentrations may include areas with high local concentrations, and vice versa. In addition, the 149 trend sites in this indicator are not dispersed uniformly across all states in the EPA Regions. The 149 trend sites are located in 35 states. In the remaining 15 states, there currently are insufficient long-term data from the existing monitoring sites to include in this indicator.
- To ensure that long-term trends are based on a consistent set of monitoring sites, selection criteria were applied to identify the subset of ozone monitoring sites with sufficient data to assess trends since 1978. Monitoring sites without sufficient data are not included in the trend analysis. Some excluded monitoring sites reported ozone concentrations above the level of the ozone standard over the time frame covered by this indicator. In 2013, for example, 127 sites recorded ozone concentrations above the level of the NAAQS: this includes the 60 trend sites shown in Exhibit 2, and 67 sites that did not have sufficient long-term data to be included in this indicator.
Data Sources
Summary data in this indicator were provided by EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, based on ozone ambient air monitoring data in EPA's Air Quality System (U.S. EPA, 2014a) (https://www.epa.gov/aqs). National and regional trends in this indicator are based on the subset of ozone monitoring stations that have sufficient data to assess trends since 1978.
For More Information
- EPA's Air Quality System
- EPA Ozone Information
- Learn how this indicator fits into a conceptual diagram for: Tropospheric Ozone
- This indicator relates to the ROE question on Outdoor Air Quality
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By Vito Delsante
"Geniuses are like thunderstorms. They go against the wind, terrify people, cleanse the air."
In pop culture, "genius" is often pinpointed to one spectacular moment, a confluence of talent, luck, and hard work. It is heard in music, seen on film, and/or experienced in words. I am, by no means, a critic but what I intend to do with BEFORE/AFTER GENIUS is revisit the catalog of the artists that have made the most impact on my life and discuss the work that led up to the eureka moment and what came directly after.
Let's begin with our subject of this piece, Prince Rogers Nelson, known to the world, simply as Prince.
Who is Prince?
I think the first time I saw Prince was on American Bandstand, which, to anyone under the age of 30, is going to be a mystery. You're familiar with TRL? Dick Clark, the New Year's Eve guy, did it first. I almost always found myself watching it because cartoons ended, not because I had an artist I wanted to watch (that kind of fandom would come later, as my music tastes actually developed). So, there I was, stuck to the TV, and probably reenacting what I just saw on Super Friends with my action figures, and at some point, I looked up and, "I Wanna Be Your Lover," was being performed on American Bandstand. I probably thought it was a woman singing, because I had no concept of falsetto. I loved the song. As a kid in the 70's, specifically in 1979 at the time of this song's release, and as the son of a Motown and disco freak, my music likes were shaped by R&B, more than, say, hard rock. I grew up with my mom and her side of the family…the Puerto Rican side. As a result, dance music was BIG in my house and, as a result, Prince was on our radio. He was a staple of R&B stations like WBLS and 92 KTU, but his stardom didn't truly take off, in the crossover sense, until 1982 with his album 1999. World domination came two years later with Purple Rain.
Before I get into the albums, I have to stress how important Prince was in the 80's. Chris Rock has this joke where he talks about how Michael Jackson and Prince had a competition for who was better. The punchline is, "Prince won." Rock is saying that in light of Jackson's controversial latter days, which were more often than not filled with stories of (alleged) child molestation. Prince, who many thought was gay (a virtual crime in the early 80's), came out smelling like a rose. Combined with Madonna, Prince and Michael Jackson were the Holy Trinity of the 80's. They are the Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman of music. By virtue of his musical ability, however, Prince is a true genius; according to the liner notes of his The Hits/The B-Sides, Prince is a virtuoso, having mastered two dozen instruments. Definitely the Batman of that trio. Neither Madonna nor Michael could come close to boasting such a feat. With nine albums released from 1980 to 1989, Prince dominated the 80's (for comparison sake, Madonna had four; Michael Jackson had two). For all intents and purposes, Prince is a master of music. Period.
With that all said, let's all agree that his moment of genius was Purple Rain (1984).
(And before you disagree, I will say that I personally believe Sign O' The Times is his moment of genius, but I'm going to conform to the mass belief that I'm wrong for thinking that.)
Purple Rain, lest we forget, is a soundtrack, but it's also Prince's sixth studio album. It was the first of his albums to be credited to Prince and the Revolution, even if many of the members were on the last album. Purple Rain, along with Michael Jackson's Thriller and Madonna's Like A Virgin, pretty much made up the "soundtrack of the 80's." Throw in Huey Lewis & the News' Sports and Hall & Oates' H2O and you've pretty much distilled the decade to it's five quintessential albums.
Purple Rain is without a doubt a watershed moment for Prince. Without regurgitating facts that you can find on Wikipedia, you have to understand that what Prince was doing before this was more R&B/funk/soul music. Purple Rain was a rock album in the vein of the concept albums of the 70's; It was more Led Zeppelin IV and The Who's Tommy than it was Free Your Mind and Your Ass Will Follow by Funkadelic. It was his crossover album, one that proved not only his guitar proficiency (he's a virtuoso), but his ability to tap into what was hot in clubs, house parties and in cars. Put any guitar riff played by Prince or Wendy Melvoin up against anything on Van Halen 1984 and it's clear that Prince, as funky as he is, could go up against any heavy metal guitarist note for note (except maybe Kerry King). Again, it can't be understated; the leap from 1999 to Purple Rain was huge. So, let's take a look at the before.
Before: 1999 (1982)
1999 starts off with the song of the same name, a party anthem if there ever was one (as evidenced by the repeated, "Party!" refrain at the end of the song). Heavy on the "Minneapolis sound" (which is basically a mix of funk and New Wave created, naturally, by Prince), the album is as far away from a rock album as you can get. Whatever your opinions on what constitutes a rock album versus an r&b album, you have to admit that, when listened track after track, 1999 is, at it's heart, a dance album. I mean, he's got a song on the album called "DMSR" (Dance, Music, Sex, Romance). How obvious do you need to be? The only exception is, possibly, "Little Red Corvette."
The album's second song, "Little Red Corvette," is another heavy synth song, but the guitar solo is really a shade of what's to come. If you listen closely, you can almost hear the guitar riff that opens "When Doves Cry" [from Purple Rain]…at the very least, you can hear the technique. When you listen to 1999 as a whole, you hear an 80's album, sure, but you don't hear something that transcends that. As much as I love the songs, I can't see any of these songs being written today. Except for "Little Red Corvette." If you were to point to any moment on this album that you can hear the genius break out, it's that last guitar solo.
After: Around The World In A Day (1985)
The first thing you need to take note of when listening to Around the World In A Day is that this is the second album to feature Prince's backing band, The Revolution. Like I said, some of the members played on prior albums, but the sound is fuller…this is Prince at his most Phil Spector. I've always considered this his Sgt. Pepper album (although, I'm sure most would say that Lovesexy is) because it's very experimental. When listening to this album, you really have to try hard to remember Purple Rain and everything that came before; this is an album that is almost nine different takes of "The Beautiful Ones" [from Purple Rain]. But, in the wake of this album (which, if I remember correctly, wasn't as well received as Purple Rain…research shows that Around The World In A Day went double platinum, versus 13x platinum PR), you can hear where Prince is going. He's pushing music but, also, he's pushing the expectations for what kind of music an African American artist should make. Best way to put it for modern audiences: You guys keep waiting for Radiohead to rock out again, and they just keep coming back with experimental music. That's not to say there are no dance tracks on the album (see "Tamborine," "Pop Life" and "Raspberry Beret") or any rock songs (see "America" and the seedy-strip club blues riffs on "Temptation"). It's just that Prince is going somewhere we can't follow unless we're willing to take the trip.
At the very end of "Temptation," which is, fittingly, the last song on the album, Prince says, "I have to go now/I don't know when I'll return/Goodbye." To me, Prince was shedding his skin, only to come back with three of the most important albums he's ever done; Parade, Sign O' The Times, and Lovesexy. After "Temptation," he never really goes back to that heavy guitar sound, instead adopting a bluesy way of playing. Another thing that comes to mind his how "Temptation" ends with a conversation with God and how he starts writing music that shows the conflict with sex and spirituality. Here's where Prince excels. Today, he sings about love and while that's great, his conflict is gone. Every musician knows that conflict creates the best music (which is why so many songs are about heartache and break ups). Today, Prince has resolved his issues, and while some of his newer material is good, none of it can touch his 80's output.
It's crazy to think that in the span of ten years, Prince goes from Dirty Mind to Batman; from sex obsessed to spiritual; from the kid in black bikini bottoms to the man in the suit with the ass-less pants. But musically, right in the middle, he hit a peak that would never be touched. Could never be touched.
–Vito Delsante
Photograph by Seth Kushner


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They've always been outspoken about their support for gay rights, and Macklemore and Ryan Lewis helped a bunch of couples, gay and straight, tie the knot at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards tonight (January 26).
It's the biggest night of the year for the music industry, so it's no wonder Madonna showed up at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards tonight (January 26) in Los Angeles.
Bringing along her adorable son David, the performer made her way through the arrivals area in a Ralph Lauren suit at the Staples Center, stopping briefly to chat with the press and pose for photos.
New hype surrounds the 2014 Grammy Awards, and for all of the musical acts scheduled to perform on Sunday night's show, the biggest is sure to be the live marrying of 34 diverse couples!
Ever the event to bring together the best in the business, Madonna and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis to perform on stage together at 2014 Grammy Awards.
Reports state that Macklemore (a.k.a. Ben Haggerty) and the 55-year-old Queen of Pop will perform his hit "Same Love" when they take the stage together on Sunday (January 26).
Racing through JFK Airport in New York with her assistants, Madonna drew stares with her curious fashion choices, and hopped on a flight to LA today (January 24).
Wearing a long dark coat and shades, the "Vogue" singer flashed a strangely golden smile to onlookers, seemingly having golden teeth in her mouth.
She's been in the music biz for over three decades, but Madonna is still able to cause controversy and draw criticism.
On Friday (January 17), the "Vogue" singer proudly posted a photo of her son Rocco in his boxing gear with the caption.
Rumors swirl about the biggest night in music, and they say that Madonna and Beyonce Knowles are expected to perform at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards!
The LA Times released a report stating that the Queen of Pop and Queen Bey are two of the award show's biggest surprises, however they will not be performing together.
Moving slow, but still managing to get around town, Madonna set out today (January 17), aided by a pair of crutches in New York City.
The 55-year-old songstress took on the snow of the Big Apple in a long black winter coat with a fur coat, black snow pants and a pair of regular running shoes.


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Originally written on Start 'N' Park Blog | Last updated 10/1/14
HOMESTEAD, FL - NOVEMBER 20: Kasey Kahne, driver of the #9 Budweiser Dodge, points from the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 20, 2009 in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR)
SOPHOMORE SEASON: Kasey Kahne enters his second year with Hendrick Motorsports after recording acareer-best fourth-place result in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup standings. He finished the 2012 season with two wins, 12 top-five finishes, 19 top-10s and four pole positions. Joined again by crew chief Kenny Francis, Kahne will pilot the No. 5 Chevrolets during the 2013 campaign, his 10th year on the Cup circuit. Overall,Kahne has 14 Cup victories, 13 of which he's earned since 2006 with Francis as his crew chief. WE AREFARMERS: Farmers Insurance returns as a primary partner with Kahne for its second straight season and will adorn the hood of the No. 5 Chevrolets in 22 Sprint Cup Series events this year. The 32-year-old Kahne will pilot the No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet SS in the Feb. 16 Sprint Unlimited exhibition event and the Feb. 24 Daytona 500. CHEVROLET SS: The 2013 season welcomes NASCAR's sixth generation race car, the Gen-6,but Kahne is no stranger to how the Chevrolet SS handles on the 2.5-mile superspeedway. Kahne and his Hendrick Motorsports teammates participated in the NASCAR Sprint Cup test session at Daytona in January. KAHNE AT DAYTONA: While Kahne still is looking for his first Daytona500 win, he has reached Victory Lane previously at the 2.5-mile superspeedway. In 2010, he won the second Budweiser Duel 150 qualifying race. In 18 NASCAR Sprint Cup starts at Daytona, Kahne has two top-five finishes and seven top-10s, including a runner-up result in the July 2010 race. SUPERSPEEDWAY STATS: In 36 starts at the restrictor-plate tracks of Daytona and Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway,Kahne has recorded acombined five top-five finishes and 11 top-10s. He recorded back-to-back seventh-place finishes in the Daytona 500 in 2007 and 2008 and two runner-up finishes in the fall races at Talladega in 2006 and 2009. Three of Kahne's 14 career wins happened on tracks two miles or longer — Fontana, Calif., Michigan International Speedway and Pocono Raceway. UNLIMITED LOOP DATA: In eight Sprint Unlimited career starts at Daytona,Kahne has accumulated four top-10s,including arunner-up finish in 2010. According to NASCAR loop data in the last seven Sprint Unlimited races at Daytona, there's a three-way tie for eighth in the closers category between Kahne, Dave Blaney and Joe Nemechek for positions improved in the last 10 percent of the laps in each race (six positions). Kahne ranks ninth in the green-flag passes category with 646 total. DUELS LOOP DATA: According to NASCAR loop datain the last eight Duel races at Daytona, Kahne has more green-flag passes (730) than any other driver during that time. He ranks third for quality passes (590), sixth in fastest laps run (20), ninth in laps in top 15 (406), ninth in speed in traffic (188.943 mph) and 10th fastest on restarts (171.260 mph). DAYTONA 500 LOOP DATA: According to NASCAR loop data in the last 16points-paying races at Daytona, Kahne has more green-flag passes (3,520) than any other driver. He ranks second for speed under the green flag with an average pace of 188.215 mph and is tied for fifth in fastest laps run (68). Kahne ranks fifth in speed in traffic (188.061 mph), ninth in quality passes (1,997laps), 10th in average running position (16.442) and 10th in fastest drivers early in a run (189.237 mph). HALF MARATHON: Prior to qualifying for the Daytona 500 on Feb. 17, Kahne and teammate Jimmie Johnson will run the Daytona Beach Half Marathon. The 13.1-mile race opens with atwo-mile segment around the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway oval and then leads runners to the ocean shore before winding them back to the track and the finish line in Victory Lane. CHASSIS CHOICE: Francis will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-636 for the Feb. 16 Sprint Unlimited event. Kahne last raced this chassis at Daytona's exhibition event last February, where he finished 13th. Kahne will pilot new Chassis No. 5-768 for the first time in the Feb. 24 Daytona 500. DAYTONA DOUBLE: Kahne will drive the No. 5 JR Motorsports Chevrolet during the 300-mile NASCAR event onFeb. 23 at Daytona. Most recently, Kahne recorded a ninth-place finish in this event at Daytonain February 2012. FLORIDA NATIVES: Two members of the No. 5 Chevrolet team hail from the Sunshine State. Francis made a name for himself behind the wheel of a gokart in Jacksonville and went on to earn his mechanical engineering degree from the University of Florida. Front-tire changer Johnny Roberts grew up surfing the waves near his hometown of Titusville. HENDRICK AT DAYTONA: In 58 points-paying events (186 starts) at Daytona,Hendrick Motorsports has achieved 10wins,44 top-five finishes, 80 top-10s and has led 1,380 laps. Six of those wins were earned in the Daytona 500,with the most recent two happening back-to-back with Jeff Gordon in 2005 and Johnsonin 2006. Hendrick owns six victories in the Sprint Unlimited and most recently won the exhibition event with Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2008. FAN-DESIGNED UNLIMITED: This year for the Sprint Unlimited, fans will vote upon many specifics, including the number of laps in each segment; the type of pit stop a team can make after the first segment and how many cars will be eliminated after the second segment. Votes can be cast on NASCAR's new official mobile app — NASCAR Mobile '13 — or at NASCAR.com/Sprint Unlimited. All votes made through the NASCAR Mobile '13 app will count twice. KASEY KAHNE, DRIVER, NO. 5 FARMERS INSURANCE CHEVROLET SS (ON WHAT HE THINKS ABOUT FANS VOTING FOR THE SPRINT UNLIMITED EVENT.): "Whatever they decide, we'll race and do it, and we'll see what happens from there. Pretty much when you're at a racetrack like Daytona, you're going to have atwo-lap dash at the end, and that's just basically what you're going to have. They can do whatever they want, and then we're going to have that two-lap dash. You just kind of go into it and who knows what's going to happen, and who knows where you're going to start or how you're going to start. All those things are going to be up in the air, and it's up to the fans. Sprint likes bringingthe fans into it. They like making the fans a part of this,and I think the fans are a huge part of NASCAR so tohave certain races where they're a big part of that is fine with me. It's Daytona. You can pass, and you can go from 10th to the lead, you can go to the lead to 10th in no time at all so it'll be pretty excitingI think." KAHNE (ON CARRYING THE NO. 5 TEAM'S STRONG MOMENTUM FROM 2012 TO THIS SEASON.): "Last year ended up being apretty good year, and Ithink some of that momentum will carry over to this season. We still have the same team, the same group and we all know that. We know where we were and what we need to work on. We've talked about it,and we're going to work on those things. We have a lot to build on going into this second year with Hendrick Motorsports including myself and Kenny like our communication. Just the little things we can work on to get better. We have a lot of places we can make gains and get better so I like knowing that and we're working hard on that. I'm looking forward to getting the 2013 season started." KAHNE (ON HOW THE NEW CHEVROLET SS DRIVES.): "I feel great about the Gen-6. The new Chevy SS looks great. It's been awesome to drive at all the testing I've done. I've done six tests at four different tracks to this point, and Ifelt really good in it each time. The biggest pack I've been in I think is 12-14 cars. It was fine, and we were able to pass cars at Charlotte — probably could pass four to five cars in a 20-lap run. So I thought the passing was there, and the cars just handle really well. You can put them where you want them. You can race side-by-side and clear the car in front of you if you're better than them." KAHNE (ON WHY HE'S RUNNING IN THE DAYTONA BEACH HALF MARATHON ON FEB. 17.): "Iwas very active in sports when I was younger so running has always beensomething I've enjoyed. It's a great way to clear my mind andwith all that's goingon during DaytonaSpeedweeks, running this half-marathon will be a great outlet to help maintain my focus. I enjoy pushing myself, and it's fun to take yourself to that level." KENNY FRANCIS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 FARMERS INSURANCE CHEVROLET SS (ON THE NO. 5 TEAM'S OFFSEASON.): "It's been a good offseason. We tested three times, which is more than we usually test during the offseason the last few years so that's been refreshing. We got to be in the car at the track a good bit so there's a lot of pluses and minuses to it. But overall, we feel good about it. We really like the new Chevy SS so we think it's going to be a really good year, and we're excited to get going." FRANCIS (ON HIS SECOND SEASON AT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS.): "It's the first time in a long time that Kasey andI have come into a new year with the same team behind us and the same working group. In the past three or four years, there's been a lot of change so we hope that it's just a bit more relaxing kind of gettingthere. Of course then, we throw in the Chevy SS,the whole Gen-6 car so it has made for a little bit of a trying time getting our fleet built up and getting all the details finished up. Soit's always something. Hopefully we'll have a good Daytona, and we won't even think about the offseason." FRANCIS (ON CARRYING THE NO. 5 TEAM'S MOMENTUM FROM THE 2012 SEASON.): "Race finish wise and points wise, we were off to a slow start in2012 but the positive part of that was everywhere we went we were fast. We were usually fast in practice so we knew our cars and equipment were good. We had a lot of confidence in what we were doing. We just were having freak things happen to us. It would have been a different story if we didn't have the speed in the cars, but since we had good speed in the cars and things were going OK on that regard, we knew the results would come. We just had to fight through the adversity that we found ourselves in so it wasn't really that frustrating because we knew the cars were fast. We knew we were capable of running up front every week and that was good to know. Knowing that, it gives us confidence going into the 2013 season, and we hope to carry the momentum we had going at the endof 2012." -Hendrick Motorsports PR
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This is a discussion on how do you do a burnout within the Motorsports Talk forums, part of the Community - Meet other Enthusiasts category; Originally Posted by wrxtreme06 lol. +1...
So are you just curious or are you actually wanting do try a burnout in a WRX/STi?
-The J 𒂼𒄄
"Driving most supercars is like trying to manhandle a cow up a back staircase. . . This is like smearing honey into Keira Knightly" -JC
Here you go you'll need this.
OBP 2005 Wrx - Big 16g
Drifting? Burn-outs? A lot of these questions lately. Don't people take this into consideration before buying an AWD car? Oh wait, I just answered my own question. Next they will want to know how to "chirp" all the gears. Please take the time to read your owners manual (at least the parts that are important to you). P.S. Usually the videos you see on the internet are done by people who don't care what happens to their ( I use the word "their" loosely) cars. Most are just looking for attention. IMHO.
Whenever I think of the past, it brings back so many memories. - Steven Wright
. . . . priceless question thank you, you made my day
STi COMING SOON
when you pull the e brake in the STi it disconnects the center diff. Making it possible to do ebrake 180s with out messing stuff up.(back wheels locked, fronts still spinning would be bad for the center diff) For some reason when you pull the ebrake a bit the back wheels will peel out(i would think the fronts would do it but i dont know why). So dont try this in a wrx, it work work. if you have an STI, it will work but i dont know how bad it is for the car.
fyi its a ****ing awd car, dont peel out, you will just look like a toolshed
Bugeye Mafia #185
Blobeye Syndicate #38
San Remo Alliance............#002
this is an awesome thread....there have been sooo many of these on here lately...how do i drift my car? how do i do burnouts? how do i do donuts? what happened to, i have a subaru and i LOVE the **** outa my car, i would hate to break it. are more and more people just going for broke out there? everytime you do a burnout in your subbie god kills a kittie.... remember that
------->Live to Drive<--------
I am getting really old. I should probably check myself in at Shady Pines.
I remember when the young people all wanted to know how to make their car go faster. Now they all want to look like some moron on YouTube. What the hell has happened to the world? "Screw performance! We want image and a broken car! That gets the chicks!" (Yeah, all of the high school sophomores! Good luck with them!)
Here is how you do a burnout in a real car.
1)Roll through water.
2)Whack the throttle to get the car up on the tire,
3)then feather it at your predetermined rpm until you have had enough fun.
Left hand on the wheel and the right hand on the brake slightly warming the rotors.
If you really have an interest- my guess is you do not have a tire that will go quicker after a burnout. Most street and performance tires will lose traction and performance after a burnout.
Wow! Great catch on the other posts of this guy!
A triple plate clutch? Thanks for the info. Since I am not a real clutch guy, I guess I have to go back to school on the performance stuff. I thought I knew, but I guess I don't.
No clutch 'disc' would ever in the history of the planet be designated as a clutch 'plate.' However a clutch floater is sometimes considered a clutch plate. So does that mean he will have three floaters in his new clutch, making it a four disc clutch? If so, I tend to misunderstand what he is driving that would make the power to need a four disc clutch. Since there are door cars running 5.73 at 254mph in the quarter mile without a four disc clutch, I would be interested to see what he has.
And since he has logged on seeming himself to be a shop that can sell parts as well as install/tune- he must be far advanced over any of us in knowledge as well as talent and performance.
Please- come on and inform us all, oh master of the burnout world!
Better than the clapOriginally Posted by TheJ
2016 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road - Daily
2005 WRX STi (Mods | Virtual Dyno) - Toy
Resident Tuner @ WTF Tuning
"Never trust anything that bleeds for a week and lives ..."


text:
Category: Feminism, Great Women, International, WMC
WMC Hosts Reception for Dr. Nawal El Saadawi
March 21, 2011
Last Thursday, the Women's Media Center was proud to host prominent Egyptian feminist Dr. Nawal El Saadawi in her last stop after being honored for Newsweek's Women in the World event. The reception was held in the beautiful office space of the Nathan Cummings Foundation.
Just back from the protests in Egypt's Tahrir Square, El Saadawi has been fighting for gender equality for more than four decades - And has suffered its extreme consequences. El Saadawi has been imprisoned, censored and exiled while still keeping a sense of humor and grasp of being a full individual. She jokingly referring to another consequence of her activism: being married three times.
She spoke about the dangers of colonialism, citing its direct infringement on women's equality as an imperative. Robin Morgan, a long-time friend (and co-founder of the WMC), recounted the inspiring story of how she and Gloria Steinem assisted Nawal's release from prison in the 1980s, due to her controversial feminist writings and work against the practice of female genital mutilation. Gloria had met Jehan Sadat, the First Lady of Egypt (Anwar Sadat's wife) once, and after failed efforts at the state department, they picked up phones at the offices of Ms. Magazine, and in absolute astonishment, Jehan answered herself, and they explained the situation. With a glimmer of hope, in a matter of a couple of days, they were successful against seemingly impossible odds and she was released from prison.
We were honored to host Nawal and were inspired by the veteran women's rights activist to not only fight for women's equality, but also to be a whole women and to become the best version of oneself. Quotes from Dr. Nawal's conversation can be found on Caroline Alexander's article on the press conference call that was a prelude to the reception. Below are some beautiful photographs from the reception taken by Francesa Andre.
Gloria Steinem answering questions from our guests
Dr. Nawal El Saadawi and WMC Co-Founder Robin Morgan


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Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Yunel Escobar has been suspended 3 games without pay for showing a gay slur on his eye black in a recent game.
The Blue Jays announced the suspension after meeting with Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association at the Commissioner Bud Selig's office in N.Y to determine Escobar's punishment.
At least one photo taken showed Escobar wearing the eye black with the slur written in Spanish during Saturday's game against the Red Sox.
"I'm sorry for the actions of the other day," Escobar said through a translator in a press conference at Yankee Stadium. "It wasn't something I intended to be offensive. It was something I just put on the sticker on my face as a joke. There was nothing deliberate aimed at anyone particularly.
"I don't have anything against homosexuals. I have buddies who are gay. In reality I would like to ask for the apologies of all of those that have been offended by this."
Considering Escobar makes about $5 million this season, he'll lose over $92,000 during his suspension.
MLB rules forbid insulting words and symbols on uniforms. Writing something of that nature on eye black would fall under that category, Major League Baseball spokesman Pat Courtney announced.
"I can guarantee this will not happen again in my career," Escobar asserted. "And it's a lesson I've learned and will never commit again in my career. I am sorry, I didn't mean for this to be misinterpreted by the homosexual community. I apologize.
Escobar said that he was "embarrassed" and asserted it was his idea to write the slur, which he probably did 10 minutes before the game. He said he had not written it before.
Blue Jays manager John Farrell asserted nobody on the team paid any attention to the words on his shortstop's eye black because usually they're "uplifting and motivational." Las Vegas odds
Escobar announced he's been writing on his eye black throughout his career.
"My reaction initially was one of surprise, because this is completely out of character as I know him as a person and as a player, and it speaks clearly to the fact that people who wear this uniform have a responsibility to MLB and there's very much a social component to that," said Farrell, who added that he addressed the team.
"If you look back there's a number of occasions, he's frequently done it, no one paid attention to it."
Farrell declared he does not believe there's a problem with homophobia in major league clubhouses.
Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos believes this event can eventually become a positive.
"It's a selection of emotions. I think what came out from all of this is a lack of education. I know it's not merely an issue in sports. It is an issue in life," Anthopoulos asserted. "Just when you even speak to him and some of the groups that are going on, it's clear that the problem isn't going away, and this is just an illustration of it. It is not getting solved today; this is just an illustrative example of it."


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Thoughts on layout
By: Fresh fish80
November 27th, 2015
2:17 pm
Hi, So Im new to the forum just starting out with my new 30gal planted tank, I have it running with plants just stuck in to grow a bit, this weekend im going to change the subtrate to dirt capped with black sand, I was wondering if you guys had any good ideas for a layout with the plant I have, these are the ones i have: so I sort of want to follow this layout, but with the plants i have, no wood or rocks either, thoughts??? http://tropica.com/en/inspiration/layout/Layout10/4851
Bacopa Carolina,
dwarf lily
Green Hygro Siamensis
sunset Hygro
baby tears
ludwiga rubin
Green and brown crypt
Staurogyne repens
Lobelia cardinalis
and hopefully some downoi and postgen erectus, they were pretty brown, so I dont know if theyll make it, but i can hope, if not ill prolly just get another cup of downoi, Thanks for the help!! heres a quick shot of what it looks like now,
75G Native Planted Riffle Tank (Central NC)
By: Itsnotme1988
August 10th, 2015
10:55 pm
Figured as my build is going incredibly slowly I may as well start a pictoral journal! This is a 75 I picked up off of craigslist with the stand, T5 NO dual lamp, and Aqueon 75 HOB filter along with various supplies for $150. The plan as this point is to collect the majority of my decorations, flora and fauna around NC once it's up and running. I want to build a planted riffle tank (Vallisneria sp, etc) with a mix of darters, shiners and chubs with some crawfish or some arthropod that could survive with but not eat the fishes and plants. Looking to go low tech.
Built sliding glass canopies
The river manifold is 3/4in PVC with two 1" inlets and two 3/4" inlets. The hob is attached the inlet and the caps are only temporary until I order my JBJ SP2500 powerheads (530gph) and filter pads from Swiss Tropicals.
First test fit and fill with driftwood that had been soaking for several weeks...
I do still need to build a canopy to properly mount the light and need to order proper bulbs.
For gravel I used Quickrete Pea Gravel as a cap over a mixture of Scotts Topsoil and Special Kitty cat litter.
The soil is only across the back half of the tank.
The Hygrophilla difformis is planted in what I'm hoping will be a good current break. (sort of native, introduced species in Florida according to USDA) It was grown emmersed so I'm waiting for the leaves to shed.
Looking for comments, ideas, constructive criticism.
My emersed bin :)
By: drewsuf82
May 4th, 2015
9:42 pm
Well after viewing the thread up top, and a lot more in here, I've decided to give this a go. This thread will be a copy and paste from my other journal, but I would welcome comments here as well since I know there's members on here who aren't on the other and vice versa
Wish me luck!
My parts list!
- Scissors
- Clear Plastic large bin
- Shoebox size bins
- Topsoil
- Light Timer
- Humidity Meter
- Water
- Lights
- Some time
Then I got myself a plastic bin from walmart ($16.77)
And I def took the humidity guage idea to heart($5.97 @ Petco, I could have gotten cheaper on ebay, but I'm impatient today....)
Drilled many many holes, used a pair of nail clippers to take care of the ugly hole blocking plastic that happened with many of the holes
Cleaned out the bin in the bathtub
I then took the lids that came with the shoe boxes and cut them to act as free dividers for multiple species (plus they're free since they came with the box!)
Fill up the dirt
Get your hands dirty and have fun
Add water, I've added about 4 gallons here, also added dividers...I've now reduced about a half gallon of water out of the setup since the soil seemed to be super-saturated this morning
Added the lights -- These are the walmart plant lights that they have locally, they seem to be doing the trick so far (I had these laying around, I'm planning on adding a few more possibly, IDK yet)
Humidity showing about 95% about 2 hours after letting the lights run and closing the top, checking everything tonight, plan on adding a few plants tomorrow!
So everything seemed stable, I've worked plants into 3 out of the 4 bins now.
Humidity was at about 92% when the photo period started, I added a bit of dirt to the bins to take care of the settling/saturation and then reduced the water just a hair, I'll be watching the dirt over the next few days to see if I should add a bit of water back or not, currently the water is approx. 1.5-2" under the surface of the soil.
Found some decent looking HC at the LFS (was very surprised to see that) bought a planter worth and got it in there. Here's hoping it takes off
Also found some pigmy chain sword, I've wanted to try these guys in the past but have had no room in any of my tanks, so I said why not and decided to go to town with the planter, here's hoping I get some runners Also decided to try some rotala macrandra japan red in this bin as well.
Some Moneywort and some CW Green, they're small but who knows, if these guys don't work out I'll transplant a bit from my bigger tank, or if they work out maybe I'll transplant some red or bronze over from one of my submerged tanks into the empty bin
Full bin shot as of about 20 minutes ago. I may open up to mist the plants down in a few days but that will be it, going to try to run this guy sealed for 72 hours and then open for gas exchange and mist and then close.
Comments and suggestions are always welcomed Thanks for dropping by, be sure to subscribe since this will be quite easy for me to update versus a lot of my tank journals.
60P ADA Style Aquarium Stand
By: IUnknown
March 27th, 2015
6:47 am
Going to give a diy ada style stand a try. I'll post progress in case anyone else is interested in doing the same project. The drawing is loaded on sketchup. Following the guide below:
page 1 by gfiske, on Flickr
page 2 by gfiske, on Flickr
page 3 by gfiske, on Flickr
Supercoley's DIY LED minimalist luminaire
By: Supercoley1
November 29th, 2014
10:27 am
With a new 140ltr Opti-white aquarium replacing my old 125ltr and a complete redo of my lounge to a very minimal modern appearance I thought I would make a new luminaire to match the cabinet and other furniture in my lounge.
The MkII version was still working well after 3 and a half years. It hasn't been ditched. All the electrics and LEDs have been re-used in my emersed cupboards meaning that now all 11 of my aquariums are lit by LED.
Originally I was looking for a slimline unit and planning on either using MDF (painted white) or using some steel sheet that I have left over from another project. First I found the TMC modular mounting with the tiles and thought something similar but then.........I stumbled upon the 'Vitrea Bridge' and instantly fell in love with it.
With the Vitrea costing circa �1000+ for my size I decided to try and do something myself whilst using the Vitrea's design to house my electrics. Mine will have much less LEDs and wiring is a lot cruder. I will be using 3 seperate plugs each going to a driver that runs 6 x 3W. A total of 18 x 3W LEDs. Of course mine won't have the controller or anything techincal either.
Rather than a glass sheet I will be using acrylic.
So with the design decided upon I drew up a plan of where I want the LEDs over the tank and then came to the measurements of the acrylic piece I will be needing.
The Opti-white is 80cm x 40cm and the acrylic are for the lighting is 60cm x 28cm. Adding 3 cm to each end to fit in the 'brackets' I ordered a 12mm thick piece of acrylic with the dimensions 66cm x 28cm.
When the acrylic sheet arrived I set to work on it, drawing out the LED positions and then routing some 21mm holes for the lense holders to fit in.
Custom Figured Cherry Veneer Stand
By: AaronT
October 5th, 2014
10:21 am
After purchasing the veneer for this project about 3 years ago I finally started on it this past fall. It's been slow going, but here's the progress on the stand thus far. The stand is a little bit longer than the tank (an ADA 90-P). Rather than the usual holes on the sides of the stand they will be on the top of the cabinet so the inlet / return hoses go straight down into the stand. A bit like the design on the bottom of this page, but only on one side.
The construction was done using 3/4" MDO plywood with the exception of the front header, which is solid cherry. All joints are rabbeted and screwed and glued using pocket hole screws. I'm still in search of some veneer that is wide enough to do bookmatched doors on the front. Excuse the glue residue. I applied the veneer using a veneer hammer and hide glue and have yet to clean up the excess. The solid cherry header is backed by a piece of 3/4" MDO plywood and is super strong. I can sit on the front in the middle and there is no flex and I'm about 185 lbs. The header has yet to be veneered as well. I chose solid wood there because at one time I considered doing a very slight bevel on it to mimic the bevels on the glass of the aquarium.
The inside will be painted either white or light grey as a nod to the ADA tank it will hold.
My Farm Tank
By: StrungOut
July 15th, 2014
5:02 pm
I figured I�d start a journal here now. This is post beginning, the tank was setup May 11, 2014. So starting at July 8th, 2014.
30�x30�x13� standard glass cube ?frag? tank (equivalent to around 50gallons)
Lighting: 2 30� finnex planted plus, 1 finnex original fugeray (started 1 month with the 2 planted plus only)
Filtration: SunSun I believe 303-b, uv sterilizer does not work, rated for 75 gallons I think
Co2: cheap unknown to me regulator, atomic gla largest diffuser, feeds into the filter intake
Substrate: ada Amazonia (2 9l bags), ada Africana (2 9l bags)
Water: pure ro water reconstituted w/seachem equilibrium
Pair japan blue endlers
Some royal blue tiger culls
Some of these are single stems, looking to be propagated
Syngonanthus hybrid
Syngonanthus belem
Syngonanthus manaus
Syngonanthus madeira
Syngonanthus lago grande
Tonina fluviatillis
Tonina fluviatillis lotus blossom
Eriocaulon japan shiga
Eriocaulon aussie type II
Eriocaulon sieboldanium
Trithuria blood *****
Eriocaulon parkeri
Ludwigia tornado
Ludwigia senegalensis
Ludwigia North Carolina
Ludwigia �. pantanal
Rotala Mexicana goias
Rotala pearl type?
Rotala Mexicana green
Rotala Mexicana bangledesh
�monte carlo�
Elatine hydropiper
Rotala macrandra green
Rotala macrandra japan red
Alternanthera reineckii variegated
Buce brownie red
Lileaposis Chinensis 'Maryland'
Some key tips on how I was successful:
I must of tried like 5 times or so and failed each time with algae or plants melting. Well, try try and try again, I gave up many times, wasted a lot of money, but passion to grow the syngonanthus plant alone kept me coming back.
First off if your gonna use ada Amazonia then you must do water changes. Water change is a must anyways, I believe in low tech and high tech, high tech being the greater amount. I did almost daily water changes in the start. Ammonia leech may or may not melt plans but it will cause algae, which nobody wants unless its that red algae.
Pack as many plants as you can in there
O2, Co2, get this right and it will solve most of your issues, I didn�t need to fertilize the first month or so on, diffusion method is vary important too. You can blast a glass diffuser and all the bubbles are going to do is rise to the surface with less diffusion rate. I�d suggest not adding fish right away so you can really mess around with the co2. Lots of flow is a good thing, keeps o2 levels up and mixes the co2 in the water level too. Proper mixing is important when doing a co2 tank.
Photoperiod, start off with 5 hrs a day, make sure you don�t get algae(it can get bad very fast), plants will do fine, then when the system is ready you can really up your lighting period
Start off with lower light, you may have a lot higher light then you expect.
Learn to trim, plant. This will keep things neater and not let your tank get too overgrown(I am guilty of this). Propagation? Trim a sideshoot and replant or however a plant produces, do it fast and you multiply that plant fast.
Amanda's Carolina Plant Hunt 2014
By: asukawashere
June 16th, 2014
9:29 pm
Last April we went on a family trip to the Myrtle Beach area. While His Manliness and my baby brother creature (note: he's in high school and is several inches taller than me now, but as the eldest child, I will eternally call him the baby brother) were preoccupied with the golfing, I was far more sensibly intrigued by the availability of aquatic plants that don't range far enough north to find back home.
The house we rented for a week turned out to be something of a birder's paradise�sitting on the edge of a pond, its population of fish attracted birds like cormorants, herons, and egrets, and the usual array of anatids. My favorite was this awesome male hooded merganser:
He refused to come close enough for me to take a better photo, but you have to admit, that's a neat duck!
But, enough birds. This is about the PLANTS!!!!!! So I proceeded to raid the nearest roadside ditch:
This was part of a larger complex of channels and ponds created to collect rainwater and spit it out into the ocean. It's a fairly common sight in flat coastal areas down south.
Plants abounded:
Ludwigia palustris was, of course, everywhere. If you can't find L. palustris by any given ditch in the Southeast, you probably aren't actually looking at a ditch in the Southeast.
This Saururus cernuus lined the edges of the pond (in a small park) all the ditches flowed into. It may have been planted at some point, as there was some evidence of prior landscaping efforts�a good deal of non-native Colocasia esculenta was interspersed with the Saururus. However, both species had long since naturalized and plantlets and young shoots could be found all along the pond's edges.
Despite the proliferation of L. palustris, I did find a lovely patch of Ludwigia repens tucked away in the corner of one ditch.
It trailed out from the banks to form a small thicket in standing water.
I was rather shocked to see all of this Samolus valerandi in bloom�it doesn't flower until mid to late summer back home.
Another great little find came in the form of a few patches of Lilaeopsis carolinensis, a large species of Lilaeopsis that functions a bit like a Vallisneria in the aquarium�a tall, grassy background plant reaching heights of 12-18" It was cute and stubby here, but it was still very early in the growing season. The sample I brought home has grown much larger since then.
My favorite find was this stoloniferous Ludwigia, tentatively IDed as L. alata. I plan to flower it in the greenhouse and see if that's actually correct.
Alas, I couldn't stay there forever, so we packed up at the end of the week and started driving back home.
Not that that stopped me from ditch diving some more! somewhere in North Carolina, we stopped at a Chik-fil-A for lunch. It was a rainy, overcase sort of day, and a ditch out front was flooded. I poked around a bit, and found myself another prize:
Some Gratiola virginiana was growing amidst the grass!
So, all in all, a successful trip, especially for one so early in the growing season.
My diy led ramp
By: Ultimbow
May 26th, 2014
9:55 pm
Her a few picture of the led ramp i built.
By: Yo-han
May 8th, 2014
9:40 pm
I bought a new house a few weeks ago and leaving my rental appartment on the 4th floor in a month, so finally time for a bigger tank! Couldn't find a minimum requirement for posting in the 'Large aquariums and Ponds' section, but I guess this one passes. If not, mods can move it to 'journals'...
The tank:
Unfortunately no 1000+ gallon, but liter. Still, well over 250 gallon, so not a small tank. Here is the thread from my previous (100G) tank: http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/f...g-planted.html
A few things I wanted to do different than my previous tank. First of all, I no longer wanted an open tank. I love the look, but I didn't liked the fact that I lost a few fish and am limited in the species of fish I could pick. Another thing why I want my new tank to be closed is that with such a large tank, I get too much evaporation. And third, I wanted it opti-white!
I don't like a standard hood either so the cabinet will go all the way up to the ceiling. Something like these aquaria from Oliver Knott, but no see-through:
Mine will be in a corner in front of an 195 cm (77 inch) wall. So will be 195 cm long. The depth is still an ongoing battle with the misses. I want at least 80 cm (32 inch), but she wants it to be 60 cm (24 inch) as max. The height can be as much as I want, but for easy maintenance I want a max of 65 cm (26 inch). I'm no small guy, but my arms can only reach so far:P So it probably will be 195 x 80 x 65 cm (77 x 32 x 26 inch). It will be viewable from the front and left side.
I tried making some Google Sketchup renderings, which wasn't easy, but here they are:
The two door version:
Three door version:
I want a sump. I want the flexibility and want to play more with filter media (if Niko ain't replying on this one someone call an ambulance:P) And I would love to have the sump in the room behind the wall. This will make maintenance easier and also make the tank more silent. But off course, this means drilling some rather large holes in the wall. So maybe it will be placed in the cabinet, not sure yet.
The pump I picked as a Jebao DC 12000. I picked this one because I know people who used it for their reef tanks and it is very silent. It does 12000 L/h (> 3000GPH) and is electronically adjustable. After taking the head pressure into account, it will leave me with a nice 10x flow.
The overflow will be a bean animal style overflow with the entire depth of the tank as an overflow, see rendering:
Sump in the room behind the aquarium:
The lighting I'll be using will be the same from my 100G. This is a dimmable 6x54W T5HO. But this is only 120 cm (48 inch) so I'll probably supplement it on the sides. Not sure how, but I was thinking about the LED floodlights. A 20W 6500K on either side will probable look good, but perhaps someone with experience with these lights can chip in
Rest of the equipment:
UV and CO2 off course. Probably in a closed loop on the sump with my Aqua Medic reactor. 3-4 heaters in the sump, to prevent overheating if one breaks and to prevent under cooling if one breaks. Since working in an lfs I've seen so many tanks being destroyed by overheating or undercooling (more of a problem with reef tanks), when only one heater was used. Perhaps I setup my dosing pump again, not sure yet.
Inside the tank:
Lots of wood with ferns and mosses. Stems on the back and low plants in the front. Sand in front and aquasoil in the back. Separated by stones and plants. Working in an lfs, I certainly will be visiting the wholesale where we get our hardscape from! The fish will be the same as I have now, perhaps some bigger schools (now around 20-25 per species), and I'll add a small school (of about 12-15 fish) of one bit larger fish. Always loved denisonii's, but I've seen them grow to 15-18cm (6-7 inch) which I find a bit large for my tank, but not sure yet. Another beautifull fish would be Dawkinsia rohani, but these will be hard to find:
We have some beautiful altums in one of our showtanks at work as well
Anyway, you get the picture, if someone thinks he knows a better fish, please do tell.
Not sure when the tank will be setup, but as fast as possible


text:
A common theme we've heard from our users is the desire to be able to work offline (in the "edit-merge-commit" style) when working on their CodePlex projects. Six months ago, we started working to write such a client that would integrate with our existing TFS server infrastructure, and today we've released our first beta of the client.
The CodePlex Client is a command line client for Windows, and requires .NET 2.0. The online documentation is available here.
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The basic workflow of the application is in place and usable today. There are, however, a few things coming in future builds over the next few months.
Automated Merging
We have a diff and merge engine in the system that we're finishing up, and will be present in future builds of the client. At the moment, if you have modified a file and, during an update, you get a new version of that file, you will be placed into conflicted mode. You can use the status GUI (and a configured merge tool) to help you resolve the conflicts quickly and easily.
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We will be enabling anonymous access through the use of our client. This means that, even if you are not a coordinator or developer on a project, you will be able to check out the source code and keep yourself up-to-date even as you modify the code for your own uses. Update: Anonymous access was added, and is available in the June 2007 release of the client.
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