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|1,192 sq. ft.
|Property type
|Minimum Stay
|3 - 7 nights
E komo mai! Welcome to paradise on the magical North Shore of Kauai. My 2 bedroom/2 bathroom ocean and golf course view condo in the favored #2 building at Emmalani Court is the perfect place to call home during your stay on the Garden Island. Unlike many vacation rentals and hotels in the islands, you will know you are in Hawaii while you are here. My condo is adorned with Hawaiian quilts and pillows, shells, and art. It is bright and airy, spacious and comfortable, with a degree of quiet and privacy not usually found in condos. The entire unit has air conditioning, although 360 days of the year you will find that nature provides the best possible airflow with our wonderful Hawaiian trade winds. The 9 foot high floor to ceiling windows and sliding glass doors ensure gorgeous views of the ocean from your California King bed in the master bedroom as well as from your private lanai (balcony patio), and the incredibly comfortable swivel recliner chairs at the end of the living room. The endless green of the 8th hole of the Makai Golf Course, dotted with native hala tress, fills your view from the kitchen and dining area on through the rest of the living room. Bird and nature lovers will especially appreciate the native nenes (the world's rarest geese, who live here year-round) and albatross that nest and socialize right outside the windows.
The second bedroom features 2 single beds which can also be placed together and covered with a foam pad to make a king size bed (linens available for both arrangements). The hand-crafted beautiful desk of local kamani wood faces the windows, where you can catch up with family, friends, and work (if you absolutely must!) while soaking in a view of tropical plants and Mt. Namolokama, the majestic peak which rises above Hanalei Bay. Both bathrooms have shower/tubs (jacuzzi tub in master bathroom). Pocket doors make it possible to close the second bed/bath area from the rest of the unit, if you so desire. This is the perfect arrangement for 2 couples or 3 generations traveling together. In the spacious entry hall you will find a large washer and dryer for your use.
The kitchen includes full oven, refrigerator, microwave, a set of sharp knives, and everything else you might need should you choose to cook. We provide locally grown Kauai coffee and a complete assortment of spices for your enjoyment. I taught an organic gardening class at our local elementary school and would be happy to provide you with a bouquet of my homegrown herbs. I am also a jeweler. Just come by my workshop in Haena (20 minutes from Princeville) to receive a free pair of earrings or necklace. Another little something extra I provide is a wide assortment of pillows to suit any preference. I have down and down-alternative in both soft and firm, king and standard, a body pillow, and neck rolls. I truly want to make this your best vacation ever. Just let me know how I can help and I'll do my best to accommodate you.
I have lived in Haena, at the end of the road on the North Shore of Kauai, for 2 decades. When I decided to share my love of this garden paradise by buying a vacation rental in Princeville, I waited until a second floor unit in the #2 building of Emmalani Court became available. The second floor has by far the best views of the ocean and far more privacy and quiet. Emmalani Court has the envied reputation of being the hidden jewel of Princeville. It is small (just 46 units), quiet, has an excellent location, and a cleaner, fresher appearance and feel than most other complexes. In addition to a pool, hot tub, and 2 grills, Emmalani Court is lucky to have an on-site manager. He's on the spot to help in the unlikely event of a maintenance issue. Covered parking (out of the sun and rain) is another advantage. Located within easy walking distance of the famous St. Regis Hotel (formerly the Princeville Hotel), with its gourmet restaurants and unbeatable sunset views, Emmalani Court also has easy access (3 minute walk) to the ocean bluff near the 8th hole of the Makai Golf Course. Locals and visitors alike love to stroll to this spot to watch the sunset, often accompanied by a glass of wine or a slice of pizza carried from home. This is an experience you should definitely take advantage of at the beginning of your stay. (Please check to see if the golf course still allows this.) I guarantee you'll be tempted to savor the sunsets here every evening of your stay!
I know you will have a wonderful vacation here on Kauai, and I look forward to welcoming you to my island home. Aloha!
I have lived in Haena on the North Shore of Kauai for two decades, and in the Hawaiian Islands for three. I earned my Master's in Clinical Psychology at the University of Hawaii on Oahu in the early '90s. I sailed the South Pacific for 3 years before settling in Haena on Kauai. My 2 sons were born and raised here. Both attended Hanalei Elementary School, where I taught an organic gardening class to K through 6th grade. In addition, I have made jewelry for the past 30 years, and, now that the kids are older, I'm finally able to indulge my love of gems and jewelry through house parties and visitors to my workshop, in addition to my website.
Margaret Gill purchased this condo in 2012
Emmalani Court is the hidden jewel of Princeville--quiet and well-maintained, with beautiful views of the golf course, and the ocean from some of the units (including mine!). Being on the second floor means you don't have to listen to every step of the people upstairs, and allows for views of the ocean from your lanai, and even the master bed!
I had been looking for a vacation rental to buy off and on for years, but when I found Emmalani Court, and specifically the second floor of the #2 building, I knew nothing else would do. I love the peaceful quiet of this complex and the way the unit pulls the beautiful views right into the space. Even though you're in a condo complex in a resort area, you feel like you're alone in your own private slice of paradise. Everything else looked dark after seeing this. I think you'll appreciate the difference once you have stayed here as well. The arrangement of the rooms is also well-suited to many different combinations of people: one or two couples, a group of friends, a family, even 3 generations traveling together: grandparents, adult children and one or two grandchildren. The location is perfect both for adventurers who look forward to spending every possible moment outside exploring the endless beaches, mountains, and valleys of the island, as well as those who prefer to take it easy while enjoying the view of native birds and breaching humpback whales right from the comfort and privacy of their home away from home. Everything you need is right here, mostly within walking distance, and the beauty of Kauai flows right into your living room.
We stayed at Margaret's condo for two weeks in January 2017 and could not have asked for more. The place was exactly as described and the unexpected extras were a bonus. The condo was extremely well equipped in many areas. Margaret went above and beyond our expectations. She was quick to respond and provided lots of general and specific information about the area and was a real pleasure to deal with. The layout of the condo was perfect for two couples. We would definitely go back and rent this condo from Margaret! Mahalo!
We loved the property for numerous reasons and would definitely stay there again. The condo complex is wonderfully situated about half-way between a small shopping center to the east and beautiful beaches with amazing sunsets to the west, thereby making both destinations easily accessible within walking distance. The unit itself has more amenities than we needed. The views from the living room are quite relaxing. And the neighbors were super quiet. The asphalt jogging path alongside the nearby golf courses is a perfect place to enjoy a relaxing run. Fantastic hiking trails are just a short drive away. Surfing conditions on the north side of the island were awesome during our stay (thanks to an impending hurricane, which thankfully did not reach shore). And Margaret was very conscientious about making sure we had everything we needed during our stay. We felt very welcome, comfortable, and well cared for in her beautiful home.
Margaret's home was everything she described and them some. The condo has everything you need to feel at home away from home. We would definitely stay here again.
We enjoyed our time at this condo immensely! It was immaculately maintained and equipped with everything to meet our needs! The beds were comfortable and the unit was so quiet in the evenings, making it a very relaxing and peaceful setting. We really got our use out of the beach chairs, towels, boogie boards and little cooler as we explored every part of the island during our stay. We highly recommend this unit and will definitely try to make it back!
What a lovely condo. Very very clean and quiet. Margaret was so delightful to work with and always responded in a timely fashion. We loved watching the albatross families interact with each other. This condo is located in the northern part of Kauai, which is one of our favorite areas. We have been to Kauai three times but this was the first time staying in this development. We hope we are blessed to get to return again and will definitely try to stay at this condo again. Thank you Margaret for your kindness. Mahalo.
This was the second time I have stayed at Garden Island Paradise. I brought a married couple with me that I have known for over 50 years. I knew they would love this condo especially the location. It's next to the golf course and a short walk to the cliffs where the sunsets were awesome every night. Lots of wild birds roamed the area and you can see the beautiful mountains from there. The condo is very comfortable and the kitchen is well stocked. My friends really liked the BBQ area and swimming pool. And the condo has plenty of towels and a washer and dryer are very convenient.The inside decor is beautiful and the beds were comfy. Best vacation ever. Mahalo for everything. Aloha.
|Rate Period
|Weekend Night
|Monthly *
Peak Summer
Jun 1 2017 - Aug 31 2017
3 night minimum stay
Dec 22 2017 - Jan 2 2018
7 night minimum stay
Spring Break
Mar 11 2018 - Apr 7 2018
7 night minimum stay
My Standard Rate
3 night minimum stay
|$150 + Tax
|Property Damage Protection
|Tax Rate
$59 nonrefundable damage protection fee OR refundable $500 deposit
Our cancellation policy is to refund your rental fee (minus a $100 booking fee ) if you cancel 60 days or more before the start of your stay. After that, $100 will be forfeited, and only the amount we are able to earn from another booking during that time will be returned to you.
Rates are subject to change prior to payment.
* Approximate monthly rate. Actual rate will depend on the days of the month you stay.


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The Market Makes an Important Stand
By Mark D. Arbeter
After some pretty ugly action earlier in the week, the market held near recent lows and finished on a positive note. Clearly, the news has been terrible on many fronts but for the most part, equities continue to hold up very well.
As we have been anticipating, some of the late October weakness was probably tied to end of fiscal year selling by mutual funds. The market ran up sharply since the September lows, giving funds an opportunity to sell some of their losing positions at better prices.
Fortunately for the market, the major indexes held near recent lows so no technical damage occured on a price basis and volume statistics, while not great, did not deteriorate to the point where a major correction would probably take shape.
The market has probably entered into a period of sideways action, and this is certainly not unexpected or disappointing. The market moved to an overbought condition and was in need of a breather. The major indexes ran up to resistance created by the heavy buying done after the March/April lows, the first real bit of supply since the rally began. Also, major components of the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq advanced to resistance levels from either the March/April lows or the sideways consolidation from the Summer.
If the market continues this trendless action, it would be positive for volume to be less than average, prior to any attempt to break out of the recent trading range. The near-term range (support and resistance) for the S&P 500 is 1053 to 1111 and for the Nasdaq, 1628 to 1793. A further pullback is certainly possible but we continue to believe it will be contained to a 50% retracement of the recent advance or 1028 on the "500" and 1590 on the Nasdaq.
The rough action earlier in the week created a day where both the NYSE and the Nasdaq saw heavy selling or distribution. The down/up volume ratio on each index rose to a fairly hefty 5:1, but as we said, this may have been related to tax loss selling by mutual funds. However, in strong market environments after a major low is in place, this kind of selling usually does not occur. In fact, this was the second day (since the rally got in high gear) for the Nasdaq where the volume breadth was so lopsided.
The positive is that the market turned higher when it had to and the 10-day down/up volume never exceeded 2:1 on either index. A reading that high would have negated the earlier bullish up/down volume signals and suggested a full retest would most likely occur.
Seasonals are certainly very positive as we move into the new year. The best three months of the year are November through January and the best part of the year is from November to April. Because individuals are able to do tax loss selling up until the end of the year, there may be some pressure on smaller issues that are way off their highs.
While short-term market action is probably limited on both the upside and the downside, the intermediate-term continues to look fairly bright. If ever the market had a wall of worry to climb, it is now.
Arbeter is chief technical analyst for Standard & Poor's

subset: commoncrawl


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This contest has ended.
Established in 1989, Bonfire has been making snowboard outerwear almost as long as we've been making magazines. One of their mottos is "We believe there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes." You could venture to say that this mentality is directly influenced by the climate of their locale: Portland, OR, where being outdoors often leads to needing a hot beverage.
Bonfire team rider Louif Paradis recently sat down with SNOWBOARDER for "Street Smarts: A Classroom Session with Three of The New School's Prize Pupils" in which he, Scott Stevens and Keegan Valaika spoke freely on topics ranging from new tricks to memorizing video parts.
Obviously, you read it already (the sequence of Louif's tail grab gap to back lip is so sick!!). Now go back and read it again. In the "Under the Influence" section, what video does Louif credit as a major influence to him when he was coming up? Name the correct video below in the comments section (tell us your favorite part for bonus points). We'll pick a correct commenter at random.
*Make sure you enter your correct email address so we can contact you if you win.
Shipping only to US and Canada.
Contest ends: Wednesday. Nov 10th
What You Can Win
Bonfire Volt Pant


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Grad students seek volunteers for LGBT studyNov 15th, 2012 | By tfedderson2 | Category: 2012, Issue, Nov. 15, Research
Three UNL doctoral students are seeking volunteers to help with research into the ways lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender children and parents talk after the coming-out process.
The communication studies students leading the research are Christina Ivey, Amy Arellano and Allison Ronnau.
Parents and children participating must have had a direct explicit discussion or acknowledgement of their sexual orientation. The conversation/acknowledgement must have happened within the last five years.
Participation will require approximately one hour of time. Interviews will be recorded. All responses will be kept confidential. Identity of participants will not be included in the analysis or reporting of the research results.
Participants can choose to not answer a question or stop the interview at any time.
For more information, contact Ronnau at email@example.com.


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With Disney's purchase of the franchise, many of us were left wondering what this meant for the show's future. Considering the program's success on Cartoon Network, it was fair to assume the animated adventure would simply move to Disney XD, but it looks like the show will instead become one with the force.
Lucasfilm made the announcement today, but it's not all bad news for fans. Supervising Director Dave Filoni says, "The best is yet to come" and showed a new clip which revealed the beginning of Order 66. While a new season for The Clone Wars on XD doesn't seem likely, it's entirely possible these additionally tales could be clumped into an animated film.
Additionally, it sounds like there's a new show in the works... one that dives into "a time period previously untouched." The announcement also says the debut of Star Wars: Detours (Seth Green, Todd Grimes, Matthew Senreich) will be delayed.
Here's the full message:
As we enter into an exciting new era focused on the next Star Wars trilogy, Lucasfilm has decided to pursue a new direction in animated programming. We are exploring a whole new Star Wars series set in a time period previously untouched in Star Wars films or television programming. You can expect more details in the months to come.
As part of this shift, we have also made some key decisions affecting Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Detours.
After five highly successful and critically acclaimed seasons of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, we feel the time has come to wind down the series. While the studio is no longer producing new episodes for Cartoon Network, we're continuing production on new Clone Wars story arcs that promise to be some of the most thrilling adventures ever seen. Stay tuned for more information on where fans can soon find this bonus content. In the video below, Supervising Director Dave Filoni offers a peek of what is to come in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
At Star Wars Celebration VI last year, George Lucas gave fans a glimpse at the animated comedy series Star Wars Detours from Seth Green, Matthew Senreich, and Todd Grimes. Detours was conceived and produced before we decided to move forward with the new Star Wars trilogy, and in the wake of that decision, Lucasfilm has reconsidered whether launching an animated comedy prior to the launch of Episode VII makes sense. As a result, we've decided to postpone the release of Detours until a later date.
We are incredibly proud of the teams at Lucasfilm Animation for creating some of the most amazing animation ever produced for TV. Keep checking StarWars.com for new developments on these and future projects.
This show has certainly left us with a lot of questions (what does this mean for Darth Maul?!), but at least it went out on a fantastic note. You'll be missed, Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
Source: Starwars.com


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Candles stuck in wine bottles encrusted with wax drippings — irony? A chef who gained experience cooking for a posh ski chalet in Val d'Isère — a Bodo's Schloss-style joke? Parsons Green? — okay, yah, let's head for Hoxton. You'd be making a mistake. Claude's Kitchen, where all this and more applies — the chap running the bar taught surfing in Cornwall and sells bobble hats through his company Grannies Knitts (sic) — is providing exceptionally fine cooking and the sort of wholesome high spirits that suggests Famous Five in the ancestry.
Claude Compton has worked in various Michelin-starred kitchens including Petersham Nurseries — with both Skye Gyngell and Greg Malouf — and Club Gascon, neither of those the sort of prissy kitchens the Red Guide can imply. A chum from university and co-worker at Petersham Nurseries, Pete Hartley-Booth, is Compton's right-hand man. The restaurant, which opened a month ago, is located above Amuse-Bouche, a champagne (and cocktail) bar known for its canny buying and ungrabby prices.
Up the stairs, past the confident calls of shrieking Sloanes, is the sort of timeless dining room with knockabout furniture that has housed Chelsea bistros for many a decade — but wait, here are filament light bulbs looped from the ceiling, a kitchen on view and a short menu that stops ordering in its tracks because you just want everything on it. Prices — £6 for first courses, £14-£16 for fully furnished main courses and £4-£6 for desserts and cheese — encourage the feeling.
To start, the two of us ordered all three options with the understanding that the wood pigeon (seared) was really mine, the mackerel (Cornish, line-caught) on the whole belonged to Reg and we would put the leek (charred) and goat's curd in the middle. Two kinds of butter, one if I remember rightly flavoured with tomato, come with the bread. Putting together red grape, blood orange, beetroot and Bloody Mary sauce to accompany a fiercely grilled fillet of mackerel — its silvery skin criss-crossed with branding — points to a painterly eye as well as a sagacious palate. It was consumed incredibly quickly.
Flavours surrounding the pigeon came from celeriac in purée form, cardamom, slivers of pickled red onion, lavender and, in the mahogany slick of reduced sauce, honey and port. Scaled up it could have been a proud main course but as an opening salvo in the meal it was just wonderfully titillating. Outer leaves of leeks making a natural curl of wrapping are sometimes used by meticulous chefs around accoutrements for stock but here a neatly tied, mildly scorched leek cylinder held kabocha squash, tomatoes, chopped greens and walnuts. Onion ash was scattered on the plate around a triangle of goat's curd. I now understand why it is that in some cultures kabocha is revered as an aphrodisiac.
On modern menus beetroot has become something of a menace. The suspicion that no one really likes it all that much is quelled and as often as not pieces of the root partner soft cheese in a first course salad that can be usefully filed under Vegetarian Option. Here a heritage variety takes centre stage as a vibrant curry served with toasted spices, scimitars of fresh coconut, torn coriander leaves, spiced lentils coloured a paler red, a slice of fresh orange and a wide spear of grilled flatbread. It is still a vegetarian option but not so that a meat-eater would necessarily notice.
Chargrilled whole megrim sole was served piled with a tangle of greens that included wild garlic and sprouting broccoli with almonds sprinkled through for crunch. New potatoes in their skins, shiny with butter and flecked with herbs, were served separately. It was a successful lesson in learning to love megrim — and we must.
Reg has come to believe that he invented affogato and always orders one when it's listed. Here it is made with Allpress espresso. Sweet and sour rhubarb was as good as anything already described. Four tidy batons in a contradictory sauce were topped with posset flavoured with lemon and star anise — but not aggressively so — and balanced on top was a transparent tuile spiked with piquillo pepper. If you have ever wondered if rhubarb can be sexy, it can.
Claude's Kitchen is evenings only from Tuesday to Saturday. I thought during the day that Claude was tending his Green Goat street food bus but that is currently in abeyance. The company does service the bar food at Amuse Bouche. "Banging Eats with a Conscience" is their slogan. I didn't think I liked it — but it's growing on me.
51 Parsons Green, SW6 (020 7371 8517). Dinner Tues-Sat from 6pm. A meal for two with wine, about £80 including 12.5 per cent service.
- More about:
- Fulham
- Restaurants


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" Brand: Hasbro "
Play with this sweet and soft King Charles spaniel puppy figure and she'll play with you! Put your new little friend on the ground and she'll walk in a circle and back to you, just looking for some love. And how will you know when she's as happy as can be? When you pick her up and pet her back, she'll bark and make puppy sounds - just like a real puppy!


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Which is more problematic, ordaining a homosexual man or ordaining a woman? To ordain someone who sins publicly and without repentance would be a scandalous failure of discipline and Biblical fidelity on the part of the church body. And yet, there have been homosexual pastors before. No one has denied that, whatever their sin, they are true pastors and that the sacraments they administer are valid.
To question that would be to fall into the heresy of Donatism. A Lutheran cannot hold that position. The Augsburg Confession, Article VIII, says of Lutherans that "They condemn the Donatists, and such like, who denied it to be lawful to use the ministry of evil men in the Church, and who thought the ministry of evil men to be unprofitable and of none effect."
In the case of women, though, the question is whether they can be pastors at all. If not, their orders are illegitimate. That would seem to mean that the sacraments they administer–with the exception of Baptism, which can be performed by any layman–are invalid. (Question: Is that the position of those who reject women's ordination? Or since the keys are held by the congregation, can the congregation have valid sacraments no matter who the pastor is?)
So wouldn't women's ordination be worse than gay ordination? Yes, both are wrong. The ELCA has both, and the new breakaway denomination will only have the former. But still, it keeps surprising me how this one issue keeps inspiring breaks in denominations, even though more serious transgressions that have taken place earlier are ignored. Am I missing something? I'm just asking.


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At the Indiana County Technology Center, we believe that the future is all about technical education, which is why we take four days out of the month of December to host a showcase for the ninth-grade students that attend the eight sending schools assigned to the ICTC.
Every year after the Thanksgiving break, ninth-graders from the eight schools: Marion Center, Purchase Line, Penns Manor, Homer-Center, Blairsville, Saltsburg, Indiana and United take a tour of all 14 program areas offered at ICTC to get a better grasp of what career and technical education is all about.
Current students, instructors, and staff prepare fun activities and hands on projects for the showcase to interest the ninth-graders in their shops.
At the end of the tour, students get a ticket that gives them the option of coming back to shadow program areas that interested them the most. They can chose two program areas to shadow and get a more in depth look at what the program areas have to offer.
[PHOTO: The hosts for the ninth-grade showcase recently at Indiana County Technology Center were, from left, Kaylyn Fairman, Halee Reasor, Zach Edwards, Lindsey Weaver, Mitchel Meagher and DJ Ben Jammin' (Benjamin Crawford). (Torri Miller/Indiana County Technology Center photo)]
Activities are put together not only in the program areas, but also while the students are having lunch. Trivia questions are asked and then a drawing to play "Dance Central" on the Xbox Kinect are just a two of the many fun and exciting things you can experience during your day.
So far, already two schools have visited for tours and the fun has just started as we welcome the other six to the ICTC next week.
National Technical Honor Society induction
The National Technical Honor Society is for students who attend a technology center and maintain academic excellence at both ICTC and their home schools. Students are inducted based upon their academic achievements with a score of 94 percent in all of their classes at ICTC and their home schools.
The NTHS also recognizes students who are involved with community service, show good leadership skills and display good attitude.
[PHOTO: The National Technical Honor Society held inductions Wednesday at the Indiana County Technology Center. In the front row, from left, are Tristen Fisher, new member; Angela Ferringer, secretary/treasurer; Monica Phillips, president; and Fiona Kalu and Courtney Taylor, new members; and back row, Jacob Shank, new member; Stanley Turcheck, vice president; and Bailey Catalano, Austin Cramer and Cody Dressler, new members. (Submitted photo/Indiana County Technology Center)
ICTC students were inducted at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday. On induction night, NTHS recognized seven new members: Bailey Catalano, Austin Cramer, Cody Dressler, Tristen Fisher, Jacob Shank, Fiona Kalu and Courtney Taylor.
Family and friends helped celebrate the new inductees accomplishments by attending the induction ceremony. During this ceremony students gave a presentation and lit candles for the NTHS pledge. The students recognize the seven attributes of being an NTHS member: skill, honesty, service, responsibility, scholarship, citizenship and leadership.
The goal of the National Technical Honor Society is to recognize deserving students, their talents and abilities of young people and adults who choose technical education pathways to be successful in the future. The president of NTHS is Monica Phillips, vice president is Stanley Turcheck and secretary/treasurer is Angela Ferringer.
Once the student is inducted they can participate in different community service activities. This year the students will be holding a Santa's workshop for the Indiana Head Start, and will be participating in a charity Cancer Walk as well as visiting nursing homes.


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Hornets Still Exploring Trade Options
The New Orleans Hornets have been the surprise of the NBA thus far, but they are not fooled by their 7-0 start. Though they've beaten "contenders'' Miami, San Antonio and Denver (until Melo leaves), the Hornets' front office knows it hasn't yet joined the elite.
The club's plan to get to that level involves Peja Stojakovic, whose value is now in his contract rather than his shot. ESPN's Chris Broussard has the story.


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Operations Checklists
This section contains checklists for deploying and maintaining BizTalk Server.
The Operational Readiness checklists are arguably the heart of the operations guide. The Operational Readiness checklists are a product of many contributors, including the BizTalk Rangers, Microsoft Customer Service and Support (CSS), Microsoft Consulting Services (MCS), Microsoft partners, and customers. As such, the checklists represent some of the most important lessons learned and best practices compiled through experience with hundreds of BizTalk Server installations. The Operational Readiness checklists cover platform configuration (including the applications that BizTalk Server depends on for services), deployment, availability, monitoring, and testing.


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Claudio Diaz Photographer
The LeslieModel Female Kwekwe, Midlands, Zimbabwe
My MM URL: http://www.modelmayhem.com/fitnesscat
Mayhem # 1479829
About MeNot shooting really anymore for a while... thanks.
*Model Mayhem Photographers:
#553680 Michael Luna Photography
~Great guy, amazing work, top of the line studio. A real professional. We will shoot together again.
~TH Photography #1243719
~Mark Short
~David Henry
~Jim Allen (KKO Images) - MM# 1348965
~Russell Klein (Scottsdale Images) - MM# 1366513
~Daeman - MM# 889190
~Jim Jenson (Lightscapes) MM# 54162
~Tom D (Southwest Sterio) MM# 875180
~Kem Poyner - MM# 1266249)
~Arts and Faces #501510 (Fashion and Harley Calendar
~TH Photography #1243719 (Sci fi/Fantasy Vallejo style) Twice
~Physique Photography (Shoot for World Physique website and Magazine)
~Dave Palumbo/Species Nutrition (Video shoot at the Heart Attack Grill for RXMuscle.com)
~Daniel Dituro #1410316 (Yoga Book)
~Brice Photography in Wisconsin #758711 (Snow Mobile Calendar shoot for Axxxtion Sports)
~Shot by Barry, Barry Denton #157708 (Crown Performance Calendar shoot )
~Muscle Moods shoot for website #353724
~Sivad #14436 Amazingly sexy Leg and butt shots, and some crazy good artistic nudes
~Tom Nine Photograpy
~ MMP Studio #134904 Underwater shoot!
~Wayne Collins #24647 several times :) Incredible set builds & work.
~J Griff Photography #145048 Planet Muscle shoot and Bustoutpoker.com
~BP Photographic #255445 Shoot for Boots and Jewelry Photography Book.
~Tiger Lee
~Jim McDermott
~Jeff Black
~Downtown Carol
~Billy the Kid Photography
~Pyrite Dan
~Michael from Atlanta Bound
and more ......
Male Models NOT recommended:
Female Models NOT recommended:
Photographers/Videographers NOT Recommended :
#1970074 Jcuff productions.
Have you worked with The Leslie? Add Credits for The Leslie ! >>
Credit NotesArtists model, comic book model, appeared in several videos and many magazines/books.
Axxtion Sports Calendar,
Pirate Wench Calendar 2012
Planet Muscle March 2011
Yoga book
and many more...
Also much experience as Promotional Model at various expos and I have experience in dance and acting. I am very comfy in front of a video camera.
Claudio Diaz Photographer
DPPhoto Photographer
Doug Smith Physiques Photographer
Steve Gateka Photographer
AMaginatio... Photographer
the real Mark Wallace Photographer
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A militant commander was among 13 killed by two drone strikes in north-west Pakistan.
Security officials said Mullah Nazir died with nine fighters when two missiles hit his vehicle in the tribal district of South Waziristan.
His deputy, Ratta Khan, was also said to have been killed. The strike took place in Angoor Adda, near South Waziristan's main town of Wana, near the Afghan border, last night. A second drone hit near Mir Ali, the main town of the North Waziristan tribal region.
One missile hit a vehicle near the town, followed by another missile when people rushed to help people in the car. The officials say four were killed in the strike, although the identities of the dead were not immediately known.
Nazir was the leader of one of four major militant factions in Pakistan, accused of sending fighters to back the Afghan Taliban and fight foreign troops there.
Analysts said Nazir had formed an alliance with the government and opposed the Pakistani Taliban, with whom he was at odds because he favoured attacking US forces in Afghanistan rather than Pakistani soldiers.
- More about:
- Afghanistan
- Bombing
- Middle East
- Pakistan
- Taliban


text: SHORT HILLS, N.J., Jan. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Investors Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: ISBC) and Brooklyn Federal Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: BFSB) announced the completion of Investors Bancorp, Inc.'s acquisition of Brooklyn Federal Bancorp, Inc. As previously disclosed, Investors Bancorp, Inc. entered into a separate agreement with a real estate investment fund to sell most of Brooklyn Federal Bancorp, Inc.'s commercial real estate loan portfolio. Investors Bancorp, Inc. intends to complete this sale on Monday, January 9, 2012. "Investors Bancorp's acquisition of Brooklyn Federal Bancorp adds five branches to our branch network and approximately $390 million of deposits which complements our expansion into New York," said Kevin Cummings, President and CEO of Investors Bancorp, Inc. "We are committed to providing Brooklyn Federal's customers with the same high level of service to which they have become accustomed." About Investors Bancorp, Inc. Investors Bancorp, Inc. is the holding company for Investors Bank, which operates from its corporate headquarters in Short Hills, New Jersey, and as of December 31, 2011 had eighty one branch offices located throughout New Jersey and New York. Forward Looking Statements Certain statements contained herein are "forward looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward looking statements may be identified by reference to a future period or periods, or by the use of forward looking terminology, such as "may," "will," "believe," "expect," "estimate," "anticipate," "continue," or similar terms or variations on those terms, or the negative of those terms. Forward looking statements are subject to numerous risks, as described in our SEC filings, and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, those related to the real estate and economic environment, particularly in the market areas in which the Company operates, competitive products and pricing, fiscal and monetary policies of the U.S. Government, changes in government regulations affecting financial institutions, including regulatory fees and capital requirements, changes in prevailing interest rates, acquisitions and the integration of acquired businesses, credit risk management, asset-liability management, the financial and securities markets and the availability of and costs associated with sources of liquidity.


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"Mankind is drawn to the heavens for the same reason we were once drawn to unknown lands and across the open sea," he said at NASA headquarters. "We choose to explore space because doing so improves our lives and lifts our national spirit. So let us continue the journey."
If the president succeeds in getting his program started, it will be the most far-reaching and ambitious space agenda since President Kennedy launched the Apollo program in 1961. (Related story: Moon funding worries Congress)
No human has stood on the moon since astronaut Eugene Cernan in December 1972. "I'd like to go back and see what it's like now," said Cernan, 69, who attended the speech. No human has ever gone to Mars, which is a six- to nine-month flight from Earth.
The president called for:
The construction of a new spaceship, the Crew Exploration Vehicle, to ferry people to the moon and the International Space Station. It would make its first manned flight in 2014. NASA hasn't revealed a design.
Robotic missions to the moon starting by 2008.
Colonies on the moon where humans would live and work. Their main task would be testing technology such as spacesuits for an eventual trip to Mars.
A human mission to Mars at an unspecified date.
Retiring the three remaining space shuttles in 2010, after the space station is completed. NASA does not yet know how astronauts would get to the space station in the four years between retiring the shuttles and starting to use the new spaceship.
Bush plans to ask Congress for an extra $1 billion over the next five years to help pay for the moon shot. In the same period, the administration would also divert $11 billion from other NASA programs to pay for the new effort. Another administration would have to decide whether to continue beyond that.
The cost of the human and robotic missions to the moon and Mars would total roughly $120 billion by 2020, according to estimates from a NASA chart. NASA's current annual budget is $15 billion.
The Apollo program of the 1960s and early 1970s cost $150 billion to $175 billion in 2003 dollars. Bush's father announced a similar proposal in 1989. But NASA's estimated cost for that program — $400 billion to $500 billion in unadjusted dollars — scuttled it.
It is not clear whether Bush will succeed in getting Congress to approve an increase in funding for NASA. Many legislators, including some of the president's fellow Republicans, are worried about this year's $500 billion budget deficit. White House officials say the plan is fiscally responsible.
The administration's decision to chart a new course for NASA was prompted by the breakup of the space shuttle Columbia as it re-entered the atmosphere last Feb. 1. The shuttle broke apart because foam that fell from its fuel tank during lift-off damaged one of the wings. The crew of seven died.
A report on the accident said NASA failed to heed lessons of the 1986 Challenger explosion and had not been given a "guiding vision" or "compelling mission."


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Looking for a mousse with a wet, thick consistency
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Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 08:33PM
: Looking for a mousse with a wet, thick consistency
Hi everyone,
I had been using Salon Selectives mousse for the past 11 years. It is the only mousse I've found that will form and hold my curls without any crunchiness!
Unfortunately, here in Canada, Salon Selectives has recently changed their formula and it no longer works for me.
When squirted into the palm of your hand, the old SS mousse I liked was very wet, sticky and thick (picture a big blob of dense Cool Whip but more liquidy). This is the only mousse I have ever found with this texture. It provides excellent curl definition.
The new SS formula is more of a light and fluffy texture (picture meringue, the stuff on top of lemon pie). It does not form my curls, and instead I end up with fluffy hair.
I'm hoping someone understands what I'm describing in terms of the consistensy of the mousse I'm looking for and can recommend something that is similar to my old Salon Selectives favourite!
Btw...my hair type is a 2c and my styling method is to flip head over when soaking wet, scrunch with mousse and air dry...reapplying more mousse a few more times during the 3+ hours air dry process.


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As a regular leader and participant in mission work, Dr. David Paul knows firsthand the challenges of bringing oral health to poverty-stricken areas around the world.
That's why Dr. Paul, D89 and associate professor in Diagnosis and Health Promotion, has teamed up with the Nashoba Valley Rotary Club and the Rotary Club of Santo Domingo Innovador to create a mobile dental clinic for patients in the Dominican Republic.
"This clinic will be able to reach patients where they live," Dr. Paul said. "We'll be able to treat far more people this way."
The clinic will be designed out of an old recreational vehicle, modified with dental operative tools and stations. When operational, the clinic will be able to come to patients who live many miles from the nearest dental practice, and who are currently forced walk for hours to be able to attend an appointment.
The clinic is part of the "We Are One" joint project of the Nashoba Valley Rotary Club, the Rotary Club of Santo Domingo Innovador, and other participating clubs. The project strives to provide free dental services to underserved families in the Dominican Republic's San Felipe area. Dr. Paul became involved with the mission through Richard Simon, who is both the vice president of the Nashoba Valley Rotary Club and one of Dr. Paul's patients. The project organizers are on track to raise the $50,000 needed to complete outfitting the mobile clinic, with the club matching all donations received. Those that wish to donate to the fund can do so by accessing the club's website.
Though the mobile clinic is not yet complete, Dr. Paul will travel to the San Felipe area August 3-13 to treat patients out of the mobile clinic's base of operations, Clinica SODHAIDESA in Santo Domingo Norte. He has enlisted Mark Schlam and Kim Kocak, both D14, as well as general practice residents Ernest "Jamie" Holden and Marion Hernon, both D12. The group will be working with Dr. Frantz Compere, the founder and Executive Director of Clinica SODHAIDESA, who has a distinguished record of organizing and executing humanitarian efforts in both the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
"We'll be doing fillings, cleanings, extractions, fluoride treatments, basic perio," Dr. Paul said. "As many procedures as we can."
This will be Dr. Paul's 21st dental mission trip, and his 15th with Tufts students. He said the biggest challenge is the logistical organization of such an operation: dealing with substandard facilities, poor equipment conditions and underdeveloped roads, while still ensuring that all care given is at the high standard of care practiced in TUSDM clinics. Despite the challenges involved, he said, the trips are incredibly valuable, particularly for the students that attend with him.
"I think the most important thing is exposing our students to this work," he said. "It's kind of like, 'if you give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day; if you teach a man to fish, he'll eat for a lifetime'…I want to perpetuate that involvement, teach students how to be flexible, how to work with little equipment, how to create their own groups. A lot of them go on to do just that."


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TMT Trends 2015 – Star Wars, Tech Wars & Talent Wars
*Our 2016 trends for the sector can be found here*
Our most popular article this year by far was a piece we wrote on trends in the media and entertainment industry for the coming twelve months. That nothing has been written since January that has proved as popular as that is a little disappointing, but it is a good indication of what users come to this blog for.
It's been an interesting past month or so in the Technology, Media and Telecoms sector. We're going to attempt to recap some of the more consequential things here, as well as the impact they may have into next year.
Star Wars – And the blockbuster dilemma
Friday saw the release of the first trailer for Star Wars Episode VII, due for release December 2015. CNBC covered the release at the coda of European Closing Bell, around the point of a segment a story might be done about a cat caught up a tree ("On a lighter note…"). They discussed the trailer and the franchise on a frivolous note at first, mostly joking about the length of time since the original film's release. One of the anchors then went on to claim that Disney's purchase of "Lucasfilms" [sic] and the release of this trilogy of films, given the muted reaction to Episodes I-III, constituted a huge bet on Disney's part. This showed a profound lack of understanding. Collectively, Episodes I-III, disappointing artistically as they may have been, made a cool $1.2bn. And this is just at the box office. Homevideo revenues would probably have been the same again, almost certainly more. Most importantly (whether we like it or not), are revenue streams like toy sales, theme park rides and the like (see below graphic, from StatisticBrain). So we are talking about a product that, despite many not being impressed with, managed to generate several billion dollars for Fox, Lucasfilm, et al. With a more reliable pair of hands at the helm in the form of J.J. Abrams, to say Episodes VII-IX are a huge bet is questionable thinking at best.
It can be easy for pundits to forget those ancillary streams, but in contemporary Hollywood it is such areas that are key, and fundamentally influence what films get made. Kenneth Turan, writing in mid-September for the LA Times, echoed such thinking. As with our Star Wars example; so "with the Harry Potter films, and it is happening again with 'Frozen', with Disney announcing just last week that it would construct a 'Frozen' attraction at Orlando's Disney World". It is why studios have scheduled, as of August this year, some 30 movies based on comicbooks to be released over the coming years. Of course, supply follows demand. Such generic shlock wouldn't be made again and again (and again) if consumers didn't exercise their capitalist right to choose it and consume it. We have been given Transformers 4 because the market said it wanted it.
But is this desire driven by a faute de mieux – a lack of anything better – in said market? David Fincher may not have been far off the mark back in September when he mentioned in an interview with Playboy that "studios treat audiences like lemmings, like cattle in a stockyard". But a shift from such a narrow mindset may prove difficult in a consolidated environment – Variety's editor-in-chief Peter Bart pointed out recently that "six companies control 90% of the media consumed by Americans, compared with 50 companies some 30 years ago". Some players of course are trying to change the way the business this works. The most provocative statement of this was in September when Netflix announced a sequel to "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", to be released day-and-date across Netflix and in IMAX cinemas. Kudos. It's the kind of thing this blog has been advocating since its inception. Though not in accordance with a capitalist model, the market is certainly showing a desire for more day-and-date releases. Netflix isn't a lone outlier as on OTT provider trying to develop exclusive content that goes beyond comicbooks (that in itself should give Netflix pause; about a fifth of its market value has eroded since mid-October). Hulu's efforts with J.J. Abrams and Stephen King, as well as Amazon's universally acclaimed Transparent series (full disclosure, a good friend works on the show; Zeitgeist was privileged to take a look around the sets on the Paramount lot while in Los Angeles this summer). And that's not to say innovative content can't be developed around blockbuster fare; we really liked 20th Century Fox's partnership with Vice for 'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes', creating short films that filled the gaps between the film and its predecessor. Undoubtedly the model needs to change; unlike last summer, there were no outright bombs this year at the box office, but receipts fell 15% all the same. The first eight months of 2014 were more than $400m behind the same period in 2013. Interviewed in the FT, Robert Fishman, an analyst with MoffettNathanson put it wisely, "It always comes down to the product on the screen. And the product on the screen just hasn't delivered." An editorial in The Economist earlier this month praised Hollywood's business model, suggesting other businesses should emulate it. But beyond some good marketing tactics there seems little that should be copied by others. Indeed, lots more work is needed. Perhaps the first step is merely rising that not all blockbusters need to be released in the summer. Next year, James Bond, Star Wars and The Avengers will all arrive on screens… spread throughout the year. Expect 2015 to feature more innovation on the part of exhibitors too, beyond having their customers be rained on.
Tech wars – Hacking, piracy and monopolies
Sony Pictures faced some embarrassment this week when hackers claimed to have penetrated the company's systems, getting away with large volumes of data that included detailed information on talent (such as passport details for the likes of Angelina Jolie and Cameron Diaz). The full story is still unfolding. We've written a couple of times recently about cybersecurity; it was disappointing but unsurprising to see the spectre of digital warfare raise its head again twice in the past week. The first instance was with Regin, an impressive bit of malware, which seems to be the successor to Stuxnet, a spying program developed by Israeli and American intelligence forces to undermine Iranian efforts to develop nuclear materials. Symantec said Regin had probably taken years to develop, with "a degree of technical competence rarely seen". Regin was focused on Saudia Arabia, Russia, but also Ireland and India, which muddies the waters of authorship. However, in these post-Snowden days it is well known that friendly countries go to significant lengths to spy on each other, and The Economist posited at least part of the malware was created by those in the UK. Deloitte, ranked number one globally in security consulting by Gartner, is on the case.
The news in other parts of the world is troubling too. In the US, the net neutrality debate rages. It's too big an issue to be covered here, but the Financial Times and Harvard Business Review cover the topic intelligently, here and here. In China, regulators are cracking down on online TV, a classic case of a long-gestating occurence that at some arbitrary point grows too big to ignore, suddenly becoming problematic. But, if a recent article on the affair in The Economist is anything to go by, such deeds are likely to merely spur piracy. And in the EU this past week it was disconcerting to see what looked like a mix of jealousy, misunderstanding and outright protectionism when the European Parliament voted for Google to be broken up. No one likes or wants a monopoly; monopolies are bad because they can reduce consumer choice. This is one of the key arguments against the Comcast / Time Warner Cable merger. But Google's share of advertising revenue is being eaten into by Facebook; its mobile platform Android is popular but is being re-skinned by OEMs looking to put their own branding onto the OS. And Google is not reducing choice in the same way as an offline equivalent, with higher barriers to entry, might. The Economist points out this week:
"[A]lthough switching from Google and other online giants is not costless, their products do not lock customers in as Windows, Microsoft's operating system, did. And although network effects may persist for a while, they do not confer a lasting advantage… its behaviour is not in the same class as Microsoft's systematic campaign against the Netscape browser in the late 1990s: there are no e-mails talking about "cutting off" competitors' 'air supply'"
The power of lock-in, or substitute products, should not be underestimated. For Apple, this has meant the acquisition of Beats, which they are now planning to bundle in to future iPhones. For Jeff Bezos, this means bundling in Washington Post into future Amazon Fire products. For media and entertainment providers, it means getting customers to extend their relationship with the business into triple- and quad-play services. But it has been telling this month to hear from two CEOs who are questioning the pursuit of quad-play. For the most part, research shows that it can increase customer retention, although not without lowering the cost of the overall product. Sky's CEO Jeremy Darroch said "If I look at the existing quadplays in the market, not just in the UK, but pretty much everywhere, I think they're very much driven by the providers who want to extend their offering, rather than, I think, any significant demand from customers". Vodafone's CEO Vittorio Colao joined in, "If someone starts bidding for content then you [might] have to yourself… Personally I have doubts that in the long run that this [exclusive content] will really create a lot of value for the platform. It tends to create lots of value for the owner". Sony meanwhile are pursuing just such a tack of converged services in the form of a new ad campaign. But the benefits of convergence are usually around the customer being able to have multiple touchpoints, not the business being able to streamline assets and services in-house. Sony is in the midst of its own tech war, in consoles, where it is firmly ahead of Microsoft, who were seeking a similar path to that of Sky and Vodafone to dominate the living room. But externalities are impeding – mobile gaming revenues will surpass those of the traditional console next year to become the largest gaming segment; no surprise when by 2020, 90% of the world's population over 6 years old will have a mobile phone, according to Ericsson. So undoubtedly look for more cyberattacks next year, on a wider range of industries, from film, to telco (lots of customer data there), to politics and economics.
Talent wars – Cui bono?
Our last section is the lightest on content, but perhaps the most important. It is the relation between artist and patron. This relationship took a turn for the worse this year. On a larger, corporate side, this issue played itself out as Amazon and publisher Hachette rowed over fees. Hachette, rather than Amazon, appears to have won the battle; it will set he prices on its books, starting from early 2015. It is unlikely to be the last battle between the ecommerce giant and a publisher, and it may well now give the DoJ the go-ahead to examine the company's alleged anti-competitive misdeeds.
Elsewhere, artist Taylor Swift's move to exorcise her catalogue from music streaming service Spotify is a shrewd move on her part. Though an extremely popular platform, driving a large share of revenues to the artists, the problem remains that there is little revenue to start with as much of what there is to do on Spotify can be done for free. The Financial Times writes that it is thanks to artists like Swift that "an era of protectionism is dawning" again (think walled gardens and Compuserve) for content. The danger for the music industry is that other artists take note of what Swift has done and follow suit. This would be of benefit to the individual artists but detrimental to the industry itself. And clearly such an issue doesn't have to be restricted to the music industry. It's not hard to anticipate a similar issue affecting film in 2015.
There's a plethora of activity going on in TMT as the year draws to a close – much of it will impact how businesses behave and customers interact with said media next year. The secret will be in drawing a long-term strategic course that can be agile enough to adapt to disruptive technologies. However what we've hopefully shown here in this article is that there are matters to attend to in multiple sectors that need immediate attention over any amorphous future trends.
Firefighting at Sony
We've written about Sony multiple times over the years, rarely in a good light. A parody Twitter account of the company's CEO, Kazuo Hirai, often makes for entertaining reading. The company can't seem to catch a break. Its latest financial results, released today, warned of a $2.2bn loss for the financial year, the sixth loss in seven years. For the first time since 1958, the company will not pay a dividend. Much of the blame fell to the ailing smartphone division, which generates a fifth of the company's revenue, but other businesses hurt the conglom too. The company loses $80 on every TV sold; rumours abound they will sell the Spider-Man franchise back to Marvel for a quick payday; the one bright light, Playstation, which took the company into the black in Q2, is beginning to seem risky, as customers look beyond single-use devices like games consoles, a trend we spotted back in January last year. (Earlier this week, Microsoft continued to hint that it might spin off the Xbox business). Sony recently spun off its TV division into a subsidiary and sold its PC business. These actions in turn were supposed to bear fruit, but clearly haven't.
Much of the difficulty Sony faces was elaborated on in detail in a brilliant profile of then-CEO Sir Howard Stringer for The New Yorker, back in 2006. Little has changed since then. In today's FT, the newspaper outlines the longevity of Sony's heartache.
June 1999 Nobuyuki Idei becomes chief executive. Four years later he presides over the infamous Sony "Shokku", or shock, in which the group surprised investors with a profits warning.
June 2005 British-born Howard Stringer becomes chief executive, the first foreigner to lead Sony with a mandate to restore profitability and turn the core electronics business round.
September 2005 Sir Howard's first major restructuring initiative outlines a plan to cut staff numbers by 10,000, or 7 per cent, and reduce costs by Y200bn. It will also close 11 manufacturing plants, streamline its number of products and generate capital from asset sales. "We must be like the Russians defending Moscow against Napoleon, ready to scorch the earth to stay ahead of the invaders. We must be Sony United and fight like the Sony warriors we are," he says.
December 2008 A second wave of restructuring begins with plans to cut 16,000 full-time and part-time jobs in its electronics businesses around the world.
2011 Sony downgrades its net income forecasts four times.
March 2012 The group highlights its digital imaging, game and mobile units as the three core pillars of its electronics business.
April 2012 Kazuo 'Kaz' Hirai takes over as chief executive. Sir Howard says he will be a "tough-mind[ed]" leader. The first restructuring under Mr Hirai is outlined under the banner of "Sony will change". Sony will shed 10,000 jobs, or about 6 per cent of its global headcount, over the next three years.
March 2013 The group reports its first full-year net income in five years.
October 2013 Sony warns on profits.
January 2014 Moody's cuts Sony rating to junk.
February 2014 Plans to spin out the television business and sell the Vaio PC business are announced.
May 2014 Sony warns on profits for the third time in six months.
July 2014 The group surprises the market by swinging into profit for the second quarter.
September 2014 Sony warns that its expected annual net loss will be nearly five times as big as initially predicted at Y230bn.
Regulating in the face of digital disruption
Having studied policy and regulation at university, Zeitgeist is often compelled to look at many issues facing companies today through a regulatory lens. But even the most dispassionate fan of rules and laws would have to concede that as digital innovation disrupts multiple sectors around the world, the way these new innovations and businesses are governed is an important consideration. In this piece we'll be looking at regulatory concerns for disruptors like Uber and Netflix, as well as how regulation effects legacy companies like Microsoft and Comcast. As with many of our articles on this blog, we'll be taking a particular look at the TMT sector. (Bitcoin will have to wait for another article).
Regulators often find themselves caught between a rock and a hard place. Should the emphasis be placed ex-ante, to ensure compliance, or ex-post to apply punitive measures and fix problems once they have become apparent? The former seems wise as it sets initial goals for companies. But it also risks opening loopholes, as well as being overly prescriptive and thus failing to adapt. It can also lead to the development of overly-familiar relations between regulator and industry, leading to what is known as 'capture'. Currently, the US favours an ex-ante approach, but as Edward Luce detailed recently in the Financial Times, this has led to a "creeping impulse to micro-regulate". The FDA's recent announcement that they would regulate e-cigarettes, despite no proof it encourages the take-up of smoking tobacco, is such an example. Ex-post – regulating after an event – seems just as bad, mostly because the damage has already been done at that point. While it means that all problems addressed are real-world and practical, they can also be applied with too much emphasis. Above all, regulation ultimately risks stifling innovation; Edison moved to the West coast because he was fed up of the stringent regulations in the East. A recent lead article in The Economist asserted that, far from too little regulation, the global recession was caused by too much state involvement in the wrong places. Too little oversight though, and companies can be allowed to run wild.
Earlier this month, The New York Times featured an op-ed on regulating the online world. It is written by New York State attorney general Eric Schneiderman. As might be expected, he quickly attacks online start-ups saying it is "amazing" that they think just because their business is online, that "somehow makes them immune from regulation". This is all well and good, but it masks the fact that clear regulations have not been established. Schneiderman is right to point out that just because a business now has an app instead of a high street store doesn't mean its responsibilities to the law have changed. It is an apt analogy. But in practice the story is different. As with most innovations, from film to Napster and Airbnb, regulators must constantly be playing catch-up. The complaints of new businesses are not that they should be subject to regulation, rather that those rules are onerous or outdated, applying to a different time. The sharing economy works because it has found cheaper, more efficient ways of offering services that hitherto were more restricted; regulations need to be appropriately dispensed. Sadly, many cities in the US have simply blocked allowing such services to operate. Uber – a car pickup service – is probably not wholly repulsed by the thought of regulation, but they are resistant to rules put in place by entrenched interests and unions. Airbnb might violate the letter of the law, but not the spirit surely. People have always let out their living space to others. The only thing that has changed is scale. Why does scale suddenly make something legally problematic? Schneiderman points out that some lettings are so large, with multiple rooms let at once, that they are essentially hotels. True enough, perhaps, but Zeitgeist has certainly never come across such a property, and they are certainly small in number, and no more represent Airbnb's ethos than any hotel violating its own (regulated) terms. A recent article in The Economist argued for "adaptation, not prohibition". Schneiderman's sentiment is that these start-ups need to work more closely and proactively with regulators, but this fails to recognise that regulators need to also fundamentally change their approach.
Regulation in China has been a hot topic for a while now. This is principally because the region has a low tolerance of free speech. But it extends to cultural concerns as well; the Google Play store, Twitter, and most of Hollywood's annual product do not make it onto Chinese shores (legally, anyway). What this creates is a secondary tier of companies who take Western business models and run with it. That's why there are multiple Chinese Android app stores, why Sina Weibo is a fantastically successful service, and why many poor remakes of US films flood the Chinese market. It has been pleasing then to see two recent developments in the way China regulates the TMT sector that should be good news for consumers and Western companies. Today saw the announcement that Microsoft's Xbox One is to be sold in China. It will be the first foreign games console to go on sale in the country, lifting a fourteen year ban. This would open up the company to the half billion active gamers in China. Additionally, as Michael Pachter, analyst at Wedbush Securities pointed out,
"The middle class in China is pretty large, and positioning the box as an over-the-top TV receiver gives it a lot of appeal to wealthier Chinese."
Earlier this week, Warner Bros was the latest film studio to partner with Chinese site Tencent. The film 300: Rise of an Empire, is available to rent through the site, while it is still in cinemas in territories like the US. The points of the deal were very interesting. Zeitgeist has for a number of years now advocated an increased flexibility to film platform release windows. Such a rigid structure as the industry has in the US is not as apparent in China. This could help alleviate piracy in the country and separately could pave the way for a relaxing of the quota of US films that are let into the Chinese market every year. Hopefully this will be a precursor to more such moves in Western markets. As someone commented on the news when it was published on the Financial Times website,
"Maybe they can do the same in the rest of the world as well?
Or I could wait 2 months for something to come out on Bluray in the UK compared to the US. Or just pirate it when the US version is available since they won't let me buy it in my country, but will let other people buy it in other countries."
While China is taking steps forward, the US seems to be faltering in its regulatory approach. We mentioned the impending restrictions on e-cigarettes earlier, and let's not even go into then-mayor Michael Bloomberg's crusade against sugar. We've written about net neutrality before. The issue has been of interest to Zeitgeist since university days. It was thrust into the spotlight this year when a US court ruled that the FCC had "overstepped its authority" after a legal challenge from Verizon. Last week, new rules were proposed that will undermine the original purpose of the policy of treating all traffic the same, allowing ISPs to charge companies like Netflix more in order to reach consumer with greater quantity or quality, but only on "commercially reasonable" terms. These terms have yet to be defined. These moves touch on a related matter that has also been greeted with consternation by those who favour fairness. This is Comcast's proposed merger with Time Warner Cable. Netflix recently publicly came out against the move. It is easy to see why. As The Economist recently elaborated, such a deal would limit competition and reduce any incentive to innovate. It is also one more example of the assumption companies have that their problems can be solved with size. Comcast have admitted they will raise prices for the end user, while as much as conceding there will no be no discernible benefit to them. One might argue there is little more for such companies to do, but average internet speeds in Tokyo and Singapore are ten times as fast on average as in the US. Even the Financial Times, which can often be counted on to be a bastion of support for capitalists, compared Comcast to the Railway Barons of the past.
The sharing economy is creating difficulty for many sectors, and regulatory agencies have not escaped this. Such forces have been to slow to adapt to fundamental changes in the TMT sector, particularly in print, music and film industries. There certainly seems to be a tendency for over-regulation today, particularly in the US. Returning to an article we mentioned at the beginning of our piece, Edward Luce laments that America "no longer feels unusually free". Perhaps this is part of a cyclical trend. Like the causes of the recession, perhaps the problem is a stifling caused by over-regulation in the wrong places, coupled with a lack of innovation in areas where sensible rules that do not cater to the established are in dire need. It is good to see rules and regulations around consoles and release windows are being relaxed in China, but the furore around regulating the sharing economy needs a similar dose of innovative thinking.
UPDATE (17/9/14): We've included some nice examples in this post of innovative thinking paired with light touch regulation going on in China's entertainment sector. Sadly the pendulum swings both ways; though shows like BBC's 'Sherlock' were made available with authorised translations mere hours after their original broadcast in Blighty, the state is cracking down hard in other ways. The Economist reports that last week, China's TV regulator said that, from April, any foreign series or film would need approval before being shown online. It is looking for "health, well-made works" that "showcase good values". This sounds like a vague excuse to arbitrarily censor content it doesn't like. Explicitly, banned subject matter includes, according to The Economist, "superstition, espionage and—bizarrely—time travel".
Adjacencies & Disruptions – Amazon, Armani and identifying corollaries
Zeitgeist likes thinking about adjacencies. We've written about it before when looking at the art market, but it's also prevalent in other industry sectors. Think of the UK übergrocer Tesco. The company has expanded into movie distribution – with Blinkbox – as well into banking and mobile, albeit as an MVNO. Why? To diversify its revenue streams; the grocery market is a cutthroat place of late; Morrisons recent conceding that it would be setting off another price war among its peers was hardly greeted with cheers by shareholders. How? By using the equity of trust they have built up with shoppers over the years, they are able to expand into other, similar territories, where their (claimed) competitive advantage of good value and good customer service can be similarly applied.
Amazon has been nothing if not a company constantly on the hunt for the efficient exploitation of adjacencies. A recent article in The New Yorker detailed how CEO Jeff Bezos got into books because he saw the market was ripe for disruption; he saw the Internet was the perfect platform to sell such a product:
"It wasn't a love of books that led him to start an online bookstore. 'It was totally based on the property of books as a product', Shel Kaphan, Bezos's former deputy, says. Books are easy to ship and hard to break, and there was a major distribution warehouse in Oregon. Crucially, there are far too many books, in and out of print, to sell even a fraction of them at a physical store. The vast selection made possible by the Internet gave Amazon its initial advantage, and a wedge into selling everything else."
Zeitgeist remembers buying his first book from Amazon back in 1999. It wasn't long before the company expanded into music, and from there into myriad other offerings. Like Tesco, Amazon found its original industry to be a highly competitive one – at least in terms of margins. It has become a fairly ruthless behemoth in the publishing industry, acting as monopoly in its rent-seeking tactics. The Kindle was an extension of its strategy to 'own' the territory of books, and as a publishing company itself it has so far had mixed success, according to The New Yorker. The Kindle Fire addresses its new media offerings, principally video. Just as a recent Business Insider article identified the Xbox 360 as Microsoft's short-term ploy to encourage a customer to funnel all entertainment through their device before the launch of its successor Xbox One, so with Amazon and its Kindle Fire before this week's release of Fire TV. The Financial Times featured good coverage of the device here, quoting an analyst at Forrester,
"It is a slightly faster Roku box combined with voice recognition to make search easier and then they have created a full Android gaming device. This puts the product into a whole class of its own."
It will be interesting to see how the device competes with the much cheaper Chromecast, from Google, itself an exploiter of adjacencies. Google relies less on an equity of customer trust to move into new industries and more an innate belief that tech can be used to solve pretty much any problem. The search engine provides an affordable smartphone OS platform, connected glasses, globe-trotting balloons and driverless cars.
In the world of luxury, that essence of trust is treated with far greater reverence. This is principally why fashion brands have been such laggards when it has come to embracing digital communications and ecommerce solutions. tIronically, this approach, which by extension neglects a dedicated approach to holistic Customer Experience Management (or CEM) is arguably beginning to have a negative impact on how people perceive and interact with these companies. It is why adjacencies seem to happen less than temporary collaborations, an impressive recent example of which can be seen in BMW's recent tie-up with Louis Vuitton.
It was gratifying to see Giorgio Armani, a company that has carefully crafted diffusion lines as well as adjacencies into hotels and homeware over the years, recently buck the trend, sending out communications over its newest line, Armani Fiori. While style can be eternal, fashion can be quite ephemeral – as with flowers. It's not clear how much of a market there is for this. That being said, the sector is not exactly brimming with ultra-premium florists. And it might provide a certain level of reassurance for the man purchasing flowers, who can rely on the brand's prestige to assuage any feelings of whether he is picking a good bunch. Where it might prove especially successful though is in the B2B sector; the lobbies of corporate headquarters and luxury hotels could soon be awash with the fragrance of a designer flower or two.
Adjacencies tend to work best then when they start by identifying qualities inherent in the brand as it currently exists. I.e. what is our current competitive advantage? Is that scaleable or transferable to a related field? Often, as with the cases above, such acquisitions and movements arise when traditional margins are being eroded or under threat of such. Prada, a leader in the luxury sector, has as that leader borne the brunt of strong headwinds recently as the sector as a whole experiences a slowdown. Its own adjacent acquisition? Last month it bought an 18th-century Milanese pastry shop.
Creative Destruction in Electronic Arts
The videogame industry, like many of the protagonists in the games it creates, is under attack. The competition is fierce. Not only is there healthy competition amongst legacy companies – including Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft – but new devices are increasingly distracting consumers, and digital disruption elsewhere is changing the way these companies do business.
Part of the problem is cyclical; the market has gone longer than usual without a major new console launch from either Sony or Microsoft, which in turn makes game manufacturers hesitate from making new product. But the industry needs to be wary that their audience has changed, in multiple ways. Sony are now starting to talk about their PS4 (due to be released in around six months' time), beginning with a dire two hour presentation recently that failed to reveal price, release date, or an image of the console. And the word over at TechCrunch? "A tired strategy… [O]verall the message was clear: Sony's PS4 is an evolution, not an about-face, or a realization that being a game console might not mean what it used to mean."
We've written before on creative destruction in other industries, and talked before about shifting parameters for companies like Nintendo. The inventor of NES and Game Boy is currently struggling with poor sales of its new console, while at the same the chief executive of Nintendo America recently stated that digital downloads of videogames were becoming a "notable contributor" to their bottom line. Companies like Apple are surrounded by perpetual rumours of developing their own videogame platform. New companies in their own right, such as the Kickstarter-funded company producing the $99 Ouya, is among several players shaking up the industry. The upshot of such turmoil – a "burning platform" as the Electronic Arts CEO described the situation in 2007, referring to the dilemma of holding onto the burning oil rig and drowning in the process, or risk jumping off into who-knows-what – is a loss of market share. Accenture in January published a report predicting the demise of single-use devices such as cameras and music players whose revenues would be eaten into as more and more consumers flocked to tablet and other multi-purpose gadgets. Videogame console purchase intent was not researched, but it is not hard to make the analogy.
It was enlightening and reassuring then to read McKinsey Quarterly's interview recently with Bryan Neider, COO of Electronic Arts. Some interesting take-outs follow. First, in 2007, the company recognised there was a problem: "game-quality scores were down and our costs were rising". The company wanted to shift from having a relationship with retailers to having one with gamers. This meant having a focus on digital delivery. This fiscal year, digital is forecast to represent 40% of the overall business. Neider recognises this closeness to the consumer makes them even more susceptible to their whims and preferences, so they're relying far more on data-backed analysis than they have before, including a system with profiles of over 200m customers. This data is used for everything from QA to predicting game usage. Neider elaborates,
"Key metrics answer the following questions: where in the game are consumers dropping out? What is the network effect of getting new players into the game? How many people finish a game? Did we make it too difficult or too long? Did we overdevelop a product or underdevelop it? Did people finish too fast? Those sorts of things are going to be critical… However, the challenge is that parts of the gaming audience are pretty vocal—they either really like a game or they really don't like it. The trick is to find ways to get feedback from the lion's share of the audience that is generally silent and make sure we're giving these people what they want."
Interestingly, the company's structure was changed to reflect individual fiefdoms according to franchise – be it FIFA or Need for Speed – the needs for which are managed in that line of business. Each vertical competes with the others to deliver the highest rates of return, while also being able to draw on central resources (marketing, for example). Electronic Arts, as a developer of software for other manufacturers, will to some extent always be at the mercy of which devices are in vogue and the cycle of obsolescence. It is impressive though to see that the company has recognised the need to change the way it does business. The operational and technological sides of business don't seem to have distracted Neider from the key insight in the industry, "Ultimately, we're in the people business".


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Obama meets with old friends before flying back to Washington
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. - President Barack Obama squeezed in a round of golf with his old Honolulu crew before departing the Coachella Valley today, following two days of meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Conferring at the Sunnylands estate in Rancho Mirage, Obama and Xi agreed Saturday to work on curbing greenhouse gas emissions, setting a goal of erasing 90 gigatons of carbon dioxide by 2050, an amount that would add up to about two years worth of current greenhouse gas levels.
Xi left Sunnylands at about noon Saturday, and drove in a motorcade back to Ontario International Airport. All traffic was cleared from a 40-mile stretch of Interstate 10 for that motorcade.
The President played a morning round of golf with the old chums from Punanou High School -- Mike ramos, Greg Orme and Bobby Titcomb. A witness aid the group was laughing and "generally having a good time by all appearances," according to a pool reporter.
The president was to drive to Palm Springs International Airport for a scheduled 10:30 a.m. flight back to Washington.
According to the agreement between the U.S. and China, the two nations have "agreed to work together and with other countries through multilateral approaches that include using the expertise and institutions of the Montreal Protocol to include (hydrocarbons) within the scope of UNFCCC and its Kyoto Protocol provisions for accounting and reporting of emissions."
The UNFCCC is the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change.
On Friday, Obama and Xi discussed cyber security during their first meeting.
"What both President Xi and I recognize is that because of these incredible advances in technology that the issue of cyber security and the need for rules and common approaches to cyber security are going to be increasingly important as part of bilateral relationships and multilateral relationships," Obama said.
"In some ways, these are uncharted waters and you don't have the kinds of protocols that cover military issues for examples and arms issues where nations have a lot of experience in trying to negotiate what's acceptable and what's not."
National Security Adviser Tom Donilon told a media gathering at Palm Springs' Westin Mission Hills hotel that Obama and Xi discussed the broad aspects and potential ramifications of distrust caused by long-term Chinese cyber-hacking.
"The specific issue that (Obama and Xi) talked about (Friday) is the issue of cyber-enabled economic theft -- theft of intellectual property and other kinds of property in the public and private realm in the U.S. by entities based in China," Donilon said.
"(Obama) went through this in some detail," Donilon said. "(Obama) asked the Chinese government to engage on this issue and understand that ... if it continues to be this direct theft of U.S. property, that this was going to be a very difficult problem in the (U.S. and China's) economic relationship and was going to be an inhibitor to the relationship really reaching its full potential."
Donilon said the critical point of the conversation was that it demonstrated cyber security was now a keystone in unencumbered U.S.-Chinese relations.
"It is not an adjunct issue," Donilon said. "It's an issue that is very much on the table at this point."
Speaking through an interpreter, Xi said "the Chinese government is firm in upholding cyber security and we have major concerns about cyber security."
Xi said he noticed "a sharp increase in media coverage" of cyber security in the days before his meeting with Obama, that might "give people the sense or feeling that cyber security as a threat mainly comes from China or that the issue (of) cyber security is the biggest problem in the U.S.-China relationship.
"We need to pay close attention to this issue and study ways to effectively resolve this issue," Xi said. "This matter can actually be an area for China and the United States to work together ... in a pragmatic way."
Obama and Xi additionally tackled such thorny questions as North Korea's nuclear program.
Xi -- who became China's president in March -- met with Obama last year, when he was China's vice president.
He expressed the belief that he and Obama see "that to avoid ... this trap of rivalry between a rising power and an established power, that it's important to put in place ... bilateral mechanisms that allow them to deal with the greatest sources of instability and competition."


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My dog is a 7 year old that I got from the shelter a few days ago. Now I heard that by now, he would be considered a senior.
The first day was good. He was exploring and was active and sat on my lap a lot. But in the second day, there was a comlete change. He was slow and lazy. He just slept on the floor (no longer jumped on couches and beds), followed me whenever I moved and slept there. I read online that dogs might sleep in the day becuase they're bored, so I tried getting out different toys to play with. He wasn't interested in any of them.
Rimi doesn't chew shoes, tug on anything or destroy (which I am very grateful of), but that makes me think he doesn't want to play with any toy. He sleeps around... I would say 20 hours a day. Only waking up on walks and for food. Is this normal? How can any dog sleep for that long?
I took him to the vet yesterday and the vet said he was healthy exept for a ear infection.


text: As title states, I would like to trade my 15 inch powerbook g4 for your 12 inch powerbook. Here is specs on mine: 15 inch, super drive, 1.25 ghz, 512 mb ram, 64 mb video memory, 80 gb hd, airport extreme cars/blutooth etc.... Accessories: Targus backpack and case logic case sleeve. Condition: 9-10 mos old, bought brand new, it's perfect condition, no scratch or dead pixel, it's in excellent condition, have all the stuff that came in original factory sealed box. I want your 12 inch powerbook g4 with same specs or better, for pics and more info email me at email@example.com


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CableTV.com Recommends DIRECTV for your TV service
According to independent consumer surveys of satellite TV providers and cable companies in Blair, OK, DIRECTV has earned the title of best TV service provider in Blair. Having this knowledge should make it easier for you to make an educated decision when shopping for cable companies or television services available in your area.
Do you like to keep up weekly with your favorite period dramas or family comedies? Or are you a die-hard or Dallas Cowboys fan? Without your favorite shows and sports teams, an inexpensive cable package is still a waste of money, so it is essential to consider channel availability when you're looking for TV packages in Blair. Use our data to find the best cable company in Blair, OK and compare your options. While most packages include major networks, not all small channels are available with every package—in fact, availability can vary from one area to another, even with the same TV provider. Luckily, we've compiled data that will make it easy to find the channels you want and select the highest rated providers available in Blair. It is easier than ever to find an economical TV package that includes everything you need.
Customer service and dependability are just as important as channel selection when you're looking for the best TV provider. That's why CableTV.com includes both of these factors in their ratings of Blair TV providers. By following our recommendations for the best cable company in Blair, OK, you can easily find a superior TV package that meets your demands while providing reliable customer service.


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Update on Beltran, Mets
Believe it or not, outfielder Carlos Beltran isn't the Mets' only trade asset. But at the moment, he is dominating the team's internal and external trade discussions, and not simply because his value is so high.
Beltran's full no-trade clause likely will force the Mets to secure a deal several days before the July 31 non-waiver deadline. If Beltran rejects Plan A, the team then will need to act quickly and present him with Plan B.
The Mets are aware of Beltran's preferred destinations and comfortable they will secure his approval, sources say. Some in baseball suspect that Beltran wants to stay in the NL, and he told Newsday that he also will weigh two other considerations — the quality of a team's pitching staff and his reluctance to serve as a DH.TRADES FOR DUMMIES Confused by MLB's transaction
rules? You're not alone. We
explain it all.
The Giants, Phillies, Braves are the NL teams showing the strongest interest in Beltran, sources say. The Red Sox, who would use Beltran in right field, also are in the mix. The Rangers like Beltran, but the bullpen is their greater priority.
Most of the Beltran talks thus far qualify as preliminary, sources say. The Mets expect to know more about each team's intent by Monday, and after that they will start weeding out the suitors.
Once the Mets act on Beltran, they can listen more seriously to offers for some of their other players. The team, however, likely will proceed carefully. Club officials do not want to give up on the season entirely.
The Mets are reluctant to trade reliever Jason Isringhausen, who has value to them as a late-inning reliever and mentor to their younger pitchers. They also are likely to retain catcher Ronny Paulino, who is under club control through 2012, and right-hander Mike Pelfrey, who is down in value and under control through '13.
The Mets likely will show a greater willingness to move potential free agents such as left-hander Chris Capuano, left-handed reliever Tim Byrdak, outfielder Scott Hairston and utility man Willie Harris.
— Ken Rosenthal


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Today, tourists are surprised by the fact that there is always something new to discover Chiang Mai. Intriguing diversity among ethnic tribes coupled with breathtaking scenery makes Chiang Mai one of Asia's most attractive tourist destinations. Two weeks in Chiang Mai may not be long enough for serious travelers. More about Chiang Mai
Hotels & Resorts in City, Wat Kate, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Rimping Village
Location:City, Wat Kate
Address:13/1 Soi 2, Chiangmai-Lamphun Road
City:Watgate, Muang, Chiangmai 50000
Start Rate:64 USD
|Room Types:Superior Room, Deluxe Room, Rimping Deluxe, Family Suite (4 persons)
1 - 1 of 1 Hotels & Resorts
in Chiang Mai, City, Wat Kate


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Target: California Department of Public Health (CDPH)
Goal: Provide clean drinking water for residents of Monterey County
For decades, the drinking water in Monterey County has contained nitrate levels that exceed state and federal standards. As of 2011, the county declared the water undrinkable and required bottled water for drinking and cooking. This petition demands immediate action from the CDPH to find a clean and affordable water source for residents.
The primary source of contamination is a nearby farm in San Lucas called Mission Ranches. The well that supplies water to most homes in the area is located on these fertilizer-intensive farmlands. Nitrates from fertilizer are extremely dangerous, especially because they're impossible to detect outside of a testing lab. Nitrates spread quickly from crops into groundwater, where they can exist unnoticed for decades without breaking down. They damage hemoglobin in the bloodstream, causing a disrupted flow of oxygen. Minor symptoms of exposure range from headaches and fatigue to more serious cases of "blue-baby syndrome" in infants.
This persistent contamination has ultimately caused the local economy to suffer as businesses close and people move away from the area. Assemblyman Luis Alejo has been a leader in promoting legislation to improve drinking water across California. Despite bipartisan approval for nine of the ten bills authored by Alejo to decontaminate the water, funding has been difficult to acquire. The California Department of Public Health has failed to comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act by not spending $455 million in funds granted by the EPA to address this problem. This inaction is reprehensible as people still lack access to potable water.
The complexity of this issue will require a multifaceted and thoroughly researched solution to ensure it won't have any long-term consequences on the health of residents or the environment.
Dear California Department of Public Health,
For two years, the residents of Monterey County have lacked access to clean drinking water due to excessive nitrate contamination. Few developments have been made to provide this essential resource as lawmakers struggle to obtain funding or devise a long-term solution.
Your department was recently warned by the EPA for failing to comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act and not spending $455 million in funds granted to decontaminate the county's water supply.
As Assemblyman Luis Alejo has declared, "Drinking water is a basic human right." We demand that the CDPH recognizes the urgency of this issue and ensures that residents of Monterey County have access to clean and affordable drinking water.
[Your Name Here]
Phtoto Credit: Richard Masoner via Flickr


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I got hooked on the P99 and Glock 34 because I rented range guns and liked them.
Also, I've tried a CZ75, a Beretta Storm Carbine and a XD 9mm in the past as well...
I was at my indoor range yesterday for a workout when I noticed a young gentleman come in and set up next to me. As he began firing I saw he had a S&W Model 442 or similar hammerless snubbie. He left after firing a few rounds and returned with a 4" stainless K-frame Smith. After awhile he was gone again then returned with the same gun, or so I thought. But then I noticed this gun had Pachmyer grips instead of the Smith rubber. And, it barked a little more stoutly. Then he was back with some kind of non-M1911 auto. Not clumsy or dumb, he was obviously not too experienced, either.
Later I got a chance to talk with him and found he was contemplating buying a handgun of some sort, and had arranged with the range to try several guns.
I sort of marveled at someone taking such a sensible approach at such a decision. A showing of rare common sense these days.
Bob Wright
I got hooked on the P99 and Glock 34 because I rented range guns and liked them.
Also, I've tried a CZ75, a Beretta Storm Carbine and a XD 9mm in the past as well...
I've only seen one range that ever rented firearms. It was an indoor range where you must pay to rent each pistol, pay for their marked up ammunition, and pay for range time. It was actually cheaper to buy a pistol in many cases then to rent two or three of them. The option to try would be great but it's something that is not possible for most shooters. It would be nice for the manufacturers to allow consumers to try their products at events similar to the way motorcycle manufacturers do.
They had a Glock day down at our range. You had to own a Glock to get in. Shot me down. I'll never own a Glock. They came in there with there big money and bought the range for the whole day. I am going to take it up with the director when I see him.
Granted, I must buy range ammo for the rentals, but each rental is only $5 a gun here. Not too bad... If U rent 1 on each trip, that extra fee for the range ammo (just 1 box) ain't that bad really.
I have a range nearby that rents guns for $6.00. You have to buy at least 50 rds of premium price ammo but still, for about $10 ($4 being the difference between Wal-Mart price and the range price for a box of 50 rounds), you can try a gun out to see how it shoots. I think this is worth it. Preferable to spending several hundred on a gun you find you don't like, then trading it in for substantially less than you paid for it.
I don't remember the price of the rental exactly but it was over $35 per pistol before the other fees were added. If it were only $5 I most certainly would've rented a few. I guess since they had a small indoor range and were primarily a shop in a heavily populated area, their insurance was probably high.
The rental fee at this range is $10 and ammunition must be purchased at the time from the range. However, economical reloads are sold there so its not too great an expense, also cheap "range" ammunition from the major manufacturers is available. Accuracy is none too good, but that didn't matter to this customer. And, he was allowed to fire several guns for the one rental fee.
He paid $10 for rental fee and maybe another $12 ~ $15 for three boxes of reloads. He seemed satisfied with the deal. I think in such instances the range discounts the range fee as well. Bear in mind this customer was not a regular shooter and this was a one-time deal.
I'd say we all came out ahead.
Bob Wright
Last edited by Bob Wright; 12-01-2006 at 10:27 AM.
I agree. He made an informed choice and we likely now have another responsible shooter on our side.
Last edited by Revolver; 12-01-2006 at 11:58 AM.


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I need a wrx wastegate
This is a discussion on wrx wastegate within the Personal For Sale & Wanted forums, part of the ClubWRX.net Marketplace category; I need a wrx wastegate...
I need a wrx wastegate
Do you mean you need a new turbo? Or what? The stock turbo on every WRX is internally gated.
Maybe you mean you need a new waste gate actuator?
yeah, I need the wastegate actuator.