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Very cute! I love the little hedwig plush. ♥ I'm happy to see more Ravenclaw students. I usually see more Gryffindor and Slytherins.
Now this is a GREAT Ravenclaw-student-cosplay! o_o
But where, my dear, is your wand?! (Hehe, I know that is ryhmes! woot!xD)
"Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, If you've a ready mind, Where those of wit and learning, Will always find their kind" - The Sorting Hat.
But honestly, this is a really good cosplay if you ask me and that cute little owlplushy you got there make it even more adorable...
I love your robes and, while I am a Slytherin at heart, Ravenclaw is right up there~! Plus, you're really lucky to have gotten a semi-snowy backdrop. That never happens where I live! xD
u are so cute
raven claw rocks and i really like your jacket and owley
I love your outfit, you look so pretty. and I love your little owl plush too, it's so cute!
I'm a big fan of Ravenclaw, too! Great picture! You're so pretty.
I love this shot! The world needs more Ravenclaw cosplay!
Cute shot! I love the background and you look so pretty! *o*
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I'd like to share a quick tutorial on how to create these fun & easy Wall Art projects. I call them my 'Inchie Wall Art', and no two are alike. They can be created for various themes or color schemes, such as cute Baby Shower gifts, 'Welcome' gifts, or Office motivational wall art.
What I like the most about these easy projects is that they are NOT exact, and anything goes. You can use any color, medium, and tool that you want, and by changing the sequence that you use them, you can create different looks.
Here is a list of some of your basic supplies:
watercolor paper, ruler, pencil, gesso, paint, markers, rub-on's, paper, 1 inch paper punch, and gel medium. (The punch in the picture is a circle punch. You will need a square punch)
Start with a piece of watercolor paper cut to the size of your finished project. My favorite size is 12 x 12, but the sample in this tutorial is 8 x 8.
For an 8 x 8 project, you will need to create a grid on your watercolor paper using approx 1 3/16 squares.
In the 8 x 8 example, you will need to punch out 49 squares. I like to use a variety of paper, both patterns and solids. 6 x 6 and 8 x 8 pads of paper are great for this project. You use a majority of an individual sheet of paper without much waste.
Layout out your design by randomly placing your inch squares on the grid. Move the squares around until they are placed where you want them. If it looks good, go with it.Next, you need to adhere the inchies' to the watercolor paper. It's important to note that both sides of the inchie must be coated with gel medium. A simple way to do this is to remove 1 row of inchies', cover that row (on the watercolor paper) with gel medium, re-place the inchies' and repeat with each row until the entire page is done. This also allows you to remember where you had placed each inchie in the previous step.
Once all inchies' are in place, coat the entire sheet with another layer of gel medium. Let dry. I usually let it dry over-night and work on the next step the following day.
Now comes the fun part. The next several steps can be done in any order, or can be eliminated completely if you desire. If you want a bolder look, use more paint, if you want a more subtle look, use less paint. It is entirely up to you. And remember, this project is not about being exact. The messier, the better. Coloring outside of the lines is desired, and smudges of color here and there, make each project unique.
Special Note: I suggest that your thoroughly allow each of the following steps to dry completely before proceeding to the next or the paint and colors may run together and you will lose the definition of each.
For this tutorial, I will explain the steps I used to create this example.
Step 1
'Outline' each square with gesso. I wiped off most of the paint before outlining each square, but not so much that it is considered dry brushing. Let dry completely.
Step 2
Randomly 'Outline' each square with a china marker. I also outlined several patterns and drew lines on individual squares. Regular thin line markers work well too.
Step 3
'Outline' each square with a gold metallic marker. I have used all sorts of markers, but I really like the look that metallic's give. Again, I added additional emphasis on individual squares. Let dry completely.
Step 4
'Outline' squares again with China marker for more definition and randomness.
Step 5
Using either white acrylic paint or gesso, randomly paint on your piece. I used bubble-wrap and my FAVORITE tool – an old credit card. I love to 'swipe' the card thru the paint and drag it along the squares, allowing the paint to grab on the raised surface. It creates a great look and effect. Let dry completely.
Step 6
Using distress crackle paint, randomly paint the piece. Let dry completely.
Step 7
Randomly apply run-ons. Write on individual squares. If you want more color, 'outline' squares again, apply more crackle paint, or mist on random spots.
Step 8
For this example, I used some letters from the kit and some from my stash to create the word "Dream'. I gesso-ed over the top of each letter, and sanded them when they were dry. I placed the word in the desired spot and glued down.
Step 9
Once everything is in place, cover the entire piece with another coat of gel medium. This seals everything in.
Step 10
Frame and enjoy!
So start working on these fab-u-lous wall art projects! I want to see your ideas!

subset: commoncrawl


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Quick Links: COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT• RSOvertures
• Know Your Symphony
• Beat Beethoven
Music in the Making
The Diversity Committee of the Reading Symphony Orchestra invites you to see and hear how a symphony concert is put together. Join us for a "Music in the Making" presentation and a concert rehearsal at the Santander Performing Arts Center.
At 1:15 p.m.
the "Music in the Making" presentation in the Theater Lobby.
At 2:30 p.m.,
the concert rehearsal.
Participants will enter the theater at 2:15 p.m.;
seating will be limited to the second-floor loge:
(except for March and May which will be matinee concerts)
- Dress informally and comfortably
- Children five and older are welcome. An adult must accompany children ages five to eleven. (No infants or toddlers please)
- You may stay for the entire program or leave the rehearsal at the intermission around 3:45 p.m. The March and May concerts will be one hour in duration.
- If you have any questions regarding "Music in the Making" or wish to add names to our mailing list please call 610-373-7557.
- There is no charge
The Reading Symphony Orchestra has been giving concerts in Reading since 1913 and is one of the oldest orchestras in the United States. The Orchestra is composed of 81 professional musicians who perform a variety of music.
The Presentation
A special guest presenter—a soloist, a musician or an administrator—presents the world of music from his or her perspective. The presenter will describe the importance of an instrument in the orchestra, give the audience a unique insight into music and composers or discuss the many elements involved in the preparation of a concert.
The Concert Rehearsal
The orchestra and conductor meet in rehearsal for many reasons. The conductor, for example, works out details of tempo (how fast or slow a section should be played) and balance (how soft or loud each instrument plays in relation to another). The musicians, on the other hand, realize how their parts fit in with the other instruments and come to understand the conductor's interpretation. For these reasons, and many others, you may sometimes hear an entire movement played without interruption; but you will also hear sections of music interrupted for discussion among the conductor and musicians.
147 North Fifth Street, Suite 4, Reading, PA 19601 | Phone: 610-373-7557 | Contact Us


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Photo by Karla Garcia
Described as a Disco House / Ghettotech / Funk group, Afrobeta was first discovered in 2006 in the tropical monsoon environs of Miami, where Smurphio had been playing keyboards with the likes of Suenalo, Bacilos and Pitbull, and Cuci had been acting in independent films and commercials and singing with electro-acoustic outfit OrganicArma. The two music lovers' chance meeting at a Suenalo concert led to instant friendship and late-night/early-morning songwriting sessions, and with these songs, Miami songs, full of funky synths, skittering beats, infectious melodies, and bilingual seduction, Afrobeta was born.
They celebrate the release of their new single this Friday March 19 at Circuit Studios in Little Haiti. Click here for more info.
And below, listen to their 2009 single "That Thing"
Afrobeta – That Thing
Download: iTunes


text:
Summer, cricket and Bayes
This week the blog and I are officially on holiday, which allows me to enjoy a few of my hobbies such as following the cricket via the splendid Cricinfo and the evening highlights programme (it is nice finally to see the England cricket team number one in the world, just like the UK's biologists). I have also been catching up on my reading (including via my new ownership of a tablet computer that runs the free Kindle app).
I have much enjoyed reading a popular book on the history of Bayes' rule; it is extremely well written, and makes the story thoroughly gripping, as indeed it is. I am an increasing fan of the Bayesian approach, and I am writing something about it over the summer. I also read a handy little book on Matrix Management, and (with computer simulation occupying a philosophically uncertain position between 'theory' and 'experiment') one on the epistemology of computer simulations.
I also enjoyed a very nice animation on Synthetic Biology, as well as a number of others from the same stable.
Papers I enjoyed reading include a comparatively old one on the relationship between biology and maths and one on metabolites as global regulators.
One of my own papers came out in final form, on pharmaceutical drug transporters, while two more were accepted for publication.
Among the list of bon mots, I much enjoyed 'skillionaire', for someone who earns a significant sum of money despite a comparative lack of higher education. Presumably those who do so in pharmaceuticals are 'pillionaires'…
- Bertsch McGrayne S (2011) The theory that would not die: how Bayes' rule crack the enigma code, hunted down Russian submarines, and emerged triumphant from two centuries of controversy. London: Yale University Press
- Cohen JE (2004) Mathematics is biology's next microscope, only better; biology is mathematics' next physics, only better. PLoS Biol 2, e439. Full, free text
- Gunn RA (2007) Matrix management success: method not magic. Conshohocken, PA: Infinity Publishing
- Jayawardhana B, Kell DB & Rattray M (2008). Bayesian inference of the sites of perturbations in metabolic pathways via Markov Chain Monte Carlo. Bioinformatics 24, 1191-1197
- Kell DB, Dobson PD, Oliver SG (2011) Pharmaceutical drug transport: the issues and the implications that it is essentially carrier-mediated only. Drug Disc Today 16,704-714
- Li X, Snyder M (2011) Metabolites as global regulators: a new view of protein regulation: systematic investigation of metabolite-protein interactions may help bridge the gap between genome-wide association studies and small molecule screening studies. Bioessays 33, 485-489
- Winsberg E. (2010) Science in the Age of Computer Simulation. London: University of Chicago Press
Related posts (based on tags and chronology):
Transforming our future: synthetic biology
22 March 2017
Recognition for unsung heroes of research?
06 September 2016
Blueprints for life and synthetic biology
13 April 2016
Veterinary vaccinology – enhancing animal welfare and improving food security
26 October 2015
The bioeconomy, agricultural chief scientists and can you help with tackling inappropriate behaviour?
06 August 2015
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We're waiting to see whether President Obama cites the anti-Wall Street protesters during his bus trip through North Carolina and Virginia.
And how much the Wall Street protesters cite Obama.
A group called Occupy Greensboro -- modeled after the Occupy Wall Street protests -- seeks a meeting with Obama and may picket the hotel where the president plans to spend the night, reports the Greensboro News & Record.
The newspaper says, "The group voted to ask Obama to meet tonight with some members -- a delegation bearing letters of 'individual grievances.'"
"We wished to invite you to visit with our assembly and hear why the people gathered here are upset with our government," the letter said.
White House spokesman Jay Carney declined to say whether Obama would address the Wall Street protests, but he said the president understands the frustrations behind the demonstrations.
"One, the frustrations that regular folks -- middle-class Americans -- feel about the state of the economy, the need for growth to improve, and certainly the need for job creation to improve," Carney said.
"And,' he said, "there is a related frustration that a lot of Americans feel about the idea that Wall Street in the past played by different rules than Main Street."
David's journalism career spans three decades, including coverage of five presidential elections, the Oklahoma City bombing, the 2000 Florida presidential recount and the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He has covered the White House for USA TODAY since 2005. His interests include history, politics, books, movies and college football -- not necessarily in that order. More about David
Follow the Oval on Twitter: @The Oval, @djusatoday.
Also contributing to the Oval: Richard Wolf @richardjwolf; Aamer Madhani @AamerISmad


text:
I started learning ZB recently. There are many great tutorials available out there, and I have to say that suddenly I have found myself making art pieces I hadn't even dreamed about. Thanks to the tuts.
But I have not been able to find any complete reference or help file that contains the description of EVERY tool available in the application, and because of that my knowledge is constrained to the tools I get from the tuts.
¿Does anyone know if there is any downloadable (complete) help file or reference, just like in most apps?
You know, I really love references...


text:
Manhasset, NY, USA < change city >
Photographers (148)
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Invitations (40)
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Officiants (25)
Jewelry (22)
Favors (19)
Tuxedos (16)
Ceremony Sites (290)
Reception Sites (176)
See All Vendors >
Wce Carriagehouse
187 Brinckerhoff Court
Englewood, NJ 07631, USA
(201) 568-7701
Ceremony Sites, Reception S...
38 ratings, 40 reviews, 49 weddings
I would highly recommend the WCE Carriage House to anyone who wants a wedding tha...
Chateau Briand Caterers
440 Old Country Road
Carle Place, NY 11514, USA
Ceremony Sites, Reception S...
4 ratings, 2 reviews, 19 weddings
The setting and ambiance of the hall is extremely cozy and inviting. The staff is...
The Inn at Longshore
260 South Compo Road
Westport, Connecticut 06880, USA
Ceremony Sites, Reception S...
3 ratings, 2 reviews, 15 weddings
Beautiful location, great food and super accomodating. The minute that my husband...
The Royalton At Roslyn C...
33 Club Dr
Roslyn Heights, NY, United States
Reception Sites, Ceremony S...
3 ratings, 2 reviews, 6 weddings
The staff at the Royalton was fantastic! They went above and beyond what we aske...
Hyatt Regency Greenwich
1800 East Putnam Avenue
Old Greenwich, CT 06870, USA
Reception Sites, Hotels/Acc...
2 ratings, 2 reviews, 19 weddings
All of our guests raved about the hotel. It's by far the nicest hotel in our area...
Fox Hollow
7725 Jericho Turnpike
Woodbury, NY 11797, USA
Reception Sites, Ceremony S...
2 ratings, 1 review, 38 weddings
The Fox Hollow was AMAZING!!!! The outside was beautiful covered with all the lig...
Westbury Manor
1100 Jericho Turnpike
Westbury, NY 11590, US
Reception Sites, Ceremony S...
2 ratings, 1 review, 36 weddings
Great Service & Even Better Food!
Greentree Country Club
538 Davenport Ave
New Rochelle, NY 10805, US
Reception Sites, Ceremony S...
2 ratings, 1 review, 19 weddings
Greentree was everything I was expecting and more. I highly recommend having a r...
Garden City Hotel
45 7th St
Garden City, New York, US
Hotels/Accommodations, Cere...
2 ratings, 1 review, 13 weddings
Spectacular. Gorgeous. Perfect. Everything I wanted.
New York Botanical Gardens
2900 Southern Boulevard
Bronx, NY 10458, USA
Ceremony Sites, Attractions...
1 rating, 1 review, 24 weddings


text:
Ticket Policy
All sales are final. No refunds or exchanges.
Pick up your tickets at Will Call the day of the event at the box office. If you are the owner of the PayPal account, then bring the receipt or your ID and we will provide you with your tickets.
Upcoming Events
SHFF Film Entry
Call for Entries is now open!
SHFF Film Challenge
Become part of of Sacramento Horror Film Festival history.
Download the instructions here.
Press Room
Read news articles, testimonials and more from ticketholders, filmmakers and other friends of the Sac Horror Film Fest.
Sacramento Press "Sacramento's Amber's Sweets cast celebrates its one year anniversary"
Date: December 14, 2010
Examiner.com "8-28-10 Interview with Tim Meunier, Nathan Wallace/Repo Man'
Date: September 1, 2010
Examiner.com "Interview with Darren Lynn Bousman, director of 'Repo! The Genetic Opera'"
Date: August 30, 2010
"Beautiful! This was by far, like head and shoulders above anything I've seen. This was amazing."
Bill Moseley
"Amber's Sweets is setting a new benchmark in sophistication."
Shem Byron, Director and Producer of "The Tutor" Video Series
Blood actually splattered on me and my buddy... It F***in' rocked!
Terrance Zdunich
Examiner.com "Director of 'Repo! The Genetic Opera' attends Sacramento shadowcast"
Date: August 30, 2010
Examiner.com "Interview with Terrance Zdunich, co-creator of 'Repo!' and Graverobber"
Date: May 26, 2010
Examiner.com "'Repo!' shadowcast draws the attention of the film's creator"
Date: May 24, 2010
Examiner.com "The third installment of Amber's Sweets 'Repo!' shadowcast"
Date: May 19, 2010
"If you haven't seen Amber's Sweets'... you're missing out on a fantastic time!"
Miss Misery
The Sacramento Press
"This creative gargantuan was more complex than the original stage production of Repo the Genetic Opera."
Shem Byron, Director and Producer of "The Tutor" Video Series
Examiner.com "Interview with Camille Niello, Blind Mag, in Amber's Sweets Repo! shadowcast"
Date: March 1, 2010
Examiner.com "Interview with Tristan Christ, Pavi Largo, in Amber's Sweets Repo! shadowcast"
Date: March 1, 2010
Examiner.com "Interview with Camille Niello, Blind Mag, in Amber's Sweets Repo! shadowcast"
Date: March 1, 2010
"I was BLOWN AWAY by how amazing they were!... The best cast to date!"
Alisa Burket
"The Sac Sweets got everything right!"
Spooky Dan Walker
"Very well done!"
"The Sacremanto Sweets production value gives both newcomers and Repoites a refreshing glimpse into the Genetic Nightmare Love as the Pavi - Bravi - Bravo!"
Examiner.com "Interview with Dani Fontana, Graverobber, in Amber's Sweets Repo! shadowcast"
Date: March 1, 2010
Examiner.com "Review of February 27 Amber's Sweets shadowcast performance of 'Repo! The Genetic Opera'"
Date: February 28, 2010
Sacramento Press "Amber's Sweets 'Repo! The Genetic Opera' shadowcast performance"
Date: February 28, 2010
Examiner.com "Amber's Sweets theater production of Repo! The Genetic Opera"
Date: February 26, 2010
"Fantastic... Blew me away."
Darren Smith, Repo! Creator
"Wow! The Sacramento's Sweets Repo is a mind-blowing, sexy ride directly into hardcore zydrate addiction. Testify!"
Corrie Shennigo
"I will always testify to the world how amazing, smart & brilliantly fun Ambers Sweets is!"
Alisa Burket


text:
Bce colloca 74,463 mld euro in p/t 7 gg, in scadenza 76,412 mld
FRANKFURT, July 7 (Reuters) - The European Central Bank announced the following results for its latest liquidity providing operation: Main Refinancing Operation-Allotment Intended Volume: Reference Number: 20150072 Min Allotment: Transaction Type: Reverse Transactions Fixed Rate: 0.05 % Operation Type: Liquidity Providing Max Bid Limit: Procedure: Standard Tender Max Bids per Cpty: 1 Tender Date: 07/07/2015 11:15 Marg. Rate: Start Date: 08/07/2015 % of All. at Fixed Rate: 100 Maturity Date: 15/07/2015 Tot Amount Allotted: 74462.8 mn Duration (days): 7 Weight. Avg. Allot. Rate: Tot Bid Amount: 74462.8 mn Auction Type: Fixed Rate Tender Tot Number of Bidders: 116 Allotment Method: Min Rate (bids): Max Rate (bids): Estimate on 07/07/2015 of the average autonomous factors for the period 06/07/2015 to 14/07/2015 amounts to EUR 515.2 bn. Benchmark allotment based on the ECB's liquidity forecast as of 07/07/2015 amounts to EUR -407.0 bn. For general information on the calculation of the benchmark allotment amount, please see here as well as ECB page Operational Communications.
© Thomson Reuters 2017 Tutti i diritti assegna a Reuters.


text:
Portland: The Streetcar and the Martyr
- June 19, 2014
- By Ashley Mims
Student Missions Blog: Sometimes I think I'm super-cool because I'm on a summer-long mission trip. I'm definitely enjoying Portland, but that's not to say there haven't been hard times or sacrifices.
Middle East: It's different
- June 18, 2014
- By J.R.
Student Missions Blog: Different. That's how I would best describe the past five months of my life since I left Texas and headed off to live in the Middle East. Not a bad different—just different.
Germany: Seizing opportunities
- June 17, 2014
- By Jourdan Pollock
Student Missions Blog: God creates opportunities for us to share his story with people every day, but sometimes we are afraid of rejection or blinded by our own ambitions to see that divine appointment. However, we have to expect the unexpected.
Orlando: Two full weeks
- June 16, 2014
- By Lyndsy Lanee
Student Missions Blog: It has been one of the toughest two weeks of my life. There were so many hurdles, trials and problems that it was hard to keep up.
Vancouver: Seems like home, except when it doesn't
- June 12, 2014
- By Ashley Richardson
Student Missions Blog: I really like Vancouver. Most of it is like Austin, but other parts are different—like when I'm wearing a jacket in June and the locals are sunbathing in bikinis on the beach.
Oklahoma: Two quotes sum it up
- June 11, 2014
- By Sarah Hughes
Student Missions Blog: Two quotes describe my time here at the Baptist Children's Home in Oklahoma City. The first one is, "Every child is a gift from God." The second is, "God does not call the equipped; he equips the called."
South Asia: My life as a giant
- June 10, 2014
- By B.B.
Student Missions Blog: I don't fit in this country. I have never, in all of my life, consistently been the tallest person in the room. But that happens here a lot—that is, unless my 6-foot 8-inch supervisor is with us.
South Asia: Learn as you go
- June 9, 2014
- By Madison
Student Missions Blog: When my team and I first arrived at the airport in our destination city for training, our supervisors gave us an envelope, told us to follow the instructions if we wanted to have somewhere to sleep that night, and good luck.
Alaska: Life-changing encounter at Crab Fest
- June 6, 2014
- By Allison Dufour
Student Missions Blog: The Lord began my summer of service with an amazing week in Kodiak, Alaska, at Crab Fest.
Oklahoma shelter: The reality of safety
- June 5, 2014
- By Alyssa Dean
Student Missions Blog: Most of us move through our lives in total freedom. At DaySpring Villa, security precautions are a constant factor in daily life.
England: Serving those who serve
- June 4, 2014
- By Kristen Kavli
Student Missions Blog: The first week of being in a new culture has been interesting, to say the least. There's always so much to adjust to. You really have to humble yourself and accept that you don't know everything.
New York: Spring at last; interns on the way
- June 3, 2014
- By Leilani Estrada
Student Missions Blog: It finally feels like spring, and you have no idea how happy that makes me.
Middle East: Pointing Syrian refugees toward the Son
- June 2, 2014
- By J.R.
Student Missions Blog: A few weeks ago, I was blessed with the opportunity to work with refugees from the war in Syria. We handed out aid in the form of food, diapers and other items families needed.
Africa: Final moments
- May 23, 2014
- By Leah Allen
Student Missions Blog: I cannot believe the end is so close. Where did the last four months go?
Go Now Student missionaries ready to serve
- May 22, 2014
- By Audrey Aguayo
Student Missions Blog: As I've been preparing to serve this summer, I thought there wasn't anything else to know than what I've experienced overseas already. I thought: "Culture shock didn't happen to me. I knew what to expect."


text:
I haven't forgotten these characters. But I'm also trying to finish another draft of my next novel, work on a few commissioned art pieces, grade student papers, work on our house, spend time with my family, go to speed skate practice, and sleep.
I've cheated though. I've skipped ahead. When I finish my novel, I'm going to come back to this, map it out, and fill in all the gaps. My goal is to have something pieced together in a readable form by the time next year's Story-a-Day comes around. We'll see how that goes. At least, I don't have to go to chemo anymore! Yay!
As always, thanks for reading.
Hannah and the old woman waited for Meredith to return. They sat together in the cramped space of the closet in the dark. Maybe not being able to see the old woman made Hannah bold.
"Do you have any children?" she asked. Hannah had come to the Asylum, after all, to find out about her grandmother. Possibly even meet her. Earlier the idea would have horrified her, but she was getting used to the old woman. Calling her a friend seemed unlikely, but she did feel a bond that was hard to explain.
"Nosy girl, you are," the old woman replied. "Why would you care?"
Hannah could hear the frown in her voice. "There has to be some reason why we came across each other and have been sticking with each other," she said. "There has to be some reason you're still with me."
The old woman didn't reply. Hannah knew the old woman was there only because of the sound of her breathing and that there really was no where to move.
"Do you believe in horoscopes and fortune telling too?" the old woman asked.
"You appear to ascribe happenstance to supernatural or mystical sources."
In the dark of the closet of the Asylum, muffled sounds beyond the door, the supernatural felt immensely close. "Don't you believe in the supernatural?"
"I believe in what I can do and what I can not do. The rest I leave to others."
"But you could've taken off without me. But here we are together."
"You're welcome to leave any time," the old woman said.
"I couldn't just leave." Hannah wrapped her arms around her knees and gripped her hands more tightly. "We're a team."
The old woman laughed and then coughed. "I'd love to hear the doctors discuss my suitability for a team. Have you never been taught how teams work, child?"
Hannah was glad the old woman couldn't see her reddening face. "We have worked together." It wasn't that she believed in fate or serendipity, but she didn't not believe in them either.
"We've managed not to die," the old woman replied.
"Do you think dying is likely?"
"Dying is certain. It's the timing that's unknown."
Hannah pushed images of the dead security guard and the dead patient away. Thinking about who they were wasn't going to help her. "I don't see what has to be certain about it."
"Maybe you won't die here. But you will die some day. You can't deny that."
"Well…no, but that's kind of morbid to think about." Hannah thought she saw a glint of the old woman's eyes in the darkness. In her normal life she liked talking about death and dying, but now that it felt as if these things were close at hand, she wasn't sure what she wanted to say.
"Meredith will be back soon. And everything it going to be fine."
"Right. If she doesn't give us away."
"She's on our side now."
"Is she?"
"Doesn't she have to be?"
Silence again hung between them. "They won't let her walk away from this either. As a traitor, she should be the most frightened."
Hannah wasn't sure about her feelings for Meredith, but she'd placed her trust in the nurse and perhaps the nurse had put trust in her as well.
But she didn't want to think about Meredith now. There wasn't anything she could do for her. Meredith would either succeed, or they were all in deep trouble.
Right now in the dark and waiting, she hoped that maybe the darkness would encourage the old woman to talk. "What happened to you here?" Hannah asked.
"This is a closet. Not a confessional."
This time Hannah didn't reply. She resisted the urge to fill the silence. Her dad once told her you had to give people time to answer rather than rush in to hear your own voice.
The old woman breathed in deeply. Hannah imagined she could feel her exhale.
"Maybe I was young once," the old woman said. "Do you believe that? Youth is a fairy tale, don't you know? Can't you tell?"
Hannah sucked in her bottom lip to keep herself from talking. She didn't move. Anything might quiet the old woman, and a moment like this would likely not happen again.
"Once upon a time there was a girl they called Zeenia. Her parents adored her, of course. Adored her more than good sense allowed, and so no one prepared this child for the real world because why bother when everyone thinks you're a princess? A princess must never sully herself with the real world. Never mind that she will grow old one day. No one ever thinks of this. Do you?"
"What?" Hannah asked, surprised the old woman seemed to expect a real answer. "I guess I never thought about it." Cinderella old? Sleeping Beauty? Snow White with gray in her hair and crow's feet at her eyes?
"They think about it here," the old woman said. "Here in the Asylum they think about it. They think about everything and plan accordingly."
"I don't understand."
"Nobody wants an aging princess with a mind she knows how to use."
"Were you a princess?" Hannah hoped her voice sounded as if she believed what she was hearing. Where did princesses still exist? "Are you from another country?"
"I'm from another plane of existence."
Hannah stayed silent. Her questions weren't getting her anywhere. Maybe the old woman needed to be locked up in the Asylum. Maybe all the patients were truly sick and she had this all wrong.
The old woman snorted. "I wore beautiful dresses once upon a time, my dear, but I tired of their weight. I complained to my husband, my prince, and he showed me that jewels and brocade are so heavy when wet that they'll drag you down to the bottom of the sea."
Hannah tried to make sense of what the old woman said. Sitting in the dark for so long was affecting her senses. She lost track of time and wondered if she were dreaming.
"But I was saved, if that's what this life is called. Saved."
The door startled them both. The room beyond the pantry was a paler darkness and they could just make out Meredith's shape. "Hurry," she said. "Your lives depend on it."


text: The Dark Knight Quizzes: How well do you know Batman? Test your knowledge of the caped crusader to the limit with this fun-filled 20-question Batman quiz Comments Written By Tom Cole 6:43 PM, 21 July 2012 Batmania's running wild at the moment thanks to the release of The Dark Knight Rises, but beyond the new film, how well do you really know the black-clad crime-fighter and his mysterious friends and foes? There's only one way to find out: play our fiendish, brain-scrambing Batman quiz. Have a go at each question and keep a mental tally (or a paper one - the choice is yours) of how many you get right, then check your score at the bottom of the page to see whether your're a caped quiz-sader (sorry) or just a bit of a Joker... 1. What was the title of the publication in which Batman made his first appearance? Detective Comics REVEAL 2. Who played the role of Robin in the '60s Batman TV series? Burt Ward REVEAL 3. Which was the only Batman film to co-star Arnold Schwarzenegger? Batman & Robin REVEAL 4. Who did Tommy Lee Jones play in Batman Forever? Two Face REVEAL 5. What is the name of Bruce Wayne's butler, played in Christopher Nolan's Batman films by Michael Caine? Alfred Pennyworth REVEAL 6. In which decade was Batman villain Bane first introduced to comic book readers? 1990s REVEAL 7. Where did Dr Jonathan Crane, aka The Scarecrow, work in Batman Begins? Arkham Asylum REVEAL 8. What was the title of the first Batman game to be released on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System? Batman Returns REVEAL 9. In which non-Batman TV show does actor Adam West, the star of the '60s Batman series, play a town's mayor? Family Guy REVEAL 10. Who is most commonly credited as the creator of Batman? Bob Kane REVEAL 11. What colour was the Bat-Phone in the 1960's TV series? Red REVEAL 12. Who played the title role in 2004 film Catwoman? Halle Berry REVEAL 13. What was the working title of Joel Schumacher's proposed sequel to Batman & Robin, which never made it into production? Batman Triumphant REVEAL 14. Which work of literature inspired Batman villain The Mad Hatter? Alice's Adventures in Wonderland REVEAL 15. What is the title of the CGI Batman TV series due to premiere on Cartoon Network in the States in 2013? Beware the Batman REVEAL 16. In which century was Bruce Wayne's company Wayne Enterprises formally established? 19th REVEAL 17. Who voiced Batman in animated series The New Batman Adventures? Kevin Conroy REVEAL 18. What is the name of Batman's dog? Ace the Bat-Hound REVEAL 19. Who directed the 1989 movie Batman? Tim Burton REVEAL 20. Besides The Dark Knight Rises, which is the only other Batman movie to feature the character Bane? Batman & Robin REVEAL Scores: 16-20: Cluemaster - Much like the Batman villain of that name, you're king/queen of the quiz. Well done.11-15: Riddler - There's no question about it, you know your Batman.5-10: Baffler - Not a great showing, but you're still smarter than the average henchman. 0-4: Joker - Stan Lee, by any chance? Well, not everyone's that keen on superhero trivia. Never mind. Why not have a pop at our film tagline quiz instead? Like this? Share it. Facebook Twitter Google Tumblr Pinterest Blogger Reddit VKontakt Print Email


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So I bought this car in April of 08.
I've been honored to have this car. I love it so much.
I almost hate it too, it's got a lot of strange things with it.
So far I haven't changed much since I bought it.
One of the previous owners has painted it the weird gray that it is. I've found parts on it that are all different colors. black fenders, red quarter panel. But when the grey chips off it chips nugget yellow mostly. Phil and a few others have seen what I'm talking about.
I want to do a lot of body work and spray it nugget yellow again.
The biggest problem I've run into is the half done 5x100 swap. It has hybrid axles and since the axles like to break, I'm switching back to 4x100. This has been my battle since April 09.
So now, January 2010 is here and I'm making it a point to get this thing driveable. Even though it's freezing cold out. Let's see where this goes.
I really don't like the 17 inch wheels that are up there, so I'm trying to get away from them.
You can go way lower with 15 inch wheels.
I've run into a few minor problems. I've found rust in the rear passenger wheel well. Which led to a fried seatbelt relays and a burning smell in the car for 2 months, even though I removed the relay and covered the hole that day.
Also the passenger window would short and roll down when you opened the door all the way. It would blow a fuse and the window would be stuck open. I fixed that, it was an exposed with that shorted out.
So, now that I really think about it, I'm sorta tired of fixing things on it all the time. And due to school I didn't have time to drive it and fix it. I'm gonna do better with it.
I have to go for now, I'll write more later, I'll be thinking of all the problems it has while I drive my moms Mazda Tribute..
So, while driving the Mazda, it's a real sailboat by the way.. =/
I remembered a lot of problems my Corrado has.
I'm sure this list will grow when I begin working on the car again.
- One of the wheels are cracked and bent. Instead of repairing wheels I don't really like, I've decided to go to 4 lug and get away from 17 inch wheels at the same time. Two birds, one stone.
- Oil Pressure sensor is bad, leaks oil and makes the car sound like an alarm clock at low driving speeds sometimes. *beep beep beep beep*
Easy fix, just haven't felt like doing it.
- Sunroof is broken. It tilts but doesn't roll back. It'll roll straight back though. Who has a working sunroof anyway?..
- The spoiler doesn't work. I'll just leave it up until I find another motor.
- NA Seatbelts suck, so one of the previous owners removed them and installed Simpson Racing harnessed. They're a pain in the butt.
- The fogs are blown. I have SLC fogs but no turns yet. I'll be switching over to SLC fogs and turns hopefully.
I want to HID them.
I may shave the bumper when it gets paint and body work.
Who knows.
- Stock wipers suck, I'm putting a scirocco mono wiper in there.
- NA headlights are broken and you can't adjust them. As if NA headlights alone weren't bad enough...
It looked like this when I bought it. It's just a bit lower in this pic and I spray painted the ugly cracked fogs.
These are the wheels that I'll be running. They're 15x8 ET0.
It's a really bad pic, but we'll see what it looks like when I'm finished.
Modified by ModernDayThorns at 10:36 PM 1-1-2010


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Could you drop 155 lbs.?
I have a strong feeling that Rachel Fredrickson did not partake in chicken wings, nachos or any fun on Super Sunday.
Fredrickson won the title of "The Biggest Loser" for season 15 which ended Tuesday night on NBC. The 24-year-old dropped 155 pounds, slimming down from 260 to 105! Congrats to her on an amazing feat. For her hard work and determination, she takes home a check for $250,000. That would buy alot of wings and pizza.
Can you imagine losing 155 lbs.? Think about that while dining during the storm today.


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You are herecontent / Hundreds protest Iraq war
Hundreds protest Iraq war
By Nick Perry and Sara Jean Green
Seattle Times
Police estimate that up to 1,000 protesters took part Wednesday afternoon in a student rally against the Iraq war and military recruiting in high schools.
The brisk pace of the march downtown and up Capitol Hill, coupled with occasional high-spirited shrieks of excitement, were giveaways that it was a youthful crowd.
Organizers had urged high-school students to cut class to attend, and it appeared several hundred did. They were joined by college students, parents, adult protesters — even some teachers.
Some wore face paint, others banged drums fashioned from water-cooler bottles. One student dragged a cardboard coffin containing shredded paper with the names of 2,000 U.S. troops who have died in Iraq.
The afternoon protest, marking the first anniversary of President Bush's re-election, was one of two downtown protests Wednesday. The earlier event, sponsored by an organization called The World Can't Wait and advocating Bush's ouster, also drew hundreds of demonstrators. Three arrests were made at the two rallies. Seattle police said a third and much-smaller evening event on Capitol Hill drew about 50 people.
Other World Can't Wait rallies also took place Wednesday in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago.
Some students at the afternoon protest brandished irreverent signs: "Bush is poopy" read one worn by Callie Hynes, 17, a senior at Nathan Hale High School, who said her mom got it off the Internet. "Bush needs a time out" read another held by sixth-grader Izaak Goodall, who attends a Seattle Public Schools program called TOPS.
But many students were there to get across a serious message.
"There's a lot of people dying for no reason," said Rumana Jilo, 15, a freshman at Ingraham High School. Jilo, who is Muslim, said she's angry at the way Bush brings Christianity into politics. "He's trying to put everything on the Muslim population," she said.
Many were upset that military recruiters are allowed on school campuses.
"We can't even vote, and they're, like, trying to make us fight for a country we can't even change," said Zabrina Duncan, 16, a junior at Roosevelt High School.
Maggie Rose, a chemistry and biology teacher at Ingraham, said she took a day of leave to attend.
"I couldn't encourage students to come — it's not professional and I couldn't do it," she said. "But I would certainly tell any student to follow their heart.
"I'm really proud of all these kids," she added.
Students from Port Orchard, Bainbridge Island and the Eastside attended. The afternoon rally was organized by a group called Youth Against War and Racism, which has ties to another group called Socialist Alternative.
Seattle School District spokesman Peter Daniels said he didn't yet know how many of the district's 14,000 high-school students cut afternoon classes, although it was not enough to severely disrupt the educational schedule.
Many school administrators told students they could leave only with a note from parents. Without one, they could face repercussions for not attending class. That didn't stop many, who said they walked out anyway.
When the protest reached Capitol Hill, several dozen students sat defiantly on the roadway but were quickly persuaded by parents and organizers to move to the sidewalk.
During both protests, dozens of Seattle police officers monitored marchers from cruisers, bicycles and horseback. Some passers-by with different opinions made obscene gestures or tried to argue with protesters.
At the earlier demonstration, people whooped and chanted, beat drums and waved homemade placards denouncing the Iraq war and calling for Bush's removal from office.
Women waved metal coat hangers to protest Bush's recent U.S. Supreme Court nominees, whom they fear will revoke abortion rights. A group from Shoreline Community College wore orange jumpsuits — a reference to terrorism suspects detained at the U.S. military prison in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba — with the words "American Torture Victim" written across their chests in black marker.
At the earlier rally, one man was arrested on suspicion of pedestrian interference and obstructing police, said Seattle Police Department spokesman Rich Pruitt.
A different type of protest also took place early Wednesday when an unknown group tampered with newspapers at up to 175 Seattle newspaper boxes. Copies of The Seattle Times were wrapped in a fake front page titled "The Seattle Crimes" which poked fun at Bush, the U.S. military and Seattle police.
"I thought it was real," reader Karen Manning said. "I got to work and we were reading it, and it got more and more outrageous. Then we realized it was a hoax."
Nick Perry: 206-515-5639 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Information about other protests around the country was provided by Reuters.
Seattle Times staff reporter Jennifer Sullivan contributed to this report.
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CheekyChicago Celebrates the Windy City's Hardest Working Women
CheekyChicago, the Windy City's hot guide for women, is set to kick off its biggest event of the year this week with a celebration of the city's Cheekiest Chicks. [Read More]
The Launch Alliance Offers CTO On-Demand Services to St. Louis Startups
The Launch Alliance, a St. Louis-based tech solution for startups, is aiming to bring a new affordable outsourcing option to companies at various stages of development. [Read More]
Trellie: Purse Accessory Tells You When Your Phone Is Ringing
The fashion tech innovations continue this month with a new project seeking funding on Kickstarter that makes sure women never miss an important phone call on the go. [Read More]
Telepath Tactics Kickstarter Doesn't Kick It, But Sinister Design Stays i...
Despite putting up a valiant fight that led the Chicago game developer to reach 840 backers who helped raise more than $18,000, the Kickstarter for Sinister Design's latest strategy RPG title fell just $7,000 short of its original goal. [Read More]
GoSoapBox Stepping Into Conference Market With Refined Platform
Chicago startup GoSoapBox is stepping into the conference market this year, with a new platform called Conferences I/O helping attendees get their burning questions answered at events both big and small. [Read More]
Does Your iPhone Need Insurance? Mobile Rhino Has An App For That
This month St. Louis company Mobile Rhino released a new app that will allow iPhone and iPad owners to take an insurance plan on their coveted Apple devices. [Read More]
Payment Over Mobile Solutions Looking to Ease Woes of the Banking Underserv...
Chicago startup Payment Over Mobile Solutions (POMS) is gearing up for a big year, with plans to introduce its new convenient platform that gives the banking underserved a way to send payments. [Read More]
Uber Offers Tips For Getting Around Town This New Year's Eve
The cab-alternative startup has been kind enough to get together a few helpful tips for anyone looking to Uber their way across town on the busiest cab night of them all: New Year's Eve. [Read More]
CORTEX Advances Toward Phase II As Heritage Warehouse Deal Closes
CORTEX, St. Louis' growing bioscience research park, has just closed a deal that will push the tech district toward completing Phase II of its 20 year plan. [Read More]
Sleeve a Message Brings Print Ordering Into The Digital Age
Based out of T-REx, Sleeve a Message has developed an up-to-the-minute printing process that enables coffee shops to keep their drink sleeve messaging timely and relevant. [Read More]


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FS: 20" Iforged Essen wheels w/tires
Hey guys,
For sale I have a set of staggered Iforged Essen wheels with tires. Asking $2400 including shipping.
They are 20x8.5" fronts and 20x10" in the rear.
Tires are Pirelli PZero Nero's 245/30/20 and 285/25/20 respectively with about 75% and 40% tread left.
The wheels are 5 series fitment but I am unsure of the offsets.
Two of the wheels have very minor curb rash, the worse of the two is shown.
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Our library (from French "librairie"; Latin "liber" = book) is an organized collection of resources made accessible to staff and students at Bodmin College for reference or borrowing. It provides physical and digital access to material in a modern, purpose built space.
Within the library you will discover books, periodicals, newspapers, maps, CDs, videotapes and a range of DVDs which can be used on site or borrowed. The library is organized for use and maintained by a dedicated librarian who is an expert at finding and organizing information and at interpreting information needs. In addition to this the library is often used to provide a quiet area for studying and to offer a common area to facilitate group study and collaboration.
The library provides a facility enabling staff and students to have unrestricted access to information in many formats and from many sources. It extends services beyond the physical walls of the building, by providing material accessible by electronic means, and by providing the assistance of the librarian and Library Helpers in navigating and analysing very large amounts of information. Equally books are frequently lent across the school for silent reading in tutor time.


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Opportunities are available for students at all levels in the School of Nursing to incorporate global experiences into their nursing education. These include semester-long study abroad and programs during J-term and the summer.
The International Studies Office (ISO) provides information regarding many study abroad opportunities that are not directly related to nursing. They can also help you determine financial aid support for study abroad.


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Location: philly
Member since 3/19/2010
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Recent comments from coepsdu
Hi, I had the Total FX 17 days ago. My skin is so dry, botchy, and some of my age spots came back--some are darker. My Dr. says that they will eventually fall off and that I am still healing. From people that are further along, is... READ COMMENT


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Published in the Jan. 5 issue of The Blood-Horse
He sits back at his desk, staring out the window and into his thoughts. "Right now, we're about as down as we've been in a long time. We don't have much here," the trainer remarks candidly. "Yeah, this is gonna be slow for a while." The stable hands carry out their duties quietly, though activity in a five-horse barn is decidedly minimal. The phone no longer rings off the hook. Reporters, once a constant, now chase stories elsewhere. There are very few hints, in fact, that just weeks ago, this was home to every trainer's dream. The vicissitudes of racing are quite apparent these days at the Santa Anita stable of Jay Robbins. Now, as a new year dawns, the departure of reigning Horse of the Year Tiznow has left a hole that is impossible to fill. "Jay misses him an awful lot. He was a huge presence in his life," Robbins' wife, Sandy, said recently. "For the last two years, Jay just sprang out of bed. You know, Jay works seven days a week, and he's not had a day off in I don't know how many years. The last two years, because he had Tiznow there at the barn, it just made getting up at four o'clock worthwhile. Now there's a little less spring in his step at four o'clock." As the only man to ever train a two-time winner of the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I), the 56-year-old Robbins could conceivably rest on his laurels and instead devote his life to golf. But then, that's not his style. Hard working yet soft spoken, with roots planted deep into California racing, Robbins is far from a one-hit wonder. Tiznow was simply a drawn-out demonstration of the patience and meticulous skill that have long been hallmarks of his approach. "Jay does a remarkable job with all his horses. He's a very good caretaker," said jockey Chris McCarron. "There's not a lot of fancy stuff he does. He's very traditional in his treatment with horses. More specifically, the job he did with Tiznow was impeccable. Absolutely impeccable." Training was a natural evolution for Jack Miller Robbins. Early on, his days were often spent traversing the Santa Anita backstretch with his father, renowned veterinarian Jack Robbins. In 1956, the elder Robbins moved his family to nearby Thousand Oaks, Calif., where they settled down for a new life at Conejo Ranch, a 10,000-acre spread owned by real estate developer and horse enthusiast Edwin Janss Jr. The change of scenery introduced Jay, just 10 and the oldest of four boys, to a unique opportunity--the chance to grow up on a full-facility breeding and training farm. An animal lover at heart, Robbins characterizes his youth as "quite a bit of sports, not a lot of studying," though admittedly he spent hours in Janss' equine library, poring over bloodlines and searching for broodmare prospects. He was naturally drawn to horses, learning horsemanship first-hand under Conejo's ranch manager, Gene Cleveland, as well as Bill Walters, who oversaw the farm's training center. Predictably, the experience at Conejo--and later Laguna Seca Ranch in Northern California--gave young Robbins a wealth of insight. Years of observation at his father's side proved to be an advantage, as well. "Yeah, a big advantage," Robbins pointed out. "My father was always considered to be one of the foremost veterinarians in the industry in the diagnosis of soundness, and that, obviously, was very beneficial. You'd see a lot of different types of unsoundness, because he worked for so many farms, so many horses were under his care. You just learned to recognize what was wrong. That was a great education." As it turned out, the Robbins boys all took after their father in one way or another. Don Robbins became a lawyer and once served as president of Hollywood Park. David, also a lawyer, once practiced law with famed equine attorney Neil Papiano. But it was Jay and his youngest brother, Tom, who would become the most heavily involved in the horse business. While Tom went on to hold various administrative positions in the industry, including his current post as director of racing at Del Mar, Jay found his true calling on the backstretch. It was while working with trainer Noble Threewitt that Robbins claimed his first horse, Kenavo, commencing a career that has now spanned more than three decades. Until Tiznow, his most gratifying moments came with Nostalgia's Star, a mud-loving stayer owned in part by his mother, Maggie. Robbins had liked the son of Nostalgia from the outset, and after the 2-year-old colt won a small stakes at Los Alamitos, he convinced his father to take a closer look. The asking price was $95,000. Dr. Robbins soon gave his son the thumbs up. Over the next four years, the "family horse" turned into a gold mine, banking over $2.1 million in some of the country's top handicap events. Among his finest moments was a triumph in the 1986 Charles H. Strub Stakes (gr. I). Flying Continental soon picked up where Nostalgia's Star left off, giving Robbins a second Strub in 1990 and adding the Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I) for good measure. Paralleling Nostalgia's Star, the son of Flying Paster himself earned over $1.8 million. "They were the most accomplished," Robbins noted. "Stylish King was probably the most talented." By the early '90s, Robbins had already trained two of the richest California-breds ever. Soon after, he took successive runnings of Oak Tree's Goodwood Handicap (gr. II) with Reign Road and Lottery Winner. Yet the one he thought held the most promise of all was Stylish King. The son of Roberto had walked into Robbins' barn a few years back with a reputation as the cream of an Elmendorf Farm crop of 2-year-olds. Over time, he did little to quell the enthusiasm. Word of mouth soon caught the attention of friend and fellow trainer Eddie Gregson, who approached Robbins one day prior to Stylish King's first outing. "I hear you got a colt by Roberto that can run," Gregson said. "Yeah," replied Robbins, "I think so." "Let me tell you something about a Roberto," Gregson warned. "They can flip out any time." As far as Stylish King was concerned, Gregson hit the nail on the head. He at least looked the part when he trounced maidens in his debut, but an odds-on flop in his next start foreshadowed a rocky future. Stylish King's nerves, it turned out, were too frayed for his own good, and despite his best efforts, Robbins couldn't relieve the colt's anxiety. "It got to the point finally he'd get through the paddock bone dry, but as soon as he stepped on the racetrack, he started sweating profusely," he explained. "And I kept thinking about what Eddie told me. But he was really talented. I'm not even sure--Stylish King might have had more ability than Tiznow."Continued...
Trainer Robbins Adjusts to Life Without Tiznow
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One of the greatest ironies of the 9/11 Era: while politicians, generals and journalists lined up to denounce al-Qaida as a brutal band of fanatics, one commander thought its organizational structure was kind of brilliant. He set to work rebuilding an obscure military entity into a lethal, agile, secretive and highly networked command — essentially, the United States' very own al-Qaida. It became the most potent weapon the U.S. has against another terrorist attack.
That was the work of Stanley McChrystal. He is best known as the general who lost his command in Afghanistan after his staff shit-talked the Obama administration to Rolling Stone.
Inescapable as that public profile may be, it doesn't begin to capture the impact he made on the military. McChrystal's fingerprints are all over the Joint Special Operations Command, the elite force that eventually killed Osama bin Laden. As the war on terrorism evolves into a series of global shadow wars, JSOC and its partners — the network McChrystal painstakingly constructed — are the ones who wage it.
These days, McChrystal travels around the country to talk about his leadership style. His insights reveal a lot about how the JSOC became the Obama team's go-to counterterrorism group. "In bitter, bloody fights in both Afghanistan and Iraq," McChrystal has written, "it became clear to me and to many others that to defeat a networked enemy we had to become a network ourselves."
McChrystal's career also reveals a second irony: At the moment of his greatest ascension, to overall command in Afghanistan, McChrystal couldn't take his own advice.
McChrystal declined to speak for this article. He's working on a book, due out in 2012, that will probably shed some light on his tenure at JSOC. This piece is drawn from his speeches, interviews I've conducted over the years with special operations and intelligence veterans — usually off the record — as well as two insightful new books: Counterstrike by Thom Shanker and Eric Schmitt, and Top Secret America by Dana Priest and William Arkin.
The Networked Ninja
The historical problem that special operations forces had, in the eyes of high-level policymakers, is that they weren't ninjas. U.S. commandos trained constantly, but they didn't have much combat experience during the 1980s and '90s.
When the Clinton administration reviewed its options for attacking al-Qaida's Afghanistan safe houses in 1998, President Clinton vented frustration: "You know, it would scare the shit out of al-Qaida if suddenly a bunch of black ninjas rappelled out of helicopters into the middle of their camp."
JSOC certainly knew how to rappel. The problem was it often didn't know where to rappel, or where to send its helicopters, or who the enemy was.
In 2002, a JSOC AC-130 gunship came to relieve a team of commandos who'd come under attack while hunting Taliban leaders in Uruzgan province. The fire it directed against its targets was so heavy that the low estimate of civilian deaths, according to the Afghan government and included in the official U.S. Central Command report on the incident, is 48. Hundreds may have been killed.
JSOC had minimal intelligence capabilities. The CIA, the agency that knew Afghanistan the best and led the hunt for al-Qaida, distrusted it. It was hived off from the conventional military, whose low-level commanders could be left to deal with angry civilians after one of JSOC's raids in Afghanistan or Iraq. McChrystal took command in 2003, began examining al-Qaida, and had something of a revelation.
'We had to become a network ourselves.'
"[I]t became increasingly clear — often from intercepted communications or the accounts of insurgents we had captured — that our enemy was a constellation of fighters organized not by rank but on the basis of relationships and acquaintances, reputation and fame," McChrystal remembered recently in Foreign Policy. "We realized we had to have the rapid ability to detect nuanced changes, whether the emergence of new personalities and alliances or sudden changes in tactics." Think Bruce Wayne getting inspired by a bat to strike fear into the hearts of criminals.
McChrystal set to work, as he put it, building JSOC's network. One key node: CIA. During a January speech, he recalled how he needed CIA's help getting intelligence on a Taliban leader he was hunting. CIA was secretive, compartmentalized and suspicious of other organizations meddling in its affairs — exactly what JSOC used to be like.
So McChrystal took the rare step of going to CIA headquarters, hat in hand. As it turned out, CIA just needed a promise that JSOC "wouldn't go across the border" into Pakistan, jeopardizing its own operations. McChrystal agreed, the intel flowed, and the Taliban commander was killed.
It was the beginning of a new relationship between JSOC and the vast spy apparatus the U.S. built after 9/11. CIA operatives and analysts would visit McChrystal's base of operations in Balad, Iraq, to plan joint missions.
And not just them: Satellite analysts from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, regional experts from the State Department, and surveillance specialists from the National Security Agency were the next people McChrystal effectively recruited. McChrystal spent his commander's discretionary fund not on better guns, but on purchasing bandwidth so that all the nodes of his network could speak to each other, sometimes during missions.
Veterans of JSOC remember that as crucial. An NSA-created linkup called the Real Time Regional Gateway allowed operatives who seized scraps of intelligence from raids — a terrorist's cellphone contacts, receipts for bomb ingredients, even geolocated terrorist cellphones — to send their crucial data to different nodes across the network. One analyst might not appreciate the significance of a given piece of intel. But once JSOC effectively became an experiment in intel crowdsourcing, it soon got a bigger, deeper picture of the enemy it was fighting — and essentially emulating.
"If you look at JSOC, you're looking at arguably the single most integrated, most truly joint command within the U.S. military," says Andrew Exum, who served in the Army's Ranger Regiment in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2003 and 2004 and who advised McChrystal as a civilian in 2009. McChrystal and his brain trust "were seeking to do and succeeding in doing what many commanders and diplomats and government officials talk about: tearing down the walls that exist between various departments, agencies and military units."
It also helped mitigate JSOC's most horrific mistakes.
'No Blood, No Foul,' No More
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld gave JSOC the authority to hold prisoners for 90 days before transferring them to military detention facilities. That gave JSOC jailers nearly limitless authority over their captives. Unsurprisingly, some began abusing it, beating prisoners senseless in a facility called Camp Nama — which Saddam Hussein used as a torture chamber — where the slogan was, "No Blood, No Foul."
Although no public investigation has ever been conducted into the abuses at Nama, McChrystal reportedly said "This is how we lose," when he toured the facility for the first time. He assigned his top intelligence officer, then-Brig. Gen. Michael Flynn, to professionalize JSOC interrogations. Flynn reached out to trained interrogators throughout the U.S. bureaucracy and even to around the world to provide instruction.
Subsequent interrogations of suspected al-Qaida captives in Iraq relied on Saudis brought in when a Saudi national was nabbed, Egyptians when an Egyptian was. Priest and Arkin report that detainees would even be videoconferenced in with their families — who'd plead with their sons to cooperate.
'This is how we lose.'
Think about that for a minute. JSOC is the most secretive organization in the U.S. military. Its detention and interrogation operations are among its most sensitive missions. And the family members of terrorist suspects actually got a glimpse inside them, all as a method of building rapport.
Not only that, diplomats, NSA techs, intelligence analysts of all stripes, and foreign government officials became — effectively — JSOC adjuncts, so JSOC could leverage their expertise. Despite years of post-9/11 lip service to breaking down bureaucratic barriers, JSOC actually did it, for the most important and secretive operations the military undertook.
Flynn was arguably McChrystal's most important partner in building JSOC's network. "We once had a problem in terms of how we were going to track our units on the ground using satellite technology. It's almost unthinkable today because of GPS, Blue Force Tracker and so forth," recalls Andrew Exum, now a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, referring to a GPS receiver system that allows U.S. troops to track the movements of their allies. "I remember Gen. Flynn's solution was to track down a really smart engineer at Georgia Tech University, who developed a piece of software for use by commercial aircraft. It went outside the standard Army acquisition process — we'd still be waiting for the equivalent of Navstar if [Flynn] hadn't. But the fact that he was comfortable interacting in the world outside of the military in order to achieve an effect says a lot about him."
McChrystal left JSOC in early 2008 to take a senior position working for Adm. Mike Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The network he built was getting results. In June 2006, JSOC killed al-Qaida's leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. (McChrystal had Zarqawi's corpse brought to his office for personal inspection.)
During the Iraq surge, JSOC raided suspected terrorist safe houses on a nightly basis, something McChrystal's friend David Petraeus would repeat in Afghanistan. McChrystal left JSOC in the hands of his friend and deputy, Vice Adm. William McRaven — and the conclusion from President George W. Bush was, "JSOC is awesome."
But McChrystal would never enjoy the same success again.
The Un-Networked McChrystal
Defense Secretary Robert Gates tapped McChrystal to lead the Afghanistan war in May 2009. JSOC veterans were thrilled. "The man is unstoppable," wrote one, using the pseudonym Dalton Fury. "McChrystal has few peers and makes even fewer mistakes." He was about to make a lot of them.
The McChrystal of JSOC enlisted people from across the bureaucracy into his network. That turned out to be much easier to do when running an organization of only a few thousand people. Securing the buy-in of a multinational military coalition comprising 140,000 was far more challenging.
McChrystal had early successes coaxing Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who resented the Obama administration's arms-length relationship. "His approach to President Karzai was humility," recalls Exum, who advised McChrystal that summer. "He had the attitude of, 'I'm here to support you, the Afghan president.'"
Some in uniform weren't so sure they enjoyed their commander's support. McChrystal faced the unenviable task of curbing NATO's accidental civilian deaths — he called Afghan public opinion "strategically decisive" — while beating back an inflamed Taliban insurgency.
Two of his earliest moves to that end inadvertently made his troops question his support. One was his August counterinsurgency guidance, which instructed troops to show outright deference to Afghans, down to giving them right of way on the roads. The other was his Tactical Directive, which sharply restricted the rules of engagement for combat aircraft, something that alarmed troops who feared a loss of crucial air support.
'I would love to kick McChrystal in the nuts.'
Both of those decisions were made for defensible reasons. Losing the support of Afghanistan's people was more destructive to the war than losing any firefight to the Taliban. But McChrystal didn't sufficiently sell his decisions to his own troops, explaining to them why they were ultimately in their interests.
"I would love to kick McChrystal in the nuts," a Special Forces veteran told Michael Hastings for his fateful McChrystal profile in Rolling Stone. "His rules of engagement put soldiers' lives in even greater danger."
There was something else missing from McChrystal's network: the U.S. embassy in Kabul. While McChrystal and Ambassador Karl Eikenberry, a former Afghanistan war commander himself, supposedly enjoyed good relations, the embassy and NATO sometimes seemed like they weren't in the same country.
Then one of Eikenberry's cables back to Washington casting doubt on McChrystal's desired troop surge leaked to the press. That poisoned the well. "Here's one that covers his flank for the history books," McChrystal kvetched to Hastings. "Now if we fail, they can say, 'I told you so.'"
But the surge itself was causing a breach with the most important node in McChrystal's network: the White House. In the 2009 debates over sending more troops to Afghanistan, President Obama reportedly felt like the military was boxing him into an unwise escalation.
McChrystal, in London for one of his first public appearances, bluntly remarked that he thought all other strategies were doomed. Although McChrystal repeatedly defended the Obama team, the press went wild with a narrative about an insubordinate commander, and not without some justification. Obama ultimately endorsed the surge, but it was, at best, a Pyrrhic victory for McChrystal.
Nor were McChrystal's battlefield moves showing the same success that JSOC had demonstrated. Through the summer and fall of 2009, Marines fought furiously through Helmand Province, for little obvious gain. That February, he and Karzai invaded the Helmand town of Marja, proclaiming that he had a "government in a box" ready to establish order in the cleared town. Instead, fighting continued for months, without a significant Afghan government presence.
All that meant that McChrystal, the consummate networker, was out of allies when Hastings quoted McChrystal's aides making derogatory comments about the Obama team. Quick to defend his loyal staff and take responsibility, McChrystal immediately offered to resign.
Obama took him up on it. A sterling career was unexpectedly over.
People close to McChrystal were mystified by the uncharacteristic self-marginalization. "In every review of COIN [counterinsurgency] best practices, 'unity of effort' tops the list," one of his advisers told Danger Room last year. "Every. Single. Review. And we're totally fucking it up; fucking up the one thing that should be in our control." The McChrystal of JSOC never needed to be reminded.
The Network Strikes Back
McChrystal and Obama have patched things up. Obama tapped McChrystal to spearhead a White House effort to support veterans' families. McChrystal has never expressed public bitterness about losing his command, and even joked about his mistakes during his July 2010 retirement.
Some close to McChrystal say that what hurt him the most is that he had to leave Afghanistan before he could implement a turnaround in U.S. fortunes. When his friend Petraeus took over the war, Petraeus reversed McChrystal's restrictions on air power, leading to the biggest aerial bombardment in the war thus far.
Petraeus also relied on McChrystal's protege McRaven at JSOC for a relentless pace of raids on Taliban forces. Only by the time Petraeus relinquished command in July, the war — in the view of the CIA, among others — was stalemated.
'JSOC is the single most truly joint command within the U.S. military.'
But JSOC had just experienced its finest hour — the fulfillment of the ultimate goal of McChrystal's networking strategy. A Navy SEAL team killed Osama bin Laden. The mission was planned by McRaven, ultimately quarterbacked by CIA Director Leon Panetta, and relied extensively on both CIA analysis and JSOC's years of raiding in Afghanistan.
What was bureaucratically unthinkable before McChrystal is now routine: JSOC and CIA, matched with other government elements, now hunt al-Qaida worldwide in expanding, secretive wars.
Nor is that likely to change. McChrystal's allies and proteges are all over the security bureaucracy. McRaven now runs all U.S. Special Operations Forces. Petraeus now runs the CIA. McChrystal's fellow Army Ranger, Lt. Gen. Joseph Votel, now runs JSOC. Flynn is the assistant director of national intelligence. Ten years after 9/11, al-Qaida's network looks more brittle than ever, while JSOC's is robust.
The network McChrystal built, McRaven enhanced and Votel inherits comes in stark contrast to the rest of the U.S. security bureaucracy, which Priest and Arkin call "Top Secret America" and which remains disconnected, bloated and expensive. Priest and Arkin bluntly conclude that McChrystal turned JSOC around "by outright rejecting at least four of Top Secret America's defining characteristics: its enormous size, its counterproductive duplication, its internal secrecy, and its old-fashioned, hierarchical structure."
What the post-9/11 reforms failed to accomplish across the sprawling national security apparatus, McChrystal did in miniature.
"We had to figure out a way to retain our traditional capabilities of professionalism, technology, and, when needed, overwhelming force," McChrystal recalled in Foreign Policy, "while achieving levels of knowledge, speed, precision, and unity of effort that only a network could provide."
It didn't work in Afghanistan with conventional forces. But now it's up to the secretive, lethal network that McChrystal established to finally destroy the terrorist network that inspired it.
- McChrystal Apologizes for Incendiary Article
- Army Says Farewell To General McChrystal
- Marjah's 'Government in a Box' Flops as McChrystal Fumes
- Petraeus' Commando Raids Killed Lots of Taliban. So?
- Pentagon's Clandestine Killers Get New Chief
- Bin Laden Compound Now a Virtual Training Ground for Commandos
- Actually, Special-Ops 'Night Raids' Are Rather Gentle
- It's His Special Operations World. You Just Get Hunted In It.
- Stan McChrystal's Very Human Wired War


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Home > Sunglasses > Bogner > BG008 (A)
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30-day money-back guarantee
Low prices
BG008/A Ophthalmic Glasses
These sunglasses are the perfect accessory on the beach, on the way to the office or in the city. There is only one slight drawback: all the envious looks you will attract. The BG008 is available in the Edel-Optics online shop in other styles from Bogner collections 2015 and 2016.
These Sunglasses are a guarantee for looking good for both men and women. Eyewear is in. Full rim is extremely popular, because you feel that you get more eyeglass for your money. It is not just about their resilience, but also about the visibility of material and design, which are of the highest quality. This epitome of aviator sunglasses from the house Bogner is distinguished by their characteristically large lenses and thin frame. The model a sure hit, not only in the cockpit of an airplane. Plastic frames like these combine durability and are comfortable to wear. The BG008 is a very snug fit on the ears and nose. Black is one of the undisputed classics. It can be combined with any outfit and simultaneously radiates elegance and naturalness. The fact that the colour grey matches everything, also applies to sunglass lenses. They suit everything in your wardrobe and never go out of fashion. This brand of sunglasses, of course, also provides your eyes with optimum UV400 protection.
The model has already been ordered and will shortly be back in stock. If you order now, you will get the reduced price and once the goods arrive, we will send you your new Bogner on the same day. In our online shop we have consistently low prices. You won't get BG008 at such a low price, not even in the sale.
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Joomla: A CMS Solution Worth Considering
For the past week, I've been messing around with Joomla, a mature and robust CMS. I've installed and played about with Joomla on and off for the past couple of years. During this time, only one thing has put me off Joomla: it feels very complicated.
I consider myself competent when it comes to online publishing platforms, which is what Joomla is essentially. However, when it comes to the administration interface I always felt lost. A default Joomla installation has six administration menu groups and roughly 50 child menu items. Add a few more components and modules and you'd end up with over 100 administration pages.


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Our friend over at Metroid Database, Devin Monnens (CapCom) has donated a very rare and very special item to the Play for Japan relief efforts to raise funds towards the recent Japan disaster. The Metroid Prime Trilogy collectors edition has been signed by Retro Studio's Michael Kelbaugh (President), Kensuke Tanabe (Producer), Bryan Walker (Director of Development), Ryan Powell (Lead Artist), Chris Voelmann (Technical Artist), Will Bate (Lead Animator) and Aaron Walker (Senior Engineer).
At the time of writing, the item has raised $61.00 USD and will close on April 10 at 23:00:47 PDT. 100% of the final sale price donated to the American Red Cross. We know this item can do so much better and we are confident that the Metroid fan community are a passionate caring bunch, I am certain it can do better so if you have any spare cash and want to bag yourself a very rare item, you should keep your eye on this auction very closely..
You can find the auction here
UPDATE: The auction ended with 17 bids from 10 bidders, with a final total of $409.04! Amazing effort!
Source: Play for Japan & Metroid Database


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What? No one would tweet Obama? Why ever not? :blink:
Some of the options were hilarious!
BTW, it's good to know that I have a "real" gun! :wink:
I picked 911...... Gov sponsored dial a prayer.:sheep:
Ask for my check?
I am sure that I saw a gun buster on the door; so this is not happening. I would call 911; ACORN to and ask for a Community Organizer to negotiate with the gunman; Hope he's only got 10 round magazines so he'll have to reload before he kills you; HOPE his gun jams before he kills you; and if I violated the gun buster (which I would not do) and he got to close for my safety and I believe, as would any other resonable person that my life or the life of another was in danger or there was a threat of grave bodily harm; I would shoot till the threat is ended.
SO: all of the above!
I voted as if this was serious as I see some others took it as more of a joke. but what is best to hope for is it never happening. Also I hope his gun jams and then we can hold him at gun point for police. I don't want to shoot anyone.
If this thread continues I'll have to make up old George Carlin lines that have never existed.
Dinner plates make great Ninja frisbees. Get hit with a bunch of those, he'll be saying "Ouch!"
Unless it's a place with those cheap plastic plates.
Let's defer to the expert on the subject of crazed shooters in restaurants.
Just voted the closest since all were sort of lacking.
I like the ninja tuck roll, but since I cant do anything close to that wonder would a penguin like fast waddle while fireing 2 45s with one hand and a tactical shotgun with the other work? All striking center mass of course.
Failing that tactic I suppose one could kick him the in the uterus with a devastating disarming tactic???:blink: :danceban:
I would take cover, pay my check, leave a tip, call 911, then waste that punk! I'll be darned if he hurts me and/or my family!
situation dicates...
Oh, but wait a minute...in my state I can't be trusted to have a gun in a restaurant that serves alcohol so I need to run like a ***** and hope he doesn't shoot me in the back. So much for HOPE and change.


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head upgrade disappointment
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Originally Posted by
bogie and engineczar both of you are spot on! It does seem to at least match the camels at lower revs but then it wants to rev further than them!
The advertised duration is 280 and at .50 intake/exhaust is 230 degrees.
To be honest I dont fully understand these figures.
Skip whites website states with a cam around 480/510 lift it dynos at just over 400 horsepower on a 350.
Do you think changing rear gears and a bigger carb will help, I was considering a cam change as well if you have any suggestions?
Thanks again
Certainly a bigger carb say around 750 CFM on an Edlebrock Performer RPM intake with long tube headers of 1-3/4 or 1-7/8ths tubes combining Skip's deep breather heads with this cam, the engine ought to go to over 400 horses I guess somewhere from 5800 to 6200 RPMs. It's likely to be peaky; it also may take 1.6 rockers to get there.
This whole thing, and this includes the performance from your older camel humps, really gets the engine into an area where in a systems integration sense, sum of the parts and the tune, it can gain or lose gobs of power on incredibly small often seemingly innocuous changes/exceptions/deviations of things. So with a change, as the one you did with the heads, can make it difficult to dial it back in. You just have to mess with it and that could include as was suggested advancing the cam a few degrees, I havent used a Skip White cam so I don't know if he grinds them straight up or advances them as Comp and others do. So you've got to be a bit thoughtful here. Comps come with about 4 degrees already in them so sometimes adding more isn't helpful. I just don't know if Skip's cams are the same way of not. Like Jim Miller, he touches base in here sometimes maybe you'll hear from him about this.
Your cam numbers tell you that the valve closed to closed timing is 280 degees, SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers here in the U.S.) specify this measure at .006 inch lift, whether that is really done here I don't know. 230 degrees is the duration measure from the point where the valve opened to .050 inch and is .050 inch from being closed. The difference between these two points is mostly ramps to ease the lifter and valve train motion into opening smoothly without flexing the pushrod and sitting the valve down without bouncing it. The .480/.510 inch measure would be the amount of intake and exhaust opening, respectivly, over the peak of their lobes. This is valve opening not lift at the lobe, there is a rocker between these two places. For the Chevy Small Block this is usually given for a 1.5 to 1 rocker ratio. So the actual lift happening at the lobe would be 50 percent less or .320/.340 inch. A 1.6 to 1 rocker would add 1.067 to the 1.5 rocker ratio and lift so that lift at the valve would go to .512/.544 inch with this cam.
Stiffer gears would improve acceleration performance by increasing the mechanical advantage the engine has over the mass it needs to move. Plus, it moves the RPMs higher for any given road speed to where more engine power is available. So gearing is a double advantage in terms of power delivered between the tire and ground. The downside of stiffer gears is higher fuel consumption, noise, vibration and wear.
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Clymer seniors support Teddy Bear Fund Drive
November 25, 2013 10:50 AM
The five full-time Aging Services Inc. social centers in Indiana County again participated in the Seniors Giving Back to the Community projects.
Each center conducted fundraising events to raise money for their chosen groups. Each center's members and staff met, discussed and planned strategies for the fundraising.
The Two Lick Valley Social Center hosted a spaghetti dinner with proceeds going to the Teddy Bear Fund Drive.
Pictured, from left, are Hope Sarnovsky and Arlene Anderson, Pathstone employees; Pat Lydick, volunteer; and Betsy Miller, center manager. (Teri Enciso/Gazette)


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Join The Tennessean and Olive & Sinclair Chocolate Co. Tweetup
TN Media
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM (CST)
Event Details
Valentine's day is getting close and who doesn't love some chocolate in February? Join The Tennessean and Olive & Sinclair Chocolate Co. (http://www.oliveandsinclair.com/) for a Tweetup on Feb. 1st from 6-8pm.
Come take a tour of Olive & Sinclair Chocolate Co., mingle with reporters from The Tennessean and best of all ... We'll be giving away door prizes!
Feb. 1st from 6-8pm
Olive & Sinclair
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TN Media is a multimedia company that publishes The Tennessean and Tennessean.com – the most complete sources of local news and information in Middle Tennessee. Products and services also serve targeted audiences and specific advertisers to meet their information and business needs, including community newspapers, magazines, niche publications and interest-based web sites as well as consumer driven print & online products for automotive, real estate and employment. TN Media is owned by the Gannett Co., Inc. – an international news and information company – and reaches more than 900,000 local adults each week. For more information, visit www.tnmedia.com


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Bill Ayers made a visit to the Chelsea neighborhood of NYC to talk about radical education reform, and New York Times Metro reporter Colin Moynihan portrayed the domestic terrorist as a mild-mannered liberal in the misleadingly headlined Monday story "Ex-Radical Talks of Education and Justice, Not Obama."
When did Ayers become an "ex-radical"? He hasn't repudiated any of his views or acts of violence from the period in which he led the Weather Underground in bombing the Pentagon and other government buildings.
Over the last several months, as pundits and partisans have debated the significance of his relationship with Senator Barack Obama, William Ayers has avoided the limelight, steering clear of political commentary and public pronouncements.
But on Sunday afternoon, Mr. Ayers, 63, a founder of the 1960s-era radical group the Weather Underground, a former fugitive, former Chicago Citizen of the Year and current professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, appeared without fanfare at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, in Chelsea, to participate in a symposium on educational justice.
In 1995, Mr. Ayers held a fund-raiser for Mr. Obama, who was running for a seat in the Illinois State Senate. The two men later served together on the boards of two Chicago philanthropic groups as well as on the board of an education reform organization. The two men have been described as friendly, but not close.
Moynihan came away wondering what the big deal was:
While describing his views on education and social justice, Mr. Ayers hardly resembled the unrepentant terrorist that his critics have sought to paint him as while attacking the Obama campaign.
Did Ayers repent of his violent actions at the Chelsea event? He never has before. If not, then Ayers in fact remains the "unrepentant terrorist" people say he is.
The Times also did its best to fog the air on Ayers in a Sunday Week in Review cover story, with David Kirkpatrick writing of McCain:
His campaign has pelted his rival with attacks that make some of his old advisers wince, like questioning Mr. Obama's patriotism or tying him to 'a domestic terrorist.'
Why is "domestic terrorist" in quotation marks? Surely Kirkpatrick isn't challenging the historical record.


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Josefien – Josefien Rodermans dons urban looks featuring inspiration ranging from the classic play "Westside Story" to seventies style. Tove Sivertsen photographs the Dutch beauty in simple studio images with styling by Silas Henriksen who uses selects from labels such as Acne, Calvin Klein, Hugo Boss, Viktor & Rolf and Wolford. Makeup artist Liselotte van Saarloos and hair stylist Margot van Essen creates Josefien's beauty looks.
I like Josefien but feel as though she's not done any justice in these photos and that styling.
The third photo is my favorite of the set.
beautiful photos!!


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|102 m²
|Property type
|Minimum Stay
|2 - 6 nights
Wow..what a view..love the loft! You may not have been 'Born in a Barn', but here's your chance to stay in one and VACATION 'Till the Cows Come Home'! We invite you to stay in our barn loft and call it your home, while you relax and enjoy our nation's largest and oldest National Park.
Barn on the Banks is located in a quiet area on the outskirts of Gardiner, Montana. We are less than 1 mile to the park's North Gate Entrance, famous for the Teddy Roosevelt Arch, and within walking distance to down town shops, restaurants, a grocery store, post office and excellent trout fishing.
Yellowstone river runs through this small town that is nestled at the foothills of Electric Peak, a majestic mountain that carries snow throughout most of the year. We are located at the end of a lane with no through traffic. Our loft overlooks the confluence of the Gardiner and Yellowstone rivers, and has unobstructed spectacular views of the mountains. We border the river and we are directly across from Yellowstone Park.
A short walk down the bank takes you to the river's edge where you can sit and enjoy nature, including frequent fliers of ducks, geese, bald eagles, and osprey, or possibly see a family of otters playing in the water.
From our deck you can view hummingbirds, mountain songbirds, and wildlife including deer, elk, Big Horn sheep, Pronghorn (antelope), or possibly see a bear, wolf, coyote, or bison.
One summer while sitting on the deck of the barn, my husband witnessed a doe deer giving birth to twin fawns. We frequently saw mama deer and her little ones close to our house and barn throughout the summer. Now we've seen yet another 'Near Barn Birth'! Over Memorial Weekend, we and our guests witnessed an Elk giving birth just a few feet below the deck of the Barn! This is truly an area you'll be able to experience nature.
The barn has never housed animals, the bottom of the barn is used for private storage. The barn loft was renovated in 2008-2009, and features a full kitchen with all new appliances, comfortable seating in the living area, and a large deck that looks into Yellowstone Park. You can sit by the fire on a chilly night, or cool down with air conditioning on a hot summer day.
There are amazing views from all areas of the loft made easy by several large windows. The master bedroom has a king bed, private bath, air conditioning, a fireplace and your own private balcony to sit, relax and enjoy the sunset.
The 'Queen Room' catches the morning sun, and has the ambiance of a fireplace as well. The 'bunk room' has two bunk beds, one which is a double bed topped by a twin, the other is a single over a single. The sofa in the living room converts to a full size bed.
The deck above the river features a gas grill and seating for your outdoor relaxation and enjoyment. So come and stay with us, enjoy our 'Barn on the Banks', and make your vacation one you will remember.
- Your Hosts, Ken and Linda.
Keywords: Barn Loft, cabin, River frontage
An answer to prayer brought us to this little piece of heaven. We moved to Montana in 1977 with our then small children to follow a teaching job in Gardiner. We both grew up in the Midwest on Farm and Ranches in Rural Nebraska. We have always loved the mountains and have enjoyed horseback riding, hiking, skiing, hunting, canoeing, and lots of other outdoor activities in beautiful Montana.
We love animals, Mountains, the great outdoors, and wanted to raise our children in a small town... so what better place to live than in Montana next to Yellowstone Park!? The barn was built in 1994 but was never used to house animals, even though we had horses, along with several other animals our kids raised. As our kids left home, so did most of the animals...thank goodness! In 2008, a long time dream began to take shape as we began renovating the barn loft into a 1100 SF 3 bedroom, 2 bath apartment. 'Barn on the Banks of Yellowstone Park' was open for business as a Vacation Rental in the Spring of 2009. Much of the decor was directly inspired from my early childhood memories of Country Life. Several old things from the Ranch & Farm... 'treasured Junk', have been re-purposed as part of the Barn decor ...giving it an eclectic charm to make you feel right at home...even if you weren't born in a barn. So please come stay in the 'Barn' while you vacation in the Nation's oldest National Park. ....it has all the modern conveniences and comforts of home...even running water and indoor plumbing! :)
We are located just 1 mile from the North Gate Entrance to Yellowstone Park which is the only entrance open year around. The 'Barn on the Banks' is open year around as well, and has views that will take your breath away as you look directly into Yellowstone Park, the Yellowstone River below, over our small town of Gardiner, or gaze upon 'Electric Peak'. Our property borders Yellowstone Park and the Yellowstone River which means that we have lots of wildlife around our property. We have had 3 'Near Barn Births' as a doe deer gave birth to twins and a cow Elk gave birth to her calf just a few feet below the Barn deck! The 'Near Barn' experiences are something our guests and we are still talking about. Because we border Yellowstone River, some of the best trout fishing around is directly below the Barn. Our convenient location is perfect for experiencing Yellowstone in the Winter as we have some of the best cross-country skiing, wolf watching, and snowshoeing just minutes away. We absolutely love it here and have never regretted the move from Nebraska to God's Country! :)
Our group of 4 adults and 2 kids had a amazing Yellowstone vacation and the "Barn" was the perfect place to stay. Linda and Ken made us feel welcome and took care of a couple small issues very quickly. We were able to see elk including three baby elk directly below our deck and enjoyed the view off of the deck after a day of touring the park. The location at the north end of the park made the perfect spot for us. Can't wait to come back.
Brice, Brook, Dan, Kathy, Eli and Mia
New Bremen, OH
Location is perfect, beds are comfy, showers are hot, views are spectacular and hosts are the best! We could not have chosen a better place to stay for our trip to Gardiner and Yellowstone.
We loved the Barn! We were there for 5 nights and each evening looked forward to sitting in the 2 chairs in front of the fireplace to recount all the animals we saw that day. We love having a cozy place to come home to at the end of a day of exploring and this was it. We celebrated our wedding anniversary while there and Linda left us a card and a vase of flowers - so thoughtful!
The Barn is very close to the Roosevelt arch and the shops in town. Watch out for elk - they are everywhere, including in the road.
Make sure to ask about the Fall discount if there are only two of you - it is substantial.
The Barn is a cozy and convenient place to stay for a few days or a month or more. It is located at the very edge of Yellowstone Park and you can see the Roosevelt Arch at the north entrance from the deck of the Barn. No better place to relax and center your soul than this hideout.
An excellent gateway to Yellowstone. Lovely balcony overlooking Yellowstone River - and LOTS of wild life in town and in the Park. Ken/Linda are most agreeable and helpful, but do not intrude. My favorite minute was Sun. a.m. when Ken asked if I had pepper spray as I headed down the bluff to the river. Yep! Don't go anywhere without it! And midway down the bluff is a swing, excellent for quiet contemplation and river/Park viewing.
Highly recommended.
I can't imagine a more perfect place to stay! The Barn on the Banks was beautifully appointed, had everything one could need and more, was super clean, the kitchen was extremely well stocked, the homey, welcoming ambiance was lovingly created by the owner, who is herself an artist, the large deck overlooking the river and the mountains offered a spectacular view, and the location was ideal. Best of all was the delightful company of the owner, Linda, whose warmth and hospitality made our wonderful visit all the more memorable.
Access to a hiking trail and excellent trout fishing directly below our rental. Property borders Yellowstone River and Yellowstone Park. Easy access to Cross-Country Skiing in the Winter. Check us out for great deals during off-season!
|Rate Period
|Weekend Night
|Monthly *
Standard Rate
16 May 2017 - 31 Aug 2017
6 night minimum stay
1 Sep 2017 - 31 Oct 2017
2 night minimum stay
1 Nov 2017 - 15 May 2018
2 night minimum stay
My Standard Rate
6 night minimum stay
|cleaning fee
|Refundable Damage Deposit
|Tax Rate
Email us for special discounts if staying longer than 1 week June through August. Two person discount of $150/night September through May. Rates subject to change. Closed January- April
* Approximate monthly rate. Actual rate will depend on the days of the month you stay.