text:
"Jane Holtz Kay's book has given us a profound way of seeing the automobile's ruinous impact on American life. Asphalt Nation is terrific."Jane Jacobs, author of The Death and Life of Great American Cities
Kay, architecture critic for the Nation, argues forcefully here that the automobile holds America in economic, emotional and physical gridlock. The car-and the highways it rides on and the gasoline it burns-has debased our architecture, ruined our health, polluted our environment, undermined our public transportation systems and isolated the nation's poor and infirm. With an eye for memorable phrases and startling facts (every car on the road costs its "user and society" between $9000 and $11,000 a year), she not only defines the problem but also traces how she believes it was created, from the Model T Ford, through the suburban boom, to our current "three-car culture" in which the largest percentage of time and mileage is not devoted to commuting to work but to running errands. Kay's solutions are controversial. Stop highway construction (new and wider roads don't end congestion, they spread it); divert highway money to improving train and streetcar transportation; change zoning laws to encourage small apartments (for the young and the elderly) in downtown areas, which, she thinks, would encourage walking and biking; make cities more walker-friendly; cut down on the number of parking lots; increase the cost of car registration. This is an unabashed polemic; the problems Kay portrays so vividly in the first two thirds of the book are more convincing than the solutions she suggests in the last third.


text:
My cold hand lands on Laura's leg while the woman behind us holds her husband's hands tight, whispering cariñitos to him. We're here to prove we love each other. To prove this is a true white-picket-fence-two-point-five-children-Christmas-card kind of love, even if it's homo love. Promises of a better future after this horrid appointment fly in the air in Spanish, Arabic, Russian. Inside the Soviet-looking immigration building Laura and I are literally moscas en leche. Perro en misa. Gallina en corral ajeno, etc. All the couples here are straight. Some even brought their kids, dressed in their Sunday's best. The children are instructed to shut the fuck up and smile. Arturito, saluda al oficial mi rey. They're here as evidence. The mamis with their hairs done, nails done, high heels and glossy lipstick. Men with gelled black hair, black button-down shirts with a few open buttons revealing gold crosses, chest hair. Legs crossed impossibly tight, smiling at every and any immigration officer walking through. Good afternoon, Mr. Officer. Nobody speaks loudly, we all hush and whisper and hold tight to our brown folders, our photo albums.
Porque mamita, you never know.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
... is this normal?
I am taking augmentin, I have severe diarrhea. If drink water It comes out with in a few minuets?
- Asked
- 7 Sep 2013 by Cpcp
- Active
- 7 Sep 2013
- Topics
- augmentin, diarrhea
Added 7 Sep 2013:
What should I do?
Responses (1)
You should not be having so severe a diarrhea. How long have you been on the augmentin? I suggest that you take probiotics and /or eat yogurt to put the good bacteria back in your intestines. If you still have diarrhea monday morning call your dr. If you notice any signs of dehydration, excessive thirst, If you pinch your skin up it stays that way if your dehydrated, decrease in urination, go to the er. Try drinking an ounce of something like pedialyte every half hr rather then trying allot at once.
Further Information
- Augmentin Information for Consumers
- Augmentin Information for Healthcare Professionals (includes dosage details)
- Side Effects of Augmentin (detailed)
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ProPest Clothes Moth Trap
Buy Now
L. from Evansville, In writes,
Number of traps per house- says only 2 but I have 3 floors, and still have moths in basement.
Help please! manufacturer says "2 traps per house" but instructions say "put in closet". Can I use one per floor in a 3 floor house so 3 total, without having too much pheromone and confusing them? I still have some moths in the basement but upstairs is better! Also, doesn't putting them in closets lure them INTO the closet? thanks!
The pheromone traps can be used wherever you have an issue, its just that a closet is normally the most common place. One trap per floor is perfectly fine. You just don't want much more than that per level because it can confuse the moths.
Answer last updated on: 08/14/2011
14 of 15 people found this answer helpful. Was it helpful to you? Yes No


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It is with great pleasure that I have accepted a position with SOFREP as a Contributing Editor. I have been a daily reader of the SOFREP news reports for quite a while and welcome the opportunity to add to their reporting. It is my intent to provide articles with news, analysis, and commentary on a host of topics to include special operations, intelligence, current conflicts, terrorism, national security, and foreign policy.
I am somewhat familiar with the special operations world, having served 40 years in U.S. Army Special Forces—both active and reserve components. Over half of my service was on active duty. I have had the good fortune of serving with Special Forces at all levels, to include SF Operational Detachment Alpha (SFODA), company, battalion, group, several overseas special operations task forces (SOTFs), and a few overseas special operations commands (SOCs). Although my experience is SF-centric, I certainly hope to provide informative articles on the full range of special operations.
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When I hold down the SRC/Off button to turn off the music in my recently installed U310BT, I hear static/fuzz in the speakers
It is not loud static, but noticeable when the cars engine is not running
Does anyone know how to make the static stop?
U310BT static when audio is Off
Started by SpoonRRAR, May 06 2012 01:48 AM
2 replies to this topic
Posted 06 May 2012 - 01:48 AM
Posted 07 May 2012 - 04:08 AM
do you have any external amplifiers? and not just subwoofers either, had a friend with the same problem/different radio. turns out his eclipse comes with a stock amplifier for the mid-range speakers. if not, you might have to get a multimeter and take a few measurements.
Posted 07 May 2012 - 01:18 PM
I have a 2005 Infiniti G35 - Came with a factory bose system - it has a factory bose amp.
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text: Do you guys think that Federer is pacing himself for the Grandslam next year?? I mean the Olympics will be on, and Federer will pretty much be in his prime. 2012 looks abit bleak, cause i don't think he can sustain this level that long...... The only way he can do it is by having a coach, hopefully Cahill will step up and answer the call. Winning the Golden Slam will surley make him G.O.A.T!!!


text:
Friday, October 30, 2009
Donnie Skiff Scholarship Fund
I am totally pulling for him, and so is his Pennsylvania community. They have organized a celebration of Donnie's life in a benefit concert on November 13. Since Donnie was a musician, all proceeds will go to the Donnie Skiff Wyoming Valley West Music Scholarship Fund....which will provide a scholarship to a young high school musician. If you can donate to this fund, please help make something positive out of this painful random act of violence.
You can make checks out to:
"Donnie Skiff Scholarship Fund"
care of:
Darce Lesko
404 Vine Street
Larksville, PA 18651.
Pumpkin Carving out of Control!
It was also very sweet to see the whole neighborhood there. You know it takes a village when even the local drug dealer is carving pumpkins with you. Crazy Dan ended up making a very ethnic pumpkin with big hoop earrings he named "Sha-ne-ne". And when all the Jack-o-Lanterns were lined up for judging, and we witnessed the virtuoso carving skills of the masters, Crazy Dan whimpered, "Does this mean Sha-ne-ne is out of the running?"
Who cares? He got a free bar tab! Happy Halloween!
Gay News Show
I think it's way too much of me, and Mike got carried away with the green screen images but here's some fun things to do around the city and also a cameo with adorable fag hag Margret!
Let us know your thoughts and how we can improve!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
SATC 2 photos from set!
But here are a few photos. There were hundreds of extras for the gay wedding scene shot at Steiner Studios. It's this sprawling studio in nowhereseville, Brooklyn. Right on the east river. Next to some derelict military facility. Steiner Studios is huge and we spent many, many long nights there. It began to feel like home.
Look at those legs! This photo was taken around 7 am. We had been there about 17 hours and we had to get the shot done because the cast was leaving for Morocco the next day. Oh yeah. It is ALWAYS glamour on a movie set!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Masculine Halloween costumes for your Effeminate Son
The author of "Actually, he's a boy"...offers tips on how to butch up your fem son at Halloween.
"If you want your child to pick a male-dominated profession, be careful not to pick one that has been co-opted by the gay community like a fireman, a cop, a cowboy. Otherwise they'll just end up looking like a stripper."
Check it out.
I suppose I should have ended up with the robot suit, "for the prancer" who skips delicately instead of walking. Funny thing is, I am going as a robot for Halloween this year. A hooker robot. A ho-bot. A prancing ho-bot!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Aspiring Novelist?
From their homepage:
Valuing enthusiasm and perseverance over painstaking craft, NaNoWriMo is a novel-writing program for everyone who has thought fleetingly about writing a novel but has been scared away by the time and effort involved.
Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It's all about quantity, not quality. The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly.
Make no mistake: You will be writing a lot of crap. And that's a good thing. By forcing yourself to write so intensely, you are giving yourself permission to make mistakes. To forgo the endless tweaking and editing and just create. To build without tearing down.
Apparently, they do it every year and every year it grows. It's totally free. From my personal experience I've found publishing a novel was not lucrative, but I do need a new creative project. What do I have to lose? So I consider....their goal works out to just over 2,000 words a day which is - if you don't know word count -- a bit more than double the length of my columns in OUT. Per day. Hmm. What would I write? Why would I write it? Dayum, I need a sponsor.
Or a kick in the pants.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Hair on Broadway! Does it melt your butter?
So what took me so long to get up to 45th street? It's funny how living in NYC, I often get numb to all the truly amazing stuff going on here. I've been feeling kind of down and despondent, so a musical was just the lift I needed. Big thanks to my friend AJ who swept into town and took Bam and me out on the town to see HAIR!
The cast was excellent. Will Swenson brings quirky fabulous, utterly uncivilized things to the role of sexy Berger. Then of course is the openly gay Gavin Creel, who makes a fabulous Claude even though for the life of me I'll never understand the whole Manchester, England song. Like, why? Of course we forgive him that one, and also for the fact that I think both these boys are supposed to be...teenagers?
Ok---quick side story---when I was at the equality march last weekend, the whole cast of HAIR actually went down to DC to march as well (the show went dark last Sunday--how awesome are they?) and along the march I filmed this group of drag queens from Richmond, Virginia, who were taking a break right right in front of the White House. One of them, in her made up face and heavy southern drawl, hollers to my camera, "Gavin Creel....from the cast of HAIR? HE MELTS MY BUTTER." The secret service agrees.
In the show, probably the most beautiful song (if not the most exuberant) for me is Shiela's (Caissie Levy) lament "Easy to be Hard":
How can they ignore their friends
Easy to be proud
Easy to say no
And especially people
Who care about strangers
Who care about evil
And social injustice
Do you only
Care about the bleeding crowd?
How about a needing friend?
I need a friend
It's super strong and poignant, and she sings it about her boyfriend Berger who's kind of a hypocrite to the hippie cause. In the movie, I think (do I remember right?) she is pregnant and comes home and he rejects her and the pregnancy. Good motivation to sing! He's so shitty!
But in the play she is not pregnant. Instead,she comes back and gives Berger this gift of a yellow polyester shirt. He tosses it around, and ends up ripping the thing in half. Then she launches into "Easy to be Hard". Hey writer, give this girl some motivation! I'm unsure (help me out?) if this is the way the show was originally written, maybe it's done to make Berger look not so shitty---but the movie definitely upped the stakes to lead naturally, beautifully into the number. Busting your gut with a heart-wrenching showstopper just because he tore up the yellow poly/rayon blend? Not so much.
Otherwise I really enjoyed it. Half the time of course I had no idea what was happening onstage, and though it's not 1968 and there is no draft (or hippies), of course there are parallels with today's wars (will we ever learn?) and just--damn--the not wanting to fit in. It made me think of so many tangential things such as the bizarrely ironic fact that so many hippies ultimately turned into money-grubbing conservatives. And how if that odd leap continues to hold true, I am gonna be one frickin' rich asshole if I ever get old.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
It's Libra-Time
For some reason, the party this year was less populated than the last year's when we had a virtual party for Cooldan who wasn't even there! But it's nice to have him around, and listen to all his retarded wisdom. Out recently, he met this super-duper hunky model-handsome man who was too pretty to meet anyone. This led Cooldan to conclude: Ugly people and beautiful people both don't meet anyone when they go out, so they should just call it a day and hook up together.
Another year older, another year...full of it! Happy Birthday, Cooldan!!
Monday, October 12, 2009
DC - the equality march
On Saturday night, I went out to a club that ended up being some kind of big bear party (?) The music was great, and even Lady Gaga appeared on a balcony at one point, bobbing around in her blonde weave and John Lennon glasses. She was also at the march, a very vocal supporter! One thing I kept noticing over and over was that this really was about "equality" and not just one aspect, like marriage. I also noticed more (and have been noticing more over the years) straight supporters. People with signs like, "Proud to be an ally" or "I won't get married until you can."
I was shooting video for www.ourscenetv.com, so I didn't get a lot of photos. Sorry!
Our Nobel Peace-Prize winning President gave another mesmerizing speech at the HRC gala the night before. How many times can he give a speech? How many times are we placated with a speech not followed up with hard action? I heard a very apt quote from someone in DC who told me something along the lines of, "The mark of a successful politician is the ability to disappoint their supporters at a rate they can absorb."
Oh, and did you hear what Barney Frank had to say? While I have my own doubts as to the real efficacy of demonstrations, he said it was a waste of time and that we should be lobbying our lawmakers instead. He said our march was only "putting pressure on the grass." Ha!
The march was more than a couple of miles, which is not recommended in cowboy boots!
My favorite sign had to be this one:
Show me some full federal! We passed right by the White House.
I'm not sure why the organizers couldn't organize to have us on the mall, but we ended instead at the capitol steps. There's only so much screaming from a podium I can cope with, but I did hear many of the speakers. One of which, Judy Shephard, echoed Barney Frank in saying that the President can't do this alone. The only difference is, she's doing both! Why can't we all show solidarity in a march, as well as pressure our lawmakers? Here's how:
Legislation has been introduced now to repeal DOMA, and also they're still trying to pass ENDA, which would make it illegal to fire someone because of their sexuality, and/or gender identity. Call the US Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121, give the operator your zip code and ask to be connected to your Representative. Then leave a message with your name, city, and say that you support the ENDA bill and why, and that you'd like to see DOMA repealed and why. Go on, do it!
Afterward, we went up to the deck of the W hotel with my friends Mich, Stephen, Bam and Cooldan for drinks and some incredible views of the city.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Equality or Bust!
Sorry Kylie, I'm headed to DC! Events in my own life in the last week have certainly made me more disenfranchised from this country; more fearful of the distance between its ideals and its reality. I look forward to marching for a reality in step with what our constitution has to say about individual liberties. Though I'm not sure what can or will be gained from a large scale demonstration (we saw how those stopped the Iraq war), it's going to be great to stand with so many others in solidarity. Let's see if Obama stands with us.
I hope to see you there!
Friday, October 09, 2009
Euthanasia is a RIOT!
Worked last night on Sex and the City 2 set...and I wish I could spill the details, but they've muzzled us with confidentiality agreements. Let me just say that they've got a truly fun guest superstar in this scene! So since I can't dish on the film, let me dish on the life of a film "extra":
There's this one woman on set, Jodi, who cracks me up. She's in her 40's, and one of the extras (aka "Background") in this film. She's playing a lesbian, "Is it because I have short hair?" she wonders. On set, she kept muttering the following phrase, "Give me the GAS..."
Turns out, Jodi auditioned for a small part in an upcoming film called "You Don't Know Jack", which is a film about the suicide doctor, Jack Kevorkian being played by Al Pacino. And Jodi had the grand opportunity to audition for the illustrious part of one of Jack Kevorkian's dying patients. The one line she needed to utter, the last words to leave this character's body, were: "Give me the gas", whereupon the always accommodating doctor would promptly euthanize her.
Jodi went on and on about this part. She was perfect for it! She could play dying patient like no other. Imagine--euthanized by none other than Al Pacino! Caressed as she lay sucking the gas by none other than Susan Sarandon! It was the best part in the film---well certainly the best lines. In the lead up, her character bargains with the doctor, "God had his chance to take me....now I'm going to him. Give me the gas..."
She wore no makeup to the audition, she dressed in just a white sheet. She almost shaved her head for it but thought that may be going overboard, and when she walked into the audition room, mopy and gaunt, to utter the immortal lines, "Give me the gas!" she was told by the casting director, "try it again with...less emotion", and so Jodi did.
Give. Me. The. Gaaaas...
The possibility of getting the gas from Al Pacino has Jodi breathless. She was on set yesterday mumbling all forms and intonations of:
"Give ME the gas"
"Give me THE gas"
"GIVE...me the gas"
...until at last I ask when this audition was? "Two months ago," she says flatly.
When I give her a look that says it may be time to stop dreaming, she says, "Yeah, my husband says I won't believe I didn't get the part until I watch the movie and don't see myself in it."
Jodi takes a moment before adding, "Isn't the life of an 'extra' pathetic?"
Actually, not at all. Jodi totally made my day.
UPDATE: We surprised Jodi on set yesterday, and begged her to give us another reading or two of the role that should be hers! Give her the gas! Watch it here:
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Moving On
Had to get out of the city! Bam and I went up to Bear Mountain with our friends Chad & Scott to check out the leaves, and do some apple picking. It was the best day of the year; not hot, not cold.
Monday, October 05, 2009
Police Brutality - New York's Finest!
UPDATE, APRIL 2010: Both disorderly conduct charges against me have been dismissed!
UPDATE October: thanks for all the response here, and also for the blogs who have linked here. From what it seems now: turns out this was not the NYPD. It was the MTA police department. Who knew, the MTA had a police force? I'm being helped by Erik at the office of speaker Christine Quinn. One of the main reasons I spoke up is because other people have spoken up in the past, so for future reference--if something like this happens to you in NYC, please contact:
LGBT Community Liaison
HIV/AIDS Community Liaison
Speaker Christine C. Quinn
New York City Council
(212) 788-5646
Also the Gay & Lesbian anti-violence project: (212) 714-1184
Also the NYCLU, which advocates for your civil rights in NY.
On Friday night, I was walking back to the subway with my friend Stace, about 1:30 in the morning after a friend's birthday party at the Grace Hotel. We cut through the giant main room of Grand Central, and it was really empty so I did a cartwheel. The police called me over, and gave me a ticket for "disorderly conduct". A cartwheel! Are you gonna give every 9 year-old who does a cartwheel a ticket?
It was so unbelievable, and I let them know it. But when they were done issuing me the citation, I start walkinig toward my friend Stace who was waiting nearby. Facing him, not the cops, I utter an expletive about the cops, and next thing I know I'm being tackled by several policemen from behind.
The cops wrench my wrist back, handcuff me, and one of them has my head and is pounding it into the cold hard cement. I was not resisting, I was not fighting. I didn't even see them coming. They were simply going to teach this faggot a lesson! While my brains are being dashed, all I can think (besides, this shouldn't be happening!) was that this kind of injury is exactly how Natasha Richardson died. And here's the thing about having your arms behind your back and your head being smashed repeatedly into the floor of Grand Central Station by the very people who are supposed to protect you: the only thing you can try to do is move your neck from side to side -- so that the blunt force will cause more trauma to your head, than to your face. I blacked out.
Next thing I know I'm in a jail cell in my underwear. Why was I in my underwear? Why wasn't I fingerprinted, booked, or charged? My clothes are outside of this cell and I'm in there thinking if the cops can get away with this, they could make me disappear into one of those CIA web of prisons. I thought I was more in the Ukraine, than the USA. And worse, if I were a black person? I might have been shot.
In the past, I've called the NYPD a couple of times for help, and here's what happened: Once, outside my apartment on Avenue D, I was rushed by a gang of about 5 men trying to get into the building and, I presumed, rob me silly. I managed to get between the two entry doors to my building, put my back against the second door and smash the first door closed on the gangbangers, smashing one of their hands in the process. When the police came after I dialed 911, they told me these kids didn't want to rob me, they probably just wanted to "get onto my roof". That's what the NYPD told me! At the very moment they told me this, another guy walks by and says he was robbed by a gang of 5 guys at the entry of his building, and he described them to the police as I just had. So I ask the officer, "You still really think they were just trying to get to my roof?" And the officer says, non-chalant, "When they couldn't get onto your roof, they decided to go do something else."
Another time I called the NYPD after getting beaten in the West Village. When the cops arrived, they said no arrests could be made--no report filed, because my injuries would have had to have been much more serious. "We're talking lying unconscious in the street," one of them told me.
When there is no arrest made, when there is no report filed...there was no attempted robbery, there was no beating. No "incident" means it did not happen. Which means that NYC is so safe. Which means more tourists. Which means more happy re-elected mayor, more dollars.
But heaven help you if you do a cartwheel in Grand Central Station!
They let me out of jail at around 3:30 in the morning. I had two summons for disorderly conduct and a piece of paper saying I needed hospital treatment but refused. I learn later that my friend Stace was told by the cops to "get lost, or you're going in too" when he saw them take me down.
Once I'm out, I'm hysterically on the phone to Bam. There are cuts to my face, bruising on both sides of my head, ears, and wrist, and though I'm sure there must be good cops out there, the men who tackled and beat me down are the worst kind of thugs.
I can't help but think what they did to me was illegal. That maybe I still retain rights against such excessive force? And that every inch of Grand Central Station is covered by surveillance cameras.


text:
Eight years ago, on August 8, 1999, Russia's first president, Boris Yeltsin, nominated Vladimir Putin, head of Russia's Security Council, as the new acting prime minister, confirmed by the Duma the following week. On December 31 of the same year, Yeltsin resigned, calling for early presidential elections and leaving Prime Minister Putin to come in as acting president.
In evaluating the economic performance of Putin's administration, we look at whether the majority of the population has benefited from the country's economic performance over the past eight years; and at key policy steps that, in our view, distinguish Putin's economic era from those of his predecessors.
Overall, the past eight years represent a period of numerous economic successes. Growth has been strong, unemployment and inflation have fallen and the government has paid off most of its foreign debt.
Strong economic growth
Putin was appointed prime minister just 12 months after August 1998, when the harshest economic crisis in Russia's recent history occurred. The economy was showing some signs of recovery, owing to the significant impact of currency devaluation, yet the stability of this growth was not strong at the time. Today, we see a very different economic environment. From being the world's 22nd largest economy in 1999, Russia ranked 11th in 2006, and could even rise to ninth position in 2008, according to IMF forecasts. Dollar GDP in 2007 is projected to reach $1.3 trillion, 6.4 times higher than the reported figure in 1999. The average salary has increased to $540 per month in August 2007, from $65 per month in August 1999, and the population's real disposable income doubled between 1999 and 2006.
Foreign-debt reduction
In 1999, Russia was still negotiating with its foreign creditors on restructuring its foreign debt, which then amounted to more than 70 percent of GDP. In August 1999, Russia agreed with the Paris Club of creditors to restructure debt of $8.3bn and in 2000 Russia signed a debt-restructuring deal with the London Club of Creditors. There was talk of the "2003 problem," when foreign debt payments were set to peak. In 2005 and 2006, Russia paid down $37bn of Paris Club debt ahead of schedule, and as of July 1 this year, Russia's debt to the Paris Club amounted to just $2.4bn. Today, investors probably wish Russia had borrowed more; total foreign debt is now only $47.8bn – one-third of what it was in 1999 – of which the majority is Russian-traded debt. Reflecting a greatly reduced debt burden, the EMBI + Russia spread (a benchmark spread of Russian external debt instruments over U.S. treasuries) narrowed to just over 100 basis points in early August from more than 3,000 bps in early August 1999.
Stabilization Fund
The Stabilization Fund was set up in 2004 as a tool to sterilize oil inflows into Russia, and to save windfall revenues for future generations. The fund's revenues are oil-export duties and taxes for the extraction of natural resources when the oil price exceeds $27 per barrel (Urals blend). Today, the fund, which is managed by the Finance Ministry, exceeds $120bn, and continues to grow, as the price of oil remains high. The establishment of the fund was an important achievement of the liberal economists in Putin's administration. Russia has committed to a discipline of saving oil revenues for the future and reducing its foreign debt. The transparent process of accumulation and management of the Stabilization Fund is a clear indication of Russia's transition towards prudent fiscal policies, of long-term planning. Accumulated foreign reserves, along with the size of the stabilization fund, very clearly embody the strength potential of the Russian economy.
Fiscal stabilization and tax reform
The reduction of Russia's budget deficit has become another important feature of the Putin era – something that was not seen in Russia for decades before.
Today, the federal budget is running at a 6 percent surplus, compared with a 1.2 percent deficit in 1999 – an achievement in itself after the 1998 fiasco. The government has introduced a three-year budget planning mechanism, and has adopted a rule directing oil-related tax revenues above a certain oil price to the stabilization fund, to reduce its budgetary dependence on oil. Despite the huge inflow of oil revenues, the budget remains relatively slim – federal budget revenue remains at 21-22 percent of GDP. Only over the past year have the Russian authorities decided to start spending the money to support the national infrastructure, as well as directing funding into the areas of highest social importance.
The campaign to improve tax discipline and fight tax evasion became one of the most distinct features of Putin's economic policy. Revenues to the enlarged government have grown to 39 percent in 2006 from 34 percent in 1999. The Tax Code, adopted in 2000, represented a major breakthrough in fiscal administration in Russia, reducing the tax burden and establishing a much more streamlined system of budget revenues and expenditures. Indeed, since its adoption, there have been no attempts to revisit any taxes, which has provided a high degree of security and safety for both domestic and international investors, and helped to attract capital to Russia. A 13 percent flat personal income tax rate remains among the lowest in the world.
National projects
Significant budget surpluses have allowed the government to start financing its national projects – key areas of public spending that are aimed at producing the greatest long-term effect on the economy and wellbeing of the population. The projects are being implemented in the four key areas of healthcare, education, housing and agriculture. National-projects financing for 2007 is set at $8.7bn. Projects include: the provision of financial assistance to the mothers of newborn children; increased spending on healthcare; the construction of new hospitals; increased pay for a wide range of doctors and nurses; the issuance of mortgage loans; construction of new housing financed by the budget; investment in the upgrade of housing infrastructure; the establishment of two new universities and scholarships for the best students.
Control of strategic industries/oligarchs
When President Putin came to power, the oligarchs constituted a crucial part of the Russian economy and, most importantly, the country's politics. In fact, Putin's own rise to power was often attributed to the help of oligarchs close to Yeltsin's family. Shortly after his inauguration, Putin put forward the motto of "equal distance" to all oligarchs. As a result of a long campaign, three once super-influential moguls – Berezovsky, Gusinsky and Khodorkovsky – have lost their empires and any role in the country's political and economic life. Others were encouraged to pay taxes, withdraw from politics or cooperate with any large government programs. (The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi will, for example, be financed through significant contributions from the largest of the country's companies.) The state under Putin has also gone a long way in securing government control and improving financial and business discipline over the government-owned monopolies – including Gazprom and Rosneft, which were helped to grow much larger than they had been in 1999. At the same time, the government has moved along with the gradual reform and privatization of key assets in other sectors – including the reform of power utility RAO UES and the IPOs of Sberbank and VTB, as well as Rosneft itself.
Liberalization of current and capital accounts
From July 1, 2006, Russia had fully liberalized its capital accounts, following the liberalization of its current account several years earlier. This, essentially, completed the inclusion of Russia into international capital flows; and was a highly significant reform, in our view, securing Russia's place among the world's most open and fastest-growing economies.
We believe the liberalization of foreign-exchange controls was also instrumental in the reversal of capital flows; Putin's presidency has seen the reversal of capital flight into very strong capital inflows, which has contributed to the major repositioning of Russia in the global financial markets.
Integration into the world economy
Despite Russia still not being a member of the WTO, it has become a much more open economy since the end of 1999. On the consumption side, the availability of foreign-made goods was an important achievement of the Gorbachev and Yeltsin administrations after decades during which consumers were limited to Soviet-made goods. The availability of foreign goods – particularly in the segments of quality and luxury goods – is an attribute of Putin's rule.
The liberalization of consumption has been a very important component of Putin's economic revolution, as it has also permitted the restructuring of the economy. For example, despite the government's efforts to protect domestic automotive producers, Russians increasingly prefer international cars – produced both in Russia and abroad – to domestic brands, which puts binding pressures on producers. Russian companies, on the other hand, increasingly compete on the international markets, and actively seek international expansion.
Inflation down, but remains an issue
Inflation has been reduced dramatically to 8 percent (running) in 2007 from 36 percent at the end of 1999, but still remains a very important concern for monetary authorities. In its latest economic outlook, the Russian Ministry of Economic Development and Trade forecasts a decline of inflation to 3 percent per year over the long term, which today appears an extremely ambitious target. Inflation will remain a difficult beast to tame for the new administration, given expected tariff adjustments and continued strong inflows of foreign currency, coupled with the authorities' reluctance to move to direct inflation targeting.
Poverty and social reform
Russia under Putin has succeeded in dramatically reducing the level of poverty. The proportion of the population living below subsistence level has fallen to 17 percent in 2007 from 30 percent in 1999. In some regions (Moscow being arguably the strongest example), regional authorities have been playing an important role in raising the living standards of pensioners and other less-wealthy parts of the population. However, with or without the help of the federal centre, poverty is being gradually eradicated in Russia.
Putin's administration has also conducted key market reforms in the monetization of privileges. The system of privileges existed as a rudiment of Soviet times, and added to the complexity and opacity of a significant proportion of government operations. It was also a system prone to corruption. Reforms conducted in 2005 gave rise to a significant wave of criticism – the scale of the monetary compensation has often been too small to substitute the goods and services previously received in kind, and financing often arrived with delays. However unpopular, we believe the reform was a very important step in simplifying the government's social expenditures.
The government has also attempted to reform the pension system – moving from a pay-as-you-go system to the fully funded three-pillar system (started in 2002). The reform is far from being an overwhelming success. Most of the population chose not to select the manager for their individual pension accounts, and authorities believe that employees are not encouraging their employers to make contributions to the pension accounts. Yet, pension reform was of paramount importance, and we believe the government will consider further efforts to develop a fully-funded pension system.
In 1999, there were 8.6 million people unemployed in Russia, or an unemployment rate of 13.2 percent. The system was also characterized by significant underemployment (short hours, involuntary unpaid leave). By the end of 2006, the number of unemployed had dropped to 5 million, with the unemployment rate falling to less than 8 percent.
Today, Russia is a large importer of labor, attracting workers from most CIS countries, and this trend is set to continue. This trend counterbalances the nationalistic domestic political mood, which often results in the effective closure of certain professions to foreigners. Over the medium term, Russia will need foreign labor to sustain high growth rates, and cheaper foreign workers should help to maintain flexibility and competitiveness in the domestic labor market.
August 15, 2007 Story Comment
by Katya Malofeeva and Tim Brenton
Renaissance Capital.


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If you haven't noticed by now, certain driving games are almost taboo to talk about within the sim racing community – regardless of what particular message board you find yourself visiting. Jumping into any kind of discussion and proudly announcing your love for Turn 10's Forza Motorsport roster of titles, or better yet Polyphony's Gran Turismo series, and you'll promptly be met with a plethora of users doing their best to knock you down a few pegs on the local totem pole. "How dare you compare the lowly Gran Turismo 6 to a mighty PC simulator", one will cry; "Forza is not a sim and has never been a sim – it's a simcade driving game for little kids who like to collect cars", says another.
While no true hierarchy has been firmly established within the genre of sim racing, one general consensus has reigned supreme throughout multiple console generations and endless online debates: Gran Turismo and Forza have no place being discussed in the same realm as hardcore PC racing simulators. And no matter how many videos you can find about Forza's advanced tire model, or the amount of car manufacturers who have spent weeks aiding the development of newer Gran Turismo iterations, sim racers simply don't want to hear about it. Gran Turismo is simcade. Forza Motorsport? Simcade as well. It's as if you've walked into an online guitar community, and merely mentioning you enjoy the works of Metallica prompts a flurry of obscure YouTube links from veteran members to bands whose names you can't pronounce, and whose songs you don't quite understand the appeal of.
They may mean well, and these hardcore sim racers may truly want to help expose you to the world of PC sim racing – encouraging you to get rid of your preferred console and dive head-first into Assetto Corsa or rFactor 2 – but is this hate for mass market auto racing titles justified? Or, like many other aspects of the sim racing community, has the common sim racer been brainwashed into babbling on about something they don't fully understand?
Spoiler: It's the latter.
I own one of those beefy George Foreman grille PS3 models from the first production run back in 2006. Yes, the console is slow as shit, the user interface is poor, and the lineup of PlayStation 3 games is pretty embarrassing compared to what was available for the Xbox 360 – but the console, or at least this particular model, does have it's perks. It's compatible with basically every Logitech wheel released in the past decade, meaning I can use what's almost my exact PC sim racing setup on laid-back products like BAJA: Edge of Control, Motorstorm, and Formula One Championship Edition. Backwards compatibility for original PlayStation, as well as PlayStation 2 titles, allows me to enjoy some of the utterly fantastic racing games we were blessed with in the early 2000's in high definition, more often than not producing an extremely enjoyable nostalgia trip thanks to today's half-finished racing sims. And lastly, thanks to the PlayStation 3's architecture, messing around with the save game data to explore the game's list of content is as easy as locating a USB stick somewhere around the house, and dragging different folders around. I was a strict Xbox 360 guy back when Call of Duty 4 was new, but now that I'm not obligated to join an Xbox Live party with my high school buddies each and every night for months on end, this was an awesome investment.
If you haven't figured it out by now, I picked up a copy of Gran Turismo 6 for $20 at my local Wal-Mart at least two years ago, maybe more. And I'll be quite honest with you guys, I never really got into it. Because I originally grew up with PC gaming in an era ripe with cheat codes and trainers from GameCopyWorld, the whole Gran Turismo career mode grind didn't appeal to me in the slightest. After years – no wait – almost a full decade of messing around in isiMotor sims, a developer locking all of the desirable cars away behind ridiculous grind sessions is an easy way for any game I've purchased to be delegated to the shelf and left untouched for years. So yes, I've put bits and pieces of my time into Gran Turismo 6, maybe run a few online sessions back in the day with guys from 4Chan prior to achieving near-alien status, but that's where it ends.
And then I just… I don't know. Something came over me when I was at work, and I was suddenly compelled to look for a save game editor for Gran Turismo 6. I figured if I could simply bypass the ridiculous Career mode bullshit, and approach the game as I would any modern PC racing simulator by having all of the content available at the start, I'd get something more out of the experience. I mean, I've got a PS3 compatible wheel, and my skillset has increased dramatically since I tried the game at some point in 2014… Maybe there was something out there, and maybe it was time to give it another go?
Anyways, the hack featured in this YouTube video by RTDRONE still works as of June 2016. For those who may have abandoned Gran Turismo 6 because of the grind, and want to play around with the game as if it's this huge automotive sandbox, go nuts – this is what you're looking for. 50,000,000 credits get deposited to your profile, and every single car in the game automatically appears in your garage.
With the absurd – and quite frankly outdated – single player campaign now completely optional, a PS3-compatible steering wheel that I was more than familiar with hooked up to the aging console, and nearly 1,200 cars at my disposal, I finally got to try Gran Turismo 6 in a way that worked for me. So rather than evaluating the game as a full product, weighing the pros and cons of how the game was built versus the on-track experience, I could treat Gran Turismo 6 as if I'd just bought a traditional PC racing sim on Steam. I'm not going to outright review Gran Turismo 6, as pretty much every other publication has already done so when the topic was actually relevant. Instead, I'd like to talk about what I found as a hardcore PC sim racer when I proceeded to jump into the game with a master key. I didn't go in looking for a compelling campaign mode, riveting customization features, or quirky social media integration to serve as a distraction from the simulations I usually dedicate my time to. Hell no.
Like many of you, I've heard from several individuals around the sim racing community that this game was simcade garbage, and anyone serious about pretend race cars should avoid it like the plague.
I simply wanted to know if that was true.
So, my gear, and the game's initial setup. That's important.
On the PC, I use a Logitech Driving Force GT, coupled with Logitech G27 pedals via the Bodnar cable. I obviously can't do that on the PS3, so I'm forced to use the cheap plastic pieces of shit that come bundled with the Driving Force GT. Provided you can take care of your stuff, these pedals do last, they're just… well… they're plastic. As someone who can wheel both a virtual race car, and a real-life shitbox barely passing as a race car, it's only the quality of the brake pedal you need to worry about when it comes to budget pedal setups. I can deal with a flimsy throttle pedal, as usually I'll be either at 50% or 100% input – which is easy enough to modulate even on plastic garbage – but yeah, the default brake pedal sucks. To compensate for not having sturdy G27 equipment under my feet, I jacked the anti-lock braking assist up to the maximum value of 10.
Everything else, I made sure to turn off. Skid recovery force? Gone. Traction control? Nope. Stability control? Nah, no thanks. Force Feedback was turned down to the absolute minimum value as well, to prevent the PS3 from killing my steering wheel. You're really dumb if you set it to a level where the wheel is physically trying to jump out of your hands. Unless you're literally in the process of crashing while driving a modern IndyCar, your plastic steering wheel shouldn't be operating in a manner that creates a genuine workplace hazard.
Lastly, there are the tires. While nobody's really figured out if it's a cold & calculated design decision, or an error on the part of Polyphony Digital, it's widely understood that the default set of tires each car in Gran Turismo 6 comes bundled with, provide far too much grip than exists in real world conditions. The story goes that if you select a tire compound one or two clicks lower than what the car is equipped with by default, the car's behavior will accurately reflect what you'll experience in a hardcore PC racing simulator.
I'm not going to bombard you with vivid and colorful descriptions of my time spent blasting around in Gran Turismo 6, because y'all will just call me delusional for falling in love with a console game most people have written off long ago. What I will do, is get right to the meat of the article and point out five very specific things I've been impressed by during my time with the game.
#1 – New Tires = Completely New Game
I took Dale Jr's 2013 Sprint Cup series ride to the East layout of Suzuka, and I wasn't all that impressed. It was far too stiff, far too grippy, had too much downforce, and drove like a V8 Supercar with four gears. Oh, and the sound was pretty awful, let's not forget about that. Venturing to the other side of the globe, I took the 1999 Dodge Viper to the fictional London street circuit which first appeared in Gran Turismo 5, for a complete change of pace. I may as well have been playing Project Gotham Racing. It was like, fun, but it wasn't very good, or very accurate.
But then you throw on some news shoes – four to be precise – and suddenly you don't feel like you're playing Gran Turismo 6 anymore. Each of the twelve different tire compounds available for you to purchase in the garage are much more than just a simple grip value receiving a boost or reduction based on the direction you're moving in. Jump from race tires to sport tires, and the whole behavior of the tire changes – how it bites under acceleration, how it maintains grip under load in the corners, and how much you can lean on the outer edge when powering out of a bend. It's as if you're playing iRacing, and a drop-down menu let you select which of the eight previous tire models you'd like to turn laps with during that particular session. There isn't a magic compound that works across each car, so obviously that's left to a bit of self-experimentation, but when I found something that felt right, I was more than satisfied.
#2 – Longitudinal Grip Levels are Excellent
A topic bound to cause some controversy, so let's get this out of the way first: What both Assetto Corsa and Project CARS do wrong when it comes to how each respective game's tires behave, is something called longitudinal grip, otherwise known as forward bite. When you floor the throttle in Assetto Corsa off corner exit, the rear tires grab the asphalt at precisely 100% grip – no more, no less. In Project CARS, if you're right on a dude's ass and need to apply power just a few milliseconds earlier to generate a run on him out of a corner, again, send the throttle pedal through your desk, and you're granted with absolutely perfect grip. The concept of rolling onto the throttle in a smooth and controlled fashion doesn't exist in either game, taking a lot of the skill away from driving notoriously difficult or quick cars.
Gran Turismo 6 re-introduced me to a lack of longitudinal grip. Now, it's not over-done by any means, and it's barely noticeable in proper race cars unless you're really pushing – as it should be – but the fact that Gran Turismo made me manage the throttle on corner exit, and neither Assetto Corsa nor Project CARS cared to even introduce that concept, is both bloody awesome and a cause for concern. It's awesome that something labelled as simcade by elitists gets something like this right, but a pretty big disappointment that two of the most popular PC sims have outright ignored it.
There's a particular turn at Silverstone, Luffield (Turn 7), where throttle management is extremely important, and had I not been surrounded by GT6's trademark HUD, it felt as if I was driving one of the Corvettes in rFactor 2. I tried to document this in the shot of the Viper above. Meanwhile, in Assetto Corsa, you just sort of floor it halfway through and point the steering wheel at the wall when the time comes.
#3 – Instantaneous Handling Feedback
I didn't realize how sloppy my set of skills had become until I started running laps at the Nordschleife and other locations with the BMW Z4 GT3, and it wasn't just the lap times which told the story – a combination of the tire behavior and Force Feedback effects directly notified me when I'd royally fuck up. I'm a huge isiMotor guy and I love RealFeel, but Gran Turismo 6 was on an entirely different planet in terms of understeer nuances, as well as Force Feedback.
When your car exhibits understeer in something like Assetto Corsa or a classic isiMotor sim, the front end of the car just sort of floats vaguely forward until you reduce your speed and decrease your turning radius. Gran Turismo 6 is the only racing sim I've played where you can physically feel, hear, and sense that the front tires are literally being pushed forward by the weight & momentum of the car. Reducing understeer – and steering out of it in extreme circumstances – feels natural in Gran Turismo 6. After completion of the corner, you immediately know you really fucked things up, and desperately need to back up your braking points or concentrate on your line.
Continuing on that note, getting the line just right through a corner, the neutral feeling through the wheel's Force Feedback effects instantly indicates that the car is traveling on the optimal path. If I were to compare GT6's Force Feedback effects to a modern PC simulator, it's like they took RaceRoom Racing Experience as a base, and expanded upon what the vehicle chassis had been exhibiting on a turn-by-turn basis. You can feel when the car is under load, when the chassis is tightening up, and when the car is perfectly balanced. I can't say the same about something like rFactor 2, which feels very canned, even on an elaborate simulator center setup.
#4 – You Can Drive It Like a PC Simulator
For something that's been given the title of simcade, all of my shift points and braking points worked at the Nordschleife. And at Silverstone. And at Spa. In a variety of different cars. That's not supposed to happen in a game where the primary focus is single player progression and car collecting. This kind of accuracy wasn't supposed to show up in a three year old game for the PlayStation 3, but alas, it sure as hell did.
It's no secret that I'm a big GT3 guy, and I took the BMW Z4 GT3 to plenty of different tracks to achieve a sense of some familiarity within this new and strange environment. Before long, I was ripping around Brands Hatch and posting times almost identical to the one's I'd posted earlier in the year during an rFactor 2 race on Race2Play. At the Nordschleife, the line composing the first 45 seconds of the track – violent flicks of the wheel back and forth with a few shifting segments serving as interludes – yeah, it carried over perfectly from RaceRoom Racing Experience and their glorious laser-scanned rendition of the ring.
The more I kept exploring, taking things to Silverstone, then Spa with the Sauber C9, lines I'm familiar with from other simulators… braking points, shift points, even turn-in points… There wasn't a learning curve, or a "well, this is Gran Turismo, let's try a gear higher" moment. Had it not been for the awful engine sounds or the poor cockpit view, there wasn't much simcade about what I was experiencing. There would be a flash of rFactor 2, a pinch of RaceRoom, maybe a brief cameo of Assetto Corsa's original tire model, but above all else, nothing that warranted the extreme elitism of the PC sim crowd. It was the opposite. This kind of driving model is something they've been wanting from a few different simulators, currently stuck in the eternal science project phase of things.
#5 – The Visual Fidelity is Insane
I'm not a graphics whore, but I certainly noticed the jump. When you put up with visually dated products like Automobilista, rFactor 2, iRacing, and even Assetto Corsa to an extent, nothing really prepares you for how fucking awesome Gran Turismo 6 looks – even at speed. I'm sure attaching photos to this post won't really convey the immense amount of detail in the environments, but certain things catch your eye in Gran Turismo 6 that just aren't even there in hardcore PC simulators. I found myself marveling at the scenery in Belgium more than a few times during my test session with the Sauber C9, as everything from the rumble strips to the grass are just that much more visually appealing; a far cry from the cartoon-ish visuals of Stock Car Extreme. The grass looks so fluffy, the rumble strips so slippery, the preferred line on the tarmac so slick…
It's one of those deals where isiMotor stuff or iRacing stuff is serviceable, but once your eyes are caught by something insignificant on the side of the track in GT6, it's incredibly hard to look at what's currently installed on your PC and deem it to be acceptable – even beautiful in the case of third party tracks created by talented modding teams. Gran Turismo 6 obviously gets shit for the pitiful inclusion of standard PS2-era car models, but the environments themselves more than make up for it. Project CARS came close, but was eventually ruined by intrusive lighting and poor reflections. Gran Turismo 6 is aided by a great combination of impressive high resolution textures and a natural lighting pallette, giving the game some truly impressive visuals – though the framerate kind of shits itself once in a while.
I drove four cars during my time spent fucking around with Gran Turismo 6, and I guess I'll give a quick rundown of each of them, how I felt about their behavior, and which PC sim car they closely resembled.
- 1999 Dodge Viper – I bought this one from the dealership, made a tire compound adjustment, and installed a full race suspension to achieve the level of tuning options available in something like Assetto Corsa. Had this car been yanked straight out of Gran Turismo 6, including both the tire compound and underlying physics engine, and released as a free mod for Assetto Corsa, it would be considered the greatest mod car of all time – eventually landing a spot on the roster as official content. You'll hear guys like me say they wish they could have Assetto Corsa feeling the way it did back in 2014, prior to the next generation console push, and this car came pretty damn close to replicating how that felt. This is a big deal, considering the '99 Viper is a standard PS2 model neglected by Polyphony Digital, and most likely wouldn't receive the same level of polish as a premium car.
- 2011 BMW Z4 GT3 – I threw on a set of sport compound tires instead of the ultra-sticky racing set, and it felt no different than URD's Z4 for rFactor 2. To demonstrate how closely it aligned, at my local sim center I've got the Nordscheife record with the Z4 set at a stout 6:54 – and that's with a strictly stock setup as per house rules. The same approach in Gran Turismo 6, with the same car in the same conditions, warranted a 6:59. That's pretty damn close considering I was driving with plastic pedals rather than a triple monitor setup and Fanatec V2's under my feet. For a better comparison, the car put out high 1:22's around Brands Hatch in GT6, while I could extract low 1:22's in rFactor 2. Virtually the same car.
- 1989 Sauber C9 Prototype – Haha, this thing is fucking insane. Lots of short shifting and throttle management on corner exit. Just a bit too crazy for my tastes, but it was no more or less difficult than the same car in Assetto Corsa. Not a fan of the Group C stuff from a driving standpoint, but if there was any car to make or break my opinion on whether Gran Turismo 6 is simcade or something more, it would be this car. Had this title's physics been as poor as people have claimed, I wouldn't have struggled to the extent I did. Not in the mood to try this one again. Does that make me a bitch? Hell yes.
- 2013 Chevrolet SS Stock Car – I think my only complaint was the fact that it had too much power. Once I installed a realistic set of tires, the car felt like a mix between the Ford Fusion recently released as DLC for Project CARS, and what I vaguely remember from iRacing's Gen 6 Sprint Cup car, leaning more towards the iRacing side of things thanks to the snap oversteer with too much throttle application. I still don't think anybody's really dialed in modern stock car behavior in a commercial racing simulator, but what I felt through the wheel was acceptable for a game featuring 1,199 cars they had to get reasonably right.
On a personal level, I'm quite satisfied with the way Gran Turismo 6 drives, but the state of the entire PC sim racing scene was promptly drilled home once I backed out of the Garage menu for the night, and got a nice, proper look at the title's main menu. I'd spent maybe five to six hours hot-lapping four of the twelve hundred vehicles available with the game, and I hadn't actually done anything of value within the virtual world. No offline championships were completed, no races were held against the AI, no online lobbies were entered, no moon rover expeditions or hill climb events were completed… Not even any attempts were made at the dreaded Gran Turismo license tests! I'd spent so much time treating Gran Turismo 6 like a hardcore PC racing sim – picking a car, a track, and messing with the setup – that I sort of forgot that there's this whole game to explore built around the application.
By comparison, when you read build notes or message boards for modern PC simulators, there's people saying stuff like "pit stops planned for next build" or "use the rFactor data spreadsheet to keep track of championship points in single player races."
And yet, Gran Turismo is the game that gets laughed at.
Sim racers far and wide have this thing where, like, if you mention that you're an avid Forza or Gran Turismo fan, you're instantly labelled as this idiot who promptly needs to sell his console and build a super computer to run eternal science projects at the highest possible settings, because the aforementioned console titles are supposedly for plebeians who can barely keep the car pointed in a straight line. I sat down for a night and played Gran Turismo 6 the way I wanted to – as if I had bought some new racing sim off of Steam – and what I found was quite shocking: This is a game many hardcore PC sim racers would love to get their hands on had it been released for the PC, a game which features a physics engine rectifying many common complaints surrounding what are currently two of the most popular titles.
Instead of getting slightly excited for Gran Turismo Sport for the PS4, a title which will refine this driving model while introducing an iRacing-like online structure to the franchise for the first time, PC sim racers are collectively turning their noses up at Polyphony's newest project. They scoff at the fact that a completed $60 game featuring competent realistic driving physics exists, retreating to their message boards to praise games where in some cases there isn't even a single player championship mode.


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Can a marriage survive bed death? Couples and experts weigh in
The Honeymoon stage can't last forever. But, in the absence of intimacy, can marriages still thrive?
Answers vary. But, sadly, this is something that many couples will experience at some point in their marriage.
Bed death is pretty much the kiss of death for many marriages but about 15 to 20% of marriages are sexless.
What makes a marriage sexless is if the couple have had no sex in at least six months.
One concerned user on ParentTown asked anonymously: "Can you have a great marriage without great sex? How about no sex?"
One user suggested that one should never be afraid to initiate intimacy. Say something like: 'We haven't had sex in a while, and I miss you,'" Don't complain about it — that's not going to get you laid. Go for the sweetness. Choose the time of day that works for both of you; maybe set the scene with some candlelight, romantic music or whatever helps you both get into the mood."
Another user agreed that it is possible for some; but certainly not for the majority:
"A great marriage - but possibly a short-lived one. Physical intimacy and procreating are two of the most beautiful things a couple can share. Possible, yes, anything's possible (depends on the personalities, priorities, and values of the couple), but it's definitely not for most.
Though it's natural to have less sex over the years, there has to be a consistent expression of intimacy--no matter what form it takes.
"I know in the craziness of parenthood, our sex drive may vanish - but it's one of the core pillars of a healthy marriage. Doesn't need to be intercourse, but definitely some sort of sexual activity is necessary," says one ParentTown user.
Find some expert advice on how to cope with a sexless marriage on the next page


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Bhubaneswar, Oct 31 (UNI) Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today suspended five policemen, including an Assistant Sub-Inspector, on charges of dereliction of duty in connection with the alleged rape of a nun at Kandhmal district.
They were suspended on the basis of a joint report submitted by the Kandhmal District Collector and the Superintendent of Police to the Chief Minister.
The suspended cops are ASI Rasananda Mallick of OSAP Battalion, Havildar major K N Mohapatra, Havildar S K Hanim, J S Khan and B K Mohanty.
The government had earlier suspended Baliguda police station in-charge K M Rao on charges of dereliction of duty for not taking action in the rape case.
The nun was allegedly raped at K Nuagaon on August 25 last during Orissa bandh observed in protest against the assassination of VHP leader Swami Laxmananda Saraswati and four of his followers by some unknown assailants on the night of August 23.
The government has already ordered a Crime Branch probe into the incident and arrested nine people in connection with the case, three of whom were arrested from Palghat in Kerala. The government has also decided to conduct TI parade anywhere in the country as per the wish of the nun who has demanded a CBI probe into the case.
The nun, who had lodged an FIR with the Baliguda police station on August 26, had remained untraced despite all efforts by the Crime Branch police only to be surfaced on October 24 before mediapersons in New Delhi. Covering her face with a scarf, the nun narrated the harrowing experience of how she was dragged by the mob, raped and paraded half-naked on the street of K Nuagaon village in presence of the police.
The nun alleged that though she sought the help of the policemen present at the scene, none of them came to her rescue and witnessed the whole incident as a mute spectator. The police, she further said had even discouraged her to file an FIR and were seen very friendly with the attackers.
Stating that she had lost all faith in Orissa police to bring the perpetrators involved in the ghastly incident to justice, the nun reiterated her demand for a CBI probe despite the Supreme Court rejecting such a probe while adjudicating a petition filed by Archbishop of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar Raphael Cheenath.
The allegation of the nun that the policemen present at the spot stood as mute spectators has prompted the Chief Minister to quickly order for an inquiry by the district collector and the Superintendent of police who were asked to identify the police personnel deployed on August 25 at K Nuagaon when the shocking incident took place.


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Letcher T, Black C, Lipscomb J, Durkin S.
CBRC Research Paper Series No. 13
The current report presents the most recent data on Victorian adults' self-reported frequency of patronage of hospitality venues, and community support for the introduction of smoking bans in such venues, by smoking status.
Data were collected from telephone interviews with a representative random sample of Victorians conducted in November 2000–2003. Unlike claims by hospitality industry representatives, the data suggest that, for the vast majority of Victorians, their likelihood of attending hospitality venues such as hotels, bars, nightclubs and gambling venues would be little affected by the introduction of total smoking bans, while a likely outcome would be greater attendance.
This was reported by the non-smoking majority of patrons as well as smokers. No difference was observed in approval for smoking bans in bars between the population as a whole and bar patrons.
The majority of regular drinkers at hotels and bars are non-smokers; in 2003, 81% of hotel customers did not smoke. Community support for the introduction of a total smoking ban in bars and licensed venues has increased over time and is now at a level of 72%. The majority of Victorians approve of such bans, regardless of how often they attend these venues or where in the venue they usually drink.
While current Victorian legislation imposes smoking restrictions in hospitality venues, only total smoking bans will fully protect patrons and staff from the hazards of exposure to tobacco smoke.


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UI, Chicago theater groups join forces for show, festival
URBANA — Illinois Theatre, the producing arm of the University of Illinois Department of Theatre, and a Chicago theater group founded by UI alumni are joining forces to present a play and a short-play festival at the end of May and in June.
For its first Illinois Theatre residency, the Definition Theatre Company founded by six alumni via a Kickstarter campaign in 2012 will remount its 2012 inaugural production of "The Brothers Size," directed by Illinois Theatre Professor Kathleen F. Conlin.
The play is part of Tarell Alvin McCraney's "The Brother/Sister Plays" trilogy, a series that has been performed at the McCarter Theater in Princeton, New Jerskey; The Public Theater in New York; Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago; and the Young Vic in London, among other places.
Hailed by a Chicago Tribune critic as "The greatest piece of writing by an American playwright under 30 in a generation or more," "The Brothers Size" is a hot-blooded, music-filled drama that tells the story of two Louisiana brothers — — Ogun (Tyrone Phillips) and Oshoosi Size (Julian Parker) — and Oshoosi's former jailmate, Elegba (Mercedes White), who enters his post-prison life with promises of a new type of freedom.
"Poetic language, Nigerian mythology and stylized movement heighten the environment as the complexities of fraternal love, the impact of poverty, and the true cost of redemption come to light," reads a news release from Illinois Theatre.
"The Brothers Size" will be presented at 7:30 p.m. May 29-June 1 and June 4-7 at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for youths and UI students.
Definition Theatre Company will continue its Illinois Theatre collaboration this summer with a four-day festival featuring new short works, including a new one by McCraney and four by Illinois alums.
The New Short Play Festival curtain times will be 7:30 p.m. June 11-14 and 10 p.m. June 13. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5, youths and UI students.
The founders of Definition Theatre Company are Aurora Adachi-Winter, Kelson Michael McAuliffe, Jessica Dean Turner, Julian Parker, Tyrone Phillips and Mercedes White.
Illinois Theatre is directed by UI theater department head Jeffrey Eric Jenkins, in consultation with Conlin and theater Professor Peter Davis.
Tickets and information are available at KrannertCenter.com, by phone at 333-6280 or visit theatre.illinois.edu/ or definitiontheatre.org/.
News-Gazette.com embraces discussion of both community and world issues. We welcome you to contribute your ideas, opinions and comments, but we ask that you avoid personal attacks, vulgarity and hate speech. We reserve the right to remove any comment at our discretion, and we will block repeat offenders' accounts. To post comments, you must first be a registered user, and your username will appear with any comment you post. Happy posting.


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|2011-04-16, 16:15
|Link #1161
I disagree with you all.
Join Date: Dec 2005
It's not a matter of like or dislike.
For example, I quite like mecha anime. I find mechas to be quite, quite cool. But I'm not willing to accept them as realistic weapons of war.
It's the same for Butei. I'm willing to suspend disbelief and look past the absurdity. I'm not willing to tell myself giving guns to undisciplined kids is a realistic solution to the rising crimerate problem. Even if some small proportion of them could attain the kind of skill you see them exhibit.
(And if we're going to compare settings, I much preferred Regios. Kid soldiers were an absurd, desperate answer to an absurd, desperate situation.)
|2011-04-16, 16:20
|Link #1162
Lolli for loli :D
I finished muh set!
I really wanted to make an avatar of them holding hands in the ED sequence but that damn "camera" zooms in and out too much!
....however that avatar is *so* me when I'm ranting about something. XD
|2011-04-16, 16:21
|Link #1163
Knight Errant
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Age: 29
But every other Fantasy and Sci-fi writer is, so your point stands. I have to agree that I don't really like a lot of "acclaimed" modern fiction. Take Joyce, I find him utterly unpleasant. His stories are incredibly dirty and unpleasant, and some of his books (Finnegan's wake...) are unreadable. And yet the literary establishment holds him up as almost a messiah.
That said I really like Classical Greek and Roman Literature, but perhaps this is due to my associations of it with my boyhood fantasies. Historically a lot of literature (in some cases the majority) would now be considered fantasy. Realistic novels only came into vogue quite recently.
However this has nothing to do with Aria, which for all my literary pretensions I still think is mediocre at best. I don't dislike it, however, due to the whole Butei concept. I'm quite willing to forgive that if the writing was better.
Also, History Channel is a TERRIBLE way to learn about history. The best FUN way is probably Historical strategy games, at least to pique your interest. From what I've seen of it, it thinks stories about "bigfoot" is history...
|2011-04-16, 16:26
|Link #1165
Lolli for loli :D
|2011-04-16, 17:01
|Link #1166
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: In my room
Reading the novel would be good but for me. It's either read it first before the series starts or after. I prefer if they read it after watching it. This is about the anime to begin with and not the novel.
|2011-04-16, 18:11
|Link #1167
The Shermain
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: NY
Age: 38
|2011-04-16, 18:23
|Link #1169
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
|2011-04-16, 18:24
|Link #1170
worshipping the pantyhose
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Manila, Philippines
I already read about the timeslot, but that's not even anywhere in relation to the series itself. But Media Factory, eh.... that's one company I have not thought about for almost 4 years. Maybe in the same vein as my love-hate relationship with Marvelous.
Had to laugh a bit about the TV part though. I have to agree a historical strategy game is a much more fun way to learn about history, and I can personally attest to Company of Heroes . But know what to choose, because you don't want to go off spouting People's General as fact
And it does look good for ranting
But yeah, for me, no reading while the anime is going and absolutely no discussion from those sources in here.
|2011-04-16, 18:32
|Link #1172
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: In my room
I'll say this watch the anime first before reading it the novel. I prefer the novel though because most of what I had been reading is just packs of fighting and forgetting the development of the characters. Like a new volume = new character and disregard the past character.
Hidan no Aria did justice to it's characters. Given them good development and back story. And doesn't trash the already shown character type.
|2011-04-16, 19:31
|Link #1174
|2011-04-16, 19:54
|Link #1177
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: In my room
Second question wait for the anime to show it
|2011-04-16, 20:39
|Link #1180
The Shermain
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: NY
Age: 38
Kinji's weapons of choice are fairly amusing. A butterfly knife and an illegally modified Baretta that fires 3 round bursts. I think the only issue I'll have with this is that Kinji is your typical dense male protagonist, but with a healthy dose of whininess thrown in. He's also completely useless outside of Hysteria Mode, I've noticed, and I fear with him wanting to avoid using it, like he mentioned in episode 1, he'll spend most of his time as a beating toy.
Last edited by KLGChaos; 2011-04-16 at 22:11.
|action, comedy, guns, harem, loli, romance, school life, shounen, tsundere
|Thread Tools


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>>> Page One (1963) <<<
Recorded at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on June 3, 1963.
Kenny Dorham: trumpet
Joe Henderson: tenor sax
McCoy Tyner: piano
Butch Warren: bass
Pete La Roca: drums.
1. Blue Bossa
2. La Mesha
3. Homestretch
4. Recorda Me
5. Jinrikisha
6. Out of the Night.
(Covers included)


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Sakthi Trailer (1980)
22 August 1980 Horror, Thriller
The story opens with two men travelling in an ambassador's car to a bungalow, not knowing how to get there. On the way they see a black magician who is Jayan's character's uncle. They ask him the way and he points towards the bungalow. After reaching the bungalow they start talking about the area, and realise that it is deserted. They meet Jayan's character, a shapeless ghost who tells his life story and how he liked his body.
Watch the official Sakthi 1980 trailer in HD below or find more Sakthi videos on Vidimovie.


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This vehicle has been sold and is no longer available. Click here to view our current Inventory.
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Aramid Insider TS 300 Heat Glove
Availability: In stock
Aramid Insider TS 300
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The Aramid Insider TS 300 gloves are a great option for those needing a heat glove with cut and puncture protection. The gloves are constructed out of a string knit aramid shell that provides great resistance to both flame and heat exposure. The gloves aramid shell also offers cut resistance to the entire hand making them a real safe and reliable glove option. The Aramid Insider TS 300 gloves also feature our patented TS insert on the palms of the hands protecting against punctures and high cut risks. These Kevlar welding gloves fit nicely under a low cost leather shell and protect against hot metal rods and other sharp heated parts. Also please consider these gloves for other applications that involve sharp threats, heat, and flame. They also have really good dexterity and are a comfortable glove option to consider.
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dynamic mesh
hi everyone
I am trying to simulate 2-way fluid structure interaction in a poump, I want use dynamic mesh for consider blade deflection in environment fluid, but I encounter this erorr :update dynamic mesh failed. negative cell volume detected. can you help me?
|All times are GMT -4. The time now is 22:35.


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Featured Festival: San Juan Brewfest 2016
As most of my regular readers already know, beer festivals are a dime-a-dozen here in Colorado. So how does one decide which festival is worthy of their patronage? Check with me! Today I'm here to tell you that San Juan Brewfest (August 27) rocks, and here's why.
Durango rocks
Durango's cool factor is off the charts. It's brew-factor is also off the charts. There are six breweries and two distillers in this town of 16,000, making it an easy place to find a good drink.
Also, with restaurants such as El Moro Spirits & Tavern, Ken & Sue's and Jean Pierre's, Durango is winning the foodie game hands down. Very few towns of this size have this many gourmet food offerings.
In addition to food and drink, Durango offers an array of activities such as biking the Animas River Trail, floating the river, riding the Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and so much more.
San Juan Brewfest rocks
San Juan Brewfest is awesome because it's an excuse to hang out for a day or two in Durango, but there's more.
The best part, is that San Juan Brewfest is top-notch, and I can tell you from personal experience that its park venue is one of the best in Colorado for one big reason and that's shade. August festivals get hot and shade becomes a major priority and festival bonus.
Secondly, because Durango is in Southwest Colorado, the San Juan Brewfest attracts a number of breweries from New Mexico that you won't see at most Front Range beer festivals. This year, there are breweries coming from as far as Oregon, California and Wisconsin. See the entire list here.
In all, fifty-four breweries and distilleries will be at the event along with three bands (see band lineup here).
VIP rocks
Last year, we went to San Juan Brewfest as VIPs which rocked. This year's VIP package includes access to a brewer party on Friday night at Steamworks Brewing Co., one-hour early entrance to the beer festival, VIP area with a catered lunch and private bathroom, and a festival t-shirt. This is a GREAT VIP package and there are a few VIP tickets left.
Durango has a laid-back vibe that I love and so does San Juan Brewfest. I'd encourage you to make this festival your last summer hurrah.
San Juan Brewfest
All proceeds of San Juan Brewfest benefit United Way of Southwest Colorado
Saturday, August 27, 2016
Buckley Park at 12th & Main in downtown Durango
VIP, 12 to 5 p.m. / Upgraded GA 12:30 to 5 p.m. / GA 1 to 5 p.m.
(this is a 21 & over event)
Featured Festival spots on HeidiTown.com are paid advertisements. Interested in having your festival or event considered for a feature? Email email@example.com.
Top 5 Colorado Christmas Towns
I love Colorado during the holiday season. From Denver's Larimer Street to the Christmas Market in Georgetown, there's something about Colorado that make me feel as though I'm spending the holiday season in a postcard.
As the Mayor of HeidiTown.com, I attend a lot of events and festivals and I spend a lot of time at holiday events around the state, so I've decided to share what I deem as the Top 5 Colorado Christmas Towns. This list is in no particular order, although if I were to pick a number one Colorado Christmas town, it would be Georgetown.
1. Georgetown, Colorado is a hidden gem just 45 minutes west of Denver along I70. I'd driven by it a hundred times before actually stopping in, but once I did I realized what a great little place it really is, and during the holidays it's truly outstanding. With the a tree lighting ceremony, Letter Day and the Georgetown Christmas Market running for two weekends, this town commemorate the holidays the way they were intended to be celebrated. Visit HistoricGeorgetown.org for more information.
2. Breckenridge, Colorado is well known as a ski town, but this place has a lot of other stuff going on and that's why it makes my list. The Victorian style architecture of the town looks resplendent during the holidays. With the Lightening of Breckenridge on the first weekend in December to carriage rides available throughout the holidays, and wonderful shopping opportunities, this town will make you feel as though you've stepped into a holiday postcard. Check out GoBreck.com to keep an eye what's happening in Breckenridge year-round.
3. HGTV recently named Durango, Colorado as one of their "Top Ten Christmas Towns," and it's no surprise. Durango is home to the Polar Express, a production of the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. This train ride is a memorable way to celebrate the holidays with your children. During the month of December, Durango is alive with festive music and the hubbub of the holidays. There's never a dull moment and always something Christmassy happening, and that's why it makes my list. Go to Durango.org for more information on this top Christmas town.
4. The 12 Days of Aspen, is just one reason this ski town is making the list. From December 20, through New Year's Eve, Aspen, Colorado celebrates the season with all sorts of cheery activities from concerts to theater, from street entertainment to free ice-skating, to shopping and restaurant specials and so much more. Aspen is also quite lovely during the holidays – just one more reason they made this list.
5. Nestled between the soaring peaks of the Rockies, Estes Park, Colorado is known as the Gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park. It's always a bustling during the summer, but this charming little village lights up during the holidays. Visitors should stop at Longs Peak Coffee & Paper House for a cup of hot chocolate and then stroll the streets of this picturesque town. While in town, be sure to visit the famous The Stanley Hotel, to see the holiday décor.
HeidiTown.com on KRFC 88.9 – What to do this weekend in Colorado
Looking for something to do this weekend in Colorado?
From book fairs to science festivals, it's a weekend filled with culture and fun from Colorado Springs to Fort Collins to Durango. Here's the line up for October 14-16, 2011.
Note to Subscribers: You will have to head over to HeidiTown.com to view this video.
HeidiTown.com on KRFC 88.9 FM – What to do in Colorado Sept. 30 – Oct. 2, 2011
Looking for something to do this weekend in Colorado?
It's time for another KRFC 88.9 FM segment, and I can't believe this is already my 6th segment. Time flies when you are having fun and I am certainly having lots of fun – my hope is that you are too!
There's another great weekend in store for Colorado and it includes everything from fall festivals to a bass festival – that's the bass instrument, not the fish. So hold on to your hats and get our your calendars, because here's what's on the agenda for Friday, September 30 through Sunday, October 2, 2011.
Note to Subscribers: Remember, you'll have to head on over to the blog in order to view this video. Here's a direct link! HeidiTown.com
HeidiTown.com on KRFC 88.9 – What to do in Colorado on Sept. 16-18, 2011
Find out what's going on in Colorado this weekend, September 16-18, 2011. From Oktoberfests to art festivals, you can always find something interesting to do this in colorful Colorado.
What to do & where to do it Nov. 20-27, 2010, in Colorado
"˜Tis the season for holiday events and festivals, so I've decided to look ahead at the next several weeks and share with my readers the events I've discovered. I have no doubt I've missed many, so feel free to add your town's event in the comment section. Please note, in today's post I'm only writing about November 20 thru November 27.
Fort Collins, CO – Santa Arrives & the Old Town Ice Rink Opens
November 20, Old Town Fort Collins
Santa arrives in Old Town Square at noon on Saturday. Santa's Workshop hours are 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, November 21 to December 24. There will be all kinds of holiday activities associate with Santa's Workshop. For all the details visit www.downtownfortcollins.com.
On Saturday, Old Town Square's ice rink opens with skating just $2 and skate rental only $1. For a full ice rink schedule visit www.downtownfortcollins.com.
Horse and carriage rides will be available throughout the holiday season in Old Town Fort Collins. For information and reservations visit www.coloradocarriage.com.
HeidiTown Tip: Fort Collins' downtown parking structures will be free every Saturday and Sunday, November 27 until January 2, 2010.
Loveland, CO – Ice Rink Open, Horse & Carriage Rides Start today!
The Promenade Shops at Centerra
For details visit www.thepromenadeshopsatcenterra.com
Gunnison, CO – Sugar Plum Festival
November 20, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Field Western Heritage Center
Come do your holiday shopping at this arts and crafts fair featuring arts, crafts, wines and food. There's a little something special for everyone on your Christmas list at this annual event.
Old Colorado City, CO – Christmas Tree Lighting
November 20, 5 p.m. at 25th & West Colorado
This is one of my favorite Colorado towns, and if you haven't visited now is your chance. Watch this beautiful town light up, while listening to the holiday choir and sipping hot chocolate. You can even visit with Santa Claus at Meadow Muffins.
Estes Park, CO – Catch the Glow
November 26, activities start at 12 p.m. including hayrides and visits with Santa. The parade starts at 5:30 p.m. in downtown Estes Park.
This breathtaking holiday parade happens every year on the day after Thanksgiving. With music, floats, lights and more, the entire family will enjoy this kick-off of Estes Park's holiday season. There are many holiday activities in the town including the Holiday House Christmas Bazaar, Quota Club Home Tour, a Holiday Art Walk, a black-tie Fantasy Ball and many music concerts. For all the festivities visit www.estesparkcvb.com.
Niwot, CO – Niwot's Enchanted Evening
November 26, 5 to 8 p.m., downtown Niwot
Watch the trees light up in this charming Colorado town. The evening also includes bus rides by Banjo Billy, lots of live music, and arts and crafts vendors. The downtown stores will stay open late and serve refreshments to accommodate holiday shoppers. Be sure to visit Santa at Niwot Interiors.
Greeley, CO – Festival of Trees
November 27 thru December 4 at Union Colony Center
If you like Christmas trees this is the event for you! Each tree has a theme and visitors can vote for their favorites. There are different categories and even a kid favorite. Win prizes and meet Santa Claus at this annual event. Learn more at their comprehensive Web site: www.greeleygov.com.
Greeley Lights the Nights
November 27, 5:30 to 8 p.m. starting in Lincoln Park
Dozens of floats decorated with lights will move through the streets of downtown Greeley in this lighted parade that kicks off the holiday season.
Durango, CO – Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad presents Polar Express
November 19 thru December 28
For info & tickets: www.durangotrain.com
Take your children on the Polar Express, the ride that brings the popular children's book alive. This is an event you and your family will never forget.
For a list of all the holiday events in Durango go to www.durango.com.
Georgetown, CO – Georgetown Loop Railroad Santa's North Pole Adventure
November 26 thru December 30
For info & tickets: www.georgetownlooprr.com
Just 45 miles west of Denver, Georgetown is a winter wonderland. From their Christmas Market starting December 4 (more on that at a later date) to a train ride with Santa, if you like the holidays this is the town for you.
There are several holiday train rides to choose from on the Georgetown Loop Railroad, but if the kids would enjoy riding the rails with Santa, the North Pole Adventure is the way to go. Cookies, hot chocolate, candy canes and Santa. What more could a kiddo want?
HeidiTown Tip: The Mayor loves Georgetown. Read all about her weekend stay in this mountain community HERE.
What to do this weekend & where to do it in Colorado (October 2-3, 2010)
As promised here's a list of weekend events that caught the Mayor's eye. Again, this is not a calendar of event, just stuff the Mayor thought was worth mentioning.
I'm sure there are lots of other fun events happening this weekend. If you know of something, please share it in the comment section.
First Friday Art Walks – An art walk is just the thing to light your creative fire. Both Fort Collins and Pueblo have art walks tonight (10/1/10). For information on Fort Collins' art walk go to www.fortcollinsarts.org, and for Pueblo visit www.pueblopag.org.
Estes Park, CO – Elk Fest
Sat. & Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Bond Park (FREE)
What: Wapiti is the Cree word for elk, and this festival is all about the majestic creature that is common in the Estes Park area at this time of year. From seminars to Native American dancing and storytelling, this two-day event is quite the extravaganza. It includes a Mountain Man Rendezvous, an elk bugling contest and even elk-viewing tours. There's so much scheduled during the Elk Fest that I'd recommend visiting www.estesnet.com to check out the entire line up.
Lakewood, CO – Cider Days
Sat. & Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Lakewood's Heritage Center in Belmar Park (Adults $6, Children, 3-12, $3)
What: Last weekend Morrison, Colorado celebrated cider and now Lakewood. This is the city's 35th Annual Cider Days, and it's one of those perfect family festivals. You can bring your own apples or purchase Colorado-grown apples at the event and watch them being made into cider using the Heritage Center's vintage cider press. There is a laundry list of activities for the kids, including mule-drawn wagon rides, face painting and more. Adults will find shopping and historic demonstrations. There is also a petting zoo and tractor pull. For the entire lineup of events visit www.Lakewood.org.
Durango, CO – Cowboy Gathering
September 30 thru October 3 (Tickets Required)
What: Dust off your cowboy hat and polish up your boots. This is an event where cowboy poets and musicians gather to share their songs and stories. The Durango Cowboy Gathering, Inc. is a non-profit working to preserve and perpetuate the tradition of working ranch people in the American West. To learn more visit www.DurangoCowboyGathering.org.
Fort Collins, CO – Picture yourself with a Budweiser Clydesdale
Thursday thru Monday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Anheuser-Busch (FREE)
What: Have you ever wanted to get up close and personal with a Budweiser Clydesdale? If you live in Northern Colorado, it's easy and it's free. You can even get your picture taken with one of these amazing, celebrity animals. Free brewery tours are also available. Beermaster tours require a reservation and occur at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. each day. For more information visit www.budweisertours.com.
If you haven't made it out to a local Oktoberfest, you still have a chance to hit one this weekend.
Niwot, CO – Saturday from 2 to 9 p.m. in Cottonwood Square. This will be Niwot's second annual Oktoberfest complete with German music, German dancing, German food and beer from Left Hand Brewery. Learn more about this small town Oktoberfest here.
Loveland, CO – Grimm Brothers Brewery, Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The brewery will be introducing their Oktoberfest beer, The Farmer's Daughter. In addition there will be live music and BBQ from Bottlecap. For more information visit them here on Facebook.
Also celebrating Oktoberfest (click on the town name for more info):
Nederland, CO
La Veta, CO
Ouray, CO
Cañon City, CO
Broomfield, CO