text:
Author Archive
Driving Impressions: 1964 Chevrolet Chevy II Nova SS
Photography by the author.
Note: I write up driving impressions of virtually every car I photograph, within a couple of days of the drive, so everything is fresh in my memory. Occasionally, because of the constraints of the story's format, the prepared text doesn't run. Now, thanks to the joys of the blogosphere, it can. This week, we're taking a drive in the 1964 Chevrolet Chevy II Nova SS that appears as a restoration profile in the July 2014 issue of Hemmings Classic Car, on sale now.
Paul Hayes, original owner of the straight-six 1964 Nova SS seen here, was kind enough to let us take a spin in the Nova SS he bought new from Guaranty Chevrolet in February 1964. A drive in this Nova will be a revealing one for your author; as a Dodge Dart of the same era has been in your author's garage for nearly a decade now, it can serve as a basis for comparison.
Compact cars of this era are clean, uncomplicated and unfussy – particularly in the compact range. They hadn't yet been tarted up to be junior Cadillacs (or junior Chevelles, for that matter), and so there's a satisfying honesty to them – they're not trying to mask or hide anything, or be something they're not. Options, beyond the Super Sport package and an automatic transmission, seem thin on the ground here. But somehow it's okay: Everything fits, everything's reachable, everything works, and nothing is awkward to deal with. Only the two ovoid dash shapes (and the steering wheel) break up the straight lines and angles that dominate the style here.
The door is easily shut and doesn't clank or have reverberating parts that echo. We also like the Nova's seats: They move back further than they do in, say, a Dart, and as a bonus, the restoration didn't render them overstuffed; the padding lets you sink in. You're not looking down on the controls as a result.
Turn the key, and while there's a rush of noise as the engine kicks over, it quickly settles back into a simmery idle once the starter is disengaged. We start rolling, but there's a question about the engine. Namely, which straight-six is it? This Super Sport was born with a 194-cu.in. inline-six under the hood, but Chevrolet also made a 292-cu.in. inline-six for truck duty, and one day the restoration receipts from Paul's mechanic started referencing a "294-cu.in." engine – maybe a slightly overbored truck engine? It's made Paul wonder whether he'd been slipped a bigger six when the engine was changed out once upon a time, and frankly so did we. There is surprising torque on display here. We pulled up a pretty serious hill without being out of breath; we wouldn't put it past the mechanic to have installed the larger mill. The automatic transmission's shifts would be imperceptible if the engine's exhaust note didn't change.
The Nova's ride isn't crashy or uncomposed, but it is surprisingly firm; we're not sure whether to put it down to newer gas shocks, the radial tires, or the notion that the coupe was stiffer than our own flexy Dart convertible. The manual steering feels tight, with less on-center nothingness than we might expect, and a quicker steering box means that there's less hand-over-hand grabbing than there is in our Dart. At the same time, effort was not appreciably greater in the Nova. The body does lean in those bends, though not as much as our anti-roll-bar-free Mopar, and the radials do help keep a wide footprint on the ground and not skittering off course. The brakes offer a hard pedal, but reveal excellent modulation in the five minutes it takes to get used to them.
After so many years of seeing (and driving) Super Sports with ever-hairier engine options, Paul's straight-six machine serves as a reminder that initial Nova Super Sports featured bucket seats, upgraded trim, and little else. More power is always nice, but as a spin in this example proves, little else beyond what you see here was ever actually needed.
Driving Impressions: 1986 Lincoln Continental Givenchy
Photo by the author. Vintage ad from the author's collection.
Note: I write up driving impressions of virtually every car I photograph, within a couple of days of the drive, so everything is fresh in my memory. Occasionally, because of the constraints of format (ie, buyer's guide) the prepared text doesn't run. Now, thanks to the joys of the blogosphere, it can. This week, we're taking a deeper look at the 1986 Lincoln Continental Givenchy edition that appears in the July 2014 issue of Hemmings Classic Car, on sale now.
Remember the old Ford Granada ads of the mid-1970s, mocking the Cadillac Seville for costing so darned much when the Ford (itself on a Falcon chassis dating back to the fall of 1959) was just as much car but cheaper? Clearly the joke was on Ford, not Cadillac, as by 1977 the Blue Oval boys heaped luxury accoutrement into a Granada and called it Versailles, so that they might get a piece of the exploding "precision-size" luxury-car market. By the mid-1980s, only the Panther-based Town Car could reasonably be called full-size; the Continental and Mark series (VI for 1980, VII for 1984) were on the Fox platform by mid-1982. So what we're greeted with here is one of the last of the rear-wheel-drive Continentals, before it went to front-wheel drive on the Taurus platform in 1988.
And so, there is a dichotomy here: Lincoln did its damnedest to maintain traditional luxury trappings in the face of changing times, which valued less expressive dimensions (at least it did when this car came online in 1982; things changed as the 1980s went on). The body is formal, down to the me-too bustleback trunk effect combined with the faux-spare trunk hump, but the Continental's nose was gently sculpted by the wind, and this Givenchy did without a vinyl top. The interior is leather (and specially stitched with Givenchy logos) and wood-esque surfacing, but the glowing green digital gauge readouts were modern for their time and the dash, doors and armrests have buttons everywhere; today, leather inside still signifies class, and even wood has its place, while the alarming array of buttons and Apple II-style gauge readouts have a period feel about them.
Your impressions of this particular machine are going to be heavily dependent on your expectations. If you're walking in the door with dreams of Mark V-levels of comfort and room, forget it: you will not be happy. It's not that kind of Lincoln. The doors don't seem to open wide enough (or else the openings themselves seem petite), the leather surfaces don't seem so plush you could fall asleep in them, your knuckles brush the top of the dash as you twirl the thin tiller around, the controls feel little different than they would on your Aunt Helen's 1985 Cougar, and the diminished width is shocking: Should you be able to touch the passenger's-side door from the driver's seat of a Lincoln, or should you have a button at hand to do what you need done over there?
But fans of the Versailles, and that particular model sold well enough that you'd be forgiven that Ford assumed there'd be lots of fans of that car in the wake of OPEC II, might enjoy the more up-to-date surroundings; if nothing else, everything you see and touch (beyond some of the many, many buttons dotted about the cabin) feels considerably more bespoke than did anything on a Versailles. Similarly, if you're expecting smoothness and silence that's otherwise unavailable in Fairmonts, LTD LXs, Mustangs, Thunderbirds, or the other myriad Ford products that utilized the Fox chassis, then you're in luck. Continental delivers in spades. The idle is so smooth you'll wish for a tach just to ensure that you actually twisted the key and lit a fire under it, there's some mild bass in the exhaust under acceleration, the ride splits the difference between Seventies soft and Foxy feel through the seat and wheel, and the tires sigh gently around big arcing sweepers taken perhaps a couple of miles an hour faster than the posted limit. The brakes were a terrific surprise: very grabby at all speeds from the four discs. (We never hit the pedal hard enough to kick in the Conti's anti-lock brakes; we should have, if only for posterity, as this was one of the first domestic production cars to offer ABS.)
We photographed the engine before we went for our drive, and we fell into the trap of expectations: Seeing that giant aluminum air plenum atop the pushrod 302 sent five-liter Mustang dreams coursing through our heads. Sadly, this was not to be: with just 150 horsepower (rather than the 1986 Mustang's 200-plus), just 270 foot-pounds of torque, plus considerably more weight than the peppy pony, the Lincoln was not a Mustang in disguise. (In its defense, it wasn't meant to be that; such hot-rod derring-do was what the slick Mk VII coupe was for.) There wasn't much stress or deep-breathing from the engine compartment under acceleration – just a gathering of momentum. To be fair, the Conti felt degrees ballsier than the 4100 V8-powered mid-1980s Cadillacs that were its contemporaries; as always, performance is a question of perspective, and though we'd love to get one of these next to a Seville to be sure, our sense-memory suggests that the Lincoln would come out on top in a quarter-mile fight.
Today, driving one doesn't feel like driving an old car in the way that strapping on a Seventies Continental or Mark does; it doesn't have that era Lincoln's bob-and-weave, that old disconnect from the road, that featherbed softness. Save for some power and aesthetic issues, this new-for-1982 Continental manages to feel nearly contemporary, even three decades later. Starting behind as they did, Lincoln managed to catch up in the weird world of downsized 1980s luxury – and maybe even surpassed everyone else in the process.
Automotive gene splicing: The best that the factory never built
Photo by the author.
Detroit has this terrific habit of not actually giving up on any of its engines or chassis architecture. For those trying to keep their cars alive, it's a boon, but it also makes updating and modernizing older cars easier. I was reminded of this today, when our editor-in-chief and I recalled our old joke about creating a magazine called Stock Rod that would focus on removing all of the horrible things that misguided owners have done to their cars over the years and replacing the components with bits that Detroit's finest engineering minds worked and slaved over for years – thus making the result a far more driveable car.
It began as a what-if story I photographed for another magazine more than 15 years ago. The car in question was a 1977 Chevelle, done up to look quasi-factory, as it might have if Chevrolet had bothered to do a Chevelle SS in 1977 (Chevrolet was only dipping its toe back into performance with the half-year launch of the Z/28 Camaro; you think they were going to give any love to the lame-duck 1977 A-body?), with Rally wheels, factory colors, stripes and textures, etc, all with an eye toward legality. The execution itself was fine, and I was quite taken with the idea of a phantom Detroit machine putting forth an ideal that Detroit didn't bother with.
Anyone could spend $75,000, throw aftermarket parts at a car and make it look better and drive better … but doing it with parts that, at least on the outside, look factory? Working within those constraints, I think, makes for more creative solutions. We have realized this on our own. A Ford AOD will happily bolt up to the back of a Ford 351 Cleveland engine, as I discovered with my Montego back in the 1990s. Disc brake spindles from a 1973-'76 Dart will pop onto Mopar A-bodies clear back to 1960 (and accept rotors up to the Cordoba-slash-1970s B-body cop-spec 11-3/4-inch, if you get 15-inch wheels to clear them). I also replaced the Dart's spindly 7-1/4-inch axle (and its attendant 9-inch drum brakes) with an axle from a 1973 Dart with tow package; same width, but I got 10-inch drum brakes and a 3.23 gear with Sure-Grip. (And the 273 will make way for the 360 that's completed in the shop soon enough.)
Others have taken this basic concept and gone much further with it. In Hemmings Muscle Machines, I wrote about a pair of mid-sized Fords – one convertible, one Ranchero – that wore Mercury Cyclone noses and sheetmetal that looked factory, but weren't. Another favorite was Mark McCourt's story about a 1980s Chevy Monte Carlo treated to the tuned-port-injected 350 and six-speed transmission it never received from the factory. Both stuck true to the factory-esque aesthetic.
Photo by Mark McCourt.
Then I found myself thinking this way: General Motors was a big outfit in its heyday, and its many divisions still worked independently of each other. What could be built if you put all of the tech from a given model year into a single car? All of the division's best production ideas in a single machine.
Take, say, General Motors in 1979. Fuel injection from a rear-drive Cadillac Seville atop a W72 Pontiac 400, Trans Am steering box, independent rear suspension from a Corvette, WS6-spec front suspension, and eight-inch wheels from either a WS6 Trans Am or Corvette. Mix in the General's best seats of the era (we'd need to try a few to see what hit our bodies just right), and maybe toss in automatic load-leveling out of a Toronado. Hide some modern components in there (better cylinder heads, catalytic converters that don't involve pellets, a five- or six-speed transmission for lower revs) and you're left with a stunner of a machine.
Aaah, but what to put these components in? Where would they live? An F-body seems the obvious choice because so many parts were purloined from there, but we'd love to find a lighter, downsized rear-drive A-body. A Malibu could work. Maybe a Regal? Maybe a Grand Am? Pontiac actually had a concept in this mold (the Grand Am CA) back in 1979, but never quite pulled the trigger. Alas.
And then I take a hard right turn and wonder what would be the ultimate version of a particular body line, using only components available from that chassis line in its lifetime? Spread out over divisions and years, a single chassis could encompass any number of refinements. I find myself gravitating toward the lower-cost end of the spectrum – quite possibly because my dreams often involve things that I have an outside chance of being able to afford.
To wit: An early Ford Falcon is a machine that's filled with charm and style. Early ones could only have a Six below the hood (variants of this are still built in Australia, with an aluminum SOHC and later DOHC head, turbochargers, high-swirl chambers and fuel injection); starting in 1963, a V-8 was available in the Falcon. The Falcon's bones lived through 1980, when the last of the Granada/Monarch/Versailles line rolled out of Dearborn. Surely the Granada's 11-inch front disc brakes (power or otherwise), plus an entire 9-inch rear axle unit (with disc brakes!) out of a Versailles would make things far more highway-friendly. The late 1970s Granada ESS came with a stronger springs-and-sway-bar package, though by 1980 any mention of suspension was stricken from the catalog.
Engine-wise? Though the engine bay would surely swallow something larger, something in a Windsor V-8 seems most likely; backed to a five-speed with overdrive, you would now have something that's degrees more powerful and efficient than it would have been when new, boatloads more fun to drive, and safer to boot – all the while looking like a vintage car that can be as plain or as snazzy as you want to make it. (Something like the one from the March 2009 issue of Hemmings Muscle Machines.)
Photo by the author.
GM's X-car line has been maligned over decades, but who remembers that the front-drive A-cars from 1982 lasted clear through to 1996? With 15 years' worth of production and four GM divisions building As and Xs, you should be able to mix and match factory parts to your heart's content. Those A-bodies had 3.8-liter V-6s in the late 1980s – just the ticket for effortless cruising; supercharged 3800s are also out there, but weren't ever available in the As.
Later Citation X11 suspension (fettled with by John Heinricy, the chassis engineer who both sorted the Cadillac CTS-V's suspension and raced endless laps for Chevrolet's Corvette-based sports-car racing efforts) could be of interest, although the Pontiac 6000STE, the long-forgotten American-made, front-wheel-drive sedan built to take on the European sports-sedan onslaught of the 1980s, is also a candidate.
Oh, and you'll want to swap over the ABS system from a 1990s A-body; it seems that the X-car's braking issues had been resolved well into the 1980s. Pack it all into a Citation Coupe body (not the football-shaped hatch, mind; the formal-roof two-door that looked like a baby Malibu) with some mid-1980s X11 ornamentation and wheels, and you can end up with an X-car that will surprise and thrill. (Better still if you plan on owning and driving the car forever, considering you will almost certainly never get your money back out of it.)
I've often wondered whether you could slip a Ford Panther-chassis'ed Mercury Marauder under the sheetmetal of a 1979 Ford LTD, drop in a new Coyote V-8 out of a Mustang, paint it black and white and go scare some folks. I suspect that a 421-powered rope-drive Tempest with eight-lug wheels would look terrific and be hilarious to drive. I've driven past many a recent Ford Ranger pickup and wondered whether you could plop a 1983 body on top of the newer truck's chassis and enjoy the crisp vintage folds of steel while having something more contemporary beneath you. I'd love to take one for a spin and see. I'd also love for someone else to spend the money to build it.
Sometimes, though, the factory does the work itself. For my money, GM fulfilled my dream in 1989, when it combined its most potent engine, the turbocharged Buick V-6, with its most potent chassis, the GM F-body, to make the 20th Anniversary Trans Am special edition, which doubled as an Indy Pace Car for that year. I've driven one, and much like the Falcon and the Cyclones I photographed, drove and referenced above, the drive was sublime. The T/A is another one I can't afford to put in my garage. Yet.
Meanwhile, I need to get working on that Dart. What would you build along these lines?
4anado, 4 Muscle Machines, 2 photo shoots
Photo by the author.
Elements of Fred Mandrick's remarkable collection of mid-size, high-performance Oldsmobiles have been highlighted on the pages of Hemmings Muscle Machines a number of times, starting in September 2010, when a pair of his W30 442s (one coupe, one convertible, both Rally Red) graced our cover. We've covered and photographed several of his 442s and Hurst/Oldses since, including some that haven't made their way into print yet.
It would be one thing if I had access and the cars were just so-so; it would be another if the cars were terrific and the owner was a headache. But a treasure trove like Fred's, practically in your author's backyard, is frankly hard to resist. We almost feel bad that we keep featuring the same owner again and again, but when the cars are this nice, and he's got such a wide variety to choose from, and he's so accommodating and easy to deal with, and he lives so close by, why not? (And a surfeit of gorgeous locations within walking distance of his driveway surely does not hurt.) For me, it works: I get easy access to a ton of great cars. For Fred, it works: I show up, I shoot a car, and six months to a year later in most cases, it's in print. The glory is his. And for you, the readers, you get to see some cool cars with interesting stories that you may not otherwise get to see. Everybody wins.
Which is why when Fred got his mitts on the Fouranado, he called us first.
on sale now, but he told us about finding it before he retrieved it from its quarter-century slumber in Oklahoma City in December, 2012; he had barely gotten off the plane from the 2012 MCACN show when he told us he was making arrangements to buy this one-off beast that no one had heard of or thought about for decades.The story of Fred finding the Fouranado is in the June issue of HMM,
Anyone could have a Hurst/Olds or a 4-4-2 in their collection. But having a one-of-one? George Hurst's personal ride? An engineering mule unlike anything ever seen before or since? Requiring a full restoration or not, it's the cherry on top of the Olds A-body parfait that's already in Fred's garage.
We got a peek at it in late 2012, in the days before the restoration started, and… well, it looked kind of sad, frankly. In the cold light of December, you'd swear you could see it shivering with nerves as to what would come next. The gold paint had lost all luster, a flat-black paint-stripe job was fading to gray (the stripes were on the car by 1970, possibly put on at the dealer), and there was a big repair on a rear quarter that was flaking off from beneath the paint. The front fenders were splitting at the seam where the wheel openings were pushed forward to match the Toronado driveline. But seeing this just distracted from the real story: It still had the complete Toronado driveline that had been installed at Hurst Performance Engineering back in 1968, making this special one-of-one machine a keeper.
Yet, there was a time when Fred was mulling over leaving it more or less as-is, blowing it apart and cleaning it, sure, and trying to buff that dead paint into something resembling a shine. It's only original once, after all. But there was a little too much here: the split in the fenders, the mushed rear quarter, the dodgy flat-black pinstriping added after George Hurst's ownership. The hood, they discovered, had been replaced at some point, so it wasn't original to the car, either.
And so a compromise was reached: Use as many original components as possible while bringing it back to factory-new specifications, with a bare minimum of NOS and hardly any aftermarket parts (beyond the period aftermarket pieces you'd expect from Hurst). We'll delve into this more in the July issue of Hemmings Muscle Machines, when the Fouranado will be featured as our Restoration Profile story.
The real shocker was the quietly-confided time frame: From a start in late December, Fred swore that the Fouranado would be done in September – maybe even August. It seemed like a lot of work, but the bulk of the efforts were completed by July, with the next couple of months spent fiddle-farting around with details that seemed minor for photos, but were crucial to the care and feeding of the build.
We finally got around to taking photos in the wee hours of the morning in October, some weeks before its MCACN debut. Most of the still shots that ran in the book were taken then. We also got action shots that morning, but, to be candid, they sucked. This car needed light to make it really pop, and my usual diffused-light trick did the color no favors. Like Blackadder's bumbling Lord Percy, I used alchemy to try and capture gold, but what I ended up with was green.
And so, a second photo shoot was arranged. MCACN came and went, and Fred and I met again. The second shoot was mostly for the action photography, a sunnier spot was picked, and I was keen to use a technique that I'd been working on for a little while. Outside of Scottsdale, there is a housing development that went bust; the roads are paved, but there are no houses.
We found a cul-de-sac and just drove around in circles for 15 minutes until I got enough shots to work. Because we're turning and moving at the same time, you can see the pavement textures swirling beneath the car, like stars in the night-time sky. As a bonus, the background gets blurred out faster, so we can travel at slower speeds, which means that my chances of getting a shot of the car in focus increase dramatically.
Fresh from MCACN, where the rule is a quarter-tank of gas or less in the convention center for safety reasons, Fred had not had the opportunity to refill. The shoot had been meant to double as an opportunity to get a driving impression, but we ran out of gas before we left the un-development. This meant a long walk back to the truck and trailer, with its attendant winch. My chance to drive it would have to happen another day.
I came back the next morning, post-fill-up, and drove all three of Fred's 1968 A-bodies on a similar loop – his basic 4-4-2 first, then the Hurst/Olds, to immerse myself in the hot Oldsmobile A-body driving experience. Our relationship has gotten to the point that, when I have to do a driving impression, Fred just throws me the keys and sends me on my way, so trusting is he that I'm not going to bend up one of his babies.
Driving a single car is fine for generating impressions and copy, but being able to drive other similar cars back-to-back really helps crystallize the sensations you register around you. Having the opportunity to get a sense of what the stock cars were like was a tremendous luxury, and helped us understand the Fouranado's specialness. The eight-page story in the magazine tells what it's like to drive this one-off machine.
There was even brief discussion of a third shoot, believe it or not; this one would have seen Fred light up those Goodyear Blue Streaks in a giant smouldering burnout, expensive tire smoke billowing out the front wheel openings – something that he wasn't quite up for when the Fouranado was fresh (and certainly not before MCACN) but was less opposed to as we put this issue together in late March. But, alas, we couldn't organize it in time for this issue. Maybe we" be able to convince him to do it in time for the restoration piece in July…
Driving Impressions: 2005 Pontiac GTO
Photos by the author.
[Editor's Note: About 10 years ago, Jeff Koch wrote up a number of articles and driving impressions for then-new performance vehicles that, for some reason or another, never made it into the pages of Hemmings Muscle Machines, as intended. As those vehicles now march toward collectible status, we've decided to take another look at them through Jeff's reviews.]
Remember the Mopar wing cars? Amazing automobiles, yes. Clever engineering, undoubtedly. But they weren't hot sellers. In fact, they tanked. Dealers were saddled with those things for years. They wouldn't move. Thirty-five years on, they're recognized as icons of an era, but back when they were new, they were expensive and funny-looking. Fast? No doubt. But other mitigating factors seemed to get in the way of whatever was under the hood – like that pointy beak and the Can-Am-refugee wing. Only in retrospect were they given the respect and awe they today come to enjoy, and the reasons that made them poor sellers are forgotten in the hype of their rarity and outrageousness.
We see parallels here with the modern Pontiac GTO. Low production numbers plus stonking performance generally make for some manner of future collectibility – hell, even soft-bumper C3 and Cease-Fire Injected C4s have come around on the secondary market. Which is all well and good 20 or 30 years from now. But for the modern driver living in there here and now, we think the GTO makes a solid case for being America's best V-8 performance bargain today.
How so, when a Mustang GT clocks in eight grand cheaper on the sticker? Simple. The Mustang is a hot commodity right now. Ford is selling plenty of them. They're in short supply. By the time you option one up the way you want, and assuming you find a dealer honest enough to sell one for sticker price and no more, you're looking at $27-$28K before taxes. There's also the notion that Ford will be rolling these into Hertz outlets soon enough, and that the V-6 models are nearly indistinguishable from the V-8s (wheels, grille, and badging are it) from the outside. Stealthy or snoozy?
Compare this to a GTO, which by all accounts is an underwhelming sales performer for Pontiac (barely half the allotted 18,000 cars made it over for 2004). Our Yellow Jacket 2005, with only the six-speed trans (a $695 option, boo hiss – remember when automatics were an added-cost option?) and a destination charge on the Monroney, comes in at $33,690. But any Pontiac dealer who actually gets sticker price for a GTO should be congratulated; realistically, you're looking at five grand or more off sticker, and the dealer will say thank you when you take it away, because he'll have more room for a series of G6 models that will turn over faster. Suddenly, you're under $29,000, and at that point, there's not much difference in money over the length of the payment book. Plus, there is no low-level GTO, no base V-6 called Tempest or LeMans to get confused. There is only the premium-level GTO.
There's also that extra hundred horsepower under the hood, the sheer throw-you-back-in-your-seat acceleration, the extra gear in the manual trans, the cosseting interior made of quality materials… yet because the Mustang looks like what everyone wanted in high school, it's selling by the truckload; the GTO, meanwhile, looking like nothing terribly special, languishes on dealer lots, with many outside the hardcore car-nut community simply unaware of its existence.
Everything we liked about last year's GTO remains: the feeling of utter solidity, the quality interior, the comfy seats, the shocking power, the big-block-sized noises coming out of a small-block-sized engine. Some things we liked were improved upon: namely addition of the corporate 6.0L LS2, now rated at an even 400 horsepower, which allows furious acceleration anywhere from 1,500 RPM clear up to the six-grand redline. Think of it as Corvette power at a $15,000 discount. Torque peak is at a surprising 4,000 RPM – because the power is so smooth and starts so low in the power band, you'd think it was at least a grand lower in the revs. We can also report that the six-speed gives the GTO more snap than an automatic LS2-powered Corvette we drove recently – unless you must endure bumper to bumper traffic for the majority of your driving life, the six-speed is absolutely the way to go.
A ton of items that the purists screamed about last year have been fixed. The hood now has twin non-operational nostrils, resembling Firebird Formula scoops from the mid-1970s (or the similarly non-op 1964 scoops, if you squint a little). You can see both pipes end at the back of the car now. And a Pontiac nameplate now graces the trunklid, opposite a quiet 6.0 badge. No one has ever had a beef with the power, beyond the notion that a "real" Pontiac engine (extinct since 1981) isn't under the hood.
Is it perfect? Of course not. The shifter on the T56 6-speed is a touch on the rubbery side, the pedals aren't set for heel-and-toe action, and the yellow gauges on our test car are a bit much, particularly with white numbers; we remain suspicious of pessimistic markings also. We would also plump for the color-coded Alcantara interior trim, though yellow probably wouldn't be the color we choose.
And there's the overall style, which has come in for wide bouts of criticism; reams of paper have been used to ream GM on the issue. Suffice it to say that we think it plain, but not ill-proportioned (though from some angles the rear quarters do look a bit thick). It comes off like 1997′s best guess of what 2005 would look like – just a shade behind the times. Not shown here is a mostly awful Sport Appearance Package body kit – we qualify it, because while the air dam and ground effects add visual weight it doesn't need, the replacement grille nostrils give the nose depth and should be made standard.
We worry for the future of the GTO. Despite all this cool mechanical kit, they're still not selling. With GM's recent notice that it's canceling all rear-wheel-drive Zeta-architecture chassis for North America, and with it a number of potentially intriguing 2007 models, GTO's future is in doubt – though it could continue on as a Sigma-chassised superstar (same platform as the mind-bending CTS-V). It's all in the air right now.
Total GTO production over three seasons will be lucky to clock in a quarter of the 2005 Mustang's first-year sales. Four hundred horsepower, just a few years in production, and a bespoke platform and bodystyle not shared by other divisions in this hemisphere? The Pontiac GTO we have now could be a long-term proposition for a future-thinking driver-enthusiast-collector. Despite the moribund styling (or, indeed, perhaps because of it), the current GTO could well be tomorrow's Superbird – an underappreciated performer while new that could take on a second life years down the line. And even if it doesn't, you'll have the most V-8 bang for your buck available in a showroom today.
Car: 2005 Pontiac GTO
Engine type: OHV V-8, aluminum block and heads
Displacement: 364 cubic inches
Bore x stroke: 4.00×3.62 inches
Compression ratio: 10.9:1
Horsepower @ RPM: 400hp@5200 RPM
Torque @ RPM 400lbs-ft @ 4000 RPM
Fuel delivery: Sequential electronic fuel injection
Weight: 3,725 pounds
Pounds per horsepower: 9.31
¼-mile performance: 13.3 @ 107 MPH
De ja vroom: Where have I seen that 1966 Mustang before?
1966 Ford Mustang. Photography by the author.
We occasionally tell the owners whose cars we shoot that Hemmings is a gift that keeps on giving. What we mean is this: We usually shoot photos for one of our monthly glossy titles (Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines or Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car), and those photos end up, unexpectedly but regularly, in the pages of Hemmings Motor News. With monthly stories on dashboards, grilles, engines, and any of a dozen other sections from which we can extract images from our mandated array of detail images, it's inevitable that someone is going to choose a particular car for discussion, and when we do, we reach into our considerable-and-growing files and (re)use photos. That being the case, even we get surprised sometimes.
Back in 2010, owner Vern Pfannenstiel contacted Hemmings Classic Car editor Richard Lentinello with word that he had an original-ish early Mustang coupe. Richard was tickled by both its cleanliness and the idea that it wasn't a V-8; he passed it on to me to make contact. Time conflicts, work travel, and a winter in Flagstaff that resembles winter in many other parts of the country – i.e. snow – meant that it wasn't until the summer of 2012 that I made my way from Phoenix to Flagstaff to photograph it. Part of the issue was economy: To help justify the trip, a second car from Flagstaff would be needed to shoot. (This would come later, once I heard about Suzanne Edmonds's original-family-owner Rambler up in that same neck of the woods.)
I wouldn't know Flagstaff from Fairfield, New Jersey (though I suspect one is more mountainous than the other), so I relied upon Suzanne and her family to organize a meet-up, so that we could investigate locations and take some shots. A spot near Bonito Meadow worked for our detail, engine, and interior shots, and then I set off to figure out what to do about the exterior shots.
There was a bit of a panic as I drove with Suzanne's husband around the nearby Sunset Crater park loop; it took about 45 minutes to traverse, and offered beautiful vista after beautiful vista, none of which I could take advantage of without blocking a road and raising the ire of traffic, park rangers, or both. So much lovely around me, so inaccessible. (Sounds like my social life at college, come to think of it.) And so we settled upon a spot just a couple of miles in from the State Road 89 entrance; it was one of the first spots we'd seen.
While waiting for the sun to drop on this July day, I did some car-to-car action photos on Vern's Mustang; the freshly-paved arrow-straight road went on for more than half a mile, which, when driving 15 MPH and shooting at 1/30 of a second or slower, is more than enough time to get a hundred shots or more. Once the sun was low enough, we returned to our chosen spot and got going. I shot Suzanne's Rambler first – it was a sort of dusky rose metallic, and because Vern's white Mustang was brighter I shot the darker color while I had more light. The two were in the same spot, at the same angle, same everything (a move I usually explain away by claiming "it ain't clever, but it works") – I may have adjusted the car's angle slightly because Vern's pony was smaller than Suzanne's wagon – and away I snapped until it was nearly black out. Such is the joy of a tripod and a camera shutter that will stay open for 30 seconds or more when you ask it to.
And in the moment, I must confess, I felt that there was nothing overly remarkable about the shoot itself; nothing to do with the cars or people involved, mind, but in the moment, I felt as if the shots had a corner-cutting hallmark about them. There are times when I can sniff out perfect locations in five minutes, and other times when I can search for an hour or more, and come up with almost nothing. This one fell somewhere in between. We were at the entrance to a parking lot adjacent to some native American ruins – and I had to position the cars just-so in order to avoid painted street lines and the inevitable end-of-parking-lot tree trunk that makes it impossible to drive headlong into the desert. The sun was off to the side, rather than directly behind. What little grass was visible was dead and brown. The wispy clouds above failed to reflect low-sun light onto the top of my photo, and the sky was a yellowish gray. And in a place full of gorgeous mountains and breathtaking topography, not a single one of them was in my viewfinder. All those mountains around me, and my background was dead grass and a low hill. The photo read "hot" to me – not sexy-hot, but I-could-use-a-cold-drink-because-I'm-parched-hot. I put a brave face on it, but in the moment I thought the result was, as they say, "good enough for government work." I managed to remember the parking lights, but not to line up the logo on the hubcap on the front wheel, such was my panic.
So you'll forgive my surprise, then, when Vern's Mustang popped up on the cover of the June 2013 issue of Hemmings Classic Car. It scarcely looked like what I remember shooting; the Mustang really popped! The shot looked very desert-y, a look that I know is of interest to at least one editor who would be very happy if he never saw another green tree in a car photo again, and far less dodgy than I had remembered it in the moment. And once again, the indefatigable Hemmings art department nipped and tucked and tweaked and made it look good.
That issue had barely gone off sale when I saw that Vern's Mustang would be on the cover of the 2014 Hemmings Cars of the '60s calendar (still available!); I knew that an early Mustang coupe would speak to vast swaths of our readership, but seeing it front the calendar so soon after the issue was out (though now with a bluer sky added in) was a surprise. And the Edmondses are also to thank: I never would have found this location without them. (Suzanne's wagon ran in the December 2012 issue of Hemmings Classic Car. Doubtless we will use images – many taken and unused in the restoration profile story, eagerly awaiting the light of day – of her Ambassador Wagon again.)
Now I see that Vern's Mustang once again graces a Hemmings cover – this time the May 2014 issue of Hemmings Motor News, on newsstands now – in a montage with another early Mustang or two, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the vaunted ponycar, now just weeks away as this is written. I haven't seen a final copy as I write this, but I'm pretty sure the background has been stripped away – thus removing my largest initial reservation about the photo in the first place. Even so, that makes a trifecta for Vern: the cover of a calendar and two Hemmings magazines inside of a year. A record of sorts; he made the cover three times in less than the time that it took for us to get our act together and meet to shoot his car in the first place. And it seems likely that, even after this, you'll be seeing Vern's Mustang again at some point.
Just probably not on a cover.
Driving Impressions: 1958 De Soto Firesweep
1958 De Soto Firesweep. Photography by the author.
Note: I write up driving impressions of virtually every car I photograph within a couple of days of the drive, so everything is fresh in my memory. Occasionally, because of the constraints of the story's format, the prepared text doesn't run. Now, thanks to the joys of the blogosphere, it can. This week, we reached back in our archives to January 2008, when we ran a 1958 De Soto Firesweep in Hemmings Classic Car.
Look out the windshield, and see the hood rising in the middle, tapering nicely. It points the way ahead. Ingress/egress is easier here than in some other cars of the era we've tried – traditionally we smash our knees on something while winding our girth behind the wheel, but there was no such case here. (At least, not initially.) The bench seat, part-vinyl with cloth seating areas, is admirably grippy – supposedly this is base trim, but it's pretty sharp for something that's supposed to be on the "economic" end of the scale. The pedestal mirror, as ever, manages to show little behind you and take up rather a lot of room where you'd rather be seeing traffic.
The speedometer employs a drum rather than a ribbon. The angle of the red slash leaves a question, however: Is it the top or the bottom of the angle that we read to sort our speed? The difference between 75 and 80, on a California freeway, might be the difference between safe passage to your destination and a set of wigwags in your mirror as the local revenue-generators pay for their day out of the office.
In any case, the face of the dash seems surprisingly flat, lacking the 3D depth of Mopar instrument panels just a couple of years later: Wiper and cigarette-lighter knobs jut out, but the face itself, from the clear speedo cover to the metal trim, feels very two-dimensional. The clock, off toward the center of the dash, is too far away to do the driver any good, but the pods containing oil, amp, fuel and temp gauges, proper gauges mercifully, jut out like Playboy fantasies. In pictures they're not so massive, and they're a bit low, but considering the sheer cliff face of the rest of the dash, they seem very in-your-face.
Twist the key in the dash, and as the engine alights, the sound of the starter disengaging grinds loudly enough that it obliterates all other noises emanating from under the hood. Once it trails away, what's left is a grinding whirr – or maybe it's more of a whirring grind. That'll be the idle, then – vaguely agricultural but not to the point where it feels like it wants to shake itself apart.
We drive with the AllState free-standing air conditioning unit on the driveshaft hump. It is sufficiently wide, straddling the transmission hump, that we have a hard time getting our right leg over to the gas pedal, thus negating the charm of its mere presence.
Press the shift button – there, next to your left hand as you grab the wheel at the proper 9-and-3 position – and it takes a second for it to clunk into gear. Acceleration is gentle and smooth on the uptake, if noisy: The De Soto 350 is a roary little thing, which, properly channeled, could be mistaken for spunk, but in a two-plus-ton full-size sedan is an ever-present reminder that you were too cheap to tick the next box for a less-stressed powerplant.
The manual steering, which we suspected coming in would be leaden and lifeless, in fact offers surprising response, has only about 10 degrees of slack in the wheel, and doesn't require Franco Columbu-sized (or even Big E Langston-sized) arms to wrangle it into position at low speeds. (It's not a fan of re-centering itself post-turn, however, and offers no assistance righting itself once the curve is behind you.) Happily, the wide whitewall radials on the wire wheels offer plenty of bite in turns, meaning that you can lean over quite a bit in the corners (and you do, even at 30 MPH it feels like one degree of lean for every mile-per-hour with which you attack the turn) but still not lose grip.
We would be remiss if we didn't say something about the brakes: The day of the photo shoot, the front drums weren't feeling particularly well. In truth, even a halfway-down press of the manual drums was enough to send a shudder through the entire car, shaking the instrument panel and steering column, making us wish we'd planned better and simply coasted down instead. Clearly this isn't representative of the line, and is restricted to the example we drove.
Even so, Forward Look De Sotos are few and far between these days, and those that see road duty instead of being squirreled away in museums are more unusual still. More the pity.
'Tis better to have loved and lost… a 1970 Mercury Montego
Photography by the author.
When routine bites hard / and ambitions are low / and resentment rides high / but emotions won't grow / and we're changing our ways / taking different roads -"Love Will Tear Us Apart," Joy Division
The cover of this month's Hemmings Muscle Machines takes your author back – further than the early January shoot date, anyway. The story of the revival of Chhay and Leapy Taing's 1970 Mercury Cyclone Spoiler is well-told in the pages of the May 2014 issue (on sale now!), so I won't delve into it here. But seeing the build-up shots reminded me of my own mid-sized Mercury travails in the late 1990s.
My fascination with this generation of mid-size Mercury dates back 20 years now. Briefly, in 1994 and 1995, I owned a Thunder Jet 429-powered GT with C6 trans and hideaways; although the seller had brought it from California to New Jersey and the body was clean enough, it was kind of a chunk. It had been Competition Orange, but was repainted Earl Scheib Dark Metallic Blue, had some sort of Fenton spun aluminum wheels on it, and little else going for it. Not much work was done in the year and a half I owned it before I sold it in despair. I made a connection with the head of the Cyclone-Montego-Torino registry, and he helped me find a home for it, somewhere near him in Delaware.
But I was determined, and for a decade, when I lived in California (and, briefly, in the Midwest), I owned a 1970 Mercury Montego, another connection made by the head of the registry. I lived in Los Angeles and bought it in San Francisco, with only a phone confirmation from the owner that it ran. (No Internet pictures in 1997 – at least, not that I had any ready access to.) He picked me up from the airport in Oakland in it – a good sign that at least it ran. It had a Cyclone nose piece, but was otherwise a standard MX – exposed lights, two taillamp pods per side instead of three, flat hood, and a vinyl top that I would later remove with a four-inch putty knife, it was so dried and cracked. The paint was baby blue, but had largely tuned to chalk. Three of the four endcaps were mushed. The heater didn't work. But the two-barrel Cleveland got the job done. And the price was absurd – something like $750. For a running, driving, nearly-30-year-old car? For someone who grew up in New Jersey, where rust ate alive anything more than half-a-dozen seasons old, this was mind-melting stuff.
And the stories! It was December 1997 when I picked it up, and quite by chance a high school buddy had just left the Peace Corps and was visiting his sister in San Francisco. I invited him to come to Los Angeles, and he bit – but he wanted to go to Reno first, and he played blackjack till the sun came up. That Montego's first 1,000 miles in my care were cold – Interstate 80 from Frisco to Reno in December, at night, in a car with no heat, wasn't something I'd planned for – but successful; I actually slept in the back seat for a few hours on the way home as my buddy hurtled back down I-5 into Los Angeles.
The paint job was held up when the guy who offered to paint it – not for free, mind you – decided he'd rather run off with his underage meth-head girlfriend, leaving my primered and disassembled car in a friend's backyard for someone else to finish…. The stories that came out of Motor Trend track tester Mac DeMere's mouth when he recalled dates he'd had in the front seat of a Torino of similar vintage, just before he handled skidpad testing for us… The hilariously filthy picture someone (presumably on the line) drew on the inside door, under the blue vinyl door panel… HMM editor Terry McGean did more than his fair share of work on that car, a fact which almost certainly crossed his busy mind briefly when putting the recent issue of the magazine together and choosing a shot for the cover.
What's more, everything we did to that car largely made it better: better looking, better feeling, better riding, better handling, more responsive. I called it Monte1go – a punny riff on the idea that it was supposed to be a corner-carver – but truth be told, it wasn't on the ragged edge of anything, just a street driver with some kinky stuff done to it (like a carbon-fiber front bumper). A close second in the naming had been Psych!clone because it had a Cyclone hood and nose but was actually a Montego. Everything I did to it, everything I asked someone else to do and I documented with my camera, I liked. I regretted (almost) none of it.
And then time moved on. I found a new job making toys in the Midwest, leaving publishing altogether after a crisis of confidence. (I even made that car into a die-cast!) Then I moved back to Los Angeles, once I understood that publishing was, in fact, really what I wanted to do with my life. Back and forth across the country, it came with me. In the intervening years, it got occasional use – hardly a daily driver, but still good fun when I could afford the gas.
In 2006, it was stolen out of my garage; four days later it was recovered, sans driveline and keyed all around. I didn't have the cash to make it right, and I also found myself thinking this way: That car was my prize. It was my takeaway after four and a half years under the white-hot spotlight of California publishing; and through all of the nonsense (and oh, was there nonsense) that I endured during that time, I could drive this car and say, man, this is what it was all about. I got out alive, I won, and I know I won because I have a car. It was a palpable symbol of a world that I walked (or drove) away from on my own terms.
But now, if I went and got it all fixed, the whole time all I'd think about is how this is the car that was stolen from me, and how this used to be right and how that used to work better. (A 1964 Dodge Dart replaced it in my garage, the thought being that if I lived in a warm climate, I needed a convertible, but even it has been a compromise of sorts. But that's another story for another time.) I loved my Montego. It had to go.
And so, having kept the carcass when the insurance folks issued the check, I moved it on to a new home. Texas, if I remember right. I took pictures as the transporter disappeared down the block and around the corner, the Montego nestled deep in its belly.
It's now coming up on a decade since I've last seen it in person. It's taken that long for the anger surrounding its theft to subside. I saw an ad for it in 2009, here in Arizona, now running and driving. It had a 429 now, and a C6 automatic, but the basics were all intact – wheels and tires, hood, suspension, four-wheel-disc brakes, all of that. When I saw the ad, I briefly considered marshaling my meager resources to try and get it back, but the idea never gained traction, and later I found the ad had been withdrawn.
I dropped mention of my old Montego when I first introduced myself to Leapy, the son who helped get his dad's yellow Spoiler on the straight-and-narrow path toward our recent magazine feature, at the car show where I met him. He remembered it; his face lit up when I mentioned it. For some reason, I never think anyone ever would remember anything I've done from all those years ago. We set a date, and took photos just this past January 7. And in the early morning light, with the sun reflecting off the clouds and the pink sky and that dramatic nose and those curves, the pictures all came together. Really, Chhay's and Leapy's photos tell the story; mine just show off the fine work that was done.
And while I was shooting, all I could think about was what a fool I'd been to let mine go.
Old advertisements from unexpected sources can be a rewarding treasure hunt
Images courtesy the author.
The edges may be yellowed, but the message remains the same. Black-and-white or color, hard or soft sell, old magazine ads of your favorite car (or cars) do more than just simply pitch a product. They capture a moment in history, however stage-set and idealized it might be. The Art Deco 1930s, the jet-age 1950s, the horsepower-fueled 1960s, the compact austerity of the 1970s… ads exemplify their time. Not just because they are of their time, but because they want to capture the situation of the moment and use those criteria to help sell you a car. They become part of the zeitgeist of the era that your favorite car was built in.
There are probably ads for your favorite car that you've never seen, and for plenty of reasons. So discovering new ads for old cars seems like an odd pursuit… yet it can be done.
Of course, buff-book readers know lots of the ads for their favorite performance cars, but some car companies ran multiple campaigns in the United States simultaneously: Witness Pontiac's evocative, image-heavy Art Fitzpatrick/Van Kaufman color illustrations versus a simple, stark, studio-shot piece. Magazines specializing in fleet management would have their own ads on base models, emphasizing durability and cost to run.
The Big Three also advertised in magazines like Time and National Geographic, often with completely different ads for the same cars. Time readers might be more interested in pricing and economy, for example, while NatGeo ads would be more geared toward traveling in comfort. (National Geographic also produced an English-language version of the magazine for Benelux countries in Europe, which came with a whole different set of ads, though the content of the magazine itself remained identical.)
Magazines like Ebony ran parallel Big Three campaigns, utilizing ethnic models to shift the same product. Magazines specializing in fleet management would have their own ads on base models, emphasizing durability and cost to run. Though few and far between in our experience, ladies' magazines (Redbook, Ladies' Home Journal and the like) also run car ads – frequently for station wagons, with the emphasis on shopping and shuttling the expanding familial brood to and fro with a minimum of difficulty.
Many American cars were sold in foreign countries, and their ads were more than just carbon copies of American ad campaigns. Mexico and Canada had their own campaigns for the early Mustang, for example. And some American cars were assembled and sold overseas: Fords in Australia and Brazil, for example, or Ramblers and Chevelles in South Africa. Every country has their own language and their own magazines; they are worth pursuing.
And they even trace the history of publishing. Marvel at color ads taking over for black-and-white as early as the 1930s, and even earlier. See how photography gradually took over for line drawings in the 1950s. Recall that Life magazine ceased publication in late 1972; their gloriously oversized, framable artwork ads largely petered out before the launch of the 1973 models. But that leaves models from the 1920s to the dawn of the 1970s intact and ready to be framed. The NatGeo-sized ads are colorful but small; they remain a delightful addition to any enthusiast's collection.
In terms of value, it's hard to say: online auction sites are choked with $5 and $6 ads, nicely bagged up with an acid-free cardboard backing, so chasing them is less about finding a piece you're going to retire on than it is about expanding your knowledge about the history of your favorite car – even if that history is in a language you can't read.
Driving Impressions: 1967 Ford Galaxie 500
Note: I write up driving impressions of virtually every car I photograph, within a couple of days of the drive, so everything is fresh in my memory. Occasionally, because of the constraints of the story's format, the prepared text doesn't run. Now, thanks to the joys of the blogosphere, it can.
Now this is room! Maybe I've been driving muscle cars for too long, but slip into a Galaxie and it seems positively cavernous in here. (Perhaps having the top down helps?) Turn the key, and the idle saunters between 600 and 700 RPM; it seems a little grumpy when it's cold, as idle sends shivers through the big ragtop's bones (and into my seat, and through the steering wheel). Even the reverse lockout bar chatters, something that disappears when the engine warms up a bit. It does this in due course: In the meantime, there's a blue idiot light on the dash (perfect for your tester) to remind a driver that the engine is cold, and that perhaps progress should be halted for a moment. We've seen enough hot-engine red lights to haunt our dreams for decades to come, but a blue cold-engine light is something else entirely – particularly in San Diego, where the climate is generally pretty temperate.
The Galaxie's soundtrack comes almost entirely from the rear of the car: The engine hums at all revs once it's warm, but the exhaust renders it stuttery and guttural. Let off the clutch, which is nicely weighted and progressive as you lift your foot, and you're off. We've felt muscle cars that haven't offered this degree of grunt, and the engine/transmission combination is absurdly flexible. Start in third? No sweat. You can lug it in any gear and the engine barely registers a fuss. (Good thing; the shifter is a little on the floppy side, and sometimes it's a little too easy to forget what gear you're in, even while looking at the shifter.) In fourth, 70 MPH reads 2,700 RPM. Yet, in third you can go from idle to 70 MPH without shifting. It's very easy to forget the need to shift – not because of the Galaxie's imposing size, or the automatic thought that a car this size must have an automatic transmission, but because of the driveline's flexibility.
The ride is fantastic – smooth but not Marshmallow Fluffy, with enough connection to the road that you can feel what's going on – and while there's some lean in the turns, the modern tires keep you firmly planted at legal speeds. The steering is a mixed bag: There's no on-center slop, as there is on so many big cars from this era, but it's more numb than your arm after a night of sleeping on it. The brakes are set up for highway driving: Perfect when grinding down from 70 MPH, with minimal dive and no pulling to and fro, but the power booster seems keen to try and throw you through (or over) the windshield with even the gentlest pedal pressure around town.
For a full four-page color feature on this car, check out the April 2013 issue of Hemmings Classic Car, on sale now.


text:
Vajira is what 'Jira' is called which is a boring bug tracking and project management software used by digital departments all over the world.One cannot resist the urge to call it 'vajira' because it sounds like vajina and that is the funniest word inexistence. hahahahah-heeeeeee
There's an issue with the homepage.
Have you put it in Vajira?
Have you put it in Vajira?
by Isabelitabox March 25, 2009

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Choose your preferred language. We speak English and 41 other languages.
Most often used by people in the United States
All languages
FREE cancellation on most rooms!
Instant confirmation when you reserve
No booking fees • Save money! • Best Price Guaranteed
Including 212,670 vacation rentals on villas.com
71,860 destinations in 209 countries
It's easy to cancel, make changes or send a request to the property
40,590,000 reviews from real guests
Website and customer service in English and 41 other languages
Join 30+ million other travelers who have downloaded our free mobile apps
Show me hotels in nearby cities:
Show me hotels near:
See where others are staying...
|Best Western Fairfax City
|Very good 8.2
|Stafford House Bed & Breakfast
|Exceptional 9.5
|Holiday Inn Express Fairfax-Arlington Boulevard 10327 Fairfax Boulevard, Fairfax, VA 22030, United States of America (1.9 miles from Spuhler Field)
Score from 51 reviews: Very goodCentrally located in downtown Fairfax, Virginia, with easy access to Washington, D.C. via the nearby Metro station, this hotel offers a free hot buffet breakfast every morning. More…
$68 Average price per night
|Falls Church Marriott Fairview Park 3111 Fairview Park Drive, Falls Church, VA 22042, United States of America (5.8 miles from Spuhler Field)
Score from 132 reviews: ExcellentThis hotel is located off Interstate 495 at Highway 50 and just 11 miles from Washington, D.C. attractions. It features a modern 24-hour gym and 2 dining options. More…
$69 Average price per night
|Stafford House Bed & Breakfast 3746 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax, VA 22030, United States of America (1.3 miles from Spuhler Field)
Score from 27 reviews: Exceptional18 miles west of Washington D.C., this bed and breakfast offers free Wi-Fi and an breakfast. Washington Dulles International Airport is a 25-minute drive away. More…
$129 Average price per night
|Hampton Inn Fairfax City 10860 Fairfax Boulevard, Fairfax, VA 22030, United States of America (1.4 miles from Spuhler Field)
Score from 30 reviews: Very goodJust off Route 50, within driving distance of Washington, D.C., this hotel in Fairfax, Virginia offers a free hot breakfast every morning and guestrooms with comfortable Cloud Nine beds. More…
$80.10 Average price per night
|SpringHill Suites Fairfax Fair Oaks 11191 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030 , United States of America (1.7 miles from Spuhler Field)
Score from 106 reviews: ExcellentLess than a 5-minute drive from George Mason University in Fairfax, SpringHill Suites Fairfax Fair Oaks offers an indoor pool and a well-equipped fitness center. More…
$79 Average price per night
We've negotiated with thousands of hotels to get the very best deals. We call them Secret Deals and they only last for a limited time.
You can get these deals for free by subscribing to our newsletters. You can even choose your favorite destinations to receive personalized deals.
Get started now by entering your email address. We'll instantly send you a link to our Deal Finder!
Don't worry – your email address is safe with us. We'll never share your private information and you can unsubscribe at any time.


text:
Submitted by erschiessen on Tue, 10/09/2012 - 15:16. Permalink
I work w/ some guys that are on some variation of the Primal.
They weren't fatties, but both had differing health issues that made them take stock of what they were ingesting.
Both lost a LOT of weight over the past year... and both feel better now than since they were children.
Their testimony will lead to others finding Food Freedom.
- Login to post comments


text:
Bergmann's rule states that average body mass of organisms rises as they get farther from the equator. This holds for people as well as animals. People generally have higher body mass farther from the equator.Bergmann's rule is due to biological reasons. Having a small surface area-to-mass ratio is good in cold climates, because it means you lose less body heat. So in high latitudes it's good to have large bodies (small body surface relative to weight), while near the equator it's the opposite.
There is considerable uncertainty surrounding the estimates, so we cannot draw sharp conclusions about the amount of slack, or about differences between slack estimates.
1. The recently released ECB balance sheet assessment highlighted nine Italian banks that failed the asset quality review (AQR) and stress tests – before 2014 recapitalisation. Eight of them fall into the categories described in this article (and 14 out of the 15 Italian banks participating in the assessment).This reminds of the Spanish cajas de ahorros, bank-like institutions with no shareholders and effectively under the control of local governments. The cajas were poorly managed, and highly vulnerable to the real estate crash. Regulators forced them to merge, and restructure into proper banks, after the financial crisis.
2. In Italy, bank ownership through foundations and bank cooperatives raises specific challenges for corporate governance.
3. Italian foundations have played a critical role in the privatisation of community-owned banks.
4. Foundations still remain in control of the largest Italian banks.
5. Foundations suffer from an opaque and weak governance structure.
6. The financial position of several foundations has weakened, raising concerns about their capacity to provide further bank support.
7. Banks with foundation ownership tend to feature weaker asset quality than other Italian banks.
8. Cooperative structures are widespread in Europe and have been an important source of credit to local businesses.
9. The cooperative model raises governance issues when banks grow above a certain size.
10. Like foundation-owned banks, bank cooperatives have weaker asset quality compared to other banks and are less resilient to shocks.


text:
Bob Backlund Visits WWE HQ, Eve Torres Selling Apparel Items, Goldberg Note
by Staff - March 13, 2013
- Triple H shared a photo of Bob Backlund's visit to WWE Headquarters on Twitter, with the caption, "Never know when a legend will walk into your office……today, Bob Backlund. #HOF2013″
– Bill Goldberg shot down a Twitter rumor that he has signed a four-year deal with WWE that begins after WrestleMania 29.
– Former WWE Diva Eve Torres is selling several apparel items that she's worn on WWE television, which you can view at this link.
The Hottest WWE news, photos and videos delivered to your inbox in one convenient newsletter. Sign up now and give it a try!
|WWE Survivor Series Report - 11/23/14
|WWE RAW Report - 11/24/14
|Sting Makes His WWE TV Debut, Possible Match Against Triple H?, Update on The Authority
|Backstage News on Sting vs. Triple H or The Undertaker, Speculation on Sting's WWE Future
|Backstage News on Sting's WWE Debut, WWE's Big Goal with Survivor Series and the Network


text:
Will Eno's one-man-play Title and Deed has arrived off-Broadway at Signature Theatre Company's Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre, starring Conor Lovett. Title and Deed is the story of a nameless traveler who explores the meaning of love, life and death while visiting a faraway place.
Get a first look at Sting's Broadway-bound musical The Last Ship, which docks at the Neil Simon Theatre beginning on September 29.June 30, 2014
If/Then's Jason Tam continues Broadway.com's special series, in which the musical's stars share their New York stories.June 30, 2014
Hear what stars Lin-Manuel Miranda, Karen Olivo and Leslie Odom Jr. have to say about bringing Jonathan Larson's tick, tick...BOOM! to life at New York City Center.June 27, 2014
This week James Snyder interviews his If/Then co-star Jenn Colella. Along the way, he meets some miserable characters on the subway, goes backstage at a drag show and plays ball in Yankee Stadium. Check it out!June 26, 2014
If/Then's Tamika Lawrence continues Broadway.com's special series, in which the musical's stars share their New York stories and reveal how they relate to the hit show.June 26, 2014
In Broadway.com's newest video series, the stars of If/Then share some New York stories and reveal how they relate to the new musical. First up: James Snyder explains how a subway success gave him NYC status.June 23, 2014
Tupac Shakur has come to Broadway with the official opening of Holler If Ya Hear Me at the Palace Theatre. Star Saul Williams and the rest of the crazy talented cast talk about bringing hip hop to the Great White Way.June 20, 2014
This week's episode is chock full of Anthony Rapp's video game obsession, Idina Menzel's new bangs and James working the stage door at If/Then. Plus, a special clip from Idina's sold-out show at Radio City Music Hall!June 19, 2014
Here's a first look at Saul Williams and the cast of Holler If Ya Hear Me bringing hip hop to Broadway in this Tupac-inspired musical.June 18, 2014
In this week's exciting episode, we count down your amazing Broadway cakes, sound off on the Tony admin's latest decision, get a smokin' look at the stars of the Jersey Boys movie and do a good, old-fashioned sibling smackdown. Enjoy!June 18, 2014
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Karen Olivo and Leslie Odom Jr. are getting ready for Jonathan Larson's tick, tick...BOOM! at City Center. Catch the trio rehearsing "30/90" and "Therapy."June 18, 2014
Composer Stephen Trask tells the stories of "all the strange rock and rollers" who inspired the eclectic songs of Hedwig and the Angry Inch. See the Tony-nominated revival live at the Belasco Theatre!June 17, 2014


text:
Social Media
Think Like Zuck: The Secrets to Facebook's Success
Intel's social-media strategist and author of new book on Mark Zuckerberg Ekaterina Walter shares her insights on how the social network became so popular, as well as other business lessons.
Social Media
How to Boost Productivity With 'Social Bookmarking' Tools
A look at the services to consider, plus tips for making the most of them for your business.
Social Media
The Power of Social Customer Service
Taking to social media to address customer service issues is a great opportunity for brands.
Social Media
5 Daily Habits for Effective Social Media Marketing
Of all the things your business could be doing on social media, these are the things you should focus on.
Social Media
3 Low-Cost Tools for Managing Social Media
These little-known options can help simplify the process at little cost.
Social Media
Twitter's Video-Sharing App Weathers a Stormy Launch
Twitter releases Vine, Facebook hoards its social data, Quora gets into blogging and more social media news.
SEO | Search Engine Optimization
5 Steps to Getting Your Business Ranked on Yelp
Love it or hate it, Yelp is one of the most widely used and respected search and review services among consumers. Some tips for making your business stand out.
Social Media
Early Test: Facebook's Graph Search a Dud for Marketers
The three main problems with Facebook's new search tool.
Social Media
Marketing to Teens? What You Need to Know About Tumblr
A recent survey of teenage and young-adult social media users found that people in those age groups prefer Tumblr to Facebook or Twitter.
Social Media
How Facebook's Graph Search Could Help Businesses
Facebook's major new feature, YouTube's rising competition, the end of LinkedIn Answers and more social-media news.
Social Media
3 Tools for Backing-Up Your Social Media Accounts
Your old tweets and Facebook posts may come in handy someday. Here's how to make sure they aren't lost forever.
Social Media
Facebook's Graph Search Holds Promise for Social Marketing
The beta release of Facebook's new search function is important to marketers because of its potential impact on advertising and purchase decisions.
Social Media
Why a 12-Year-Old Launched His Own Social Network
Grom Social is a network for kids, Facebook's more lucrative Hacker Cup, a Pinterest for cats and more.
Online Marketing
How Location-Based Social Networks Are Changing the Game for Businesses
New trends that are altering the way brick-and-mortar companies do business.
Social Media
The Best Days to Post to Facebook, Based on Industry (Infographic)
A new report looks at 15 business fields to determine the best day of the week to share content on Facebook for engagement.
Social Media
Getting Started on Twitter and Facebook As a Business Owner
Don't know where to begin when it comes to social media? Here's a primer on how to learn quickly what could work best for you and your company.
Social Media
10 Questions You Must Ask When Hiring a Social Media Consultant
What you need to know when looking for the right person to represent your brand on social media.
Starting a Business
The Top 10 Startup Events to Watch in 2013
CES, the Webbys, Disrupt NYC, South by Southwest, Social Media Week, National Small Business Week, Global Entrepreneurship Week, the Clinton Global Initiative. . . A non-exhaustive list of the year's top 10 startup events for young treps.
Social Media
Pinterest Reaches Two Startup Milestones: One Good, One Bad
Pinterest gets sued, Facebook adds voice messaging to mobile apps, why Indonesia is ground zero for Twitter use and more social-media news.
Social Media
Easy on the Airbrush and Other Tips for Your Pinterest Photo
First impressions count, especially on social media. Here are seven tips for choosing an image to represent you and your business.
Social Media
Why Facebook's 'Poke' App Couldn't Kill Snapchat
Facebook's app flop, Google+ analytics, a Zuckerberg privacy slip-up and more social-media news.
Social Media
New Facebook Rules Limit Use of Text on Images
Three tips for maximizing your brand's exposure while staying compliant with the network's new policies.
Entrepreneur's 10 Most Popular Stories of 2012
From a new take on networking to insider tips from Richard Branson, Mark Cuban and Marissa Mayer, here are the stories that became our reader favorites this year.
Social Media
How Instagram's New Terms Ignited a PR Debacle
Photo-sharing site Instagram walks back its new terms of service, Facebook plans new ads and more social-media news.
Young Entrepreneurs
Purpose and Its Vision for Powering Social Movements
In this installment of Young Visionaries, social entrepreneur Jeremy Heimans describes his vision for creating a home for sparking social movements.
The Best and Worst Online Franchise Promotions of 2012
Our picks for the best, the worst and the craziest online promotions from franchise companies.
Ads by Google
Most Shared Stories
Connect with Entrepreneur
From the Entrepreneur Bookstore
Ultimate Guide to Facebook Advertising, 2nd Edition
By Perry Marshall, Keith Krance, and Thomas MelocheMore Info
Ads by Google


text:
I'm an avid gamer and programmer. I usually keep quiet and just listen unless it's about a topic that I care about or have knowledge in and then it's hard to get me to shut up. I love to learn and sometimes spend hours following links in Wikipedia.
Join OkCupid
Find better matches with our advanced
Find better matches with our advanced
matching system
—% Match
—% Enemy
25 • Ottawa, Ontario, CA • Man
I'm looking for
- Women who like men
- Ages 18–26
- Near me
- Who are single
- For long-term dating, short-term dating, casual sex
My Details
- Last Online
- Yesterday – 7:34pm
- Orientation
- Straight
- Ethnicity
- White
- Height
- 6′ 1″ (1.85m)
- Body Type
- A little extra
- Diet
- Anything
- Smokes
- No
- Drinks
- Socially
- Drugs
- Never
- Religion
- Atheism, and somewhat serious about it
- Sign
- —
- Education
- Dropped out of university
- Job
- Technology
- Income
- —
- Relationship Status
- Single
- Relationship Type
- —
- Offspring
- Doesn't have kids
- Pets
- Likes dogs
- Speaks
- English (Fluently)
Similar Users
My self-summary
Write a little about yourself. Just a paragraph will do.
What I'm doing with my life
Don't overthink this one; tell us what you're doing day-to-day.
I'm currently working at the most awesome company in Ottawa and loving every part of it.
I'm really good at
Go on, brag a little (or a lot). We won't judge.
Anything with computers or electronics. I can program in any language or kick some butt in any game. I can figure out how to use any device and usually fix it without reading any manuals, but I still like to read them.
The first things people usually notice about me
I'm an empty essay… fill me out!
I don't know.
Favorite books, movies, shows, music, and food
Help your potential matches find common interests.
Movies: Star Trek (II & First Contact), Star Wars (the originals), Serenity, Iron Man, Avengers, The Terminator
Shows: Firefly, Star Trek (TNG & Voyager), Stargate (1, Atlantis, and Universe), Fringe, The Big Bang Theory, Futurama, Battlestar Galatica (reimagined), Penn & Teller: Bullshit, Farscape, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report
Music: AC/DC, Bon Jovi, Guns 'N' Roses, Journey, Metallica, Queen, Rush
Games: CS: Go, Battlefied 3, PlanetSide, Portal 2, DotA 2
Shows: Firefly, Star Trek (TNG & Voyager), Stargate (1, Atlantis, and Universe), Fringe, The Big Bang Theory, Futurama, Battlestar Galatica (reimagined), Penn & Teller: Bullshit, Farscape, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report
Music: AC/DC, Bon Jovi, Guns 'N' Roses, Journey, Metallica, Queen, Rush
Games: CS: Go, Battlefied 3, PlanetSide, Portal 2, DotA 2
The six things I could never do without
Think outside the box. Sometimes the little things can say a lot.
Climate Control
Climate Control
I spend a lot of time thinking about
Global warming, lunch, or your next vacation… it's all fair game.
Little projects I can do to help others. Usually code libraries to make other developer's lives easier or showing how something can be done. The next big idea that could be a billion dollar startup.
On a typical Friday night I am
Netflix and takeout, or getting your party on — how do you let loose?
Usually playing online with my friends or working on some code.
The most private thing I'm willing to admit
I'm an empty essay… fill me out!
Not on here.
You should message me if
Offer a few tips to help matches win you over.
If you think we would get along or find me interesting.
Connect your existing OkCupid account
Sign in
Welcome Back!
Restore your account to continue meeting new people.
Reset your password
We'll email you a link to reset it.
Email sent!
An email is on its way to . If you don't see it, try checking your Spam folder.


text:
regardless of circumstances
You will find them in the hills rain or shine.
by The Return of Light Joker April 12, 2010
10 Words Trending Now
Alphabetical List
Type your email address below to get our free Urban Word of the Day every morning!
Emails are sent from firstname.lastname@example.com. We'll never spam you.×


text:
Associated Press
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- One of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell's closest confidants made it clear in testimony Monday that he doesn't have much regard for McDonnell's wife or the wealthy businessman who, according to prosecutors, bought their influence to benefit the nutritional supplements company he headed.
Bob and Maureen McDonnell are charged in a 14-count indictment with accepting more than $165,000 in gifts and loans from Jonnie Williams, the former CEO of Star Scientific Inc., in exchange for their help promoting his company's products. Williams testified under immunity that he was not friends with the McDonnells and only plied them with designer clothes, vacations and secret loans so they would help him.
Phil Cox, who managed McDonnell's 2009 campaign and later ran his political action committee, testified that he aired his concerns after he noticed Williams frequently hanging around the McDonnells.
"He definitely raised some red flags for me," said Cox, now executive director of the Republican Governors Association. "I thought he was a little bit of a snake oil salesman."
Prosecutor David Harbach asked if he thought Williams, who often loaned his private jet to McDonnell, wanted something from the governor.
"A lot of donors are looking for something," Cox said.
He also testified that in 2012, Williams and Maureen McDonnell tried unsuccessfully to get a meeting with GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney to pitch Star Scientific's signature product, the anti-inflammatory Anatabloc. McDonnell had just endorsed Romney and was being mentioned as a possible running mate.
Having failed to get an audience with the candidate, Maureen McDonnell cornered his wife, Ann Romney, on a campaign bus and began telling her how Anatabloc could cure her multiple sclerosis, Cox testified.
"I was horrified," Cox said. "I didn't think it sort of showed the governor in a great light."
Cox also said he got an email from an angry Maureen McDonnell on Christmas Eve 2009, after he had advised against Williams buying an inauguration dress for her.
"It was sort of an insane rant of an email," Cox said. "Coming on Christmas Eve, it angered me."
Asked by Bob McDonnell's attorney his opinion of Maureen, Cox said: "When she was happy she could be very sweet and caring. When she was unhappy she could be very difficult and mean."
He expressed a much higher opinion of the former governor, saying he "tends to think the best of everybody."
Asked by the defense attorney if McDonnell ever seemed to crave money and fine things, Cox said: "He's like the least materialistic person I know."
Cox was the first witness to testify after Williams, who spent much of four days on the stand detailing his spending on the McDonnells in an attempt to get them to attend promotional events and help him obtain grants for further study of Anatabloc. No grants were awarded, but the McDonnells attended several events and hosted the Anatabloc product launch at the governor's mansion. The governor's PAC paid for that event, Cox testified.
Williams testified Monday that he never saw any signs the governor's marriage was crumbling, and that he never had any intimate physical contact with the first lady.
A defense attorney said last week that the first lady, feeling neglected by her frequently absent husband, had developed a crush on Williams and that he had led her on -- suggesting, perhaps, that the McDonnells could not be conspiring to obtain gifts and loans from Williams because they were barely communicating.
"I didn't know she had any interest in me until this past week," Williams sheepishly said on the stand.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Dry asked specifically whether Williams and Maureen McDonnell had any intimate contact.
"I never had any contact with Mrs. McDonnell -- no physical contact, period," he said.
Williams also said Maureen McDonnell never told him her marriage was on the rocks, and he saw no signs that it was. To further make the point, the prosecution showed two photos of the McDonnells at public events. They were holding hands in one, and Bob McDonnell was kissing his wife on the cheek in the other.
Defense attorneys last week noted that Williams and Maureen McDonnell had exchanged text messages and phone calls more than 1,200 times in less than two years, suggesting that the relationship between Williams and the McDonnells was not strictly business as Williams has said. Dry put that number in context, though, by mentioning Monday that during the same period Williams made or received about 109,000 calls and texts.


text:
Your Calgary Home
# 2223 505 RAILWAY ST W has been sold or is no longer on the market. Here are some properties nearby # 2223 505 RAILWAY ST W which might interest you.
# 2401 505 Railway St W
Cochrane - $235,000
The Pointe at Cochrane. Centrally located complex anchoring a well planned shopping district in Downtown Cochrane. This is the one!! Top floor corner unit overlooking the western Rocky Mountain skyline on the large covered deck. Very appealing as a TOP FLOOR unit with TITLED UNDERGROUND PARKING with...
Listing courtesy of: ROYAL LEPAGE ALLSTAR REAL ESTATE
# 2306 505 Railway St
Cochrane - $219,900
Stunning 3rd floor condo apartment with great views of the mountains in the Pointe of View development. The upgrades including laminate and tile in main living rooms and carpet in bedrooms. Master bedroom has walk through closet to 4 piece ensuite. Kitchen has dishwasher, stove, refridgerator and micowave...
Listing courtesy of: WINTON PROPERTIES LTD.
# 2104 505 Railway St W
Cochrane - $219,900
Immaculate & Private Garden-Level Condo. This 850+ SqFt home offers an incredibly functional open floor plan with room for full sized furniture in the living room, 4 bar stools around the kitchen island and 6 person dining table. The 2 bedrooms offer very good separation; the Master complete with...
Listing courtesy of: CENTURY 21 BAMBER REALTY LTD.
# 1205 505 Railway St W
Cochrane - $215,000
We have a master with walk in closet and 4 piece bath. The is another 4 piece bath beside the second bedroom. The kitchen and living room are the open concept. there is a stacked washer and dryer in the apartment and the balcony faces west for the mountain views. You are within walking distance to major...
Listing courtesy of: ROYAL LEPAGE INTEGRITY
NOTE: All information on this website are deemed reliable, however, CREB cannot guarantee the accuracy, correctness, or completeness of any information.


text:
5 x 5
5 x 5*$39 /mo. Regular
- Save 50% on next month's rent!
Nov: Only $10.40! (+fee)
Dec: Save 50%!
Jan: $39/mo.
- Outdoor/Drive-up access
- Reserve For Free! With Special Offer!
24-Hour Access daily
Closed Nov 27th
Office typically closes for lunch 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM, Mon-Sat.
5 x 5
Nov: Only $10.40! (+fee)
Dec: Save 50%!
Jan: $39/mo.
- Make a payment online
- Receive payment reminders
- Manage your Account Information
Not registered yet?
Create your Account, it's Free!
We survey our customers at various points during their stay with us. Ratings and reviews are taken from those surveys.
East Greenwich, RI
October 24, 2014
Kristen assisted me throughout the process. She was consistently above and beyond responsive and attentive to my needs. She is an asset to your company! Sue :)
Narragansett, RI
October 23, 2014
Great, helpful staff--clean, secure, facility. Thanks.
Warwick, RI
October 2, 2014
Kristen is top-notch! She made the entire process easy, efficient, and pleasant!
Wakefield, RI
September 27, 2014
Your associate was the most helpful, knowledgeable, courteous and professional person I have met in a long time. I told my husband if I owned a business I would hire her promptly. She was terrific! The facility was equally as pleasant.
East Greenwich, RI
August 31, 2014
I had issues with Bobs 2 winters ago . No one shoveled . or threw down salt . My daughter and I were going to our unit. She fell twice because it was icy ( I am sure its on video ) no one was around to help us our lock froze too. No one cared I did complain but was told It was the weathers fault. I was going to switch copany's but a new office person came in and is fantastic..
Wakefield, RI
August 25, 2014
The manager of the property is very nice and accomodating. I'm dissapointed with the condition of the property and service provided.
Warwick, RI
July 25, 2014
Staff is always very friendly and helpful.
North Kingstown, RI
July 25, 2014
Everything is great
East Greenwich, RI
July 23, 2014
Quick and easy to start and end.
Saunderstown, RI
April 24, 2014
The associate was very kind, helpful, and professional.
West Greenwich, RI
March 23, 2014
The staff at Uncle Bob's was extremely friendly and very helpful and knowledgeable. Very good experience!
East Greenwich, RI
March 18, 2014
It is a great facility and so convenient to my home. I hope to find the same quality in the Orlando area as I anticipate a move in the next year to that area.
North Kingstown, RI
February 27, 2014
no, everything is good at uncle bobs
Clifton Park, NY
February 26, 2014
I've never had a problem; unfortunately, I haven't been able to get to my storage for a long while due to work and such but I know it's well protected.
Hope, RI
February 26, 2014
Took me 2 days to get through by phone. That was the only disappointing part of the process.
N Kingstown, RI
February 26, 2014
The property is very well kept. Much nicer than I expected. Snow is removed promptly and most importantly, not only do I feel that my belongings are safe but I also feel I'm safe when at my unit. It's well lit at night.
East Greenwich, RI
February 26, 2014
I am forever, surprised and VERY impressed with the manager whom is ALWAYS found either walking around &/or driving the golf cart checking on things, making sure everything is A-OK. She is amazing - greats me and others by name, always very pleasant, friendly and polite. I'm not kidding about the above! Every business would LOVE to have an employees like her - YOU ARE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE HER ON YOU TEAM! Jay Reilly
Coventry, RI
February 26, 2014
Serviice is great!
North Kingstown, RI
February 26, 2014
Wish all the companies I do business with are as good as you.
Greene, RI
February 24, 2014
the only problem I had was after paying my bill (it was past due) I had come back to load up again and there was a problem with the key pad. it wouldn't allow me access as it had a time limit, but this facility was open 24 hours a day. I know this was a problem that was cleared up the next day. that was my only issue with Uncle Bob's. the staff there were always friendly and helpful otherwise.
North Kingstown, RI
December 19, 2013
I had an area of concern that I brought to management's attention. They were very easy to deal with and took care of my concern immediately.
Warwick, RI
October 16, 2013
The staff is very friendly and my storage unit area is always clean. :)
Here at Uncle Bob's we pride ourselves in taking care of our customers. But don't take our word for it, see for yourself.Read All About It


text:
Sylvia Rhone Announces Joint Venture With Epic Records
Epic Records" align="left" hspace="10" width="200">
Epic Records has inked an exclusive joint venture with renowned music industry executive Sylvia Rhone to form Vested in Culture (VIC), it was announced today by Doug Morris, CEO of Sony Music Entertainment, L.A. Reid, Chairman & CEO of Epic Records, and Rhone.
As Chairman of VIC, Rhone will report to Reid and oversee the day-to-day operations of the New York-based label.
Stated Morris, "Sylvia is one the most talented and gifted creative executives in the industry. She is a proven success who time-and-again has displayed a special understanding of how to inspire great artistry and develop hits. We are excited to be working with her on this new venture, and we are proud to call her a member of the Sony Music family."
"It gives me great pleasure to work alongside the most successful female record executive of all time," remarked Reid. "She has taste, style, vision and she has my complete support."
"The partnership between Vested in Culture and Epic Records marks an exciting new chapter in my career," stated Rhone. "I have a tremendous amount of respect for Doug Morris and L.A. Reid, and couldn't ask to work with better music men than them. I look forward to building a great label and being a part of their continued success."
Up first from VIC will be the hotly awaited debut of rising Latin pop star Kat Dahlia, followed by a new album from critically-acclaimed, indie pop duo Quadron and the highly anticipated debut album of R&B singer-songwriter Deon Young. VIC's diverse roster of young, fresh and new artists also includes pop singer-songwriter-musician Sebastian Mikael and Los Angeles rappers Casey Veggies and Cashius Green.
Rhone was most recently President of Universal Motown Records, overseeing a roster of breakthrough, best-selling artists, including Lil Wayne and the YMCMB roster of gold, platinum and multi-platinum artists, Kid Cudi, Akon, Erykah Badu, Nelly, Melanie Fiona and the legendary Stevie Wonder. Previously, she served as Chairman/CEO of the Elektra Entertainment Group (EEG), where she was responsible for the breakout success of Missy Elliott, Metallica, Busta Rhymes, Natalie Merchant, En Vogue, Staind, Tracy Chapman, Jason Mraz, Yolanda Adams, Third Eye Blind, Gerald Levert, Ol' Dirty Bastard and Fabolous, among many others.
|Related Links
|Shawn Mendes, The Vamps & More to Perform at Radio Disney's Family VIP Birthday Concert
November 20, 2014
|Whitney Houston's Live Album Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard R&B Chart
November 19, 2014
|OneD, Charli XCX & Meghan Trainor Join NEW YEAR'S ROCKIN' EVE Lineup
November 14, 2014
|Fifth Harmony, Sara Bareilles & More Set for 'I'll Be Home For Christmas' LP, Out 11/24
November 11, 2014
|Meghan Trainor Announces 2015 THAT BASS North American Tour
November 03, 2014
About Author
- Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan-Led THE LAST FIVE YEARS Movie to Hit Theaters, VOD on Feb 13
- Photo Flash: Key Art for GIRLS Season 4 Released
- 'BREAKING BAD (Original Score From The Television Series) Volume 2' Double LP Out Today
- President Obama Praises Icons Meryl Streep, Alvin Ailey and More at Medal of Freedom Ceremony
- NBCUniversal & Millennial Trains Project Announce New Partnership
- Official: Rachel McAdams, Taylor Kitsch & Kelly Reilly Join Cast of HBO's TRUE DETECTIVE
- Showtime to Air HOMELAND, THE AFFAIR Marathons this Weekend
- David Dobkin to Direct AMC's BADLANDS Pilot
- Cast of FINDING NEVERLAND to Perform on ABC's GOOD MORNING AMERICA on Thanksgiving
- NBC to Air NATIONAL DOG SHOW PRESENTED BY PURINA, 11/27


text:
UK & World News
Suspected Irish Ebola Case 'From Sierra Leone'
A man in Ireland who medics suspect may have died from ebola is believed to have recently returned from Sierra Leone, according to Sky sources.
The suspected victim was named locally as father-of-one Dessie Quinn, from the Doorin area, outside Mountcharles, Co Donegal.
The 43-year-old was visiting his large family in Co Donegal when he was taken ill, having previously been living in Dublin.
Neighbours said Mr Quinn may have been receiving treatment for malaria when he died.
His body is being kept at Letterkenny Hospital in isolation.
The ebola virus causes symptoms that can be initially similar to those of malaria, including a fever. It is fatal in up to 90% of cases.
It is not known where Mr Quinn had been receiving any treatment as an inpatient at a medical facility.
One source said he had been working in the West African country for a telecommunications company and had returned within the last couple of weeks.
Ireland's Health Service Executive (HSE) confirmed that the remains of a person who recently returned from an area of Africa hit by the outbreak had been found in Co Donegal on Thursday.
It refused to provide any more details.
A spokesman said laboratory results are expected later.
A neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: "He was just home and as far as I know he was in Donegal since he came back from Sierra Leone.
"He could have been back two weeks or three weeks, I'm not sure."
"Everyone knew him. He was great company to be along with, he was a very nice fella."
Head of the HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre Dr Darina O'Flanagan, said there was little risk to the public.
She said someone would have had to come into contact with a victim's bodily fluids in order to be in danger.
She said: "We await the outcome of the laboratory tests before we will know whether or not this individual had contracted ebola virus disease.
"The appropriate public health guidelines are being followed at every stage in this process as a precaution."
Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone have seen the vast majority of the 1,350 victims who have died in West Africa since March.
on Orange News today
- Brothers Jailed For Attending Syria Terror Camp
- Scotland To Get Full Income Tax Powers
- Ferguson Unrest: St Louis City Hall Stormed
- Video Shows Police Shoot Boy Who Had Fake Gun
- AC/DC Star Late For Bizarre Court Appearance
- Ten Celebrities Who Have Insured Body Parts
- The ?315bn Plan To 'Kick-Start' Euro Growth


text:
to save this item to your jcp.com account
Dyson® DC34 Handheld Vacuum Cleaner
web ID: 8690128
Feauring the highest suction of any handheld, this Dyson vacuum cleaner is designed for small household tasks at home, work or in your car.
- powered by Dyson digital motor
- Root Cyclone Technology won't lose suction as you clean
- lightweight ergonomic shape for easy handling
- cordless for easy maneuverability
- wide debris nozzle picks up crumbs and particles; also converts to a brush tool for dusting
- dual power mode provides 15 minutes of high constant suction or 6 minutes of maximum power between charges
- made from the strongest materials available to withstand bumps and bashes
- lifetime washable filter and clear hygienic bin that empties with a button push
- includes crevice tool for cleaning in tight gaps and narrow spaces
Plexiglas/plastic. 6-month manufacturer's parts and labor warranty. Complies with electrical and safety requirements. 22.2 lithium-ion battery. Weights 2.9 lbs. Imported.
Ship to a different location change ZIP.
1 year floor care protection plan for $11 in stock,MS3W
select all options before proceeding
select all options before proceeding
select all options before proceeding
select all options before proceeding
to save this item to your jcp.com account


text:
What we're about...
GIS is a nationally accredited background check company that has been providing background screening services since 1966. In recent years, GIS has grown to provide drug testing, onboarding and tax credit solutions, in addition to industry-specific solutions. GIS serves a wide variety of clients, from Fortune 500 and 100 companies to small organizations and has been frequently recognized by clients as a top vendor.
Latest News
- October 28, 2014
GIS Partners with iCIMS to Provide Clients with Enhanced Hiring ProcessRead More
- July 08, 2014
Background Screening Report Reveals Retail Industry TrendsRead More
- June 20, 2014
General Information Services Announces Settlement of King v. GIS and Dowell v. GISRead More
- February 18, 2014
GIS' eQuest+ Background Screening Platform Achieves Oracle Validated Integration with Oracle Taleo Enterprise Cloud ServiceRead More
- October 30, 2013
GIS Receives Inc. Hire Power AwardRead More


text:
New Orleans, LA
ACS Short Courses in New Orleans, LA
The ACS will be holding 4 Short Courses in New Orleans, LA on April 8 – 10, 2015 to help you gain invaluable training in just a few days. Short Courses from the ACS give you the tools to stay on top of new technology, growing trends in the science industry and basic skills you need to advance in your career all while interacting in a face-to-face environment with other professionals.
April 8 – 10, 2015
Statistical Analysis of Laboratory Data
April 9 – 10, 2015
Organic Synthesis: Methods and Strategies for the 21st Century Chemist
Polymeric Coatings
Practical Applications of Mass Spectrometry for Small Molecules
To be announced.


text:
Foster resubmits church after changing design - images
Norman Foster's first ever church project is back in for planning after a 'significant' redesign.Last summer the 71-year-old's proposals to extend the Grade II-listed St Paul's church in Onslow Square, west London were withdrawn from planning after angry local residents complained about the size of the development (Foster's church scheme rejected ).Now Holy Trinity Brompton, the client behind the scheme to extend and revamp the existing church, has resubmitted a scaled-down and altered version to Kensington and Chelsea Borough Council.Following an extensive public consultation, the scheme has shrunk from four to three storeys, the floor space has been reduced by almost a fifth and the proposed roof terraces have been abandoned.As a result of the size reductions, plans for a bookshop, café and flat within the new extension have also been shelved.However the proposed demolition of the existing church hall and vicarage will still go ahead.A spokesman for Holy Trinity Brompton, Mark Elsdon-Dew, said: 'It appears that the local residents weren't as happy with the first design as we thought they were going to be.'But all these things work for good and we now think [the new design] is a better scheme.'by Richard Waite
Have your say
You must sign in to make a comment.