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TTAC Commentator Topgun writes:
I've been a long time reader of TTAC and am a big fan of the New or Used and Piston Slap columns. I am in the market for a new or lightly used (CPO) car and have a preference for rear wheel drive. I have a budget in the 20-25k range for this purpose. This car will be my only car; hence it should be able to handle daily driver duties (25-30 mpg would do) without being a complete snooze to drive (that's where the rear wheel drive part comes in). A 4 door isn't strictly necessary since I am single with no kids.
The 2011 Mustang V6 and the Hyundai Genesis Coupe seem to fit the bill nicely. I've test driven both and found them a hoot to drive. The fuel efficiencies, ride, and interiors are also up to the mark. However, I can only get the 2.0T version of the Genesis Coupe for the same money as the V6 Mustang. So, the Mustang seems to offer more value for the money, live rear axle notwithstanding.
The real confusion starts when I think about my future location. You see, I'll be moving to Michigan this summer to start my new position and expect to stay at said company/location for at least another 3 years. Is RWD in Michigan winters really a bad idea? If not, what sort of precautions should I take? Should I invest in a set of winter tires or would regular all-season rubbers do? In case you feel RWD (especially a live axle) in snow is a one way ticket to the nearest ditch/fender, my backup FWD and AWD choices are the 2010 GTI and 2010 Subaru Impreza respectively. I like the GTI in this match up but the Mustang still beats both of them in the bang for the buck category.
If there are other car choices for my specific situation that I may have missed, please do let me know. I did test drive the Mazda 3 and although it is a good car, I didn't really feel any affinity to it. I feel older BMW/Audi/Merc cars are money pits. But if you think one of them is still reliable, do point it out to me. I also decidedly do not share the love of Panthers that you and many of the B&B have. No V8's either for fuel economy reasons. I was going for new/CPO for warranty purposes since my wrench skills are average only (Oil changes, basic diagnostics and maintenance etc). Inputs from Steve Lang on easy to maintain older rear drive and fun to drive FWD cars are however welcome.
I need to make a decision soon (in a couple of week's time), so kindly expedite the matter. Thanks in advance for any and all assistance in this regard.
Steve answers:
You seem to have your eye on two very nice models. The Ford Mustang in V6 form is an absolute blast to drive and the Hyundai Genesis Coupe is a bit more of a touring coupe. But may be the better choice if you're considering Michigans pockmarked roads.
I won't talk you out of either car or recommend another. They are both good fits. As a former resident in the upstate NY area, what I can recommend is that you get top quality snow tires. If you have a good set coupled with traction control, ABS, stability control, tire pressure monitor etc., either car should be perfectly fine.
Oh, one more thing. Do NOT go out when there is two to three inches of the fluffy stuff around. Wait until the area has been plowed and salted and even then, be cautious. I can't tell you how many times I have seen FWD and AWD cars stuck in the ditch or wrecked because their drivers thought they could contradict the laws of physics. Unless your plans are to stay in the U.P. I would proceed with either one of these two vehicles and purchase those snow tires for the winter season.
Sajeev answers:
Yup, Steve nailed it. Good snow tires are a must. Doing it cheaply is a good idea, grabbing OEM wheels from a similar car is better looking (and cheaper?) than a wheel/tire package from a Tirerack-type of vendor. In the Mustang's case, any V6 Mustang since 1994 sports a nice set of rims for your snow tires. I wouldn't be surprised if a Sonata wheel bolts up to a Genesis with no problem, even if the offset might look a bit off. Also check craigslist for your platform's usual suspects, that's usually cheaper and easier than a U-Pull-It yard.
I've been trying to come up with "comps" to your choices and criteria, but I got nothing. I haven't driven the Mustang yet, but the V6 Performance Package has all the right upgrades missing from the base Mustang. It looks stellar on paper, even with a live axle. Push comes to shove, I would rock that car and never fear a Michigan winter.
Need help with a car buying conundrum? Email your particulars to firstname.lastname@example.com, and let TTAC's collective wisdom make the decision easier… or possibly much, much harder. In a rush? Don't be shy about asking to cut in line.
Tagged as Advice, Coupe, Enthusiasm, New Or Used?, RWD, Tires, Winter
56 Comments on "New or Used: Who Is The RWD Coupe Market's Top Gun?..."
ScoutdudeMarch 31st, 2011 at 1:35 pm
Good ice and snow tires with traction control will do you just fine, just be certain they have the "snow flake on the mountain" symbol on the sidewall.
Sajeev is wrong about the Mustangs to get your winter wheels from, you need them from a 2005 and up model as the offset was changed.
But get the Mustang it will be more durable and have better resale value when you do decide to sell it.
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March 31st, 2011 at 1:51 pm
How much different? I've seen 2004 and earlier with 2005+ wheels and the difference looks pretty mild. Probably a moot point, I betcha finding 2005+ wheels is easier anyway.
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mnm4everMarch 31st, 2011 at 2:17 pm
Even when new, Mustang rims are almost laughably cheap, especially for 16″ rims that would be perfect for snow tires, but not desirable to the Saleen wannabes crew.
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ScoutdudeMarch 31st, 2011 at 2:24 pm
@Sajeev ~3/4″ more offset on the newer ones so the early wheels will stick out about that much more, and if you want the option of using chains should it get real bad that is a deal breaker. Many of the people who put the newer wheels on the older cars spring for the spacers to make up the difference. That's what I did to put "Bullit" wheels (30mm offset) on my 1st aero gen Panther which came with 9-13mm offset depending on the exact wheel and year.
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March 31st, 2011 at 4:02 pm
I didn't consider chains, that's a very good point. Thanks.
Oh, our Facebook page needs pics of your Aero Panther…just sayin!
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ScoutdudeMarch 31st, 2011 at 11:43 pm
I'll try and post pics of both of my Panthers a 92 CV and an 03 'Rauder.
About the chains I failed to consider that they may not be an option, I know they won't work on the 'Rauder, and they may not have clearance on the new 'Stangs either.
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March 31st, 2011 at 11:45 pm
I think, if you live in a snow prone area where you get terrible winters, you are probably smarter to just buy a 4 or AWD car so you don't need to have a second car. Snow Tires or Chains are nice but who really feels like having to go threw that every time there's a storm?
My 300 SRT8 handled pretty well this winter with regular all season tires – and I have alot of Rear horse power to worry about.
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ZackmanMarch 31st, 2011 at 1:39 pm
Throw in a set of strap chains for a bit extra "insurance" and you'll be good to go. Also a tow strap or chain – strictly to help others who weren't as smart as you, of course! Be careful out there, but remember this: All (90+%) cars used to be RWD! We had snow back then and not as many plows, or no plows where I lived when growing up, and we made it just fine.
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twotoneMarch 31st, 2011 at 1:39 pm
First choice — BMW 3 Series. Second choice — Infiniti G35/37. I've lived here in Denver for over 30 years, always drove RWD cars with four real winter tires. Never got stuck.
Look what vehicle is "riding on rails" while the others are doing fine:
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TEXN3March 31st, 2011 at 2:35 pm
And she is still on her phone!
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Educator(of teachers)DanMarch 31st, 2011 at 1:39 pm
Lightly used 300 with a Hemi. Get snow tires. No it's not a coupe but make like Jack Baruth and fill the car up with girls ready to party.
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ZackmanMarch 31st, 2011 at 1:51 pm
As of 1:50 PM, EDT, Jack's been under the radar for a while. Wonder when he'll show up?
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TEXN3March 31st, 2011 at 1:41 pm
Definitely a great video. RWD and under $25k? Coupe, I'd get a new V6 Stang or a used V8 Stang. Sedan, I'd get a used CTS.
I've been thinking about getting a used CTS to replace the old TL in a few years. The Mustang wouldn't be bad either, once the youngest is in a booster seat of some sort.
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JMIIMarch 31st, 2011 at 1:42 pm
Have you considered the Nissan 350Z or Infiniti G35? Both are in your price range if you are looking at '08-'09 models, not sure you going to find CPO however.
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th009March 31st, 2011 at 1:42 pm
Personally I would find the live axle incompatible with Michigan's potholed roles, but YMMV.
Either way, good snow tires on all four wheels are the way to go.
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ExPatBritMarch 31st, 2011 at 1:43 pm
When the road is plowed and is pretty much flat the Mustang shod with summer tires does OK.
Otherwise get a set of blizzaks and some winter rims and put them on in October or you may end up stranded.
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HoldenSSVSEMarch 31st, 2011 at 1:48 pm
Nothing to add. Both are great cars. The concept of you NEED FWD or AWD where it snows is just plain silly. What did they do in 1965, just sit at home for five months out of the year??? Make sure you get all of the traction goodies in what ever you select (ETC, ESC, locking differential, etc.) and invest in a set of steel rims (salt and grime is tough on finished bling bling rims) and some great snow tires. In all but the most extreme conditions; when you probably need to stay home anyway you'll be fine.
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th009March 31st, 2011 at 1:53 pm
The concept of you NEED all of the traction goodies in what ever you select (ETC, ESC, locking differential, etc.) where it snows is just plain silly. What did they do in 1965, just sit at home for five months out of the year???
Me, I *want* AWD, and I have a blast driving in the snow in the winter (yes, with good snow tires).
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TEXN3March 31st, 2011 at 1:54 pm
I agree for the most part, but AWD in any season on non-paved roads is a definite plus. At least that's how many in the Rockies see it. If we only stuck to the roads during winter, or any other season, then we'd have a 2WD car right now…as long as it's still a wagon.
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Sam PMarch 31st, 2011 at 2:36 pm
AWD means not having to chain up in the Washington state mountain passes when this alert is showing (and it shows a lot during the winter).
"I have a four-wheel/all-wheel drive vehicle. Do I have to install chains when signs indicate that chains are required?
As long as your vehicle is equipped with traction tires, chain installation is generally not required on four-wheel/all-wheel drive vehicles."
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HoldenSSVSEMarch 31st, 2011 at 3:46 pm
They didn't have posi-traction in 1965? Doesn't just about every car today come with ETC/ESC, and isn't it required for all light vehicles in the next model year?
Glad you like your AWD, a skilled driver can take a RWD car further in the snow than an unskilled driver in AWD. People's Exhibit A (although not related to snow); the video of the rock crawling Panther that was on TTAC a few days ago. Now that is a skilled driver (and a bit crazy)!
AWD is good for one thing only – getting you moving, that's it. Well and avoiding in most circumstances of having to get out and put on chains if required by local rules. It doesn't help you stop, it doesn't help you turn, and in the hands of an inexperienced driver creates a dangerous false sense of security.
Numerous AWD/4WD vehicles rendered helpless in this video, largely due to poor driving skills:
And check out this 4WD Power Stroke Ford, and other 4WD/AWD vehicles rendered completely helpless on this rather gentle hill, again, poor driver skill in most of these examples:
Learned to drive in the northeast in a '77 Chevy Caprice, including in the snow. Drove a '97 V8 Thunderbird through two South Dakota winters, and all it had was posi-traction. You don't "need" AWD in the snowbelt and the OP wants RWD.
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th009March 31st, 2011 at 5:08 pm
@HoldenSSEVE, I didn't say he needs AWD (in another post I did agree on snow tires). You said he DOES need all the electronic toys to help RWD cope with winter.
If you think driving AWD makes me a worse driver, well, it's your right to believe that …
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cronusMarch 31st, 2011 at 8:33 pm
Do you know what they did in 1965? They got out and pushed. I would rather use technology.
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ScoutdudeMarch 31st, 2011 at 11:38 pm
AWD/4WD do offer other advantages than getting your going. It does help you turn, keeping all 4 wheels turning at the same speed. Power on and it does tighten up your turn, assuming on open front diff. It also helps you stop safer because again all the wheels are tied together so they turn at the same speed. Of course modern VSC and ABS have gone a long way to eliminate that advantage. But when the snow gets bad my Scout is the only way to go and the less capable modern AWD vehicle with it's aids stays at home. With the quality factory Ford wheels, non-chrome, stand up to salts quite well and since so many people do put the bling rims on their Mustang a set of used aluminum wheels are actually cheaper than new steel wheels.
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chainyankerMarch 31st, 2011 at 1:49 pm
I'm not sure what that video is supposed to prove. Had their route included just one stop on a decent grade then suddenly they're just another stuck idiot that should have known better than to take a car like that out in that weather.
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March 31st, 2011 at 1:56 pm
Sajeev and Steve both live south of the Mason Dixon line. I've lived in Michigan my entire life and have managed to avoid getting stuck driving RWD, FWD, 4WD and AWD vehicles. Yes, if I had my choice, in winter I'd want all four wheels capable of traction, and if not that, FWD, but if you know how to drive in the snow, you can drive a RWD car without getting stuck. Remember a couple of things. Volvos were RWD for a long, long time, and it snows a bit in Sweden. It also snows in Dearborn, where the Mustang was designed and developed. Plenty of folks around Detroit drive Mustangs in the winter. Heck, I do embroidery for the Motor City Camaro & Firebird club and their members manage to keep F-body cars, not noted for traction in slippery conditions, on the road. My guess is that modern Mustangs are also a bit more balanced in terms of weight, with a greater percentage of weight on the rear end than earlier generation Mustangs.
Sajeev & Steve's advice about good snow tires, though, is critical with RWD. You can get away with all-season radials with FWD or 4/AWD, but snow tires make a real difference with RWD. I once had a beater stripper '68 Valiant with a slant six and very skinny tires. Somehow I fell into a set of radial snow tires that fit and shod with those tires, it was a blast to drive in the winter.
FWIW, the Bridgestone Blizzaks that I tested on a Mazda6 last year were terrific.
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DarkSporkMarch 31st, 2011 at 2:09 pm
I would be willing to bet that the Mustang with winter tires would be fine except in heavy snowfall (snow up to the bumper). I live in the mid-west and there seems to be a 50/50 mix between people who park their rwd sports cars in the winter and people who drive them.
A friend of mine drives his 2011 V6 Camaro on the stock all seasons (he bought a winter beater and it broke down before the snow even hit the ground). He does, however park it and walk/get a ride in heavy snow. A lot of the people who buy these cars up here can't afford a second car, so I do see a few Mustangs, Camaros and Challengers drive around in the winter. I typically see more SUVs, pickups, and sometimes FWD econoboxes in the ditch than "muscle cars" simply because people with "muscle cars" seem to drive much more carefully in the winter.
Another one of my friends, however had a panther and a RWD Volvo and they were terrible in snow/ice on all season tires (the Volvo was worse than the Panther).
FWD is easier if you plan to run all-season tires simply because there is more weight over the drive wheels, but you still may have issues with traction on steep inclines, lots of under steer (even at lower speeds), and stopping can prove a challenge. (note this is with "all season" tires).
Almost anybody who has had dedicated winter/snow tires for a winter will tell you it's a must. While I understand it's not a must (the work vehicles I use have all-season tires) it makes a huge difference. I have Continental ContiWinterContact TS 810 tires on my Focus and my wife's Accord and it was about $70/tire on either car (I consider it cheap insurance). The difference is huge. Our cars understeer less in deep snow, stop much better (ABS rarely activates in her car, mine doesn't have it), and we can start on virtually any incline. Snow up to our bumper is the limit. Most people who are unfamiliar with the concept of snow-tires are very impressed. Only drawback I can think of is wheel-spin at WOT, but why do you need to drive WOT in the winter anyhow?
In conclusion I agree with the above. Get the Mustang and get a dedicated set of winter tires/wheels for it and be happy. If it seems expensive to get the dedicated winter set consider that you are putting half the wear on your all-season/summer tires that you'd otherwise be putting on them. Sorry for the long post.
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MBellaMarch 31st, 2011 at 8:45 pm
"If it seems expensive to get the dedicated winter set consider that you are putting half the wear on your all-season/summer tires that you'd otherwise be putting on them. Sorry for the long post."
This is the biggest thing most people miss with the concept of snow tires. They don't end up costing you anything, because you would have to replace the "three" season tires (as they are called in Europe were winter tires are mandatory in winter) half as often.
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talkstoanimalsMarch 31st, 2011 at 2:13 pm
I grew up in snowy western NY in a family that owned a series of RWD sports cars and trucks, so I can say with confidence that you should be fine with RWD as long as you use dedicated snow tires and will be living somewhere with storage space for the off season wheels/tires.
As a former owner of both a MKV GTI and at 2010 Mustang GT, I can also say that either the Mustang or the GTI are great, fun cars to drive. My Mustang was a reliability nightmare and got lemon lawed back to Ford, but I think it was probably abnormal in that regard. The Mustang was surpirisingly utile for that type of car and was a better handler than the GTI. It also drew more attention and led to lots of interesting conversations, FWIW. The GTI was a little more refined and far more practical. And it still handles well and has a fantastic motor. MPGs with the GTI were in the low to mid 20s, which was less than I had expected, especially since it prefers to drink premium. But then, it also loves to be caned, so mileage should be better if you can exercise a little restraint. Either car is a solid choice.
If you can stretch your budget to get there – take a look at the BMW 135. I now have a 2011 135 that I loooooove so far. It's insanely fast, returns an average of about 25 – 26 mpg in mixed driving (also on premium, sadly), handles pretty well for street use (a little too understeery for the track, perhaps) and with the M Sport package, I personally think it has a cool bathtub sort of look. I've never driven one with with the N54 twin turbo motor you would get in a '08-'10 CPO 135, but fuel pump issues aside, I hear they're great as well. And the N54 is highly tunable, unlike the N55 (so far) in the newer models.
Lastly, I tested both the Infiniti G37S coupe and Nissan 370Z when buying the BMW. Both were excellent, though the 370Z offers far too little utility IMHO. You owe it to yourself to look at CPO versions of both of those cars as well.
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ajlaMarch 31st, 2011 at 2:16 pm
You could always lease a 3-series.
BMW current offers
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mnm4everMarch 31st, 2011 at 2:26 pm
My GTI sucks in the rain, I cant imagine it would be any better in snow. The low end torque and not real traction control dont do anything to improve the feel in slippery situations.
I like the Gen coupe, but I think the current 2.0T is a lame duck engine. That car is screaming to get the DI 2.0T from the Sonata. When it does, that would probably be my choice. But until then, I definitely vote for the Mustang, especially in Michigan. I think you can even pick up a brand new one within your budget.
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BlulinerMarch 31st, 2011 at 2:37 pm
I've lived with RWD in Chicago winters my whole life…it's not a big deal. I've also gotten 'caught out' in snow with a Mustang track toy (complete with R-compounds) when mother nature decides it wants to snow 3-4″ in October…just because. That was interesting to say the least.
Winter tires are nice to have, but if you have no realistic place to store 4 wheels for 8-9months out of the year (such as living in an apartment) – you can go the all-season route and drive carefully. Without any traction control, ABS, or stability management I have never gotten stuck or gotten into an accident in the snow. Really, it's not that difficult to slow down and pay attention.
On the Mustang; forget the V6. Buy a 2010 with the old 4.6L V8 as they make a wonderful noise, are quick, and will hold their value better. You'll never regret owning a V8 car while you may 2nd guess yourself if you buy a V6 model.
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Brendon from CanadaMarch 31st, 2011 at 2:51 pm
If you don't have a place to store the tires, I'd just as soon spend a few dollars and rent some storage; I can't imagine it would be that expensive, and snow tires make a tremendous difference.
Steve's comment about not going out in 2-3″ of snow might not fly either – I'm a few hours across the border in Canada and 2-3″ of snow happened with fairly regular frequency this winter. At about 6″ my BMW starts acting like a snowplow, but I can still get through the fluffy stuff up to 8″ or so… albeit with traction control OFF.
One helpful hint is to go out and play in a clear parking lot (make sure there are no curbs, holes, etc – no need to damage rims/suspension) – and do it EVERY winter early in the season to remind yourself what it feels like to slip and slide.
Oh, and either vehicle should be fine – I'd grab the IRS Hyundai to cope with the roads in Michigan – I was last there 2 years ago and it was pretty rough in some sections….
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Sam PMarch 31st, 2011 at 2:38 pm
Can you save up for a little while longer and get a V6 Genesis Coupe? The Hyundai V6 is an aural pleasure.
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mnm4everMarch 31st, 2011 at 2:48 pm
Now there is a sentence I never thought I would see… a Hyundai engine making aural pleasure?!!?
Actually, I have never even heard of these, so not really knocking it, just sounds funny to those of us that used to own an Excel. But I cannot possibly imagine it makes better sounds than a V8 Mustang. If he were to go overbudget, thats the way to go IMO.
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vvkMarch 31st, 2011 at 2:46 pm
E46 M3 comes to mind.
If you want to save money, there is always Mercedes C-coupe, which is excellent. It is also a bit more practical, which the hatchback.
Other choices are SLK, Z4 and Boxter. These are usually bought as toy cars, so look for occasional use and very low miles.
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hakataMarch 31st, 2011 at 2:47 pm
I advise getting a second set of inexpensive rims to mount your winter tires so you can swap them easily. It saves winter wear on your good rims and allows you to change at your convenience. I also advise going a size down for winter rims. Tires are cheaper and the smaller contact patch is beneficial for traction in precipitation. As a bonus, you may even like the ride better.
In SE Michigan, I would run winters from about end November thru end March depending. If you don't want to give up all hoonery for four months, you can get performance winters which are near as good as summers (a little more squirmy due to tread design). You lose a little traction though, and they wear quicker.
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Motorhead10March 31st, 2011 at 3:29 pm
hakata has it right. I daily-drive a manual transmission Mustang in the Northeast. I put a set of Blizzaks on the stock 17×8 wheel (the Bullitt style) then bought the same wheel in a staggered 18×9, 18X10 combo for the warm months. Usually end up putting the snows on Dec 1 and look to get the fatties on there April 1 (ain't happening this year, though). The traction control, snow tires and manual transmission – I have never been stuck. If there's that much snow, I stay put. I traded a 96 Impala SS for the Mustang and did the same thing. Never a problem. Got a set of police wheels with snow tires for the winter. Even though the smaller wheels didn't look as good as the stockers I pretty much had the left lane to myself from December to April.
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March 31st, 2011 at 2:48 pm
You want snows whether or not you have AWD. the reason: AWD can help you go, but it can't help you stop. That's another reason why a lot of people with AWD (or 4WD for that matter) end up in the ditch: they think being able to go means they can stop, too.
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993ccMarch 31st, 2011 at 2:56 pm
Another reason why AWD cars end up in the ditch is that by reducing wheelspin on acceleration, the AWD keeps drivers from knowing how bad the traction is.
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talkstoanimalsMarch 31st, 2011 at 3:24 pm
AWD can help you go, but it can't help you stop.
So true. I wish someone would explain that to the people who breeze down the interstate at regular speed in their AWD cars and trucks at the time they're sold….
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993ccMarch 31st, 2011 at 2:48 pm
I grew up in the seventies on the steepest hill in our town in PA. Pushing stuck cars up the hill was considered part of or civic duty, so I believe I have a large sample to draw my experience from. Mind you this is before widespread adoption of radial tires by U.S. car makers, and the false concept of an "all season" tire had not yet been foisted on a gullible public. 4WD was still rare as to not be counted as well.
Last place: Rear wheel drive with summer tires. These ALWAYS got stuck.
Next: Rear wheel drive with snow tires. Better, but got stuck nearly as often.
Next: Rear engine, rear drive with summer tires.
Next: Front wheel drive with summer tires. Always radials because the cars were always sold that way.
Best: Rear engine, rear drive with snow tires. NEVER got stuck.
I suspect people were reluctant to put snows on front drive cars, because you had to buy four and radial snows were rare. The only time I ever saw snows on a front drive car was on a Saab 99 ferrying people to a church retreat at a remote hunting camp, through foot deep snow, after the Wagoneer got stuck.
Of course none of this speaks to stopping ability. If you are driving in snow, use four winter tires or stay home. If you want better traction front drive is better.
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VespaFitzMarch 31st, 2011 at 3:40 pm
I've owned three front wheel drive cars: a '98 Saab 900, an '01 Jetta Wagon and an '87 Sentra SE.
Every one of those cars absolutely sucked in the snow, even with snow tires.
On the other hand, my wife's 528iT, her 318ti and my 1983 Pontiac Parisienne (all shod with four snows) were fantastic.
The only front wheel drive car I ever thought was any good in the snow was my father-in-law's '84 Eldorado. It'd go anywhere. Trouble was, every time you touched the brakes it wanted to swap ends.
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vvkMarch 31st, 2011 at 4:06 pm
That's weird. My 1998 SAAB 900 was really good in snow even with high performance all-seasons. To the point of being far more controllable than my 1998 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS. In fact, when it snowed, my wife always drove the SAAB because she felt a lot more confident sliding around the slippery stuff in it. My 1986 SAAB was even better in snow. It could go through unbelievably deep snow with worn out high performance tires.
Just curious, was your SAAB automatic or manual transmission?
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SVX pearlieMarch 31st, 2011 at 3:48 pm
If you're going to be in Michigan, having lived there, you'll definitely want a good set of all-seasons (for the rain), and buy a set of dedicated snows for the winter.
At your price point, any sporty car will do fine, so I'd get the car with the best overall utility and reliability.
I'd get the Impreza hatch. It has the best reliabilty of all the cars you're looking at, by far. The hatch gives great versatility for whatever you might do. And the Subie is fun to drive. If you want to go all-sport, lots of mods are available, almost as much as the Mustang.
Have fun!
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vvkMarch 31st, 2011 at 4:09 pm
SVX pearlie, good summer tires are better for the rain than all-seasons.
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gessvtMarch 31st, 2011 at 4:29 pm
I'd avoid RWD if you are relocating to the western side of the lower peninsula or the UP. Lake effect snow is too unpredictable. Not much fun if you're at the office all day and there's 10″ of fresh snow on the ground at 5 p.m.
Southeast Michigan? Different story. Hoon away with your RWD snow-tired beast. We had RWD FoMoCo products all throughout my childhood and teen years. Two big bags of sand in the trunk and a set of all-seasons rarely failed us.
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eldardMarch 31st, 2011 at 4:43 pm
Driving pleasure vs survival. Oh, the agony…
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cronusMarch 31st, 2011 at 6:56 pm
Having driven a Mustang GT year round in Michigan for the past ten years I'll call myself an expert on the matter and share what I've learned.
Snow tires are a requirement, I've used Blizacks and Dunlop Graspics both with good results. The Dunlops were better in deep snow and good for ~6″ of snow before I was worried about making it through. The Blizacks are better at handling and in wet weather but more then 4″ of snow gets a little iffy. Chains and studs are illegal on the roads here so I've never used them.
I look at the genesis coupe when I was car shoping a couple of months ago and one of the things I didn't like was that a limited slip was only available in certain packages. I think it's a nesessity in the snow because often you have to turn off the traction control to get moving. That and the fact that you couldn't get it in yellow with the 2.0T dropped it off my list.
I ended up ordering a V6 Mustang in grabber blue with the 3.31 limited slip and 6mt. I'm going to use the stock 17″ wheels for my snow tires and buy some nice summer tires and wheels.
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topgunMarch 31st, 2011 at 7:35 pm
Thanks a lot guys for all the input!! As my request would have indicated, the new V6 'Stang was my first choice. Now, I'm convinced enough to go get it. Just to be clear, I'm not a complete novice when comes to driving in the snow having lived in Cincinnati for the past 3 years. However, I've never needed snow tires here, making do with FWD and all seasons.
@Cronus, you indicated Dunlop Graspics as a good choice. My research indicated the same. Are there other good ones? (I did note you mentioned Blizacks) I am also intrigued about Sajeev's suggestions of getting older wheels from '05 model year mustangs. May need to do some more research on that.
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cronusMarch 31st, 2011 at 8:22 pm
I think between the two I like the Blizacks better, they're only a little bit worse in the snow but the handling is much better and they're much better in the rain. My dad has a set of Michelin X-Ice on his car and they seem to be similar to the Blizacks. My sisters car has a set of Firestone Winterforce tires on it and they do great in the snow but I wouldn't even try putting them on my mustang. They have a very chunky tread and I think the handling would be terrible.
One thing you need to keep in mind is that even with snow tires there will be a couple days per year where you won't be able to get anywhere. When there's a foot of snow on the ground you need ground clearance. If you live in one of the heavily populated areas snow removal is pretty good but where I live the main roads are usually clear but it takes 2 days before the subdivision gets plowed out.
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MBellaMarch 31st, 2011 at 9:13 pm
Be careful with people comparing tires, because there are many different ones. Bridgestone has two lines of Blizzaks, the WS, and LM. The LM is the "performance" option with stiffer sidewalls, higher noise and greater wear. There are also different generations of each. The latest ones are the WS70 and LM-60. I have WS60s on my car, and my sister bought WS70s. They are better in every way, not saying the 60s are bad, they are actually very good and you may get a good price on some leftovers. I have also had Dunlop Graspic DS-2s, and Michelin X-ICE 2s, on my cars. Out of three I drove with regularly, the Bridgestones are the best out right, with the best snow, slush and wet traction, tolerable road noise, and decent handling. The Michelins were the best on ice, but suffered on snow and slush. They were also really load. The Dunlops were the quietest, and a very good comprimoise between snow and ice between the Michelins and Bridgestones. Now keep in mind that only the Michelins are the current model. I have also driven in cars with the Firestone Winterforce, and they seem to be as good traction wise as the Blizzaks, but are way loader because of their stud-able design.
Here's a good video from tirerack.
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hakataApril 1st, 2011 at 12:34 pm
Based on what I hear and use: Blizzak WS-70 for a touring-style winter with max traction, Dunlop 3Ds or Pirelli Sottozeros for performance winters. For RWD I'd err toward traction versus performance. If you go performance, try the 3Ds – they are toward the traction end of performance versus the Pirellis, which are better for FWD/AWD. See:
I see the Michelin Alpins are also highly rated, but I don't know anyone who's used them since they are so freakin expensive. From the ratings, it looks like they tend toward the less traction end of the spectrum.
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Andy DMarch 31st, 2011 at 9:11 pm
I havent bought snow tires since I got rid of my LTD wagon. My 88 Bimmers do OK in snow up to 8″ deep on all seasons yr round. One has LSD and that makes a difference. Driving in snow is the only time I wish for a stick shift. I drove bugs for 20 yrs. The biggest problem with a bug in winter was keeping the windshield defrosted. I had Jeep Wagoneers for many yrs and they are good too. But I dont push the cars . I know traction is poor and I dont get freaked out if I drift a bit. Mostly you dont rely on the brakes. fuggedabout 'em. You can use the gas sparingly and just chug around at low rpm. Narrow high profile tires are much better than the rubber bands most new cars ride on. I always carry a D handle steel coal shovel too. L'm not a fan of BMW post 1990, but they all have a 50/50 weight balance which makes them stable.
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BuckshotApril 1st, 2011 at 4:33 am
A Mustang in the snow?
That´s unheard of in my snowy country.
That´s about the worst choice you could make.
Rwd choice: BMW 3-series
Much better choice: Audi S3, Audi S4 or Audi TT Quattro
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rpn453April 3rd, 2011 at 6:38 pm
FWD is typically better in snow, and AWD is way better, but I wouldn't let that hold you back. I'd take a Mustang or Genesis with a manual transmission, LSD, and good winter tires over anything with all-season tires for winter driving. I'd also be eager to go out with fresh snow on the ground, as that is the funnest time to drive at legal speeds. It's best at night when slow drivers are scarce and easily avoided. Take a shovel.
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- Desperate search for missing 144
Survivors of the latest asylum-boat tragedy will be sent back to Indonesia, according to Australian Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare.
Mr Clare said a major search-and-rescue operation was now taking place 45 nautical miles off the coast of Indonesia.
He confirmed six people had been rescued by the APL Bahrain, but said grave fears were held for the remainder of the 150 people reportedly on board the sunken vessel. Mr Clare said he expected the six survivors to be returned to Indonesia.
"We have a window of opportunity. People can survive in the sea for up to 36, maybe 48 hours, and that's why so many vessels are heading to the scene," he said.
The latest tragedy comes as asylum seekers already en route to Australia plunge ahead with the dangerous last seaward leg of their journey, despite the threat of ending up in Nauru or Manus Island detention centres.
About 300 people have died in waters north of Australia this year.
Mr Clare today said Australia's Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) received two phone calls, at 4.20am and 5.05am yesterday, from a person on board a vessel requesting assistance.
"In the second phone call the person provided RCC with the vessel's location, approximately eight nautical miles south-west of Java," Mr Clare said.
"They also reported that there were 150 people on board, including women and children. They said that the vessel had engine failure, and it was taking on water."
Mr Clare said RCC alerted the Indonesian search-and-rescue agency, Basarnas, which took control of the operation and sent two rescue vessels and two helicopters to the area.
However they did not find any trace of the vessel, and about 4pm AEST yesterday Basarnas called off the search.
Mr Clare said a Customs and Border Protection plane left Christmas Island about 4pm AEST yesterday to conduct surveillance in an area where it was thought the vessel might be.
During that surveillance operation, Australian authorities received updated information about the possible location of the vessel, and requested the plane search the new potential area.
But the plane was low on fuel and returned to Christmas Island, and did not take off again last night due to weather and crew duty limitations.
The APL Bahrain arrived at the search area about 9pm AEST yesterday and found the survivors early this morning.
Mr Clare denied that crucial hours had been lost in the initial search, saying it was an extremely difficult operation.
"This is a big stretch of water ... It's very had to find people that are in distress in a little wooden boat in the middle of the Sunda Strait, or anywhere between Christmas Island and the coast of Indonesia," he said.
The HMAS Maitland is expected to arrive in the area about 4pm today to help search for survivors.

subset: commoncrawl


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Would you prefer attending a college or university that will have a large number of like-minded students studying alongside you? The graduating class of 2015 produced 428 freshly minted Physical Sciences online graduates nationwide, from across 1,204 colleges and universities. Individual schools graduated as few as 1 and as many as 198, with an average-sized graduating class of about 0. Review the list below to find those schools with the most popular programs in the field, based on the number of annual graduates.
Due to lack of data, we couldn't rank every college that offers Physical Sciences. To see a full list of all the colleges offering this program check out our listing of Annual Graduates. To see a list of all the colleges that offer online degree options in Physical Sciences, check out our listing of Annual Physical Sciences Graduates From Programs Offered Online.
There are no colleges that match this criteria. Please widen your search.


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What Did I get Myself Into!!
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Re: What Did I get Myself Into!!
This is also going to sound crazy, but a friend of mine showed me a great way to iron out kinks in your casting...
Take a piece of dacron backing, starting with one about 8-10' long. Now try your casting stroke and try to throw loops with this. WAIT. Don't use a rod or anything. Don't change your casting stroke either. Eventually you'll start seeing loops appear and you'll be amazed. Then take a half or a quarter of a rod section and do the same with a longer piece of backing. This will highlight where the mistakes in your casting stroke are, and when you start throwing 20-30 ft of backing with a half a rod section you'll get a great confidence boost as well. This works for more than just standard overhead casting as well, as you can do pile casts, reach casts, and other things with just the backing. Plus the next time you pick up a rod not only will your casting be better but if you do have any problems you'll have a much better idea where they are coming from. Definitely a neat trick, and also something you can do in places you wouldn't want to be flipping around a fly line.
Plus if you want to make a game out of it, put a ring on the wall and tie a 2-3" loop in the end of the dacron. See who can hang the loop on the ring first. The main thing is, you won't see improvement in your casting stroke if you modify it for this game or casting the backing, so don't cave to temptation!
Working out a way to convince my university to allow me to hold my TA office hours on the nearby creek...
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NEW PITTSBURG -- The Cream of the Crop 4-H Club met April 8 at St. Peter's Lutheran Church with 15 members and two advisers present. Ava O'Loughlin and Emma Zemancik led club pledges.
Community service project ideas were discussed. The club will accept donations for Bikes for Kids throughout the summer. Take any loose change for donations.
The club is planning a field trip this summer. The date and location will be determined at the next meeting, April 22 at 6:30 p.m. at the church.


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SHANGHAI – Takeshi Matsuda came up short in his bid to dethrone Michael Phelps, settling for the silver medal in the 200-meter butterfly at the world swimming championships on Wednesday.
Phelps touched the wall in 1 minute, 53.34 seconds, 0.67 seconds ahead of Matsuda. Wu Peng rounded out the podium for host China in 1:54.67.
Matsuda was 0.05 seconds ahead of Phelps at the final turn, but the multiple Olympic and world champion came on strong in the last 50 meters to pick up his first gold of the Shanghai meet.
"In the run-up to this final, I thought I had a good chance to beat him and I'm disappointed I couldn't deliver," Matsuda said. "I guess he was saving himself (for the last 50 meters), and he has the kind of ability to pull it off.
"I don't know how serious and how much he's trained after the Beijing Olympics. But I know he'll be a lot stronger next year. I believe London will be my last Olympics.
"I'll try to keep improving and not give up on my goal," he said.
A 14-time Olympic champion, Phelps now has a record 23 golds at worlds.
Phelps had a streak of 60 consecutive wins in this event covering nearly nine years until he lost consecutive races to Wu at two minor meets in the United States earlier this year.
Before going on to race in the individual medley semifinals, Phelps said, "The race felt good. I wanted to do what I usually do when I'm in better shape."
"I wanted to step on it from the get go. I saw the other swimmer when I was at 150. I put my hips into it. I know there is a lot more I can do in that race."
Among the day's other finals at the Oriental Sports Center, Chinese giant Sun Yang won the men's 800 freestyle -a non-Olympic event — in 7:38.57.
In another non-Olympic race, Brazil's Felipe Silva beat Italy's Fabio Scozzoli in the 50 breaststroke, with defending champion Cameron van der Burgh of South Africa third.
Italy's Frederica Pellegrini won the 200 freestyle to become the first woman to sweep the 200 and 400 at consecutive world championships.
Australian great Ian Thorpe, who recorded the 200-400 double in 2001 and 2003, is the only other swimmer to achieve the feat.
"You've just got to always believe in yourself. It's great to be a part of history," said Pellegrini, who is also the Olympic champion in the 200. "This was my race, and nobody was going to enter my house."
Midway through the eight-day meet, no world records have been set — a sharp contrast from the 43 marks that fell at the last worlds in Rome two years ago, before high-tech bodysuits were banned.
The other three Japanese who swam in the evening session all qualified for their respective finals scheduled for Thursday.
Natsumi Hoshi (2:06.65) was the second-fastest qualifier for the women's 200 butterfly final.
Yuya Horihata (1:59.54) just managed to advance in the men's 200 individual medley featuring Phelps and Ryan Lochte, while Aya Terakawa was seventh in the semifinals of the women's non-Olympic 50 backstroke.


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A Pool Would be Nice in Delaware Park [BUFFALO: THEN AND NOW]
Wouldn't it be nice to cool off in a pool on a hot summer day at Delaware Park? Back in the day, you could!
Wouldn't it be nice to cool off in a pool on a hot summer day at Delaware Park? Back in the day, you could!
You're probably thinking, "Court? Fountains? Huh?" Yes, indeed -- Lincoln Parkway was a very different place in 1901, due to, as it is widely known, the Pan-Am Exposition.
This morning, while strolling down Main Street on my way to the studio, I was accosted by a young man who kept calling me "wifey" and wanted me to hang out with him on the street corner all afternoon. Normally I would jump at the offer to make a new friend, but I had things to do this morning, so I regretfully declined.
Two thoughts ran through my head as I walked away from my new BFF: What a nice guy; it's really nice of him to follow me to my building to make sure I got there safe and Were men half as polite on Main Street in 1911?
I don't know the answer to the latter thought, but I do know that the women back then were not lucky enough to be called "wifey" by a total stranger. What I can tell you, though, are five super-cool places on Main Street that you should visit at least once.
In case you live under a rock, the ginormous white building with the pillars on Elmwood Avenue is the Albright-Knox Art Gallery. It's also the place you take the cute girl from reception on a Friday night because you want to seem mature -- and it's free. Reeeeal mature, buddy.
Here are a few cool facts about the Albright-Knox Art Gallery.
We know Lafayette Square for many things: partying at Thursday in the Square, the location of our dumpy little studio and the colorful visitors to the Square every day. In fact, on my way to the Square's Tim Horton's this morning, I witnessed a mother/daughter cat fight that was about to get ugly.


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Khatami, Malaysian PM Review Bilateral Ties
Iranian President Mohammad Khatami reviewed with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahatir Mohammed Wednesday bilateral ties between their two countries in a telephone conversation, reported the official Iranian news agency (IRNA).
The two officials underscored satisfactory cooperation between the two countries and expressed hope for further promotion and consolidation of such cooperation at the regional and international levels, said the agency.
Stressing the prevailing convergence, cooperation and common stance that both Iran and Malaysia share in issues relating to the Islamic world, Palestine in particular, Khatami appreciated overall Malaysian support for the Palestinian Intifada.
Pointing to his recent talks with the head of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) about giving pace to measures for the defense of the oppressed Palestinian people, the Iranian president said that Islamic states should specifically channel their support for the Palestinian people and condemnation of "Zionist crimes" through the
Mahathir, for his part, stressed on close cooperation between the two countries.
He termed as important and highly effective joint stance shared by Iran and Malaysia on issues in the Islamic world as well as on Palestine and said he would dispatch an envoy to Iran for talks on the Palestinian cause, said the agency – Albawaba.com


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The Downtown Club
Business Services
Work Spaces
Take a tour of the Club and see what you can enjoy.Set Up a Tour
Prospective Members
Ashley Durham
Membership Director at The Met
Celeste Edwards
Membership Director at The Met
Carly Durham
Membership Director at Center Club
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Member Relations Director at The Met & Houston Center
Interested in becoming a Member?
Open Areas
The Downtown Club has all the comforts of home and the amenities of your office. With wifi available throughout the Club, you can work in the lounge, in the dining room or anywhere you find to be most comfortable.
Meeting Rooms
We have meetings rooms to support all types of business occasions. Consider using our private offices for interviews, small meetings or as a sanctuary to focus. Board meetings and large team meetings are often held in our meeting rooms, which are equipped with speakerphones, projection screens, video conferencing and other meeting necessities. In addition to providing catering and snacks, our events coordinators assist with logistical planning.
Conference Rooms
Conferences, seminars, training sessions and speaking events are often held in our banquet rooms. We have microphones, podiums, projectors and many other necessary items and can customize the seating arrangements to suit your event.


text: Toronto is the most populous city of Canada and if you are planning a stay here, then checking out these hotels in Toronto might be of great help to you. It is also known to be Canada's commercial capital and is a great place to visit with your family and friends. For those willing to splurge on their accommodation, head to Trump International hotel and Tower, Hotel Le Germain Maple Leaf Square, The Ritz Carlton Toronto, The Hazelton hotel, Residence Inn Downtown, Cambridge Suites Toronto, and Windsor Arms Hotel. Apart from these hotels, there are several noteworthy Toronto hotels such as The Parkway Place, Best Western Travel Inn Toronto, The Fairfield Inn and Suites Toronto, and the Sandman Signature hotel Toronto that offer a budget stay to their guests. So plan a visit soon to this beautiful city for a memorable stay. You can take a pick from these hotels in Toronto depending upon your budget and requirements and enjoy your trip.


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Rick Volker: The Performer
Rick Volker entered the competition aerobatic world by storm, winning numerous regional Unlimited contests, such as the Can-Am, Henry Haigh, and Kathy Jaffe Challenges. Rick is a former competitor in athletic events such as swimming, speed skating, bicycle racing, cross-country skiing and body building. Such is the type of conditioning required to fly at this level, as it tests the limits of human endurance. While flying Unlimited aircraft, Rick alternates between plus-11 and minus-9 Gs often in the same maneuver. Unlimited pilots train for this type of extreme flying with the same intensity as any other fitness sport.
He has competed in aerobatic competitions for many years in high performance aircraft such as the Pitts Biplanes and Sukhoi monoplanes. Rick is known for flying the WWII Supermarine Spitfire MK IX in a spectacular display of surface level aerobatics. He is one of a few pilots in the world qualified to fly the rare Messerschmitt Bf109E, and has flown the same serial number Bf109 as Hans-Joachim Marseilles in an air show dogfight routine vs. the Hawker Hurricane. His other qualifications include brilliant displays of the Hawker Hurricane MK XII and the Harvard Mk. IV. He was a member of the exclusive Canadian Heritage Flight team where he flew the Spitfire Mk.IX in close formation with the CF-18 fighter. He is a piston warbird, high performance, and formation aerobatic ACE (Aerobatic Competency Evaluator).
There is a common theme in all of Rick's displays: complete mastery of the aircraft's possible flight envelope, pushing the boundaries of both low and high speed limits, and artfully utilizing the smallest 3 D space to create a masterpiece of entertainment.
Rick is featured on the PBS series "The Aviators" Season 1, Episode 8.
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Have you been instructed on proper application of Retin-A? Basically, before bedtime you have to wash your face with mild soap, pat it dry, and wait 20-30 minutes before applying Retin-A. Apply small amount of cream, wait for 10-15... READ COMMENT


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A short dialogue-based kind-of-game about people, a hill, and old—but not necessarily good ol'—days. Made in 4 days for #AdvJam2016.
Platforms Browser (Unity WebGL)
A short narrative game based on a true story, maybe.
Platforms Win, Mac, Linux
A subtle mini-adventure game, partly homaging those good ol' times when Space Quest happened and Big Brother was still considered a bad thing
Platforms Windows
Create and share silly 15 seconds kinda-songs, farts included.
Platforms Browser (Unity WebGL)
The cause is the cause. The cause is with you, as long as you are with the cause.
Ludum Dare 31, #17 Overall
Platforms Unity Webplayer
A mini-sci-fi-kind-of-interactive-comic/game about science and god, in a way.
Platforms Unity Webplayer
A treatise in game form about building cities that will make people fall in love. Or The Good, The Bad and The Bureaucrat.
Platforms iOS, Android
What is the definition of life? It's how much you can party, obviously.
Winner of Game Jolt Party Contest
Platforms Unity Webplayer
A new take on the classic Breakout.
Winner of GPI Retro Contest
Platforms Unity Webplayer
An Arabic learning game sponsored by Norad.
Ex aequo winner of EduApp4Syria
Platforms iOS, Android


text:
More Kindle Fire Fallout? Best Buy Knocks $200 Off HTC Flyer
Tablet-makers and retailers are reacting fast to the low, low sticker price on Amazon's new Kindle Fire, with the HTC Flyer the latest tablet to get a major price reduction at Best Buy stores in the U.S. on Friday.
The 7-inch, 16GB Flyer, which currently costs $499.99 at Best Buy, will get $200 knocked off that price starting Saturday, the retailer said in a statement. The new $299.99 price for the tablet is operative at Best Buy stores, Best Buy Mobile standalone stores, and on BestBuy.com, the company said.
Amazon's first tablet, the Kindle Fire, is priced at $199. Though it won't be released until Nov. 15, Amazon began taking pre-orders for the tablet this week, as did select retail partners including Best Buy, which is also taking pre-orders for three new Kindle ereaders Amazon also plans to release in time for the holiday season.
Like the Google Android-based HTC Flyer and another recently discounted tablet, Research in Motion's BlackBerry PlayBook, the Kindle Fire is a 7-inch device, smaller than Apple's best-selling iPad 2, which is 10 inches. Best Buy announced a $200 discount on three versions of the PlayBook on Thursday, dropping the price of the 16GB RIM tablet to $299, the 32GB version to $399, and the 64GB model to $499.
The PlayBook discount is temporary, however, running through Oct. 8 only in the U.S., whereas the HTC Flyer price cut is permanent, according to Best Buy. Discounts on the PlayBook are also in effect in Canadian Best Buys, where the retailer has knocked $100 off the price of the tablet and is offering shoppers an additional $100 rebate in the form of a gift card. The Best Buy Canada deal is also a limited-time promotion, good through Oct. 6.
RIM this week was rumored to be strongly considering shutting down its tablet business in the face of disappointing sales figures for the PlayBook before the discount initiatives, but the company characterized such reports as "total fiction."
The Kindle Fire is still priced considerably lower than either rival tablet, even with the discounts. Of course, the Amazon Fire's hardware specs are also fairly bare bones compared to those of the HTC Flyer and RIM PlayBook, particularly in storage capacitythe Fire has just 8GB of onboard storage with no expansion slots to add more.
Even before the Kindle Fire arrived on the scene, tablet-makers like RIM, HTC and others were having a tough go of it in the face of Apple's market dominance with the iPad. Hewlett-Packard threw in the towel on its webOS-based TouchPad tablet after just seven weeks and well before Amazon's tablet was made official, with HP offering steep discounts and eventually a full on fire sale to rid itself of TouchPad inventory.
Best Buy, an HP partner, no longer has any TouchPad inventory in stock, a Best Buy spokesman confirmed Friday.


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Province Tee Black on Black - Womens
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Type of Document Master's Thesis Author Piffaut, Victor Author's Email Address firstname.lastname@example.com URN etd-0902103-171251 Title Axis-Switching in Square Coaxial Jets Degree Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (M.S.M.E.) Department Mechanical Engineering Advisory Committee
Advisor Name Title D. E. Nikitopoulos Committee Chair R. Devireddy Committee Member S. Acharya Committee Member Keywords
- square coaxial jets
- axis-switching
Date of Defense 2003-05-09 Availability unrestricted AbstractAirflow from single and coaxial contoured nozzles with a square cross section is studied using constant temperature anemometry. The inner to outer jet velocity ratio is 1.5. The Reynolds number of the outer jet based on the hydraulic diameter of the outer nozzle exit is 15,300. Results are compared to previous data obtained with circular nozzles under the same conditions.
Properties of the jets and their shear layers such as turbulence shear layer thicknesses and growth rates were derived from the velocity record. The mixing between the jets and with the external flow was found to be enhanced by passive forcing. Axis switching was observed in the near field of the jets.
Fourier space analysis was conducted. Energies of the preferred modes and their harmonics were computed in the shear layers. A sub-harmonic cascade was observed, evidence of non-linear interaction between the preferred mode and its sub-harmonics.
Filename Size Approximate Download Time (Hours:Minutes:Seconds)
28.8 Modem 56K Modem ISDN (64 Kb) ISDN (128 Kb) Higher-speed Access Piffaut_thesis.pdf 3.42 Mb 00:15:48 00:08:07 00:07:06 00:03:33 00:00:18


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Artist of the day: Bob Anthony
"If it seems like Bob Anthony can do it all," St. Petersburg Times music critic Gina Vivinetto wrote in 2003, "it's because he can."
That's Anthony, above, in 2000, and even then he was a respected figure in the Tampa Bay music scene. His work with bands like the Smoking Jackets showcased his ability for crafting pop-rock that was complex yet beautiful, modern yet retro, a la Elvis Costello.
Anthony name-drops Lindsey Buckingham, Marshall Crenshaw and Richard Thompson as influences, and says he's looking forward to getting back out for more live shows -- like one this weekend at the Gemini Lounge in St. Pete.
"I haven't played out as frequently the last couple of years," he said, "but am looking to get back out on a more regular basis, and the idea of playing a new venue appealed to me, especially in downtown St. Pete, which is hard to beat these days as a destination."
Look for Anthony at 9 p.m. Saturday at the Gemini, 2315 Central Ave. He'll be performing with former members of Car Bomb Driver and The Boats, and he's promising a night of "original tunes new and old, cover tunes mostly old and not always recognizable, and gobs of instrumentals on guitars with 6 and 12 strings, acoustic and electric." Sounds fun!
-- Jay Cridlin, tbt*


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Ah, good old ketchup — or is that "catsup"? Perhaps, written on some old vintage bottle somewhere, you've even glimpsed "catchup." Follow the etymology of the word and things get more interesting than you think. Though thought of as quintessentially American, this sauce has traveled quite a journey to reach our shores — originally "ke-tsiap" (Amoy Chinese), on to "kechap" (Malay), and finally "ketjap" (Dutch) before making the leap into the English lexicon. And this sauce wasn't always a simple concoction of tomatoes, vinegar, and proprietary seasonings (chemicals?)... early versions apparently included mushrooms, onions, lemons, and anchovies (!).
All very fascinating, to be sure, but there's probably one question burning on everyone's minds that is far more important — how the heck to get the mighty stuff out of the bottle. Well, we're here to help. It is said that holding the infamous glass bottle parallel to the table and giving an authoritative whack to the part that reads "57" does the trick. Does it really work? Find out for yourself.
Click here to see the Grilled Patty Melt on Sourdough with Spicy Ketchup Recipe.


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The son of a coaching legend and admitted lifer in college coaching weighs in on the state of madness enveloping the college football coaching ranks. The same guy that developed Anthony Morelli comes off, well, reasoned.
I am not saying that every coach should take a vow of poverty or stay at his school for three decades, but we must remember what has made ours a noble profession. It is the mission of our profession: the use of sport to help young men transition from high school and prepare them for the world that awaits them after college.
Coaches walk into a recruit's home and talk about how they will look out for that young man's future. When the parents or guardians pass their boy on to college, they put his welfare into that coach's hands. The expectation is that the coach will help to guide him through a very formative time.
A year later the same coach is off to another job for more money and left behind are the young men he promised to nurture towards their future. The coach talks about a "dream job" or a new challenge, and everyone gobbles it up.


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Filmmakers of "Black Water Transit" have re-worked the cast lineup for the flick, rounding out Laurence Fishburne, Karl Urban, and Brittany Snow in the list.
Looks like the reunion between Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson won't be happening through "Black Water Transit" as Variety has shockingly informed that the project will board with new cast of characters instead.
In replacement of the two acclaimed actors, Laurence Fishburne and Karl Urban have been picked up along with Brittany Snow, last seen playing cute wallflower Kate in high school comedy "John Tucker Must Die", to make up the new lineup. Writing task has also been shifted from Doug Richardson to Matthew Chapman, who previously penned "Runaway Jury" for 20th Century Fox.
Based on Carsten Stroud's novel of the same name, "Water" centers on a shipping company owner who tries to get his junkie son freed from prison. Filming is said to begin this week with Tony Kaye still in charge to direct and Robert Katz producing for Capitol Films.


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Bankruptcy Law
Bankruptcy Law Questions? Ask a Bankruptcy Lawyer.
Hello I am a licensed attorney here to help you with your question, please review my response and do not hesitate to ask for clarification.
If he cannot afford his basic needs,
than a bankruptcy would be an option for him,
If his yearly income is below the State median, he would qualify,
in terms of his car, if he has equity in the car it will be an issue,
In AZ, their is a $5000 motor vehicle exemption, so if he has $5000 or less in equity in his car, he can keep it,
For one person the means test,
What is the state median for Arizona? He owns the car outright, it. All of the debt is credit card debt.
Since he has a child he may be able to counted as a two person household which has a higher limit
How much is his car worth?
okay. Would he just look in the yellow pages for a bankruptcy lawyer? The car is probably worth $5,000-$6,000. How long would his credit be affected by a bankruptcy?
It would be on his report for 10 years, but after one year of filing, his credit score should improve,
He can look online for local bankruptcy attorneys, or contact the local county bar association,
You can also look at the link above, as it has cheap AZ bankruptcy attorneys listed as well.
the car is worth $5K-$6K. How long would his credit be affected by a bankruptcy?
Thank you very much. That was very helpful.


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The Salomon Fast Wing Vest is a lightweight and breathable windproof running vest. Its perfect for chilly morning runs, and can be easily stashed when you get warmed up as it'll pack into a pocket.
With Pre-Order, you can purchase the latest items added to our store in advance of them arriving with us.
You Pre-Order is prioritised (at no additional charge); meaning that, as soon as the product arrives with us, we can wrap it straight back up and get it sent out to you - it often never even hits the stock room shelves!
With Pre-Launch, the date when we expect to receive the product ourselves is still a little too hazy to be confident in accepting Pre-Orders.
So, instead, you can submit your email address against the item you are interested in and we will email you as soon as stock arrives on the system.
Estimated Delivery Dates are given on Pre-Order and Pre-Launch products. They are for indication purposes only and can change at any time without notice.
The dates we provide are based on indications given by our suppliers. Whenever we get updated information from our suppliers we will endeavour to update the Estimated Delivery Dates provided on product pages.
A lightweight and breathable windproof running vest. Its perfect for chilly morning runs, and can be easily stashed when you get warmed up as it'll pack into a pocket.The Fast Wing vest provides core protection from the chill, and when combined with a tech tee and arm warmers makes for a super lightweight and stashable layering system for races and training.
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Home > Conferences > Conference Details
the Sixth International Conference on System of Systems Engineering (SoSE) with its vast ramifications in numerous engineering fields such as control, computing, communication, information technology and in applications such manufacturing, defense, national security, aerospace, aeronautics, energy, environment, healthcare, and transportation. The conference theme is SoSE in Cloud Computing, Smart Grid, and Cyber Security, three areas of significant investment within the public and private sectors as well
27 Jun - 30 Jun 2011
Sheraton Uptown Hotel
Albuquerque, NM, USA
Ferat Sahin
RIT, Electrical and Microelectronics Engineering
79 Lomb Memorial Dr.
Rochester NY USA 14623
+1 585 317 0869
+1 585 475 2175
+1 585 475 5845 (fax)
Please see the conference Web site for full details.
Abstract submission deadline: 14 Mar 2011
Final submission deadline: 16 May 2011
Notification of acceptance date: 18 Apr 2011


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British Airways to cut 400 cabin crew jobs
British Airways is cutting 400 senior cabin crew positions on both its long and short-haul routes.
It said that all the redundancies would be voluntary and that it had started a 90-day consultation process. The first cuts are expected to take effect from next March.
The announcement comes after a newspaper report said the airline had too many senior cabin crew members.
BA's sister airline, Iberia, is moving ahead with plans to shed 4,500 jobs.
The two carriers merged in 2011 to form International Airlines Group.
BA said the job cuts would affect senior cabin crew staff who worked exclusively on either its long or short-haul flights, and not those who worked across both.
The airline has about 14,000 cabin crew staff in total.
In 2010 and 2011 it was hit by a series of strikes over staffing levels, pay, and the removal of travel concessions.


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Nurturing a child's enterprising skills will stand them in good stead for the rest of their life, whatever they choose to do, author and businesswoman Lorraine Allman tells Lisa Salmon.
By Lisa Salmon
In today's competitive world, some parents might like to think their bright and curious child is destined to become the next Sir Richard Branson.
While such thoughts may be overly ambitious to say the least, there is perhaps no harm in hoping that one day your child might run his/her own business, or at the very least display some entrepreneurial skills.
Such skills are unlikely to lead to fame, fortune and world domination - but there's no doubt they could help today's children lead a happy and successful adult life, says businesswoman Lorraine Allman, who has just written the book Enterprising Child to help parents develop their child's entrepreneurial potential.
The mother-of-one firmly believes that encouraging entrepreneurial traits is the greatest gift parents can give to children, as it can help them succeed in both work and life.
But she insists: "This isn't about creating mini-Richard Bransons or Deborah Meadens.
"While some children may go on to do wondrous things, entrepreneurial skills, attitudes and characteristics are of equal value in an employment setting, travelling - whatever a young person decides to do.
"It's not just about teaching business skills to children. Most people wouldn't argue with the fact that communication skills, problem solving, teamwork and commercial awareness are all of benefit in a very broad sense."
Aimed at children from four to 14 years, the book identifies five key entrepreneurial characteristics, and goes on to suggest numerous activities for specific age groups to help develop these attributes.
The characteristics are: :: Perceptions of possibilities: seeing the unrealised potential in situations and exploring and exploiting it.
:: Ambition: wanting to do things better and achieve more.
:: Risk and resolve: embracing risks as part of challenges, and demonstrating resolve in the way those risks are managed.
:: Teamwork: inspiring others and working in and leading teams.
:: Value: focusing on the end game and monitoring results.
Emphasising the value of such traits, Allman, who runs a business mentoring firm, explains: "I'm not suggesting that every child should start their own business or become an entrepreneur.
"I do believe, however, that encouraging, supporting and nurturing your child to think and behave in an entrepreneurial way will have a significant impact on the way they view themselves, the world they live in and the opportunities and challenges they will inevitably face in the years ahead."
To help parents nurture these traits, she suggests numerous activities, generally linked to simple everyday experiences, such as shopping, making things, storytelling and even gardening.
All the activities are in age sections and relate to at least one of the five key entrepreneurial characteristics, so parents can see which skill their child is learning.
One example, for children aged four to six years, is to turn queueing into a learning experience. To do this, a parent in a long queue with their child can ask them why they think the queue is so long, and what could be done to make the queue move faster.
This encourages the child to think about possible solutions to the queueing problem, and stops them getting bored in the queue by taking their mind off it and encouraging them to think creatively.
Another idea is for parents of children aged nine to 11 years to let them be Top Dog for the day. In this activity, the child decides which household chores need to be done, what equipment is needed for each task, and who does each one.
It needs to be fun, says Allman, and the child will learn that efficient teamwork needs someone in charge. They will also find out more about effective communication, negotiation and dealing with conflict (such as a younger sibling who doesn't want to do the chores he/she has been allocated).
Allman points out that many of the activities are play-based, and stresses: "This isn't about making children grow up before their time.
"I'm trying to support parents and help them to notice what sparks their children's interest, and help them uncover their child's passions and talents by exposing them to new experiences and ideas.
"It's just looking at what your child does in a slightly different way."
She gives the example of a young child involved in role play, for example playing at shops.
Parents should try to notice what part of the role play their child enjoys most - is it setting up shop, or the selling, planning, or presentation?
Allman points out that Young Enterprise research in 2009 found that 59% of the UK's 'most important and influential companies' thought the education system was poor at developing young people's entrepreneurial skills, and 75% said British education wasn't equipping youngsters with the right skills to enter the workforce.
"The feedback from employers is that they want these skills and schools aren't producing them. There are fundamental gaps that are being missed for our children.
"This isn't about facts and figures, it's about characteristics, and that's why it can be nurtured in children from such a young age and why parents play such a pivotal role."
She adds: "Every parent wants the best for their child, and this is simply trying to uncover and explore with your child their natural passions and talents, at a pace that's right for them."
:: Enterprising Child is published by Bookshaker, priced £13.95. Available now.
Ask the expert Q: "My seven-year-old son has fallen and hit his head hard on concrete, and while it's only grazed, he's got a bad headache and I don't know whether I should take him to hospital. What should I look out for to help me decide what to do?"
A: Consultant paediatrician Dr Robert Scott-Jupp, spokesperson for the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, says: "This is a common query for GPs and emergency departments. Not every child with this sort of injury needs to be seen by a doctor.
"The important questions are: Did he lose consciousness at all, either immediately after the injury or since?
"Did he have any sort of fit or seizure?
"Has he vomited more than two or three times?
"Has he become confused; e.g. doesn't know where he is, or who familiar people are?
"Is there any double vision or loss of vision?
"Is there any weakness down one side of his body or his face?
"Is any fluid or blood leaking from his ears or nose?
"If he has any of these, then he should be taken straight to an emergency department.
"If the answers to all these questions are no, then he could safely be kept at home, but he will need close watching, and the things to watch out for are the development of any of the symptoms listed above over the 24 hours following the injury.
"The graze can be treated like any graze, and the headache can be treated with simple paracetamol (e.g. Calpol).
"It's fine to let him sleep normally, and he doesn't need to be kept awake, but he should be woken a couple of times during the night to check that he can still be roused."
Breastfeeding buddies Thrupenny Bits Breastfeeding Pillow A supportive breastfeeding pillow that converts into a slouch bag with a zip when you've finished using it, simply by popping out the filler. Available from www.thrupennybits.co.uk, £45.
Medela Swing Electric Breastpump This compact breastpump simulates the natural infant sucking behaviour at the mother's breast, with a range of vacuum levels and settings, and faster let-down and maximum milk flow to reduce pumping time. Available from Amazon and Mothercare, £129.99.
Breastvest A vest that sits just below a mother's nursing bra, held in place by specially designed long straps, so when she lifts up any top to breastfeed, her postnatal tummy is comfortably covered. Available from www.breastvest.co.uk, £15.


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The Lé word Bé [be24] has three related meanings:
- 'Great'; cf. compounds like bésɛ̀ 'great city, metropolis'.
- An ethnonym (derived of course from the first sense), encompassing all speakers of Beic languages, known to be isolating, tonal and largely monosylabic. As Lé has no plurals, we can speak of one Bé or many Bé.
- The land occupied by these people; that is, the northern, Beic-speaking cultural zone of Arcél. (There are some minor groups, mostly Linaminče, who are culturally but not linguistically Bé.)
Specific peoples
The major Bé peoples, west to east, and their countries:
- The Pah of Pahsau, now a Kebreni colony
- The Łei of Łeisau
- The Mau of Mǎɔraŋ
- The Hao of Haoraŋ (eastern Mǎɔraŋ)
- The Lé of Belesao
- The Pàn of Pansao (upper Belesao)
- The Nér of Nérsao (eastern Belesao)
- The Mɔlɔ of Mɔlɔsɔu
The name Belesao is a compound of Bé + Lé (once a dynastic name, now an ethnic group) + sàɔ 'country'; it's rather like the name of Saudi Arabia (which contains both name of the ethnic group and the ruling dynasty).
The Bé is entirely in the tropical zone of Arcél, a region dominated by the rain forest. The dominant agricultural mode even today is shifting garden plots; this is supplemented by fishing and small game hunting. Sparked in part by trade with Krwŋ, city-states appeared in the Lɛn valley by 1100, and large-scale queendoms by 1500. By about 2000 there was regular sea trade with Nyan, which accelerated westward settlement; by 3200 the first Kebreni ships arrived, bringing fascinating new goods and ideas. The Bé have thus long had a mercantile orientation and welcomed foreign ideas; they are arguably the most advanced nations of Arcél.
The religion of the Beic peoples is polytheistic. The major Bé goddesses have temperaments rather than portfolios; e.g. Jíŋ is haughty, Ŋisú is cheerful, Kâ is treacherous. There are also lesser spirits (hɔ́), often associated with animals. The distinctive feature of their world view is understanding of the universe as twofold, consisting of nɔŋǎ (the 'inner world', the spirit realm) and dòŋǎ ('death world', the physical realm).
The Bé are also known for their female dominance: they are governed at the family and state level by women, based on a belief that women are smarter, tougher, and less emotional than men. In ancient Beic kingdoms, when a queen died, all her husbands were sacrificed. Fortunately for males, modern Bé no longer practice it.
See also
- Bé clothing
- Múr, the life of a typical Bé peasant
- Arcél tropical agriculture
- Bé religions: Nàłó, Hǎełó, Trɛ̌słó


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Requiem for a Superinvestor
It's been a tough month for the value-investing community. Two members of the original "superinvestors" that Warren Buffett wrote of in his now-famous Hermes article, "The Superinvestors of Graham-and-Doddsville," passed away recently.
Ed Anderson was a partner at Tweedy Browne from 1960s to the early 1980s, during which time the firm built an enviable record investing in asset and earnings bargains. The value of the approach was proven during the difficult market of the 1970s. The firm had just one down year in that volatile and dangerous decade, with a loss of a little less than 2% as the decade opened. Over the span of Anderson's career at the value-investing firm, it earned 16% compared with just 7% annually for the broader market. He retired in 1983 to pursue charitable and intellectual interests, including behavioral science and education....638 more words left in this article. To read them, just click below and try Real Money FREE for 14 days.
There's no substitute for a trading floor to get great ideas, so Jim Cramer created a better one at Real Money and blogs there exclusively. We then added legendary hedge fund manager, Doug Kass, with his exclusive Daily Diary and best investing ideas. Staffed with more than 4 dozen investing pros, money managers, journalists and analysts, Real Money Pro gives you a flood of opinions, analysis and actionable trading advice found nowhere else, and allows you to interact directly with each expert.
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Missing Person: 37 year old Sheila Franks last seen in Eureka
From the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office:
On 3-13-2014, at approximately 7:30 p.m., the Fortuna Police Department forwarded a missing person report to the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office. The missing person is Sheila Franks, 37 years old known to live in Rio Dell and Loleta. Her mother called to report her missing, because her family had not heard from Sheila in the last month and a half. Sheila has been very consistent with communicating with her son, which has not occurred for over a month and is very out of character for Sheila. Shelia was last seen in Eureka on 01-11-14.
Sheila Franks is described as: White female, 37 years old, strawberry blond hair, blue eyes, 5'5" tall and approximately 120 lbs.
Anyone with information for the Sheriff's Office regarding this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Sheriffs Office at 707-445-7251 or the Sheriffs Office Crime Tip line at 707-268-2539.


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What's New in this Release?
We are pleased to announce the release of Aspose.Email for .NET 1.4.0. This release includes support for Providing EML files validation abilities. It also provide drag drop feature for WPF and Visual Studio 2010 and MapiMessage with digital certificate support. Moreover now users can Set HELO/EHLO string for Smtp easily and added enhance Printing functionality to include From, To, CC and Subject fields. The main new and enhanced features added in this release are listed below
Other most recent bug fixes are also included in this release.
Newly added documentation pages and articles
Some new tips and articles have now been added into Aspose.Email for .NET documentation that may guide you briefly how to use Aspose.Email for performing different tasks like the followings.
Overview: Aspose.Email for .NET
Aspose.Email for .NET is a set of components allowing developers to easily implement email functionality within their ASP.NET web applications, web services & Windows applications. It Supports Outlook PST, EML, MSG & MHT formats. It allows developers to work with SMTP, POP3, FTP & MS Exchange servers. It supports mail merge, iCalendar, customized header & body, header information, embedded files, Twitter & many more. It makes it easy to work with HTML or plain text emails & their attachments.
More about Aspose.Email for .NET
Contact Information
Aspose Pty Ltd
Suite 163, 79 Longueville Road
Lane Cove, NSW, 2066
Phone: 888.277.6734
Fax: 866.810.9465
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create an account here.
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Michigan Teen Rallies to Strike 'R' Rating from 'Bully' Movie [VIDEO]
'Bully' is a documentary which follows the lives of five kids and families over the course of a school year and tackles the devastating effects bullying has on teens and tweens. However the film has been given an 'R' rating by the Motion Picture Association of America, which will limit its access to the very kids producers hope to help.
Katy Butler, a Michigan teenager from Greenhills High School near Ann Arbor hopes to change that rating. Butler endured severe bullying during her middle school years when she came out as a lesbian.
She's started this online petition, urging the MPAA to change the movie's rating to 'PG-13.' The movement has already gathered over 155,000 online signatures.


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AKRON – With seasonal RSV and influenza activity on the rise in the community, Akron Children's Hospital is reinforcing visitor restrictions at its Akron and Mahoning Valley hospital campuses for the safety of patients and to curb the spread of these illnesses.
All visitors, including family members, should be healthy. Please do not visit patients if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms: Fever, Cough, Sore throat, Vomiting, Diarrhea, Muscle aches, Chills.
No more than two visitors, in addition to parents/guardians, should be in a patient room at any time. Certain units of the hospital may have different visitation guidelines.
If at all possible, please try not to bring children to the hospital unless they are the ones in need of evaluation or treatment.
"We are asking for the help of the public and our patient families to help stop the spread of the flu and protect all children in the community, including, of course, our patients," said John Bower, MD, a pediatric infectious disease specialist. "Washing hands regularly and getting the flu vaccine are other important ways we can protect ourselves and others from the flu."
Akron Children's has a mandatory policy for all employees to get an annual flu vaccination, recognizing this effort as another vital safeguard in fighting the spread of influenza.


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We all have our favorite places to go, but one that really helped me put my life on track — and helps others do so as well — is Ms. Fit Health Clubs.
The women-only fitness center is locally owned and operated. It opened in May 2001 at 7788 E. Speedway, attracting gym-goers from all over the east side.
Owners Bob and Annette Simper aim to help women work out when it is convenient for each individual.
"I want women to be able to come in, get a great workout, take a class, focus on their goals, all within a 45-minute time frame. Afterward she can get out the door and back to her demanding life, better equipped to handle the stresses and the pressures," Annette said.
Being a member of Ms. Fit Health Clubs since 2004, I know what the Simpers mean. When I joined the club, I hadn't worked out in a long time, and I needed a change. I had previously run several miles several times a week, but I was now a busy college student trying to find time to juggle schoolwork, a fairly new relationship, church life, a job, and family and friends while attempting to keep up a healthy lifestyle.
I remember walking into the gym, dwelling on my current unhealthy ways. My mom and I met with Annette and knew it was the right gym for me. I have been a happy member there ever since.
Ms. Fit Health Clubs — or Ms. Fit — offers 45-minute classes designed to appeal to women of all ages and fitness levels. With 37 classes a week, women can typically find one to meet their needs. If you want to break a sweat, there's Zumba, Step or Cardio Box. For more muscle-specific work, you can take Firm n' Tone, Pump Zone or Pilates. Seniors or those looking for a beginning class can enjoy EZ Fit or Gentle Yoga.
You can check out the club's website at www.msfit.net for more information on classes, schedules and descriptions.
Ms. Fit also sells women's weight equipment, cardio equipment and free weights. Personal trainers are available to help with workouts, and Ms. Fit also offers massage therapy, acupuncture and Chinese herbal treatments.
Recently, Ms. Fit began working with women suffering from Parkinson's as well as the bariatric unit at Tucson Medical Center. That's post-op women get help exercising, some for the very first time. Annette is looking to expand this service to bariatric units in other hospitals throughout Tucson.
welcoming environment
I asked Annette what makes the gym unique.
"It's the individual care that we give to each woman. As a follower of Christ, I want to create an environment that is filled with joy and healing. A place where women can try something new, make a mistake, get up and take a bow; a place where everyone else will give her a standing ovation for even trying. There should be no criticizing or judging, only a place where all are encouraged to give it their best effort."
Every client can choose how much assistance she wants from trainers. If you prefer working out on your own, the staff is respectful of that. But if you need guidance each step of the way, trainers will provide it.
"If a woman comes in and says, 'My goal is to fit in my wedding dress by February,' my whole team gets on board with helping her accomplish that goal," Annette said.
And knowing from personal experience, if you don't make the gym part of your normal routine, you'll get an encouraging phone call from a trainer, making sure you're all right and seeing what they can do for you to help get you back in the gym.
Ms. Fit attracts women whose faiths may not allow them to remove certain public attire in a co-ed facility. For any woman working toward a healthier lifestyle, Annette has words of wisdom she hopes will help.
"The goal should be to create a healthy way of living … that includes practicing healthy eating habits. It includes the practice of making exercise a part of one's daily routine. If one sets out with this as the primary goal, the body will begin to conform and shape up into the lifestyle that is demanded of it."
Approximately 760 women are members at Ms. Fit. Of those, 80 (including myself) have received a lifetime membership with the gym. These passes are awarded for recruiting other members or for winning the gym's annual "biggest loser competition."
I've noticed a wide range of ages working up a sweat on any given day. Members range from 11 years old to those in their 90s. I talked with some to see what keeps them coming back.
A member for seven years, 60-year-old Brenda wants to stay in shape in a clean and friendly atmosphere.
"It just really is fun and a great stress relief for me. Everybody seems to be working on the same kinds of goals and interests."
And 24-year-old Hannah has tried many gyms — coed included — and finds that Ms. Fit is her "home gym."
She began working out at Ms. Fit after graduating from high school. Once Hannah joined a different gym after moving out of state for college, she lost the enthusiasm to work out.
"I found myself not going to the gym because I didn't feel comfortable there. I felt so at home with Ms. Fit … . Nothing's a competition at Ms. Fit. (The) environment is welcoming and encouraging … you always feel comfortable. Being all-women, I can get in and do my things with no distraction."
Sharon, 70 and a member for nine years, likes that the gym isn't crowded when she goes there. And she says Annette is welcoming to all women.
"Annette goes out of her way to provide incentive for all women, regardless of size, race. Anybody would feel comfortable coming here, I think."
long history
Together, the Simpers have been involved in women's fitness since Elaine Powers Figure Salons, a national chain of women's exercise centers that originated several decades ago.
In 1982, the Simpers knew they wanted to provide a women's-only workout environment when they heard an advertisement for a coed fitness center claiming to be the "new singles bar of the '80s." The Simpers wanted to offer something to women who weren't interested in working out at a "singles bar."
So they founded Naturally Women Fitness Centers in 1984. They enjoyed their time there, and in 1997, sold their portion to their partners. Afterward, the couple still felt compelled to provide fitness services to women in Tucson.
Over the years, Bob and Annette found that "lack of time" was the main reason women gave for canceling or not renewing gym memberships. That's when they came up with a new facility that would provide maximum workout opportunities in minimal amounts of time.
The Simpers strive to keep membership costs affordable. Ms. Fit offers a free workout session with a trainer or a free day pass to work out and try out classes and equipment. The most popular membership is $30 a month, but other packages are available.
With this being their only location, the couple hopes the economy will turn around so they can open more Ms. Fit Health Clubs in other parts of town.
"As long as women want to exercise in a private setting, we want to provide the setting for them," Annette said.


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A KNUTSFORD church will once again be turned into a festive haven of decorated trees.
The Christmas Tree Festival was first held at St Cross on Mobberley Road in 2010 with the help of volunteers of all ages.
There were 70 trees adorned with Father Christmas skeletons, shuttlecock angels, edible treats, and other creations – Knutsford Guardian paper chains – and all money raised was donated to Millington-based charity Children's Adventure Farm.
Organiser Helen Rogers said: "Again it has been a pleasure putting together the tree festival.
"People who took part last time have been delighted that it's happening again, and people have been saying they'd heard it was so lovely last time they're looking forward to seeing it for the first time this year.
"Of course visitors will also be able to enjoy light refreshments and home-baked caked again – there's plenty of voluntary baking going on again."
Kate Kindred, from Techno Type in King Street, said: "It was magical last time.
"There was such a super atmosphere when everyone was setting their trees up, it really did feel like the local community was coming together.
"I'll definitely be encouraging other people to take part this year."
The festival is open during the following times: Friday, November 30, from 11am to 7pm; Saturday, December 1 from 11am until 5.30pm; and Sunday, December 2 from 11am to 3.30pm, with carol singing between 3pm and 3.30pm. Entry costs £2.50.
Space has been made for a few more trees, so if you would like to take part by setting up and decorating a tree call 01565 654478 or e-mail ChristmasTreeKnutsford@ gmail.com.


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A rep for Amy and Will has confirmed that the couple's second baby boy, named Abel James Arnett, 'was born on Friday morning and weighed in at 7 lbs., 13 oz.'
It's another boy for "Parks and Recreation" star Amy Poehler and actor husband Will Arnett. On Friday, August 6, a rep for the second-time parents, who have been married since 2003, told Access Hollywood via statement, "Amy Poehler and Will Arnett have welcomed their second child, a boy."
"Abel James Arnett was born on Friday morning and weighed in at 7 lbs., 13 oz.," the rep's statement further revealed. "Amy, Will, Abel and Archie are all healthy and resting comfortably." Archibald "Archie" William Emerson Arnett, is 1-year-old son of Amy and Will.
Professionally, Amy Poehler is credited for becoming a featured player on "Saturday Night Live" and for her role in 2008 film "Baby Mama". She is also up for an Emmy for her leading role on the NBC comedy "Parks and Recreation". Will Arnett, in the meantime, previously played on TV series "Arrested Development" and is gearing up for his new comedy on FOX, "Running Wilde", which is set to premiere this fall.