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[14 April 2009]
Excerpted from China Underground , Chapter 5. The Slacker (PopMatters / Soft Skull, April 2009)
See also China Underground: The Black Society
And China Underground: The Uighur Jimi Hendrix
Liu Jianfeng has impressive hair. Most of the time, he keeps it hidden under a knit cap, which he only takes off when it's time to comb it, wash himself, and go to sleep. When he takes the cap off, his hair cascades like a waterfall, straight down to his ass: it is jet-black, shiny, soft and smooth. He uses a special wooden comb that is supposed to offer health benefits to both the hair and the scalp.
In a few hours, he'll let a few good-looking female friends take turns brushing his mane, but for now, it's hidden under his trademark cap—today's is black. Jianfeng is perched in a little nook in the second story of Cafeteria, a café where he's part owner. His joint is not really a cafeteria; it's a ramshackle but very comfortable little two-story restaurant in an old house.
Binoculars are pressed to his eyes, and he's staring out the window, looking down at the street, checking out the women walking along People's Road in the small town of Dali, which is nestled in the mountains of idyllic Yunnan Province.
There are a lot of good-looking ladies in this town, and Jianfeng's staked out the prime chick-watching spot. Girls who are coming back from swimming in the lake or from buying food at the little market down the street all stroll up this street on their way back to the center of town, right past this window.
Jianfeng has a contented smile on his face, like a cat that's just eaten its last bite of canary. He's singing a popular Chinese love song to himself in a barely audible, sweet falsetto. From time to time, he adjusts the focus wheel on the binoculars or takes a break to smoke a Red River cigarette. It's a lazy day; the mountain air is crisp, and the sun feels warm against my skin. I'm idly cracking sunflower seeds in my teeth and spitting them onto an empty plate, watching Jianfeng watch the girls, and debating whether to take a nap.
His patience is remarkable; on more than one occasion, I've seen him sit in this little nook for hours, combing the crowd. He looks through his binoculars at migrant workers in worn clothing, at elderly locals dressed in the blue traditional clothes of the Bai people, and at middle school students skipping down the street in blue-and-white uniforms. These are all extraneous presences in Jianfeng's field of vision, but he is quick to pounce when pretty girls walk by, fiddling with his binoculars quickly and following them up People's Road through his magnified gaze.
Jianfeng favors wearing his Levis so tight that they look like they were spray-painted onto his skin. To complement the jeans, he wears equally tight T-shirts that he silk-screens himself. The shirt he's wearing today proclaims, in loud capital letters, "War is over if you hemp" it in the red-green-and yellow colors of the Rastafarians.
He's wearing black Converse All-Stars which "fell off the truck" on the way back from the factory in Guangzhou and so cost only 45 yuan instead of the retail price of 300 yuan. Around his neck hangs a massive necklace made up of stones, old coins, shells, and other little trinkets people have given him: reminders of friends he's had and people he's loved. I'm sitting next to him, idly skimming a copy of On the Road in Chinese and doodling in my notebook.
He's also very tall and slim for a Chinese man. Unlike most Chinese, who eat with relish every species in the animal kingdom—the more exotic the better—Liu Jianfeng adheres to a strict vegetarian diet. He credits his svelte physique to his health regimen: no meat, lots of vegetables, and a significant daily dose of grain alcohol.
The cumulative effect of his stylish clothes and the ultra-confident way he carries himself combine to form a kind of radioactive sheen of coolness, a mystical aura of kind indifference and individuality that earns Jianfeng the admiration of both men and women.
But there is trouble in paradise: time is running out for Liu Jianfeng. You wouldn't know it by looking at him—his manner could be the dictionary definition of "relaxed"—but underneath the appealing pose he's feeling some serious pressure. February 2007 marks the start of the Year of the Pig. His parents are getting older—hell, he's getting older—and it's finally time to find a wife and have a child. According to the Chinese zodiac, babies born in the year of the pig are lucky, smart, and clever. It's an auspicious sign. It's a good year to sow his seed.
Jianfeng's a serious playboy. He has more girlfriends than anyone else he knows. But he needs to find his soulmate, the one he can spend the rest of his life with, the one who won't nag him to change his ways, the one he loves as much as she loves him. He knows it can take a lifetime to find a soulmate, but he's confident. The one thing he's absolutely certain of is that this chick has to be perfect.
He's already been married—and divorced—once. He chose the wrong girl, made a huge mistake, and is extremely wary of repeating it. Jianfeng lights a cigarette and furrows his brow. Maybe today will be the day, he says, and then nods to himself and says it again, like a Buddhist mantra or something out of a self-help book.
He is 36-years old-but looks ten years younger.
Liu Jianfeng was born and raised in Jinan, the capital of Shandong, a province which is known for the richness of its soil, the mildness of its climate, and the kindness of its people. Chinese are very fond of making generalizations about people based on where they are from. For example, people from Shantou, in Guangdong Province, are known as skillful businessmen, while people from Henan Province are thought to be cheaters and liars. People from Shandong are kind; in Chinese, "haoren," literally, "good people".
Though all blanket statements like this must not, of course, be taken literally, I've spent a lot of time in Shandong and, for some reason—possibly due to its proximity to the coast—the people are nice. Liu Jianfeng could be the archetypical Shandong haoren. I met him several years ago, sitting around a fire in a mutual friend's house; after our first conversation, I was struck by his genuine concern and compassion for other people. (This is a quality lacking in too many of his self-centered contemporaries.)
His was a relatively comfortable middle-class upbringing. His mother was a doctor and his father was in the army and a local Communist Party official. "You would think that my dad would have hit me, 'cause he was in the army," Jianfeng says, "but I only saw him once a week—the rest of the time he had to be in the military compound—and so he was pretty good to me. Only my mother hit me, when I was bad."
He flashes a Cheshire grin. "I was a bad kid. She hit me a lot."
As Jianfeng grew older, he grew restless. By the time he was nearing the end of high school, he began to think that Jinan was a backwater. A hick town. So on weekends and during school vacations, he took the train up to Beijing or down to the seaside town of Qingdao, sometimes with a friend and sometimes alone, hiding in the bathrooms to avoid paying for a ticket, chain-smoking cigarettes out the window.
In those pre-reform days, Jianfeng remembers, it was rare for high school kids to be able to bum around; the other passengers thought he must be the son of some high official or something and they left him alone. Back then, 18 years ago, the train from Jinan to Beijing took nine hours and cost seven yuan. Today, the same trip takes four hours and costs 70 yuan.
Like any wannabe hipster kid hitting the big city for the first time, Jianfeng became immediately and severely infatuated with Beijing. Compared to Jinan, Beijing seemed huge, and in those pre-Tiananmen days, the city was a hotbed of (relatively) free intellectualism. Jianfeng made his way up to the university areas and hung around trying to look cool. He listened carefully to pick up the local slang and started mimicking the harsh Beijing pronunciation to cover up his countryside accent.
But these trips always ended badly upon his return home: after a few days the excitement of Beijing wore off and Jianfeng was back in the Jinan, the same dull place he started from. He decided to dedicate himself to the study of painting. He dreamed of attending art school in Beijing. However, the local art teachers' committee decided he didn't have any promise as a painter. His hopes were dashed: he was stuck in Jinan and condemned to a life of eternal boredom.
One November morning in 1993, Jianfeng was sitting around his parents' house, working on a painting (the compulsion to paint remained, in spite of the discouragement), when he decided that he was going to make a fucking break for it. In his youthful exuberance, he decided—he just knew—that he was good enough to make it as an artist. He called up Liu Bo, his best buddy, and said: We're moving to Beijing. Liu Bo said: When? Jianfeng said: Now. Liu Bo said: Let's do it!
They got on the train with only the clothes on their backs and a few hundred yuan between the two of them, and headed towards the big city, shaking with anticipation, listening to Bon Jovi through cheap, shared headphones
When Jianfeng and Liu Bo arrived at the enormous, austere Beijing Railway Station, they had no friends and, therefore, nowhere to stay. They were dressed out in their best rock 'n' roll regalia, padded leather jackets, long, straight hair. A policeman saw them wandering around the fringes of Beijing like a couple of lost dogs.
When the policeman approached the exhausted pair, they were scared shitless. Their first day in Beijing and they were already in trouble with the Public Security Bureau?
"Where are you guys from?" asked the cop.
"Shandong," responded Jianfeng, "Jinan."
The cop scratched his head, looking at their outfits. "Are you guys musicians?"
"Yes we are. That's us," said Jianfeng, and Liu Bo looked at him quizzically.
The policeman nodded. "Well, I know where all the guys that play rock 'n' roll stay. They're pretty good guys. I'll give you a ride up there."
"It was funny," remembers Liu Jianfeng, "that cop saved our asses!"
Photo of Chinese youths attending the Midi Music Festival 2001 in Beijing found at Cournell University Library. Note: this is not an image of anyone discussed in this book.
During Deng Xiaoping's "Southern Tour" in 1992, he made the famous statement "To get rich is glorious!" This was a tacit declaration to the people: you are free to open businesses and make money. That phrase sparked the madness also known as the market reform of the Chinese economy.
The People's Republic of China is ruled by an organization that calls itself the Chinese Communist Party, which owns most of the country's largest businesses and, theoretically, all of its land. China is, however, not "communist" at all; in fact, its remarkable growth in recent years has been largely due to this reform of the private sector economy.
From the teahouses in Chengdu to the restaurants in Beijing, people were meeting and scheming, trying to figure out how to get their piece of the action precipitated by China's rapid development. Those who already had some piece of the action were trying to figure out how to gain a bigger share. The percentage of conversations in China these days that revolve around cash and how to make it is staggering.
When this economic miracle was kicking into first gear, a small and mostly well-educated group of individuals in Beijing decided that making money wasn't for them. Instead of going into business or looking for work, they set up shop in Beijing's university district and spent their days sitting around, forming rock bands, and living off their families or off the kindness of others.
They were an artsy crew; the men grew their hair long and got tattoos of dragons, marijuana leaves, and English words like "Toxic" and "Danger" all over their bodies. They smoked dope and drank Yanjing beer out of green bottles. They read Kerouac and Burroughs, Marx and Krishnamurti. They listened to Sonic Youth, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains.
Soon enough, they came up with an ideology that ironically smacked of socialism: the freedom to make money leads to class differences, which leads to greed and corruption. In China, where speech against the government can lead to a serious jail term, there was no way they could fight against the system. Instead, they did the only thing they could do without risking imprisonment: drop out of the consumer society that all other Chinese embraced.
Soon, this community of rebels had earned the name: hunzi. Slackers. Whether they gave themselves this moniker during a moment of stoned inspiration, or a frustrated passerby was heard to mutter the epithet and eventually some sociologist claimed to have coined the term, no one can remember, but it is commonly understood, now, to refer to people like Jianfeng.
The Progenitors of the hunzi movement were the "musicians" who were living on the outer edge of Beijing when the policeman dropped off Jianfeng and Liu Bo on that cold November night 13 years prior. Jianfeng's a gregarious and pleasant guy, and he quickly made friends and found a crash pad. He checked out Beijing's nascent art scene, went to all the galleries, and decided that artists were assholes who only cared about money and, therefore, he certainly did not want to be one, after all.
Back at the pad, his new Beijing buddies were always playing the latest tapes from Tang Dynasty and Black Panther, the capital's emerging hip rock bands. Rock music was the in thing; Cui Jian—China's Bob Dylan, John Lennon, and Elvis Presley all rolled into one—had shot to fame after the 1989 student demonstration in Tiananmen Square when his single "Nothing to my Name" became the unofficial theme song of the student movement. New bands were starting every day. It was an exciting time for Chinese rock.
Jianfeng decided to become a drummer. In order to achieve this goal, he bought a pair of drumsticks. He did not, however, know how to play the drums.
Liu Bo took off, fed up with his friend's impressionable attitude and tired of never having enough to eat.
Over the next few years, Jianfeng embraced the hunzi lifestyle. He bounced around from crash pad to crash pad: he lived in a tent with migrant workers, he borrowed a house while its occupant was out of town, he slept on friends' couches and in lovers' beds. One day he ran into an old friend from Qingdao who was attending the Beijing Film University and living off campus. This meant that the friend's dormitory bed at the university was empty; Jianfeng moved in the next day and stayed for two years.
Now that he had a bed and, therefore, a semi-permanent base of operations, Jianfeng was free to stroll around Beijing at his leisure, make new friends, romance eligible bachelorettes, and continue in his quest to start a band. Around this time, a Harvard-educated American filmmaker, Irene Lusztig, made a documentary about Jianfeng, some of his friends, and their slacker lifestyle.
The film was called For Beijing with Love and Squalor.
In the film, Jianfeng describes himself as a "professional parasite," living off the kindness of others, and offers up a superb statement of antiestablishment youthful ennui:
All my friends' parents want their kids to find steady jobs. That way they can make money, find a girlfriend, get married, have kids ... and be better off than their friends. My parents just go to work day after day. After work they come home and watch TV, make dinner ... Then they talk about their jobs, the people in their work units ... If it weren't for them, I wouldn't be this way. They put a kind of invisible pressure on me ... I hate it.
A few years later, a friend of Jianfeng's opened up a clothing store on Beijing's Houhai, or Back Lake. The store's location was lousy—at that time, the Back Lake area had not yet become a nightlife destination—and the place closed after a few months. Jianfeng's friend gave him the space, rent-free, and said: "Why don't you do something here? Open another store? Sell something?"
Jianfeng thought about the proposition and quickly agreed. The timing was impeccable: a few months later the Back Lake area became the hip place to go in Beijing, and Jianfeng had a storefront with a perfect location to capitalize on this new trend.
It was the turn of the century; Jianfeng, just shy of his 30th birthday, had yet to hold down a steady job. Then he did what many professional delinquents with a bit of money do: he opened a bar. But instead of selling drinks for a profit, he sold them at cost. He didn't even open the place on the weekend, preferring to go party elsewhere.
From a business perspective, it was a colossally bad decision. For Jianfeng the hunzi, however, to make money would have been distasteful. He just wanted a cool place for his friends to hang out. And that's what he got. According to a few Beijing old-timers I spoke with, it was a great place: cool décor, an interesting mix of celebrities and bohemians, and drink prices that ensured everyone present was good and toasted.
The bar was legendary, despite (or perhaps because of) its lack of a name. Eventually, of course, the landlord kicked him out to make way for a business that would make some cash.
With the bar closed, Jianfeng had nothing to do. He couldn't, or wouldn't, go back to Shandong: "If I went home," he says, "I would have been too advanced. I was already a different kind of person. [In Shandong] you go to work, come home. Get married. In Shandong, you drink a glass down to forget your problems. In Beijing, you can choose. The pollution is terrible. The traffic is terrible. But you have freedom."
Then, the SARS crisis suddenly descended on Beijing. It was as if an enormous hand turned off an enormous light switch: the vibrant city became lifeless almost overnight as rumors of a strange disease circulated via text message and furtive cell phone calls. Neighborhood stores closed, foreign companies sent their executives on holiday, and the government set up secret quarantine centers around the city.
In China—especially in Beijing, where China's most concentrated and educated populace resides—average citizens certainly don't depend on the government to let them know what's going on when there are rumors of an impending catastrophe. And so they cloistered themselves in their apartments.
Some of Jianfeng's crew decided to split town. Liu Jianfeng and a few friends hopped on a train heading west toward the mountains of Yunnan, and that's where he's been living ever since.
Want to read more about the playboy slacker Liu Jianfeng? Does he finally find true love with the perfect woman? Does he finally gets off his pretty ass and start supporting himself? The rest of this chapter and more can be found between the pages of China Underground.
Published at: http://www.popmatters.com/pm/feature/72722-china-underground-the-slacker/


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Massive fire breaks out in Jeedimetla factory - Tv9
Mon, Oct 05, 2015, 10:58 PM
A massive fire accident took place at Jeedimetla area of Hyderabad and huge flames are erupting from a factory at industrial area Dhoolapally. The fire brigade has reached the spot and is toiling hard to control the flames even as thick and dense smoke is coming out from the fire accident site. The fire accidents have become regular in this industrial park at Jeedimetla and these are adding to the pollution of the city. Watch for more details. . .. .

subset: commoncrawl


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Jessica Andrews
Jessica Andrews burst onto the country music scene with her acclaimed debut, Heart Shaped World, in 1999; she followed up that success with two more albums, Who I Am and Now.
AppealJessica Andrews has her perfect date all figured out: "Make dinner and take it up in the woods on a beautiful day or underneath the stars," she says, "with like your radio in the car playing soft music in the background." Jessica is a romantic at heart; which is good for those who find sweetness sexy. But if you're looking for spiciness, you might be disappointed.
Also, Jessica has been involved with fellow singer-songwriter Marcel Chagnon since 2002, and there hasn't been news of a breakup yet. As Jessica's been off the market for some time now, her sexiness rating must take that into account, in spite of her good looks and gentle personality.
SuccessJessica Andrews rocketed to stardom after the release of her debut album, Heart Shaped World, in 1999, when she was only 15 years old -- and she'd already contributed a song to The Prince of Egypt: Nashville's soundtrack. After her CMA award in 2000 for Best New Female Vocalist, Jessica released two more albums, Who I Am (2001) and Now (2003). Still only in her early 20s, she's working on a fourth release, after having toured with heavyweights like Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, and Trisha Yearwood.
By now, Jessica is firmly established in the world of country music. Her impressive discography means she already has a following, and that will only grow as time goes by. While she may not be a superstar in the country scene just yet, if she continues on the same successful trajectory, it won't be long now.
Jessica Andrews BiographyJessica Danielle Andrews was born on December 29, 1983, in Huntingdon, Tennessee. She's the daughter of Jessie and Vicki Andrews, and has an older sister, Kellie. When Jessica was very young, her parents noticed something wrong with her back; Jessica's pediatrician dismissed their concerns, but Jessie and Vicki got a second opinion.
In 1990, it was discovered that Jessica had a bone growing through her spine -- if it wasn't removed, she would soon be paralyzed. Luckily, the operation to remove the bone was successful, and Jessica completely recovered.
jessica andrews sings dolly parton
Jessica found comfort in music during her ordeal. But her first steps into the music world came a few years later, when Jessica was in the fourth grade. She was supposed to dance in a talent show, but her sister Kellie encouraged Jessica to sing.
After belting out Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You," Jessica won first prize. From then on, Jessica performed whenever and wherever she could, from local fairs and carnivals to family gatherings.
jessica releases heart shaped world
After a few years of honing her talent, Jessica got her big break. A mutual friend introduced her to producer Byron Gallimore (who had worked with Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, among others), who was immediately impressed.
Once he knew what direction Jessica wanted to take, he invited the head of DreamWorks Records Nashville, James Stroud, to hear her. Stroud, uncharacteristically, offered Jessica a deal on the spot.
Work soon began on Jessica's debut album, Heart Shaped World, which was released to much acclaim in 1999. At the same time, Jessica was tapped to contribute a song to The Prince of Egypt: Nashville; that song, "I Will Be There For You," became the first single from Heart Shaped World.
On the strength of such releases, Jessica, in May 2000, was named the top new female vocalist by the Academy of Country Music.
jessica andrews releases who i am
The next year, Jessica released her sophomore record, called Who I Am. The title track became Jessica's first No. 1 single, and later became the theme for the TV show Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye.
Jessica was also nominated for another Academy of Country Music Award. With these professional successes came some personal changes for Jessica. After finishing her homeschooling, Jessica moved out on her own, and started seeing fellow country singer-songwriter Marcel Chagnon in January 2002.
jessica andrews third album now
In 2003, a worldlier Jessica released Now, featuring the moderate hit "There's More to Me Than You." Meanwhile, Jessica continued to tour and make appearances; aside from performances at the 2005 CMA Music Festival in Nashville, Jessica has been less visible to the public lately, reportedly working on her fourth album.
"This is the beginning of the journey for me," Jessica said of Now in 2003, "and I want to be sharing [my music] with [my fans] for a long time." So it won't be long before Jessica Andrews is back and better than ever.
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found a new home!
Plenty of my friends are looking
for one too. Find a pet to adopt.
I am already neutered and up to date with shots.
Looking for a goofy, entertaining ball of love? Then Joe Boy is your guy. Joe was pulled from a high-kill shelter in NYC just in the nick of time and is now in a boarding facility until we have an available foster home. The shelter originally thought that Joe was 3 years old, but upon further inspection of his teeth this guy appears to be much younger.
Joe Boy is an incredibly beautiful dog made up of pure love. His gorgeous coat and face make him quite the eye catcher, but what keeps people coming back to him is his comical disposition. Joe can make a game out of anything, and if you're not laughing within 5 minutes of being around this guy, you must not have much of a sense of humor.
Joe Boy is quite the chatterbox. He seems to he speaking to you with all the funny sounds he makes, and he'll keep going if you play along. Joe has some incredibly cute mannerisms that will make your heart melt. As one of the most curious dogs in the world, Joe is constantly cocking his head to the side trying to figure the world out. As soon as he sees something (whether it be a person, dog, toy, or even a cloud), he gets a puzzled look on his face and turns his head to the side as if to say "What are you, and can we play?" The other adorable mannerism is that while he's cocking his head to the side to figure something out, he leans his body forward as far as possible without actually stepping forward. He stretches his back legs so far forward that they are almost parallel to the ground, with his front half leaning forward – all in an effort to get a closer look at whatever is of interest to him. Keep in mind he'll never pull or even take a step forward until you give the cue, so the self-control of this guy when he sets his eyes on something is amazing.
Along with his constant curiosity, Joe Boy is a very smart guy. He learned to sit very quickly, all it took was showing him his favorite peanut butter cookie and he was ready to learn. Joe has bounds of energy, and all he wants to do with it is make you laugh. I took Joe to a playroom and he was quite entertained to learn all the ins and outs of a children's play castle. The slide was a big hit.
With the beautiful stature, warm personality, comical expressions and overall goofy nature of this young dog – Joe Boy is the perfect fit for anyone looking for a loyal and loving companion.
If you are not a suitable home for Joe Boy but want to help, please... consider making a donation to help offset his boarding costs while we search for a home for Joe Boy. Joe Boy is one of five dogs who have no where to go and at this time our only option is to board them. While this isn't ideal its safe and they are well cared for. Having to pay boarding fees takes away from our ability to help other dogs who may need medical care and are waiting to come into rescue. Please consider making a donation to help offset the boarding costs for these 5 dogs.
Make a Donation
We have no place for poor Joe Boy. His foster home backed out and now we are left with only one option and that is to board him. We took Joe Boy into the program after several pleas to save him from the "Urgent" To Be Killed List at a NY shelter. If you can't help Joe Boy with a home consider making a donation to his boarding and Neuter/Vaccination bills we will be paying in the duration of looking for his foster or forever home.
More information posting soon on this stunning fella!
Can you donate to help Joe Boy?
You can send a check directly to: Northeastern Boxer Rescue
P.O. Box 95 Sunderland MA 01375. or use PayPal
Boxer Rescue Contact Area:
Northeastern Boxer Rescue
Jane Scott - email@example.com
Pam Fosco - email@example.com
Joe Boy, a Sunderland Boxer/Mastiff dog was adopted! Here's how you can benefit by looking at adoption as an option to buying a Boxer/Mastiff for sale in Sunderland, or seeking a Boxer/Mastiff dog from a breeder in Sunderland.


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Burdette Park, Evansville, Indiana
Date of Stay:
August, 2012 -
Overall Rating:
We stayed up here for the weekend since we were doing work to our home and needed to stay in our camper. They have full hook up along with up to 50amp electrical service available. The sites are pull through but they are a little tight. The sites are small width wise and sit horizontally right up to the roadway. This campsite is mostly used by locals and construction workers along with people who live in the bottom lands and have to seek shelter in high lands when the Ohio River comes up. The campground manager was very kind but difficult to get a hold of for reservations. The park is county owned and has the largest aquatic center in the city of Evansville. It is also well maintained. I gave this a 6 mainly because of the site sizes. We have three dogs and they were welcomed without resistance. The previous managers did seem to complain about animals but the new ones are much nicer. If you are passing through and needing a place to stay, this is an okay campsite. We camped at Burdette Park in a Travel Trailer.
Shakamak State Park, Jasonville, Indiana
Date of Stay:
July, 2012 -
Overall Rating:
We have stayed here many times since I was a kid. This is a great park. The pool is very clean although it is on the other side of the campground so you have to drive there. The sites are mostly level but some need a little tweaking. We stayed in site 20 and our 32' RV fit in the spot without much difficulty. There are some areas of the campground where water is some distance away. I would recommend a few more water hydrants in the campground. We had a great time and will definitely be back in the fall. We camped at Shakamak State Park in a Travel Trailer.
Patoka Lake State Park, Birdseye, Indiana
Date of Stay:
April, 2012 -
Overall Rating:
The camp sites are close to level from side to side but still needed a little tire blocking. The site was okay for our 21BH but our friends with a 33ft 5th wheel had it a little harder to set up due to the sites not being deep enough. Water is available up front to fill your tank but the hydrants in the campground are NOT threaded. JUST AN FYI. All and all we had a great time and the catfish were biting well on the lake! We plan on coming back soon. We stayed at site 345 which would have been difficult for a 5th wheel or any camper with a passenger slide out due to a tree. We camped at Patoka Lake State Park in a Travel Trailer.


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I'm so tired of getting ripped off!
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 157
Re: I'm so tired of getting ripped off!
For my brothers wedding gift, I purchased him a Orvis Hydros reel, and got his wife a separate gift. This is by far the most expensive reel I have ever purchased, it still came with a predominate (made in china) tag on the box. Lol, before I handed it over, I took a marker, and cleverly scribbled it out. Not sure why, It was just something I had to do.
The reason I decided to purchase him the reel, is that a few months before the wedding his new future father in law un-expectedly gifted him a very nice Orvis rod (the father in law is not even a fisherman, he just new my brother was). I just figured now that's he's married, I was now his last chance at him having a nice setup for some period of time. I felt it would be a true shame if he did not have an equivalent reel to match the new rod.
It prompted me to make this post on another board
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"I just wanted to post a initial review, as it's probably the last time I will be handling a reel of this price. I purchased this reel as a wedding gift for a groom, and wanted to snap a few pics while its still in my possession.
I'll say its definitely a nice reel, and I hope it serves the groom well. He would have never purchased himself anything like this, and I'm happy to be able to be able to purchase it for him as a memorable gift.
You can see the fit and finish is very nice, and the drag also feels Fantastic. With that being said, I do think its over priced. I do not see it as a huge step up from my Lamson Konic despite the price difference.
Now just for fun, I want to post it side by side with one of those cheap e-bay reels. Note: I'm not trying to compare the two reels, I just thought it would be interesting to see them side by side just so people could see how far those cheap reels have come in the last few years. Keep in mind one is a few hundred dollars less expensive than the other.
The eBay reel is about one size larger and would make a decent budget 8wt, it has a larger line capacity and weighs in at 6.01oz. The Hydros is for a 6wt and weighs in at 5.57 oz on my scale. It has a much better feeling sealed drag, and I am sure this fact alone will allow it to hold up much better, and with less maintenance over the long hull.
I have to admight, I was a little shocked to see some similar parts used in both reels. They use a nearly Identical anti reverse bearing, probably the exact same counter weight. The cheap reels handle is actually a little nicer being that it is machined out of aluminum, The Hydros handle is plastic. Both reels spin freely without even a hint of play.
The Orvis reel is obviously much nicer in its machine work, finish, appearance, and drag. To conclude, I will end this review by saying there is no way $200+ should be separating these two reels in cost. The Orvis, is really nice and I can appreciate its functionality, and beauty.
After handling it, I can also say that I do feel a lot more confident in the quality of the few Chinese eBay fly reels I have purchased, I do believe that they represent a true bargain in the fly fishing world.
I tried to be as objective as possible in this review.
Edit: So now the next time the guy out fishes me, I already have my built in
excuse all planned out! :twisted:
---------- Post added at 05:04 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:19 PM ----------
Originally Posted by
I'm going to assume that you are a very young man, possibly a guy that just took his first economics class and now has it ALL FIGURED OUT!
Chinese manufacturing is NOT better quality that what we manufacture here in the US, in fact it is EXACTLY the opposite. China offers cheap labor, and that is their ONLY value driver. Can China manufacture to Western standards? YES – provided that a fully staffed Quality Assurance team is imported to oversee the production on a weekly (sometimes daily) basis. And these folks want to live a Western lifestyle while they're stranded there as well. This all costs $$$ yes, but sadly all those costs in addition to ocean freight still allows companies to lower their costs and it all comes down to the cost of labor.
The reason I say you must be a youngster, is because it seems like you can't remember when the quality of normal household items was a lot better. Decades of Chinese (and other LCC) sourcing has lowered our expectations. US companies have been forced to cut corners and try to lower their costs to compete. US companies seem to be falling into this "niche" market for people that want to pay more for higher quality… and there is nothing wrong with that last part by the way.
I don't know a polite way of saying that this statement is simply a load of ****. They may be severely over-worked and underpaid by global standards, but tortured? Sounds like a tall tale (and I'm sure there are dozens if not hundreds of members on this site that have spent time in China on business that will tell you the same).
OK, I'm all for freedom of speech and all (something you WOULD NOT HAVE IN CHINA by the way). But this is beyond insulting, way off base… a broad-stroked, ill-advised opinion, and quite frankly, you owe a huge apology to EVERYONE on this board that works for a living in the United States of America.
And for a communist-sympathizer to complain about spending a few bucks on nippers that will last a few years, and then drop two (2) bills on "arguably" the least concerning piece of equipment on a fly rod set-up? You could have spent less than $50 on a reel and had the best gold-plated nippers on the planet!
I do agree with you that common USA produced goods were produced at a much higher quality several years ago. In just my lifetime I have countless examples to provide. Electric garage door openers, wash machines / driers, lawnmowers ect. My house was built in the 40's, and many of the appliances I use are dated. Things used to be built to last, now they are built to replace.
What I disagree with is that Chinese manufactures are unable to produce quality products. We now live in a global economy, I believe they have the capability to produce what ever the market dictates.
Most the consumers in this country, now want the cheap stuff. China has filled that nitch. Unforchantly, there just giving the average consumer what is being asked. This is now what America asks for!
Since they manufacture so much, They can also produce relatively comparable products, at a lower cost. They now have the infrastructure in place to out compete us $ per $, I do not see this as a positive for our nation going forward.
On a side note, one of my good high school friends is very successful, and now only purchases the best of the best. Right around the time I purchased my 2nd house (vintage 40's era) about 6 years ago, he built a 1.8 million dollar estate.
He filled it with the nicest appliances he could find, and already had to replace his washer, one of the two air conditioners, a garage door motor, and I think I might have missed a few things. I'm still having success with my vintage appliances. The one and only thing that I can remember going out on me is my water heater, and that was fairly new in age to begin with.
When I purchased my first house in the early 90's, My dad purchased a new lawn mower, and gave me his old one as a house warming gift. That lawn mower he gave me outlasted his next 2 replacements. We still laugh about that to this day every time a newer one call it quits.
Honestly, I love the vintage items. In my opinion, Its difficult to find the same same craftsmanship, regardless of the country of origin, or price paid. The true masters in the craft of engineering, are now becoming rare.
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In the midst of a painful news cycle after last night's debate, President Barack Obama received a bright sign for re-election. His Gallup approval rating hit 54 percent, jumping to its highest level since November 2009.
His approval rating soared four points from the previous day in Gallup's three-day rolling average. The last time he matched that came in the Nov. 11-13, 2009 period.
The 54-percent mark puts Obama well above the "safe" 50-percent threshold for an incumbent's re-election.
Obama's Approval In Gallup At 54 Percent - Business Insider
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Book Suggestions?
My DS is really into books right now. He LOVES them! Taking him to Barnes and Noble is like going into Toys R Us for most kids. He goes to the shelf, gets a book, and goes right over to the reading section to check it out - then goes back for more!
He's almost 17 months old. He mainly loves to flip through the pages. We'll go through 3-4 books at night - with him flipping through the book a few times, then putting it down to get a new one. He's great with them - doesn't sit and rip pages or anything.
We have a ton of books - but I'm always looking for new ones that will engage him - and possibly be classics that he'll always remember.
I'm looking for suggestions - what books have your LOs loved?
****THANKS everyone for your suggestions! I'm making a list for the next time we go to the book store :) Feel free to keep them coming. We'll hopefully need new books for a long time! *****
my dd is like that. up until about her 3rd birthday she didn't even have toys in her room, just dozens of books.
we love berenstein bear books. i also love dr. seuss. some of our favorites are I Am NOT Going to Get Up Today and I Wish That I Had Duck Feet. The Seuss ABC book helped teach my son his alphabet!
My dd loves Sandra Boynton books, lots of silly stories and rhymes. Others she loved: Brown Bear, Brown Bear and Corduroy. I can't think of any others right now.
I sell Usborne Books and we have tons of books that children love. Check out my website at http://u3330.myubam.com/14870
The website has separations by age to make it easier to find books he will love. Also, you could host an eshow (online show) and earn free books for your son as well!
Definitely Berenstein Bears! I also like Clifford and Arthur books.
We love anything by Todd Parr... bright colors, feel good messages...
My daughter is the same. Usually we just go to our local Goodwill and pick out some books. The board books are only $.50!
She loves:
*"the Foot Book"
*Her Yo Gabba Gabba book
*We got this one that shows different body parts and labels them in English, French and Spanish. At the end of the book is a mirror and she loves it!
Anything by Sandra Boynton. Also loves the Dr. Suess, Mr. Brown can Moo. Then there are these board books that just have pictures and what the picture is. Trying to think of what he name of them is. Not coming to me. But we have one that is animals and one that is stuff around the world and he LOVES those.
My kids love books too. I usually just take my son to the library and let him go crazy picking out books to check out. lol we have a limit of 50 books at a time so we fill his book bag.
I like reading dr. suess. he likes pretty much anything.
At that age, my son LOVED Let's Go to the Zoo. It's one of the flap books. It really helped him build animal vocabulary.


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Amen. Whatever method gets you were you want to go and provides the most pleasure and satisfaction along the way is the "right" method! Any time spent being petty and critical about how someone else is doing their thing is at best a waste. I love watching other people do what they do. I almost always learn something from them, and I put what I learn into practice if I like it. About the only time I will jump in and tell someone about a different way of doing things is if I think I know a more effective way to get where they are going, and then I'm completely cool with them either accepting or rejecting my suggestion. Love the process? Love the results? It's all good.
In the 1970s I read Car & Driver magazine cover to cover every issue. I still remember how the writers and editors at the time bemoaned emissions and safety regulations for automobiles. Now a few decades later the fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles have dropped from the 5.5 to 6.0 range of the 1960s to less than 2.0 today. Meanwhile, our annual vehicle miles have climbed to about 3,000,000 million miles per year. (5.5-2.0) x 3,000 = 10,500. So, we are saving over ten thousand lives per year in the US largely thanks to improved vehicle design. I am quite sure that what partisans call "the nut behind the wheel" has not improved over these past 50 years. I bring this up, obviously, because of the parallel with the arguments now being had over mandating something like the Saw Stop. "Improved User Education" is the argument manufacturers always use when the are trying to protect their profit margins instead of their customers.
I well remember how Car and Driver and the other car magazines regularly moaned and groaned about safety regulations in the the 1970s. Luckily, the regulations happened anyway. Today the traffic dealths per mile travelled on US roads are half of what they were fourty years ago. Some of us are alive today thanks to these regulations. Remember the guy who died recently when he smacked his head on the pavement during an anti-helmet law motorcycle rally? The mainstream tool industry has shown almost no safety progress over the years unless forced do so by regulations and/or lawsuits.
A wide resaw blade on a bandsaw along with a good fence and some stops can be set up to cut tenons much, much faster than this technique does, and with more safety margin as well.
Regulators and courts may be ham handing in their approach to things, but one can hardly say that the major woodworking equipment makers have been at the forefront of safety improvements. Riving knives were known to be a superior technology for decades before US equipment marketers finally adopted them under pressure from the courts and regulators. Much like the US auto industry in the 1950s, most woodworking equipment makers have long taken cost avoidance as their primary concern without looking at the larger picture of the consequences of their actions. "Safety doesn't sell" was, by and large, the cry of the auto makers and has been the mantra of the equipment makers as well. Meanwhile, professional and amateur practitioners have too often taken a "who, me worry?" attitude towards all manner of legitimate safety issues. Absent legal pressures, very little safety improvements ever happen. They cost money, are sometimes (not always) inconvenient, and only help the fraction of users who avoid getting hurt. But, I'm not ready to go back to the highway death rates of the 1950s or the agricultural equipment death and injury rates of those days. Are you? Isn't it time that the woodworking equipment industry worked at getting ahead of the curve instead of constantly fighting positive change?
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Be careful near the monument — often home to a beehive.
Arroyo Seco Loop off Highway 79
The Canyoneers 1:30 p.m., Sept. 20
Situated on the eastern part of the Danube River, Hungary has been an Eastern-European powerhouse for intense and distinctly rhythmic classical music. The capital city, Budapest, sits squarely on the Danube, inspiration for art and culture for centuries as embodied in Hungarian composers such as Franz Liszt, Zoltan Kodály, Franz Lehár and Béla Bartók. Tonight, we salute the music of these artists. This Pops Goes Classical concert is sponsored by Norman Forrester and Bill Griffin.
200 Marina Park Way, San Diego, 92101
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David Mastovich '87, M'92, owner and president of Massolutions, Inc., published the book Get Where You Want to Go: How to Achieve Personal and Professional Growth Through Marketing, Selling, and Story Telling in late 2010.
In the book, Mastovich takes a practical, real-world approach to help readers tell their stories, convey their ideas, and maximize the impact of their message. Told through personal anecdotes, statistical data, and trends in the marketplace, Mastovich skillfully delivers his message in an easily readable format. He interjects humor and wit, business, and even sports to keep the book flowing.
"Whether you are leading people, managing processes, or selling ideas, products, or services, Get Where You Want To Go offers strategies to help tell your story, convey your ideas, and maximize the impact of your message: ideas to increase sales and generate new customers; management and leadership techniques to get the most out of your resources, human and otherwise; and real-life examples that show real-world application of strategies and tactics."
Get Where You Want to Go is available online at Lulu.com, Amazon.com, and Barnes & Noble. Details about ordering the book may also be found at the Massolutions website.
Massolutions, Inc. is a strategic marketing firm based in Pittsburgh with a second office in Johnstown, Pa.
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Dale Lepper, 64, of Ashland dies
Dale R. Lepper, 64, of R.R. 1, Ashland, died Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 9, at Passavant Hospital.
He was born March 18, 1925, in Quincy, a son of Robert H. and Marie Hagerbaumer Lepper. He married Ruth L. Lewis, Sept. 21, 1947, in Morgan County.
He is survived by his wife; his mother of Quincy; one daughter, Mrs. Galen (Carolyn Sue) Foat of Colorado Springs, Colo.; one son, Gregory Dale Lepper of R.R. 1, Ashland; four grandchildren, Andrew Jordan and Lindsey Marie Foat, both of Colorado Springs, Colo., and Adam Gregory and Daniel Robert Lepper, both of R.R. I, Ashland; two sisters, Mrs. George (Lois) Berggren of Quincy and Mrs. Hadley (Shirley) Davis of Daytona Beach, Fla.
He was preceded in death by his father.
Mr. Lepper was a graduate of Quincy High School and received the American Farmer's degree from the Future Farmers of America in 1942. He was a seedsman and early producer of hybrid seed corn, establishing Lepper Hybrids in Adams County. He moved to Morgan County in 1957, where he produced certified seed and much of the crown vetch seed in Illinois.
He previously served as chairman of the Morgan County Extension Council, chairman of the Morgan County Soil and Water Conservation District, board member of the Cass-Morgan Farm Bureau and board member of the Western Illinois Power Cooperative.
For 27 years, Mr. Lepper served in various positions with the Menard Electric Cooperative Board. In 1987, he and his family received the Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Association's Farm Family of the Year Award for innovation in minimum and no-till farming practices.
He was a member of Berea Christian Church, where he formerly served as chairman of the church board.
Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Friday at Berea Christian Church, with burial at Berea Cemetery. The body will lie in state one hour prior to services. Friends may call after 1 p.m. Thursday at Gillham-Buchanan Funeral Home, where the family will meet with friends 6-8 p.m. Memorials may be made to the Passavant Hospital Nurses' Continuing Education Fund or to the Berea Christian Church.


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ANAHEIM The Catch, the legendary Anaheim restaurant near Angel Stadium forced out of its previous location by redevelopment, is back in business.
The restaurant, which began serving to invited guests this week, officially opens to the public in its new location at 5 p.m. Friday.
After a two-year hiatus, owner Joe Manzella is thrilled to reopen in a new building at Katella Avenue and Sportstown Drive – even closer to the stadium this time, just 600 feet from the Angels' field.
"There's no question this will be ground-zero for Angels pre- and post-game activities," Manzella said. "And with the proximity to the Grove and to the Honda Center, we feel we're in a perfect location to always be buzzing."
On the menu: A mix of the traditional favorites that defined The Catch – Saki-marinated Chilean sea bass and drunken mahi-mahi – and new cuisine.
Perhaps the most eye-popping new entrée: The 4-pound, aptly named OMG burger ($35.95).
(To see a previous story on gourmet burger testing, click here.)
"People see that thing on the plate," Manzella said, "and already they're literally saying, 'Oh, my god.'"
The restaurant gained a loyal following during 32 years on State College Boulevard across from Angel Stadium, but was forced out in February 2008 because an office tower is slated to go up there.
The old building was leveled and the lot, inside the Platinum Triangle, is still dirt and weeds – the office-tower project stalled during the recession.
The new 10,300-square-foot site is a big change for the 1970s-style building it had occupied. The Catch is now on the bottom floor of the four-story Avalon Anaheim Stadium luxury apartment complex.
It features a bar area with an 18-foot-tall ceiling and floor-to-ceiling windows, letting in a lot of light. Quieter dining areas extend out on each side of the bar, creating an 'L' shape to the restaurant. And the kitchen is in plain view for all diners to see the whir of activity and smell the mix of aromas.
The five-sided bar shaped like a home plate is the centerpiece of the restaurant. And the bar area includes 12 big-screen televisions.
Vintage photos of former Angels, Rams and Ducks players are back on the walls. And three booths from the old restaurant have been restored.
"I was really bummed when The Catch closed down a couple of years ago," said Ray Jackson, who came by to see the new restaurant during a preview lunch. "There's nothing like the way they mix a casual dining experience that has an upscale feel with some of the best food around.
"It looks a bit different, but I know when the regulars rediscover this place it will feel like the old Catch," Jackson said. "I'm stoked it's back."
Manzella had planned to open last summer, to catch the tail end of the Angel baseball season. Instead, he's opening two months before the 2010 season begins.
Parking could be an issue to start. The new location has just 88 spaces – accessible through valet service only. Manzella is working on getting more parking.
He's been spreading the word about the reopening by word of mouth, through e-mails and Facebook. He hopes the prominent location will help patrons find his restaurant again.
"People have been very loyal to us over the years," Manzella said.
That includes some employees. About 40 of the 120 staffers are returning employees, including chefs and servers.
"The whole point of what we're trying to do here is to respect where we came from while continuing to look toward the future and trying new things to keep our edge," Manzella said. "We're looking forward to a new start."
The Catch
2100 E. Katella Ave., Suite 104
Opens to public: 5 p.m. Friday
Price range for entrees: $16 to $39
Information: 714-935-0101 or catchanaheim.com
Contact the writer: 714-704-3769 or firstname.lastname@example.com


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The wife of Republican presidential candidate NEWT GINGRICH is hiding a shocking lesbian secret!
Callista Gingrich – who carried on a seven-year extramarital affair with Newt before they wed – maintains an intimate friendship with an openly gay woman she's known since high school.
"Callista is a great friend," Karen Olson, a canon with the Minneapolis-based Episcopal Church in Minnesota, told The ENQUIRER.
"I was a bridesmaid at her wedding to Newt, and I enjoy him immensely."
The two women, who are both 45, grew up in Whitehall, Wis., and went on to study music at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. They both pledged the same sorority, Delta Alpha Delta, before graduating in the class of 1988, according to Olson.
"Callista and I go way back, and we had a lot of fun together," she said.
"She knew I was a lesbian by the time we were at college and was fine with it. I've found her to be open-minded."
In fact, helmet-haired Callista is so open-minded that she was Newt's mistress while he was still married to his second wife Marianne, who recently blasted Gingrich in a highly publicized interview, saying he'd asked her for an "open marriage."
But Olson leapt to his defense.
"I think Newt is funny," she told The ENQUIRER. "He is certainly smart and has a thousand ideas. I enjoy him and I trust him.
"I think he values my friendship with Callista, and I consider him a good friend as well.
"We may differ on some realities of life, but that doesn't change the fact that we can get past some of our differences.
"Would he get my vote? I'm considering all things."
A top Washington political source believes that Newt and Callista's relationship with Olson could hurt his run for the White House.
"This is a bombshell revelation exposing the fact that this woman has both Callista and Newt's ear to pass on her beliefs," said the source. "There's now going to be questions as to who else may be in Callista's secret circle of friends and can be of a major influence to Newt."
Meanwhile, Newt, 68, was recently criticized for opposing gay marriage by his lesbian half sister Candace Gingrich-Jones, who said that she will be voting for President Obama.
Candace, a director at the gay advocacy group Human Rights Campaign, told MSNBC: "He is definitely on the wrong side of history when it comes to those issues."
But Olson believes Newt may well get the support of gay voters.
"Are there people who are gay who will vote for him? Absolutely," she told The ENQUIRER.
"Newt has been clear about saying he supports marriage between a man and a woman, but he is certainly open to knowing that there are gay and lesbian people in the world.
"He's in a relationship with many of them through his sister and myself and numerous other people who are close friends with Callista."


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Leland H. "Sarge" Davis
Aug. 5, 1917 – Aug. 5, 1917
Leland H. "Sarge" Davis, 89, of Blessing passed away May 2, 2007.
He was born August 5, 1917 in Gunner, Texas to Joe Knox Davis and Mary Frances West Davis. He retired as Sargent in the US Air Force; was a member of the Blessing American Legion and the El Campo VFW Post.
He is survived by his wife, Sharon Davis of Blessing and a number of nieces and nephews.
Funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, May 7, 2007 at Taylor Bros. Funeral Home with the Rev. Hill Winfrey officiating. Interment will follow with military honors at Hawley Cemetery in Blessing.
The family will receive friends and relatives from 6 until 8 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.
Online condolences may be sent by visiting www.taylorbros.net.
Arrangements with Taylor Bros. Funeral Home in Bay City 979-245-4613.
Bay City Tribune, Published May 6, 2007, Matagorda County, Texas


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Vocabulary Words and Definitions
SAT vocabulary builder: http://www.freevocabulary.com/vocabulary.pdf
5,000 Collegiate Words with Brief Definitions – The list of words and definitions presented within are used to build a broader vocabulary in preparation for the official SAT. This is a great tool to augment your lexicon!
Online Dictionary: http://www.dictionary.com
This is a wonderful tool for both students and instructors alike! This website gives access to definitions, as well as synonyms and antonyms; the best part of this site is that it can even pronounce the word for you!
Visual Thesaurus Tool
Lexipedia Visual Thesaurus: http://www.lexipedia.com
Looking for a visual thesaurus? Then Lexipedia is for you. Simple to use. Just type in any word and Lexipedia instantly displays the target word along with other words. It also color-codes the words by both parts of speech and relationships. As you hover over a word, a complete definition is displayed.
Word Safari: Vocabulary Expeditions -
A word guessing game that helps you expand your vocabulary while exploring remote cyber trails to other Web sites.
*Excellent resource to enhance vocabulary in an entertaining Safari setting. Guess a word correctly and track it via Fresh Tracks linking into the World Wide Wilderness and other contexts. Expedition Gear (other sites devoted to words) includes dictionary, thesaurus, word pitfalls and notorious confusables, and a spelling test. Selected as one of Writer's Digest's 101 Best Web Sites for Writers.
Plumb Design Visual Thesaurus -
Explore words and their various threads of meaning relationships within the English language by creating a spatial map of linguistic associations.
*A must for anyone who prefers information presented spatially. Search word synonyms either from a 2-D or 3-D perspective by selecting words and setting the map in motion. Then observe the automatic linking of words to related words. Built with data-animation technology, this site is a refreshing alternative to Roget's classic thesaurus.
Idioms -
The Idiom Connection is a collection of English idioms and quizzes, arranged either alphabetically or topically. For instance, you can scroll through the alphabetized categories to browse through the information, or you can choose a particular area of interest, such as color idioms, food idioms, medical idioms, or number idioms.
*So you think you understand the English language! This site is sure to enlighten and to entertain you. Each idiom is defined and then used in the context of a sentence.
Another useful site is http://dictionary.cambridge.org, Cambridge Dictionaries Online, which provides a dictionary of idioms. Type in a particular idiom to go to the phrase listed alongside other idioms using the same key word (ex. bird in bush, eat like a bird, etc.), its definition, and its use in a sentence.
Merriam-Webster Online Language Center -
Quick access to an online dictionary and thesaurus. To have fun while building your vocabulary, play some of the word games and sign up for the Word of the Day.


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The Exploring Space lectures are free, but tickets are required. Ticket reservations open January 7, 2013.
6:30 PM - View Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D, a free film in the Lockheed Martin IMAX® Theater; participate in educational programming
7:30 PM - Meet the lecturer
8:00 PM - Lecture begins
9:00 PM - Stargazing in the Public Observatory, weather permitting
In September 2012, the Dawn spacecraft completed its mission at Asteroid Vesta and began the journey to its next destination, the dwarf planet Ceres. During its year at Vesta, Dawn revealed a complex world with huge impact basins, deep troughs, a geologically diverse surface and a layered interior. An intact survivor from the beginning of the solar system, Vesta has much to tell us about the conditions in which our planetary neighborhood took shape. Join Carol Raymond on a tour of this ancient world and learn what it can tell us about the early days of the Solar System.
Carol Raymond is a Principal Scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Deputy Principal Investigator for Dawn.The Exploring Space Lectures Series is made possible by the generous support of NASA, with additional support provided by Aerojet.


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"I am Obama's brother!" a stranger shouted to me through the open window of a matatu (small bus) as I was crossing the lush countryside of western Kenya. That was 2006. According to a New York Times article this week, cars in western Kenya, "now sport bumper stickers with statements like 'Obama, first cousin.'" Kenya has claimed America's president-elect as its own, and the badge is revitalizing tourism, which plummeted following the gruesome riots during the country's elections last December. Kogelo, the village where Obama's father grew up, has become a hot ticket on Kenya's tourist trail, according to the Times article. But there is another reason to visit the region: Kakamega Rainforest. Home to more than 400 species of birds and five types of monkeys, Kakamega is a bite-sized remnant of the vast tropical forest that once spanned the waist of Africa. The forest is being chipped away, but two guru birders aim to save it.
Kenya is four-fifths desert and the rainy hill country in the west is one of the few regions that support extensive agriculture. As a result, populations here have swelled and forests have shrunk. Kakamega, a forest smaller than most U.S. counties, is one of only several pockets of rainforest left in the country. The forest is surrounded by a sea of maize fields and tea plantations—the former is Kenya's staple food and the latter is one of its chief exports. The poor villagers of the region continue to use the forest for fuel, medicine and building materials as they always have, only now there are more of them and less forest. With Kakamega being one of the last places left for villagers to draw resources, the forest has dwindled. Birds like the great blue turaco, which need large areas of forest to survive and were common in the time of Obama's grandmother, are rarely seen today.
Benjamin Okalo and Wilberforce Okeka founded the Kakamega Environmental Education Program (KEEP) in 1995 to educate nearby communities about why the fuel wood and medicinal plants being swiped from the forest were putting the entire ecosystem at risk. Okalo and Okeka learned the forest through years of self-exploration and through assisting the international scientists who came to study its unique birds, butterflies and primates. With funding coordinated by researchers like Marina Cords, a primatologist at Columbia University, and groups like the Pittsburgh Zoo and the International Center for Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), KEEP constructed an education center in the forest. Local villagers, and students from around the country visit to explore the forest and participate in income-generating projects such as harvesting honey from bees or raising butterfly pupae, which are sold to research centers in Kenya and fashion designers in the United States, who use the colorful patterns for inspiration.
"At the beginning we just went to schools and shared our knowledge," said Okalo, "but later we realized this wasn't sustainable. We needed something that would actually make money to save the forest, and then we needed to give this money back to the community."
Kakamega, a forest smaller than most U.S. counties, is one of only several pockets of rainforest left in Kenya. (By Gilbert Ongachi)
On a muggy morning I packed into a matatu with more than a dozen members of a local youth group and set off across western Kenya for Kakamega. We got stuck in the mud twice but by early afternoon arrived; although the kids I was with lived in a village just fifty miles away most had never seen the forest before. Okalo gave a speech in the education center and then guided us through the dense, noisy jungle. He can imitate the calls of most of Kakamega's birds and knows many of the medicinal plants.
Beneath a thin tree he dug his hand into the earth and pulled up the hairy root of a vine. Upon splicing it open a white cream oozed. Okalo passed the root around for us all to have a taste. This was mondia, one of several medicinal plants locals poach from the forest. Known as "African Viagra", mondia has a suite of supposed properties: it can enhance memory, stimulate milk production, smooth skin, kill hangovers and increase appetite and sex drive. To stop the plundering of mondia from within Kakamega, KEEP has encouraged local farmers to plant the vine. They recently opened a factory that turns the plant into powder packaged for salves and toothpastes.
The root was handed to me and I took a bite. Never have I experienced such a rainbow of tastes. Initially, the mondia was bitter, like raw cocoa, then sweet, like sugarcane. The aftertaste was spicy, like fresh mint.
Drawing tourists to the forest is another one of KEEP's income-generating projects. The group built a series of huts for overnight stays and is currently establishing a trading post where villagers can sell homespun crafts and clothing. As tourists flock to Obama's homeland, nearby Kakamega should not be missed.


text:
Vick finds success … time to cut him?
Michael Fabiano | Tags: Andy Reid, Kevin Kolb, Michael Fabiano, Michael Vick
Michael Vick put up great numbers against the Detroit Lions, throwing for 284 yards and two touchdowns in a 32-32 win over the Lions. That equates to a stellar 23.06 fantasy points on NFL.com.
Now, it appears you'll have to drop him.
After the game, coach Andy Reid told reporters that Kevin Kolb will be back under center when the Eagles play the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 3. I don't think the move is a shock, either, as Reid invested a lot in Kolb when the decision was made to trade Donovan McNabb.
So if you don't have Kolb and need the roster spot, it appears that Vick could be expendable. If Kolb is on your roster, though, you might want to hold onto Vick as insurance.
— Michael Fabiano


text:
Mental Health
Have Mental Health Questions? Ask a Psychiatrist Online
I believe I can help you with your concern
I am so sorry about this time management issue in regards ***** ***** son, I can see how that can distress him and you as well.
I would like to ask a couple questions to get some more information, so that I can better assist you today
Does your son have any difficulties focusing and concentrating at all?
Also you mentioned that he is very charming when he talks, but it is hard for you to understand him. Can you describe this in more detail for me?
Yes. As I said he is very very intelligent. He read lot book and always curious to know new things. When he was young he used to read contiously 6 hours. But at the same time he used to take extra long time in routine also
And would you describe him as shy and not very active?
Not at all. He participate in lots of extra actvities. Infact he can speak in front of 500to 1000 people crowd without even preparing his pseech. As I said people love him
And how is his sleep pattern? Does he sleep a lot, a little, or a normal amount?
Thank you for asking me. This is also one of the main problem. He can not sleep at night. But he in day he sleeps like baby. And I fight this every day..
Well the sleep deprivation can cause these symptoms during the day. What you are describing is called a Slow Processing Speed and typically it is a result of ADHD, as is the trouble focusing and concentrating.
My first impression was that your son had a possible subtype called Sluggish Cognitive Tempo, but usually that results in social withdrawal which your son does not have based on your description
I know you cannot be with him at night all the time because you have to sleep, but does he still have these slow processing speed issues at night after he has slept through the day?
Yes. And now he is an adult it is very hard to control. He is brgiht child and still he has time to have good future. Can we do something so Please?
There are two things I would suggest because Slow Cognitive Processing Speed can be caused by many things, so one would be to go to a Sleep Study Clinic and have him evaluated. Your general practitioner can make a referral for your son. And the other would be to go to an Assessment Psychologist for testing as this can be caused by many psychological disorders and the assessments will help narrow down thee cause and the proper treatment for your son. If you like I can recommend some good assessment psychologists in your area. Also here is a good link explaining slow processing speed too
Please recommand me psychologists in my area. My area code is 64152.Thank you. I was thinking something you can suggest me. Because he is an adult it will be very hard for me to convince him to go psychologists. But if it is the only way I will do it.
Thank you
Well the link has some suggestions to help with slow processing speed issues, so that can be beneficial for him, but I think getting a firm diagnosis can help approach the issue best and provide the most appropriate treatment too. Give me a few minutes to look in your area and recommend so good psychologists.
I hope there is nothing serious to my son right?
I do not think this is serious and I believe that he can overcome this with the right treatment and coping strategies.
Hello Sir,
Hello Sir
Yes I am still here, just give me one more minute to compile this list for you and your son
Here are some good assessment psychologists in your area that can provide a very detailed assessment. The first is actually someone I worked with while in Kansas and he also has neuropsychological assessment background which is really good for evaluating processing speed issues.
Do you have any other questions or concerns that I can help with at this time?
I am sorry There was computer glich. I typed one time and it was just keep send you same msg. But Thank you for your help.
Have good day
No problem, computer glitches happen. I am happy that I was able to help, and I hope that your son can get a definitive diagnosis soon to be able to fix this slow processing speed issue. My goal is to provide you with excellent service, so if you ever have any further questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me at anytime.


text:
Smart Boats and RVs
Company Summary
Interactio has created a software & hardware based platform for boat and RV owners to manage their vehicles remotely and to optimize performance while on board. We provide significant energy savings, reduce the risk of vehicle damage, and ensure all systems are ready to go when its time for owners to enjoy their recreational vehicle. We sell hardware thru VARs and maximize customer lifetime value thru ecommerce and subscription services.
- StageProduct In Development
- IndustryConsumer Products
- LocationVictoria, BC, Canada
- CurrencyCAD
- FoundedJanuary 2015
- Employees4
- Incorporation TypeC-corp
- Websiteinteractio.co


text:
12 basic tips for living through Sandy
With Hurricane Sandy upon us, it's smart to be prepared for heavy flooding, power outages and other storm damage.
Many people prepared over the weekend by bringing in outdoor furniture, garbage cans and Halloween decorations.
Dave Schrader, spokesperson for the American Red Cross in Philadelphia, says it's not too late to do some smart and "quick planning" during the storm.
"One thing we tell people are to keep a car phone charger ready in case there is power loss," said Schrader. "We recommend that people text message instead of calling each other. If the lines are busy or down, a text may still go through."
He also recommends downloading the free Red Cross "Hurricane App," available for iPhone and Android, which monitors local conditions and has preloaded content that gives users instant access to "critical action steps" even without mobile connectivity.
The websites http://www.ready.gov/hurricanes and http://oem.readyphiladelphia.org are two great places to find valuable information about storm planning and tips.
Here are 12 helpful tips:
1. Sign up for ReadyNotifyPA, the region's emergency text and email alert system, by logging on to www.readynotifypa.org, or by texting PHILA to 411911. (The alerts are free but standard text messaging rates may apply.)
2. If you lose power and are using a portable generator, do not, DO NOT operate it indoors. The risk of carbon monoxide poisoning from doing so is high.
3. Have extra batteries, candles, matches/lighters on hand.
4. Keep your cell phone charged and preserve the charge by only using it for emergency calls. You can use your cell phone to report an outage to your service provider.
5. Know the phone numbers of your service providers, like PECO Energy Customer Service: 1-800-494-4000, PECO Energy Emergency Hotline: 1-800-841-4141, the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD): 215-685-6300 and the Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW): 215-235-1212
6. Keep perishables cold by turning the refrigerator thermostat to its coldest setting and keeping its doors closed. Keep Ziploc bags or other containers with water in your freezer to set around perishables in case of power loss. That will keep them colder longer, and if you do lose power, you can use the melted water in the bags later on.
7. Prepare an evacuation kit with important papers (including insurance documents), medication and other items in case you need to evacuate your home.
8. If your home is flood-prone, elevate furniture and electronics off the floor with bricks.
9. Stay indoors during the hurricane and away from windows and glass doors.
10. Do not attempt to walk across flood water more than knee deep and never drive through flooded roadways. (One foot of moving water can sweep the average car off the road.)
11. Keep a supply of water sanitary purpose such as cleaning and flushing toilets. Fill the bathtub and other larger containers with water.
12. Know where you'll go if you need to evacuate. Check with friends and family to see if you can stay, or locate a local American Red Cross shelter in your area.
If you have other tips you'd like to share, use the commenting space below. Thanks.


text:
William Audus
As published in
"The City of Kenosha and Kenosha County Wisconsin: A Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement"
by Frank H. Lyman Vol. 2, The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, 1916.
Among Kenosha county's substantial citizens who are natives of England is William Audus who was born in Cambridgeshire on the 17th of January, 1850. He has long resided in this county, however, having been a representative of its agricultural interests for thirty seven years, and at one time he was actively engaged in the cultivation of a large farm of one hundred and eighty acres which he owned. His parents, Samuel and Sarah Audus, spent their entire lives in England.
It was in that country that William Audus acquired a common school education, after which he began providing for his own support by working by the day. He continued in England until he reached the age of twenty-one years, then bade adieu to friends and native land, having determined to try his fortune in America. Crossing the Atlantic to the United States, he made his way to Illinois, where he remained until 1875. During that period he engaged in farming, and in the latteryear he left the middle west for California, where he spent four years, but returned from the Pacific coast in 1879, in which year he took up his abode in Kenosha County. Here he purchased sixty acres of land and afterward added to his holdings from time to time as his financial resources increased until he had extended the boundaries of his farm to include one hundred and eighty acres. He carefully and persistently tilled the soil, annually gathering good harvests, and his labors brought him substantial reward. At the present time he owns only twenty-five acres, having sold nearly all of his land. Success in substantial measure has attended his efforts, and now enables him to live retired.
On the 1st of January, 1897, Mr. Audus was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Pye. They have a pleasant home noted for its warm hearted hospitality, and in the community they have many friends. In his political views he is an earnest republican. In his religious faith he is a Methodist, and his life has been passed in conformity to the teachings of the church. In all of his business dealings he has been thoroughly reliable and upright, and his success is the legitimate, direct reward of his own labors and perseverance, his life record showing what may be accomplished when energy and determination lead the way.
Typed by: Michelle Laycock
Return to Lyman Bio Index Page


text:
for Registration as a
European Specialist in Laboratory Medicine (EuSpLM)
Please fill in in the online application form. After clicking the application
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text:
The following editorial appeared recently in The Miami Herald :
The end-game in the Iranian nuclear crisis is rushing forward.
The differences between President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Iran, principally questions of timing and tactics, have been well publicized. But last week Obama cleared the air by stating more explicitly than ever that the two nations share the objective of ensuring that Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons capability and that he means what he says.
Specifically, President Obama told an interviewer that he was willing to use a "military component" against Iran as a last resort if talks and persuasion don't work. "I don't bluff," he added. This is tough talk for a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize leading a war-weary nation. He followed that up with a speech to a major pro-Israeli lobbying group in Washington in which he ruled out a policy of "containment," the defensive posture adopted with the Soviet Union after it became a nuclear power.
That narrows the options to one: prevention. Iran's mullahs cannot fail to understand what this means. The upcoming round of talks with Western nations represents Iran's last chance to show that it is a rational nation-state whose leaders realize they've exhausted the patience of law-abiding countries. They can no longer violate the rules of nuclear non-proliferation and expect to get away with it.
For years, the ayatollahs have engaged in a dangerous game, using subterfuge, double-talk and bluster to build a secret nuclear program while reassuring suspicious critics that their intentions were peaceful.
Why should anyone believe them? The regime has eagerly nurtured terrorist movements in the Middle East and elsewhere around the world. It has refused to cooperate with international arms inspectors. Prime Minister Mahmoud Ahmadinejad regularly taunts and disparages Western leaders and threatens harm to Iran's critics.
Critics of U.S. policy believe too much time has been lost in idle diplomacy. But rushing to war is always a mistake. A steady U.S. naval buildup around the Persian Gulf, coupled with sanctions that make it harder for Iran to refine its oil and stay connected to the world financial system, has put pressure on the regime. This approach has persuaded other nations to form an effective, united front against Iran.
The clearest example lies in France's change of attitude. The country famously refused to join in the invasion of Iraq. This time French President Nicolas Sarkozy is leading the charge. He was the first among leaders of the six powers negotiating with Iran to push for tighter sanctions on Iranian oil and finance. His foreign minister says Iran continues to be "two-faced" and insincere. Translation: We won't be fooled again.
Iran cannot say it has not been warned. Negotiators should not settle for yet another invitation to have international inspectors visit Iran without a guarantee of satisfaction. The last mission, in February, failed after Iran's leaders blithely refused to address the key concerns of inspectors.
Israel has been right to insist that the international community face up to its duty to confront Iran. Armed with nuclear weapons, a rogue nation that actively supports terrorism represents a menace to all, not just to Israel.
Years ago, Israel did the world a favor by taking out Saddam Hussein's nuclear facility, and later Syria's. Iran is everyone's responsibility. The end game is near and the clock is ticking.


text:
Autoimmune Blistering Diseases
National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc.
It is possible that the main title of the report Autoimmune Blistering Diseases is not the name you expected.
General Discussion
Autoimmune blistering diseases are a group of disorders in which the body mistakenly attacks healthy tissue, causing blistering lesions that primarily affect the skin and mucous and membranes. In autoimmune blistering diseases, antibodies mistakenly attack proteins that are essential for the layers of skin to stick (adhere) together. The specific symptoms and severity of blistering diseases vary from one person to another, even among individuals with the same disorder. In some cases, blistering lesions can cover a significant portion of the skin. Although there is no cure for autoimmune blistering diseases, they can often be controlled with treatment. In other cases, autoimmune blistering diseases if left untreated can eventually cause life-threatening complications. In recent years, new insight into the causes and development of these disorders has led to research into new therapies such as the development of drugs that target the specific antibodies which cause the symptoms of these diseases. NORD has individual reports on many of the specific disorders classified as autoimmune blistering diseases. For more information, choose the specific disease name as your search term in the Rare Disease Database.
Supporting Organizations
American Autoimmune & Related Diseases
- 22100 Gratiot Ave.
- Eastpointe, MI 48021
- Tel: (586)776-3900
- Fax: (586)776-3903
- Tel: (800)598-4668
- Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
- Website: http://www.aarda.org/
Australasian Blistering Diseases Foundation
- St. George Hospital
- Department of Dermatology
- Sydney, NSW 2217
- Australia
- Tel: 02 9113 2543
- Fax: 02 9113 2886
- Email: email@example.com
- Website: http://www.blisters.org.au/
AutoImmunity Community
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/autoimmunityforum
Genetic and Rare Diseases (GARD) Information Center
- PO Box 8126
- Gaithersburg, MD 20898-8126
- Tel: (301)251-4925
- Fax: (301)251-4911
- Tel: (888)205-2311
- Website: http://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/GARD/
International Pemphigus & Pemphigoid Foundation
- 1331 Garden Highway
- Ste 100
- Sacramento, CA 95825
- Tel: 916-922-1298
- Fax: 916-922-1458
- Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
- Website: http://www.pemphigus.org
NIH/National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
- Information Clearinghouse
- One AMS Circle
- Bethesda, MD 20892-3675
- Tel: (301)495-4484
- Fax: (301)718-6366
- Tel: (877)226-4267
- Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
- Website: http://www.niams.nih.gov/
For a Complete Report
This is an abstract of a report from the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). For a full-text version of this report, go to www.rarediseases.org and click on Rare Disease Database under "Rare Disease Information".
The information provided in this report is not intended for diagnostic purposes. It is provided for informational purposes only.
It is possible that the title of this topic is not the name you selected. Please check the Synonyms listing to find the alternate name(s) and Disorder Subdivision(s) covered by this report.
This disease entry is based upon medical information available through the date at the end of the topic. Since NORD's resources are limited, it is not possible to keep every entry in the Rare Disease Database completely current and accurate. Please check with the agencies listed in the Resources section for the most current information about this disorder.
Last Updated: 4/24/2015
Copyright 2015 National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc.
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Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.


text:
This is a R-Flex to male NPT adapter from Watts Radiant. It is used to form a seamless connection between Watts Radiant R-Flex tubing and MNPT fittings or manifolds. High grade metals are used throughout the fitting, ensuring durability and longevity.
Product Compatibility
- Watts Radiant 90mm R-Flex Single Pipe Tubing


text:
Koei has announced that it plans to release Warriors Orochi 2 across Europe this September for PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360.
In Warriors Orochi 2 a new group of warriors must join forces in order to defeat a mysterious evil alliance and prevent the Serpent King from rising. Character choice will be plentiful, with a line-up of over 90 playable characters from both the Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors franchises, plus new characters from Chinese and Japanese history.
The game will take place after events of the first title, with the main Story mode featuring storylines for the kingdoms of Wu, Wei, and Shu, and the Samurai Warriors. A new Orochi storyline looks back to the first series of wars to expose some of the Serpent King's secrets.
A new Dream mode will also include an original storyline different to that found in the Story mode.
Also new is a two-player Versus mode, which will feature four game types including Tag Team matches that pit fighters in head-to-head combat.
The popular Team Battle System returns for the sequel, enabling players to switch between fighters in order to rest and restore the Life Meters and Musou Gages of two members of the fighting unit.
Warriors Orochi 2 is scheduled for release across Europe in September 2008 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 2.


text:
Technetium tc 99m sestamibi
technetium tc 99m sestamibi
(Science: chemical) (oc-6-11)-hexakis(1-isocyano-2-methoxy-2-methylpropane)technetium(1_)-99mtc. A technetium imaging agent used to reveal blood-starved cardiac tissue during a heart attack.
Pharmacological action: radiopharmaceuticals.
Chemical name: Technetium(1_)-99Tc, hexakis(1-isocyano-2-methoxy-2-methylpropane)-, (OC-6-11)-
Please contribute to this project, if you have more information about this term feel free to edit this page.


text:
Please confirm that you want to add Create Great Presentations to your Wishlist.
Learn how to give riveting presentations and be a great presenter.
Whether you are making a pitch to venture capitalists to fund your project, your boss to let you lead the next project, a prospective client to close a sale, or the local government officials about recycling, you want to make a presentation that is persuasive, inspiring, and motivating. Why is it that some presentations are boring and others are riveting? That's what you are going to learn in this course. Whether you are new to presenting or an experienced speaker, this course will teach you how to go to the next level and beyond.
Examples of what is in this course:
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End of Section Quiz
I have a Ph.D. in Psychology and decades of experience as a behavioral scientist, applying psychology to the design of digital products. I'm a consultant to Fortune 1000 companies, start-ups, and educational and government organizations.
A client once referred to me as "The Brain Lady", and it stuck. Probably because I like to teach and consult about brain science.
I'm currently the Founder and Principal of The Team W. I consult, coach, teach, and speak about behavioral science, brain science, psychology, design, innovation, and user experience. I've been lucky enough to travel around the world as a keynote speaker.
I am also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Wisconsin.
My clients include Disney, Amazon, The Mayo Clinic, Zappos, the Federal Trade Commission (USA), and the European Commission.
I like to write books, including: 100 Things Every Designer Needs To Know About People, How To Get People To Do Stuff, 100 Things Every Presenter Needs To Know About People, and Neuro Web Design: What makes them click? I blog at my own website and I blog for Psychology Today.
My work over the years has included the design of websites, software, medical devices, TV ads, physical devices, experiences, and physical spaces to make them persuasive, usable and motivating.
I live in Wisconsin, USA, with my husband. My two children are grown and "launched". When not teaching, speaking, writing, or blogging, I perform in community theatre, sing jazz, read books, and I'm an avid movie watcher.


text:
Dear Lexus: In the past we may have suggested your cars were somewhat boring, especially the HS 250h hybrid sedan we tested, which felt more Prius than premium. Now that we've driven your new CT 200h hybrid, we have to ask: Is this really a Lexus?
Appearance: The CT 200h doesn't scream "hybrid" or even Lexus. This five-door hatchback looks more like something from Mazda's design house, with its long hood, flared fenders and sharp body creases. (The chrome-edged grille, however, is all Lexus.) The roofline slopes gently toward the back to the hatch and its integrated top spoiler. The glass of the hatch wraps around the body.
Performance: The front-wheel-drive CT 200h has a 1.8-liter four-cylinder gas engine and an electric motor that combine to put out 134 horsepower. There are four adjustable driving modes; we found acceleration sluggish (0-60 in 9.8 seconds) and preferred the Sport setting. Where the car makes up for its lack of get-up-and-go is in handling; the low-riding CT 200h feels grounded, has good steering feedback and corners precisely, thanks to a more sport-tuned, independent suspension. The transmission is an Electronically controlled Continuously Variable Transmission (ECVT). As with all hybrids, it has regenerative braking, which can take some getting used to.
Interior: The CT 200h, which is the lowest-priced car in the Lexus line, is entry-level luxury in a compact car. As such, some of the interior controls are not premium materials. Overall, we liked the cabin, a mix of faux aluminum trimmed in ecru and black, and found most of the controls intuitive. The NuLuxe seats are comfortable and made of environmentally friendly synthetic leather. (They felt like the real thing.) We liked the Remote Touch controller — similar to a computer mouse — for the navigation/audio screen, which folds flat on the dash. The controller is a nice Lexus touch. It's much more friendly than a touchscreen. Not so friendly: We both found the shifter knob annoying. You push it forward for reverse and pull backward for drive. It's counterintuitive. Why can't hybrids have a more normal shifter? There also is a cellphone holder that seems practical at first, but it's flimsy and can get in the way when you reach for some of the console controls. The rear seats fold flat, and the cargo area has more than 30 cubic feet of space.
Our 3 favorites
Peter Couture
Stylish: All it needs is for an import tuner to give it a makeover.
Ride: The CT 200h corners tightly, especially in Sport mode.
Lexus: Kudos to a carmaker we've criticized for its bland styling.
Lyra Solochek
NuLuxe seats: An environmentally friendly and comfortable alternative to leather.
Cargo space: Plenty of space for groceries and more.
Fun yet practical: A zippy ride getting up to 43 mpg.
The bottom line: If you are in the market for a stylish compact car that gets good gas mileage but doesn't scream "hybrid," then this is a strong contender. It's also a Lexus that seems within reach, with a starting price near $30,000.


text:
Civil Rights Defenders has designed a smart bracelet that could help save the lives of civil rights activists and aid workers operating in dangerous areas.
Civil Rights Defenders has designed a smart bracelet that could help save the lives of civil rights activists and aid workers operating in dangerous areas.
The bracelet features cellular and GPS technology that will send warning messages to Facebook and Twitter to notify people that the activist is in danger, including their location, which could help prevent them being kidnapped or aid in their rescue.
The messages can be sent manually by the worker, but the bracelet will automatically issue warnings to social media if it is forcefully removed. The data will also be sent to other aid workers in the area, and widespread knowledge of the existence of such devices could act as a deterrent to kidnapping and murder.
"Most of us, given the chance, would like to help others in danger," said Robert Hardh, executive director of Civil Rights Defenders. "These civil rights defenders are risking their lives for others to have the right to vote, or to practise religion or free speech."
Activists constantly face the threat of abduction or murder, either by oppressive government forces, military regimes, local militia, or criminal gangs. The murder of Natalia Estemirova, who was uncovering alleged abuse of civilians in Chechnya, in 2009 prompted development of this device.
Bracelets are now being given out to activists and aid workers, with 55 expected to be distributed by the end of 2014. Civil Rights Defenders is looking for funding in order to create and supply more of these potentially life-saving devices, which could in turn help encourage more freedom throughout the world.
Source: BBC