What is the Volkswagen ID.3?
You know Volkswagen is serious when it starts referring to a new model in the same breath as both the Beetle and the Golf. But that’s just how the company sees its first bespoke EV - the ID.3. It’s a big moment for Volkswagen, that’s for sure, as this latest car signals some real intent to move away from combustion engines towards a fully electric future.
The question is, does the ID.3 deliver? We’ve been out behind the wheel to find out.
Well, pretty much everything in truth. Though Volkswagen has produced electric models in the past - the e-Golf and e-Up! being two main highlights - this is the first time that it has produced an EV from the ground up, bringing a dedicated platform and a dedicated powertrain.
As such, the ID.3 brings all of the positives of an electric vehicle without the constraints of having to fit within an existing structure.
What’s under the bonnet?
‘Our’ ID.3 was powered by a 150kW electric motor combined with a 58kWh battery, producing a healthy 201bhp and 310Nm of torque. Volkswagen claims that the package should return up to 260 miles per charge, while thanks to rapid charging a 0-80 per cent charge could take as little as 30 minutes when using a 100kW charger. However, if you’re planning to charge via a home wallbox, then you’re looking at around nine and a half hours for a completely full charge.
The ID.3 will also manage zero to 60mph in seven seconds and top out at 99mph.
What’s it like to drive?
As we’ve found with many other electric vehicles, the driving experience in the ID.3 has been designed to be as simple as possible. There’s no real need to use the key to get it started; all you need to do is sit in the car, click the side gear controller into ‘D’ and you’re away. It’s as simple as that - there’s not even a need to use the starter button.
There’s nippy performance to take advantage of, too, with the ID.3 rear-wheel-drive setup giving the car a certain nimbleness through the bends. It’s got that trademark electric punch from a dead stop, too, though it’s got more than enough shove at higher speeds too.
The only real issue resides with the forward pillars which are quite thick and tricky to see around.
How does it look?
Up against more ‘regular’ traffic the ID.3 really does stand out. The full light bar across the front of the car is a genuine talking point and looks particularly futuristic at night. It’s a similarly cutting-edge story around the back, too, where large areas of gloss black trim give the car a distinctive look.
And whereas in brighter colours the ID.3 really does stand out, opt for a slightly more subdued shade and it does the trick of being a ‘regular’ Volkswagen remarkably well.
What’s it like inside?
As we’ve already mentioned, the ID.3 is based on a completely bespoke platform which means that it has been designed with the electric powertrain in mind. It allows the ID.3 to deliver plenty of interior space, with a back row which features a decent amount of legroom given the overall size of the car.
Our only quibble is with the location of the light controls; they’ve been placed between the main infotainment screen and the steering wheel, making them hard to access and difficult to operate when on the move.
The boot even has a genuinely useable amount of space, with 385 litres of room on offer.
What’s the spec like?
Initially launched in 1st Edition trim, the ID.3 arrives with a 10.0-inch infotainment display which incorporates media and navigation functions, as well as many of the heating and ventilation systems. It’s this latter area which takes the most getting used to. During our time with the car, even making slight alterations to the cabin temperature took a few minutes of delving into the systems to do.
There’s also a 5.3-inch display ahead of the driver which relays key information such as range and battery charge levels back to the driver.
Volkswagen has really pulled it out of the bag with the ID.3, producing a well-rounded EV which doesn’t feature many trade-offs against a conventionally-powered car. Though these initial versions, at more than £35,000, represent a reasonably expensive proposition, Volkswagen has already announced lower-powered models with just as much range - and it’s these which we predict will prove genuinely popular.
Though it may have put the ID.3 in the same vein as the Beetle and Golf, Volkswagen has ensured that its latest EV has lived up to the hype.


Mon., September 27, 2010 1:17pm
The Republicans still have memories of electing one of their own in Georgia's 12th District. They know the Democrat who represents the district...
Wed., July 7, 2010 5:09pm
State Rep. David Ralston is highlighing transportation, trauma care, ethics and budget bills passed by the GOP-dominated General Assembly.
Thu., March 18, 2010 6:11pm
Georgia Republicans continued their fight Thursday against the federal heal
Wed., January 6, 2010 2:33pm
Population shift to states in the south and west could mean red states will


Still, there can be only one clear winner and 2012 goes to Qualcomm, or its Krait chips to be more precise. The custom core MSM8260 and APQ8064 made short work of vanilla A9 cores and in some respects they are still competitive in the A15 world. Impressive to say the least, and let’s not forget on board LTE support for our US readers.
Apple’s A6 easily ranks second and if it weren’t a proprietary chip found only in Apple gear, it would share the top spot with Krait chips. Once again we are dealing with a custom A9 core, capable of holding its own against some A9-based quads. The A6X is equally impressive, but so far it’s only limited to the iPad 4.
So, two custom cores are in the lead, but Samsung and Nvidia managed to generate quite a bit of noise with run of the mill A9 quad-cores. Samsung’s Exynos 4412 is somewhat faster than the venerable Tegra 3, but then again you can only get it in a handful of phones, while Tegra 3 powers quite a few interesting tablets, including the Nexus 7, Surface RT and Asus Transformer TF700. We think both deserve the bronze.
Samsung’s Exynos 5250, the world’s first A15 SoC, is also worth mentioning, but it arrived a bit too late to make its presence felt in 2012.
So what was the worst ARM SoC of the year? This is a rather tricky question, and frankly speaking we can’t think of one. Sure, there are some horrible SoCs made by smaller outfits, but practically none of them filtered through to the mainstream market and they’re just not worth talking about. Unless you are getting a Chinese white box tablet, chances are you will end up with a decent SoC.
Mobile SoC performance is increasing at a mind boggling rate, reminding us of the good old days, i.e. the peak of the Intel – AMD x86 rivalry. Just a few weeks from now we will see a few brand new A15-based cores and let’s not write Intel off just yet. Chipzilla is gearing up to take on the ARM alliance in 2013 and 2014, but is it too little too late?


Toyota's recent troubles with sticking accelerators in many of its vehicles and braking issues in its flagship Prius gas-electric hybrid could leave you wondering how safe your next new car will be, whether Toyota-made or otherwise.
According to Cars.com Senior Editor Joe Wiesenfelder, electronic advancements that are now commonplace, such systems to prevent a vehicle's wheels from locking up while braking, have already done a great deal to improve road safety, and more recent advancements are only making cars safer.
"Other [technologies] that also help include radar-based collision-warning and collision-mitigation systems, the latter found on the Acura RL and a couple other luxury cars," Wiesenfelder told TechNewsDaily.
Many cars also have systems in place to monitor blind spots and lane departure warnings that alert drivers when they are drifting outside of their lanes, Wiesenfelder added.
More high-tech safety applications are on the way.
Like the lane-departure warnings, Volvo's Pedestrian Safety system, rolling out first with the company's redesigned 2011-model S60, incorporates cameras and computers, but it can also do much more than warn drivers.
The safety feature uses a camera mounted near the top of the windshield that, in tandem with an on-board computer, recognizes pedestrians and cyclists in front of the vehicle, and can automatically bring the car to a halt before an accident occurs, even if the driver fails to hit the brake pedal at all.
The system has a 45-degree viewing angle, will scan 160 feet (49 meters) ahead, and can recognize up to 64 people at once. The S60 will assess collision probability based on the direction of the vehicle and the predicted path pedestrians take. Engineers are also working on improving the system to detect animals.
The Pedestrian Safety system does have limitations, though. It doesn't work while the vehicle is backing up, and due in large part to the laws of physics, if the vehicle is moving faster than about 15 miles per hour it likely won't be able to stop quick enough to avoid a collision entirely.
If you're intrigued by this feature but don't see yourself driving a Volvo, Mobileye, the Dutch company that makes the computer controls and cameras in Volvo's system, is also working with several other automakers, including General Motors and BMW, according to a recent report in the New York Times.
And if you're worried about a computer having total control over when your car stops, the automatic braking can be overridden when it begins engaging, either by quickly turning the steering wheel left or right, or by hitting the gas pedal when the vehicle begins to brake.
But computer-aided safety systems can't solve all the problems facing car-makers in the future.
"Improved materials will be required to prevent vehicle safety from moving backward," said Wiesenfelder. "The fuel economy imperative absolutely calls for lighter vehicles, and higher-strength steels and other materials are among the steps that will reduce mass without sacrificing strength and impact protection."
Those lighter, higher-strength materials are becoming a reality, thanks to the work of researchers such as Afsaneh Rabiei, an Associate Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at North Carolina State University.
Rabiei has created a high-strength, lightweight, composite metal foam that could one day be placed in car bumpers to reduce or eliminate injuries from collisions. Made of metal spheres surrounded by a metal matrix, the material is said to absorb seven or eight times the energy of similar metal foam materials that lack a uniform cell structure.
In a recent article posted on the National Science Foundation's website, Rabiei said that if a car bumper were retrofitted with her material, an accident happening at 28 mph would feel, to a person inside the vehicle, as if it were happening at just 5mph.
Other industries are also interested in Rabiel's metal foam. The material shows potential for military troop protection, airplane construction, and may even be used to add earthquake protection to historic buildings. One last benefit of this metal foam material: It doesn't require complex materials or cutting-edge metal facilities to manufacture. Rabiei says a simple furnace, a mold, and a hot press are all that is required.
Despite these and other advances, Wiesenfelder said fear of advanced technology and simple fiscal reality may be the two largest roadblocks keeping tomorrow's cars from being as safe as they could be.
"I believe... widescale [adoption of] collision-avoidance systems, much less an automated highway system, are out of reach," said Wiesenfelder. "There’s just no money for the infrastructure and onboard technology, especially when drivers remain leery of relinquishing control of their cars."
- 10 Profound Innovations Ahead
- Electric Planes Could Transform How We Fly
- 7 Gadgets That Changed the World


text:
Oct 25, 2015 ... If you're bored and have ten minutes to kill, then why not check out this awesome
list of the top one hundred most random and funny facts.
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These 25 Weird Facts Will Sound Totally False, But They're Not. #3 Shocked Me!
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Random Facts ..... If you have 3 quarters, 4 dimes, and 4 pennies, you have $1.19
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domain: entertainment


CAIRO, Dec. 23 (Aswat Masriya) Tunisian coast guard authorities arrested 16 Egyptian fishermen on Monday night for illegally entering and trawl fishing on the coast of Zarzis, the Tunisian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.
In a statement on its official website, the Tunisian defense ministry said that the boat-full of fishermen that broke into the Tunisian territorial waters have been handed over to the National Guard of the Zarzis Coast in order to proceed with the legal consequences.
The fine for breaking into Tunisian territorial waters ranges between 20 to 220 thousand dollars.
Scores of Egyptians have been detained, and later released, in Libya, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia for illegally crossing over into their territorial waters to fish.
Egyptian fishermen often illegally take to the territorial waters of other states in order to fish, and as a result have been frequently detained at the hands of foreign authorities.
The Egyptian foreign ministry has repeatedly issued warnings to fishermen against illegally entering regional waters.


Delhiites will face water scarcity over the next couple of days because of a spike in industrial pollutants in the Yamuna, forcing the Delhi Jal Board on Monday to cut production at the Wazirabad and Chandrawal water treatment plants by 50 per cent.
Untreated industrial waste was released into the river through the Panipat drain in Haryana, increasing the pollution levels.
DJB officials said production was slashed after ammonia levels in the Yamuna rose to 1.2 parts per million (ppm) against the limit of 0.2 ppm. As a result, water supply across the city will be affected.
“Due to curtailment of production at the Wazirabad and Chandrawal WTPs, several areas in Central, Old, North, parts of South Delhi and those falling under the New Delhi Municipal Council will receive reduced supply at low pressure for a couple of days. Normal production will be restored at both the plants as soon as the pollution level recedes,” the DJB said in a statement.Team dispatched
Officials said the Jal Board had dispatched an inspection team to identify the source of pollution.
“The team comprising officers from the Treatment and Quality Control Wing of the DJB reported that the rise in pollution is attributable to high concentration of industrial and domestic waste in the untreated waste flows being discharged through the Panipat drain into the Yamuna,” an official said.
The officials said the Jal Board is constantly monitoring the raw water parameters and taking all necessary steps to ensure that water supply is potable. The DJB Chief Executive Officer, Vijay Kumar, has spoken to the Principal Secretary (Irrigation), Haryana, to take immediate steps to prevent pollutants from entering the Yamuna, the officials said.
The DJB statement said: “The Delhi Government had been actively taking up this issue with the Haryana Government and the Centre.”
The statement further said that at a meeting of the Delhi and Haryana Chief Ministers about two years ago, Haryana had said it would take long-term measures to manage pollutants entering the Yamuna from the Panipat drain.
“But despite repeated persuasion by the DJB, nothing substantial has been done,” the statement said.


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Top 5 wetland tourist destinations in Harbin
Updated : 2015-06-25
By ( e.my399.com )
The city of Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang province has been promoting its unique wetlands in recent years and, during its “Summer Fun in Harbin” program, a tourism and culture activity that runs for four months, it is also holding the 5th China Harbin Songhua River Wetland Festival to give its wetland tourism brand a boost, through October. In May, it organized a wetland forum and tourism promotion fair and invited travel agencies to get a look at some of its wetlands.
So, what are the most popular wetland destinations? Try these:
1. Sun Island
This is the biggest river floodplain, with marshes in the urban area, covering 10.6-square-kilometers, mainly in the north-western part of Sun Island. It has more than 600 types of wild vegetation, and 300 of regular vegetation. There are also more than 20 types of northern trees and shrubs, such as the ginkgo, ash, magnolia, and spiraea, and 16 types of perennial flowers. There are hundreds of birds species, such as wild ducks and cranes that take the place as their home.
Address: 3 Jingbei Road, Sun Island Scenic Park, Songbei district, Harbin
2. Volga Manor
This is a place with beautiful scenery, a big garden, and wetland beach with the Ashi River twisting its way through it. it has copies of classical Russian buildings and a unique landscape.
Address: Hacheng Road, 16 km from the Xiangfang district, Harbin
Gulls hovering over a wetland, in Harbin, Heilongjiang province. [Photo/my399.com]
3. Jinhewan Wetland Park
Gold River Bay is an aquatic eco-system and a restoration demonstration area running 3,800 meters from east to west, with the widest part being 1,500 meters. The 1.8-sq-km wetland garden faces water in three directions, while rivers and lakes connect with each other, and are home to various biological species.
Address: Dam-top Rd, between 3rd Ring Bridge and 4th Ring Rd, Songbei district, Harbin
4. Minzhu Juyuan Wetland Park
The park covers more than 100 sq km of protected ecological wetland, with hundreds of fish and birds, such as the crane and white stork calling it home. There are swamps, tidal flats, a water pool, and ponds sparkling all over it, creating a magnificent landscape.
Address: go through Minzhu to the town of Juyuan, Daowai district, Harbin
5. Baiyupao Wetland Park
This park covers a 3.28-sq-km area and preserves the original environment and has a large swamp. About 90 percent of the area is covered with reeds.
Address: Juyuan, Daowai district, Harbin
The autumn schedule for power grid maintenance in Harbin, Northeast China’s Heilongjiang province concluded on Oct 30.
The High People’s Court of Heilongjiang province officially launched Thunderbolt Action.
About 10 government departments in Daoli district, Harbin, Heilongjiang province, carried out joint enforcement June 1 to remove more than 20 illegal constructions with a total area of over 2000 square meters to advance an expropriation project.
Harbin has seen a dramatic reduction in traffic congestion, according to statistics released by Amap, a Chinese navigation service provider.

domain: travel


The Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission is made up of five counties and the City of Charlottesville. Like similar bodies across Virginia, the TJPDC’s mission is to help those localities with both planning and implementation.
For instance, the TJPDC is currently leading a 13-county effort to use federal funding to leverage private dollars to expand broadband internet across southern and central Virginia. Locally, the body now collects county-issued cigarette taxes.
The Board of Commissioners meets monthly and provides an opportunity to check-in with what’s happening around the region. All across Virginia, it is budget time and that includes Louisa County, where Rachel Jones represents the Green Springs District on the Board of Supervisors.
“Our [real estate property] assessments went through the roof and I think many of yours did, too,” Jones said. “It’s not just Louisa County. It hits hard for our residents. Last year we did make adjustments to our personal property tax and I think we will be probably be figuring out if there’s anything we can do to help with our assessments.”
It has been a year and a half or so since the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission adopted a document called Planning for Affordability that sought to help all six regions in the community update the housing chapter of their respective Comprehensive Plan.
The work is part of something called the Central Virginia Regional Housing Partnership, a subset of the TJPDC. This month, members of the partnership have been appearing before different elected bodies to share what the group does. Albemarle County’s turn is this Wednesday, but Charlottesville City Council saw the presentation on January 17. (view the presentation)
“The ‘why’ behind the partnership was created is that we all know we have housing affordability issues and its not just specific to any one jurisdiction that’s in the Commission,” said Ned Gallaway, the Rio District representative on the Albemarle Board of Supervisors. “It is a regional issue and while regional solutions may vary depending on if you are urban or rural, perhaps our solutions with our boundaries, but the information sharing, the data collection, and the efforts should be shared to help us all solve the problem.”
The population of the six localities that make up the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission grew by 2.5 percent between the 2020 U.S. Census and the beginning of the fiscal year.
That’s according to the latest population estimates from the Weldon Cooper Center at the University of Virginia. These are used by the Commonwealth of Virginia for all manner of planning purposes.
“Population estimates are an important tool used by a variety of state agencies in their planning processes — from developing budgets to determining salaries for public officials,” reads an overview of the website for the data that was made available yesterday.
For over three and a half decades, Fred Payne has served as the county attorney in Fluvanna on a contract basis. Payne will soon retire and Fluvanna is proceeding in a new direction.
“A decision has been made to move forward with creating a County Attorney Department to have in-house staff assistance as the County continues to grow,” writes County Administrator Eric Dahl in a staff report.
Housing sales have been down for five consecutive quarters in the region covered by the Charlottesville Area Association of Realtors. The group released their quarterly report today.
“There were 1,206 home sales in the CAAR region during the third quarter of 2022,” reads page 2 of the report. “This is 192 fewer sales than this time last year, which is a 14 percent drop.”
The number of sales in the Charlottesville housing market continues to drop as the median sales price continues to climb. That’s according to the latest report from the Charlottesville Area Association of Realtors. (view the report)
“There were 1,380 homes sold in the CAAR area in the second quarter,” reads one of the bullet points in the CAAR Home Sales Report for the second quarter. “This is an eleven percent drop from the second quarter a year ago, which is 165 fewer sales.”
The final public meeting for the development of a Regional Transit Vision will be held tonight in an online format. The Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission is overseeing the study, which seeks to come up with an aspirational document for enhanced public transportation throughout the entire Charlottesville area including Buckingham County.
The draft document has gone before the Charlottesville City Council and the Albemarle Board of Supervisors, as I’ve reported. But the Regional Transit Vision also has been to the outlying counties. Last week, Boards of Supervisors in both Fluvanna County and Greene County had a briefing.
“It started in the summer of 2021 with assessing the situation,” said Lucinda Shannon, a planner with the TJPDC. The $350,000 study was conducted by the firms AECOM and Jarrett Walker + Associates.
Consultants hired by the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission are moving into the second phase of a community engagement effort for a $350,000 plan to create a regional transit vision to make public transportation a more attractive option.
They have developed both a constrained plan that would anticipate around $26 million funds that might be generated through becoming a regional transportation authority with taxation power, as well as one that assumed funding would be found to increase the frequency of service. That has an estimated annual price tag of $70 million.
Work is nearing completion on a conceptual study for how public transport might work better across the entirety of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District. Today the Board of Supervisors will get an up close look at the $350,000 Regional Transit Vision.
Last week, an appointed body consisting of elected officials and transit officials got an update on the Regional Transit Vision.
“The project is a collaborative effort to evaluate and establish a clear long term vision for transit service in the region, and not just the urbanized area but also the rural areas surrounding Charlottesville and Albemarle County,” said Tim Brulle of AECOM is the project manager for the vision plan.
Consultants hired by the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission to craft a vision for how public transportation might work better in the Charlottesville area will present more details next Thursday.
The firm AECOM is the lead consultant with Jarrett Walker and Associates serving as a subcontractor. The study may recommend the eventualtransition to a unified regional transit authority. (meeting info)
“There will be a 90 minute presentation from the consultants to go over what we’ve done so far, survey the results of the first round of public engagement, and then also what they found for the vision for the community,” said Lucinda Shannon, a transportation planner for the TJPDC.


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A new mouse study out of Oregon Health and Science University:
We have previously reported that a water extract (CAW) of the Ayurvedic plant Centella asiatica administered in drinking water can improve cognitive deficits in mouse models of aging and neurodegenerative diseases. Here we compared the effects of CAW administered in drinking water or the diet on cognition, measures of anxiety and depression-like behavior in healthy aged mice. Three- and eighteen-month-old male and female C57BL6 mice were administered rodent AIN-93M diet containing CAW (0, 0.2, 0.5 or 1% w/w) to provide 0, 200 mg/kg/d, 500 mg/kg/d or 1000 mg/kg/d for a total of 5 weeks. An additional group of eighteen-month-old mice were treated with CAW (10 mg/mL) in their drinking water for a total of five weeks to deliver the same exposure of CAW as the highest dietary dose (1000 mg/kg/d). CAW doses delivered were calculated based on food and water consumption measured in previous experiments. In the fourth and fifth weeks, mice underwent behavioral testing of cognition, anxiety and depression (n=12 of each sex per treatment group in each test). Aged mice of both sexes showed cognitive deficits relative to young mice while only female aged mice showed increased anxiety compared to the young female mice and no differences in depression were observed between the different ages. CAW (1000 mg/kg/d) in the drinking water improved deficits in aged mice in learning, executive function and recognition memory in both sexes and attenuated the increased measures of anxiety observed in the aged female mice. However, CAW in the diet only improved executive function in aged mice at the highest dose (1000 mg/kg/d) in both sexes and did so less robustly than when given in the water. There were no effects of CAW on depression-like behavior in aged animals regardless of whether it was administered in the diet or the water. These results suggest that CAW can ameliorate age-related changes in measures of anxiety and cognition and that the mode of administration is important for the effects of CAW on resilience to these age-related changes.
Centella Asiatica - or sometimes also called Gotu Kola or Cica - has been used in folk medicine for hundreds of years. It’s traditionally used to improve small wounds, burns and scratches and it’s also a well known anti-inflammatory agent for eczema.
Recently science has taken an interest in Gotu Kola as well and it turns out it really has many active compounds with several benefits. Just for hard-core geeks, the main biologically active compounds are pentacyclic triterpenoid saponins called asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic and madecassic acid (also called centellosides).

domain: literature


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Water and Sewer
March 10, 2021 11:51AM CST
Amarillo Water and Sewer customers will soon have a new option to pay their water and sewer bills
City Council member learned at their meeting that a new mobile office will now be on the streets for payment of city services
The office on wheels will have a drive-up window and two windows where customers can walk up to.It will operate in various parts of town, depending on when that area’s bills are due.
The city will publicize where the office will be open, Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m

domain: news


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This week again I was lucky enough to have a YA author give me an exclusive interview! The idea behind the “Writer in the Spotlight” feature is that published (and bestselling) authors are the best source of advice for us, would-be-published writers. Today’s interview is with the ever awesome Kendare Blake, whose YA ghost story Anna Dressed In Blood is one of my favourite books.
Author : Kendare Blake
Genre : Young Adult, Paranormal, Ghost story, Horror
Website : http://kendareblake.com/
Books : The Anna series: Anna Dressed In Blood (2011), Girl of Nightmares (released August 7th, 2012)
Sleepwalk Society (2010)
Antigoddess (released 2013)
My interview (13/07/2012):
Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?
Yes. Though I didn’t think of it as a practical option after I graduated from high school. I still didn’t think it was a practical option when I decided to do it after grad school. But by then I’d come to terms with the idea of being a starving artist.
When and where do you write?
I write when I have spare time. And after I’ve done everything else that could possibly need doing. (Master procrastinator!) My office is in my apartment and consists of a kitchen table, a printer, my laptop, stacks of books and sheafs of paper.
Do you ever experience writer’s block?
No! And now I must go find wood and knock on it, and pet my black cat backwards.
What do you say to people who want to be writers?
Excellent! Books books and more books. The world needs ’em.
Can you tell us a little bit about your publishing journey? (the different steps and how long it took you to be published)
I’ll tell you Anna’s story. Which was not the first book I wrote, or the first book I sold. The first book I wrote (seriously wrote, not wrote during childhood) was the first book I sold, but it took forever.
I wrote Anna in about eight months. Queried agents for about two months. Got a few requests for fulls, and some rejections. Ended up with two offers of representation, both from amazing agents. One a smaller more boutique agent, and another with the backing of a big agency. Talked with both of them. Ended up going with the smaller agency. Anna went out on submission and was out for about three months. I think. We started getting nibbles around the month and a half mark. Some rejections. Went to a few editorial boards. Wound up with two offers, so I guess you’d call that a mini-auction. I went with Mel Frain, at Tor Teen, and she’s excellent and bodacious. Anna sold in April, 2010 and pubbed in August 2011.
On “Anna Dressed In Blood”:
What made you choose to write a ghost/horror story?
I wanted to play Silent Hill but was too scared. And I missed reading Stephen King and Anne Rice. When I was in London, I’d rekindled my love of the fantastic, with Joe Hill and Angela Carter.
What is striking about your book is its voice. Did you work a lot on that or did it come to you naturally when you started writing the book?
Cas’ voice came naturally. I can’t imagine how hard it would have been if it hadn’t. He was real from the moment he hit the page. If he hadn’t been, I probably would’ve stopped.
To write this book, where did you get your inspiration from?
No idea. Anna’s name came to me first. Anna Dressed in Blood. And I thought, who’s that? Oh of course. She’s a dead girl who kills people. Hmm. Someone ought to kill her.
Cas is awesome. Anna is amazing. How did you come up with those characters?!
They sort of came up with themselves. I knew what Anna was, but not exactly who. She was a murderous ghost. A real badass. That side was easy. Her human part didn’t reveal until later. I knew Cas was a ghost hunter, with a knife. I knew he’d go after her, and that he was a loner. That’s about it.
What type of music did you listen to when you wrote this book?
I didn’t! I can’t write and listen to music that often. I usually end up just jamming, and nothing gets done.
What are you working on now?
Right now is that wonderful phase of juggle city! I’m halfway through the second book in my new series and the first one comes back ready for edits. So I’m putting aside the second this week to polish up the first.
The new series kicks off with ANTIGODDESS next August. It’s Greek gods in the modern world. Athena and Hermes and Odysseus and Cassandra. Dying gods at war and the teens who get caught in their mess. Very, Terminator. Or Terminator 2. Maybe just very Sarah Connor.
Which authors inspire you now? Any YA books you would recommend?
Right now I’m halfway through WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE by Shirley Jackson. Not YA exactly but holy shit. How have I not read this before? It’s a flipping masterpiece. Ominous and so beautiful. On the YA side I’m consistently inspired by the short stories of Holly Black, and by loads of others. I’d recommend reading her collection THE POISON EATERS and also…well, it depends what you’re in the mood for. Suzanne Young’s A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL is amazing. The sequel, A WANT SO WICKED is out now. Kristen Simmons’ ARTICLE 5 is harrowing. Deb Caletti’s STAY from last year…so many more!
Thanks for the interview Kendare!
Thank you for having me by the blog! And for the fun interview questions 🙂
Girl of Nightmares will be out on August 7th, 2012. Buy it on Amazon here.


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Since the general election, the residential market has slowly improved, primarily in the middle to upper-end segment, while low-income earners continue to be affected by an uneven economic recovery.
Tritecha Tangmatitham, managing director of SET-listed developer Supalai, said the market had been quiet since May, with fewer customers visiting project sites, but it rebounded in early August.
"The clearer political situation has helped boost sentiment, but this scenario is only in the middle-to upper-end segment," he said. "The lower-end segment remains challenging in terms of affordability, especially housing units priced at 2.5 million baht and below."
He said there had been a lack of homebuyers in the lower-end segment since the pandemic. This year the situation deteriorated due to several negative factors including a return to the regular loan-to-value limits, increasing interest rates, the economic slowdown and rising costs.
Over the year, costs for housing construction have risen by 3% despite flat growth in inflation and land prices this year.
However, since demand for homes in the luxury segment had been absorbed since last year, the market that offered potential this year is likely to be in the middle price range.
"Homebuyers in the lower-end segment need to rely on mortgages. They depend on banks," he added.
Mr Tritecha said another group of potential homebuyers facing obstacles in obtaining home loans, despite having substantial purchasing power, are those earning income through online platforms such as content creators, online sellers and gamers.
"Compared to salarymen who can access up to 100% of the credit line for home loans, online freelancers are typically limited to 70-80%," he said. "These professions are no longer new, so they should be recognised."
Recognising them as potential homebuyers, Supalai adjusted its products to cater to their needs. This involved creating spaces for broadcasting within condo units, incorporating storage rooms and coordinating with furniture producers to provide fully-furnished units more efficiently.
Khajorn Chiaranaipanich, founder of digital publisher and content marketing consultant The Zero Publishing Co, suggested the new government recognise content creators as a certified profession.
"To promote these careers, the government should implement a policy that supports and provides tax deductions to organisations purchasing content from local creators," he said.
There should also be welfare and social insurance for the creator professions and a support fund for creators. Additionally, there should be vouchers to improve content creation skills among the general public.


If you recall around San Diego Comic-Con time, there was an announcement of a Futurama game coming to mobile, but we didn’t really know much in the way of details or anything quite yet when it was announced, but a few more details have just rolled out. We know the title: Futurama: Game of Drones. Wooga is oging to publish the game, with their lineup of free-to-play games, so if you were hoping this would be a paid game, well, it’s looking unlikely. Hate to break it to you, it is 2015.
Three acclaimed writers are going to come up with the storyline for the game:
- Dave Grossman (Secret of Monkey Island, The Wolf Among Us (Free))
- Jonathon Myers (Game of Thrones: Ascent (Free))
- Patric M. Verrone (writer on Futurama)
As far as the gameplay goes, you’ll be assembling an army of delivery drones to deliver dangerous cargo to far-off places, trying to top MomCo’s efforts. You’ll probably fail, because Mom is unstoppable, but hey – the fun will be in trying. No word on any release date quite yet.


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Are the good times over for the buy-out industry?
The long-term future of the private equity sector is in doubt as firms struggle to raise funds, reports Jamie Dunkley
Sunday 20 January 2013
Bankers weren't always public enemy number one. There was a time (not so long ago) when a different type of capitalist was the target for placard- waving demonstrators up and down the country.
Britain's private-equity industry was at the height of its powers between 2003 and 2007 when debt-laden buyouts of household names such as Boots, sparked fears of savage job cuts, low wages and employment conditions akin to Victorian workhouses.
The industry's reputation was not enhanced by the huge salaries and bonuses paid to the likes of Permira's Damon Buffini and Terra Firma's Guy Hands.
On hearing that Blackstone, KKR and CVC were considering bidding for Sainsbury's in 2007, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber pulled no punches: "Sometimes private-equity firms turn failing businesses around, providing decent returns to their investors, pensions funds included," he said. "Sometimes, however, they give the impression of being little more than amoral asset-strippers after a quick buck."
Now, 10 years on from the start of the private-equity boom, buyout firms remain an active part of the economy with £40bn of UK pension-scheme funds invested in them.
Private equity currently backs around 3,800 companies across the country, according to industry body BVCA, employing 1.2 million people on a full-time basis. Recent figures from Ernst & Young also prove they are still looking for acquisitions, with the value of buyouts rising by almost a quarter to £15.7bn last year, including Vista Partner's £1.2bn takeover of technology group Misys.
Despite this, some experts believe the industry is facing a long-term decline. Most of the merger and acquisition activity is at the lower end of the market, under £500m at best, and many of the industry's best-known firms are struggling to raise new funds to buy the growing number of companies on the market.
Permira, which is in the process of raising a new €6.5bn (£5.4bn) investment fund is a prime example. The group has reportedly extended its deadline for investors to commit to the fund. But industry sources expect Permira will have to settle for a smaller warchest.
Other firms such as AAC Capital Partners, Motion Equity Partners and Duke Street are rumoured to have, or actually, suffered problems hitting their fund targets, leading to gossip that Europe might have seen the end of the debt-heavy, mega-deal worth £1bn or more.
The financial crisis has seen so many major private equity-owned companies struggle to repay their loans, such as EMI under the ownership of Hands' Terra Firma, that investors are looking to take their money elsewhere.
Gordon Milne, a partner at law firm Allen & Overy, says: "The funding environment for private-equity firms has become increasingly difficult over the past few years. Some investors in the funds that were raised in 2006-07 [before the financial crisis] have been unwilling to commit to new funds because private equity has been unable to generate the returns they made in previous years."
Experts say investors have become more risk averse since the financial crisis and are taking more care over how they allocate their funds. As one private-equity adviser argues, pension funds are no longer willing to put up with poor performance and will reduce the number of buyout groups they deal with.
"In the old days of the bull market, any firm could pitch up to investors and raise money – even start ups," he says. "Now investors are focusing more on track records."
Graeme Gunn at Standard Life Capital Partners says the fundamental problem is that investors are now looking for safe havens with stable returns.
"The fact is that private equity is one of the asset classes that can deliver real outperformance for their portfolio so it has a place. The issue is that many of the pension funds are at their allocation limits."
Industry figures point to recent fundraisings by firms such as BC Partners, which picked-up €6.5bn (£5.4bn) in Europe's biggest tap up of the market since the start of the financial crisis, as evidence that there is still appetite around.
"The well-established private-equity firms which have made reasonable returns in recent years in comparison to their peers, and significant returns in previous funds, will continue to attract investors," Allen & Overy's Milne claims, before conceding that record-breaking fundraisings will no longer be the norm.
"In the short to medium term, the size of the funds that are raised will be significantly smaller than in 2006-07. Similarly, we are unlikely to see the return of mega buyouts, partly due to the lack of significant amounts of debt financing on attractive terms."
Yet, with banks looking to offload non-core assets and struggling high-street retailers needing fresh money, the opportunities are endless for private-equity firms. The insurance industry has also proved an attractive hunting ground, with Apollo Management and CVC Capital Partners buying Brit Insurance for £880m and Aviva selling the motor services company RAC to Carlyle for £1bn.
Marissa Thomas, the head of private equity at PricewaterhouseCoopers, even argues that conditions in the market are as strong as they have been for some time, though it remains "very challenging".
She adds: "However, the appetite to invest in Europe is definitely there and our expectation is that once the macro-economic picture is less volatile and the excess capital starts to drain from the system, activity levels will rise."
This return to form may be driven by emerging market capital, Ms Thomas adds, with investors in areas like Asia looking to Europe. "The level of sovereign wealth interest has also risen, not so much in terms of quantum of commitments but the number of sovereign funds that are looking to invest in private equity."
Whether or not the private-equity industry returns to its halcyon days remains is debatable. However, the fact that easy funding is no longer available is not.
One executive at a London-based adviser said this could mean that some of the best-known funds will be "effectively in run-off" over the next few years, unable to find funding or do deals. Instead, they will just be winding down their current portfolios by offloading the companies on their books.
For others, these exits will mean a less crowded market, with more opportunities than ever before.
Antoine Dréan, the chairman and founder of Triago, a global private-equity fund adviser, says: "The game is certainly not up for Europe's private-equity industry. Private-equity funds, vetted and chosen with care are the best way for investors to achieve high returns with minimal risk. In fact, some of today's most promising funds are investing right in the lion's den of the Europe's sovereign debt crisis, in markets like Spain and Italy.
"We nonetheless expect a weeding out of European firms, with the best private-equity managers raising money easily and mediocre or poor managers missing targets – and even failing."
Presents unwrapped, turkey gobbled... it's time to relax
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- 4 Scientists predict green energy revolution after incredible new graphene discoveries
Sean Abbott: Messages of support flood in for bowler after death of Phil Hughes
Dr Lam Hoe Yeoh: Voyeur doctor jailed for eight years after using network of hidden cameras to film patients, colleagues and friends on the toilet
Kim Jong-un 'in dire need of allies' within his own government as younger sister appointed to senior role
Scientists predict green energy revolution after incredible new graphene discoveries
Michael Buerk wishes he killed Jimmy Savile when he had the chance - by pushing him overboard a cruise ship
Obama: The only people with the right to object to immigration are Native Americans
Ukip says babies born to immigrants in the UK should be classed as migrants – which would include Nigel Farage’s own children
The young are the new poor: Sharp increase in number of under-25s living in poverty, while over-65s are better off than ever
Tamir Rice: 12-year-old boy playing with fake gun dies after being shot by Ohio police
Ukip mocked after mistaking Westminster Cathedral – for a mosque
Plebgate: Andrew Mitchell’s reputation in tatters as judge rules he used the word ‘pleb’
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The 2005 Honda Accord offers reliability and longevity, but some owners may want more power. The good news is there are options for engine swap compatibility to enhance performance! 🏎
After researching multiple sources, I can definitively state the 2005 Honda Accord has excellent engine swap potential. Owners can choose the Honda K-Series or J-Series engines to significantly increase horsepower and torque. However, considerations around transmission compatibility, cost, and professional installation are important.
Honda K-Series Engine Swap Overview
The Honda K-Series engine debuted in 2001 and quickly became a favorite for enthusiasts seeking a bolt-in replacement for older B-Series motors. Available in various displacements from 2.0L to 2.4L, K-Series engines employ modern technologies like a roller-rocker valvetrain, better-flowing cylinder heads, and variable cam timing for impressive high-RPM power. 🏁
When coupled with the 2005 Accord’s 5-speed manual or automatic transmission, a K-Series Honda engine swap delivers a serious boost in acceleration and driver enjoyment compared to the stock 160 HP 4-cylinder. Let’s explore compatible K-Series choices in more detail:
🏎 Honda K20A
Displacing 2.0 liters, the K20A engine powered the Acura RSX Type S model from 2002-2006. With 200+ horsepower in stock form, it represents a significant 40 HP gain over the 2005 Accord’s standard engine. This high-revving 4-cylinder combines readily with the Accord’s existing manual or automatic gearbox.
⛽ Fuel economy stays consistent with factory ratings, while torque gets a healthy bump across the entire RPM range – especially at higher speeds where it counts. With just bolt-on mods like an intake and exhaust, the K20A can put down 240+ ponies in an Accord while maintaining excellent street drivability.
🏎 Honda K24A
For even more displacement and torque, Honda’s largest K-Series 2.4L engine – the K24A – unlocks additional performance potential. The Acura TSX utilized this engine from 2004-2008, where it produced 205 HP in the TSX’s final model year. The K24A churns out a thick torque band thanks to its 2.4 liters of fury, launching the Accord off the line with authority.
Similar to the K20A, Honda-engineered the K24A as a straightforward bolt-in replacement for older B-Series motors. So, it integrates perfectly into the Accord’s engine bay. An Accord equipped with a tuned K24 can put down 260+ HP to the front wheels while retaining the variable valve timing that keeps fuel efficiency reasonable for a high-performance build.
Honda J-Series Engine Swap Possibilities
In addition to 4-cylinder options, the 2005 Accord chassis accepts Honda’s J-Series V6 engines for major horsepower gains – at the expense of some added weight over the I4s. Two excellent candidates include:
🏎 Honda J32A
The J32A3 3.2L V6 came stock in the 2003-2007 Honda Accord V6 models, so it’s a natural fit for the 05’s engine compartment. Packing 244 HP / 238 lb-ft of torque in factory spec, this aluminum-block 6-cylinder takes performance to the next level versus the base 4-cylinder Accord. It hooks up nicely to the Accord’s 5-speed automatic transmission.
With just a basic bolt-on tune using intake/header/exhaust upgrades, the J32A pushes past 270 HP. The stock Accord automatic transmission and driveline handle the extra power reliably. Fuel mileage does take a hit over the 4-cylinder, but the huge gains in passing power and acceleration make up for it.
🏎 Honda J35A
The largest V6 member of Honda’s J-Series engine family is the stout 3.5L J35A4. Used in V6 Accords starting in 2008, it one-ups the J32A by delivering an epic 268 HP and 248 lb-ft of twist. Dropping this muscular engine into a 2005 Accord requires just a bit more custom bracket fabrication compared to the J32.
But for some Accord owners, going through that extra work is well worth it. With the J35A’s 3.5 liters of displacement, variable cylinder management ability, and buttery smooth power delivery, this V6 transformation bestows sports car acceleration and passing confidence. An Accord running a tuned J35 with intake/header/exhaust can put down 315 HP or more.
Important Considerations for 2005 Honda Accord Engine Swaps
While K-Series and J-Series Honda engines slot nicely into the 2005 Accord engine compartment, there are still some important considerations for compatibility:
🔹Transmission pairing – Ensure the engine choice will physically bolt up to the Accord’s existing 5-speed manual or 5-speed automatic gearbox.
🔹Electronics integration – Use an adapter harness so the Accord’s ECU can communicate properly with the replacement engine computer.
🔹Drivetrain compatibility – Consider clutch and differential upgrades to handle the power increase while preserving long-term reliability.
🔹Cost factor – Budget several thousand dollars for purchase and tuning of the new engine, electronics, and supporting mods to finish the swap.
🔹Professional installation – While doable as a home project, complicated engine swaps like these are best left to qualified mechanics.
2005 Honda Accord K-Series Engine Swap Guide
Swapping a tuned K20A or K24A engine into the 2005 Honda Accord transforms acceleration, road manners, and fun factors to create a genuine sports sedan. Here is a simplified overview of the full engine transplant process:
Buy Engine & Prepare Garage Workspace
You’ll first want to purchase a low-mileage K20A or K24A Honda engine from a reputable dismantler or importer. The engine should come with accessories like an alternator, power steering pump, etc. Also, give your garage a thorough cleaning to create an organized workspace. You’ll need room for engine hoists and stands.
Drain Fluids & Remove Factory Engine
The next step is to safely jack up the Accord and support it with stands. Drain coolant, oil, transmission fluid, and other fluids. Carefully label and disconnect all electrical connectors, fuel lines, etc, from the original engine. Then unbolt and fully remove the stock engine & transmission.
Install Upgraded Clutch and limited-slip Differential
With the engine out, this is the ideal time to upgrade components like the clutch and differential since the K-Series engine produces considerably more power than stock. Choose a robust clutch package rated for the power you intend to make. Welding a limited-slip differential helps transmit maximum grunt to the front wheels.
Mount and install New K-Series Engine
Use an engine hoist or cherry picker for safety when maneuvering the new engine and transmission into the engine bay. With the engine/transmission pre-assembled on a stand, carefully line up studs, install motor mounts, and torque all fasteners to spec. This step requires patience to gently guide the engine and align all physical connections.
Complete All Electrical & Plumbing Connections
Use adapter harnesses to connect the replacement engine computer and systems to the Accord’s electronics. Plumb new oil lines, coolant system hoses, A/C lines, etc, per your accessory configuration. Verify full functionality of drivetrain electronics integration.
Install Exhaust and enjoy!
Finish up by buttoning up all ancillary components like axles, shift linkage, etc. Install a free-flowing exhaust system matched to the new engine swap. Lower the vehicle, reconnect the battery, and refill fluids. Take your transformed Accord for an exciting test drive to enjoy the new power!
Does The 2005 Honda Accord Have VTEC?
Yes, the 2005 Accord’s 160 HP 2.4L 4-cylinder engine features Honda’s intelligent i-VTEC (Variable Valve Timing And Lift Electronic Control) technology. i-VTEC optimizes valve timing and lift across the RPM range to boost torque and fuel efficiency.
How Much Does A Honda Engine Swap Cost?
You should budget $4,000-6,000 for parts and professional labor on a complete Honda engine swap. This includes the purchase of the replacement engine, electronics, adapter harnesses, hardware, clutch/differential upgrades, and approximately 20 hours of shop time.
Is The K24A A Good Replacement Engine?
With its 2.4L of displacement and VTEC variable valve timing, the K24A is considered one of Honda’s best 4-cylinder engines. It’s a frequent choice for engine swap projects because of its potent factory-rated 205 HP and rev-happy personality all the way to 8,000 RPM. Tuned K24As put down 260-280 HP in modified Accords.
How Much HP Does A J35 Engine Make Stock?
In Factory Form, Honda’s 3.5l J35a4 Engine Kicks Out An Impressive 268 horsepower @ 6,200 RPM – right on par with some V6 pony cars! In the Accord application, variable cylinder management helps it achieve 23 Highway MPG. Built J35s can spin over 8,000 RPM and produce 315 HP or more.
Can I Install The Engine Myself?
While technically possible as a DIY project, Honda engine swaps require advanced expertise and tools. Issues like custom engine mounts, adapter harnesses, tuning, and bleeding procedures are best left to professional mechanics. You’ll end up with a safer, better-running vehicle, letting a shop handle the intricacies of swapping an engine.
Installing a high-output K-Series or J-Series engine opens up tremendous untapped performance potential in the 2005 Accord chassis. With a professional engine swap, the car transforms into a legitimate sports sedan sleeper, packing 260+ horsepower. All while retaining the Accord’s excellent reliability and reasonable running costs.
Just be sure to work with a shop experienced specifically with Honda engine integrations. Carefully compare options like the K20A vs K24A to match power goals to your budget. With thoughtful planning and execution, your 2005-2008 Accord emerges reborn with neck-snapping acceleration, putting a smile on your face every time you grab another gear!
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SIM868 is a complete Quad-Band GSM/GPRS modem which combines GNSS( GPS/GLONASS/BDS)technology for satellite navigation. The compact design significantly save both time and costs for customers to develop GNSS enabled applications. Featuring an industry-standard interface and GNSS function, it allows variable assets to be tracked seamlessly at any location and anytime with signal coverage.
- On board power supply,
- Nano sim,
- Debugging micro USB port,
- TTL interfacing pins,
- On board antenna SMA connectors,
- On board battery management
- Also works on battery, which can be recharged with the USB,
- slide switch to switch between battery and external power supply,
- Speaker, Mic, GSM and GPS TTL interface pins.
- Modem needs to be powered on through power button.
- SIM868 GSM GPS Modem,
- GSM Antenna,
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If you prefer, you can tip the DynaBrass using Venmo @Joe-Zalewski-2
Nothing brings us more satisfaction than being able to share our polka music with you. We certainly miss playing gigs and we look forward seeing all our friends when we get back on the road again. Until then, we will continue to try to find ways to bring our music to you. If you would like, and are able, to provide a tip - it is greatly appreciated!
Bardzo dziękuję za wsparcie!


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by Fr. Tommy Lane
The visit of Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, to this country this Spring (2008) was such a blessing to us. He came to give us hope, to remind us that Christ is our Hope. The office and ministry of Our Holy Father, the Pope, goes right back to Jesus, and was founded by Jesus, as we heard in our Gospel today,
Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (Matt 16:17-19)
Simon’s name was changed to Peter by Jesus to signify his new vocation; “Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Kepha” (which is translated Peter).” (John 1:42). In the Scriptures when a person’s name is changed it signifies a new vocation. Abram becomes Abraham, Sarai becomes Sarah, Jacob becomes Israel, Hoshea becomes Joshua and Simon becomes Peter and there are many other name changes in the Scriptures.
Peter’s name has great meaning. In Aramaic, the language spoken in Palestine at the time of Jesus, the name “Peter” and the word “rock” were the same word, Kepha. So Jesus would have said, “You are Kepha and on this Kepha I will build my Church.” Of course Jesus is the foundation stone on which the Church is founded but the Pope is the visible human head of the Church on earth, an office and vocation founded by Jesus to guide the Church, “You are Kepha and on this Kepha I will build my Church.”
On many other occasions in Scripture we see Jesus giving precedence to Peter. Above all we think of Jesus’ appearance to the apostles by the Sea of Galilee when he asked Peter if he loved him and commanded him to look after the flock of the Church:
Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He then said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” (Jesus) said to him, “Feed my sheep. (John 21:15-17)
During the Last Supper we read in Luke’s Gospel that Jesus spoke to Peter about his future role,
Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed that your own faith may not fail; and once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers. (Luke 22:31-32)
We see the unique role and vocation of Peter among the other apostles, Peter is to strengthen the brothers. Whenever the Gospels list the apostles they always put Peter’s name first to signify his vocation as head of the Church. Again and again in the Acts of the Apostles we see that it is Peter who has the role of leadership in the Church. It was Peter who decided that Judas had to be replaced (Acts 1:15-26). It was Peter who preached at Pentecost.
Jesus also gives Peter the authority to make decisions for the Church as we heard in today’s Gospel,
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (Matt 16:19)
This is because Jesus would leave no detailed blueprint for the Church; instead Peter would have to make decisions for the good ordering of the Church as the Church expanded. So in Acts 6, the College of Bishops, the Twelve Apostles acting together in unity, decided to institute the Order of Deacons. Peter and his successors would have to bind and loose many things on earth over the course of the next twenty centuries for the good ordering of the Church.
We believe the Popes have been given a special charism or grace, Infallibility. Infallibility means that when Our Holy Father, the Pope, teaches on matters of faith or morals he is prevented from teaching error. It is a grace for his teaching, and does not mean that the Pope is sinless. Even when there have been immoral Popes their teaching was preserved from error. When the Pope teaches ex cathedra (from the chair) he enjoys infallibility. This refers to those extremely rare occasions when the Pope exercises his authority as our Supreme Shepherd. Only twice has a Pope issued an ex cathedra statement:
The Immaculate Conception of Our Lady proclaimed in 1854 (confirmed by Our Lady in her appearance in Lourdes four years later in 1858 when she announced herself as “I am the Immaculate Conception”).
The Assumption of Our Lady Body and Soul into heaven proclaimed in 1950.
No individual bishop enjoys infallibility but when the bishops of the whole world act in unity with the Pope such as during the ecumenical councils, similar to the unity of the College of Bishops or Twelve Apostles in Acts 6, they enjoy infallibility.
Jesus is the foundation stone on which the Church is founded but Our Holy Father, the Pope, is the visible human head of the Church on earth, an office and vocation founded by Jesus to guide the Church, “You are Kepha and on this Kepha I will build my Church.” Wouldn’t it be good to read more Papal teaching to nourish our souls?
I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (Matt 16:18-19)
Copyright © Fr. Tommy Lane 2013
More homilies for the Twenty-First Sunday Year A
Related Homilies: Peter grew to consider suffering for Jesus an honor
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Fun Doggie DIY: How to Build a Dog Cart
THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO.
A few weeks ago, I saw something that made my inner child fall in love with dogs all over again. I took Janice and Leroy to a dog park nearby, expecting to see a few friends and to have a … Continue reading

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Eid Dance Program by DJ Sonica Feat. Lonthon Item Song Tobuo Bhalobashi 1080 HD
Song: Lonthon (Tobuo Bhalobashi)
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Program: Eid-Ul-Azha Dance Program in SATV
Producer: Kamruzzaman Ronju
On Air: SATV
Songs are for promotional purpose only. Please buy original CD to Encourage the singer.


The Kapolei West project is part of an undertaking to further develop the west side of Oahu and transform the area into a flourishing community. GBI’s involvement included the grading and preparation of a sub-rail foundation for Kapolei’s historic, federally protected railroad. There were several challenges to creating this new bypass for the railroad, including temporarily relocating a portion of the track, while also safely bypassing several critical utilities.
During the course of the project, GBI’s work included 370,000 cubic yards of excavation, installation of 15,000 linear feet of utilities, and creation of 1,000 linear feet of roadway. It was also necessary to bypass:
- An eight-inch crude oil fuel line feeding the Kahe power plant,
- An eight-inch reverse osmosis reclaimed water line, which is the main source of coolant for the plant,
- The 33-inch reinforced concrete gravity sewer line, which is the only sewer service for Ko Olina.
Cutting of the crude oil pipe without any hazard to workers required utilizing a cold cut method on the steel pipeline. To quickly re-establish the connection, most of the bypass pipeline was prefabricated above ground and then set into place once the line was purged.
The reverse osmosis reclaimed water line was quickly bypassed with help from Board of Water Supply’s reclaim division. Good communication efforts with the division allowed GBI to relocate the line and return it to service in just a few hours.
Pumps were used to bypass the sewer line while GBI installed temporary lines. Rerouting them using pre-channeled manhole bases instead of traditional joints, GBI also quickly returned this line to service.
Typical arch culvert placement is placed with a crane, and this usually takes anywhere from one to two hours per piece. However, GBI created a new technique for placement, using a large 40-ton forklift and a special lifting harness that carried the arch culvert from the inside. This unique method enabled GBI to set all 36 culverts in a day and a half, with some culverts being installed in as little as 15 minutes.
General Contractors Association of Hawaii
Build Hawaii, Award of Merit 2019
Municipal and Utilities Construction (More than $10M)


Recently I was asked by a friend who wanted to learn more about how to use data and tools in their marketing analytics. Here are the key things I told him to get to started with data-driven marketing analytics.
1. Spend 5 mins listening to Dave McLure’s Pirate Metrics
Pirate Metrics was developed by Dave McLure (@davemcclure) as a very simple model, to break down Marketing Analytics into a very simple but powerful model with 5 key stages: Acquistion, Activation, Retention, Revenue and Referral.
Liam Gooding (CEO, of Trak.io) wrote a great Beginners Guide to Pirate Metrics (AARRR!) that’s absolutely worth reading.
2. Setup a basic Marketing Analytics Stack
You dont need much to get started. Here’s a simple Marketing Analytics Stack to get started (and all these tools have free tiers so it wont cost you much to get started):
- USE A TOOL TO TRACK WEBSITE VISITORS – Google Analytics is great for this. Start with to reports Audience > Overview and Acquisition > Channels. Quickly you’ll know how many visitors you have, what you bounce rate is, and what channels are generating traffic.
- USE A TOOL TO TRACK YOUR CONVERSION FUNNEL (from signup to paying customer) – great starters are KISSmetrics and Mixpanel
- USE A TOOL TO SEND AUTOMATED EMAILS (tailored to individual users) – some great tools include Customer.io, Intercom.io, and recently Trak.io have added this into their product.
Some Bonus Tools: If you’re a SaaS business, you may also want a customer Retention Tool like Trak.io, and if you want to look at building a quick Referrals program, check out something like Referralsnip


Joanna Stern has an excellent article in the Wall Street Journal. In it, Stern chronicles 48 hours in a Rivian R1T, stopping at over 120 non-Tesla EV chargers, and 40% had issues. Stern categorizes the problems into 3 categories: chargers out of order, chargers that failed to accept payments, and chargers that experienced “handshake” issues when communicating between the charger and EV.
The unevenness of the charging experience drove me to buy a Tesla over other EVs, and every time I attempt to use a different EV charger, I’m reminded of how great of a decision that was. Just two weeks ago, I stayed at a hotel with EV chargers in the parking garage, and try as I might, the darn things didn’t work.
EV chargers are a mess and will continue to hold back EV car adoption.
After the horrible attempt at a movie, I’ve kept my excitement for this real-life remake on ice, but this trailer looks fantastic. Something about it gives me hope that the producers loved the cartoon and got what makes it tick.
I think I’ll know for sure when I hear “My Cabbages!”. Feb 22, I can’t wait.
MLS, or the Multiple Listing Service, is how we all search and find home listings. Regardless of what reality website you might use, they consume their hosing data from MLS.
At the heart of this lawsuit are commissions, and commission sharing is required to list or get access to the MLS listings. This makes it nearly impossible for an individual to list his or her home on the MLS (and virtually every existing real estate website) without agreeing to pay a commission or becoming a licensed realtor.
It will take years between appeals before this case is truly resolved, but it stands to upend how realtors are currently paid and further open the door to tech disruption. If this stands, the marketplace could make it easier for folks like you and me to list a house and sell it directly to another person on an exchange, saving 3-6% in commissions from closing costs. It could also shake up how real estate agents are paid, changing how they work,
This is definitely a place to watch…
One of my first smart home purchases was the Chamberlain MyQ smart garage door opener, and for one year, it was clunky but did the job. Eventually, the battery in one of its sensors died. It took me a week to find and order a new replacement battery, and from that day on, the integrations with HomeKit stopped working, and my constant calls for support fell on deaf ears.
Without HomeKit, the product sucked. What made it great was that CarPlay intuitively suggested I wanted to open the garage door when I neared my house, opening the door from my watch in two taps when taking out the garage, or asking Siri (and then authenticating on my phone). Better yet, I could chain together automation to turn on the garage lights when I open the door after sunset and to unlock the associated garage door.
It’s obvious Chamberlain is clueless about smart homes, and today, it is making its product less helpful by breaking with a growing ecosystem of interconnected smart home devices. Even if its bet is to integrate with cars instead of Amazon, Google, or Apple’s growing ecosystem, it seems like they still need to remember that the lion’s share of drivers would happily abandon their horrible car interfaces for Android Auto or Apple CarPlay.
This is frankly a dumb move, and it makes me happy I trashed my MyQ for a Meross Garage Door Opener that works MUCH MUCH better than without batteries and a costly hub.
Do yourself a favor and trash the Chamberlain for a product that gets it.
What a great scoop by the Verge! I’m sure we will get more details and videos when this thing launches today or next week, but this confirms many things.
Humane stands to be one of the first post cell phone devices with a shift from antiquated keyboards to voice input. The device is heavily integrated into its lead investor, Sam Altman’s, OpenAI tools and will heavily integrate features for building intelligent assistants demoed by OpenAI this week. The feature I’m most curious about is its ability to mimic you and respond to emails or text messages in your voice without you composing or writing a message.
If you know me, you know I can’t wait for a chance to test the device, and I imagine Humane is setting the stage for a new generation of post phone devices that stand to change how we work with computers.
Washington, DC, plans to offer free Apple AirTags to make it easier for you to find that stolen car, and they’re not the only city looking for inventive ways to combat car theft. Last week, a Canadian man celebrated finding his stolen car by using Apple’s Find My and AirTags.
Policies like this feel right, but it sets the stage for regulators and/or insurance companies to require location tracking to become standard in cars. The struggle is that while safety is important, it comes at the expense of our privacy.
Once upon a time, a person could move 20 minutes from their house and disappear from existence. Today, my car has GPS tracking, my phone allows family and friends to see me in Find My, and many of our homes and cars have cameras that stream and record footage nearly 24 hours a day.
I really really wanted to like the Touch Bar, but it just didn’t work. I value the tactile feel of buttons, which the Touch Bar lacked, but that’s the same argument the crackberry keyboard folks made about the iPhone keyboard.
The Touch Bar didn’t feel better than the buttons. As an example, increasing the volume or display brightness moved from something I could do without looking to requiring me to tap and then intently look as I adjusted the bar with my finger, something that I can adjust on my phone with its button in my pocket. Great concept but it simply didn’t work.
That said, the keyboard remains one of the oldest and least evolved ways we use computers. Today, my keyboard should adapt to the app’s needs, like a tablet or phone updates the keyboard or input to what makes sense for the user. Our computer’s input is ripe for disruption, but the Touch Bar wasn’t it.
I loved Mint and started using it a year before the Intuit acquisition. Loved the app then but it failed to keep up with the times and never evolved into the budgeting app I hoped it would become.
These days, I’m a big fan of CoPilot, and unlike an increasingly large number of apps that get revenue from selling financial data, they seem focused on making revenue from building the best budget product out there. Give them a try, and if you’re not a fan YNAB is my runner up.
Weeks after my first ride in a Waymo, GM’s Cruise shut down all of its self-driving cars after a human-driven car knocked a person into the robotaxi’s path. The taxi, knowing it was in an accident, pulled over, driving an additional 20 feet with the person pinned beneath the car as it moved.
This accident is a horrible reminder of the challenging and unexpected edge cases humans deal with while driving. As regulations in self-driving evolve, we have to decide how cars should respond and, in some cases, whose lives the car should prioritize. For those who remember 2004’s I, Robot in the movie, a robot saved the main character over a child because its predictive analysis gave him a higher chance of survival. The problem is the logical decision requires doses of emotion – but even then, those decisions might not be correct.
Apple put on an uncharacteristic Halloween-themed event to announce new M3 processors that blow any Intel chip out of the water. With it came new iMacs and Macbook Pros, all sporting these amazingly fast chips, but at the same time physically identical to their predecessors. The new chips are a technological advancement that should be celebrated, but somehow, it feels formulaic and unexciting.
The MacBook Pro now supports much more powerful M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Ultra chips that all continue to support mind-blowing battery life, and the iMacs get a speed boost. Weirdly, the accessories have not been updated to support USB-C, and the super powerhouse Mac Studio and Mac have to wait to see a speed bump.
The whole event felt like Apple could have issued a press release with a few videos.
Hertz made a huge bet on EVs planning to buy 100,000 Teslas all with lower routine maintenance costs. The problem is maintenance costs might be lower, but repair costs after accidents have come in substantially higher than expected. Several EV owners have found themselves flabbergasted at 20k repair bills, especially when the car’s batteries or destroyed or require repair.
Customers are also still unsure where to charge the things, leading to the EV rental car surprise.
As an EV owner, I love the thing and know it’s without question the future, but at the moment the vehicles are becoming available faster than the infrastructure to support them.
The news on EV issues over the last two weeks has been pretty negative, with several prominent car executives admitting that sales haven’t been there. Cost is a huge part of that, with the average EV cost coming in at 54k (down from 65k in 2022), well above what most families are willing to spend. EV first adopters who can afford it leaped, leaving us with an oversupply tied to a skeptical consumer base wondering why they should pay more for an EV.
EVs are the future, but it’s hard to see how the offer is compelling to the everyday customer when the charging infrastructure does not exist, urban environments haven’t adapted, and range anxiety continues to be a real problem. Change is coming, but much more investment in our infrastructure must happen first.
The second issue is cost. These cars are way too expensive, and sadly, the focus continues to move from affordable everyday EVS to massive luxury vehicles with giant price tags that inflation has not helped.
Anthropic’s Claude 2 continues to impress, and I’m not the only person taking notice of a Large Langauge Model (LLM). Google just invested 500 million, promising to inject up to 2 billion, just weeks after Amazon offered to invest up to 4 billion. Do yourself a favor and give Claude a try.


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Séances and Slot Machines: The Story of Brady Lake Park
Brady Lake Park, located between Kent and Ravenna, opened in 1891 as a beautiful, rustic resort offering picnics and pony rides to the upper class in Northeast Ohio. It closed six decades later as a tired and seedy gambling den run by the Cleveland mob.
Along the way it was operated by Spiritualists, who offered a carousel and concessions along with séances and fortune telling, and by wheeler-dealers, who brought in big name entertainers: Guy Lombardo, Rudy Vallee and swimming celebrity Gertrude Ederle.
In SÉANCES AND SLOT MACHINES: THE STORY OF BRADY LAKE PARK, Fred F. Endres, Kent State University professor emeritus in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, tracks the history of the popular park that drew huge crowds from Cleveland to West Virginia and from western Pennsylvania to Toledo.
“In its first 40 years, Brady Lake Park was one of the entertainment gems of Northeast Ohio,” Endres said. “It provided a nice mixture of swimming, boating and picnicking along with the carousels, roller coasters and concessions of the urban amusement parks.”
A number of Brady Lake area residents were “extremely generous” in providing snapshots and home movies for the documentary, many of them rarely seen by the general public, Endres said.
Several Kent State students and faculty also helped in the production of the documentary. The narrator is John Butte, a veteran broadcast journalist now at the School of Journalism & Mass Communication at KSU. Commentators include Roger DiPaolo, editor of the Kent-Ravenna Record-Courier and local history author; Steve Paschen, former archivist at Kent State and author of a book on local amusement parks; and Jim Hostler, a Brady Lake resident who, as a boy, played in the old park after it closed.
Endres also wrote and produced THE “SOJER BOYS” OF PORTAGE COUNTY, which aired on PBS Western Reserve in 2013.
The School of Journalism and Mass Communication provided partial support for SÉANCES AND SLOT MACHINES. A book by the same name is being published this summer by the Kent Historical Society. DVDs of the documentary will be available through the Kent and Portage County historical societies, with all proceeds remaining with those organizations.
Premiered on PBS Western Reserve, June 2014.

domain: history


An intriguing combination of spoken word, multipart vocal harmonies and adventurous instrumental jazz with a surprising rhythmic twist, Sotto Voce is not unprecedented in saxophonist/composer Roy Nathanson's discography. With trombonist Curtis Fowlkes, Nathanson is co-founder of the long running Jazz Passengers, those erstwhile guardians of postmodern irreverence. Their career over the past decade has found them reinventing the role of vocals in jazz. Beginning with 1994's In Love, which featured a slew of guest vocalists, including further collaborations with Deborah Harry and Elvis Costello, Nathanson's crew has pushed the art of contemporary jazz singing beyond mere nostalgia.
Nathanson assembled a crack band for this session, which was two years in the making. Trombonist Curtis Fowlkes is Nathanson's venerable foil and a silky-smooth vocalist, contrasting with his expressive trombone stylings. A recent Jazz Passenger recruit, violinist Sam Bardfeld, whose recent Periodic Trespasses (FSNT, 2006) featured surreal voice-over narration, fits in seamlessly with these two mercurial pranksters.
The surprise twist arrives courtesy of Napoleon Maddox. A beatboxing MC from the Cincinnati hip-hop/jazz outfit Iswhat?!, Maddox both sings lead and delivers old school beats in lieu of an actual drummer. Though his percussive vocal contributions may at first seem incongruous, they reveal an internal logic. Singing bassist Tim Kiah rounds out the group; when Maddox isn't spitting out funky hip-hop beats, Kiah holds down the rhythmic foundation.
Nathanson's occasional spoken word passages are bolstered by group harmony vocal refrains with Kiah's wandering bass lines driven by Maddox's inventive beat-box vocalizations. Bardfeld's lyrical violin soars and Fowlkes' blustery trombone sputters and dives while the leader's tart alto spirals out circuitous runs through this heady, modernized sound. Nathanson borrows ideas from Dixieland and other pre-war styles, without actually replicating them.
Nathanson's writing and arranging embodies elements of Great American Songbook nostalgia, but never slavishly. His eclectic interests defy easy categorization, as best exemplified by his choice of covers. A funky take on the 1960's R&B hit "Sunny," an epic reinterpretation of Rahsaan Roland Kirk's "The Inflated Tear," and a dramatic reading of "Sunrise, Sunset" (from Fiddler on the Roof) are all highlights on this singular set. Nathanson's originals mine similar depths, from the outright heart on sleeve sentimentality of "Home" to the taut, episodic angularity of "Shake," complete with edgy outré solos.
Utilizing a wicked combination of instrumental and vocal counterpoint, rich vocal harmonies, passionate free-jazz instrumental cadenzas and collective improvisation, this is intimate ensemble music of a highly advanced but conceptually playful nature. Equal parts carnival excess, vaudeville showmanship and Tin Pan Alley smarts, Sotto Voce finds Nathanson and company delivering what may be the year's most unusual and intriguing album.
By The Page; Sunny; Kidnapped; London Story; The Inflated Tear; Sunrise, Sunset; Shake; Home; It's Alright.
Roy Nathanson: alto and soprano saxophone, voice; Curtis Fowlkes: trombone, singing; Sam Bardfeld: violin, vocals; Tim Kiah: bass, vocals; Napoleon Maddox: human beatbox, vocals.


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Here’s a typical case of disparity of clothing color and pattern for an important portrait. Shown right next to each other, it’s obvious how incompatible clothing color and style can be.
Here are some thoughts about how to try to avoid these problems, and what to do if you are faced with this clothing. Color coordination is the easiest thing to make a portrait look more professional and can also mask stylistic disparity.
This client commissioned a cross-over feel for the family group portrait. A fairly formal pose, but outdoors. In their new house there was a special wall set aside for a 24×36 portrait. Not really mural size, but nice and big, and a good sale for us. Location was the park across from their home, and the styling was to be a couple degrees above casual. We talked natural, outdoor colors, no patterns.
The sitting started off very badly since one family came more than an hour late, and one person had to leave early! I ended up with 10 minutes to shoot and light that had changed so much I had to select a new, less desirable angle. Tempers were not relaxed, but I have no problem adjusting attitudes. The one challenge I could not overcome was the wide disparity of clothing. Colors that simply did not work together and stripes, florals and zigzags!
I grant it is my philosophy is that individuals in a family group should look, well, individual. Similar, coordinated, but different. I take pains to discover the family background information and controlling individual appearance with clothing color and pattern is key to your bottom line.
But I know that clients never pay big money for amateur looking family group portraits. Color can be more important than style, simply because that is where the eye goes first. Bad color combinations can really ruin any portrait.
I have found that no style or type of clothing is right or wrong for a portrait, nor is it necessary to have people in a group all dressed alike. I have never cared for pictures with everyone in blue jeans with the same white shirts. These tend to show up in competition a lot. Not wrong per se: to me this kind of regimentation seems dated and stiff. Not my taste, especially in this time when clients talk about how they want to look natural and casual.
Family portraiture has historically been the biggest studio moneymaker. It’s your job not only to create a great experience for the client, but before the sitting to lead them through the details that will turn out an image suitable for a mural sized canvas. Even though it was the client’s fault in this case, I know I will be responsible in the end, namely when it’s time to get paid.
Good business practice in the past was to have a clothing consultation in person, at the studio or at the client’s home. Rarely does either the client or ourselves have time in busy schedules to do this “live”, but the intent of clothing consultation is still a very important part of the photographer’s responsibility in pre-production to assure a great portrait.
Once I set time, place, who and what, I launch into discussing how to keep all clothing in a similar level of formality and how to either coordinate or contrast the colors, based of course on the location. I spend a good deal of time with these questions on the phone; email generally doesn’t net the info and cooperation you need.
Back to the sitting. With a 10 minute window there was no time to change clothes, even though I pointed out the problem. My client is very definite, and she instructed me to just do it. I knew that the final print would look like a mishmash. Not professional. Not worthy of being on their wall. Not worthy of my signature.
Color sank the quality of the portrait more than any other factor. My client selected the base pose on line, and after retouching, background enhancement and four head switches, including the dog. I gently opened the possibility of changing colors digitally, but she brushed this idea aside and ok’d the final version. I privately decided I would not sign this print.
Honestly I found the final print unacceptible. Once she held the large print in her hands, my client recognized her mistake on not getting the clothing right, and not having me alter color in post. She agreed to a rework in Post and a reprint; I was generous in pricing the remake. This is a very rare occurrence to have the client admit error – and perhaps one of the most memorable portrait experiences I’ve had.
I would have loved to have eliminated the zigzags and stripes, but settled for a compromise, because of individual likes of the sitters. Diversity of style and clothing type is still there, so it’s not optimal, but now the differences in color and pattern are not so jarring. I was happy to sign this portrait.

domain: artistic


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‘Dukes of Melrose,’ second-hand celebs
Lots of Hollywood name-dropping in this new Bravo reality show
March 5, 2013
In reality shows about the work lives of people with a peripheral connection to show business, there comes a point, usually in the premiere, where the people brag about all the A-list stars they’ve worked with. For some reason, we never see them actually working with those A-listers.
Bravo’s new series “Dukes of Melrose,” set in an L.A. store that deals in vintage fashion, takes this scenario to such an extreme that it’s possible the series is trying to parody it. In any case, the real stars of the show are the high-end and haute couture clothes and accessories that the shop’s owners acquire.
Although shopaholics will probably have a good time drooling over the merchandise, the show’s other claims to our attention — the peripheral glow of celebrity and the shticky banter between the store’s two owners — come up short. If the names Louboutin and Givenchy don’t excite a viewer, neither will the show.
Premiering this Wednesday, March 6, at 10:30 p.m., “Dukes of Melrose” stars Cameron Silver and Christos Garkinos, who are partners in a secondhand clothing boutique called Decades. Cameron buys and sells his merchandise; Christos handles his on consignment, which is much less risky financially.
“I’m the Robin Hood of fashion,” Christos tells us. “I consign from the real rich and I sell to the less rich.”
Having only recently combined their businesses, the two men clash constantly. Christos is more cautious, or perhaps that’s the way he has been instructed to act for narrative purposes.
So when the partners are negotiating with an L.A. socialite over the purchase of some ’80s couture gowns, Christos is outraged when Cameron seems to help the woman up her prices.
Although this could be a result of the editing, Cameron comes across as one of those people who try to make their every utterance witty, with a strong emphasis on double entendre. Describing their most difficult business period, Hollywood awards season, Cameron says, “Some things are going to be easy and some are going to be rock hard.”
Sitting side by side, the partners tell us what the season is like: Cameron says, “Awards season is filed with celebrities, stylists — everybody from Gwynnie — Gwyneth Paltrow — Nicole Kidman . . .”
“Nickie,” says Christos.
“Riahnna — Reeree,” says Cameron.
“Madge — Madonna,” says Christos, concluding by saying, “I mean, how much name-dropping do you want?”
One likes to hope that the partners are in on the joke when we immediately cut to a visit from one of their celebrity clients: the actress and comedian Rachel Harris. Looking for a dress to wear to the Independent Spirit Awards — the first two episodes of “Dukes of Melrose” were shot during the 2012 awards season — she settles on a Jil Sander dress that Cameron and Christos’ style consultant Eri is wearing.
Eri lends her the dress free of charge, sending Christos into a tizzy.
The celebrity clients in the second episode are more recognizable. Christos helps find a dress for the TV actress Garcelle Beauvais to wear to Elton John’s Oscar-night party. When she invites him to be her plus-one, he says he feels like he’s going to the prom.
Cameron is enlisted to come up with a look for Melissa McCarthy, a Best Supporting Actress winner last year for “Bridesmaids.” Since she isn’t couture size, he has to find a suitable dress that can be knocked off by a tailor. (Like Madge and Reeree, Missy is nowhere to be seen in these episodes.)
As usually happens in workplace reality shows, the partners are up against a deadline and the producers manage to create a crisis, namely that McCarthy has lost some weight, so her dress needs last-minute alterations. “Trying to find a tailor on Oscar weekend,” Cameron says, “is like trying to find the very last vial of Botox in Hollywood.” Or like trying to say something witty every time the camera is pointed at you.
Fashionistas won’t care about the level of wit when Christos and Cameron visit various stylists and socialites and rummage through their treasure troves of vintage dresses, bags and shoes. What non-fashionistas will take away from these scenes is the waste. Christos says that most women “hunt and gather” fashion. Once they buy something, he says, they might not even wear it.
The aforementioned socialite says that she purchased one gown from a Paris couture house for $55,000 to $65,000 in the ’80s but then she was photographed in it at the White House, so she hates to wear it again. Cameron and Christos offer her less than one fifth of the gown’s original price, not adjusting for inflation.
Of course, if “Dukes of Melrose” were funnier, those thoughts wouldn’t occur to anyone.
NY Daily News goes on the block
NBC wins the February sweep again
‘Born in the Wild,’ loud, messy, staged
New from Ikea: Charge your mobile on a lamp
NBC’s ‘Tonight Show’ hits 11-month high
Friday overnights: ‘Last Man Standing’ lifts ABC
This week’s daypart ratings
Remembering Leonard Nimoy, ‘Star Trek’s’ Spock
Solid sendoff for ‘How to Get Away with Murder’
Alas, 2014 wasn’t good for advertising
Nickelodeon upfront: Cutting the cord
‘The Last Man on Earth,’ quite good
Rachel, I’m fed up with his dirty talk
- Joshua McGuire becomes creative director at Fluid Inc.
- Joe Kuna becomes Southeast CMO at Chief Outsiders
- Maureen Taran becomes talent executive at truTV
- Tom Anderson becomes personal finance writer at CNBC.com
- Remy Stern rises to chief digital officer at The New York Post
- Deena Schacter joins and Katie Tomlinson rises at Veranda
- Luz Maria Doria, Irma Martinez and Luz Avila-Kyncl join Siempre Mujer
- Briga Heelan joins NBC's pilot 'How We Live'
- Terry O’Quinn joins ABC's 'The Adversaries'
- Melissa George and Dave Annable join NBC's 'Heart Matters'
- Kelly Osbourne leaves E!’s ‘Fashion Police’
This week’s daypart ratings
This week’s cable ratings
This month’s new media traffic data
This week’s broadcast ratings
This week’s top movies, songs and books
This week’s younger viewer ratings
Communications strategist/media planner in Chicago
Digital campaign and analytics manager
Digital media buyer job in Springfield, MO
Assistant media planner job in Santa Monica
Digital media planner opening in Las Vegas


text:
Classic Bandeau Bikini TopQUI-TBIK-EQWX303062-SP22
This product is sold out. Enter your email, and we'll notify you when it’s back in stock.
Nothing says im-a-class-act like paisley. Timeless and positively chic, the Quiksilver Womens Classic Bandeau Tank Bikini Top features a tonal print on stretchy recycled poly fabric. It's double-lined at the font, with a curved bust seam to enhance your shape. Detachable and adjustable straps let you customize the fit.
- 92% Recycled Polyester, 8% Elastane
- Recycled Fabric: Recycled polyester elastane paisley textured fabric [280g/m2]
- Lining: Polyester elastane fabric
- Fit: Classic bandeau tank fit
- Straps: Adjustable shoulder straps
- Detachable back straps
- Closure: Adjustable 3 hook closure
- Padding: Soft removable cup padding
- Sizing: Suitable for B-D cup sizes
- Additional Features: All-over print
- Curved front cup seam for bust fitting
- Double lining at front
- Woven logo label at front left side

domain: design


A Bureau of Prisons message to employees on Wednesday said that “after 30 years of service with the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), Michael Carvajal, Director, this week notified Justice Department leadership of his plans to retire.”
“At the request of the Attorney General, Director Carvajal has agreed to continue to lead the agency until a successor is named,” the message said. “When his successor has been named, further details regarding Director Carvajal’s retirement date will be provided.”
Justice Department spokesperson Anthony Coley said in a statement, “We are very appreciative of Director Carvajal’s service to the department over the last three decades. His operational experience and intimate knowledge of the Bureau of Prisons — the department’s largest component — helped steer it during critical times, including during this historic pandemic.”
Carvajal began his 30-year career at BOP in 1992 as a prison guard in Texas, according to the agency. He rose through the ranks, serving as a warden at two federal prisons until he was appointed by former Attorney General William Barr to lead the BOP.
“In the nearly two years since Director Carvajal was handpicked by then-Attorney General Bill Barr, he has failed to address the mounting crises in our nation’s federal prison system, including failing to fully implement the landmark First Step Act,” Durbin said in a Wednesday night statement, calling the resignation “an opportunity for new, reform-minded leadership at the Bureau of Prisons.”
CNN has reached out to Grassley for comment.
Garland said in the message to employees that Carvajal’s “career has been defined by his commitment to the bureau, to its mission, and to the people we all serve.”
“I am extremely appreciative of Michael’s decades of public service, most recently at the helm of one of the most complex missions in the federal government,” the attorney general said.
This story has been updated with additional details Wednesday.