text:
These are the 5 Best and Worst Fighter Jets to Ever Fly
byWarrior Maven
Warrior Maven Video: Air Force "Rapid Raptor" program designed to send four F-22s to war in 24 hours
By Robert Farley, The National Interest
So what are the best and worst fighter aircraft of all time? What plane would you pick for a war in the sky?
On the surface, the questions seem easy to answer. One might look at which planes performed the best in combat as opposed to fighters that did not. Or, one could look at which planes had the best technology, took advantage of historical circumstances, or utilized a combination of the two.
Does America dominate the field of best fighters? What about Russia? Does China get any mentions? Does any one nation have more negative mentions? All good questions.
Robert Farley, one of the world's best security experts, gives us his breakdown. Over two articles, combined for your reading pleasure written several years ago, provides a strong look at the contenders for best fighters, but also, the worst of the worst.
(First appeared in September 2016.)
Over the last century of military aviation, several fighters have earned the nickname "flying coffin." Military aviation inherently pushes up against the limits of technology and human endurance, particularly where fighter and pursuit aviation is concerned. Flying a fighter is remarkably dangerous, even when no one is trying to shoot you down.
Engineering a capable fighter plane is also a struggle. Relatively small changes in engine, armament, and airframe design can transform a clunker into an elite fighting machine; many of the best fighters in history were initially viewed askance by their pilots. But elite status rarely lasts for long, especially in World War I and World War II. Fighters that dominated the sky in one year become "flying coffins" as technology and tactics move forward.
And thus the difference between a great fighter and a terrible fighter can be remarkably small. As with the previous list, the critical work is in determining the criteria. Fighters are national strategic assets, and must be evaluated as such:
· Did this aircraft fail at the tactical tasks that it was given? Did it perform poorly against its direct contemporaries?
· Did the fighter show up, or was it in the hangar when it was needed? Was it more of a danger to its pilots than to enemy fighters?
· Did it represent a misappropriation of national assets?
So what are the worst fighter aircraft of all time? For these purposes, we'll be concentrating on fighters that enjoyed production runs of 500 or more aircraft (listed in parentheses); curiosities such as the XF-84H "Thunderscreech" need not apply.
Royal B.E.2 (3500)
Preparing aircraft before anyone had fought an air war was undoubtedly a struggle for pilots and engineers. The Royal B.E.2 was one of the first military aircraft put into serious industrial production, with a run of around 3500 aircraft. First flown in 1912, it remained in service until 1919, with its responsibilities steadily declining as better aircraft became available.
In a sense, the B.E.2 inspired the first generation of fighters by displaying all of the qualities that no one wanted in a fighter aircraft, including poor visibility, poor reliability, difficulty of control, slow speed, and weak armament. The advent of the Fokker Eindecker made the B.E.2 positively hazardous to fly. Refinements often hurt more than they helped, with the plane becoming steadily more dangerous and accident prone as grew heavier.
It's tough to give a failing grade to a first effort. But the B.E.2's difficulty and poor reliability, combined with the British decision to keep it in service well beyond its freshness date, earn it a spot on this list. Incidentally, the failure of the Royal Flying Corps to effectively substitute for the B.E.2 in a timely fashion provided much grist for early advocates of the Royal Air Force, the world's first independent air force.
Brewster Buffalo (509)
A short, squat, and unattractive aircraft, the Buffalo entered service in the same year as the Mitsubishi A6M Zero and the Bf-109, two overwhelmingly superior aircraft. Intended to serve as both a land and carrier-borne fighter, the Buffalo saw its first combat in Finnish service, as several were transferred from the United States after the Winter War. Weight increases during the design process included provisions for heavier armament, extra fuel, and armor plating. Unfortunately, these left the airframe dreadfully underpowered, unable to keep up or maneuver with its best contemporaries. Although the Buffalos operated by the Finnish Air Force did well against the Soviets in the early days of the "continuation war," Buffalo pilots serving in Commonwealth and Dutch air forces in Southeast Asia were massacred by Japanese fliers in Zeros and Oscars. To add to its least desirable characteristics, the Buffalo performed poorly in the high temperatures common in the tropics.
Marine Corps pilots referred to the Buffalo as—you guessed it—a "flying coffin" in the wake of the Battle of Midway, where the aircraft performed disastrously against the Japanese. It was quickly replaced in U.S. service by its far more effective counterpart, the Grumman F4F Wildcat.
Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3 (6528)
Military modernization is often about timing, and the Soviet Union of the 1930s rebuilt its military industries slightly too quickly, optimizing production around technologies that would fall a step behind foreign contemporaries. The LaGG-3, first flow in 1940 but developed from the LaGG-1, was the Soviet Air Forces premier fighter during the German invasion of 1941, and was such a disaster that, playing on the fighter's acronym, pilots referred to it as "the varnished guaranteed coffin."
Although it entered service five years after the Bf-109, the LaGG-3 was essentially hopeless in combat against its contemporary. It unfortunately combined lightweight wood construction with an underpowered engine, which meant that it struggled to gain tactical advantage against heavier German fighters, yet went to pieces when hit. Combined with desperate Soviet pilot training practices of the war, there's little surprise as to how German and Finnish aviators gained such remarkably high totals against their Soviet opponents. Production of the LaGG-3 should have ended in 1942, but the agility of the Soviet military industrial complex being what it was, continued until 1944.
Century Series (F-101 (807), F-102 (1000), F-104 (2578), F-105 (833))
Picking a candidate from the Century series was a struggle. Most of the Century Series aircraft were developed while the Air Force was still dominated by the strategic bombing cadre, and interested primarily in the prospects of nuclear combat with the Soviet Union. Tactical Air Command tried to resolve this problem by making itself as "strategic" as possible, focusing on interceptors that could catch and kill Soviet bombers, and also on fighters heavy enough to deliver nuclear weapons. This left the fighters of the USAF poorly equipped to tangle with the tiny, maneuverable MiGs deployed by the PAVNAF.
The series was not a complete disaster; the F-100 was an adequate second generation fighter, the F-106 an entirely capable interceptor. The rest had the sort of troubles expected of a misaligned set of strategic and technological concepts. The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo was an interceptor converted into a fighter-bomber, a combination that made nearly no sense. It would mostly see service as a recon aircraft. The Convair F-102 Delta Dagger performed inadequately as both an interceptor and a fighter-bomber, briefly seeing combat in Vietnam before turning in its most notable service as a remote-control target drone.
The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter was fast, beautiful, and a death trap, earning the "flying coffin" nickname while suffering over thirty mishaps per 100000 flight hours (it was also known as the "Missile with a Man in It"). Over 50% of F-104s in Canadian service were lost in crashes, over 30% in German. The enormous Republic F-105 Thunderchief deserved better; designed as a nuclear bomber, it was ill-suited to the conventional bombing mission forced by the Vietnam War, and became easy prey to the Frescos, Fishbeds, and SA-2s.
The aircraft of the Century series had different builders, and were intended to perform different missions. However, they were procured in enormous quantities, and all suffered from problems associated with the same cause; the inability of the United States Air Force to conceptualize warfare outside of the strategic realm.
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 (5047)
The MiG-23 was supposed to be the Soviet answer to the big American fighters such as the F-4 and F-111, a powerful swing-wing fighter that could also perform attack and interception roles. And the Flogger surely was powerful.
But the Flogger was a beast to fly and to maintain. American "Red Eagle" pilots, tasked with determining the capabilities of Soviet aircraft, considered the Flogger a disaster waiting to happen. In 1984, Lieutenant General Robert M. Bond died flying a USAF operated Flogger. A relatively large aircraft, the Flogger also lacked many of the best qualities of its predecessors, including a small visual profile.
The MiG-23 was initially intended to fill out the air forces of the Warsaw Pact, but the Soviet clients generally preferred to keep their Fishbeds. Indeed, in export terms the MiG-23 was essentially a cheap loss-leader for the Soviet engine and technical support industries, as it proved remarkably difficult to safely keep in service. By design, engines burned out quickly, meaning that export customers who had fallen out of Soviet graces quickly lost the use of their fighters. The Flogger's combat record, generally in Syrian, Iraqi, and Libyan service, has not been positive. It's hardly surprising that the MiG-23 will almost certainly leave service before its predecessor, the MiG-21.
In terms of future members of this list, attention naturally falls on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which should exceed the 500 aircraft threshold. As I've argued before, it's difficult to get a sense of the strategic value of the aircraft without a full perspective on its career. We won't know whether the JSF is a deserving member of this list for quite some time. For one, it's unlikely that the F-35 will suffer from anything approaching the accident rate of the fighters on this list. The JSF's tremendous expense, however, undoubtedly makes it a long term candidate for inclusion.
Dishonorable Mention: General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark, McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, Messerschmidt Bf 110, Bolton-Paul Defiant, Fairey Fulmar, Sukhoi Su-7 Fitter.
What are the five greatest fighter aircraft of all time? Like the same question asked of tanks, cars, or rock and roll guitarists, the answer invariably depends on parameters. For example, there are few sets of consistent parameters that would include both the T-34 and the King Tiger among the greatest of all tanks. I know which one I'd like to be driving in a fight, but I also appreciate that this isn't the most appropriate way to approach the question. Similarly, while I'd love to drive a Porsche 959 to work every morning, I'd be hesitant to list it ahead of the Toyota Corolla on a "best of" compilation.
Nations buy fighter aircraft to resolve national strategic problems, and the aircraft should accordingly be evaluated on their ability to solve or ameliorate these problems. Thus, the motivating question is this: how well did this aircraft help solve the strategic problems of the nations that built or bought it? This question leads to the following points of evaluation:
Fighting characteristics: How did this plane stack up against the competition, including not just other fighters but also bombers and ground installations?
Reliability: Could people count on this aircraft to fight when it needed to, or did it spend more time under repair than in the air?
Cost: What did the organization and the nation have to pay in terms of blood and treasure to make this aircraft fly?
These are the parameters; here are my answers:
In the early era of military aviation, technological innovation moved at such speed that state of the art aircraft became obsolete deathtraps within a year. Engineers in France, Britain, Germany and Italy worked constantly to outpace their competitors, producing new aircraft every year to throw into the fight. The development of operational tactics trailed technology, although the input of the best flyers played an important role in how designers put new aircraft together.
In this context, picking a dominant fighter from the era is difficult. Nevertheless, the Spad S.XIII stands out in terms of its fighting characteristics and ease of production. Based in significant part on the advice of French aviators such as Georges Guynemer, the XIII lacked the maneuverability of some of its contemporaries, but could outpace most of them and performed very well in either a climb or a dive. It was simple enough to produce that nearly 8,500 such aircraft eventually entered service. Significant early reliability problems were worked out by the end of the war, and in any case were overwhelmed by the XIII's fighting ability.
The S.XIII filled out not only French fighter squadrons, but also the air services of Allied countries. American ace Eddie Rickenbacker scored twenty of his kills flying an XIII, many over the most advanced German fighters of the day, including the Fokker D.VII.
The Spad XIII helped the Allies hold the line during the Ludendorff Offensive, and controlled the skies above France during the counter-offensive. After the war, it remained in service in France, the United States, and a dozen other countries for several years. In an important sense, the Spad XIII set the post-war standard for what a pursuit aircraft needed to do.
Of course, it is not only air forces that fly fighter aircraft. The F6F Hellcat can't compare with the Spitfire, the P-51, or the Bf 109 on many basic flight characteristics, although its ability to climb was first-rate. What the F6F could do, however, was reliably fly from aircraft carriers, and it rode point on the great, decisive U.S. Navy carrier offensive of World War II. Entering the war in September 1943, it won 75% of USN aerial victories in the Pacific. USN ace David McCampbell shot down nine Japanese aircraft in one day flying a Hellcat .The F6F was heavily armed, and could take considerably more battle damage than its contemporaries. Overall, the F6F claimed nearly 5,200 kills at a loss of 270 aircraft in aerial combat, including a 13:1 ratio against the Mitsubishi A6M Zero.
The USN carrier offensive of the latter part of World War II is probably the greatest single example of the use of decisive airpower in world history. Hellcats and their kin (the Douglas SBD Dauntless dive-bomber and the Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo bomber) destroyed the fighting power of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), cracked open Japan's island empire, and exposed the Japanese homeland to devastating air attack and the threat of invasion.
In 1943, the United States needed a fighter robust enough to endure a campaign fought distant from most bases, yet fast and agile enough to defeat the best that the IJN could offer. Tough and reliable as a brick, the Hellcat fit that role. Put simply, the Honda Accord is, in its own way, a great car; the Honda Accords of the fighter world also deserve their day.
Messerschmitt Me-262 Swallow
The Me 262 Schwalbe (Swallow, in English) failed to win the war for Germany, and couldn't stop the Combined Bomber Offensive (CBO). Had German military authorities made the right decisions, however, it might at least have accomplished the second.
Known as the world's first operational jet fighter, full-scale production of the Me 262 was delayed by resistance within the German government and the Luftwaffe to devoting resources to an experimental aircraft without a clear role. Early efforts to turn it into a fighter-bomber fell flat. As the need for a superlative interceptor become apparent, however, the Me 262 found its place. The Swallow proved devastating against American bomber formations, and could outrun American pursuit aircraft.
The Me 262 was hardly a perfect fighter: it lacked the maneuverability of the best American interceptors, and both American and British pilots developed tactics for managing the Swallow. Although production suffered from some early problems with engines, by the later stages of the conflict, manufacturing was sufficiently easy that the plane could be mass-produced in dispersed, underground facilities.
But had it come on line a bit earlier, the Me 262 might have torn the heart out of the CBO. The CBO in 1943 was a touch and go affair; dramatically higher bomber losses in 1943 could well have led Churchill and Roosevelt to scale back the production of four engine bombers in favor of additional tactical aircraft. Without the advantage of long-range escorts, American bombers would have proven easy prey for the German jet. Moreover, the Me 262 would have been far more effective without the constant worry of P-47s and P-51s strafing its airfields and tracking its landings.
Nazi Germany needed a game changer, a plane capable of making the price too high for the Allies to keep up the CBO. The Me 262 came onto the scene too late to solve that problem, but it's hard to imagine any aircraft that could have come closer. Ironically, this might have accelerated Allied victory, as the Combined Bomber Offensive resulted in not only the destruction of urban Germany, but in the waste of substantial Allied resources. Win-win.
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 "Fishbed"
An odd choice for this list? The MiG-21 is known largely as fodder for the other great fighters of the Cold War, and for having an abysmal kill ratio. The Fishbed (in NATO terminology) has served as a convenient victim in Vietnam and in a variety of Middle Eastern wars, some of which it fought on both sides.
But… the MiG-21 is cheap, fast, maneuverable, has low maintenance requirements. It's relatively easy to learn to fly, although not necessarily easy to learn how to fly well. Air forces continued to buy the MiG-21 for a long time. Counting the Chengdu J-7 variant, perhaps 13,000 MiG-21s have entered service around the world. In some sense, the Fishbed is the AK-47 (or the T-34, if you prefer) of the fighter world. Fifty countries have flown the MiG-21, and it has flown for fifty-five years. It continues to fly as a key part of twenty-six different air forces, including the Indian Air Force, the People's Liberation Army Air Force, the Vietnamese People's Air Force, and the Romanian Air Force. Would anyone be surprised if the Fishbed and its variants are still flying in 2034?
The MiG-21 won plaudits from American aggressor pilots at Red Flag, who celebrated its speed and maneuverability, and played (through the contribution of North Vietnamese aces such as Nguyễn Văn Cốc ) an important role in redefining the requirements of air superiority in the United States. When flown well, it remains a dangerous foe.
Most of life is about just showing up, and since 1960 no fighter has shown up as consistently, and in as many places, as has the MiG-21. For countries needing a cheap option for claiming control of their national airspace, the MiG-21 has long solved problems, and will likely continue to serve in this role.
McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle
What to say about the F-15 Eagle? When it came into service in 1976, it was immediately recognized as the best fighter in the world. Today, it is arguably still the best all-around, cost-adjusted fighter, even if the Su-27 and F-22 have surpassed it in some ways. If one fighter in American history could take the name of the national symbol of the United States, how could it be anything other than the F-15?
The Eagle symbolizes the era of American hegemony, from the Vietnam hangover to the post-Cold War period of dominance. Designed in light of the lessons of Vietnam, at a time where tactical aviation was taking control of the US Air Force, the F-15 outperformed existing fighters and set a new standard for a modern air superiority aircraft. Despite repeated tests in combat, no F-15 has ever been lost to an aerial foe. The production line for the F-15 will run until at least 2019, and longer if Boeing can manage to sell anyone on the Silent Eagle.
In the wake of Vietnam, the United States needed an air superiority platform that could consistently defeat the best that the Soviet Union had to offer. The F-15 (eventually complemented by the F-16) provided this platform, and then some. After the end of the Cold War, the United States needed an airframe versatile enough to carry out the air superiority mission while also becoming an effective strike aircraft. Again, the F-15 solved the problem.
And it's a plane that can land with one wing. Hard to beat that.
A Contest Based on Parameters
Again, this exercise depends entirely on decisions about the parameters. A different set of criteria of effectiveness would generate an entirely different list (although the F-15 would probably still be here; it's invulnerable). Nevertheless, the basic elements of the argument are sound: weapons should be evaluated in terms of how they help achieve national objectives.
Honorable mentions include the North American Aviation F-86 Sabre, the Fokker D.VII, the Lockheed-Martin F-22 Raptor, the Messerschmitt Bf 109, the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the Supermarine Spitfire, the North American Aviation P-51 Mustang, the McDonnell Douglas EA-18 Growler, the English Electric Lightning, the Mitsubishi A6M Zero, the Sukhoi Su-27 "Flanker," and the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon.
Image: Creative commons.
This piece was originally published by The National Interest
More Weapons and Technology -WARRIORMAVEN (CLICK HERE)
When Pilots Attack - Learning to Fly the B-2 Stealth Bomber
B-2 Stealth Bomber Gets New Nuclear Weapon This Year
U.S. Air Force Builds First B-21 Raider 'Test' Stealth Bomber
Air Force Adds New Weapons to 143 F-22s - What Does it Mean?
Is China's J-20 Stealth Fighter a Ripoff of Russian Technology?
Air Force Chief Details US Response to Russian Nuclear Attack
Single F-35 Kills Dozens of Enemy Fighters in AirWar Live Combat "Scenario"
Pentagon Ground Tests Fighter-Jet Launched Hypersonic Weapon
Air Force Revs Up Production of Precision Bomb Called "Worlds Largest Sniper"


text:
Letter: Play a part in group's future to save the area
Civic Society needs your help.
Letters editor
Published: 12:30 Wednesday 15 November 2017
Like all towns and cities, the fortunes of Scarborough have ebbed and flowed. But there has been one constant: for more than 50 years, Scarborough and District Civic Society has been there, talking to council officials, property owners and developers to try to improve the appearance and facilities of the town.
But we don't just talk. As well as providing a forum for discussion and debate, the society has also delivered a number of successful projects which still benefit both the people of Scarborough and visitors to the town.
All this has been achieved by a dynamic and forward-looking committee made up of volunteers who receive no payment for their efforts.
Why do we do this? Because we care about Scarborough. But we couldn't do what we do without the ongoing support of our members and supporters who provide us with the income to cover our costs.
However, successful as we are, like any other organisation, we sometimes need to pause for breath and think about the future.
Not just the future of Scarborough, but also the future of the society itself.
We may well have been a consistent and enduring voice of the community for over half a century, but how do we ensure that the society stays around to then next 50 years?
This is where we need your help.
Can you help us develop a vision for what Scarborough will look like in the years to come? Can you help lead the society as it shapes up to face the challenges ahead?
We're looking for members. As a membership organisation, we always welcome new members, young and old.
We value the financial support that our members provide but also the contribution they can make to our discussions and by turning up for our events.
Once your membership subscription is paid, how much you do and how frequently you attend our events is up to you – but we hope you will want to get involved.
We also welcome new membership applications from local businesses.
Filey RNLI rescue 10m fishing vessel and two crew two miles off Filey Brigg
We're looking for new committee members.
As a registered charity (260615) our committee members are trustees of the charity and we are always on the lookout for new committee members who can contribute time and effort to helping to run the society.
The commitment is not huge – but you will need to be able to devote a few hours a month and will need access to email.
We're looking for a new chairman. Do you have the qualities to lead a modern civic society? If so, we'd like to hear from you.
We're actively seeking someone who has the flair and passion to help build the society into a dynamic and influential force for good in helping to shape the future of our town. We're holding a special event at The Street (off Dean Road) on the evening of Wednesday, November 29, when writer, speaker and civic society expert Kevin Trickett will be entertaining us with his passion for life and his insights into what makes a great civic society.
Irreverent and slightly tongue in cheek, Kevin will set out to inspire you to share his view that civic societies matter.
Are you ready to accept his challenge and help secure the future of Scarborough and District Civic Society?
The event will start at 7pm and is free to attend. There's even free tea, coffee and biscuits for audience members.
Do come along and let Kevin show you how to find your civic voice!
Scarborough and District Civic Society
YO12 4YJ
Every Football League club ranked in order of how much money they made or lost last season
Easter holidays 2020: 8 of the best destinations to visit for warm weather in April
12 of the best restaurants in and around Whitby according to Trip Advisor reviews
These are the 'happiest' and 'unhappiest' jobs
More from Filey and Hunmanby Mercury

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Produces television shows and music CDs which express the richness and variety of world cultures.
Full-service television commercial production company providing turnkey services to clients across the United States.
Providing broadcast video production to Arizona. Clients include all major networks and news programs.
Independent production company, offering one stop NTSC/PAL services across America.
Reality-based television and direct response programming. Also develops convergent television/internet services.
Live and remote broadcasts, as well as multimedia for legal clients. Staff profiles, services, client list, and news.
Provides location shooting facilities for broadcast and corporate clients. Equipment available and credits are described.
Produces broadcast content, mainly targeted at children. They also develop formats in drama, comedy and factual programming. The site details their projects, and provides links to the sites of some of their programming.
Full service house with remote capabilities, NLE editor, DVE, studio and audio DAW.
Specializes in broadcasts for live sports events. Includes information on staff members, as well as past and current projects.
Independent producers and distributors of television and motion picture entertainment.
Company based in Copenhagen; offers rentals and production services.
Film and television production company in Miami which also specializes in production management for out-of-town/country producers.
Located in Arkansas, offers studio and mobile production as well as non linear editing and 3D animation facilities.
Full service production facility located in Stockholm, Sweden.
Produce, co-produce and distribute high budget event television, films, mini-series, long running series and action adventure.
Based in Istanbul. Specializes in documentaries from southeastern Europe. Information on authors, current projects, and the region.
Broadcast production, equipment hire, and professional crews in New Zealand.


I want to tell you about one of my great students at Russian School of Mathematics. We'll call her Elizabeth. Liz is 11 years old. She is in my pre-calculus honor class. She took her SAT when she was 10 and scored 800/800. Half a year ago she took her SAT II IC — this is the test that is usually taken by 11 graders — and scored 800/800. Elizabeth came to Russian School of Mathematics when she was in fourth grade. Her parents wanted her to take AMC 8 (American Mathematics Contest 8). When Elizabeth's father googled school's with top AMC 8 results, RSM came up among top schools. Once parents discovered that, in addition to results, RSM is an after school program, they decided to enroll.
Liz is extraordinary bright and not only in math. On top of it she is physically tall and big. She looks as 16 year old, and she is smarter than an average 16 year old. But her emotional maturity is exactly that of an 11 year old. I teach her now with 16 year old students and I had to explain to all of them how proud they must be for such a wonderful student to be in their class. Of course sometimes she acts silly. She does not let boys sit next to her. She never goes to the board, and if somebody would jokingly tease her, she could punch them. After all she is still a little kid in a big body with this unbelievable IQ.
To me all of that is a small challenge compared to the unbelievable joy of teaching such a gifted child!
In a public school it's a different story. Here is how Elizabeth' father described me the situation.
"school teachers do not let our daughter learn and function at the level she is capable of and where she is challenged. Sometimes that happens simply because teachers expect student work to be at a certain level and when it does not meet their preconceived "formula" it is deemed inadequate.
Liz's father feels that teachers have no idea what kind of child Elizabeth is and what to do with her and, consequently, try to force her into the mold they do understand.
One the problems Elizabeth parents see with most schools and US culture in general is that doing well academically is not viewed as a good or "cool" thing.
I want to end this blog post with a question to all my readers: "What happened to the US system of education? Did we, while pursuing NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND, turn into a nation where NO CHILD GETS AHEAD?
Did America stop being a country of equal opportunity and turned into a country of equal (usually mediocre) outcomes?
Please share your opinions on this topic. This is a conversation that we need to have as a society, and as a country.
I was thinking about this the same many times. "No child left behind" spoils educational system of America. But what we can do? We are minority.
I could only wish Elizabeth good luck! All the best from Russian teacher!
I have a daughter similar in many ways to Elizabeth. We live in Kentucky and things were so bad last year that 2 different psychologists that specialize in working with gifted kids said I have no option but to home school my 8 year old and should plan to do so at least through elementary school. And so, I am now home schooling a kid that scored in the 99.9th percentile on two different IQ tests. As you may be able to imagine, it is difficlt for me to keep her appropriately challenged in every subject.
A friend recently recommended RSM. My daughter has been to 7 classes. It has been very difficult for her, not academically, but as you suggest, culturally.
Didn't they do any of this in her old expensive private school? What the heck were we paying them to teach her, how to be "cool"? Don't they realize that there is nothing cool about being unprepared for life?
On the way home from RSM today we had a discussion about why it is good that her teacher pointed out silly mistakes and let everyone see each others scores. I explained that when you have a job everyone will see your work. If it is not good, you will not get a bad grade, but you may get fired.
With pride and appreciation for RSM I said, "that would be the cool thing to do." She is finally looking forward to class next week. Thank you so much for starting this program. You have helped to save my little girl.
I can completely relate to that. I live in MA.I have 2 very smart boys and so far the public school system has been unsupportive. The boys were tested by the school psychologist, are in the 99 % and all the teachers care about is to make them fit in the standard mold.
I have met with the teachers, school principal, and the district super intendant assistant and it seems that I am at fault for not being able to make my kids fit in. The kids feel bored at school. What upsets me is that "no child left behind " should also apply to those ahead of their grade so they are not sidelined.


text:
You are at:Home»Brands & Content»Keynote – Dominique Delport, Havas/Vivendi
Keynote – Dominique Delport, Havas/Vivendi
By MIP Markets on	 July 25, 2016 Brands & Content
Dominique Delport is a member of the Supervisory Board of French media and telecoms giant Vivendi. In September 2015 he was named President of Vivendi Content, the unit tasked with discovering talent and investing in new forms of video and music content for the group's different brands, including Canal+, Universal Music Group, and Dailymotion. Delport is also Global Managing Director for the Havas Media Group, where he oversees all brands, clients and commercial activities. Since his appointment, he has set up a number of initiatives that help the agency and its clients respond to the rapid developments in technology, data, content and media. A former TV journalist, Delport won an International Interactive Emmy Award for his work on the show "C.U.L.T."
Want to Know More About Branded Entertainment? Attend MIPCOM & MIPTV
Havas keynote Video vivendi
MIPTV and MIPCOM are the world's most important global markets for the TV and digital media industry. They are the key events for buying and selling, financing and distributing programmes in all genres, on all platforms. Together, every 6 months, they form the annual landmark events of the entertainment calendar, attracting key industry executives, thought-leaders and creative talent from the entire content spectrum to negotiate deals, network and gain insight. MIPTV and MIPCOM respectively take place every Apriland October in Cannes, France.
TV & ESPORTS – Where the Future of Digital Entertainment Connects
Virtual reality trend : kids audience and metaverse.
"Thank you MIPTV"


Ecommerce research firm Marketplace Pulse examined 23,000 products and found that shoppers aren't more inclined to buy Amazon brands even when the company elevates them in search results.
(Bloomberg)—The explosion of Amazon.com Inc.'s private-label products—batteries, baby wipes, jeans, tortilla chips, sofas—has prompted concern that the world's biggest online retailer could use its clout to promote these house brands at the expense of merchants selling similar products on the web store. The issue even surfaced in Sen. Elizabeth Warren's recent proposal to break up big technology companies.
Turns out most Amazon-branded goods are flops that don't threaten other businesses at all, according to Marketplace Pulse. In a study, the New York ecommerce research firm examined 23,000 products and found that shoppers aren't more inclined to buy Amazon brands even when the company elevates them in search results.
The study suggests popular political and media narratives about Amazon's market power are overblown, despite the company capturing 52.4% of all online spending in the U.S. this year, according to eMarketer Inc.
Amazon, No. 1 in the Internet Retailer 2018 Top 500, sells more than 550 brands, both its own private-label goods and brands suppliers have agreed to sell exclusively on the site, according to TJI Research in Denver. Most of the Amazon brands have been introduced within the past two years, prompting criticism that the Seattle-based giant has an unfair advantage as the owner of the platform that makes the rules.
Amazon has also emerged as a top online battery brand to the detriment of Energizer and Duracell. AmazonBasics batteries appeared in the top three search positions on Amazon more than half the time for battery-related keyword searches, more than Energizer or Duracell, according a September study by Kantar Media. A 2016 study by 1010data estimated that Amazon captured 94% of all online battery sales, which enabled it to build its AmazonBasics battery into a category leader.
Popular direct-to-consumer internet brands like Casper (No. 132) mattresses and Harry's shaving products have used social-media campaigns to promote their products, while Target Corp. (No. 17) uses compelling displays in its physical stores to promote its fashion brands. Amazon just puts house brands on the site without giving shoppers a compelling reason to buy them.


text:
is a Baptist Christian university in Fukuoka, Japan.

History
It was founded in 1916 as an academy for boys by Rev. C. K. Dozier, a Baptist missionary from the United States.In 1949, it became a university. The chancellor of Seinan Gakuin is Yoshiki Terazono, and Gary W. Barkley, a former Baptist missionary, has served as the university president since December 2006. Seinan Gakuin University is located in Sawara Ward of Fukuoka and is between the Nishijin and Fujisaki subway stations.

Points of interest
 Seinan Gakuin University Biblical Botanical Garden

References

External links
 Seinan Gakuin University official site

Educational institutions established in 1916
Baptist universities and colleges
Private universities and colleges in Japan
Seinan Gakuin University
1916 establishments in Japan
Association of Christian Universities and Colleges in Asia

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Dave Maass filed this request with the Harris County Sheriff of Harris County, TX.
I wanted to follow up on the following Public Information Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on Aug. 9, 2015. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed.
I'm helping the Harris County Sheriff's Office respond to your request for information related to biometric technologies. Would you mind taking a look at the attached letter and sending me your response?


text:
Head for the Huey...
...another Vietnam themed figure set from MB Models
This 5-figure set adds to the series of 1/35 Vietnam themed sets from MasterBox, and once again a set I like for telling a particular story. In this case it is one which tells a common story as a wounded soldier is taken by his comrades back towards rescue, in the form of the 'Huey'. The Bell UH-1 Utility Helicopter became one of 'the' symbols of the Vietnam War. The standard troop carrier was known as a 'Slick', whereas a medical evacuation version was the 'Dust-Off'. While on the topic, and in case you are not familiar with these terms, the gunships were referred to as 'Snakes'.
There are 5 figures. The first is depicted standing and set to throw a smoke grenade. You could use this two ways, either as a smoke grenade to cover their extraction or perhaps to 'pop' a coloured smoke to guide in the Huey to the landing zone. A second figure carries an M79 grenade launcher, a 'blooper' while he also carries the large backpack for his wounded comrade. Two more have their weapons slung over their shoulders while they carry their wounded comrade between them. He has a bandaged right leg and around his head, clearly in need of medical treatment.
All wear the distinctive 'Tiger Stripe' camouflage used by US Special Forces such as the Navy Seals and LRRPs. Three wear the soft 'boonie' hats, the wounded man has lost his hat while the final figure has a scarf tied around his head. The neatly done accessory parts are all on a separate sprue and these include various packs, ammo pouches, knives, water bottles, grenade, pistol holsters etc, along with a good selection of small arms. We have a couple of Colt M15s, M16s (including one with the M203 grenade launcher, a 'captured' AK47, the M79 grenade launcher and a French MAT-49. They have also provided some optional headgear, so you can choose to mix and match the Boonie hats with helmets or caps. Plenty to enable you to individualise your models. Perfect of course if you want to add them to a Huey in a diorama.
Masterbox Head for the Huey
Painting and assembly guide
Figure parts
Equipment Sprue
MB Models


In addition to funding, finalists will receive 1,600 hours in consulting services to strengthen their businesses.
Grantees will be chosen through a rigorous selection process. A total of 75 digital news outlets will move forward in the first round, 25 semifinalists will continue to the second, and eight to 10 will be chosen to receive investments. All semifinalists will receive a report with recommendations and a scholarship for full access to SembraMedia's online school. Finalists will have ongoing access to in-depth audience metrics thanks to a partnership with Chartbeat.
ICFJ empowers journalists to deliver trustworthy news essential for vibrant societies. Working at the nexus of journalism and technology, we build the expertise and storytelling skills of reporters worldwide. We promote high-impact journalism that leads to better lives. The ICFJ Knight Fellowships, our flagship program, instill a culture of news innovation and experimentation worldwide. Funded by John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, our Fellows seed new ideas and services that deepen coverage, expand news delivery and engage citizens.
SembraMedia is dedicated to increasing the diversity of voices in Spanish by helping digital media entrepreneurs become more sustainable and independent. Our diverse team represents a regional network of more than 800 digital publishers in 20 countries.
Luminate is a global philanthropic organization focused on empowering people and institutions to work together to build just and fair societies. It was established in 2018 by Pierre Omidyar, the founder of eBay. Luminate works with its partners to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to participate in, and shape, the issues affecting their societies, and to make government, corporations, media, and those in positions of power more responsive and more accountable. To date it has supported 236 organizations in 18 countries with $314 million in funding.


I'll be starting about noon, with a LONG break this evening for a wedding. I probably won't be setting any records, but fun anyway!
Oops...I magically listed myself twice!
Thanks MR, for sponsoring this event. I'm off to read some more.
Started a little bit ago. Off to work for awhile.
And thanks for hosting the event. Hopefully next year I won't have such a full weekend!
Rebekah (a.k.a. "Adventures in Thought") -- Thanks for the heads-up; we were able to delete the duplicate entry (Mr. Linky is pretty easy that way)!
I'm not starting until 8 pm tonight - but I wanted to sign in now so I don't have to think about hauling out the laptop after dinner. All I wanna do is get in bed and read!
Hello! Just signing in to say I'm starting at 7 tonight.
Oops, posted my linky but forgot to sign in... sorry!
Here I go! I plan to walk to a diner for lunch and start my first book there.
The evil plan is to start at about 6:00 this evening. I'm VERY excited about being able to read for 48 hours if I want. I have convinced my family that it is work.
Just want to drop in to say I will be starting at 9pm tonight(after I finish with the Summer Reading Kickoff Party, starting the summer off with a bang!) I know I won't be setting any records, but this should be fun either way. Happy Reading!
Just started this morning with book thats been on my shelf for a few weeks-The Perks of being a Wallflower. Have Twizzlers and M&Ms and I'm ready to go.
Ohh, I started at 7pm on Friday (which is your 7am, I think).
I have one looong book to read - we'll see how long it takes me to read it!
I am on the starting line and heading out for the long haul. Good reading to all!
Thanks for stopping by. I have to admit the idea of putting pics with the updates was my idea. I saw it posted in the 24 hour read a thons and thought it was a neat idea so i went with it.
Starting in a few minutes!
I'm looking foward to some uninterrupted time to read.
I'm not seeing Mr. Linky, but am signing it for starting at 2pm on Friday!
Good luck to everyone! I won't be participating this year, but I'll definitely follow along.
I will be starting my 48 hours tomorrow morning.
Almost done with The Perks of Being a Wallflower, not sure how I feel about the book, more on that later. Going back to store for refill on twizzlers.
I updated my blog with a starting post. I'll be actually starting around 11 p.m.
Cheering you all on. Happy reading, gang!
I wasn't going to do it, but I caved. I have a very nice TBR pile. Off to read now!
Starting at 6:30 on Friday! Have fun everybody!!!
I'm signing in, but not posting yet because I want to leave the Starting Line post at the top of the page for now. Starting at 7:30 p.m. on Friday night.
Alright it's 8pm and I'm starting. I'm finishing Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler.
Starting at 8:15 pm Friday!
Just finished Perks of being a wallflower-Wow! Heavy read.I posted a review on my blog. www.mugofmoxie.blogspot.com Now starting on The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.
I'm laughing at myself because of how excited I am by this! I tried to nap before I started (so I'd need less sleep time), but was too excited!
You see, whenever I have a special day (Mother's Day, Birthday...), I think about what I could do to indulge myself that's really special. My first thought is ALWAYS to spend the whole day reading -- but I always decide it's not practical or too lazy or some such. So then you announce this challenge -- and it happens to hit the only weekend in months when I have no other commitments. Woo-hoo! I am so excited, it's funny! On top of that, my blog was broken and just this morning I finished fixing it.
I still can't find Mr. Linky! WTF? But here's a link to my starting post.
I started at 2pm Hawaii Time, so I'm on hour 6. Ready to get back off computer to keep reading! :) Thanks for hosting this fun challenge.
Off to write a brief Challenge Begins post, then to read. Thanks, MR!
I started at 9pm (CET) last night and read for a little over three hours. I have my stacks of books I can't wait to get back to, but I think this year will have to be a practice for me and next year, I will do a better job at clearing the schedule.
I'm excited! This is my first time!
I have begun. 7:48 am Saturday morning.
Signing in! :-) I started reading yesterday, between work, kids, soccer, and everything. :-D It looks like this will be fun -- what a great turn-out.
Wow, that's a lot of people participating. So fun!!!
Oh man, once again I miss out on this...Good luck to everyone. Maybe next year.
I'm going to try. I'm only going to have a few hours (!) to participate this year.
Just finished The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian-I laughed, I cried, I loved this book!
Plan to write full review on my blog. Just made pitcher of ice tea and ready to start new book-The Giver by Lois Lowry.
Oops, didn't check back before I began, so I missed the sign-in. But lo, I have begun! And finished, actually, being in another part of the world where tomorrow comes earlier.
forgot to come back here and say i was starting . . . lol. but i am exactly 24 hours and 3 minutes into the challenge!
oops i forgot to put the right starting URL too . . . sorry!!!
I forgot to link when I started. But I'm 24 hours in.
Wow! As MotherReader's editor/backup for this event, I'm amazed at the participation levels here! There really are a lot of people participating — more than double last year's roster — and a lot of enthusiastic people, no less. Congrats to everyone for making such a dedicated effort!
I had four and a half hours to read. Sigh.
Oh, whoops, I linked the finishing here and not the starting.
Comes of the lack of sleep I suppose.


Today, we look at a familiar ghost from three different angles; a poem, a play, and a song.
While Leonardo da Vinci was an apprentice in the workshop of Andrea del Verrocchio, what exactly did Leonardo learn from Andrea? What did Andrea have to teach him?
With so many different depictions over the course of history, we are left to wonder: What makes a Venus a Venus?
Amongst all the sitters in art history, the people who sit to have their portrait painted, only a few possess this remarkable skill: to cast the most beautifully perplexing smile, that, with a simple curve of the lips, writes novels of emotional expression. This is one such smile.
In this episode we take looks and listens from many different angles at one of the most beloved gods in Hinduism, and we may even get to touch something.
This is one small step for artist, one giant leap for artist kind. This question is: did it ever happen? Is there a secret museum on the moon?
In this special episode of Accession for Kids, we take a look at a landscape painting of a place that may be familiar, even if it doesn't look the same today.
It's just the story of a young man, barely more than a boy, and a small piece of wood that he may or may not have painted.
We take a look at Gene Davis' Lemon Look, and explore why humans are so fascinated by illusions, and what we have to learn from them.
This week's episode is the famous story of the Messon Frogs, the brother's who came to be known as the Tuxtla Two, and the act of courage that saved the game.
Just the simple story of a person falling in love with a painting told over five letters.
This story isn't about a painting, or a sculpture, or a vase, or a váse, or a photograph. It's about... well, I'll let you listen for yourself.
There is so much being accomplished by this master painter in this masterpiece that needs so little explanation. But while I am of the opinion that there is no problem with this painting, there is a problem with its story.
How can a person living now, walking through the Worcester Art Museum, with all these other thoughts about things with one-eye, ever hope to understand what this statuette meant? Or can they ever hope to understand what he meant, all those centuries ago?


There was a call recently and I don't see the money I should have earned from it?
Occasionally there is a delay in the earnings from a call posting into your earnings history. We are aware of the issue and are working on getting it corrected.
In the meantime, you can always continue to email psychicsupport@psychics.com about any missed earnings, but we suggest that you wait until the earnings are missing for over 24 hours (1 complete business day if this occurs over a weekend) before contacting support. Any concerns about incorrectly posted earnings should still be addressed immediately.
Thank you for being a part of our launch and bearing with us as we work over these little technical issues. If you have not received earnings for a call from over 24 hours ago, please email psychicsupport@psychics.com.
Author help.psychicsPosted on January 13, 2014 Categories Psychics F.A.Q.
Previous Previous post: How can my profile get more attention?
Next Next post: How can I delete one of my Psychics profiles?


The new year is just around the corner and managers should expect to see many changes occurring within their companies. Throughout each quarter, we expect to see certain hiring trends. Whether you follow these trends or not could possibly make or break your company. Because of this, it is important for hiring managers to be aware of the upcoming year's hiring trends.
Luckily, we've created just the thing for you. We've taken a deeper look into each quarter of 2014 and have provided you with a clear layout of what's to be expected in regards to hiring, including who and when you should be hiring.
Information on who and when you should be hiring for each quarter of 2014.
Interesting facts and statistics regarding hiring trends.
Hiring is a stressful process for all those who have to do it. Even more, with the new year, many hiring managers don't know what to expect. Our ebook attempts to make the hiring process in 2014 a simpler one. You can access the free ebook below by clicking below (or here).


text:
Sulphur Black Liquid Manufacturers Suppliers Exporters Importers
View in major Cities : Ahmedabad
RADIENT OVERSEAS
323, Pratibha Plus Comp., Narol, Aslali Highway, Ahmedabad-382 405, Gujarat, India
Suppliers of Sodium Sulphur Black Liquid...
Contact Person: Mr. Anil Agrawal (Proprietor)
Sulphur Black Liquid
Needs Information Services came into being in the year 1995 and the properietorship firm converted into Closely Held Limited company in 1998. The founder and M. D. of the company Mr. Bharat Patel whose vision is and was to provide necessary information of Chemical, Pharma & Dyes Industries to the new & existing entrepreneurs. The company published Gujarat Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Directory in the 1995, the same edition was updated in the year 1998. The company published All India Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Directory in the year 2000. Gujarat Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Directory was again published in the year 2004. The company published All India Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Directory in the year 2007 and All India Dyes and Dye Intermediates Directory in the year 2012. The company began to publish Global Inquiry Magazine since 2004, A monthly Magazine focuses on various Chemicals, Pharma and Dyes Industries.
Developed by. Needs Information Services Ltd


Future D is your most "Preferred IT Partner". With us you have the flexibility to start with the managed IT services that is important your organization, and then grow with us as your needs grow. Many business executives who are responsible for IT prefer that we take IT off of their hands. In these cases, we host their IT resources in our data centers and manage their entire IT infrastructure, including desktops, servers, networks and more.
IT management has been called the black hole of the back office. It's a drain on resources, money, and most of all, time - time you don't have. Business executives responsible for IT are looking for a qualified partner to take IT management off of their hands.
That's why Future D offers Total IT Management. With Total IT Management, we manage, maintain and support your entire IT infrastructure for one monthly fee, whether your equipment is at your location or our data centers. We also offer a hybrid approach we can host some of your servers (or other equipment) in our data centers while we manage other equipment at your location.
Many of the managed IT services included in Total IT Management are available a la carte. We'll work closely with you to make sure your particular needs are met.


The same place. as in women in the pelvis anteriorly.
Pain/pulling on right side above pubic bone area. Really hurts. Please help what could this be?
My pubic bone hurts. I am due in a week. Why?
Pubic bone hurts a little when I push on it. Is that ok?
Can they really split the pubic bone to let a baby come out?
Center of pubic bone hurts when I press down on it. How come?


Meprolight's FT Bullseye sight is very unique, and you really can't get a good idea of how it works by just looking at the marketing photos. I was pleased to finally get my hands on a set right after SHOT Show this year.
The FT Bullseye sight is best described as a straw based sight. It contains a fiber optic integrated lens along with a bit of tritium to produce glow even in the darkness. By the marketing images you always see the perfectly aligned dot in the middle of a illuminated circle, but in reality that is only the image when it is perfectly lined up. It uses no front sight, the entire system is less than 2 inches long and is very low profile.
The FT Bullseye sight is as low profile as stock sights just with a longer footprint.
As I stated in the video, the FT Bullseye sight is in a class of its own. It isn't precise enough on small targets to replace a red dot optic, or even iron sights for that matter. To use it you have to obscure most of the target, which isn't a good thing for defensive shooting. It isn't precise enough for competitions. But it works well as a supplemental sight for speed point shooting. I enjoyed getting my hands on it, and while I wanted to love it I'm not sure what I'll use it for yet. But if you think it could be useful for you by all means check them out at Meprolight.com. At $150 it's not near the investment as a red dot optic, and it's a downright easy install. It's available for Glocks, HK, Springfields, M&P, Sigs, Kahrs and even Mark IIIs.


Engineers have developed a device that can tap into the infrared energy of the Earth.
Most sunlight that strikes the Earth is absorbed by its surfaces, oceans and atmosphere. As a result of this warming, infrared radiation is emitted constantly - estimated to be millions of gigawatts per second.
Researchers at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia have unveiled a diode the can tap into this energy, as well as waste heat from industrial processes, by transforming quadrillionth-of-a-second wave signals into useful electricity.
Unlike solar panels that are limited by daylight hours and weather conditions, infrared heat can be harvested 24 hours a day.
The new device works by treating waste or infrared heat as high-frequency electromagnetic waves.
Using miniscule antennas, collected waves are sent to a rectifier, typically a semiconductor diode, that converts alternating signals to direct current charge for batteries or power devices.
Because infrared emissions have very small wavelengths, they need micro- or nanoscale antennas that are not easy to fabricate or test.
Additionally, infrared waves oscillate thousands of times faster than a typical semiconductor can handle.
"There is no commercial diode in the world that can operate at such high frequency," says Atif Shamim, project leader from KAUST.
Tunnelling devices, such as metal-insulator-metal (MIM) diodes, rectify infrared waves into current by moving electrons through a small barrier.
Since this barrier is only a nanometre thin, MIM diodes can handle high-frequency signals on the order of femtoseconds.
To generate the intense fields needed for tunnelling, the team turned to a unique 'bowtie-shaped' nano-antenna that sandwiches the thin insulator film between two slightly overlapped metallic arms.
By using key functional metals, the new MIM diode can catch the infrared waves with zero applied voltage, a passive feature that switches the device on only when needed.
Experiments with infrared exposure have revealed the bowtie successfully harvested energy solely from the radiation, and not from thermal effects, as evidenced by a polarization-dependent output voltage.
The latest experiments are reported in a paper accessible here.


text:
TNW News
More TNW
- TNW2020
- Couch Conferences
HardFork
or More info
Driving the future of sustainable mobility
Hybrid electric vehicle
Exhaust gas
Environment (biophysical)
How different types of hybrid vehicle actually work
Get to know your HEVs, PHEVs, and MEVs
Polestar accelerates the shift to sustainable mobility, by making electric driving irresistible.
Welcome to SHIFT Basics, a collection of tips, explainers, guides, and advice to keep you up to speed with mobility tech.
When it comes to low emission vehicles, broadly speaking, there are three categories: battery-electric, alternative fuel, and hybrid-electric.
Today, we're going to take a look at hybrid-electric vehicles, what they are, and the different types of them, because they're not quite as simple as they sound.
In the hybrid vehicle world, there are three types: mild hybrid (MHEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV), and regular hybrid-electric (HEV).
[Read: Why AI is the future of home security]
Despite key differences between the different types of hybrid, they all have one thing in common, that they use an electric motor alongside a combustion engine to assist how the vehicle is powered.
That's where the similarities end, though, as every different type of hybrid car implements the motor differently.
Where it began, hybrid electric
When it comes to hybrid vehicles, there's one that stands out in memory like a thorn on the stem of a rose: the Toyota Prius. As the first mass-produced hybrid electric vehicle, it's the one everyone knows.
Hybrid electric vehicles, like the Prius, are what fancy people call parallel hybrids. They're called this because they can use their electric motors and combustion engines alongside each other, in parallel, obviously.
Credit: Wikimedia CC
The Toyota Prius can probably be credited with turning the world's eyes towards more conscious motoring. It's now a plug-in hybrid.
In simple terms, these hybrids have an engine and motor that are both connected to the wheels of the car. There are many ways of implementing and honing this principle, but a version of this idea was patented in 1994 by a Soviet engineer. As it happens, that engineer went on to sue Toyota for infringing on his patent, but that's another story — read about it here.
These kinds of hybrids have quite small batteries, typically under 5 kWh. They're not designed to do long distances on battery power, but rather, the electrical components are used to take a load off the combustion engine to improve its efficiency and reduce tailpipe emissions.
These types of hybrid charge their batteries as they drive along using a generator powered by the wheels or when the car slows down using regenerative braking. Some carmakers, we're looking at you Lexus, call these "self-charging" hybrids. This is misleading and kind of wrong, read why here.
Credit: Green Car Reports - Screenshot
Norway, a world leader in electric vehicle adoption, is cracking down on companies that advertise hybrids as "self-charging."
The upside of this kind of hybrid is that it's very approachable. I mean this in the sense that it's not a huge departure from conventional motoring. These kinds of hybrid are driven and fueled exactly like a regular combustion vehicle. The car takes care of blending its combustion engine with electric motors to deliver power and efficiency, it requires no habitual changes from the driver.
The fact that these hybrids are fueled with gasoline like a regular vehicle helps to allay range anxiety. That's also a big downside, you can't charge the battery from renewable energy, to charge the batteries you have to burn fuel, it's not perfect.
Credit: Wikimedia
A schematic for a hybrid drivetrain. Note: motors and generators are connected to the driveshaft between the engine and the wheels.
While they do help to reduce tailpipe emissions and are a step in the right direction towards greener motoring, they've been the focus of criticism over the years mostly because, in the real world, they don't quite deliver on manufacturer claims. However, we should be thankful for cars like the Prius because it got the world thinking about how our driving habits impact the environment.
A plug-in hybrid is the best hybrid
In mechanical principles, plug-in hybrids are similar to regular hybrids, they use parallel engine and motor setups to drive the wheels.
The main difference, is that plug-in hybrid vehicles have bigger batteries and can be charged from mains electricity. If you wanted to, you could drive a plug-in hybrid without ever using the engine, you wouldn't be able to go very far before needing to recharge, but at least your emissions would be low.
How far plug-in hybrids can drive on battery power alone varies from vehicle to vehicle, but it's usually somewhere between 10 and 50 miles. The Lynk & Co. 01 PHEV SUV is quoted as having a range of 43 miles (about 70 km) on electric power alone.
Credit: M Beedham
Obscured within a cage, the Lynk & Co. 01 sits for people to have a look around. It will also offer test drives soon in the future for those that want to buy the car outright.
While plug-hybrid vehicles still aren't the perfect solution when it comes to low emission motoring, they are best of the bunch when it comes to hybrids.
It's worth noting, like regular hybrids, plug-in versions have also been on the receiving end of criticism that they're not quite as efficient as manufacturer's claim. But again, as lecturer in vehicle electrification at Loughborough University, Ashley Fry, writes in The Conversation, emissions from PHEVs can vary depending on how the vehicle is driven.
Someone who drives hard and fast, and doesn't make the best use of the electric elements of the car, will emit far more CO2 than someone who drives calmly, considerately, and uses the motors as much as possible. It's pretty simple.
Mild hybrids, the new kid on the engine block
While they might have hybrid in their name, mild hybrids are quite different from the other types of hybrid vehicle. The main difference being that the electric motor that's used to support the combustion engine isn't connected to the wheels.
Mild hybrids also use tiny low-power batteries in comparison to conventional all-electric vehicles — usually it's a 48V system. The batteries are charged using energy reclaimed from braking.
In a mild hybrid a starter generator is used to support the engine directly. To put it in simpler terms, an electric motor is connected to the engine to provide additional power when it's starting up, taking off, or powering other vehicle components.
Credit: Mazada
Mazda has no plug-in hybrids available at the moment, but it does have mild hybrid drivetrains.
You see, the thing is, while a combustion engine's primary task is to propel a car forward and drive the wheels, it also has to power a number of ancillary components which all suck energy and reduce the engine's efficiency. In other words, running the air conditioning reduces economy and increases emissions.
By using a 48V battery system to take these tasks away from the engine and provide support during acceleration, a vehicle's emissions can be reduced. Although, the reduction is slight when compare to plug-in hybrids.
In reality, mild hybrids are not the best solution in terms of reducing emissions, however, they are better than nothing. The upside of mild hybrid systems is that they tend to be the cheapest of the hybrid options, are lighter, simpler, and are easier to fit, so they can be added to vehicles with relative ease.
There you have it, now when someone starts chewing your ear off about the new hybrid they've bought you'll have a clue of what they're on about.
SHIFT is brought to you by Polestar. It's time to accelerate the shift to sustainable mobility. That is why Polestar combines electric driving with cutting-edge design and thrilling performance. Find out how.
Published December 11, 2020 — 14:21 UTC
December 11, 2020 — 14:21 UTC
Why people bought more ebikes during the pandemic than ever before
The Heart of Tech™
Copyright © 2006—2021. All rights reserved. Made with <3 in Amsterdam.


text:
This Is One of the Nicest Camper Vans We've Ever Seen
Affinity makes the most of a small space, thanks to an innovative sleeping layout.
By Tyler Duffy
You've probably never heard of the Polish company Affinity. We hadn't either — at least, until they unveiled their new camper van at the 2020 CMT Show in Stuttgart. Sleek and modern, Affinity's new ride has one of the best layouts for a camper van we've ever seen.
The main innovation is in regards to the sleeping areas. There's a de facto master suite in the rear, though the double bed at the back serves as a lounge area during the day. The bed can also electrically raise and lower to accommodate gear such as bicycles in a storage bay below.
The bed sits alongside a rear wet bath, which opens up the rest of the living space. The dinette area at the front folds out into bunk beds; in total, thus, this compact van offers sleeping accomodations for a family of four.
Other features include an L-shaped kitchen for extra counter space, a winterized cabin with a Truma Combi 4E heater/water boiler, and front and rear skylights that provude ample natural light.
The Affinity Camper Van comes in two versions, and they're relatively affordable, considering everything you get. There's a Fiat Ducato version (starting price: $83,300) with a nine-speed automatic, and can also be based on a Peugeot Boxer (starting price: $77,700) with a six-speed manual. Scandinavian manufacturer KABE AB will produce the vehicles starting this month.
Sadly, it does not appear that the Affinity van will be available in the U.S. anytime soon. But FCA does sell the Fiat Ducato in the U.S. as the Ram Promaster, the base for the Winnebago Solis, so the vehicle doesn't seem like it would be too hard to recreate here.
Our 5 Favorite Camper Vans of 2019
This Is the Coolest Pop-Up Camper We've Ever Seen
This New Bike Is One of the Lightest We've Seen
This Is One of the Best-Looking Running Shoes We've Ever Seen
This Is the Lightest Denim We've Ever Seen
This Is One of the Most Affordable Swiss Tourbillon Watches We've Ever Seen


text:
Home / Chambers of Commerce / Economic growth and women's participation in economic expansion has been recognized as essential for a country: Fehmeeda Kausar Jamali
Economic growth and women's participation in economic expansion has been recognized as essential for a country: Fehmeeda Kausar Jamali
in Chambers of Commerce November 9, 2015 232 Views | Short URL
Karachi, November 09, 2015 (PPI-OT):The women entrepreneurship has been acknowledged as an important untapped source of economic growth and women's participation in economic expansion has also been recognized as essential for a country. This was stated by Fehmeeda Kausar Jamali, Acting President FPCCI while discussing with some women entrepreneurs met her at Federation House, Karachi.
Fehmeeda Jamali further said that women empowerment encourages the trend of women entrepreneurship in the region. She appreciated the role of Women Council of ECO CCI and said that ECO CCI is playing its pivotal role in the development of Women Entrepreneurship in the region. While talking about women entrepreneurs in ECO countries, she informed that 41% companies in Turkey has women participation and this ratio is 40% in Uzbekistan, 34% in Tajikistan, 11% in Azerbaijan but in case of Pakistan it is only 7% and less than 3% in Afghanistan.
She further said that contrary to this fact it is interest to note that women participation in the parliament is highest in Pakistan and Afghanistan due reserve seats for women. She said that despite the highest rate of representation in the parliament the ration of their participation in business activities is lowest as compared to other ECO countries. She further said that there is a need to further motivate the women to participate in economic activities as at present their share is just 3% in total entrepreneurship in Pakistan.
She further said that as compared to last decade where there were few women entrepreneurs in Pakistan, now with the support of the government and others trade related organizations there are 9 women chambers in major cities working under the trade ordinance.
She said that these chambers organize business orientation programs, workshops, and lectures, for the guidance of women entrepreneurs and also work to enhance quality consciousness of women-owned enterprises. She said that FPCCI has been encouraging women entrepreneurship by way of giving them equal opportunities for participation in trade exhibitions and delegation.
She said that the women should come forward and avail the opportunities for capacity building trainings in various sectors and also develop confidence in all sectors particularly textile, garment, fashion designing, handicrafts, jewellery, leather garments, dry fruits, packaging and services sector.
M. A. Lodhi
Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI)
B-1, Federation House, Main Clifton Road,
Shahra-e-Firdousi,
Karachi-75600, Pakistan
Tel: +92-21-35873691, 93-94
Email: info@fpcci.com.pk
URL: www.fpcci.com.pk
FPCCI 2015-11-09
Tagged with: FPCCI
Previous: Transfers and postings of Judges
Next: Gemalto research reveals rigid software licensing and delivery options are frustrating today's enterprise users
PCJCCI collaborates with Sichuan International Chamber to establish Pakistan-Chengdu Economic and Trade Center
New Visa Office to be opened for Visas
KCCI President advises State Bank of Pakistan to postpone abolition of Open Account Facility to September 30


The Human Resources Department is pleased to present the Administrative Professionals Forum. This professional development round table is intended for non-supervisory employees and serves as a great opportunity to network and leverage experiences with each other.
Immunity to Change: Mastering the Art of Personal and Organizational Change.


text:
Fisher-Price Movie Viewer
Fisher-Price has been a leader in the world of optical toys for children for several decades. In the late 1980's, the western New York-based toy company created the PXL-2000, a revolutionary children's video camera that operated on audiotape. Unfortunately, the PXL was not initially successful and was relegated to the world of film artists, who used the primitive video-making toy for its interesting graphic representation of images.
The development of the PXL was the eventual progeny of a much more successful movie-related toy produced almost two decades earlier. 1973 saw the release of the Fisher-Price Movie Viewer for children aged 3–10. The viewer itself looked like a cream-colored plastic super-8 camera with a multi-colored circular hand crank on one side and a small plastic window that provided a light source on the other. One end had a small magnifying glass view hole, while the other end had a space for the rectangular movie cartridge. To experience this flicking picture show, the child would insert the yellow cartridge and crank away, watching the movie through the eyepiece. The viewer used an 8mm strip of film that was permanently looped on the inside of the cartridge so that at the end of any particular strip, the clip would simply begin again.
Almost all of the films made for the Movie Viewer were clips from well-known animated or live-action children's entertainment. Disney animated product—such as an abridged version of "Lonesome Ghosts," film segments from Sesame Street, Bugs Bunny and Peanuts shorts made up a number of the early cartridges, but in later years, feature films, television programs and other filmed entertainment were included in the Movie Viewer repertoire. Even The Black Hole had its own cartridge.
One of the special features offered by the Fisher-Price Movie Viewer was the variable control of the unit. Children could move the film as fast or as slow as they wanted. As if that wasn't enough, it was also very easy to run the film backwards (also in variable speeds).
It meant that you could watch Mickey Mouse knock over a door in slow-mo in "Lonesome Ghosts" or watch a man's face fall out of a cake in Sesame Street's "Numbers". The best thing was that it wasn't battery operated or governed by electricity. The Fisher-Price Movie Viewer was all kid-powered, kid-run and kid-approved.
In 1977, Fisher Price added a Theater Viewer product that used the same cartridges to project the 8mm images on a small backlit screen. The cartridges themselves could also be opened and the film inside replaced with a loop of your own choosing. This was an unexpected, unplanned and probably unsanctioned benefit to the Viewer, but many aspiring young filmmakers, keen in the ways of Fisher Price, picked up on the application and handed out the viewers as previews for their latest 8mm masterpieces.
After a long run and many imitators, including an attempt by Kenner to catch the slightly older audiences with clips from prime-time television, Fisher-Price stopped making the Movie Viewer and Movie Theater in 1985. In 1986 they came out with another, sleeker model of the Viewer but it lasted only one year.
1973 - Fisher-Price Movie Viewer
1977 - Fisher-Price Movie Theater
Fashion Plates Fisher-Price Little People Fisher-Price Movie Viewer Foto-Electric Football Frisbee Furby


Over the past couple of years, our coral reefs are depleting and dying. Pollution and climate change are to blame for the mass destruction of our reefs as well as careless tourism and dynamite fishing. Coral reefs are vital for the existence of our maritime eco-system, as well as life on earth. Corals trap carbon dioxide and release oxygen and are home to millions of maritime species, if all corals, anemones and polyps were to die, we would not have much time left. For us to save our coral reefs is to save all life on this planet. The matter is an urgent one, and the solution is more simple than we would like to think.


How To Break A Bad Habit - In Sales Now !
Bad habits are obstacles to our lives. Today I like to share another TED-talk, it's about How to Break a Bad Habit. I think this is something we all should watch. Take a few minutes and enjoy it.


text:
SJSU Home>Info.sjsu.edu>SJSU Catalog>Fall 2019 - Policies and Procedures>Student Responsibilities and Rights>CSU Nondiscrimination Policy and Complaint Procedures>Regulation - Protected Status: Gender (or sex), Gender Identity (including transgender), Gender Expression and Sexual Orientation
Regulation - Protected Status: Gender (or sex), Gender Identity (including transgender), Gender Expression and Sexual Orientation
The California State University does not discriminate on the basis of gender (or sex), gender identity (including transgender), gender expression or sexual orientation - as these terms are defined in CSU policy - in its programs and activities, including admission and access. Federal and state laws, including Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, prohibit such discrimination. The California State University is committed to providing equal opportunities to all CSU students in all campus programs, including intercollegiate athletics. Inquiries concerning compliance may be presented to this person at 408-924-1200 or the Office for Equal Opportunity, UPD 303, 408-924-1115. CSU Executive Order 1097 Revised October 5, 2016 (www.calstate.edu/EO/EO-1097-rev-10-5-16.pdf) (or any successor executive order) is the systemwide procedure for all complaints of discrimination, harassment or retaliation made by students against the CSU, a CSU employee, other CSU students or a third party.
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 protects all people regardless of their gender, gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation from gender discrimination, which includes sexual harassment and violence:
Sexual Discrimination means an adverse action taken against a student by the CSU, a CSU employee, or another student because of gender or sex (including sexual harassment, sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking) that is perpetrated against an individual on a basis prohibited by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. %A71681 et seq., and its implementing regulations, 34 C.F.R. Part 106 (Title IX); California Education Code %A766250 et seq., and/or California Government Code %A711135.
Sexual Harassment, a form of sex discrimination, is unwelcome verbal, nonverbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that includes, but is not limited to, sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and any other conduct of a sexual nature where:
Submission to, or rejection of, the conduct is explicitly or implicitly used as the basis for any decision affecting a complainant's status or progress, or access to benefits and services, honors, programs, or activities available at or through the university; or
The conduct is sufficiently severe, persistent or pervasive that its effect, whether or not intended, could be considered by a reasonable person in the shoes of the complainant, and is in fact considered by the complainant, as limiting his or her ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities or opportunities offered by the university; or
The conduct is sufficiently severe, persistent or pervasive that its effect, whether or not intended, could be considered by a reasonable person in the shoes of the complainant, and is in fact considered by the complainant, as creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment.
Sexual harassment could include being forced to engage in unwanted sexual contact as a condition of membership in a student organization; being subjected to video or photographic exploitation, or a campaign of sexually explicit graffiti; or frequently being exposed to unwanted images of a sexual nature in a classroom that are unrelated to the coursework. Executive Order 1097 covers unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature. While romantic, sexual, intimate, personal or social relationships between members of the University community may begin as consensual, they may evolve into situations that lead to sexual harassment or sexual misconduct, including dating or domestic violence, or stalking, subject to this policy. Claiming that the conduct was not motivated by sexual desire is not a defense to a complaint of harassment based on gender.
Sexual Misconduct: All sexual activity between members of the university community must be based on affirmative consent. Engaging in any sexual activity without first obtaining affirmative consent to the specific activity is sexual misconduct, whether or not the conduct violates any civil or criminal law. Sexual activity includes, but is not limited to, kissing, touching intimate body parts, fondling, intercourse, penetration of any body part, and oral sex. It also includes any unwelcome physical acts, such as unwelcome sexual touching, sexual assault, sexual battery, rape, and dating violence. When based on gender, domestic violence or stalking also constitute sexual misconduct. Sexual misconduct may include using physical force, violence, threat or intimidation, ignoring the objections of the other person, causing the other person's intoxication or incapacitation through the use of drugs or alcohol, or taking advantage of the other person's incapacitation (including voluntary intoxication) to engage in sexual activity. Men as well as women can be victims of these forms of sexual misconduct. Sexual activity with a minor is never consensual when the complainant is under 18 years old, because the minor is considered incapable of giving legal consent due to age.
Sexual Assault is a form of sexual misconduct and is an attempt, coupled with the ability, to commit a violent injury on the person of another because of that person's gender or sex.
Sexual Battery is a form of sexual misconduct and is any willful and unlawful use of force or violence upon the person of another because of that person's gender or sex as well as touching an intimate part of another person against that person's will and for the purpose of sexual arousal, gratification or abuse.
Rape is a form of sexual misconduct and is non-consensual sexual intercourse that may also involve the use of threat of force, violence, or immediate and unlawful bodily injury or threats of future retaliation and duress. Any sexual penetration, however slight, is sufficient to constitute rape. Sexual acts including intercourse are considered non-consensual when a person is incapable of giving consent because s/he is incapacitated from alcohol and/or drugs, is under 18 years old, or if a mental disorder or developmental or physical disability renders the person incapable of giving consent. The respondent's relationship to the person (such as family member, spouse, friend, acquaintance or stranger) is irrelevant.
Acquaintance Rape is a form of sexual misconduct committed by an individual known to the victim. This includes a person the victim may have just met; i.e., at a party, introduced through a friend, or on a social networking website.
Affirmative Consent means an informed, affirmative, conscious, voluntary, and mutual agreement to engage in sexual activity. It is the responsibility of each person involved in the sexual activity to ensure that s/he has the affirmative consent of the other participant(s) to engage in the sexual activity. Lack of protest or resistance does not mean consent nor does silence mean consent. Affirmative consent must be voluntary, and given without coercion, force, threats or intimidation.
The existence of a dating or social relationship between those involved, or the fact of past sexual activities between them, should never by itself be assumed to be an indicator of affirmative consent. A request for someone to use a condom or birth control does not, in and of itself, constitute affirmative consent.
Affirmative consent can be withdrawn or revoked. Consent to one form of sexual activity (or sexual act) does not constitute consent to other forms of sexual activity. Consent given to sexual activity on one occasion does not constitute consent on another occasion. There must always be mutual and affirmative consent to engage in sexual activity. Consent must be ongoing throughout a sexual activity and can be revoked at any time, including after penetration. Once consent is withdrawn or revoked, the sexual activity must stop immediately.
A person who is incapacitated cannot give affirmative consent. A person is unable to consent when s/he is asleep, unconscious or is incapacitated due to the influence of drugs, alcohol, or medication so that s/he could not understand the fact, nature or extent of the sexual activity. A person is incapacitated if s/he lacks the physical and/or mental ability to make informed, rational decisions. Whether an intoxicated person (as a result of using alcohol or other drugs) is incapacitated depends on the extent to which the alcohol or other drugs impact the person's decision- making capacity, awareness of consequences, and ability to make fully informed judgments. A person's own intoxication or incapacitation from drugs or alcohol does not diminish that person's responsibility to obtain affirmative consent before engaging in sexual activity.
A person with a medical or mental disability may also lack the capacity to give consent.
Sexual activity with a minor (a person under 18 years old) is not consensual, because a minor is considered incapable of giving legal consent due to age.
It shall not be a valid excuse that a person affirmatively consented to the sexual activity if the respondent knew or reasonably should have known that the person was unable to consent to the sexual activity under any of the following circumstances:
The person was asleep or unconscious;
The person was incapacitated due to the influence of drugs, alcohol or medication, so that the person could not understand the fact, nature or extent of the sexual activity;
The person was unable to communicate due to a mental or physical condition.
It shall not be a valid excuse that the respondent believed that the person consented to the sexual activity under either of the following circumstances:
The respondent's belief in affirmative consent arose from the intoxication or recklessness of the respondent;
The respondent did not take reasonable steps, in the circumstances known to the respondent at the time, to ascertain whether the person affirmatively consented.
Consensual Relationships: Consensual relationship means a sexual or romantic relationship between two persons who voluntarily enter into such a relationship. While sexual and/or romantic relationships between members of the University community may begin as consensual, they may evolve into situations that lead to discrimination, harassment, retaliation, sexual misconduct, dating or domestic violence, or stalking.
A university employee shall not enter into a consensual relationship with a student or employee over whom s/he exercises direct or otherwise significant academic, administrative, supervisory, evaluative, counseling, or extracurricular authority. In the event such a relationship already exists, each campus shall develop a procedure to reassign such authority to avoid violations of this policy.
This prohibition does not limit the right of an employee to make a recommendation on the personnel matters concerning a family or household member where the right to make recommendations on such personnel matters is explicitly provided for in the applicable collective bargaining agreement or MPP/confidential personnel plan.
Domestic Violence is abuse committed against someone who is a current or former spouse, current or former cohabitant, someone with whom the abuser has a child, someone with whom the abuser has or had a dating or engagement relationship, or a person similarly situated under California domestic or family violence law. Cohabitant means two unrelated persons living together for a substantial period of time, resulting in some permanency of relationship. It does not include roommates who do not have a romantic, intimate, or sexual relationship. Factors that may determine whether persons are cohabiting include, but are not limited to (1) sexual relations between the parties while sharing the same living quarters, (2) sharing of income or expenses, (3) joint use or ownership of property, (4) whether the parties hold themselves out as husband and wife, (5) the continuity of the relationship, and (6) the length of the relationship. For purposes of this definition, "abuse" means intentionally or recklessly causing or attempting to cause bodily injury or placing another person in reasonable apprehension of imminent serious bodily injury to himself or herself, or another. Abuse does not include non-physical, emotional distress or injury.
Dating Violence is abuse committed by a person who is or has been in a social or dating relationship of a romantic or intimate nature with the victim. This may include someone the victim just met; i.e., at a party, introduced through a friend, or on a social networking website. For purposes of this definition, "abuse" means intentionally or recklessly causing or attempting to cause bodily injury or placing another person in reasonable apprehension of imminent serious bodily injury to himself or herself, or another. Abuse does not include non-physical, emotional distress or injury.
Stalking means a repeated course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to fear for his/her or others' safety or to suffer substantial emotional distress. For purposes of this definition:
Course of conduct means two or more acts, including but not limited to, acts in which the stalker directly, indirectly, or through third parties, by any action, method, device, or means, follows, monitors, observes, surveys, threatens, or communicates to or about a person, or interferes with a person's property;
Reasonable person means a reasonable person under similar circumstances and with the same protected status(es) as the complainant;
Substantial emotional distress means significant mental suffering or anguish that may, but does not necessarily, require medical or other professional treatment or counseling.


text:
Majesty: For the Realm (2017) – Meeple Like Us
Majesty is a game that's something of a disappointment. It comes relatively hot on the heels of Splendor – a perennial favourite from the same designer. It has all the hallmarks of the 'tricky followup album' that appears in the wake of unexpected chart-topping success – there's a lot of expectation, a lot of scrutiny, and it's clear that some of that tension rubbed off on the output. Majesty feels like a timid game. It's tentative. It clearly knows that it has big shoes to fill and equally clearly has no real idea of how to do it. It's not that it's bad, or poorly designed, or even lacking in its own quiet understated fun. It's just an unnecessary game in a landscape where nobody has time to play all the necessary ones. There is no part of Majesty that isn't implemented with more enthusiasm and more verve in other games. It feels listless and empty as a result. Almost as empty as the dead air inside the ridiculously excessive box.


The Horrible Crowes have released their music video for the song "Ladykiller" and can be viewed right here on Under The Gun Review!
This awesome Kevin Custer-directed video shows clips of the group performing at the Los Angeles show at The Troubadour. You can also find scenes of quiet towns and rural areas interlaced.
Please check out The Horrible Crowes' video for "Ladykiller" and be sure to pick up their 2011 release Elsie while your at it! Truly a staff favorite.


As listed is a latest design of personalized linden wood birthday cake topper. I can personalize it with a first name and a number for the year.
It will perfectly fit a cake with a 5" to 6" wide top layer.
The cake topper is made of 1/8" thick top quality linden wood board. Clean, light weight and easy to use. Please note it's laser cut so the edges will be burned.
4) When checkout, you will see a box for you to leave a note to me. Please write the name and year there.


Looking for Artisan House at International Home Interiors in Kitchener, ON?
International Home Interiors in Kitchener, ON is an authorized dealer of Artisan House Products. Artisan House®, designers and crafters of unique, fine-quality metal sculptures for wall, floor and tabletop, has attained an enviable position in the home and commercial decor marketplace. The firm has successfully closed the gap between pricey offerings from exclusive art galleries and mass-produced decorative pieces by creating original sculptures with unparalleled designs at affordable prices. The result infuses today's indoor and outdoor environments with dazzle and dimension.
So if you are looking for Artisan House products in Kitchener, Waterloo, Elmira, Cambridge, Ayr, Guelph, Paris, Fergus, Tavistock, Milverton and Brantford, or if you have any questions about Artisan House products, please feel free to call us at 519-742-8501 or simply stop by International Home Interiors at any time and we would be glad to help you.


Today is indeed wrapping up but I wanted to squeeze in this post for Top 10 Tuesday because there are two things in the shopping world that I'm really excited about this week and wanted to share... 1. Old Navy's denim sale. Fancy denim brands have never been too appealing to me because I love, love, LOVE my Old Navy jeans. I can get the straighter fit and longer hem length that I need without special ordering, and season after season, without fail, I can order my size in whatever new styles have come out and they always fit the same. And as great as those points are, we all know the real deal-sealer here is the price. While they are always priced low, right now you get some super-stylish pairs for as low as $19! I've got my eye on the Rockstar Zip Pocket Super Skinny Jeans (#9)- with moto-style knee seams and a charcoal wash, they're a total steal at $34.
2. Shoe Cult by Nasty Gal. Nasty Gal is one of my favorite brands- super-trendy with a distinct style and totally reasonable prices- but I don't actually shop there because a lot of the styles are too young/edgy/unrealistic for my actual life. Cue Shoe Cult, the brand's own shoe label, for the perfect way to incorporate some major statement-making style into your look without feeling or looking like you raided Miley's closet. I'm LOVING the styles below, all of which come in under $100!
Which budget duo are you feeling?