29 Oct Free website hosting service webhost has suffered a data breach which has placed the service's security practices under scrutiny. We have been aware of this breach since 27th of October and our team started to troubleshoot and resolve this issue the same day, immediately after becoming. 29 Oct The webhost home page. I usually like to try and get a quick sense of the security profile of a site an alleged breach comes from just by.
23 Feb Learn more about yesterday's massive data breach of webhost and our conversation with Troy Hunt—the security expert who first broke the. 2 Nov Free web hosting firm Webhost has blamed an exploit in an old PHP version of its website for exposing million customers' details to. 29 Oct kingscourtschoolmkd.com breach exposes million passwords. That is way too many zeroes. Security threats - password theft. Password pilfering is.
28 Oct Convinced this looked like a real breach, I tried to contact and warn Webhost. The company, however, has been almost impossible to. Security researcher Troy Hunt recently learned that a hacker had breached the free Web hosting service webhost and published more than 13 million users' . 30 Oct webhost, one of the most popular free hosting providers out on the Internet, leaks 13 million usernames and passwords through a database. 28 Oct The world's most popular Free Web Hosting company Webhost has suffered a major data breach, exposing more than Million of its. 29 Oct webhost first disclosed the breach Wednesday morning in a preceding Facebook post but was hazy with details, claiming that at some point.


So with about 2200 miles on my bike the rear tire has a flat spot and I can feel it when I lean-in to a curve.
I think it will make it through the summer because I plan on riding only maybe a couple thousand miles this summer, more or less.
I bought an Angel to replace the rear, but I didn't buy a front. The new tire is sitting in the garage, waiting to go when needed. I think I paid 204, delivered.
Planning on keeping the front and installing the Angel on the rear because a 120/70/17 has a pretty standard profile and I cannot imagine anything untoward happening because of the different tires.
I have normally kept to the same kind of tires front and rear and I don't think I've mixed tires since the '80's.
The compound on the OEM tires seems OK, and I don't really push it on the Connie.
I just thought I'd throw the idea out there, see if there's something I'm missing.
Anyone else got mix-match tires?
On my C-10's the front always outlasted the rear 2 - 1.
From what you say about your riding style, I'd expect your front to outlast the rear, but not by a lot.
So, I'd run what you have for now and order a front to install when you do the rear..
NOTE: From experience of many. When the OEM tires starts to go, they will go quickly!
My friend mis matches tires all the time. PR4 in the back a Diablo super sport in the front. Angle GT in the rear and a Diablo in the front. But this time he is going to the Avon 3DXM's both front and rear on his ZX14R.
I have run Angel GT's and did 2 fronts to a rear several times with no handling issues. The last 2 sets I have run the Avon's which is now my favorite tire. especially tire life wise.
With the Avon's I can get 6K before my tires are gone!
I have used different front/rear brands several times without issue.
I try to have the front be the tire with more grip by reputation.
I now use the Avaon Storm 3's and among the things I like is that front/rear both wear at close enough the same rate that I replace them always as matched sets - info for your next set.
It's so great in handling to have new tires fr/rr at the same time.
I always end up mismatching because I run a 190/60 Bridgestone Exedra rear ( I highly recommend these BTW) and they don't make a match that fits the front.
I agree that mixing tires are not an issue. I have settled on a Roadsmart 2 for the front...love that tire! Ill be going with a 3D XM for the rear on my next experiment. Both tires seem to last 5K riding very aggressively and about 7K on the slab. All in all, a set could potentially cost 255.00 total.
Too late. Radial front/bias rear for the last five years.
What kind of mileage do you get out of that tire?


text:
The Vincent
by Dan Talbot | Oct 1, 2019 | Collection, Projects
It should come as no surprise to anyone who knows me that throughout my life I've had a strong yearning to own a Vincent motorcycle. I've come spectacularly close to owning a Vincent about two and a half times but life had other ideas for me (and that's fine). Vincents have, by and large, remained a figment of desire, the unicorn that was never going show up in my shed. Until now.
A Vincent motorcycle is the classical embodiment of speed and sophistication, a triumph of technical expertise from the golden era of the British motorcycle industry. For decades I have been immersing myself in the literature, both technical and folklore, around these motorcycles. Often I found the dream very nearly outgrew the reality, but dreams often do.
It has long been held Vincent motorcycles were advanced beyond their nineteen forties design but they were created by man, made of metal and alloy and they're not exactly rare, just very expensive, so, fiscal resources aside, my dream was destined to one day become a reality – I just didn't expect it would take me forty years! Of course, having been created by man so too can they be improved by man. One man particularly versed in improving the Vincent is Terry Prince.
At the heart of the Vincent, indeed the great majority of the bike, is the stonking, huge v-twin engine. One of the most iconic images in in all of motorcycledom.
Throughout the life of the Vincent motorcycle a few names come to the fore, Howard Raymond Davies (HRD), Phillip Vincent, Phillip Irving and Terry Prince. There's a great many others but those four gentlemen feature prominently in Vincent discourse that I've been drawn to over a lifetime of consuming information on the marque. With Terry Prince being the only who is still alive, and therefore still active in Vincent engineering, he is keeper of the Vincent flame. Terry is known around the world as one who will manufacture a complete, Vincent engine, and even the whole motorcycle, using modern engineering and materials.
Terry Prince (far left), has a life-long association with the Vincent marque and is recognized today as one of the most knowledgeable people in the world as an expert of these unique machines. Terry is photographed here at Bonneville Speedway where his 60 year-old motorcycle set a world land speed record in 2010 – with Terry at the controls! Photograph courtesy Terry Prince.
When a 1948 Vincent Rapide popped up on the market laying claim to having been restored by Terry Prince consisting 85% of new parts it well and truly pinged my motorcycle radar. Here was a Vincent that promised a balance between original, precious metal and a road-going, reliable link to the iconic motorcycle. The advertising blurb read, amongst other things, "Prince's hand is evident all around the bike, starting with the front brake hubs, which contain four-leading-shoe internals. Suspension has been upgraded with modern dampers front and rear. An accessory tread-Down centre-stand eases parking chores. The Shadow 5in. 'clock' perched atop the forks is a nice touch. Of course the engine – just overhauled by Prince and breathing though modern carbs."
The Black Shadow, 150 miles per hour, speedo is a nice touch to my Rapide. Indeed, many Rapides are upgraded with the massive 5 inch instrument.
The 5 inch clock is a massive speedo that has been lifted from Vincent's own hot-rod, the Black Shadow. Rumour has it people have been booked for speeding by police who have been able the read the speedo from a position slightly astern of an errant Vincent rider. There were some other Shadow touches that added to the desirability of the machine, although, it should be said, a Vincent Rapide in stock trim is a highly desirable machine on its own.
I resolved to call Terry Prince.
Having made the decision to call Terry, I found I was a bit nervous. What if I wasn't deemed competent to own a Vincent? I had let opportunities of ownership slip through my fingers in the past, maybe the motorcycle gods had already decided I wasn't eligible to join the ranks of Vincent owners. Or, perhaps it could be fatalism with all the other machines being pushed aside until this one came along. With all the nervousness of a job interview I made the call.
Dave "Bones" McLauchlan racing Terry Prince's Vincent solo bike. The engine in this machine is producing more than three times the power of its original output! Photograph courtesy Terry Prince.
Within moments of calling Terry Prince I was relaxed and we were chatting like old friends. The more we talked the more I wanted that motorcycle. I learned the bike had been reassembled by Terry from a basket case presented to him along with a Vincent Black Shadow. At the time of building the machine it was Terry's intention keep it as his personal everyday rider, which reinforced the notion of no expense spared when it came to building the machine with upgraded brakes, suspension, modern carbs and electronic ignition.
At the time of calling Terry two other people had expressed an interest in the bike and one was particularly serious, so serious in fact the bike had been shipped from the US to Melbourne as the prospective purchaser lived in Victoria. How the bike came to be in the US is a long story, but, at the time of my call, it was still sitting in California.
Before the bike was due to leave the US a Black Shadow came up for auction in Australia and purchaser number one was keen to bid on it and Terry was prepared to hold the Rapide pending the outcome of the auction. Evidently he won the auction, with a bid of $AUD160,000, as two days later when I phoned Terry he hadn't heard from either gentleman and the way was cleared for me to send my deposit to secure the motorcycle. I hurriedly sent off a great chunk of the funds I had set aside for my daughter's forthcoming wedding (sorry Love).
"Not for aircraft use," probably not for Vincent use either in my book. Mikuni carburettors work well on Vincents, and in my Triton, but having desired a Vincent for over 40 years and pouring over countless machines, photographs and references of these fascinating motorcycles, everytime I look at my Vincent, my eye falls to the Japanese carbs. They will probably be replaced with original Amal items in the very near future.
Sometime later the Vincent was loaded on a ship destined for Melbourne. I waited a few short weeks and as soon as the boat berthed in Melbourne I booked my flights, first to Melbourne to check out the bike and secondly to Sydney to meet the man himself and hand a cheque over.
10 weeks after striking our deal I was standing in front of my Vincent (I still get a pang of excitement when I say 'my Vincent). She's a beauty. After two years in the US she'd lost a bit of lustre but I know within a few hours of the bike arriving in my shed she will be looking as good as new. I spent a couple of hours running my eyes and hands over the bike and heard her running. Satisfied with my purchase I set off for Sydney.
A 40-year dream of owning a Vincent motorcycle is a reality.
Arriving at Terry's forest hideaway I'm met first by Ursala and then Terry comes out to greet me. Again, I'm immediately at ease with this couple who have invited me into their house for the night. After coffee and a chat I was treated to a visit to the workshop. There was four Vincent motorcycles and an at least one complete engine in the workshop. I was particularly intrigued by the engine because it is a new one, made from all new parts. Sadly, the parts don't simply just bolt together and, out of frustration, it has been sent to Terry to rectify and make usable, causing him a host of frustrations. Had he been on the job from the get-go it would be fine but now Terry is having to go back to bring someone else's work up to spec. It's a difficult and costly task which, at the end of the day, will result in someone having spent a lot of money for a replica Vincent engine.
Standing in the workshop, I'm juxtaposed between the old and the new, where items from this century and last are found in the same engine. Terry's original engine, one he's owned for close to 65 years, sits in a modern chassis and is reportedly pumping out over three times its original 45 horsepower. That same engine has also seen regular service in Terry's Land Speed Sidecar – which still holds world records at Bonneville Speedway. This creation is not unlike Bert Munro's famous Indian, except Terry started with better stock in the Vincent than a clunky, old vintage Indian.
The stock of new parts, heads, barrels, pistons and just about everything that has a thread is tantalising. One of my close calls to Vincent ownership includes me recently bidding on a pair of Vincent crankcases. Two lumps of alloy that were sold for close to $AUD5,000. At the close of the auction I was slightly relieved not to have been the winning bidder, a relief that was even more palpable when I saw the look on Terry's face as I recounted the story. Suffice to say I would have been up for a lot of money to bring those crankcases up to anything resembling a functional engine.
Anyway, I needn't worry about that now as I have the genuine article complemented by some modern parts that maintain the authenticity of a 1948 motorcycle in a package that will outlive me, even if I ride it every day for the rest of my life – which is exactly what I plan on doing.
Motorshed Thunderbird part II.
by Dan Talbot | Jul 7, 2019 | Collection, Projects
"Here was an utterly beautiful engine, lithe, angular and a metallic onomatopoeia for power (Frank Melling, Motorcycle USA)."
Written 82 years ago, when onomatopoeia was a still a thing, Mr Frank Melling had just sampled Triumph's 500 cc Speed Twin and was clearly impressed with his test ride. Frank was actually saying the Triumph engine sounds as good as it looks and who could argue? The Speed Twin was by any measure a huge success and introduced an engine to the world that would take the company into the eighties.
Such is the success of the modern Triumphs, one could be forgiven for thinking the Thunderbird is a relatively recent addition to the line-up. In truth, the Thunderbird was released in 1949 and gained instant notoriety as a genuine 90 mph superbike and the machine of choice for bad boys around the world, due in no small part to the character portrayed by Marlon Brando in the movie The Wild One. We've previously discussed the history of the Thunderbird on the Motor Shed and it can be revisited here. This piece is about the restoration work our Thunderbird has enjoyed since coming into our possession over 20 years ago.
During most of that 20 years I had been looking at my 1956 Triumph Thunderbird thinking, "I'm not happy with the grey frame." The bike looked pristine when we acquired it but after many years of use and abuse the lustre began to wear off and she became in need of a spruce up, giving me the ideal excuse to pull the bike down and do some colour changing, amongst other things, more important things as it would turn out.
The all-silver livery of our '56 Triumph Thunderbird never really grabbed me. What I really wanted was a Blackbird, or so I thought.
Although I didn't know it at the time, the Thunderbird engine actually needed to be completely pulled apart. With the greatest respect to the person who rebuilt the bike before we acquired it, there's a critical piece deep within the engine that has a finite operational life and it needs to be replaced with some regularity but is often over-looked. The plan was to pull the engine out, paint, plate and polish every surface and return the Thunderbird to the road as a new machine.
I had a particular fondness for the rare, all black Thunderbird which was sent to America following the popularity generated by Brando's gleaming black 1950 machine – in a black and white movie of all things! Long before Honda came out with their four cylinder, plastic-enclosed behemoth, the all black 650cc Thunderbird was dubbed the 'Blackbird.' And it's a stunning machine. Rich, black paint contrasts well with polished alloy and, as is the case with classic machines, highlights the era perfectly. Yep, my '56 was going black.
Stunning in black and polished alloy this limited release Thunderbird was dubbed the Blackbird. Photograph provided by Thomas Duffy, the owner of this beautiful machine.
In the weeks and months leading up to me beginning the restoration, trawling through the internet of things I stumbled upon a rare colour combination of silver on black. The bike had been restored by Choppahead Kustom Cycles in Massachusetts and it is the perfect embodiment of the classic Triumph that has been with us since Edward Turner unleashed his famous Speed Twin on a world seeking beauty and performance in a motorcycle. I could no longer look at my all-over silver Triumph in the same way and even the hitherto lusted-over Blackbird became merely a crow. I had moved through the various mental stages of change (you know; procrastination, contemplation) and now it was time for action.
This '56 Thunderbird was restored by Choppahead Kustom Cycles of Freetown, Massachusetts. Once I laid my eyes on this bike thoughts of a Blackbird were lost to the ether of my mind. Special thanks to Choppahead for allowing me to use this photograph.
Twenty-something years of use had left its mark in the form of paint chips, faded chrome and rust starting to show through here and there. I was further able to justify the pull-down by claiming the oil leaks needed to be fixed (I'm serious), the magneto needed attention and the cleanliness, or otherwise, of the infamous sludge-trap, was an unknown. Now, I'm the first to agree the term 'sludge-trap' has a fictional tone but it is a real thing and ignoring it can destroy a classic Triumph engine, it is the critical piece I mentioned above. In the days before oil filters, some manufactures, in the interest of engine longevity, put a screen filter inside the crankshaft oil circuit. So, let's have a little think about that – the oil filter is inside the crankshaft. Anyone with a modicum of knowledge around the construction of the internal combustion engine will recognise the inherent problem around this design.
When we first purchased the Thunderbird it looked brand new. Attention to detail was amazing and it ran really well but there was a couple of tell-tale signs of trouble brewing deep inside. Clearly the magneto hadn't been touched. Once the bike heated up it was extremely difficult to start which is a sign the maggy is on its way out. In a world governed by constants, temperature coefficient of resistance left me having to give the warmed-up 650 an extra, extra hard kick to overcome the resistance of the hot maggy coils in the hope I could generate a spark strong enough to start the engine. Once started, the ancient twin would squirt oil everywhere, including all over my jeans and boots. Oil would shoot out of places hitherto unknown to contain oil or require lubrication. Seriously, oil would somehow hit the bottom of the fuel tank then run of the seams making it look like the tank had its own secret oil reservoir. A degrease and polish would have the bike looking a million bucks but that would only last as long as a decent ride.
So there you have it, sludge-trap, magneto, oil leaks and beautification were my motivation. The Thunderbird was pushed onto the hoist, anaesthetic was administered and she went under for some major surgery. It's not as if I had nothing to do. My Mustang rebuild was languishing away quietly in the corner of the shed, my Triton, like an insecure toddler, was in constant need of attention but, by crikey, that Thunderbird was coming apart.
The bike came apart reasonably easily. It was grubby behind all the surfaces that I couldn't reach with my very thorough detailing but built up oil and grease does wonders for preserving the metal on which it cohabitates. When it came time to turn my attention to the engine, that too came apart really well. There are some specialist tools required and I purchased some and borrowed others. Eventually, I had the engine, in fact the whole bike, down to irreducible parts, in other words, every last nut and bolt had been removed.
The venerable Triumph parallel twin has been with us for over 80 years since it was introduced to the world as the 500 cc Speed Twin. In 1949 the engine grew to 650 cc in the Thunderbird. Note the SU carburettor. In the mid-fifties Triumph experimented with these carbs and they proved successful but were possibly too expensive to continue with.
The 650 cc engine.
I was more than happy to learn the big-end bearings were marked as "std" which indicated the crank had never been ground. Bonus. The bearings were also stamped with 08JU90 so I could safely say the engine had been rebuilt sometime between 1990 and 1993. Recall from part I, we bought this bike after it had been restored, sold to an intermediary, sent to the UK where it sat in a container for two years before being returned to WA.
The pistons were .20 over which indicates in 62 years the bike had only undergone one rebore. I began to think 'maybe new pistons, rings and bearing would be enough.' And maybe not. Here I was contemplating ignoring one of the primary reasons I pulled the engine apart, mainly because I was out of my depth. The crank would need to be handed over to the experts to expunge the sludge, of which, there was plenty. Like the tailings from of some black gold mine, the substance had a hint of a sparkle from decades of engine grinds mixing with mud and other impurities. Just as well we looked.
The sludge removed from deep within the crankshaft of my Thunderbird had a hint of a sparkle from decades of engine grinds mixing with mud and other impurities.
The engine is out of the bike and about to be pulled apart. Note the ever-present camera which will record the proceedings with about 500 photographs, a practise that has proven invaluable over the years.
Back in the nineties the Thunderbird was a bit of a farm-hack on our family property.
20 years later, same motorcycle, same kids.
Motorshed Mustang update number V.
by Dan Talbot | Jun 22, 2019 | Collection, Projects
With the Mustang body well on its way to being straight and true, it was time for me to turn my attention to the heart of the beast, a 289 cubic inch Windsor V8. The Windsor story is a fascinating one so grab a cup of tea and we'll talk a tale of two cities.
In 1904, in what could be the first ever case of badge-engineering, Ford opened a manufacturing plant in Windsor, Canada – across the river from the US Detroit parent company. The idea was to assist the company to gain a foothold into Canada and elsewhere in the British Empire.
Evidently the experiment was successful. The plant later incorporated an engine casting facility and, in 1962, introduced the Windsor V8 engine to an automotive world hungry for power and speed. The modern, new Windsor engine was a marked departure from the previous design and it was an instant hit.
In this 'everything old is new again' world, the old Y block V8 is enjoying somewhat of a renaissance amongst hard-core enthusiasts but I'm sure, back in the day, they were quickly shoved aside in favour of the sportier new-comer.
Such was the success of the Windsor V8, production extended long after its replacement when the Cleveland was introduced. In fact, the Windsor was used for another 18 years beyond the short, 13 year span of the Cleveland that ceased production in 1982. The Cleveland engine, as the name suggests, was produced in Cleveland, Ohio. It was intended to be a more robust and versatile engine than its predecessor. The Cleveland lived up to expectations and proved very successful in racing, particularly in Australia where it was a game-changer in the Falcon GT. The Falcon GT was a dream-car to many a teenager growing up in Australia, including me. The advent of the Cleveland, for us kids, signalled the end of the Windsor. Everyone knew, if you wanted to be in the race a Cleveland was the only way to go, notwithstanding both engines came in 351 cubic inch displacement. Like the Y block before them, Windsors were shunted aside and ended up in cars driven by the slightly more wealthy members of my cohort.
But then a strange thing happened, the Windsor refused to leave the stage.
Having pinned their future muscle-car ambitions on the Cleveland, Ford planned to phase out the Windsor in the late seventies, but the perennial heart-beat from across the river had other ideas and Detroit were forced to keep sending it out into the world. It stayed on in 302 cubic inch format up until 1982 when it was re-badged the 5.0 (litre) and remained in production up until 2000 when the last of the fuel injected, roller cam engines were put out to pasture. It was one of those, the last incarnation of the Ford Windsor V8, that I had my eye on for the Mustang.
The tired, duty, oil-leaky 289 Windsor V8 had to go. Note the dedicated gas set-up the previous owner had installed (no doubt at great expense).
My car was from the sixties and it was produced with a Windsor V8 which meant this was the only option. A bonus here is the direct connection to the seventies when those afore-mentioned, financially capable friends of mine were running around garnering my envy in their Windsor-powered cars. Four decades later, I'm set to revisit those days, the days before the fuel injected, refined, perfectly timed and smooth V8s we've become accustom to.
Out with the old.
To be fair, there's no shortage of roller-cam V8 engines looking for cars to inhabit with a lot of people being put off by all the fuel injection hardware that sits atop the engine, they are a natural turn-off. Fuel injecting a Windsor is the automotive equivalent breast augmentation, it looks great but it comes with high maintenance and takes skills far beyond my fumbling fingers to master so losing the fuel injection unit was a must. When I lift the bonnet on my 66 Mustang I want to see a bright blue Ford Windsor V8 at home in there with a 4-barrel Holley breathing through a classic Ford air-filter.
I had read on the internet it was quite a simple task to throw out the fuel injection and return the engine to the less socially acceptable form of fuel delivery from the last century – the carburettor. To achieve this I would mainly need two things, an engine and a carburettor. As it turned out, I would need many things but these two items seemed like a good start (the 289 engine I removed from the car had been gas-powered so there was no carburettor with that).
The 5.0 roller cam Windsor I settled on was a used American imported item falsely described as 'refurbished.' I would later learn refurbished is semantics for paint and gaskets, which probably explains why the engine was so cheap, however, there was a bonus: I could take my pick from a nearby pile of carbies. In a nod to the environment, I selected a 480 cfm unit. Sure, it's got four barrels but it's in the smaller range of the 4-barrel Holley family and at the end of the day, my car is intended to be a cruiser anyway.
The last hurrah for the Windsor V8 engine. This fuel injected engine was reportedly 'refurbished.' In truth, it had a few gaskets replaced. Note all the fuel injection hardware at the top of the engine that had to be removed.
Feeling pretty chuffed with myself, I took the engine and went off to get a Windsor expert to run his eye over it and help return the unit to carburettor fed. Having been with us since 1962, these things are quite rudimentary but, as it turns out, there was a fair bit more required to return a carburettor to the Windsor than I had anticipated. The list included a new inlet manifold, camshaft, distributor, coil, water pump and fuel pump. I wanted someone I could trust to turn me out a good engine at a reasonable price and, to that end, I chose Paul Poller of SpanaWorx Mechanical Services. Paul's easy-going nature and sensible approach to engine builds was ideally suiting to adapting the 302 for service in my '66 Mustang.
My bargain engine basically needed a full rebuild. Here, Paul is treating it to a new oil pump – adding to my peace of mind.
There was a prosperous time about 10 years ago when the Australian dollar was on parity with the US greenback and we enjoyed the bountiful US performance market with relatively little trauma to the hip-pocket. Importing used engines from the US was a thing and some of the more creative exporters turned, shall we say Dickensian, in using elaborate terms to sell scrap metal. I accept I jumped into the unknown but I wasn't expecting someone to have drained the pool.
In she goes. Well almost. The sump got hung up on the cross member and the engine would not seat properly. A simple fix was to swap it with the sump from the 289.
By the time I took delivery of my sparkling blue Windsor V8 it had new rings, bearings, camshaft, alloy heads and host of external parts to add beauty and practicality. The old 289 was no slouch but I'm expecting my new, improved heads and lumpy camshaft will add a few horsepower to the already spritely 302.
Getting close now and relying on Google for some last minute tune-up tips.
My carby was sent off to Xtreme Fuel Systems in NSW where it was transformed to better than new. This is the third carby Xtreme have reconditioned for me and I highly recommend them. I took the carb out of the box and simply bolted it onto the engine. The carb is yet to be dialled in, but the engine burst into life after a few short bursts on the starter motor with a deep rumble that has been absent from my life for too long. It is immensely satisfying to hear that car running again.
Hear it here; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rrb51yf_2W0
The rebuilt Holley carb is a thing of beauty. Xtreme Carburettor Rebuilding in Cambelltown, NSW are highly recommended.
When I lift the bonnet on my 66 Ford Mustang I want to see a clean and tidy Windsor V8 engine breathing through a classic Ford air-cleaner – in this case a Shelby replica.
Rebuilding the Ariel part II
by Dan Talbot | Mar 23, 2019 | Collection, Projects
This is the second instalment from "Rebuilding the Ariel," available on this site in eBook format.
Given this is only our second excerpt from Rebuilding the Ariel it is perhaps timely to have a brief discussion around the origins of the name Ariel. It's no secret I love all things with two wheels, including bicycles, in fact, I have a particular fondness for the original bicycle: the penny farthing. There you go, it's out there. I feel better having got that off my chest.
James Starley, the so-called 'farther of the cycle industry,' conceived the penny farthing and named it "Ariel," after the character Ariel, the 'spirit of the air,' who was immortalised in Shakespeare's sonnet "The Tempest." In the Tempest, Ariel is a sprite who possess magical powers which, essentially, he uses for good. Ariel is powerful, agile and a loyal servant. It is easy to see how one may be inclined to name a motorcycle after such a character yet Starley chose this name some thirty years before the motorcycle came into existence.
Starley's ungainly cycle, with its huge front wheel is neither powerful nor agile, however, one is indeed perched quite some way up in the air so perhaps that is what he had in mind. Starley's hypothesis is as brilliant as it is simple. He found that by increasing the size of the driven wheel one could travel further with each turn of the legs. Naturally this simple form of mechanics was later made redundant through the advent of chain-driven gear system, another brilliant idea out of the Starley family, this time with the help of William Hillman, the founding father of the automobile that bears his name.
The new chain driven cycles were appropriately named the 'safety bicycle' as it put an end to riders toppling over the handlebars on out-of-control penny farthings, which were retrospectively named 'ordinary bicycles,' as opposed to the 'unsafe,' 'dangerous,' or 'you must be crazy to ride this,' bicycle.
Starley's hypothesis is as brilliant as it is simple. He found that by increasing the size of the driven wheel one could travel further with each turn of the legs. Eventually, the wheel would grow too big for one to turn it. This is my old 55 inch wheel. I have now gone to a 58 inch Bolwell bicycle, which is a big wheel.
Starley passed away in 1881 leaving his sons to carry on the legacy of the Ariel although it was his nephew, John Kemp Starley, who also a member of the cycle production team that is credited with using Hillman's idea to invent the chain-driven safety bicycle which was named the Rover, giving rise to the famous British motor vehicle company of the same name. Eventually the organisation became known as the Ariel Motorcycle Company with Ariel producing its first piston-powered machine in 1902, sadly after the death of Kemp Starley whose vision was firmly set on the motorcycle industry.
Shakespeare's Ariel was said to be able to work up a storm, a tempest, sufficient enough to shipwreck the King of Naples and his crew. After providing loyal service to the magician Prospero, and having been freed from 12 years imprisonment at the behest of the witch Sycorax, Ariel is set free, hence, we have a loyal, powerful and free spirit giving its name to a motorcycle, presumedly with the same qualities. Now, back to our Ariel. We left off previously with me parking the bike up without having crashed it during my maiden voyage.
On reflection, I realise that Ariel was like nothing I had ridden ever before. Even before you start riding, the bike lets you know it's different. The broad saddle, 'tear-drop' fuel tank with big rubber pads for the knees to prop against, bulbous front guard, an odd-looking instrument panel in the centre of the fuel tank are just some of the antiquities associated the motorcycle. Bakerlite switch-gear and an abundance of chrome-plating also let me know this machine was different from the modern machines I was familiar with.
When introduced to the Ariel I was still at the age where performance and looks counted for a lot in a motorcycle and, to me, the Ariel had neither. As I write this piece, almost three decades since that first trepid ride, and with lots of equally hair-raising and fun times spent on the Ariel, I now tend to think it is perhaps one of the most handsome machines ever made. Red paint upon chrome, gold pin-stripe and a black frame, add up to a visually stunning motorcycle. Take a look at the photographs and tell me you disagree (comments are welcome in the box below).
Back then, I loved dirt-bike racing and road-riding with equal measure, I still do, but in recent times I've returned to the more pure form of cycling – that which is without an engine. I trust these pages will attest to my twin passions of motorcycling and bicycling, for me, it matters not how much power is contained within my machine, if it's on two-wheels I'm all for it.
Around the time I took my first excursion on the Red Hunter, I was quite heavily involved in bicycle racing and triathlon. I still love my cycle racing and can think of nothing better than to flog myself for six hours on a bicycle and, to do any good, we must train, which means I often spend more time riding bicycles than I do motorcycles.
Yep, we race bicycles – including these.
We race motorcycles too. If it's got two wheels we'll give it a go.
As I write this (wrote this), with the Ariel undergoing restoration (now finished), I wonder if it will see any more use than the half a dozen rides per year that the two other operational machines in my garage get to see. My friends jokingly comment I need a new battery every time I want to ride my modern Triumph. The older Triumph has a kick starter so a flat battery doesn't prevent me from riding it. It makes little difference to me whether I ride my motorcycles or not, the important thing is they are there, ready to go, should the urge take me. I also like my bikes to be in top condition, even if they are dormant, and the Ariel has been in a rather poor condition for some time now. Postscript; there is now seven motorcycles in the shed and they still battle against my bicycles for time in the saddle.
Dad purchased the Ariel sight unseen out of Tasmania. As stated earlier, he bought it because he had one when he was a young fellow. The Red Hunter was one of the more desirable motorcycles of his era and about the time Dad turned 17 years of age he managed to secure a very nice example out of Bays' Motorcycles in Perth. Evidently Dad's father paid for his first Red Hunter so it's fitting that I have managed to purloin this example from his grasp (more on that later).
By the time Dad acquired his first Ariel, the Red Hunter had been in production for about 20 years, having made a stunning debut at the Earls Court Motorcycle Show in 1931. The Red Hunter came in both 350 and 500cc variants and was known right from the start as a sports machine. That Ariel remained in production through two world wars, the Great Depression and some major company restructuring speaks volumes for the durability of the machinery produced by the company. In a further demonstration of durability, the official production run for the Red Hunter was 27 years, from 1932 to 1959.
Despite the Ariel being both a capable and desirable motorcycle, what Dad truly longed for was a Triumph Thunderbird. With its larger 650 cc twin cylinder engine, the Thunderbird was known as a true superbike of the era, capable of 100 miles per hour. As it turned out, he would have to wait another 40 odd years before the Thunderbird dream was to be realised.
In 2019, I'm happy to attest both the Ariel and the Thunderbird remain with me.
To be continued, or you can buy the book, in eBook or hardcopy format.
Egli Project Part II
by Dan Talbot | Mar 16, 2019 | Collection, Road Tests
Recently we tracked down a stunning example of an Egli Vincent and, for your author, there was a special treat in store.
In Part I of the Egli Trident project, we touched upon the exclusivity of the original Egli Vincent motorcycles and the growing market for replicas and tributes to the brand. Similar to the prevalence of reproduced Norton Featherbed frames, as used on the Motor Shed Triton, Egli frames are being produced by specialist, and some not so special, frame manufactures around the world, such as Colin Taylor who fits firmly into the former group and is building the frame for my Trident. This is just as well because Mr Fritz Egli is no longer producing Vincent-powered motorcycles. Egli has chased the horsepower and has found the Yamaha 1300 engine ideal for his current creations.
Until recently, I had never laid my eyes on an actual Egli Vincent motorcycle, or any Egli machine for that matter so I reached out to John Lagdon, an acquaintance who I knew only through mutual friends. We set up a meeting to allow me to view John's Egli and spend some time learning more about the Egli setup. In the back of my mind I was secretly hoping John would permit me to sit on the motorcycle to make sure my 6' 3" body wasn't too tall for such a bike. My Triton is a bit of a stretch so I've been hoping the Egli might be a little more forgiving, although it's probably moot as by this stage my frame has been paid for, manufactured and electroplated.
Arriving at John's house, I was met by a tall, lanky man of about the same height and build as me. Instant relief. We walked through the house out to the garage and there it was: the Egli was sitting at the edge of the garage, gleaming in the mottled sun, the big engine hanging bellow a polished aluminium fuel tank, it is indeed a thing of beauty, but it hasn't always been like this.
John Lagdn's Egli Vincent is indeed a thing of beauty. Photograph by John Lagdon.
John found his Vincent in a motorcycle dealership in Cincinnati, Ohio, in around 1985. It was part of a collection of racing machines Domiracer Motorcycles obtained from former racer Ed LaBelle. LaBelle was a three time Canadian road race champion and an accomplished drag racer and it was from the drag racing stock that John secured the beginnings of his project. Evidently the bike was a survivor from the heady days of US/Canadian 1960s drag racing. The engine cases still bear the scars of a drop too much methanol, which I feel add to the history and mystique of the bike, although one can share the heartache of the thrown primary drive chain as it smashed its way out of its enclosure all those years ago.
John discovered the ex Ed LaBelle Vincent drag bike at Domiracer Motorcycles in Cincinnati, Ohio. Photograph by John Lagdon.
It would take a move from the UK to Australia and some 19 years before John got to license his Egli Vincent. There is insufficient space here to go into the trials and tribulations John went through in getting his bike from a project to a functional motorcycle. A lot of the grief suffered by John started even before his frame arrived in Australia. It took an extraordinary long time to complete the frame culminating in John having to, let's say, get persuasive with the builder. When the frame eventually arrived it was out of true and the nickel plating well below par. A defining feature of an Egli build is a nickel plated frame so I can appreciate his frustrations at something less than perfect. Nevertheless, through determination and perseverance John's creation was born and the La Belle engine was given a new lease of life on the roads of Perth, Western Australia. Aside from the engine, very little of La Belle's bike was used in the build, but that's the thing – there is very little to an Egli Vincent. It's all engine, a big, stonking, lump of alloy and power that takes that takes centre stage. In a classic case of 'less is more' the Egli boasts simplicity and function.
A rare photograph of Ed LaBelle astride his Vincent racer. Photograph supplied by John Lagdon.
Egli motorcycles have a large diameter steel tube that runs from the head-stock to the seat base. The engine hangs from that tube, secured at the top of each head and at the point where the swing-arm pivots, the combine effect being the engine adds to the rigidity of the design in what is termed a 'stressed member.' It is simple, functional and highly effective. In another tilt to functionality, the main tube doubles as an oil tank.
The engine on the Trident will sit slightly in front of the swing-arm pivot, secured in place by plates that bolt to both frame and engine. Colin explains, "the Egli-Tri swing-arm is different because of the way it picks-up on plates where, as you rightly say, with the Vincent, it mimics the standard Irving designed location plate which sits between the G1 kicker cover and the drive exit of the engine on the right-hand side of the engine and the boss on the back of the Vinnie's crankcase. Another one of the significant differences being that the triple's swing-arm is fabricated from round tubes, where the Eg-Vin ones are made from round pivot tube (mimicking the standard Vin's design) with flat-sided oval tube legs." Lesson over, back to John's bike.
John was happy for me to try the bike out for size and, must have been satisfied I knew my way around a motorcycle because he said "Do you want to take it for a ride?" This is the kind of invitation that rarely comes around and despite not having any protective gear it was not one I was going to decline. As cool as a cucumber I said, "Yeah, sure." Deep inside I was feeling equal parts happy dance and a gut-churning anxiety. My anxiousness was made worse when John said, "Please don't drop it." I hadn't even thought about that! Crikey, this bloke hardly knows me and he's letting me loose on his Egli Vincent.
John's Egli Vincent under construction in Perth, Western Australia. Photograph by John Lagdon.
My Egli Trident under construction in Norway. Note the signature 12 cm tube that acts as a backbone on both machines. Fristz Egli's frame was introduced in 1967 and is still being produced to this day. Photograph by Colin Taylor.
The beast was fired up. Not one for mufflers, John clearly loves the sound of his Vincent. The straight through pipes resemble mufflers, but, don't be fooled, they don't muffle a thing. The bark bounced of all the walls in the laneway of what must be a very tolerant neighbourhood.
With a reasonably complicated start-up procedure, the last thing I wanted to do was stall the engine or otherwise let it stop so I idled down the lane blipping the throttle. Enjoying the bark and finding my way around the bike. Once I was satisfied everything was there, brakes, gears, throttle – that sort of thing – I ventured onto the road, and travelled straight across it, oops that turning circle is a bit wide. I paddled the bike backwards and then had another go at riding off.
The heart of the beast, the Vincent 50 degree V-Twin engine was the fastest thing money could buy when introduced in 1946. Photograph by John Lagdon.
This time I sort of got going. The gear change, although still on the right side, was directly opposite in movement from my Triumphs so I muffed the first few changes and forward progress was stilted for the first couple intersections until I got the hang of things. Interestingly, Vincents have a gear indicator on the side of the gearbox but I wasn't about to look down to see what gear I was in, my eyes were planted firmly on the road ahead.
Some say Vincent engines only fire at every second lamp-post but this thing hammered. In the few brief opportunities I had to let the Vincent off the leash I got it, I understood the magic. It pulled hard and gave me a glimpse into the world of the Vincent. I would have loved to explore the upper limits of the engine but not as long as it belongs to someone else, additionally suburbia intervened and I was frequently calling on the massive front, 8 leading shoe arrangement to slow the beast. The rear brake had been lifted from a BSA and was the same as the one on my Triton so I was aware that was pretty useless. But, I'm happy to report, didn't crash or drop the bike.
Idling back into John's laneway I felt relief at having successfully navigated a few suburban streets on the most valuable motorcycle I had ever ridden. The bike was comfortable enough and nimble beyond the bulky appearance, sufficient to let me know I had made a good choice in opting for an Egli setup for the Trident. It was also sufficient to let me know I must one day build an Egli Vincent.
The author about to experience a special treat – my first ride on an Egli Vincent.
The Motor Shed Mustang Rebuild, part III
by Dan Talbot | Feb 23, 2019 | Collection, Projects
Taking up from where we put the torch down, the Mustang had panel after panel peeled off until it has hardly recognisable. The floor was the first to go with the new single piece, front and rear, going in.
A 'new' floor is exactly that. Pressed from a single sheet of metal in Thailand, Mexico or Canada, most of the panels that went into the Mustang were manufactured by Dynacorn. It is actually possible to purchase a whole body from Dynacorn. Sadly, that won't work in Australia as, apart from needing a fat cheque-book, any car built using a new body would have to pass as a current model with all the emission restrictions and safety requirements that would bring before it could be registered, unless, of course, you had a sacrificial chassis number with import approval etc. I'm sure that happens, but not in my case, my car is a piece of Aussie motoring history and I needed to retain as much of it as possible.
To remove the floor large portions of metal had to be cut out and tossed on the scrap heap. With the large portions removed the spot-welds can be accessed and burnt off without destroying (too much of) the metal beneath: that is, the portion we want to keep. Spot welds can be drilled out but on something as large as the floor there are dozens of the bloody things so drilling would have been labour intensive, nope, better just to blow it away.
That's a major portion of the car missing right there. Note the bracing. Without this the car would probably have collapsed.
With the metal all cleaned up, it was time to fit the new floor. Recall the body is securely braced so she won't suffer any structural movement between the old floor being cut off and the new one going in. Further to this, we had thoroughly measured the whole body, back to front, up and down, inside and out, and recorded the measurements in both a book and on the metal.
With the floor roughly in place, it was time to pummel it with tek-screws. Joe kept belting them through my precious-metal like there was no tomorrow, the underside of the car looked like a bloody porcupine! I would later come to love the simplicity of holding everything in place with the humble tek-screw, a marvellous invention.
We're jumping ahead here but those two stubby chassis rails would later be connected to the rear pair, with two pieces of metal pressed for the purpose, adding immensely to the torsional rigidity of the body. Something Ford should have done when they built the car.
The brand new floor waiting to go in.
The new floor went in quite easily, tricking me into thinking all the new panels would similarly go together.
The new floor is held in place by tek-screws ahead of welding.
Conveniently, there was another, recently painted 1965 Mustang in Joe's workshop waiting to be refitted. It was in a separate shed and many was the time I traipsed across to the other shed, tape measure and notebook in hand, to measure and record the dimensions of the '65 couple, which is essentially the same body as my '66.
I used to look at the finished '65 and marvel at the lush silver paintwork dreaming of the day mine would look that good again. In time it would, but we had a lot of work ahead of us.
Always have access to another car for reference purposes.
What we've learnt
Said before and repeated here, brace the car!
Measure, remeasure and measure again.
One cannot make too many recordings of the body dimensions.
Tek-screws are your friend.
Finally, have another, intact, car nearby for reference purposes.
Road Tests (1)
The Lord's Motorcycle
Our Mustang Hits the Road
Western Australia Veteran Motorcycle Rally, Manjimup, 2021

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


What's special about this Power and Low Voltage Combo Box?
Nail-in mounting brackets are a great addition for a fast, painless set up. Available in single and double gang, these bracket mounts are sure to make your low voltage installation an easy one.
Single and 2-gang brackets for the installation of LOW VOLTAGE Class 2 ONLY.
Click for larger views AI-LVN1 2.810" 4.170" 1.500"


We all have passions that we develop throughout our lives. For some it may be a love of landscaping, for others maybe it's a sport, or if you're anything like us, it's heating and cooling. Just like we enjoy working to keep you cozy throughout the year, we also love helping others chase their passions to become experts.
Recently, we finished up our "Experts Creating Experts" contest in which we gave away $25,000 to gain expertise and education in one thing you are most passionate about. Ideas ranged from lifelong dreams of becoming a chef to creating a line of children's books to inspire wonderment. The Grand Prize winners, Mike and Jillian, entered to become expert foragers, accumulating wild plants and foods from nature. After being one of five finalists chosen from a group of judges, the public voted through Facebook and now, Mike and Jillian are traveling all around New York and Massachusetts to learn with artisan farmers, a dairy farm and even a distillery.
Make sure to check out the video above and follow them on their journey!
We know that heating and cooling likely isn't everyone's passion, but it is obviously a passion of ours to give back to communities like Gaithersburg. After all, you have helped make us the heating and cooling experts in this neck of the woods. And for that, we thank you.
This fall, they'll hit the road for the first part of their trip. Mike & Jillian will be going around New York and Massachusetts meeting small artisan farmers, visiting the High Lawn Farms Dairy, working at the first legal distillery in the Berkshires since Prohibition and learning about extracts from a company in business for 125 years. They'll even forage for mushrooms. And we'll be with them, sharing their adventures with you along the way.


text:
The Way It Was| Part 5
The fifth installment of The Way It Was picks up after Eshrink illustrated how the technology we have today has made life so easy by describing how they did things and what they didn't have in the 1930s in his previous post: Part 4.
We humans are very adept at making stuff, but not so good at predicting their consequences. When I was a kid we spent most of our free time outdoors only because we had no play stations, cellphones, or TV. There were no traveling sports teams, other than in high school, and kids were expected to be creative enough to find ways to occupy themselves. We were free to fight, make up, make friends and enemies, in other words learn how to socialize. In the January issue of Scientific American is an article titled: "Evolved to Exercise," which posits that humans must be active to remain healthy, which made me think of the recent statistics regarding what some refer to as an epidemic of childhood obesity. An even more frightening stat is that Type 2 diabetes, formerly a strictly adult disease linked to obesity, is now being seen in children.
In my own case I lost my super stardom in the 4th grade when we left the little farm and moved to town. As a matter of fact, I did not feel accepted and became shy. I was bullied and in response became something of a wimp. I was saved from the bullies who were routinely taking my lunch from me by a kindred soul who had some intellectual deficits and a speech impediment that left him a few grades behind. Fortunately for me, he was large in stature and came to my rescue. This story will be quite familiar to my gang as they have heard it many times and it was featured in the "Papa Stories" which I wrote long ago for the Grandkids.
There are only snippets of memories of those days in the late 30s, but since I had no friends after we moved, I must have spent more time listening to the news on the radio and even reading the newspaper. I do recall hearing stories about Father Coughlin who was a Catholic priest, one of the first to use the radio as a platform for preaching. Now since looking up his history, I realize Dad had disliked Coughlin not because he was Catholic, but because his preachings had become anti-semitic and pro fascist. Coughlin heaped praise on Hitler, Mussolini and Hirohito, and felt Hitler was correct in blaming Jews for his country's problems. His programs had taken this turn apparently due to his antipathy toward Roosevelt whom he had initially supported. He is said to have had 30 million listeners to his weekly program, many of whom had joined his "National Union for Social Justice." He was forced off the air when the war started.
In like fashion, I used Wikipedia to fill in the blanks of my foggy memories of the German American Bund, which was a pro-Nazi organization formed at the behest of Rudolph Hess, Hitler's right-hand man. It's goal was to form a Nazi party in the United States. Membership was limited to those of German descent and even some American citizens were members. Until now I didn't realize what a formidable organization they had become with uniforms, Nazi salutes and even the establishment of military style training camps. I was amazed to learn that this organization was allowed free reign until 1942, well after war had been declared on Germany.
During those prewar days of the late 1930s, there was a lot going on with much concern over Germany's rearmament. The news reels showed footage of massive displays of armaments along with thousands of "goose stepping" troops giving the Nazi salute as they marched past Hitler. Roosevelt's fireside chats warned of our lack of preparedness, but his entreaties were ignored by the isolationists who had barely recovered from World War I with its millions of deaths. The veterans of the war who continued to suffer from wounds, disease, or the sequelae of exposure to poison gas were daily reminders of the horrors of war.
Working Conditions & Unions
It must have been sometime in the late 30s when Dad became involved in attempts to unionize his workplace. His complaint was regarding working conditions. He worked in the "press room" of the tile factory which was said to be the most dust ridden area of the plant. Indeed, he arrived home from work every day covered in white dust so thick that one could barely distinguish the color of his clothes. Our town had at one time been world famous for the production of ceramic products of all kinds, and also a place where there had always been a lot of "lung trouble" which was often fatal. There had recently been studies in which there was shown to be a link between such dust and pulmonary disease and an increased susceptibility to tuberculosis. This disease was also found to be prevalent in those working in foundries (they used a lot of sand in molds), and recently has been found to be the major culprit in the black lung disease which afflicts coal miners. It was called silicosis after the silica which was shown to cause it.
The late thirties was the hey-day of union activity following passage of the Labor Relations Act, another of FDR's New Deal legislations in 1935. I have rather vivid memories of several evening visits to our house by a union organizer. There were intense discussions and he left a lot of literature including scientific publications about silicosis. I thought that stuff was cool. There were pictures of X-rays, and lungs that had been cut out of people. I presume that my Father was chosen to head up the campaign to organize the plant because of his reputation of being outspoken. I recall one discussion about exhaust systems which could remove nearly all the dust in the plant. Dad was particularly angry to find there were solutions to this problem which the company had ignored. After all, he knew several people who were disabled or dead as a result of that dust.
The first step was to try to be the first to punch his time card out in order for him to station himself outside the gate in position to pass out literature and talk to any one who would listen. It was strictly forbidden to do any campaigning on company time and even discussions were grounds for immediate dismissal. In spite of his best efforts, the vote to join the union was turned down. I remember Dad saying they were all a bunch of "chickenshit suck asses." He suffered no immediate retribution, as I think the law protected him from being punished for union activities, although I am sure there was no effort to make things easy for him. He did have a great deal of respect for his foreman, they had become friends and I suspect he may have attempted to shield Dad. The company remained in operation for many more years and of course never did anything to ameliorate the dust problem.
As for me, I have always felt a kinship to the union movement. In spite of the excesses they perpetrated in later years, they did much to not only create a blue-collar middle class but also help improve working conditions. There is a family myth (might even be true) that my Mother's great uncle, who was a charter member of the United Mine Workers, once escaped from a group of strikebreakers with noose in hand by climbing out the rear window of his house as they broke down the front door. Now the UMW is a toothless tiger and once again mine safety regulations are being ignored.
Before proceeding to the war years, I feel it important to elaborate on some of the values and behaviors held important then. There was great emphasis on manners which extended to the deferential behavior towards women. We boys were trained that the female was a delicate flower which could be easily destroyed either physically or emotionally, and to strike a woman was not only unmannerly but unmanly. It did seem strange that our Mothers, though obviously female, were tough as nails, and to disrespect her could well unleash not only her wrath but also Father's wrath. Discussions in mixed company of anything remotely connected to sex, even the word sex, were strictly for bidden.
All these and other conventions were supposed to be a mark of respect, yet respect in the workplace was lacking. Women were barred from positions of leadership, and mostly limited to jobs that involved positions in which they were subservient to men, which was also mirrored in their marital relationships. In general, they were felt to be too emotional to make decisions and to handle responsibility. We thought we were being respectful, but now I am told the opposite was true. The war soon to come would shatter many or those stereotypes as women were given the opportunity to demonstrate they were capable of more than nurture.
There was a great deal of respect shown for one's elders (I was born too late for that). The rule was that they should always be addressed with the proper prefix (Mr., Mrs., Dr., etc). The proper suffix should be used in in responding, such as: yes sir, no sir, yes Mam, and they should never be addressed by their first name unless permission was granted. In private however; they would often be referred to as old geezers or worse.
Table manners were high on the agenda and dinner was always punctuated with instructions as to how one should use the tools, pass the serving dish before spooning out a serving for oneself, and keep elbows off the table. Eating with fingers was a definite no-no, and to not eat every speck on one's plate was to insult the cook, not to mention all those starving children in India.
Seen and Not Heard
In the presence of adults, children were to "be seen and not heard" which always left me wondering why we were there in the first place. One particularly difficult place for me was my dad's brother's house, whose wife always impressed me a being "stiff as a board." They were childless, their house was immaculate and extensively populated with breakable items. Upon arrival, I was always directed to a plain chair near the corner of their living room. I don't believe she ever talked to me but did occasionally talk about me. At the same time, I was petrified and scared to move a muscle. I bode my time by reciting numbers in my head ("a thousand one, a thousand two, and so on until I hit 100, then started all over again. I remember asking my Dad why they had no children and he answered, "He is a dry bag." I only had an inkling what he meant, but didn't pursue the subject. In his honor of my Uncle, I named our most recent adopted dog, Floyd.
In marked contrast to Aunt Florence was Aunt Toad, (I never knew her real name, nor how she came to that nickname). She was also childless, but she couldn't get enough of my talking. She always greeted me as if I were the most important person on earth and after stuffing me with cookies, cake, and her home squeezed grape juice, she would ask me all kinds of questions, and I would talk non-stop, confessing to all my dreams of being a private detective or airplane pilot, or whatever grandiose scheme came to mind on a given day. She would listen attentively. She never appeared to doubt my capabilities to do any of those things, and I felt comfortable telling her anything that came to mind. I think she would have made an excellent psychotherapist even without the cookies and cake.
What We Wore
You may have noticed there are few walk in closets in houses of this vintage or older. Usually all the space needed was room for a Sunday suit a couple of shirts and maybe a pair of "good pants". The suit was for church and funerals. The pants for family reunions and eating in fancy places. Of course, there was no air conditioning and the suit was mandatory on Sunday no matter the temperature. A pair of good shoes was also necessary. Although May 1st was the magic date at which we kids could shed our shoes for the summer, we were forced to stick our swollen feet back into shoes we had probably already outgrown in order to go to church or even a movie.
Men wore hats no matter the occasion, almost always felt, but there was an occasional flat top straw seen in the summer. No hats of any kind were ever to be worn in doors, and anyone who crossed that line was in trouble. Hair was worn slicked back, and brilliantine was the most popular way to accomplish that. It also smelled good which was nice since weekly or less frequent shampoos were the norm.
Editor's Note: Stay Tuned for "The Way It Was: Part 6" where Eshrink chronicles the pre-war years (WWII) from his perspective as a child. Not only will he discuss "the mood of the country" as he remembers it regarding the war in Europe, but shares personal stories, such as the first funeral he attended when his grandfather died and remembrances of the people who shaped his life.
Posted on March 9, 2019 by Eshrink	This entry was posted in family, Feel good, The good ole days, The Way It Was and tagged Father Coughlin, FDR, German American Bund, Life in the 1930s, The Great Depression, United Mineworkers Union. Bookmark the permalink.
← The Way It Was| Part 4
The Way It Was| Part 6 →
3 thoughts on "The Way It Was| Part 5"
Pauline VanMuyden says:
Yes, Smitty, I remember a lot of what you wrote. What you said about manners at the dinner table struck a chord with me. With 12 kids, we each had a specific place (with each new baby we moved one place). We had to ASK to be excused from the table. We could talk, but of course, but NO arguing. If we misbehaved,we were threatened to be sent away from the table and eat in the basement. At lunch time, we'd come home,put on an apron, fix lunch, clean up and go back. I remember one embarrassing time I forgot to take off my apron. (I don't think other families wore aprons at lunch time.)
It IS a good exercise to write about THE WAY IT WAS–good for the mind and good if young ones read it to understand a different way of life. Pauly 'hello'Barb
Pingback: The Way It Was| Part 6 – eshrinkblog
Pingback: The Way It Was| Part 10 – eshrinkblog


Create a brand for a high end coaching / consulting business in the endurance sports industry.
I created a brand and logo for Fifty-one Speedshop - an ala carte experience to the endurance world, where athletes of all abilities hire them for bike fit and positioning, aerodynamic wind tunnel testing, counseling equipment optimization, bike build, advice and more. Simply put, "free speed", and these guys are the best in the business.
The number 51 is a special number in the world of cycling, considered lucky by those racing the Tour de France. During the 1960's and 70's, names like Merckx, Ocana, Thevenet and Hinault won the race while wearing "Dossard 51".


This is a placeholder page for Matthew Cardy, which means this person is not currently on this site. We do suggest using the tools below to find Matthew Cardy.
You are visiting the placeholder page for Matthew Cardy. This page is here because someone used our placeholder utility to look for Matthew Cardy. We created this page automatically in hopes Matthew Cardy would find it. If you are not Matthew Cardy, but are an alumni of Winter Springs High School, register on this site for free now.


text:
HomePosts tagged 'Book of Daniel'
The Time is Short
November 22, 2015 November 22, 2015 entirelyuseless Catholicism, History, Religion, Uncategorized Book of Daniel, Christ, Daniel Wallace, Last Judgement, Second Coming, St. John, St. Mark, St. Matthew, St. Peter, Transfiguration
Jesus says some things indicating that the time of the judgement was unknown, as for example, "But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." And if it is completely unknown, then it would be reasonable to say that it could not be known whether it is long or short. But he also says things, such as those already mentioned, that suggest a short time. In fact, this was true from the beginning of his ministry. Mark describes this:
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news."
Since Daniel 7 says that "his dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that shall never be destroyed," it was natural for people to understand from Christ's preaching that the end of the world was at hand in a literal sense. This does not mean that there cannot be a reasonable understanding of this for Christians living in the present day. But there can be no reasonable doubt that the early Christians in fact held such a belief about the nearness of the end, and that they held this belief on account of this kind of preaching.
Thus for example when St. John says, "Children, it is the last hour! As you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. From this we know that it is the last hour," his words may be explained in a general sense. But it does not make sense for him to actually say this in this particular way, unless he believes that a very short time remains until the end of the world. In other words, we knew that antichrists would come and then the world would end; and now the antichrists have come; so the world must be about to end.
The second letter of Peter, however, warns against assuming that the end must come quickly:
But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed.
Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire? But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.
Daniel Wallace says, "From one perspective, this short epistle is the most disputed book in the NT canon as to authenticity. From another, the issue of authorship is already settled, at least negatively: the apostle Peter did not write this letter." By "most disputed book," he means that the most doubt is put on the question of whether it is actually written by the author to whom it is attributed. He believes himself that St. Peter wrote it, but says that the majority of scholars have already concluded that he did not. Although they have various reasons for their opinion, one of the reasons is the idea that it was written after it was already clear that Christ was not returning soon.
Regardless of how the question of authorship is resolved, this argument is probably unnecessary. Even if the letter was written by St. Peter himself in the 60s, it would have already been 30 years since the time of Christ, and it would already be becoming clear that there was a need to correct people's idea of the end of the world. The Gospels themselves do something similar. For example, immediately after, "Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom," Matthew continues, "Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves," and goes on to give the account of the Transfiguration. By this means he at least suggests, although without saying so explicitly, that the words of Christ were fulfilled in the vision of the apostles at the time.


text:
Q: No closed orbits and Liapunov functions What are some techniques to finding/picking Liapunov functions?
What does "by considering straight lines connecting fixed points show that there are no closed orbits" mean?  If fixed points are saddle point, unstable node, stable node, how are there straight lines connecting the fixed points?

A: Unfortunately, there are many ad hoc methods, but nothing systematic I am aware of.
Are you looking at the flow of a vector field on a surface?  If so, you can use trajectories connecting fixed points to cut the surface in pieces.  By uniqueness of solutions, you can't cross these trajectories.  If you are lucky, you end up simplifying the problem.
Another trick is to construct a region with piecewise smooth boundary.  If the corners are fixed points, and the flow is always transverse to the boundary, then you can say something about the global structure of the flow.  I think the question is asking you to construct a polygon by connecting the fixed points with straight lines.  If the vector field always points outwards along the polygon, then you cannot have any periodic orbit that goes through the region bounded by the polygon.
This argument can be seen as a construction of a Lyapunov function.  Let P be the polygon we constructed before.  Then, define p to be a defining function for P, and extend it to the whole surface by making it 0 inside and 1 outside a small tubular neighbourhood of P.
Another way of finding a Lyapunov function is to exploit some global structure of the problem, but I don't think this is what you are interested in.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Jonathan Richard Cring's long-anticipated volume has arrived–thirty-two passionately selected PoHymns, for your enjoyment.
PoHymn: A Rustling in the Stagnant.
You'll want a copy for yourself.
And then you'll want all of your favorite people to have a copy, too.


[04:01:41] <cradek> weird - someone just sent me a change he made to truetype-tracer because he thinks the license (GPL2 or later) requires that he send any changes to me.
[10:34:35] <JT-Dev> what does VOLATILE_HOME do? and what section is that in?
[10:40:52] <JT-Dev> micges: I'm trying to connect a feed override knob that puts out a binary 0-12 to indicate the feed override position.
[10:40:57] <JT-Dev> have you done this?
[10:43:51] <micges> don't react for pin change? how fast are you clicking?
[10:48:33] <JT-Dev> I wonder if a comp would be better for this task?
[10:58:56] <CIA-2> EMC: 03micges 07master * r06b93f6f250d 10/ (13 files in 13 dirs): Revert "make sure that canon path control mode is equal motion path control mode"
[19:26:30] <alex_joni> mach clones anyone?
[19:28:49] <micges> is it working?


text:
PIL filed seeking NIA probe in Jadavpur University rally, posters
A PIL Was Filed Before The Calcutta High Court Today Seeking An NIA Investigation Into Alleged Anti-national Slogans Raised During A Rally And Posters Inside The Jadavpur University Campus.
PTI | Updated on: 18 Feb 2016, 08:09:47 PM
Kolkata:
Alleging that faculty members were part of a rally on February 16 in the campus where anti-national slogans were allegedly raised, BJP's West Bengal spokesperson Krishanu Mitra filed the PIL seeking an investigation into the matter.
Mitra claimed in his petition that the state police had not taken any action or initiated any investigation in this regard.
He sought a direction from the High Court for NIA to probe the incident in which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised and posters seeking 'freedom' for Kashmir, Manipur and Nagaland were raised.
The rally was held in Jadavpur University campus in support of JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar who has been arrested on sedition charges.
A section of youths allegedly raised anti-India slogans and put up posters during the rally.
First Published : 18 Feb 2016, 08:06:00 PM


text:
Norbert Drienko (* 1930 in Fülek, Slowakei; † 1985 in Linz) war ein österreichischer Maler und Grafiker.

Der Schüler von Paul Ikrath war Mitglied der Künstlervereinigung MAERZ. Er lebte und arbeitete einige Zeit im Egon-Hofmann-Haus.

Werke
 Landschaft am Attersee
 Blumenstilleben
 Gouache, Tuschfeder (Oberösterreichisches Landesmuseum)
 Hirschkäfer, Radierung (Oberösterreichisches Landesmuseum)
 Strukturelle Komposition, Mischtechnik (1967)
 Landschaft, Aquarell (1968)

Ausstellungen
Werke von ihm wurden nach seinem Tod in folgenden Einzel- bzw. Gemeinschaftsausstellungen gezeigt:
 Wegmarken, Maerz 1952 bis 2002, Künstlervereinigung MAERZ, afo Architekturforum Oberösterreich (2013)
  Tür an Tür, Atelierhaus der Wirtschaft Nordico - Museum der Stadt Linz (2008)
 Das Umfeld, eine Vereinnahmung, Kliemsteinhaus (2006)
 Das beherzte erotische Feuer der Donauschule, Galerie Hofkabinett (2002)
 Norbert Drienko (1930 bis 1985), Hommage zum 10. Todestag, Galerie Thiele (1995)
 Norbert Drienko (1930 bis 1985), Galerie Maerz in Linz (1989)

Weblinks
 Norbert Drienko, in: Webpräsenz von basis wien, Kunst, Information und Archiv

Einzelnachweise

Maler (Österreich)
Grafiker (Österreich)
Person (Linz)
Österreicher
Geboren 1930
Gestorben 1985
Mann

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Danny George discovered a Fulvous Whistling-Duck at Rodman Ponds. It was mixed with a flock of Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks that roosts there at around 5 p.m.
On Thursday, October 22, 1998, Susanne Follett and myself went to the Cocoli spoil pond (actually Velasquez dump) to complete our survey in that area for the NTT bird count. We had been there previously on Tuesday, October 20, 1998, and were returning to see if any more migrants had arrived or if we could find a few more resident species. A little before 5:00 P.M., we stopped midway along the berm on the canal side of the spoil pond, focusing our attention on a group of about 30 tree-ducks and assorted peeps, stilts, and yellowlegs. Water depth in this area was variable, but not deeper than about six inches where the wood ducks were located.
After several minutes of observation, I noticed that one of the tree-ducks looked different. It was about the same size as the Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks, but apart from the main group, on one leg, facing away from us at a distance of about 150 feet, slightly below eye level. The evening sun was on my right hand, at almost a 90-degree angle from our line of observation. What caught my attention initially was the ruddy or tawny appearance, darker on back, a dark stripe down the back of the neck below the crown, a dark crown, and a white line along the flanks giving a scalloped effect. I immediately put the scope, an old B&L 30X to use, and continued making further observations with both the scope and our 8 x 42 B&L Elite binoculars. We continued watching for another five minutes until an intermittent rain began. We noticed a dark bill, dark legs, and a dark eye. By this time we had guessed what we were looking at and were determined to see the remaining field marks to be certain: a white rump band, and whitish marks on the throat.
After several minutes the rain let up and we set up the scope again. Finally the tree-duck stretched, moving its wings, and exposing a white rump patch. But still we waited hoping the duck would turn its head or face in another direction. As I was looking through the scope, it moved, turning to our right and moving slightly so that I could see whitish marks on the throat. We continued watching seeing the throat marks clearly. Suddenly all the wood ducks took flight, turning and flying around us to the mangroves to our rear. Again we saw the white rump patch as it took flight, but soon lost it in the 50+ wood ducks that were flying away from us.
After reviewing our field notes and discussing our observations, we concluded that we had just seen our first Fulvous Whistling-Duck, and commented that the small ponds in the Cocoli area continue to attract unusual migrants. Our total observation time was about 20 minutes.


text:
MySpace Website
"Dictatorship vs. Democracy (DVD)" from Staple
Staple was a Christian rock/post-hardcore group from Mechanicsburg, Ohio. Staple was founded in 2000 when the members met at Rosedale Bible College in Ohio. They have played close to 300 shows in two years and have toured with Disciple and Spoken.
On Wednesday, May 17, 2006, Staple announced that they would be breaking up at the end of the summer.
The band reunited in early 2009 with new members, and independently released the Gatekeeper EP. On Oct. 12, 2009 they announced via their myspace that they were tentatively scheduled to head into the studio that December, with Grant Beachy from Electric Angel Studios to record songs they were working on. The band has posted no updates since that time.
Entry last edited by pizzabrain on 04.14.12
Staple Has 13 Fans | View All | Become A Fan
pizzabrain
Logan1976
jstuart
Narrowgateprod
naylestock
erichollar76
dizzle17
BMY61
jtdeadeye25
Kcah1987
audeyb
pizzabrain (4)
Absolutely the BEST Christian rock/metal band. | Posted April 14, 2012
Hands down the most musically original and talented Christian band of their day, and would most likely be so today if still together. I miss their music deeply.
Comments(0) | Add Comment


As some of you may know, I have been in Cambodia volunteering at an community based ecotourism project, which aims to give money and benefits to the local community whilst helping preserve the elephants and the forest. This is the second time I have been to Cambodia and I really love it, and it was partly this that made me choose to get my first tattoo there.
I got two dragons forming a heart shape (based on the Anne Stokes Dragon Heart Pendant), and in the middle the Cambodian letter for 'J' which is the initial of my wonderful dog Jumble who passed away last year at the grand old age of 17. This simultaneously allowed me to express my love for my dog as well as Cambodia, in a form which reassures me, making me feel like Jumble is still with me in some way.
Tattoos are an amazing way of marking something powerful upon our bodies, the planning and even the pain of the tattoo contribute to the significance of the finished product. By blessing your tattoo you can add powerful energy to the tattoo, perhaps using it for protection, courage, or strength, and also as a way to keep linked to someone who is no longer here.
This spell has been written with honouring a dead loved one in mind, but can easily be adapted to suit your tattoo.
Go to a quiet place, light your candles and incense and sprinkle your holy water around you saying, I bless and consecrate this space. Meditate for a few minutes upon the keepsake or photo of your loved one. Think clearly of your intention, in this case for the tattoo to be a bond to my dog, and also to give me strength and courage in my everyday life.
The ouroboros or uroboros (/?j??r??b?r?s, ?j??ro?-/, from the Greek ????????? ???? tail-devouring snake) is an ancient symbol depicting a serpent or dragon eating its own tail.
Take the essential oil and add a few drops to your holy water. If you have an wand you may wish to stir the water with it, but if not just using your finger is fine. Then anoint your tattoo with a holy symbol. (Make sure it is fully healed first or the oil could irritate the tattoo!) I have chosen ouroborous for it's connotations with life, death and rebirth, and also with it's links for healing. The picture shows the ouroborous snake interweaved with a pentagram which is beautiful, but as my tattoo is on my back I will just do a circle!
At this point think about the sign you have anointed your tattoo with, and if a loved one signified by the tattoo, think of them too, and imagine a part of their spirit flowing into the ink. If the tattoo is not of a loved one but perhaps a totem animal or something, imagine this thing coming partly to life on your body, drawing down energy from the new moon.
As you are filled with energy, begin to chant..
The spell is finished and now you can feel happy in the knowledge that you have added to the power and meaningfulness of your tattoo, as well as perhaps strengthened a bond with a loved one.
I'd love it if anyone would like to share a picture of any special tattoo that they have had done, please feel free to post a link to your pic, or if you'd like me to put it directly in the article let me know and I will!
Making a spell from scratch is a great way to create something really powerful, but to do this, its best to use the correct magickal correspondences, such as finding out which day of the week is best for your particular spell, which colour candle to use, how to choose incense for your spell, and what part of the lunar cycle to do it on.
To make this easier I created a page with all these spell correspondences on it, you can find it here!
Not only can you find out about magickal correspondances but also lots of tips about how to craft a spell and how to make it effective. I really welcome feedback and suggestions so if you think that I have missed things out or have any ideas on improving what I have written then please do comment or email me.
I'm sometimes asked if my pendants are magickally charged. Whilst I believe that symbols that have been used for a long time, gather significance, and a magick of their own, the pendants do not come precharged by a person.
So in this blog post I'm going to tell you how to magickally charge your own Pagan, Wiccan, Buddhist or other alternative jewellery and symbols.
Next, find out the magickal correspondances that match your desire – ie the best day of the week to do the spell, the correct colours and so on.
Get a spell candle in your chosen colour.
Make or get some blessed water to cleanse and purify the pendant, leaving it ready for you to imprint your magickal charge.
You may wish to get herbs to add extra power to the spell, in this case Aniseed, Jasmine Flowers or Meadowsweet would work well.
Ok, now you have all the equipment and preparation you need to magickally charge your pendant. Now it's time to begin.
Light your candle and incense.
Step 2 is optional, but something I find really helps to add power to spells.
To raise magickal energy I like to cast a sacred circle, then stand in the middle, taking deep breaths and imagining my self rooting into the ground like a tree. Then I stretch my hands upwards and imagine they are reaching up to the sky. Hopefully you will begin to feel energy flowing through you, but don't worry if you don't. You can then imagine a circle of swirling energy growing in strength between your outstreched arms.
Now that you have raised your energy, get your blessed water. If you have some herbs you can mix them into the water.
Keep doing this until you feel the pendant is charged.
Close your sacred circle if you opened one, and now you are done!
Your pendant is now magickally charged, all you have to do now is wear it regularly, the more you wear it the more attuned to you, and thus the stronger it will become.
I hope you enjoyed this article, as with everything, these are just suggestions, so if you feel like changing something or doing something differently, then give it a go!
Let me know how it goes and please leave your comments below!
Posted on October 26, 2010 June 6, 2017 Author StormJewelCategories Altars, Magickal Articles, New Age and Pagan info, Pagan Festivals, Spells and RitualsTags Altars, Halloween, Samhain3 Comments on Samhain and Halloween – what does it mean?
I found this great Green Man by Abby Willowroot and thought I ought to share!
Practicing the ways of the Green Man means living in harmony with nature and living according to the seasons. It means looking for the blessings and gifts that are unique to each time of the year. Without winter, there is no spring; without summer there is no harvest. rituals fo the Green Man can be done for many purposes – to heal the environment, to restore balance, or to ensure abundance and the success of new ventures. Green Man rituals should be performed with green, white or light blue, and yellow candles. Green candles are for growth, health and vegetation. White or blue candles represent air. Yelow candles shine with the light of the Sun and its vital energy and warmth.
Symbols used in Green Man rituals may include: a growing plant, a branch, fruit, dried grains, a small bowl of earth, leaves, berries, and acorns or other nuts.
As my ancestors did before me.
I will celebrate your sacred wisdom ways.
It is best to do a Green Man ritual outside, and if possible in a wooded place. Take your shoes off, sink your toes into the cool earth, and feel the energy of the Green Man move up through your body. Before you begin your ritual, take a few moments to listen to the trees, notice how they rustle, creak and groan as the wind passes through them. Breathe in the oxygen they have produced for you, and know this is the miracle of the Green Man's Magic.
In earlier times peasants knew the ways of the fields and forest, and gave back to the Earth with the sacrifice to the Green Man. Today we still have opportunities to make sacrifices and give back to the Earth, but the sacrifices we are making are those of care, awareness, and moderation. Recycling and conservation are contemporary Green Man sacrifices.
Today the Green Man is reemerging into our consciousness. His presence brings balance and energy to the reclaiming of our ancient heritage. For men, the Green Man is especially important, as he is a guide to accessing balanced male power. In our time, the Green Man is emerging with a clear, strong voice, guiding us toward a healthier and more stable balance with nature.
You can find all my lovely Green Man items here. Do you honour the Green Man? Have you done any Green Man rituals or similar? Leave your comments and experiences below!
Candle Magick (like most spells) can be as simple or as complex as you like. Whilst putting a lot of effort into your spells is a good way to make them poewrful and successful, there is also a benefit to quick and easy spells, especially if you repeat them frequently say once a day for a specific length of time or maybe once a week for a particular length of time. This might be useful if you are working with a particular day of the week – for instance Friday for love, passion and fertility spells.
The colour of the candle.
Any oil that you may use to anoint the candle.
The magickcal symbols and sigils that you carve into the candle (such as the pentagram, triqetra etc).
The god, goddess or other type of divinity (eg air, earth, water and fire spirits, angels, fairies etc) that you invoke or call when lighting the candle.
Herbs that you sprinkle around the candle and into the flame (only a tiny bit into the flame don't start a fire! :o) You can also carve a hole in the bottom of the candle to put in herbs as well.
The day of the week you do the spell on.
As with all magick it is pretty much all up to you, although choosing the right colour spell candles is essential. However if you want to do a spell and find you do not have the right candle you can always use a white one as white is all purpose. Alternatively why not stock up on an inexpensicve bag of mixed candles so you always have the right one handy!
Whichever way you choose to do your candle magick make sure you have fun and it feel right to you!
Want to increase the flow of abundance in your life? Then take a look at my free money spell, with details of all the supplies you'll need, the words to say and how to say them!


I recently had to shrink around 50GB of MP3 audio recordings that were sitting in a nested folder structure on a web server. Having experimented to find more appropriate LAME encoder settings for spoken word content I needed to transcode the files whilst keeping the existing ID3 tags intact. FFmpeg can do this nicely using libmp3lame, whereas LAME by itself cannot. Armed with my own compile of FFmpeg, I created a drag & drop batch script to recursively work through a folder structure transcoding MP3 and WAV files and writing out the resulting MP3 files in the same folder structure with an amended top level folder name. It will accept multiple files or folders being dragged and dropped. You could adapt this script to whatever task you're using FFmpeg for.
echo Drag and drop files or folders onto this script.
ffmpeg -i "%%~fi" -acodec libmp3lame -aq 8 -ar 32000 -ac 1 "!destpath!%%~ni.mp3"
ffmpeg -i "%folderpath%" -acodec libmp3lame -aq 8 -ar 32000 -ac 1 "%%~di%%~pi%%~ni-optimized.mp3"
There are several neat little tricks here. Multiple folders can be dragged onto the script because it uses SHIFT to work through each command line argument. The next hurdle is to get the last part of the folder name(s) being dragged. Though this would be simple in any Unix-like shell, but to do this in batch without relying on any additional tools proved to be quite tricky. Though tokens can be parsed by FOR, finding the last one (which we need) requires us to count how many tokens there are. Only then can the last one be selected. The folder name string substitution is done by the SET command (also used in my file renaming script). Delayed variable expansion means that the variables between the the exclamation marks are evaluated once per loop rather than the default of once per script execution (more info here). I hadn't realised until today that you can create a folder structure several layers deep with a single MD command. This avoids having to iterate through all subfolders – we can use FOR's /R switch to handle the recursion in a single line. For more information on some of the variables containing tildes like %%~pi and %%~ni, try running FOR /?. The script also first runs the FFmpeg subroutine with ECHO in front of the commands so you can double-check the syntax before proceeding.
There are of course much more efficient ways of compressing spoken word content than MP3 these days – AAC-HEv2 for instance, but that will rule out all but the latest audio playback devices.
I think it's safe to assume that most MP3 players can handle variable bit rate. As far as I can remember only the first generation ones couldnt from early last decade – the sort of ones which only had around 64MB of storage. I don't think excluding players this old is much of a concern.
Playing around with VBR quality settings in LAME we can see that with -V 9 we get a small file (12.9MB becomes 3.7MB) however it's actually an MPEG-2 layer III file which as you can see above supports lower sample rates. I'm not certain of the wider compatibility of this sub-type of MP3 file, and besides it does sound considerably worse than the lowest MPEG-1 layer III settings which is –V 8 (12.9MB becomes 5.2MB). This proved to be the best compromise between size and quality.
This entry was posted in Multimedia, Scripting, Windows and tagged batch, batch script, FFmpeg, transcode on June 15, 2011 by patters.


Whether you love (?) them or hate (?) them, chances are that you have seen or used an emoji or two in your day. Maybe you've used a few of your own today. In the last year, these little faces and icons are revolutionizing the way brands are running marketing campaigns.
The Birth of Emoji ?
Emoji were first introduced by Shigetaka Kurita who was part of the team preparing for the 1999 debut of NTT Docomo's i-mode, or the world's first major mobile internet system. With face-to-face conversation, one can usually determine the other person's mood from vocal and facial cues. However, the absence of such expressions in new mobile mediums (texting, email, etc.) resulted in increased miscommunication.
Over the last few years, emoji usage has gone beyond the world of texting teenagers. Emoji are currently used by major companies as part of marketing and communications campaigns. In June 2015, GM put out a press release composed entirely of emoji to introduce the new 2016 Chevrolet Cruze. Domino's pizza implemented a new system of ordering simply by sending a pizza emoji. Taco Bell celebrated the release of 2015's new taco emoji with the Taco Emoji Engine. Facebook has globally released "Reactions" for those who feel as if "liking" a post fails to show how we really feel. And for the first time ever, the 2015 Oxford Dictionary Word of the Year was an emoji: "Face with Tears of Joy," a.k.a. ?.
Emoji cross language barriers. They are used by people around the world and can reach foreign markets without needing a translator.
Emoji say more with less. Marketers operate in a world of limited word-counts, and emoji are a powerful tool for conveying lots of information without words.
Emoji make it easier to decipher emotional reactions across social media. While this advantage may seem like a no-brainer, emoji allow you to see how people are feeling at a glance, based on which emoji they choose to share in public statements.
A glance at the new Zignal Labs Emoji Cloud reveals that in Twitter's response to Apple taking on the FBI, ?, or "clapping hands" is the emoji dominating the conversation.
This seemingly indicates that those discussing the story are proud of Apple for standing up to the government and defending its users' privacy rights.
As seen with several companies in the past year, and surely more to come, emoji are now a major part of the marketing vocabulary. These symbols and icons not only draw attention to your message, but also help you uncover a deeper understanding of who your target audience is and what people are saying about your brand.


text:
Tmesisternus obliquevittatus är en skalbaggsart som beskrevs av Stefan von Breuning 1973. Tmesisternus obliquevittatus ingår i släktet Tmesisternus och familjen långhorningar. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Långhorningar
obliquevittatus