text:
Curbside Outtake: 1977 Buick LeSabre – Happy 44th Birthday!
You know time's been rolling by when you do the mental math and realize it's been 44 years since the downsized GM B/C Bodies appeared and shook up the industry. We've written so much on these over the years here, it's hard to know what else to say, except that they were long overdue, most welcome, and they were the last full size American sedans that raised some genuine interest in me.
Stephanie and I went to the LA Auto show in the winter of 1978 as newlyweds. Having driven to the downtown convention center in my well-aged rough and uncomfortable '68 dodge A-100 van, the thought of a big, cushy, comfortable sedan had some very genuine appeal. Must have been something to do with being recently married…
I decided that a new Buick or Olds 98 was not quite in the cards for us, but a '68 Peugeot 404 was, as seen here on Angeles Crest Highway one snowy morning, having ascended it from the high desert after one of our stays at Valyermo Monastery. One of the joys of Southern California living: savoring the mild desert and a snowy mountain road within 45 minutes of each other.
This LeSabre started out somewhere quite different than Los Angeles. But I suspect it didn't live there long, given the utter lack of rust. Or maybe it was stashed away in a nice warm garage for 43 years.
The driver's seat does show some wear, but it's in pretty fine shape, given the years. I would have gone for the cloth or velour upholstery in one of these.
Plenty of leg room in back, despite it sitting on a 116″ wheelbase.
I know you have a lot more yet to say about this fine old Buick and its ilk than I can summon tonight after a long day, so go at it.
AndyinMA
I think those are the same window cranks my 71 LeSabre had. It also had some strange fabric – not quite cloth, certainly not vinyl or leather. Also my parents had it covered in plastic so who knows what it really was.
Shep
Yup, The General got some serious mileage out of those ol' cranks. My parents had a '71 LeSabre. That steering wheel looks mighty familiar too.
Posted September 7, 2020 at 4:14 PM
Aye, and they were still using those window cranks (with a black knob instead of started-translucent-colourless-and-eventually-turned-cloudy-yellowish-brown) on the '90 Caprice. I think '68 was the first year for it.
Chrysler, too, used a particular window crank design, with a few minor detail changes, from '68 through to '95 on a bunch of models.
I wouldn't be surprised to learn the same of Ford and AMC-Jeep.
The reason why '68 was the common first year was that the pre-'68 designs with hard-edged metal knobs wouldn't pass the new-for-'68 safety reg prohibiting dangerous protuberances, projections, and edges in the passenger compartment.
Jack M.
Seems to be a couple of bodies in the trunk or the rear springs are getting tired.
Bill Prince
The car is setting at an incline – notice the vertical lines of the house behind it.
Tony Primo
The car is on an incline, but there is two inches of air showing over the front wheels and the rear tire is slightly covered by the body.
justy baum
Wow! That IS a nice 404.
Oh, I know this is really about a remarkably preserved chip off an old memory, but I can't help but comment upon that chip.
It's awful.
The trunk is virtually the length of a call of that name from those times, the wheels are so small they can almost be seen from anywhere, the Romanesque front has the lights falling backwards as if in a failed trust experiment with the hood (and give a new meaning to moonshiners), the glasshouse, well, its actually quite good until one's eye reaches the front quarter where the Shit-We're Out-by-An-Inch-Boys line goes up so as not to end the window sill somewhere into the fender, and the tailights are pieces of class if still fitted without a visible body extension to the Rolls Royce from whence they were snaffled, which they are ofcourse not still so here, and so, not so good.
In sum, le sabre needs le blacksmith for le re-sharpening.
I'll dare opine that you made the right choice, car and wife both.
la673
That uptick in the beltline just behind the A pillar in all the 77 B and C bodies (except Cadillac) bothered me intensely when these were new. Evidently they bothered someone at GM too since it disappeared with the 1980 facelift.
To me, the way the leading edge of the front door beltline rises to meet the cowl is somewhere in the range of pleasant-graceful-unobtrusive on the '77-'79 cars, but on the '80-'90 cars it strikes me as awkward and sloppy, like a "just make it fit!" afterthought.
Jonathan E.
The Buicks were my least favourite of the downsized B bodies. Just not as coherent a look as the others – seemed a bit awkward overall. Agree about the velour. Vinyl seats were well past their prime by 1977.
The dash and instrumental panel was great, with aluminum faced gauges and a big, round clock in front of the passenger. Much better than Olds, Chevy and Pontiac.
Those aluminum-faced gauges aren't so great when the sun hits 'em!
The clock in my 1978 LeSabre even worked! I thought GM quality control made sure they didn't work.
When did GM move to quartz movements? My dad's 77 Bonneville still had a mechanical electric clock; I know Chrysler had been using quartz "chronometer" clocks for several years by then.
Sometime between 1978 and '84. My folks' '78 Caprice had a non-quartz clock, and their '84 Caprice had a same-size, same-shape quartz unit.
Both worked. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
My dad's 1979 Impala did not come with a clock. He was so miffed with the fit and finish of the car he demanded a clock for the car. There were two models-one with conventional hands, and another "digital" clock with the digits on rotating drums. Dad insisted on the "digital" clock. If I put my ear next to it with the motor off, I could hear the mechanism whirring. I still remember the sound.
The downsized-for-'77 GM cars will always have a place in my memory as my mother traded in her '76 AMC Pacer for a new '77 Electra 225 sedan.
All I remember is sitting in the showroom in the big Electra (I was 12) and waiting for her to do the paperwork.
It was her first car with an AM/FM stereo radio, power windows/locks/seat, cruise. If I remember correctly, it was $8600. It wasn't the fancy dancy Limited or Park Avenue, but it was a nice car inside.
Seventeen Chariots
Shades of the 1950s. The vinyl interior pegs it as a base level trim… and there's just three portholes on the fender. Just like the 50s, the upscale 1977 Electra received four portholes. Mind you, the the 1970s, I don't think anyone noticed.
bufguy
Those seats were actually optional upgrades…custom notchback with folding center armrest and chrome trim on the ends of the seats…The base seats were a continuous bench in a different vinyl or cloth
Roader
As a foreign car fan teenager I was amazed that the full-size Buicks were available with a 3.8 liter V6 in 1976. I thought it was practical but it was probably a dog in the big, non-downsized cars. I imagine it was an OK engine in the '77s.
1977 and the first year of downsizing was also the first year of massive engine sharing between divisions. Yes the Apollo/ Skylark was available with a Chevy straight 6 until Buick started producing the 231 V6 again. Previously if you ordered a LeSabre with a 350 you got a Buick 350. If you ordered an Olds you got an Olds 350. All four divisions had their own 350 that were entirely different from each other…different bores and strokes with different torque and hp ratings. In 1977 a LeSare could be had with the Buick 231 V6, a Pontiac 301 V8, a Chevy 305 V8 or a Buick 350 V8…Availability was based on what state the car was sold in. California emissions standards required certain engines. The sharing of engines did result in a lawsuit from Olds owners suing GM for getting a Chevy 350 when they expected an Olds rocket V8…
The top engine choice was the 403 cubic inch Oldsmobile engine with 185 horsepower and 320 ft./lbs. of torque.
Seems ridiculous to me that GM would make four different engines with the same 350 displacement. Was any one better than the other?
The divisions were so much more autonomous back then….All divisions even had their own big block…Buick, Olds and Pontiac all had a 455, Chevy had a 454 and of course Cadillac had their own 472 and 500…all very different designs with their own unique bores, strokes and horsespower and torque ratings…The Buick 455 used a thin wall construction making it 100lbs lees than the other big blocks….Divisions even used unique transmissions for a period of time…Buick had the Dynaflow, Olds used the hydramatic and Chevy had the powerglide…all totally different transmissions powering similarly sized cars
Scoutdude
You have to keep in mind the volumes that existed when those different engine families were born. Chevy of course was king moving a million or so full size cars per year. Then there were the trucks and as the 60's unfolded the other car lines. So they needed multiple engine lines just to keep up with the Chevy demand. Meanwhile the other 4 moved a good chunk of cars too so they could keep their own engine lines running at a good rate.
You also have to keep in mind that they didn't all start out as 350's Chevy had the 327, Pontiac 326 ect. However apparently corporate decided they should all just be called 350 and for the big engines Buick Olds and Pontiac got to call them 455's and Chevy had to make do with 454. And I do mean call them because the Buick is actually a 349 and the Pontiacs are 354 and 456.
J P Cavanaugh
"I imagine it was an OK engine in the '77s."
Uhhhhh, no. I worked at a place that had one of these with the V6 as a company car. The gas pedal on that car spent a lot of time mashed against the floor because it was so slow. I don't know what axle ratio they paired it with, but the car was a gutless wonder at almost any speed.
Posted September 7, 2020 at 12:27 PM
Uhhhhh, can you imagine what a '76 weighing 800lbs more would have been like with that 231?
My dad got into a V-6 kick with our taxi fleet. This combination was a total dog. They were dangerously slow and didn't have any better fuel economy since your pedal was on the metal all day long. The also broke motor mounts like pretzels.
My 1978 LeSabre had a Buick 350 in it.
3SpeedAutomatic
My college typing professor 👩🏫 (yes, typing was required for ALL business majors) had a '77 LeSabre which featured the amber colored turn signals. How forward thinking could you be in 1977.
Was sooo happy when Word Perfect hit the market. No more white-out or pencil erasers to fiddle with.
Should have gone for the Olds. Here's my (albeit a 350) '79 Holiday 88. Great car for the time, still a great ride today.
I did own a well used LeSabre as well, like the subject of the thread, but it was a poor example and we unloaded it for not many pesos.
autobahnraser
good looking Olds.
The Oldsmobile from 1977-1979 was, in my opinion, was the best car GM ever made.
Evan Reisner
One thing I can't imagine is walking into any GM showroom in '77 and seeing the all new B- and C-bodies right next to the aging colonnade A-body cars. I believe the A sedans and wagons rode on the same wheelbase as the B, but the B was so much more modern and space efficient.
I don't have production figures, but I imagine the A-bodies were a tough sell in '77.
I did lots of time in the front and back of both B body sedans and Colonade A bodies, and didn't find the latter any less roomy than the B's. The B body trunks were considerably larger though, and the coupe rear seats were tiny (though those were on a shorter wheelbase).
Jay Fleming
My dad ordered one of those LeSabres. Dog dish hubcaps, no radio. 301 Pontiac motor, as I recall. I bought it from him many years and miles later when he got into the cattle business and replaced it with a pickup. Valve cover gaskets leaked like a sieve, so I pulled the covers to discover that years of Havoline oil had plugged the return drains with paraffin. Dug out the pooky as best I could, and put a few more miles on it. I still remember the distinctive smell of those vinyl seats as they aged.
Matt Spencer
Love this Buick and that it's pre-facelift and sans vinyl-roof! Looking at the interior reminded me of how shallow the seat cushion was in the back seat. Road trips made you feel as if you were sitting on a perch… Also, these LeSabre's cry out for white walls in my view.
Gerardo Solis
I am loving mine right now. I admit that the Impala is not as glamorous as a Buick or an Olds, but there is more than a little charm about a giant, basic sedan.
1979 Impala, F41, 350/350. Apart from the rather sudden aftermarket white vinyl upholstery and the non-functioning casette player, it's a lovely thing to own
Oh, it seems the management system didn't pick up my picture, I'll try again
Wow, it does not seem that long ago. And this one had to be right at the end of vinyl seats as being acceptable in a car like this.
I viewed these as a compromise. It was clear that they were better built and felt more solid than the prior B/C body cars from GM. But they struck me as a concession to an anticipated world of scarcity. Maybe not so much in the Chevy/Pontiac range, but for an Olds on up, these lacked the presence of the large cars I had grown up around.
Perhaps I might feel differently if I had grown up in an era when a 51 Ford was a "normal" sized car. And there is no dispute that these were a much more efficient package than the Colonnade cars I had so much exposure to.
Still, with the right engine these were not as much of a compromise as some of the later downsizing efforts from the American makers. But I would choose an Olds out of all of these.
You can still have vinyl seats in a car like this; you just can't call it vinyl. It has to be "leatherette" or "Softex" or "MB-Tex" or some such. Or be like Tesla and give it a positive spin, "vegan synthetic leather".
Shiftfocus
44 years? How time compresses. It certainly doesn't FEEL like that long, but the years do pass more quickly than it did for a pre-teen when these first appeared.
It has me reflecting on the ongoing development of technology, and thinking about how cars have changed in the 44 years since these launched. It's perhaps a useful exercise to consider what cars were on the market 44 years BEFORE this. The best seller that year was also somewhat revolutionary, in a different way.
count me as another fan of these b/c bodys. They were popular over here in the late 70s/early 80s due to a weak $. That´s why they are familiar to me. I remember well the Chevys and Oldsmobiles. These two I prefer style wise over the Buick.
Jim Grey
A friend of mine had a '77 Impala, another a '77 Buick, and my dad's best friend had a '79 Olds. I rode in all three, and I thought the Buick was the best riding and the nicest inside. The Olds was the best looking from the outside though.
Michael A Ciccone
I was living in Bloomington, IN 44 years ago. I went down to the Chevy dealer to take a look at the new downsized cars — most impressive. I also was quite surprised to see a 1960 Buick 4-door sedan in good condition on their used car lot.
This is the '77 Olds that got away from me. Bought by a neighbour new in late '76, but spec'd almost exactly as I wanted, with 403, stereo, rally wheels, no air (Northern Quebec). It was almost mine 11 years later for $1000. I had a money order and was driving down to meet up with the seller, but his thirsty brother, who had just wrecked another car and needed wheels talked him out of it, so the deal wasn't done. I'm guessing that it probably didn't last another another year after that.
Allan Lacki
'Sorry, not a fan of this one, and I come from a Buick family. Looks like GM plopped a full-size body on top of an intermediate-size chassis. I can't imagine Bill Mitchell approving something like this but he was still there. '77 was his last year at GM.
Schurkey
Not just "intermediate-size". For all practical purposes it WAS the existing "A" body intermediate chassis, with perhaps a little repositioning of frame length.
The suspension, brakes, axles, etc., were all direct from the Colonnade "A" body. I think they pulled some length from ahead of the front wheels and put it behind the rear wheels, plopped a big rectangular body on top, and called it a day. It wasn't so much a "downsized" "Full-size" car, as it was an intermediate with more-than-typical interior space, and the same "Full-size" car names.
VinceC
They weren't the same frame. This comes up often on this site, but the B-body used an entirely new frame design. It had completely different frame rail design and also used less crossmembers. The suspension was similar, but not the same. The basic geometry from the front suspension was used, but the control arms themselves were a new part. The new B-Bodies were lighter and more space efficient than the old Colonnade cars.
I have to agree that the Buck LeSabre 4-door sedans were one of the least attractive of the downsized cars. That said, it looked far better as a 2-door, such as this very attractive Turbo coupe below. I preferred the Buick roofline to that of the Olds for 2-doors, but the Olds 88 4-door was better looking than the Lesabre 4-door.
Jose Delgadillo
I would definitely like one of those!
That interior is in amazing condition—specifically, it's amazing the colours are all still more or less pretty similar, especially since the owner is apparently an avid cigarette smoker.
'77 LeSabre design plus: real (amber) rear turn signals, and that was when they were more difficult and expensive to make than they would become a couple years later.
'77 LeSabre design minus: that melted-bar-of-soap downcurve at the back of the deck lid.
SteveM
My very basic '77 Chevy Impala sends its Buick sibling birthday greetings. The Bs and Cs of this era lived long and prospered. They represented the best of GM engineering at a time when compromises were necessary all around. My Impala just turned 100K, drove it 900 miles roundtrip to Kansas City last month and didn't miss one darn beat. The 305 V8 pulled fine, the mileage was not great (high-ish teens) and I couldn't ask for a more comfortable ride (except the lack of any A/C made it warm inside). They just don't make 'em like this anymore.
The downsized cars were quite radical at the time. The 71's has started out big, but restrained. Once they added all the opera windows and big trim by 76, they looked fat. So the 77's were radical. It was weird having the intermediates on the same showroom floor before their redesign in 78.
I like the Chevrolet and Oldsmobile the best. The Buick 2dr without the side trim was nice as well. But somehow this Buick sedan seems the most awkward. It's like these random pieces were all stuffed together and squeezed onto a smaller platform. But the Cadillac was the worst.
Regarding the engines, GM drove themselves into near bankruptcy in these years by developing multiple similar products. They tried consolidating engines, but they also hid it from the customer. Like Watergate, it's the cover up that gets you.
Jon (not anymore) in Texas
These were abysmally fuglee. Buick definitely lost the design coin test. If it was Silver with the bordello red velour interior it would be perfect. Oh my…..that face.
MadHungarian
I'll take the vinyl in this car any day over the light blue fabric that about 75% of 1977-79 full size Buicks seem to have been equipped with. While lots of 70's GM interior materials suffer from sun fading, the blue fabric seems to get particularly icky looking. And even a small amount of cigarette smoking inside the car would add an unpleasant brown tinge. In general, comparing any 1977 GM full-sizer to its 1976 equivalent shows that a lot of cheapening of the interior materials came along with the efficiencies of downsizing.
rudiger on QOTD: What Old Car (Prior To 1990) Was The Most Difficult To Work On?
DungBeetle62 on Curbside Outtake: 1980 Olds Delta 88 Royale – The Ever-Vanishing B Beater, With Pontiac 265 V8?
Tom Halter on Cold Comfort: History of Automotive Air Conditioning, Part 2 – The Aftermarket
idiotking on QOTD: What Old Car (Prior To 1990) Was The Most Difficult To Work On?
Paul Niedermeyer on Curbside Outtake: 1980 Olds Delta 88 Royale – The Ever-Vanishing B Beater, With Pontiac 265 V8?


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Diamond Pique is shown here with Butterfield by Matouk.
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A campaign to teach children about copyright infringement on the internet, is employing cartoons and puns on pop stars' names, to get the message across.
Even its makers admit it is a "dry" and "niche" subject for a cartoon aimed at seven-year-olds.
But the Intellectual Property Office adds learning to "respect" copyrights and trademarks is a "key life skill".
And it is hoping the adventures of Nancy and the Meerkats can finally make intellectual property "fun".
The series, which began life five years ago on Fun Kids Radio, was re-launched this week with the aim of getting its message into primary schools.
The Intellectual Property Office - formerly known as the Patent Office - has produced a range of teaching materials for Key Stage 2 in the national curriculum, for seven- to 11-year-olds.
Most of the lessons are delivered by Nancy's sharp-suited but avuncular manager, Big Joe.
The Intellectual Property Office is leading the government's efforts to crack down on internet piracy and protect the revenues of Britain's creative industries.
The government agency is spending £20,000 of its own money on the latest Nancy campaign, which is part-funded by the UK music industry.
Catherine Davies, head of the IPO's education outreach department, which already produces teaching materials for GCSE students, admitted IP was a "complex subject" for small children and something of a challenge to make accessible and entertaining.
But she added: "In today's digital environment, even very young people are IP consumers, accessing online digital content independently and regularly.
But some fear the IPO is being too heavy-handed in its warnings about piracy and that the message could backfire.
Jim Killock, director of the Open Rights Group campaign, said: "Some of the material seems misleading, in particular the episode explaining that downloading is the same as stealing from a shop.
"While it's wrong, it is neither the same in law - as downloading is a civil wrong while theft is a crime - nor is it a convincing analogy.
"The IPO risk educating children that copyright law is stupid and immoral by putting forward simplistic arguments like that."
The genre has declined since its 1970s heyday, although Charley the cat made a comeback in 2014 in an electrical safety campaign voiced by comedian David Walliams.


text:
from gameobject import GameObject
from contracts import *
import errorutils
from physics import Physics

class Scene(GameObject, IDrawer):
    """
    Class that represents a scene in the game.
    It is a game object because it behaves like one, so...
    """

    _persistent_game_objects = []
    _current = None

    def __init__(self):
        super(Scene, self).__init__()
        self._game_objects = {}
        self._game_objects_drawable = {}
        self._game_objects_drawer = []
        self._included = []
        self._removed = []
        self._background_color = (0, 0, 0, 0)

    def start(self):
        for game_object in Scene._persistent_game_objects:
            self.add_game_object(game_object)
        Scene._persistent_game_objects = []
        self._update_list_game_object()

    def update(self):
        Physics.instance().update()
        if not self.is_updating:
            pass
        index = 0
        self._update_list_game_object()
        for game_object in self._game_objects.values():
            if not game_object.is_updating:
                continue
            try:
                game_object.update()
            except:
                errorutils.handle_exception()
            index += 1

    def finish(self):
        for game_object in self._game_objects.values():
            if game_object.persistent:
                Scene._persistent_game_objects.append(game_object)
            self.remove_game_object(game_object)
        self._update_list_game_object()

    def draw(self):
        if not self.is_drawing:
            pass
        for drawer in self._game_objects_drawer:
            if not drawer.is_drawing:
                continue
            try:
                drawer.draw()
            except:
                errorutils.handle_exception()

    def _update_list_game_object(self):
        for game_object in self._included:
            self._game_objects[game_object.id] = game_object
            if game_object.get_component(IDrawable) is not None:
                comp = game_object.get_component(IDrawable)
                self._game_objects_drawable[comp.layer, comp.order_in_layer, game_object.id] = game_object
            if game_object.get_component(IDrawer) is not None:
                if game_object not in self._game_objects_drawer:
                    self._game_objects_drawer.append(game_object)
            try:
                game_object.start()
            except:
                errorutils.handle_exception()

        for game_object in self._removed:
            if game_object.id not in self._game_objects:
                pass

            del self._game_objects[game_object.id]

            comp = game_object.get_component(IDrawable)
            if game_object.get_component(IDrawable) is not None:
                if (comp.layer, comp.order_in_layer, game_object.id) in self._game_objects_drawable:
                    del self._game_objects_drawable[comp.layer, comp.order_in_layer, game_object.id]

            if game_object.get_component(IDrawer) is not None:
                if game_object in self._game_objects_drawer:
                    self._game_objects_drawer.remove(game_object)
            try:
                game_object.finish()
            except:
                errorutils.handle_exception()

        self._included = []
        self._removed = []

    @property
    def game_objects(self):
        """
        :return: Dictionary containing all game objects (key: game_object.id, value: game_object)
        """
        return self._game_objects

    def add_game_object(self, game_object):
        """
        Add a game object to the scene. From now on, this game object will be draw and updated.
        :param game_object: Game object to add
        :return: None
        """
        self._included.append(game_object)

    def remove_game_object(self, game_object):
        """
        Remove a game object from the scene. From now on, this game object won't be drawn or updated anymore.
        :param game_object:
        :return:
        """
        self._removed.append(game_object)

    @property
    def get_drawables(self):
        """
        :return: A list with all drawables in this scene.
        """
        return sorted(self._game_objects_drawable).values()

    @property
    def background_color(self):
        return self._background_color

    def change_layer_or_order(self, game_object, last_layer, last_order):
        """
        Callback for when a game_object change layer or order. The game object must have the values already updated
        :param game_object: Game object that change
        :param last_layer: Last layer
        :param last_order: Last order
        """
        del self._game_objects_drawable[last_layer, last_order]
        if game_object.get_component(IDrawable) is not None:
                comp = game_object.get_component(IDrawable)
                self._game_objects_drawable[comp.layer, comp.order_in_layer] = game_object

    def game_object_add_component(self, game_object, component):
        if isinstance(component, IDrawable):
            self._game_objects_drawable[component.layer, component.order_in_layer, game_object.id] = game_object
        if isinstance(component, IDrawer):
            if game_object not in self._game_objects_drawer:
                self._game_objects_drawer.append(game_object)

    def game_object_remove_component(self, game_object, component):
        if isinstance(component, IDrawable):
            if (component.layer, component.order_in_layer, game_object.id) in self._game_objects_drawable:
                del self._game_objects_drawable[component.layer, component.order_in_layer, game_object.id]
        if isinstance(component, IDrawer):
            if game_object in self._game_objects_drawer:
                self._game_objects_drawer.remove(game_object)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Brock Turner isn't a member of USA Swimming, and he wouldn't be eligible to become one if he tried, spokesman Scott Leightman told USA TODAY Sports on Monday.
The former Stanford swimmer has been in the news recently after being sentenced to six months in jail for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman in January 2015.
"Brock Turner's membership with USA Swimming expired at the end of the calendar year 2014. He was not a member at the time of his crime or since then. USA Swimming doesn't have any jurisdiction over non-members.
The victim wrote a powerful letter to Turner, which she read at his sentencing. You can read the letter at BuzzFeed or watch CNN's Ashleigh Banfield read it aloud in the video below.
The furor over the sentencing intensified after Turner's father, Dan A. Turner, wrote a letter asking for no jail time for his son. You can read part of the letter in the tweet below.


It was afew months ago, but here are some pics I took in Atlanta this past June when I was there for the Int'l Foursquare Annual Connection.
These are some tunes done with the Native Instruments Maschine.
These tunes feature my nifty new toy, the Native Instruments Maschine, truly an amazing groove box.
As you can tell, I have not done much posting on this blog lately. That is because I have done what millions of others are doing and started using Facebook. I have re-connected with so my friends from over the years, it feels like a virtual reunion and much more rewarding that this solitary blog. So to catch up on the latest on yours truly, please check out my Facebook page (and ad me as a friend). I plan on revising this blog in the future as a leadership development / consulting blog. Peace. FM.
Here is a sample video I recently made with my new Canon S5is, featuring my son Jacob on drums. There are a few stills at the end of him and a friend. These look much better on my PC than they do on YouTube, allot of quality gets lost in the process.


The HP Spectre 15 x360 already gets a significant update at CES in the form of an AMOLED display option. If you just got one recently, you might kick yourself right now, but this is a very exciting option, and hopefully just a new beginning of AMOLED on laptops.
For the past few months we have been consistently hearing about Samsung's plans of launching a new series of AMOLED tablets. Recently a tablet carrying model number SM-T800 stopped by the FCC, this is believed to be the 10.5-inch AMOLED tablet. Purported specifications of this particular model have leaked online. Though since they're from an unofficial source, which has been right often in the past, one must exercise caution nonetheless.
Since last year we have been hearing rumors that Samsung is going to make AMOLED tablets once again. There have been many rumors recently about a new AMOLED tablet that has a display under 10-inches, but its possible that Samsung have one with a display that's over 10-inches as well. A tablet carrying model number SM-T805 has shown up on GFXbench, giving us a glimpse of its specifications.
Sony, the electronics giant from Japan has made some pretty decent handsets since its split from former partner Ericsson. While Sony has been offering very good 'Reality' displays online reports state that the company still wants to improve things in the 'screen' department with an AMOLED display since all current Sony and Sony Ericsson devices have LCD screens.
Samsung starts manufacturing 7″ AMOLED displays, tablets on the way?


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2018 County Elections
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New Series: The Evolution of County Government Structure
The Florida Association of Counties has an extensive education division that spends much of its time focused on educating commissioners on county government and leadership in the classroom. In this new feature, FAC will bring a key component of its education curriculum to News & Notes. The goal of this section will be to remind each of us of the basic tenants of county government in Florida in hopes of reminding many of why we do what we do and re-introducing some to the different approaches to county government.
This informative new series includes excerpts from FAC's Florida County Government Guide. The Florida County Government Guide is a comprehensive reference on all aspects of Florida county government. The Guide includes information on Florida's history, the structure of county government, leadership and management, budgeting methods and strategies, economic development opportunities, growth management, human resources, emergency management, purchasing and contracting, health and safety, infrastructure and much more. To purchase your copy of the entire Florida County Government Guide, please click here.
The Evolution of County Government Structure: A seven part series
Today we are launching a seven part series on the structure of county government in Florida. Throughout the rest of the year we will look at: 1. The Evolution of County Government; 2. Charter and Non-Charter Counties; 3. Forms of County Government: Commission Form; 4. Forms of County Government: Administrator or Manager Form; 5. Forms of County Government: Executive Form; 6. Assessing the three forms of government; and, 7. Commission District Structures.
Part 1 in a 7 part series
THE EVOLUTION OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE
All states but Connecticut and Rhode Island have operational county governments, although Alaska calls their county-type government boroughs and Louisiana calls them parishes.P Historically rural county government was the most important type of local government in the southern, Midwestern and western United States (New England relied more heavily on town government). By the early to mid-1800s counties acted as the primary administrative arm of state government in these areas.
Traditional Structure of County Government
Most counties had a similar government structure—the traditional county commission form of government. Under this form, county residents elected a number of officials to oversee administration of specified state responsibilities. County residents might elect a sheriff and judge to maintain public order, a county clerk to keep public records, and a tax assessor and tax collector to bring in revenue. County residents also elected a board of county commissioners who would, in the limited fashion allowed by the state; both make and implement some additional policies for the county.
The legal doctrine known as Dillon's Rule meant that states could treat their local governments, including counties, as "creatures of the state," heavily regulating their government structures and rarely allowing them to take independent action.
The historical relationship between Florida and its counties unfolded in much the same way, and so by 1949-1950 in Florida the structure of local government was virtually identical across its 67 counties. Under the traditional commission form of government, the residents of each county elected a county commission (that would select a chairman from its members), county judge, county court clerk, sheriff, tax assessor, tax collector, and registration supervisor. P Florida counties were tightly controlled by the state legislature under the philosophy of Dillon's Rule. Under this rule, local governments were prevented from doing anything not specifically authorized by state laws. Counties who wanted even small changes in their structure or responsibilities had to petition the legislature to pass a special act—a statute drafted specifically naming a city or county and not applicable to the entire state like a general act. Consequently hundreds of special acts were passed by the Florida legislature each year in a very cumbersome and inefficient process of micromanagement. The flaws in this unwieldy system became more exposed as growth in Florida accelerated by two to three million people a decade in the 1950s and 1960s. Florida's counties could not take innovative action on the myriad problems caused by massive sustained growth unless specifically authorized to do so by the legislature.
Reforming the Structure of County Government
However, as states across the country became more urban in the 20PthP century, progressive reformers called for change and counties were slowly granted more power and independent responsibility for local governance. These trends were evident in Florida by the 1950s as state and local officials and academics began to question the effectiveness of the traditional commission form of county government in fast-growing counties and began to advocate and allow structures with more independence from the state and with more professional administration or stronger political leadership. PP Finally in the late 1960s and early 1970s Florida made specific constitutional and legal changes to reform county government structure. The state adopted a new Constitution in 1968. P Article VIII Section 1c of the new Florida Constitution gave counties the option of adopting a charter to establish their government. And under Section 1g charter counties gained significant powers of home rule that allow them to do anything not specifically prohibited by state law. Article VIII also set up a system of government for non-charter counties establishing county officers and commissioners and even providing for a more limited version of home rule for these counties as spelled out by state law. Following up on these constitutional changes and to clarify and overcome resistance to home rule, state lawmakers passed legislation in 1971 (the County Home Rule Act), 1973 (Municipal Home Rule Powers Act), and 1974 (the County Administration Law and Optional County Charter Law) setting up a code of county powers that expanded home rule for non-charter counties and repealed a number of laws that narrowed county power.
While these changes did provide counties with more home rule flexibility, the legislature continues to restrain counties in two major ways. P First the Florida legislature retains strict control over the revenue sources a county can adopt and caps the level of taxes a county can charge. And second, lawmakers continue to pass unfunded mandates that require counties to take on additional administrative and policy responsibilities without providing money to pay for them.
This concludes part one of seven. This informative information came from excerpts out of FAC's Florida County Government Guide The Florida County Government Guide is a comprehensive reference on all aspects of Florida county government. The Guide includes information on Florida's history, the structure of county government, leadership and management, budgeting methods and strategies, economic development opportunities, growth management, human resources, emergency management, purchasing and contracting, health and safety, infrastructure and much more. To purchase your copy of the entire Florida County Government Guide, please click here.
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This July we hosted a special gin tasting session as welcomed the hard working employees of dedicated travel blog, Oliver's Travels, to our Shoreditch home.
Part of their annual office party, the 27 attendees were invited first learn about, then sip on, some of the finest varieties of gin available.
After being welcomed with a reception cocktail, guests were guided by our expert hosts through the long and fascinating history of gin, from the original jenever to contemporary 'new-age' brands, discovering gin's often illicit and sometimes medicinal past.
They sampled varieties from different stages of the spirits' evolution and learned how the flavour is manipulated by tailoring the blend of the various botanicals in the mixture.
The guests rounded off their tasting adventure by blending botanically flavoured distillates with a base spirit to create their own gin to take home as a memento.
Interested in booking your own gin-flavoured trip through time? Click on the link below, or alternatively contact one of our event organisers today on 02031 312 706 and we'll run you through what we can offer.


Know Brawley Union Class of 1947 graduates that are NOT on this List? Help us Update the 1947 Class List by adding missing names.
More 1947 alumni from Brawley Union HS have posted profiles on Classmates.com®. Click here to register for free at Classmates.com® and view other 1947 alumni.
The students that went to school at the Brawley high school called Brawley Union High School and graduated in '47 are on this page. Register to add your name to the class of 1947 graduates list.


Show your affection for queso with the Friday+Saturday Queso Love Tee.
Styled with Citizen of Humanity jeans Style # 1487C-694 and Zadig and Voltaire sneakers Style # WGAT1713F. Model is wearing size small tee and size 25 jean.


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The Info List - Waray Language
Waray is the fifth-most-spoken native regional language of the Philippines, native to Eastern Visayas. It is the native language of the Waray people and second language of the Abaknon people of Capul, Northern Samar and some Cebuano-speaking peoples of eastern and southern parts of Leyte island. It is the third most spoken language among the Visayan languages, only behind Hiligaynon and Cebuano. The language name comes from the word often heard by non-speakers, "waray" (meaning "none" or "nothing" in Waray); similarly, Cebuanos are known in Leyte as "mga Kana" and their language as "Kana" (after the oft-heard word "kana", meaning "that" in the Cebuano language).[not verified in body]
4 Loanwords
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Better stop everything and try this Salted caramel pot de crème.
The reason why I cook and share my food is to secretly watch people close their eyes and lose themselves at the first bite.
Salted caramel pot de crème. Did this many times over. I had neighbors, my husband, and the little one forget about what they were doing for just a few minutes and it was all the reward I needed to get back to the kitchen the next day.
It's a simple dessert, with the salt playing a magical role. I tried them out a few different times, and what did the job was making sure I had good cream.
So find yourself a reason to stop what you are doing and give this dessert a try. I guarantee you happy moments and people coming back for more.
Preheat oven to 160F (325C) placing the rack in the middle.
In a saucepan, on medium heat pour sugar evenly in pan. Allow sugar to dissolve into a clear syrup (stir occasionally). Continue to cook the syrup until it starts to become an amber color to a golden brown color.
Whisk in cream and butter. The caramel will stick but just give it time to dissolve while stirring and become smooth. This process could take 8-10 minutes.
Turn off the stove. Add salt, cinnamon, butter, and cold milk. Mix well.
In a large bowl, whisk in egg yolks and gradually stir in the caramel mixture until well blended.
Carefully fill the ramekins. Place them in a roasting dish or baking tray adding hot water halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
Bake for 45-50 minutes until the custard has set around the edges with a soft wiggle. Cooking time can be more depending on your oven.
Allow them to fully cool on a cooling rack before placing them in the fridge. Cover and chill for at least two hours or overnight.
Don't forget to try other flavors chocolate, coffee, vanilla and coffee beer topped off with whipped cream. Yummy in my tummy!


'Les Bosquets' is the name of the new project of the French street artist, JR. The trailer of his upcoming film released this week, which is based on the story of Ladj Ly and the 'Les Bosquets' performance at the New York City Ballet.
Inspired by the Les Bosquets performance at the New York City Ballet, renowned street artists JR has directed and produced a movie that is inspired by his Portrait of a Generation and ballet projects, on a music by Hans Zimmer, Pharrell Williams and Woodkid, will have its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, in April.
The ballet "Les Bosquets" of New York City Ballet was inspired by the riots in the French suburbs in 2005,has been the base to the movie. The Monterfermeil ghetto is the set where the photographer created his first project Portrait of a Generation.
This film is a continuation of this project that he has been working for ten years, for which he uses various means of expression and narration: video archives, choreography and testimony.
The production will be exhibited on a few select museums and galleries in the coming months.


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package com.kelveden.restdriverscala

import com.github.restdriver.serverdriver.http.response.Response
import org.scalatest.matchers._
import org.scalatest.words.MatcherWords._
import scala.collection.JavaConverters._

trait RestDrivenMatchers {
  class HasBody(bodyMatcher: Matcher[String]) extends Matcher[Response] {
    def apply(left: Response) = {
      val body = left.getContent
      val result = bodyMatcher.apply(body).matches

      MatchResult(result,
        s"""Body "$body" did not match:""",
        s"""Body "$body" matched"""
      )
    }
  }

  def haveBodyThat(bodyMatcher: Matcher[String]) = new HasBody(bodyMatcher)
  def haveBodyContent(content: String) = new HasBody(equal(content))

  class HasStatusCode(expected: Int) extends Matcher[Response] {
    def apply(left: Response) = {
      val statusCode = left.getStatusCode

      MatchResult(statusCode == expected,
        s"""Status code $statusCode did not match expected status $expected""",
        s"""Status code $statusCode matched"""
      )
    }
  }

  def haveStatus(status: Int) = new HasStatusCode(status)

  class HasHeader(name: String) extends Matcher[Response] {
    def apply(left: Response) = {
      MatchResult(left.getHeaders(name).size > 0,
        s"""Header "$name" was not present in response headers ${left.getHeaders}""",
        s"""Header "$name" was present in response"""
      )
    }
  }

  class HasHeaderWithValue(name: String, value: String) extends Matcher[Response] {
    def apply(left: Response) = {
        MatchResult(left.getHeaders(name).asScala.exists(_.getValue == value),
        s"""Header "$name: $value" was not present in response headers ${left.getHeaders}""",
        s"""Header "$name: $value" was present in response"""
      )
    }
  }

  def haveHeader(name: String) = new HasHeader(name)
  def haveHeader(name: String, value: String) = new HasHeaderWithValue(name, value)
}

object RestDrivenMatchers extends RestDrivenMatchers