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120 Den Luxury Maternity Support Tights
Product Description
- Super soft stretch fabric
- 120 denier
- Over bump style
- Non-slip silicone waistband
- Gentle support for your bump
- Gentle wash at 30
- Wash inside out
- Wash dark colours separately
- Warm iron
- Do not tumble dry
Ultra-soft, yet incredibly secure and supportive, our Luxury Maternity Support Tights will revolutionize your winter wardrobe. Made in premium stretch fabric, these essential 120 denier maternity tights are warm, yet soft & breathable against your skin, perfect for all day wear. Featuring a specialist support panel across your bump, these tights are designed to grow with you throughout pregnancy, while ingenious non-slip silicone strips around the waistband hold them securely in place.
Styles Well With….
Pair with your favorite maternity dresses and skirts for instant style in colder weather.
Looking for a thinner tight? try the 80 Den!
Looking for a thicker tight? try the 300 Den!
86% Polyamide, 9% Elastane, 5% Polypropylene
Need more help? Chat with us
__________________________________🇨🇦 Getting your Canadian Order with Ella Bella Maternity 🇨🇦SHIPPINGSERVICEORDERAMOUNTCOSTEST.DELIVERYCanada PostExpeditedUnder $75(Before tax)$101-8 Business DaysCanada PostExpeditedOver $75(Before Tax)FREE1-8 Business DaysCanada PostExpresspostAll Order
$301-8 Business Days🇺🇸Getting your US Order with Ella Bella Maternity 🇺🇸 SHIPPING
Regular Post
Under $75
(Before tax)
$20 5-12 Business Days USPS
Regular Post
Over $75
(Before Tax)
FREE 5-12 Business Days USPS
All Order $30 1-8 Business DaysPlease allow up to 24 hours for order processing. Orders are shipped out Monday thru Friday from our warehouse in Calgary, Alberta. Orders placed on the weekend and select holidays are processed within the next 2 business days.
Canadian customers pay GST of 5% at checkout. Prices are listed in CAD, but you can choose to change your currency at the top lefthand side of the page. For US & international orders, duties, taxes and customs fees are the responsibility of the customer.
We take very good care in shipping your products, and include a tracking number through all shippers. However because we use a 3rd party shipper we cannot be held liable for lost or delayed shipments. Please contact email@example.com should anything happen and we can assist you as best as we can.
Orders under $150 are shipped without a signature. Orders over $150 are shipped with a signature required upon delivery.Please call us before you place your order if you need help figuring out size or just need help in general. We are here for you and want you to be happy with your purchase, so let us know if we can help!HINT: Try the "Chat with Stephanie" icon on the bottom of your screen!Ella Bella Maternity Boutique reserves the right to determine eligibility for refunds, and update this Policy at any time without notice.
The best way to contact us is by email at firstname.lastname@example.com or by phone at 403-271-0050 or 403-870-0695. You can also try the "chat now" feature on the main screen. We will almost always answer immediately!
Returns & Exchanges
HOLDAY SEASON UPDATE: November 2nd, 2020
Orders place until December 31st, 2020 as a gift can be returned or exchanged by January 15th, 2021.
Please note: the items must still be unwashed, unworn, with tags still attached.
Please don't hesitate to contact us via Chat for any questions. We appreciate your support during this difficult time for small businesses and will try to help and accommodate you in any way possible!
Looking to make a return or exchange? We would love to help you!
First off, ensure your product qualifies for a return/ exchange:
COUNTRY RETURNS/ EXCHANGES STORE CREDIT NOTES CANADA Accepted within 1-15 days Store credit accepted 16-30 days USA Accepted within 1-15 days Store credit accepted 16-30 days
US orders may require you to pay applicable duties
- Items posted back to Ella Bella within 7 days of delivery
- Items are accompanied with your proof of purchase
- Items are packaged in the same wrapping, with original tags attached
- Absolutely NO sign of wash or wear
- The return has an RA approved number found only online at https://ellabella.ca/pages/returns-centre
NO EXCEPTIONS to the above. Items returned without any of the above at subject to a 10% handling fee on the entire purchase.
Please be advised that we do not offer returns on sale items, NO EXCEPTIONS.
FINAL SALE on Footed tights/ Spanx, Lingerie, Skin care products, CPanty, Maternity Gowns, Gift Cards and all SALE ITEMS (excluding NEWBELLA and MAMA15). Any additional sale codes are FINAL SALE, and are not eligible for price adjustments. Purchases made with Gift Cards will receive the refund back on the gift card. Gift card purchases are not eligible for cash refunds.
We highly encourage you to use a tracking number when shipping back, as we are not responsible for undelivered packages.When returning goods to Ella Bella Maternity the shipping cost associated with the exchange/ return are considered the responsibility of the customer.
More information, including the return address and details on the returns process will be provided at the online Return Centre found at ellabella.ca/pages/returns-centre
Please call us before you place your order if you are unsure about sizing or just need help in general. We are here for you and want you to be happy with your purchase, so let us know if we can help!HINT: Try the "Chat with Stephanie" icon on the bottom of your screen!To return an item please send it back to:
Ella Bella Maternity Returns
30 Douglasdale Pt SE
Calgary, AB T2Z3B5
Original shipping charges are non-refundable. Return shipping costs are the responsibility of the customer and USA orders may be subject to duties or taxes. Should you ship COD, you will be deducted the cost on your refund. We would suggest a tracking number with your shipment.
Please allow 5 business days for your return to be received and processed. You will receive an automated email once the return has gone through. Returns may take a couple days to show up on your method of payment. Please be advised, if you payed via PayPal, your refund will be in your PayPal account.
Store credit never expires and is issued as a "gift card" so you can use it for online shopping.
Prices are listed in CAD and subject to 5% GST.
Ella Bella Maternity Boutique reserves the right to determine eligibility for refunds, and update this Policy at any time without notice.
Please feel free to contact the owner by email at firstname.lastname@example.com or by phone at 403-870-0695. You can also try the "chat now" feature on the main screen. We will almost always answer immediately!
Product Details
- Variant: Large / Tights
- Product Type: Seraphine


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A newly found understanding of receptor signaling may have revealed a better way to design drugs. A study from Nationwide Children's Hospital suggests that a newly identified group of proteins, alpha arrestins, may play a role in cell signaling that is crucial to new drug development. The study appears in PLOS ONE.
More than one-third of drugs on the market work by targeting G protein-coupled receptors that control how cells communicate and function. With many hundreds of members, G protein-coupled receptors are the largest family of signaling receptors throughout the body.
Once a cell's G protein-coupled receptor binds with a natural ligand or a drug, intracellular G proteins and beta arrestins independently mediate various signals. Immediately following, beta arrestins block further signaling of G proteins and recruit proteins to remove the receptor to halt cell signaling. Those receptors can subsequently recycle to the cell surface or be destroyed.
"Receptor down regulation caused by beta arrestins can interfere with drug efficacy because the G protein-coupled receptor that the drug has been targeting is absent from the cell surface," said Carlos E. Alvarez, PhD principal investigator in the Center for Molecular and Human Genetics at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital and lead study author. "This is why patients who are prescribed long-term medication can become drug-tolerant and require higher and higher doses."
In some cases, a drug's ability to trigger beta arrestin effects and block G protein signaling is preferential. Take beta blockers, for example. As the name suggests, beta blockers interfere with the binding to the receptor for epinephrine and other stress hormones, weakening the hormones' effects and therefore being useful in treating irregular heartbeats, prevention of second heart attacks, hypertension and other conditions. Screening has revealed that the beta blocker Carvedilol may be the most ideal for treatment of heart conditions as it reduces the cardiotoxic effects of G protein signaling, while increasing the cardioprotective effects of beta arrestin signaling.
Yet, it seems that beta arrestins may only be part of the cell signaling story. In 2008, Dr. Alvarez discovered a subfamily of arrestins that his team named alpha arrestins. In the current study, Fortune Shea in Dr. Alvarez's lab used biochemical and imaging approaches to further identify the role alpha arrestins play in cell signaling.
He found that alpha arrestins respond to receptor binding and recruit enzymes that chemically modify the receptor to initiate aspects of down regulation. These effects occur in the first five minutes after the receptor is bound, the same time frame that beta arrestins are known to have roles in triggering down regulation. The team is also the first to find that alpha arrestins function coordinately with beta arrestins.
"Our findings suggest that alpha arrestins, like beta arrestins, are ubiquitous regulators of G-protein coupled receptor signaling," says Dr. Alvarez. "It seems that like beta arrestins, alpha arrestins could have great pharmacological relevance."
A major effort in pharmacology is to develop drugs with functional selectivity that either target G protein or beta arrestin signaling effects. Dr. Alvarez foresees alpha arrestins becoming a big player in the refining of such efforts.
"Just as has been discovered with beta blockers and beta arrestin, I expect we'll find drugs that also have significant alpha arrestin effects," he says. "I believe that targeting alpha arrestins will allow us to develop compounds that are more effective and have reduced side effects," says Dr. Alvarez.
Shea F, Rowell J, Li Y, Chang TH, Alvarez C. Mammalian alpha arrestins link activated seven transmembrane receptors to Nedd4 family E3 ubiquitin ligases and interact with beta arrestins. PLOS ONE.

subset: commoncrawl


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Does the corner office prepare you for the Oval Office?
It's a central question of the 2012 Republican primary – and will probably remain so through the general election, if Mitt Romney hangs on to become the nominee. Mr. Romney, of course, says, yes, being a chief executive officer does prepare you to be president. So did Steve Forbes, Ross Perot, and before that, Lee Iacocca.
But a surging Rick Santorum and a defiant Newt Gingrich have a different view, at least when it comes to the former head of a particular venture capital firm, and President Obama will no doubt borrow some of their acidic lines and produce a few of his own, if an Obama-Romney matchup emerges later this year.
Yet America has no definitive answer to the question. As a country, it has had ex-generals as president, former governors, senators, an actor (Ronald Reagan), a onetime haberdasher (Harry Truman), a former tailor (Andrew Johnson) – even a hangman (Grover Cleveland, as a local sheriff, personally executed two men at the gallows). True, Herbert Hoover was a mining executive early in his career, and George W. Bush was the first president with an MBA.
But there has never been an American president who was a pure business executive or CEO, at least in the modern sense of the title. So perhaps it's time for a closer look at the proposition that running a company is a lot like running the country. What qualities would a chief executive bring to the job – and would they be a help or a hindrance?
First, some background. Back in 1979 when I was working in Washington, D.C., as a special assistant to the secretary of Transportation, I got a chance to see a business legend – and almost presidential candidate – up close and personal.
Congress had just bailed out Chrysler (the first time) using a package of loan guarantees, but the combination of an OPEC-induced oil crisis and inexpensive, well-made, fuel-efficient Japanese cars was threatening to swamp Detroit. Then-President Carter tasked my boss to go to Detroit, meet with the heads of the Big Three auto-makers, and come up with a package of programs and policies that could ease the economic pain that was afflicting the industrial Midwest.
The star of those high-level political meetings was Mr. Iacocca, the recently appointed chairman of Chrysler. He was smart, charismatic, and pragmatic. He not only knew how to revive the badly wounded Chrysler; he also knew how to talk to the American public.
Through a series of blunt, plain-spoken TV ads, Iacocca became the face, first, of his company, and second, gradually, of a renewed can-do American spirit. In the ads, Iacocca looked straight into the camera and challenged prospective car buyers with the kind of underdog bravado that seems hardwired into the American character.
"If you can find a better car," Iacocca said, "buy it."
Chrysler recovered (the first time) and Iacocca went on to become a national icon. So much so that in 1982, and then again in 1984 and in 1986, he was the focus of spontaneous "Iacocca for president" movements.
Why would Iacocca make a good president? The logic, as expressed in one Wall Street Journal article in 1982, went something like this: "If a Hollywood star can, why not a Detroit car salesman?"
In each case, the push for president fizzled, more because Iacocca wasn't interested than because he lacked the qualifications for the job. In his autobiography, Iacocca listed all the reasons he rejected the notion.
"I don't have the temperament for politics," he wrote. "I'm far too impatient. I'm candid to a fault, not a diplomat. I can't exactly imagine myself waiting eight years to see if we could get an energy bill passed."
Attributes that fit a CEO – but not a president. Since Iacocca didn't make the run, we've seen Mr. Perot, another straight-talking, no-nonsense business leader, actually run, twice. And in California, the state that gave us our lone actor-president, the political graveyard is littered with high-priced tombstones marking the failed campaigns of a number of wealthy CEOs who have sought to be governor or senator.
In 1998, businessman Al Checchi spent an estimated $40 million in the Democratic gubernatorial primary and finished second with 12 percent of the vote. More recently, Carly Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard CEO, ran for the US Senate as a Republican, but failed to convert her business acumen into an election night win. And in 2010, Meg Whitman, former eBay CEO, spent more than $144 million of her own money in the quest to be California governor, only to lose. Her consolation prize: Ms. Fiorina's old job as CEO of HP.
Now comes Romney, the former head of Bain Capital, the Boston-based private-equity investment firm. Until his GOP opponents started trying to turn his tenure at Bain into an irredeemable defect – suggesting that he was a "vulture capitalist" more interested in making money than creating jobs – he had made his 30-year career in business the central narrative of his campaign, not his one-term stint as governor of Massachusetts or his role in rescuing the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Games. Whether he is now able to reclaim that part of his résumé, at a time when the economy remains the predominant issue, may well help shape the rest of the nominating process and perhaps the election this fall.
Yet beneath all the slogans and invective that has emerged over the issue lies a deeper question: Are CEO and POTUS really compatible? This one question raises four others:
1. Are the skills the same?
"When voters size up a potential president, they look for evidence of strong leadership," says Jeremy Rosner. Mr. Rosner, who is executive vice president at Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, a Democratic polling and political consulting firm, worked in the Clinton White House and has handled political campaigns across the United States and in numerous countries around the world. "That can come from lots of places – from being a general, from government, and certainly from successful business experience. So it's not a bad qualification, particularly at this time when the overwhelming top concern of the public is the economy and jobs."
But, says Rosner, there are a few things that make the CEO-POTUS comparison slightly more complicated. "The job of the president goes beyond job creation," he notes, "including being commander in chief of the most powerful military in the world. And there are a lot of political tasks inherent in the presidency. To be successful, it's up to the president to create consensus, move things through the Congress, keep the states connected to the federal government, and perhaps most important, persuade people around him to do what he wants."
To make the point, Rosner repeats an oft-told story about the transition between outgoing President Truman and incoming President Eisenhower. Truman is cleaning out his office to make way for his successor, and pauses to shake his head a little sadly.
"Poor Ike," says Truman. "He's used to being a general. He's going to come into the White House, and he'll order people to do this and do that, and nothing will happen."
According to Rosner, "Politics has a unique skill set. You can't just translate your background directly from business."
That point of view is shared by Rick Schnieders, who retired three years ago from his post as CEO and chairman of Sysco, a $37 billion company and the largest food service distributor in the world.
"I don't think being a CEO would preclude you from being president," Mr. Schnieders says, "but in general, the traits aren't the same. In general, a CEO isn't going to have the same command of the political environment; if he's been doing his job, then he hasn't been out working in the political realm of congressmen, senators, governors. It's one thing to get involved peripherally in politics, but to have deep experience in that world is rare."
To Rosner, Romney may be emphasizing the wrong part of his résumé, but for understandable reasons. "Because of the Republican nominating process, he can't accentuate the fact that he was the Republican governor of a Democratic state or the role that he played in dealing with the politics of the Olympics and the International Olympic Committee. But those challenges are multifaceted. They involve money, security, politics, dealing with gridlock, and polarization. Those are more akin to being president than being CEO of Bain."
Not that Rosner minimizes the difficult challenges of running a company. "Having had some exposure to CEOs, I'm very impressed by them. They do hard and complex work, and they're required to be multidimensional in many ways. They need to understand the business, appreciate the legal requirements of their job, handle talent development, have an understanding of lots of different constituencies, and deal with the media. But impressive as CEOs are, the demands of being president or even the governor of a big state are even bigger."
And, says Rosner, there's one overarching difference. When it comes to jobs like the president or even a member of the cabinet, the work is essentially political – and in some basic ways that makes the job quite different from that of running a company.
"Don't forget what Max Weber said about the essence of politics," he says. "Politics is a strong and slow boring of hard boards."
Which is why Iacocca couldn't imagine waiting eight years to try to fashion an energy policy.
2. Are all CEOs the same?
"It seems to me, first of all, that the title is too broad," says Michael Berman. Mr. Berman is president of the Duberstein Group, a Washington lobbying firm; previously he was an aide to then-Sen. Walter Mondale, counsel to Mr. Mondale when he became vice president, and an adviser to both Bill and Hillary Clinton. "There are CEOs and there are CEOs. For example, the CEO of Bain Capital has a limited number of employees, a relatively homogenous workforce in terms of skill, and they're all producing revenue in more or less the same way. Compare that to the CEO of General Electric. You really can't compare the two jobs. Someone with that kind of large company experience would bring more to the table as president than someone who's run a venture fund. But nothing equals government in terms of its size and complexity."
Or how little managerial control the president actually has over the federal bureaucracy.
"Think of the federal government as a large company," Berman says. "The vast majority of people can't be hired or fired."
Statistics gathered on recent federal agency firings underscore the point. In 2010, only 11,668 federal employees were fired – or .55 percent of the government's 2.1 million workers. And that's not just a recent phenomenon. When Jimmy Carter was president, he succeeded in passing a civil service reform measure designed to make managing people in government more comparable to managing people in the private sector. The actual results, however, have proved minimal. Today, when presidential candidates charge that civil service rules hinder the ability of government officials to fire people, there is some truth to it. PolitiFact, the Pulitzer Prize-winning website that examines the veracity of such claims, confirms that it's hard to get rid of problem employees because of civil service protections.
Some agencies, such as the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission, went through all of 2010 without firing or laying off a single worker. By comparison, say employment experts, the private sector turns over about 3 percent of its workforce every year.
"When you're dealing with the federal bureaucracy, in any department there are going to be a huge number of people for whom that operation is their life's work," says Berman. "CEOs are used to getting things done pretty quickly. That's not how the federal government operates."
Warren Bennis agrees that not all CEOs are alike. At 87, Mr. Bennis is one of America's deans of leadership, a former university president, author, and now university professor and distinguished professor of management at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. "Take Paul O'Neill, the Treasury secretary under George W. Bush," Bennis says. "He was CEO of Alcoa, but when he took over at Treasury, he was out of the [dealmaking] flow. He wasn't willing to play the game. He kept expecting things to be logical."
Mr. O'Neill's example, says Bennis, is one case where even prior government service and the experience of leading a large and complex company didn't provide the right training for success in running a government department. Compare that with a more uniform, single-purpose leadership task – like running a private-equity fund.
"With a private-equity fund, you have a homogenous operation and very clear and somewhat repetitive practices aimed at one objective," Bennis says. "You put money in, turn a business around, and sell it for more than you paid for it. So it really depends on what the actual CEO experience is. Another comparison would be Ross Perot, who did run for president. His background was as an entrepreneur, which gave him a brilliant capacity to communicate with people and excite them."
The point that entrepreneurs have more in common with politicians than large company CEOs do is echoed by Joe Badaracco, the John Shad Professor of Business Ethics at the Harvard Business School in Cambridge, Mass. Professor Badaracco, whose father was president of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen, also makes the distinction between different kinds of CEOs with different types of experience and areas of responsibility.
"When you talk about a CEO running for president," he says, "I'd be inclined to ask about the specifics of that person's business experience. It's one thing to run a traditional large manufacturing operation, for example. That may tend to be more of a top-down firm, where the CEO issues orders from up above. That might be relevant in the White House when the president is giving orders to the military, say. But the rest of government is much more free-floating, with power bases shifting from one issue to the next."
But, adds Badaracco, today's entrepreneurs may have quite a bit of experience that applies to the world of politics. "Think about what entrepreneurs have to do to start a company, and what it takes to run for public office," he says. "There's an element of risk-taking that applies to both. These days, nobody asks you to run for office; you have to put yourself forward with the same kind of energy and imagination that an entrepreneur has to have. Entrepreneurs have to put a team together to get started. They're in a network more than a hierarchy. And they've got more experience with responsibility, but not necessarily traditional power."
3. Are there some CEO qualities that don't translate well to politics?
"Just being a CEO?" muses Rosner. "That's not enough by itself. Otherwise 'The Donald' [Trump] would be the front-runner."
So what else figures into the mix? "Personality," Rosner says. "Character. Steadiness."
And also some qualities and characteristics that CEOs can get away with, particularly if they stay out of the public eye – something politicians usually can't do. Some of the traits, for instance, that Iacocca mentioned as reasons he never ran.
"The public may be OK with the notion of an imperial presidency," says Rosner. "But they can't stand the idea of an imperious president. There's zero tolerance for a candidate who communicates a sense of imperiousness in how they conduct themselves in public. You want somebody who's not looking down on you and treating you like you're the stock boy at the bottom of the company."
In delving deeper into Perot's candidacies, Bennis agrees with Rosner. "The part of Ross Perot that was exciting was his entrepreneurial vision," Bennis says. "But there's another aspect to his personality, where he's the boss and he gives orders and expects others to follow them. To most voters, that's not appealing. It feels heavy-handed."
In other words, it's a complicated dance, a delicate balancing act. CEOs can claim executive experience, decisionmaking skills, and an understanding of how the economy works.
But they can't overbid their hands. They can't be perceived as overbearing, self-obsessed, or out of touch with or insensitive to the working reality of ordinary Americans. It's one thing to be The Boss, and something quite different to be The Man.
4. Even if they're qualified, are CEOs electable?
Barack Obama is the 44th president. That's 223 years without a single president who identified himself as a business executive or a CEO. Although to be fair, Calvin Coolidge famously said, "The chief business of the American people is business," It's also true, as Bennis notes, that the title "CEO" is a relatively new invention, having been coined in the mid-1980s.
But the question remains: Why not? Are too few business leaders interested in politics? Is the loss of privacy and the punishing process of campaigning simply too high a price for them to pay?
Are the skills and backgrounds too different? Do we use the metaphor of being "CEO of the United States" too loosely, when it isn't really the right comparison? Or does the American public have a problem with the idea of business leaders taking over the reins of government?
"When it comes to the office of the president," says Rosner, "the public has split feelings. On the one hand, we hear voters talking about how they wish the president would just get the job done. We need a businesslike leader who can cut through all the Washington, D.C., bureaucracy and make things happen. On the other hand, voters also appreciate that it's a highly complicated job. Just having a good résumé and appealing sound bites are not enough."
To Bennis, the leadership skills of a top-level CEO in a globally competitive world and the requirements of being president are very similar.
"All leaders, whether in business or government, need a higher level of cognitive capacity, the ability to understand the forces at work and the constituencies or stakeholders that shape your ability to succeed. Leaders have to be 'first-class noticers....' They have to be able to communicate with and align people both inside and outside their organizations."
"Leaders of business or government have to be trustworthy," he adds. "Trust is the basis for all communication. Without it, all you have is empty words on paper. The jobs aren't identical. But they're similar enough that a CEO who has the capacity to learn could be president. There are clearly CEOs today who are more qualified than people who have run for president in the past."
The issue, says Bennis, is electability.
"This isn't a board of directors choosing a CEO," he notes. "It's the people electing a president. And with the talk today of the 1 percent and the 99 percent, that makes it hard for any CEO, unless he's had other experiences, something that is more philanthropic or has a public purpose, like running a nonprofit or a university."
For example, Bennis says, take two of the country's leading CEOs, Jeff Immelt at General Electric and Alan Mulally at Ford. Bennis's assessment: Despite their obvious talent and qualifications, "the political climate would immediately rule them out. It's not because of their character or competencies," he says. "It's the role they've played in business and the public's attitude toward that."
Bennis's concern is supported by public opinion surveys. In 2007, before the collapse of the economy, the Harris polling firm, in an annual confidence survey, found that only 14 percent of Americans said they had a great deal of confidence in business leaders, while 29 percent said they had hardly any confidence at all.
By 2009, when the bottom had dropped out of the economy, the numbers had fallen even more, with 11 percent expressing a great deal of confidence and 35 percent having hardly any confidence. Moreover, in a 2011 Gallup poll that rated the honesty and ethical standards of people in 21 occupations, Americans put "business executive" in the bottom third.
Yet all this doesn't mean Romney's business background is radioactive. Indeed, polls have consistently showed that Americans believe he could do a better job of handling the economy than Obama – most recently in an ABC News/Washington Post poll, albeit by a narrowing margin, 48 percent to 45 percent. The same poll found that, overall, Romney's business experience is considered a substantial net positive – 48 percent calling it a major reason to support him and 12 percent a major reason to oppose him.
Not everyone trusts their auto mechanic, but when their car won't start, they still head for the local garage. Romney & Co. are betting Americans will want to do the same with the economy – tap a CEO to fix it. In the end, voters may be left asking themselves one question about the notion of a CEO as president: Even if the CEO is qualified, do I really want to vote for him?
For Romney, that question may shadow him all the way to November.
• Alan M. Webber is former editorial director of the Harvard Business Review, cofounder of Fast Company magazine, and author, most recently, of "Rules of Thumb: 52 Truths for Winning at Business Without Losing Your Self."


text:
Exagon Furtive eGT has perfect sports cars looks. Exagon Motors is planning to commence production of the Furtive-eGT by 2012 and is hoping to sell 100 cars a year. Price of the electric sports car Furtive-eGT is expected to be two or three times that of the Tesla Roadster.
2012 Exagon Electric Sport Cars Furtive-eGTThe electric sports car Furtive-eGT is powered by two latest-generation engines created by Siemens Corporate Technology, each providing an output of 125 kW, i.e. total power equivalent to 340 hp at 5,000 to 10,000 rpm. These are currently the lightest and most compact engines available on the market. They have a liquid cooling system and their efficiency is outstanding.
The lithium-ion batteries manufactured by worldwide specialist Saft are the beating heart of the Furtive-eGT. Latest-generation lithium-ion batteries by Saft + an optional range extender. These state-of-the-art VL 4 batteries provide 150 kWh (50,000 watt-hours). They have a life cycle of approximately ten years, can undergo 3,000 charging cycles and are recyclable. Their autonomy is astounding: 197 to 406 km in electric-only mode, depending on usage conditions. An optional range extender brings the autonomy up to 807 km.
Exagon MotorsTM aims to produce the Furtive-eGT in a small series, with an annual output of around a hundred cars. For the two upcoming years, Exagon MotorsTM will keep the press and media up-to-date on progress made in the electric sports car Furtive-eGT's entry into production.
The first test runs for the press are due to start in June 2011.


text:
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Please note : Change is part of the process at Tirupathi - so information shared here may change. Will try and keep updated as frequently as I can - This
Dear Mr Naresh Goyal ; I have been a loyal Jet Airways customer for the last twenty years. Damania, East West , Deccan, KF have come & gone but Jet
Its Appraisal time (My Company follows a Oct - Sep cycle). I am getting ready for a discussion that always comes up as an " area of improvement" - consistently
An Apple a day keeps the doctor away. We all grew up with this age old adage. Its indeed True - most nutrition consultants will advice that an Apple is the ideal
Its our 66th Independence Day. The ladies in our building put together a nice 1 hr program to celebrate the occasion. The kids had to sing " Sare Jahan Se


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4 lbs. red or white Lehigh County potatoes (8 to 9 medium potatoes)
6 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
3 to 4 stalks celery, diced
6 slices bacon, fried and crumbled (optional)
1 cup Miracle Whip
Salt and pepper to taste
Dice potatoes, cover with water and cook until done, about 10 minutes. Drain and cool. Add remaining ingredients and toss.


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ATTENTION: Policy memos that have been partially or fully superseded by the USCIS Policy Manual have been stamped and republished. If you have bookmarked affected memo PDF files, you will now see the updated stamped version of the memo indicating that you should visit www./policy-manual for current policy.
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No, this isn't a traditional place that many people may think of. However, this tree has a special place in my memory.
Right now it's Really HOT in Arizona and I was thinking about how I dealt with summer heat as a child. I grew up in Southern California. We didn't have any air conditioning. We opened the windows and drapes in the morning. As soon as it began to get hot (9-10 AM) we closed the windows and drapes to keep out the heat. Then about 4 PM we opened up the house again and let the breezes blow through the house. The windows stayed open all night.
So what does an avocado tree have to do with heat? Well, we had four avocado trees in our backyard. The trees were large and produced great Haas avocados. The second largest tree had a large branch, perhaps12 inches in diameter, which attached to the trunk about 30 inches off of the ground. It grew in a slightly upwards direction. I would sit on the branch with my legs stretched along the branch and with my back against the trunk. And I read, and read, and read. For hours I read.
It was shady; the breezes blew through the huge leaves. I escaped the heat, reality (for an hour or two), and, incidentally, also my two younger brothers and sisters. A great memory for one of "Those Places.


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Champaign City Council Opens Process For District 5 Appointment
Those interested in applying for a vacant Champaign city council seat have until next Tuesday to apply, but a name won't be chosen for nearly a month.
Members are expected to choose a temporary appointment to the vacant District 5 seat on Feb. 1. In Tuesday night's study session, the council chose Jan. 11 as the deadline for applicants, and will hold interviews at its Jan. 18 meeting. Gordy Hulten resigned from the seat Tuesday to be sworn in Wednesday morning as the next Champaign County Clerk.
Paul Faraci, Jim McGuire, and Cathy Emanuel have already filed to run as write-in candidates for the District 5 seat in April's election, but applicants will be considered whether or not they plan on running this spring. Council member Deb Frank Feinen said she has real concerns with naming one of those three to the seat, saying it gives them an edge before voters have a say.
"It provides an advantage for someone that we as a group of 8 have decided maybe is the best fit for the council, but that the voters haven't had the opportunity to decide about," Feinen said. "And I find that troublesome."
But Council member Marci Dodds said that is part of the democratic process.
"This sort of idea that we're giving an instant leg up to the three people running as write-ins, I think, is premature," Dodds said. "It also means it voters in District 5 have a chance to say 'yeah, we don't like what you did. You're out of here."
Mayor Jerry Schweighart has already suggested one possible appointment to serve in the seat, but only until May. Mike Hosier formerly served on the city council in the 1980's. Council members decided against leaving the District 5 seat vacant until May, which would violate a state law requiring it to be filled within 60 days. Meanwhile, those seeking a write-in candidacy to run in for the seat in April have until Feb. 3 to file.
Hulten spent less than nine months with the Champaign City Council, but he said last night's resignation was still an emotional one. The District 5 Republican said as a result of serving on the council, he has learned much more about the issues facing his neighbors, and how a well-run body of government should function.
"You can have vigorous disagreements over fundamental issues facing the city," Hulten said. "We can discuss them in a cordial way, we can vote our conscience, we then can move on to the next issue and we don't become mortal enemies. And that's a rare and special thing in politics these days - and I'm glad there's some a commitment to nurturing that on council."
Hulten was given a round of applause by his council colleagues before the meeting adjourned.


text: The look of calfskin, without shrinkage. Original Elite head has bonded textured surface and a deep warm sound. Elite banjo heads feature a modern material with the feel and appearance of calfskin, for a warm old-time sound. They're a popular and practical alternative: no shrinkage or stretching due to humidity. 11" high crown. Choosing the right size banjo headMeasure your banjo for the correct head diameterYour banjo's rim may be slightly out of round, so take at least three diameter measurements at different points on the outside of the banjo's tone ring or rim top. Use the average diameter to the nearest 1/16" to order the correct size. Most modern banjos use an 11"-diameter head. Modern makers of "old-time" open-back banjos usually use 11" (and sometimes 12") heads. Vintage banjos, however, may have a range of rim diameters from 10" to 12".Choose the correct crown heightCrown height is the vertical distance from the top of the head's mounting band to the top surface of the head. A banjo with a flathead tone ring (or a flat-topped banjo) requires a medium or high crown head. A banjo with an archtop tone ring requires a low crown head. The correct crown height prevents the banjo's tension hoop from pulling down too far, and ensures the hoop won't be so high as to impede the strings. CALIFORNIA PROPOSITION 65 WARNING WARNING: Cancer and Reproductive Harm - www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.


text: Founded in 1973 by Pierre Martin and Jean-Marie Riffard in Loriol-sur-Drôme in France, the name Corima is taken from COoperation RIffard MArtininitial who's initial activities were making molds and models for the foundry, automobile and aeronautics sectors before moving into the bicycle industry in the late 1980's. Looking at the modern aerodynamic integrated designs of many brands today it can be seen that Corima were significantly ahead of their time with their early frame molds and designs. Since then Corima have shifted away from frame technology whilst still concentrating on aerodynamic research to constantly try to reduce drag and increase performance via their World Leading Wheelsets. A passionate family owned and operated business from the very beginning, Corima are well known as pioneering French Carbon Composite Experts and have developed a worldclass reputation by leading the way in innovation, technology and superior quality Carbon products.


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2013 Ford F-150 Reviews
2013 F-150 New Car Test Drive
Smooth and quiet, the Ford F-150 is comfortable on bumpy streets around town, over rugged terrain at construction sites, around farms and over utility roads, and on the open highway. Its steering is nicely weighted and requires little correction on the highway making it nice for long cross-country tows. The cabs are comfortable, whether ordered with leather or cloth.
The 2012 Ford F-150 lineup offers a plethora of models in dozens of permutations. All are highly capable trucks, even those loaded with luxury features. The F-150 was completely redesigned for 2009. For 2011, the F-150 received a new engine lineup and electric-assist steering on all but 6.2-powered Crew Cabs. For 2012, the Lariat Limited model is no longer offered, but one of the nine F-150 versions should be close enough.
A new FX appearance package is for 2012 F-150 FX2 and FX4 models that includes 20-inch wheels and lots of flat-black trim inside and out. The FX Luxury package adds cooling to the heatable front seats.
Other noteworthy changes include electric shift-on-the-fly four-wheel drive for 2012 F-150 XL up to Lariat models, while 2012 F-150 Lariat, King Ranch and Platinum offer a 4x4 auto mode that requires no driver action and hill start assist. All 2012 F-150 4WD models can now be flat-towed behind another vehicle, like a motorhome or larger construction truck. And a new locking rear differential for 2012 is offered on more axle ratios and 2WD models than the old limited-slip was.
The F-150 lineup runs the gamut from wash-off vinyl flooring and a two-door Regular Cab to leather-lined premium four-door models with as much rear-seat legroom as the front of most luxury sedans: Within those extremes lies something for everyone. Yet even the least-expensive F-150 isn't boring; it leaves room for customization, does the work required, and keeps overhead down.
With one of the deepest beds in the segment, the F-150 has generous cargo volume out back and a maximum payload rating of 3,060 pounds; most versions carry 1,550-2,100 pounds. Any cab model F-150 can be optioned to tow more than 11,000 pounds; the range varies from 5,500-11,300 pounds. (The Ford Super Duty line of heavy-duty pickups is covered in a separate New Car Test Drive review.)
Two V8 and two V6 engines are offered, all with 6-speed automatic transmissions. Standard on 2WD is a 302-hp 3.7-liter V6. Other choices include a 360-hp 5-liter V8, the only engine offered on every cab/bed combination, a 411-hp 6.2-liter V8 on SuperCrew short beds, and a 365-hp twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 on all but regular cab short beds. Each engine except the 6.2 offers multiple axle ratios.
Many years the best-selling pickup, the F-150's had a target on it for those same years. So it has to stay competitive: The standard V6 is more powerful than any other pickup V6 and the same horsepower as Chevy's 1.1-liter-larger V8; the 6.2 offered in Crew Cabs and Raptor is more powerful than any half-ton pickup engine; it's the only pickup that comes with a 6-speed automatic in every model. And its maximum payload and weight ratings are competitive in a world where numbers and rankings often change monthly.
Like any full-size pickup, the key to an F-150 is assessing your needs accurately and choosing the best one among all the permutations. Also like any pickup, remember that maximum payload and maximum trailer weight don't go together, are available only on a few of the 50-plus versions, and often decline as soon as you check an option box other than paint or aluminum wheels. Also remember the EPA ratings are only that, for empty trucks, and you are moving around at least 5,000 pounds. Do that, and you should be quite happy with any F-150.
The 2012 Ford F-150 comes in more than four-dozen configurations, so it's easier to find which setups you can not get: No luxury trim Regular Cab, no ultra-lux SuperCab, and no long-bed SuperCrew. Everything else is split amongst four wheelbases, three cab sizes, three bed lengths (one of which is available in two styles), four engines, nine trim levels, and rear- or four-wheel drive.
Regular Cabs are offered in standard bed (about 6.5 feet) and long bed (about 8 feet) XL, STX, or XLT grades. SuperCab trucks add higher FX and Lariat trim to choices plus SVT's Raptor, and a short-bed option (about 5.5 feet). A long-bed SuperCab is available only with the heavy-duty package. The SuperCrew F-150, available with either the short bed or standard bed, drops the STX grade and adds King Ranch and Platinum derivatives while Harley-Davidson is SuperCrew short bed only.
The F-150 XL ($22,990) is a standard bed, Regular Cab two-wheel drive. It comes with 3.7-liter V6, 17-inch steel wheels, black bumper/grille/mirrors, and vinyl upholstery and floor covering. XL includes air conditioning, split front bench (and rear on four-door cabs), locking tailgate, tilt steering wheel, stability control, capless fuel filler and a stereo radio. 4x4 models get standard electric-shift-on-the-fly 4WD.
F-150 STX ($26,665) adds body-color bumpers over a black grille, CD player, and cloth seats with driver lumbar. More equipment is available, including 18-inch wheels, Sirius radio, SYNC, cruise control, fog lamps and power mirrors.
Many models of F-150, the longest bed in all three cab styles, are available with a heavy-duty payload package with 3.5 and 5-liter engines. This is typically about $1,700 and required to get the maximum payload rating about 1,000 pounds heavier than standard F-150. It includes stouter parts underneath and 7-lug 17x7.5 inch wheels.
F-150 XLT ($27,690) adds chrome for bumpers and trim, power mirrors, remote keyless entry, automatic headlamps, carpeting, cruise control, power windows and locks, and better cloth upholstery. All manner of options are available on the XLT, including three wheel diameters, tailgate step, cargo management and towing equipment.
F-150 FX4 ($37,480) and FX2 ($33,900) come with a 5-liter V8, black grille and body-colored bumpers, trim and mirrors. Standard are fog lamps, a locking differential, towing package, 18-inch wheels, sporty cloth split bench seat (power driver on four-doors), Sirius radio, and electric-shift 4WD on FX4. Options include infotainment and 17-inch (for more severe off-road use) 20-inch wheels and the FX appearance pack that includes 20s and lots of blacked-out pieces.
F-150 Lariat ($35,010) is the mainstream luxury F-150 and hence is four-door only with V8 or turbo V6 engines. Chrome trim and bumpers highlight monotone paint, and the Lariat adds heated mirrors with signal repeaters and auto-dimming on the driver's and inside, dual-zone climate control, heated power leather seats with driver memory, leather wheel with redundant audio controls, tow package, SYNC, trip computer, and power adjustable pedals. Options include 20-inch wheels, heated/cooled front seats, Sony sound and navigation, trailer brake controller, rear camera and park sensors, and moonroof.
F-150 King Ranch ($42,515) is like a Lariat with a different attitude. It adds two-tone paint and KR badges, unique wheels, mesh chrome grille, Chaparral leather heated and cooled power captain's chairs with driver memory, running boards, and power folding, heated, signal outside mirrors with chrome caps. Options are essentially limited to engines, a locking differential, alternative axle ratios, 20-inch wheels, Sony sound and navigation systems, moonroof, chrome tube running boards and remote start.
F-150 Platinum SuperCrew ($44,235) gets a unique satin chrome grille, body-color bumpers and wheel lip moldings, 20-inch wheels, power-deploy/retract running boards, satin chrome tailgate trim, tuxedo-stitched leather power captain's chairs, wood grain and brushed aluminum trim, rain-sensing wipers, power folding/heated mirrors, and unique console. Options are limited but you can get 17-inch wheels and all-terrain tires for luxury on the farm.
A special F-150 Harley-Davidson edition ($48,720 2WD/$51,995 4WD) comes with 6.2-liter V8 only and decked out in colors and heavy chrome trim befitting the brand it's named after.
Ford's SVT division offers the Raptor SuperCab ($42,570) and Raptor SuperCrew ($45,470) intended for serious off-road use. It comes only with the 411-hp 6.2-liter V8. Unique long-travel high-performance suspension, wheels and tires, and aggressive bodywork set it apart from any other F-150. A front camera is offered for seeing close-in obstacles or drops obscured by the hood.
The F-150 option list is comprehensive and, although simplified in recent years, can still resemble the tax code to the uninitiated; there are, for example, many option codes for running boards and trailer towing mirrors. Most options are dependent on the model and other options, and many features are standard on more expensive models or go that way with engine upgrades. In addition, prices of options often vary by trim level.
All prices listed above are just a starting point for the trim level. Options and packages add to the price, though they may also add to your enjoyment of the vehicle. To approximate an upgrade, add $2500-$3500 for four-wheel drive, $250-$350 for a longer bed, and $1500-$4000 for a larger cab. In many cases these upgrades add more standard equipment and/or a larger engine. (All prices are Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Prices, which do not include destination charge and may change at any time without notice.)
Mechanical options include engine upgrades, alternate axle ratios, limited-slip or locking differentials, larger tires and upgraded wheels, skid plates, towing mirrors, trailer brake controller ($230), 36-gallon long-bed fuel tank, tailgate step, heavy-duty payload package, and Ford Works systems like an in-dash computer. An engine block heater is available to fleet buyers and standard on Alaska and northern plains-state trucks. Other upgrades include captain's chairs bucket seats with center console, power sliding rear window, rear-view camera (with or without navigation) reverse parking sensors, tri-coat or two-tone paint, moonroof ($995), Sirius radio, sound systems, remote start, and navigation.
Safety features that come standard include antilock brakes, AdvanceTrac RSC electronic stability control, trailer sway control, frontal airbags, front side airbags, and side curtain airbags. Safety-related options include an integrated trailer brake controller, rear-view camera, MyKey, and reverse park sensors.


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Trans-European online debates, 25.11.2020, 14h00 – 16h30
Rue du Taciturne 38BE-1000 BrusselsBelgium
+32 22 34 62 90+32 22 34 62 81
Please visit the main FES library website to search for all full-text publications published by FES offices worldwide. more
The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) is a non-profit German foundation funded by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany, and headquartered in Bonn and Berlin. It was founded in 1925 and is named after Germany's first democratically elected President, Friedrich Ebert. FES is committed to the advancement of both socio-political and economic development in the spirit of social democracy, through civic education, research, and international cooperation. Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung is the oldest political foundation in Germany.


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If you want to get the upper hand in a negotiation, give your opponent a latte and sit them on a sofa.
As new insights into the mind show, people's behaviors are shaped by their physical sensations — all without their knowing. For instance, if you're holding something warm, you'll treat the people around you more warmly.
That's great if you want to make a friend, but not so great if you're sticking to your asking price.
Tel Aviv University professor Thalma Lobel tells Business Insider that this is all a part of embodied cognition, a growing field within psychology that shows how your mental life is a part of your physical life. Her new book, "Sensation: The New Science of Physical Intelligence," details why.
"As children, we first learn the concrete concepts of close or far, smooth or rough, warm or cold," she says. "On the basis of these concrete concepts we learn more abstract concepts."
You can hear it in the way we talk about each other: She's a smooth operator; he's a cool customer; they're warm people.
"When we feel the physical sensations," Lobel says, "they activate the more abstract concepts. That's why when we touch something warm, without our being aware of that process, it activates the concept of a warm personality."
The book examines a range of research on the way our physical sensations shape our mental lives and, as a consequence, our social interactions.
In a 2008 study, experimenters gave cups of coffee to people and asked them to rate somebody's personality based on a snippet of information. The trick was that one group held a hot cup off coffee, and the other held iced coffee. The group that held the hot cup gave a much higher rating of "warmth" than the people holding the iced coffee.
"None of them were aware that the cup of coffee influenced their judgment," Lobel says.
In a related 2010 study, experimenters sat subjects down and put them into a simulated negotiation over the price of a car. Their first offer was rejected and then they had to make another offer. The trick was that one group of subjects was seated in soft chairs, another in hard chairs. As blog Neuromarketing reports, the people in soft chairs increased their offers by almost 40% more than those in hard chairs. The people in hard chairs, on the other hand, were hard bargainers.
In a 2011 study, experimenters gave subjects a bit of chocolate, a cracker, or no food. They were then asked to fill out an unrelated questionnaire, after which an experimenter told the participants that "another professor from the psychology department had just stopped by and said that volunteers for another, unrelated study were needed." Who was more likely to volunteer? The chocolate eaters.
The conclusion: In a negotiation, give your opponents something sweet and warm and sit them in a soft chair, and it could tip the scale to your favor, Lobel says.
See Also:14 Surprising Things That Affect Your Willpower And Decision MakingHow James Patterson Sells More Books Than J.K. Rowling Or Stephen KingHow To Take The Perfect Power Nap At Work
SEE ALSO: Here's Why Companies Are Desperate To Hire Anthropologists


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Adelaide Hills Action Group Meeting 14-02-19
Do you want a fair, flourishing and just Australia?
We're a fabulous team of volunteers who share a passion for pursuing environmental justice, human rights, democracy and economic fairness.
Get together with passionate, like-minded progressives to plan how to contribute to GetUp's campaigns. New members welcome!
February 14, 2019 at 6:30pm - 8pm
To get full location details please RSVP to this event.
Stirling Coventry Library
Stirling, SA, Australia
Stirling Coventry Library
Stirling, SA, Australia
Gabrielle Bond · · 0401 969 646


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ZEV Technologies Standard Drop-In Trigger Kit
Color: Black Trigger / Black Safety
Fits: 9mm - 1st - 3rd Gen ONLY!
*** Will NOT fit 4th Gen Glocks ***
Brand new & factory sealed
Product Description:
We handle all payments through Paypal. Please pay at the time of purchase so we can ship out your item to you as soon as possible.
We ship all items via USPS. Most orders are shipped within 24 hours. Delivery time in the US is normally between 2-5 business days.
We accept returns for refunds within 14 days of delivery date on unopened packages only. Return shipping paid for by buyer.
We will be happy to issue a refund/exchange if a buyer receives a product that is not as described.
Thank you for looking and please contact us with any and all questions!


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If you're sick of hearing about the holidays, gift-buying, traveling and everything else, we've got a brief respite for you in the way of the Givenchy Spring-Summer 2015 handbag lookbook. The upcoming collection has new versions of all the hits Givenchy lovers have come to know and love, plus a couple of new designs.
The most notable knew bag is the Postino, which is true to its name--the big, soft crossbody looks like a very high-end version of a letter carrier's bag. There's also a new, hard-shell enamel clutch, which will put Givenchy's bags onto the same red carpets where its couture has become a staple. There's also a pretty new floral and some gorgeous exotics, and you can check them all out below.


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'God loves a cheerful giver'
We must learn to fight our natural impulse toward greed and adopt an attitude of selfless giving
by Mark Shea, OSV Newsweekly
It is a well-known fact that people start to tense up when the Church begins hinting that we pull out our wallets.
And not, by the way, just us lay people. Almost every priest I have ever known dreads having to discuss money. And that makes their job pretty rough since Jesus speaks more about money than about any other subject. He not only has plenty to say about the rich and the poor, but he constantly uses money to illustrate his parables. They are chock full of people being paid, or owing debts, or being forgiven debts, or investing, blowing or hiding money. He himself has no money as a rule (which is why he has to borrow a coin to talk about rendering to Caesar), and he radiates a distrust and disapproval of having to touch the stuff more than you might have to handle uranium 235, except for the same purpose: to get rid of it for some useful purpose, while always being conscious that it might blow up in your face if you start to worship it. Mammon is, emphatically for Jesus, a rival god. Almost his whole counsel regarding money is "Be as generous as you can be with it, since the only real use for it is helping you get to heaven."
A dilemma
|Importance of Giving
In Matthew Kelly's 2012 book "The Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic," he identifies generosity as the "third sign." Here's an excerpt:
"Generosity is at the heart of the Christian life, just as it is at the heart of the Gospel. For it is often through our generosity that we are able to bring the love of God to life for others in very real and tangible ways. God is by his very nature generous. God wants to convince us of his generosity, and in turn wants us to live generous lives.
And yet, of course, for all sorts of practical and sensible reasons, we are very leery of that advice. Why? There is a famous story about C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien that nicely illustrates the dilemma facing Christians whenever the question of generosity — and particularly generosity toward the poor — arises. The two great writers were on a walking tour of England once and happened on a beggar. Lewis, as was his custom, reached into his pocket and gave the man what shillings he had. As they walked on, Tolkien frowned and said, "He's just going to spend it on drink, you know." To which Lewis responded, "I was just going to spend it on drink."
It is strange to speak of the "problem of generosity." Particularly when the Christian tradition is so clear in pronouncing a blessing on those who are generous. Like the Jewish tradition from which it springs, the Christian tradition commends liberality in giving. It sings Psalm 37:25-26:
"Neither in my youth, nor now in old age have I seen the righteous one abandoned or his offspring begging for bread. All day long he is gracious and lends, and his offspring become a blessing."
Likewise, the apostle Paul says succinctly, "God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Cor 9:7). And in this, he is simply following his master who urges us, "Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you" (Lk 6:38).
Supply and demand
In short, the Christian tradition commends not just generosity, but almost a crazy generosity; which is, of course, the problem since reality quickly impinges on all that with various hard facts. One is that most of us don't have all that much money, and what we have, we feel we need for food and shelter and taxes and the kid's braces and the new transmission and the college fund and retirement and so forth. What if it's not there when we need it? We're not greedy. It's not going to pay the servants fanning us with ostrich feathers and popping grapes in our mouths.
And in addition to the skimpy supply, there is the matter of demand: Who are these people asking for our hard-earned money? How do we know we aren't just enabling somebody's drug habit? What about people's need to learn thrift and hard work and not going around looking for a handout? What should we think when the state gets involved?
One place not to start is with the assumption that your first natural impulse is the right one. Just as lust is one of the seven deadly sins while chastity is a learned habit, so greed is also one of the seven deadly sins and generosity is a learned habit. This means that left to our untutored fallen nature, the odds are extremely good that we will choose to refuse Christian generosity if we could, just as we'd choose lust if we could. Our natural impulse is to hoard our stuff as much as we can, just as our natural impulse is to indulge our sexual appetites as often as we can. That's life outside the garden.
So what do we do? Well one useful rule of thumb is to tithe: 5 percent to the Church, 5 percent to some other charity. However, the thing to bear in mind is that this is simply a baseline. In short, don't go below it, but feel free to go as far above it as you like.
Fooling ourselves
The idea is that you are using your resources to give as much life and love as you can, not that you are fulfilling a minimum daily adult requirement of eating spinach. "Generosity" is related to words like "generate" and "generation." It speaks of a joyful willingness to create the conditions for life and love and human flourishing.
The world hates all that. So it tells us various lies or edits the Bible to make it more "sensible." One beloved verse the world cherishes (out of context) almost as much as it loves "Judge not" (out of context) is Paul's remark, "if anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat" (2 Thes 3:10).
The problem is that this is taken from Paul's Second Letter to the Thessalonians, not Paul's Second Letter to Congress. It is not intended as a social program, but as a directive to those within the Church, not to those outside it. His point was: "don't sit there on your duffs waiting for Jesus to return, but get busy (so that you will have something to be generous with)."
Here's the thing: Jesus himself is astonishingly profligate and (by our standards) even reckless in his counsels on generosity toward those outside the Church. Just as he tells us to be generous in mercy beyond anything our cautious fallen nature is comfortable with (commanding us to forgive, not seven times, but 70 times seven times), so he urges us toward a generosity with our worldly wealth that scares us: "Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow" (Mt 5:42).
Give selflessly
Note that there are no qualifications on that whatsoever. Nothing about the "deserving poor" or checking on their work history. Nothing about expectation of payback. Indeed, he specifically puts a premium on not getting payback:
"When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment. Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous" (Lk 14:12-14).
So does that mean you should try to be prepared for anybody who asks? Well, yeah. It doesn't mean it has to be money you give. You can, for instance, give food to a homeless guy. You can give yourself, listening for a few minutes. You can give to people who have the resources and knowledge of the community to help them.
You can be generous with your time or talent if you don't have a lot of dough. You can (and this is often overlooked) be a cheerful giver even when you pay your taxes (since the state's legitimate job is, in part, looking out for the common good of the poor and homeless). There is, in the end, no formula for generosity. It is an attitude of heart rather than a legal prescription.
Mark Shea is the author of Salt and Light: The Commandments, the Beatitudes, and a Joyful Life (Servant, $15.99). He writes the "Catholic and Enjoying It" blog atwww.patheos.com/blogs/markshea/.
This article comes to you from OSV Newsweekly (Our Sunday Visitor) courtesy of your parish or diocese.


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Oct 29, 2020
Morning Comments
Morning grain market commentary by Jacob Christy.
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Thanksgiving Day, 11/26/2020: No Videos
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"It is all about people," Anne comments as she describes her photography,
"people and what they care about. The stories that are being lived right now –
next door, on the other side of the world, anywhere and everywhere – are what
call my name."
read more...
Click on a photo to open it!


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| Syracuse NY | Syracuse Police PBA
Syracuse Police Officer Shot And Second Officer Injured on Walrath Rd
A man was killed and a Syracuse police officer injured this evening during a shootout that started when two officers tried to pull the man out of a vehicle on South Salina Street.
The injured officer, identified by sources as 14-year veteran Richard Curran, was hit twice during the 7:30 p.m. shooting, one bullet striking him in the back. A second officer shot and killed the man after a brief foot chase on Walrath Road, near South Salina Street, said Syracuse Police Chief Gary Miguel.
A witness said at least a dozen shots were fired during the daylight shooting. The shooter was identified by police as James Tyson, 33.
Police were near the other end of Ballantyne Road, at Valley Drive, investigating an unrelated 2:20 p.m. fatal stabbing in front of Johnson's auto repair shop, when the shooting happened at the busy intersection where Ballantyne crosses South Salina and turns into Walrath Road.
City police chief Gary Miguel said the second officer involved in a shoot-out Monday night on Syracuse's South Side also was injured. Officer Richard Curran was hit twice by gunfire. A protective vest saved his life and he is expected to be released from University Hospital later today, Miguel said. The second officer, Edward Falkowski, suffered a lacerated eardrum because he was so close to suspect James Tyson when Tyson fired the first shot toward the officers.
Syracuse Police Officer Shot
from Syracuse.com


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Editors' note: In September 2010, the rating for the Cowon S9 was lowered slightly to account for its relative value compared with newer products.
The Cowon S9 is the first-touch screen MP3 player of 2009 to give Apple's iPod Touch a run for its money. Available in 8GB ($199) and 16GB ($239) capacities, the Cowon S9 is distinguished by its phenomenal audio quality and OLED touch-screen display.
Picking up the Cowon S9, the first thing you'll notice is how incredibly light it is (2.7 ounces), which is nearly half the weight of the iPod Touch. Normally this is the kind of thing we would applaud, but the S9 is so impossibly light that it feels more like a toy than $200 worth of technology. After a week of subjecting the S9 to daily wear and tear, however, we're happy to report the S9 is more resilient than we first anticipated. The 3.75 inches by 4.25 inches of clear plastic that covers the face of the S9 is inordinately scratch-resistant, and the dark-colored back and sides hide nicks and smudges much better than the shiny chrome of the iPod can.
The only glaring weak point we found with the S9's construction is the thin, plastic play button lodged into the top edge of the screen. Mistaking the button for a retractable stylus, we nearly ripped the button off just moments after taking the S9 out of the box (the button has been a bit wobbly ever since). Luckily for us, the S9's play button is duplicated by the onscreen playback controls.
On the same top edge of the player you'll find a track-skip switch (also duplicated onscreen) and a volume switch. If it were up to us, we'd lose the S9's play and skip buttons to lessen confusion, because more often than not we brushed the play button accidentally or hit track skip when we meant to turn up the volume.
The bottom edge of the S9 offers a power-hold switch, headphone jack, and a 20-pin USB jack more common to cell phones than MP3 players. Having the headphone jack smack in the middle of the S9's bottom edge makes it a bit awkward to hold in landscape view, and unless there's a good excuse, we always prefer to see mini-USB jacks on portable devices than specialized connectors.
In spite of all the little faults we could nitpick about, the Cowon S9's hardware scores big when it comes to the screen. Not only does the S9 use a lightening-fast capacitive touch interface (comparable to the iPhone's), but its 3.3-inch screen is made from OLED instead of conventional LCD. The S9's screen isn't as large as the 3.5-inch screen on the iPod Touch, but it comes very close and is noticeably more substantial than the screen on the Samsung P2. If you're picky about screen quality, the S9's 480x272 OLED display does not disappoint: the colors are vibrant, contrast is excellent, and there isn't a single viewing angle that doesn't look great.
User interface
Hardware has always been Cowon's strong suit, but its track record with user interfaces has been hit or miss. For the most part, the onscreen user interface of the S9 is one of the best we've ever seen from Cowon. The main menu is spacious, the touch screen is responsive, and we liked the extra details, such as icon animation and page transitions. Unfortunately, despite being Cowon's best effort, Apple and Samsung have set the bar incredibly high with the interfaces of their touch-screen media players, which have benefited from the parallel development of touch-screen mobile phones.
Our overriding criticism of the S9's user interface is that it tries to do too much. For example, in order to fit controls for shuffle modes, song repeat, play and pause, skip, A-B loop, EQ, and tilt-sensor lock onto the S9's music playback screen, Cowon used a control strip across the bottom of the screen that flips around to reveal a second set of controls. When pressed, some of these controls (EQ, for instance) pop up new menus that overlay across the screen, requiring a precise click to close. We can appreciate the ambitious amount of options Cowon is trying to offer the user, but at some point it just becomes messy--especially on a touch screen.
The Cowon S9 handles an impressive array of audio and video formats and throws in extras, such as Bluetooth audio, FM radio, voice recording, radio recording, BBE+ sound enhancement, a text reader, and a Flash media player that begs for games (none are included). If you're willing to shell out an additional $9, you can also buy an accessory cable that enables the S9's video-output capabilities.
From the audio side of things, the S9 offers support for MP3, WMA, FLAC, OGG, WAV, and APE and allows you to sort your collection by both ID3 attributes (artist, album, genre) or folder tree. The music-playback screen includes album art, track controls, EQ settings, file information, and options for bookmarking songs or adding them to an on-the-go playlist. Like the iPod Touch, a tilt sensor inside the S9 changes the music-playback screen to an album browser when the device is turned on its side. The S9's ability to connect in MSC and MTP modes allowed us to use it on both a Mac and PC without any problems.


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Barbecue Pumpkin Seeds
An easy way to season and roast raw pumpkin seeds or leftover seeds from a jack-o'-lantern.
Sure to replace barbecue potato chips as your number one snacking option. What to buy: We used raw pumpkin seeds (a.k.a. pepitas) for this recipe. You can also use the seeds left over from carving a pumpkin or roasting squash.... Read More
View Recipe


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Food & Drink
Can your cell phone bring down a plane?
By Mike M. Ahlers and Rene Marsh, CNN • Updated 23rd September 2013
Up next
Fess up.
You left your cell phone on during a flight, didn't you?
Maybe it was accidental, or maybe it was out of sheer contempt for a rule you believe is unnecessary.
Almost one-third of airplane passengers reported that they left on a portable electronic device during the previous year, according to a survey by the Consumer Electronics Association.
This month, a government industry group studying the safety of personal electronic devices on planes will deliver its findings and recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration. The report may lead to looser rules on e-readers and similar devices on planes.
Passengers on some planes can use their cell phones, but not in the U.S. CNN's Sandra Endo explains the rules.
Using your cell phone on Virgin Atlantic airways will set you back up to $9 a min, CNN's Lizzie O'Leary explains.
"The FAA recognizes consumers are intensely interested in the use of personal electronics aboard aircraft,' said an FAA spokesperson. "That is why we tasked a government-industry group to examine the safety issues and the feasibility of changing the current restrictions. The group is meeting again this week and is expected to complete a report to the FAA by the end of the month. We will wait for the group to finish its work before we determine next steps."
But it raises a big question: Can cell phones bring down planes? Are e-books really that dangerous below 10,000 feet? Can Bluetooth kill?
In a search for answers, we traveled from coast to coast, talking to experts and reviewing recent reports. Here's what we found.
Your smartphone is hacker's next big target
The risk is low
We can find no instance in which electromagnetic interference from a portable electronic device brought down a commercial plane or was a contributing factor in an accident. And the National Transportation Safety Board says it has never issued a recommendation about such devices on planes.
But those who flatly say there's no evidence that electronic devices have caused interference on planes are wrong. (More on that later.)
The consequences are high
A cell phone doesn't have to jam the pilot's radio or distort a plane's glideslope to cause a catastrophe. That scenario is unlikely. But safety officials worry that portable electronic devices could contribute to an accident.
At Boeing's Electromagnetic Interference Lab in Seattle, engineer Kenny Kirchoff enters a room shielded from electrical energy. He turns on a laptop positioned near an antenna and then points to a monitor. The laptop's electrical emissions are superimposed over a line depicting airplane radio frequencies.
"You can see that some of the signals from the laptop actually jump over the limit," Kirchoff said. "So that means there's a potential that this piece of equipment could interfere with the VFR radios."
Will that bring down the plane?
"It's not necessarily that a phone can bring down an airplane," he said. "That's not really the issue. The issue is interfering with the airplane and causing more work for the pilots during critical phases of flight. So when they take off and when they land, those are phases of flight which require a high level of concentration by the pilots."
A problem caused by a portable electronic device could distract the pilots' attention, lowering the level of safety on the plane.
And making it a plane you wouldn't want to be on.
How to behave on an airplane
It has happened before
Pilots have reported cases of suspected interference.
From 2003 to 2009, there were 75 instances of suspected electronic device interference, including 29 involving mobile phones, according to a study by the International Air Transport Association.
That is one event for every 283,300 flights.
Though rare, the reports suggest that such interference can affect almost every aircraft system, from communication and navigation systems to flight controls (such as autopilot) and warning systems.
The International Air Transport Association could not independently validate that personal electronics caused the problems. Replicating the problems can be difficult or impossible.
But the pilots who reported the problems seemed convinced, saying that when passengers were instructed to turn off electronic devices, the problem went away.
Better safe than sorry
The FAA, saying that personal electronics "could be potentially hazardous to aircraft communications and navigation," has largely handed over responsibility to the airlines. The airlines -- not the FAA -- are responsible for determining which electronic devices may be used on planes safely.
Airlines also are responsible for determining when devices can be used. Most airlines follow FAA guidance that devices be allowed when the airplane is above 10,000 feet, which gives pilots time to troubleshoot problems that arise. Airlines that want to allow devices below 10,000 feet must certify that the specific devices are safe.
Hacker says phone app could hijack plane
The cell phone conundrum
Cell phones and laptops with wireless network capabilities -- devices that transmit signals -- fall into a category of their own when in transmit mode. Those transmissions are banned by both the FAA, because of potential airplane interference, and the Federal Communications Commission, because of potential interference with wireless networks on the ground.
And for that reason, the government industry committee reviewing portable electronic usage will not consider the airborne use of cell phones for voice communications during flight.
In the future, you're likely to see more and more cell phone and WiFi services offered on planes but only as part of airplane-based systems designed to handle the signals.
But when is a cell phone a cell phone? Many passengers just aren't sure.
"It remains a fact that passengers do not really know -- when turning their (smart phones) 'on' and 'off' onboard an aircraft -- if they activate WiFi only and/or cellular functions," Airbus wrote in its submission to the FAA.
And if passengers don't know how to operate the devices they own, can flight attendants be expected to understand the ones they don't?
The risk is growing, and shrinking
When the FAA first regulated electronic devices in 1966, regulators were concerned about FM radio interference. Today, travelers come equipped with smart phones and tablets, WiFi and e-readers, Bluetooth technology and noise-canceling headphones.
Meanwhile, planes have grown more sophisticated, too. In 1966, mechanical linkages connected the cockpit with the control surfaces; today, miles of wires do the trick. The potential for interference is growing.
But modern planes are also being built with portable electronics in mind. Newer aircraft are "hardened" against electromagnetic interference, "immunizing" them from problems.
Technology is creating a problem, and technology is solving the problem.
Debate continues over electronic gadgets on planes
Other considerations
But the FAA must consider non-technical factors as well.
Will passenger use of electronic devices keep them from listening to safety briefings? Will laptop computers, if used during takeoffs and landings, become missiles if the plane encounters turbulence?
And what can airlines do to get compliance with new rules when the old rules are so routinely ignored?
During our return trip to Washington, we ask a fellow passenger whether she has turned off her phone. She has, she says, but only because of an unusually persistent crew, which made three warnings.
"Typically, (I will) always leave my phone on," she said.
"I don't think that having your cell phone on will actually interfere. And plus ... I do like to get my messages the second I land."
An unrelated traveler chimes in, saying she leaves her phone on airplane mode. "It's there, so I do," she explained.
"I think if people were honest, I think at least half of them have their phones on."
A year of the world's
Best Beaches
There's a perfect beach for every week of the year. Join us on a 12-month journey to see them all
Go to the best beaches


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101 7878 Granville Street, Vancouver Listing #: R2518829
Designed by famous architect GBL and interior designer I.D. Lab Inc, Aster is a contemporary 4-storey wood frame building located in the heart of Vancouver's Marpole community. Consisting of 19 spacious 2 and 3 bedroom condominiums, Aster features West Coast-inspired architecture which pairs natural elements with modern style. Generous balconies and large windows offer a seamless indoor-outdoor experience. Soundproofing considerations have been achieved so that homeowners can enjoy peaceful surroundings inside their open concept space. Designed for maximum style and comfort, the homes of Aster present the best of contemporary luxury living. Completion 2020 Fall. More details: https://asterliving.ca/Amenities: Club House
- Air Conditioning
- ClthWsh
- Dryr
- Frdg
- Stve
- Drapes
- Window Coverings
Similar Listings
Listed By: Sutton Group-West Coast Realty
Disclaimer: The data relating to real estate on this web site comes in part from the MLS Reciprocity program of the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver or the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board. Real estate listings held by participating real estate firms are marked with the MLS Reciprocity logo and detailed information about the listing includes the name of the listing agent. This representation is based in whole or part on data generated by the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver or the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board which assumes no responsibility for its accuracy. The materials contained on this page may not be reproduced without the express written consent of the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver or the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board.


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R.I.K. GROUP of COMPANIES (Subsidiary of Japan Fawick Co., Ltd)
R.I.K. was established in 2001, with the vision of Japan Fawick Co.,Ltd to better service its' customers in the South East Asian Region.
With its' first subsidiary in Singapore and subsequently as the Group Head Office, R.I.K. have expanded its operation to the rest of South East Asia. Establishing offices in Thailand (Bangkok), Philippines (Manila) and Indonesia (Jakarta), with extensive distribution and dealer networks.
RIK's expertise started in 2001 being the Authorised Distributor of Eaton Airflex Clutches and Brakes, Coremo Brakes, Re SpA and Goizper Brake and Clutch.
With its reputation, other manufacturers have approached RIK to be as their distributor or agent in the South East Asian Region. Brands like, Logan Clutch, Niika, Hasegawa Machinery, NE, Aston Brake, Merobel and Redex.
RIK is also the Authorised Rebuilt Center for Eaton Airflex and able to service and repair Coremo Clutch and Brake, Logan Clutch and Air Shaft.


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Poor Melany Crocker. According to The Oregonian, the 21-year-old rising senior at Linfield (Ore.) College was running at a local park Wednesday evening when the Sweetgum tree branch you see above came crashing down on her. Crocker is a sprinter on the Linfield track team. She was pinned to the ground and taken to a local hospital, where she had surgery on Thursday. KPTV reported that Crocker broke her pelvis in two places and broke her forearm. She was later listed in good condition.
Park officials initially didn't know what happened, according to The Oregonian:
Joan Hallquist, spokeswoman for Portland Parks & Rec, said the limb just cracked. It's not clear why. She said it could have been weakened by insects or was injured in some other way.
Hallquist later told KPTV that the heat caused the limb to break. Stupid trees. Just another reminder that jogging is the worst.
h/t to Ben
Star sprinter at Linfield College injured by tree limb at Duniway Park [Oregonian]
Heat caused tree limb to break, fall on Linfield College track star [KPTV]


text: Jacques-Louis David's Portrait of Alphonse Leroy is widely recognised as among the painter's greatest portraits. In its sobriety, its scientific attention to surface effects and details, and its effort to produce an image of its sitter as psychologically complex, it forms a direct line to his many later, exceptional depictions of Napoleon Bonaparte. David's portrait of Leroy says as much about the social identity of the figure of the artist as it does about its subject. In his sparsely furnished study, wearing a turban, and taking notes from his copy of Hippocrates' The Diseases of Women, the gynaecologist is seen as something of an ascetic genius. So, in turn, is the artist; he is, as the contemporary definition of genius asserted, one gifted with powers of close observation and the ability to imitate nature above those of ordinary men and women.


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I did something.
"NoB's acquisitiveness is Zanshin like" - Dougie
"USA is 50 separate countries" - doof (tadpole farmer extraordinaire)
"I actually believe, nay, know that NoB's ass and innards are spotless." - Lilith
good job. can you fix new user registration ?
Originally Posted by Danno
i got nothing, you win again.
Originally Posted by resolve
I trust God more than I trust you. And that will never change. I've always viewed you as kind of a snake. No biblical connotations need apply, just the regular ones. You're wise. You're really intelligent. But you're also conniving and have this way of getting what you want when you want it. The sickness I was talking about was your propensity to kind of reach in and grasp on to something to define someone here. You harangue them about it and manipulate it in to conversations. You do that with every single poster here. You do this until they see things your way. The "correct way". It's vile.
or even the regular login? I cant log in using anything but a PC
Originally Posted by Cullion
Trump can't actually win an election.. can he ?
Originally Posted by MerkinMuffly
Short answer is no.
Originally Posted by Cullion
I think you're right here.
Forum Rules


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Two brothers-in-law sit on the deck of a vacation hideaway, gazing out over the serene lake in front of them. One is content to enjoy the trees on the other side, but the other has a different idea: He takes one look at all of that unused space and has a grand vision for a toxic dump for medical refuse.
These two guys aren't going to get along at all, which is the operating idea behind The Great Outdoors, yet another comedy from the pen of John Hughes. Here Hughes reworks some of the chemistry from Planes, Trains and Automobiles, in which straight-laced Steve Martin was terrorized by geeky John Candy.
In The Great Outdoors, Candy is back, but this time as the straight man. He plays an ordinary businessman who takes his wife (Stephanie Faracy) and two sons up to the lake cabin for a week of peace. There's a surprise waiting for him: the crazed, crass brother-in-law (Dan Aykroyd), who's brought his wife (Annette Bening) and spooky twin daughters up unannounced for the week.
Hughes' script allows these two to lock horns over most of the familiar outdoorsy situations that are liable to confront the urban adventurer: water-skiing technique, fishing, a battle with a bat ("radar-guided vermin" in Aykroyd's vernacular), and the ultimate test of camping manhood, the proper way to build a fire.
Howard Deutch directs these almost elderly jokes. He also directed Pretty in Pink and Some Kind of Wonderful, two other Hughes scripts. Deutch's main task is to set the two comic actors up and allow them some room, which is does passably. As for the subplot with Candy's son (Chris Young) romancing a comely local (Lucy Deakins), it is a completely separate sidebar.
Deutch and Hughes have a curious tendency to kill a comic sequence before it's over. The set-up is there, the joke is delivered, and poof. On to the next gag. You almost get the feeling that these jokes are so well-worn, Deutch and Hughes are content to let the audience complete the missing material.
The Great Outdoors doesn't approach the inspired high points of Planes, Trains and Automobiles, and the final 30 minutes or so of resolution are particularly half-hearted. Candy is perfectly okay as the laid-back family man, and Aykroyd does have a few amusingly grotesque moments, though his performance is something of a rehash of his role in Neighbors, in which he played that nightmarish figure, the friendly next-door neighbor.
First published in the Herald, June 1988
Huh–the review seems to be missing an ending. I forgot Bening was in this thing—it was her first big-screen job. The movie's really dead in the water, a real dud after the first two Hughes-Deutch successes.


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Clockwise from top left: a 1968 Marshall Major head, a silver-sparkle Kustom 4x10, a '60s Ampeg J-12 Jet, a late-'40s/earlyl-'50s TV-front tweed Fender Deluxe, and a 1963 Selmer Zodiac Twin Thirty Truvoice 2x12. Photo by Tina Nachodsky
With all the hype surrounding new technologies today—with digital this, sampled that, modeled tone signatures, and profiled sounds—it's nice to find an establishment like Invisible Sound Studios in Baltimore, Maryland, a place where musicians thrive on getting sounds the old-school way—from a nice guitar and a great amp. After all, that's how most of the classic recordings were made.
Invisible Sound was founded by Dave Nachodsky and Joe Rinaolo, two guys who happen to own an absolute treasure trove of cool old amps. So many that part of the building has come to be known as the North American Guitar Amp Museum. It's a working museum for musicians who want to lay down tracks with a mindboggling collection of amps you just don't see everyday—such as a mid-'60s Selmer, a 1966 Ampeg Portaflex SB-12, a 1960 Magnatone Troubadour, a JMI-built Domino/Vox AC4, and a ravaged KT88-driven Marshall Major.
With its vintage posters and CDs, checkerboard floor, '50s endtable, plush couch, and a tuck-and-roll Kustom cab with four speakers in a vertical array, Invisible Sound's lounge exudes a hip yet homey vibe perfect for chilling between takes in the equally vintage-vibed tracking rooms. Photo by Tina Nachodsky
Nachodsky and Rinaolo's amp collection has grown considerably over the years. The heads, cabs, and combos now line the walls of at least two large studio rooms, and in most places they're two rows deep, if not more. Most every piece is readily available to add tone, drive, and color to the recording experience. In addition to the necessary recording gear—including a remarkable collection of vintage microphones—the amp collection sits amongst piles of vintage drums, stompboxes, and processing gear, including a couple of very cool plate reverbs! We asked Jeff Bober—who co-founded Budda Amplification and now runs East Amplification, in addition to writing our monthly Ask Amp Man column—to sit down with Invisible Sound's Nachodsky and Rinaolo to discuss the collection, explain how it got started, and describe some of their favorite amps.