Category: News

The Star of David is an easily recognized symbol of Judaism, so what better way to present a dessert at a Hanukkah party than with a cake baked in the shape of that six-pointed star? A silicone Star of David Cupcake Pan bakes six small cakes, each the size of a large cupcake, in the shape of the Star of David. The details of the star are imprinted in the base of the cake and you’ll see the design if you invert the cakes to serve them. Fortunately, the silicone allows you to turn these cakes out very easily and you don’t need to worry about the points sticking to the pan. The pan is also freezer safe and can be used for Jello molds and ice cream/sorbet molds if you don’t want to bake. You can even bake big star-shaped ice cubes and pop them into a bow of punch.A Star of David Bundt Cake Pan can also turn any of your favorite bundt cake recipes into a treat perfect for a Hanukkah potluck. The Nordicware pan has great detail, is made of heavy gauge aluminum and has a nonstick interior, although I would definitely grease and flour the pan to ensure that all the ridges of the star pattern come out cleanly.

Filed under: Coupe, Japan, Nissan, Rumormill

Nissan’s plans to revive the 240SX (Silvia in JDM parlance) has almost become a running joke, right up there with the fake moon landing and Tom Cruise’s heterosexuality. But still, this old chestnut carries forth, with a new report from Insideline’s editor in Japan who says the coupe’s revival is due to hit the market sometime in 2011 or 2012.

Details, per usual, are both scarce and obvious. The next-generation Silvia will supposedly be built atop Nissan’s popular FM platform (370Z, Infiniti G, etc.), come in a 2+2 seating configuration and tip the scales around 2,800 pounds. Naturally, as the S15’s successor, it will be a front-engine, rear-drive setup, and is rumored to be packing a turbocharged 1.8-liter inline-four putting out around 200 horsepower. A naturally aspirated variant will also be available to keep the cost of entry low, but the turbo’d model is obviously the pick of the litter and should deliver a 0-60 time of between six and seven seconds.

IL’s man in Japan points to the Nissan Foria concept (shown above) as the stylistic inspiration, but notes that the coupe would only be “loosely based” on the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show concept. Judging by Nissan’s recent design endeavors, we doubt the Foria — or as previously rumored, the Urge concept — will be a heavy influence on this supposed Silvia revival.

Although we’re all for more budget-oriented FR sports cars, the popularity of the Toyota FT-86 is sure to be a factor in Nissan’s decision to bring the 240SX back to life. That, coupled with the unknown demand for the Hyundai Genesis Coupe (Hyundai doesn’t break out Genesis Sedan from Coupe sales in its monthly reports) makes the proposition of a new 2+2 from Nissan even more hazy. So until we hear something solid from Ghosn and Company, we’ll resume our normal respiration routine.

[Source: Insideline]

Yes, Again: Nissan rumored to be reviving 240SX, bringing it to the U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 13:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The gold rally has been losing steam over the past week but compared to rallies of years past, this one shot up like a bat out of hell.

Chart courtesy of Barry Ritholtz and The Chart Store.

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See Also:

• Jon Stewart Rips Glenn Beck Over His Gold Endorsements
• Jim Rogers: How Could Gold Be A Bubble If Nobody Even Owns It Yet?
• Gold Is On A Four-Day Losing Streak (GLD)

The CR recycling machines built by Carnevalli were designed to process flexible plastic materials , aiming the best cost-benefit ratio, such as : HDPE,LDPE,LLDPE< PP, and many other. The main goal of these machines is to meet the need of flexible packaging manufacturers to process and recycle their own waste or scrap originated by their converting processes and also to those companies dedicated to the sole purpose of re-granulating these wastes to sub supply plastic processing companies. All sizes of CR machines are fitted with degassing systems to allow recycling of printed materials.

DST now presents the new unit DR-010B MH1, equipped with a humidistat!

This dehumidifier is equally the same as DR-010B but it is equipped with a built on humidistat to simplify the installation. The humidistat is from Sauter, to ensure a high level of reliability.

DR-010B is DST smallest dehumidifier and weighs only 12 kg. DR-010B MH1 can be used for installation such as for pump-stations, crawl spaces under houses, small storages and much more.

Contact you nearest DST representative to get information on which dehumidifier to choose!

For more than 25 years, the Dresser Masoneilan LincolnLog® has been the premier solution for high pressure liquid letdown applications designed for pressure drops up to 450 bar (6500 psi). The LincolnLog product line provides multi-stage pressure letdown control with excellent trash tolerance providing a reliable long-term solution for critical service applications.

The LincolnLog is an axial flow valve with large flow passages ideal for high pressure liquid letdown applications where cavitation and dirty fluids are major concerns. Some typical applications include pump recirculation, feedpump start, spray water control, water reinjection and separator letdown.

The LincolnLog is available in standard designs to meet a wide range of high pressure anti-cavitation applications in both globe and angle body options. One of the major features is the large flow areas which allow for safe passage of entrained solids through the valve without damage.

The LincolnLog is also available in various optional configurations, including soft seat design for bubble tight shut-off as well as cryogenic construction.

Benefits

The LincolnLog design combines a traditional top entry valve with a simple yet effective trim design using a minimum number of parts. Unlike other severe service valve designs, the LincolnLog valve offers single piece plug and liner components for added reliability and easy field service.

The robust construction provides reliable, trouble-free operation helping to maximize process uptime. Plus, versatile options allows end users to minimize inventory and training while the heavy guiding provides smooth operation.
The result is improved process control and higher process yields.

The Great Tree Story continues as Topatoi now has a second episode. If you enjoyed the first one, then you’re in for a treat this one’s longer than the first episode and Boolat Games already has

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Aston Martin

2010 Aston Martin V8 Vantage – Click above for high-res image gallery

Reports from the British Isles and a new batch of images from the manufacturer indicate that Aston Martin has quietly prepared a few minor revisions for its entry-level V8 Vantage for the 2010 model year.

Among those changes are clear tail lamps (like those on the V12 version), side sills borrowed from the N400 edition and “magnum silver” mesh for the hood and side vents. There will also be some new optional equipment, including the ten-spoke, 19-inch forged, diamond-turned alloys pictured on the car above, carbon-Kevlar seats that trim 17kg off the curb weight, and a 1000-watt Bang & Olufsen stereo.

Along with the mild visual upgrades and the new optional equipment, Aston has cut the V8 engine’s carbon emissions, the manual-equipped model dropping from 328 g/km to 315 g/km, and the Sportshift model dropping to 300 g/km. The changes are applied equally to the coupe and Roadster, with order books reportedly open now with deliveries beginning early in the new year. Check out the updated model in our high-resolution image gallery below.

[Source: Aston Martin via CAR magazine]

Aston Martin updates the V8 Vantage for 2010 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Earlier this year, we wrote about a lawsuit in North Carolina, where the judge friended one of the lawyers, and read and exchanged messages about the case with the lawyer on Facebook. That, obviously, seemed a bit extreme — but what about just the plain old act of “friending” between a judge and a lawyer. Down in Florida, they’ve decided that’s simply not allowed at all:

Whether a judge may add lawyers who may appear before the judge as “friends” on a social networking site, and permit such lawyers to add the judge as their “friend.”

ANSWER: No.

That doesn’t leave much room for ambiguity, does it? But, as Venkat Balasubramani notes, this is somewhat ridiculous. Judges and lawyers often have social relationships beyond the court, and pretending those don’t exist just on Facebook seems pretty artificial.

My question to the advisory committee is whether this means that it’s now inappropriate for a judge to have lunch with a lawyer friend, or engage in email banter with lawyer friends? Is attending the same party now off limits? I assume these actions would still be viewed as appropriate, given that lawyers and judges interact socially (and publicly) all the time. What’s so special about Facebook friendship?

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Adding to the Ford Flex’s already sizable reputation as one of the coolest people movers on the market, the Friends of the National Automotive History Collection (NAHC) recently bestowed upon it a new honor, awarding it 2009’s “Most Collectible Vehicle of the Future.” Apparently, the Flex’s unique, retro-modern styling not only makes it a hear turner today but also guarantees it plenty of limelight at the Woodward Dream Cruise in 2034.

Ford is naturally elated by the news. “We are delighted that the Ford Flex has been recognized by the NAHC as having a design that will become a collectible of the future,” said Kate Pearce, Flex marketing manager at Ford. “We knew from the start that we had a vehicle with stand-out design that looks like nothing else on the road, but that also meets the needs of our customers looking for passenger space with innovative technology and great fuel economy,” she said. “Reaction from our customers has been fantastic and we hope they will enjoy their cars long into the future.”

Of course, some critics may dismiss the optional wood paneling, mini fridge, and panoramic moonroof as red herrings meant to distract from the fact that, at its core, the Flex is nothing more than the Windstar’s cleverly-disguised successor. While they may be right in some respects, it is imperative that naysayers not forget that while the Flex may posses some inherently minivan qualities, it still remains unparalleled in its class. In 2034, the Dodge Caravan will be rusting out behind a tool shed in northern Michigan, the Toyota Sienna will be scattered in charred bits along I-95, and the Honda Odyssey will still be lame.

Source: Ford

The Samsung Mondi Windows Mobile MID has been released some months ago, but we have seen very few reviews of the device pop up.

Mobiletechreview has fortunately stepped up to the plate and has published this video review showing the beautiful UI and comparing it to contemporary devices such as the HTC HD2.

The WIMAX device is currently available from BestBuy for $500, with WIMAX service running at around $30 per month from Clear.

Despite the device having the same screen size as the HTC HD2 the device in some ways seem more useable  as a Mobile Internet Device and I think if used as intended succeeds in its goals.

Read the full review here.

As a part of an SEC filing, AOL (AOL) published this sample stock certificate. (We hear the real thing is cheap.)

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• AOL, Yahoo, And Microsoft Battle For Local Supremacy
• Casting "AOL: The Movie" (AOL)
• AOL’s Throws Its Old Logo In The Dumpster (AOL)

In the ViewModel, aka the MVVM pattern, a view such as a UserControl is bound to its associated view model. The view model manages state exposed as observable properties, operations exposed as methods and raises notifications via events. An interesting question is how a View should specify its view model, and how a view model instance should be created. Like everything else in the ViewModel pattern, this topic is no different. There are different strategies, with pros and cons, and different people have different opinions.

In this post, I’ll describe a couple of options, and hope to collect some feedback as well as ideas on alternatives. Part of my goal here is to improve what is supported in Silverlight.FX out-of-the-box. The other goal is to find what resonates, and see if I can collect input on suggestions I’d like to make for future ViewModel support in Blend/Cider – so any thoughts you share will certainly help. Looking forward to hearing them…

My general criteria for evaluating each approach is the following:

1. It should be possible to create the view model through an IoC container, so its dependencies (properties, or constructor arguments) should be satisfiable. In other words, its likely a view model can’t be instantiated directly in XAML… at least not in the subset of XAML supported by Silverlight today.
2. The mechanism should not interfere with designability either in Blend.
3. Furthermore, the mechanism should even lend itself to designability. For example, the data-binding picker should allow binding to properties on the view model.

[Full post continued here…]

Arrondissement de Lyon, France | Architectural Oddities

Between courtyards and through buildings, secret alleyways and staircases once provided safe and efficient passage for silk workers to get their wares to and from market unmarred. Now partially open to the public, many of the traboules worm through several buildings forming a secret continuous covered passageway.

The word ‘traboules’ is a corruption of the Latin ‘trans-ambulare’, or ‘to pass through’, and the earliest date from the 4th century, built to allow more direct access to the town’s fresh water source than the winding streets provided. There may be as many as 400 traboules in town – unfortunately only a small percentage of them are open to the public, mostly located primarily in the historic Vieux-Lyon and Croix-Rousse areas.

The Croix-Rousse district of Lyon was the heart of the 19th century silk trade, and the courtyards and traboules that pass through it were the meeting places for the local ‘Canut’
silk weavers. In the 1830s there were as many as 25,000 silk looms in Lyon, and as more silk workshops opened, merchants began to take advantage of the artisan class weavers with reduced wages and benefits. Struggling with the combination of increased competition, new technology, uncertain economic forces and the extortionate merchants, the workers rose up rose up twice in dramatic rebellions. The workers banded together, closed workshops and marched on the town, picking up weapons at the armory as they went, seeking to hold the industry hostage until a set wage was agreed to. However, the revolts were bloodily suppressed. 10,000 Canuts reportedly were tried in Paris and faced criminal deportation, but their motto of “live free working or die fighting” inspired other workers uprisings in future years.

The publicly accessible traboules are clearly marked with a small identifying seal. Private passages are behind locked doors or gates. In the 1990s the Lyon Department of Urban Planning started a program of restoration and maintenance to encourage public access to the historic passages.

The longest traboule in Lyon runs between 54 Rue Saint-Jean and 27 Rue du Bœuf, and a famously picturesque traboule begins at 9 Place Colbert/14 bis montee Saint Sebastion, and features a historic six story external staircase.

Someday my last child will be out of the house. I will be approximately 62 and by that time I hope to be completely immune to a unique virus.  This malady is spoken of only in hushed tones and nervous whispers by those who have experienced the backlash of its displeasure. It makes parents who breezed through the terrible twos tremble with fear. Yes folks, it is TEEN DRAMA.

And if you think that teenage girl drama is the ultimate expression of dramatic angst you have never been around a teenage boy. It is teen drama week here at Chez Audet and emotions are running high. Well, and with good reason. Dragging kids through an unexpected divorce just stinks for all involved. Add the stress of a 17 year old going through college midterms (sophomore year) and trying to juggle his first job, increased responsibility at home, and general hormones…well you get the idea.

The thing to remember when your teen is having a meltdown is that they are dealing with real pain. Maybe you don’ t get it, maybe it seems silly to your intellect but it is massive to them. Here are some things I do to try to get through it unscathed:

• Don’t take it personally
• Allow them to verbalize
• Don’t try to fix it
• Reassure them of your love, acceptance, and pride
• Listen more than you talk
• Don’t assume it is a major psychological or spiritual problem but be willing to get help if it is
• Be willing to step up to the plate and bat for them if they need it. Maybe a few days off from school, chores, or other responsibilities will help them have perspective.

Luckily my kids tend to be thoughtful and drama happens one child at a time. I think they draw straws but I can’t prove it…

image:SXC

Post from: Blisstree

There Ain’t No Drama Like Teen Drama

Maui, Hawaii | Subterranean Sites

At the end of the Highway to Hana, a famous scenic drive on Maui, is the Hana Lava Tube, KA`ELEKU CAVERNS. Unlike caves which can take millenia to form, lava tubes can form very quickly, over a few weeks. As massive rivers of lava flows from a volcano the lava on the outside of the thick river of lava will cool occasionally hardening to form a tunnel. When the lava stops flowing you are left with a circular lava tube running for up to 30 miles!

Like many tubes left behind after lava flows, the Lava tube on the Hana road of Maui shows all the geologic elements of lava flows that crust over. Among the many interesting things found in a lava tube are tube slime, extreme bacteria that live on the nitrogen, lava balls, which form much like a snowball rolling down a snowy hill, and lava falls, where a flow of lava has been frozen mid fall.

One enters the tube through a hole in the tubes ceiling created by gas punching through the ceiling of the lava tube. Hana Lava Tube has self guided tour on an unlit path. Don’t wander off though, the tunnels often have maze like “braided” smaller tunnels in which it is easy to get lost.