Key Terms

*Trend Topics or #TT*- basically when something is tweeted about alot it becomes a trend topic…they can also look like this- #iknowulikeme when you text and call me every half hour on the hour…lol

You can create trend topics and hope that most of your followers hop onto your trend…there also a ranking of whats most the most trending topic

*Retweet-RT*- this is basically re-posting someone else’s tweet on its own or adding your reply or comment

*Follow Friday*-#FF- Every Friday everyone posts the usernames of everyone they want ever one to follow…basically it’s a promotion day to gain more followers

*Music Monday-#MM*- You tweet what you are listening to all day…(personally I don’t do this but its a trend topic every monday)

*Twit Stats*- Twitter keeps record of how many people are following you, how many people you are following and how many tweets you’ve made

*Direct Message*- basically sending a private message instead of something that would appear on your or the recipients time line…

Now an abridged version of who to follow:

@myfabulouslife- F_A_B_OLOUS…his trend topics always go to number one and are mad funny!!

@RevRunWisdom- Who’s house?! Runs House?!the most inspirational and retweeted person on twitter…motivating messages are tweeted daily

@necolebitchie- the queen of urban blogs, in her words ” Life’s a b*tch, so I just blog that muthaf**ka”

@Tyrese4Real- Also a tweeter of inspirational and motivating messages…always down to share his life lessons…

@Shontelle_Layne- Bajan Invasion *POW* SNM..lol #Licky

@Jeremih- Am I the only one who thinks he is a delectable specimen of a man…and his tweets leave me even more mesmerized…

@SongByrdTM- I mean how would you live with out a play by play of my swaggerific quirky lifestyle….IM OUT!!

There are so many things to be thankful for this year.

I spent today at my great aunt’s house, as usual, surrounded by laughing family and friends.  I took 1000 pictures and drank a lot of champagne and ate more food than any one person should eat.  And I just kept looking around at everyone, happy and healthy and so thrilled to be together, and thinking:

I am so lucky.  I am just so, so fucking lucky.

I don’t think that often enough, but it’s true.  Thanksgiving always makes me reflect on my first-world privilege and the thousand ways that I’ve been handed gifts that I never had to earn.  (Which is a long post in and of itself, but it’s late and I’m exhausted, so I’ll spare you the entirety of my reflections.  Suffice to say, I am humbled and grateful.)

(And this time next week, I will be snuggling up to Finn for the second night in a row – something I haven’t gotten to say for 10 weeks.  So not only am I lucky, but well-loved.  Again: humbled.  Grateful.)

Also on the List of Things for Which I am Thankful: memories of a relaxing and in all ways wonderful weekend with Rev in DC, where I got to take over her guest room and play with her puppy and hang with her lady and her sister (both of whom I adore) and spend some sorely missed QT with Rala.  I also got to spend most of a day with Grant, living it up at the Spy Museum and the Holocaust Museum – where yes, I cried – and just having fun hanging out with him somewhere other than our usual city.  And, best of all, I got to be there for Rev’s actual BIRTHDAY, a feat which I don’t think I managed to accomplish in the entire 8 years we’ve known one another.  For the record, it was all it was cracked up to be.

So, like I said.  A lot to be thankful for.

Happy thanksgiving, friends.

**[By the by, I took the name of this post from one of my favorite childhood Thanksgiving hymns, We Gather Together.  This line always rocked my little-kid-face off, and I used to sing it at the top of my lungs.  I guess I really liked the idea of being on the right side of a fight.  Still do, actually.  Lyrics here, if you're interested.]

Este fin de semana, tres de los componentes de Tardis hemos jugado, o más bien, actuado como PNJ´s en un Rol en Vivo de fin de semana, llamado Los Juicios de Fellig, realizado por la organización Ashae, en la ambientación de Reinos de Hierro. Resulto muy divertido llevar papeles de PNJ importantes, y básicos para el desarrollo de la ambientación, perdiendo el efecto sorpresa al conocer todas las tramas, y no poder tomar decisiones, ya que venian dictadas por los masters de la partida, pero a cambio, tener la posibilidad de ir dirigiendo el ritmo de la partida.

Por ser una ambientación de dungeons, la riqueza y complejidad era muy superior a la de otros vivos, lo que a su vez, ocasionaba que algunos jugadores (como el Mayor Valantine de la foto) tuvieron un conocimiento enciclopedico de la misma, y se movieran mucho más agilmente en algunos momentos, que el resto de los jugadores, y la mayoría de los propios masters.

Al final, un fin de semana muy divertido, con actuación de esqueletos nocturnos maquillados bajo la lluvia, de la que es una pena que no haya fotos o videos del encarnizado combate bajo la escasa luz, y otro fin de semana rolero, antes del parón de navidades. Ahora nos queda esperar a Corriente Alterna el próximo año.

By CP

We had a crazy show this past friday (11/13/09) on Selective Hearing down at WCUW 91.3 here in Worcester.  Special Guests the Black Ownerz & Arablak from the Social Light Sound crew were in the building as well as the whole SLS  &  HHTT family.  http://hulkhatetimetravel.com/2009/11/19/selective-hearing-91-3-wcuw-111309/

Selective Hearing on 91.3 airs every friday night from 10 – 12 and can also be streamed live online @ http://wcuw.org/

In case you missed it last month down at the show Nite People’s own Tone Capone was mixing with only one turntable and the IPhone. Make sure to tune in every friday or stream online @ Wcuw.Org “Urban Fire Radio” 8-10pm ( playing Reggae and hip hop ) “Selective Hearing” ( Hip Hop and talk radio ) 10pm-12am and El Gallo 12am until the sun rises ( Latin Music )

You missed last week’s show?? I will let it slide just this once but make sure you tune in every Friday from 10-12pm 91.3 WCUW in beautiful Worcester, Ma or stream online @ wcuw.org My brother Yohon actually recorded the show for your listening pleasure so check it out! At Selective Hearing we not only bring you the best in hip hop, but also that REAL TALK!

En la web de Efeyl, sección disfraces, encontramos patrones para hacer distintas faldas

Falda recta

-Es el patrón base, a partir de aquí se hacen todas las transformaciones, excepto para la falda corte de capa.
-A-B largo de falda
-C-E Largo de falda
-A-A’ ¼ medida de cintura + 3 cms para la pinza
-C-D Largo de cadera
-D’-D ¼ Contorno de cadera
-C-D marcado de la cadera
-1-2-3 Pinza
-3-3’ Largo de pinza (12 cms generalmente)

Falda evasé

-A partir del patrón base, añadimos de 4’5 a 6 cms justo en el bajo de la falda para ampliar su ancho y subimos 2 o 3 cms que acortarían el largo de falda (para que al redondear no nos haga pico) y redondeamos. Estas son las medidas si la falda es hasta la rodilla, si ha de ser larga se deben dar de 15 A 25 cm de ancho y subiremos de 4 a 6 cm y redondearemos también.
-C’-E y C-E’ cm de vuelo (una con más y otra con menos)
-F-E y F’-E’ cm subidos para redondear el vuelo
-B’ Lugar donde acaban las líneas de redondeo (aproximadamente la mitad del contorno cadera)
-D-F y D-F’ Líneas por donde cortaremos el patrón según la queramos más recta o con más vuelo

Falda corte de capa

-Esta falda es sencillísima de cortar y coser, tiene el máximo vuelo. Como nota es importante acortar la medida de cintura en 2 o 3 cms, ya que cuando se corta la tela de forma redondeada (al bies) las fibras se abren y nos podemos encontrar con que se nos cae la falda.
-Para saber cuanta tela tenemos que comprar mediremos desde la cintura hasta el largo deseado (largo de falda) , a esto le añadimos 15 cm, el resultado lo multiplicaremos por dos y esa será la tela que necesitaremos, obviamente al largo de falda tenemos que añadir los cm pertinentes para las costuras.
-Se dobla la tela por la mitad (sujetamos con alfileres) y luego se vuelve a doblar por la mitad. Volvemos a sujetar con alfileres.
- En la esquina donde queden los dobleces marcamos 1/4 de la medida de la cintura menos 2 ò 3 cm (mejor probar primero con 2, siempre hay tiempo para cortar más). Marcamos el bajo de la falda, midiendo desde la cintura y haciendo marcas para después unir (como en el tutorial de CAPAS). Damos forma redondeada al bajo, teniendo en cuenta siesmpre dejar al menos 3 cm para las costuras.

Falda de nesgas

-Esta falda es más trabajosa pero vale la pena. Entalla la cintura y la cadera, a partir de aquí sale el vuelo, es cómoda de llevar y muy favorecedora, está formada por un número de piezas llamadas nesgas, de ahí su nombre. Estas piezas se cortan en número par así la cremallera o abotonadura nos quedará a un lado (izquierdo). Si fuera abierta por la espalda o delantero entonces debemos cortar la nesga de estos lados por la mitad.
-Hacemos el patrón base y le damos vuelo como si fuéramos a hacer una falda evasé (hemos tomado 15 cms para el vuelo, pero pueden ser más), luego marcamos desde el vértice de la pinza señalado con el número 3 (10 cm del punto A) hasta el punto 4 (10 cm del punto B) Con lo que nos queda una línea que divide el patrón en dos partes.
-Cortaremos posteriormente el patrón por esta línea. Nos encontramos con que tenemos la parte 2 con vuelo a un lado y la parte 1 sin vuelo. Ahora daremos vuelo a la parte derecha de la pieza 2 y a la parte izquierda de la pieza 1. Esto es así porque la pieza 1 se corta con la tela doblada.

-Hay 2 posibles formas de darle el vuelo que le falta a las piezas, la opción 1 marca el vuelo por debajo de la pinza, justo donde está marcado el contorno de cadera. La opción 2 marca el vuelo hasta la pinza. En mi opinión queda más bonito el vuelo y es mejor para coser la opción 2.
-La pieza 1 se coloca con el borde recto en el doble de la tela, debemos cortar dos piezas iguales, que tendrán la forma del dibujo 1 tal y como se ve en la imagen del “Paso 1″.
-Luego cortaremos 4 piezas como las de la imagen “Paso 2″, es decir, en total debemos tener 6 piezas (2 que corresponden al delantero y espalda–> Pieza 1; y 4 laterales–> Pieza 2.)
-Con la tela doble, y después de ajustar el patrón, cogerlo con alfileres marcarlo y marcar las líneas por donde cortaremos, cortamos uno de los dos laterales de la falda, estas dos piezas irán cosidas por el borde que corresponde a la cadera.
-Repetimos la operación anterior para hacer el otro lateral de la falda dejaremos en una de las costuras laterales unos 18 cm para la cremallera o abotonadura.

Fuente: Sección disfraces Efeyl

We have just uploaded some new paparazzi photos of Kate with Mia and Joe in New York City from yesterday afternoon.  We also uploaded a number of recent news articles regarding Kate Winslet.  Visit our messageboard to access everything:  http://www.katewinsletrev.proboards.com/index.cgi

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF) surged over 7%  to a yearly high of $37.80 after the company was upgraded from “neutral” to “buy” by anlysts at Goldman Sachs.  

DISH Network Corp. (NASDAQ: DISH) was up over 8% at its peak at a yearly high of $20.80 after the company announced that it would pay a one-time dividend of $2 for all Class A and B shares.  

RadioShack Corp. (NYSE: RSH) rose over 14% today to a yearly high of $20.57 after the electronics retailer announced that it plans to sell Apple iPhones in some of its stores that are located in major metropolitian areas.  This announcement has precipitated some analyst upgrades.

Revlon Inc. (NYSE: REV) surged over 37% today to a yearly high of $15.06.  The company announced that it intends to offer $330 million in senior notes that will be due in 2015 in order to pay off debt due in 2011.  The company was also upgraded to “outperform” by BMO Capital Markets.

Garrett W. McIntyre

4 days ago I went to the doctor and had blood drawn.  It didn’t hurt when the guy actually put the needle in and drew the blood, but about a minute after he was done my arm seized up and started REALLY hurting.  I’m kind of a wimp, so this made me lightheaded and stressed that I wouldn’t be able to drive home, but after sitting outside my car with my head between my knees for about 20 minutes, I was okay – just couldn’t use my right arm.  My muscles were weak and it hurt to even move it.  I’m not sure why I didn’t go back in and talk to the doctor about it, but it seemed like something that would pass.

Four days later and it’s still aching, like, wake me up in the middle of the night aching.  Grr.  Finn says, based on my bruise and the pain, that the guy must have both blown my vein and hit a nerve or a tendon in the process.  This, I have discovered, does not make for a very happy pom.  In fact, it makes for kind of a grumpy, wince-y pom.

So that’s this weekend’s news.  Also, I saw A Serious Man last night with Cali and some folks.  No one I was there with liked it much, but I thought it was pretty good.  Dark, kinda depressing, but in a funny way.  (I mean, it is the Coen brothers.)  The very last image of the movie was really striking, hit on a very kind of primal fear, so I think that at least is going to stick with me for a while.

Before the movie we had dinner, where I managed not only to learn what curling is (i.e. one of the funniest sports I’ve ever seen…  the brooms, are you kidding me?) but to impress people with my extensive knowledge of both Twilight and Miley Cyrus.  It’s amazing the things that seep into your consciousness while you aren’t looking.  (Though, to be fair, I did make the choice to read all of the Twilight books, but I stand by that decision as it has afforded me the ability to critique the shit out of it using ACTUAL examples instead of the more common I-hate-what-teenyboppers-love critique heard elsewhere.  Also, they’re incredibly easy to read.)

Today was gorgeous.  I had brunch with QS and I’m kind of regretting that we didn’t sit outside on one of the very last nice days before our long New England winter hits.  I had this vague idea that we might go for a walk, but instead we went to my place and watched several episodes of Buffy.  We finished season 5, in fact.  Crazy.  (It was pointed out to me, yesterday, by Cali, that I am kind of dating Buffy in Finn’s absence.  I figure if a fictional vampire slayer is all she has to worry about, we’re doing okay.) 

Anyway.  Wish I’d been outside more, but we did have the windows open, so…

Oh!  The weekend’s other news is that after purchasing many (many) plane and train tickets, I am officially going to DC for Rev’s birthday, then to Philly for Thanksgiving, and down south for Christmas.  Grant – who’s in DC doing an internship at the moment, coincidentally enough – and I already have plans to take a ton of ridiculous pictures.  This has renewed my lust for a particular  camera I have my eye on but probably wouldn’t use enough to warrant buying it, sigh.  (Something you may or may not know about me: I have a tendency to lust after strange things sometimes – these are another current fascination – and if the lustiness lasts long enough, I end up caving and buying.  Hence, these, which are, I must say, awesome.)

Okay, I’m babbling.  I should go figure out dinner.  Which, by the by, I have been successfully cooking!  I’m no chef, but I’ve got some staples down and my kitchen confidence is up.  So far so good.

Off I go!

MY TESTIMONY

By:  Jason W. Elder

My name is Jason Elder and on October 29^th 1980 I was born right here in Gaffney South Carolina.  I know many people who blame their shortcomings on their parents but I can’t do that.  I have some of the best parents in the world.  My dad was a Highway Patrolman for 14 years and then the Chief of Police in Blacksburg for several more.  My mom worked at Hamrick’s for a number of years and currently runs her own business.

My mom brought me to church a lot when I was younger.  I went forward after service once and talked to the pastor about getting “baptized.”  We prayed a prayer and I was baptized not long afterwards.  I’m sure he did everything he could to point me in the right direction but looking back, I just didn’t get it.

Yes, in the beginning I had an interest in church like never before, but it just didn’t last.  The whole experience reminds me of the parable Jesus told about the seed that fell on stony ground.  It was so quick to spring up but when the Sun was risen it withered away just as quickly because it had no root.[1]

I’ve always been an introvert and shy by nature but that was okay with me.  I didn’t really care what other people thought about me anyhow.  In fact, I didn’t even start combing my hair until seventh grade.  But as a teenager I became more and more concerned with what people thought of me.

Truth be known, that’s probably the biggest appeal drugs and alcohol had for me: they took away my inhibitions.

The first time I ever smoked marijuana was in the 10th grade.  And while I liked getting high, I didn’t like the smell of it.  If any of you ever been around someone smoking pot (and some of you look like you have) it has a very strong odor and knowing I had to come home to a house full of cops that always made me a little bit paranoid.  Just by walking through the door I was subjecting myself to a sobriety test.  I guess that’s why started messing around with pills: Xanax, Lortab, methadone etc. I even started selling a few here and there.  It started out being just for fun but pretty soon I was addicted not just to the pills but to the lifestyle of a drug dealer.

I kinda liked it when people would notice that my beeper was blowing up.  I was hanging out with some of the most popular kids in school.  I knew they really didn’t care a thing about me, but hey, everybody likes to feel needed.

Around my senior year in high school a young man brought me a sample of something his dad had cooked up at home called meth.

I didn’t know it at the time, but he’d just introduced me to something 10 times worse than all the pills I’d ever taken.  By the end of that summer I was using every day: smoking, snorting, and even shooting it up.  After I got in good with the cook I started selling it but unlike the pills I sold just for the heck of it, I was selling meth to support my own habit.  I can’t tell you how many hundreds of dollars worth of powder I went through but I gave Johnson & Johnson a run for their money.  That’s just what I used, God only knows how much I sold.

But all that “fun” took me to the same place most junkies find themselves…jail!  I was facing Federal and local charges and my life was in a mess.  Sometime during this process I picked up a Bible and read through it in less than 8 weeks.  I couldn’t believe it was actually interesting!  When I was released, I was placed on house arrest.  The Federal Government thought so much of me they gave me a cute little ankle bracelet to wear!  For six months I was allowed to go to church only once on Sunday morning.  I could go to all the Narcotics Anonymous meetings I wanted to, but Church only once a week.

The church my family was going to at the time was a cold, dead, liberal, Southern Baptist Church (as the picture represents).  The pastor was a Calvinist and it showed in his preaching.  I thought if this is all Church has to offer I’d be better off not going.

But then, one of my friends overdosed on painkillers.  Michael Williams laid in a coma for about week and died just after Christmas.  Still on the ankle monitor I went to the funeral home where they were receiving friends. Among the mourners I spotted a familiar older gentleman in the crowd, it was Pastor Lewis Batchelor from Open Door Baptist Church.

Several years prior, I had dated a girl that attended his church.  As two lost young teenagers, one day, we were sitting on the second pew from the front.  We were holding hands and passing little notes to each other.  We didn’t have a care in the world.  But all that would soon end!  Before I could get my thoughts together, in front of God and everybody, that old gray-haired man came out from behind the pulpit, jumped off the platform, straddled the pew in front of us, looked me dead in the eyes, and said, “Are you saved son?”  Before I could get the lump out of my throat, he looked down and saw we were holding hands.  He physically separated our hands that day and after scolding us both for being too close for his liking, he briefly lectured the young lady why she should never date anyone that’s lost.  I didn’t have enough hide left to close my eyes!  But even as a lost teenager I appreciated someone that had enough guts to tell me what was right!

Anyway, at the funeral, I talked to Pastor Batchelor briefly then spoke with Michael’s dad and step-mom.  I was doing a good job at keeping back the tears, but I couldn’t do it much longer.  I left off talking with his parents and headed for the door.  But somebody stopped me before I left!

It was Preacher Batchelor!  When I broke down weeping he hugged me and tried to comfort me.  I don’t remember what he said to me, I just remember he was there when I needed him.  When Sunday rolled around, I started thinking about that little old church on the other side of town.  I remembered the friendly people and the plain preaching.   I literally begged my mom and dad to take me to Open Door Baptist Church.  I don’t remember whether mom or dad went with me.  All I remember is how happy everyone was that I came.

For six months I went to Church every Sunday morning but one.  I was saved, born again, on a Wednesday night in March 2001.  Not long after that, my dad got saved!  We were both baptized on Easter Sunday!    I was so overwhelmed by the grace of God that brought me salvation that I took all my ambitions, my plans, and my life and with joy placed them at the Master’s disposal.

Much has transpired since that day.  The Lord has been so good that I cannot possibly list all the blessings He has sent my way.  I only wish to encourage you not to give up hope on a loved one or friend who may be struggling with the same things I did.  There’s a God in heaven Who specializes in lost causes.  If He can save me He can save anybody.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2Cor 5:17)

Jason W. Elder

Assistant Pastor

Tabernacle Baptist Church

Gaffney SC

The suspension in a drift car is very tight and unforgiving – even the chassis is tightened with roll cages and strut braces. Die-hard drifting enthusiasts also alter the suspension geometry to enable the car to slide better. As with everything, modification of the body and suspension components is a trade-off. Hard suspension in the front and a soft suspension in the back is easiest for first timers, but a handicap at higher levels. Most cars use an integrated coilover/shock (MacPherson strut) combination called shakocho. This allows for the height of the car to be adjusted. Better shakocho will be what the Japanese call “full-tap”. This means the bottom of the strut is also a coil over, so you can change the height of the car from the bottom, and the height of the spring with the top. Usually a driver wants to have full stroke on his shocks, so he will raise the spring to its highest point. There is no perfect height setting or spring/shock combo for any car, but there are perfect setups for particular drivers. Many suspension manufacturers, such as Kei Office, APEX’i, Tein, JIC Magic, and HKS, offer suspension tuned specifically for drifting, allowing many people to enter the sport competitively.

One common trend that used to be popular in Japan was “Oni-can.” In English, it means Demon Camber. It involves setting the suspension with obscene amounts of negative camber (more about this is given at the end of this article). The car will be very easy to slide and lose grip, but stability, grip, and overall ability to control the car will be compromised. As such, this setting is very dangerous, and is not recommended.

The differentials are limited-slip differentials (LSD), which are divided into clutch-type differentials and viscous Limited-Slip Differentials (VLSD), not the standard open differential. On an open differential, the automatic transfer of power to the spinning wheel causes the car to the inside wheel spinning out of control, and the other spinning at the actual speed of the car. A LSD allows the two wheels connected to the LSD to spin in a certain speed range, to give power to both wheels through a turn, allowing a car in a drift to use both wheels for power in a drift. LSD’s are separated in three categories, 1 Way, 1.5 Way, and 2 way. A 1-way LSD means it only locks the differential under acceleration, while a 2-way LSD locks them under acceleration and deceleration. A 1.5 way LSD allows locking under both acceleration and deceleration, but it is weaker than a 2-way under deceleration. It is common to use a 2-way LSD for drift cars however 1-way and 1.5-way LSD can be used.

The cars quite often have different tyres on the front and back, and the owner may have quite a few sets. This is because a single afternoon of drifting can destroy a new set of tires. As a rule, good tires go on the front for good steering. On the back, hard-compound tires are used – quite often second-hand ones – as they tend to end up in a cloud of smoke. As a driver gets better, she will most likely want to upgrade the tires used in the rear for a higher grip compound. Although cheap/hard tyres are fun purely for their slipperiness and ease of drifting, they quickly become a hindrance for high-speed drifts.

In addition, for the typical “drift car look,” the tyres are stretched over a wide rim. This is known as a “hipari” tyre. For example, 205 50/16 tyres may be fitted to an 8″ rim, or 215 45/17 to a 9″ rim; this allows for a bigger, wider, “cooler looking” wheel to be used. The driver is essentially still racing on a tyre meant for a 7.5″ or 8″ wheel, but has the “cool wide look.” The only real performance benefit of stretching tyres on the wheel, is that it lowers the overall height of the sidewall and can add a feeling of firmness to turning and decrease body roll associated to a weak sidewall.

The clutches on these cars tend to be very tough ceramic brass button or multiple-plate varieties. This is because a lot of drifters use the clutch to commence the wheel spins (and hence the drift) by popping the clutch at high engine RPMs. At the D1 level, most of the drifters who do not drive lightweight Hachi Rokus do not use “Clutch Kick” to initiate a drift. Most of the higher powered/better sponsored cars use the E-brake to initiate the drift. Some cars, like the HKS S15, only need to utilize their suspension geometry to start a drift.

Engine power does not need to be high, and in fact if you have too much power e.g. more than 500 hp (400 kW), the car can be very hard to handle/drift. Some drivers have 600 hp (450 kW) cars, and essentially perform long burnouts. Don’t be fooled, drifting still retains the elements of speed and angle. Intercooler efficiency is reduced because of the angle of the car which reduces the air that passes through them. Rear spoilers usually only serve cosmetic purpose, since drifting cars won’t need the downforce with the speed they use.

Camber Angle

Camber Angle

Camber angle is the angle made by the wheel of an automobile; specifically, it is the angle between the vertical axis of the wheel and the vertical axis of the vehicle when viewed from the front or rear. It is used in the design of steering and suspension. If the top of the wheel is further out than the bottom (that is, away from the axle), it is called positive camber, if the bottom of the wheel is further out than the top, it is called negative camber.

Camber angle alters the handling qualities of a particular suspension design – in particular, negative camber improves grip when cornering. This is because it presents the tire, which is taking the greatest proportion of the cornering forces, at a more optimal angle to the road, increasing its contact area and transmitting the forces through the vertical plane of the tire, rather than through a shear force across it. On the other hand, for maximum straight-line acceleration, obviously the greatest traction will be attained when the camber angle is zero and the tread is flat on the road. Proper management of camber angle is a major factor in suspension design, and must incorporate not only idealized geometric models, but also real-life behavior of the components; flex, distortion, elasticity, etc. What was once an art has now become much more scientific with the use of computers, which can juggle all the variables mathematically instead of relying on the designer’s intuitive feel and experience, and as a result the handling of even low-priced automobiles has improved dramatically in recent years.

In older cars with double wishbone suspensions, camber angle was usually adjustable, but in newer models with McPherson strut suspensions it is normally fixed. While this may reduce maintenance requirements, if the car is lowered by use of shortened springs, this changes the caster angle and can lead to increased tire wear and even impaired handling. For this reason, individuals who are serious about modifying their car for better handling will not only lower the body, but also modify the mounting point of the top of the struts to the body to allow some lateral movement for caster adjustment. Aftermarket plates with slots for strut mounts instead of just holes are available for most of the commonly modified models of cars.

Improving Air Induction

Improving the Suck – if you put a piece of cloth over your mouth and suck in air you will not have too much of a problem but if the cloth were wet or a double thickness things start to get harder. The air filter is a very necessary part of the engine unless you are operating in a laboratory so the aim is to get an efficient air filter that is not too thick and is not oily greasy or dirty.

Inside the hood

The best filters for flow rates are usually constructed of a sponge impregnated with a dirt retentive spray to aid filtration or comprise a fine grade metallic mesh. The bigger the surface area of the filter the better the airflow will be. Mainstream cars today can be fitted with an air induction kit that completely replaces the air intake box.

The plus is much better air flow, particularly at higher revs, and the induction roar as air is sucked into the engine the downside is also the roar – some people dislike the extra noise these kits create. Smaller engined cars can actually lose power when an air filter is fitted. It can be challenging to deliver COLD air (which carries more oxygen) to the engine as the temperature under the bonnet can get quite high and a 20 degrees rise in temperature can rob you of up to 3% of your power! An intercooler can be added which is sprayed with CO2 and reduces the temperature of the air intake. It should be noted that in some small engine non-turbo applications the car will feel less powerful with an induction kit – in these instances the best option is a direct replacement panel air filter that goes in the standard air box.

So the best kits come with a cold air feed pipe and are fitted in an air box which shields the intake air from the high under bonnet temperatures – the best compromise between the standard air intake box and the induction kit. Some kits have a long pipe that the filter sits at the end nearest the bonnet which really does help cut down the noise and improves the intake temperature. Kits that protrude under the front bumper which claim to get more air forced in through the pressure built up on the front of the car as it cuts through air do not have significant power gains, other than the benefit of the cold air from outside the engine bay, – the RAM effect takes speeds up over 100 mph before a benefit is realized – they are however a great way to collect many botanical specimens of fly’s, moths and bugs in the air filter!

Note: Be careful where you site the cold air feed – the last thing you want is to be sucking water into the engine every time you splash through a puddle. If the air filter is enclosed in a box with a cold air feed, then more power can be obtained avoiding the hot under bonnet air (Carbon fibre boxes are very good for their heat shielding and durability). It also good to wrap the exhaust manifold with a heat resistant material to keep the under bonnet temperatures down and tasteful vents can be added to the bonnet to take away the heat.

Increasing The Exhaust Rate

Getting rid of the exhaust fumes is important, as the lesser the pressure there is in the exhaust system, the higher is the BHP. Polishing the inside of the exhaust will aid in the fast exit of gases.

Having a larger diameter exhaust is preferable, as the pressure needed to expel the air is lower, and hence the whole process will be quicker, with the advantage that a lower push is needed. Cats suck power by slowing up the airflow but are sadly a requirement on today’s cars – typical reduction of 4 bhp overall. So if you find a high flow sports cat or use an off road only de cat pipe, you will notice an improvement.

Exhaust Manifold

The shape of the exhaust manifold (painted red in picture) is just as critical as the primary and secondary length, and this is something best left to the experts to calculate. To improve a standard exhaust, smooth out its inside with a grinding wheel on a drill or buy a purpose built stainless steel unit for your car. Most sports silencers add a deep roar to the exhaust, but this does little to the overall experience. One of the best exhausts are the standard ones with their rear silencers removed. The center expansion section becomes larger to help muffle the sound and really improves things a lot.

Maximizing Combustion

A turbo or supercharger forces air into the engine at a greater pressure and more air and more fuel = bigger bang = more power. Turbo chargers use the force of the expelled exhaust to drive a turbine and ram fresh air into the engine. Superchargers however are driven by the engines drivetrain. Superchargers give an increase at all revs the higher the revs the more induction charge there is and turbochargers have the same effect although lower down there is what is known as turbo lag – where the effect of the turbo cuts in at a higher rev range. Turbo chargers produce more power than supercharges but most modern engine would need an engine management computer upgrade to be able to handle the altered air flow – the fuel injectors would need to run at a higher pressure to get the fuel into the now pressurized combustion chamber.

The suck has a big effect on the bang or combustion part of the process. Primarily you need a strong spark so make sure you have a good set of spark plugs.

Spark Plug

Faulty high tension leads – HT leads will not cause a weaker spark they will just prevent the spark from happening so if you are having a misfire or uneven idle make sure the HT leads are in good order – flexing and bending them is often enough to damage then so make sure that they are handled carefully. Timing the spark is critical too early and the engine could be damaged and too late and the compression will be lower potentially causing damage to the cat & exhaust if the exhaust ports are open before the explosion fully happens.

Spark Plugs

Overview of Spark Plug

Spark plugs are one of the most misunderstood components of an engine. Numerous questions have surfaced over the years, leaving many people confused.

This guide was designed to assist the technician, hobbyist, or race mechanic in understanding, using, and troubleshooting spark plugs. The information contained in this guide applies to all types of internal combustion engines: two stroke engines, rotary engines, high performance/racing engines and street vehicles.

Spark plugs are the “window” into your engine (your only eyewitness to the combustion chamber), and can be used as a valuable diagnostic tool. Like a patient’s thermometer, the spark plug displays symptoms and conditions of the engine’s performance. The experienced tuner can analyze these symptoms to track down the root cause of many problems, or to determine air/fuel ratios.

SPARK PLUG BASICS

The spark plug has two primary functions:

• To ignite the air/fuel mixture
• To remove heat from the combustion chamber

Spark plugs transmit electrical energy that turns fuel into working energy. A sufficient amount of voltage must be supplied by the ignition system to cause it to spark across the spark plug’s gap. This is called “Electrical Performance.”

The temperature of the spark plug’s firing end must be kept low enough to prevent preignition, but high enough to prevent fouling. This is called “Thermal Performance”, and is determined by the heat range selected.

It is important to remember that spark plugs do not create heat, they can only remove heat. The spark plug works as a heat exchanger by pulling unwanted thermal energy away from the combustion chamber, and transferring the heat to the engine’s cooling system. The heat range is defined as a plug’s ability to dissipate heat.

The rate of heat transfer is determined by:

• The insulator nose length
• Gas volume around the insulator nose
• The materials/construction of the center electrode and porcelain insulator

A spark plug’s heat range has no relationship to the actual voltage transferred though the spark plug. Rather, the heat range is a measure of the spark plug’s ability to remove heat from the combustion chamber. The heat range measurement is determined by several factors; the length of the ceramic center insulator nose and its’ ability to absorb and transfer combustion heat, the material composition of the insulator and center electrode material.

Heat rating and heat flow path of spark plugs

Heat rating and heat flow path of spark plugs

The insulator nose length is the distance from the firing tip of the insulator to the point where insulator meets the metal shell. Since the insulator tip is the hottest part of the spark plug, the tip temperature is a primary factor in pre-ignition and fouling. Whether the spark plugs are fitted in a lawnmower, boat, or a racecar, the spark plug tip temperature must remain between 500C-850°C. If the tip temperature is lower than 500°C, the insulator area surrounding the center electrode will not be hot enough to burn off carbon and combustion chamber deposits. These accumulated deposits can result in spark plug fouling leading to misfire. If the tip temperature is higher than 850°C the spark plug will overheat which may cause the ceramic around the center electrode to blister and the electrodes to melt. This may lead to pre-ignition/detonation and expensive engine damage. In identical spark plug types, the difference from one heat range to the next is the ability to remove approximately 70°C to 100°C from the combustion chamber. A projected style spark plug firing tip temperature is increased by 10°C to 20°C.

Tip Temperature and Firing End Appearance

Tip Temperature and Firing End

The firing end appearance also depends on the spark plug tip temperature. There are three basic diagnostic criteria for spark plugs: good, fouled and overheated. The borderline between the fouling and optimum operating regions (500&def;C) is called the spark plug self-cleaning temperature. The temperature at this point is where the accumulated carbon and combustion deposits are burned off.

Bearing in mind that the insulator nose length is a determining factor in the heat range of a spark plug, the longer the insulator nose, the less heat is absorbed, and the further the heat must travel into the cylinder head water journals. This means the plug has a higher internal temperature, and is said to be a hot plug. A hot spark plug maintains a higher internal operating temperature to burn off oil and carbon deposits, and has no relationship to spark quality or intensity.

Conversely, a cold spark plug has a shorter insulator nose and absorbs more combustion chamber heat. This heat travels a shorter distance, and allows the plug to operate at a lower internal temperature. A colder heat range is necessary when the engine is modified for performance, subjected to heavy loads, or is run at high rpms for a significant period of time. The colder type removes heat more quickly, and will reduce the chance of preignition/ detonation and melting or damage to the firing end. (Engine temperature can affect the spark plug’s operating temperature, but not the spark plugs heat range).

Below is a list of some of the possible external influences on a spark plug’s operating temperatures. The following symptoms or conditions may have an effect on the actual temperature of the spark plug. The spark plug cannot create these conditions, but it must be able to cope with the levels of heat…if not, the performance will suffer and engine damage can occur.

Air/Fuel Mixtures seriously affect engine performance and spark plug operating temperatures.

• Rich air/fuel mixtures cause tip temperature to drop, causing fouling and poor drivability.
• Lean air/fuel mixtures cause plug tip and cylinder temperature to increase, resulting in pre-ignition, detonation, and possibly serious spark plug and engine damage
• It is important to read spark plugs many times during the tuning process to achieve the optimum air/ fuel mixture

Higher Compression Ratios/Forced Induction will elevate spark plug tip and incylinder temperatures

• Compression can be increased by performing any one of the following
  modifications:

1. reducing combustion chamber volume (i.e.: domed pistons, smaller chamber heads, mill ing heads, etc.)
2. adding forced induction (Nitrous, Turbocharging or Supercharging)
3. camshaft change

• As compression increases, a colder heat range plug, higher fuel octane, and careful attention to igni-tion timing and air/fuel ratios are necessary. Failure to select a colder spark plug can lead to spark plug/engine damage

Advancing Ignition Timing

• Advancing ignition timing by 10° causes tip temperature to increase by approx. 70°-100° C

Engine Speed and Load

• Increases in firing-end temperature are proportional to engine speed and load. When traveling at a consistent high rate of speed, or carr

Ambient Air Temperature

• As air temperature falls, air density/air volume becomes greater, resulting in leaner air/fuel mixtures.
• This creates higher cylinder pressures/temperatures and causes an increase in the spark plug’s tip temperature. So, fuel delivery should be increased.
• As temperature increases, air density decreases, as does intake volume, and fuel delivery should be decreased

Humidity

• As humidity increases, air intake volume decreases
• Result is lower combustion pressures and temperatures, causing a decrease in the spark plug’s temperature and a reduction in available power.
• Air/fuel mixture should be leaner, depending upon ambient temperature.

Barometric Pressure/Altitude

• Also affects the spark plug’s tip temperature
• The higher the altitude, the lower cylinder pressure becomes. As the cylinder temperature de-creases, so does the plug tip temperature
• Many mechanics attempt to “chase” tuning by changing spark plug heat ranges
• The real answer is to adjust jetting or air/fuel mixtures in an effort to put more air back into the engine.

Tal y como os anticipamos en la entrada anterior, tras su estreno en las Erial vamos a volver a organizar el ReV “Más Allá del Laberinto”.

En este caso, el Sábado 28 de Noviembre haremos, como de costumbre en Generación X, un nuevo pase de este vivo.

A lo largo del mes iremos viendo quien quiere jugar y cursando las oportunas invitaciones dado que, como en el resto de los vivos que hacemos, el número de plazas es bastante limitado para todos los que queréis jugarlos.

Interview w/ Brother Menelik of HHTT conducted by Mic Digi

When we started HHTT Productions, HHTT was already a movement. We were doing a lot of reviews of classic material at that time and got quite a reputation as a “no nonsense” periodical. Rev, Lex and I always prided ourselves as journalist so to get the respect from other blogs and news outlets only made us yearn for more. Armed with a digital camera we started our revolution in Worcester, making art in true HHTT style. -Brother Menelik Ebna la-Hakim

What is HHTT Productions?

Hulk Hate Time Travel Productions, is our media outlet (record label, photography, video editing, etc).

So, what’s the deal behind the record label?

We built a foundation with hulkhatetimetravel.com and beside journalism some of us also do music. Instead of shopping around we decided to do it ourselves indy and be something Worcester can respect.

Who are the artists that are down with HHTT?

The official roster as of ummm today (laughing) is……. Elijah Divine, Tony Velez, Prophecy, T.O.D., Lex Luthor, Brother Menelik (Av), Cocaine Robots, Scrilla and Ciph

I actually heard music from some of the peoples you mentioned, it’s good to see artists from the city getting out there

Thank you, we are a very humble set of brothers it’s a honor to rep where we from.

Ok let’s get into the roster, what’s good with the controversial Cocaine Robots?

Cocaine Robots are I (Brother Menelik) and T.O.D. I knew T since I was like 11 we been rapping since round that time. We been in many rap groups together and on the real that’s my mans. Anything I ever done is music he has had a part in it in someway. Our last group was Da Leg, we released the local classic “Description of Wor”. The music we did back then would be considered pure hardcore hip hop, I prefer” dat leg shit”!

Ha I remember all that man, what brought fourth the drug rap?

I love drug rap (laughing) I don’t know how else to put it! I think growing up in mainsouth Worcester surrounded by so much drug dealing, and negativity we had to make a positive. Lex and I was good kids you know, we did our shit bee but we had smarts, we had 2 parents in the household and shit bee. On the other side though was my older brother, he put me on the the drug shit and getting fresh and showing me the darker side of mainsouth. Growing up I idolized the drug dealer, I wanted to be just like him. After “Da Leg” parted ways I started to write more harsh material, more street, more real. I felt like I had to honor the OG’s the real niggas  from the block, the cats that I admired even though they did bad things they gave hope to a generation of kids who never had any, we didn’t live next door to doctors and shit the drug dealer was tangible bee.

That was deep…..  I want to say this though, past the drug rap I hear some humor to it, you speak on things like “fannie packs”???

Hahahhaahah, yea there is a little humor to it because it’s all real. I find it hard for me to jus rap about crack on the block cause that was not only what I saw or did, I was with lex bee, if we were in the kitchen niggas was in the kitchen but we would be peeping some ducktales also real talk. I had’s a fannie pak, that was my stash in 94 when jeru was out, no lie ask lex bee!

Whats Rev, T and Lex’s role in HHTT?

They don’t have a role, we are HHTT feel me? Our collective thoughts are HHTT pretty much we do what we like and put on for the city, we need a trophy! On the real though the movement would not be here without my brothers they all play a key role in the success which is HHTT. Rev is the music man, he pretty much keeps his ear to the local and national scene, this dude knows hip hop for real, sometimes he be posting shit that I’m like DAMN! Rev founded HHTT w/me and keeps us current.  Lex is the man, we co host a radio show over at 91.3 WCUW with our brothers from Social Light Sounds. He is the Lead Editor on the site and also an artist on the HHTT roster. He is my right hand. T.O.D. is the engineer of the “Da’ Kitchen” our inhouse studio, video editor, promoter, writer, and one half of the Cocaine Robots…….Did I also mention he produces!

I really respect what ya’ll do within the city, I never seen Worcester represented like this before. Why is that?

Once again thank you, we really appreciate all the love. We truly believe in our city, we all from different parts but we here now. Why run to NewYork or ATL for ya heroes when you got them right here! For so many years I have heard people say how much they hate Worcester, how wack it is etc, FUCK THAT!!! This is my home and I’m proud of where I’m from, Mainsouth Worcester baby!

check for pt.II of the interview next week

Bloggers who have proudly claimed to have dumped the “New International Version” (NIV) often cite reasons about “dynamic equivalence” or not wanting a Bible that makes “interpretive” decisions for them. The issue I have isn’t with what their switching to, but why.

One blogger stated in reference to leaving behind the NIV and going “essentially literal”,

“I was convinced the “dynamic equivalence” model of translation theory was the best one.”

My questions are who stated the “dynamic equivalence” model for the NIV was the best? Who stated the translation model for the NIV is “dynamic equivalence”? Another blogger states,

“…often the NIV replaces the ambiguity of the original with the decision of the translator…”

All translations are created through decision making. More concerning is why in the world would anyone would want to read ambiguity. Another blog commented about the “International Bible Society’s marketing” as his reasons for not liking the NIV. I think they’re confusing the IBS with other entities.

Spirit & Truth Fellowship International and sponsors of the Revised English Version state this,

It [Revised English Version] is not a “dynamic equivalent translation,” such as the NIV…

“The Standard Bible Society” (esv.org) states on their website,

Unlike the ESV, the NIV is a “dynamic equivalence” translation…

John Piper states,

“The NIV is a paraphrase with so much unnecessary rewording and so much interpretation that I could not preach from it.”

Baptist pastors Steven Anderson and Marc Grizzard take their complaints to a higher level proudly perform public burnings of the NIV.

Zondervan publications developer Ben Irwin stated in “History of the English Bible” that the NIV is a,

Blend of dynamic and formal equivalence

“The NIV: The Making of a Contemporary Translation” publication gives insight into the translation philosophy of the NIV.

two leta = two copper coins

“the NIV does not always put such equivalent [dynamic] in the text”

“each passage was weighed carefully”

The purpose of the NIV isn’t to paraphrase and open the door to a translator’s own interpretations and misrepresent the original text like some claim. The NIV moves in colloquially when the modern reader will not understand or the impact of what’s being stated evaporates into something meaningless. The NIV is more literal than it is functional and because of that it’s one of the reason why the “New Living Translation” (NLT) is so popular among younger readers.

All translation have interpretive decisions and all English translations have varying degrees of “dynamic equivalence” in them. The NIV isn’t fully “dynamic” but functional and formal as Ben Irwin stated. Often when the term “dynamic equivalence” is used in reference to the NIV, it appears to sometimes to hint that the NIV is  sloppy in it’s approach. That’s not true. It’s also equally disappointing to see public acts of vandalism performed in the name of Jesus.

I dag tok jeg meg en liten tur ut på han sjenke på karaoke, tok meg en liten pause fra skriving og data. Ble litt lei arbeidsoppg. Også på vei hjem igjen ser vi nordlys. Det var kjempe fint, stili å se på.  =)    også sto vi der ute å så på nordlyset, jeg og en søring til..    vi ser ikke sånt i Oslo vettu, så må jo se litt på det. så kom det en rev nesten helt bort til oss.. den var kjempe søt..   ^__^     Det var en bra kveld må jeg si.  Nordlys og en rev på samme kveld. =)    Pluss at Richard, trønderen, hadde bursdag..  Så jeg måtte nesten bli med ut en tur, selv om jeg hadde oppg å skrive.. 

Natta  =)

Litt mørkt, men her er bilde av reven:

Ser du den?

Por increíbles peligros e innumerables fatigas me he abierto camino hasta el castillo más allá de la ciudad de los goblins, para recuperar el niño que me has robado. Porque mi voluntad es tan fuerte como la tuya, y mi reino igual de grande. ¡No tienes poder sobre mí!

Han pasado quince años desde que Sarah rescató a su hermano de las manos de Jareth y retornó a la seguridad de su hogar. La vida continuó, y tanto ella como su hermano Toby han crecido. Pero las cosas en el Reino de los goblins han cambiado mucho. Una nueva Reina, fría y temible, gobierna sentada al lado de Jareth; oscuros presagios amenazan al reino, y la inquietud se respira en la ciudad de los goblins. La esencia del mismo Reino está amenazada, y nadie sabe porqué que es.

Y eso no es lo único; algo realmente extraño ha sucedido: humanos, simples mortales, han vuelto al Laberinto. Algunos habían estado ya aquí, otros no. Y nadie sabe a que se debe. Esta noche se van a reunir en la Corte de los Goblins mortales asustados, antiguos amigos reunidos de nuevo, los goblins más influyentes del reino, y otros personajes que pueblan la Ciudad…

Mas allá del Laberinto es un Rol en Vivo interpretativo que incorpora elementos de investigación, negociación, política y aventura.

Esta es la ficha del nuevo ReV de Tardis, que se estrenó en las Erial 2009.  En la galería y en el grupo de Facebook, próximamente, podréis encontrar las fotografías del evento. Además, para aquellos que quieran jugarla, la haremos de nuevo en Madrid en una fecha aun por determinar. ¡Os mantendremos informados!