Starting to Install STOP- SIGN CAMERA`S

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OFF THE WIRE
Drivers' newest nemesis -- stop-sign cameras

 http://www.foxnews.com/


politics/2012/08/09/stop-sign-

cameras-coming-next-to-your-
town/?test=latestnews

  Thinking about rolling through that stop sign the next time nobody’s looking? Think again.

On top of red-light cameras and speed cameras, some jurisdictions are starting to install stop-sign cameras in their seemingly never-ending quest to monitor drivers and catch them in the act of some ticket-able offense. California has already rolled out cameras at stop signs. Maryland and the nation's capital could be next.
Maryland right now allows only red-light cameras, but the town of Glen Echo wants the state legislature to expand government’s reach to include photo-ticketing for intersections with stop signs.
This could be the camel’s nose under the tent.'
- AAA spokesman John B. Townsend II
Glen Echo is just a leafy, suburban Washington town wanting only one camera for an intersection that handles roughly 200,000 vehicles a year.
But the country’s biggest motorist-advocacy group has concerns about changes to Maryland law leading to a proliferation of the still-new enforcement technology.
“This could be the camel’s nose under the tent,” AAA mid-Atlantic spokesman John B. Townsend II told FoxNews.com.
The District of Columbia is already considering a plan to spend $5.8 million on a traffic-enforcement plan that would include stop-sign cameras and ones that could detect and ticket vehicles speeding up to get through a yellow light.
Critics of such programs argue they are more about generating cash than making roads safer, including in the District, where some of the cameras are on four-lane roads with no homes or schools in sight. The city’s network of cameras to nab speeders and red-light runners last year took in roughly $55 million, according to AAA.
“The push for more automated traffic enforcement has nothing to do with revenue,” Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier said this spring in support of expanding the automated program. “I'm motivated to promote traffic safety because I don't want to see anymore fatal accident victims who have been ejected from their shoes by the force of the crash impact.”
Beyond more stop-sign cameras being added to the thousands of other cameras already in more than 550 communities across the country, Townsend has concerns about the technology and how Maryland legislators might rework the statute.
He says the law now reads that all four wheels must come to a stop.
“That’s so nebulous that nobody knows what you mean,” Townsend said. “And for how long do you have to be stopped?”
Still, Townsend points out that 40 percent of all fatal crashes in the country occur at intersections with stop signs.
Such cameras are already in the Santa Monica Mountains just west of the city of Los Angeles, which last year shut off its 32 red-light cameras amid questions about their effectiveness and problems collecting fines.
The seven cameras in the mountain parks -- from the Hollywood Hills to the Malibu coast -- took in a reported $2.4 million in fiscal 2010, despite posted warnings.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/


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Too Loud Laws - Noise Laws, around the USA

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OFF THE WIRE
agingrebel.com
First Published
Mon, Oct 27, 2008

Everyone agrees, we must be stopped by any means necessary, fair or foul. The latest weapon against us is the “noise pollution” law.
Right out of the gate, let’s not dance around. First thing, let’s state two self-evident truths.
“Noise pollution” laws are a most excellent example of what Clinton guru Dick Morris used to call “bite-sized” laws. And, the political concept behind “bite-sized” laws is: Government at all levels is impotent to do anything about anything that matters but self-serving politicians can at least win elections by conjuring problems out of the thin air and then creating the illusion that they are solving those imaginary problems.
Secondly, in case you haven’t noticed, municipal governments are gathering more and more of their revenue these days from the enforcement of traffic laws. Have you been seeing more cops on the road lately and you still are not sure what is behind all that “police presence?” Money. Now you know. Money.
One way to increase revenue from traffic fines is to find more efficient ways to enforce existing laws-like “red light cameras” which automate the enforcement of laws against turning right on a red light after less than a full two-second stop. Right turns on red after a rolling or too brief a stop account for about 99 percent of these tickets. In Los Angeles these tickets result in a $385 fine and that amount is split evenly between the city and the private firm that franchises these devices and stores the video evidence.
A second way to increase revenue from traffic fines is to invent new traffic offenses, like motorcycle “noise pollution.”
Noise Pollution
Noise pollution is one of those new problems that have been created as if by magic. Sure, people who live near railroad tracks and airports have been bothered forever. But, the idea of noise as a kind of pollution, like smoke or dust, was just invented in 2004. And, the inventor was a college professor named Ted Rueter.
Rueter, who taught “political activism” at UCLA, founded a “group,” with a membership of “one,” called “Noise Free America.”
“A lot of people get off on noise and think that there’s something wrong with peace and quiet,” Rueter told the Utne Reader in 2005. “We’re still fighting a public perception that this is a trivial issue and anyone who’s concerned or interested in curbing noise is a crank.”
Note Rueter’s use of the imperial “we.” Isn’t that great? We. “We are still fighting….”
Rueter went on to tell the Utne Reader that he (or maybe we) “dreams of the day when a forward-thinking class action attorney decides to take offending manufacturers to court. ‘It would be a monumental case-much stronger than anything you could throw at the fast food industry…no one is being forced to go to McDonald’s.’”
Harley’s Brave Stand For Us
As Rueter’s crusade pertains to motorcycles, the manufacturer he is soliciting underemployed lawyers to sue is, naturally, Harley-Davidson. And, nothing so terrifies any big corporation more than the phrase, “Class Action Lawsuit.” So, in case you have been wondering why Harley CEO Jim McCaslin went on the company website in 2006 and wrote these words about motorcycle noise:
“So what if you’ve picked the wrong pipes? Then you have a very important individual decision to make. We all do. No one expects everyone to change out their straight pipes overnight. But we all must consider changing out our thinking. We need to think about the consequences our actions have on others, before others take action against us.”
Yeah. Us. Now you know that, too.
The “action” McCaslin was talking about was a class action lawsuit. And, the us he was talking about was him. And, now you also know why Harley has been so timid about this subject in general.
Victims Of Noise Pollution Speak Out, Newz At Eleven
The “noise pollution issue” has offered cynical local politicians and highly paid cops a new means to increase revenue and exercise social control over people like us who tend to have unruly hair and colorful tattoos.
Rueter sent out press releases. Of course, he did. What else does a “political activism” professor do?
Local newspapers printed these releases virtually verbatim and thus alerted the American people to this new threat. “Laura!”
“What is it this time, George?”
“Have you seen this in the paper? About noise pollution. No wonder we ain’t happy no more like we was.”
After reading about their new problem, people demanded that something be done by somebody. And, of course the police and the politicians proved that they were doing a good job by ticketing us.
This time us means us. Okay? If you are reading this chances are good you are one of us. Us.
The magical, lucrative, travelling, “noise pollution,” medicine show has passed through many American towns in the last four years. In the last month it has been strumming and dancing its way through Myrtle Beach, SC on the east coast and Temecula, CA on the west.
Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach passed an ordinance on September 23 that states: “Motorcycles built after Dec. 31, 1982, must have unmodified exhaust mufflers bearing federal Environmental Protection Agency stickers or stamps. Motorcycles built before Dec. 31, 1982, must not be louder than 83 decibels when measured from 20 inches away.”
Bikes that are louder than 83 decibels must be impounded and are not released until the owner shows up with a tow truck. Once impounded the bikes cannot be ridden out of Myrtle Beach.
Now, eighty-three decibels is an entirely arbitrary number. It is a sound level somebody picked out a hat.
By way of comparison, a telephone dial tone is 80 decibels. Which is also the Federal standard for a motorcycle exhaust. Eighty decibels. Consider that. Someone in Washington with the power to invent new laws thinks that a motorcycle should be exactly as loud as a dial tone.
The decibel level inside a closed car in traffic is 85 decibels. That is two decibels louder than the Myrtle Beach standard for a bike. So, the Myrtle Beach standard guarantees that if you are in a car and there is a motorcycle in your blind spot you will never know he is there.
A subway train at a distance of 200 feet is 95 decibels. And, the crescendo of “Ode To Joy” the fourth movement of Ludwig Van Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony-a tune you know and you have hummed even if you do not recognize the title-is about 125 decibels. Joy. Beethoven wanted to make the great, overpowering sound of joy.
So, soon a call must go out in this great land. One of the great musical treasures of western civilization will be discovered by television news to be loud. Loud! And so, we-and by we I mean them-must ban Beethoven! We must ban Beethoven now or who is to say where all this Beethoven pollution will ever stop!
Temecula
California also has a number, 95 decibels. And again, it is a number that the California Highway Patrol (CHP) more or less picked out of the air. It is not a bad number. It is a better number than the Myrtle Beach number.
But then, since when does a California cop need a number? In an article in the Malibu Times in 2005, CHP information officer Leland Tang admitted that whether a motorcycle is too loud or not too loud is “open to the officer’s interpretation, with experience and training, as to what is too loud.”
Got that? Trust the policeman. He is your friend. You know he will do what is right. That is the actual California standard: “The officer’s interpretation.”
Consequently, Temecula which has in the past been a destination for weekend riders, issued 60 tickets during the first three weekends in September. And, the tickets were all issued on an individual officer’s “interpretation,” based on his “experience and training” of what was “too loud.”
Why Loud Pipes
If you changed out your pipes you know why you did it. First, it allowed you to go from 58 horsepower to 68 horsepower. And a 15 percent increase in power makes a huge difference in your ability to accelerate away from danger. Secondly, and more importantly, loud pipes save lives.
People who have never been on a motorcycle routinely mock the notion that loud pipes save lives. Ted Rueter has repeatedly mocked the “myth” that loud pipes save lives. Critics of the “myth” always argue that most motorcycle accidents occur in front of the bike so it must have been the biker who was at fault and the loudness of his pipes could not have made any difference.
Of course you know how loud pipes save lives. Accidents happen in front of the bike because somebody has turned in front of you. Or somebody has pulled out of a side street or a driveway in front of you.
And after they do this, while you and the bike are both laying there, leaking oil and blood all over the asphalt, when the first witness arrives, these motorists always say the same thing. They say, “I never knew he was there.”
Oakland
Even cops know loud pipes save lives. Take for example, the Oakland, CA Police Department.
Oakland is an old school department that still rides Harley-Davidsons and last spring, the city did a study that indicated that their police bikes might be noise polluters. Consequently all 30 of the department’s Harleys were fitted with quieter, stock exhaust systems. These were the exhausts that come with the bikes, the exhausts you drive out of the dealership.
And, that improvement in the way things are lasted all the way until March, 2008 when an Oakland motorcycle cop riding a Harley with a stock exhaust was struck by an automobile driver who said he never knew the motorcycle was there.
According to Oakland Deputy Chief Dave Kozicki, quoted in the San Francisco Examiner, “the decibel drop sparked a chorus of complaints from other officers, who said they felt less safe.” The department concluded, Kozicki went on to say, that “it was in the best interest of the officers to put more-audible pipes back on.”
So, Oakland paid $15,000 to put new louder pipes on 30 department bikes and when the city bought another 15 bikes they came with louder, non-standard exhaust systems as well.
The new exhausts, when tested, averaged 93 decibels. So, all 45 bikes would be impounded in Myrtle Beach. And, how they would do in Temecula would depend on the moon, the tides, astrology and the mood of the local cops that minute in that hour on that day.

Submit, Photo`s & Bio, for Babe of the Week or Day.......Good Luck...

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IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BABE OF THE WEEK, DAY....... Submit 8 - 10 photos, any type of photo`s ,  topless, bikini or you  on a  Scooter photo`s email to  strokerz383@gmail.comIf you want your pictures posted please a Short Bio, Include Your Name, City & State.All winners will be posted on this website & notified via email. The Blog can be reached at  bikersofamerica.blogspot.comThank you, Philipaka Screwdriver

Biker, builder, actor, ex-con

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OFF THE WIRE
By SUSAN CARPENTER

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
scarpenter@ocregister.comRusty Coones has lived what could easily be a "Sons of Anarchy" plot line.
A tower of a man with tattooed arms jutting from his sides like turrets, Coones is a longstanding Hells Angel and bike builder who owns Illusion Motorsports in Westminster – a custom shop that specializes in burly black bikes that would be right at home on the hit FX show that re-imagines "Hamlet" with a gun-running motorcycle club doling out eye-for-an-eye justice in a small California town.
With recent appearances on "Sons of Anarchy" and bikes he's built for the show's creator, Coones blurs the line between reality and fiction. In two episodes leading up to Tuesday's grisly season finale, Coones played Quinn, president of a Sons of Anarchy Nomads charter, riding one of his own Illusion customs. Coones says he'll be back on "Sons" next season in the role that has him playing himself, essentially. In real life, he was president of the Angels' San Fernando Valley and Orange County chapters.
It's well-known that "Sons of Anarchy" creator and executive producer Kurt Sutter regularly consults with the Hells Angels to ensure the show's authenticity. Coones first met Sutter when show creator and lead actor Charlie Hunnam came to an open house at the Illusion shop in 2008, after which he was asked to build a custom bike that was featured in the DVD extras for the show's third season and later auctioned for charity.
Sutter then commissioned an Illusion bike of his own: A Hellrazor that is, like all Illusion customs, black, with chromed parts that appear to have been shot through with bullets.
Sutter's involvement with Coones didn't stop there. Sutter featured three songs from Coones' rock-metal band Attika 7 in the FX show and eventually cast the 6-foot, 5-inch bike builder to appear on screen.
Coones has been in prison twice – first for drugs and guns and later for conspiracy to distribute an illicit chemical used to make methamphetamine. A central California native, he bought Illusion Motorsports in 1999 but was arrested on a drug-conspiracy charge a few months later. While he was in federal prison, his wife Katherine ran the business "so Rusty would come home to a purpose," she said.
After almost six years of "bad food, bad company and a bad time," Coones said, he came home to the purpose of his shop, only to ride head on into the worst economy in decades.
"Right when I got back, I had all these high hopes of resurrecting Illusion. I thought we could get a dealer network going. And every step of the way we ran into problems because everything was collapsing as we were trying to come up," said Coones, who, like his bikes, is clad entirely in black.
"Sons of Anarchy," it seems, came along at just the right time.
"This whole 'Sons of Anarchy' connection is a plus for anybody," said Coones, who is working on four different bike projects, including an $80,000 Hellrazor bagger that tips the scales at 850 pounds and is distinguished by an enormous 26-inch front wheel. Coones is also in the earliest stages of developing his own reality TV program.
"Any time you're associated with a show with over 5 million viewers, it will legitimize you – even when you're somebody like me who's been in prison several times and happens to be a Hells Angel."
Contact the writer: scarpenter@ocregister.com or Twitter @OCRcarpenter
Rusty Coones, owner of Illusion Cycles, is shown with the 2010 Hellrazor S/T built for the Wounded Warriors Foundation by Kurt Sutter, creator of "Sons of Anarchy" and Illusion Cycles and FX.LEONARD ORTIZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

One for the LOST Fans - South Pacific Island 'proven not to exist'

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Thanks to Alan for the heads up.

Thought LOST Fans might enjoy this.



A South Pacific island, shown on marine charts and world maps as well as on Google Earth and Google Maps, does not exist, Australian scientists say.

The supposedly sizeable strip of land, named Sandy Island on Google maps, was positioned midway between Australia and French-governed New Caledonia.

But when scientists from the University of Sydney went to the area, they found only the blue ocean of the Coral Sea.

The phantom island has featured in publications for at least a decade.

Scientist Maria Seton, who was on the ship, said that the team was expecting land, not 1,400m (4,620ft) of deep ocean.

"We wanted to check it out because the navigation charts on board the ship showed a water depth of 1,400m in that area - very deep," Dr Seton, from the University of Sydney, told the AFP news agency after the 25-day voyage.

"It's on Google Earth and other maps so we went to check and there was no island. We're really puzzled. It's quite bizarre.

"How did it find its way onto the maps? We just don't know, but we plan to follow up and find out."

Australian newspapers have reported that the invisible island would sit within French territorial waters if it existed - but does not feature on French government maps.

Australia's Hydrographic Service, which produces the country's nautical charts, says its appearance on some scientific maps and Google Earth could just be the result of human error, repeated down the years.

A spokesman from the service told Australian newspapers that while some map makers intentionally include phantom streets to prevent copyright infringements, that was was not usually the case with nautical charts because it would reduce confidence in them.

A spokesman for Google said they consult a variety of authoritative sources when making their maps.

"The world is a constantly changing place, the Google spokesman told AFP, "and keeping on top of these changes is a never-ending endeavour'.'

The BBC's Duncan Kennedy in Sydney says that while most explorers dream of discovering uncharted territory, the Australian team appears to have done the opposite - and cartographers everywhere are now rushing to undiscover Sandy Island for ever.

Source: BBC

Movie Trailer Sunday (65)

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This weeks trailers are about a couple with problems and seeking someone elses comfort, the apocalypse, the different lives of two men, a man fighting against Pinochet and a maniac.

To the Wonder
Description: Marina (Olga Kurylenko) and Neil (Ben Affleck) meet in France and move to Oklahoma to start a life together, where problems soon arise. While Marina makes the acquaintance of a priest and fellow exile (Javier Bardem), who is struggling with his vocation, Neil renews a relationship with a childhood sweetheart, Jane (Rachel McAdams).
Director: Terence Mallick
Starring: Ben Affleck, Olga Kurylenko, Rachel McAdams, Javier Bardem
Trailer: Trailer "To the Wonder"
Comment: This trailer gave me goosebumps, it looks so beautiful.

This is the End
Description: We follows six friends trapped in a house after a series of strange and catastrophic events devastate Los Angeles. As the world unravels outside, dwindling supplies and cabin fever threaten to tear apart the friendships inside. Once they discover that they are experiencing the Apocalypse, they must come to terms with why they were left behind. Eventually they are forced to leave the house, facing their fate and the true meaning of friendship and redemption.
Director: Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen
Starring: Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco, Craig Robinson, Danny McBride, Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Emma Watson
Trailer: Trailer "This is the End"
Comment: It's only a teaser, but anything with James Franco gets my attention.

The Place Beyond the Pines
Description: A motorcycle rider Luke (Ryan Gosling)makes a fateful decision to commit a crime to support his child. The incident renders him targeted by policeman Avery (Bradley Cooper), and the two men become locked on a tense collision course which will have a devastating impact on both of their families in the years following.
Director: Derek Cianfrance
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes, Rose Byrne, Bruce Greenwood, Ray Liotta
Trailer: Traler "The Place Beyond the Pines"
Comment: I love Ryan!

No
Description: When Chilean military dictator Augusto Pinochet, facing international pressure, calls for a referendum on his presidency in 1988, opposition leaders persuade a brash young advertising executive, Rene Saavedra (Gael García Bernal), to spearhead their campaign. With scant resources and constant scrutiny by the despot's watchmen, Saavedra and his team devise an audacious plan to win the election and free their country from oppression.
Director: Pablo Larraín
Starring: Gael García Bernal, Alfredo Castro, Ant�nia Zegers, Marcial Tagle, N�stor Cantillana, Jaime Vadell, Pascal Montero
Trailer: Trailer "No"

Maniac
Description: The owner of a mannequin shop develops a dangerous obsession with a young artist.
Director: Franck Khalfoun
Starring: Elijah Wood, Norah Arnezeder
Trailer: Trailer "Maniac"

The Many Faces of... Kirsten Dunst

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Some people love her and some people can't stand her. I think she's a beautiful actress, she has a distinctive look. Kirsten Dunst and her many different looks.

Face # 1: Interview with the Vampire
Role: Claudia
Comment: She was a creepy kid in this movie.
Rating: 3/ 5

Face # 2: Little Women
Role: Young Amy March
Comment: She looks adorable
Rating: 4,5 /5

Face # 3: Jumanji
Role: Judi Shepherd
Comment: Already a little more grown up, except for the braids. Love them.
Rating: 4,5 /5

Face # 4: The Virgin Suicides
Role: Lux Lisbon
Comment: Pretty young thing.
Rating: 4/ 5

Face # 5: Drop Dead Gorgeous
Role: Amber Atkins
Comment: Eventhough she has something ridiculous on her head, the title of the movie speaks for itself.
Rating: 4/ 5

Face # 6: Bring it On
Role: Torrance Shipman
Comment: Kirsten looks believable as a cheerleader.
Rating: 5/ 5

Face # 7: Crazy/ Beautiful
Role: Nicole Oakley
Comment: She obviously plays a troubled young woman in this movie.
Rating: 2,5/ 5
Face # 8: Spider-Man
Role: Mary-Jane Watson
Comment: Like her as a redhead.
Rating: 5/ 5

Face # 9: Mona Lisa Smile
Role: Betty Warren
Comment: A bit stiff.
Rating: 3/ 5

Face # 10: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Role: Mary
Comment: Really loving this look.
Rating: 5/ 5

Face # 11: Wimbledon
Role: Lizzy Bradbury
Comment: Perfect.
Rating: 5/ 5

Face # 12: Elizabethtown
Role: Claire Colburn
Comment: I like the hat.
Rating: 5/ 5

Face # 13: Marie Antoinette
Role: Marie Antoinette
Comment: Classy and chique!
Rating: 3/ 5

Face # 14: How to Lose Friends & Alienate People
Role: Alison Olsen
Comment: Like the shorter hair.
Rating: 4,5 /5

Face # 15: Melancholia
Role: Justine
Comment: Makeup, some makeup please!
Rating: 3/ 5

Face # 16: On the Road
Role: Camille/ Carolyn Cassidy
Comment: Charming...
Rating: 3,5/ 5

Best of... Meg Ryan

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Whatever happened to Meg Ryan? I liked her, the queen of romantic comdies! So it's about time to go by all of her movies and choose her best ones.

"Top Gun"
Yes, Meg Ryan was in "Top Gun". This is really one of those 80's movies only women love, eventhough it's about fighterpilots and every boy wants to become one. Tom Cruise was just irresistible in this film.

"When Harry Met Sally"
This movie is so much fun, it's been too long since I saw it. Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan have perfect chemistry, so much humor and off course that diner scene is historical.

"Joe Versus the Volcano"
The first collaboration between Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. It's my least favorite of the three, but still a great film.

"Sleepless in Seattle"
And then there's the second movie. So sweet... I just love Tom Hanks in this one.

"When a Man Loves a Woman"
This is actually one of my mom's favorite films. She likes Andy Garcia. It's a more serious role for Meg and she does a fantastic job. This is a movie about a man that truly loves his wife, no matter what. Even in the darker days of their mariage. It's all in the title.

"I.Q."
It's about Albert Einstein who wants to help a man get together with Einstein's niece. I have only seen it once, but thinking of it I want to see it again. It was a fun movie.

"Courage Under Fire"
Again a more serious role for Meg. This movie also stars Denzel Washington. That's always good. It's a strong drama.

"City of Angels"
Beautiful lovestory which brought along the best Alanis Morissette song "Uninvited".

"You've Got Mail"
You can say a lot about this film, criticize it all you want. I love this movie. Even if it's outdated now, with today's technology. I like it more then "Sleepless in Seattle". I must have seen this movie so many times, that I an actually quote from it. Call me an idiot, but "You've got Mail" is awesome!

Top 5 Thursday: Books I Read in 2012

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This year I had themes for every month and I liked it. It made reading even more pleasant for me. Some months were better then others, but overall I had a very good reading year. Here are the five best books I read this year.

5. “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Brontë
It’s an absolute classic and I can’t believe that I never read it before. Although it’s not a very spectacular book, it keeps your attention at all times. (September – Classics Month)


4. “Duma Key” by Stephen King
I read a lot of Stephen King books this year, but this was definitely my favorite. It totally captivates you, like my brother had already warned me before. King is a magician with words, just sublime. (October – Stephen King Month)


3. “The Hobbit” by J.R.R. Tolkien
Fantasy has become one of my favorite genres over the year and I loved every second of reading “The Hobbit”. What a fantastic journey. (June – Adventure Month)


2. “Matilda” by Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl is the best children´s book writer off all time and “Matilda” is his best work. I´ve loved this books ever since I was a child. And now as a teacher I love to share this wonderous story with my children. It’s such a magical story. (August – Roald Dahl Month)


1. “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett
When I finished this book in the beginning of the year, I already knew that this was going to be high on my favorites list. It is the best books I read this year, for so many reasons. It really grabbed me, the story is touching and sometimes funny and it has such great characters. If you haven’t read this book yet, what are you waiting for?(February – Bestsellers Month)


They almost made the top 5: “Divergent” by Veronica Roth, “Into the Wild” by John Krakauer, “The Understudy” by David Nicholls, “Dances with Wolves” by Michael Blake, “A Game of Thrones” by George R. R. Martin, “The Lucky One” by Nicholas Sparks, “The Fantastic Mr. Fox” by Roald Dahl, “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins, “Carrie” by Stephen King

One for the LOST Fans - South Pacific Island 'proven not to exist'

To contact us Click HERE
Thanks to Alan for the heads up.

Thought LOST Fans might enjoy this.



A South Pacific island, shown on marine charts and world maps as well as on Google Earth and Google Maps, does not exist, Australian scientists say.

The supposedly sizeable strip of land, named Sandy Island on Google maps, was positioned midway between Australia and French-governed New Caledonia.

But when scientists from the University of Sydney went to the area, they found only the blue ocean of the Coral Sea.

The phantom island has featured in publications for at least a decade.

Scientist Maria Seton, who was on the ship, said that the team was expecting land, not 1,400m (4,620ft) of deep ocean.

"We wanted to check it out because the navigation charts on board the ship showed a water depth of 1,400m in that area - very deep," Dr Seton, from the University of Sydney, told the AFP news agency after the 25-day voyage.

"It's on Google Earth and other maps so we went to check and there was no island. We're really puzzled. It's quite bizarre.

"How did it find its way onto the maps? We just don't know, but we plan to follow up and find out."

Australian newspapers have reported that the invisible island would sit within French territorial waters if it existed - but does not feature on French government maps.

Australia's Hydrographic Service, which produces the country's nautical charts, says its appearance on some scientific maps and Google Earth could just be the result of human error, repeated down the years.

A spokesman from the service told Australian newspapers that while some map makers intentionally include phantom streets to prevent copyright infringements, that was was not usually the case with nautical charts because it would reduce confidence in them.

A spokesman for Google said they consult a variety of authoritative sources when making their maps.

"The world is a constantly changing place, the Google spokesman told AFP, "and keeping on top of these changes is a never-ending endeavour'.'

The BBC's Duncan Kennedy in Sydney says that while most explorers dream of discovering uncharted territory, the Australian team appears to have done the opposite - and cartographers everywhere are now rushing to undiscover Sandy Island for ever.

Source: BBC

Top 5 Thursday: Movie Posters 2012

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Like last year I summed up the best movie posters of the year. Again I had th choice between some wonderful, creative and original posters. So here they are. I haven't seen any of the movies on this list yet.

5. Big Miracle
As a nature lover and a slight preference for whales, I just had to choose this poster.



4. Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter
I like the dark and mysterious look. It fits this movie perfectly.



3. Frankenweenie
I always like these kind of posters. Looks like concept art. The etchy form really speaks to me.



2. The Cabin in the Woods
This poster reminded me of Escher, his drawings have a similar style. It looks so good, there are so many things to look at in this poster.



1. The Amazing Spider-Man
This poster captures it all. It's perfect and this really amazed me when I first saw it. Great poster.



They almost made the top 5: Paranorman, The Words, Prometheus

In My Maibox (74)

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Six postcards this week. The first one got lost and the sender decided to send me a new one. This is an OK postcard, but when I saw the original card I nearly cried. it was a wonderful elephant card.... But it's always nice when the sender is so kind to resend a card. It's from Coburg, Germany.


Sent: october 30th 2012
Received: december 10th 2012
Distance: 364 km (226 miles)
Travel Time: 41 days

This postcard, from Hrodna, Belarus, really has a huge aaaw-factor. It's super adorable.


Sent: december 4th 2012
Received: december 11th 2012
Distance: 1,240 km (771 miles)
Travel Time: 7 days

My first card from Bulgaria. From a town called Sliven. A real cute puppy postcard. The writer was also a big movie fan and "Forrest Gump" was her favorite.


Sent: november 27th 2012
Received: december 12th 2012
Distance: 1,805 km (1,122 miles)
Travel Time: 15 days

A Christmas card from Tilburg, the Netherlands. She was surprised that I didn't liked religious cards. Well, they just freak me out, that's all. But I'm glad she didn't send me one. I like Santa.


Sent: december 5th 2012
Received: december 12th 2012
Distance: 73 km (45 miles)
Travel Time: 7 days

My favorite of the week also came from the Netherlands, this time Rotterdam. Sesamestreet!!! And Oscar is on it too. My rabbit is named after this muppet.


Sent: december 10th 2012
Received: december 13th 2012
Distance: 132 km (82 miles)
Travel Time: 3 days

Most people don't like add cards, but I do when they're vintage. This one came from Medan, Indonesia. And it has Dutch features, because we are a bicycle country.


Sent: december 1st 2012
Received: december 14th 2012
Distance: 9,883 km (6,141 miles)
Travel Time: 13 days

Thanks Sabrina, Anna, Hrissy, Jolijn, Maureen and Nora for your wonderful.

Movie Trailer Sunday (64)

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This weeks trailers are about the earth after a cataclysmic event, Roosevelt, adetective trying to take down his biggest enemy, a haunting and robots.

After Earth
Description: A crash landing leaves teenager Kitai Raige (Jaden Smith) and his legendary father Cypher (Will Smith) stranded on Earth, 1,000 years after cataclysmic events forced humanity's escape. With Cypher critically injured, Kitai must embark on a perilous journey to signal for help, facing uncharted terrain, evolved animal species that now rule the planet, and an unstoppable alien creature that escaped during the crash. Father and son must learn to work together and trust one another if they want any chance of returning home.
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: Will Smith, Jaden Smith
Trailer: Trailer "After Earth"
Comment: The trailer looks good, but I'm still a bit sceptic.

Hyde Park on Hudson
Description: In June 1939, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Bill Murray) and his wife Eleanor (Olivia Williams) host the King and Queen of England (Samuel West, Olivia Colman) for a weekend at the Roosevelt home at Hyde Park on Hudson, in upstate New York, the first-ever visit of a reigning English monarch to America. With Britain facing imminent war with Germany, the Royals are desperately looking to FDR for support. But international affairs must be juggled with the complexities of FDR's domestic establishment, as wife, mother, and mistresses all conspire to make the royal weekend an unforgettable one. Seen through the eyes of Daisy (Laura Linney), Franklin's distant cousin, neighbor, and intimate, the weekend will produce not only a special relationship between two great nations, but, for Daisy, for us all, a deeper understanding of the mysteries of love and friendship.
Director: Roger Michell
Starring: Bill Murray, Laura Linney, Olivia Colman, Samuel West, Elizabeth Marvel, Elizabeth Wilson, Eleanor Bron, Olivia Williams
Trailer: Trailer "Hyde Park on Hudson"
Comment: Bill Murray can hardly do anything wrong.

Welcome to the Punch
Description: When a notorious criminal is forced to return to London, it gives a detective one last chance to take down the man he's always been after.
Director: Eran Creevy
Starring: James McAvoy, Mark Strong, Elyes Gabel, David Morrissey, Peter Mullan, Daniel Mays, Andrea Riseborough
Trailer: Trailer "Welcome to the Punch"

The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia
Description: When Andy Wyrick (Chad Michael Murray) moves his wife Lisa (Abigail Spencer) and daughter Heidi to an historic home in Georgia, they quickly discover they are not the house's only inhabitants. Joined by Lisa's free-spirited sister, Joyce (Katee Sackhoff), the family soon comes face-to-face with a bone-chilling mystery born of a deranged desire, a haunting secret rising from underground and threatening to bring down anyone in its path.
Director: Tom Elkins
Starring: Chad Michael Murray, Abigail Spencer, Katee Sackhoff, Emily Alyn Lind, Cicely Tyson
Trailer: Trailer "The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia"

Pacific Rim
Description: When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity's resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes,a washed up former pilot and an untested trainee who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind's last hope against the mounting apocalypse.
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Starring: Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, Ron Perlman, Robert Kazinsky, Max Martini, Clifton Collins, Jr., Burn Gorman, Larry Joe Campbell, Brad William Henke, Diego Klattenhoff
Trailer: Trailer "Pacific Rim"
Comment: This actually look awefull, but it's directed by Guillermo del Toro. The same guy from "Pan's Labyrinth, so something has to be good.

50 Books Challenge 2012 - # 51: City of Glass by Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments # 3)

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Title: City of Glass ("The Mortal Instrumenst # 3")
Author: Cassandra Clare
Story: To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters - never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight. As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City - whatever the cost?
Start: december 4th 2012
End: december 17th 2012
Comment: I like this series, I enjoy it a lot. I got this book for my birthday and I was really looking forward to reading it. "City of Glass" opens with Clary and her friends while they are about to head to Alicante, the City of Glass. Things don't go according to plan. In this book I think Clary is finally the heroine a series like this needs. She grew in her role as a shadowhunter, Clary grew stronger. Jace's character is darker then the previous two books. What I liked most about "City of Glass" are all the twists. Especially the one involving Sebastian. That really surprised me. Like the two other books, "City of Glass" is fast paced and action packed. "The Mortal Instruments" series is very solid and I hope Cassandra Clare can hold on to it.
Rating: 4/ 5

Top 5 Thursday: Movie Archers

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I recently saw "Brave" for the first time and that made me think of this top 5. The best movie archers.

5. Clint Barton/ Hawke Eye (“The Avengers”)
He is part of the ensemble, but doesn't have any superpowers. His bow and arrow do the trick.



4. Neytiri (“Avatar”)
She is the Na'vi princess of the Omaticaya clan. She is good with her bow and she can quite do some damage because of the size of the arrows.



3. Princess Merida (“Brave”)
Merida is a character with a strong will and a young woman who just wants to make her own decisions. Her mother doesn't like it that Merida is so good at archery.



2. Katniss Everdeen (“The Hunger Games”)
Katniss taught herself to shoot a bow and arrow, just for the simple reason of survival. As you can see, it can come in handy. Katniss real rocks this weapon.



1. Robin Hood (“Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves”)
Robin Hood is the most well known archer in the history of the world and also in the movie history. My favorite indeed!



They almost made the top 5: Kili ("The Hobbit")