Monday, May 31, 2010
Aston Martin V12 Vantage 2011
Last year Aston Martin V12 Vantage has been released, but was banned for sale in the United States. Aston follow the American concept of time be respected. Retrieve bodyshell your most compact, honkin 'machines. This is called the musclecar. Of course, the interpretation of the theme musclecar Aston somewhat more polite, sophisticated and aristocratic than, say, a '70 Chevy Chevelle SS454.
Initially created for the entire world, the front end of a very solid car with the engine that there is no room for the structures necessary to meet U.S. crash regulations. In a barrier impact speed is needed, note the doll's chest deceleration rate limits.
The engineers had to think hard to meet customer needs. Analysis and computer models show a location where some additional aluminum longitudinal member can be installed to change the path and soften the burden of slowing. It tested well, and this car is the result. Extra weight is not significant. And the performance, handling and styling mods are not affected by the accident.
The V12 engine is a 5.9-liter, 510 horsepower kick, enough to zero time-to-60mph is claimed at 4.1 seconds. M / T has not tested for zero-to-60 on our paradigm. Transmission is rear-mounted six-speed manual, although an optional full AMT and automatically appear in other Astons. The Vantage V12 keep things relatively simple: none of the adaptive dampers from DBS, there is no choice of transmission, not a lot of menu-driven.
Spesification 2010 Acura RDX 2WD
Unsaddled by Acura's Super Handling All-Wheel Drive, the front-drive RDX is more fuel efficient, faster, and less expensive. It's not decontented, mind you: Standard goodies new for 2010 include a rearview camera, electronic compass, auto-headlights, ambient footwell lighting, USB-connectivity, and Bluetooth with audio capabilities.
RDX was no slouch even with the added drivetrain mass, likened it to the Evo of crossovers when we said goodbye. Acura's SH-AWD is impressive; through planetary gearsets and electromagnetic clutch packs, it's capable of overdriving the outside rear wheel to create yaw, which reduces understeer. The downside is the roughly 200 pounds it adds to the curb weight. Without it, the RDX's fuel economy rises 2 mpg, up to 19/24 mpg city/highway. It's livelier on its MacPherson front and multilink rear suspension too.
Performance
- Turbo compressor
- 2,300 cc 2.3 liters in-line 4 front engine with 86.0 mm bore, 99.0 mm stroke, 8.8 compression ratio, double overhead cam, variable valve timing/camshaft and four valves per cylinder
- Premium unleaded fuel 91 and petrol
- Multi-point injection fuel system
- 18.0 gallon main premium unleaded fuel tank 15.0
- Power: 179 kW , 240 HP SAE @ 6,000 rpm; 260 ft lb , 353 Nm @ 4,500 rpm
- ABS
- 4.533:1 axle ratio
- Brake assist system
- Four disc brakes including two ventilated discs
- Electronic brake distribution
- Electronic traction control via ABS & engine management
- Immobilizer
- Spacesaver steel rim spare wheel
- Stability control
- Strut front suspension independent with stabilizer bar and coil springs, multi-link rear suspension independent with stabilizer bar and coil springs
- Driver and passenger 3rd row windows
- Painted front and rear bumpers
- Day time running lights
- Driver power heated painted door mirrors indicator lights, passenger power heated painted door mirrors with automatic indicator lights
- External dimensions: overall length (inches): 182.5, overall width (inches): 73.6, overall height (inches): 65.2, ground clearance (inches): 6.3, wheelbase (inches): 104.3, front track (inches): 61.9, rear track (inches): 62.6 and curb to curb turning circle (feet): 39.2
- Front fog lights
- Projector beam lens Xenon bulb headlights
- Luxury trim leather on gearknob, leather on doors and alloy look on dashboard
- Pearl paint
- Driver side and passenger side rear side windows
- Fixed rear window with defogger and intermittent
- Roof spoiler
- Glass electric front sunroof
- Underbody protection for fuel tank
- Weights: gross vehicle weight rating (lbs) 4,894, curb weight (lbs) 3,752, gross trailer weight braked (lbs) 1,500 and max payload (lbs) 1,142
- Windshield wipers with automatic intermittent wipe
- 12v power outlet: front
- Air conditioning with fully automated climate control 2 and auto
- Anti-theft protection
- Manufacturer's own RDS audio system with satellite, Disc Autochanger and six-disc remote changer CD player reads MP3
- Cargo area cover/rear parcel shelf
- Cargo capacity: rear seat down (cu ft): 60.6 and all seats in place (cu ft): 27.8
- Cellular phone
- Clock
- Coming home device
- Compass
- Computer with average speed, average fuel consumption, instantaneous fuel consumption and range for remaining fuel
- Delayed/fade courtesy lights
- Cruise control
- Front seats and rear seats cup holders
- External temperature
- Floor covering: carpet in passenger compartment and carpet in load area
- Floor mats
- Driver front airbag with multi-stage deployment, passenger front airbag with occupant sensors and multi-stage deployment
- Bucket heated electrically adjustable driver seat with height adjustment, lumbar adjustment, five adjustments and tilt adjustment memory, electric and memory, bucket heated electrically adjustable passenger seat with two adjustments
- Height adjustable 3-point reel front seat belts on driver seat and passenger seat with pre-tensioners
- Front seat center armrest
- Garage door opener
- Two height adjustable active head restraints on front seats, three height adjustable head restraints on rear seats
- Headlight control with dusk sensor
- Internal dimensions: front headroom (inches): 38.7, rear headroom (inches): 38.3, front hip room (inches): 54.4, rear hip room (inches): 53.0, front leg room (inches): 41.8, rear leg room (inches): 37.7, front shoulder room (inches): 58.2 and rear shoulder room (inches): 56.3
- Low tire pressure indicator
- Memorized adjustment with two settings on door mirror position with four driver's seat positions
- Navigational systems : information type: 3D and voice DVD and color
- Parking distance sensors rear and camera
- Remote power locks includes trunk/hatch
- Power steering
- Front power windows with two one-touch, rear power windows
- Front reading lights
- 3-point reel rear seat belts on driver side, passenger side and center side
- Rear seat center armrest
- Three asymmetrical split bench front facing rear seats with zero adjustments fold flat to floor
- Automatic operation rear view mirror
- Steering wheel mounted remote audio controls
- Front and rear side curtain airbag
- Leather seat upholstery with additional leather
- Seating: five seats
- Service interval indicator
- Front side airbag
- Smart card / smart key manual, includes central locking and includes memory seat adjustments
- Ten speaker(s) manufacturer's own
- Leather covered steering wheel with tilt adjustment and telescopic adjustment
- Tachomete
- Telematics
- Illuminated driver and passenger vanity mirror
- Ventilation system with micro filter
- Voice activating system includes radio settings, includes phone, includes navigation system and includes air conditioning
Global Positioning System (GPS)
The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a space-based global satellite navigation system that provides reliable location and time information in all weather and at any time and anywhere on or near the earth where there is unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites. It is maintained by the United States government and freely accessible by anyone with a GPS receiver. The system was created and realized by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD).
The GPS consists of three parts: the space segment, the control segment, and the user segment. The U.S. Air Force develops, maintains, and operates the space and control segments. GPS satellites broadcast signals from space, which each GPS receiver uses to calculate its three-dimensional location (latitude, longitude, and altitude) plus the current time.GPS has become a widely used aid to navigation worldwide, and a useful tool for map-making, land surveying, commerce, scientific uses, tracking and surveillance, and hobbies such as geocaching and waymarking. The precise time reference provided by GPS is used in many applications including the scientific study of earthquakes and as a time synchronization source for cellular network protocols.
The design of GPS is based partly on similar ground-based radio navigation systems, such as LORAN and the Decca Navigator developed in the early 1940s, and used during World War II. In 1956 Friedwardt Winterberg proposed a test of general relativity using accurate atomic clocks placed in orbit in artificial satellites. To achieve accuracy requirements, GPS uses principles of general relativity to correct the satellites' atomic clocks. Additional inspiration for the GPS came when the Soviet Union launched the first man-made satellite, Sputnik in 1957. A team of U.S. scientists led by Dr. Richard B. Kershner were monitoring Sputnik's radio transmissions. They discovered that, because of the Doppler effect, the frequency of the signal being transmitted by Sputnik was higher as the satellite approached, and lower as it continued away from them. They realized that since they knew their exact location on the globe, they could pinpoint where the satellite was along its orbit by measuring the Doppler distortion.Modernization
- In 1972, the U.S. Air Force Central Inertial Guidance Test Facility (Holloman AFB), conducted developmental flight tests of two prototype GPS receivers over White Sands Missile Range, using ground-based pseudo-satellites.
- In 1978, the first experimental Block-I GPS satellite was launched.
- In 1983, after Soviet interceptor aircraft shot down the civilian airliner KAL 007 that strayed into prohibited airspace due to navigational errors, killing all 269 people on board, U.S. President Ronald Reagan announced that the GPS would be made available for civilian uses once it was completed.
- By 1985, ten more experimental Block-I satellites had been launched to validate the concept.
- On February 14, 1989, the first modern Block-II satellite was launched.
- In 1992, the 2nd Space Wing, which originally managed the system, was de-activated and replaced by the 50th Space Wing.
- By December 1993, the GPS achieved initial operational capability.
- By January 17, 1994 a complete constellation of 24 satellites was in orbit.
- Full Operational Capability was declared by NAVSTAR in April 1995.
- In 1996, recognizing the importance of GPS to civilian users as well as military users, U.S. President Bill Clinton issued a policy directive declaring GPS to be a dual-use system and establishing an Interagency GPS Executive Board to manage it as a national asset.
- In 1998, U.S. Vice President Al Gore announced plans to upgrade GPS with two new civilian signals for enhanced user accuracy and reliability, particularly with respect to aviation safety and in 2000 the U.S. Congress authorized the effort, referring to it as GPS III.
- In 1998, GPS technology was inducted into the Space Foundation Space Technology Hall of Fame.
- On May 2, 2000 "Selective Availability" was discontinued as a result of the 1996 executive order, allowing users to receive a non-degraded signal globally.
- In 2004, the United States Government signed an agreement with the European Community establishing cooperation related to GPS and Europe's planned Galileo system.
- In 2004, U.S. President George W. Bush updated the national policy and replaced the executive board with the National Executive Committee for Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing.
- November 2004, QUALCOMM announced successful tests of assisted GPS for mobile phones.
- In 2005, the first modernized GPS satellite was launched and began transmitting a second civilian signal (L2C) for enhanced user performance.
- On September 14, 2007, the aging mainframe-based Ground Segment Control System was transitioned to the new Architecture Evolution Plan.
- The most recent launch was on May 28, 2010.[19] The oldest GPS satellite still in operation was launched on November 26, 1990, and became operational on December 10, 1990.
- On May 19, 2009, the U. S. Government Accountability Office issued a report warning that some GPS satellites could fail as soon as 2010.
- On May 21, 2009, the Air Force Space Command allayed fears of GPS failure saying "There's only a small risk we will not continue to exceed our performance standard.
Jessica Simpson Sexy Healthy Hair
Jessica Simpson Sexy Healthy Hair
Jessica Simpson is a very popular singer and actress. The star has a huge fan following, and she has quickly become a household name for many people. She is also a fashion icon and is seen as having a great sense of style and a knowledge of beauty. Many people enjoy copying her look, and her hairstyles are no exception.
Jessica Simpson Hair 2010
One of the biggest trends this season is big hair. Not the big helmet hairstyles from the 1980s but teased hair that is big on top and full of volume. Jessica has jumped on the big hair bandwagon and she looks fantastic. Half updos are very popular in Hollywood, and when combined with teased up hair they look great. These styles make the cheekbones stand out and look high, are easy to do, and flatter nearly everyone. With Jessica's style, her hair was teased on top to add a lot of fullness, giving her a huge updo that was smooth, finished, and quite elegant.
Jessica Simpson 2010 Hair
This is an easy style for anyone to get. All you have to do is put your hair half up. Medium-length hair is the perfect length for this style but longer hair will work just as well. Make sure that you use a shampoo and conditioner that will build up volume in your hair, and any styling products you use should help build volume as well. If you have fine hair and you want to tease it into a big hairstyle like what Jessica wears then you should use protein based products as these will help to build up your hair. Use a blow dryer and round brush to add even more bounce to your hair and remember that the bigger the barrel the bigger the hair. Tease through the crown to have the right height and use hairspray to hold it all in place.
Photos/PR PHOTOS
Friday, May 28, 2010
Cute Scene Hairstyles with Bangs for Girls 2010
2010 Cute Hair Trends presents Cute Scene Hairstyles with Bangs for Girls 2010
These scene girls have a lot of cute medium and long hairstyles for girls witch you can get no matter if you are emo or not.The scene girls know how to make their bangs and fringes more stylish and more colorful.Below are some cute scene girls medium and long hairsytles with a lot of bangs style.Scene girls often try out different variations of bangs including short bangs with blunted ends and bobs with bangs. Here are the photos with very cute scene girls medium hairstyles with bangs in summer 2010:
These scene girls have a lot of cute medium and long hairstyles for girls witch you can get no matter if you are emo or not.The scene girls know how to make their bangs and fringes more stylish and more colorful.Below are some cute scene girls medium and long hairsytles with a lot of bangs style.Scene girls often try out different variations of bangs including short bangs with blunted ends and bobs with bangs. Here are the photos with very cute scene girls medium hairstyles with bangs in summer 2010:
Cute Scene Hairstyles with Bangs for Girls 2010
Cute Scene Hairstyles with Bangs for Girls 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Another oddity in my maximaphily blog: potentially, 2 different maximum cards/dorincards with the same postcard, 1 on each side!
Above: the regular picture side of the postcard, which I had made into a maximum card/dorincard with a First Day of Issue postmark, about Edgar Allan Poe.
Above: the regular backside/address side of the SAME postcard, featuring a faded image of a raven (read Poe's poetry for details). Poe-try. Try Poe. :)
Above: raven stamp (with additional detail from the pane/from the surrounding design), postmarked with a matching RAVEN pictorial postmark from the state of Rhode Island.
The four fragments are Avery 8665 (almost) transparent mailing address labels, which I cut out from a page-size sheet.
I could affix anytime one of those four labels onto the "raven side" of the postcard, by peeling it carefully.
It would become a very unusual, non-FIP (because I used the label) maximum card/dorincard.
Why would I do it?
1 - Because I have complete control over the final aspect/quality of the postmark, and ultimately of the maxicard/maximum card/maxi card/dorincard.
I can reject subprime postmarks, without having the postcard ruined by the post office!
2 - Because I can afford to wait to get the missing element: maybe I get the stamp postmarked on the label, and I will find only later a suitable postcard. But this way I don't miss the chance to get the temporary pictorial postmark!
3 - Because it's probably extremely rare (should I say unheard of?) to see or have a 2-in-1 maximum card.
This would be a UNIQUE maximaphily/philately item - no other item in the world in this exact configuration.
No, you don't believe it? Then show me an identical one! Even my 4 labels are not identical, and I can further individualize by placing them in different places over the raven image of the backside.
Two different maximum cards (they are somewhat different even if the backside has the same image- like the bisons postcard- and the only difference is that the backside is more faded).
In our case here, the two MCs would be VERY different in form, although they are conceptually related, about Poe's symbolism and images.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Maximaphily blog oddity: reverse side dorincard/MC/maximum card, potentially
Some of the most beautiful American postcards are printed in Italy. Grazie! :)
Some of them have the same image (or a different one) on the reverse of the postcard (the address side), only much more faded. The above one is printed in USA, though. :)
Wild idea: what if I create a dorincard/maximum card, focusing on the reverse side? In the above images, I could have put the bison stamp on the address side, then have it postmarked there with the bison pictorial postmark.
"Heresy!"..."Outrageous!"...I hear voices of some of the ultra-purist maximaphilists.
What if I do a real mailing like this: I affix a white label on the picture side, with the address on it. Also, enough postage for the appropriate rate, also on the picture side (the clock stamp, in this case).
I transform then the initial address side into the new picture side: I put the matching stamp on the faded image, then obtain the matching postmark on it.
Think about it. Turning the sides.
Why?
Because the faded image allows much better visibility for the postmark.
I'll do it, for experimental purposes.
----------
Incidentally, but not accidentally, I have this bison pictorial postmark on Avery 8665 [almost] transparent mailing address labels rectangular cut-outs. I cut them from full-page sheets.
Yes, it's not FIP-compliant, 'cause I'm using a label; so the stamp is not "tied" to the postcard by the postmark.
So what?
I am not eager to exhibit offline, so I am not bound by any FIP rules for judging maximaphily exhibits.
:)
I still have most of the above pictorially-postmarked stamps on postcard-size labels, transparent or white.
I could even create a cachet/image on a label that has only 1 postmarked stamp, and create an original maximum card.
Non-FIP, of course.
Experimenting is fun. :)
Another 5 years? Sure!
It's that time of year, when I realize that another year of blogging has passed. This time it's a surprising 5 years. Imagine that. I guess I should reflect on it, huh?
But I'll do that another day. In the mean time I thought it might be nice to reflect on some books which have been very influential to me in various ways. Before I mention them, I should offer the following caveats: I know that none of them are perfect. I can certainly criticize various things in just about all of these books, but the truth is the fact that authors generally don't write perfect books is a good thing. It stimulates thought and leaves room for additional discoveries. It's also a good thing that things don't have to be perfect to be influential. The other caveat is that I am only listing things which I own or read years ago, and nothing that the digital revolution laid out before me. I can't compare access to dozens and hundreds of important works that are easily available now, to a book or an article that I devoured, scrutinized and contemplated when coming across such a thing was often a case of luck or a long search. Without further ado:
1) Ashkenazim and Sephardim: Their Relations, Differences and Problems as Reflected in the Rabbinical Responsa by Hirsch Jacob Zimmels. In this excellent book published in 1958, Zimmels drew broad pictures of Ashkenazim and Sephardim as promised in the book's title. The footnotes are a cryptic mess, the conclusions are far too broad, and Zimmels did not pioneer this genre of historical research, but this book was nothing less than a lamp in the dark for me. I simply had not grasped that so much interesting information was contained in the rabbinic sources which he mined, in some cases I had even seen these sources already. But by training one tended not to pay much attention to such information, not a little bit because the necessary information to put things into a context was lacking. It didn't hurt that topics which I thirsted for information about, such as various pronunciations of Hebrew, alphabets and the like were treated beautifully in this book.
2) The short essay by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, Treasures, originally published in the Jewish Observer May 1976, but I read it in The Aryeh Kaplan Reader. This article discusses book collecting, and describes the joys and unexpected pleasures of poking around in old seforim stores, genizas and the like. His description of finding a few sheets of an incunabulum made my imagination run wild. Before I read it (as a teenager) I hadn't even realized that this was a thing that was up my alley. I don't think I even fully understood the article, not having knowledge of the necessary context, but I enjoyed his description of his hunt for bibliographical info about books he'd found. Who knew what "Ben Yaakov's Otzar Haseforim, a remarkable book listing each edition of every sefer printed until 1863" was? Under the influence of this article I began to examine my grandfather's oldest looking books, and to my surprise, many of the books with the tattered covers were treasures, among them a Slavita Zohar printed on blue cotton rag paper. Kaplan's article reminded me of an enjoyable passage in the autobiogaphy of Shadal, where he discusses his own love of books at an early age. While only 13 he enjoyed snooping through the dust and mess of the geniza of the Trieste Talmud Torah (where he was a student). There he found a manuscript copy of the Aruch, which he eventually bought from the widow of the principal decades later. In addition, it was in this place where he discovered a manuscript of an unknown commentary on Targum Onkelos written in the year [5]211/ 1451 and which he was to nickname ספר יאר, after the date (יאר being 211). This manuscript, now known as the פתשגן, was to play an invaluable role in אוהב גר, his own pathbreaking commentary on the Targum published in 1830, and Rabbi Nathan Marcus Adler's נתינה לגר. (Vilna 1886). Gone, I suppose, are the days when 13 years-olds can chance upon discarded 350-year old vellum manuscripts of considerable importance.
3) The שם הגדולים by the Chida, Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Azulai. Then as now the entries with names and dates didn't do that much for me, but the longer entries which included interesting information? Priceless. It was in the Scem aghedolim, "Azulai's dictionary of Jewish learned men and their writings," that I learned that some called Rashi "Yarchi." Much to my surprise I later learned that until the mid-19th century this was the typical way in which Rashi was referred in non-Jewish (and even Jewish vernacular) literature, and also that there is a veritable literature on this mistaken appellation.
4) About ten years ago I chanced upon a newly published book, David Ruderman's Jewish enlightenment in an English key, and thus was born my discovery of my interest in Anglo-Judaica, and Christian Hebraism. This book contained mounds of information about things I did not know I was interested in, and succeeded in whetting my appetite.
5) I was fortunate to find a cheap copy of the The Canon and Masorah of the Hebrew Bible: an introductory reader edited by Dr. Shnayer Leiman. Although I had already seen some of the articles in this book (one in particular stands out) it too served as a lamp in a way, allowing me to be aware of things I was interested in but hadn't even known it. It seems fitting here to mention the article which stands out. I refer to the late Dr. Moshe Greenberg's "The Stabilization of the Text of the Hebrew Bible, Reviewed in the Light of the Biblical Materials from the Judean Desert," a 1956 article which I had already read. It contained the following gem, which I'll always remember: "There is no standard text at Qumran. While this at first may seem strange it is not really so. Piety is not always accompanied by a critical sense." Incidentally, Dr. Leiman just added a tribute to Dr. Greenberg on his web site (link). It's worth reading this moving tribute to a great scholar, about whom he had elsewhere written had written "if I had to periodize my own intellectual development, the only natural division would be "before" and "after" I first met Professor Moshe Greenberg."
6) The 1996 Orthodox Forum book edited by Prof. Shalom Carmy ,Modern Scholarship in the Study of Torah: Contributions and Limitations was similarly eye-opening. It's probably unnecessary to elaborate on why and how. The word "contributions" in the title was sufficiently revelatory and even provocative.
7) The English translation of Israel Zinberg's די געשיכטע פון ליטעראטור ביי יידן and Mayer Waxman's History of Jewish Literature. Who know there was a history of Jewish literature? Or even that there was Jewish literature? These books - it turned out a musty copy of Waxman's was somehow already in my parent's home on a neglected book shelf - made me aware of the what kinds of things Jewish writers over the centuries had written about. I could have done, then as now, without some of the simplistic judgments and interpretations but of course these are monumental works, each in its own way.
8) The Schlesinger edition of Shadal's commentary on the Torah. I don't remember exactly how it was that I became aware of Shadal to the extent that I was interested in seeking this out - for I did seek it - but everything about the commentary, from the Hebrew translation of his fascinating introduction to the Torah, the Introduzione Critica ed Ermeneutica written in 1829 for his students, to the opening words of his commentary יבינו המשכילים כי המכוון בתורה אינו הודעת החכמות הטבעיות, ולא ניתנו התורה אלא להיישיר בני אדם בדרך צדקה ומשפט וגו excited me. Oh, it turned out later - thanks to my friend Dan Klein for pointing this out in his superb translation of The Book of Genesis: A Commentary by ShaDaL - that the Schlesinger edition is flawed, incomplete and even censored. But the precise, bold, plain, beautiful commentaries in this work lit a fire in me. This in turn led me to want to know more about its author, so I read Rabbi Morris Margolies's book Samuel David Luzzatto: Traditionalist Scholar (based on his PhD dissertation), and this was another example of a fine book which pointed and continues to point me in directions I wish to go.
But I'll do that another day. In the mean time I thought it might be nice to reflect on some books which have been very influential to me in various ways. Before I mention them, I should offer the following caveats: I know that none of them are perfect. I can certainly criticize various things in just about all of these books, but the truth is the fact that authors generally don't write perfect books is a good thing. It stimulates thought and leaves room for additional discoveries. It's also a good thing that things don't have to be perfect to be influential. The other caveat is that I am only listing things which I own or read years ago, and nothing that the digital revolution laid out before me. I can't compare access to dozens and hundreds of important works that are easily available now, to a book or an article that I devoured, scrutinized and contemplated when coming across such a thing was often a case of luck or a long search. Without further ado:
1) Ashkenazim and Sephardim: Their Relations, Differences and Problems as Reflected in the Rabbinical Responsa by Hirsch Jacob Zimmels. In this excellent book published in 1958, Zimmels drew broad pictures of Ashkenazim and Sephardim as promised in the book's title. The footnotes are a cryptic mess, the conclusions are far too broad, and Zimmels did not pioneer this genre of historical research, but this book was nothing less than a lamp in the dark for me. I simply had not grasped that so much interesting information was contained in the rabbinic sources which he mined, in some cases I had even seen these sources already. But by training one tended not to pay much attention to such information, not a little bit because the necessary information to put things into a context was lacking. It didn't hurt that topics which I thirsted for information about, such as various pronunciations of Hebrew, alphabets and the like were treated beautifully in this book.
2) The short essay by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, Treasures, originally published in the Jewish Observer May 1976, but I read it in The Aryeh Kaplan Reader. This article discusses book collecting, and describes the joys and unexpected pleasures of poking around in old seforim stores, genizas and the like. His description of finding a few sheets of an incunabulum made my imagination run wild. Before I read it (as a teenager) I hadn't even realized that this was a thing that was up my alley. I don't think I even fully understood the article, not having knowledge of the necessary context, but I enjoyed his description of his hunt for bibliographical info about books he'd found. Who knew what "Ben Yaakov's Otzar Haseforim, a remarkable book listing each edition of every sefer printed until 1863" was? Under the influence of this article I began to examine my grandfather's oldest looking books, and to my surprise, many of the books with the tattered covers were treasures, among them a Slavita Zohar printed on blue cotton rag paper. Kaplan's article reminded me of an enjoyable passage in the autobiogaphy of Shadal, where he discusses his own love of books at an early age. While only 13 he enjoyed snooping through the dust and mess of the geniza of the Trieste Talmud Torah (where he was a student). There he found a manuscript copy of the Aruch, which he eventually bought from the widow of the principal decades later. In addition, it was in this place where he discovered a manuscript of an unknown commentary on Targum Onkelos written in the year [5]211/ 1451 and which he was to nickname ספר יאר, after the date (יאר being 211). This manuscript, now known as the פתשגן, was to play an invaluable role in אוהב גר, his own pathbreaking commentary on the Targum published in 1830, and Rabbi Nathan Marcus Adler's נתינה לגר. (Vilna 1886). Gone, I suppose, are the days when 13 years-olds can chance upon discarded 350-year old vellum manuscripts of considerable importance.
3) The שם הגדולים by the Chida, Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Azulai. Then as now the entries with names and dates didn't do that much for me, but the longer entries which included interesting information? Priceless. It was in the Scem aghedolim, "Azulai's dictionary of Jewish learned men and their writings," that I learned that some called Rashi "Yarchi." Much to my surprise I later learned that until the mid-19th century this was the typical way in which Rashi was referred in non-Jewish (and even Jewish vernacular) literature, and also that there is a veritable literature on this mistaken appellation.
4) About ten years ago I chanced upon a newly published book, David Ruderman's Jewish enlightenment in an English key, and thus was born my discovery of my interest in Anglo-Judaica, and Christian Hebraism. This book contained mounds of information about things I did not know I was interested in, and succeeded in whetting my appetite.
5) I was fortunate to find a cheap copy of the The Canon and Masorah of the Hebrew Bible: an introductory reader edited by Dr. Shnayer Leiman. Although I had already seen some of the articles in this book (one in particular stands out) it too served as a lamp in a way, allowing me to be aware of things I was interested in but hadn't even known it. It seems fitting here to mention the article which stands out. I refer to the late Dr. Moshe Greenberg's "The Stabilization of the Text of the Hebrew Bible, Reviewed in the Light of the Biblical Materials from the Judean Desert," a 1956 article which I had already read. It contained the following gem, which I'll always remember: "There is no standard text at Qumran. While this at first may seem strange it is not really so. Piety is not always accompanied by a critical sense." Incidentally, Dr. Leiman just added a tribute to Dr. Greenberg on his web site (link). It's worth reading this moving tribute to a great scholar, about whom he had elsewhere written had written "if I had to periodize my own intellectual development, the only natural division would be "before" and "after" I first met Professor Moshe Greenberg."
6) The 1996 Orthodox Forum book edited by Prof. Shalom Carmy ,Modern Scholarship in the Study of Torah: Contributions and Limitations was similarly eye-opening. It's probably unnecessary to elaborate on why and how. The word "contributions" in the title was sufficiently revelatory and even provocative.
7) The English translation of Israel Zinberg's די געשיכטע פון ליטעראטור ביי יידן and Mayer Waxman's History of Jewish Literature. Who know there was a history of Jewish literature? Or even that there was Jewish literature? These books - it turned out a musty copy of Waxman's was somehow already in my parent's home on a neglected book shelf - made me aware of the what kinds of things Jewish writers over the centuries had written about. I could have done, then as now, without some of the simplistic judgments and interpretations but of course these are monumental works, each in its own way.
8) The Schlesinger edition of Shadal's commentary on the Torah. I don't remember exactly how it was that I became aware of Shadal to the extent that I was interested in seeking this out - for I did seek it - but everything about the commentary, from the Hebrew translation of his fascinating introduction to the Torah, the Introduzione Critica ed Ermeneutica written in 1829 for his students, to the opening words of his commentary יבינו המשכילים כי המכוון בתורה אינו הודעת החכמות הטבעיות, ולא ניתנו התורה אלא להיישיר בני אדם בדרך צדקה ומשפט וגו excited me. Oh, it turned out later - thanks to my friend Dan Klein for pointing this out in his superb translation of The Book of Genesis: A Commentary by ShaDaL - that the Schlesinger edition is flawed, incomplete and even censored. But the precise, bold, plain, beautiful commentaries in this work lit a fire in me. This in turn led me to want to know more about its author, so I read Rabbi Morris Margolies's book Samuel David Luzzatto: Traditionalist Scholar (based on his PhD dissertation), and this was another example of a fine book which pointed and continues to point me in directions I wish to go.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
An account of the adult circumcision of a male convert in New York, 1844. also, an ode to shochetim and kosher meat..
The following appears in an article called Jewish Hygiene in the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal, v. xxxi no. 16, Wednsday, November 20, 1844, by William Clay Wallace, a physician known best for his works on the eye, based in New York.
Read the rest of the article; as you can see even from this excerpt, he writes from a very admiring perspective. After discussing some of the laws of kashrut, which he interprets approvingly in a hygienic sense, he gives an anecdote concerning his attempt to buy a cancerous cow's eye from a sausage-maker. After examining it, he concludes that he could then understand why sausages are sometimes poisonous, the point being of course that diseased animals are not kosher and thus are not eaten by Jews. (In an earlier post I cited the writing of a 17th century Jewish physician who testified that some Venetian gentiles only bought kosher meat for this reason.)
After his discussion, Wallace writes - this is 1844, 60 years before Upton Sinclair's The Jungle - that:
"From all that has been written, we may see the vast superiority of the laws of the Jews over those of the gentiles. While the citizens of New York pay fifteen thousand dollars a year for an inspector of tobacco, and considerable sums for inspectors of lime, lumber and charcoal, they have no inspector of animals, nor any unclean place where they may he slaughtered. The Jews, on the contrary, have a man whom they can trust to kill their animals, in a proper manner, and to point out to them by his seal the meat which is wholesome. That he may not be stimulated by want to place his mark improperly, each congregation gives its inspector five hundred dollars a year, and permits him to charge a fee of fifty cents for every ox which he seals. When a butcher, who supplies the Jews, wishes to provide for them, he selects one of the finest oxen, and sends for the inspector. A rope is cast round the animal, and he is drawn up with the aid of a pulley and windlass ; the throat is exposed, and the inspector, with a long sharp knife, cuts it nearly to the spine at a single stroke. By the sharpness of the instrument and the extent of the wound, the blood gushes out in torrents; the animal is farther hoisted up ; by degrees the red blood ceases to flow, and nothing comes from the wound but serum limpid as water. The carcase is then lowered ; the inspector cuts into the chest; examines the heart and lungs; puts in his hand to ascertain if there are adhesions, and that all is healthy. He next examines the abdomen to observe the condition of the liver, &c.; and if he is satisfied, he thrusts a knife through portions of the flesh and fixes several leaden seals, impressed on one side with the Hebrew initial of the month, and on the other side with the day of the month, in a manner similar to that by which seals are attached to cloth. He is present again when it is cut into pieces, and affixes his seal to each portion. When Jews go to market, they can thus easily distinguish what kind of meat is healthy, and what, it is possible, may contain tubercles, abscesses, or sores."
Read the rest of the article; as you can see even from this excerpt, he writes from a very admiring perspective. After discussing some of the laws of kashrut, which he interprets approvingly in a hygienic sense, he gives an anecdote concerning his attempt to buy a cancerous cow's eye from a sausage-maker. After examining it, he concludes that he could then understand why sausages are sometimes poisonous, the point being of course that diseased animals are not kosher and thus are not eaten by Jews. (In an earlier post I cited the writing of a 17th century Jewish physician who testified that some Venetian gentiles only bought kosher meat for this reason.)
After his discussion, Wallace writes - this is 1844, 60 years before Upton Sinclair's The Jungle - that:
"From all that has been written, we may see the vast superiority of the laws of the Jews over those of the gentiles. While the citizens of New York pay fifteen thousand dollars a year for an inspector of tobacco, and considerable sums for inspectors of lime, lumber and charcoal, they have no inspector of animals, nor any unclean place where they may he slaughtered. The Jews, on the contrary, have a man whom they can trust to kill their animals, in a proper manner, and to point out to them by his seal the meat which is wholesome. That he may not be stimulated by want to place his mark improperly, each congregation gives its inspector five hundred dollars a year, and permits him to charge a fee of fifty cents for every ox which he seals. When a butcher, who supplies the Jews, wishes to provide for them, he selects one of the finest oxen, and sends for the inspector. A rope is cast round the animal, and he is drawn up with the aid of a pulley and windlass ; the throat is exposed, and the inspector, with a long sharp knife, cuts it nearly to the spine at a single stroke. By the sharpness of the instrument and the extent of the wound, the blood gushes out in torrents; the animal is farther hoisted up ; by degrees the red blood ceases to flow, and nothing comes from the wound but serum limpid as water. The carcase is then lowered ; the inspector cuts into the chest; examines the heart and lungs; puts in his hand to ascertain if there are adhesions, and that all is healthy. He next examines the abdomen to observe the condition of the liver, &c.; and if he is satisfied, he thrusts a knife through portions of the flesh and fixes several leaden seals, impressed on one side with the Hebrew initial of the month, and on the other side with the day of the month, in a manner similar to that by which seals are attached to cloth. He is present again when it is cut into pieces, and affixes his seal to each portion. When Jews go to market, they can thus easily distinguish what kind of meat is healthy, and what, it is possible, may contain tubercles, abscesses, or sores."
Jeep Grand Cherokee 2011
Chrysler announced a new design and the price of the Jeep Grand Cherokee 2011. New Grand Cherokee has fantastic features, such as the revised cabin, all new sheet metal, the new 3.6-liter V6 Engine Pentastar and upgraded suspension. New 2011 Grand Cherokee Laredo 4 x 4 will start to $ 32.995, and Grand Cherokee Laredo 2011 4 × 2 starting at $ 30,995.
Jeep Grand Cherokee
The new V6 increases gas mileage by 11%, for 23 mpg highway (US) — over 500 miles per tank. The interior provides over four inches of increased rear-seat knee and leg room, and 17 percent more cargo volume (as released first on allpar.com). Numerous safety features are standard, and options include Blind-spot/Rear Cross-path detection and Adaptive Cruise Control with Forward Collision Warning, along with FloTV, satellite TV, and Internet router.
The Laredo includes keyless entry, stability control with anti-roll, hill start assist, trailer sway control, side curtain airbags for both rows, active head restraints, power driver's seat, fog lamps, leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, satellite radio, and 17-inch aluminum wheels; the 360 horsepower Hemi V8 will be optional. That model starts at $32,995.
The Laredo includes keyless entry, stability control with anti-roll, hill start assist, trailer sway control, side curtain airbags for both rows, active head restraints, power driver's seat, fog lamps, leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, satellite radio, and 17-inch aluminum wheels; the 360 horsepower Hemi V8 will be optional. That model starts at $32,995.
Jeep Grand Cherokee
The Limited adds Quadra-Trac II® with Selec-Terrain (if you get the 4x4), front and second-row heated leather seats, memory settings, High Intensity Discharge auto-leveling headlamps, CommandView dual-pane panoramic sun roof, rear back-up camera, rear park assist, premium audio, automatic temperature control, 18-inch aluminum wheels, Garmin® navigation, rain-sensitive wipers, and bright door handles. The price for Limited is $39,995 including destination.
The ultimate Grand Cherokee, the Overland model, adds the Quadra-Lift air suspension (if you get the 4x4), premium interior with Nappa leather-trimmed and heated seats, vented front seats, wood/leather-wrapped heated steering wheel with memory, power tilt/telescope steering column, wood bezels, leather-stitched instrument panel/doors/center console armrest, power liftgate, and 20-inch aluminum wheels. That model starts at $42,995 including destination.
The ultimate Grand Cherokee, the Overland model, adds the Quadra-Lift air suspension (if you get the 4x4), premium interior with Nappa leather-trimmed and heated seats, vented front seats, wood/leather-wrapped heated steering wheel with memory, power tilt/telescope steering column, wood bezels, leather-stitched instrument panel/doors/center console armrest, power liftgate, and 20-inch aluminum wheels. That model starts at $42,995 including destination.
Jeep Grand Cherokee
The Selec-Terrain™ traction control coordinates up to 12 powertrain, braking, and suspension systems, including throttle control, shifting, the transfer case, and stability control. It is included with the Off-Road Group and Hemi, and is standard on Limited and Overland, provided either Quadra-Drive or Quadra-Trac II is specified. The driver can choose between:
- Sand/Mud: Traction control and Quadra-Lift are more sensitive to wheel spin, and torque is tuned; 50/50 torque split
- Sport: Cuts the traction control back, lowers the Jeep by half an inch, and puts up to 80% of power to the rear wheels
- Automatic operation with torque split at around 40/60 front/rear
- Snow: Traction and Quadra-Lift tuned for snow-covered roads; the torque split is around 50/50
- Rock: The suspension raises to the maximum 11.1 (some documents claim just 10.7) inches height and the transfer case, differentials, and throttle coordinate to provide low-speed control; around 50/50 torque split
New Land Rover 2013
Land Rover Range-e Diesel Hybrid uses the basic concept of the Range Rover Sport, Land Rover is equipped with 3.0-liter V6 turbo diesel mixing speed automatic transmission ZT eight.Hybrid machine claims to produce a maximum speed of 120 mph, some 20 miles on battery power and CO2 emissions of less than 100 g / km.
The new compact place in 2013 Range Rover. With 2WD variant will emit less than 130 g / km of CO2 and will be "the lightest, most efficient fuel Range Rover ever,"
Now Land Rover — who still hasn’t officially dubbed the production model the ‘LRX’ — says that both 2WD and 4WD versions of the vehicle will be on sale in 2011… followed in 2013 by a diesel hybrid.Previously, Land Rover had admitted to working on a plug-in hybrid diesel-electric version of their popular Range Rover Sport, which they said could be able to go 20 miles on a charge, have a 20 minute fast charge time and go on sale in 2012. This is the first we’ve heard of other models in the Range Rover line up getting the hybrid treatment — although it certainly makes more sense to do it to a smaller vehicle.
The 2WD, diesel hybrid, and plug-in options all highlight just how much of a struggle it is for a company like Land Rover to meet the needs of the times. Purists will surely scoff at the idea of a 2WD Land Rover, but when the company is up against such stringent requirements, what else are they to do? Wither and die?
Land Rover is set to reveal a new Defender for 2013. This can be extremely tricky because the reason Britain’s Jeep remained largely untouched since its birth is because of its loyal following. Customers like its basic utilitarian structure, which has made it a European workhorse. What will not help the new Defender’s acceptance with the loyalists is that it will likely be based on the Discovery in order to reduce costs. This will include trading in the coil spring suspension for an independent setup that may include air bags for adjusting ride height.
Land Rover currently sells about 25,000 Defenders per year. It’s now hoping that the updated and modernized vehicle will push sales to 40,000. No word yet on if this means a return of the Defender to the U.S. Land Rover had to stop selling the Discovery here in 1997 because of safety regulations, but a modern car may finally account for current rules.
Land Rover currently sells about 25,000 Defenders per year. It’s now hoping that the updated and modernized vehicle will push sales to 40,000. No word yet on if this means a return of the Defender to the U.S. Land Rover had to stop selling the Discovery here in 1997 because of safety regulations, but a modern car may finally account for current rules.
Cute Haircuts Fashion for Teenage Girls in Summer 2010
2010 Cute Hair Trends presents Cute Haircuts Fashion for Teenage Girls in Summer 2010
A lot of cute haircuts and hairstyels you can see at the trendiest young celebs in American like Miley Cyrus hairstyle or Virginia Efira and many more. And with beautiful young celebrities like these there is no surprise that a lot of teen girls have started picking up the hairstyles of teen idols and young celebrities.Other cute hairstyles for girl are the trendy emo girl hairstyles.Teenage girls in the modern times often go the celebrity hairstyles of Hollywood and if you like these hairstyels too here are some photos that can help you decide to your new cute and trendy hairstyle for summer 2010:
A lot of cute haircuts and hairstyels you can see at the trendiest young celebs in American like Miley Cyrus hairstyle or Virginia Efira and many more. And with beautiful young celebrities like these there is no surprise that a lot of teen girls have started picking up the hairstyles of teen idols and young celebrities.Other cute hairstyles for girl are the trendy emo girl hairstyles.Teenage girls in the modern times often go the celebrity hairstyles of Hollywood and if you like these hairstyels too here are some photos that can help you decide to your new cute and trendy hairstyle for summer 2010:
Cute Haircuts Fashion for Teenage Girls in Summer 2010
Cute Haircuts Fashion for Teenage Girls in Summer 2010
Shakira Trendy Hairstyles
Shake It Like Shakira - Get Shakira Hair For Summer 2010
If you have long, naturally wavy locks, then you may want to consider getting a Shakira inspired hairstyle. Shakira’s hair is long, wavy, clean, and simple. Additionally, it is sexy, exotic, and extremely easy to maintain. To turn your bed head into long, wavy, Shakira locks, try following a few simple steps:
1. When you go to your stylist, have her cut a bunch of layers into your hair. If you plan on making your hair super curly and wavy, you will want to give it a little extra body. This is especially the case if your hair is very long. Your style will appear fresher and hold for longer if you have a high quality layered cut.
2. Scrunch after showering! Upon exiting the shower, you will want to comb your hair out with a thick-toothed comb. Then you should scrunch a curling mouse or texture-creating product into your wet hair. Then, you can either let your hair air-dry, or blow it dry with either a diffuser or a regular hairdryer on low power.
3. After you hair is dry and curled like crazy, you will want to pick it out again. The goal here is to obtain wavy curls which are loose and lovely. You don’t want them sticking together.
4. The finishing touches for your hair should include a few shots of hairspray and a dash of anti-frizz serum. This will keep your hair looking shiny, springy, and fresh all day long. Let’s hope you don’t mind signing a few autographs!
Photo/PR PHOTOS
New Aston Martin Rapide 2010
Aston Martin Rapide, the first four-door coupe, Aston Martin, began to be marketed in the United States. The definition of fusion of sports car with luxury sedan comfort, with new price $ 199,950 you can have. That low price in the class Aston Martin rapide. In addition to the first four-door vehicle, the Aston Martin Rapide is' the first model of land made outside the UK. This model is produced in Graz, Austria in cooperation with Magna Steyr. Magna is known as the option to outsource the production car class in Europe. BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, including the customer. But the truth is not what happened. Aston Martin's plant capacity fully Gaydon. Since the collapse of the global economy, the Aston Martin to re-think to add production capacity. Middle of the road, in outsourcing.
With that price, the Aston Martin sports car that promises very impressive. Has been very impressive standard specification Aston Martin says that the launch schedule of this model at the beginning of the second quarter of 2010. Specifications include an audio system designed specifically for Aston Martin Rapide, Bang & Olufsen Beosound. Bang & Olufsen has a reputation as a Rolex watch for the highest sound quality. Another standard feature is covering the hot seat memory, dual-cast brake and adaptive damping systems.
ARCHITECTURE
Underpinning the Rapide concept is Aston Martin's VH architecture, developed to offer exceptional manufacturing flexibility. This high-strength, low-mass architecture forms the backbone of the current generation of Aston Martins, spearheaded by the DB9 Coupé and flanked by the DB9 Volante and the Vantage.
The extruded aluminium construction of the VH architecture can be modified in both length and width, providing a myriad of packaging options, and the chemically-bonded structure (using glues derived from aircraft manufacture) is mated with bodywork that mixes aluminium and composite materials. The architecture’s flexibility is further demonstrated by its use in the DBR9 racing car, where it is combined with carbon-fibre composite body panels to produce a modern race car of rare beauty.
EXTERIOR
The visual language of Aston Martin is highly distinctive. Across a range of three cars, the company's design team, led by Design Director Marek Reichman, fulfils Aston Martin’s core values – power, beauty and soul – with bodywork that is taut, poised and muscular. “The brand is about the driving experience,” says Reichman, explaining how the concept is intended to provide everything customers have to come to expect from an Aston Martin, and more. “We wanted to make the most beautiful four-door car in the world,” he says, as he traces the Rapide’s development from a series of exploratory sketches in the Summer of 2005 to the finished, fully-functioning prototype. In the process, Reichman and his team explored the way the Rapide might be used, where and when it would be driven, even who would be driving. The four-door body was a natural way of providing access to the Rapide’s increased interior space, part of Aston Martin's commitment to design usability. “If there’s a space then you should also offer accessibility, otherwise you’re not being honest,” explains Dr Bez.
Reichman describes the 'beautiful harmony' of the line that runs through the Rapide's bodywork, giving the car the appearance of motion even while stationary, an athlete in flight, rather than crouched and coiled upon the starting blocks. “It’s not a wedge, it’s graceful and flowing,” he explains, “we decided to let the lines flow right through the body to the tail, which ends very beautifully. In silhouette, the Rapide shares the same sinuous line as its two-door siblings, although when compared with the poised stance of the Vantage with its sprinter-like forward thrust, the Rapide is a long distance runner.” Reichman believes that proportion is fundamental to how a car is perceived. “There are forms that appear at ease and forms that appear tense and uncomfortable,” he says, “we wanted to make everything on the Rapide work in harmony.” Achieving this required the intuitive skills of Aston Martin’s modelling team, who work with both raw clay models and advanced computer modelling. “We put character and feeling into the surface,” says Reichman. “Our designers and modellers work with a sculptural language here at Aston Martin - the play of light on the surface are incredibly important to us.” Full-scale models are viewed in daylight and dusk conditions, for example, to ensure that the dramatic surface forms remain an integral element of each and every Aston Martin. Reichman believes that technology like the VH architecture allows him “to keep the form language and soul of the product.”
INTERIOR
The Rapide continues Aston Martin’s reputation for highly-tailored, individual cockpits. The trademark glass starter button is a small element of theatre that is also beautiful and tactile, the perfect first point of contact with the car. Providing sporty accommodation for four passengers in such a low and beautiful coupé presents a formidable packaging challenge.
Sitting low to the ground, just four centimetres higher than a DB9, the interior is an exquisite leather-swathed package, with custom-embossed shagreen hide specially sourced for the Rapide. “It’s very cosseting,” admits Reichman, “it’s about creating a personal experience of the journey.” Like a set of exquisite hand-tooled luggage, the interior is compact yet also surprisingly spacious, with great attention to detail, like the extensive map and accessory storage and the mood lighting that maximises the feeling of volume.
Aston Martin has always been about truth to materials: wood is valued for its structural properties and appearance, as are aluminium, glass and leather, while carbon fibre is utilised for its strength and weight-saving abilities and not just a showy finish. A transparent polycarbonate roof brings an increased sense of spatial awareness, opening up the passengers' vistas beyond the driver’s focus on the road ahead. This ultra-light transparent material is a first for the company. The Rapide has dual climate zones, and the luxuriously appointed rear seats come with their own DVD screens and controls for the audio system and environmental system.
TRADITION
Aston Martin has always acknowledged the need for elegant, high-speed touring sports cars. The four-door, four-seater saloon displayed at the 1927 Olympia Motor Show began a long tradition of cars that combined elegance, style and power with usability. The Olympia car was a closed-body tourer that sported long, flowing lines for the era, tapering to a luggage trunk and mounted on a tubular frame. The car was also low to the ground, purposeful and sporting. Four years later another four-door saloon was exhibited, with an aluminium-panelled body by Bertelli, finely engineered, detailed and upholstered throughout, with intriguing touches like the roof-mounted opening glass panel above the rear passenger compartment.
THE JOURNEY
Every journey in an Aston Martin is an occasion, proving that the most enjoyable way of getting between two points isn't always a straight line. The Vanquish S, DB9 Coupé, DB9 Volante and Vantage are all designed to sharpen the senses, extracting every grain of texture from the road surface, with high levels of driver feedback and involvement. Yet when conditions preclude making progress or spirited driving, an Aston Martin adopts a relaxing, restrained character, with the massive reserves of torque and power combining with the uniquely cosseting interior to envelop the driver and their passengers in the Aston Martin experience.
The Rapide continues this tradition - a fast, cross-country machine that excels in any driving conditions. The Aston Martin customer doesn’t need to have their choice dissected in minute detail: these are cars which appeal primarily to the heart, strong emotional design that is also subtle and discrete. The Rapide is a uniquely personal machine, its interior representing the very best of the company’s immensely skilled workforce, demonstrating how each Aston Martin is still tailored to a customer’s precise requirements. It also represents the high degree of personalisation offered by ultra-modern production facilities and a model line-up underpinned by a flexible architecture - a new model that could broaden the range to cater for every requirement.
Underpinning the Rapide concept is Aston Martin's VH architecture, developed to offer exceptional manufacturing flexibility. This high-strength, low-mass architecture forms the backbone of the current generation of Aston Martins, spearheaded by the DB9 Coupé and flanked by the DB9 Volante and the Vantage.
The extruded aluminium construction of the VH architecture can be modified in both length and width, providing a myriad of packaging options, and the chemically-bonded structure (using glues derived from aircraft manufacture) is mated with bodywork that mixes aluminium and composite materials. The architecture’s flexibility is further demonstrated by its use in the DBR9 racing car, where it is combined with carbon-fibre composite body panels to produce a modern race car of rare beauty.
EXTERIOR
The visual language of Aston Martin is highly distinctive. Across a range of three cars, the company's design team, led by Design Director Marek Reichman, fulfils Aston Martin’s core values – power, beauty and soul – with bodywork that is taut, poised and muscular. “The brand is about the driving experience,” says Reichman, explaining how the concept is intended to provide everything customers have to come to expect from an Aston Martin, and more. “We wanted to make the most beautiful four-door car in the world,” he says, as he traces the Rapide’s development from a series of exploratory sketches in the Summer of 2005 to the finished, fully-functioning prototype. In the process, Reichman and his team explored the way the Rapide might be used, where and when it would be driven, even who would be driving. The four-door body was a natural way of providing access to the Rapide’s increased interior space, part of Aston Martin's commitment to design usability. “If there’s a space then you should also offer accessibility, otherwise you’re not being honest,” explains Dr Bez.
Reichman describes the 'beautiful harmony' of the line that runs through the Rapide's bodywork, giving the car the appearance of motion even while stationary, an athlete in flight, rather than crouched and coiled upon the starting blocks. “It’s not a wedge, it’s graceful and flowing,” he explains, “we decided to let the lines flow right through the body to the tail, which ends very beautifully. In silhouette, the Rapide shares the same sinuous line as its two-door siblings, although when compared with the poised stance of the Vantage with its sprinter-like forward thrust, the Rapide is a long distance runner.” Reichman believes that proportion is fundamental to how a car is perceived. “There are forms that appear at ease and forms that appear tense and uncomfortable,” he says, “we wanted to make everything on the Rapide work in harmony.” Achieving this required the intuitive skills of Aston Martin’s modelling team, who work with both raw clay models and advanced computer modelling. “We put character and feeling into the surface,” says Reichman. “Our designers and modellers work with a sculptural language here at Aston Martin - the play of light on the surface are incredibly important to us.” Full-scale models are viewed in daylight and dusk conditions, for example, to ensure that the dramatic surface forms remain an integral element of each and every Aston Martin. Reichman believes that technology like the VH architecture allows him “to keep the form language and soul of the product.”
INTERIOR
The Rapide continues Aston Martin’s reputation for highly-tailored, individual cockpits. The trademark glass starter button is a small element of theatre that is also beautiful and tactile, the perfect first point of contact with the car. Providing sporty accommodation for four passengers in such a low and beautiful coupé presents a formidable packaging challenge.
Sitting low to the ground, just four centimetres higher than a DB9, the interior is an exquisite leather-swathed package, with custom-embossed shagreen hide specially sourced for the Rapide. “It’s very cosseting,” admits Reichman, “it’s about creating a personal experience of the journey.” Like a set of exquisite hand-tooled luggage, the interior is compact yet also surprisingly spacious, with great attention to detail, like the extensive map and accessory storage and the mood lighting that maximises the feeling of volume.
Aston Martin has always been about truth to materials: wood is valued for its structural properties and appearance, as are aluminium, glass and leather, while carbon fibre is utilised for its strength and weight-saving abilities and not just a showy finish. A transparent polycarbonate roof brings an increased sense of spatial awareness, opening up the passengers' vistas beyond the driver’s focus on the road ahead. This ultra-light transparent material is a first for the company. The Rapide has dual climate zones, and the luxuriously appointed rear seats come with their own DVD screens and controls for the audio system and environmental system.
TRADITION
Aston Martin has always acknowledged the need for elegant, high-speed touring sports cars. The four-door, four-seater saloon displayed at the 1927 Olympia Motor Show began a long tradition of cars that combined elegance, style and power with usability. The Olympia car was a closed-body tourer that sported long, flowing lines for the era, tapering to a luggage trunk and mounted on a tubular frame. The car was also low to the ground, purposeful and sporting. Four years later another four-door saloon was exhibited, with an aluminium-panelled body by Bertelli, finely engineered, detailed and upholstered throughout, with intriguing touches like the roof-mounted opening glass panel above the rear passenger compartment.
THE JOURNEY
Every journey in an Aston Martin is an occasion, proving that the most enjoyable way of getting between two points isn't always a straight line. The Vanquish S, DB9 Coupé, DB9 Volante and Vantage are all designed to sharpen the senses, extracting every grain of texture from the road surface, with high levels of driver feedback and involvement. Yet when conditions preclude making progress or spirited driving, an Aston Martin adopts a relaxing, restrained character, with the massive reserves of torque and power combining with the uniquely cosseting interior to envelop the driver and their passengers in the Aston Martin experience.
The Rapide continues this tradition - a fast, cross-country machine that excels in any driving conditions. The Aston Martin customer doesn’t need to have their choice dissected in minute detail: these are cars which appeal primarily to the heart, strong emotional design that is also subtle and discrete. The Rapide is a uniquely personal machine, its interior representing the very best of the company’s immensely skilled workforce, demonstrating how each Aston Martin is still tailored to a customer’s precise requirements. It also represents the high degree of personalisation offered by ultra-modern production facilities and a model line-up underpinned by a flexible architecture - a new model that could broaden the range to cater for every requirement.
Aston Martin One 2010
Special mix of shows by Aston Martin. Detail in the modification of carbon black metallic paint with a bespoke, black Obsidian with piano black accents and hand stitching. In Audio System, Aston Martin has Bang and Olufsen Beosound DBS 1000 watts power and 13 speakers.
New Aston Martin DBS Special Carbon Black 2011 Special Edition will be touring in Los Angeles, Washington, San Francisco, Dallas, Miami and Chicago.
The different driving experiences we offer have been specially developed by Aston Martin to meet the demanding requirements of Aston Martin owners. Each experience is designed to be one-to-one in nature with experienced hand-selected instructors who have extensive knowledge of Aston Martin cars, track and road driving. The selected venues around the world were chosen because of their ability to offer the most unique and exclusive experience for our customers, we hope you agree!
ARCHITECTURE
Underpinning is Aston Martin's VH architecture, developed to offer exceptional manufacturing flexibility. This high-strength, low-mass architecture forms the backbone of the current generation of Aston Martins, spearheaded by the DB9 Coupé and flanked by the DB9 Volante and the Vantage.
The extruded aluminum construction of the VH architecture Can be modified in both length and width, Providing a Myriad of packaging options, and the chemically-bonded structure (using glues derived from aircraft manufacture) is mated with bodywork That mixes aluminum and composite materials. The architecture's flexibility is further demonstrated by its use in the DBR9 racing car, Nowhere it is combined with carbon-fiber composite body panels to Produce a modern race car of rare beauty.
Underpinning is Aston Martin's VH architecture, developed to offer exceptional manufacturing flexibility. This high-strength, low-mass architecture forms the backbone of the current generation of Aston Martins, spearheaded by the DB9 Coupé and flanked by the DB9 Volante and the Vantage.
The extruded aluminum construction of the VH architecture Can be modified in both length and width, Providing a Myriad of packaging options, and the chemically-bonded structure (using glues derived from aircraft manufacture) is mated with bodywork That mixes aluminum and composite materials. The architecture's flexibility is further demonstrated by its use in the DBR9 racing car, Nowhere it is combined with carbon-fiber composite body panels to Produce a modern race car of rare beauty.
Every journey in an Aston Martin is an occasion, proving That the most enjoyable way of getting Between two points, Is not always a straight line. The Vanquish S, DB9 Coupé, DB9 Volante and Vantage are all Designed to Sharpen the senses, extracting Every grain of texture from the road surface, with high levels of driver feedback and involvement. Yet Pls conditions preclude making progress or Spirited driving, an Aston Martin adopts a relaxing, restrained character, with the massive reserves of torque and power combining with the Uniquely cosseting interior to envelop the driver and passengers on their experience in the Aston Martin.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Fiat Uno 2011
Generation five-door hatchback Fiat Uno 2011 launch in South America, and will be marketed in Brazil. Fiat Uno Flex fuel has a new 1.0-liter engine can produce 73 hp and 83 hp in the 1.4-liter with five-speed manual gearbox is standard.
New Fiat Uno in 2011 has a version of the green concept, called the Uno Ecology, with lower emissions and fuel economy better and create renewable materials can be recycled. On the exterior, the New United Nations has a roof mounted solar panels help keep the batteries charged. .. Woww can stop / start systems reduce fuel consumption.
The 2011 Fiat Uno front airbags and seat belts with pre-tensioner, non-compulsory items for every version of the new Fiat Uno models, complement the hood’s action, reinforcing safety. On the mechanical aspect, the new 2011 Fiat Uno incorporates solutions which ensure its stability and facilitate the driver maintain control of the vehicle in every situation. For the new 2011 Fiat Uno, the brakes were sized according to the version and the presence, or not, of ABS system.
Finally 2011 Fiat Uno, to create braking on slippery roads safer provides an anti-block system (ABS) on brakes as an optional item in all versions. The new 2011 Fiat Uno marks the premiere of the Fire Evo family of engines that strong points are reduction in fuel consumption and better use of energy, with lower emission of pollutants and noise. Developed by FPT – Powertrain Technologies in Brazil, the Evo family equips every versions of the new 2011 Fiat Uno with 1.0 liter and 1.4 liter engines. This construction reduces the engine friction on both sides.
The new 2011 Fiat Uno Fiat Uno comes to the market in 4 versions with various color such as yellow, red, black, etc, initially all of them with four doors (the two-door versions will be available on coming months. Vivace 1.0 Flex. Way 1.0 Flex. Attractive 1.4 Flex. Fiat Uno Attractive 1.4 Flex incorporates, in addition to the Fire 1.4 Evo engine. The new Fiat Uno has a contractual warranty of one year with no mileage limit.
The new 2011 Fiat Uno Fiat Uno comes to the market in 4 versions with various color such as yellow, red, black, etc, initially all of them with four doors (the two-door versions will be available on coming months. Vivace 1.0 Flex. Way 1.0 Flex. Attractive 1.4 Flex. Fiat Uno Attractive 1.4 Flex incorporates, in addition to the Fire 1.4 Evo engine. The new Fiat Uno has a contractual warranty of one year with no mileage limit.
Maximum card from Australia Post: Common Wombat (Vombatus ursinus)
Common Wombat (Vombatus ursinus).
Wait till you see the uncommon wombats.
The other two species are hairy-nosed. :)
There was a recent attack on a man, in Australia. Combat with Wombat.
:)
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