Hobo Nickel

September 3rd, 2010

Russian Piñata Furniture

September 1st, 2010

When looking for that perfect gift don’t forget the ancient youth favorites—they’re still available. Remember the Atari 2600? Remember the nesting dolls? (www.bonshops.com) Did you forget about the slinky? And how about the slip n slide? All four of these toys from our past are still available to the average consumer. You don’t even need to be that diligent about finding them.

 

Living in southern California in the early to mid 1980s made me quite accustomed to seeing piñatas at birthday parties. If it wasn’t for piñatas being available online I would never see them here in Washington State. Cabbage Patch dolls ruled my sister’s life and micro machines ruled mine. Hot Wheelz and Matchbox cars were my main obsession. My second obsession was the magical Nintendo Entertainment System with Super Mario Brothers.

 

Cap guns were a blast and marbles weren’t far behind. Lego’s were a huge part of my life for many years. The action figures in the 1980s were Ghostbusters, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Masters of the Universe. The Transformers and Care Bears were also huge marketing successes. Micro Machines were a huge hit for many years and are now only available in Europe. Some of the doll-related merchandise included Rainbow Brite, Smurfs, and My Small Pony.

 

The Rubik’s Cube, invented in 1974 by Erno Rubik, got huge in 1980 and has sold 300 million to date. Who could forget G.I. Joe, a real American hero? This toy line from Hasbro lasted from 1982 to 1993, which was a remake of the G.I. Joe figure of 1960 that stood twelve inches tall.

Burlesque & pinup fashions are everywhere on the Internet. The early burlesque designs with their risqué overtones have been reborne. Nearly every city now hosts a regular burlesque event where performers, & audience too gets to dress the part.
Origins of burlesque – lingerie on show!
The word burlesque probably derives from the French, which describes a piece of slightly outrageous, humorous art. In the 1840s the term burlesque originally applied to shows intended for middle or lower classes. Such shows lampooned upper class niceties and parodying upper class entertainments like opera & dance. Such music and comedy shows and plays grew in popularity on both sides of the Atlantic during the nineteenth century. In Victorian England, where even “a glimpse of stocking was looked on as something shocking”, burlesque challenged its audience by offering rather more than a “glimpse of stocking” – the lure of young ladies appearing in tights and lingerie! Certainly demure by today’s standards these slightly suggestive interludes certainly boosted the popularity of burlesque. When, in the late 1860’s Lydia Thompson took her burlesque troupe, called the British Blondes, to New York they were an immediate hit. At first they were feted by the press, but before long strident voices, from the pulpit and the papers were complaining of loose morals and indecency. The result of all this adverse publicity was to spread the word about burlesque far and wide in America effectively having the reverse effect to that desired by burlesque’s critics – female burlesque troupes with close copies of the original British act sprung up around the country.
These shows owed a fantastic deal of their structure to the minstrel shows of the time and generally consisted of three parts – the initial section featuring the ladies, the middle section was a mix of male comedians and specialty acts and the final part the grand finale. Copying Lydia Thompson’s lead, most of the troupes had female managers. But towards the end of the nineteenth century, as male managers took over, they switched the emphasis away from comedy to push boundaries, determined to show as much uncovered female flesh as the laws would allow.
This form of entertainment metamorphosed in the early twentieth century into a mix of music hall, satire and striptease. During the twenties the bias continued inexorably towards striptease and away from the accompanying elements. This shift doubtlessly was burlesque’s downfall; by the thirties the popularity of burlesque dropped away probably reacting against what had become slightly tawdry striptease shows. Local authorities were no longer as tolerant of this entertainment, which had lost much of its music hall variety flavor.
New Burlesque
In the mid nineteen nineties the genre was resurrected, with troupes in the USA, and the trend has snowballed over to the UK. Now, once more on both sides of the channel, it is possible to see shows equal in glamour, bawdiness and variety to equal the art form in its heyday in clubs and theatres in major cities. Arguably the Internet has played a major part to spread the interest in the genre. There are websites, such as Ministry of Burlesque dedicated to promoting it, to teaching dance, makeup and fashion.
Burlesque lingerie fashion
The mainstay of this style is lingerie and modern burlesque generally concentrates on the fifties and to a lesser degree the forties look. This extends not only to clothing, but hats, footwear and makeup too. There have always been fans of fifties silk and nylon stockings. The majority stocking mills closed up shop when pantyhose all but killed the stocking market. Their huge stocking machines were ruined and along with it the expertise to manufacture fully-fashioned stockings. Now the rare machines remaining are being rebuilt and returned to service to again produce faux fifties seamed stockings. But a few companies trading online still have limited supplies of the original fifties stockings so the purists can satisfy their need to the ‘real thing’ rather than the modern copies. Sadly, once that depleting stock is exhausted, they will only be viewable in museums and private collections.
But, for burlesque stage performance it is the fishnet tights or pantyhose that are still really well loved.
Companies are making exact copies both of retro costumes and burlesque accessories, from ostrich feather fans to bullet bras. Lingerie companies, sensing an opportunity not to be missed, are enticing well-known burlesque artists to lend their names and expertise to burlesque-inspired lingerie designs.
Of course, because burlesque is so empowering to women, not only is there no set figure – all physiques are equally welcomed, but there is not set ‘burlesque costume’ either. It is very common for burlesque artists to take everyday lingerie, adapt it by sewing on sequins to devise their own unique take on burlesque. But the common thread that runs through the new outfits, going right back to the earliest days of the art form is the element of ‘tease’, the showing of rather more lingerie and stocking tops that would normally be seen in everyday life.
Rockabilly fashion
Over the years a number of fashion styles have grown towards each other, oft times overlapping. The word rockabilly was used around the mid forties and was a blend of hillbilly and rock and roll music styles. Todays pinup photographers generally recreate the stylish fifties imagery which overlaps but is distinct from rockabilly. It is not de rigueur to have tattoos and piercings for rockabilly, although many fans certainly do.
Pinup fashion
The term pinup also has blurred origins, covering photos of movie stars from around the thirties and forties, but also the airbrushed fantasy women gracing men’s magazines by such exponents as Petty and Elvgren. The fashions often featured nylons and lingerie, sometimes being exposed by a sudden unexpected gust of wind or other ‘mishap’ that befell the model. The style was to tease and to reveal very small by today’s standards. There is no doubt that pinup art, with the sexy lingerie has strongly influenced the outfits adopted by many of today’s burlesque artists.

Take the Caterpillar D9 for example, it can easily tow tanks that weight more than 70 tons. The plow was so common and successful that Deere and his partner were selling a thousand a year by 1846. These machines can take care of the grass and garden needs of most . Toro lawn mowers in addition establish lawn tractors and their most common model is the LX model. They are specially trained to be familiar with their products and services, thus ensuring that you will not only get fantastic customer service, as they would not be capable of to wait in business if the customers were not pleased, but their training makes them the logical choice to work on your lawn mower. Sometimes locating the exact area of the lawn mower that needs to be repaired can be a small tough, as in a whole load of cases the actual problem does not always show up in the part that needs to be repaired, but rather somewhere else in the machine. There is a whole line of John Deere branded paraphernalia that community can buy. You will be shocked when you see the sticker cost of a groundbreaking new farm tractor. The 16×16 autoshift has a programmable shift for both field and rode modes. On this site, you will learn the best used farm tractor prices online, info, photos and other farming interests. The antique specialty tractors are designed with an brilliant turning radius, an oscillating front axle, and a diesel engine. This list comes directly from the web-site. The amount of money you have will determine the model of farm tractor you buy. The controls are operated through Twin Touch™ two-pedal foot control. One place to go is the John Deere official website. But even with all of this available info, most community don’t rely on this info when deciding which car to buy. If you do need it for anything else such as digging and loading, it is possible to procure extra accessories if needed. One does not have to in practice own an antique farm tractor in order to delight in all that these unique shows have to offer. You can travel to nearly any country around the globe and learn John Deere tractors and other farm equipment. All of of these factors will help you estimate the condition of a farm tractor.

If you’re going to buy a second hand tractor? Nobody wants to feel like they have made terrible investment choice when buying a second hand tractor, but many of the investigations you (ought to carry out and research you should do are the same as those you would carry out when buying something. Once you have drawn up your list of requirements then have a look and see if your favorite tractor manufacturer produces it. If there is a brand name that has given you excellent service over the years then maybe you should stick to that one. Whatever tractor you choose it is necessary to check the availability and price of spare parts and you need to know if there is somebody nearby who can service the machine; this could save you a lot of time and money over the life of the tractor. Most of these are just as possible to make if you are buying on the web as if you were buying something just down the road. You may have concerns about buying online from a distant place without directly seeing your vehicle it can help to look for excellent transparent honest information on the online advert as a guide to the integrity of the seller, and again weigh up all the factors. There are a few guidelines for buying machinery online that will help demystify the process and help you feel more at ease with this method of buy. If you’re starting out farming, you should select your tractor first and then and then buy the needed implements based on the capabilities of your tractor. But beware, often what appears as a simple fix can be much more and really raise havoc with your wallet! You may be well ahead to pay a shop their hourly rate to have a mechanic go over a tractor that you’re considering. Be as knowledgeable on the prospective machine as you can be through research and conversation and physically check it out to the best of your ability.

As obviously these machines are collectible, antique tractors sometimes don’t lose value quickly, more commonly, they appreciate, troublesome very slowly. Some of the most collectible tractors make poor working machines whereas some less collectible tractors are fine workhorses, so makes small sense to place the time and money into restoring a rare model, only to place it in the field. The demand for parts, additionally to entire tractors, helps sustain values, all this doesn’t mean that antique tractors will show you a real profit ; minor appreciation in price is often more than offset by costs for repairs, maintenance, hauling the tractor, and other costs.Certain models are way more in demand than others , but , as there are such a lot of manufacturers and models, it could be a fantastic thought to become knowledgeable in one or makers.If you plot to carry out some heavy work then should get a tractor sized to handle larger implements, otherwise if you’re using the tractor generally for light property maintenance, or you also are plotting to raise a few acres of hay, then the tractor you select will be much more modest. Most scrap or junk yards will be a fantastic source of spare parts or tough to find parts at a excellent price.You’ll frequently hear a figure called effective hp or drawbar hp, this is the final horsepower brought to the drawbar to pull an implement. There are numerous things, naturally, that will tip you off to possible problems, one antifreeze in the cooling system and oil in the oil-bath air cleaner tells you straight away the tractor was treated well and is likely in fine shape.If you get pure oil, you can rest a small more comfortably, knowing that water will settle to the base of a cold oil pan or gear case, a bit of water can simply condensation and may or may not be cause for concern, But if you find antifreeze, it should raise a red flag concerning the mechanical condition of the engine.Other wickis to have a look at:-used tractorused tractors tractors for sale

How Scent Marketing Works

August 22nd, 2010

Scent marketing involves a very unique and subliminal approach towards advertising oneself. Like verbal and visual marketing, scent marketing uses the same fundamental methods, yet the platform is different. Smell is the catalyst in this case, and it involves a collection of intricate and carefully crafted smells, that represents some entity and distinguishes it from others. The application of this scent is in efforts of providing a pleasant experience to consumers and clients alike and therefore, subliminally suggesting their return. Furthermore, this distinguishing scent is designed to follow the recipient well beyond their visit with some company. This provides for added leverage.Scent machines are the way theses smells are developed. Careful consideration goes into picking and deriving scents that represent a company. Reckon about the smells you may encounter when walking into your favorite department store, or the local supermarket. These smells are by no means an accident. They are usually smells that are pleasant and tolerable and can be picked up well beyond the confines of the company’s facility. The reminder is an extended effort to lure you, the consumer, back to the facility.Reckon about those vintage Disney cartoons, where one of the characters seem to be hypnotized and floating through the air helped by the aroma of a huge juicy steak, or some other tantalizing type of food. This is the epitome of scent systems, and at the right time in the right atmosphere, theses scents are released and scans the area of the general public, where it is subliminally received and stored for future reference.

The public history of the PC started in August 1981, when IBM first announced “The IBM Personal Computer.” . This was The original PC. The time period for the development of this landmark, legacy product was approximately a year. It must be remembered that IBM was a centralized committee paper top down organization at the time. Everything went by snail mail and paper, communication was slow and lines of communication as well as the necessary and essential corporate approval up the command chain was to say the least primitively slow by today’s standards. Hence this small one year time frame for the development of the PC is rather remarkable – even the more so because without realizing it we are left with the basics and the standards to this day of the original IBM PC.
At the time that the PC was being plotted, all personal computers belonged to a now obsolete category called 8 bit computers. According to one legend the IBM PC nearly became such an 8 bit machine. This would of more than severely limited and reduced the capabilities compared to what could have been to become and well as made the growth of the original PC into its family more than hard and stilted.
IBM was plotting to make the PC an 8 bit computer as that was the clear and dominant standard at the time. But one of the industry “experts “that IBM consulted in the plotting of the PC was Mr. Bill Gates himself. Gates understood that although the 8 bit computing was the power machine of its time that the days of the 8 bit computer were more than numbered, For the IBM PC to be really successful convincingly detailed to the IBM contacts this new computer had to “lead the way” into the much more powerful realm of 16 bit computing. Gates knew this and successfully talked IBM into changing its plans.
IBM corporate structure and dominance in the computer industry of the time must be understood and place into its relevance. IBM at the time was the dominant computer company of the day. Most computing was done on large mainframe computers. This was a very lucrative position for IBM which was the dynamo and model of the corporate structure with its cadre of blue suited employees , graphs and charts at meetings , technical prowess with leading edge technology and scull sales and tech support and very importantly vital corporate financing of these mainframe computers for business , industry , government and large educational facilities. This was a smoothly running money machine for IBM. IBM had no interest in having their bread and butter market change – even if they were to be the choice makers and the leaders.
IBM it seemed was being embarrassed by a small company operating on nothing more than a shoestring and basically back yard garages. Apple’s small “microcomputers” were making steady and visible headway into IBM turf, Even the threats of IBM sales staff to IT department heads and staff that “If I ever find an Apple Microcomputer here you are cut off !” did not stem the tide. It seemed that department head managers were getting around such mean edicts and threats by ordering Apple computers by submitting departmental plotting budgets and ordering the distinctive and essential IBM Selectric ball typewriters for their departments. The cost of these units was approximately $ 3000. Fascinatingly enough this was the approximate cost of that Apple computer that was being denied to their department. Hence in an irony IBM’s pricing structure (as well as Apple’s) led to the competitive forces that hastened the entry of the hallmark computer product of our time the IBM PC.

Max Rubin. vintagecomputermanuals@yahoo.com. http://www.adgerlinux.com, http://www.sellyourmanitobacottage.com,
http://www.vintagecomputermanuals.com

A paper shredder is a mechanical device to cut paper into strips or small pieces for the purpose of making documents containing sensitive or personal information unreadable. Paper shredders are widely used in banks, hospitals, large corporations, and government agencies that need to ruin information to protect security, prevent identity theft, and conform to privacy regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Gramm-Leach-Billey Act (GLB), and the Honest and Accurate Credit Transaction Act (FACTA). Paper shredders provide a cost-efficient, effective means of waste removal and security. As the concern over identity theft grows more and more people are turning to paper shredding to protect them against thieves and paper shredding is becoming something that is no longer just for the office. Individuals are also seeing the benefits of shredding their confidential documents. Destroying vital documents or documents containing personal information guarantees the information will not fall into the incorrect hands. Personal shredders, general office shredders, commercial shredders, industrial shredders, multimedia shredders, and cardboard shredders are the different types of shredders. All these types of shredders come in two standard configurations namely — Cross-cut and Strip-cut. Strip-cut shredders cut paper lengthwise into strips and require small or no maintenance. The shredded paper from strip cut shredders is not very compact and requires emptying of the containers more frequently. On the other hand Cross-cut shredder cuts paper both lengthwise and widthwise. They will significantly decrease the volume of your paper shredding but will often require more maintenance. Businesses prefer crosscut paper shredders for shredding more confidential documents. Industrial paper shredders are ideal for shredding large amounts of paper at once. An industrial paper shredder is perfect for large corporations, banks, businesses and warehouses that have a need for shredding large volumes. Industrial shredders are conveyor fed and allow you to shred 750 – 2,250 lbs per hour. Industrial shredders are most often used for waste materials that need to be disposed of or recycled and many of them used in tandem with other equipment as part of a larger recycling process. The paper shredded in a paper mill often is further broken down in order to reduce the paper to a raw pulp. This pulp is then used in the creation of new paper that contains the recycled fibers. Often material is shredded simply to make the disposal and storage of the material simpler and less bulky. Automation plays a huge role for industrial shredder manufacturers. Shredding is a standard office procedure and Shredding quality is vital. Inexpensive paper shredders are not generally recommended by experts, and they have a reputation for jamming and breaking easily. Dahle is an industry leader for over 40 years! Dahle machines use solid cutting cylinders milled from German Solingen Steel that are guaranteed to last a lifetime. Other components such as rubber shock mounts, electronic sensors, and a thermally protected motor result in a quality machine and peace of mind in knowing your Dahle shredder will provide many years of distress free operation. Dahle Cross cut shredders are a powerful multi-media destroyer, which can also take on harder material besides paper. Cardboard, thick stacks of paper bound together with metal spirals, CDs, DVDs, credit cards, ancient driver licenses, ID cards, ancient calendars, signs, and posterboard are some of the vital materials that must be shredded as well for maximum security purposes. Dehle crosscut shredders offer the greatest level of security. Dahle cross cut Industrial Shredders are very well-known. These High Capacity Shredders are just the tools to ruin large quantities of paper in a small amount of time. These machines fit nicely in company mail rooms or any other centralized location where large amounts of shredded material is taken. These industrial category shredders have large shred containers, quick powerful motors, and conveyor belts that can complete shredding jobs quickly. These Shredders can be used for the processing or disposal of tires, wood, organic materials, automobiles, scrap metals, plastics, concrete, paper, coal, limestone, minerals or cardboard, as well as many other materials. These are used in a wide variety of industries, from medical to paper production for reasons of recycling, waste removal and storage.

Classic Profile: The Bugatti

August 16th, 2010

Question a serious car buff what make of vehicle epitomizes the perfect marriage of engineering and artistry and the Bugatti name will no doubt rise to the top. The sleek models made in the early 1900s, in fact, took automotive design to a whole new level, blending beauty and extreme speed in a highly successful and exclusive racing line.

The tale of the original Bugatti line is one deeply entwined with world events. The company itself was founded by Ettore Bugatti in 1909. Ettore, the son of renowned artist Carlo Bugatti, was born in Milan in 1881. He started what would become a journey to make one of the most successful race car lines ever by first studying at the Brera Art Academy. By the age of 17, but, the young Bugatti chose that engineering was more to his liking and he joined a firm as an apprentice. Though he broke with family tradition, Ettore did not leave his like of fine designs behind.

Bugatti designed a three-wheel car within a year of putting himself on the engineering path. This unusual machine finished up winning a host of races, which fueled the fire for Bugatti to continue with automotive design. When the company he apprenticed for would not go forward with his other suggestions, Bugatti struck out on his own. In 1909, he founded his own firm in Molsheim, which at the time was in Alsace, Germany. Bugatti debuted his first solo design at the 1911 Le Mans and came in second. This victory led to a major boon for the Bugatti line as orders started to pour in.

Unfortunately, World War I waylaid production. Ettore took his family to Paris, where he finished up working as an aircraft designer for the course of the war. In 1923, Bugatti once again turned his attention to his beloved cars. From his home in what was then Alsace, France, he would go on to build some of the most successful racing models of all times.

Bugatti set his racing machines apart from the competition in several vital ways. First of all, the designs were much smaller and lighter than other cars on the circuit. His 1911 model, for example, weighed in at only 660 pounds and was dwarfed by the Fiat that ultimately won the race. Beyond his sleek, artistic designs, Bugatti also insisted on building each vehicle produced with a painstaking attention to detail. Even the engine blocks were scraped by hand so that no gaskets were needed for sealing.

By the late 1920s, the Bugatti name was one to be reckoned with on the race track. The Bugatti Type 10 took the top four spots in its very first race. The Type 35 is considered one of the most impressive racing machines ever. That model claimed more than 2,000 wins.

The original factory started to decline after Jean Bugatti, the son of Ettore, died in 1939 following a crash during the testing of the Type 57 model. The arrival of World War II saw the Molsheim factory ruined. By the time Ettore died in 1947, the line was mostly in ruin. A few comebacks were attempted by other Bugatti relatives before the name was sold.

Although Bugatti made less than 8,000 cars in total, Ettore left a legacy of perfection behind that lives on today. Volkswagen ultimately obtained rights to produce cars using the Bugatti name. That subsidiary has stuck with the exclusivity of the original line. Its models are considered both visually pleasing and incredibly quick. Fascinatingly enough, Volkswagen’s subsidiary is based in Molsheim.

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