Luke Judge

Shoulder bags are carried over one shoulder and possess a medium or long length shelf. the entry to the bag usually is a zip top, magnetic snap or flap. most have organizational pockets or several compartments to store all your essentials. these bags come in many different materials; from fabric to top-grain leathers. whether you are classic or chic and trendy, you can actually look for a carrier bag that you like.

Sling bags include the perfect solution to carry your evryday essentials with style and comfort. Daypacks and bags are ideal for carrying around your travel supplies or school stuff. However, you do not always need all the storage capacity, plus wearing both backpack straps will finally make even the sharpest dresser appear to be a grade-schooler. with a variety of colors and prints available, you’ll be sure to discover a bag that suits your personal fashion sense. Sling bags are also perfect for students who don’t have to carry a great deal of heavy textbooks, as numerous schools are beginning to emphasize online curriculums that don’t require massive books.

Purchasing a pocketbook is a vital decision. You should know what will you be utilising your case for. will it be a straightforward work pocketbook, or something like that you merely throw everything into? Are you gonna be using it for nights out? You need to know what size of the bag you’ll need, from your very small clutch to some big handle bag. looking for a gaudy beaded bag or something with a designer emblem? Buying German versions of holdalls or carry-alls and purses: coccinelle taschen guenstig

The most effective ways to ensure your handbag is pure is to inspect the bag itself. Designer handbags are popular and cost just as much as they do because first and for-most they are produced from quality materials. Take a look on the stitching. There shouldn’t be loose or missing stitches, the colour from the thread should match the key colour of the bag as well as the stitches must be evenly spaced. when the handbag is leather, the logo needs to be engraved or heat-stamped, not just printed around the leather.

Black is an extremely elegant color. That is why black leather carry-all is one of the most sellable items available in the market. most business owners like black leather because it promotes a small business-like impression that is perfect for their professions. Leather bags can be quite expensive yet they always provide best value. Made from durable material, you can rest assured that pouches created from leather offer number of years use to face up to its frequent usage. it doesn’t easily get destructed and was created to last long.

If you are planning to use your sling bag as a school backpack, you’ll have to have one around the larger end with the size spectrum to match your materials comfortably. a leather sling bag is effective as being a purse backpack, mainly because it has more space when compared to a handbag without looking too bulky. Several sling bags have a separate pocket on the strap that’s ideal for your mobile phone, Music player or smartphone items. Finding German alternatives of holdalls or carrier bags and tote bags: umhaengetasche-schultertasche.de/billabong-schultertaschen/

Men are utilizing sling bags also today. They’re so convenient, as the name infers, just sling the bag over a shoulder and you have the hands free. look carefully at the dimension on each leather carrying bag. sizes from smallish sling bags to big ones.

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October 20th 2010 10:10pm

Bethesda has begun addressing some of the bugs found in Fallout New Vegaswhich was released yesterdayA PC patch is now live and will download as an automatic update.A Bethesda representative said in a statement that the patch will resolve “quest and scripting issues.They also plan to release an update for the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions as soon as possible.In the meantimethe PS3 digital pre-order bonus issue has been fixedBethesda advises players to try reentering the code nowand if the error persiststo wait 24 hours and try again.We’ll let you know when we have a timeframe for the release of the Xbox 360 and PS3 patches. See Also FalloutNew Vegas Patches Coming “As Quickly as Possible” Fallout New Vegas Community Q&A”This Is Fallout Vice City. Three Days With Fallout New Vegas Permalink &nbsp&nbsp| Digg it &nbsp&nbsp|Share &nbsp&nbsp| [3] Comments (7) This is out?? Posted8 minutes ago byGconnection Shitwhat have I been doing for the past few days…

From: 1up.com

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George Key, a San Clemente descendant of Francis Scott Key, the 19th-century patriot who wrote the words to “The Star-Spangled Banner,” is urging every home and business in America to fly Old Glory on Sept. 11.

Key, an 86-year-old veteran of World War II and the Korean War, is commander of the San Clemente post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He and fellow veteran Alex Neil of San Clemente are founders of a pair of respect-the-flag programs in San Clemente that grew out of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks on America.

“Every individual should make it their duty to display an American flag on this ninth anniversary of one our country’s worst tragedies,” Key wrote in an e-mail he sent out this week. “We do this in honor of those who lost their lives on 9/11, their families, friends and loved ones who continue to endure the pain, and those who today are fighting at home and abroad to preserve our cherished freedoms.”

Key recalls how the country “was bathed in American flags” after 9/11. However, the next spring, he and Neil began noticing a number of weathered flags left up too long. “People put these flags out and forget about them,” Key lamented at the time.

In 2002, he and Neil set up collection boxes at San Clemente city offices and appealed to flag owners to deposit tattered flags there so VFW members could assure the flags a dignified disposal.

The program took hold and led to a second program. Every American flag that flies above San Clemente’s City Hall – visible to passing motorists on I-5 – once draped a coffin of a U.S. military veteran. Key and Neil invite spouses to donate their deceased veteran’s flag to City Hall, where it will fly until it shows age and then will be retired with dignity. Each time a flag is replaced at City Hall, a flag-hoisting ceremony honors the veteran whom the new flag represents.

“I’m in hopes that other people are getting the same program within their own cities,” Key said.

To reach Key, call 949-498-2489. To reach Neil, call 949-366-8477.

Both said they hope to see lots of red, white and blue next Saturday and beyond.

“Keep the flags up,” Key said.

Here is a list of things to do and not do when flying the American flag, according to usa-flag-site.org:

• The flag should be lighted at all times, either by sunlight or an appropriate light source.

• The flag should be flown in fair weather, unless the flag is designed for use in inclement weather.

• The flag should never be dipped to any person or thing. It is flown upside down only as a distress signal.

• The flag should not be used for any decoration in general. Bunting of blue, white and red stripes is available for those purposes. The blue stripe of the bunting should be on the top.

• The flag should never be used for any advertising purpose. It should not be embroidered, printed or otherwise impressed on such articles as cushions, handkerchiefs, napkins, boxes or anything intended to be discarded after temporary use. Advertising signs should not be attached to the staff or halyard.

• The flag should not be used as part of a costume or an athletic uniform, except that a flag patch may be used on the uniform of military, fire and police personnel and members of patriotic organizations.

• The flag should never have any mark, insignia, letter, word, number, figure or drawing of any kind placed on it or attached to it.

• The flag should never be used for receiving, holding, carrying or delivering anything.

• When the flag is lowered, no part of it should touch the ground or any other object; it should be received by waiting hands and arms. To store the flag, it should be folded neatly and ceremoniously.

• The flag should be cleaned and mended when necessary.

• When a flag is so worn it is no longer fit to serve as a symbol of our country, it should be destroyed by burning in a dignified manner.

Contact the writer: or 949-492-5127

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By Frank Barrett, Mail on Sunday Travel Editor
Last updated at 11:12 AM on 10th August 2010

Everyone knows about Tuscany – it’s that picturesque corner of Italy where the posh set flock for their holidays. But could you, I wondered, enjoy the region’s delights on a budget? Could the attraction of paying just 18 a night to sleep under the stars on a cut-price campsite possibly outweigh the allure of an 800-a-night room in the region’s newest luxury hotel? It was a challenge I couldn’t refuse…

There are scores of campsites in Tuscany and I thought I’d found the perfect one – Camping International Versilia – on my first sweep of the internet. Admittedly, the Google Earth photo showed it sandwiched between a motorway on one side and the main railway line to Genoa on the other, but much in its favour was the fact that it was on the fringes of Forte dei Marmi, Tuscany’s loveliest seaside resort.

Fresh: A basket of produce from the deli at Camping Italia

We had been to Millets and bought a tent for 10 and two Zandra Rhodes-designed sleeping bags for 24.99 each. Though I never expected to see ‘Zandra Rhodes’ and ‘sleeping bag’ in the same sentence, I was happy that they were so tiny that together they barely filled a third of my bag.

In an ideal world, I would have preferred the tent to have been twice as expensive as my sleeping bag rather than the other way around, but as the first steps in organising an ultra-cheap holiday, things could hardly have been going any better.

My wife and I arrived in Pisa a few days later, having paid 120 each for a return fare with easyJet – had we booked a few months in advance, we could have snapped up a return for less than half this price.

As we approached the campsite entrance, it really looked rather nice. ‘Very nice,’ I said. ‘Lovely and quiet,’ said my wife. Which was a surprise: my continental camping experience suggested that in early August you might expect a campsite to resemble one of the circles of hell. Yet here there were just a few battered caravans and no obvious campers.

And so I uttered a phrase probably not heard since John Wayne last looked down a cactus-strewn gully and wondered where all the Indians had gone. ‘It’s quiet… too quiet.’ After two circuits of the site without finding a functioning entrance, I had to admit this was now probably an ex-campsite. It was a disappointing reintroduction to the world of camping, which I had last experienced at the end of the Sixties.

My first continental holiday had been at the beginning of that decade when my parents booked us into a campsite at Dinard in Brittany run by a former military man whose love affair with France began when he’d stormed ashore in Normandy on D-Day.

On our next continental holiday, we stayed on a campsite in Languedoc in southern France in a caravan owned by an ex-squadron leader who had been a prisoner-of-war in a German camp for three years.

As a keen student of PoW escape movies in my younger days, it occurred to me at the time that grim French campsites had a lot in common with Stalag Luft III (bleak, depressing, overcrowded) – but Stalag Luft III probably had much better toilet facilities. They couldn’t have been worse than the horrors provided for Languedoc campers.

And so it was more in hope than expectation that I turned again to the internet to solve our Tuscan camping headache. Paradise Camping, suggested Google, listing an address near Viareggio, another Tuscan seaside town.

Pitching in: Frank enjoys a glass of Prosecco and a slice of pizza in his 10 tent in Tuscany

En route to Paradise, we passed through Shelley Square in Viareggio. In the centre stands a statue of the famous romantic poet. In July 1822, he was sailing up the coast to Viareggio with two friends when a sudden storm blew up. The boat sank and all three drowned. Shelley’s body was cremated on the beach shortly afterwards.

His heart was saved and given to his wife Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein. For the rest of her life, she kept it in a box and took it with her wherever she travelled. (You can only imagine what the security scanner people at Stansted airport would make these days of a human heart in a box.)

So Shelley ended up in Paradise on his way to Viareggio (although as he was a confirmed atheist, I’m not sure if he would have been nodded in) – but what was awaiting us at Paradise Camping?

One of the guiding principles of people in the service business should be to under-promise and over-deliver. Calling your campsite ‘paradise’ unnecessarily raises the level of expectation somewhat.

At the Paradise reception, the receptionist steadfastly avoided eye contact while continuing the world’s most irritatingly extended phone conversation. I wandered off to inspect the site and was delighted to find a large and welcoming pool complex. However, as I explored further, I was assailed by a strange odour that lay somewhere between damp biscuits and Jeyes fluid.

Tempting: But the pool at Paradise Camping was the only heavenly part of the site

A group of obese Belgians had found a spare patch of ground and were drunkenly playing a form of golf involving a tent pole, a potato and an empty tin of baked beans. And at the campsite bar, two elderly customers ate crisps, drank beer and watched a cycle race on eurosport on a silent TV.

Paradise? Who knows, but we decided we weren’t ready to enter yet. I returned to Google: surely third time lucky, I thought.

Camping Italia at Torre del Lago was far more inviting at first glance. Now, this has no direct bearing on the quality of the campsite but I mention it in passing: the receptionist was stunningly attractive, brightly attentive and highly fluent in English. What was she doing here? I can only imagine her dad owned the campsite.

Somebody was summoned to show me a space for my tent and we looked at a dusty patch of earth in the shade of a tree. Back at reception, I was told that the nightly charge for two adults and a tent would be 18.75.

I set about trying to put up the dome tent with only a lifetime’s experience of assembling IKEA flatpack furniture to guide me. But it turned out to be fairly idiot-proof – unlike IKEA furniture. It was only after I’d finished that I found the instructions printed on the inside of the tent bag.

The tent was snug: anyone choosing to linger inside during the heat of the day could probably expect to lose at least a stone through perspiration. In fact, it was less a tent and more a bulky coat. However, we found that – as a cheap, fun holiday – life under canvas is hard to beat. Honest.

The campsite was very jolly – much jollier and far better organised that I remember from my youth. The toilets, for example, were sparkling – each cubicle boasting five rolls of toilet paper. Back in the day, French campsites had no idea that toilet paper even existed.

Happy camping: A young Frank Barrett on a camping holiday in Brittany in 1962

I remember campsite shops selling a fairly restricted range of stale bread and boiled sweets, but at Camping Italia we found a very smart deli with all sorts of gourmet treats. For our first lunch, we treated ourselves to two slices of wonderful fresh pizza at 85p each and a bottle of prosecco for 4.15.

Since the only camping equipment I had brought was a ‘spork’ (an unusual implement with a spoon at one end and a fork at the other – neither end actually much use for eating pizza) and a bottle opener (not necessary for the prosecco), I have to admit we were a little limited in our self-catering potential.

But man does not live by pizza and sparkling wine alone. In and around Camping Italia were enough diversions to keep us occupied. There was an excellent pool on site and a shuttle bus to take us to the nearby beach. The annual Puccini festival was on in Torre del Lago – within walking distance of the site – with productions of Tosca and Madame Butterfly performed under the stars on a huge open air stage.

Best of all, for car-free campers, was the bus that takes visitors directly from Pisa airport to the campsite for 2.50. And you can get to Florence or Rome from the nearby railway station.

If I’d been planning a longer stay, I’d have invested in a larger tent (of course, size and weight of any tent are limited by airline baggage allowance) and a foam rubber mat to lay my sleeping bag on. But if you’re trying to convince yourself you can’t afford a holiday this summer, think again. You certainly won’t find Paradise, but on this Italian site you will definitely find a piece of heaven…

Read about Frank’s visit to the 16m Hotel Principe in nearby Forte dei Marmi

Travel facts

Frank Barrett travelled with easyJet. The airline flies to Pisa from Bristol, Gatwick and Luton. Prices for a one-way ticket start at 24.99, including taxes. Visit easyjet.com.

The Principe Forte dei Marmi offers nightly rates from €495 (410) low season and €1,045 (867) high season per room per night. Breakfast starts at €30 (26) per person. See principefortedeimarmi.com. Camping Italia, Viale dei Tigli 52, Torre del Lago Puccini. More details at campingitalia.net.

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June 25, 1950, is not a date that resonates with the generalpublic nor with historians. It does, however, mark the beginning ofthe Korean War. A war that the nation didn’t pay much attention to.Television coverage was not a factor, no high-powered reporters. Wedidn’t mind that the “Stars and Stripes” was about the extent ofthe media coverage, but in hindsight, we as infantry men would haveloved to have had Bill Mauldin, the great WWII writer andcartoonist, cover us. Mauldin seemed to really understand infantrymen. I don’t think John Wayne even made a movie as a Korean Warhero. Apparently, freezing your butt off was not the sort ofglamour that movies are made from.

Military leaders were little known, save only Douglas MacArthur,who was fired by President Harry S. Truman. Few could ever tell youthat Matthew Ridgeway was his replacement. This war even struggledto be called a war, according to some writers, but check thesestatistics:

• 250,000 military personnel killed

• 5.7 million men and women involved in some way

• 33,741 Americans killed in action (22,765 or 82 percent of KIAwere infantry)

• 7,140 prisoners of war (4,418 returned; 114 died in captivity;almost as many GIs were killed in its three years as were killedduring the 14 years of fighting in Vietnam)

• More artillery rounds were fired than in all of WWII.

The greatest disrespect you could show a Korean War vet is to referto his service as the “Korean Conflict.” Other bitter pills havebeen “the forgotten war” or “police action.” Dave Walker, writingfor the Arizona Republic said, “if you call the Korean War aconflict to a veteran, be prepared to duck.”

This began prior to WWII’s conclusion in Europe. The U.S. and ourallies were certain that we were going to be successful and neededto make plans for occupied territories. Korea was occupied by theSoviet Union in the north and the United States in the south. Oneof the final conferences held before the end of the war includedFDR, Stalin and Chang Kai-Shek, who represented Nationalist China.Korea was to have been left intact, but in reality left very muchdivided, with the Soviets and Red China supporting a Communistgovernment in the north and the U.S. and Nationalist Chinasupporting the democratic government in the south.

In that we supported the South Korean government, we had anobligation to help them preserve their democracy when they wereinvaded by North Korea and Communist forces on June 25, 1950. Sixtyyears ago the U.S. answered the challenge and many of our alliedpartners quickly joined us.

‘The Chosin few’

The Korean War has been referred to as “the coldest war,” “thecoldest winter” and one author used a one-word title “Chosin.” Thedefining battle during the early stages of the Korean War was atthe Chosin Reservoir in North Korea. This was a military andpersonal disaster ending when the American forces were overwhelmedby superior numbers and only those survivors, who were laterreferred to as “the Chosin few,” were fortunate enough to live andbe evacuated at the harbor at Hungham in December of 1950.

Infantry men are a little different breed of cats. They don’t mindbeing the “grunts” or the “dog-face soldiers,” and they wear thesetitles as a badge of honor. As combat infantry men, we were allawarded the most coveted of all battle awards — the Combat InfantryBadge.” For every major battle, you received a Bronze Battle Starto go with it. Many of us were awarded multiple major Battle Stars,and few of us could ever tell which of our battles were considered“major.” We did, however, believe that we could have been awardedone for surviving the winter of 1950-51.

Democracy preserved

There have been stated objectives in all of our wars. WWI was to be“the war to end all wars.” WWII was “the war to make the world safefor democracy.” The Korean War was to protect South Korea fromCommunist domination. Our mission, regardless of how you judge it,resulted in a presidential democracy and a thriving independentnation in South Korea while North Korea, minus serious backing fromits old buddies, continues to languish under a Communistdictatorship.

Korean vets are probably not considered to be part of WWII’s“greatest generation,” but we are only separated by a few years.That means we are also “a little long in the tooth” and perhaps weget a bit more philosophical over things we hold important. Themost important being that the Korean War was indeed a war. A bloodyand a cold war and, most importantly, a war that achieved itsobjectives.

The date of June 25, 1950, is not recognized by any organization asa “flag day,” but it would be nice to see that flag fly on this60th anniversary of a very cold and bloody war.

Former Staff Sgt. Berv Kimberley of Billings was with the 32ndregimental combat team, 7th infantry division and served in Koreafor most of 1951. He was awarded the Korean War Medal, KoreanService Medal and Combat Infantry Badge with three major BattleStars. He is a former Billings City Council member.

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What is it about the enduring mystique of Aston Martin that seems to alight the senses and get the blood pumping? Could it be that recognizable Aston DNA and British racing heritage reflected in its sultry curves, toothy grille and winged badge?

Or is it the slick, rapier-like Daniel-Craig-in-a-tuxedo cinematic good looks, evoking images of classy women, elegant casinos and mysterious secret agents.

Like its supercar competitors, it’s packed with high-tech toys and luxury conveniences, and what can one say about that oh-so-lovely 470-horsepower six-litre V-12 engine and its testosterone-tingling roar — an exquisite piece of engineering worthy of its Le Mans pedigree.

Perhaps it’s all of the above. Then again, maybe it’s like asking Hemingway how he penned The Sun Also Rises, or why Marilyn commanded so much screen presence or why JFK inspired. Partly borne of human inspiration but also that elusive, unknown star quality we can’t quite put our finger on.

It just is, so accept it.

This thought came to mind as my guest co-driver, Andy Gilluley, and I stood in front of a pre-production Rapide four-door sports car at Aston Martin Calgary — the Alberta stop being just one on its North American tour.

Since it was first teased as a concept at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, the reaction to this car has been unanimous — it’s nothing short of drop-dead gorgeous.

This, on its own, makes it a strong competitor to its main rival, the slightly larger but more bulky Porsche Panamera (featured on Page F9).

A quick tour of the shiny, suave Rapide in Black Onyx paint reveals it is actually a hatchback, with room in the trunk to store a few small pieces of luggage.

Not surprisingly, Aston designs and sells luggage that’s made to fit the 886 litres of expanded space, that is maximized by lowering the divider and folding the seats down.

Underneath that gorgeous skin the Rapide is constructed using the carmaker’s extruded aluminum VH (vertical-horizontal) architecture, providing increased torsional rigidity, better on-road dynamics and overall safety.

Bodywork is a combination of aluminum, steel and composite, with magnesium trunk-lid finishers running the width of the car, stainless steel cant rails and zinc hood louvres. The signature grille is also aluminum.

And that Aston badge? It’s made of pewter and enamel, as it has for generations.

Standard Bridgestone Potenza S001 performance tires on 20-inch forged aluminum wheels give the car a bona fide racing stance, and a discreet strip of LED lights running along the edge of the headlight fairing add an elegant touch to the nose.

Flip open the doors, which are conveniently of the “swan wing” variety, and a wealth of luxury is revealed. The seats, dash and door sections are exquisitely trimmed in hand-stitched leather (10 hides are used in each Rapide), while the centre console, set in graphite and ringed with iridium silver, houses the climate and stereo controls, as well as the Aston’s unusual P, R, N and D buttons.

The instrument clusters are also classic Aston, with fine zirconium dials bearing the finish of a top-of-the-line luxury chronometer.

After ogling the interior, Andy and I attempt the back seat test.

At six-foot-one, I find it a bit of a challenge to get in, but once I master the Cirque du Soleil manoeuvre (right foot first), it’s not bad at all. Headroom is ample. Legroom, well, not so much. Let’s call it adequate.

Conveniences, on the other hand, are quite stellar. Helping to up the touring experience are dual 6.5-inch LCD Rear Seat Entertainment (RSE) screens inset into the headrests. The infotainment system displays input from a six-DVD changer, MP3 players, games consoles or other auxiliary devices and allows each back seat occupant to watch independently using wireless headphones.

Passengers also have individual entertainment and ventilation controls, much like in a modern airliner.

For his part, Andy, whose stature is more compact, has no problem at all getting in or out, and finds the back seat experience quite royal.

Conclusion: As a four-door sedan, the Rapide would suit the commuting purposes of an urban family, and perhaps even offer enough utility for outbound trips of short duration. Without a doubt, kids will get a kick out of the back seat luxury and entertainment. Beyond that, it might be a tad confining for passengers of the taller, basketball variety. Then again, this is about looking good and feeling good as you drive up to the country club or the kids’ soccer practise.

From the driver’s seat, the view is much better.

Slide the sapphire crystal Emotion Control Unit into the dash, hold it in place and the V-12 burbles to life.

The information display above the centre console pops up and a touch of the navigation button reveals our exact location on a brightly lit screen.

“At least you don’t have to be a navy SEAL to use the nav,” remarked Andy, who also commented on its placement. “It’s in a good position — out of the line of sight, but you can see it with one glance.”

All told, the console is nicely designed and laid out — everything is within easy reach and markings are intuitive but not overstated.

Other than the habit of constantly reaching for a shift lever, which is not there, and the magnesium manual shift paddles that get in the way of the turn signal lever, the environment seems to offer a nice blend of old-world Aston and high-tech.

Though it’s a relatively warm spring day in Calgary, the ventilated seats work nicely, keeping us cool and comfortable as we engage the Driving button, unlock the electronic parking brake and prepare to point the Rapide out on the town.

I find the two tweeter speakers (two of 15 speakers mated to the 1,000-watt Bang & Olufsen BeoSound audio system) on either side of the dash, which automatically elevate at startup, a bit distracting, but after a few minutes at the wheel, one forgets they’re there.

In “Normal” or “Sport” mode, the Rapide’s six-speed “Touchtronic 2) transmission works seamlessly, and in concert with, the same V-12 engine that powers the two-door DBS.

Coupled with a standard adaptive suspension system, it all but guarantees precise control and taut handling. Touch the “Sport” button, and the suspension automatically stiffens to provide a better ride on twisty roads, sharpening and shortening the gearshifts and giving the throttle a touch more response.

Not that you really need it. The Rapide’s demeanour is so deceptively relaxed, cornering or cruising at a relatively high speed feels as if you’re barely moving, with little in the way of unwanted body motion. The speedometer, which ends at 330 km/h, is a stark reminder that this is, after all, a supercar.

Andy summed up the ride succinctly: “The first thought is, ‘Wow, it’s very calm’ . . . but it’s not like you have to rein it in. The power is there if you want it. It’s quite civilized.”

Which, by no coincidence, is exactly what Aston Martin engineers intended for the first four-door designed by the company in 20 years — the ultimate in a sporting, family car, yet still capable of 0 to 100 km/h in 5.1 seconds.

The Rapide is superbly quiet with its double-glazed windows up — creating a soothing cabin experience.

Side mirrors are wisely generous, boosting rearward visibility and making lane changes relatively easy in tight traffic.

Surprisingly, there is no North American-style vanity mirror light on the front passenger side, but there are side-roof mounted dome lights that offer ample light for those last-minute makeup touch-ups on the way to the opera, and yes, it does have cupholders front and back.

Eight airbags and four door-mounted inflatable curtains provide ample safety, and a test of the handy parking distance control system showed why this is an important feature.

Rear-mounted sensors alert the driver to the proximity of objects with beeping sounds — becoming a steady hum when an object is 15 centimetres away.

And as for gas mileage, don’t even ask. It’s a V-12, after all.

The Rapide marks the beginning of a new era for the company, as it launches a vehicle it hopes will compete for the deep-pockets crowd with the Panamera and other luxury sedans, and possibly even high-end SUVs.

While the DBS, DB9 and Vantage, its two-door siblings, are currently built at Aston’s factory in Gaydon, England, and share the same V/H platform, exactly 1,500 Rapides will roll off the line at a new manufacturing plant in Graz, Austria, later this summer.

In Canada, the Rapide will carry an MSRP of $215,000 Cdn.

-Body: Four-door body style with tailgate and four individual seats. Extruded aluminum bonded body structure.

-Engine: All alloy, quad overhead camshaft, 48-valve, 5.9-L V-12.

-Horsepower: 470-horsepower @ 6,000 r.p.m.

-Torque: 443 ft.-lbs. @ 5,000 r.p.m.

-Acceleration: 0-100 km/h 5 seconds.

-Maximum speed: 296 km/h.

-Transmission: Rear mid-mounted Touchtronic 2 six-speed gearbox with shift-by-wire control system.

-Wheels: 20-inch alloy wheels.

-Tires: front: Bridgestone Potenza 245/40 R20; rear: Bridgestone Potenza 295/35 R20.

-Brakes: Dual-cast brake discs

-Interior: Full grain leather, walnut fascia trim, iridium Silver centre console outer finish and Graphite inner finish.

-Entertainment: 1000 watt Bang & Olufsen BeoSound audio system with 15 speakers.

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Up for sale is a nice veteran purchased cased WWII German war merit cross without swords. These medals were presented to non combatants, and are scarcer than the ones with swords. The medal is housed in the original case. The pin has a makers mark of 50. The medal appears to be silver, but has no content marks on it. The medal is in nice original condition, and has some age tarnish. This is a nice war merit cross and is guaranteed absolutely authentic in every regard. PRICE: $325.00

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