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Cloud computing
Analysis of cloud computing, especially as applied to database management and analytics. Related subjects include:
Hortonworks business notes
Hortonworks did a business-oriented round of outreach, talking with at least Derrick Harris and me. Notes from my call — for which Rob Bearden didn't bother showing up — include, in no particular order:
- Hortonworks denies advanced acquisition discussions with either Microsoft and Intel. Of course, that doesn't exactly contradict the widespread story of Intel having made an acquisition offer. Edit: I have subsequently heard, very credibly, that the denial was untrue.
- As vendors usually do, Hortonworks denies the extreme forms of Cloudera's suggestion that Hortonworks competitive wins relate to price slashing. But Hortonworks does believe that its license fees often wind up being lower than Cloudera's, due especially to Hortonworks offering few extra-charge items than Cloudera.
- Hortonworks used a figure of ~75 subscription customers. Edit: That figure turns out in retrospect to have been inflated. This does not include OEM sales through, for example, Teradata, Microsoft Azure, or Rackspace. However, that does include …
- … a small number of installations hosted in the cloud — e.g. ~2 on Amazon Web Services — or otherwise remotely. Also, testing in the cloud seems to be fairly frequent, and the cloud can also be a source of data ingested into Hadoop.
- Since Hortonworks a couple of times made it seem that Rackspace was an important partner, behind only Teradata and Microsoft, I finally asked why. Answers boiled down to a Rackspace Hadoop-as-a-service offering, plus joint work to improve Hadoop-on-OpenStack.
- Other Hortonworks reseller partners seem more important in terms of helping customers consume HDP (Hortonworks Data Platform), rather than for actually doing Hortonworks' selling for it. (This is unsurprising — channel sales rarely are a path to success for a product that is also appropriately sold by a direct force.)
- Hortonworks listed its major industry sectors as:
- Web and retailing, which it identifies as one thing.
- Media.
- Telecommunications.
- Health care (various subsectors).
- Financial services, which it called "competitive" in the kind of tone that usually signifies "we lose a lot more than we win, and would love to change that".
In Hortonworks' view, Hadoop adopters typically start with a specific use case around a new type of data, such as clickstream, sensor, server log, geolocation, or social. Read more
Things I keep needing to say
Some subjects just keep coming up. And so I keep saying things like:
Most generalizations about "Big Data" are false. "Big Data" is a horrific catch-all term, with many different meanings.
Most generalizations about Hadoop are false. Reasons include:
- Hadoop is a collection of disparate things, most particularly data storage and application execution systems.
- The transition from Hadoop 1 to Hadoop 2 will be drastic.
- For key aspects of Hadoop — especially file format and execution engine — there are or will be widely varied options.
Hadoop won't soon replace relational data warehouses, if indeed it ever does. SQL-on-Hadoop is still very immature. And you can't replace data warehouses unless you have the power of SQL.
Note: SQL isn't the only way to provide "the power of SQL", but alternative approaches are just as immature.
Most generalizations about NoSQL are false. Different NoSQL products are … different. It's not even accurate to say that all NoSQL systems lack SQL interfaces. (For example, SQL-on-Hadoop often includes SQL-on-HBase.)
The refactoring of everything
I'll start with three observations:
- Computer systems can't be entirely tightly coupled — nothing would ever get developed or tested.
- Computer systems can't be entirely loosely coupled — nothing would ever get optimized, in performance and functionality alike.
- In an ongoing trend, there is and will be dramatic refactoring as to which connections wind up being loose or tight.
As written, that's probably pretty obvious. Even so, it's easy to forget just how pervasive the refactoring is and is likely to be. Let's survey some examples first, and then speculate about consequences. Read more
Some stuff I'm working on
1. I have some posts up on Strategic Messaging. The most recent are overviews of messaging, pricing, and positioning.
2. Numerous vendors are blending SQL and JSON management in their short-request DBMS. It will take some more work for me to have a strong opinion about the merits/demerits of various alternatives.
The default implementation — one example would be Clustrix's — is to stick the JSON into something like a BLOB/CLOB field (Binary/Character Large Object), index on individual values, and treat those indexes just like any others for the purpose of SQL statements. Drawbacks include:
- You have to store or retrieve the JSON in whole documents at a time.
- If you are spectacularly careless, you could write JOINs with odd results.
IBM DB2 is one recent arrival to the JSON party. Unfortunately, I forgot to ask whether IBM's JSON implementation was based on IBM DB2 pureXML when I had the chance, and IBM hasn't gotten around to answering my followup query.
3. Nor has IBM gotten around to answering my followup queries on the subject of BLU, an interesting-sounding columnar option for DB2.
4. Numerous clients have asked me whether they should be active in DBaaS (DataBase as a Service). After all, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Rackspace and salesforce.com are all in that business in some form, and other big companies have dipped toes in as well. Read more
Introduction to Deep Information Sciences and DeepDB
I talked Friday with Deep Information Sciences, makers of DeepDB. Much like TokuDB — albeit with different technical strategies — DeepDB is a single-server DBMS in the form of a MySQL engine, whose technology is concentrated around writing indexes quickly. That said:
- DeepDB's indexes can help you with analytic queries; hence, DeepDB is marketed as supporting OLTP (OnLine Transaction Processing) and analytics in the same system.
- DeepDB is marketed as "designed for big data and the cloud", with reference to "Volume, Velocity, and Variety". What I could discern in support of that is mainly:
- DeepDB has been tested at up to 3 terabytes at customer sites and up to 1 billion rows internally.
- Like most other NewSQL and NoSQL DBMS, DeepDB is append-only, and hence could be said to "stream" data to disk.
- DeepDB's indexes could at some point in the future be made to work well with non-tabular data.*
- The Deep guys have plans and designs for scale-out — transparent sharding and so on.
*For reasons that do not seem closely related to product reality, DeepDB is marketed as if it supports "unstructured" data today.
Other NewSQL DBMS seem "designed for big data and the cloud" to at least the same extent DeepDB is. However, if we're interpreting "big data" to include multi-structured data support — well, only half or so of the NewSQL products and companies I know of share Deep's interest in branching out. In particular:
- Akiban definitely does. (Note: Stay tuned for some next-steps company news about Akiban.)
- Tokutek has planted a small stake there too.
- Key-value-store-backed NuoDB and GenieDB probably leans that way. (And SanDisk evidently shut down Schooner's RDBMS while keeping its key-value store.)
- VoltDB, Clustrix, ScaleDB and MemSQL seem more strictly tabular, except insofar as text search is a requirement for everybody. (Edit: Oops; I forgot about Clustrix's approach to JSON support.)
Edit: MySQL has some sort of an optional NoSQL interface, and hence so presumably do MySQL-compatible TokuDB, GenieDB, Clustrix, and MemSQL.
Also, some of those products do not today have the transparent scale-out that Deep plans to offer in the future.
Appliances, clusters and clouds
I believe:
- The trend to clustered computing is sustainable.
- The trend to appliances is also sustainable.
- The "single" enterprise cluster is almost as much of a pipe dream as the single enterprise database.
I shall explain.
Arguments for hosting applications on some kind of cluster include:
- If the workload requires more than one server — well, you're in cluster territory!
- If the workload requires less than one server — throw it into the virtualization pool.
- If the workload is uneven — throw it into the virtualization pool.
Arguments specific to the public cloud include:
- A large fraction of new third-party applications are SaaS (Software as a Service). Those naturally live in the cloud.
- Cloud providers have efficiencies that you don't.
That's all pretty compelling. However, these are not persuasive reasons to put everything on a SINGLE cluster or cloud. They could as easily lead you to have your VMware cluster and your Exadata rack and your Hadoop cluster and your NoSQL cluster and your object storage OpenStack cluster — among others — all while participating in several different public clouds as well.
Why would you not move work into a cluster at all? First, if ain't broken, you might not want to fix it. Some of the cluster options make it easy for you to consolidate existing workloads — that's a central goal of VMware and Exadata — but others only make sense to adopt in connection with new application projects. Second, you might just want device locality. I have a gaming-class PC next to my desk; it drives a couple of monitors; I like that arrangement. Away from home I carry a laptop computer instead. Arguments can be made for small remote-office servers as well.
|Categories: Cloud computing, Clustering, Data warehouse appliances, Exadata, NoSQL, Software as a Service (SaaS)
|4 Comments
Notes and links, February 17, 2013
1. It boggles my mind that some database technology companies still don't view compression as a major issue. Compression directly affects storage and bandwidth usage alike — for all kinds of storage (potentially including RAM) and for all kinds of bandwidth (network, I/O, and potentially on-server).
Trading off less-than-maximal compression so as to minimize CPU impact can make sense. Having no compression at all, however, is an admission of defeat.
2. People tend to misjudge Hadoop's development pace in either of two directions. An overly expansive view is to note that some people working on Hadoop are trying to make it be all things for all people, and to somehow imagine those goals will soon be achieved. An overly narrow view is to note an important missing feature in Hadoop, and think there's a big business to be made out of offering it alone.
At this point, I'd guess that Cloudera and Hortonworks have 500ish employees combined, many of whom are engineers. That allows for a low double-digit number of 5+ person engineering teams, along with a number of smaller projects. The most urgently needed features are indeed being built. On the other hand, a complete monument to computing will not soon emerge.
3. Schooner's acquisition by SanDisk has led to the discontinuation of Schooner's SQL DBMS SchoonerSQL. Schooner's flash-optimized key-value store Membrain continues. I don't have details, but the Membrain web page suggests both data store and cache use cases.
4. There's considerable personnel movement at Boston-area database technology companies right now. Please ping me directly if you care.
Key questions when selecting an analytic RDBMS
I recently complained that the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Data Warehouse DBMS conflates many use cases into one set of rankings. So perhaps now would be a good time to offer some thoughts on how to tell use cases apart. Assuming you know that you really want to manage your analytic database with a relational DBMS, the first questions you ask yourself could be:
- How big is your database? How big is your budget?
- How do you feel about appliances?
- How do you feel about the cloud?
- What are the size and shape of your workload?
- How fresh does the data need to be?
Let's drill down. Read more
NuoDB marketing mishegas
I must start by apologizing for giving a quote in a press release whose contents I deplore. Unlike occasions on which I've posted about inaccurate quotes, in this case the fault is mine. The quote is quite accurate. And NuoDB didn't mislead me about the release's contents; I just neglected to ask.
NuoDB evidently subscribes to the marketing fallacy:
- Big DBMS companies hit people repeatedly with marketing cudgels.
- We want to be a big DBMS company.
- Therefore we will hit people repeatedly with marketing cudgels too.
But to my taste, NuoDB's worst travesty is not the deafening drumroll before launch (I asked off their mailing list months before), nor the claim that NuoDB's launch would be a "big day" for the database industry (annoying but ordinary hype), nor the emergent flock of birds foofarah, nor even NuoDB's overwrought benchmark marketing (distressingly many vendors do that).
Rather, I think NuoDB's greatest marketing offense to date is its Codd-imitating "12 rules" for cloud database management. Read more
|Categories: Cloud computing, Clustering, NuoDB, Theory and architecture
|9 Comments
Introduction to NuoDB
NuoDB has an interesting NewSQL story. NuoDB's core design goals seem to be:
- Transactions.
- Very flexible topology, including:
- Local replicas.
- Remote replicas.
- Easy deployment and management.
|Categories: Cache, Cloud computing, Clustering, Database compression, NewSQL, NuoDB
|5 Comments


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LOS ANGELES - "Young people have a remarkably favorable view of unions," said Rebecca Greenberg Band, communications organizer for the California Labor Federation and president of the California Young Workers Council. Band is here this week at the AFL-CIO's 2013 convention.
"According to a recent Pew Research poll, their approval of unions is 10 percent higher than the national average," she said. And young workers are using a major tool to organize and fortify the labor movement: social media. Union leaders and activists at this convention see forming alliances with social networkers and using the digital tools of tomorrow as a necessity.
"Recent victories triggered by social media represent key moments in motivating young workers and activists," said AFSCME Communications Director Chris Policano. If older workers get on board, he added, "it provides the means for generational cross-fertilization" and a greater level of solidarity.
LaToya Egwuekwe, communications specialist for the International Association of Machinists and a vice president of the International Labor Communications Association, remarked, "In the last two years, 818.4 million people accessed the Internet via mobile phone. It's estimated that 100 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute. And Twitter is among the fastest-growing websites worldwide. But despite the widespread adoption of social media, we still grapple with questions on how to use it to benefit the labor struggle."
However, as Steve Smith, social media specialist with the AFL-CIO in Washington noted, there have already been victories in the labor movement that could not have been achieved without social networks. He pointed to the successful social media campaign against California's Proposition 32, a 2012 ballot initiative funded by the billionaire Koch brothers that would have essentially eliminated the ability of unions to engage in politics.
"Everything was riding on the outcome of that effort," said Smith. "The ripple effect would have been tragic for the labor movement. So we started our campaign. We created Facebook ads, reaching progressive groups and users who 'liked' union pages, and then built outward from that point, reaching out to the friends and networks of those people. Because we had a targeted approach, we were connecting with the correct people; we weren't focusing on just reaching a majority. For example, not many Californians in general are on Twitter compared with other sites, but for us, the right people were. So we focused on that audience.
"We also focused on delivering messages online that formed a narrative and engaged journalists. We tailored our ads to different users and demographics. They piqued a lot of attention. An approach like this uses a minimal amount of resources, and pays dividends."
Bryan Thomas, online communications coordinator with New York State United Teachers, explained, "The general idea is to incorporate union stories into everyday social media; to share and spread such stories," which counter right-wing messages that are spread in much the same way. "People are more likely to share news from online sources," he said. In fact, he noted, online is now the Number 3 news source in the U.S.
There's also less room for more in-depth, personal reports in the major news publications," said Thomas. "So social media - particularly microsites (basically stand-alone sub-sections of larger sites) - are a great way to explore the workers that go unnoticed far too often."
This is important, Smith reiterated, because the new generation - the union members of tomorrow - are not going to be reached in the same manner as their predecessors. "Sixty percent of viewers today use technological devices to skip commercials on television. Twenty-five percent of U.S. voters are no longer watching television," he said. That latter fact is surely related to an uptick in downloading and online viewing of shows and films using services like Netflix. "So how do we get to them where they are? We get on Facebook. We get on Twitter. We go mobile. We now refer to Facebook as "Basebook," because that's where we solidify our base."
Photo: The AFL-CIO website's convention coverage page.

subset: commoncrawl


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Upcoming Conferences and Events
SBD/6/Sports Industrialists
Published September 6, 1995
The Blues have named ADAM FELL Dir of Public Relations. Former Team USA Coach HERB BROOKS has been named an Amateur Scout for the Penguins (SPORTSTICKER, 9/6)....WILLIAM EVO has been named President of the Red Wings. Evo is a former WHA player and has been president of an Alabama-based law firm for the last 11 years (USA TODAY, 9/6).


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PREVIEWS: "Daredevil," "Uncanny X-Men," & More Marvel Comics On Sale August 3, 2016
Comic Books
Passings | Dr. Michael J. Vassallo notes the passing of Marion Sitton, who drew romance, crime and Western comics for Timely and Atlas (earlier incarnations of Marvel) as well as Fawcett, Quality and other publishers. He was 92. [Timely-Atlas-Comics]
Publishing | Heidi MacDonald interviews Image Comics Publisher Eric Stephenson, who was selected by readers of The Beat as the Comics Industry Person of the Year. [The Beat]
Organizations | Babymouse creator Jennifer L. Holm has joined the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund board of directors. [CBLDF]
It's become an annual tradition here during our birthday bash: No matter how much stuff we line up, people we interview, etc., there are still tons of folks we like to hear from and include in our giant New Year's/anniversary/birthday activities. So, as we've done in past years, we asked a cross-section of comics folks what they liked in 2012 and what they're excited about for 2013. We received so many this year that we've broken it down into two posts; watch for another one Tuesday.
But for now, check out all the great stuff people shared with us, including hints at new projects and even some outright announcements. Our thanks to everyone this year who responded. Also, thanks to Tim O'Shea, Michael May and Chris Arrant, who helped collect responses.
JIMMIE ROBINSON (Bomb Queen, Five Weapons)
What was your favorite comic of 2012?
Image's Saga, Fatale, Hawkeye's reinvention is fresh and exciting, Peter Panzerfaust, Enormous by Tim Daniel. It's hard to pin down just one because there is SO much good work coming out nowadays — from many publishers across the board.
Storytellers fascinate me, a fact that is hopefully obvious given my affinity for interviewing them. Over the years, I have mined creators for information to varying degrees of success — some folks want to open up, others … not so much.
Chris Wright, writer/artist of Blacklung, showed a willingness to discuss his creative process to an extent I rarely get — and for which I am eternally grateful. Case in point of the quality of his answers, consider this one-sentence excerpt: "I love Tchaikovsky, and Mahler, and Tom Waits, and Leonard Cohen, and Cormac MacCarthy, and Tarkovsky." All that in one sentence. Blacklung, which was released Nov. 7 by Fantagraphics, was best described by my Robot 6 pal Chris Mautner as "a bloody seafaring tale about a man determined to do what it takes to meet his dead wife in hell." Wright's debut graphic novel is part of today's Fantagraphics Cyber Monday Sale. If you want to get a taste of the novel, Fantagraphics offers a 12-page/4.9 MB Blacklung excerpt for consideration.
Tim O'Shea: This book is dedicated to the late Dylan Williams. Can you talk a little bit about the impact that Williams had on your career?
Chris Wright: I don't know if it's so much about "career." I mean, Dylan was a guy who touched a lot of people, and I was sort of on the periphery of that. I didn't know him as well as I would have liked, but he saw my stuff around, and offered to put a book of my work out, and that book became Inkweed, which is kind of a menagerie of short stories, and drawings. I'll always be grateful to him for that book, and for his interest and encouragement in general.
Welcome to Food or Comics?, where every week we talk about what comics we'd buy at our local comic shop based on certain spending limits — $15 and $30 — as well as what we'd get if we had extra money or a gift card to spend on a splurge item.
Check out Diamond's release list or ComicList, and tell us what you're getting in our comments field.
Brigid Alverson
If I had $15, I'd spend the first $3.99 on the first issue of 47 Ronin, a retelling of a Japanese legend written by Mike Richardson and illustrated by Stan Sakai. I saw a preview of this and it looks phenomenal. Next up is my favorite soap opera, Life With Archie #24 ($3.99), in which Moose contemplates running for the Senate and The Archies reunite. This comic is consistently well written and the stories really drag me in. I'll slap down another $3.99 for Popeye #7, because I'm a Roger Langridge fan. And because I love a bargain, I'll finish up with Freelancers #1, a new series from BOOM! Studios that looks kinda fun — and hey, there's a variant cover by Felipe Smith, one of my favorite manga artists.
If I had $30, I'd revert to my childhood and pick up the Doctor Who Annual ($12.99) from Penguin. When I was a kid, the British comics annuals were the high point of the holidays, and I'm pretty sure I have a vintage Doctor Who one tucked away somewhere. It's probably aimed at kids but that just means I can share it with my nephew and nieces.
The splurge item to get this week is the new box set of Hayao Miyazaki's Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. This is Miyazaki's longest manga by far, and the story continues after the movie ends. It's going to be the same large format as Viz's earlier box set, but the seven volumes are being bound as two this time. It's $60, but I noticed Amazon is offering a steep discount, so I'll add another splurge: Nickolai Dante: Sympathy for the Devil ($29.99), a story that ran in 2000AD. I saw artist Simon Fraser describe it at NYCC this way: "Nikolai Dante is a swashbuckling hero from the far, far future, the year 2666, where he is alternately working for and against the czar, and for his own family and against his family, and in the meantime trying to get as drunk and screw as many women as he possibly can." Sold!
Welcome to Food or Comics?, where every week we talk about what comics we'd buy at our local comic shop based on certain spending limits — $15 and $30 — as well as what we'd get if we had extra money or a gift card to spend on a splurge item.
Check out Diamond's release list or ComicList, and tell us what you're getting in our comments field.
Chris Arrant
If I had $15, I'd line up to get the this year's CBLDF Liberty Annual #5 (Image, $4.99). I'm an anthology junkie, and this hits that perfectly while also benefiting a good cause. The creator list is amazing – even without knowing who's working with whom. After that, I'd get Happy #2 (Image, $2.99). This book's first issue hit me harder than I expected; I was buying it for Grant Morrison to wow me with his writing, but it was Darick Robertson's artwork that hit me square between the eyes. I've read all the issues of Transmetropolitan and most of The Boys, but his art here has graduated up a level and I'm almost salivating at thinking of this second issue. Third this week would be Wolverine and the X-Men #19 (Marvel, $3.99), quietly usurping Uncanny X-Force as my favorite Marvel book on the stands. Last issue's Doop-centric theme was great for me, but I'm excited to see star pupil Nick Bradshaw back on pencils for this issue.
If I had $30, I'd double back and get Higher Earth, Vol. 1 (Boom!, $14.99) Canceled or not, this series looks interesting despite my bailing after Issue 1. It's a complicated concept (from what I gleaned from the first issue), but I'm looking to let Humphries school me on this.
If I could splurge, I'd snatch up EC: Wally Wood – Came the Dawn and Other Stories (Fantagraphics, $28.99). I've been aware of Wally Wood for a almost two decades now, but I tend to go through periods of simply floating around before I consume and learn more about him in short but voracious periods. Last time it was in the bloom of Fear Agent, and seeing this in Previews a few months back got me jonesing to do it again.
It's time once again for our monthly trip through Previews looking for cool, new comics. Michael and Graeme have each picked the five new comics we're most anticipating in order to create a Top 10 of the best new comics coming out two months from now.
As usual, please feel free to play along in the comments. Tell us what we missed that you're looking forward to or – if you're a comics creator – mention your own stuff.
Graeme McMillan
Blacklung HC (Fantagraphics Books, $24.99): This one grabbed me as soon as I read the high-concept in the solicits: A man decides to be as evil as possible so that he'll be reunited with his dead wife in Hell when he dies. Depressing, existential AND romantic? I couldn't sign up quickly enough for Chris Wright's original graphic novel debut.
Chris Ware: Building Stories HC (Pantheon Books, $50.00): To be honest, I run hot and cold on Ware's work; as a formalist, he's wonderful and his work is technically perfect, but I don't always get the emotional hook that I want from his work, and that's a real problem for me. Luckily (or not? This is a pricey book to gamble on), the technical aspects of this box set of interrelated publications, all seen for the first time here, sounds interesting enough to sample no matter how cold the writing leaves me. Damn my curiosity about comics formats!
Happy! #1 (of 4) (Image Comics, $2.99): I'll admit it; I'm more than a little dubious about the "It's a hit man teaming up with a magical flying My Little Pony" set-up of this new series, but it's Grant Morrison and Darick Robertson, so I almost feel a sense of "How bad can it actually BE?"
Steed and Mrs. Peel #1 (BOOM! Studios, $3.99): I've always enjoyed the old Avengers TV show at something of arm's length, having only seen a handful of episodes (but enjoyed them greatly); what draws me to this new series is the presence of Mark Waid, who seems to be on fire these days between Insufferable and Daredevil.
Stumptown: The Case of the Baby in the Velvet Case #1 (Oni Press, $3.99): Oh, you should've seen me when I found out this was finally coming out. Not only did I absolutely love the first Stumptown series a couple of years ago, but I've also been on a Greg Rucka novel re-reading kick recently, so finding out that Dex's client for this new story is the lead character from A Fistful of Rain made me almost impossibly happy. Easily my most-anticipated book of the month.
The news spread rather rapidly over the comics blogs this week that Dylan Williams, cartoonist and publisher of Sparkplug Comic Books, is seriously ill and in need of financial aid (i.e. please purchase some Sparkplug books).
Though they arguably haven't always gotten as much attention as PictureBox or Drawn & Quarterly, Sparkplug has been one of the most interesting small press publishers in recent years, releasing challenging, striking work from many new and up and coming cartoonists.
Lots of people are making recommendations on what to get, but if you're on the fence about purchasing something from the Sparkplug shop, or just plain don't know what book to buy, I thought I'd add my own two cents with a short run down of some of my own personal favorites.
Critic Rob Clough reports that Dylan Williams, the publisher of the idiosyncratic small-press outfit Sparkplug Comic Books, is dealing with a serious health crisis. And as with many problems involving people who've dedicated their lives to this art form, there's a win-win solution: You can help support Dylan financially simply by buying some of Sparkplug's awesome comic books.
Which ones, you ask? Good question! My first and foremost recommendation would be John Hankiewicz's Asthma, one of the very best comics by anyone since the turn of the millennium — a cutting, haunting masterpiece of image-making and image-juxtaposing that's one of the rare instances where calling it "comics as poetry" doesn't make you feel like an idiot. There's also Chris Cilla's The Heavy Hand, a funny, foul-mouthed and strange science-fiction comic, or Inkweed by Chris Wright, a stunningly well-written short story collection about Muppet-like monsters in very human struggles.
Williams does important work with Sparkplug, putting out work of sparkling intelligence, with visuals that run the risk of not having a built-in audience for them. By publishing what he publishes he seeks to create that audience. That takes guts, putting your money where your mind is like that, and Dylan deserves to be rewarded for it, in sickness or in health. Right now, it's in sickness, which makes buying his books an even better idea.
Happy Easter and welcome to What Are You Reading?, our weekly look back at the comics and other stuff we've checked out recently.
Today our special guest is Chris Schweizer, creator of the Crogan Adventures series published by Oni Press and a professor of sequential art at the Savannah College of Art and Design.
To see what Chris and the Robot 6 crew have been reading lately, click the link below.


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IRVING, Texas – Texas A&M's Danielle Gant (Oklahoma City, Okla.) and Takia Starks (Houston, Texas) headlined the 2007-08 Phillips 66 All-Big 12 Conference Women's Basketball First Team as announced by the league office Friday. The honors were voted on by the league's head coaches, with coaches not allowed to vote for their own players.
Gant, a 5-foot-11 junior combination guard/forward, averaged a team-leading 7.7 rebounds and 15.2 points per game which ranked ninth and seventh-best among league leaders respectively. A two-time Big 12 Player of the Week selection, she turned in five double-doubles this season including a recent 21-point and 12-rebound outburst in a 14-point upset of No. 10 Oklahoma (73-59) in the team's regular season finale on March 6. It also marked her eighth 20-point game of the season. Gant has scored in double figures in 24 of her last 25 games and ranked fifth-best in the league in field-goal percentage (.530), second in free-throw percentage (.795), third in steals (2.3 avg) and second in offensive rebounds (4.1 avg). She has registered 1,061 career points to date which ranks 12th all-time in the A&M record books. Last year, she garnered All-Big 12 Second Team honors along with a spot on the inaugural Big 12 All-Defensive Team and was the recipient of the inaugural Big 12 Sixth Man Award.
Starks, a 5-foot-8 shooting guard, averaged a team-leading 17.2 points per game which ranked fourth-best among Big 12 scoring leaders this season. She earned her second career honor on the All-Big 12 First Team and became the 19th player in school history to record 1,000 career points (1,333) which currently ranks fifth all-time in the A&M annals. A 2008 Naismith Trophy and John R. Wooden Award candidate, Starks reached double figures in 28 of 29 games played with seven 20-point outings. She also ranked 11th-best in the league in field goal percentage (.438), fifth in three-point field goal percentage (.372), ninth in three-pointers made (1.9 avg) and fourth in minutes played (34.5).
Joining Gant and Starks on the All-Big 12 awards list was senior combination guard/forward Morenike Atunrase (Shreveport, La.) and senior point guard A'Quonesia Franklin (Tyler, Texas). Franklin received second team honors as she led the Aggies and the Big 12 for the fourth-straight season with an impressive 2.07 assist-to-turnover ratio which ranks 14th nationally. She averaged 4.8 assists per game which ranked second best in the league. She and Starks were named preseason All-Big 12. Franklin became the 20th player in school history record 1,000 career points (1,046) which is tied for 13th all-time.
Atunrase earned the Big 12 Sixth Man Award after playing in 21 games of the season as the Aggies' first player off the bench. She averaged 9.3 points per game which ranked third-best on the team and 4.2 rebounds which was fifth. After missing the season's opening nine games while recovering from surgery in October to correct a non-healing stress fracture in her right tibia, she had a break out performance with a season-high 24 points against Baylor on March 1. Atunrase scored in double figures in eight contests and recorded a blocked shot in 15 of 21 games this season. She is A&M's all-time leading shot blocker (170).
Kansas State head coach Deb Patterson was chosen as Big 12 Coach of the Year leading the Wildcats to their second-ever conference title. Oklahoma's Courtney Paris earned her second consecutive Big 12 Player of the Year honor along with Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year recognition. Texas Tech's Dominic Seals was voted Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and Oklahoma's Danielle Robinson garnered Big 12 Freshman of the Year.
Coach of the Year:
Deb Patterson (Kansas State)
Player of the Year:
Courtney Paris (Oklahoma)
Newcomer of the Year
Dominic Seals (Texas Tech
Freshman of the Year
Danielle Robinson (Oklahoma)
Defensive Player of the Year
Courtney Paris (Oklahoma)
Sixth Man Award
Morenike Atunrase (Texas A&M)
All-Big 12 First Team (alphabetical by school)
Rachel Allison (Baylor), Angela Tisdale (Baylor), Jackie McFarland (Colorado), Kimberly Dietz (Kansas State), Shalee Lehning (Kansas State), Kelsey Griffin (Nebraska), Courtney Paris (Oklahoma), Andrea Riley (Oklahoma State), Danielle Gant (Texas A&M) and Takia Starks (Texas A&M)
All-Big 12 Second Team (alphabetical by school)
Alison Lacey (Iowa State), Marlies Gipson (Kansas State), Brittainey Raven (Texas), A'Quonesia Franklin (Texas A&M) and Dominic Seals (Texas Tech)
All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (alphabetical by school)
Jessica Morrow and Jhasmin Player (Baylor), Brittany Spears (Colorado), Danielle McCray (Kansas), Alyssa Hollins (Missouri), Danielle Page (Nebraska), Ashley Paris and Danielle Robinson (Oklahoma), Danielle Green, Maria Cordero and Taylor Hardeman (Oklahoma State), Carla Cortijo and Ashley Lindsey (Texas)
Big 12 All-Defensive Team (alphabetical by school)
Rachel Allison (Baylor), Yvonne Turner (Nebraska), Courtney Paris (Oklahoma), Danielle Robinson (Oklahoma) and Danielle Gant (Texas A&M)
Big 12 All-Rookie Team (alphabetical by school)
Brittany Spears (Colorado), Kelsey Bolte (Iowa State), Krysten Boogaard (Kansas), Danielle Robinson (Oklahoma) and Dominic Seals (Texas Tech)


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Stoke Tops Europa League Group; Spurs, Fulham, Birmingham Win
Stoke beat Besiktas 2-1 to move atop its group in soccer's Europa League, as English rivals Tottenham, Fulham and Birmingham also won.
John Walters scored with a penalty kick in the 78th minute last night to give Stoke the home win. The Potters lead Group E with four points, one more than Besiktas, after the second round of matches in Europe's second-tier club competition.
"It's far too early to start thinking about going through to the next stage," Stoke manager Tony Pulis told his club's website. "The important thing is we have targeted winning our matches which should give us a great chance and this is an excellent start in that respect."
Roman Pavlyuchenko, Jermain Defoe and Giovani dos Santos scored in a five-minute span of the second half as Tottenham beat Shamrock Rovers 3-1. Spurs share the top spot in Group A with Rubin Kazan, which tied PAOK Salonika 2-2.
Andy Johnson scored both goals as Fulham defeated Odense 2-0 to stay level with FC Twente, which beat Wisla Krakow 4-1, atop Group K.
Birmingham won 2-1 at Maribor on goals from Chris Burke and Wade Elliott and is three points behind Bruges, which beat Braga 2-1, in Group H.
Almen Abdi's penalty kick in the 88th minute earned Udinese a 1-1 draw at Celtic. Udinese and Atletico Madrid, which tied 1-1 at Rennes, have four points in Group I, three more than Celtic and Rennes.
Anderlecht, PSV Eindhoven, Athletic Bilbao and Sporting Lisbon all lead their groups after winning for the second straight time.
Schalke tops Group J after beating Maccabi Haifa 3-1, Standard Liege and Hannover both won to share the Group B lead, while Metalist Kharkiv's 1-1 tie with AZ Alkmaar left the two even in Group G.
The two top teams in each of the 12 groups advance to the knockout phase along with the eight third-place finishers from the elite Champions League group stage.


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I recently set up the FedEx shipping module on one of my sites.
The problem is that when a user proceeds to checkout without entering their zipcode on the cart page in the calculate shipping page it does not show the shipping options on the checkout page at all. Then when they click "Place order" it spits an error back at them saying invalid shipping option.
I would like to add a button to the Checkout page that says calculate shipping but I do not know what needs to be done to do this. I would appreciate any assistance that can be provided with this!


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This is a discussion on new to site within the New Members Introduce Yourself forums, part of the Welcome To DefensiveCarry.com category; from Central Florida! ret...
from Central Florida!
Proverbs 27:12 says: The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.
Certified Glock Armorer
NRA Life Member
EOD - Initial success or total failure
Welcome from central Mississippi.
Glock 27
Welcome from Alabama.
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe. Albert Einstein
Welcome from Texas!
"Texas can make it without the United States, but the United States can't make it without Texas!".... Sam Houston
Retired LEO
Firearms Instructor
NRA Life Member
Welcome to the forum.
"In America, freedom and justice have always come from the ballot box, the jury box, and when that fails, the cartridge box."
-- Steve Symms, US Senator from Idaho, 1990
Welcome from South Carolina.
Sometimes in life you have to stand your ground. It's a hard lesson to learn and even most adults don't get it, but in the end only I can be responsible for my life. If faced with any type of adversity, only I can overcome it. Waiting for someone else to take responsibility is a long fruitless wait.
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Hello and welcome from SW MO.
"The best we can hope for concerning the people at large is that they be properly armed." - Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist Papers at 184-188
Semper Fi
Greetings from Rocky Top Tennessee
When you accept mediocrity you sow the seeds for future failure.
One should never confuse good fortune with good training.
Illegitimus Non Carborundum. In God we trust.
Greetings and Welcome from Fayetteville, NC!!!
"Without fear there can be no Courage!"


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In python, I use point = geom.asPolyline() but it looks like I am not getting any precision just whole numbers? How can I get the geometry and a certain precision?
point = geom.asPolyline()
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text: home > cancer center > cancer a-z list > prostate cancer index Prostate Cancer Prostate CancerRelated Medications « Back to Prostate Cancer Index Sorted Alphabetically A-Z Sort by popularity bicalutamide - oral, Casodex bicalutamide, Casodex docetaxel, Taxotere, Docefrez estramustine phosphate - oral, Emcyt fentanyl patch, Duragesic finasteride, Proscar flutamide - oral, Eulexin goserelin - implant, Zoladex green tea (camellia sinensis) - oral leuprolide - injection, Lupron leuprolide 3 month (22.5 mg) - subcutaneous injection, Eligard leuprolide 4 month (30 mg) - subcutaneous injection, Eligard leuprolide monthly (3.75 mg) - injection, Lupron Depot leuprolide monthly (7.5 mg) - subcutaneous injection, Eligard leuprolide, (Lupron, Lupron Depot, Lupron Depot-Ped, Eligard) nilutamide - oral, Nilandron prednisone (Prednisone Intensol, Rayos) radium Ra 223 dichloride (Xofigo) triptorelin 1 month (3.75 mg) - injection, Trelstar Depot triptorelin 3 month (11.25 mg) - injection, Trelstar zoledronic acid - injection, Zometa Sorted by Popularity (as on MedicineNet) Sort alphabetically leuprolide 4 month (30 mg) - subcutaneous injection, Eligard leuprolide monthly (7.5 mg) - subcutaneous injection, Eligard leuprolide monthly (3.75 mg) - injection, Lupron Depot leuprolide 3 month (22.5 mg) - subcutaneous injection, Eligard leuprolide - injection, Lupron bicalutamide - oral, Casodex prednisone (Prednisone Intensol, Rayos) fentanyl patch, Duragesic bicalutamide, Casodex docetaxel, Taxotere, Docefrez finasteride, Proscar zoledronic acid - injection, Zometa goserelin - implant, Zoladex green tea (camellia sinensis) - oral leuprolide, (Lupron, Lupron Depot, Lupron Depot-Ped, Eligard) triptorelin 3 month (11.25 mg) - injection, Trelstar flutamide - oral, Eulexin radium Ra 223 dichloride (Xofigo) triptorelin 1 month (3.75 mg) - injection, Trelstar Depot nilutamide - oral, Nilandron estramustine phosphate - oral, Emcyt Suggested Reading on Prostate Cancer by Our Doctors Related Diseases & Conditions 19 articles Blood in Urine Blood in the urine is termed hematuria. Hematuria, whether it be gross or microscopic, is abnormal and should be further investigated. Erectile Dysfunction (ED, Impotence) Erectile dysfunction (ED, impotence) is the failure to achieve or maintain an erection. There are many potential underlying causes of erectile dysfunction, Cancer Cancer is a disease caused by an abnormal growth of cells, also called malignancy. It is a group of 100 different diseases, and is not Prostate Problem Warning Signs Prostate problems are common in men over the age of 50. Benign prostatic hyperplasia, acute bacterial prostatis, chronic bacterial prostatitis, and chronic Obesity Obesity is the state of being well above Hydronephrosis Distention of the kidney with urine. Hydronephrosis is caused by obstruction of urine outflow (for example, by a stone blocking the ureter). Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH or enlarged prostate) is very common in men over 50 years of age. This noncancerous enlargement of the prostate can impede Urinary Incontinence There are many types of urinary incontinence (UI), which is the accidental leakage of urine. These types include stress incontinence, urge incontinence, Cancer Risk Factors Though it's difficult to say why some people develop cancer while others don't, research shows that certain risk factors increase a person's odds of developing Tumor (Grade) Tumor grade is a system used to classify cancer cells in how likely the tumor is to grow, and how abnormal they look under a microscope. Tumor grade is Peyronie's Disease (Curvature of the Penis) Peyronie's disease or curvature of the penis (Peyronie disease) is a condition in which scar tissue develops inside the penis. This scar tissue causes Senior Sex Enjoying a satisfying sex life as we age is important to both physical and mental health. As we age, diseases and conditions may pose challenges in our Men's Health Men's health is an important component to a happy lifestyle and healthy relationships. Eating healthy, exercise, managing stress, and knowing when to have Cancer Fatigue Cancer fatigue is a lack of energy that is caused by cancer or cancer treatment, including chemotherapy, radiation, biological therapy, or bone marrow Disease Prevention in Men Disease prevention in men includes routine screening tests that are part of basic prevention medicine. Take an active role in your own health care and Caregiving Most often, caregivers take care of other adults who are ill or disabled. Less often, caregivers are grandparents raising their grandchildren. The majority Cancer Prevention Certain behavioral, lifestyle, and environmental factors contribute to cancer. Cancer prevention involves modifying these factors to decrease cancer risk. Cancer Pain Cancer pain results from the tumor pressing on nerves or invading bones or organs. Cancer treatments like chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery can also Pelvic Pain (in Women and Men) There are numerous causes of pelvic Medications 21 articles Procedures & Tests 13 articles Pictures, Images & Quizzes 10 articles Doctor's & Expert's Views 10 articles Health News 270 articles Health Features 21 articles Cancer Report Newsletter Sign up to stay informed with the latest cancer-related updates on MedicineNet delivered to your inbox FREE! BONUS! Get a Free Health & Wellness PDF Guide when you sign up! *Privacy Policy From WebMD Cancer Resources 8 Prostate Cancer Treatments Is a Clinical Trial Right for You? Chemo Side-Effect Tricks Featured Centers Feeling Short of Breath? What to Eat When You Have Cancer Top 3 Anaphylaxis Triggers Health Solutions From Our Sponsors Frequent Constipation? Greater Food Accessibility Exclusives What Does Psoriasis Look Like? How to Prevent Muscle Cramps Blood Clot? Know the Signs and Symptoms Allergy Triggers: Do You Know Yours?


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With reference to the below URL (Question regarding the permalinks)
I would like to have the URL (Human friendly)
Is there any possible to change the ?..... URL to permalinks URL.
If possible please let me know so that i can change some portion of the code.
Awaiting a positive response, Thanks in advance.


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Mention heroin to most people and it conjures images of gaunt junkies shooting up with dirty needles in bombed-out inner-city buildings.
These days, however, the drug is coming to a high school or suburb near you.
Authorities say heroin has caught on in popularity with high school- and college-age kids in recent years. The powerfully addictive drug is still an urban menace, but it also is turning up in middle-class, suburban neighborhoods in places like Mount Pleasant, West Ashley and James Island, area police said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Phillips, who prosecutes federal drug cases in Charleston, said he routinely hears from area police officers and agents confronted with heroin use and overdoses among young people.
"It seems like everyone is seeing more and more of it," he said. "Anecdotally, it seems to be on the rise."
Nationally, heroin abuse has reportedly decreased during the past several years, but its prevalence is still higher than in the early 1990s, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. A 2003 survey found that some 3.7 million people had used heroin at some point in their lives, the institute reported.
Mount Pleasant Police Capt. Stan Gragg said the amount of heroin in the community doesn't seem to have increased much, but its popularity with young people has.
"It's making a resurgence with young kids in their late teens to early 20s," he said. "I wouldn't say its commonplace, but it's not scarce either. If kids want it, they seem to know where to get it."
Brian Hardison was stunned when he was called to East Cooper Medical Center after his son Evan overdosed on heroin in October 2007. It was apparently the first time Evan had tried the drug. Evan died the following month from complications of "acute opiate toxicity."
"I couldn't believe my son did heroin, or that my son would even try heroin, because he wasn't that kind of person," he said. "I don't know how more shocked I could have been."
Charleston County Coroner Rae Wooten said her office has dealt with five fatal heroin overdoses in the past six months, an unusually high number. That number could still rise when lab results from pending cases come in.
The victims range in age from their 20s to age 47, showing no clear pattern, she said.
Heroin is processed from morphine, a naturally occurring substance extracted from certain varieties of poppy plants. It is typically sold as a white or brownish powder or as a black, sticky substance known on the streets as "black tar heroin," according to the drug abuse institute.
It is often "cut" with sugar, powdered milk or other substances to dilute the strength and stretch the quantity.
Charleston Police Lt. Sterling Dutton, a narcotics unit supervisor, said he has even seen heroin cut with arsenic and other poisons. "Users never know what they're going to get."
Gragg said some young people have the mistaken belief that heroin is not as powerful or addictive as crack cocaine. Often, peer pressure plays a role in their decision to give it a try, he said.
"Heroin is an old drug, but it seems new and powerful to them," Dutton said. "It's very nasty stuff. Heroin and crystal meth are probably the two worst drugs in terms of addictiveness."
- Keywords


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Lexus of Marin Sales Reviews
- 513 Francisco Blvd E
- San Rafael, CA 94901 (map)
- (415) 805-3552
- Visit dealer's website
- Chat with Dealer
terrible sales practicesWritten by jaydillon on 04/23/11 02:07:07 PM PDT Go back to Sales reviews
Recommend this dealer? No Purchased a vehicle from this dealer? No, Poor experience with dealer personnel
visited Lexus of Marin twice in past 2 years, should have remembered why I left the first time and never went back. Our sales man, the second time, was not willing to negotiate the price of a new car, he insulted our intelligence, we caught him lying about the dealer cost of the car (as his numbers kept changing) AND to top it off, he was giving us the paperwork on a car we did not want. This is called the bait and switch, you don't realize you're signing paperwork for the car on the lot that is not selling. We were VERY clear about the car we wanted...his excuse when we caught this was that the paperwork meant nothing until we signed it, it was not that he was switching cars on us, it's just paperwork. BEWARE, this practice is very common. And once you sign, then they haggle with you over the mistake until they convince you to take the car you did not want. These people should be in jail.


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Additions to the End User License Agreement ("EULA")
1. General Provisions
1.01. In order to register for World of Warships, players must be thirteen (13) years of age or older. All players are solely responsible for their behaviour in both public and battle chat. Players are responsible for protecting their accounts from access by others, and are strongly encouraged to select a hard-to-guess password and not re-use that password on any other sites where it may be read by the owners or administrators of that site. It is strongly forbidden to share accounts with others. In the case of an account that has been lost or hacked, please inform Technical Support immediately through the website: World of Warships Support
1.02. The developers (Wargaming.net) of this software are not responsible for the behaviour of any individual player, as well as for the content of his or her messages in all game chats and channels. Players are solely responsible for their behaviour and the content of their messages in all game chats and channels.
1.03. Wargaming.net reserves the right to evaluate each incident on a case by case basis. The action that may be taken may be more lenient or more severe than those listed under each category.
1.04. Wargaming.net may suspend, terminate, modify, or delete accounts at any time for any reason or for no reason, with or without notice to the owner of the account. Accounts terminated by Wargaming.net for any type of abuse, including without limitation a violation of these rules or the EULA, will not be reactivated for any reason. For purposes of explanation and not limitation, most account suspensions, terminations and/or deletions are the result of violations of these rules, the End-User License Agreement (EULA), or other Wargaming.net policy. Players may cancel any account registered to themselves at any time by following the instructions on the Website. Wargaming.net may stop offering and/or supporting any service at any time.
1.05. Players who decide to be involved with the game acknowledge and agree to these and all other relevant rules and will abide by them regardless of the circumstances. In addition players also agree that these Rules will apply to anyone that is allowed to use their Wargaming.net account or user ID. By allowing another user to use the account, the account owner is personally responsible for all the consequences (including termination of said account) which may result, if the above discussed person violates any of the listed rules at any time. The account owner will not be entitled to a refund of any currency or any form of credit.
2. Prohibitions, Restrictions and Conditions of Use, for all Game Chats and Channels
You agree not to do any of the following while using the Game or any Wargaming.net game chat or channels:
2.01. Excessive profanity and inappropriate language is not welcome. It is suggested to ensure that the censor filter is switched on. The censor filter is not an excuse to break the existing game and chat rules, and excessive profanity will still be sanctioned.
2.02. Typing in such a way to bypass the censor filter is prohibited.
2.03. Insults, personal attacks, abuse or harassment are not tolerated on any level.
2.04. Derogatory comments based on race, nationality, religion, culture, sex, or sexual preference are prohibited.
2.05. Allusion of racial or national supremacy, as well as discriminative propaganda on any level is prohibited.
2.06. Spamming or posting nonsensical messages is prohibited in the game and battle chats. This also includes excessive use of caps, as well as excessive posting of battle results.
2.07. Begging/soliciting in any form is prohibited in all game chats and channels. Begging/soliciting includes but is not limited to: requesting users to transfer real money to the virtual wallet, asking for additional credits, and requests to transfer game gold.
2.08. All types of ads for sale, exchange, or other options for the transfer of accounts from one user to another violate EULA and are prohibited in all game chats and channels.
2.09. Distribution of users' personal information without their consent is prohibited.
2.10. Slandering users or posting false information about users in all game chats and channels is prohibited.
2.11. Attempting to extort information from users, including information necessary for the use of their account is prohibited.
2.12. Discussion on, or linking to illegal activities, such as illicit drugs, is prohibited. This includes but is not limited to the linking of, or discussion on, websites dedicated to vulgar, racist, abusive, illegal, or any other content prohibited by the EULA, or linking to the resources that contain such advertisement or content.
2.13. Discussion on, or linking to unreleased content, cheats, hacks, Trojan horses, or malicious programs is prohibited. If you suspect that a cheat or hack exists or have any other problems or concerns on these topics, provide the necessary information to Technical Support.
2.14. Discussion on, advertising of, or linking to websites, in relation to the selling of gold, credits, promotional codes, levelling services, or game accounts is prohibited.
2.15. Threats of destroying allied ships as well as threats of disclosing the positions of allied ships to the enemies, regardless of whether the threat was carried out, or not, are prohibited.
2.16. Death threats and other threats of violence in real life, directed either against individual users, moderators or administration of the project, are prohibited.
2.17. All types of advertising messages are prohibited in general and battle chats. With the exception that WoWs related advertising such as division forming or clan recruiting is permitted with the following restrictions. It may contain no more than three (3) lines on a standard chat window, and be posted no more than once every 15 minutes within the port chats or once per game in battle.
2.18. Mentioning and discussing of other games is permitted, but it should be discontinued if the character of the discussion turns into at a direct promotion of another gaming project.
2.19. Discussion of social, religious, political, illegal or other controversial topics that may create offense is prohibited. This includes but is not limited to negative portrayal of religious and political figures is prohibited.
2.20. Discussion of decisions or sanctions made by moderators or administration in all game chats and channels is prohibited.
2.21. Any kind of provocations for other players to violate the EULA as well as additions to it is strictly prohibited.
2.22. Any statements or other actions that violate any applicable laws or regulations are strictly prohibited and will be strongly suppressed.
2.23. Any attempt to create nicknames, groups, or organized communities of players associated in any fashion with organizations which violate any applicable laws or regulations is prohibited. This includes but not limited to, direct or indirect references to Nazi symbols, abbreviations and well known leaders.
2.24. The use of copyrighted, trademarked, patented, classified, or restricted material or information and the violation of any rights of any party, including rights of privacy or publicity is prohibited.
3. Names (Players and Clans), Avatars, Images/Video, Signatures & Clan logos
Certain content for names, avatars, images/video, signatures and clan logos, have no place on the World of Warships forums or within the World of Warships game, due to their extremely offensive, annoying or inappropriate nature. The following list is only a summary, but it gives some idea of names, images, signatures, avatars and clan logos which are not accepted with the World of Warships environment:
Names, avatars, images/video, signatures and clan logos…
3.01 …that contain profanity, including its abbreviated form.
3.02 …that contain insults, personal attacks, abuse or harassment.
3.03 …that contain unprintable words or abbreviations, or which are unattractive and/or unreadable.
3.04 …which either in whole or partly contain copyrighted or registered trademark elements.
3.05 …which have (in any way) racist or nationalistic implications which may create offense to a certain nation, ethnic, religious or racial group.
3.06 …that contain an allusion of racial or national supremacy, as well as discriminative propaganda on any level.
3.07 …which contain insults or derogatory comments based on race, nationality, religion, culture, mental stature, sex, or sexual preference.
3.08 …which have an association with sexuality, paedophilia, sexual abuse; or have an offensive connection to the human body or bodily functions.
3.09 …which contain nudity, sexually explicit material or content that is otherwise deemed inappropriate.
3.10 …which contain excessive gore or violence, or are obscene/vulgar.
3.11 …which make reference to addictive or illegal substances or their use, or any other illegal activities.
3.12 …that contain Logotypes, symbols, emblems or figures connected in one way or another with organizations, that violate or were violating existing laws and rules; i.e. anything that may provoke strong negative reaction/association or promote national/ethnic/religious hatred. (For example, using different variations of Nazi symbolic, abridgments and signs (88, 14, 420, SS), or similar stylizing (such as, 55) as well as credentials, names and surnames of Nazi leaders.)
3.13 …that contain reference to current mainstream religions that may create offense, i.e. names such as God, Jesus, Allah, etc.
3.14 …that are connected with negative historical or political personalities, first of all those who are judged by international courts for crimes against humanity, those that generally arouse feelings of suffering or disgust in the majority of people, as well as members of currently existing terrorist organizations.
3.15 …that negatively portray the project's staff, or administration.
3.16 …which in any other manner violates the End User License Agreement or local laws.
…either implicitly or explicitly are prohibited (This also includes links to websites containing the above). If names (player or clan), avatars, signatures, images/video, or clan logos within the forums or within the game violate these rules the offending account may be changed and/or the accounts may be sanctioned or suspended. Moreover, the administration reserves the right to delete, update or modify any names (player or clan) and avatars, images or clan images which are considered inappropriate on the forums or within the game environment.
4. Inappropriate conduct in-game/Fair play principles
The following actions are prohibited in game:
4.01. Intentionally damaging allied ships (team damage).
4.02. Intentionally destroying allied ships (team kill).
4.03. Intentionally informing participants of the opposing team through battle, or voice chat, the location of allied ships.
4.04. Using bots, clickers, macros, keyboard and mouse recorders, or any other similar methods to accumulate credits and experience without the participation or with passive participation of the player within the battle. (Excessive and repetitive passive play)
4.05. Any conduct that is considered by Wargaming staff as disruptive to the gaming experience of others can be sanctioned in accordance to rule 1.04. This conduct includes and is not limited to: malicious and/or intentional in-game harassment, intentional exploitation of in-game mechanics or any action that intentionally goes against or abuses the game design. The application of game restrictions will always be done to protect a positive and fun gaming environment and will be applied after careful investigation and internal deliberation.
5. Reporting In-game Violations
To report any violation of the Rules please submit a ticket to World of Warships Support. The ticket should contain a complete description of the incident. Include the usernames of the parties involved and attach a screenshot that illustrates the violation. This will enable us to act on your reports promptly. Please do not report these incidents on the forum or anywhere else, other than the Support website. Posting these types of complaints on the forum can be grounds for account sanctions, as these threads would be considered off-topic. The time limit to report an incident is 7 days. Reports made in excess of 7 days after the offense will not be considered.
6. Official Language
6.01. In-game Hangar: The official language of the in-game Hangar Chat is English only, other languages are not welcome. Players who wish to communicate in their native language may do so in channels made specifically for their language. Non-English within the Hangar Chat may be sanctioned.
6.02. In-game Battles: The preferred language is English, non-English is tolerated. Please be tolerant of those that have difficulty speaking English.
7. Important/Miscellaneous
7.01. Repeated violations of any of these Rules or the EULA, including the areas detailed above, will often result in permanent suspension from the game and/or forums.
7.02. This policy is not language-restrictive. Language that falls under this policy will always be subject to the repercussions listed, whether it is inappropriate in English or any other language.
7.03. Players may provide feedback or address any concerns to the Technical Support service (forum and game suspension appeals): World of Warships Support


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2012 Golden Globe Awards Contenders
Predicting the always unpredictable HFPA's Film and TV nominees
By Gregory Ellwood, Daniel Fienberg Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 5:00 AM
Golden Globes 2012, Oscars 2012, Golden Globes, The Artist, hugo, War Horse, New Girl, Boardwalk Empire, Homeland, Awards Campaign
Will your favorite movie or TV show be showerd in gold?
It's that time of year again. That brief period where the worlds of movies and television form a cohesive union to get wasted at the expense of a relatively small group of International journalists. But, before filmmakers, actors, actresses, studio and network executives head to the Beverly Hilton's grand ballroom in January for that infamous open bar, they'll wake up Thursday morning and either be thrilled they landed a precious Golden Globe nod or dismayed they couldn't convince 80 or so members of the HFPA to vote for them. Hoping to help Hollywood avoid any overinflated expectations, we've spent precious hours investigating who and what the Hollywood Foreign Press Association will bestow the gift of a golden nomination.
Click the tabs above for a complete breakdown of every category.
Agree or disagree? Share your thoughts below.
RinTinTimSo Louie doesn't have a chance at best comedy? That's a shame.December 13, 2011 at 6:25AM ESTReply to Comment
James (guest)Where's Jessica Lange for AHS??? Come on guys, she's PERFECT in every way!December 13, 2011 at 8:36AM ESTReply to Comment
danJames - You're totally right. Total oversight. While I may strongly disagree with you on the quality of her performance, she's a two-time Oscar winner on a "hip" new show. Complete oversight and I put her atop the "Strong Contenders" list. She has a VERY good chance of being nominated.
-DanielDecember 13, 2011 at 12:35PM EST
Observations (guest)ANNA TORV, should be nominated but at least on your list of candidates.
She is far better then what you mention below the likely ones and dark horses.
Marionette, Entrada, Last Sam Weiss, Bell , this season the two new Olivia's together in one scene.
Awesome acting.December 13, 2011 at 11:36AM ESTReply to Comment
danObservations - When I do my Emmy contenders galleries in the summer, those take into consideration personal preferences. Anna Torv will certainly be included there. This gallery was more about plausible possibilities. She may be *better* than people I listed as likely or dark horses, but she's less likely to be nominated. I wouldn't mind being wrong at all, but I suspect there's ZERO chance that Anna Torv is getting a Golden Globe nomination at this point in the run of "Fringe."
-DanielDecember 13, 2011 at 12:38PM EST
RicardoWow. Beginners is a comedy and nobody told me.December 13, 2011 at 12:27PM ESTReply to Comment
Zack (guest)What movie did Zooey Deschanel do a song for? (Unless "Zooey Deschanel" really was the title of the movie, which would explain why she's so committed to behaving like a fictional character.)December 13, 2011 at 12:34PM ESTReply to Comment
dantrax (guest)va a estar reñido, ya vieron? http://bit.ly/uPKAUqDecember 13, 2011 at 4:06PM ESTReply to Comment
Will (guest)Unless I am misremembering, I am pretty sure The Help WAS submitted as a Comedy/Musical, but the HFPA nixed that.December 13, 2011 at 4:44PM ESTReply to Comment
Sarah (guest)I'm surprised Stana Katic from Castle isn't included in that list after Kill ShotDecember 13, 2011 at 4:47PM ESTReply to Comment
danSarah - As I said on the commenter upset about Anna Torv's absence, Stana Katic, who has been pretty terrific all season, will certainly get a page in my Emmy Contenders gallery in the summer. But in terms of practical reality for this particular gallery, she's beyond a dark horse to get a Golden Globe nomination.
-DanielDecember 13, 2011 at 5:21PM EST
SarahThanks for your honest answer. Just curious, but what makes someone or "it" a serious contender for a Golden Globe nomination? I know there's a tendency to nominate cable shows, what else makes the HFPA members tick?December 13, 2011 at 6:08PM EST
danSarah - The HFPA members like being ahead of the curve and they like big stars. So if there's a hip new shows, they're going to want to be the first on their block to recognize it. If there's an attractive leading lady, they're going to want to honor them. But they also respect movie stars doing TV, so that's why I was wrong to forget Jessica Lange earlier.
But it's really hard for somebody like a Torv or a Katic to break into a category after their shows have been on for four or five years. That being said, last year's winner for best actress was Katey Sagal, who got her first nom and her first win for Season *three* of "Sons of Anarchy." So it IS possible...
-DanielDecember 13, 2011 at 6:38PM EST
SarahI think the last time I showed some interest for The Golden Globes was when The X Files was still on the air which fits your as a "hip new show" they want to be the first to recognize it. The X Files won their first Golden Globe in its first season.
Anyway, I'm not holding my breath for any of my favorites. Sadly "Sons of Anarchy" is a cable show.December 13, 2011 at 7:12PM EST
LJAHouse? Seriously?December 13, 2011 at 4:52PM ESTReply to Comment
Dylan (guest)Uhhhhh...Where is Emilia Clark? 'TIS TREASONDecember 13, 2011 at 5:13PM ESTReply to Comment
JonnybonWhat about Naya Rivera? Much better than Lea Michele...December 13, 2011 at 8:32PM ESTReply to Comment
JonnybonAnd God I wish Chris Colfer wasn't a probably nominee. He's one of the worst things about Glee.December 13, 2011 at 8:34PM EST
danJonnyBon - This is the Golden Globes. It's got nothing to do with "Better" or "Worse." It's about "more likely" and "less likely." Lea Michele's the lead on "Glee." Even if she isn't. And award voters like her. Naya Rivera's fantastic on "Glee," but she'll be supporting, which means Golden Globe voters would have to put her in the Top 5 of all supporting performances in drama, comedy and movies/miniseries. I just don't see any chance of that happening, though if Naya stole Jane Lynch's nomination slot, I'd be absolutely GIDDY.
-DanielDecember 13, 2011 at 9:19PM EST
Marianne (guest)I figure the Globes would nominate Crazy Stupid Love for a Comedy nod. Not only did critics love it, but it also has the other thing the Globes love : a Stellar cast.December 13, 2011 at 8:40PM ESTReply to Comment
MollyMc (guest)The Golden Globes non-love for Breaking Bad has pretty much make be like the Emmys way more than the Globes. And I'm sure this year will be no different when I look at the people who get in before Aaron Paul and Giancarlo Espositio.December 13, 2011 at 10:48PM ESTReply to Comment
Conrad Stapletwin (guest)Im sad about this.December 14, 2011 at 2:02AM ESTReply to Comment


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Corn Pudding
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
My new daughter-in-law gave me this recipe. I have fixed this on several occassions and everyone seems to love it.
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- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1-1/2 tablespoons flour
- pinch salt
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1 can white/yellow corn (I prefer yellow)
Instructions:Beat eggs well with fork. Add sugar and continue to beat. Sprinkle flour and salt and continue beating. Mix in corn.
Pour into baking dish and bake at 350 degrees until well jelled (approximately. 30-45 minutes).
This recipe was submitted by one of our readers and has not been tested by our food editors. We are not responsible for errors in this recipe, but if you find one, please let us know.
Updated Thursday, January 17th, 2008
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Volvo V40 review
Volvo's most popular car is a classy alternative to the Volkswagen Golf family hatch if space isn't a priority
The Volvo V40 hatchback replaced the S40 saloon back in 2012 as the brand's smallest model. It has since become Volvo's best seller, thanks to its broad range of reassuring, owner-pleasing traits. Volvo even saw fit to apply a few upmarket touches from the XC90 and S90 – namely the 'Thor's Hammer' headlights – in a light 2016 refresh.
Latest versions have a strong range of engines that perform well and deliver excellent fuel economy, while handling is secure and refinement good. Although it's fiddly to use, on-board technology is on a par with rivals, while Volvo's excellent stereo and seat comfort draw high praise from owners.
• Volvo V40 vs Audi A3 Sportback vs Volkswagen Golf
The V40 isn't the most practical of five-door hatchbacks though. Rear space isn't great and the boot is also on the small side. This is worth bearing in mind if you're considering it as an alternative to a Ford Focus or Volkswagen Golf. It's also a little expensive to insure, although popular R-Design models have low depreciation and running costs are kept in check too.
The Volvo V40 five-door family hatchback is the best-selling Volvo in the UK. It was facelifted in 2016 to benefit from the design revolution seen in models such as the XC90 and S90/V90, but while that gave it a fresh face, the interior is still a bit old fashioned.
The broad V40 range focuses on offering core family hatchback attributes but with a little extra premium appeal to lift it above the core Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra and Peugeot 308 models that dominate this sector. Volvo considers it a classy rival to the Volkswagen Golf, and we would agree.
First launched in 2012, the V40 five-door hatchback revived a name used by a compact Volvo estate between 1995-2004. Slightly confusingly, there is no estate V40, Volvo deciding the fact this is its only hatchback model on sale justifies the 'V for versatile' branding otherwise used on its estates.
Because of Volvo's previous Ford ownership, the V40 is actually derived from the current-model Focus platform, but it shares no visible parts with the Ford and, today, offers an ever-broader range of engines that are unique to Volvo.
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The engine options are badged as the T2, T3 and T5 petrols plus the D2, D3 and D4 diesels. The core engines are a 1.5-litre turbo and 2.0-litre turbo petrol plus a 2.0-litre turbodiesel; Volvo varies the tuning and turbocharger technology to vary power between the different T and D designations.
Trim levels changed with the 2016 update. Before, buyers had a choice of ES, SE and SE Lux, R-Design and R-Design Lux, but now they're given Momentum, Inscription, R-Design and R-Design Pro. Volvo also offers the crossover-style Cross Country V40, which is offered in Cross Country and Cross Country Pro. Unfortunately, only the top-line T5 actually offers all-wheel drive.
Engines, performance and drive
The Volvo V40 really benefits from being based on Ford's acclaimed Global C Ford Focus platform. This is similar to that used in the current Ford Focus, although there is a lot of bespoke Volvo engineering within it to ensure the V40 still feels like a Volvo, not a Ford.
The V40 inherits the solid base of the Ford, that means it's agile and accurate through the corners, with plenty of in-depth ability from its well-specced chassis. Volvo's steering is a bit on the mushy side though, with a stodgy feel and lack of feedback, and body control isn't sports-hatch tight.
The choice of suspension set-up does deliver a decent ride with standard models offering good absorbency in town and a supple ride at speed. And if you want a firmer setup, choose the R-Design models, which have sporty suspension and bigger wheels. They don't ride as well – something perhaps reflected in a mixed score for the V40's ride quality in the Driver Power owner satisfaction survey – but do offer more control.
What the V40 does very well is give the confidence and security you'd expect of a Volvo. It's stable at all speeds, little seems to faze the chassis and it deals with most situations without fuss or drama. Many will happily trade the last word in driver feedback for this grown-up, big car feel.
Prepare to be confused. Volvo has been switching its engine range from Ford-sourced motors to its own in-house designs, but has combined this with a policy of not referring to engine size in how it brands them (and the numbers no longer refer to the number of cylinders either). The result is confusion that you need patience to decipher.
Diesel engines are the most straightforward: the D2, D3 and D4 motors are all the same Volvo-designed 2.0-litre four-cylinder motor. The D2 produces 118bhp, the D3 produces 148bhp and the D4 produces 187bhp.
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Petrol engines are more confusing. There is a 120bhp T2, 150bhp T3 and a 241bhp T5. Bizarrely, T2 and T3 versions use a different engine depending on gearbox choice: manuals are a 2.0-litre turbo unit, with automatics using an alternative downsized 1.5-litre motor. And the T5 is no longer a five-cylinder engine, but a 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder.
The pick of the range are the diesels. Volvo's latest engine is superb, with ultra-smooth manners, low noise levels and an outstanding ability to rev willingly. The spread of pulling power in all three is impressive: the 148bhp D3 is the pick of the range as it has the most well-rounded toque delivery (320Nm from 1,750-3,000rpm), with the 187bhp D4 offering more performance at the top end of the rev range.
The D4 offers an optional eight-speed automatic gearbox; there is a fuel economy penalty, but performance is slightly better and the gearbox itself is excellent, shifting imperceptibly and always seeming to be in the right gear. D2 and D3 motors offer an older six-speed auto, alongside the core six-speed manual that's standard across the V40 range. The manual is a decent enough box, but not outstanding.
Volvo's 2.0-litre T2 and T3 engines are impressive too. They have an outstanding ability to pull well from almost tickover: the T2 offers peak torque of 220Nm from just 1,100rpm, pull that's retained until 3,500rpm. They are sweeter, quieter and easily preferable to the automatic alternatives. The T5 is a quasi hot hatch, paired as standard with that superb eight-speed automatic for added appeal (the T2 and T3 use the older, less able six-speed auto).
MPG, CO2 and running costs
The new range of Volvo engines really delivers on fuel economy, with some exceptional performances across the range. The standouts are the D2, D3 and D4 diesels. The D2 manual averages a superb 78.5mpg on the combined cycle, emitting just 94g/km CO2: the D3 pushes consumption up only slightly, to 74.3mpg. Impressively, the D4 also matches this 74.3mpg economy, despite its 187bhp power output, meaning both D3 and D4 offer the same 99g/km of CO2.
Choosing an automatic diesel pushes consumption up a little, but it's still impressive. Respectively, the D2, D3 and D4 average 74.3mpg, 70.6mpg and 67.3mpg with an automatic gearbox – that's six-speed on the first two and newer eight-speed on the D4. It means all manual diesels come in at VED tax band A, and all diesels are in band B.
Image 6 of 9
Petrol engines are also very fuel efficient, given their torquey turbocharged punch. Both T2 and T3 average 51.4mpg on the combined cycle, emitting 127g/km CO2. Interestingly, automatic versions match this fuel economy and push CO2 up only slightly, to 129g/km (so still below the tax-friendly 130g/km mark). Remember, automatic T2 and T3 use a 1.5-litre engine, and manuals use a 2.0-litre.
The high-performance T5 is also fuel efficient, despite its impressive sprinting ability. The 241bhp machine averages 47.9mpg on the combined cycle, although CO2 does go up to 137g/km: this means a VED tax band E and a £130 first-year road tax charge, rather than the band A tax of all other V40s.
As for running costs, long service intervals and Volvo's generally strong reliability should mean the V40 costs less to own than some of Volvo's larger estates and SUVs. Driver Power owners' experience is certainly encouraging: motorists vote the V40 the 15th best car for overall running costs, meaning there should be no nasty surprises in action.
Insurance groups
Perhaps reflecting its semi-premium status, insurance groups for the V40 are a little higher than the mainstream norm. A base T2 ES comes in at group 17, whereas a similar-power Ford Focus 1.0 Ecoboost starts at group 10. There is also quite a step up between engine variants, reflecting their extra power: moving from a T2 SE to a T3 SE sees insurance groups leap from 18 to 23. The high-performance T5 starts at group 28.
It's a similar story for the diesels: the D2 ES is group 17 and a D2 SE starts at group 22; a D3 SE is in group 27. Interestingly, the Cross Country models are an insurance group or so lower than regular V40s, perhaps reflecting the easier repair of their scuff-resistant panels and raised body height.
Retained values for the Volvo V40 are decent but varied. This means it's important to thus pick your model carefully. The strongest performers are the diesel models, which generally retain more than 40% of their original list price. The D2 comes in at around 41-42% after three years and the D3 is slightly better, starting from around 43%.
There is, however, a pronounced uplift for the more appealing R-Design models: spec for spec, it's around 4%, meaning it's probably well worth choosing these models when buying new as used car depreciation will be less. After three years, the extra value of the car will be helpful, particularly if you're buying on a PCP.
Petrol models retain rather less than their diesel equivalents. They generally hover around the 35-38% retained value range, again with an uplift for R-Design models that pushes these variants into the 40-41% retained value range. You should thus choose carefully: the initial list price saving on petrol over diesel may disappear after three years.
The diesel-dominated Cross Country range generally retains around 39-41%, meaning they're a safe and secure performer in the used market.
Interior, design and technology
The V40 has a characteristically Volvo interior, with rich materials and classy metal trims on all models: upper-range variants have some stylish options for the neat 'floating' centre console and the steering wheel is large, chunky and nice to hold on all versions.
There are a lot of buttons though: the centre console is packed with them, and it's a slight case of form over function as some buttons are tricky to find at a glance. This wasn't improved during the 2016 facelift, either, despite newer models like the S90 and XC90 featuring a delightful portrait-style display.
Image 3 of 9
Volvo's ignition keyfob is also compromised. It is mounted high up on the dash, out of harm's way (so knees can't hit it in a crash), but if you have house keys on your keyring, they rattle and jangle irritatingly on the dashboard. You also have to press a button after inserting the keyfob to start the car. Keyless Drive, a £550 option on all models, is an option we'd highly recommend.
There's a lot of technology packed into the V40 – not least the active safety tech. City Safety autonomously helps you avoid accidents at city speeds and a speed limiter stops speeds creeping up. Choose 'Nav' models and you get Volvo Sensus Connect, which includes voice control, a larger 7-inch screen and connected web apps and internet browser.
Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment
The V40 uses Volvo's previous-generation sat nav system, rather than the latest Tesla-style touchscreen setup on the new XC90. As such, it's very fiddly and awkward to use, requiring multiple twists of a dial and presses of a conform button to set destinations. It's old technology, and it shows.
The system itself works well, and mapping is clear from the high-res screen, although the display itself isn't the largest: space is restricted because it's integrated into the dashboard rather than standing proud from it. Even the larger 7-inch display on higher-spec Nav models with the Sensus Connect infotainment system seems a bit small.
Image 5 of 9
'Nav' versions of all trim lines are available, costing £800 more than standard. Choosing a Nav variant with Sensus Connect brings that larger colour display (7-inches is up from 5-inches), hard drive music storage, European mapping, TMC traffic message channel and lifetime annual map updates.
Volvo has a well-deserved reputation for excellent stereo quality and the V40 is no exception. Even the standard High Performance Sound system has excellent depth, definition and clarity, with yet greater quality coming as part of the optional Harman Kardon 130W 'sound stage' system.
Practicality, comfort and boot space
The V40 does a good job of feeling like a larger, more expensive Volvo inside. Front seats are some of the best in this sector, their broad, supportive and plush design continuing Volvo's reputation for excellent driver comfort. The Driver Power survey reflects this, with the V40 scoring an outstanding fourth place overall for seat comfort. Pity another Volvo tradition, heated seats, are reserved for the options list (as part of the Winter Pack, costing between £350-£500 dependent on trim).
Interior stowage is a mixed bag. There are lots of stowage cubbies, including the hidden one behind Volvo's 'floating' centre console, but some are on the small side: door bins, for example, won't easily hold a bottle of water. Luckily, the sliding box between the front seats contains a holster for two cups.
Although it is quite a large car on the outside, the Volvo V40 isn't one of the roomiest models within. Clearly all the Volvo-specific safety engineering to reinforce the Ford-derived platform has eaten up a little of the room normally reserved for passengers (but, as we'll see, there are benefits here…).
Front seats are mounted high, perhaps a little too high in models with electric seats, which can impact a little on headroom. The pedals feel a touch tight too, and the V40 isn't as open plan as models such as the Volkswagen Golf.
With bulky door panels and sporty, raked A-pillars, the V40 doesn't feel overly spacious but it does feel extremely safe and reassuring as a result.
Leg room, head room & passenger space
The V40 is a little on the cramped side in the rear. Getting in and out can be a bit awkward, due to the size of the front seats which can get in the way of your feet. Once in, passengers will find comfortable seats but not an abundance of space.
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Headroom is particularly tight for taller occupants, and if those in the front are tall, they may have to slide their seats forward a bit to free up kneeroom in the back – not something you normally expect to do in a family five-door.
It is very nicely trimmed in the rear though, and children will find the well-padded, plush rear bench seat a very nice place to while away the hours. There's an added bonus too – optional heated rear seats are available, a £200 option that will transform winter comfort for those in the back.
The boot of the Volvo V40 is a bit disappointing compared to other five-door family hatchbacks. Seats up, the diesel model offers just 335 litres, compared to the 380 litres of a Volkswagen Golf (curiously, the petrol is slightly smaller still, on 324 litres).
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Seats folded, the diesel expands to 1,032 litres, or 1,021 litres for the petrol. That's with luggage loaded to the roof, too: in comparison, a Volkswagen Golf offers 1,270 litres of space with the seats down – a full 238 litres' more space than the V40.
The stylish rear end means the boot opening is a bit on the narrow side, and the sill is a little high. The boot is very nicely trimmed though, with lashing points in the sides to help secure luggage, and the rear seats do fold fully flat for loading bulky objects. Just be careful when you close the tailgate – the rear screen is rather steeply raked.
Reliability and Safety
The Volvo V40 is an extremely safe car – indeed, in 2012, Euro NCAP awarded it the title of safest car out of all the models it had ever tested, with a staggering 98% rating for adult occupant protection and a clean-sheet 100% score for safety assist. Volvo's reputation is built on safety and the V40 is one of the safest Volvos ever built.
Clever innovations include a bonnet airbag, a feature that's standard across the range. It's this that's key to the V40's superb 88% pedestrian protection score. The only relatively so-so score is the car's 75% score for child occupant protection.
Unfortunately, overall owner satisfaction has taken a dip in recent months, with the V40 dropping from 16th to 78th in the Driver Power survey. It rated highly for seat comfort and running costs, but not so well for ride quality, performance or practicality. Volvo came 13th overall, however, which should bode well for the facelifted car.
The V40 comes as standard with a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty, combined with a three-year unlimited mileage paintwork warranty. It also has an eight-year warranty against rust.
Part of the Volvo new car warranty is three years' Volvo Assistance roadside breakdown cover – for both the UK and Europe. If you have your V40 serviced at a Volvo dealer, it is automatically extended after three years: if you don't, 12 months' cover costs £99.
Service intervals for the latest range of Volvo engines is annually or every 18,000 miles – this is a boost from the Ford engines which had shorter mileage service intervals. Volvo dealers are generally competitive on pricing, and sample quotes can be calculated via a tool on the firm's website.
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Bill Hader Literally Morphs Into Jon Hamm for an Interview With Amy Schumer, Sexiness Ensues
We see it.
We see it.
Finally, Hamm made me want one of his villains to pay for his crimes.By Marti Noxon
Hero alert.By Sean Fitz-Gerald
Jon Hamm also sang "We Are the World" and fed other people gummy bears too.By Greg Cwik
He also shares some post–Mad Men pitches.By Sean Fitz-Gerald
From New York ad exec to U.S. diplomat.By Sean Fitz-Gerald
Mad Men is but a distant memory to them.By Nate Jones
But Matthew Weiner wouldn't let him out of his Mad Men contract.By Sean Fitz-Gerald
He checked himself in for a 30-day program last month.By Sean Fitz-Gerald
"I did think that Roger Sterling was going to die the first season."By Brooke Marine
Duh.By Lindsey Weber
Beard, beanie, boots.By Erica Schwiegershausen
Jennifer Lopez, the Broad City women, and more highlights from this week's parties.By Erica Schwiegershausen
This Christmas special is a misandrist's dream.By Abraham Riesman
Plus: photos of Carey Mulligan, Jennifer Aniston, Jon Hamm, and more in this week's party roundup.By Erica Schwiegershausen
Jon Hamm gets dark(er).By Lindsey Weber
Plus Zoe Saldana, Elizabeth Banks, Jon Hamm, and more highlights from the week's biggest parties.By Erica Schwiegershausen
According to Britain's Channel 4, it will be "the most mind-bending episode yet."By Anna Silman
This is porn for at least one person.By Jesse David Fox
Everyone loves Jon Hamm. Except for Emmy voters.By Margaret Lyons


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Category:Network Rail
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Network Rail.
The main article for this category is Network Rail.
This category has the following 3 subcategories, out of 3 total.
- ► Network Rail managed stations (20 P)
- ► Network Rail routes (9 P)
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