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HSBC "lift" by Grey London
Agency: Grey London
Rating: 5.0
By Sophie Maden, mediaweek.co.uk, Friday, 26 August 2011 01:29PM
Figures released today (26 August) show a significant year-on-year drop in the estimated readership of many leading men's titles in the 12 months to the end of June.
These declines broadly reflect the falling circulations of men's mags revealed earlier this month by the Audit Bureau of Circulations.
Bauer Media's Zoo was the men's title that suffered the biggest fall. It lost 210,000 readers year on year – 35% of its total – to register an estimated readership of 392,000 for each issue over the 12 months to the end of June.
Zoo's great rival in the weekly magazine market, IPC Media's Nuts, saw its estimated readership drop 24% year on year to 609,000 per issue in the year to June.
Over the same period, Bauer's FHM lost 27% of its readers to register an estimated readership of 993,000.
Stuff, which like Media Week is owned by Haymarket, suffered one of the biggest falls in readership. It was down 24% year on year, losing approximately 74,000 readers, to register an estimated readership of 234,000 in the 12 months to the end of June.
Loaded, which was sold by IPC to Vitality Publishing last year, also suffered from a continuing fall in reader numbers. It had an estimated readership of 379,000 during the period – a year-on-year fall of 29%.
In contrast to the big falls in the lads' mags market, the Dennis Publishing-owned Men's Fitness saw its readership increase 10% year on year – gaining 63,000 readers – to an estimated readership of 676,000 per issue over the course of the year to June.
Similarly, the Natmag Rodale title Men's Health saw a its readership climb 16% year on year to an estimated 1,244,000 per issue over the 12 months.
Unlike figures from the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABCs), which reveal sales and distribution performance, the NRS surveys around 36,000 people to produce an estimated readership.
This article was first published on mediaweek.co.uk
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Agency: Grey London
Rating: 5.0

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Chris Cooper
I enjoy music, soccer, procrastinating, and laughing. I love to learn and teach about all things CS.
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I am also the creator of qcumber.ca.
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Last week while on vacation back east my brother, his g/f and I took a hike up Black Mountain in the Adirondacks.
Black Mountain reveals a panaramic view of Lake Champlain, the Green Mountains of Vermont, Hudson Valley, The Adirondack High Peaks and of couse, Lake George and its islands.
Start of hike:
Most of the hike up was pretty boring, technical and muddy.
I had plenty of bugs to keep me company on the way up
It only took us about 90 minutes to reach the top
My brother and I overlooking Lake George
Found out my grandparents honeymooned at Lake George. (bow-chicka-bow wow.)
The longer hike down had sweeping views of the lake.
The only way to know we were on the right track.
One of several small lakes we passed on the way down
We had perfect weather for this amazing 8.5 mile hike. Rain the day before left the trails muddy but small price to pay. Can't wait to go back and explore the Adirondacks some more.


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Mathematical Studies for the IB Diploma Standard and Higher Level (Paperback)
|Author: Scott Genzer
Learn more about Mathematical Studies for the IB Diploma:
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Oxford Univ Pr
Sku: 210683914
Publish Date: 4/23/2009
Pages: 198
See more in Study Guides
|Concise and expertly written, this guide completely covers the IB Diploma Programme in Mathematical Studies SL and will help students review for their exams. Covers each part of the Diploma Programme Mathematical Studies course. Provides carefully stepped examples to help students progress in a student-friendly format. Numerous exam questions from past IB papers and extra questions for reinforcement of concepts learned. Help with use of TI graphing calculator. Three complete IB-style exams with both Paper 1 and Paper 2 in each .


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System and method for securely backing up and reliably retrieving vault data in a metering system that includes a host processor operatively coupled to a vault. Whenever a transaction is completed by the vault, the vault cryptographically signs the vault data, including ascending register, descending register and piece count and sends the cryptographically signed vault data to the host processor where it is stored in a data file assigned to the vault. Each storage of the cryptographically signed vault data is indexed to create a historical log of vault transactions. If the vault is lost or damaged so that vault data cannot be retrieved from the vault, the cryptographically signed vault data is retrieved from the host processor data file and verified.
1. A method of securely backing up vault data in a metering system that includes a host processor operatively coupled to a vault, comprising the steps of:
storing a predetermined set of vault data in the vault;
cryptographically signing in the vault the predetermined set of vault data;
sending the cryptographically signed vault data to the host processor;
storing the cryptographically signed vault data in a data file of the host processor.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the steps in claim 1 are performed whenever a transaction is completed by the vault.
3. The method of claim 2 comprising the further step of:
indexing in the data file each storage of the cryptographically signed vault data to create a historical log of vault transactions.
4. A transaction evidencing system, comprising
a host processor including storage means;
vault means operatively coupled to said host processor, said vault means including digital token generation means and transaction accounting means;
a printer operatively couple to said host processor;
means in said host processor for issuing a request for at least one digital token, said request for digital token including predetermined information required by said token generation means;
means in said host processor for securely communicating with said vault means, said communicating means sending said request for digital token to said vault means and receiving from said vault means a digital token generated by said token generation means;
means in said host processor for capturing in said storage means a transaction record corresponding to said digital token, said transaction record including said digital token and said predetermined information; and
means operatively coupled to said host processor for generating an indicia bitmap from said digital token.
5. The transaction evidencing system of claim 4, wherein said transaction record is encrypted before being captured in said storage means.
6. The transaction evidencing system of claim 4, wherein a plurality of consecutive ones of said transaction records are stored in said storage means as backup to information stored in said vault means.
7. The transaction evidencing system of claim 4 wherein said host processor is a personal computer (PC) including conventional processor, memory and storage means and said printer is an unsecured, non-dedicated printer operatively coupled to said PC.
8. The transaction evidencing system of claim 5 wherein said vault means comprises a portable vault card that is removably coupled to said PC, said PC including means for removably coupling said vault card to said PC.
9. The transaction evidencing system of claim 8, wherein said storage means is a hard drive of said PC.
10. A method for recovering vault data, the method comprising the steps of:
retrieving cryptographically signed vault data from a data file in the host processor;
verifying the signature of the cryptographically signed vault data; and
recovering the vault data from the cryptographically signed vault data when the signature is verified.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined set of vault data includes descending register.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined set of vault data includes ascending register.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined set of vault data includes piece count.
14. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of cryptographically signing comprises signing with a key stored in the vault.
15. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of storing comprises storing on a hard drive of the host processor.
16. The method of claim 1 comprising the further step of:
indexing in the data file each storage of the cryptographically signed vault data to create a log of at least the last vault transaction.
17. A transaction evidencing system vault device, comprising:
means for storing a predetermined set of vault data;
means for cryptographically signing the predetermined set of vault data; and
means for sending from the vault the cryptographically signed vault data.
18. The device of claim 17, further comprising:
means for coupling the vault device to a host system; wherein said means for sending sends the vault the cryptographically signed vault data to the host system.
19. The device of claim 17 wherein the predetermined set of vault data includes descending register.
20. The device of claim 17 wherein the predetermined set of vault data includes ascending register.
21. The device of claim 17 wherein the predetermined set of vault data includes piece count.
22. The device of claim 17 wherein said means for cryptographically signing comprises signing with a key stored in the vault device.
23. A host processor for use in a transaction evidencing system, comprising:
vault means coupled thereto;
storage means having stored thereon cryptographically signed predetermined set of vault data.
24. The host processor of claim 23 wherein said cryptographically signed predetermined set of vault data includes descending register, a register, and piece count.
25. The transaction evidencing system of claim 4 wherein said predetermined information includes information required by said token generation means.
The present invention relates to advanced postage payment systems and, more particularly, to advanced postage payment systems having pre-computed postage payment information.
The present application is related to the following U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 08/575,107; 08/575,106, 08/574,746; 08/574,745; 08/575,110; 08/575,112; 08/575,109; 08/575,104; 08/574,749, and 08/575,111, each filed concurrently herewith, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
Postage metering systems are being developed which employ digital printers to print encrypted information on a mailpiece. Such metering systems are presently categorized by the USPS as either closed systems or open systems. In a closed system, the system functionality is solely dedicated to metering activity. A closed system metering device includes a dedicated printer securely coupled to a metering or accounting function. In a closed system, since the printer is securely coupled and dedicated to the meter, printing cannot take place without accounting. In an open metering system, the system functionality is not dedicated solely to metering activity. An open system metering device includes a printer that is not dedicated to the metering activity, thus freeing system functionality for multiple and diverse uses in addition to the metering activity. An open system metering device is a postage evidencing device (PED) with a non-dedicated printer that is not securely coupled to a secure accounting module.
Typically, the postage value for a mailpiece is encrypted together with other data to generate a digital token which is then used to generate a postage indicia that is printed on the mailpiece. A digital token is encrypted information that authenticates the information imprinted on a mailpiece including postal value. Examples of systems for generating and using digital tokens are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,757,537, 4,831,555, 4,775,246, 4,873,645 and 4,725,718, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference. These systems employ an encryption algorithm to encrypt selected information to generate at least one digital token for each mailpiece. The encryption of the information provides security to prevent altering of the printed information in a manner such that any misuse of the tokens is detectable by appropriate verification procedures.
Typical information which may be encrypted as part of a digital token includes origination postal code, vendor identification, data identifying the PED, piece count, postage amount, date, and, for an open system, destination postal code. These items of information, collectively referred to as Postal Data, when encrypted with a secret key and printed on a mail piece provide a very high level of security which enables the detection of any attempted modification of a postal revenue block or a destination postal code. A postal revenue block is an image printed on a mail piece that includes the digital token used to provide evidence of postage payment. The Postal Data may be printed both in encrypted and unencrypted form in the postal revenue block. Postal Data serves as an input to a Digital Token Transformation which is a cryptographic transformation computation that utilizes a secret key to produce digital tokens. Results of the Digital Token Transformation, i.e., digital tokens, are available only after completion of the Accounting Process.
Transaction data stored in a metering system typically include, for example, ascending register, descending register, piece count, and any other necessary information that must be maintained with high integrity for each transaction of the meter. Such data may be needed to provide a user with a refund in the case of meter failure or meter loss.
Heretofore, the integrity of data in a meter is maintained using redundant non-volatile memory. If the meter is damaged, this data must be recovered and verified. Recovery often involves opening the meter and directly reading the data in memory by attaching a clip to the memory chip.
For open metering systems, the metering unit may be a portable device such as a smart card or a PCMCIA card. Portable metering units may also be used with closed metering systems. Such portable cards present a problem with regard to retrieving transaction data when the portable card is lost or damaged beyond accessibility of such transaction records.
The present invention provides a system and method for disaster recovery for an open metering system. The vault of the open metering system must be a secure device because it contains the accounting information of the amount of postage remaining in the vault and the postage printed. However, the very nature of the security makes it hard to recover postal funds in the event a malfunction occurs and the vault cannot be accessed by normal operation. The present invention enhances the reliability of a PC meter system by using the hard disk of the user PC to backup the accounting information of the vault. This provides a benefit that certain functions, such as account reconciliation, can be performed even when vault malfunctions or is lost. Such backup is unavailable in conventional postage meters.
For further security, the backup transaction data can be cryptographically signed by the vault before being stored on the hard drive to prevent tampering. The number of transactions that are maintained on the hard drive is limited only by the available storage space on the hard drive. Preferably, at least all transactions since the last refill would be maintained as backup.
The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout, and in which:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a PC-based metering system in which the present invention operates;
FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of the PC-based metering system of FIG. 1 including a removable vault card and a DLL in the PC;
FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of the DLL in the PC-based metering system of FIG. 1 including interaction with the vault to issue and store digital tokens;
FIG. 4 is a flow chart of the vault process for signing and storing transaction records;
FIG. 5 is flow chart of the Transaction Capture sub-module in the PC-based metering system of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 6 is a flow chart of the recovery process when a vault card is damaged or lost.
In describing the present invention, reference is made to the drawings, wherein there is seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 an open system PC-based postage meter, also referred to herein as a PC meter system, generally referred to as 10, comprising a conventional personal computer configured to operate as a host to a removable metering device or electronic vault, generally referred to as 20, in which postage funds are stored. As used herein, the term personal computer is used generically and refers to present and future microprocessing systems with at least one processor operatively coupled to user interface means, such as a display and keyboard, and storage media. The personal computer may be a workstation that is accessible by more than one user.
PC meter system 10 uses the personal computer and its printer to print postage on envelopes at the same time it prints a recipient's address or to print labels for pre-addressed return envelopes or large mailpieces. It will be understood that although the preferred embodiment of the present invention is described with regard to a postage metering system, the present invention is applicable to any value metering system that includes transaction evidencing.
The PC-based postage meter 10 includes a personal computer (PC) 12, a display 14, a keyboard 16, and an unsecured digital printer 18, preferably a laser or ink-jet printer. PC 12 includes a conventional processor 22, such as the 80486 and Pentium processors manufactured by Intel, and conventional hard drive 24, floppy drive(s) 26, and memory 28. Electronic vault 20, which is housed in a removable card, such as PCMCIA card 30, is a secure encryption device for postage funds management, digital token generation and traditional accounting functions. PC meter system 10 may also include an optional modem 29 which is located preferably in PC 12. Modem 29 may be used for communicating with a Postal Service or a postal authenticating vendor for recharging funds (debit or credit). A description of such communication by modem is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,831,555, incorporated herein by reference. In an alternate embodiment the modem may be located in PCMCIA card 30.
PC meter system 10 further includes a Windows-based PC software module 34 (FIGS. 3 and 4) that is accessible from conventional Windows-based word processing, database and spreadsheet application programs 36. PC software module 34 includes a vault dynamic link library (DLL) 40, a user interface module 42, and a plurality of sub-modules that control the metering functions. The DLL is an application programming interface (API) that is used by in Windows-based programs. It will be understood that the present invention is suitable for use with an API corresponding to other than Windows-based programs.
DLL module 40 securely communicates with vault 20 and provides an open interface to Microsoft Windows-based application programs 36 through user interface module 42. DLL module 40 also securely stores an indicia image and a copy of the usage of postal funds of the vault. User interface module 42 provides application programs 36 access to an electronic indicia image from DLL module 40 for printing the postal revenue block on a document, such as an envelope or label. User interface module 42 also provides application programs the capability to initiate remote refills and to perform administrative functions.
Thus, PC-based meter system 10 operates as a conventional personal computer with attached printer that becomes a postage meter upon user request. Printer 18 prints all documents normally printed by a personal computer, including printing letters and addressing envelopes, and prints postage indicia.
A description of the key components of PC-based meter system 10 are described below followed by a description of the preferred operation of PC-based meter system 10. A description of the digital token generation process is disclosed in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. Attorney Dockets E-416, E-415 and E-419!, which are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference.
The vault is housed in a PCMCIA I/O device, or card, 30 which is accessed through a PCMCIA controller 32 in PC 12. A PCMCIA card is a credit card size peripheral or adapter that conforms to the standard specification of the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association.
Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the PCMCIA card 30 includes a microprocessor 44, non-volatile memory (NVM) 46, clock 48, an encryption module 50 and an accounting module 52. The encryption module 50 may implement the NBS Data Encryption Standard (DES) or another suitable encryption scheme. In the preferred embodiment, encryption module 50 is a software module. It will be understood that encryption module 50 could also be a separator device, such as a separate chip connected to microprocessor 44. Accounting module 52 may be EEPROM that incorporates ascending and descending registers as well as postal data, such as origination ZIP Code, vendor identification, data identifying the PC-based postage meter 10, sequential piece count of the postal revenue block generated by the PC-based postage meter 10, postage amount and the date of submission to the Postal Service. As is known, an ascending register in a metering unit records the amount of postage that has been dispensed, i.e., issued by the vault, in all transactions and the descending register records the value, i.e., amount of postage, remaining in the metering unit, which value decreases as postage is issued.
The hardware design of the vault includes an interface 56 that communicates with the host processor 22 through PCMCIA controller 32. Preferably, for added physical security, the components of vault 20 that perform the encryption and store the encryption keys (microprocessor 44, ROM 47 and NVM 46) are packaged in the same integrated circuit device/chip that is manufactured to be tamper proof. Such packaging ensures that the contents of NVM 46 may be read only by the encryption processor and are not accessible outside of the integrated circuit device. Alternatively, the entire card 30 could be manufactured to be tamper proof.
The functionality of DLL 40 is a key component of PC-base meter 10. DLL 40 includes both executable code and data storage area 41 that is resident in hard drive 24 of PC 12. In a Windows environment, a vast majority of applications programs 36, such as word processing and spreadsheet programs, communicate with one another using one or more dynamic link libraries. PC-based meter 10 encapsulates all the processes involved in metering, and provides an open interface to vault 20 from all Windows-based applications capable of using a dynamic link library. Any application program 36 can communicate with vault microprocessor 44 in PCMCIA card 30 through DLL 40.
DLL 40 includes the following software sub-modules: secure communications 80, transaction captures 82, secure indicia image creation and storage 84, and application interface module 86. The present invention relates to the transaction captures sub-module which is described below. A more detailed description of PC meter system 10 is provided in related U.S. patent application Ser. No. Attorney Docket E-421! filed concurrently herewith and incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
Vault 20 must be a secure device because it contains the accounting information of the amount of postage remaining in the vault and the postage printed. However, the very nature of the security makes it hard to recover postal funds in the event a malfunction occurs and the vault cannot be accessed by normal operation. The present invention enhances the reliability of a PC meter system by using the hard disk of the user PC to backup the accounting information of the vault. As previously described, the transaction capture sub-module 82 stores transaction files as backup files on hard drive 24. This provides a benefit that certain functions, such as account reconciliation, can be performed even when vault 20 malfunctions. Such backup is unavailable in conventional postage meters.
For further security, the backup transaction data can be encrypted before being stored on hard drive 24 to prevent tampering. The number of transactions that are maintained on hard drive 24 is limited only by the available storage space on hard drive 24. Preferably, at least all transactions since the last refill would be maintained as backup.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the transaction record is cryptographically signed by the meter and stored on hard drive 24 in the transaction record file associated with the meter. By signing the transaction records in this manner, a user then cannot modify the data without detection. If the user tries to replay an old value of the data, it will not match any data remaining in the meter, and it will not match the piece counts of the latest mail pieces paid with the meter. The signed data can be stored in the meter base. Thus, the present invention provides a system and method for reliably recovering funds for lost, stolen or damaged meters based on the signed data stored on the hard drive. A similar function can be provided for closed system meters with a removable vault.
The meter transaction record data is signed cryptographically, for example with a message authentication code (MAC). The signed data is stored in a hidden file in hard drive 24. (For closed metering systems with a removable vault the signed data would be stored in the meter base.) The data stored on hard drive 24 of PC 12 can be recovered and authenticated against the most recent records of the data center and against any recent mailpiece piece counts recorded. The user cannot modify the data on hard drive 24 without detection. If the user deletes the data, then the funds may be unrecoverable.
If vault 20 is reported lost or stolen, the funds lost can be identified using the signed data on hard drive 24. The authenticity of the data can be checked by verifying the signature by vault 20. The freshness of the data can be checked by comparing the piece count in the signed data with the piece count on one of the most recent mailpieces mailed. For example, if the postal service frequently checks indicia and records the most recent piece count for each meter, then the postal service records can be used to authenticate the freshness of the data. If the data center records the value of the piece count at the most recent refill of vault 24, then such data can also provide evidence for the freshness of the backup data stored on hard drive 24.
The signed data in the hidden file can be updated each time an indicia is processed or can be accumulated in an historical transaction record file.
Referring now to FIG. 4, the process of cryptographically signing a transaction record is shown. At step 200, a transaction record is created, for example, when vault 20 issues a digital token or when vault 20 is refilled. At step 202, a transaction encryption key, stored in vault 20, for example, at manufacture, is obtained for digitally signing the transaction record at step 204. The signed transaction record is stored in vault 20 and sent to DLL 40 in PC 12 at 206. The signed transaction record is stored in an invisible DLL storage file 41 on hard drive 24 at step 208. Step 208 is described in more detail in the following paragraph.
In accordance with the present invention, Transaction Capture sub-module 82 captures each transaction record received from vault 20 and records the transaction record in DLL 40 and in DLL storage area 41 on hard drive 24. If there is ample room on hard drive 24, such transaction captures can be stored for a plurality of different vaults. Referring now to FIG. 5, from the moment that a communication session is established, Transaction Capture sub-module 82 monitors message traffic at step 120, selectively captures each transaction record for token generations and refills, and stores such transaction records in DLL 40 at step 124 and in an invisible and write-protected file 83 in DLL storage area 41 at step 126. The information stored for each transaction record includes, for example, vault serial number, date, piece count, postage, postal funds available (descending register), tokens, destination postal code and the block check character. A predetermined number of the most recent records initiated by PC 12 are stored in file 83 which is an indexed historical file. In the preferred embodiment file 83 is indexed according to piece count but may searched according to addressee information. File 83 represents the mirror image of vault 20 at the time of the transaction except for the encryption keys and configuration parameters. Storing transaction records on hard drive 24 provides backup capability which is described below.
Referring now to FIG. 6, the process for recovering vault information when vault 20 is not available for information retrieval is shown. At step 220, the invisible transaction record file is read from DLL file 41 on hard drive 24. The encryption key used in signing the transaction record in vault 20 when the token was issued, is retrieved. at step 222, from an escrowed holding, for example, from the manufacturer or the Data Center. At step 224, the signature of preferably each transaction record is verified, although verifying less than all the transaction records may be deemed adequate. At 226, it is determined whether all the verified signatures are correct. If not correct, then this indicates at 228 that the DLL storage file 41 has been modified. If correct, then the last recorded ascending register, descending register and piece count are determined at step 230. A comparison is made with the ascending register read from DLL storage file 41 with the ascending register in the refill Data Center databases at step 232. If not the same, then, at step 234, the file is considered out of date which indicates tampering. If the same, then, at step 236, the piece count read from DLL storage file 41 is compared with the highest piece count verified on a mailpiece. If the retrieved piece count is less than the verified piece count then, at step 234, the file is considered out of date. If not less than, then the file is considered reliable at step 238 and the retrieved information is used in place of vault 20.
Thus in addition to storing meter transactions in the meter like convention postage meters, the present invention also stores transaction records on the PC hard drive in a secure manner. In this manner the present invention provides a means for disaster recovery when a vault card is lost, stolen or damaged beyond information retrieval.
While the present invention has been disclosed and described with reference to a single embodiment thereof, it will be apparent, as noted above that variations and modifications may be made therein. It is, thus, intended in the following claims to cover each variation and modification that falls within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.
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Originally written on Fox Sports Ohio | Last updated 7/1/13
The San Francisco Giants' run to last year's World Series title nearly ended in the division series until they swept their road games against the Cincinnati Reds. The Giants will have a more modest goal when they return to Great American Ball Park. San Francisco will try to turn around what's so far been a miserable road trip while Cincinnati will seek to bounce back from its own woeful trek in Monday night's series opener. After starting the playoffs with back-to-back home losses, the Giants staved off elimination in their next three games in Cincinnati. They then rallied from a 3-1 deficit to St. Louis in the NL championship series and swept Detroit for their second title in three years. San Francisco (39-42) has hardly looked like a contender for much of this season. The Giants had dropped six straight - their longest skid in three seasons - and seven in a row on the road before Sunday's 5-2 win over Colorado. That victory, highlighted by Buster Posey's fourth homer in five games...
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Three things we need right now if the Affordable Care Act is going to create a functioning and equitable healthcare system.
Twenty-one states have refused to expand Medicaid, leaving millions of sick Americans without decent healthcare.
After a dozen years of foot-dragging, regulators are doing something about the toxins.
And it'll take more than self-empowerment to truly free us from the expectation of marriage.
The deaths of Jodi and Randy Speidel illustrate how weak our safety net really is.
A Nation investigation looks at the shuttering of needed trauma centers, beginning with those on Chicago's violent South Side.
How Ai-jen Poo's radical vision for caregiving could remake our economy along more humane lines.
Atul Gawande argues that physicians should focus care on the good life—including its very end.
If CEOs are worried that their LGBT employees won't be treated as equals in Indiana, they should show as much concern for their pregnant and potentially pregnant employees.
In some of California's most heavily Latino communities, going to school can be a health hazard.


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"Dear Dr. Weinblatt,
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Philip, thanks for accepting my invite. Stay Safe and have a great weekend.


text:
discography media
get in touch
news archive
latest news
May 2015
Of Light and Dark is finished and awaiting a release date. Hopefully mid/late June 2015. Nearly 2 years work and a labour of love and passion. I'm so thrilled with how it has come together. I'll also be returning to perform live at the wonderful Ambiosonic Festival in France in June. Outside of that am currently in the early stages of a number of projects which should see light of day later this year.
Many thanks to the wonderful people of Sonic Vigil, Cork, Ireland who invited me back recently to share 6 hours of improvisation among some of the finest sound artists around. Such a joy amid anxiety :)
This month also sees me starting with on running the 3rd Sonic Arts Waterford festival. Looking forward to working with so many brilliant international and national artists in September.
March 2015
Oh dear, so much time has passed sinec the last site update :) In truth have been head down finishing the new album 'Of Light and Dark' as well as getting ready for some summer 2015 performances.
I'll hopefully have a release date within the next month so regular updates to the site will resume.
Update: All currently available miXile albums are free/donation on my bandcamp page if you'd like to collect some music.
June 2014
I've spent the last few months creating a new concert of material for the Midnight Sun Festival in Norway. For this I shall be revisiting my Australian travels. Taking in some of the original Australian music and adding a load of never used before field recordings based largely on travels along the Great Dividing Range of mountains as well as completely new musical parts.
This all allows me to take a break from the 'Of Light and Dark' project which is just too heavy for summer listening.
April 2014
A bit behind on updating things here but have been really busy working on two projects and a bunch of releases and re-releases. Also getting ready for some summer events.
I'm thrilled to be performing at The Midnight Sun Festival in Norway in July. Currently working on a new concert of material for the event.
Prior to that, it's Sonic Vigil 8, Ireland and live in Hive Gallery, Ireland. Unique music for both events.
The 'Of Light & Dark' project progresses well. Really dark music so far and not really suited to the summer festival circuit so working also on something 'happier' for those events.
March 2014
On the 16/03 I performed a live/dj retrospective set of material from the last few years. A lovely evening and here's a free download of the performance.
February 2014
Another new release based around field recordings made in the Massif des Maures region of France. It's now available on my Bandcamp page on a donation basis.
January 2014
I'm currently working on a number of new projects. The first of which was released on 01 January. 'Magnetic Island' is based around field recordings I made on Magnetic Island, Queensland, Australia in 2008 and then over Christmas 2013 took time to work into a long piece of music. It's now available on my Bandcamp page on a donation basis. I trust you enjoy it!
In December I spent some time creating rough drafts for a large multi instrumental project to be called 'Of Light and Dark' which will hopefully be finished late Spring 2014. And I managed to take some time out to DJ some favourite music in Hive Emerging Gallery, Waterford, Ireland.
October 2013
On 02 November I will be performing live in Aoife's Gallery, Waterford, Ireland. Really looking forward to bringing my music to this new and beautiful space in one of Ireland's most historic buildings.
On 20 October I had the pleasure of seeing my music for Interphase 3 being danced to by 'Animated State Dance Theatre Company'. Thanks to all involved.
September 2013
Despite the absence of news here, the last few months have been incredibly productive and busy. Most of my time this year has been spent co-directing a new and unique Electronic Arts festival for Ireland. Sonic Arts Waterford took place on the 20 - 22 September and brought together some of Europe's finest electronic musicians for 3 days of music in a luxury all seated theatre venue. I performed on the opening night a new concert of material based around travels in Gdansk, Gydnia and Sopot in Poland. This was a development of the work I'd performed earlier in the year in Poland.
Also in September I produced 3 short works to be used as part of a live dance, music and video production called Interphase 3.
And between June and September I managed to do a number of DJ sets both promoting Sonic Arts Waterford and just for fun.
June 2013
A bit behind because so much has been going on of late. The concert at Kolonia Artistow in Gdansk, Poland was truly a memorable experience for me. I've never before had the opportunity to spend several days working on-site to produce a site specific performance of new material. Many thanks to the people of Gdansk for making my stay so beautiful.
Also, just back from performing twice at Love Forest, Sweden. Thanks to the good folks of Sweden for inviting me back for a 2nd year. Such a beautiful place to share music and friendship.
My ambient DJ set of own material past and present:
And my Esko Barba tribute deep and dubby techno DJ sunrise set on the Sunday morning (what fun that was!)
Other recent outings include The Joinery in Dublin, Ireland (which was good fun), Mr Bradley's Bar in Cork, Ireland (which was OK) and Phase One Festival, Leitrim, Ireland (which was not much fun {why have ambient music outdoors in the freezing cold without seating}).
In case you were not there, here is a full concert video of my performance at Garter Lane Theatre, Waterford, Ireland in February. Many thanks to Keith Currams Photography for shooting the multi-cam and editing everything so professionally.
Finally, the Limited Edition launch CDs of Berlin Alexanderplatz are now sold out. The regular CD will now be available for €10 + postage.
February 2013
Berlin Alexanderplatz the album has now been released! The 9 track album is available now for only €5 in digital format and a limited edition CD with prints will be available early March for €20. Check it out. Photo taken at Garter lane Theatre during album launch performance © Chris O'Brien Shanahan . Click tracks below to listen.
The album launch and performance at Garter Lane Theatre, Waterford, Ireland went really well. I believe it to be my best performance ever. Many thanks to all including friends who traveled considerable distances to be there. Also thanks to all Garter Lane staff who made it so easy, Keith for filming the event and Christine for taking some very tasty photographs.
On Friday 08 Feb. I'll be performing my Berlin Alexanderplatz concert in entirety at Garter lane Theatre, Waterford, Ireland as part of Waterford New Music Week. The event is free to attend and commences at 19:00. It will roughly coincide with the digital release of Berlin Alexanderplatz. Physical copies will follow within the next month.
I will be performing at the Phase One festival,Leitrim, Ireland in April and at the Closed Show in Gdansk, Poland in May before returning on invitation to play at Love Forest, Sweden.
January 2013
Some initial live performance dates for 2013 are starting to come together. I'll post back news when all is clearer. I'm also (obviously) interested in playing some new and interesting places this year so do get in touch if you'd care for some live ambient at your festival or event.
The Berlin Alexanderplatz live album is now finished and I'm awaiting a date with the mastering engineer. I guess all will be good to go within a month. In the interim, here's an unmastered version of the opening track:
The track opens with the performances from Electric Picnic (Ireland) and St. Patrick's Church (Ireland) and Ambiosonic Festival (France) in left, right and centre channels. Transylvania Calling (Romania) comes in at 02:33, Love Forest (Sweden) 02:44, Knockanstockan (Ireland) 02:52, Tramore Coastguard Centre (Ireland) 03:00, AAC Landgraaf (Netherlands) 03:40. Field recordings made in Alexanderplatz square in Oct 2010, Jan 2011, Oct 2011, May 2012.
Older News Items from 2012 and beyond are available
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text:
Iowa's Political Landscape: Who Needs to Win Where
Iowan Republicans will gather this evening in the caucus meetings to deliberate and vote, caucuses that remain very difficult to predict. The candidates' campaigns will be watching not only who is receiving votes but where their votes are cast. As the results pour in, the campaigns will be checking to see if counties that typically support social conservatives are breaking for candidates like Rick Santorum, Rick Perry, or Michele Bachmann.
Iowa's political geography looks mimics much of the country for the GOP. For Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney, the key will be to do well in the cities on the east and west sides of the state. The cities are more diverse and moderate than the more rural, conservative midland. Social conservatives, however, will be competing for the base of Christian conservatives located in the southern part of the state.
In 2008, current GOP frontrunner Romney came in second in Iowa behind Mike Huckabee. Supported by social conservatives, Huckabee won most of the 99 counties in Iowa. In that contest, the better Huckabee polled, the worse Romney fared. There was a divide between "Romney-Republican" counties and the counties where social conservatives reside. Romney did well (though not well enough) four years ago because he won the more populous regions on the eastern and western edges of the state.
This year, Romney's campaign will once again be looking to these counties to see how well he does after campaigning yesterday in an attempt to shore up his base of support. The outcomes from Sioux City, the suburbs of Omaha (Nebraska), Dubuque, the Quad Cities, Cedar Rapids, and Waterloo will all be critical in determining how big Romney's bounce will be.
A majority of the state, however, does not live in any of the metropolitan areas. Santorum, Perry, and Bachmann need to build their support a little bit here, a little bit there, gathering votes from the small towns scattered across the Iowa plains. Each candidate hopes to do well throughout the middle of the state, but the south central region is the most important indicator of who will do well among social conservatives. The campaigns of Santorum, Perry, and Bachmann will be keeping an eye on the counties south of Des Moines to see who will be winning among social conservatives.
In an unpredictable race like this year's caucus, there are two more signs to watch. The first is Newt Gingrich's vote total. He has the potential to compete well in eastern and western counties that supported Romney last time around. At the same time, he could receive more support from the rest of the state where more moderate voters will be unlikely to support Romney.
The second sign will be the votes coming out of the Des Moines area, a wealthier and more educated area located in the middle of the state. With diversity and population size, it will likely go the same way as the state as a whole.
By tomorrow, the field will be winnowed and the race will be already off to New Hampshire and South Carolina.


text:
The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired point guard Jeremy Pargo, Memphis' 2014 second round draft pick and cash considerations from the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for guard/forward D.J. Kennedy.
"Our approach remains consistent as we try to bring in young talent, create future opportunity with draft picks as potential assets and maintain flexibility," said Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant. "Jeremy adds depth to our backcourt. He is a young, aggressive, athletic guard who we feel fits well with our style of play, both defensively and offensively. We look forward to welcoming him to Cleveland."
Likely serving as a back-up to reigning Rookie of the Year Kyrie Irving going forward, Pargo, 26, played in 44 games (five starts) with Memphis last season, averaging 2.9 points and 1.3 assists in 9.7 minutes per game after signing with the Grizzlies as an undrafted free agent. In the 2010-11 season, Pargo appeared in 32 games for Maccabi Electra Tel-Aviv of the Israel Premier League and averaged 10.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 6.3 assists in 27.1 minutes per game. He also appeared in 22 Euroleague games, averaging 13.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 29.4 minutes per game.
He also did this roughly one week ago.
Kennedy appeared in two game for the Cavs last season and averaged 6.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 29.5 minutes per game after being signed by Cleveland on April 21, 2012.
[Related:Â NBA Trade Rumors And The Dan Gilbert Narrative]
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text: #40 is a brightened, yellow gold with a metallic finish. It had so-so pigmentation, as the texture was a little stiffer to work with. This shade managed to wear for seven and a half hours before it started to fade. theBalm D1 (LE, $16.00) is similar. Disney by Sephora Gus Gus (LE) is darker. NARS Goldfinger (P, $24.00) is lighter. Chanel Topkapi #4 (LE) is darker. bareMinerals Rising Star (LE) is similar. Inglot #403 (P, $6.00) is brighter. See comparison swatches.


text:
Securing the skills for the data revolution: New evidence and policy implications
- 1 Plough Place London EC4A 1DE, GB
China's Absorptive State
Monday, November 25, 2013 from 10:30 AM to 1:00 PM (GMT)
Invitation - China's Absorptive State: research, innovation and the prospects for UK-China collaboration
11:00-13:00 on Monday 25 November 2013 (registration from 10:30, followed by lunch)
Venue: Nesta, 1 Plough Place, London, EC4A 1DE
We are delighted to invite you to the UK launch of a landmark report from Nesta, charting China's rapid rise as a science and innovation power and what this means for the UK.
Speakers include:
A great deal of speculation surrounds China's prospects in science and innovation. Now spending nearly half a billion dollars a day on research and development, China accounts for 13 per cent of the world's total scientific research output compared to just five per cent a decade ago. But hype, generalisation and only partial awareness of the domestic political, economic and cultural context mean that discussion of this topic can obscure as much as it illuminates. How will innovation change china, and how will China change innovation?
China's Absorptive State, is an important new resource for those wishing to understand the growth and nature of Chinese research and innovation and explores how well positioned the UK is to benefit from these new developments.
This project is a partnership with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and Research Councils UK.
China's Absorptive State is available to download for free here.
See some of the media coverage the report has received on the BBC, the Guardian and Research Fortnight.
Registration will begin at 10:30 with the event commencing at 11:00. The event will be followed by lunch and networking from 1 pm.
10:30 Registration
11:00 Welcome and introduction
Kirsten Bound, Head of International Innovation, Nesta (Chair)
11:10 China's Absorptive State: headline findings
James Wilsdon, Professor of Science and Democracy, University of Sussex
Tom Saunders, Policy & Research Analyst, Nesta
11:25 Turning to face the east in science, research and innovation
Rt. Hon. Liam Byrne MP, Shadow Minister for Universities, Science and Skills
11:40 China's science and innovation ambitions
Chen Futao, Minister-Counsellor, Science and Technology, Chinese Embassy
11:50 Questions & discussion
12:10 New frontiers in Chinese innovation – panel discussion
Rt. Hon. Liam Byrne MP, Shadow Minister for Universities, Science and Skills Chen Futao, Minister-Counsellor, Science and Technology, Chinese Embassy
Professor Peter Williamson, Judge Business School
Manyi Cristofoli, Director of Innovation-China UK
James Wilsdon, Professor of Science and Democracy, University of Sussex
12:55 Concluding remarks & next steps
Kirsten Bound, Head of International Innovation, Nesta
13:00 Lunch
Nesta is an innovation charity with a mission to help people and organisations bring great ideas to life. For more information, please visit: http://www.nesta.org.uk/about-us
Join millions of people on Eventbrite.
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text:
Jenney, M; Levitt, G; (2009) Survivors of childhood cancer. British Medical Journal , 339
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Motociclista Errante
Joined: Jun 2004
Location: Sometimes in Hillsburrito
Oddometer: 2,292
Chihuahua to Durango
I spent a week in Chihuahua, working and taking care of family business, and it was time to get back on the road and continue with "the plan."
The plan?
The plan was I would ride to Puerto Vallarta, pick up Jose Luis and Lety and we would ride along the coast to meet Johan and co. in Lazaro Cardenas, on the Michoacan coast.
I got off to a late start, a long list of honey-do stuff that had to be taken care off before Lizbeth would let me take off for the trip. No problem, my first overnight stop was Durango, and it's an easy ride there, only 660 kms away...
There used to be lots of these vendors by the side of the road in northern Mexico. On the way to Durango, this was the only on I saw, I kind missed them:
The roads in the northern Mexican highlands are mostly straight and very fast.
Hwy 45 to Parral:
Slow traffic:
Of course, like most Mexican roads, they are built to a very low budget, so when you reach any sort of elevation changes, they always follow the contours of the terrain and this makes for some entertaining curves that suddenly show up after long stretches of mostly straight roads . As I observed in previous trips, the roads in Durango aren't quite as well maintained as they are in Chihuahua.
Driving in Mexico is always an interesting change from the US. Traffic laws are used in a very lax manner and there is a lot of tolerance for bending the rules as needed. This is a benefit when you are trying to make time, but also means you have to be ready to react to all sorts of driving maneuvers you would almost never see in the US .
Parral was a regular stop for Pancho Villa's Division del Norte, it's also where he was murdered, so he is an important figure in the town's history, you'll see many references to Pancho and his men there.
Pancho Villa in Parral:
Interestingly, I saw more police presence, especially Policia Federal Preventiva (PFP, which is sort of a federal version of our state police forces) on this trip . I remember seeing a news article about a road safety campaign started by the new president, Calderon, just in time for the holiday season. They were showing off these new Dodge Chargers (same as many US police forces got), and sure enough, there were quite a few on the road, in places I had not seen them before.
Back to driving. Mexicans will pass anywhere. And I mean anywhere. Most drivers of slower moving traffic will help you by turning their left signal on when the road is clear ahead. If they are about to turn left, they will usually make a hand signal as well, to be sure you understand the difference. Whether you want to trust those signals, is really up to you...
Mexicans pass just about anywhere they can see and sometimes in places they can not...
I noticed something new on this trip - drive through liquor stores. I first saw them in Cuauhtemoc, and then started noticing them everywhere. Lizbeth tells me that's not really new, but I really liked the convenience. You simply pull into the store, load up on all your favorite drinks (might as well have one while you wait) pay and take off without leaving the comfort of your car. What a great idea.
Drive through liquor store:
Between Parral and Durango, there was some free entertainment provided by the Durango DOT :
Hwy 45 through Durango - Note no paint stripes of any kind...
It wasn't all like that, but there was a long section that didn't have any markings. That's one of the reasons it's not recommended riding at night in Mexico.
These two must have been on a long ride. There was nothing on this road for the next 60 kms.
I couldn't see much either...
Lots of these adobe houses in small towns along the way:
I made it to Durango in no time, the GNS took me straight to Hotel Roma (where I stayed last time. It's quickly becoming my favorite place to stay in Durango, it's clean, well located and about $25/night). The drive through the city was a bit slower than I expected, and with the heavy traffic and narrow streets, it was hard to split my way to the front of traffic lights.
Avenida 20 de Noviembre from Hotel Roma:
Interestingly, I found Durango more appealing this time than I did on the last trip. Strange how you go to the same place and get a different perspective on it. On my way to find an Internet cafe I passed a taqueria that was packed with dinners, I figured if it's that full, I has to be good, so I had dinner there too after I finished checking my mail. By that time, most people had gone, so there was no wait to get a table. An order of mixed tacos and one soft drink set me back $2.50. They were very good too.
Taqueria Doña Maria:
The main plaza was full with families (and later young couples who can't afford a motel... ) out enjoying the evening, it's also lined with vedors - everything from food carts to shoe shinners - trying to get some of their spending money. It was much nicer than on my last visit last January (maybe they all ran out of money after Reyes , the city center was dead on that visit), so like I said, I liked it much better this time.
Gustavo screwed with this post 01-23-2007 at 07:32 AM
Guero con moto
Joined: Jan 2003
Location: West Texas
Oddometer: 2,899
Very Nice
You've got a great ride ahead of you. Makes me want to go back down there.
Local Yokel
Joined: Apr 2002
Location: North Salt Lake, UT
Oddometer: 8,096
Great write-up, Gustavo
Keep it coming
My Ride Reports
Motociclista Errante
Joined: Jun 2004
Location: Sometimes in Hillsburrito
Oddometer: 2,292
Durango to Puerto Vallarta
Last year, when I tried to leave Durango early, I froze my butt off for the first 100 miles or so . I decided there was no rush to get going this year (who said you can't teach an old dog new tricks? ), especially given the weather reports on TV, claiming a cold front that was affecting Mexico was responsible for record setting low temperatures. I know it's hard to believe from the pictures, as the skies were completely clear all day the last few days, but those cold fronts in Mexico only cause precipitation in high elevations, mostly in the form of snow. The rest of the country, around this time of the year is just colder than usual. They mentioned the Durango sierras and some towns I quickly found on the map as being right off the road to Mazatlan. It felt really cold last night as I was walking back to the hotel after dinner. This can't be good.
I woke up at 6:30 anyway. Damn internal clock. Took my time and decided to go out for breakfast, but it was too early and the only place I found open was an Oxxo (convenience store). They had warm coffee and some pastries. I guess that´ll have to do. Walked around the plaza, were shoe shiners were setting up their stalls and city workers were cleaning up the mess left by visitors the previous night.
Durango is cleaner thanks to this woman and her coleagues:
As an aside, My friend Balam tells me Mexico is the dirtiest country in Latin America. He should know, he has traveled most of it. It's harder for him to accept, since he is Mexican and an environmentalist by heart, hearing him rant about it is both entertaining and sad. But he could right from what I've seen. It's not uncommon to see people roll down their window as they drive and dump whatever junk they have out the window. Often when you pull over at any lookout point on a highway, the first thing you see is trash. It is especially annoying when there is an empty trash can right next to that pile of trash. And it's not just poor uneducated people. I followed a new S-Class Mercedes out of a Pemex station only to have to dodge a Coke can that came out the passenger's window less than a mile down the road. Why they couldn't have thrown it into a trash can at the station is beyond me. Money may buy an S-Class but no class.
Back to Durango. Like I said, there weren't too many people out at this time of the morning, a few "early" risers walked into the Oxxo for coffee and left in a hurry to get to their work place.
Durango's cathedral:
These guys are among the last to leave at night and the first to show up in the morning:
The road out of Durango starts up with a nice climb into the sierra. I was wearing all the warm gear I had, and it was the right choice. The air was crisp, clear and the sun was shinning (but not providing any warmth ). I wasn't cold, but I knew it was the gear, not the air temperature.
The main industries in this region are cattle ranching and timber. Almost all towns I passed through had sawmills. Most towns were scattered on both sides of the highway, in a way that looked like not much planning happened before construction. They simply grew as more people moved there and they built their houses just about anywhere they found a piece of land. Needless to say, the only paved road is the main road, everything else is dirt.
Typical sierra town:
Spot the tope. Shrewed vendors take advantage of the topes to sell their stuff to vehicles that have to stop to get across these speed bumps:
Fantastic road, and it's not even El Espinazo yet:
When I stopped for gas in El Salto (a huge sprawling, dusty, sawmill town), more or less at the top of the sierras, it was still rather chilly. From El Salto it's about 100 miles to Concordia, and I was really looking forward to this stretch of road. This is where the Espinazo del Diablo starts (not that the section between Durango and El Salto wasn't fun, but the next section is even tighter and with less straights). Last year I had a great time, but there was more traffic than I would have liked to enjoy it. This time, going in the opposite direction, I was there a lot earlier, and I had not seen that much traffic so far. It was looking rather promising.
The road climbs a bit more from El Salto and there I started to see snow by the side of the road. Hey, what happened to that warm weather Mexico I was going to ride through for my vacation? I guess keeping all that cold weather gear on was the right choice. I stopped to take a picture of a snow covered mountainside and went on my way. A few curves down the road there was some ice on the road. Not a lot, there were clean tracks to ride through, but still, it got my attention. I made a mental note - Remember to not blindly charge through curves on the "dark side" of the mountain (northern facing sections that get almost no sun in winter).
Yes, that is snow. Actually, I wasn't so worried about snow, but the ice that started showing up on the road was more of a concern :
Sure enough, there was some more ice on some other "dark side" curves. No big deal.
After a while of not seeing any more ice, I figured I had passed the coldest sections and went back to the usual pace. And then I come to this relatively mild left hander that's on the "dark side", it takes me a couple of seconds to adapt to the light and when I do all I see in front of me is ice. Pretty thick, whitish, slab of ice on the road and no clean tracks that goes on for about 20 meters.
All I could think off at that moment was "oh shit, there goes my trip". I am not sure I can come to a complete stop before I hit the ice, so that's not a good option. I pick a line that looks cleanest, move forward in the seat, keep a loose grip on the bars, steady throttle and one deep breath. About half way through I hit a bump left by a truck's tire in the melting ice (likely the previous day, it wasn't melting today) and the bike moves sideways a bit. Suddenly it got really warm, even in the shade . I think American Super Camp just paid for itself, as I managed to keep the bike up. I owe thanks to Tony again for talking me into taking it.
There was another "dark" curve that had some ice after that, and then as the road descended, the ice patches disappeared. I kept a slightly slower pace for a while, until I was sure it was warm enough to find no more ice. I took advantage of the slower pace to snap some on board pictures.
Now we are really warming up:
And it only gets better and better:
But as the road got tighter and more fun, the camera went back into the tank bag and I concentrated on the job at hand - keeping a good, entertaining pace, while avoiding becoming a hood ornament on an on-coming truck .
It's all fun and games until you run into one of these guys at the worng moment:
Mexican truckers like to drive fast too, and they use the whole road to do so on tight roads like this. If you ever had any doubts about the safety value of running well within your limits and not counting on using both lanes to negotiate a curve so you can change your line as needed to avoid an obstacle, El Espinazo del Diablo is going to make a believer out of you. Or a hood ornament.
Traffic was significantly lighter than last year, and it was a lot of fun . I only stopped once, to take a picture and peel off the cold weather layers, as it was getting warm.
El Espinazo del Diablo:
I made good time to Concordia, but good time here means I averaged only a little over 40 MPH on this 100 mile stretch. It's one of the best 100 miles of curves I know, though. It's fun, it's challenging, it's exciting and it requires absolute concentration, can't day dream on this road, if the road conditions don't get you, an oncoming car/truck will. Maybe I can find a job in Durango...
It was more than just warm in Concordia. I took everything off (OK, not everything ), drank a lot of water and promptly got back on the road only to get stuck behind two large trucks that were using every inch of the road to negotiate the last tight turns before reaching the coast.
I'd rather be behind him looking for a chance to pass than meet him head on around a blind curve:
Given this delay, I decided to take the toll section south from Villa Union to Tepic, but it turned out that most of that road is under construction, so after a short 30 mile section we got diverted back to the libre road. That is a narrow two lane road that serves as the main north-south road on the pacific coast side, traffic was very heavy and passing opportunities limited, at least so I thought. I would slowly make my way around long lines of cars, pickups and trucks only to get stuck behind another long column of slow moving vehicles a few miles down the road.
Traffic on Hwy 15 was heavy:
I took the detour to San Blas, I figured even if it's not any faster, at least there will be less traffic and I'll make a stop in San Blas to see the town.
The town turned out to be a disappointment, not what I was expecting at all. Never mind, the road was nice and twisty, there were no trucks to follow, so I didn't have to inhale exhaust fumes like on Hwy 15 and when I got near the coast, the views were really nice. Good choice.
When I re-joined the road to Puerto Vallarta traffic was even heavier than on Hwy 15. Not as many trucks, but obviously, a lot of people going to the beaches for the New Year holiday . In Bucerias traffic wasn't moving when the lights turned green, as there was nowhere to go. Luckily, you don't have to wait in line on a bike, and I made my way to the front of every traffic light rather quickly. I got to Nuevo Vallarta around 7 PM and found Jose Luis' new house without a problem (GNS works ).
It was fun to catch up with Lety and Jose Luis, I had not seen them since last New Years (even thought I "see" JL online a lot ). Lety had a wonderful dinner ready, and it was very well timed, as I was starving by the time I got there.
It was a 500 mile day, and I only averaged 50 MPH between the tight curves of El Espinazo and getting stuck in traffic on Hwys 15 and 200, but it was a really good day.
Tomorrow we continue on our way south.
Riding 4 Health
Joined: Nov 2005
Location: Nicaragua or Mexico or ?
Oddometer: 1,081
Hola Gustavo! como estas? me da gusto averte encontrado aqui tambien estado viendo el relato en motoaventuras.net. me dio gusto ver rutas y personas que conoci el ano pasado. aver cuando nosotros nos conocemos en persona! gracias por el relato y fotos!!
Got Adventure?
Joined: Dec 2005
Location: Vol State
Oddometer: 1,185
Enjoyed the report! Nice ride.
Go Vols!
Motociclista Errante
Joined: Jun 2004
Location: Sometimes in Hillsburrito
Oddometer: 2,292
Motociclista Errante
Joined: Jun 2004
Location: Sometimes in Hillsburrito
Oddometer: 2,292
But not in this case. You are right, it is a sham, nothing more than a tourist trap.
Motociclista Errante
Joined: Jun 2004
Location: Sometimes in Hillsburrito
Oddometer: 2,292
Puerto Vallarta to Lazaro Cardenas
The plan from Puerto Vallarta was that we were going to ride south, along the coast to meet Johan in Lazaro Cardenas and ride with him to his place in Valle de Bravo, south east of Mexico City.
It's only about 400 miles to Lazaro Cardenas, but Hwy 200 along the Pacific coast is anything but a highway in any sense we know it in the US or straight. Since we were on the north end of Vallarta, we thought it would be good to leave early before tourist traffic made progress through the city very, very slow. It seems early at the Doc's house means before 9 AM...
Ready to leave at the break of dawn, about 9 AM or so...
I followed Jose Luis and Lety through Vallarta's streets at a break neck pace. To say that JL has a way around city traffic doesn't really explain the pace . He finds holes in traffic that I didn't even think existed, and he was riding a loaded R12GS with expanded Vario bags. It's not much different out on the open highway. If Mexicans pass just about anywhere, JL passes in places most Mexicans wouldn't. But, riding two-up and loaded, he didn't manage to get away from me for too long, even if I waited for a more reasonable (in my eyes) location to make the pass.
Downtown Vallarta:
Hwy 200, south of Vallarta:
As the hours went by and we got further south it started getting really warm, even Lety who likes hot weather and is used to coastal Mexico was saying it was warm in her riding gear.
Ventilation testing:
We made a few hydration stops in addition to the gas stops, but not much more. JL was worried that it would get dark before we reach Lazaro Cardenas, and he said he really, really, didn't want to ride that road after dark.
This works much better to cool you off than any vents in my jackets ever did:
Yeah, I was there too :
Mexico can be challenging to drive in, you never know what you'll find on the road:
The concept of ATGATT is not well understood in Michoacan. By the way he was riding and crossing the center line on the exit of curves, she is going to be sorry about that sooner rather than later.
But, as we made good progress, we decided to stop for a late lunch in a small town called Maruata. We made our way through the dirt streets to get a beautiful beach lined with restaurants under palapas. We had excellent ceviche, shrimp cocktails and fish tacos there.
Lunch stop, on the beach, in Maruata:
Making piñatas:
This kid was selling really nice hand crafts. Unfortunately, I couldn't even fit an extra toothpick in my bag...
In Maruata, most people still seem to wash their cloths in the river:
Michoacan is one of the poorest states in Mexico and it was rather painfully obvious by the state of the roads. In some sections, there was no pavement left, only beat up dirt from the heavy traffic (did I mention that Hwy 200 is the main coastal route in southern Mexico?). I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed with Hwy 200. It runs painfully close to the ocean, yet most of the time it runs just far enough inland and/or behind thick enough vegetation that you can't really see the ocean. At least not as I expected it based on the way it follows the coastline. As we got closer to Lazaro Cardenas, the road quality improved, as did the views of the ocean. It was hard to keep my eyes from wandering from the road to looking at those picturesque beaches.
Beautiful Michoacan coastline:
When we got to LC, Johan was already there, but on his own. Turns out all the Mexico City area crew that said would ride with him to meet us bailed out in the last moment, leaving him to ride there on his own. We found the hotel with help from a local kid on a scooter that stopped to look at our bikes as we were calling Johan to see where he found rooms for the night. Given that we were on the coast, dinner was (excellent) seafood again.
Enjoying dinner in Lazaro Cardenas:
The plazas of Lazaro Cardenas were lined with outdoor eateries:
Tomorrow, we head to Valle de Bravo.
Gustavo screwed with this post 01-23-2007 at 11:53 AM
Motociclista Errante
Joined: Jun 2004
Location: Sometimes in Hillsburrito
Oddometer: 2,292
Lazaro Cardenas to Valle de Bravo
Johan insisted on an early start, because he wanted to have breakfast in Ixtapa. I had no problem with that, and Lety was a good sport and made an effort to be ready early. We left around 7:30, which must be some sort of record for JL and Lety.
The border between Michoacan and Guerrero is right outside Lazaro Cardenas and as part of a campaign to fight organized crime and drug trafficking, there are plenty of police and military check points along most roads, especially around the borders between states. They typically check for arms, drugs and stolen property. Johan was leading, and he must have looked suspicious, because we got pulled over. They even asked to see my temporary import permit, which is a first outside of the customs checkpoints near the US border. Jose Luis was in the back, but as the officer looking at my permit turned around he recognized him and they started chatting. Last year I realized Jose Luis knows everybody in Vallarta, but I didnt realize he knew everybody in Mexico! Obviously, at that point, they lost interest in us, as Santiago, the PFP officer, told them that if we were with El Doc we were OK, proving once again that its not what you know but rather who you know that is important.
The federal police was out in force for the holidays. They must have gotten reports of that dangerous biker gang going to Valle...
Crossing into Guerrero:
Johan took us for the $0.25 tour of Ixtapa and quickly to the restaurant he was planning on having breakfast. Breakfast in Ixtapa was very good (Johan knows his restaurantes... ), its also a very nice (even if a bit too much made for gringo tourist) resort town.
Two GS's and one good bike in Ixtapa:
From Ixtapa you get on Hwy 134 which leads towards Toluca. Its about 250 miles to the Valle de Bravo turn off, but the straight sections on this road are few and far between. Its tight, its twisty and pavement quality varies greatly (so, its a normal Mexican road).
Yes, more curves. About 250 miles of them. I love Mexico :
Luckily, traffic wasnt very heavy, but it didnt matter much with Johan. If Jose Luis makes most Mexicans seem relaxed in their passing habits, Johan makes JL look like a little old lady . Although, I have to admit that I learned a lot from watching his technique. It's not always about speed, it's about finding those elusive gaps between on coming traffic or the gap between the traffic you are passing and on coming traffic, so you can split lanes, only with one lane of traffic coming in the opposite direction. Not for the faint of heart. I figured out it would be best if I rode in the back, at least it would be easy to catch up after I cleared traffic.
Great elevation changes brought different scenery, but no less curves:
My burro is faster than your burro:
Some of the views on the road to Ciudad Altamirano:
This guy was so loaded (and the truck was so old...) that he was barely making progress up the hill:
More views from Hwy 134:
In some places the pavement was almost gone:
I counted 8 passengers in the bed of that Nissan pickup:
Ciudad Altamirano was a big surprise. I didn't expect it to be such a large, bustling city. Traffic was heavy, the streets narrow and it was hot. We tried to find the gaps in traffic that would allow us to make a bit faster progress. At one point, Johan and Jose Luis went to the left lanes to split traffic, but i decided I'd be better off on the right side. I lost track of them in traffic only to suddenly see familair headlights in my mirror.
I guess going right was the right choice:
Do you guys think there is a bit more room on that trcuk for a few more tires?
It was hot, so it was time to take a break. Nothing like fresh squeezed orange juice served with a smile:
Outside of Ciudad Altamirano Johan went by a SES checkpoint, but they pulled JL and me over for inspection. These guys were looking for drugs and arms. There was a team of reporters taking pictures and talking to the police and travelers. They took our pictures and I asked if I could take some too. The young officer wasnt sure so he referred me to the post commander. I walked over and we chatted for a while as he was standing there with a reporter and photographer . He asked where I was coming from and how I was liking my trip through Mexico. He also asked if it was as bad as reports make it to be (there have been some serious confrontations between one of the cartels and police forces in Michoacan). I told him I was having a great trip through Mexico, really enjoying myself, and that I had not run into any issues at all. And as we were standing there with the reporters I told him you cant believe anything they say in the news, all they are looking for is sensationalism and they exaggerate all their reports to make them seem more interesting. He cracked up (so did one of the younger reporters) and after a few minutes, when he caught his composure he said I could take as many pictures as wanted. If it hadnt been so hot in my riding suit I might have spent more time there, but I really wanted to get moving, so I snapped a couple of pictures and we quickly departed.
Another check point, but that notorious R12GS gang eludes police again:
We made good progress after that, save for one tope incident I had leaving a small town. I was sure we were clear of the topes, so I picked up speed to catch up with Johan and JL, only to realize there was one more tope (of the nasty unpainted or signed type) as I was about to hit it. Going 50 MPH, I rolled off the throttle and snapped it open again to get the front over the tope. It worked, I hit it lightly with the front and caught some nice air (much to the delight of the locals, I am sure ). A quick check showed everything was still there (especially the top case - kudos to Givi for making a very good latching system ), so I continued on my way.
Johan and Jose Luis enjoying the curves on our way to Valle:
If it runs, it's street legal. What you can't see that well from this angle are the bent bars (and I mean - bent) and the treadless tires:
We got to Valle around 5 PM, where Johan had prepared a very nice late lunch for us.
Johan not only knows restaurantes, he knows food. The house was OK too
More on the Valle experience later.
Mod Squad
Joined: Aug 2002
Location: Toronto, ON
Oddometer: 57,138
Just beautiful!! Thanks again for the pics and updated report
Gnarly Adventurer
Joined: Nov 2003
Location: Bellvue, Colorado
Oddometer: 233
photo set up
Great report. I'm heading down the opposite coast in the near future. How did you set up you camera for all the great shots?
Motociclista Errante
Joined: Jun 2004
Location: Sometimes in Hillsburrito
Oddometer: 2,292
The camera support is rather special. You could say custom made.
It allows shots above the windscreen:
side of the bike:
or perpendicular:
It's my left hand.
Yes, really. No fancy support, just shooting pictures free hand. A small camera (I use a Canon SD450) and some practice help, but that's about it.
Motociclista Errante
Joined: Jun 2004
Location: Sometimes in Hillsburrito
Oddometer: 2,292
Valle de Bravo
Let me start by saying that Johan and Juanita are simply excellent hosts. We spent 3 days in Valle de Bravo with them and had a very good time. Johan had some sight-seeing ideas planned and some new ideas that appeared as we sat and chatted made for an excellent visit.
We started the day (the day starts after breakfast, at around 11 AM... ) with a visit to Enrique's place where he wanted to show off his new seat to Jose Luis who has been complaining about the OEM GS seat being too soft and uncomfortable for long rides. The "short" visit turned into several hours as we enjoyed Enrique's lovely garden, the discussion was lively and he constantly brought more drinks and food out, so no one was in a hurry to leave...
Hanging out in Enrique's backyard:
Our most exellent hosts:
But, Johan had a plan, and we had to leave. We went to La Torre, a mountain with an observation tower which also serves as a launching spot for gliders. The views of Valle de Bravo and the lake are spectacular, and seeing all those gliders over boats on the lake makes it as if it was out of postcard. Life in Valle is obviously rough.
MotoAventuras goes to La Torre:
Valle de Bravo:
Oh, yeah, in Mexico, we travel like Mexican do - in the back of a truck:
Of course, by the time we got down from La Torre, it was time to eat again, so we stopped along the way back into town at a very nice restaurant where we tried some local specialties. We had barely made it back to Johan's and it was time to leave again. Johan had gotten tickets to a Valle benefit concert that is held annually before the New Year. This year it was Dos Guitarras, a guitar concert, given by a very talented local musician who had studied in the Music Academy of London and his guitar teacher from the academy. I really enjoyed it.
After the concert, we went to hear Balam give a talk about his motorcycle travels through South America at the KTM shop. Balam started his trip as a short vacation and it turned into a 3 year adventure, covering most of Latin America (http://www.motoquimera.com). He is a friend of Jose Luis' from their KLR days and happens to live in Valle now. Unfortunately, the KTM guys didn't have a covered spot for this, so the talk was in their back yard. I say unfortunately, because Valle is rather chilly at night and people didn't really want to hang out for a Q&A session after the presentation.
Balam suggested we go see some prehistoric rock paintings that had been discovered near Santo Tomas (he was involved in the restoration and setup of the site) the next day and offered to be our guide.
Couldn't end the day without some good Tequila, could we?
The next day we went to Santo Tomas and had a great tour of the rock paintings site with Balam and his family. It turns out I "knew" Gerardo, his brother who came along on the tour, from ADVRider. Very small world.
Bird of Paradise:
Balam leads the expedition to see the prehistoric rock paintings:
He is so excited you'd think he actually drew these, when he "only" helped restore and open up the site for public viewing. :
He is so good at it, even the local kids who would typically ignore tourists were facinated by his explanations:
We also went to see what's left of the old Santo Tomas town. The original Santo Tomas sat in a valley which was flooded after the construction of a hydro power damn system in the area. The only part that is visible in the lake that was formed is the top of the church tower. Very conveniently, there are some restaurants along the lake shore, where you can sit and absorb the views while eating tasty treats.
Restaurant on the lake:
After the valley was flooded, all that remains visible of the old town of Santo Tomas is the church tower:
We finished the day with an excellent New Year's paella and cochinita pibil dinner with Johan and his family at their house (do you guys spot a trend here? Johan likes to eat well ).
New Year's dinner:
My plan was to ride up to some spot in the Sierra Gorda on New Year's day. Johan had other plans . We went out for breakfast (do I have to mention it was good Mexican food? He hasn't disappointed yet, has he? ), then he took us to show off a house his company is working on. This house is perched on top of a cliff called La Peña, and has breathtaking views of Valle and the lake. I could live in a shack like that.
Feliz 2007 - Johan and Jose Luis downtown Valle:
Mercado de Artesanias - Strange mix of Chinese made plastic junk and local crafts:
Catching some rays:
The views of Valle and the lake from La Peña:
OK, it's almost 2 PM and I am getting anxious . We slowly make our way though Valle traffic (everybody and his brother was out today, after all it is New Years day) to Johan's place. At about 2:30 we get there and in no time I am ready to leave. A quick goodbye and I am off to fight Valle traffic again (I am going to a road that's on the other side of town. Luckily, the bike makes it across town much faster than a car. Johan suggested a shortcut to Tequisquiapan, and I find it without any problems. The road out of the city is fantastic. Valle (valley) is surrounded by mountains, of course, and as you may remember, these guys don't know how to build a straight road...
The PFP's latest road weapon - most of these are equiped with radars - they don't use them often, but they will eventually...:
At 6 PM, after doing my best imitation of Johan on Mexican roads (no, I am not even close to the master ) and just as it's getting dark out there, I roll into Tequis.
Gustavo screwed with this post 01-25-2007 at 08:38 AM
Motociclista Errante
Joined: Jun 2004
Location: Sometimes in Hillsburrito
Oddometer: 2,292
Tequis - Zacatecas
Where were we? I had made it to Tequis right as it was getting dark, I found the hotel I was looking for, Posada San Francisco, which was listed in the Lonely Planet as budget hotel. When I walked in I was greeted very nicely by the manager, but she had a much higher price in mind than I thought it would be based on the LP listing. Not a big problem, everything is negotiable, so we ended up agreeing on a "special" 33% discount. Now it was a much more appealing place to stay.
Tequis became what it is thanks to hot springs that were used by Mexico Citys rich and famous as a place to cure what ills them.
Tequis' plaza:
This included a long list of presidents as well, and since in countries like Mexico you needed (many say you still have) to be close to the source to land lucrative business deals, everybody else followed. Now Tequis is a well established weekend resort town and it shows. It has that look one imagines quaint Mexican towns do, but still retains the feeling of a real working town, not a tourist resort, such as those you find on the coasts.
The courtyard at Posada San Francisco:
I had a long day ahead of me, so I got up around 7, and went out to find something to eat about 30 minutes later, only to find out again that in Mexico, the saying "no por mucho madrugar amanece mas temprano" is always true.
Tequis is not a town of early risers:
It took me 20 minutes to find someone that already had something that would pass for breakfast close to 8 AM. Not a town of early risers. Breakfast ended up being a warm cup of atole de fresa and sweet Mexican bread. I had my breakfast sitting on a bench in the main plaza, across from church, watching people coming out of the morning mass. No wonder there was no one in the market. Market starts only after mass ends...
This is where you get your atole early in the morning:
One of the early riser walking to the market after mass:
I really liked this building:
Tequis streets:
It was time to get on the road. The road east out of Tequis doesnt start out very promising. If you dont know where you are going, youd be forgiven if you think you are about to spend the day riding mostly in a straight line and down these mild hills. Once you get near the San Joaquin turnoff, the road starts to get more interesting.
Climbing into the Sierra:
Still very arrid and desert like:
As I had never been up to San Joaquin, I decided to go check it out. 20 miles each way, over an hour to do it, with only one short stop. Now this is more like it.
Back on the main road to the Sierra Gorda, the road takes a nose dive into a valley, then starts to finally climb into the mountains.
Finally a straight strech to let you rest...
At one spot in the road, as you are climbing further into the Sierra, a sign proclaims this to be the Gateway to Heaven. If you are a motorcyclist, they are not exaggerating. OK, they actually meant it in the sense that this is a natural reserve, but I couldn't have agreed more anyway.
No, they are no exaggerating:
More curves, different background (like you have time to notice ):
Still climbing...
Looked like quartz stones:
At one point I looked over the valley, and saw a beautiful cloudy carpet completely filling the space between the peaks. The sun was shining, the temperature very comfortable for riding, and I couldnt help but think about that sign again. This was the roadway to heaven.
Riding above the clouds in the Sierra Gorda:
Stuff you find on the road (part.. oh, I lost count already ) - Someone lost a load of something that used to be made out of this nice dark glass:
Now I'm "officially" there:
Pinal de Amoles:
Remember those clouds? Of course, about 30 minutes later, I was riding in those clouds, as I was descending to Jalpan. Visibility very limited, and since I couldnt see through my heavily misted/fogged face shield, I had to ride with it up, getting wet and cold in the process. So much for heaven.
Curve? What curve?
The ride through the clouds didnt really last as long as it seemed at the time, and I quickly found myself in Jalpan. Since we visited Jalpan last year, I decided to skip the town and go on towards San Luis Potosi.
This has got to be the most creative use of Sch 40 PVC I have ever seen:
After some short straight sections in the valleys near Rio Verde, the road climbs into the mountains again but this time, as the road to SLP is a major access east, there was a lot more traffic. Luckily, it was all dispatched without too much trouble using the techniques of Johan the master of Mexican traffic.
San Luis Potosi is a very large, industrial city, with a lively colonial/historical city center. It may not be a tourist destination, but if you are on the road and need a place to crash for the night, it may make an interesting overnight stop. Zacatecas is more interesting, IMHO, and that was my target for the night.
I have usually stayed in the city center, but parking is a hassle (none of the places I can afford have onsite parking) so I decided to try a hotel a bit further out. I picked Hotel Colon out of the LP budget list, since it listed parking was available. That was not the case, no parking is available, but they didnt mind if I left the bike in their reserved loading/unloading area, just in front of the main door, which I figured was just as good.
Zacatecas has some really steep streets:
Downtown Zacatecas:
Zacatecas' cathedral:
One of the problems of shooting with a timer dealy - Hey, how did that bus get into my frame?
Much better now - The main entrance to Zacatecas' cathedral:
I went to have dinner at Doña Julias (excellent gorditas), but as is often the case, it was packed and there was a long wait for a table. I was really hungry, so I decided to go have dinner at Acropolis, a restaurant recommended by Gourmet Magazine (it was Lizbeths suggestion, I was talking to her on the phone as I walked around the city, she remembers those kinds of details).
The place was nice, the food tasty, but for some reason, it didnt agree with me at all . So much for Gourmet Magazine recommendations... To make a long story short, it was a very long night , which was really bad timing, as I was looking at an 880 km trip then next day to get to Chihuahua.
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Petzval Exhibition Launch Party!
21 Aug 2014
Event times
Cost of entry
- 3 Newburgh st
- London
- United Kingdom
- www.lomography.com
Travel Information
- Nearest tube is Oxford Circus. We are just off of Carnaby st
AboutThe time has finally come when we can proudly launch our amazing new Lomography Art Lens - The gorgeous Petzval lens! What better way to celebrate than by throwing a party with live music from London-based folk singer DENAI MOORE, lots of bubbly and an amazing exhibition featuring top photographers as well as winners from our Petzval apprentice program. Party Highlights: ⢠Showcasing UK photographers: Tom Sheehan (music photographer), Emma Case (wedding photographer) and James Nadar (fashion photographer). ⢠Fantastic Collection of photographs: taken by Petzval Artists from the USA, France, HongKong and Japan. ⢠New talent showcased: 5 winning photos from the Petzval Apprentice Competition ⢠Live Music Performance: London-based folk/soul musician, DENAI MOORE. ⢠Try-out session: Bring your Nikon and canon mount (D)SLR cameras and give the lenses a go! ⢠Open bar: Lots of bubbly and beer ⢠Raffle: Selected exhibition prints to be raffled off on the night! All welcome, invite your friends and see you then!
Art form
Have you been to this event? What do you think? Join the discussion here!
Remember, you can include links to your instagram pictures and to videos.