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This is the Snooki we don't often see: The Jersey Shore star tweeted a photo of her and her two-month-old son, Lorenzo, relaxing at home over the weekend. Makeup-free and low-key, the reality diva looked like any normal mom just chilling out with her baby.
"Mommy & son," was the caption the star shared along with an adorable picture of her and her little man. In the shot, the star — real name Nicole Polizzi — looks almost unrecognizable sans her teased hair and heavy makeup. It is surprising how pretty the star is without all the fuss. One has to wonder why she doesn't go for a natural look more often.
But what is most striking about the photo is that Polizzi is clearly smitten her son. To all the haters out there: Snooki is just like any other mama behind all the cringe worth behavior and questionable antics she engaged in pre-baby.
In fact, the star has revealed her more sensitive side this week, tweeting her outspoken support of Hurricane Sandy victims. Following the storm, Polizzi encouraged people to donate to the Red Cross to help relief efforts in the tri-state area.
But even pre-Sandy, the star seemed softer as well. She appeared on the Today show recently saying that her life had changed radically since giving birth to Lorenzo. The Jersey girl also expressed her desire to raise her son out of the spotlight once he was of school age.
So is this a completely different Snooki than fans formerly knew? Perhaps she will hit a few bars in her future, but I will give her the benefit of the doubt that she really has reformed her lifestyle. After all, having a baby changes everything; even a star known for her drunken antics is not immune from the magical experience of welcoming a new life into the world.
How have you changed since having a baby?
Photo credit: Twitter


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The Next Thing From VEVO is 'The Next Wave' With Schick Hydro(TM)
VEVO partners with Schick Hydro(TM) to launch exclusive channel to showcase new music
Jun 22, 2010, 15:22 ET from VEVO
NEW YORK, June 22 /PRNewswire/ -- VEVO, the web's leading premium music video and entertainment service, announced today that it is partnering with Schick Hydro™ to launch its first channel dedicated to showcasing emerging artists across all music genres.
The music discovery channel is branded "The Next Wave presented by Schick Hydro," and will feature up-and-coming artists at both major and independent record labels affiliated with VEVO and its many content partners. Every other week, VEVO and Schick will refresh the channel to deliver new videos and playlists, along with editorial support and promotions that expose fans to new music and talent. As part of the program, Schick will offer free MP3 downloads of music from the channel's featured artists in July.
"VEVO was created, in part, for music fans to explore and discover new artists, in addition to those they already know and love," said Rio Caraeff, President and CEO, VEVO. "VEVO's close relationships with artists and record labels give us an early opportunity to hear new music, which we can then introduce to passionate music fans through compelling and exclusive programming. 'The Next Wave' is an innovative partnership with Schick Hydro that will give a voice to today's emerging talent."
"Schick Hydro is a truly innovative product that demands similarly inventive marketing platforms like this new VEVO channel," said Dan Kinton, Senior Brand Manager for Schick. "Just as VEVO is reinventing the music experience for listeners, Schick Hydro has introduced cutting-edge technology that dramatically improves the shave experience for men. We're committed to refreshing men's experiences by reaching them at their passion points and providing an unexpected benefit -- whether it's a surprisingly hydrating and comfortable shave, or a new music experience."
"The Next Wave, presented by Schick Hydro" will launch with original programming from electronic pop band Passion Pit. The Boston-based band filmed several exclusive videos promoting both the channel and their first single "Sleepyhead," (from their Columbia Records debut Manners).
"We're honored to be a part of Schick Hydro's 'The Next Wave' channel on VEVO that will be featuring our new video for 'Sleepyhead,'" said Ian Hultquist of Passion Pit. "As huge music fans, we're happy to be involved with anything that helps expose people to new and emerging artists."
MEC:Access, the Entertainment and Sports Partnership arm of MEC, developed the marketing platform with VEVO for Schick, connecting the brand directly with the target's passion for music.
Visit http://vevo.com/channel/the-next-wave/143 to view "The Next Wave channel presented by Schick Hydro." Additionally, the exclusive programming will be available on each featured artist's channel on VEVO and VEVO on YouTube.
About VEVO
VEVO is the web's number one premium music video and entertainment service with over 1.1 billion worldwide streams and nearly 60 million unique visitors in the U.S. and Canada each month. VEVO's programming is made available across the VEVO Network, which includes VEVO.com (the service's marquee destination site), VEVO on YouTube, and a VEVO-branded embedded player. The service also serves as a syndication platform for additional internet destination sites, including AOL and CBS Interactive Music Group, expanding the reach of the VEVO Network across the worldwide web.
VEVO was created in partnership by Universal Music Group (UMG), Sony Music Entertainment (SME) and the Abu Dhabi Media Company. It is operated independently by a dedicated management team with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit and San Francisco.
Explore VEVO at www.vevo.com Journalists/Bloggers can stay updated on VEVO news at www.twitter.com/VEVO_Media
About Schick-Wilkinson Sword
Schick-Wilkinson Sword, a leading manufacturer of razors around the world, is a division of Energizer Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: ENR), headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. For more information on shaving and Schick® Hydro™, visit www.schickhydro.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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The provincial government has slammed the door on any plans by the city to use photo radar outside of restricted areas to generate more money for city coffers.
In an upcoming public opinion survey by the Winnipeg Police Service, the city plans to ask Winnipeggers whether photo radar should be used outside of school zones, parks and construction zones.
Under the province's Highway Traffic Act, the city can only deploy photo radar vehicles in those restricted areas.
It's the second time city hall has tried to push for unrestricted use of photo radar to boost revenues. But like the last time they tried, the province is refusing their request.
"The province is not considering any changes to the Highway Traffic Act to alter the restrictions on the use of photo radar," a spokesman for Premier Greg Selinger's office said Wednesday. "When we first permitted the use of photo radar in response to the City of Winnipeg's request, we made it clear that it must be limited to key areas where the safety of motorists and pedestrians is a concern."
City hall attempted in 2006 to gain the right to use photo radar wherever they pleased, including along routes like Bishop Grandin, the Perimeter and Lagimodiere, which could be a gold mine for city coffers.
But then-premier Gary Doer turned the city down, saying city hall should stick to road safety issues, not revenue generation.
"When you're driving down Bishop Grandin on a Sunday morning you shouldn't speed, but the public knows the difference between safety at an intersection and 'gotcha,'" Doer said at the time. "The legislation was written to have safety first, 'gotcha' second."
The problem for the city is that it's not making as much money from photo radar as it used to. That's a problem for the bean-counters and the folks at ACS Public Sector Solutions, the private, for-profit company that makes millions from photo enforcement in Winnipeg.
Photo enforcement profits declined to $3.7 million in 2011, down from $4.9 million in 2009.
Part of the reason is photo radar infractions have plummeted in recent years. They've fallen from a high of 188,162 in 2008 — the year the city was tricking motorists in construction zones with misleading speed limit signs — to only 44,141 tickets in 2011.
The new contract with ACS, approved in December, will help shore up some of those declining revenues due to lower operating costs. The company is switching to digital images from outdated film, lowering costs and boosting profits.
But in the long term, the city is still looking for ways to further maximize revenues, which is why they're pushing again for the use of photo radar in areas other than school zones, parks and construction zones.
It's no longer a debate that city hall uses photo enforcement primarily to generate revenues. In a city report that went to city council last year, administration said police could more effectively enforce traffic laws by adding more police officers to traffic duty instead of using photo enforcement. However, that would cut into city profits, the report said. As a result, administration recommended photo enforcement over more traffic cops, and city council accepted the advice.
Fortunately there are limits prescribed in law that won't allow the city to go berserk with photo radar. And the province appears firm on the need to maintain those safeguards.
It's unfortunate the city has abandoned the goal of making our streets safer through proper traffic enforcement, improved traffic engineering and recalibrated amber times for traffic lights. They have rejected any notion of improving those aspects of traffic safety in favour of revenue generation.
The result of that will be more traffic collisions and more traffic injuries.
It's too bad we don't have smarter people running city hall.
It's sad, really.
Mobile photo radar infractions
- 2006 – 70,051
- 2007 – 74,442
- 2008 – 118,692
- 2009 – 66,383
- 2010 – 48,043
- 2011 – 44,141
— Source: Winnipeg Police Service photo enforcement annual reports, 2006-2011


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Feb 19, 2014 Phil Blackwell Uncategorized
In their own unique ways, the Cicero-North Syracuse girls and boys basketball teams will both head to Onondaga Community College Saturday with clear goals in mind when they enter the Section III Class AA semifinals.
For the girls Northstars, who drubbed Fayetteville-Manlius 60-34 in Tuesday night's AA quarterfinal, it will be payback in mind as it takes on Nottingham, the same team that beat C-NS 56-44 on Feb. 11, causing the shuffle in playoff seeding that ultimately brings these sides back together.
Meanwhile, the boys Northstars, who have the no. 4 seed in its Class AA sectional bracket, earned a shot at toppling top seed F-M after taking over in the second half to oust no. 5 seed West Genesee 68-58, getting its own revenge in the process.
With a first-round bye, the C-NS girls, who had the no. 3 seed, had a week to get over the Nottingham loss, and returned to the court with a whole lot of purpose, determined not to let its five-year sectional title reign end at the expense of F-M, the no. 6 seed, who it had already beaten twice during the regular season.
The Northstars didn't take the lead for good until the second quarter despite nine early points from McKayla Roberts, but then its defense, mixing in all kinds of looks, began to take a toll on the Hornets.
After D'Jhai Patterson-Ricks sank a pair of free throws with 5:18 left in the half to cut C-NS's lead to 18-16, F-M did not score again the rest of the half, thwarted by the Northstars' zone defense as long-range shots flew well off target.
Meanwhile, C-NS's attack diversified. Five different players scored during a 10-0 run that stretched the margin to double digits, and the spurt grew to 20-3 as Elizabeth Miles capped it off with a pair of baskets that made it 38-19 midway through the third quarter.
F-M could not find a consistent response, and the Northstars pulled away as Miles led with 12 points, Beth Bonin contributed 10 points and Emilee Norris added eight points. Late in the third period, Samantha Tortora, who had nine points, suffered an ankle injury and left the game, not to return.
Once that was done, and once the large crowd returned to the C-NS gym after a fire alarm briefly cleared the building, it was time for the boys Northstars to enter the playoff fray. And it had plenty of motivation, since West Genesee had beaten them 64-46 just two weeks earlier in Camillus.
More comfortable on its home court, C-NS moved out in front for good early in the second quarter, pushed there by Connor Evans and his 11 first-half points. At one point, the margin got to six, but Shane Temara's 3-pointer at the buzzer cut the gap to 36-33 at halftime.
After WG closed the gap to one 40-39, early in the third period, the Northstars responded with a 9-0 run, launched by Brian DeMonte's 3-pointer, and were threatening to get away before Troy Temara's 3-pointer at the end of the period made it 51-44.
Again, the Wildcats, sparked by that timely basket, moved closer, cutting the lead to 53-50 with mroe than five minutes to play. Again, C-NS had an answer, with DeMonte's steal and lay-up, followed by a big 3-pointer and a key rebound basket from Ronnie Williams, got it back to 60-53.
Evans, who finished with 21 points, hit six late free throws to seal the victory, but just as important was the way the Northstars' bench produced. Nick Antonello gave C-NS a second option in the paint as he poured in 12 points, while Devin Turrell contributed 10 points, including six successful free throws.
And this leads C-NS to the semifinal against F-M, the 17-2 top seed, a team it put a scare into back on Jan. 7 in a 58-51 defeat. The stakes here are a ticket to the Carrier Dome for the March 1 sectional final against Utica Proctor or Henninger.
That game will tip off at 8:30 at SRC Arena, while the C-NS girls battle with Nottingham starts at 2:45 at OCC's adjacent Allyn Hall. The winner of that semifinal meets West Genesee or Rome Free Academy Feb. 28 at the Dome for the sectional championship.
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Literary Themes of the Poetry of Mu ammad ibn Dawud al-I fahani in Kitab al-Zahra
Mu ammad ibn Dawud al-I fahani (d. 297/909) was a judge of the ahirite madhhab of Islamic law, but his only surviving work is Kitab al-Zahra (The Book of the Flower), an anthology of poetry, including some of Ibn Dawud's own poems. The biographical tradition names Ibn Dawud's motivation for writing Kitab al-Zahra and his poetry therein as his unrequited love for a male friend, and this love story became much more famous than the poetry Ibn Dawud actually wrote. This dissertation argues that the subject of Ibn Dawud's poetry was not erotic love as is typically described in love poetry, but brotherhood (ikha'), friendship among males of similar age and social status, which was frequently a topic of discussion in `Abbasid literature, although Ibn Dawud may be the only poet of the Arabic language to make it the central theme of his work. A survey of other early Arabic works that deal with brotherhood, including pre-Islamic poetry, treatises on courtly etiquette, and philosophical writings influenced by the Aristotelian tradition, will provide insight into the cultural construct of brotherhood to which Ibn Dawud's poetry constantly returns. Close readings of Ibn Dawud's poetry show how he employed various conventions of Arabic poetry, such as intertextuality and a level of diction more appropriate to the entertainments and debates of the majlis than to the ceremonial ode (qa ida), in order to convey his ideas about brotherhood.
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Health trend continues as obesity rates rise
More Americans now believe they are overweight as an estimated 25.6 percent of US adults reported being obese in 2007, compared to 23.9 percent in 2005 which is an increase of 1.7 percent, according to study in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Experts say that efforts need to be made to reduce these figure and this provides opportunities for food and beverage manufacturers to position consumer products that address the obesity phenomenon.
Jonathan Thomas, principal market analyst for Leatherhead Food International, told FoodNavigator-USA.com that food manufacturers are capitalizing on the continued growth in demand for healthier products.
He said: "Many have launched product ranges specifically targeted at particular dietary concerns, such as Kraft's range of products influenced by the South Beach Diet.
"Others are reformulating their products to give them added health appeal – for example, trans fatty acids are increasingly being removed, whilst many savory snacks are now being baked or cooked in healthier oils.
"Early indications suggest that many of these innovations are proving popular with consumers.
"Products that are marketed as healthy or better-for-you are still growing quite strongly in places like the US and the UK.
"There is also more product development and product activity going on by extending the range of products with things like portion control, which is quite big in the US for instance."
He added that even with products which are typically seen as less healthy, such as crisps, "manufacturers are still investing the time and the money to reduce the saturated fat content and make their products seem a bit healthier".
Leatherhead said that last year American consumers spent $125 on "low and light" foods per capita.
Obesity rate
The obesity data were derived from a survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of more than 350,000 adults. BMI was calculated based on this self-reported information.
The report found that none of the 50 states or the District of Columbia has achieved the Healthy People 2010 goal which was designed to reduce obesity prevalence to 15 percent or less.
The prevalence of obesity, ranged from 19.1 percent for men and women aged 19-29 years to 31.7 and 30.2 percent, respectively, for men and women aged 50-59 years.
Obesity is a major risk factor for a number of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
Dr William Dietz, director of CDC's division of nutrition, physical activity, and obesity, said: "The epidemic of adult obesity continues to rise in the United States indicating that we need to step up our efforts at the national, state and local levels.
"We need to encourage people to eat more fruits and vegetables, engage in more physical activity and reduce the consumption of high calorie foods and sugar sweetened beverages in order to maintain a healthy weight."
Meeting health demands
A recent Credit Suisse report called "Obesity and Investment Implications" said that revenue related to obesity products in the consumer staples sector, which includes food and beverage companies, is set to reach $1.4 trillion globally in expected revenues by 2012, with average annual growth of 9.3 percent from 2008.
The report states: "In the packaged foods space, the drive against obesity is a further acceleration of already existing trends toward health and nutrition, convenience and trading up to more premium items."
According to Credit Suisse "portfolios have been reformulated, repackaged, and repositioned to provide healthier options, be it low fat, low sodium, low carb, trans fat free, sugar free, reduced calorie, portion control, or whole grains".
It describes these trends as part of a "natural evolution of the food industry to shifts in consumer demand or requirements.
In rated how well companies are positioned to capitalise on health and wellness trends, Credit Suisse said that Danone, Kellogg, and Nestlé "have the best-positioned portfolios".


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"In the last two games, I've felt about as free as I have in a couple years," Steve Nash said at Saturday's Los Angeles Lakers practice in El Segundo.
The 40-year-old point guard was constantly reminded of his birthday before, during and after Friday's win in Philadelphia. Nash led all scorers on the night and was moving like he never had since arriving in Los Angeles.
For 40, Nash looked great.
"I'm a little stiff," Nash said the day after his 40th birthday. "This will be a big challenge for me because of a six-hour flight and an early game on Sunday, so I definitely got to try to get my rest and do my work to be ready to go."
Nash said he stood on the flight back from Philadelphia about as often as he could to avoid getting stiff. He was doing all the work required to loosen up his back and allow him to continue on the path that had him back to this point.
"With this injury, I'm never going to count my chickens," Nash said with reserved caution.
Though he outright denied ever seriously considering the thought of retirement, he acknowledged the voices that have been pleading for him to hang up his shoes and save the Lakers a bit of money. Those voices constantly painted Nash as a stiff who could not get out of bed, let alone play basketball for the Lakers.
"I get it," Nash said to the fans who have been publicly begging him to retire. "I'm at the end of my career, and I've been hurt a lot, so I understand where some of the fans come from and their perspective. At the same time, I have a job to do."
Nash came into the NBA in the same draft as Kobe Bryant, so he is an experienced veteran. The 40-year-old does not directly see or hear most of what is written and said about him, but he contended that he is aware of those voices and words.
The main thought out there is that Nash should toss in the towel on his Hall-of-Fame career and claim medical retirement to save the Lakers some extra cap space. Shockingly, Nash is selfish enough to show up to work and try to do the best job he can do.
"I'd be lying if I said it feels good when people are negative towards you," Nash admitted before brushing off the comments by reminding reporters that he had heard worse.
Unlike Bryant, who seems to feed off negativity, Nash does not welcome the hate.
"I feel that that can be fleeting—if you're always trying to find motivation from others," the Canadian said. "I always try to motivate myself from within and be consistent with that, find a way every day to push myself, especially the days you don't feel like it."
"Absolutely," Nash responded without hesitation when asked if he appreciated playing the game even more after his struggle. "That's why I fought to get back. It is fun, and I love the game."
Standing in front of the small contingent of reporters who turned up for a Saturday practice, Nash thought hard about when his body last felt as good as it did now. In terms of rhythm and understanding teammates, Nash said last year had some bright spots. He admitted he was currently still a long way from being back in rhythm.
"There were times last year where I started to play pretty well, especially the month before I got hurt." However, the 40-year-old trumped that statement when he shared his 40th birthday present to himself. "As far as moving well, this is about as good as I've felt since before I broke my leg."


text:
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1999-2003 Acura TL Fog Light - Left - Driver Side - Action Crash AC2592104
Review Fitment Notes to Ensure Proper Fit
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4.7 Stars
Action Crash AC2592104
Fog Light
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Position: Left - Driver Side
Availability: (10) In Stock
Condition: New
Quality: Premium - High quality new replacement part.
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Part Number: AC2592104
Brand: Action Crash
Notes: DRIVER SIDE FOG LIGHT LENS AND HOUSING
Product Description
If you want to stay safe out on the road - and we assume that you do - it's important to keep an eye on the integrity of a few key components and systems. You need to be able to stop (the brakes), and you need to make sure that you are protected should the unthinkable occur (your seatbelts and airbags). You also need to be able to see and be seen - which is where your exterior lighting system comes into play. This fog light from Action Crash is designed for the 1999-2003 Acura TL. Your fog lights are particularly useful for maintaining visibility during inclement weather, which is one of the hardest conditions in which to drive.
|Description: Acura TL Left - Driver Side Fog Light. Brand: Action Crash. Fits Years: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 99, 00, 01, 02, 03. DRIVER SIDE FOG LIGHT LENS AND HOUSING - AC2592104
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The City of Wilton Manors Celebrates Monroe County Judge's Ruling Declaring the Ban on Marriage Equality in Florida Unconstitutional
Jul 22, 2014, 16:00 ET from The City of Wilton Manors
WILTON MANORS, Fla., July 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The City of Wilton Manors is celebrating as Florida moves one step closer to marriage equality for all.
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140722/129413
"I know I speak for our entire city when I say we applaud the ruling by Monroe County Circuit Judge Luis Garcia declaring the ban on marriage equality in Florida unconstitutional," said Mayor Gary Resnick. "As a richly diverse community and long-time proponent of equality, we eagerly anticipate the same ruling in the other cases that will allow all the right to marry in Florida and to have marriages in other states be recognized here in Florida. I congratulate and thank Aaron Huntsman and William Lee Jones for fighting for the right to be recognized as a married couple in Florida."
While this ruling only affects those who live in Monroe County, the City of Wilton Manors has long been a leader in supporting equality.
"On behalf of the Wilton Manors City Commission, the more than 12,000 residents and business owners who call Wilton Manors home, and the many Floridians who patiently wait for marriage equality, we want to congratulate and thank Aaron Huntsman and William Lee Jones, the couple who won in the Keys, and all plaintiffs pursuing these cases around the state, for fighting for equal rights to be recognized as married in Florida."
As a result of the 2010 US Census, the City of Wilton Manors was named the "Second gayest City" in the United States. With a large percentage of the population identifying as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, Wilton Manors has been recognized nationally and internationally as one of the most progressive places to live, work and play for many years.
To learn more about the City of Wilton Manors visit www.wiltonmanors.com.
Wilton Manors was laid out in 1925 by Edward John "Ned" Willingham, a land developer from Georgia, as an upscale residential community. It was recognized as a Village in 1947 and incorporated as a City in 1953. Today, the City of Wilton Manors offers all the benefits of a big city from shopping, to hip restaurants and bars, a burgeoning arts community and tons of community events, yet still maintains a cozy, community-feeling offering miles of natural waterways perfect for kayaking, paddle boarding and other outdoor activities. Recently named the "Second Gayest City" in the United States, the City of Wilton Manors celebrates a diverse population of approximately 12,000 residents. To learn more about the live, work and play opportunities in Wilton Manors call (954) 390-2100 or visit www.wiltonmanors.com.
CONTACT: Laurie Menekou, (954) 271-4666 (or) email@example.com
SOURCE The City of Wilton Manors


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Durham: have the fire-power to become the first county since 1968 to win three successive championships, if the batting performs.
Essex: can they stay in the Division One without Danish Kaneria's wrist-spin for most of the season? Their home-grown youngsters have to perform.
Hampshire: have the glitz to win the expanded Twenty20 — Michael Lumb, Shahid Afridi etc — but what about the substance to stay in Division One?
Kent: so difficult now for traditionally strong, and now financially poor, counties to compete with those with Test match revenue. Staying up would be good.
Lancashire: big runs from signed opener Stephen Moore could just bring the first outright championship since 1934.
Nottinghamshire: enough money for overseas signings to compete in limited-overs, at last, as well as the championship.
Somerset: Kieron Pollard and Cameron White will make them T20 challengers but can Murali Kartik spin championship sides out at Taunton?
Warwickshire: Imran Tahir will be an inspired signing from Hampshire if his wrist-spin can break the run of bore-draws at Edgbaston.
Yorkshire: after just staying afloat in recent years, the local youngsters under Andrew Gale will have to kick on to avert sinking.
Derbyshire: have stopped losing in the championship but can they start winning? In limited-overs cricket, yes, after signing Loots Bosman and Robin Peterson.
Glamorgan: now score consistent championship runs with home-grown players but still not enough pace bowling. One-day form dire for years.
Gloucestershire: win on seamers' pitches in Bristol but to gain promotion they need big runs from their Surrey signing, Jon Batty.
Leicestershire: how will Matthew Hoggard mentor all their young home-grown players? Better in the championship, probably.
Middlesex: never mind Adam Gilchrist in the Twenty20, Steve Finn has to build up his stamina for Australia this winter.
Northants: no Sehwag, no Panesar, no van der Wath. Another hard summer looms for another county without a Test ground.
Surrey: forget Eastenders as new captain Rory Hamilton-Brown, only 22, tries to control the big egos and major signings.
Sussex: with Dilshan and Dwayne Smith they will compete in T20, but can Monty Panesar restore them to Division One?
Worcestershire: the cou nty most in transition. So Bangladesh's captain, Shakib ul-Hasan, might not find out what winning is like after all.


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After having just spent a week in the 2013 Chevy Sonic RS, we can't get enough of this hot hatch. Chevy announced today that the 2014 Sonic will be available in two limited-edition colors as they try to stay with the trends. A chromatic plum called Deep Magenta Metallic is the first in the series and will be available August through October.
When it came time to replace Inferno Orange, the design team realized pink was a lasting trend, and after the success of Chevrolet Spark's Techno Pink, wanted to bring a more chromatic tone to showroom floors. It accents Sonic's shape to perfection.
"Color is simply energy: it is a universal language that everyone instinctively understands, and yet it can also mean different things to each individual," said Isham Sardouk, chief creative officer of Stylesight, a fashion trends forecasting company.
Chevrolet developed Deep Magenta Metallic after extensive research into fashion runways, consumer products and high-end furniture galleries. The color shifts in this magenta tone will show Sonic's form vocabulary, essentially the shape of the car, as it drives down the road.
On average, a Chevrolet vehicle has 10 to 12 color options throughout its lifecycle.
The limited edition colors will be applied with the "three-wet" paint process at GM's Orion Assembly Plant. The technique ensures high quality while reducing environmental impact. And it reduces the plant's paint shop footprint by 10 percent. GM was the first automaker to use the process, in which three layers of paint are applied one after another without drying, thus requiring only a single trip through the oven.
Following the Deep Magenta Metallic, Cool Blue - a greyish, dirty blue - will be available on Sonic from November until March. Dragon Green will come to the lineup as a permanent addition to the Sonic palate the first quarter of 2014.
Source: GM


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Dilip Vengsarkar XI beat Sunil Gavaskar XI
Dilip Vengsarkar XI registered a 10-wicket win over Sunil Gavaskar XI on Day Two of the under-14 Varroc Cup played at the Dilip Vengsarkar Academy in Mahul yesterday. Chasing a target of 10 runs, Vengsarkar XI won the match without losing any wickets.
After being forced to follow-on opener Shubham Girkar scored a fighting 78 for Sunil Gavaskar XI in their second innings, but off-spinner Aryan Shetty bagged 6-50 to restrict Sunil Gavaskar XI to 152 runs in 49.4 overs.
In the first innings, Dilip Vengsarkar XI bowlers had dominated Sunil Gavaskar XI by dismissing them for just 67 runs in 39.5 overs in their first innings and forced them to follow on.
Earlier, electing to bat, Mushir Khan (32), Aiyaz Khan (36) and Ketav Bhosle (43) guided Dilip Vengsarkar XI to a score of 210 in 60.3 overs in their first innings. Ritesh Nalawade bagged 3-43 for Sunil Gavaskar XI.


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Half of All Cancer Deaths Now 'Preventable'
Fully half of all cancer deaths in the United States are now preventable, a statistic which local cancer researchers say is encouraging, but will require very difficult lifestyle changes, 1200 WOAI news reports.
The American Association for Cancer Research says cancer research efforts should be geared more toward preventing individuals from getting cancer in the first place.
Dr Anthony Tolcher of san Antonio's START Center for Cancer Care, the region's leading cancer research and treatment practice, says that is promising in that we know the cause of more cancers, from lifestyle factors ranging from sitting in the sun to smoking, but dealing with these lifestyle factors can be problematic.
"Changing our dietary habits, so we can perhaps deal with some of the malignancies which affect Americans far more than people in other parts of the world," he said.
Tolcher said there is precedent if we look at changing these lifestyle factors over decades. He points out incidence of adult cigarette smoking is down sharply in the United States, since the Surgeon General definitively linked smoking and cancer in 1964.
Dr. Tolcher says another factor that makes cancer 'preventable' is making sure treating physicians provide proper treatments, something he said is also difficult.
"With so many things changing so quickly, with new drugs and new therapies, we have to make sure that passes along to all the oncologists in the United States."
The report points out that cancer is now killing roughly 580,000 Americans per year, but says that number has fallen substantially since 1990. It says the cost of cancer on the U.S. economy, everything from treatment costs to the costs of lost productivity and wages, was more than $200 billion last year, and points out that those costs could be substantially reduced if we did a better job of tackling the lifestyle factors which are responsible for more and more cancers.
It also points out that the huge Baby Boomer generation is now entering the time in their lives where cancer is more likely to appear, potentially driving up those costs.
But Dr. Tolcher says the coming decade will see many breakthroughs in cancer treatment. The report itself says the FDA so far this year has approved 11 news cancer therapies, about half of which target specific cancer defects.
Tolcher says the number of cancer deaths in the coming decades, despite the large number of Americans in the dangerous cancer years of their fifties and sixties, will be sharply lower than the number who are dying today.
"I have no doubt in my mind whatsoever, and the reason is that there are so many new therapies coming along, many of which have been designated as 'breakthrough' agents by the FDA."


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Courtesy Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort
Published Thursday, Oct. 6, 2011 | 12:51 p.m.
Updated Thursday, Oct. 6, 2011 | 1:32 p.m.
One inch of snow and more than 2 inches of rain fell on Mount Charleston in the past day, setting or tying multiple weather records.
The snowfall ties the old record for the earliest date the mountain has received an inch or more of snow, previously set on Oct. 6, 1994, the National Weather Service said.
The snow fell during the 24-hour period that ended at 8 a.m. Thursday at the weather station at the Kyle Canyon fire station, which is at 7,450 feet in elevation. Other parts of Mount Charleston reported even more snow.
The snow at the fire station also ties a record for the second earliest occurrence of measurable snow at that location. The earliest was on Oct. 3, 1986, when 0.4 inches fell, the weather service said.
The total amount of liquid precipitation — snow and rain — at the weather station this morning was 2.4 inches, shattering the old record for Oct. 6, which was set in 1983, when 0.17 inches of rain fell.
The rain and snow also make today the wettest day so far this year at Mount Charleston and the fourth wettest 24-hour period ever recorded in October on the mountain.
Wednesday night's storm brought rain and snow to most of the region, with Las Vegas receiving 0.11 inches of rain at McCarran International Airport while the Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort reported nearly 4 inches of snow at 9,400 feet, the weather service said.
Parts of the valley were seeing thunderstorms again today, but the rest of the week and the weekend should stay clear, forecasters said. The high temperature in Las Vegas today is expected to reach 65 degrees, while the low tonight is forecast to be 52 degrees.


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Ryan's fridge has been pretty much bare since Janie's death. While weighing which slightly smelly leftover takeout to sample, Ryan is shocked when Janie appears in his kitchen, wanting to talk. Ryan freaks out and runs away. Later, he interrupts one of Yolanda's monologues to tell the group about his vision of Janie - has he gone crazy? Lauren tells Ryan it's a normal coping fantasy; it happens to people all the time. Next time, he might try being more open to the experience.
At work, Ryan notices that all the photos of Steven's girlfriend Ashley are missing. What happened? Did he take them down because he thinks Ryan's too fragile? The three of them used to hang out all the time! Ryan picks up the phone, calls Ashley and proposes a get-together, only to learn Ashley and Steven broke up last month - and she never liked Ryan anyway. Steven admits he's starting to get lonely; maybe it's time to jump back into the shark tank. Ryan's game. He'll be Steven's wingman, just like old times.
Sonia calls an emergency meeting of the group, and they all pile in Anne's minivan to confirm that yes, Lauren is working as a valet parking cashier at a local hotel. When a customer starts giving Lauren grief, Sonia blows the group's cover, demanding, "Are you sassing my group leader?!" After taking a swig of bad milk, Janie appears in Ryan's kitchen again. Trying to be open, Ryan asks Janie to bestow wisdom upon him. When she tells him to go food shopping and cook something for himself, he can't believe it. She's broken every rule in the universe to tell him that?
Ryan has no idea how to shop. Asking a stocker how much milk to buy doesn't work, so he decides to copy a guy who seems to know what he's doing. Later in group, Fausta talks about how she used to love cooking for her boys, but now that they were sent back to her country, no more. Sensing an opportunity, Ryan dives deep. Are Fausta's boys fat? Fat and happy. Does she only cook Mexican food? Fausta cooks everything. When Lauren insists Fausta is confusing nourishment with validation, Mr. K cracks up. "She said validation, like parking validation!" he chuckles. Jaws drop, but Sonia plows into the breach. No more secrets. They have to talk about Lauren's valet parking job.
Ryan can't believe Lauren is in charge of his mental health, and also is a parking attendant. She corrects him: she is a parking services manager, and it's a temporary situation. She loves the work she does in group so much, she's studying for her master's degree, so she needs a job with flexible hours. When Owen wonders why Lauren can't get a better job, she admits she's taking her real estate agent test again next week, and this time, she has a really good feeling about it. Yes, she failed the test three times, but it's not because she's stupid. Lauren has test anxiety. Yolanda offers help, but Lauren wants to face her problem alone.
Ryan stops by the hotel where Lauren works at the valet. He figured that since he's "the special one" in the group, he thought he would ignore boundaries and offer his help with her test. Just then a customer complains. Lauren didn't have his car washed, which is exactly why he doesn't tip. Ryan lays into the guy, promising to unleash the ghost of Janie.
Steven and Ryan hike a popular Los Angeles canyon with a "pickup dog" Steven borrowed from a neighbor. Ryan spots a likely couple of ladies, and swings into full wingman mode. When they spot his wedding ring, Ryan explains he's a widower, then goes into a spiel. Steven warns him away from this tack, so Ryan backs off his cavalcade of lies in favor of the truth. They're just two regular guys with an incredibly popular radio show. The girls are thrilled - people are always telling them that they should have their own radio show because they say such outrageous (not) things! Steven takes it home, inviting the babes down to the radio station with a promise to put them on the air.
Lauren is just leaving her job when Anne's van pulls up with the whole gang inside. They want to help with her test anxiety. When Owen points out that helping Lauren might help the group, she gets in the van. Ryan returns home doing a little song and dance about the lasagna Fausta cooked for him. Suddenly Janie appears, and he drops it. She reminds him that he's the one who needs to cook. Ryan gets mad - Janie died, reneging on their deal to stay together for life. Moreover, why is she really there? This isn't really about shopping and cooking. Janie's not talking, other than to confirm she can't un-die.
The group takes Lauren to the community center to simulate test conditions. Everyone takes part, trying to stress Lauren out while she takes a practice test. While the group tries to be supportive, they have to be honest: Laruen dismally failed the test. At 1:23 a.m. Ryan wakes up like always, but this time, he spends the rest of the night cooking a turkey. He's about to dig in when Janie appears. Ryan knows that if he starts taking care of himself, he'll be admitting she's dead, and it's time to move on - that's why she's been showing up. Ryan has a lot to learn - like folding stuff - so Janie promises she'll return.
That night, Ryan tries to sell Steven as the online talent to their dates, even though there's a huge poster promoting The Ryan King Show. They set the girls up in the studio, making them believe they're on the air, then stick them on mute, because they're boring. Ryan and Steven realize they're having fun anyway, and it would be even more fun if the girls left. Hanging out over the last few days has been great. They head back to Ryan's house to eat turkey and get drunk while playing video games.


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Mass Effect - Bring Down the Sky Revisited @ Destructoid
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July 31st, 2009, 01:16
A lot of redundancy in the article.
I played Bring Down the Sky just a few days ago. It was a decent sidequest for Mass Effect's standards, and I agree that the dialogue was good. The outdoors level also looks great, with that huge planet in the background and the small asteroids.
So the big news is that the next DLC will be combat driven?
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ATHERTON (AP) – An Atherton school teacher was placed on paid administrative leave Wednesday after he rattled a table to get the attention of his math students, startling an eighth-grade girl who used her cell phone to call police.
Atherton police Sgt. Tim Lynch said officers went to Selby Lane School Tuesday afternoon because of reports a teacher was causing a disturbance.
Officers found a calm teacher with class in session.
The sergeant said the teacher's table-rattling startled a student and she used her cell phone to call 911. He says other students in the class weren't bothered by the teacher's actions.
Redwood City School District deputy superintendent John Baker said the teacher was placed on leave because there was a police response.
(© 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)


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NVIDIA "The Way It's Meant to be Played" 2013 Press Event Live Blog
Subject: General Tech, Graphics Cards | October 17, 2013 - 01:45 AM | Ryan Shrout
Tagged: video, nvidia, live blog, live
Last month it was AMD hosting the media out in sunny Hawaii for a #GPU14 press event. This week NVIDIA is hosting a group of media in Montreal for a two-day event built around "The Way It's Meant to be Played".
NVIDIA promises some very impressive software and technology demonstrations on hand and you can take it all in with our live blog and (hopefully) live stream on our PC Perspective Live! page!
It starts at 10am ET / 7am PT so join us bright and early!! And don't forget to stop by tomorrow for an even more exciting Day 2!!
i figured this would be brought back... at least amd does not have a spam in the games it supports
Come on Nvidia, Price drop!!!
mAxius, please kill yourself emoAMDboy.
Good reply.
Looks like Battlefield 4 means AMD...
Lots of stupid NVidia boys on this planet!
I actually met one in the best buy store.
Bunch of them are at anandtech, TR, OCN. There brain is controlled by the NVidia marketing team & NVidia Focus Group members.
Nvidia boys are similar to sports fans of football, baseball.
Nvidia boys get a life! No big deal, a video card is just a piece of metal, silicon and plastic.
I just want May 2014 to hurry up and arrive. I'm ready to build a new rig, today, but there's nothing to upgrade to that really trumps two 4gb 670s. I'm depending on the 800 line with the new tech to be something worth upgrading to . . . gotta scratch this itch.
Actually, I'd really like ATI to win me back, but they burned me with horrid delayed driver updates back in 2000 or so and when I gave them a second chance in 2010, I found the experience a bit lacking and moved back to NVIDIA. So . . . I guess do something to blow my mind before May, ATI!
They are not called ATI anymore that was eons ago
I own a 690, so i'm eager to see what Maxwell brings next year; Before anyone jumps on me about being a fan boy of a certain company, I owned a Radeon HD5970 before the 690.. just the look of the PCB/Heat sink not to mention the performance leap over the 5970 attracted me to Nvidia. If I could see the same kind of performance leaps next year from AMD, I'd go back.
Same here. I'm a huge fan of NVIDIA, because I've had a more consistent and enjoyable experience from them for most of the last 14 years, compared to the experiences I've had with ATI.
However, if I woke up tomorrow and ATI had the biggest beast on the market with solid driver support that didn't suffer in any games from "we're focusing on making this work on NVIDIA-itis", I would gladly jump to it.
Unfortunately, people all too often take "I'm a fan of quality and customer service" for "I'm just a fanboy of this particular product/company because of the company".
Hell, there was almost a decade where I only bought AMD and rather disliked Intel, but then Intel started eating their lunch and the last three or four rigs of mine have all been Intel.
It is pretty rare that someone would actually actively throw money away knowing that their choice is inferior just because "they're muh dogs, yall!". :P
Watch Dogs being delayed cause Nvidia wants to work with them more...interesting.
Nvidia "The Way It's Meant To Be Played" turned into a debugging session of monitors not yet available correcting Nvidia G-Sync stutting and anouncement of rebranding of existing product.
ATI...Amateurs Trying Intently
AMD...Amateur Micro Devices
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PARK CITY — Arguably the biggest star at the Sundance Film Festival may have been in Park City since Monday, leaving his calling card around town.
Throngs of A-listers like James Franco and Kate Hudson will all be landing in Utah shortly for the indie fest, but social media sites are abuzz with sightings of the infamous artist who has made a name for himself by, well, remaining nameless.
He goes by the name Banksy.
Rumor has it that popular U.K. street artist Banksy is hiding in Park City, already tagging Java Cow on Main Street and the building on UT-224 across the street from McPolin Barn with his signature stencil technique.
His identity is a mystery, making the guerrilla art he's left all over the world a mythological intrigue.
Sundance's Spotlight Surprise film could be a documentary on Banksy, reportedly titled "Exit Through the Gift Shop."
The Spotlight Surprise premieres Sunday at the library center theater. Sundance staff keep mum on details of the film until the festival gets officially under way Thursday.
Their Web site may provide a hint. The only information about the film is that it will "leave its own unique mark on the festival."
Park City Police Capt. Rick Ryan has already spoken with Sundance officials about it and confirmed such a movie was coming to the annual festival.
"We specifically talked about this film and this artist and that he had committed to not be involved in graffiti and that we would probably have copycats," Ryan said. "At this point, we really don't know if it's the actual artist or copycats."
Others within the city have heard Banksy is not actually in town and the images are fakes.
The city has begun removing some of it, already painting over the "Banksy" name on the city-owned building on UT-224 and a monkey off a power box at the Gateway Center.
It is city policy to remove any graffiti within 24 hours.
"He's tagging historic buildings, so to a certain extent, it's not OK," Park City Mayor Dana Williams said. "It's kind of frustrating. We've spent years and millions of dollars trying to restore these buildings, and then they get tagged."
The mayor, whose band is playing at a Sundance event on Jan. 30, added he thought the image of a videographer bending down to film a flower on the Java Cow building was "cool," and he wished the artist had his own wall, just not on historic property.
Provo resident Veeda Bybee first spotted Banksy's work Monday, while in town to write a Park City guide for the site Design*Sponge (designspongeonline.com).
Bybee and husband Brendan saw the stenciled image of a videographer just past the iconic Egyptian Theater. The Bybees, who lived in London this summer and frequently saw Banksy's work there, immediately recognized it as a possible Banksy.
Before posting a picture and write-up of the sighting on her blog White Lotus Cooks (whitelotuscooks.blogspot.com), Veeda Bybee researched Banksy Park City sightings online to no avail. She figured it was a fake.
She posted it anyway and, hours later, her blog was getting hundreds of hits. The picture Brendan Bybee took was soon posted on sites like Gawker and Flickr.
"To see it in my own home state was really special," said Veeda Bybee. "He's bigger than any celebrity that's going to come to Sundance this year."37 comments on this story
"I've been so enchanted by him because he has such neat messages and he's really political," Veeda Bybee said. "I really liked seeing all his artwork in London, because here I'm seeing all this famous stuff in museums like Van Gogh, and then you walk down the street and see a Banksy."
She named the chocolate cake recipe she posted Wednesday after Banksy.
Banksy is a polarizing figure, making headlines for his political satire. He's left images of people climbing over the wall on the Israeli West Bank barrier, painted "I want out" over animal enclosures at London zoos, hung a picture in the Paris Louvre of Mona Lisa with a yellow smiley face and placed an inflatable doll dressed as a Guantanamo Bay detainee in Disneyland.
Some call it vandalism. Others say it's inspiring.
e-mail: email@example.com


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Using our Rights against Our Own: The 9-11 Mosque and Religious Rights
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: : : : : : There is one consistent factor of our society which we are seeing more and more: Using our rights against ourselves in order to protect others.: A great recent example is the 9-11 Mosque.: Almost daily, people are debating the 9-11 Mosque and whether it should be placed two blocks where terrorists involved in the same religion took down the twin towers and changed the nation and the world forever.: When the Mosque was first announced, it was a blip on the television. Aside from some conservative groups and tea party members, even the related rallies was lacking publicity despite taking place right where most mainstream media has their central headquarters.: Now that it has been approved, people are screaming and the media responding.
: : : : : Just as immediately, political leaders began to state the right to practice religion as a reason why this factor should not be evaded.: Aside from the fact that the head of the project will not present where his millions in funding came from and has discussed his project in one breath while: blaming America for the attack in the second, America once again has to turn the other cheek while being spit in the face.: Defending religious freedom by allowing the mosque to be built on this location is about as moot as it can be.: Religious freedom is freedom to practice; this is a right we are nowhere near touching when discussing this issue.: In fact, if we were really restricting this right, we would be building a border around the entire state of New York. : : Leaning against our own rules regarding religious freedom, we are doing nothing more rewording and misinterpreting a right to assist an objective that is connected to our tragic history and national security.
101 Things All Young Adults Should Know
by Sir John Hawkins
John Hawkins's book 101 Things All Young Adults Should Know is filled with lessons that newly minted adults need in order to get the most out of life. Gleaned from a lifetime of trial, error, and writing it down, Hawkins provides advice everyone can benefit from in short, digestible chapters.Buy Now
: : : : : : Yes, we are a superpower nation. However, this in no way restricts us from protecting hallowed ground; especially from an organization whose background is connected to the event which caused it to become such a place.: Our rights are to protect our nation and its citizens from the: aftermaths this would cause if allowed.
: : : : : : Placing aside the fact that this nation should protect its own first with: our rights,: this atrocity is also an unneeded factor of their religion, location wise, in the first place. Not only is the Muslim majority no where near the area chosen, but prospective members will have to pass other Muslim mosques to even enter the parking lot of this proposed location.
Despite this situation being a cause for debate and one that has probably for many opened up some wounds, the positive is that we as a nation are seeing the true colors of many leaders. President Obama has not only approved of the mosque, but has stated despite backlash he does not regret his comments.: Mayor Bloomberg has gone as far as to call the people who oppose the Mosque Bigots.: Nonetheless, the spit mark this will leave on many heroes' faces should not occur.: There is no need for it for the religion as there is no need for us to protect others with our rights while ignoring the sacrifices of our own and our responsibility to respect their memory.
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Heather Bachman
Former White House Intern and campaign manager, Heather Bachman is an increasingly recognized political strategist and correspondent. It was during her college career that Heather Bachman's life first became political. An outspoken member of the collegiate governance and Human Relations Advisory Board, Heather produced and hosted two political radio programs (first of their kind for the University). One, The Political Hour mirrored the famed FoxNews Hannity and Colmes program and the other The Bachman Group mirrored The McLaughlin Group. Both won her the University's prestigious Rhett Rich Award. Heather served under President George W. Bush as a White House Intern before graduating Monmouth University with Pi Sigma Alpha Honors. She continued her political education and objectives serving under former Congressman J.C. Watts, Senator Sean T. Kean and taking positions in local campaigns from Assembly to Congress to President. Today, Heather is producing the radio program Heather on the Hill which is currently being shopped for a network home but until then can be heard online at ftrradio.com Sundays at 10am EST. She says she created them in order to fill a void within the conservative political community as well as society as a whole which, she believes, has affected elections and therefore the nation's future too many times.


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Why "We're Just Friends" Is Often A Lie
The truth is, many opposite-sex friendships are sustained because of a simmering attraction between two people. If circumstances were different, they could easily be sexual partners. And they know it. This underlying current of attraction makes talking, texting and spending time together as "just friends" all the more exciting. It has an erotic edge to it.


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One of Joao Plata's biggest dreams is about to come true: The diminutive Toronto FC winger will get the chance to trade in his club's red jersey for a week-and-a-half to wear Ecuador's yellow-and-blue kits.
On Friday, the 5-foot-2 attacker was named in a list of 23 players selected by Ecuador head coach Reinaldo Rueda that will play in three friendlies between May 28-June 7 that will help determine La Tricolor's final roster for this summer's Copa América. One of which, against Canada on June 1, will be on his club team's own home pitch of BMO Field.
Plata, who had until now only been part of the Ecuador's Under-20s, wasn't even sure the youth side would call on him for the U-20 World Cup in Colombia.
"At this moment, it's what I want the most," he said about the possibility of joining the U-20s on FutbolMLS.com's Tiro Libre podcast. "But it's not my decision. It's the coaches' decision. All I focus on is on working hard to be ready for a call-up."
LISTEN: Plata on FutbolMLS.com's Tiro Libre podcast (Spanish)
Now the 19-year-old, who has two goals and two assists thus far in his debut MLS season, will instead get a chance to play alongside players like Manchester United's Antonio Valencia and Monterrey's Walter Ayoví, among others.
Ecuador will take on Mexico in Seattle on May 28, Canada in Toronto on June 1 and Greece in New York on June 7. Should Plata impress Rueda, he could be joining La Tri for the Copa América, which will take place in Argentina from July 1-24.
Plata, like most of the others summoned, is expected to report to the national team's training camp in Guayaquil, Ecuador, on Sunday night.


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SSRS 2008 R2 (at least RTM, CU3, CU5 and CU7) report design in BIDS produces data cache files that cause a wide variety of problems. 2008 R2 fails to discard these cache files more frequently than 2005 did. The particular example I'm attempting to document here demonstrates that data pulled from these caches is pulled by field index, not by name. Replacing the SQL text in a dataset with a different SQL that pulls stuff from different tables, but where the first field has an identical signature will cause BIDS to pull data from the stale cache file and attempt to interpret it according to the new metadata. The error code in the issue title results when the cache file contains non-numeric text in an ordinal position where the new SQL would deliver an int, or when the cache contains less columns than the new SQL would deliver and those rightmost columns are attempted to be used. BIDS even does one better: I *deleted* the whole dataset and created a new one with a different name and different SQL and BIDS still pulled data from the stale cache! There's a curiosity: The "shifted" data, if one looks at my example closely, is still one off. This might correspond to the bug where, if a sp-bound dataset is refreshed when the SP has added new fields in the middle of the list, BIDS will place most new fields displaced in the dataset, and the distance from the proper positions as delivered from the SQL is a regular sequence, e.g. inserting 5 new fields at position 10 might put the new fields at -2 off, -1 off, correct, +1 off, +2 off... The design decision to use cache files at all should be reevaluated. Also, 2008 R2's BIDS must learn to discard cache files whenever the "Refresh fields" button is used, whenever the SQL textbox is changed (even when typing space-backspace at the end), or any other change to the dataset properties is attempted.
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Job Description:
Dear Candidate,
Company profile of Soundlines Group, (www.soundlinesgroup.com).
With 31 years expertise Soundlines Group is today broadly diversified in several growth industries that cover Real Estate, Construction, HR Consultancy, Hospitality, Travel & Tourism and Healthcare. Consistently, the Group companies have emerged as market leaders in fields they have entered. And over the years the Group has developed an enviable record of successfully managing diverse technologies. HR Consultancy has been involved in recruitment and executive search solutions for corporate in the Middle East & the Asian Sub-continent for over three decades! Over this period, we are proud to have successfully placed well over One Hundred Thousand candidates!
We are now having a vacancy for ONE OF OUR PRESTIGIOUS CLIENT IN DOHA QATAR
COMPANY NAME Qatari Diar Construction Products Company (QDCPC)
QUALIFICATION- Any combination equivalent to: graduation from college (electrical engineering, mechatronic engineering..) or high school supplemented by completion of an apprenticeship program in one of the maintenance occupations
Job Description for Estimator
Preparing, negotiating and analysing cost for tenders and contracts.
Assesses scope and location of the job.
Measure and estimate the cost, quantity, specifications and resources
required to accomplish each project.
Interpret and review system drawings to identify any difference to tender
Review and generate Bill of Quantity against system drawings to ensure
alignment and to identify materials types & quantities for cost estimation.
Establish the cost of installation, materials and workmanships
Estimates accurately each job and review the estimate with the General Manager.
Preparing and sending of quotations.
Sourcing and purchasing of materials and related products needed for
Coordinates with the Site Engineers to assist them in establishing the scope
and standards of projects.
Valuing completed work and arranging for payments.
03-05 years within wood /joinery & fit out companies
GCC experience is a must
Interview TYPE: CLIENT INTERVIEW/SKYPE INTERVIEW
4/58 Kamal Mansion,
Haji N.A. Azmi Marg,
Mumbai 400 005. INDIA.
Landmark (Behind Radio Club)
Asst.Recruitment Coordinator.
Salary:INR 5,50,000 – 6,50,000 P.A. BEST IN THE Industry
Industry: Other
Functional Area: Other
Role Category:Other
ESTIMATOR SYSTEM DRAWINGS system diagram BILL OF QUANTITY estimation COST ESTIMATOR.
Desired Candidate Profile:
UG: Any Graduate – Any Specialization
PG:Any Postgraduate – Any Specialization
Doctorate:Any Doctorate – Any Specialization, Doctorate Not Required
Please refer to the Job description above
Company Profile:
SoundLines Inc
Soundlines is a conglomerate with HR Consultancy as its flagship business.
We have been involved in HR consultancy and cross border placements for over 14+ years.
We offer our clients focused services that benefit their business by way of the right personnel who are tested and proven. This increases productivity and improves the company's performance.
Soundlines has its presence in multiple countries including Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka & Korea.
Soundlines is specialised in recruiting large numbers of personnel within a short time frame.
We have young & dynamic teams that are fully dedicated and oriented towards ensuring client delight at all cost.
We place workers, staff and executive cadre personnel in the industries of Construction, Retail, Oil and Gas, Hospitality and MEP.
Soundlines has been a part of several major construction projects in the Middle East.
We have contributed manpower and skill sets for projects such as [Dams], [Skyscrapers], [Housing Colonies], [Hotels], [Roads] and [Bridges] etc.
Soundlines has been go-to destination for large retailers who seek staff for their establishments.
Soundlines has been serving the hospitality sector in their search for the right personnel – be it in the front office, kitchen, room service or any other departments.
The Oil and Natural Gas sector recruitment has been one of our core competencies. We have been delivering personnel to this sector for years.
India is a great resource for Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing personnel. Soundlines has served the requirements of several large MEP projects by recruiting and placing highly productive staff.
Soundlines have years of experience in dealing with each of the above industries and have specialised domain specific staff to head each of these practices.
The above benefits our clients in doing business at ease.
Our other businesses include Realty, Healthcare, Hospitality, Travel & Tourism and Trading.
Contact Details:
Recruiter Name:MS.AAFREEN KHAN
Address:4/58 Kamal Mansion Haji Niyaz Ahmed Azmi MargColabaMUMBAI,Maharashtra,India 400005
Email Address:[email protected]


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Cuba said it will turn over to the United States a Florida couple who allegedly kidnapped their own children from the mother's parents and fled by boat to Havana. Acting State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell discussed the case involving Joshua Michael Hakken, 35, his wife Sharyn, 34, and their two young boys.
Published at 9:22 PM EST on Apr 9, 2013


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What is General Liability Insurance?
A commercial general liability insurance policy covers all liability exposures of a business that are not specifically excluded on the policy form. The primary coverage sections that make up a commercial general liability insurance policy include premises liability, products & completed operations liability, and personal & advertising injury liability.
The major exclusions under a commercial general liability insurance policy typically include: intentional injury; insured contracts; liquor liability; workers compensation and employers liability; pollution; aircraft; automobile; watercraft; mobile equipment; war; care, custody, and control; damage to your work; impaired property; sistership liability; and failure to perform.
Are you looking for a general liability insurance quote? Just complete the form at the top of this page, and we will get in touch with you as soon as possible.
Located in Torrance, California, ISU-The Olson Duncan Agency was originally established in 1945. We do not work for an insurance company; we work for you. We represent a carefully selected group of financially sound, reputable insurance companies, and we place your policy with the company offering the best coverage at a competitive price.


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If you have read the latest "Dizzels La Liga Column" then you know that the most recent Player Of The Week was awarded to Levante striker Obafemi Martins. You also would have read that he had turned 28 on Saturday, which left a lot of people thinking where this magnificent player has been all this
The 9th match-day of the 2012-2013 Liga BBVA has been completed and it has been another terrific week packed with outstanding goals. Currently Barcelona and Atletico both have 25 points from 9 games, but Barcelona have a superior points-difference and thus top the league. Lionel Messi leads the race for the Pichichi with 13 goals


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Twins drop opener of road trip to Mariners
Twins drop opener of road trip to Mariners
After all, the Mariners entered the game last in the Majors in runs scored and batting average at home, as their offense has been down this year and Safeco Field is notoriously tough on hitters.
But instead, it was more of the same for Blackburn, who was hit hard again -- tying a season-high by giving up 11 hits -- in a 5-3 loss to the Mariners.
"It was a typical outing," said Blackburn, who gave up five runs over 5 1/3 innings to fall to 4-8 with a 7.33 ERA. "Make a couple mistakes, give up home runs, make good pitches, give up hits. I don't know. I don't even know where to start. I felt pretty good going out there tonight. I didn't feel like I was ... I don't know what to say."
It's been a tough year for Blackburn, who has turned in just three quality starts in 19 outings. The sinkerballer has particularly struggled to keep the ball in the park, as he gave up two early homers on Friday and has now served up a team-high 23 this season.
"You saw it again tonight," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "He missed over the plate, and they put it in the seats. It's not like a single or a double. He's just gotta get the ball down in those situations, he's gotta make better pitches, and that's the ballgame."
Seattle jumped on Blackburn early, with John Jaso crushing a two-run homer in the first before Miguel Olivo smacked a solo blast in the second for a 3-0 Mariners lead.
"It was good to jump on the board there early in the game," Jaso said. "I just got a pitch inside. I was trying to keep a short swing, because his ball usually sinks and when he keeps it down, it's pretty effective. But he left that one up. My hands were inside of it, short swing and I got a good result."
Blackburn settled down after those first two frames, before running into trouble again in the sixth, when he gave up an RBI double to Eric Thames and a run-scoring single to Dustin Ackley. He was then removed in favor of reliever Tyler Robertson, who was able to get out of the inning without any further damage.
But it was enough for Hisashi Iwakuma, who was perfect for four innings, coming off Felix Hernandez's perfect game against the Rays on Wednesday. Justin Morneau finally ended Iwakuma's bid for perfection with a leadoff double in the fifth -- ending a stretch of 42 consecutive batters retired by Mariners pitchers. It was the longest such streak by any team since 1974.
Minnesota finally got on the board in the inning on an RBI single by Matt Carson, who was making his Minnesota debut. But the Twins ended up leaving the bases loaded, as Iwakuma struck out Pedro Florimon -- also making his Twins debut -- and Darin Mastroianni to end the inning.
Iwakuma ended up allowing just one run on four hits with six strikeouts over seven strong innings to get his fourth win of the year. "I tell you what, he did a great job in that fifth inning," Mariners manager Eric Wedge said. "That was a big inning for us. To leave the bases loaded out there and let them only score one run in a 3-1 ballgame, that was a separator for us. He did a nice job getting us through the seventh. Just a good effort again by Kuma."
The Twins scored twice in the eighth on back-to-back homers by Joe Mauer and Josh Willingham off reliever Stephen Pryor. It was Mauer's eighth of the year and Willingham's 31st. It was the third time this year that Minnesota hit back-to-back homers, but Tom Wilhelmsen pitched a perfect ninth inning to preserve the win for Seattle.
"Offensively, we didn't do much," Gardenhire said. "We had a couple of home runs back-to-back, which kind of got us into the ballgame and made it interesting. But as you saw, a pretty good closer there. He threw the living fire out of the ball."
Rhett Bollinger is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Bollinger Beat, and follow him on Twitter @RhettBollinger. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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" Country: New Zealand / World Region: Australasia / Pacific "
Most visitors to the New Zealand's South Island (or at least those who aspire to covering more than one location) attempt to cover the West Coast: one of the many scenic routes on an island where, as somebody said, everywhere is scenic. Stretching in a relatively narrow strip along most of the western coast of the South Island, between the Southern Alps (one often despairs the colonists' lack of imagination when naming geographical features) and the Tasman Sea, the district of the West Coast is one of the wilder and less developed parts of the country.
The standard route goes from Greymouth or Hokitika (the settlements on the West Coast that mark the crossing of the Southern Alps from Christchurch by Lewis' or Arthur's Passes) to Haast (to cross the mountains by Haast Pass) and then on to Wanaka.
The road along the coast was only completed in 1965, and the final bit of tarmac did not appear on the Haast Pass until 1995. Wilderness is a relative concept and we have often been surprised on this trip by what people here referred to as wild: but this is certainly one of the least inhabited and developed parts of the country that is still accessible by (nowadays very good) road, particularly in the stretch between Fox Glacier and Wanaka, which for us falls on the first day of our journey. Most people seem to do the route the other way round - quite a few cars and campers going the opposite way, but very few in our lane.
At first, we drive by Dunstan lake north and then the road starts following the shore of Lake Hawea, which, surrounded by even more dramatically picturesque mountains that Lake Wakatipu, looks utterly stunning in the sunshine. The wind is trying to blow our heads off as we eat our sandwiches on a very blustery gravel beach. The water s covered in little choppy waves, the clouds are racing, the dark massifs of craggy mountains streaked and topped with blazingly white snow face us, while the hills behind are more rounded and lower. A thinks it's a bit like the West Coast of Scotland. There is nobody here, and hardly a car passes on the road. Even the sheep are, blissfully (albeit temporarily) gone.
We cross the Southern Alps via the lowest of the passes, the Haast pass. The change in landscape and vegetation is couldn't be more striking, and is underlined by the weather today. As we leave Otago and enter the West Coast (as well as Mount Aspiring National Park), the blustery sunshine is replaced by an apparently normal West Coast state of overcast and rain varying from pouring to drizzle.
The sheep disappear again, the road is now running in a - nomen omen - rainforest, a temperate one uncannily similar to the one we travelled through on the west coast of Vancouver Island. The rock face to the left of the car is often enveloped in sheets of flowing water, and the hill sides covered in curly vegetation, peering from behind the mist, form a background for numerous waterfalls cascading down the mountain side. Some of these waterfalls are lower down, and accessible from the road, and we stop by a couple for a look and a photo.
The Haast pass itself is at slightly above 500m, and has some snow on the roadside, but the black ice warnings are groundless and we uneventfully descend on the western side of the mountains, by the wide gravel bed of the river Haast.
Haast itself (or rather the three separate settlements that bear that name with different suffixes) is hardly a village, more like scattering of a farm and tourist-service buildings. We get fish and chips in a strange hotel-cum-bar-cum take away decorated with giant moose and deer heads (I do a double take, but no, we are not back in Canada) and, disappointed in quantity but fairly satisfied with quality, drive on across the long, low bridge across the river Haast and onto what is officially the Glacier Highway.
We are about eighty miles from the glaciers though and we are driving through a wild land indeed. That is, wild, if you forget the metalled road with cats' eyes and side posts, frequent camping and picnic spots with warnings about rubbish, fires and even occasionally a loo as well as an ever-present danger of livestock appearing in a field round the corner.
But fields don't appear for a while and the woolly rainforest surrounds the road in its rich, yellowy, almost reddish greens. We cross many streams in deep, vegetation-covered gorges and can still see the coast every so often, and we stop at Knight's Point to admire rocky outcrops and black cliff falling into the Tasman Sea and at Bruce Bay to look at an amazing driftwood-strewn beach. The sea, is, strangely, blueish green despite the grey cloud and white mist descending lower and lower.
The road veers inland after Bruce Bay and the livestock reappears as land along the road flattens out a bit. We drive into the settlement and the tourist centre of Fox Glacier in the dark, but as we pass the turn-off for the glacier itself, we can see it - just- a faint eerie pale glow on the mountain side in the gully raising above the road side.
We stop at in a cabin at the Fox Glacier Holiday Park (very overpriced but adequate for a resort: try somewhere else if you can afford it or better yet, don't stop in Fox) and hope for less rain tomorrow: we want to see the grand Cloud Piercer of Aoraki (Mt Cook).
We wake up in Fox Glacier to a morning that is cloudy, misty and overcast. Mt Cook is somewhere up there, but we can't see it. Still, a quick drive to and walk around the famous Matheson Lake is due, although chances for a postcard-pretty reflection snap are very slim: instead we get moody clouds. Nice lake, nevertheless.
We backtrack a bit towards the Fox Glacier itself and instead of walking up to the face of it, get a view from a distance. It's raining - sort of, but with a hope of clearing, maybe, later. We traipse up a hillside for about half an hour of a path to a higher lookout, but a wide and rumbling stream to deep to ford and too wide to jump blocks our way. The rain grows, so we turn back without too much regret.
Twenty-odd kilometres on is Franz Josef, the second of the tourist-trap villages as well as the other of the West Coast glaciers: a noticeably bigger and more impressive one than Fox. In fact, both of them are quite impressive, particularly the fact that they come down so low into the temperate zone instead of staying at the usual Alpine glacier heights.
Franz Josef is sunny for us which makes a nice change as well as instantly beautifying the waterfalls coming down the wooded hillsides with a sparkle. We climb up steep but very well maintained path to the lookout at the Sentinel Rock and marvel at the great tongue of dirty ice worming its way down the steep, narrow valley. Higher up, the rocks and sand on top disappear and all we see is a wrinkled sheet of blazing blue ice.
I wonder about fascination that glaciers hold: A doesn't like them, but I think them wonderful and would, in other circumstances, even pay to walk on one (another of the countless "adventure pursuits" the very efficient NZ tourist industry offers). I think it's the knowledge that those things actually create the landscape, or a large part of it, that surrounds us; plus the sheer size of them. Sleeping ice dragons.
From Franz Josef (a tourist service town full of overpriced cafes and tour operators) we get a last look at the huge tent of Mt Cook, now almost completely visible up above us. The weather stays sunny and the road meanders up and down through a country increasingly more developed than the area between Haast and Fox. The mountains are still there, slightly lower at least by the road side, lushly forested, brimming with green life.
We decide to go the whole hog and drive through Arthur's Pass today: we pass the seaside town of Hokitika and turn inland at Kumara Junction.
The road from Kumara Junction (one wonders what living in a place named "sweet potato" does to the inhabitants) climbs, first gently and then much more steeply, mostly through Otira Gorge.
The road is bendy but not particularly difficult, at least in today's sunny conditions. It's a different landscape that I expected, with mountains still green and water-logged, and a wide, flat valley looking as if it was recently formed by a glacier. The pass itself, with a formidable viaduct in a steeply-sided gorge, feels wild and desolate: at over 900m above the sea level it's a true high country, and the falling darkness makes it even more atmospheric.
After the pass things change: the eastern side of the mountains is strikingly drier, with the lush woods replaced by tussock grass. The night falls as we drive across the Waimakariri River, with the dusk pink and saphire and the Evening Star shining incredibly brightly above us.
From then on it's a quick (since in the dark) run into Springfield.
The practicalities of the West Coast are fairly simple: most people drive the whole route themselves either in a car or a camper van, although I have seen many tour buses disgorging young backpackers at several stops on the route. You can also use a public transport bus to travel along the west coast road, although the service beyond Fox Glacier towards Haast and Central Otago seems more erratic. Surprisingly, we have not seen any hitch-hikers, at least going our way, but there is a fair amount of traffic and hitch-hiking should be easy, especially going north-south. There is a train from Christchurch to Greymouth which crosses the Southern Alps on a route sightly different from the road.
The distances involved are not particularly long (which is a nice thing about New Zealand: everywhere is not only scenic but quite near to everywhere else). It's about 600km from the Wanaka area to Christchurch via the Arthur's pass, but Greymouth to Haast is only 314km (ad 100km if you want to detour north to see the famous Pancake Rocks): easily driven in half a day, even factoring in a couple of short stops/walks, although to give the area any kind of justice you need at least a couple of days.
Having crossed New Zealand's Southern Alps and reached the coast at Greymouth, you may be tempted to head south straight away. This is, after all, the direction of the Westland National Park, in which the highest mountains, the deepest rainforest and the remotest tracts of wilderness are to be found. And if you haven't come to see mountains, forest and wilderness, you've come to the wrong place.
Resist the temptation. First, cross the Grey River and take a small diversion up the coast to the north, just an hour's drive to the Paparoa National Park. You will thereby ensure that your first taste of the west coast is not the relatively drab and developed stretch immediately south of Greymouth (only relatively, since nothing along this coast is drab or developed by European standards). North of the Grey River the country is hardly touched, and the drive takes you round rocky hillsides and parallels surf-swept beaches where the Tasman Sea pounds the shore. The main purpose of the diversion, though, is to reach Punakaiki and the Pancake Rocks.
There are wonderful things to see all the way down the west coast of New Zealand's South Island, but the odd thing about them is that few are actually on the coast. Punakaiki is an exception, the Pancake Rocks being located on a headland jutting out into the sea.
A geological freak, these limestone rocks were formed in layers from the skeletons of molluscs and other sea creatures interspersed with layers of compacted mud. Millennia ago earthquakes forced the layers to the surface, since when they have been sculpted by waves and weather into weird designs. The sea has also burrowed blowholes through the rocks, and water spouts shoot skywards through them to relieve the pressure of the surging tides.
Standing on the headland at Punakaiki, amid the crashing of the breakers and the taste of salt spray in the wind, the visitor shivers with a sense of the untamed nature of this coastland, and the appetite to explore it more fully is aroused.
One way to explore the immediate vicinity would be to take a trek inland from Punakaiki through the Paparoa National Park, which is noted for caves and canyons half-hidden amid forests of tree ferns and native Nikau palms. Having not allowed ourselves time to do this, my wife and I headed on south.
Hokitika, twenty-five miles or so south of Greymouth, boomed briefly in the 1860s and 1870s as a Gold Rush port, and still has something of a frontier feel to it. Not far away is Shantytown, a reconstruction of a prospectors' settlement, where for a small fee you can try your hand at panning for gold, but we did not visit it. In Hokitika itself we walked along the driftwood-strewn shore to the mouth of the Hokitika River, where many steamers crammed with fortune-seekers came to grief amid the shifting sandbanks and sudden storms.
Gold Rush nostalgia apart, Hokitika is full of arts and crafts shops, with jade carvings, knitwear and leatherwear the main specialities. My wife found plenty of opportunity to add to her collection of unusual knitting wools, for which it appears New Zealand is outstanding. The town's other claim to fame lies in its hosting of the Wild Food Festival, a rather bizarre celebration of unconventional carnivore cuisine. "All God's creatures have their place - between two slices of bread," proclaims a roadside sign on the way into town. Somehow, we were rather glad we were there in the wrong month for the Festival.
Hokitika is a good place to stay, though, with plenty of accommodation of all types and price ranges, and plenty of places to eat. We stayed at Teichelmans B&B, located in the middle of town and comfortably-furnished, where we were given a warm and friendly welcome by the owners, Brian and Frances. The nightly tariff of NZ$170 (approx £62) for the two of us together included not just the copious breakfast, but tea on arrival and a nightcap before bed. Good value and recommended accordingly (0064 3 755 8232).
Inland from the town is the Hokitika Gorge, which offers a short steep drive up beside spearmint green torrents of glacial water to reach Lake Kaniere. Here there is a visitor centre, the starting point for many scenic walks around the lakeshore or into the surrounding hills.
Once south of Hokitika human habitations rapidly thin out, although a railway track runs parallel with the coast road as far as Ross, another Gold Rush relic. It is a relief to leave the railtrack behind, if only because bridges across rivers are frequently shared between road and rail, with room only for one mode of transport at a time. Notices state that trains have priority, not a point that I would care to dispute, although what one does as a driver if one meets a train head-on halfway across I am not quite clear. Hope that the drivers behind are as quick to find reverse gear as you are, I guess.
After Ross the road veers away from the shore and the settlements become smaller - which is to say practically non-existent - and further between. From Ross down to Franz Joseph Glacier, a distance of about a hundred miles, one sees only about half-a-dozen hamlets, and the occasional sheep station. Moving south, the hilly pastures increasingly give way to forests, and the peaks loom ever higher up ahead.
Somewhere along this road we enter the South West New Zealand World Heritage Area, which encompasses thousands of square miles of wilderness, stretching all the way down beyond Westland into Fiordland with its dramatic deep-water sounds. They will be covered in a separate review. Long before we reach them, there is still plenty to be seen in Westland, starting with the glaciers.
The Westland National Park, encompassing the Franz Joseph and Fox glaciers, lies in the shadow of Mount Cook, New Zealand's highest mountain, which is permanently capped with ice and frequently with cloud.
The rain is pelting down by the time we reach Franz Joseph, and we skulk in the Visitor Centre for a while, absorbing information from the well-presented exhibits while waiting for the weather to clear. It doesn't clear. Perennially heavy rainfall is one of the drawbacks to visiting the area - in places exceeding 4000 mm a year it is over three times as heavy as in the Highlands of Scotland, Britain's wettest region.
Eventually we give up waiting, don our wet weather gear, and trudge up the trail - about two or three miles - to the face of the glacier, the point where it breaks up and begins to melt away. With climate change, the face has advanced and receded over the years, and the approach is across stony streams in a deeply gouged valley that was previously filled with ice. The slatey surface of the surrounding rock-faces is veined with torrents of white water.
Up ahead, the rain-clouds clear briefly to reveal the full length of the glacier, like a gigantic worm wriggling down the mountainside, white at the top, greyer lower down where the debris from rockfalls is carried on its icy back. More colours are revealed as one approaches the face - amid the translucent whiteness are blues and greys and greens. Coldness radiates out of it and sends a shiver down the spine.
Regaining our warmth and composure over a sandwich and a glass of something in Fox Glacier village twenty miles of dramatic driving further down the road, we debate whether or not to walk up to Fox as well. Isn't one glacier enough? No, we decide; we haven't come twelve thousand miles to be deterred by a drop of rain.
A good decision as it turns out. Fox is different from Franz Joseph, in a narrower, greener valley with a more distinct river descending from it, and more ups and downs along the way. It is harder here to see the upper body of the glacier as it grinds its gradual way down from the clouds, but the face is fascinating, forming a hollow ellipse as if to provide an acoustic shell beneath which some icebound orchestra might perform.
For the formidably fit, there are long walks feasible up the mountains beyond the faces of both glaciers, but we do not feel up to tackling them in the rain. For the lazily affluent, helicopters can be hired to buzz one up onto the icecap itself. To us, this has little appeal. But I would heartily recommend the walks up-valley to both the faces, each of them enthralling in its own way.
Returning to the car park, we find a kea (a local species of wild parrot) perched beside our rented car. This alarms us for a moment, since they are notorious for pecking out the sealing rubber around car-windows and windscreen wipers. But this one seems only interested in the remains of our sandwiches and in posing for photographs.
Before leaving the Westland National Park, it is in fine weather well worth visiting Lake Matheson, known as the mirror lake. On its still surface one can see reflected the peak of Mount Cook and the long sweep of the slopes down which the glaciers descend. When the peak is lost in clouds and the surface tufted by raindrops, however, the effect is not quite so startling. It's still a picturesque lake all the same.
From Lake Matheson down to Lake Moeraki is another seventy miles. On the winding road, it seems a long drive after a long day on the glaciers, and I'd advise anyone following this route to stay over in Fox or Franz Joseph, where there are several hotels, hostels and B&Bs. Once south of Fox they are hard to find because the road, which already seemed deserted, becomes more deserted still. Ten miles or more can easily pass without a sign of human life. This is not surprising; the through route down this coast was not completed until 1965 by which time the New Zealand conservation movement was already in full swing and development discouraged.
Such places to stay as exist tend to be either very cheap and basic or rather on the expensive side. After much debate we plumped for the latter, and stayed two nights (the minimum booking) at the Wilderness Lodge near Lake Moeraki. It's a beautiful place, looking out over well-tended gardens to the river descending from the lake with rainforest beyond
From one side of the Lodge one can walk down a forest track through densely dripping native trees of ancient lineage (kahikatea, rimu, matai) and tree-ferns, all entangled with creepers and epiphytes - plants like perching lilies and orchids that flourish on the damp bark of the trees. The track brings one, after a mile or two, to a secluded cove, girded by rocks and seething surf, the mist of its spray occluding the horizon.
Seals, including elephant seals, and tawaki crested penguins are often found here, although not alas by us on this occasion. Sandflies - insects as insidious as mosquitoes and with quite as irritating a bite - are also frequently encountered everywhere in this area, and we met many more than we would have liked.
From the other side of the Lodge, one can canoe up the river and around the lake, which we did in the afternoon when we were there. The scenery is stunning - forest down to the water's edge all around, a backdrop of rocky peaks beyond - and the tranquillity barely impinged on by the fact that the main round passes down one bank, so infrequent is the traffic. Out by the far shore of the lake we could pause our paddling and hear nothing except the trill of insects and the call of birds, and then the sudden beat of the black swans' wings as they took off from water, displaying their white tips.
The Wilderness Lodge has ecological ambitions (see www.wildernesslodge.co.nz) which I have to say we found less than wholly convincing. In the short time we were there, we did not go on any of their longer (and rather expensive) guided nature-discovery expeditions. The shorter, more local ones, included in the price, were brief and rather elementary.
In fairness to the Wilderness Lodge most things - excellent breakfast and dinner, use of canoes and facilities - are included in the price. But at NZ$250 (£92 approx) per person per night, the price is hefty; indeed, it was the most expensive place we stayed in the whole of our round-the-world trip. In our view, pleasant though it was, it didn't quite measure up in terms of value for money. The bedrooms, in particular, were pretty ordinary.
In the interests of taking the smooth with the rough, it was an experience and I don't regret having stayed there. But I wouldn't do so if I visited the area again, and I wouldn't recommend it.
Driving on from Lake Moeraki, the road soon swings back to the coast, reaching it at Knight's Point - a lookout platform with sweeping views along the shore. A few miles further at Ship Creek, there are walks along seemingly endless beaches, and through dunes and marshland behind them, full of exotic birdlife.
Haast, where the main road turns inland again, is a rather forlorn little settlement with a filling-station and motel, its bleakness relieved by the presence of yet another outstanding Visitor Centre. The New Zealand Department of Conservation is extraordinarily good at installing these places, cramming them with interesting exhibits displaying both the natural and human sides of the local heritage.
From Haast a side road runs down thirty more miles of windswept coastline to Jackson's Bay, the southernmost settlement on the west coast, beyond which lie only the cliffs and inlets of Fiordland. We almost took this road, tempted by its promise of empty beaches and coastal wildlife, but were short of time. So, instead, we followed the main road inland up the Haast River Valley, into the Mount Aspiring National Park, amid more neck-craning vistas, and frequent tracks through dense forest to off-road waterfalls. Wonderful country, but almost before we knew it we were out of Westland and into Otago.
The ideal way to explore Westland is by car or campervan, a method that allows you to take your own time and venture off-track at will. It is, however, possible by bus; for example, the InterCity and Atomic Shuttle services seem to run the length of the route we took, and on down to Wanaka and Queenstown further south inland. There are, of course, guided inclusive tours available from a number of operators.
Places to stay are numerous and varied around Greymouth and Hokitika, sufficient around the glaciers but very sparse further south. It is definitely advisable to book ahead, especially in the high season (December-February).
New Zealand's Westland isn't quite unique. I can't even say I've never been anywhere like it before. I have - the Pacific north-west coast of America, in Washington State between the ocean and Olympic National Park. That too has glacier-capped mountains, rugged shores and temperate rain forests. It's wild country, but Westland is wilder. Wilder, but somehow more welcoming.
Reflecting on the time we spent in Westland, I find it hard to justify my five-star verdict on the place. The shortcomings are easy to enumerate: it rains too much for comfortable sight-seeing; in most areas it's hard to reach the coast itself, or for that matter high into the mountains; the sandflies are horrid. But when I look back on it without detailed reflection, all those things are outweighed by the things I loved about it, which were many.
Maybe, coming from our densely-packed, polluted British Islands, it's simply wonderful to find in New Zealand another set of islands, of similar size and climate, inhabited by people of similar cultural background and speaking the same language, but islands that aren't polluted or densely packed. Rather, the best bits are sparsely populated, pristine and scenically stupendous. And Westland is definitely one of the best bits.
This is wilderness for which you do not have to brave climactic extremes, dangerous wildlife or hostile natives. It is accessible wilderness - not easily accessible, for that would negate the value of its accessibility and rapidly destroy its character, but accessible to anyone ready to go to the effort and expense to find their way there and to explore.
© First published under the name torr on Ciao UK, April 21st 2005.
Westland Tai Poutini National Park is located in New Zealand's South Island. Established in 1960, the centenary of the European settlement of Westland, it covers 1,175 km², and extends from the highest peaks of the Southern Alps to a wild and remote coastline.